30 / 30 Challenge ~ Ephesians 3 – 4

30:30Challenge

Whoohooo! Here we are on Day 21 and we are smack dab in the middle of Ephesians!

I know I went missing last week, but I assure you I was in the Word every day with the exception of Monday, when we had to have our 10 year old dog put down.

Ephesians is a powerful book with some deep theological teachings. But it’s also very practical, so let’s dig in!

But first, here’s the freebie for you if you are using it to journal (Journal Your Way through the Word ), but if not, go grab your pen, your journal and your Bible and get your 30! I’m looking forward to you coming back and sharing what the Lord is doing in your life!

MY TURN:

Today, I’m going to focus in on three key passages for My Turn…

I LOVE how Paul starts out in Ephesians 3:1, calling himself a prisoner of Christ. It reminds me of Zechariah 9:12, where God’s people are called prisoners of hope.

Think for a minute about what a prisoner is. Someone who is held captive, unable to do what he/she wants to do. A person is must go where he/she is told, do what he/she is told, eat when he/she is permitted, live where he/she is commanded, talk when given permission, be silent when told not to speak. Everything they do is under the control of someone else.

Paul was a prisoner of Christ…and it wasn’t a bad thing. It was his honor.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I see myself as a prisoner of Christ. In bondage to His will. Captivated by Him. It’s what I want to be in every area of my life, but sometimes, I am a prisoner of my self. The things I want try to dictate the way I act and react to certain situations. There are places in my heart that I need to relinquish over to His control. Oh…I gave them to Him a long time ago, but somehow, life has a way of placing them back in my lap and I take hold of them once again.

How about you? Do you have areas in your life that you need to relinquish too?

Ephesians 3:20 ~ Exceedingly, abundantly! Yes! That’s what the Lord delights in doing IN us, THROUGH us, and FOR us! He loves us with an everlasting love and His plans for us are good.

But check it out in the Amplified:

“Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—”

Now THAT ought to make your heart smile BIG TIME!

I speak on this verse at The MORE Conferences I do because when we really get this verse, we discover that God not only created us on purpose and for a purpose, but He delights in doing things in our lives that just blow us away! Things that are bigger than anything we can come up with. Greater than our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams!

YES! This is the God who loves us relentlessly, eternally, and sacrificially.

I just LOVE how HE LOVES US! Don’t you?! Selah! (Think on that!) 🙂

Finally, in Ephesians 4:1, we find these words… “WALK WORTHY OF THE CALLING WITH WHICH YOU WERE CALLED”

Walk worthy! Those words echo in my heart consistently. The call to live this life well for the glory of God. To be fervent about those things God has entrusted to me. The calling He has placed upon my life.

I don’t want to blow it! I don’t want to do good for a while and then do something stupid that would trash my testimony and cause others to wonder if what I really believed what I said I believed.

I’ve seen people who have done that. They lived for Christ and made a difference in people’s lives. The served God. They lived holy lives. They shined for Jesus well. But then one day, in the middle of a difficult season or in a moment of weakness, they acted like someone who didn’t even know Christ and it marred their life and scarred their testimony.

Maybe you’ve known people like that too.

The Bible says to take heed, lest you fall.

I want to WALK WORTHY at ALL times. Not just sometimes. Not just when it’s convenient or easy, but at all times.

How about you?

YOUR TURN: HOW DID THESE VERSES SPEAK TO YOU?

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If you’d like to know more about how you can help change the world one mom at a time by beginning a M.O.M. Mentor Group, visit The M.O.M. Initiative at http://www.themominitiative.com/join-here/.

If you are interested in having me come speak at your next event, or share a message about mentoring, how you can begin a M.O.M. Mentor Group or one of my other speaking topics, please feel free to contact me by clicking this link.

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