Galatians and Ephesians

Galatians

• Teaching a Different Gospel – Galatians 1:7-8 (2/7/2018) - Paul's warning against teaching a different gospel is one that we all should pay attention to. We must be faithful to the Scriptures?
• By Revelation from Jesus Christ – Galatians 1:11-12 (6/12/2022) - Paul makes it clear that the gospel he proclaimed was not a human invention. Rather, he had received it by a direct revelation from Jesus.
• Justified by Faith in Christ – Galatians 2:16 (11/28/2023) - When I surrender to Jesus as Lord, I am justified. Not because of anything I have done. But because of what Christ has done for me.
• Being Made New in Christ! – Galatians 2:20 (1/14/2014) - It is tempting to think that all I need to do as a Christian is to tweak my life a bit. But in reality, we are called to be made new. To be transformed.
• Who Are the Children of Abraham – Galatians 3:7-9 (12/15/2021) - Abraham's children include all of those who have faith in the Lord Jesus. It is not a matter of physical descent, but of faith.
• All One in Christ – Galatians 3:26-28 (2/9/2018) - There are many things that divide us in the world. But as believers we have been baptised into Christ, and in him we are one.
• True Children of Abraham – Galatians 3:29 (11/8/2021) - Who are Abraham's seed, children of the promise? All who are in Christ, regardless our ethnic background, inherit the promises made to him.
• When the Time Was Right – Galatians 4:4-5 (2/10/2018) - Waiting can be hard. But God is not like us. He waited until the time was right before Jesus came into the world to redeem us.
• Adoption to Sonship – Galatians 4:4-7 (6/9/2023) - God has delivered us from slavery to sin and adopted us into his family as his sons and daughters. As a result, we are now heirs of God.
• Faith Expressing Itself Through Love – Galatians 5:6 (2/12/2018) - We are not saved by anything we could possibly do, it is a work of God received by faith. A faith that expresses itself through love.
• Serve One Another in Love – Galatians 5:13-14 (12/9/2019) - We have been set free from the law. But not to do whatever we want. Instead, we have been set free so that we can humbly serve one another in love.
• Walk by the Spirit – Galatians 5:16 (1/1/2023) - As a believer, do you walk by the Spirit, or to satisfy your own desires? When you walk by the Spirit, his fruit will be produced.
• Warning Against Causing Division – Galatians 5:19-21 (5/6/2019) - Scripture repeatedly warns against causing division with the body of Christ. Instead, we should seek to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.
• The Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23 (2/13/2018) - Exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit is only possible when we walk with the Spirit and let him work them out within our lives.
• Keep in Step with the Spirit – Galatians 5:24-25 (12/1/2023) - The way to live a holy life pleasing to God is not by following a set of rules. It is by keeping in step with the Spirit, following his lead.
• Restoring the Fallen – Galatians 6:1-2 (2/14/2018) - How do you respond to the brother or sister who has gotten caught up in sin? Paul calls on us to carefully seek to restore the fallen.
• Test Your Own Actions – Galatians 6:4-5 (6/20/2022) - My natural tendency is to compare myself with other people. But it is much better to test your life and actions against God's calling for you.
• Don’t Grow Weary in Doing Good to All – Galatians 6:9-10 (11/11/2019) - We are not saved by our works. But as those who are saved, we are called to do good to all people. Especially within the community of faith.
• What Counts is the New Creation – Galatians 6:15 (6/10/2023) - As believers we have many differences. Differences that we all too often allow to divide us. But what matters is that we are a new creation.

Ephesians

• Every Spiritual Blessing – Ephesians 1:3 (2/15/2018) - God gives his spiritual blessings to all those who are in Christ. Praise God for the many blessings he has given to us.
• Chosen in Christ to Be Holy and Blameless – Ephesians 1:4 (8/24/2020) - We have been richly blessed spiritually when we are in Christ. In particular, we have been chosen to be seen as holy and blameless by God.
