Head-dibs

“The wise man will live as he ought, not as long as he can.” (Seneca) While visiting an inmate serving a robbery sentence, a visitor reported to his incarcerated friend how another man was recently arrested for robbing a house and killing the family who lived there. “You know,” the inmate said, “it's people like that who give robbery a bad name.” As Shakespeare wrote, "He hath ever but slenderly known himself." (King Lear) Awareness is a starting point to wise living, balancing the inward look with an outward look. After all, we live on a planet with other people. Problems set in when the inward or the outward look are out of balance. For example, if we worry about what others think and tailor our actions to people-please, then we lose ourselves. Or, if we become too inward focused, selfishness takes over and we get along with no-one. The outward aspect of awareness is simply proximity. "Who" is doing "what" around you?  Personal Awar...

There's the difficult way and there's the really difficult way. The Black Crest Trail is the latter--but it's the most rewarding. Culminating on the highest peak on the Eastern Sea Board, the Black Crest Trail (aka, "Death March") clambers over five peaks. That is, if one approaches from the North. We passed many hikers going the opposite direction--downhill. But for every "down" there's an "up." Scaling the first 3000 feet in the first three miles, we passed this unforgettable tree. I was caused to remember this tree when reading my dailies: " Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently holds in thought, for the human spirit is colored by such impressions ." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.16) On the trail I could not pass this tree as quickly and easily as the previous million. What forces shaped this tree? How long has it endured? One can only imagine. The truth is that the tree remains shaped,...

Ephesians 4:11-16 helps me think differently about church growth.  Here in Ephesians 4 Paul is discussing the body of Christ; that is, the church. The true church of Christ is distinguished by unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (4:3), with one Lord, hope, faith, baptism, one God and Father who graces through the gift of Christ. Within this body are found other kinds of gifts given by God: some who are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Verse 12 explains the purpose of these gifts of God, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”  Here we find a way that Jesus grows the church. The saints are to be equipped for the work of ministry by those whom God has appointed as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Since the local church is the microcosm of the true, universal (“catholic”--to use an old term) church, those who walk in the manner worthy of their calling (the...

Themes of Ephesians 2 surface again in Romans 5, which should come as no surprise, considering the source. We who needs be reminded often are able to learn once again a deeper truth concerning the principle set forth here, namely, that when we are at our worst, God did his best. We often use the phrase, “I did my best,” when we return to the dug-out after striking out; Or when scooping up the casserole off the floor between the kitchen and dinner table; Or realizing that all the time you spent caulking the bathroom, you used the wrong caulk. Not so with God. When He gave His best, that’s all He had and He accomplished all He set out to do in giving His best. There was no defeat on His part. Look at what Paul wrote: We were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2), without strength (Ro 5); He made us alive in Christ Jesus (Eph 2), who died for the ungodly while we were still sinners (Ro 5); He in his rich mercy loved us (Eph 2), demonstrating that love in Christ’s death (Ro 5); We...

I wish I had the time to go down on the street and interview people for some “live” answers to the question: “How does a person get to heaven?” or “How does a person know he or she is right with God?” I can only begin to imagine the answers: “You don’t. You just have to take your chances.” “I am in control of my own destiny. I don’t need God.” “Heaven is a state of mind” or “Heaven is here on earth” (like, “Hell is here on earth,” right?) “You have to learn what you need to know to get there. Can we visit your home to tell you more about it?” “Go to church, be good. Get job, go to school.” “God will save everybody because He is love and forgives.” “Admit we have broken God’s law and are helpless in sin. We need to receive His grace and mercy and forgiveness by faith because Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay our penalty for us.” I am firmly convinced that every person is mentioned in the Bible and the New Testament book of Ephesians is just one place we can find one...

