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.

VS 1-6, FACT OR FICTION - Maybe you’ve heard before that what we believe affects how we behave.  I think that’s 100% correct.  If we say we believe that smoking is bad for you, but we do it anyway, then we don’t believe it enough to change our behavior.  If we accept it is cold hard fact, then it alters our actions.  While what we believe about Jesus is God is crucial, the reality of our belief is played out in our actions.  We say we love God… do we actually live like it?  If not, then our belief system is not strong enough to change our action system.  One of the big sticking points is pride.  Our spiritual growth can be hindered if we allow stubborn pride to prevent us from honestly reflecting on our lives and allowing genuine faith to reshape our actions.  A deep faith and belief in who Jesus is and what he has done should radically change the way we interact with each other.

VS 11-16, LEADERSHIP ROLES IN CHURCH - God gave at least five types of leaders to the church.  They exist to complete the member’s growth and to equip them to serve.  We spent some time on these roles in May, but I’ll recap them here.

1. Apostle - One sent to pioneer and establish new works and new leaders
2. Prophet - One who speaks forth God’s word to inspire, correct, and motivate
3. Evangelist - One who shares Christ with outsiders and trains others to do so.
4. Pastor - One who shepherds, guides, and guards God’s people as they serve.
5. Teacher - One who trains God’s people in the truth and teaches others to do so.

It is our desire to see all of these roles in place within our church.  Here are some questions I ask myself based on these roles and this passage:

1. What eternally significant growth occurs in the lives of those I lead?
2. Do our people understand that my role is to equip them to serve?
3. How are our followers serving and ministering?
4. Do our people know that involvement in service is essential to growth?
5. Do our people grow spiritually mature as a result of their ministry involvement?
6. Do our people lifestyles reflect Christ’s character?
7. What percentage of our people’s faith and involvement is easily shaken?
8. Do our people build up one another?

The answers to these questions are a key indicator of success.  Numbers matter because every number represents a person.  There are never “too many” people in church.  But numbers do not in and of themselves represent success in a church.  It is questions such as these that reveal if we are achieving what God designed.

VS 17, CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE - Paul makes a plea here for us to not live like the rest of the world.  What does that mean to you?  Can people look at our lives and honestly discern a difference between those of us with faith in Jesus Christ and those without faith?  What does that look like?

VS 25, TELL IT LIKE IT IS - “let each one speak truth with his neighbor”.  This one’s a killer isn’t it?  We can no longer be honest with each other.  We hint, pull punches, beat around the bush, but seldom are we direct.  This is not an inviation from Paul to be cruel to each other, but to love each other enough (since we are part of the same body) to speak the truth in love.  WHY IS THIS SO HARD?  More churches have been hurt, more friendships damaged than we can imagine simply because we lack the fortitude to speak truth in a timely manner.  My dream is to have a church that gets past this and builds one another up, sometimes through hard love.

YOUR TURN….

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!

VS 1-7 GET SOME - There is an important concept that I think Paul puts forward here.  By themselves, not even the best accountants or financial advisers can actually create wealth for their clients.  All they can do is give advice about the accumulation of a healthy reserve.  The rest is up to the clients who receive that advice.  The same is true for leaders who want to see others access the riches of heaven.  The lives and ministries of the Apostle Paul and Timothy demonstrate this principle.  On their own, neither Paul nor Timothy could equip the Ephesians to please God.  But they know how to direct them to the ultimate source of ultimate power:  the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  Paul encourages the Ephesian Christians to take full advantage of all the resources and power God has made available to them.  He knows that all believers have at their disposal immeasurable wealth and power; infinite resources sufficient to equip every believer for the spiritual fight ahead.

VS 12, NO FEAR - Whoever came up with that t-shirt slogan was way behind the Apostle Paul on this one.  There is so much in this verse.  Let me address the ancient times first.  Coming into the presence of a king was a fearful and awesome thing.  A king could require someone’s head at the slightest provocation.  So it was pretty intimidating since it could cost you your life.  But Paul said we have no reason to be fearful when we come before our King.  We can come confidently.  WOW!  Now let me move into our culture.  We still have plenty of religions and faith beliefs that would have you believe that you’re not worthy to come before God in prayer… you’re not qualified.  You have to leave that to the professionals.  Let me say this gently… THAT’S A CROCK!  Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we can come directly before him with our requests and our concerns.  In fact, we are told to in this verse.  And to come fearlessly before him.  If you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, you have direct, unlimited, and fearless access to the King of Kings.  How awesome is that?

