Ephesians 1

Ruby and diamond rings are half as important as the praise they bring! A Christmas present of a ruby and diamond ring that is adjustable is a present that evokes praise just like the way God has blessed us should pour forth our praise!

"Dear Beloved, I want you to notice especially the words highlighted in bold in the verses below. The apostle Paul is praying for the Ephesian..."

"Dear Father, King of an eternal kingdom, You have made known to us the secret of your will, the purpose which you set forth in Christ as a plan for....."

Where do you fit into God's plan? Tom Norvell writes about God's plan for us from Ephesians 1 and reminds us that we are chosen and God has something special for us to do!

"Dear Beloved, Today you will read two powerful passages of praise. The first one is from Paul's letter to the Colossians. The second is from Paul's....."

"Dear Disciple, One day you will hear the angels sing in celebration around the throne of God (Revelation 5:11-13). However, I wish you could hear..."

We need to remember that hardship and family dysfunction and unfairness are not new for God's people and are the backdrop of their courageous lives of faith. Rubel Shelly reminds us that the heroes of scripture had to endure many of the same kinds of challenges we do, that is what makes their witness so powerful.

"Dear Disciple, One of the most remarkable gifts you have as the Father's child is the gift of your intercessory prayer for others. When the apostle....."

"I pray ... that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know ... [God's] incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like..."

"Dear Father, King of an eternal kingdom, In love you destined us to be your sons through Jesus Christ, exactly as you wanted to do. My heart..."

"Dear Father, God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory. Give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation so that I may truly know the Savior. Let..."

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:17-20 -- I pray ... also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know ... his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united...."

"So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our...."

"So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our...."

"Dear Father, God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory. Help me grasp something of your glory as I compare my experience to the great power....."

What kind of church do you want to be part of? Phil Ware writes about interim ministry and his partners, and how we can be a 'Yes" church.

Hey, don't forget the greatest source of information on our mission, the Bible! Phil Ware continues the series of articles on discerning your mission for churches to work through as they are in a season of looking for a preaching minister or pastor and Phil emphasizes both the universal mission passages and the specific mission passa

"Dear Servant of God, In My earthly ministry, I repeatedly taught that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is a servant. My death on the cross for....."

What are you looking to inherit? What are we passing on to our children?

"You were marked in [Christ] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's..."

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus..."

"He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached...."

"Dear Father, King of an eternal kingdom, Thank you for giving me the greatest motivation in life. You have called me into your kingdom, the greatest...."

"It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free — signed, sealed, and..."

"In the resurrection of Christ, as in our salvation, there was put forth nothing short of a divine power. What shall we say of those who think that..."

"Dear Father, God of our Lord Jesus Help me to directly experience the power of what you did when you made Christ head over all things for the..."

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:4-5 -- For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus , ccordance with his pleasure and w

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:4-5 -- For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and w

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:9-10 --He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in hea

"Dear Disciple, The apostle Paul prayed a meaningful and moving prayer for the Christians in Asia Minor. Here is part of his prayer:I pray that your....."

Where did you get those eyes? Russ Lawson shares some things from his granddaughter that helps us understand that we are God's children.

We're done with leftovers and the eggs are put away, but Easter still remains! Rubel Shelly reminds us that Easter is not over as long as Jesus' followers, Christians, his disciples, live out the evidence of his resurrection in their lives by the way they treat others.

Somethings are just more difficult than others, until we have what others have to endure. Lisa Mikitarian reflects on the passing of her husband's kidney stone and is caught up in the pain of two more passings.

Why settle for a past-tense God when the Lord longs to move through us with power from the Holy Spirit? Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins lead us into worship through songs, Communion, and the Word God, inviting us to realize that God's presence and power are still available to us today and we can ask God to do again in our day what he did in days of old thro

My prayers for others mean much more to them when they know what I have prayed for them! Phil Ware shares some practical ideas on how to stay on mission even while practicing social distancing.

"Dear Precious Believer, My resurrection was a surprise to everyone, including My closest followers. It was a glorious shock to their system in many....."

What happened to the power that Jesus promised to us? Phil Ware focuses on Jesus' promise to send the power of the Holy Spirit to empower the church and our need to seek and use that power!

