April 23, 2013

Ephesians 2 – Walk (Week 2)

By Jones

It’s Week 2 of our 21-Day Ephesians Challenge!  You can catch the first post of this week here.  And if you missed the first week, you can catch the reading plan here.

Reading Ephesians 2 today, I have been hammered with this thought:  Walk in the light.

If you were at Soma a couple weeks ago, then you’re well aware of my (slightly less-than-manly) fear of the dark.  If you missed that message, you can catch the story as a part of the April 14 message here.

How many times do we fumble our way through life like we’re walking in the dark?  How often do we search for hope and answers and options when all we really have to do is open our eyes and remember we’ve been made alive through Jesus Christ?  As I read Ephesians 2 and took a little walk around my office, I was convicted by the Spirit that I spend too much time acting like I’m still waiting to be made fully alive with Christ.  My life is different because of the confidence that comes with knowing I am alive and I am God’s workmanship.  I am created in Christ to do good works and I’m part of a team of others like myself.

So…  How’s your life different because of what God is saying?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Devotion, Ephesians

April 22, 2013

Ephesians 1 – Walk (Week 2)

By Jones

It’s Week 2 of our 21-Day Ephesians Challenge!  If you missed the first week, you can catch the reading plan here.

This week, we’re asking the question:  ”How is my life different because of what God is saying?”

For me, that answer is completely summed up in verses 19-20…  “His incomparably great power for us…is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…”

My life will never be the same because God has planted incredible power within me.  It’s the same power that raised Christ from the dead and it’s the potential to bring about incredible change for the Kingdom through the Spirit.

How’s your life different?

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April 20, 2013

Ephesians 6 – Sit (Week 1)

By Jones

If you’re just joining us, we’re 5 days into a 21 day journey through Ephesians.  This first week, we’re reading a chapter a day, asking the question, “What is God saying to me?”  You can catch the first five days here, here, here, here or here.  And you can find the Reading Plan outlined here.  The daily posts are intentionally short, simple and to the point, merely reflecting my answer to that question.  Praying God is speaking to you as well!

As I finished up the book of Ephesians today, I could hear God saying as plain as day…

“Pray and trust the Spirit in everything.  Pray for Soma to have strength and clarity.  Pray for yourself to have wisdom and boldness.  Pray for Brown County to have receive the gospel.  And trust Me to do the work.”

And I love how the book of Ephesians ends…  “Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”

I hope this has been an awesome week for you and I hope you’re loving Jesus with an undying love.  Join us at Soma tomorrow at 10:35 am to celebrate what God’s doing and then we’ll pick up on Monday with the “Walk” part of our 21-Day Challenge!

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Devotion, Ephesians

April 19, 2013

Ephesians 5 – Sit (Week 1)

By Jones

If you’re just joining us, we’re 5 days into a 21 day journey through Ephesians.  This first week, we’re reading a chapter a day, asking the question, “What is God saying to me?”  You can catch the first four days here, here, here or here.  And you can find the Reading Plan outlined here.  The daily posts are intentionally short, simple and to the point, merely reflecting my answer to that question.  Praying God is speaking to you as well!

Ephesians 5 sums up in this sentence for me…  “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

I hear God very clearly speaking into my ear, encouraging me to grab every opportunity He puts in front of me.  I pray for opportunity all the time but don’t always walk through the open door, if it doesn’t look like what I thought it would or wanted it to.  As the book transitions from “be” to “do,” I feel like God’s holding a very large, very obvious sign up right in front of me, saying, “Trust me and walk!”

What’s He saying to you?

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Devotion, Ephesians

April 18, 2013

Ephesians 4 – Sit (Week 1)

By Jones

If you’re just joining us, we’re in the middle of a 21 day journey through Ephesians.  This first week, we’re reading a chapter a day, through the lens of, “What is God saying to me?”  You can catch the first three days here, here or here.  And you can find the Reading Plan outlined here.  The daily posts are intentionally short, simple and to the point, merely reflecting my answer to that question.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been!

Reading Ephesians 4 several times, I keep catching myself on verse 3, “As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”  So often, it is so tempting to drop that ball, to just close my eyes and forget that I ever recognized a call from God.  I’ve been reminded over and over that God created me for a purpose and called me toward that goal.  I was made to thrive in that role and I love exercising my gifts, but it can be so overwhelming at times.  Then I’m reminded that Paul wrote “as a prisoner of the Lord” and I realize that the struggles I face aren’t really that overwhelming after all.

What is God saying to me?  I hear, “Be worthy of the investment He made in me.”

So…  What’s God saying to you?

3 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Devotion, Ephesians

April 17, 2013

Ephesians 3 – Sit (Week 1)

By Jones

It’s day 3 of our 21-Day Ephesians Journey and I’m stuck on this phrase:  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…  (verse 20)

The success of my ministry doesn’t depend on me.

The success of my family doesn’t depend on me.

I am less than the least but God is the Creator of all.

What’s He saying to you through Ephesians 3 today?

Leave a comment and be encouraged!  If you’re just catching up to the Challenge, you can check out the post from Day 1 here and Day 2 here.  And if you want to join in, you can find the reading schedule here.

4 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Devotion, Ephesians

April 16, 2013

Ephesians 2 – Sit (Week 1)

By Jones

This is the second day of our 21-Day Ephesians Journey, you can check out the post from Day 1 here.  And if you want to join in, you can find the reading schedule here.

Reading today, there are a couple of verses that just spring out at me…  Verse 1 – “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…”  And verse 13 – “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Putting them together, I hear God say, “As for you, you were dead but now in Jesus you have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”  My position is set!

I have three kids and sometimes, believe it or not, things can get a little loud around my house.  Someone gets mad and someone else gets their feelings hurt and then the third one thinks yelling sounds fun, so they jump in as well.  Before you know it, everyone’s yelling at someone and no one is having a good time.  I’ve discovered that my kids can fight about literally anything but the issue behind almost every fight is simply positioning.  They’re each struggling to get the most attention, the best portion or the quickest response.

As I read Ephesians 2 today, I could clearly hear God’s voice saying, “Because of his great love for us, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead—it is by grace you have been saved.”  I don’t have to fight to gain a better position in the Kingdom…and neither do you.

What did you hear through the pages of Ephesians 2 today?

5 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Devotion, Ephesians

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