Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 29 Paul is passionate that we understand three key aspects of God’s work in our lives: His calling (Ephesians 1:18) His inheritance (Ephesians 1:18) His power (Ephesians 1:19) In our previous study , we discovered that God has changed our heart of darkness to a heart of light so we can know these three aspects. In today’s expositional study, Nathan...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 28 The Bible is clear that every person is born with a heart of darkness – cold, calloused, and condemned. Yet for us to become, live, and grow as Christians, we must allow God to change our hearts, shining forth His light upon us that we might be able to clearly see spiritually. In this expositional study from Ephesians 1:18, Nathan Johnson examin...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 27 Are you continually growing deeper in your walk with Christ? Or has it become stagnant, stale, or still? The Christian life is not a passive hope that we will grow in Christ or eventually look more like Him, rather it is an intentional pursuit of Him. In short, every believer should experience the reality of an ever-deepening experience into the...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 26 All of us are known for something, the question becomes, what am I known for? In Ephesians 1:15-16, Paul says that he knows two things about the Church – their faith and their love. In this expositional message, Nathan Johnson talks about Paul's declaration in Ephesians 1:15-16 and discusses how we as believers should be known for these two esse...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 25 The phrase "tip of the iceberg" often refers to the idea that we've only experienced a small part of the whole. And that is certainly true when it comes to the fullness of the life of Christ. While the life of Christ indwelling us through His Holy Spirit is absolutely amazing this side of heaven, we must remember that is still only a downpayment...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 24 Truth is important. In fact, it is the truth that sets us free (see John 8:32). Yet if all we do is hear the truth, we will actually receive no benefit from it. While hearing the truth is indeed important, we must go beyond mere hearing and actually believe it. In Ephesians 1:13, Paul declares that yes, you do need to hear the Word of Truth (whi...

  Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 23 Have you ever had a bad day? One of those days where nothing goes right, circumstances press you down, and you're not sure whether you'll make it through to the night? Perhaps it's been longer than a day – financial struggles, family pressures, chaos, circumstances, or things seemingly out of control. In such circumstances, we tend to for...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 22 You have a GRAND inheritance! It's not money, land, or a new car … but it's better than all those put together. In this expositional study of Ephesians 1:11-12, we examine Paul's statement that IN Christ, we have received an inheritance – and when we understand it, this truth will change our lives. Download the shownotes for this episode and get...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 21 As a culture, we are obsessed with time. Everything revolves around the clock. But in God's economy, everything is to revolve around Jesus Christ. He is the central point, He is the North Star, He is the preeminent focus. And it is the life of Christ which is the essence of the mysterious plan for the fullness of time (God's clock). Over the pas...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 20 A great mystery, hidden from ages and generations, has now been made known. This mystery isn't known through facts and academics but rather through the embrace of the mystery itself.  In this message, we examine Ephesians 1:9 and discuss what it means to know this grand mystery which has been revealed. Download the shownotes for this episod...

  Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 18 There is a great mystery, hidden from ages and generations, and God has given us the wisdom and insight in order for us to understand and comprehend it. In this expositional study of Ephesians 1:9, Nathan Johnson gives an overview of how Paul talks about the "mystery" in Scripture and then gives clarity as to what it is and how knowing an...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 17 We discussed last time (study 16) that God pours forth and lavishes us with His grace like a Nigerian waterfall. But Paul states that this grace was lavishly poured forth in all wisdom and insight.  In this expositional study in Ephesians, Nathan Johnson examines this phrase "wisdom and insight" and discusses how essential it is as Christia...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 16 Superlatives are my favorite types of words. They spice up a sentence and make things over-the-top and grand. And it seems that Paul the Apostle loved a good superlative as well – for he often used them in reference to the grandeur of Christ or the richness of God's grace. In this expositional study in the book of Ephesians, Nathan Johnson (NRJo...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 15 The Bible is clear that we are all sinners and deserve wrath and punishment for our sin. Yet it is also clear that if we, by faith, believe and embrace Jesus Christ as our Savior, we shall experience salvation. In his list of blessings, Paul declares that we have been forgiven and redeemed in Christ. While Christians often throw around this lang...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 14 John Newton's famous hymn "Amazing Grace" captures the essence of grace itself – it truly IS amazing! Similarly, Peter tells us that God's grace is "manifold," meaning it is numerous, has many layers, depths, or "folds." In this expositional study of Ephesians 1:6, Nathan Johnson discusses what grace is, why it is so amazing, and how we can prac...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 13 I love a good musical and have always (secretly) wanted life to somehow break into song and dance spontaneously. Yet, I've found there is truly something better than a Broadway musical – a Christian's life giving praise and glory to Jesus Christ throughout everything they say, think, and do. In this expositional study, we dive into Ephesians 1:6...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 12 One of the tremendous blessings we have in Christ Jesus is that through Christ, by the pre-determined decision and purpose of God, we have been adopted as children of God. As powerful as an illustration adoption in our modern-day is of what God has done for us, Paul's use of the Roman concept of adoption gives a greater depth and clarity to the...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 11 Love.  Biblically, it's more than an emotion or feeling. Love is a Person (Jesus – see 1 John 4:8, 16) and it's an action (Cross – see Romans 5:8). Between verses four and five of Ephesians 1, Paul inserts the phrase "in love."  Scholars argue whether the phrase "in love" goes with the statement made in Ephesians 1:4 ("you were chosen...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 10 Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4 that we have been chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless BEFORE HIM. Interestingly, this statement "before Him" not only reveals our sinful condition but also gives the solution – that the only way we can live holy, blameless lives is to get nose-to-nose with God Himself … for it is in e...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 09 God has chosen us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him. Yet too many of us don't understand what it means to be holy and blameless. In this expositional study of Ephesians 1:4, Nathan Johnson examines these two concepts and discusses three aspects of what it means to be made holy and blameless IN Christ Jesus. D...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 08 We can easily think of being chosen as the last pick in a game for kids – we line up against the wall, hoping that we won't be the last pick. But Paul tells us that God has chosen us for Himself even before the foundation of the world. In other words, you were not his last pick, but rather the thought upon His mind, even before He spoke: "l...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 07 The concept of being "In Christ" is a foundational statement throughout all of Scripture, especially Paul's letter to the Ephesians – in fact, the entire book revolves around understanding your position IN Christ. In this expositional study of Ephesians 1:3, we examine the phrase "in Christ" found throughout Paul's letters and discuss three aspe...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 06 As Christians, we have dual citizenship – we live physically on this earth, but we also dwell in Christ (spiritually) in the heavenly realms. While both realities are indeed real, we are called to live with a heavenly or spiritual perspective while on this earth. In this expositional study of Ephesians 1:3, Nathan examines the concept of "heaven...

Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 05 God is blessed … and from that state of blessing, He blesses us. As Paul talks about this incredible reality in Ephesians 1:3, he reminds us that every single blessing God has for us is found in one single place … and that by blessing us, God in turns receives our praise, worship, thanksgiving, and adoration (in short, we declare the greatness o...

  Deeper Christian Bible Study in Ephesians • Study 04 Walk into nearly any church and it won't take long before you hear the words "grace" and "peace" being thrown around – yet most of us don't understand the depths of those two words are. In Paul's salutation and introduction in Ephesians, he uses the common greeting of his day ("grace" to the Greeks and Romans, and "peace" for the Jews) bu...