Ephesians 3:14-21

Dear TVCC Students,
The fall school year is certainly upon us and it seems like so many of us are scrambling to get into our routine and get settled into this new season. With all of the craziness that comes with figuring out a new school year, it is always so wonderful to worship with you guys on Wednesday. We have not started our new book series yet but are just pausing to meditate on some truths from God's Word about us and our relationship to Him. Last night Sonny taught on Ephesians 3:14-21 about Paul's hope for the believers in Ephesus and how that applies to us. Here is a recap...

Ephesians 3:14-21

~3:14-15: Paul starts off this little section by again giving glory and preference to the Father. He understood and wanted the Ephesian church to understand that He was asking God for things on their behalf. Paul was continually submitting his life to the Lord, whatever the cost may be. He is the One that sustains every breath we take and as believers we do well to follow in Paul's footsteps and continually praise Him through lives of devotion.

Q: In what ways has your life shown that either you do or do not recognize the Lord's authority in your life?

~3:16: Paul prays and asks that the Lord would grant them spiritual strength. Paul is teaching here a very powerful truth: the Lord grants us spiritual strength and knowledge of His power. Romans 9:16 and many others teach us that God is not only the Author but He is the Perfecter of our faith. He saved us and He sanctifies us. Paul also prays that they would be strengthened with power. This word power is the same Greek word that we get the word dynamite from. Just as dynamite can completely destroy things, so too the Spirit (through Christ) is the power that overcomes and changes the darkness and sin within us. We do not have the ability to change ourselves permanently by our own power.

Q: Are you coming to the Spirit consistently to be continually molded into Christ's image or are you relying on yourself to change your "ungodly" behaviors?

~3:1-17-18: Paul reminds the believers that being strengthened by the Spirit has a purpose... that Christ would dwell in our hearts. This is the goal- not that we would be morally acceptable to the world around us- but that Christ may dwell within our hearts. Dwelling is different than just visiting. Christ wants to "dwell" or make His home in our hearts and "loves." God is the giver of every good thing and His hope is that we would recognize that and walk in thankfulness and awe of His sweet mercies as we see His grace in the things that we love.

Q: Is Christ residing with you? Do you see the great things in your life and worship Him for those things?

~3:19: Paul hopes that they would know the love of Christ that surpasses understanding. The word used for know here is one that involves not just "head knowledge" but "experiential knowledge." He is hoping for the Ephesian believers that they would not just have head knowledge about the love of Christ but experiential knowledge. The more we press into Him through the power of the Spirit and let Him dwell within us, the more we will have experiential knowledge of Christ's love which surpasses understanding.

Q: Do you have experiential knowledge of the love of Christ or just head knowledge? Explain...

~3:19: Paul also prays that they would be filled up with the fullness of God. Colossians 3:12-17 expands on this truth. Paul's hope for believers is that the Word of Christ would so saturate us and our lives that Jesus overflows from us into the lives of others.

Q: Are you saturated in the Word of Christ or in something else? What from you "overflows" into the lives of others?

~3:20-21: All of this is to praise His goodness and for His glory. It brings the Lord much glory when our lives are transformed by the power of His Spirit.

Dear students,
We pray that this week you will spend time letting the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts. Meditate on His Word and ask the Lord to continually be changing your through the power of the Spirit. We are praying for you this week. We love you and are so thankful to worship with you.

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Galatians 1:1-5

TVCC Students,
As always, we love getting to worship with you. It was such a blessing to us to have Tristan come and lead us in worship. Since we are still wrapping up the summer craziness, we have not yet started the book that we will be going through in the fall. Sonny taught us this week from the book of Galatians, reminding us of our high calling given to us through Jesus. Here is a recap...

Galatians 1:1-5

~1:1: Paul was called an apostle. An apostle is one sent on a mission. Paul was on a mission to declare to the world the grace and peace offered through Jesus Christ. Our mission is the same... as seen in Matthew 28:19- we are called to make disciples in His name through His power (as He is with us till the end of the age).

~1:1:Paul also states that he is an apostle through Jesus Christ and God who raised Him. His apostleship was not of himself but he was sent by the Creator of the universe who raised Christ and set us free. Knowing who sent Paul (and who sends us) gives power and authority to his message (and our message). We all must remember who is sending us on this great commission and ultimately who gives us the power/strength to declare this message.

Q: Do you realize the great mission that you have been called to as a believer in Jesus Christ? This life is not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are called to be his "apostles" in the sense that we are on a mission to declare to the world the grace and peace offered through the blood of Jesus.

