Therefore
I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the
saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of
your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His
calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and
what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according
to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him
from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far
above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
And
He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to
the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
arrived just as the service was starting due to poor directions and doubling
back right before we reached the church, so there was little chance for
greeting. The usher made sure we found our way to the service though.
I
liked the wooden cross on the diagonal wood paneling on the rear wall of the
chancel and I appreciated singing and hearing praise music we were familiar
with.
There
was a cute toddler near the front who, as usual, I smiled at till I got a smile
in response. I was a little disappointed when my wife pointed out the two girls
in front of us who were probably who the little one was smiling at instead of me.
The
pastor’s message was part of a series, “Digging in to Ephesians” and raised the
question “What is the church to be?”
He
told of an elderly woman who had been active in the church but was finding herself
limited and lamented, “All I can do is pray.” I wish we were all so limited
that we would accomplish what should be our primary goal and pray.
I got
to share with the pastor the story of my elderly neighbor who became a prayer
warrior and how God has used that interaction to inspire me to suggest to the
churches we visit that they ask their shut-in members to take on this important
role for the church.
Jan’s
thoughts:
We
arrived just as the service was beginning so we had no opportunity for
greetings or to wander around the building. A gentleman greeted us at the door
with a bulletin and ushered us into the sanctuary where we found seats immediately.
The
sanctuary is uncluttered and the colors are well coordinated. I liked the cross
and the pattern of woodwork behind the platform.
The
contemporary music was well done with excellent volume.
The
message series is called “Digging in to Ephesians” and today’s entry was “Our
Identity in Christ.” The pastor stated that when most of us pray, we pray for
others to come to know Christ or for strength to do our real work, but in
Ephesians we learn that prayer IS the real work. Too often people say, “All I
can do is pray,” and the pastor advised that if you can do other things, make sure you’re praying first.
This
message put a different spin on how to pray for others, that instead of simply
praying for physical or spiritual needs, I should be praying:
1
– that others, even if they already know God, may come to know Him better;
2
– that others will know the hope to which God has called them;
3
– that they will know His incomparably great power, the power of the Holy Spirit,
Who lives in all believers.
I
appreciated this message and plan to keep those points handy for my prayer
time.
Several
people, including the pastor, made it a point to introduce themselves after
worship, which was much appreciated.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your church will catch on to the calling You are leading them to that
they also may avow, “All I can do is pray!” Amen.
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