VS 14-21, A HALL OF FAME PRAYER - This is one of the most beautiful and inspiring passages of scripture in the Bible.  This is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and for all of us who call Jesus, LORD!  I don’t even want to add anything to it here.  I’ll just let it speak for itself….

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

I can only add that I pray that all of you reading this will experience the same and that you will know God in a deeper, richer way today than you have before.  Be blessed!

YOUR TURN….

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.  We are born with an evil nature, and the spirit of the devil is the force behind those who refuse to obey God.  So… is there a little good in everyone?  Or are we depraved human beings in need of a savior?

VS 4-7, GOD IS GOOD - Paul makes it clear here that it is God’s love that initiated this whole salvation thing.  And because he loved us, we have been allowed to become one with Christ through salvation, and we have a seat at the table in heaven.  How cool is that?

VS 8-9, MEMORIZE THESE VERSES - These two verses are cornerstones in explaining the nature of salvation; it is a free offering, a gift… and there is nothing we can do to earn it.

• For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

VS 10, A MASTERPIECE - I love this verse.. we are God’s masterpiece.  We are of high value.  And we were made to distribute that value.  We are not created to “sit and soak”.  We are created to work and win… work at God’s purpose and win the lost around us.

VS 14-19, A BRIDGE BETWEEN US - Not only has Jesus Christ provided a bridge between us and God, removing the barrier between us, but Jesus Christ in us also provides the means to remove the barriers between us and others.  Have you ever had one of those relationships you thought could never be salvaged?  It can be…at least for you.  There are never any guarantees that someone will reestablish a right relationship with you once it has been broken, but when we realize that Christ forgives us, we can at least lay down any bitterness we have toward someone else and free ourselves from that burden.  And that may be all that is necessary to open the door to reconciliation.

VS 19-22, A LIVING LANDMARK - This is a fascinating set of verses.  Paul describes the foundation of the church consisting of Jesus Christ as the cornerstone (what everything else is based off of) and the Apostles.  Then he describes these people sort of like living bricks and mortar, being joined together into this incredible house of God.  This challenges me to think, “What are we doing TOGETHER to construct a landmark building for the glory of God on the foundation described here?  Are we becoming living bricks and mortar that create a landmark structure for the world to see Jesus Christ?”

YOUR TURN……

Do you remember when you were younger and couldn’t wait to grow up and be an adult?  Funny thing about that… if you’re reading this now, that actually happened.  And you didn’t even have to work for it.  There might have been some “growing pains” along the way, but eventually you reached your full height and stature without even trying.

VS 6-7 - In Colossians 2, Paul lets us know that spiritual growth and maturity don’t just happen.  We don’t wake up one day fully developed as followers of Jesus Christ.  In fact, Paul describes it as being much more like trying to grow a plant.  You have to provide the right ingredients, but it still doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s a process in which the roots need to grow deep because our nourishment comes directly from the fertile soil that Jesus Christ has planted us in.  Unless we allow ourselves to grow deep into his Word, we will never grow into the men & women we are capable of becoming.  Our growth will be stunted at best.

VS 11-15 - The same power that raised Christ from the dead is able to help us overcome our sinfulness.  Since he has authority over every other power, including the power of evil in our lives, Jesus can set us free.  Our freedom is not just from the bondage of the past but also from the spiritual bondage of our old sinful natures.  In Christ, we can experience the life of peace and joy that God intends for us.

VS 20-23 - Paul once again is the ultimate straight-shooter in these verses.  Sure, legalism may sound like a good option to keep us away from our old sinful nature, but it’s not now, it has never been, nor will it ever be the answer for that.  Maybe you have tried that yourself in order to break free from sin patterns and the bondage of old habits.  Have you ever told yourself, “I just need to try harder.”  Paul says that will never work by itself because it looks to our own strength.  It leads us away from the only adequated source of power - God in Jesus Christ.  He is the only one with the power to transform us and help us rebuild our lives.

“Hi!  We’ve never met, but I love you and you should listen to me!”

It sounds like one of these spam emails from some “God-fearing” person with tons of cash that needs your help and will reward you handsomely to do so.  But it’s really the gist of Colossians.  Paul never went to the church found in Colosse.  In fact, he wrote this letter while in prison in Rome.  But Paul had heard much about them, and had a few things to share with them based on what he had heard.

