Pillar Church Podcast

In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul called us to walk worthy of our calling by maintaining the unity of the Spirit — through humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love. That’s how we protect unity as individuals. But in verse 7, Paul turns to how we maintain it together as a church.

And it starts with a gift.

In “Your Gift Isn’t for You | How Spiritual Gifts Build The Church,” we walk through Ephesians 4:7–16 and the grace Christ has given to each one of us. This isn’t only saving grace — it’s enabling grace, a spiritual gift that empowers us to do what we could never do on our own. And Paul makes clear that these gifts were never meant to be kept to ourselves. They were given to build up the body.

In this sermon, you’ll discover:

• Why Christ has given a grace gift to every believer
• The difference between unity and uniformity
• Why fear, comparison, and jealousy keep us from using our gift
• What Psalm 68:18 reveals about the gifts Christ won for us
• How Christ equips the church for the work of ministry
• Why using our gifts helps us grow into maturity and unity
• What it means for each part of the body to work properly

Unity has never meant sameness. Like different voices singing in harmony, our different stories and gifts come together into something more beautiful than any of us alone. Every part is needed — if we don’t use the gift God gave us, what He gave it for won’t get done.

So why do we hold back? Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes we think our gift isn’t valuable. Sometimes we’re jealous of someone else’s. But none of us earned our gift. It belongs to Him, and we are simply stewards of it.

Paul draws on Psalm 68:18 — the picture of a conquering king handing out the spoils. Christ has defeated sin and death, and our gifts are the spoils of His victory. Every time we use them, we declare that the enemy could not hold us.

Your gift isn’t for you.

It’s for the people around you — and their gifts are for you. As each part works properly, we grow up into Christ, no longer tossed around by every wind of doctrine, and the whole body is built up in love.

Because the unity Christ created becomes visible when every gift is in play.

The question isn’t whether you have a gift. The question is: Are you using it to build up the body?

In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul called us to walk worthy of our calling by maintaining the unity of the Spirit — through humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love. That’s how we protect unity as individuals. But in verse 7, Paul turns to how we maintain it together as a church.

And it starts with a gift.

In “Your Gift Isn’t for You | How Spiritual Gifts Build The Church,” we walk through Ephesians 4:7–16 and the grace Christ has given to each one of us. This isn’t only saving grace — it’s enabling grace, a spiritual gift that empowers us to do what we could never do on our own. And Paul makes clear that these gifts were never meant to be kept to ourselves. They were given to build up the body.

In this sermon, you’ll discover:

• Why Christ has given a grace gift to every believer
• The difference between unity and uniformity
• Why fear, comparison, and jealousy keep us from using our gift
• What Psalm 68:18 reveals about the gifts Christ won for us
• How Christ equips the church for the work of ministry
• Why using our gifts helps us grow into maturity and unity
• What it means for each part of the body to work properly

Unity has never meant sameness. Like different voices singing in harmony, our different stories and gifts come together into something more beautiful than any of us alone. Every part is needed — if we don’t use the gift God gave us, what He gave it for won’t get done.

So why do we hold back? Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes we think our gift isn’t valuable. Sometimes we’re jealous of someone else’s. But none of us earned our gift. It belongs to Him, and we are simply stewards of it.

Paul draws on Psalm 68:18 — the picture of a conquering king handing out the spoils. Christ has defeated sin and death, and our gifts are the spoils of His victory. Every time we use them, we declare that the enemy could not hold us.

Your gift isn’t for you.

It’s for the people around you — and their gifts are for you. As each part works properly, we grow up into Christ, no longer tossed around by every wind of doctrine, and the whole body is built up in love.

Because the unity Christ created becomes visible when every gift is in play.

The question isn’t whether you have a gift. The question is: Are you using it to build up the body?

For the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been showing us who we are in Christ, what we have received through Him, and what His grace has accomplished on our behalf. But when chapter 4 begins, the focus shifts. Paul moves from what we believe to how those beliefs should actually shape the way we live.

And the first thing he addresses is unity.

In “Do You Really Understand Unity? | Learning to Walk Worthy of Our Calling,” we look at Ephesians 4:1–6 and what it means to live in a way that reflects the calling we have already received. Paul doesn't tell believers to create unity. The Holy Spirit has already done that work. Our responsibility is to recognize its value, protect it, and live in a way that makes that unity visible.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• Why Ephesians 4 marks a major shift from belief to everyday practice

• Why unity is one of the first characteristics of a life worthy of our calling

• The difference between unity and uniformity

• Why biblical unity is something the Holy Spirit creates, not something we manufacture

• How preference, obligation, and agreement fall short of Spirit-created unity

• Why humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love are essential to protecting unity

• What it means for our conduct to actually match the calling we have received

The unity Paul describes is deeper than having the same preferences, personality, convictions, or background. We are united because we are found in Christ. That means our relationships with one another cannot be built only on how easy someone is to love, how much we agree, or how closely their preferences match our own.

