Access to the Father
Ephesians 2:14-18
In a world of seven billion people you would think that everyone has at least one friend. In a world of seven billion people you would think that there wouldn’t be anyone who would feel isolated or alienated. In a world of seven billion people you would think that everyone had at least someone to [...]
Alienation to Reconciliation
Ephesians 2:11-13
Paul’s life hung in the balance. While he was traveling with some of his companions he stopped in Jerusalem. One of the men that was traveling with Paul was a Gentile, a man from Ephesus named Trophimus. The Jews were looking for a reason to kill Paul and when they saw Paul at the temple [...]
We Are His Workmanship
Ephesians 2:10
God took Jeremiah down to the potter’s house to teach him a valuable lesson, a lesson that each of us desperately needs to learn this morning. The lesson is so important for us to learn because somehow, some way, we have convinced ourselves that we are the final authority, we are the determiner of what [...]
Look What God Has Done!
Ephesians 2:1-10
As we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus it is so important that we remember who Paul was addressing in his letter. He wasn’t writing to the Chamber of Commerce, the members of some philanthropic organization, the academics at a local high school or college, and neither was he writing [...]
“But God…”
Ephesians 2:1-3
God had a plan. He made a promise. It was a promise to Abraham to bless him and to make him a great nation. There were twists and turns. Things didn’t go as smoothly as Abraham or his descendants would have liked, but God had a plan. The Jews were a nation, a unique people [...]
Open the Eyes of Our Hearts
Ephesians 1:17-23
If you’ve been around Britton Christian Church any time you have heard us sing a song called, “Open The Eyes of My Heart, Lord.” It is a powerful song. It’s a catchy song. More than powerful or catchy, it is a plea for God to do within us what we can’t do ourselves. We are [...]
“…So That You May Know Him Better.”
Ephesians 1:15-17
Hetty Green died at the age of 81 in New York City on July 3, 1916. There are differing estimates of Hetty’s finances when she died. Estimates of her net worth vary somewhere between $100-200 million. Her biographer, Charles Slack, says that Hetty was worth $200 million, which is about $4 billion in today’s money. [...]
A Mystery Revealed
Ephesians 1:9-14
Life is full of mystery. Things that seem unexplainable. Others that seem unimaginable. Then, along comes someone who is more than curious. Someone who has a furious passion to unlock the mystery no matter how long it takes, no matter how hard they have to work, no matter what others may think of their endeavor, [...]
Forgiven
Ephesians 1:7-8
I have been relishing every moment of studying the first chapter of Ephesians. I’ve been drinking from the cup of God’s glorious grace and learning what it means to be blessed with “every spiritual blessing in Christ.” That is a monumental undertaking isn’t it? We are not talking about simply being given a gift. We [...]
Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb
Ephesians 1:7-8
Like the Hebrew slaves who had been suffering under the hand of Pharaoh for 400 years. Like the countless millions of conquered people who were forced into servitude under the Roman Empire. Like the multitude of Africans who were crammed into ships for a voyage to hopelessness in lands they never wanted to see. Like [...]
Who Am I? I Am His!
Ephesians 1:2-14
God’s ways boggle our minds. His methods of accomplishing His will in each of our lives, and in the history of all of creation, are beyond our comprehension, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t interject our thoughts and opinions about what we think God can do, should do, or will do in any given [...]
What Do You Lack?
Ephesians 1:2-3
I am convinced that we, those of us who live in the United States of America, are the most blessed people on the face of the planet. The freedom we have is unmatched. The standard of living that we enjoy is unparalleled. The opportunities that are before us are many. With all of these many [...]
By God’s Will
Ephesians 1:1
We are facing tough times as a nation. It seems like each and every day we hear more news about how our nation is struggling in a myriad of ways. There are folks looking for jobs that can’t find work. There are other folks who have jobs and yet they don’t make enough money to [...]
Ephesians: A Letter from Prison for the Glory of God
This morning we are going to begin a brand new study. I’ve been reading Ephesians for the past several weeks and each time I read Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus I come away lifted, encouraged, and reminded of the most foundational truths for the followers of Jesus. Ephesians is a tool in the [...]
The War Continues!
Ephesians 6:10-18
I am a soldier, a prayer warrior, in the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare. I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested [...]
Love Without End – Secrets of a Fathers Love
Ephesians 3:14-19
Wrestling to the words of my Father In West Texas, Football was my sport and I had no intentions of changing. That is until my family moved to Duncan, Oklahoma in 1982. Frustrated with trying to break into the system, I began to look at other sporting possibilities. I was introduced to the sport of [...]
Teach Your Children Well
Ephesians 6:1-4
We hear so much about parents and their children today on the television and in newspaper articles. The tragedy is that most of the news we hear is not encouraging at all. This is not a new phenomenon either. For years now we’ve heard the sordid tales of moms and dads who failed to understand [...]
Unleash The Power
Ephesians 1:15-23
In 1907, the great preacher E.M. Bounds wrote these powerful words which are still challenging the hearts of God’s people to this day. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for [...]
Pump It Up! Building Up The Body
Ephesians 4:7-16
The admiration and adulation of American athletes has risen to an all-time high. The power, grace, and athleticism demonstrated on the field of play excites and inspires both young and old alike. We would like to be able to do the things they do, but we fail to recognize the years of struggle, sweat, and [...]
Unleash The Power
Ephesians 1:15-23
In 1907, the great preacher E.M. Bounds wrote these powerful words which are still challenging the hearts of God’s people to this day. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for [...]
The King of the Extreme
Ephesians 2:1-10
The word “extreme” has fallen on hard times these days. Extremist viewpoints are caricatured and maligned by politicians and pundits as they mount their pulpits and practice their craft of shaping our thoughts. The Republicans try and convince us that the Democrats are extreme in their social liberalism, their taxation of the people, and their [...]