Relying on God’s Power
Read: Ephesians 3:14-21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us . . . (v. 20) “I’m so tired,” she said. I could see the dark circles around her eyes, hear the weariness in her voice. She […]
The Open Secret
Read: Ephesians 3:1-13 The mystery of Christ . . . was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. (vv. 4-5) What do you think of when you hear the word “mystery”? Maybe you think of a […]
One New Humanity
Read: Ephesians 2:11-22 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. (v. 14) We live in a deeply divided world. Nations war against each other. Countries broil with political and religious tension. Cities simmer with unrest. Even our churches […]
Double Grace
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing . . . (vv. 8-9) When my oldest daughter was learning to ride a bicycle, I’d jog behind her, holding on to the bike seat until she’d call out, “Okay, Dad, let go! I can do […]
Running with Wisdom
Read: Ephesians 1:15-23 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him. (1:17 NRSV) Every day we face a barrage of choices. Our lives traffic in so much information. How do you discern what is […]
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Read: Ephesians 1:1-14 [God has made] known to us the mystery of his will . . . to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (vv. 9-10) While Paul doesn’t use the image of running in his letter to the Ephesians, think of the letter as a training manual for […]
Training vs. Trying
Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes . . . goes into strict training. (vv. 24-25 NIV) Try harder. Work more. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. These messages clamor loudly in Western culture. But the Bible tells us that resilience is not a […]
The Race Set before Us
Read: Hebrews 12:1-6 Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (v. 1) Several years ago, I signed up to run my first 25K race. I knew I couldn’t do it alone, so I trained with some more experienced runners. We would wake up early, while it was dark, and get […]
You Are My People
Read: Leviticus 20:22-26 I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. (v. 24) Like sojourners in a foreign land, like refugees fleeing violence, we may feel like strangers in a distant land. We look around and see a world that is ravaged by violence, illness, and death. We may find […]