• In Accordance with His Pleasure and Will – Ephesians 1:5 (1/13/2023) - Paul tells us that all God has done for us is in accordance with his pleasure and will. He loves us and cares for us beyond our comprehension
• The Riches of God’s Grace Lavished on Us – Ephesians 1:7-8a (11/14/2023) - God has lavished his grace on us. Not because we are worthy if it. But because it is his nature. All we have is because of his grace.
• The Mystery of God’s Will – Ephesians 1:9-10 (12/3/2023) - What is the mystery of God's will? It is that he is uniting all of humanity in Christ. And that we have a future together with him.
• Sealed by the Spirit – Ephesians 1:13-14 (5/27/2021) - Being sealed by the Holy Spirit is a spiritual blessing that offers proof of ownership and of the future I have with Him.
• The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation – Ephesians 1:17 (11/15/2023) - It is always appropriate as a believer to pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Both for oneself and for the community of believers.
• Prayer for Spiritual Enlightenment – Ephesians 1:18-19 (2/16/2018) - As you pray, seek spiritual enlightenment. To know the hope we have, our treasured place with God, and his power for us.
• The Highest Place of Honor and Authority – Ephesians 1:19b-21 (8/2/2023) - Jesus gave his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. But then God raised him to the place of highest honor and authority.
• Made Alive with Christ – Ephesians 2:4-5 (2/17/2018) - I was lost in sin. But God, in his mercy, reached out to me with his offer of salvation and made me alive with Christ. Saved by God's grace.
• Seated in the Heavenly Realms – Ephesians 2:6 (4/22/2023) - If we have been born again, we live in two realms. We live here on earth. But we have also been seated in the heavenly realms with Christ.
• The Incomparable Riches of His Grace – Eph. 2:6-7 (12/30/2019) - Even when I was dead, God raised me up with Christ. Why? To demonstrate the incomparable riches of his grace. Amazing!
• Saved by Grace, Not by Works – Ephesians 2:8-9 (9/7/2020) - Many believe they can earn a place in heaven by doing enough good. But Scripture is clear that we are saved by grace, not by works.
• We Are God’s Handiwork – Ephesians 2:10 (12/4/2023) - All believers are not the same. But we are all God's handiwork. He has created each of us the way that we are and equipped us to serve him.
• Brought near by the Blood of Christ – Ephesians 2:12-13 (1/14/2023) - I was lost and separated from the life of God. But I have been saved and brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
• A New Humanity – Ephesians 2:14-15 (4/23/2023) - Regardless of what we were before, in Christ, we are a new humanity. In Christ, all of those things that might divide us are unimportant.
• Fellow Citizens with God’s People – Ephesians 2:19 (12/5/2023) - Those who come to Christ in faith are fellow citizens with God's people and members of his household. We are his people.
• The Mystery of Christ Revealed – Ephesians 3:6 (6/13/2023) - The mystery of Christ is that membership in the kingdom of God has been given to all who are in Christ, Jew as well as Gentile.
• The Wisdom of God: Revealed in the Church – Ephesians 3:10-11 (2/19/2018) - Why did God create the universe? It appears that the production of his church was at the heart of his purpose. We are his masterpiece.
• Filled to the Measure – Ephesians 3:17-19 (2/20/2018) - Be rooted in love to grasp the extent of God's love, fully experiencing his love. Then you can be filled to the measure with God's fullness.
• Rooted and Established in Love – Ephesians 3:17b (11/25/2019) - Paul prayed that we would be able to grasp and know the extent of Christ's unknowable love. But first, we need to be rooted in love.
• Grasping the Extent of Christ’s Love – Ephesians 3:18 (3/15/2023) - To grasp the extent of Christ's love for us is beyond our comprehension. But it should be our goal to experience it in increasing measure.
• More than We Can Ask or Imagine – Ephesians 3:20-21 (2/16/2023) - God's power is able to do more in our lives, and in his church, than we can either ask or imagine. His is the power to transform us.
