Ephesians on Thought World

Quote

Author

George Bernard Shaw

Keywords

Scripture

Proverbs 23:7, Acts 3:19, Isaiah 55:7, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Colossians 3:2, Ephesians 4:23-24, Philippians 2:5

Those who can’t change their minds can’t change anything.

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Salt & Light

Author

John R. W. Stott

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:13-16, Ephesians 5:8-9, Colossians 4:6, John 8:12-20, Luke 14:34-35

Salt and light are indispensable household commodities. Several commentators quote Pliny’s dictum that nothing is more useful than ‘salt and sunshine’ (sale et sole). The need for light is obvious. Sa...

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The World, a Definition by Eugene Peterson

Author

Eugene H. Peterson

Keywords

Scripture

John 2:15-16, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:1-2, John 15:18-19, James 4:4

The world, though, is protean: each generation has the world to deal with in a new form. World is an atmosphere, a mood. It is nearly as hard for a sinner to recognize the world’s temptations as it is...

lectionary

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Hosea 11:1-11, Romans 11:null, Hosea 11:null, Psalm 49:1-12, Ephesians 3:17-19, Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, Ecclesiastes 2:18-23

Preaching Commentary Lamenting a Living Son This is God’s own lament: a brokenhearted father mourning the loss of a still-living son. Throughout the book, God has led Hosea to draw from moments of...

lectionary

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5, Revelation 21:2, 10, 22-27, Revelation 22:1-5, 1 Kings 6:20, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 2:9, Genesis 3:23-24, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:15, Genesis 3:17-19, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:23, Genesis 1:26-27, Exodus 33:20-23, John 14:9, Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3, Mark 15:34, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Exodus 28:15-21, 29-30, John 4:13-14, John 7:37-38, Matthew 27:46, John 3:2, Romans 8:29

Preaching Commentary Pulling Back the Curtain The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a “pulling back of the curtain” to reveal both the unseen realities of the present (what is really going on in the wo...

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The Truth and Love Paradox

Author

Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:15

The last time someone said to you, “I need to talk to you,” how did that strike you? Did you think, Maybe she needs to tell me how much she appreciates me. More likely you thought, I’m in trouble. Whe...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 1 Peter 3:18-22

Author

Casey Clark

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 3:18-22, 1 Peter 4:6, 1 Peter 4:12, Ephesians 3:14-19, Ephesians 3:, Psalm 25:6-7, 1 Peter 4:10-11

Lent 2024: Do This in Remembrance The Sufficiency of Jesus' Sacrifice Ancient lens What's the historical context? The times after Jesus’ ascension were both an exciting time full of ...

blog

A Christmas with Home Alone

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 15:20-21, 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 2:13-14, Matthew 5:23-24, Psalm 51:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18, Luke 19:1-10

Richness in the Slapstick I don’t know about you, but when I think of insightful, theologically rich content on Christmas , I don’t naturally start with blockbuster films. And no, I’m not referring ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 6:35, 41-51

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

John 6:35, 41-51, Isaiah 54:13-14, Exodus 16:1-36, Numbers 11:1-9, 2 Samuel 18:5-33, Psalm 130:, 1 Kings 19:4-8, Psalm 34:1-8, Ephesians 4:25-32, Ephesians 5:1-2

Ancient Lens What's the historical context? Back to the Wilderness As he has been doing, Jesus calls the people’s minds back to the wilderness during The Exodus and reminds them of the manna ...

lectionary

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

John 6:35, 41-51, Isaiah 54:13-14, Exodus 16:1-36, Numbers 11:1-9, 2 Samuel 18:5-33, Psalm 130:, 1 Kings 19:4-8, Psalm 34:1-8, Ephesians 4:25-32, Ephesians 5:1-2

Ancient Lens What's the historical context? Back to the Wilderness As he has been doing, Jesus calls the people’s minds back to the wilderness during The Exodus and reminds them of the manna ...

lectionary

Second Sunday in Lent

Author

Casey Clark

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 4:13-25, Genesis 12:1-5, Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 17:1-7, Ephesians 3:1-6, Galatians 2:1-14, Galatians 3:6-9, Romans 4:4, Galatians 3:3

Lent 2024: Do This in Remembrance Remembrance and Gratitude AIM commentary Ancient lens What's the historical context? Ancient Boundaries The world of Jesus and of the early church sa...

lectionary

First Sunday in Lent

Author

Casey Clark

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 3:18-22, 1 Peter 4:6, 1 Peter 4:12, Ephesians 3:14-19, Ephesians 3:null, Psalm 25:6-7, 1 Peter 4:10-11

Lent 2024: Do This in Remembrance The Sufficiency of Jesus' Sacrifice AIM commentary Ancient lens What's the historical context? The times after Jesus’ ascension were both an excit...

lectionary

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 2:3, Romans 5:10, Luke 5:31, Matthew 10:30, 1 Peter 5:8, Psalm 73:4-7, 13, 18-20