COLOSSIANS 1

VS 3-6 - Paul was a prayer warrior.  There were scads of people and churches he was praying for.  And I’m pretty sure he wasn’t just saying, “I’ll pray for you”… he actually was.  Paul expressed great joy about the report he had of the Colossians and how they were serving each other with love.  That’s cool… but notice what their motivation was — THEIR ETERNAL REWARDS.  I’ve had some people tell me from time to time that we shouldn’t be motivated by what we’ll receive.  I couldn’t disagree more.  Jesus & Paul both make a pretty big deal about what waits for us.  It should be something that motivates us and propels us to acts of love and good works for each other.

VS 7-8 - You gotta love someone who spreads GOOD news about other people.  We need more of that.

VS 9-10 - *VERY IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE HERE* - Even though they already understood salvation, Paul wanted them to know how to apply that knowledge.  These are two very different things.  Teachability begins with knowledge (which means we have to be learners), moves to understanding, and then results in application.  In other words, YOU ARE TEACHABLE IF YOU ARE CHANGING!

VS 11-14 - Paul reminds us that patience and endurance are part of the Christian experience.  I know it’s a popular thing these days to preach a “health and wealth” gospel, but I don’t see a whole lot of examples of that in scripture.  I do see lots of people suffering for their faith and being encourage as they do so.  I see Paul here acknowledging that patience and endurance are valuable character traits for us.  That wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense if the “health and wealth” gospel were in effect.  Interestingly enough though, Paul calls for joy in the middle of situations that require patience and endurance.  How can that be?  Oh yeah.. he reminds us again of what lies ahead (not what’s in hand now).

VS 15-17 - Paul embarks on a passage in which he declares the greatness of Jesus Christ.  In these verses, he declares the presence of Jesus before the beginning of Creation.  He goes on to say that through Christ, governments and authorities are set up.  Authority is a major issue in our culture today.  No one wants to submit to any authority at all.  But authority is a fundamental part of life and learning.  How can you submit your life to Christ if you can’t learn to submit to authority?  This is one of the reasons it is essential for parents to instill a deep appreciation and understanding of the need and role of authority in the lives of our children.

VS 18-23 - Paul continues his explanation of the greatness of Jesus Christ.  Here he proclaims him the head of the church.  So in essence, Paul is saying that we owe our respect and loyalty to Jesus because is is superior to everyone and everything.  He created everything & he holds it together.  And it is Jesus, who, as head of the church, has provided a way for us who were once the enemies of God (because of sin)  to be made right with God and to stand before him blameless.  How can you not love and serve someone so great as this?

VS 28-29 - An essential part of rebuilding our lives is haring the message of Jesus Christ with others.  We were far away from God, yet he provided no only the solution to our problem but also the power to change.  That is news worth sharing!  It’s what drove Paul.  We may be afraid to do this at first, but the Holy Spirit can give us the courage we need to share this with others.

YOUR TURN - Jump in and make this expeience deeper by adding your thoughts.

It is hard for me to imagine what it must have been like on that day of days for Mary and Mary.  Matthew 28 tells the story of that early morning arrival of the two women before dawn.  In all likelihood, they were still mourning…still shaken that Jesus, this man they had placed so much faith in, had been so brutally beaten and murdered. 

Isn’t it amazing how quickly mourning can turn to dancing?  In short order they learned that Jesus was no longer a prisoner of death and the grave.  He had arisen.  It is his crowning achievment that death could not hold him.  Today he is ALIVE…and is forevermore.  Our savior lives!

I pray that you may find a community of worship in which to celebrate his resurrection on this special day. 

I’ve had several conversations over the last two weeks about the seeming decline in the importance of Easter among Christians. I’ve been wondering if I’m just missing it, or if it’s really happening. I grew up in the South, which has been known for years as the “Bible Belt”. And it’s true to a large extent. Church is part of the culture of the South. Even those who claim no religious affiliation whatsoever recognize the place of church in southern culture. And for those who are regular church attenders, church and church life often are the hub of life. It is the center point that everything else revolves around. So when Easter arrives, it is THE DAY! When you get down to it, Christmas is an important celebration, but there is no call for it in the Bible. But Easter….. Jesus told us to REMEMBER! Easter is the watershed event in Christianity because it sets Christianity apart from every other faith…because our leader - Jesus Christ - is NOT in a tomb. He rose again. And that is what led to Easter being such a large celebration in the life of the church in the South.

