Category Archives: Ephesians

Click here for Ephesians 6 audio:

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul continues showing what a Spirit-filled life looks like in everyday relationships. Children are called to obey and honor their parents as an act of obedience “in the Lord,” echoing the fifth commandment and its promise of blessing (vv. 1–3; Exodus 20:12). Parents—especially fathers—are warned not to provoke their children but instead to raise them with loving discipline and instruction rooted in the Lord (v. 4, Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Paul then addresses slaves and masters, applying gospel principles to the realities of the first-century household. Slaves are to serve sincerely, as serving Christ Himself, while masters are commanded to lead with justice and humility, remembering they too answer to a heavenly Master who shows no partiality (vv. 5–9, Colossians 3:22–4:1).

Paul closes the letter by lifting the reader’s eyes to the larger reality behind daily obedience: the Christian life is spiritual warfare. Believers are called to be strong in the Lord, not in their own strength, and to stand firm against the devil’s schemes by putting on the full armor of God (vv. 10–13). This armor—truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God—comes from God Himself and equips believers to resist spiritual enemies, not human ones (vv. 14–17, Isaiah 59:17). Prayer undergirds everything. Paul urges constant, Spirit-dependent prayer for all believers and even asks for prayer that he would boldly proclaim the gospel, reminding us that faithfulness in the battle depends on God’s power, not ours (vv. 18–20). The letter ends with a benediction of peace, love, faith, and grace—fitting gifts for those learning to walk worthy of their calling in Christ (vv. 23–24).

🌀 Reflection:
Where has God placed you under authority—or given you authority over others—and how can you reflect Christ more faithfully in those relationships this week?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray intentionally today for another believer who is facing spiritual opposition, asking God to strengthen them to stand firm in Christ.

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Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

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Click here for Ephesians 5 audio:

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul calls believers to live like who they now are: “beloved children” of God (v. 1). The shape of that life is love—specifically, the self-giving love of Jesus, who “loved us and gave himself up for us” (v. 2; cf. 4:32). So Christian holiness is not cold rule-keeping; it’s imitation of our Father that flows out of being loved by Christ. That love shows up in what we refuse and what we replace. Paul is blunt: sexual immorality, impurity, and greedy desire don’t belong among the saints—not even as accepted, joked-about norms (vv. 3–4). Greed is not just “wanting more”; it’s a kind of idolatry that puts something else where God belongs (v. 5). And Paul warns against a deadly lie: that someone can claim Christ while living in a settled, unrepentant pattern of sin and still have peace with God (v. 6). Christians aren’t called to avoid all contact with unbelievers, but they must not partner with darkness by joining in its deeds (v. 7).

The reason is identity: you once were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord—so “walk as children of light” (v. 8). Light produces fruit—goodness, righteousness, and truth (v. 9)—and it learns to discern what pleases God in real-life situations (v. 10). Instead of participating in the “fruitless works of darkness,” believers expose them—carefully, wisely, and without slander—by the clarity of the Word and the contrast of a holy life (vv. 11–13). Paul even breaks into what sounds like an early hymn: “Awake, O sleeper… and Christ will shine on you” (v. 14). Then he urges wise living in an evil age: watch how you walk, redeem the time, and seek God’s revealed will—not secret clues, but Scripture-shaped wisdom for daily life (vv. 15–17). And at the center of wisdom is this: don’t be mastered by anything that distorts and controls (like drunkenness), but be continually filled with the Spirit (v. 18). A Spirit-filled church is marked by worship that overflows, gratitude that endures, and relationships shaped by humble, Christ-centered submission (vv. 19–21).

From there, Paul applies Spirit-filled life to the home. In marriage, wives are called to willingly submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, and husbands are called to love with Christlike sacrifice—laying down their lives for their wives’ good (vv. 22–25, 33). Paul roots this in the picture of Christ and the church: Christ is the Head and Savior who gave himself to make his bride holy, clean, and radiant (vv. 23, 26–27). Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies because in God’s design the two become “one flesh” (vv. 28–31; cf. Genesis 2:24). And then Paul lifts our eyes higher: this “one flesh” union was always meant to point beyond itself—marriage is a living signpost toward the “mystery” now revealed, the covenant love between Christ and his church (v. 32).

🌀 Reflection:
Where are you most tempted to treat holiness like a private matter—something you can “manage” while still flirting with darkness (vv. 7–12)? What would walking as a child of light look like in that area this week (vv. 8–10)?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Redeem one opportunity today by doing a clear “light” action: encourage someone with worshipful words, give thanks out loud, or lovingly refuse participation in something you can’t do “to please the Lord” (vv. 10, 16, 19–20).