Can it really happen in less than an hour? One hour life transformation may be promised by an ad, but Jesus working through the Holy Spirit can make it happen!

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united..."

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious..."

"In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

"God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him....."

"The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we..."

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,....."

"Our belief in God's wisdom supposes and necessitates that he has a settled purpose and plan in the work of salvation. What would creation have been..."

"Oh! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus....."

"All the goodness of the past, the present, and the future, Christ bestows upon his people. In the mysterious ages of the past the Lord Jesus was his....."

"What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the term "acceptance" in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we..."

"When Jesus gave himself for us, he gave us all the rights and privileges which went with himself; so that now, although as eternal God, he has..."

"Could there be a sweeter word in any language than that word "forgiveness," when it sounds in a guilty sinner's ear, like the silver notes of jubilee...."

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better."

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:14 -- You were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession -- to the praise of his glory.

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:18 -- I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.

Valentine's Day e-card on Love: I have never stopped giving thanks to God for you. - Ephesians 1:16

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 1:7 -- In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

Is there any hope for the monotonous mess of life? Max Lucado recognizes the monotonous routine of life and its challenges and reminds us that God's grace meets us in our messes and gives us the power to live our way out of them.

"Dear Child of God, The right time came for My birth into the world — God in human flesh entering the world to be raised as a child of human..."

Is there a way to catch our breath and be renewed for a fresh start? Phil Ware begins a short 4 part series on the Holy Spirit as we begin the New Year, this one is focused on living by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the healing of a man with leprosy, we see the touch of Jesus and new life promised to us through the Spirit's resurrection power. Phil Ware continues his series on Jesus touching a man with leprosy and focuses on how Jesus' touch and word of command make clean and redeem this man who was left alone to die, abandoned by everyone and everything in his world.

Is this any way to propose marriage? When a proposal goes bad because of a plane crash, does the groom still get his request answered?

Have I truly decided to follow Jesus no matter where it may lead me? Jesus is the artist and the potter; each of us needs to be the canvas and clay where he creates a masterpiece. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead through worship in song, the Lord's Supper, a powerful message from God's word, and a blessing to enable us to worship from home or with family and friends in a meaningful way and ask this important question: Can I rea

Waiting to be chosen can be agonizing It can be nerve-wracking to wait to see if we will be chosen for a job or to participate in a group. But God made His choice a long time ago.

Jesus shared his love, his life, and his amazing grace with us on the cross, so will we follow Jesus and live the way of the cross in our lives? Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins lead us into worship in song and the Word to experience, proclaim and rejoice in the power of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and his call to us to remember and renew and relive the forgiveness of the cross to our daily

Because God has so graciously loved us, we can live as Jesus' agents of love and kindness in our broken world. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to recognize God's great love for us as something more like, feel, think, or say, it is always demonstrated.

We must try to see each other, our world, and ourselves with the eyes and the heart of God, not through our own self-serving point of view. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us to use our strengths, interests, and gifts to bless others and glorify God.

What do we do in the middle of our challenges and problems with no plan in sight? Phil Ware begins a series called Saved at Sea which focuses on God's deliverance and truth found in the stories about the sea and rivers and water in the Bible.

Did you know that the Lord Jesus made us out a will of the things he wants us to inherit!

How differently might we respond to his call if we truly realized that we are far more precious to him than any son or daughter could be to a loving mommy or daddy? Phil Ware begins a series of 13 messages on Vision by talking about his own son and daughter and how he had dreams for them as children.

The Father has given us access to holy power and a way to bless each other through prayer if only we will take advantage of it! Phil Ware completes his four part series on growing to become like Jesus through the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, the transformation that Jesus promises us when we choose to follow him as his disciple.

"Dear Precious Follower, I know that waiting is hard for you. Regardless of your reason for having to wait, I know that waiting is hard. However,..."

In the healing of a man with leprosy, we see the touch of Jesus and new life promised to us through the Spirit's resurrection power. Phil Ware continues his series on Jesus touching a man with leprosy and focuses on how Jesus' touch and word of command made clean and redeemed this man who was left alone to die, abandoned by everyone and everything in his world, revealing Jesus' heart f

"Dear Beloved, In today's reading, you will find Paul arriving in Ephesus. Ephesus was a remarkable and important city in Paul's world. But the people..."

