103 Ephesians: Necessary Armor, pt. 2
103 Ephesians: Necessary Armor, pt. 2

In the last episode, we looked at the first three pieces of armor. Today we look at the last three.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, spiritual warfare, Satan, demons, spiritual authority, spiritual weapons, prayer, armor of God, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, peace, truth, righteousness, shield of faith, shield, faith, helmet of salvation, helmet, salvation, glorification, hope of heaven, sword of the Spirit, The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God, logos, rhemaComment
102 Ephesians: Necessary Armor, pt. 1
102 Ephesians: Necessary Armor, pt. 1

We are in a very real battle. But that fight is not with a flesh and blood enemy, but with spiritual powers and principalities. In light of that unique conflict, Paul counsels us to put on the full armor of God that we might engage in battle effectively.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, spiritual warfare, Satan, demons, spiritual authority, spiritual weapons, prayer, armor of God, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, peace, truth, righteousnessComment
100 Ephesians: Working Relationships
100 Ephesians: Working Relationships

For many, this is a tough passage because Paul is discussing a topic that, understandably, hits a raw nerve: slavery. Some might even go so far as to dismiss these verses as being short-sighted if not bigoted. But to draw that conclusion would be to make a mistake and to miss the apostle’s point.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, wisdom, masters, slaves, slavery, work relationships, relationships at work, bosses and employees, respect, honor, sincerityComment
097 Ephesians: The New You
097 Ephesians: The New You

A great rallying cry for this section of Scriptures would be, “Off with the old! On with the new!” Off with the old clothes of godless living and on with the new wardrobe befitting our new identity in Christ.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, new wardrobe, put off old self, change behavior, put off the old, put on the new, Christlike character, your speech, lying, truthfulness, tell the truth, unwholesome talk, slander, falsehood, your temper, temper, anger, rage, ethics, kindness, compassionate, forgive, forgive othersComment
096 Ephesians: A Change of Wardrobe
096 Ephesians: A Change of Wardrobe

Those who are in Christ have been given a new identity and we are called to live in light of that identity. Like a change of wardrobe, we are to “put off our old self,” stripping off certain behaviors and attitudes as a set of filthy, smelly clothes.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, new wardrobe, put off old self, change behavior, put off the old, put on the new, Christlike characterComment
095 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 3
095 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 3

Each of us in the Body of Christ have been given a role to play so that together we can build up the Church, making it strong and mature. Those roles are: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, fivefold gifting, fivefold ministry, fivefold gifts, APEST, apostle, roles in the church, fivefold roles, roles, spiritual gifts, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher, equipping the saints, character and competency, character, competency, skill, base and phaseComment
094 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 2
094 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 2

In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul lists five unique roles God has given each one of us in the Body of Christ. These spiritual roles are the unique callings distributed to believers that enable them to fulfill strategic functions for the church.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, fivefold gifting, fivefold ministry, fivefold gifts, APEST, apostle, roles in the church, fivefold roles, roles, spiritual gifts, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher, equipping the saintsComment
093 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 1
093 Ephesians: Finding Your Place, Pt. 1

In 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, we find lists of “spiritual gifts.” Spiritual gifts are special abilities distributed to believers that enable them to perform special actions in the church. In Ephesians 4, however, we find, not a further listing of spiritual gifts., but rather a listing of spiritual roles.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, fivefold gifting, fivefold ministry, fivefold gifts, APEST, apostle, roles in the church, fivefold roles, roles, spiritual gifts, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher, equipping the saintsComment
092 Ephesians: A Worthy Walk
092 Ephesians: A Worthy Walk

When a person joins an organization, he obligates himself to live and act according to the standards of the group. The same thing should be true of believers. If you are part of the family of God, there’s an expectation that you will be loyal to your brothers and sisters and represent your Savior well.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, walk worthy, character, character development, maturity, growth, patience, be patient, humility, humble, gentle, gentleness, forbearance, forgivenessComment
091 Ephesians: Realized Potential
091 Ephesians: Realized Potential

Has anyone ever told you that you have unrealized potential? Maybe it was in athletics or academics, or the arts. But for those in the family of God, you have the potential to make an impact for the Kingdom. Indeed, YOU can be a world-changer.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, God's love, potential, unrealized potential, Kingdom potential, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit power, rooted in Christ, God's fullness, the fullness of God, the love of God, God is able to do immeasurably more
090 Ephesians: Dead or Alive?
090 Ephesians: Dead or Alive?

As we continue our series from the book of Ephesians, we come to some of the most miraculous, hope-filled, life-changing verses in the whole epistle. These words are like a spiritual before and after picture.

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, salvation, salvation through faith, salvation by grace only, God's love, Christ died for us, spiritually dead, spiritually alive, salvation by grace through faith, Jesus died for us, seated in heaven, spiritual authority, authority in Christ
089 Ephesians: Praying Below the Surface
089 Ephesians: Praying Below the Surface

Most of the time we pray on what might be considered “felt need” prayers. We’re facing a crisis, we have practical needs, we’re trying to cope, so we pray. We ask God to intervene. But have you ever considered that there could be a whole other level to our prayers?

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Dave DeSelmEphesians, Paul, Apostle Paul, epistle, identity in Christ, new identity, authority, relationship, everyday saints, Ephesus, chosen, prayer, praying for others, intercession, knowing God, wisdom, praying scripture, scripture prayers