Sermon Follow-Ups

Paul lands the Ephesian plane in the practical everyday lives of normal followers of Jesus.

Paul teaches us about the nature of Satan’s schemes and the equipment we need to stand firm them.

For the family-friendly version skip to the bottom* Sermon Follow Up Summary In Ephesians 6:1-9 (and 5:22-33) Paul teaches us how to make our households hum the happy working song of the New Creation as authority and servanthood are reimagined and reshaped by Christ. Discussion/Reflection Material -What can we learn about God’s view of children from Ephesians 6:1-4? -Verse 4 calls fathers not to overreact, gracelessly provoking their children to wrath, but this doesn’t sancti

Paul shows us that marriage is a living picture of the Gospel.

A Brief Biblical Theology of Motherhood.

Paul shows us how to walk in the light, wake up the world, and sing in the new creation.

Paul shows us how to walk the road out of exile. And how we walk shapes who we become on the journey.

Paul shows the new exodus generation how to walk the road home.

Paul shows us how to move from pressure to praise as we understand Jesus’ love for us more deeply.

John shows us that resurrection life is not trapped in the garden where the event occurred—it is on the move.

Paul says that the Church is the place where God’s secret plan for the world is uncovered and revealed.

Paul describes our salvation using the language and sequence of Israel’s sacrificial system to show how and why God saved us in Christ.

*If you’re doing this with littles you may want to skip to the end for the Dinner Table Short Sermon Summary Paul prays that the church would see what is already true: Jesus is reigning, resurrection power is already at work, and the church is the instrument through which Christ will fill the world. Because these truths are so surprising, God must open the eyes of our hearts to believe them. Reflection & Discussion 1. Pray for People Who Are Doing Well Paul thanks God for the

Sermon Summary In this sermon we zeroed in on the words redemption and inheritance , showing the historical and theological freight that they carry into Ephesians chapter 1. Paul uses these words as a map that places the Church inside of Israel’s story. He shows us that what God was doing with the little nation of Israel, He is still doing—only more broadly and more gloriously, as He brings the promise that He made to Abraham—that he would be heir of the world (Rom. 4:13)—to

*If you’re doing this with your littles, skip to the bottom and use the short form family follow up version* Sermon Summary In Ephesians 1:1–2, we explored the meaning of Paul’s address to the church as “saints.” Far from referring to spiritual elites, the word saints means holy ones—people granted sanctuary access to the very presence of God. This status is not earned through religious performance but given freely through Christ’s cleansing work. Finally, we consider what i

Sermon Summary In this opening message on Ephesians, we explore Paul’s sweeping announcement that the New Creation has already begun. The King has been crowned. Heaven and earth are being reunited. A new humanity has been formed. And through the church, God is displaying His wisdom to the world. God is making us new so that we can renew the world. Reflection Materials Discussion Q’s (for the grown-ups) 1. When you hear that “the government of the world has changed,” what does

Sermon Summary In Haggai 2, God teaches His people that obedience matters, but it cannot reverse the curse that grips the world. Only God can do that. In restoring Zerubbabel as His “signet ring,” God previews a greater reversal that comes through Christ. In Jesus’ resurrection, the direction of the world changes. Death still lingers, but it grows in borrowed ground. The Church now lives as the King’s signet ring, spreading the life of the risen Christ. Reflection Questions 1

Sermon Summary As Jesus approaches Jerusalem and the cross, a blind beggar recognizes what others miss: the true identity of the Messiah. When Bartimaeus cries out for mercy, Jesus stops, restores his sight, and calls him into discipleship—revealing that the kingdom advances not through spectacle or power, but through mercy received by faith and a life that follows Jesus on the road of the cross. Main Points 1. The Messiah Revealed at the Margins As Jesus nears Jerusalem, his

Haggai 2:1-9 Sermon Follow Up