Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Todaywe’re continuing our study in Ephesians 4:20–24. These powerful verses remindus that we are no longer to walk as the Gentiles walk, or as the lost worldwalks. Paulsays in verse 20, “But ye have not so learned Christ.” Then he goes onto say, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, asthe truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). My friend, everything changes whentruth is being...

Todaywe’ve been looking at Ephesians 4:17–19, and now we’re going to move on toverses 20–24. In these verses, the Apostle Paul follows up on his admonitionnot to walk as the Gentiles walk, but instead to walk in a way that pleasesGod. Paul describes the lost world as walking in futility—emptiness and vanityof mind. Their hearts are darkened. They lack spiritual understanding, and theydo not even k...

Todaywe’re continuing our study of Ephesians 4:17–19. In these verses, the ApostlePaul shows us the difference between a saved person and a lost person—betweensomeone who is on their way to heaven and someone who is still on the path tocondemnation and an eternity without Jesus Christ, a terrible place calledhell. There is a difference, and that difference should be evident in ourlives.   Thatis w...

Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:17–19. Here, the Apostle Paul explains thatbecause we have now trusted Christ—because He has saved us, changed us,transformed us, and seated us in the heavenly places, and because we havereceived the Holy Spirit—we are called to live differently. Hebegins explaining this in verse 17, where he gives a strong warning. He tellsbelievers not to live the way the lost...

Todaywe are moving into the final section of Ephesians chapter 4:17–32. In theseverses, we learn that the Christian—the believer in Jesus Christ—is not onlycalled to walk in unity within the body of Christ (vv. 1-16), but also to walkdifferently from the world around us, from those who are unsaved. Paul refersto these unbelievers as “the Gentiles”—those who do not know God, who do notfollow Jesus...

Todaywe continue our study of Ephesians 4:11–16. We have spent a significant amountof time on these verses because they are vitally important for every member ofthe body of Christ—every believer, every follower of Jesus Christ—to understandexactly what their purpose and role is within the body. Up to this point, thisentire chapter has focused on that very theme: the unity of the Spirit and theunit...

Thefirst thing that we see as an evidence of spiritual maturity and spiritualgrowth is that we are Christlike in our attitude, actions and speech. Jesus wasalways submitted to the will of His Father. Read the Gospels. Jesus always didHis Father's will. This quote from Psalms is most descriptive of Jesus: “Ihad delight to do Thy will. Oh my God. Thy law is written within my heart” (Psalm40:8)....

These verses are vitallyimportant to the unity of the church, to the growth of the believer, and to thewitness of the church in the community. That's why we're taking so longcontinuing to look at this passage of Scripture. Remember the leaders of thechurch are told to lead and teach the people to grow in their Christianmaturity, to grow in faith, and to understand how that as a body of bel...

The giftsand offices to the early church in order that the people of the church, thebelievers, would grow to spiritual maturity and display to the world what itreally means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.   Acts11:26 tells us that the believers, the disciples, were “first calledChristians at Antioch” of Syria. Remember that this was a church made up believersfrom various nationalities and backgr...

Before I get into these verses, let me just mention that I'll be going toIndia from January the 15th through the 25th 2026, with a team fromGlobal Partners in Peace and Development. First, I'm asking for your prayersfor our team and myself as we go on this trip to India. We're going to be ableto do so many different things such as meet and speak to pastors, participatein dedicating a n...

Tomorrow I will be in Roanoke, Virginiaparticipating and speaking at a celebration of life service for a dear, dearsaint of God, Nancy Young. I’ll tell you more about Nancy’s and her life thatwas, “A Life Well Lived”, later in this blog.   Matterof fact her life “measured up to the stature of the fullness of Christ”, thatPaul desired for every believer here in Ephesians 4. Today we begin looking a...

Wesee the gifts of the Spirit are given so that the whole body of Christ mightprofit as we read in 1 Corinthians 12:7. Now we notice that Paul is keying inon four specific offices that are vitally necessary for the leading, theoversight, and the feeding of the church. He mentions those here in verse 11.He gave some Apostles. Those were the initial twelve men that Jesus Himselfcalled. Then alongsid...

