Pastor Dan (Page 9)

In the opening of Ephesians, Paul describes for us his prayer for the church. He describes five gifts that he asks his heavenly Father for. Those gifts though are supported by four important details… …according to the working of his great might… (Ephesians 1:19 ESV) He doesn’t ask for God to do something out of the blue. He asks from an intimate knowledge of the “great might” that the Father has. This great might has been on display not in theories or ideas, but in practical, right here and right now moments. In Ephesians 1:20 Paul says this is the great might, “that he worked in ChristRead More →

Prayer is the air we breathe as Christians. For Paul, it was an ongoing conversation with his heavenly Father. He never ceased. What did he pray for? In the opening of Ephesians, he gives us a glimpse into his prayer for the young church. He prayed for God the Father to give them gifts… I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you… (Eph 1:16-17a, ESV) What gifts did he ask for God to give? First, he asked for the church to receive “the SpiritRead More →

After Paul’s explosion of verbs in the opening verses of Ephesians he writes, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, (Ephesians 1:16 ESV) What follows is Paul’s description of his prayer for the “saints who are in Ephesus.” But don’t miss what he says about his prayer for the Ephesians, “I do not cease…“ Prayer for Paul is like water to the fish. He simply lives in it. He has an ongoing conversation with the Father. It is an intimacy that is real and penetrates every aspect of his life. Paul was a busy guy. He wrote 2/3Read More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed,chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. …as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:10) “Gather up” is the seventh and final verb of the “rocket verbs” in the opening chapter of Ephesians. This verb wrapsRead More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed,chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. …making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ (Ephesians 1:9 ESV) Have you felt like you were ever in the dark? As though you were on the outside looking in? Maybe it was whenRead More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed,chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight… (Ephesians 1:7-8 ESV) The grace that frees us in Christ also redeems us. God doesn’tRead More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed, chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6 ESV) This fourth “rocket verb” is a tough one to translate. That’s why it is translated differently: favored, freely given, blessed, bestowed… The dynamic of whatRead More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed, chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. The third of seven verbs that explode the opening sentence in Ephesians is “destined” or “predestined”. Check it out here… …he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will… Ephesians 1:5, ESV What a remarkable thought!Read More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed, chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. The second word, “chose” is found in Eph 1:4: …even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. How remarkable is this that God chose us before we could have everRead More →

The letter to the church at Ephesus was written to a community of Christ followers by Paul. Paul was writing to shape their identities in the gospel. He was so excited about writing to them about Jesus that he started his letter with a single, huge, sentence that contains seven verbs: blessed, chose, destined, bestowed, lavished, made known, and gather up. Paul begins with “blessed”: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:3 ESV) The blessed God blessed the followers of Jesus with “every spiritual blessingRead More →