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Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

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Click here for Ephesians 4 audio:

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul turns from what God has done for us in Christ (chs. 1–3) to how we live because of it (v. 1). From prison, he urges believers to “walk in a manner worthy” of their calling—not by earning salvation, but by living in a way that fits the grace we’ve received (v. 1; cf. 2:8–10). The first “worthy” step is unity: humility, gentleness, patience, and a love that keeps bearing with each other (v. 2). The Spirit creates this unity; our job is to keep it, held together by peace (v. 3). Paul grounds that unity in seven “one” realities: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father over all (vv. 4–6). Unity isn’t built on personality or preference—it’s built on the shared life of the Triune God.

But unity doesn’t mean sameness. Christ gives grace-gifts to each believer, and He does it as the victorious, ascended King who has triumphed and now distributes gifts to His people (vv. 7–10; cf. Psalm 68:18). In particular, Christ gives gifted leaders—apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers—not to do all the ministry for everyone else, but to equip the saints so the whole church serves and the body is built up (vv. 11–12). The goal is a church that grows into maturity together: united in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, steadily becoming more like Christ (v. 13). That kind of maturity protects believers from being tossed around by confusing teaching and spiritual scams (v. 14). Instead, the church grows by “speaking the truth in love,” holding tight to Christ the Head, as every member does their part and the body builds itself up in love (vv. 15–16).

Then Paul gets very practical: don’t go back to your old way of life. The old life is marked by empty thinking, spiritual darkness, hard hearts, and unchecked desires (vv. 17–19). But Christians have “learned Christ”—the truth that is in Jesus calls for a real break with the past (vv. 20–21). Put off the old self that’s being corrupted, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self—created after God’s likeness in righteousness and holiness (vv. 22–24). That new life shows up in everyday relationships: tell the truth (v. 25), deal with anger quickly (vv. 26–27), work honestly so you can share with those in need (v. 28), and speak words that build up and give grace (v. 29). Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed you for the day of redemption (v. 30). Put away bitterness and harsh speech, and instead be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving—because God in Christ forgave you (vv. 31–32; cf. Matthew 6:12).

🌀 Reflection:
Which “new self” habit do you most need today—truthful words, quick reconciliation, honest work, or forgiving kindness (vv. 25–32)? What would it look like to practice it on purpose in one specific conversation?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Build up one person today with grace-filled speech. Send an encouraging text, write a note, or speak a timely word that strengthens them in Christ—truthful, kind, and fitted to the moment (v. 29; cf. Proverbs 25:11).

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Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

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Click here for Ephesians 3 audio:

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul reminds the Ephesians that his suffering and imprisonment are not random setbacks—they are part of his calling “on behalf of you Gentiles” (vv. 1, 13). God gave Paul a stewardship of grace: to announce and explain a “mystery” that was once hidden but has now been revealed by the Spirit through Christ’s apostles and prophets (vv. 2–5). That mystery is wonderfully clear: Gentiles are full members of God’s family in Christ—fellow heirs, fellow members of the same body, and fellow partakers of the promise through the gospel (v. 6; cf. Galatians 3:28–29). In other words, there aren’t “first-class” Jewish Christians and “second-class” Gentile Christians. In Christ, God has made one people (cf. 2:14–16).

Paul says this calling still amazes him. He knows what he used to be—a persecutor of the church—so he calls himself “less than the least” of the saints (v. 8). Yet God appointed him to preach “the unfathomable riches of Christ” and to bring to light God’s plan for forming this new, united people (vv. 8–9). And here’s the jaw-dropper: through the church—this reconciled, multiethnic body—God is displaying His manifold wisdom to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (v. 10). The church is not an afterthought; it’s part of God’s eternal purpose accomplished in Christ (v. 11). Because of Jesus, believers now have confident access to God—not self-confidence, but Christ-confidence—through faith (v. 12; cf. Hebrews 4:16). So Paul urges them not to lose heart over his tribulations; God is using even suffering to produce glory for His people (v. 13; cf. Romans 8:17–18).

Then Paul returns to what he started in v. 1 and prays. He kneels before the Father who names every family in heaven and on earth (vv. 14–15). His request isn’t mainly for easier circumstances but for deeper strength: that the Spirit would strengthen believers in their inner being, that Christ would dwell in their hearts with power as they trust Him, and that they would be rooted and grounded in love (vv. 16–17). He prays they would grasp—together with all the saints—the vastness of Christ’s love, and that they would know it in a real, lived way, even though it will always be bigger than our understanding (vv. 18–19). And he closes with worship: God is able to do far more than we ask or think, and the goal of it all is His glory in the church and in Christ forever (vv. 20–21).

