Moving from the image of vine and branches, Jesus now encourages His followers with reminders of all that they have in Him and preparations for the troubles that relationship will produce for them in the world. The contrast is unmistakable; so why would we ever choose the wrong object of our deepest affections?

More than at any other time in history, our generation is searching for influence. The temptation that the people of God face today is to see our relationship with others the way the world does. But God’s wisdom is always contrary to the world’s perspective. The challenge for us is to cultivate a heart that is tuned to hear the voice of God and walk in obedience to it.

Paul completes his survey of the Christian life by exploring the everyday implications of the Spirit-filled life for human relationships; and then he turns to that same life played out in the invisible realm. The clear implication is that spiritual warfare is not to be seen as some esoteric or unusual feature of Christianity, but rather, the common concern of followers.

Ephesians pulsates with a double desire: that believers have a fuller comprehension of what God in Christ is doing in them and for them, and that their lives measure up to His work of grace. The theology of salvation now becomes intensely practical as Paul offers detailed instruction about becoming “imitators of God.”

Flowing out of the grand discussion of God’s purposes in chapter one, Paul now reviews the spiritual history and future of every believer. He describes how new life in Jesus is possible because Jesus provides a way into the unapproachable presence of God. These chapters comprise the Bible’s finest description of who we are as the people of God.

Ephesians is the pinnacle of the Apostle Paul’s writing career. It is a letter for all times and peoples. Ephesians serves as an explanation of God’s purpose for the entire universe, especially the people of God known as the Church. It is also the perfect manual for 2023—Evergreen’s Year of Advance.

With the solitude of the upper room now over and the agony ahead, Jesus talked as He walked. The next conversations are crucial to the life and activity of a Jesus-follower. The intensity of the moment lends incredible weight to these revelations and instructions for His disciples then, and no less for us now.

Here in the Upper Room, Jesus now begins to explain the gift and ministry of the Holy Spirit. As He prepares the disciples for His absence, He explains why the loss of His visible presence is a good thing for them (and for us). His Spirit will not only be with them, but in them!

The opening words of Jesus’ final evening with His friends give us both the clearest description of heaven found in the New Testament AND an incredible invitation to live this earthly life as a personal representative of Jesus Christ Himself! Future and present…the Christian life in a nutshell.

At an insignificant location, one of the most significant events of the Gospels occurs. Peter leads the way by proclaiming who Jesus really is, and the nascent church receives her authority to impact the world. Evergreen stands on this confession and this authority as we advance boldly into the future before us.