dumas1969

[dumas1969]

Christ and the Church

Christ and the Church

[dumas1969]

Christ and the Church

Ephesians 5:21-33 The Bible begins and ends with a wedding…Jesus’ first miracle in John’s Gospel is at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. The husband-wife relationship is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church. God takes marriage seriously. So should we. What does that look like? Wives submitting to their own husbands as to the Lord. Husbands loving their wives as Christ loved…

[dumas1969]

Be Imitators of God

Ephesians 5:1-20 Paul urges the Ephesians to be imitators of God, walking in love, and turning away from the “old man”…to live in light of the truth so that they will build up, and not tear down, the Body of Christ. When we trusted in Jesus, we were adopted into His family. Our allegiance changed. We are now sons and daughters of the King. We were darkness, now we are light in the Lord. And so…

[dumas1969]

Put off the Old, Put on the New

Ephesians 4:17-32 The Ephesians are not to live according to their lives before Christ, but they are to live their lives as members of the Body of Christ pursuing greater knowledge of Him through the Scriptures and unity with one another. So are we. We are not who we were. We were dead, but now we are alive. We were lost, but now we are found. Darkened in our understanding, but now our hearts…

[dumas1969]

Equipping the Saints

Equipping the Saints

[dumas1969]

Equipping the Saints

Ephesians 4:1-16 We all have a part to play when it comes to preserving unity. Not just some of us…all of us. But within this unity there is diversity. We all have to work together for the mutual building up of the body, the Church. Equipping the saints for works of ministry… Each of us doing our part. So, whatever the talent, resource, gift, experience, passion or personality the LORD has…

[dumas1969]

Paul's Second Prayer for the Ephesians

Paul’s Second Prayer for the Ephesians

[dumas1969]

Paul's Second Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul prays that these Ephesian believers will be empowered to understand the love Christ for them as members of His body, the Church. He prays that they may be “strong enough to grasp”, which means it’s not easily understood. So, how will the Ephesians understand the love of Christ? How will we? Through the words of the Apostles and the Prophets. Through the Scriptures. The…

[dumas1969]

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

[dumas1969]

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

Ephesians 3:1-13 Paul reveals the mystery of the gospel…the nations, us Gentiles, are fellow heirs, fellow members of the Body, and fellow sharers of the promise in Christ with our believing Jewish brothers and sisters. Pretty incredible when you think about it. We were dead, but now we are alive. We were lost, but now we are found. We were far off, but now we have been brought near. And not…

[dumas1969]

Brought Near

Ephesians 2:11-22 Although we, like the Ephesians, were separated from God, we have now been brought near through the sacrificial death of Jesus and so are, along with believing Israel, a part of the Church built on the Apostles and Prophets aka the Scriptures and indwelt by the Spirit. That is good news. We who were without access now have access. We were excluded but now are included. We were…

[dumas1969]

The Gospel

Ephesians 2:1-10 For by grace you all have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. A dead man can’t do anything to save himself…he’s dead! He must be made alive again. The bad news…if you have not yet trusted in Jesus, you are dead. Your sin has killed you. And if something doesn’t change, nothing will…

[dumas1969]

Easter - Jesus' Life, Death and Resurrection

Easter – Jesus Life, Death and Resurrection

[dumas1969]

Easter - Jesus Life, Death and Resurrection

Luke 15:11-31, 23:32-56, 24:1-12 What an amazing first Easter morning! Though all hope seemed to be lost…the Hero was dead…God wasn’t  finished yet. In an astounding twist to the plot…the Hero is raised to life. Death is conquered. Sin is atoned for. The way is made available for us to be reconciled to God. Death is swallowed up in life, despair in hope, mourning in astounding joy. Jesus is…

[dumas1969]

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

[dumas1969]

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15-23 Paul prays that these Ephesian believers will understand what it means to be in Christ…what an incredible thing it means to be a part of the Church. All because of Jesus. Where will that understanding come from? The words of the Apostles and Prophets. The Scriptures. That was true for them, and it’s also true for us. We will only understand what it means to be “in Christ”…

[dumas1969]

Greetings and the Blessing

Greatings and the Blessing