Our hope, our answer, and God's unveiling of his greatest mysteries are found in Jesus, the Messiah, Son of God, the Christ who is our Savior and Lord! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in an online worship through words and music using YouTube videos to help us understand and connect emotionally with God's mystery to bring things together in Christ.

Where does the Loch Ness monster of your soul dwell? Max Lucado reminds us of what we don't want others to know about us and we don't want to admit ourselves -- we have strongholds that require drastic action to tear down and we have to invite God into every area of our lives for that to happen.

We all want to be part of real community. It is possible to have a real connection in a community who will love and support each other.

Why do we not ask for something God longs to give? Phil Ware begins a four week challenge that coordinates with the SpiritFire daily devotional challenging us to invite the Holy Spirit into our daily lives.

How are you a part of God's family? We are both born and adopted into God's family!

How do we keep our concerns for the future and our hardships from the last two years of Covid 19 from stealing the joy of our Thanksgiving? Phil Ware reminds us to keep thanksgiving a part of our daily lives even though we face challenging times, difficult circumstances, and discouraging realities.

If we are not careful, the challenges of the moment can wilt the joy right out of our Thanksgiving. Phil Ware reminds us that no matter how difficult our circumstances, because of Jesus we have reason to give thanks!

When our hearts look beyond our walls, our nations, our skin tones, and our languages, we can hear our Savior welcome all of us as his family. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us to love one another and put other's need above our own.

Did God place an anticipatory hint in Jewish expectation in the Talmud that Jesus fulfilled at his birth and will complete with his return in glory? Lee Wilson offers us a unique and Jewish insight into the coming of Jesus and his return anticipated in the Talmud.

Facing fear? Find Godpower to keep going. Opening yourself up and becoming vulnerable is a risky, scary thing - but you've got to do it to grow! Find the Godpower you need to take the next right step.

How many do you have? We have been blessed with so many wonderful things by God.

Who is driving your life? So often we don't let God have control of our lives and we want to be the driver to our own loss.

What can we really expect the Spirit to do for us, today, in our world? Phil Ware writes about Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit focusing on John 14 and Jesus' promise to not leave us as orphans but to come to us and show himself to us and be in us and make his home with us.

Rather than taking God's lavish grace for granted, we choose to offer ourselves to God and walk away from sin. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to remind us of all that we have received from God through grace and how we must say no to sin because we have been so blessed!

We can trust God's promises that the Spirit is at work in us! Phil Ware reminds us that God wants us to know that we have the Holy Spirit present and at work with power in our lives!

Where can I get this living water? Phil Ware continues his series on the Holy Spirit called SpiritFire and talks about living in the overflow of the Holy Spirit's presence.

How do we keep the concerns from stealing our thanksgiving? Phil Ware talks about how to keep thanksgiving a part of our daily lives even though we face challenging times.

Some of us have had good fathers. Others have had absent fathers or bad fathers. In Christ, however, we have been adopted into God's family, and we all have a loving, powerful, tender, and attentive Abba Father! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to help us honor and praise our Father in heaven on this Father's Day.

Everyone in God's family is flawed just as we are, which makes loving each other hard at times. However, our love generously shared with each other is proof we are God's children in whom the Holy Spirit lives. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us to love one another and put other's need above our own.

What happens the other 51 weeks of the year? Phil Ware begins a 4 part November series on giving thanks just in time for the Thanksgiving season.

Can I actually be better? Phil Ware reminds us that God can make us better after we have been broken and use us to do his work in the Kingdom because of two things: forgiveness we receive in Jesus through baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit.

God bless us all as we seek to let the grace of Jesus shine through us and touch those around us. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware share a DIY worship plan with a message, songs, and other resources in YouTuube video format and including a communion devotional by Rubel Shelly.

Where are your eyes pointed these days? Lift up your eyes is a call for vision, a call to not walk in fear of danger, but to look for the new, the glory, the things God is calling us to embrace.

Isn't it fun to be rejected? We mustn't let rejection destroy us, but instead understand it is to be expected if we are truly Christians.

What do you see around you? God has his protection for us all around us if we will only ask for eyes to see.

Does God still speak and make his presence known in our lives or is he silent, leaving us to decipher our own way through our troubled world? Phil Ware continues his series on finding God's vision for our lives and living on mission for God.