But maybe I’m NOT missing it. Maybe I’m NOT misreading the cultural tea leaves. In Friday’s edition of USA Today, There was an article titled “Has the Notion of Sin Been Lost?” (You can read it here). Rev. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, made this observation:

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Businesses close. Schools close. It is marked on the calendar and observed carefully by millions of people around the world. So what is it? What is Good Friday all about? Before I answer those questions, let me offer another twist. I’m not convinced that Good Friday is really is Good Friday. I never have been. Why do I say that? Because Jesus Christ gave a recurring hint at how he would prove he was the Son of God. He would be dead for THREE days, and THREE nights. I am no math wizard, but I’ve never been able to count three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. I think there must be another explanation. And maybe this has bothered you as well. Maybe it’s kept you from connecting the dots. If so, or if you just enjoy deepening your understanding of biblical issues, take the time to read this excellent post (click here to read) examining the problems of “Good Friday.”

With that being said (and hopefully read…you did read the link,didn’t you?), let me add that whether people focus on the work of the cross on Friday, Thursday, or Wednesday, the important thing is that people DO recognize what Jesus did……… FOR YOU! That’s right! “Good Friday” is about YOU! Some of you out there are probably thinking that I have completely lost it….because Good Friday is about Jesus. That’s true in so much as it is the crucifixion of Jesus that we recognize.

BUT WHY WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED?

IT WAS FOR YOU!

No matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you have done, Jesus Christ died for you. Everything has a price. And so does sin. In our modern world, sin’s price is often time in jail or fines. In the Old Testament biblical world, the price of sin was death…the death of some sort of unblemished animal to “PAY” for the sin of the guilty party. But it was always a temporary fix. However, it served to point to the need for a permanent solution….a perfect “once-for-all” sacrifice. That was Jesus Christ. He is described in the Bible as a “spotless lamb” and “the lamb that takes away the sins of the world”. His death, His sacrifice, was offered to “PAY” for the sin of all guilty parties….and THAT MEANS YOU! AND IT MEANS ME!

It was the most brutal of deaths. But it was “GOOD” because it is now offered for you and me as a payment for our guilt. Just before Jesus drew his last breath he said, “It is finished!” It was the reason he came. It was the destiny of his life here….to pay a price we could not pay. And we can all apply this payment to our account….IF WE CHOOSE TO! For a more thorough explanation, please proceed to the information on “The Main Thing” page at the top of the blog.

What thrills me most is that Jesus is not still on the cross. There is still something more. And that is what Easter is about. I will add another post on Easter morning as we celebrate this MOST special time of the year.

So how about you? Has it really become “GOOD” Friday for you yet? Has it become “GOOD” news for you yet? It can be…..just say YES!

Fire is fascinating. Fire is consuming. Fire is attractional. Fire is mesmerizing.

And it is absolutely marvelous to see when when it is contained in a person that is on fire for Jesus Christ. Last week, Lesley and I had a chance to meet such a man. His name is Nathan Giffin and he is the creative and entrepreneurial force behind Vertical Artisans, one of the most incredible crafts that I have ever seen. Nathan turns ordinary concrete into works of art that look like massive stacks of stones. You literally cannot tell the difference. We went to meet with him because we are attempting to coordinate an opportunity for him to come and work his craft at The Grove. In the meantime, his business is growing off the hook. And I think there are two primary reasons.

1. Nathan does exceptional work. During our meeting, he affirmed his tireless commitment to excellence. There are many days that he is on a job completely alone. There are few people who can currently do what he does (although he is beginning an extensive online training course that will help anyone learn. Click here for info). And as such, if he were to cut corners, who would really know? Who’s going to come behind him and critique his work since almost no one else can do it? But day after day, he lives out a dying character trait - integrity. See, Nathan knows what he is capable of. Even if no one else knows or sees…… he does. And that is enough to drive him to never give less than his best. What an incredible business testimony to build. One job done with excellence may get you another one, but if you don’t carry that trait forward, it will catch up with you. But the opposite is also true. When you never give anything less than your best, people come to know that they can trust you implicitly. And Nathan earns business simply because his reputation is flawless. Take a look at a few of these pics from the jobsite we visited:

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