Nehemiah lead the rebuilding of the walls. He had some good leadership qualities. The Israelites hearts were still hard though. Even though they promised to follow what God asked of them, they didn’t follow through. Christianity isn’t just a checklist, it is a heart change.

The story of the second temple being built kind of leaves us in this moment of feeling like it isn’t finished. Thankfully the prophet speaks what God has spoken which is you will rejoice, your King is coming!

The stories in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi are chronologically the last we hear in the Biblical text of the Israelites before the 400 years of silence. Today we will look at part of Ezra’s story.

The story of the friends of the paralyzed man is one of intercessory prayer. They bring their friend to the feet of Jesus. We too should bring others to the feet of Jesus. He will pay attention.

Paul tells us to devote ourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful. What does Paul mean by devoting ourselves to prayer and being watchful and thankful? We talk about that this week.

Sam brings us a message flipping worry inside out.

Today we answer some basic questions about prayer. Paul brings up prayer in Ephesians chapter 6 so we look at what he says today.

Paul brings all he has been talking about in Ephesians together in the armor we are called to put on. Paul calls us to living in different ways than the world does. In Ephesians chapter 6 he brings this all together.

In Ephesians the last part of chapter 5, first few verses of chapter 6 Paul gives household instructions. If we are living a lifestyle of love this is the unity in which our household will run. Each person more concerned about the other than themselves.

What does this lifestyle of love look like? Paul spells it out the later half of Ephesians. Today we look at what our speech should look like when dealing with others.

Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. Each part has its own unique job but in working together the Body of Christ is built up. But Paul throws in the words “in love” whatever our job is it should be done in love.

In the last half of Ephesians beginning in Chapter 4 Paul is urges us to live a life worthy of the calling. Because of all that Paul reminds us of in chapters 1-3 Paul pleads that because of all of this we live a life worthy of the calling. What does that look like? He begins to explain that in chapter 4.

Paul prays that the believers both Jewish and Gentile alike realize that grace isn’t given through a check list. That if we fully understand the love God has for us that there is a heart change and the world looks differently to us.

Pastor Tiffany brings a message challenging us to become Disciples.

Baptism is an outward expression to an inward faith. The visual of dying out to our old way of living and into new life is a prefect example. Paul tells us in the first part of Ephesians chapter 2 not to get caught up in our old way of living but to grab hold of this new life we have been given by grace through faith.

Paul prays in chapter one of Ephesians that the eyes of our heart understand hope, inheritance, and the power of God. Since our hearts don’t have eyes we know that this is a knowing beyond knowing. That our heart may know beyond knowing. There is a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. Paul prays our hearts know these things.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2 that growth is a process it isn’t something that happens overnight. May we continue to be willing to grow and realize it is a process and allow God to move in those ways.

In verses 8-10 of the first chapter of Ephesians Paul talks about the unity of heaven and earth which makes me think about unity. All singing out the same message of praising God. That should be the churches focus.

We have redemption and forgiveness through Jesus’ blood. What does that mean? We are going to talk about the sacrificial language used in our verse today in Ephesians.

Today we speak about the word predestination and what we believe this means within this first chapter of Ephesians. We also talk about grace and how our life should be an outflowing of the grace that has been freely given us. When we come to understand grace how can we live our life in other ways other than praising God?!?