Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...

We are continuing our mini-series, The Mystery of Christ, by looking at this INCREDIBLE prayer smack dab in the middle of the book.

Paul has been expanding upon the mystery of Christ to this church in Ephesus, reminding them of God's great plan to redeem and reconcile all of humanity unto Himself, and he ends with this beautiful prayer.

In this prayer, Paul reminds them that because of Jesus Christ, because of the power of the resurrection, the church in Ephesus can dream big dreams with God. They don't have to look at their current circumstances to diminish God's possibilities, but with God and through God, all things are possible!

What a paradigm shift!

Anyone that has lived life long enough knows that it's easy to get discouraged, easy to get dismayed, but in Christ, we have a little bit of a secret weapon. We don't look at our problems and get discouraged. We look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, as the one who conquered the grave, and it's because of HIM that we can believe that God is able to do far more than we can ever dream or imagine.

Ephesians 3:4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ...

We are continuing in our larger series, Ephesians, this Sunday but beginning a new subsection on The Mystery of Christ!

So far in Ephesians, Paul has woven together great theological truths about what God has done for humanity in Jesus Christ: reconciling the world unto Himself and to one another. The first two chapters are chockfull of revelations and insight, and Paul begins a new section here in chapter three on the mystery of Christ.

Paul expands upon this mystery in Romans, weaving together the Old Testament stories and what God has done to continue the covenant in Jesus Christ, and in this short section, Paul highlights how Jesus was God's plan for humanity all along.

One of the premier Pauline scholars today, N.T. Wright, argues that Jesus is not just a figure in a religious story, but the one who fulfills the promises of the Old Testament covenant, bringing about God's kingdom and offering a new way of life. And that is exactly what Paul is writing on here in Ephesians 3!

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household...

We are continuing our series, Inheritance, by looking at the importance of community.

Something that we're really big on in the Vineyard is relationships, and we truly believe that the quality of our lives is directly proportional to our vertical and horizontal relationships. And yet, being in community is so challenging.

Last week, we talked about how Christ has destroyed the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, between two different people groups, and how God's ultimate plan is the reconciliation of people unto Himself and to one another.

Bonhoeffer once wrote, “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community... Let him who is not in community beware of being alone...Each by itself has profound perils and pitfalls. One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and the one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation and despair.”

We, as humans, were made for community, and yet, sin broke that bond. So it requires the work of the Holy Spirit to continue to be bound together in unity as God builds His people into His masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:14 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”

Ephesians 2:12-13 "...remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are continuing our series, Inheritance, by looking at 2:1-10. It's one of the most powerful passages of Scripture on the topic of identity and purpose!

Most of us, whether out of comparison or hurts, walk around with a diminished view of self. We look at others, and we see all the amazing things that they do and are. And we think to ourselves: what about me? But the way that God sees each person, each human made in His image, is a masterpiece. What an incredible revelation!

What if we looked at ourselves, and we thought, "I am God's masterpiece." Imagine what that could do for our confidence. Imagine what that could do for our purpose. And it's not anything that we've done, but because God has created us, we bear His image and likeness, and He calls us His masterpiece.

In his book, "You Are Special," Max Lucado writes an incredible story of worth and value, and this quote summarizes it all: “you are special because I made you.
And I don’t make mistakes.”

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people...

Last week, we began our series in Ephesians looking at our Inheritance in Christ. And we will be continuing our study by looking at this beautiful prayer (Ephesians 1:15-23). The Apostle Paul penned this prayer right after reminding the church in Ephesus of their inheritance, and you can almost sense Paul's overwhelming feeling of awe and wonder thinking about God's grace.

In this passage, Paul urges the Ephesians to grab hold of God's power, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, and to remember that in Jesus, they have access to all that God wants to give to them (and to us!).

It's an incredible passage, full of incredible insight, and we can't wait to walk through it together.

Ephesians 1:11-14 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

We are beginning a new series, Inheritance, this Sunday at the Vineyard! We're actually going to be in the letter to the Ephesians all year, and we'll be breaking this incredible book into mini-series, the first of which will be on our inheritance in Christ.

Many Christians forget the promises all throughout the Bible. We'll focus on our salvation, our rescue from sin, and then we'll forget that God cares deeply about our life in Him and with Him. The Gospel is really good news, not just because it's the promise of our delivery from sin, but it's the promise of God's provision, protection, and presence as His children.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be going through this idea of our inheritance in Christ Jesus and all the promises that God wants to deliver to us as His beloved.

We are having a special guest this weekend at the Vineyard! Marc DuPont has worked in Vineyard churches over the years, and he now has a specific calling into stirring up revival and renewal in the Body of Christ!

During the last 26 years, Marc has mainly been working with Mantle of Praise Ministries, Inc. on an international level functioning in a prophetic “Barnabas ministry” of encouragement. He has ministered in conferences, seminars, and churches in well over 20 countries. He travels between 4 and 5 months a year in Scandinavia, Europe, Africa, the United States, Canada, Mexico, the British Isles, Asia, and Australia. He is used by the Lord in a wide variety of denominations from Lutheran to Baptist and Pentecostal to Anglican.

Marc and his wife Kim now reside in San Diego, CA. They have 3 grown children, Allie, Taylor and David. Marc is also on staff at Foothills Christian Church in El Cajon, CA.

Mark 9:29 And He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting."

We are continuing our conversation that we had last week on the Theology and Practice of Healing! We only got through some parts of the Five-Step Prayer Model, and we felt like we were supposed to finish up that conversation.

In the Five-Step Prayer Model, there's a step where we choose the right prayer. If it's healing, we choose a healing prayer. If it's encouragement, we offer prayer and supplications. And if it's provision, we will offer intercession.

Choosing the right prayer type is absolutely important because we often treat prayer like a one-size fits all, when our specific needs have a specific prayer style that needs to be applied.

In dealing with the boy with the impure spirit, Jesus chose a specific kind of prayer to get to the root of the problem, and His disciples asked why they couldn't cast it out.

God wants to heal His people, and He wants to use us to be the hands of feet of healing in prayer for one another, and if we're really going to be effective as a healing place, we need to pray with boldness, confidence, and through and with the power of the Holy Spirit!