Q: In what ways do you feel the Spirit calling you to readjust the course of your life, either on a large scale or small one, that you might be a more productive ambassador for Him?

~1:3: Paul asks that grace and peace be theirs through Jesus Christ. What a different message we have in Christ than Israel did before Christ had come. When we look back at the book of Jeremiah, we can clearly see that we are just as guilty as they were of doing the following things that led to God's fierce anger...

-Jeremiah 1:13:
1. The Israelites had forsaken the Lord. We have forsaken the Lord.
2. The Israelites offered sacrifices to other gods. We have offered sacrifices to other gods.
3. The Israelites worshipped the work of their own hands. We have worshipped the work of our own hands.

-In the book of Jeremiah the outcome of this horrible rebellion against the Lord was His judgement. Though we are just like Israel in our rebellion of the Lord, there is a huge difference. We are now offered GRACE and PEACE but not just because God just decided to offer us this. Our sin deserved punishment just like Israel's. Christ took our punishment. Isaiah 53 goes through this in detail. Our punishment fell on Him. Through Him we are offered GRACE and PEACE!

Q: Do you realize the grace and peace that you have been offered in Christ Jesus? Do you realize the wrath that you deserve for you sins and that Christ took that wrath so that you could be offered grace and peace?

~1:4-5: Jesus paid for our forgiveness with His life. He rescued us from this present evil age. This world will be done away with (2 Peter) and then real life will begin for believers as we are reunited with the Lord! To God be the glory for this great truth!

Dear students,
We pray that this week you will remember the grace and peace that is yours through Jesus Christ. Let this grace and peace spur you on to love and good deeds. We pray that you will spend time meditating on the Word of God and that you will let Him continually speak to you through the Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. We love you all and are so thankful to get to worship with you every week.

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Titus 2:11-14: The Gospel...

TVCC Students,
It was such a blessing to get to worship and study God's Word with you tonight. We got to take an in-depth look at Titus 2:11-14 and unveil how much the Gospel actually does. It was encouraging to be reminded that the Gospel's work does not just end with our salvation but is the continuing force that is chiseling us into the image that the Lord desires so that we might bring Him glory. Here is a recap...

Titus 2:11-14
~Titus 2:11: The grace of God brings salvation. What is this grace of God? Titus 3:4-5 reminds us that the kindness of God (grace) is the fact that Jesus came to bring us salvation- The Gospel given to us is the grace of God- Jesus came and died for us, not because of our good works but because of His great mercy. Jesus is everything. Jesus is the Grace of God. Jesus is the Kindness of God. Jesus is our freedom. Jesus is salvation.

Q: Do you live your life in such a way that you are declaring to the world that Jesus is everything? When people look at your life, what/who would they say that you live for?

~Titus 2:12: The Gospel instructs us. This word for "instructs" is the same word often used for being in training or something/someone being "shaped" for something else. Just as an ice sculptor takes a block of unshaped ice and makes something beautiful out of it, so too Jesus wants to take us and shape and chisel us into someone who reflects His glory. The gospel is what does this. Remembering that we are loved and that Christ died on our behalf while we were yet in our sins... this is the power that can take us from being hard blocks of ice and making us beautiful works of the Lord.

Q: How have you seen the Lord shaping you lately? Remember that those that the Lord loves He shapes and disciplines (Hebrews 12). If you are not being changed by His gospel continually, we encourage you to check your faith to see if it is genuine or see if there is any sin that is keeping you from being sanctified by Him. He longs for you to believe His gospel and return to Him. Also remember that sometimes this process is not easy but it is what's best for us. The Lord is the Master Artist and He knows exactly what chiseling needs to be done so that we can display His glory.

~Titus 2:12-13: The Gospel also teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldliness and live sensibly in this present age. The word "deny" used here is the same word that was used to describe the denial of Jesus by the Jews- the denial that had Him murdered to the cross. The Gospel calls us to deny with the utmost intensity things that are contrary to the nature of God. After denying these things, we are called to live sensibly. We know how to live sensibly by living under the truth of God's Word remembering that Jesus is coming again soon to take us to our real home for eternity with Him. Nothing else will lead us to living sensibly though the world will promise daily that it's ways are right.

Q: Are you letting the Gospel lead you to denial of ungodliness or are you living the way the world tells you to live? Are you letting God's Word shape your life and your thoughts? Are you living sensibly- keeping your focus on eternal things and not living for the pleasures of this world? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make so that the Gospel can be shaping you more on a daily basis?

