Marriage has been made to be the ultimate relationship and as a result, people who are unmarried, have a tendency to feel as if they are lessor than – as if marriage is somehow the ultimate goal. But the Bible doesn’t speak about marriage in ultimate terms. In actuality, marriage according to God isn’t the ultimate destination or even the ultimate relationship – marriage is only intended by God to be a pointer or a signpost directing us to something greater: the ultimate relationship with Jesus.

My hope for us Church, is that we would wake up and actually want holiness; that we would walk in love by putting on thanksgiving, obedience, and in all this—rest in Christ by the Spirit. As we grow in holiness, we will grow in love, we will grow in knowing Christ, and we will grow in showing God to the world.

What does the Christian life look like and how do you live it? Paul calls the Ephesian church to look different than the rest of the world by remembering and applying the finished work of the gospel to their everyday lives. How do they do this? The answer is the two-step Christian walk of faith and repentance.

A healthy church will be unified and diverse, with maturing people who are full of worship, are incredibly welcoming, humble, grateful, sacrificial in their serving, and excited about discipleship for the glory of Jesus.

Paul prays for God’s power, because he knows that without God moving and providing the power of His gospel – there is no way – the church of Jesus would ever be whom God saved them to be in this world and do what they are commissioned to. So, this section is a great reminder that we must have POWER if we’re ever going to mature as followers of Jesus, and POWER to comprehend the love of God if we’re ever going to be truly be unified as a local church.

Our world is divided by race, culture, politics and socio-economic status. However, the greatest divide that existed in biblical times was the separation between Jews and Gentlies. This text tells us what Jesus Christ has done about this divide and how his cross saves the stranger, reconciles the enemy, and builds all of God’s people together into a united church that proclaims Jesus Christ to the world!

Our need for salvation is so great that it took the totality of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Healthy followers of Jesus understand their ongoing need of the gospel and the great help they have access to contained in the riches of God's grace.

Knowing God is about living with HOPE, knowing your WORTH as a person, and living with extremely POWER each and every day in a fallen and broken world. Knowing God = HOPE, WORTH and POWER; these are three things that everyone needs and is trying to get in this world! But these things are only Christian things!

The key to Christian living begins with a BIG view of God. When believers in Jesus begin to see the more-ness of the gospel, it will propel their growth and maturity of faith.

Experiencing the peace of God flows from being convinced of the love and grace of God that contains the supernatural power to transform sinners into saints - making the unfaithful, faithful in the eyes of God.