Anthem Church

Paul continues the theme of the new creation which we introduced at the end of last week (workmanship). Up to now, God had been the main subject of the action, but now a shift in focus to Jesus and his redemption occurs. There is unity and peace in Christ that all may lay hold of. We are no longer separated as Jew and Gentile or circumcised and uncircumcised. All in Christ are victorious.

A few weeks ago we learned why the doctrine of predestination is beautiful and biblical. This weekend we will explore the never-ending argument of "Free Will vs. Predeterminism". More importantly, we will discuss how God has poured his grace on the Saints with His saving initiative. That we have hope with Jesus and disparity without Him.

This weekend we fast forward to chapter 6 of Ephesians as we celebrate Father's Day. What we discover is a context for fatherhood that might surprise you. Just what do the Scriptures tell us make a good dad? What exactly is the godly picture of fatherhood? As we find out the answers to these questions, be prepared and open to rethinking the role of Dad.

In light of last week, Paul now desires that we might enjoy a full experience of our position in Christ. We now know we a new identity as a result of what the Father planned, the Son purchased and the Spirit preserves-we are "saints". Whereas last week Paul gave us insight into what God did in Triune community, this week Paul prays we have a deeper insight into who God is. The response is "thanks....

Do you believe that God has a plan? Do you believe that plan started in eternity's past? But how often to we stop to look at the true essence of God and his plan that has been unfolding since eternity's past? Do we stop to reflect on the spiritual blessings that we have inherited and offer Him praise?

Acts 19 covers Paul's experience in the city of Ephesus. We will explore the context of the man (Paul) and the city (Ephesus). This is very important in painting the landscape before diving into the book of Ephesians itself.