Summit Drive Church

This week, we explore the things that grieve the Holy Spirit of God and tear us apart: lying, anger, stealing, foul speech, and malice. We learn that Christianity is not just a 'what' but a 'how.'

In Ephesians 4: 17-24, we are called to put off the old way of life, like taking off a set of dirty clothes, to put on a whole new way of life. We have “learned Christ” and, in him, we are being renewed and created anew to be like God.

In the second half of Ephesians, chapters 4-6, Paul now shifts from the vast and sweeping wonder of the gospel (chapters 1-3) to say, “Now here’s how you walk this out in the everyday realities of life.” And this starts with our unity, diversity, and growth into Christ-like maturity.

We explore Paul's famous prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21, calling us into a life where we participate in God's loving power, are strengthened in our inner person, live in a world where, with the Father, there is immeasurably more than we need, and are invited to see God's love as something we do together with all of the Lord's Holy People.

In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul offers us insight into his own sense of passion for Jesus, his new identity as a prisoner of Jesus, and his newfound, mission-shaped purpose. In each case, Paul becomes an example for us to follow as we gain a passion for the gospel, an identity as those joyfully captive to Jesus, and caught up in our unique calling.

Today, we look at how the gospel message destroys the barrier that once divided Jew and Gentile, and how it continues to destroy the barriers that divide people across racial and ethnic lines today. Through Christ's work, God creates a new, multicultural, one people of God, and Jesus now invites us into active peacemaking in our world.

The Good News of the Gospel includes reckoning with the “bad news” of where we’ve come from – not to shame us, but to highlight the beauty and richness of God’s love and mercy. In Ephesians 2:1-10 we see how God’s grace brings us alive to God and all he has for us to walk in.

This Easter Sunday, we will look at Jesus' proclamation that 'it is finished,' and then explore how that encourages us to not be afraid and lets us know we have all we need.

Paul not only preaches the gospel, he prays it into the lives of believers, and we see that beautifully in our text from this week: Ephesians 1:15-23. We’ll see how we share in the life of God and can approach God for what we need the most: a clear vision of his glory and the power to live in sync with reality.

Paul leads us into worship with this rich description of the incredible riches of who we are in Christ. As we join with Paul in praise of the Father, we’ll take a tour that shows us our True Location, Our True Identity, Our True Riches, and Our True Hope.