🌀 Reflection:
Do you treat the church like a spiritual “add-on,” or do you see it the way Paul does—as God’s living display of His wisdom and grace in the world (vv. 10, 21)? What would change in how you love, serve, and show up?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage someone who is suffering. Send a message or have a conversation that gently reframes hardship through the lens of Ephesians 3—God is not absent, and He can use trials to strengthen faith and spread glory (vv. 13, 16–17; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

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Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

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Click here for Ephesians 2 audio:

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul starts by telling the truth about who we were without Jesus: we were spiritually dead—stuck in trespasses and sins, shaped by the values of this world, pushed along by Satan’s influence, and controlled by the desires of our flesh (vv. 1–3). Even worse, we were “by nature children of wrath,” meaning God’s judgment was not a distant possibility but the verdict hanging over us because we belonged to Adam’s fallen family (v. 3; cf. Romans 5:12). There was no “try harder” solution here; dead people can’t fix themselves.

Then comes one of the greatest turns in the Bible: “But God” (v. 4). Because He is rich in mercy and full of great love, God acted when we could not. He made us alive together with Christ, raised us with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places—so that forever His people would marvel at the riches of His grace and kindness (vv. 4–7; cf. 1:20–21). Salvation is not a paycheck for religious effort; it is a gift: by grace you have been saved through faith, and even that whole rescue—grace, faith, salvation—is not from ourselves (vv. 8–9). Yet grace doesn’t leave us unchanged. God recreates His people as His workmanship—new creations in Christ—so we can “walk” in the good works He prepared for us (v. 10; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Paul then zooms out from individual salvation to church unity. Gentiles once lived “far off”—cut off from the covenants and promises and without hope (vv. 11–12). But now, in Christ, they have been brought near by His blood (v. 13). Jesus Himself is our peace: by His cross He tore down the dividing wall, set aside what separated Jew and Gentile under the old covenant, and created one new humanity—one people—reconciled both to God and to each other (vv. 14–18; cf. Isaiah 57:19). So Gentile believers are no longer outsiders; they are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, built together on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone (vv. 19–20). The church is now God’s living temple—Jew and Gentile together—where God dwells by His Spirit (vv. 21–22; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you still think you have to earn God’s welcome—like you’re a “near” person because you’re doing better lately—rather than living like someone who was “far off” but has been brought near only by the blood of Christ (v. 13)?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Cross one boundary today. Reach out to a believer you don’t naturally connect with (age, background, personality, history) and take one step toward real unity—invite them to coffee, encourage them, or pray with them—because Jesus didn’t just save you from sin; He made you part of one new people (vv. 14–16).

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Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

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Click here for Ephesians 1 audio:

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul opens Ephesians by reminding believers who they are: “saints” set apart for God, and “faithful” because they are in Christ (vv. 1–2). Then he launches into one long, worshipful sentence that praises God for His rescue plan. The Father chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world—not because they were worthy, but because He is gracious—so that they would be holy and blameless before Him (vv. 3–6). In love, God predestined believers for adoption, making them His true heirs, and all of it is “to the praise of his glorious grace” (vv. 5–6).

That grace shows up most clearly in Jesus: in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of God’s grace (vv. 7–8). And God is not only saving individuals—He is revealing His “mystery,” His long-planned purpose to unite (or “sum up”) all things in Christ—things in heaven and things on earth—when the fullness of time arrives (vv. 9–10; cf. Colossians 1:20). In Christ we have obtained an inheritance, because God works all things according to the counsel of His will, and He will finish what He planned (vv. 11–12; cf. Romans 8:28–30). When the Ephesians heard the word of truth and believed, they were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit—God’s own mark of ownership and protection—and the Spirit is the down payment that guarantees the full redemption still to come (vv. 13–14; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22).

Paul then thanks God for their faith in Christ and love for the saints, and he prays they would not just know the truths of salvation but feel their weight in the “eyes of their hearts” (vv. 15–18). He asks God to give them spiritual wisdom to grasp their hope, God’s precious inheritance in His people, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward believers (vv. 17–19). That power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him above every rule and authority—far above every rival power in this age and the age to come (vv. 20–21; cf. Psalm 110:1). God has put all things under Christ’s feet and made Him head over all things for the church, which is His body—His living people who represent His reign in the world (vv. 22–23; cf. Psalm 8:6).

🌀 Reflection:
Ephesians 1 trains your heart to start with worship, not worry. If God chose you in Christ, adopted you, redeemed you, and sealed you with His Spirit, what fear or shame are you still carrying like it gets the final word (vv. 4–7, 13–14)?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray Paul’s prayer for someone in your church today: ask God to open the “eyes of their heart” to hope, inheritance, and power in Christ (vv. 17–19). Then tell them one specific gospel blessing from this chapter that is true of them “in Christ” (vv. 3, 7, 13).

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Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

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