Today we’re learning about our calling and gifting. The identity God has given us is not meant simply to benefit our own lives. It is such a wonderful, mighty identity that it is meant to spill out of us and pour onto the entire body of Christ. We’ve each been called by God and uniquely gifted to serve the greater whole, and when it all works together, it is the most beautiful thing the world will ever see, for it is Christ Himself revealed through us!
Today we want to let a few profound truths about our identity sink down like roots that keep us secure in the knowledge that in Christ, I am strong, SO deeply loved, and complete. Oh you guys, I find myself longing that we could all truly understand these truths, just as Paul did as he wrote our passage for today. I fall to my knees and pray along with him that they would sink deep into our hearts and change us forever!
Today we’re learning about our position as the recipients of the revelation of God’s plan. Many generations throughout time waited with great faith that the days in which we live would certainly come. Our predecessors in the faith longed for the position we so securely hold.
Each part of our physical body is uniquely designed to serve a purpose along with all the other parts that, when combined, create a functional powerhouse capable of just about anything. The body of Christ is no different, and when we understand our role within it, and our relationship to it, our attitude will likely change. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it is imperative that we work together well!
We’re studying the book of Ephesians in order to better understand how we have been identified as God’s holy people. Today, we’ll go just a little further into Ephesians 2 to realize our identity and position as covenant citizens of God’s holy people.
This week we’re looking at the first half of Ephesians 2 and will be stepping back a bit to re-examine more deeply some of the truths we learned in week one – Who we were without Christ, and what it means to have been made alive in Christ. Today, we’re going to learn to understand what it means to be a new and beautiful creation in Jesus – His masterpiece!
A good place to start when we’re looking to re-write our identity is with an understanding of the nature of our existence. We need to know whether we’re just some cosmic accident, or the result of an intentional plan because the answer to that question will define our purpose.
All praise to God who tells us we are not, in fact, some fluke of nature. We are His own special creation: Chosen by Him before the beginning of time, purchased out of our state of slavery to sin by His very own blood, and adopted into His family forever. Let’s think about the ramifications of those three simple realities.
There are a million steps we have to work through in order to recover from intimate betrayal, but I believe the first (and most critical)…
Sometimes we get so caught up in our own desire to be right, we miss out on being a part of God’s mercy. We choose judgement and misery over excitedly taking part in a miracle because we’ve forgotten how merciful He’s been to us! There is much we can learn from the Biblical account of the prophet Jonah.
For the past four weeks we’ve been studying the Bible to learn some of what the Infinite God has revealed to us about Himself. We discussed His identity as the Triune God, and unpacked the unique characteristics of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today, we’ll wrap up this series with a look at His infinite qualities, and how we should respond.
We’ve been working our way through a study of the One God of the Bible. In week one we examined how He reveals Himself in the form of three unique Persons. Then we spent a week studying the Father, one studying the Son, and now we have reached the week in which we’ll examine Scripture to see what we can learn about God the Spirit.
We have embarked upon a 5-week study to know God. We started by learning about the Trinity – three Persons united as one God. Last week we learned about God the Father: His authority, sovereignty, adoption, discipline; His role as the One to whom we pray, and His love. This week we are going to study Scripture to learn what we can about God the Son. Friends, there is no way to contain all there is to be known of Jesus in one blog post, so this is going to be both long, and shockingly inadequate. I’ve done my best to hit the most important aspects while keeping it simple.
Last week we decided to take a little break from all the betrayal trauma stuff and spend some time studying and getting to know our God. We started this five-week study by learning about the triune nature of God: how He can be both three distinct Persons, and the One God. For the next three weeks we’ll be learning about each member of the Godhead starting today with God the Father.
There are many attributes shared by all three members of the Trinity like omniscience and omnipotence, but there are also qualities that set Father, Son, and Holy Spirit apart. So, let’s take a look at some of the characteristics that make God the Father who He is.
Let’s take a little break from all the sexual addiction and betrayal trauma content and spend a few weeks just getting to know our God a little better. Sometimes I need to step away and focus on my Savior, don’t you? Let’s spend the next 5 weeks doing a little study on God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This week we’ll learn about the Trinity. After that we’ll take three weeks dedicating one to each Person of the Godhead. Finally, in the fifth week we’ll examine our role – what should our response be to God? The goal of all this is simple: We want to know God! We want a deep and abiding relationship with Him. Every great relationship includes a sincere desire for intimacy. A quick read through of Psalms 139 demonstrates God’s personal knowledge of us, so let’s be inspired to get to know Him too.
What does your personal Bible study look like? If you’re familiar with this blog at all, it’s no secret to you that I am completely in love with the Word of God! I have spent my life reading and studying it, falling deeper and deeper in love with its life-giving words, and with the One who gave them. My primary mission in writing is, and has always been, to point others to its truth in hopes that it will provide the hope and healing to others that it has brought to me and to my love.
I spend a lot of time showing you what the Bible says about a lot of things, but I think it’s high time I challenge you to learn how to go find those truths for yourselves!