~Titus 2:14: Christ redeemed us from the penalty of our sins through His death on the Cross. This was just the beginning. He not only redeems (salvation) but is continuing to purify us during our time on earth (sanctification) that we might be more like Him. We need to be reminding each other often that the Gospel did not stop its work on us when we believed but that it is daily working on us.

Q: In what ways are you letting the Gospel change you daily?

~Titus 2:14: He redeemed us for Himself for a purpose- that we might live in such a way that He is glorified. We were saved for a purpose. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we were created to do good works for His glory. Our lives tell others who He is- that He is the Great Savior who redeemed His children. Even when we struggle and fail, He is continually calling us to return to the Gospel, believe what He has done on our behalf and live lives of thankfulness to His sweet mercies that are poured out on us everyday.

Dear students,
We pray that you will continually mediate on the fact that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He knows that we fail continually and stands daily ready to forgive and shape us into His image. We pray that you will let His Word shape and encourage you this week and that you will have sweet times of fellowship with Him and with the body of Christ. We love you and are praying for you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

Augustine of Hippo stated this truth...

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

Ephesians 1:15-23: Praying for One Another

TVCC Students,

Wow! Summer is coming quickly to an end. As you may know, we have spent the month of July going through different passages on prayer and then praying as a group on Wednesday nights for the both the students and the student ministry of TVCC as we prepare to start the 2013-2014 school year. It has been encouraging to hear your prayers for one another and to see your hearts set on bringing glory to Jesus through your lives. Sonny taught this week from Ephesians 1:15-23 in hopes of encouraging us in remembering the purpose and goal of corporate prayer. Here is a recap...

~Ephesians 1:15-16: Paul prays often for his friends. This might sound small but it isn't. It is so easy in our world to get so busy that we forget to stop, be still, and pray! If we really love our friends and family, we will make it a priority to be daily lifting them up in prayer. Remember that love is an action not a feeling!

Q: Do you spend time daily praying for your family and friends? If not, we encourage you to try to spend at least ten minutes a day in prayer for those that Lord brings to your mind to pray for. It will be so refreshing to your spirit, your walk with the Lord, and your friendships.

~Ephesians 1:17: Paul realizes that it is the Lord that gives wisdom and revelation. We have nothing that we did not receive from the Lord and it will be a great benefit to pray continually that the Lord will give us more wisdom to honor His name.

~Ephesians 1:18-21: Paul prays for 3 things for the body of Christ that they would know the...

1. Hope of His calling (vs 18). Paul is praying that they would remember that it is God who called them and He is the One that sustains them. He is encouraging them to hold to their security in Christ and not fall back into a works-based faith. (Romans 11:29; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:3)

Q: Are you resting in the peace that God is the One who has called you and He is the One that sustains your faith? We pray that you will meditate on that truth and let it bring comfort to you this week.

2. Riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints (vs 18). Romans 8 gives a great picture of this. Those who are led by the Spirit of God (through Jesus) are sons of God and are eternally secure in that position. What a great honor! Paul is praying that they would remember their sonship in Christ- that they are co-heirs with Christ and have an eternal inheritance that is secure and wonderful beyond comprehension (1 Peter 1). When we remember our inheritance in Christ, it will encourage us to behave in a way that brings Him honor and glory. Knowing your position in the family of God will help you live differently than the world.

Q: Have you been living your life remembering that you are a child of the King of Creation through faith in Jesus Christ? If you were to live your life in this way, what are some changes that you think might take place in your daily life?

3. Surpassing greatness of His power toward those who believe (vs 19-21). Paul is again reminding them that as God has chosen them, He has the power (this word for power is the same word that we get our English word: dynamite) to protect our salvation. Though life may throw us many "curve balls" and we will often have seasons that are difficult to bare, we can rest assured that our ETERNAL home is being preserved by the Creator of the world whose power is incomprehensible. Knowing this truth helps us to persevere through trials. Romans 8:31-37 brings even more light on this subject. If the Lord is for us, who can really be against us!? Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. His power is our security and our peace.

Q: Does the power of God to secure your salvation bring you peace and lead you to living a life of thankfulness to Him? When people see you, do they see someone whose heart is devoted to living a life of thankfulness to Christ?

Dear students,

We love you all very much and are praying Ephesians 1:15-23 for you this week. We pray also that you will reach out to others and love as you have been loved by the Lord. Remember that everyday your are given opportunities within your families, schools, and extra- curricular activities to show others the glory of Christ by the way that you serve and love others. We encourage you to spend time daily in undistracted prayer this week by yourself and with the body of Christ. Again, we love you and are praying for a great year! 

With hope,

~Sonny and Casi