Tulip Street Christian Church

In this message from Ephesians 5:3-20, we take a hard look at two very different ways to live: as sons of disobedience or as children of light. Using the fascinating history of the ancient city of Ephesus, whose harbor literally filled with silt until the city died, we explore what it looks like to 'dredge the harbor' in our own lives, clearing out the habits, patterns, and influences that quietly choke out what matters most. Paul's contrast between darkness and light isn't just poetic, it's practical, and it has everything to do with how we use our words, our time, our relationships, and even our celebrations. If you've ever wondered what it actually looks like to live a set-apart life without being weird about it, this one's for you.

What does it actually look like to live as a new person in Christ? In this message from Ephesians 4:22–5:2, we explore Paul's practical, no-excuses guide to putting off the old self and putting on the new, set against the backdrop of ancient Ephesus, one of the most diverse and spiritually complex cities in the Roman world. Paul gives us a simple formula for four areas where we all tend to stumble: our honesty, our anger, our generosity, and our words. But this isn't a behavior modification checklist. It's a call to a complete identity transformation, rooted in the truth that the "new self" Paul describes is really just who God created us to be in the first place. If you've ever wondered why following Jesus feels so hard, or questioned whether it's even worth the effort, this message is for you.

In this message from Ephesians 4:1-24, Darrin Chastain helps us explore what it actually looks like to live a life worthy of the calling we've received in Christ. Paul's letter shifts from the breathtaking "what God has done" to the practical "now what," calling the church toward unity, maturity, and a faith that moves from head knowledge to heart transformation. We dig into what humility, gentleness, and patience have to do with an effective church, why God gives different gifts to different people on purpose, and what it means to have God's law written on your heart rather than just on stone. Grounded in the challenge Joshua gave to Israel, "choose today who you will serve," this message is an honest, encouraging call to grow up in Christ, together.

What if the secret God has been building toward since the very beginning was hiding in plain sight all along? In this message from Ephesians 3, we explore what Paul calls "the mystery," a divine plan so sweeping that even the angels didn't fully see it coming. Writing from a prison cell, surrounded by the full force of the Roman Empire, Paul lays out a vision of the church that is bigger, bolder, and more cosmic than most of us have ever imagined. If you've ever felt like the world is winning, or wondered whether the church really matters, this one is for you.

Where does God live? It's a question with a surprising number of answers throughout Scripture, and the answer has been moving closer to us the whole time. In this message from Ephesians 2:11-22, we trace the story of God's dwelling place from the Garden of Eden through the tabernacle, Solomon's temple, and the life of Jesus, all the way to a claim that changes everything: God's new home isn't a building at all. It's his people. We explore what Paul means when he says the church is being "built together" as a holy temple, why the walls that once divided people have been torn down in Christ, and what it looks like to live as a community where heaven and earth genuinely overlap.

What did Jesus actually come to do? In this Easter message from Ephesians 1:15–2:10, we dig into a bigger answer than most of us have settled for. Jesus didn't come just to make bad people good, or even to take good people to heaven. He came to make dead people live again, and that includes you. Drawing from Paul's sweeping prayer for spiritual revelation and his vivid portrait of resurrection power, we explore what it means to be made alive with Christ, not just saved by him, and what that reality changes about the life you're living right now. Bring something to write with, because you'll want to fill in these blanks before you're done:

I was ________.

But God _________.

So now I __________.

What is God actually up to? In this message from Ephesians 1:1-14, we dig into one of the Bible's greatest "mysteries," and it's not the kind you solve by piecing clues together. It's a divine secret that God himself has pulled back the curtain on. On this Palm Sunday, we explore what the crowd shouting in Luke 19 sensed but couldn't quite name, what Paul was so fired up about that he wrote a 202-word run-on sentence from a prison cell, and why the answer to "what is God's will for my life?" might be simpler than you think. If you've ever laid awake wondering what God is doing, this one is for you.

We've reached the final step. Step 12 calls us to take everything we've learned and give it away, because you can't keep it if you don't. Using the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5, we explore what it looks like to go back to your own people and share what God has done in your life. We also hear from three members of our congregation, Joe, Craig, and Cheryl, who open up about their own journeys through AA and Al-Anon, including what a spiritual awakening actually felt like, how surrender became a path to peace, and why community is the thing that makes recovery stick. If you've ever wondered how the 12 Steps and the life of a disciple connect, this one's for you.

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In this message, we tackle Steps 10 and 11 of the 12-Step journey, the steps of awareness and patience, and why the work of recovery and discipleship never really ends. Using the familiar story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10, we explore how easy it is to get so busy with the good things of life that we miss the one necessary thing: sitting at the feet of Jesus. Step 10 challenges us to keep taking honest personal inventory through daily spot checks, daily reviews, and periodic big-picture reflections, while Step 11 calls us to replace old habits and empty spaces with the consistent practice of prayer and meditation. Together, these steps move us from repair to maintenance, from willpower to God's power, and from the anxious busyness of Martha to the quiet, grounded focus of Mary.

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In this message, we tackle Steps 8 and 9 of the 12 Steps, the point in the process where the internal work goes public. Making amends means more than saying "I'm sorry." It means making a list of the people you've harmed, becoming willing to face them, and taking concrete steps to repair what was broken. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount, the parable of Zacchaeus, and stories of reconciliation throughout Scripture, we explore why Jesus consistently placed relationships above religious ritual, and why both the 12 Steps and the teachings of Jesus land on the same conclusion: regardless of who caused the harm, the responsibility to make things right belongs to you.

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