The Connection Church

In the fifth chapter of Ephesians, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to live the way they should be, which is to be as a child of God and an ambassador of His Kingdom. This chapter is not just a moralistic teaching so we can all be nice. It's also not simply a list of dos and don’ts to make us “good enough” for God. It’s actually an explanation of what it looks like to live a life of love. It’s not “avoid fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, and the like so that you can be a saint.” Rather, it’s “you are a saint; now live in a manner befitting one.”

When God looks at us, He sees His sons and daughters. As we have already learned in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, God has joyfully and eagerly welcomed us into His family to be a part of the work of His Kingdom on the earth. This Sunday, we will continue to examine what it looks like to live as a child of God and ambassador of the Kingdom. We begin discovering some specific instructions on what it looks like to be Kingdom people.

No matter how long we have been Christians, God wants each of us to grow in Him. He desires that none of us become stagnant in our journey of faith. This Sunday, we continue our study of Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. In the first half of his letter, Paul wants the church to understand who we are in Christ—how God sees us and how we should see each other. This week, as we dive into the second half of the letter, we will begin discovering what it looks like to live as the redeemed and beloved by God.

A message from our guest speaker, Pastor Mark Howey from Today Church in Tampa, Florida.

This Sunday, we will examine the second of Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians found in the third chapter as he wraps up the first half of this glorious letter. This prayer serves as a benediction for the message that Paul has so far been conveying—how wonderful it is to be included in God’s beloved, redeemed church—before he continues in the second half of the letter revealing how we, as the redeemed, are to live.

In English, a “mystery” is something dark, obscure, secret, puzzling. That which is “mysterious” is inexplicable, even incomprehensible. However, the word mystery written in Ephesians is different. Even though it’s still secret, it is no longer closely guarded but open. This Sunday, we will see in the third chapter of Ephesians a revealing of God’s mystery to the saints. Paul describes it and shows us how we, just like the Apostle Paul, can be a part of God's great and mysterious plan!

This Sunday, we will continue examining Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Last week in chapter 2 verse 10, we saw that we are God’s workmanship created to do good works. This week, we will unpack verses 11 through 22, where Paul helps us see what it means to be God’s “workmanship.” We will talk about the idea of the church being God’s big, unified family and what that can and should look like in the earth today.

As we continue exploring each chapter and verse of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians this Sunday, we will discover what it means to be made alive in Christ. We will uncover the glorious truth of reconciliation, and what that means for all Christians today.

The book of Ephesians is home to some of the Bible’s greatest promises and deepest spiritual insights. The first chapter alone has foundational elements of the Christian faith and doctrine that are vital for every believer. This Sunday, we will continue breaking down the rest of chapter one, which will include a powerful prayer by Paul for the church. Understanding this prayer will help us grow spiritually and be victorious in our everyday living.

We are very excited to begin a new sermon series this Sunday, June 25. Over the next 10 weeks, we will dive into the entire letter of Paul to the Ephesians. This is the first time that we have shared an expository and comprehensive study of a single book of the Bible like this. And it is going to be great!We will explore each chapter and the vital themes that Paul was trying to convey to the church at Ephesus and that God wants us to understand and apply today. This epistle reveals how we are saved, under grace, mandated to grow in maturity, and empowered by God to advance His victory over evil and the increase of His Kingdom in all creation.Join us for the next several weeks as Pastors TJ and Justin guide us on a journey of discovery unveiling the “mystery” and purpose of the church as revealed in Ephesians.