Summit Ridge Church

The final words in Paul's letter to the Ephesian church can too easily be dismissed as "extra" or irrelevant for today's modern reader. However, God's word always has something for us and, in this case, the commendation of a faith brother in Christ which models for us good Christian character. We also see Paul's benediction for the church that points us to true peace, love, faith and grace found in Jesus.

As we near the conclusion of our sermon series in Ephesians, we see how the Apostle Paul placed a high priority on prayer, especially as a personal means of communing with the Lord in the midst of certain spiritual warfare. Toward the end of this sixth chapter, he calls the church to be alert to the realities of spiritual warfare and to engage it in prayer for ourselves and for one another. Prayer is not just a nicety, but a necessity for life in the Spirit.

This passage of Scripture instructs the church on how we should live out our faith together, especially in the face of challenges and evil in the world. Here, the Apostle Paul uses the analogy of Roman armor to remind us of our salvation, justification and righteousness in Christ to motivate us to live according to God's word and the power of the Holy Spirit.

It's easy for followers of Christ to become lazy and apathetic toward spiritual matters, especially as sin is allowed to infiltrate our mind and body. Ephesians 6:10-13 teaches us that we are not to become complacent to the spiritual battles happening in and around us. Rather, we are to be alert and join together in resisting evil as the Lord strengthens us day by day.

The Scriptures have a lot to say concerning how Jesus' followers are to live out their faith, whether it be in one's marriage, family or workplace. In this message, we're looking specifically at the employee/employer relationship which is akin to the master/slave relationship in the early church. Using the case study of a man named Jason, we see the challenges of following Christ in the workplace and how one might respond by faith, and how we might give sound counsel to those (ourselves?) who face similar circumstances.

As we open this final chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul continues his thoughts from chapter 5 on how to live out the gospel, now turning his attention toward instructing children and parents in the church. What does it look like for children and parents to walk wisely in accordance with the will of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit? Here, we see real practical examples of how that is to be lived out in the real world.

In our continuing series through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we are looking at the biblical view of marriage and, in this message, at the husband's role in particular. Many of us are familiar with the saying that husbands are to "love their wives as Christ loved the church." But what does that really mean and what does that look like? How can husbands take on a role that seems so weighty and grand? This passage from Ephesians 5 helps us in our understanding and application of this great truth.

The Psalms are a welcoming place to go with our strong feelings. Psalm 77 can help us to build confidence in God and provide peace when everything around us seems to be falling apart. It begins by praying loudly and lifting hands, and then seeing that God is faithful, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and has not abandoned His promises to redeem and love.

The Old Testament book of Nehemiah tells the story of a remarkable hero of the faith who lived in an amazing era, when the Israelites were returning from exile and rebuilding Jerusalem. Nehemiah's story is especially encouraging when we stop to realize how faithful he was in the face of so many potentially discouraging situations. It is even more amazing when we see the image of Christ in him and how his life pointed people to Messiah, the one who gives hope eternal to those who trust in Jesus.

In Biblical terms, what does the concept of "submission" entail for a wife in marriage? What should submission NOT look like in marriage? Here, in Ephesians 5, Paul gives us wisdom in knowing what God-honoring relationships should look like in the context of marriage and how husbands and wives should relate to one another in the love of Christ.