5 Reasons to Preach on Ephesians This Summer

Let's Explore Ephesians!

This summer, we’re inviting you—and your congregation—to join us in a journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

As your congregation's minds turn toward rest, restoration, and renewal over the summer, help them reflect on who they are in Jesus and what they are being called to by exploring one of Paul's richest letters.

What better thing for your congregation to be reflecting on as they step out of their work life than their identity as adopted children of God who are called to join God in his huge, cosmic mission of grace through Christ?

So, here's the pitch for preaching through Ephesians this summer. At the end of this post, we'll explain how our 8-week summer series can save you time and stress as you do it!

Ok, here are 5 reasons to preach through Ephesians this summer!

1. Ephesians Reminds Us Who We Are

Our world is constantly trying to redefine us. Are we what we do? Are we who we vote for? Are we what we can buy? And that's just the beginning of the identities the world wants us to have. And it's not for our own good—for the most part they want to get something out of us. The world tells our congregations (and pastors!) that they're not going to experience the good life unless they become something else... you might even say they're trying to get us to "be conformed to this world."

Contrast all that with the opening of Ephesians. Paul boldly proclaims: You are chosen, adopted, redeemed, and sealed in Christ (Eph. 1:3–14). 

What would it look like for your congregation to fully grasp the reality that they are first and foremost God’s beloved children? That, as adopted members of God's family and redeemed from their sins, they are in line for a glorious inheritance?

Imagine what might happen if your congregation soaked in this reality over the course of a summer.

Preaching through Ephesians gives you the opportunity to reintroduce your church—not just to doctrines—but to their truest identity.

2. Ephesians Reminds us that we are a People “on Mission”

Christians too often forget that we are not just saved, but that we are saved for something. God has work for us to do. The good news needs to get out. After all, God is a missionary God, who calls us to proclaim Christ's death and resurrection to a broken and fallen world.

Paul knew this very well, writing to the Ephesians as a well-travelled missionary to Jews and Gentiles across the Mediterranean.

Preaching through Ephesians allows your congregation to see the theological riches in light of the Great Commission—through the lens of a God who wants the hurting world to know the rescue he offers.

Our series author, Bradley Long, is a missionary himself, and he explores how the letter is a “missionary document” to a church Paul has invested in deeply. This series provides opportunities to re-connect with our missionary DNA as the body of Christ.

3. It Casts a Vision for the Church

Ephesians doesn’t just offer individual encouragement; it offers a robust theology of the Church.

In our world that constantly tells us to focus on ourselves, Ephesians reminds us that we are one part of a larger body, a body which cannot function without each other. Paul encourages the people of God to pursue unity  (Eph. 2:14–18) as the reconciled community of which God is the head.

In increasingly post-Christian societies, it helps to go back and explore Paul's vision for the church. Who are we? What are we doing here? What are we doing for each other and for the people outside our walls?

Whether your congregation is navigating division, burnout, or apathy, Ephesians invites us to experience God’s heart for the church and for us.

4. Unity in Christ Is a Timely Message

We live in a time of extreme division and polarities where disagreement often leads to condemnation and alienation. The fault lines of our fracturing nations and communities run right into our congregations. How do we not break into pieces, too? How do we offer unity and reconciliation against the divisiveness of our moment?

Paul is a uniter of broken congregations. He was constantly holding together people who were initially separated by race, class, and creed. Ephesians has a lot to say to us now, reminding us that "the dividing wall of hostility" has been broken down in Christ (Eph. 2:14). 

Preaching through Ephesians offers the opportunity to help your congregation take a step back from the political and culture wars to take stock of who we really are and what really matters.

5. It’s Theologically Rich and Practically Grounded

From the soaring heights of Paul’s doxology in chapter 1 to the down-to-earth relationships of chapters 5 and 6, Ephesians masterfully balances theology and practice.

Paul never does theology just for theology's sake. It's always for the sake of getting something done. Ephesians is no different.

The theological feast that is Ephesians allows you to connect with the head-first Christians in your congregation, while tying it to the life-changing teachings. The practical side will appeal to the heart-and-hands Christians in your congregation, while offering them theological riches that help them act wisely and with the Spirit's direction.

Bottom line: Ephesians challenges the mind and stirs the heart. It’s deep enough for seasoned believers, and clear enough for newcomers.

Our sermon series tries to help you build sermons and services that make the most of what this letter has to offer.