Philippians 1:27-2:18 WWJD bracelets were a passing fad in America. The heart behind the movement was to get people to consider in each situation in life how Jesus would respond, and by extension, what we should do as well. Though the bracelet may have been a passing cultural phenomenon, the wisdom of asking how Jesus would act in any given situation and how we can act like him should always be on...

Philippians 1:1-26 One question that may arise while reading Philippians is, "What is the source of joy, especially when facing difficult circumstances as those Paul experienced?" Paul found joy in a multitude of places. He found joy when people placed their faith in Christ and used their lives to serve him. He rejoiced in the fact that God will be faithful to finish the work he has begun in each ...

Ephesians 6:1-24 At Sunday schools around the world, kids learn about the armor of God. They put on plastic Roman armor and learn about the necessity of fighting a spiritual battle. This teaching is critical for kids and for adults as well. Are you aware of the war you are wrestling? We have a ruthless enemy, Satan, and rulers, powers, and spiritual forces, who are seeking to devour and destroy us...

Ephesians 5:1-33 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This modern proverb speaks to the fact that we imitate and follow what we value and appreciate. Therefore, it is important for us to consider what we are imitating.Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that we are to imitate God above all else. His character is to become our character, and his life is to be reflected in ours. The two clearest wa...

Ephesians 4:17-32 Every morning we wake up, we take off our pajamas and put on clothes that are appropriate for the day’s activities. In the same way when we come to faith in Christ, we are to discard our old clothes and put on a new outfit which is in line with our new identity. So, the question we want to explore today is how well our wardrobe matches our identity in Christ.Outside of Christ, Pa...

Ephesians 4:1-16 Would you listen to the advice of someone who is in prison? Do you think that the incarcerated have something to offer you? We typically judge people by the outcome of their lives and then consider whether we should imitate them. Yet Paul is writing Ephesians from a prison cell and calling us to live in a way that reflects his life. He calls all believers to “live a life worthy of...

Ephesians 3:1-21 Are you into mysteries? Do you like a good whodunit where the culprit is only revealed at the end? Do you enjoy being held in suspense wondering what is going to happen? Paul reveals in Ephesians 3 that through Christ a great mystery has been revealed.Paul proclaims the mystery to be the unification of all ethnicities under Christ. There is no division between Jews and Gentiles; r...

Ephesians 2:1-22 Everyone loves a good transformation story. The nerdy girl who becomes prom queen, the pauper who becomes a prince, and the underdog who becomes champions. All of these are ultimately a shadow of the greatest transformation story of our time, the story of us.Ephesians 2 describes the radical story of how God has transformed us. Before faith in Christ, we were dead in our transgres...

Ephesians 1:1-23 What is the most memorable Christmas gift you received as a child? Was it a doll, a car, a piece of technology, or maybe a trip? For most of us it was probably something we had wished and waited for that we finally received. Paul wants us to understand at the start of Ephesians that the greatest gifts we will ever receive have come from God.Ephesians 1 is a staggering list of how ...

Galatians 6:1-18 We are to run from sin but what about people in our lives who are caught up in sin? Paul’s answer is clearly no! Instead, we are to “restore [them] gently.”Restoration is hard work. Whether it is restoring a car, a kitchen, or a priceless work of art is painful, tedious work. But it is worth it! The same is true with people, who having been made in the image of God, are worth more...

Galatians 5:13-26 “Are you going to make it?” In a stupid, rash decision my spouse and I decided to run up a down escalator in a local store. We both started out on a run, but midway we slowed to a walk, and a few steps from the top we were panting and straining to make that next step before the escalator reversed our progress. Oh, to be young again!Paul spends much of Galatians describing the Chr...

Galatians 5:1-12 The Christian life is often compared to a race. The longest race I have ever run is 4 miles and it was exhausting. Yet even a marathon is nothing next to the lifelong journey of following Christ. There are daily distractions, obstacles, and temptations that creep in to slow us down. So, the question we want to consider today is how are we running?The keys to running well according...

Galatians 3:23-4:31 Everyone loves a good transformation story. The underdog becoming a champion, an outcast becoming the prom king, or the poor person becoming wealthy all make for powerful tales. Yet this transformation story is not only found in movies or books, but is true of us as well. It is the powerful message of Galatians 4. The truth that we have been transformed.Our autobiography is we ...

Galatians 3:10-22 How many times have you been promised something that you never received? When was the last time you made a promise and did not follow through on it? Sometimes these unfulfilled promises may cause us to doubt the promises of God, but thankfully, he is always faithful to follow through on what he has said.As we consider the promises of God, he will be faithful to all of them but so...

Galatians 2:17-3:9 Are you doing your best? Do you feel like your best is good enough? I tell my kids all the time that all I want them to do at school and in life is to do their best. I think this is decent parenting advice; the problem is that this wisdom does not work when it comes to salvation. If we think our best is going to gain us eternal life, we are clearly wrong because that is exactly ...

Galatians 2:1-16 As we read through Galatians, Paul builds our understanding of the gospel. He wanted the church to understand that grace is central to the gospel. The gospel and our salvation are not acquired by our capabilities but given by grace through the gracious work of Jesus. So, why is it we struggle with the concept of grace so much?Paul begins Galatians by narrating his autobiography an...

Galatians 1:1-24 If we do not understand the gospel accurately, then we cannot get anything else right. If we misunderstand it or stray away from it, then we fail to have a solid foundation for our lives. Paul writes to the Galatians to ensure they are living rooted in and built upon the gospel. The simple gospel is the truth that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and by pl...

2 Corinthians 13:1-14 How do you feel about going to the doctor? Do you approach your appointments with great trepidation about what they might find? How would you feel about undergoing a spiritual examination? Would that make you nervous? Well, that is exactly what Paul asks us to do. Paul ended his letter by asking the church to examine themselves. He was writing to a diverse audience and wants ...

2 Corinthians 12:11-21 Impressive people called “super-apostles” had invaded the church in Corinth. These people probably looked great, were well-spoken, and had an aura of leadership that surrounded them. The problem is their hearts were far from God. They looked like Saul, the first king of Israel, who was a head taller than everyone else, and thus impressive on the outside, the problem was thei...

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Why does God allow hard things into our lives? On 9/11 it is hard not to reflect on the terrorist attack that happened so many years ago and the senseless loss of lives. We may struggle to make sense of situations like this and wonder why God did not intervene. I imagine Paul probably wrestled with this very same question.God allowed Paul to experience unparalleled things lik...