Preaching Commentary Preaching Angle: Wheat and Weeds Grow Even in the Church God’s good creation grows food for all living creatures. God made the Earth, God made all the plants, and God made all ...

lectionary

15th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

1 Timothy 2:1-7, Mark 15:37-38, Ephesians 4:12

Preaching Commentary Parakalō There are a lot of interesting words in this passage, including the second one. In the NIV, it says, “I urge...” In English, “urge” has some range. If I “urge you to r...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Ephesians 4:null

Different Levels of Maturity? There is an interesting dynamic I have noticed that often occurs as people begin to mature into adults. In my life it was a stage that took place following high school, ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide Ephesians 3:14-21

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:14-21, 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14:, Ephesians 2:19-22, John 6:1-21, Colossians 1:16, Luke 11:2, Psalm 95:6, Galatians 5:

Questions for Consideration What does a prayer reveal about a person? What do you most often pray for/about and what might that reveal about you? A Beautiful and Compelling Gospel Prayer The...

lectionary

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:14-21, Colossians 1:16, Luke 11:2, Psalm 95:6, Galatians 5:null, Ephesians 2:19-22

Preaching commentary Questions for Consideration What does a prayer reveal about a person? What do you most often pray for/about and what might that reveal about you? A Beautiful and Compel...

lectionary

Second Sunday after Christmas

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 1:1-14

Preaching Commentary One of the things I’ve (Stu) noticed when talking about spiritual growth with Christians of all backgrounds, is a consistent desire to “do better,” to “keep fighting the good fi...

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Communicating the Unsearchable Riches of Christ (is Difficult)

Author

A. T. Pierson

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:8-9, Romans 11:33-36, Luke 7:36-50, Colossians 1:19-20, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Luke 15:11-32, Isaiah 55:8-9

Famed pastor and educator A. T. Pierson (1837–1911) lamented his own human inadequacies in communicating to his congregation the depth and levels of the “unsearchable riches of Christ:” “Unsearchabl...

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Goodwill or God’s Will?

Author

Henri J. M. Nouwen

Keywords

God's Will

Scripture

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, Isaiah 6:8, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 2:10, Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 29:11

A lesson often learned the hard way in each of our spiritual journeys is mistaking goodwill for vocation. Sometimes we feel deeply about an experience we have, whether it be on a mission trip or even ...

liturgy

Adapted from “The Precious Blood” in The Valley of Vision

Author

Arthur Bennett

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 51:1-2, Luke 23:39-43, Luke 15:11-32, Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 5:8, Isaiah 53:5

Leader: Blessed Lord Jesus, before your cross I kneel and see the heinousness of my sin, my iniquity that caused you to be made a curse, the evil that provokes divine wrath. All: Show me the enormit...

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Two Different Ways of Looking at the Same Job

Author

Source Unknown

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:58, Matthew 5:16, Psalm 90:17, Ephesians 2:10, Proverbs 16:3

The noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, s...

Quote

Author

Thomas Merton

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:2-3, Matthew 5:9, Proverbs 15:1, 2 Timothy 2:24-25, Philippians 2:3-4, James 1:19-20, Colossians 4:6

The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of a certain type of Christian thought has seriously impaired this ca...

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The Center of the World

Author

Christianity and Social Order

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:5, Philippians 2:3-4, Galatians 2:20, Jeremiah 17:9, Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 5:12, Isaiah 53:6

Former Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple describing original sin I am the centre of the world I see; where the horizon is depends on where I stand…Education may make my self-centeredness less ...

Quote

Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 3:23-24, Mark 10:17-22, Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 64:6, Revelation 3:15-16, Matthew 7:21-23

A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world-and might be even more difficult...

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The Two Worlds of Relationships

Author

Henry Cloud

Keywords

Relationships

Scripture

Ephesians 4:15

Many of us live in two worlds when it comes to relationships. In one world we have friendly conversations in which we avoid all disagreements; in the other we have major conflict-type conversations th...

Quote

Author

Helen Keller

Keywords

Hope

Scripture

Matthew 17:20, Luke 1:37, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:13, Mark 11:24, 2 Corinthians 4:18

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.

Quote

Author

Source Unknown

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 5:11, Psalm 1:1-3, Isaiah 30:1-5, 1 Samuel 8:4-22 , Exodus 32:1-29 , John 17:14, 1 John 2:15-18, John 15:18, Romans 12:2

If the church joins the world, there is no need for the world to join the church.

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Afraid of the Dark

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Job 3:5, Ephesians 5:8, Micah 7:8, 2 Samuel 22:29, Isaiah 42:16, John 1:5, Psalm 139:11-12

The accomplished science fiction writer and futurist H.G. Wells lived through the dark days of the Blitz in London (during the Second World War). One evening, a fellow writer named Elizabeth Bowen fou...

Quote

Author

Robert Oxton Bolt

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 22:37, Ephesians 4:23-24, Isaiah 26:3, Hebrews 11:1, Colossians 3:2, Philippians 2:5

A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind.

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