God has already created something stronger.

Paul calls us to bear with one another in the unconditional love we ourselves have received from Jesus, to walk humbly enough that self is no longer at the center, and to yield to the Holy Spirit who enables us to live differently.

Knowing the truth is only part of the Christian life. Eventually, what we believe should begin showing up in our relationships, our choices, our conversations, and the way we respond to people who are difficult for us.

Paul calls this walking worthy of our calling.

Not earning the calling. Not proving ourselves worthy of grace. But allowing the way we live to increasingly reflect the grace we have already received.

If we really understand what Jesus has done for us, it should become visible in the way we walk with Him and with one another.

For the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been showing us who we are in Christ, what we have received through Him, and what His grace has accomplished on our behalf. But when chapter 4 begins, the focus shifts. Paul moves from what we believe to how those beliefs should actually shape the way we live.

And the first thing he addresses is unity.

In “Do You Really Understand Unity? | Learning to Walk Worthy of Our Calling,” we look at Ephesians 4:1–6 and what it means to live in a way that reflects the calling we have already received. Paul doesn't tell believers to create unity. The Holy Spirit has already done that work. Our responsibility is to recognize its value, protect it, and live in a way that makes that unity visible.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• Why Ephesians 4 marks a major shift from belief to everyday practice

• Why unity is one of the first characteristics of a life worthy of our calling

• The difference between unity and uniformity

• Why biblical unity is something the Holy Spirit creates, not something we manufacture

• How preference, obligation, and agreement fall short of Spirit-created unity

• Why humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love are essential to protecting unity

• What it means for our conduct to actually match the calling we have received

The unity Paul describes is deeper than having the same preferences, personality, convictions, or background. We are united because we are found in Christ. That means our relationships with one another cannot be built only on how easy someone is to love, how much we agree, or how closely their preferences match our own.

God has already created something stronger.

Paul calls us to bear with one another in the unconditional love we ourselves have received from Jesus, to walk humbly enough that self is no longer at the center, and to yield to the Holy Spirit who enables us to live differently.

Knowing the truth is only part of the Christian life. Eventually, what we believe should begin showing up in our relationships, our choices, our conversations, and the way we respond to people who are difficult for us.

Paul calls this walking worthy of our calling.

Not earning the calling. Not proving ourselves worthy of grace. But allowing the way we live to increasingly reflect the grace we have already received.

If we really understand what Jesus has done for us, it should become visible in the way we walk with Him and with one another.

What do you pray when life gets hard?

For most of us, the instinct is understandable: God, change this. Fix this. Get me out of this. But in Ephesians 3, Paul shows us another way to pray.

In “The Prayer You’re Not Praying | Learning To Pray For What Matters Most,” we look at Ephesians 3:14–21 and one of Paul's most powerful prayers for the Church. Writing from prison, Paul doesn't pray for his chains to fall off or his circumstances to change. Instead, he prays that believers would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in their inner being, rooted and established in the love of Christ, and filled with the fullness of God.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• What Paul's posture teaches us about approaching God in prayer

• Why difficult circumstances should never keep us from praying

• What Paul didn't pray for—and what that reveals about spiritual maturity

• Why strengthening your inner life matters when life's battles come

• The difference between Christ being present, prominent, and preeminent in your life

• How deeply knowing God helps us understand the depth of His love

• What it looks like to pray for God's will and glory above our own

Paul's prayer challenges us to look beyond what is happening around us and pay attention to what God is developing within us.

Because sometimes the prayer we need most isn't, “God, change my circumstances.”

It's, “God, strengthen me in the middle of them.”

There will be moments when life feels overwhelming. That's why our inner life with Jesus matters. We strengthen ourselves in the Lord through His presence and His Word, allowing Christ to become more than simply present or even prominent in our lives. We surrender until He becomes preeminent—the One around whom everything else is ordered.

And the more deeply we know Him, the more we begin to understand a love that Paul says surpasses knowledge—a love wider, longer, higher, and deeper than we could ever fully comprehend.

Paul ends his prayer by turning his attention completely toward God's glory: to the One who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.

So maybe the prayer isn't only, “God, get me out of this.”

Maybe it's also:

Strengthen me here.

Become preeminent in me.

Let Your will be done.

And be glorified through my life.

What do you pray when life gets hard?

For most of us, the instinct is understandable: God, change this. Fix this. Get me out of this. But in Ephesians 3, Paul shows us another way to pray.

