Coach’s Corner

Quite often, we forget that these are letters written from the Apostle Paul to a church. It didn’t have chapters and verses as we have today. Those were inserted to make finding certain passasges of scripture easier than trying to scan through one long unmarked document. So, although this “chapter” did not exist when it was written, we enter the final chapter of our “You’ve Got Mail” series. Remember as you read this, or read other passages of scritpture how very personal these are in nature. Think of how difficult the task of writing was 2000 years ago and the efforts that anyone had to go through to actually “deliver the mail”. It almost killed Epaphroditus in chapter 2. Both the writing and the delivery were labors of love. Read them with a sense of honor at how much effort went in to delivering these letters to the original readers and to you today!

This is a chapter that lays down some timeless principles of “FIRST THINGS FIRST“, and that’s what I will focus on today.

Let’s continue or reading today of chapter 2

VS 1-4, GOT ANYTHING? GIVE IT AWAY - This is a challenging section for most of us. Paul asks a very basic question here..”Is there any value for you in being a Christian? Do you receive anything from Christ?” How can you answer that any other way but yes? It’s basically a rhetorical question. Paul knows the answer. He just wants them and us to answer it. THEN… he says….

Long before Rick Warren showed up on the scene, the Apostle Paul was writing about and demonstrating what it means to be “Purpose Driven”. Philippians is a spectacular example of living a life with purpose. To read this letter is to hear the passion and deep commitment of a man to a cause. What’s so amazing is that this letter was written from prison. No whining or crying here. This was no “health and wealth” success story to motivate others to get on board. No… this is a man in difficult circumstances that accepted them in stride and continued his commitment to the cause of Christ… a life filled and lived with purpose.

This chapter is kind of like being a kid in a candy store. There’s so much here to talk about, how do you pick a few? But, my goal in doing these daily studies is not to give everything there is to give, but to whet your appetite for more. To give you a taste and let you take the initiative in extra helpings.. so here we go.

Ever wanted to be in on a really big secret? Have you ever wished that you could be on the inside getting the scoop on what’s really going on like and FBI agent, or James Bond, or Maxwell Smart? Well, after you read Ephesians 3, consider yourself in on the biggest scoop of all - Jesus Christ has made himself and the power of heaven available to all who have called him Lord. Let’s jump in!

Let’s dive right in to Chapter 2….

VS 1-3, A LITTLE GOOD IN EVERYONE? - How often have we all heard that phrase? I have no idea where it began, but I’m pretty sure that it’s an effort to bypass the need for Jesus Christ. If all we have to do is embrace that good that we each have in ourselves, then that’s probably all that’s necessary to get to heaven, right? But Paul pretty much slams the door on that concept here.

Wow, talk about hitting the motherlode. Reading through Ephesians is like one of the old California Gold-Rushers hitting a vein loaded with gold. I can almost hear Daffy Duck running around hollering “I’m rich! I’m rich! Woohoo!” Ephesians is packed with boulder-sized nuggets. I’ll share a few of the ones I dig up, and I hope you’ll take the time to share a few that you find in your own mining expedition.

Short and to the point. Most guys like things that way. Let’s get to the heart of the matter. Don’t dance around the mulberry bush. Just shoot straight. Well, the Apostle Paul is right in the wheelhouse of most guys with his letters. They are typically short, but packed with useful and important information. Chapter 4 closes out the book of Colossians and Paul has a few powerhouse points left to make…

Ever watched a movie or cartoon where someone is trying to make a decision and out pops an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other? It’s sort of supposed to be funny, but there’s some reality there as well. As followers of Christ, we are never fully free from the two natures that are within us. One is the flesh nature we are born with (which of course is represented by the devil on one shoulder), and the other is the spirit nature we receive when we accept the gift of Jesus Christ (which is represented by the angel).