Recently I read of Ci, a Border Collie that has developed a fear of sheep. Imagine! A sheepdog afraid of sheep! The only way the shepherd is able to keep the flock from getting the upper-hand (stamping their feet and ganging up) is to get behind the herd with dog, call the sheep, and when the sheep approach, the dog runs off in the direction the shepherd actually wants to go! Now imagine a pastor that is driven by his congregation--flock-driven, if you will. Not hard to do, is it? Sadly this is the condition of many churches today, with ovinophobic leaders. This is not leadership at all—and the congregation becomes not-sheep, but . . . well, I’m not sure what they are, but they are not sheep. The Apostle Paul regards the Ephesians in a special way—he gushes with gratitude for this church. He says in his prayer concerning them, “ For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks ...

You’ve heard the saying, “Prayer changes things.” How often we fail to recognize that we are first changed by prayer! Followers of Christ are changed at that initial prayer when we cry out for mercy because of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ—we are able to call Him Father! What gratitude and love we express when every time we pray we say, “Father . . .” Yet over the course of time, we sanctify a period of utterances with “Father . . .” or “God . . .” or “Lord . . .” and fail to remember the person we are addressing. “Fatherwecomebeforeyounow . . .” “Godpleaseblessourfood,amen.” “Lordhelpthismeetingtoendquickly.” What is right is that He is our Father, our God, our Lord and He should be addressed as such, but what is not right is that we forget the weight of those titles. Yes, He is our Creator and there should be gratitude for life, but He has reconciled us through Christ and He is our Father—we are His children. He is our God, The Supreme focus of worship throu...

Ephesians is decorated with sparkling jewels of Christ. The first chapter alone mentions Christ directly or indirectly at least 18 times in the first 14 verses. Everything is summed in Christ and He is the object of our inheritance. My grandparents did not have much money, so they did what they could in preparing for birthdays and Christmas by visiting garage sales. I did not catch on to their pattern of shopping until I was much older, and felt rather embarrassed—yet each birthday and Christmas, they lavished gifts on us grandchildren. They did what they could within their means as an expression of love—and they prepared all year long for 15 minutes of childish delight. God’s loving gift of grace in Christ Jesus is not second-hand, and it includes a present as well as a future reality. “ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will ” (Ephesians 1:11). He gave Himself as payment in ...

When we read through Ephesians 1:3-14 we find the Apostle Paul highlighting three aspects of salvation: God’s work in the past (1:3-6); God’s work in the present (1:6-11) and God’s work in the future (1:12-14). Salvation (as we use the term) is not limited to mere hell-fire rescue. This was God’s plan since before the creation of the world that through Jesus Christ we can be free from the power of sin and enjoy a restored relationship with Him as we await the final reconciliation to Him, when we see Him face to face. The riches of God’s grace ais seen in the fact that we are made His children. Certainly we are His children by virtue of creation, but because we broke His moral law, we are separated from Him. Through the gift of His Son, we can turn from our sin and be made what we were not already—sons by adoption. Why does He do this? Because He is kind (Eph. 1:3,5). “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of...

Haldor Lillenas in 1918 penned the choral piece, “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” a song that many enjoy singing still today. The chorus is true jubilation of rolling, climbing, sparkling and decorated with lilting soprano in a descant joy, all culminating at the pinnacle, the name of Jesus. Here is an enjoyable arrangement: The grace of God in Christ Jesus is so magnificent and so glorious, but why do we have such a difficult time expressing it? The Bible says plainly that the gospel is, “ is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes ” (Romans 1:16). Those who have turned from their sins to God by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus have experienced this marvelous grace—it is truly good news—yet we can’t seem to communicate it to others. The reasons may be many, but they are not good reasons. The Christian can’t claim ignorance of the gospel—how did one come to Christ to begin with? The Christian can’t claim fear—we are to die to self and live in Christ...

I was handing out gospel tracts during a visit to the grocery store (I come close to emptying my pockets sharing the gospel this way. I primarily keep my eye out for bored people who are tagging along while someone else does the shopping—they would do nearly anything to pass the time, so gospel tracts are a great diversion). I rounded the corner and passed by a small elderly African-American woman pushing her basket. I extended a gospel tract to her, “May God bless you as you read this.” She put her hand out to take it, and asked, “What is it?” “It’s a gospel tract,” I replied, then repeated, “May God bless you as you read this.” This dear old lady snapped her hand back like I had slapped it and turned her head as if I’d suddenly gone invisible. “No! I don’t want that from you!” She quickened her pace away from me. My heart broken from her reaction, I was nearly weeping when I spoke a half-hearted “Good evening” to her. I don’t know how to wish someone’s grandmother (or great-grandmoth...