In “The Prayer You’re Not Praying | Learning To Pray For What Matters Most,” we look at Ephesians 3:14–21 and one of Paul's most powerful prayers for the Church. Writing from prison, Paul doesn't pray for his chains to fall off or his circumstances to change. Instead, he prays that believers would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in their inner being, rooted and established in the love of Christ, and filled with the fullness of God.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• What Paul's posture teaches us about approaching God in prayer

• Why difficult circumstances should never keep us from praying

• What Paul didn't pray for—and what that reveals about spiritual maturity

• Why strengthening your inner life matters when life's battles come

• The difference between Christ being present, prominent, and preeminent in your life

• How deeply knowing God helps us understand the depth of His love

• What it looks like to pray for God's will and glory above our own

Paul's prayer challenges us to look beyond what is happening around us and pay attention to what God is developing within us.

Because sometimes the prayer we need most isn't, “God, change my circumstances.”

It's, “God, strengthen me in the middle of them.”

There will be moments when life feels overwhelming. That's why our inner life with Jesus matters. We strengthen ourselves in the Lord through His presence and His Word, allowing Christ to become more than simply present or even prominent in our lives. We surrender until He becomes preeminent—the One around whom everything else is ordered.

And the more deeply we know Him, the more we begin to understand a love that Paul says surpasses knowledge—a love wider, longer, higher, and deeper than we could ever fully comprehend.

Paul ends his prayer by turning his attention completely toward God's glory: to the One who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.

So maybe the prayer isn't only, “God, get me out of this.”

Maybe it's also:

Strengthen me here.

Become preeminent in me.

Let Your will be done.

And be glorified through my life.

What if you understood that the way you live today is putting the wisdom of God on display in ways you cannot even see?

In Ephesians 3, Paul reveals something that had been hidden for generations: God's eternal plan was always Jesus. Through the Gospel, He would redeem a people, unite them together as His Church, and then use their lives to display His wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm.

In “God Has ZERO Rivals | The Arrogant Audacity of God's Once Hidden Plan,” we unpack the mystery Paul couldn't stop talking about and what it means for the way we live today. God's plan was never altered, adjusted, or threatened by the enemy. What looked like defeat at the cross became the very means through which Jesus secured victory—and the Church now stands as an ongoing testimony that God's wisdom and power have no rival.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• What Paul means by the “mystery” that God kept hidden for generations

• Why the Church is central to God's eternal plan

• How our lives display God's wisdom to the heavenly realm

• Why Satan is neither all-knowing nor all-powerful—and cannot stop God's purposes

• What it means to fight from victory instead of fighting for victory

• How access to God should produce boldness and confidence in everyday life

• Why Paul urgently tells believers not to lose heart

Paul gives us an incredible picture: you have an audience. The Church is God's object lesson, displaying His manifold wisdom before both the visible and unseen world. Every act of obedience, every step of faith, and every time God's people remain united and continue following Jesus, His wisdom is being put on display. That means if you still have breath in your lungs, your place isn't in the stands. You're meant to be on the field.

And you don't step onto that field wondering who will win. Jesus has already won. Satan is not God's equal opposite. He is a created being who cannot outthink, overpower, or overturn the eternal purposes of God.

This changes the posture of our lives.

Ephesians 3:12 says that through Christ, we have boldness and confident access to God. We can come into His presence knowing we belong there—and then leave His presence carrying that same confidence into whatever is waiting for us. The secret place was never meant to make us bold only while we're in it.

We enter boldly. We leave boldly. And we keep going because we already know who wins.

So don't lose heart. Your circumstances haven't caught God off guard. The battle you're facing hasn't rewritten His plan. Keep your eyes on Jesus, keep walking in obedience, and keep showing up for the life God has placed in front of you.

God has ZERO rivals. His plan is still unfolding—and you get to be part of it.

What if you understood that the way you live today is putting the wisdom of God on display in ways you cannot even see?

In Ephesians 3, Paul reveals something that had been hidden for generations: God's eternal plan was always Jesus. Through the Gospel, He would redeem a people, unite them together as His Church, and then use their lives to display His wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm.

In “God Has ZERO Rivals | The Arrogant Audacity of God's Once Hidden Plan,” we unpack the mystery Paul couldn't stop talking about and what it means for the way we live today. God's plan was never altered, adjusted, or threatened by the enemy. What looked like defeat at the cross became the very means through which Jesus secured victory—and the Church now stands as an ongoing testimony that God's wisdom and power have no rival.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• What Paul means by the “mystery” that God kept hidden for generations

• Why the Church is central to God's eternal plan

• How our lives display God's wisdom to the heavenly realm

• Why Satan is neither all-knowing nor all-powerful—and cannot stop God's purposes

• What it means to fight from victory instead of fighting for victory

• How access to God should produce boldness and confidence in everyday life

• Why Paul urgently tells believers not to lose heart

Paul gives us an incredible picture: you have an audience. The Church is God's object lesson, displaying His manifold wisdom before both the visible and unseen world. Every act of obedience, every step of faith, and every time God's people remain united and continue following Jesus, His wisdom is being put on display. That means if you still have breath in your lungs, your place isn't in the stands. You're meant to be on the field.