• Keep the Unity of the Spirit – Ephesians 4:3 (6/9/2021) - Paul urges us all to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. That calls for active participation on our part.
• Equipping for Works of Service – Ephesians 4:11-12 (6/14/2023) - God has placed leaders within the church, not to do the work of the church, but to equip the rest of us for doing the work of the church.
• Church Growth – Ephesians 4:16 (2/21/2018) - Church growth is dependent on Christ's equipping and leadership as well as each member faithfully doing their part.
• Put Off the Old Self – Ephesians 4:22-24 (10/7/2019) - Paul calls on us to do a complete makeover. To put off the old self that is corrupted. And to put on a new self. A self created by God to be holy.
• In Your Anger Do Not Sin – Ephesians 4:26-27 (1/16/2023) - Anger itself is not a bad emotion. But we need to be careful that we do not hold on to our anger, and that we don't sin.
• Avoiding Unwholesome Talk – Ephesians 4:29 (2/23/2018) - It is so easy to let our words be hurtful; unwholesome talk takes no effort at all. But how much better when our words are used to build people up.
• Be Kind and Compassionate to One Another – Ephesians 4:32 (12/6/2023) - It is always appropriate to respond to those who hurt us with kindness and compassion. It can bring them healing restore our relationship.
• Walk in the Way of Love – Ephesians 5:1-2 (2/24/2018) - We are called to follow the example that Jesus set for us. As dearly loved children, walk in the way of love.
• Greed is a Form of Idolatry – Ephesians 5:5 (12/8/2021) - Many of us live in societies that glorify accumulation of stuff. The more and bigger the better. But this greed is really a form of idolatry.
• Find Out What Pleases the Lord – Ephesians 5:8-10 (6/16/2021) - Paul encourages us, now that we are light and not darkness, to find out what pleases the Lord. Seek to please him rather than self.
• Because the Days Are Evil – Ephesians 5:15-16 (1/18/2023) - As believers, we are called to be careful in how we live our lives. The days are evil. So be wise and make the most of our opportunities.
• On Being Filled With the Spirit – Ephesians 5:18-20 (5/27/2019) - Be filled with the Spirit, lifting your voices in song together with the church. And being thankful in all things, whether good or bad.
• A Profound Mystery – Ephesians 5:31 (6/15/2023) - A loving a submissive relationship within marriage mirrors the relationship found between Jesus and his church.
• Stand Your Ground – Ephesians 6:10-13 (11/9/2013) - As followers of the Lord Jesus, we will face opposition. But we are called to put on the armor of God, and then to stand our ground.
• The Belt of Truth Buckled Up – Ephesians 6:14a (7/29/2019) - In the spiritual battle we are engaged in, the belt of truth is important. Stand in the truth. Do not let the enemy lead you astray.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness – Ephesians 6:14b (8/5/2019) - Your enemy will attack relentlessly. So keep your breastplate of righteousness in place. Don't give the devil an opening to use against you.
• Feet Fitted with the Gospel of Peace – Ephesians 6:15 (8/12/2019) - As believers, we are called to take the gospel of peace to all we encounter in the world. Share the message that will set people free.
• Take Up the Shield of Faith – Ephesians 6:16 (8/19/2019) - Our enemy, the devil, will be firing flaming arrows at us, seeking to cripple our effectiveness. Deflect them with the shield of faith.
• Take the Helmet of Salvation – Ephesians 6:17a (8/26/2019) - Put on the helmet of salvation, the hope of eternal life. It will protect you when life gets challenging. Keep your eyes fixed on the goal.
• The Sword of the Spirit – Ephesians 6:17b (9/2/2019) - Take up the sword of the Spirit when engaging with the enemy. The Bible, when energized by the Spirit, is a formidable weapon.
• Always Keep On Praying – Ephesians 6:18 (6/26/2022) - Paul's encouragement for us here is to always keep on praying for all of the Lord's people. Pray for their spiritual growth and life.