"The major preoccupation of any man's life is his daily employment. But if Jesus Christ has no part in that major occupation of your life, then he is Lord only of the margins. The spare time. The left-overs! Did you ever notice that the important figures of the Bibles are not the monks and priests? They are shepherds and fishermen and tax gatherers and soldiers and politicians and tentmakers and physicians and carpenters. These are the ones who occupty the center of the stage. You can tell good news about God's actions among men at a water cooler in an office or over a lunch bucket. you can heal a hurt in a car while you are driving home. You can teach the truth that frees and enlightens anywhere." Ray Stedman, from his sermon on Ephesians 4:11-12 , "The Contemporary Christ."

1) "Redemption Through His Blood." Listen to the message, or read the transcript and use the study guide for Ephesians 1:6-10. 2) "Divine Promises Guaranteed." Listen to the message, or read the transcript and use the study guide for Ephesians 1:11-14

Read the transcript and/or download Part 1 here and Part 2 here .

Read the transcript and/or download the message "Introduction to Ephesians" at: http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/1901

"The authority of scripture is the authority of Jesus Christ; they are indivisible. To attept to distinguish the two is like asking which blade of a pair of scissors is more important, or which leg a pair of pants is more necessary. We know Christ through the Bible, and we understand the Bible through the knowledge of Christ; the two cannot be separated. That is why Paul calls it 'the word of Christ.'" Ray Stedman, "Defense Against Defeat," Sermon on Eph 6:14-17

“It is always great to see evidence of an eagerness for growth in the Christian life. I remember asking a boy once how hold he was. Quick as a flash he said, ‘I’m twelve, going on thirteen, soon to be fourteen.’ I like that eagerness to grow up. But it is encouraging to us to realize this is a process of time and we do not need to be discouraged if we do not find we are completely like Christ yet.” (Ray Stedman, “On Growing Up.” Sermon on Ephesians 4:13-16)

"Christians must continually reduce every argument we hear today to this simple thing: Am I to accept this person's word, or the word of Christ? If this agrees with what he says, fine, it is truth. But if it does not, then I must decide whether the challenging authority is greater or less than Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are continually confronted with choices, whether we will accept the puny, flimsy, uncertain authority of a mere man, or the certain, sold and clear word of the Lord Jesus Christ." --Ray Stedman, "The Forces We Face" (Sermon on Eph 6:10)

[repost from Thursday, April 13, 2006] “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast .” This last week was very exciting in terms of evangelism. My daughter went with me to Finlay Park last Sunday and we talked to 11 people about their need for Christ. We have to remember that as we go out, we are only sowing seed. We only spoke with about 4 at USC Wednesday night and all professed Christ. I like one guy’s response—he got right to the point and proclaimed Christ’ payment for the penalty of his sin. All I could do is grin and shake his hand. It’s hard to see people’s face change when they realize their sinful state before the LORD then choose to hang on to sin and not repent. Last Sunday each couple we talked to had a very different dynamic. One girl delighted in her admitting that all the bad she had ever done was break the 9th commandment. Her delight was quickly turned to distress when she learned...

“ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you . . . (v.14-16a)” Who do you pray for? I keep asking myself this question and am stunned every time with my own answer. Try it. Ask yourself: who do you pray for? Do you pray for yourself? For others? What about God? Do you pray for God? Ephesians 3:14-21 catches Paul in the middle of a thought, having already described the unity of believers in Christ Jesus and now because of that unity Paul reveals his prayer. At first glance it seems that Paul is praying for his readers. Looking again to his prayer we hear Paul praying for God, “ that He would grant you. . . ” Paul is praying for God to act on behalf of his audience. Inter-Varsity’s Charles Troutman is noted as saying: “The criterion for our intercessory prayer is not our earnestness, nor our faithfulness, nor even our faith in God, but simply God Himself. He has taken the initiati...