And you don't step onto that field wondering who will win. Jesus has already won. Satan is not God's equal opposite. He is a created being who cannot outthink, overpower, or overturn the eternal purposes of God.

This changes the posture of our lives.

Ephesians 3:12 says that through Christ, we have boldness and confident access to God. We can come into His presence knowing we belong there—and then leave His presence carrying that same confidence into whatever is waiting for us. The secret place was never meant to make us bold only while we're in it.

We enter boldly. We leave boldly. And we keep going because we already know who wins.

So don't lose heart. Your circumstances haven't caught God off guard. The battle you're facing hasn't rewritten His plan. Keep your eyes on Jesus, keep walking in obedience, and keep showing up for the life God has placed in front of you.

God has ZERO rivals. His plan is still unfolding—and you get to be part of it.

What really happened when Jesus died on the cross?

Most of us immediately think about what the cross accomplished for us personally: our sins were forgiven, our relationship with God was restored, and we were brought near to Him. And all of that is true. But Ephesians 2 shows us that Jesus accomplished something else on the cross that we can easily overlook.

He didn’t only reconcile us to God. He reconciled us to one another.

In “What Really Happened On The Cross? | How Jesus Destroyed Hostility and Built A United Family,” we continue through Ephesians 2 and discover how the Gospel transforms outsiders into family. Once separated from God and without hope, we have now been brought near through the blood of Jesus. And through that same cross, Jesus broke down the walls that separated us, put hostility to death, and created one new family in Himself.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• Why remembering how far we were from God changes the way we treat others

• What the cross accomplished beyond our individual salvation

• Why unity within the family of God is sacred

• What it means that Jesus put our hostility toward one another to death

• How God can unite people who would otherwise have very little in common

• Why the unity of the Church is part of how the world sees the reality of Jesus

Paul describes believers as citizens of the same Kingdom, members of the same family, part of the same house, and together becoming a holy temple where God dwells by His Spirit. We can be beautifully different without being divided because Jesus Himself is our peace.

That means unity is not a secondary issue for the Church. Our unity cost Jesus His life.

When we allow bitterness, offense, division, or hostility to define the way we relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are giving life to something Jesus died to put to death. But when the family of God chooses forgiveness, reconciliation, and love across our differences, we put the power of the Gospel on display.

Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would be one so that the world would know the Father sent Him. Our unity has always been connected to our witness.

The Gospel is not only that we were brought near to God.

We were given a seat at the family table.

And now, as one family with one Father, we get to show the world what the reconciling power of Jesus actually looks like.

What really happened when Jesus died on the cross?

Most of us immediately think about what the cross accomplished for us personally: our sins were forgiven, our relationship with God was restored, and we were brought near to Him. And all of that is true. But Ephesians 2 shows us that Jesus accomplished something else on the cross that we can easily overlook.

He didn’t only reconcile us to God. He reconciled us to one another.

In “What Really Happened On The Cross? | How Jesus Destroyed Hostility and Built A United Family,” we continue through Ephesians 2 and discover how the Gospel transforms outsiders into family. Once separated from God and without hope, we have now been brought near through the blood of Jesus. And through that same cross, Jesus broke down the walls that separated us, put hostility to death, and created one new family in Himself.

In this sermon, you'll discover:

• Why remembering how far we were from God changes the way we treat others

• What the cross accomplished beyond our individual salvation

• Why unity within the family of God is sacred

• What it means that Jesus put our hostility toward one another to death

• How God can unite people who would otherwise have very little in common

• Why the unity of the Church is part of how the world sees the reality of Jesus

Paul describes believers as citizens of the same Kingdom, members of the same family, part of the same house, and together becoming a holy temple where God dwells by His Spirit. We can be beautifully different without being divided because Jesus Himself is our peace.

That means unity is not a secondary issue for the Church. Our unity cost Jesus His life.

When we allow bitterness, offense, division, or hostility to define the way we relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are giving life to something Jesus died to put to death. But when the family of God chooses forgiveness, reconciliation, and love across our differences, we put the power of the Gospel on display.

Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would be one so that the world would know the Father sent Him. Our unity has always been connected to our witness.

The Gospel is not only that we were brought near to God.

We were given a seat at the family table.

And now, as one family with one Father, we get to show the world what the reconciling power of Jesus actually looks like.