Sermon Central
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Ephesians
Contributed by Tom Fuller on Apr 25, 2005 (message contributor)
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1. God's Love Letter To You
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
If you need some encouragement - find out how He master-minded your salvation, and wishes to lavish wonderful things on to your life.
Don’t you love getting good news? "Congratulations, you may have won $1,000,000 in the Publishers Clearinghouse Giveaway." That’s false good news - but real good news: "Congratulations, it’s a boy" or "Yes, I will marry you" or "The cancer has completely gone away - and I don’t understand why." ...read more
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2. Are You A One-Brick Building?
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
If you are a follower of Christ, God has a building project in you - creating you for things He planned a long time ago - but He is also building you into something greater. The question is, are you ready, or do you like going it alone?
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the ...read more
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3. Getting Closer To God
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
How do you feel approaching God - guilty, weak, timid? Paul encourages us to see our relationship with the Father as it really is - and shows us that you can’t outlove God!
What is the biggest thing you can think of - the most marvelous and wonderful thing imaginable? What comes to mind - is it great riches so you don’t have to worry about the bills? Is it power so that people can’t hurt you any more? Perhaps its wisdom so that people will respect you and look up to ...read more
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4. What Does A Christian Look Like?
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
Do you know what a Christian should be like? It may surprise you to learn what God approves of and what He wants to take out of your character.
What is your idea of what a Christian should be like? I did a Google search using those words the other day and came with the most unbelievable site I think I have ever seen. I won’t mention the name of the church but the page that came up was entitled: "How does God spot a Christian?" I ...read more
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5. A Fresh Coat Of Paint Without Sanding
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
Paul tells us in the second half of chapter 4 that we need to let Christ sand us way down to the bear wood, in order to cover us with His way of thinking and acting.
I like to see a nice new coat of paint on something - like this bench we had outside on our patio. The problem is - in order to have a nice coat of paint I had to strip off the old - but I was lazy. So when I painted the new coat on, the old paint underneath began to chip and peel and push the ...read more
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6. Living A Life Of Love
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
How we act and how we speak to each other really does matter to God. You may be just mirroring what you see people doing and saying around you - but is it right?
The cover story of the September 14th issue of Newsweek magazine is very revealing about our culture today. The story is entitled: "How to say no to your kids." What I found interesting wasn’t the tips of saying "no" but on why it’s so hard for parents to do it. Some statistics jump off the ...read more
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7. Marriage - God's Masterpiece
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
Is marriage dead? No way - it’s alive and well and a way God communicates the gospel. There are a lot of misconceptions about the roles of husband & wife that this section clears up.
Here’s today’s trivia quiz: which country has the highest and which country has the lowest divorce rate? (highest is Belarus 68% [divorces as a % of marriages]. Lowest is Macedonia 5%. U.S. Rate is 49%) When looked at another way - the number of divorces per 1,000 population per year - Sri ...read more
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8. Family & Job Relationships
Contributed on Apr 25, 2005
Learn how to get along as parents and children - and how to deal with a difficult boss at work in this practical guide to everyday living.
At church everyone is at their best behavior (most of the time) - hair combed, attitudes straight (after the argument in the car on the way). We come in and look and act so pious and pure. But when does our real character reveal itself? At home - and sometimes on the job. Overbearing parents, ...read more