BBC Sermon Cast

What does the Bible say about who we are and who we should be? What is unique about biblical counselling?

Ephesians 6:10 encourages us that we do not face our struggles alone. We can face our battles with confidence. After all, as our text informs us, the battle is the Lord’s. The Christian struggle can be an overwhelming thought and experience—unless we realise that the battle is the Lord’s. He provides what we need to fight the good fight of faith.

We will examine this commandment to help us to obey it. If we do, we can be more than conquerors. We are commanded to believe that the battle is the Lord’s and to behave as if the battle is the Lord’s.

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot, and hang on. A psalmist in extremis teaches us how to endure the severe trials of life and to emerge on the other side as sanctified and God glorifying victors.

Paul was very aware of the Christian’s and the church’s struggle against flesh-and-blood problems. But he argues that these struggles are in fact not against flesh and blood, but against evil spiritual enemies. According to our text, the Christian individually and, more importantly, Christians corporately are really up against it. What shall we do? How can we succeed against such a powerful enemy? What does God expect of us? Clearly, from this text, God expects for us to stand. These verses introduce us to the church’s warfare. There is a general exhortation to stand strong (vv. 10–13) and then some particular applications on how to stand strong (vv. 14–20).

Several weeks ago, we changed the format of our Sunday evening service with the view of emphasising corporate prayer as a church family. There have been some questions about this, but having worked through some theological and ecclesiological issues, and having listened to many church members, we are encouraged that this is a healthy for our church.

Acts 2:42 highlights and helps to address some of the concerns about what we are doing as a church.

According to Paul, Jesus goes to work with us. The question, of course, is whether or not we are aware of this. Do we believe and therefore behave like it? It is easy to put on a show for a few hours on a Sunday, or during an evening Grace Group. It is much more difficult to conceal the real you when you are observed constantly in the close confines of the home and the workplace.

In this study, we will examine Ephesians 6:5–9 with a view to knowing what being filled with the Spirit looks like in the workplace, whether you are a Christian employee (vv. 5–8) or a Christian employer (v. 9).

Affliction is a central theme of Psalm 119:65–72. The psalmist’s burden was to learn something from affliction, and for his readers to learn from affliction. Affliction is a reality for everyone, but we will only learn from affliction to the degree that we are looking to learn from it. These verses reveal the source of affliction (v. 65), the purpose of affliction (vv. 66–68), and some realities of affliction (vv. 69–72).

One of the lessons gleaned from the Protestant Reformation is that the church is to be always reforming—in accordance to the Word of God. One particular area where the church is to always be reforming is with reference to the family. There is always room for improvement. There is always need for constructive evaluation and helpful instruction. There is always need for encouragement. This is important for each of us, regardless of the age of our children—and regardless of whether or not we even have children.

At Calvary, God tears the curtain of the flesh of his beloved Son Jesus on the cross, and he tears the curtain of the temple that stood in front of the Holy of Holies. Has God torn the curtain that lies over your heart to understand and experience the salvation that flows from the sufferings of Christ?

The goal of Christian parenting, quite simply, is for fathers to lead their children to another Father. In order to do this, fathers must prioritise the gospel. In the text before us, Paul give two commands that, if obeyed, provide a framework for gospel-driven parenting: First, don’t stir them up; and, second, do build them up. Fathers do so by pointing their children to the Lord.

If fathers will faithfully lead their children to the Father, at least four things are required: (1) Fathers must be present; (2) fathers must not provoke; (3) fathers must parent; and (4) fathers must pray.