Alreadywe talked about the office of apostleship. Thespiritual gift and office of evangelists means that these are those in thechurch who “bear the good news”. That's what evangelist means. “Evangel”, “Abearer of good news”. Someone who takes the good news of the salvation that'savailable through Jesus Christ to the world that's lost and dying and on itsway into an endless eternity to...

Yesterdaywe talked about what it means to be apostle. Those were the 12 that Jesusoriginally chose (Matthew 10:1-4). Specifically, these Apostles had to be a witnessof Jesus life and ministry since His baptism and also His resurrection (Acts1:21-22). These were specially chosen men we read about in the Book of Actsthat laid the foundation of the church. But also other special group thatassisted in...

Todaywe continue to look at Ephesians 4:7-11. Weneed to understand the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the unity of the church isvitally important to sharing this great message of the Gospel of Christ to theworld around us. God has chosen the church today to do this. The New Testament churchcan best be describes as a local body of baptized believers, under thediscipline of the Word of God, being led...

Interestingly, when you come to the subject of spiritual gifts in the NewTestament and in the church today it can be a matter of division rather thanunity. People have so many different opinions and ideas and biblical teachingsthat they're given about spiritual gifts that there's division in the churchover the gifts. That happened in the church of Corinth. It is apparent that inthis early...

Todaywill continue to look at Ephesians 4:7-11. These verses are about the Spiritualgifts that God gives “to each one of us” for unity in the church. These gifts can either be used to build us up or used to tear us down. God hasalready given us the Gift of the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation. Atthat time, we were baptized into the body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit cameto dwell within...

Nowwe are looking at the unity that especially needs to be there because of thegifts of the Spirit which differ for individuals in the church. In the body ofChrist, the Church, we have different gifts, but we should still have unitybecause we need each other, with each other's Spiritual gifts to be built up inthe body of Jesus Christ. We're going to see that this is what Paul is talkingabo...

In the Gospel of John, Jesusused the word “Father” 126 times when He spoke of His relationship withGod. The last of the seven spiritual realities that Paul speaks of, that is theground of our unity, is “ one God and Father of all who isabove all and through all and in you all ” (v. 6).   Nowinteresting Paul basically said the same thing to the church at  Corinth in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6: “... yet fo...

Todaywill continue to look at Ephesians 4:4-6 where we talk about the ground of ourunity. Remember in verses 1-3, Paul was talking about the grace of our unity. We have longsuffering, gentleness, and humility. We bear with one another inlove. That's the grace of our unity and now we need the basis of our unity. What gives us unity? Oneness in Jesus Christ. Oneness in our church. Unitywhere the...

Happy Thanksgiving   Psalm 100 & 145 Make a joyful shout tothe LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presencewith singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and notwe ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into Hisgates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, andbless His name. For the...

Todaywe're looking specifically at Ephesians 4:5 where we read of the fifthspiritual reality, “One faith”. Sofar in verse 4, Paul has already mentioned one body, one Spirit, one hope. Andyesterday we talked about one Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is Lord overall. Now today we're talking about the next word, one faith. One faith. Nowit's important that we remember we're talking a...

Todaywe're continuing to look at Ephesians 4:4-6. One of the outstanding characteristicsand testimony of the early church we read about in the early chapters of the Bookof Acts was that “they were in one accord” (Acts 1:14; 2:1, 46; 4:24,32; 5:12). So much so that in Acts 4:32 it was said of them: “Now themultitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither didanyone say tha...

Todaywe're looking at Ephesians 4:4-6 where the Apostle Paul is giving us the sevenspiritual realities that unite us in Jesus Christ. There must be a foundationaltruth that makes us one. Our oneness is based on and because of theseseven realities that are given to us at the moment we trust Jesus Christ as ourpersonal Lord Savior.   Atthe moment of our salvation, we were baptized into the body...

Todaywe're looking at Ephesians 4:4-6. Yesterday we talked about the grace of unityin verses 1-3. This is a unity in the church among the members that aredisplayed in our humility, our gentleness, our longsuffering, our bearing withone another, and which we continually endeavor to keep so that the world aroundus sees our love for one another, and most of all, the great love of God forthe world...