Ephesians 2:8-10 - Dallas Willard once said, "Grace is opposed to earning but it is not opposed to effort." Meaning, we do not work to earn our salvation but we do work in grateful response to the salvation that is freely given to us. In Ephesians 2 Paul emphasizes the importance of living from our gratitude for grace.

Ephesians 2:6-7 - The Bible offers people an invitation to imagine themselves in the story of God. For Paul, this was important because he wanted his readers to understand the importance of being united to Christ. Union with Christ changes everything about our story...

Ephesians 2:1-5 - To truly appreciate the light we have to understand the darkness. This is true in the physical world and in our spiritual lives as well. The Bible is honest when it describes our need for salvation. We are all guilty of sinning. Not fun to talk about in our culture but necessary for us to appreciate and understand the mercy, love, and grace that God has offered us in Christ.

Ephesians 1:17-23 - The most important thing for Paul was helping people get closer to God. When he prays he prays for his friends to know God at a deeper level than they did before. He wanted them to pursue God's wisdom for their lives and live each day with God...inviting Him to be a part of everything they do.

Ephesians 1:15-16 - Our words, both spoken and unspoken, are powerful. And our time is not guaranteed so it is important to say the unspoken things to the people in our lives. In just two short verses Paul uses his words to encourage and uplift the church in Ephesus and reminds us to be intentional with our words.

Ephesians 1:13 - Who or what you belong to is essential to understanding your purpose in life. In Ephesians 1:13 Paul reminds the church that when they became Christians they were marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit and now belong to the Lord. So, as a result of this, every day there is a refreshed purpose in our lives...and a promised help in fulfilling that purpose.

Ephesians 1:3-14 - It is easy to get distracted and even discouraged by the brokenness that surrounds us in the world. We can feel trapped and begin to take on shame and guilt that prevent us from seeing who we really are. In the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds them of the beauty that is offered to them in Christ. He reminds them of who they really are.

Ephesians 1:3-7 - Psalm 115:3 says that God is in heaven, and He does whatever pleases Him. So the question is, what has God chosen to do? In Ephesians 1 Paul begins his letter by explaining that in His sovereignty God has chosen to predestine us for adoption. In today's message we explore what that means for the church and for individual followers of Jesus.

Ephesians 1:1-2 - Paul begins his letter to the Ephesian church with a reminder for his readers. He wants them to remember who they are in Christ before he explains to them how to live in response to this truth.

Revelation 2:1-7 - Before we begin our study of Ephesians we look at the important warning that Jesus had for this church to remember their first love.