Ephesians on Churches

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Author

William G. Spencer

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Scripture

Leviticus 19:18, Micah 6:8, Hosea 14:2-4, Ephesians 4:32, Psalm 130:3-4

The Church should be the society of the forgiven and the forgiving.

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Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Ephesians 3:16-17, Micah 6:8, James 1:27, Matthew 25:40, Psalm 23:1-3, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit: we hear your Word and sing your praises. We meet at the Table and partake of your Sacrament–the gospel made visible. You call us to yourself, and you send us out ...

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Blessing Ministry Event or Initiative

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Matthew 25:35-40, John 6:1-14, Zechariah 4:6, Judges 6:11-16, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Acts 4:32-35, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Proverbs 16:3, Nehemiah 2:17-20, Philippians 4:19, Acts 18:1-4, Ephesians 2:14, John 4:4-26

This blessing includes prayers for the initiative/event itself, the volunteers for the event, the leaders organizing the event, the resources to be distributed at the event, and any community partners...

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Prayers of the People on Mother's Day

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 2:19-22, John 15:1-17, Psalm 139:1-4

Pastor: In peace, let us pray to the Lord: People: Lord, have mercy. Pastor: For the holy Christian Church, here and scattered throughout the world, and for the proclamation of the Gospel and the...

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Lord, Teacher, Savior, Friend: We need

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 28:19-20, James 5:15, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Micah 6:8, Mark 2:1-12, Ephesians 1:7

Lord, Teacher, Savior, Friend: We need Your grace, which forgives our sins; Your truth, which anchors our lives; Your presence, which calms our fears; Your call, which gives us purpose; Your hope, whi...

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Proclaiming Gospel, Bringing True Peace

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 6:1-4, Psalm 133:, Romans 12:16-18

Pastor: Compassionate Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give You thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families fait...

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God of grace, love, and hope: Your

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Micah 6:8, Philippians 1:6, Luke 15:11-32

God of grace, love, and hope: Your grace comes when we least expect and don’t deserve it. Your love comes when we can’t comprehend why but we need it the most. Your hope comes at just the right time t...

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Author

Shannon K. Evans

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 12:2-3, Isaiah 49:6 , Micah 6:8, Psalm 133:1, John 17:20-21 , Ephesians 2:14-16

We know the Incarnation mysteriously unites all of humankind to God and one another, but so often the lines of Christianity feel like they do nothing but divide us.

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Father God–You are a God of grace and

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Ephesians 4:2-3, Micah 6:8, John 16:33, Psalm 147:3, Romans 15:13, Jeremiah 17:14

Father God–You are a God of grace and abundance, who blesses us with more than a shower of blessings but a downpour of mercies. We rejoice with friends in new marriages, and in the strength of lasting...

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Living Fully in God’s Call

Author

Tom Nelson

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 12:1-4 , Exodus 3:1-12, Micah 6:8, Matthew 4:18-22 , Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 90:12 , Matthew 9:9

It is helpful to understand the call of God in three distinct ways. First, there is the call to be a Christian. The God of creation invites us to respond to his love. This call comes through Jesus, wh...

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Author

Miroslav Volf

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 7:21, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 1:16, Matthew 25:40, Romans 12:21, Isaiah 1:17, Micah 6:8

There is something profoundly hypocritical about praising God for God’s mighty deeds of salvation and cooperating at the same time with the demons of destruction, whether by neglecting to do good or b...

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LORD, too often we live for ourselves

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 2:13, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:22-24, Isaiah 55:7, Psalm 51:10-12, Matthew 6:33, Romans 12:2

LORD, too often we live for ourselves instead of how You have called us. Please forgive us for the times when we don’t strive to bring about Your kingdom here and now. Forgive us for the lack of imagi...

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Author

Randy Alcorn

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 2:11-14, Jonah 3:4, Proverbs 3:3-4, Colossians 4:6, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:15, John 1:14

Truth-oriented Christians love studying Scripture and theology. But sometimes they’re quick to judge and slow to forgive. They’re strong on truth, weak on grace. Grace-oriented Christians love forgive...

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MLK Day Prayers for Church Services: Liturgy & Sermon Resources

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Amos 5:24, Isaiah 1:17, Galatians 3:28, James 2:1, Ephesians 2:14

Updated for 2026. January 19, 2026 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day— the only U.S. national holiday commemorating a pastor. Under his leadership, non-violent civil rights advocacy achieved leaps f...

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Following God's Call with Grace

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 4:18-20, Luke 10:25-37 , John 21:15-19 , Micah 6:8, 1 John 4:7-8 , Isaiah 6:8, Ephesians 4:31-32

Gracious God, we desire to follow when you call. We long to live according to the ways of Jesus, yet we find ourselves stumbling. Forgive us for the times we have ignored your call to follow you in th...

