Paul continues to help the Ephesian believers understand how God’s extravagance pours into their lives and through their lives. Last week it was about leaving old habits (lying, stealing, and potty mouth language) and learning new habits (telling the truth, sharing their stuff, and using words to build up). There’s more of that this week as Paul unpacks the beauty of living a life of love (spoiler alert, he has some things to say about sex, debauchery, and getting drunk!).

All of us are shaped by the family stories we heard growing up. My dad stole a comic book from a convenience store that slid down his pant leg and onto the floor before he could get out of the store. My dad told the store owner he had no idea how it got there. My grandmother was called and came to the store. She listened to my dad’s pathetic lie, and she BELIEVED HIM! When my father became a Christian at 16, he told my grandmother the truth. Needless to say, I never tried the comic book down my pants stunt. The Ephesians grew up in the ‘shadow of the Temple of Artemis.’ How would you describe where you grew up? What pagan (or otherwise) lies did you and your family believe and live from?

Paul has been soaring through the first three chapters of Ephesians. He has been so excited, so thrilled, so wordy(!) about what God has done. Now it’s time for the Ephesian believers to strap on their lifejackets and get ready for the ride of their lives!  Doing life together has never been easy for humans. Now more than ever we’re prone to retreat to our solitary caves and keep all the annoying people at a distance. Our God has such a different plan for us!

Power and love and two ‘biggies’ for human beings. We crave both. This week, I read that power or love (or both) is the main subject in two-thirds of all songs and movies. Jesus has a few things to say about power and love, and you may be surprised that he wants more of both for us, much more. Except he doesn’t want the false versions that the world is selling; not all that calls itself ‘power’ is true power, and not all that calls itself ‘love’ is the genuine article. Give us the good stuff, LORD!

Paul knows that the suffering he is experiencing in jail could be discouraging to his friends in Ephesus. He writes to help them see reality through eyes transformed by wonder. It’s a view of life that is amazed by Jesus, amazed by grace, and amazed by the church.

I received an email recently informing me that the US Surgeon General has identified an epidemic of loneliness and the health implications of loneliness compare to heavy cigarette use. We are strangers to each other. We set up walls between us. One of the powerful things that Jesus did in his earthly life and on the cross was to destroy the walls that divide us. Very interesting! 2000 years ago God knew all about our loneliness and did everything in his power to include us. Strangers, even enemies, became friends.

Paul describes our situation in a few ways: as being dead, as being under the influence of evil (the world, the flesh, and the devil), and as courting God’s wrath. What’s your reaction to each of these characterizations? Do they seem true?

Sometimes Christians say to each other: “I’ll pray for you!” What do you pray? Some of you are leaders, what do you pray for the group of people you lead? In today’s passage, we get a look and a listen into the prayer closet of the apostle Paul. He’s not praying for sunny skies and ease of life, he’s got bigger dreams for the people of God.

What is wrong with the world and what can be done about it? If you’re even partially conscientious, you think about these things. The letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians answers both questions and Paul is so excited about what God is doing that he has a run-on sentence of 204 words! Do your best not to get overwhelmed by the ideas piling up on top of each other! Each phrase is describing another part of the extravagant love of God, make sure you hear that loud and clear.

Peter failed to live up to his good intentions and messed up—badly. In love, Jesus heals Peter’s shame and gives him a job to do. It all comes down to this question that Jesus asks Peter: “Do you love me?” It’s the same question Jesus has for us today.