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Author

Jen Hatmaker

Keywords

Achievement

Scripture

Luke 18:10-14, Matthew 6:1, Ephesians 2:8-9, James 4:10, Galatians 6:4, Micah 6:8, Romans 12:3

In the Christian subculture, there is an unspoken standard, a notorious goal to “win the contest.” It’s there, the contest. We don’t say it out loud, because it sounds ludicrous spoken into the open a...

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Loving God, you show us grace and

Author

Chip Hardwick

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Hebrews 12:28, Ephesians 2:4-5, Colossians 3:13, Lamentations 3:22-23, Luke 15:11-32, Jonah 3:1-10

Loving God, you show us grace and mercy, again and again and again. You shower gifts on us that we could never earn, and you are slow to punish us when we most deserve it. All too often, we forget to ...

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Healing Wounds with God's Grace

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Scripture

Proverbs 15:1, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:29-32, Romans 12:10-13, Psalm 34:14

Gracious God, how often we have withheld a word of kindness, of truth and of love. We have lifted our voices in quick criticism rather than gracious encouragement. Through our actions and inactions we...

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Author

John Calvin

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 66:2, Colossians 3:12, James 4:10, Proverbs 22:4, Ephesians 4:2, Micah 6:8

If you ask me what is the first precept of the Christian religion, I will answer first, second and third, Humility.

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Works Versus Gratitude

Author

Casey Clark

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 19:4-6 , Micah 6:6-8, Romans 4:1-5, Ephesians 2:8-10, Psalm 116:12-14

Since our savior is also our Lord, we are called to follow his ways. And whenever discussions arise about what those ways look like in a church, confusion is bound to follow regarding grace and works....

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The Victory of God

Author

Walter Brueggemann

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 3:9, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12-14, Luke 6:36, Romans 12:21, Matthew 5:7, Micah 6:8

The victory of God in our time over this deathly idolatry is hidden from us, as God’s decisive victory is always hidden from us. We do not know exactly when and where the victory has been wrought. It ...

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Rightly Tuning Grace and Truth

Author

Randy Alcorn

Keywords

Scripture

2 Samuel 12:1-13, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:15, Psalm 85:10, John 8:1-11, John 4:1-26

When a musical instrument’s strings go loose, it sounds awful. But you can also overtighten the strings, breaking them or creating discord. There’s a perfect tension to grace and truth, which makes th...

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Author

John Stott

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 6:14-15, James 2:13, Micah 6:8, Luke 6:36-37, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12-13

If I withhold mercy, I have lost touch with the gospel. I have lost touch with God’s undeserved kindness and pardon.

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Merciful God, you pardon all who truly

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Psalm 51:null, Psalm 103:12, Ephesians 4:22-24, Matthew 6:33, Joel 2:13

Merciful God, you pardon all who truly repent and turn to you. We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy. We have not loved you with a pure heart, nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We h...

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One Problem with Modern Life (Especially Social Media)

Author

Martin E. Marty

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8 , 1 Kings 18:17–39, Proverbs 15:1, 2 Timothy 2:24–25, Ephesians 4:15 , Psalm 85:10

One of the real problems in modern life is that people who are good at being civil lack strong convictions and people who have strong convictions lack civility.

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Author

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:2, 1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:10, Colossians 3:12, John 13:14-15

[Humility is] to become like Jesus in his willingness to choose the hidden way of love rather than the way of power.

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Gracious God, you have given us great

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:7, Luke 5:36, Ephesians 4:32, James 2:13, Colossians 3:12-13, Micah 6:8, Lamentations 3:22-23

Gracious God, you have given us great mercy through Jesus, yet we have withheld mercy from others. Our hearts have been hardened by the world and our sin. Would you soften our hearts? And give us a de...

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Author

Edmund Burke

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:2, Matthew 23:12, Colossians 3:12, Micah 6:8, Proverbs 22:4, 1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6

True humility—the basis of the Christian system—is the low but deep and firm foundation of all virtues.

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A Jagged Symbol of Equality & Inequality

Author

Tony Evans

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 59:1-3, Micah 6:6-8 , Ephesians 2:13-18 , Galatians 3:26-28, Romans 12:4-5 , Psalm 85:10

My friend Ray McMillan introduced me to the Liberty Bell as a perfect object lesson for America’s racial divide. In addressing why “the bell won’t ring,” Ray describes the crack as a perfect illustrat...

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Humility Despised in Paul’s Day

Author

Jerry Bridges

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 57:15, Mark 10:43-45, James 4:6, Ephesians 4:2, Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:12

In the Greco-Roman world of Paul’s day, humility was a despised trait. They viewed it as a sign of weakness. And our culture today is no different from that world of two thousand years ago. Maybe it’s...

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