"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." - Ephesians 1:5 (NKJV)A few years ago in the NFL draft, Eli Manning was the quarterback the Chargers wanted. But Archie Manning, his father, made it clear publicly: "If you draft him, he's not going to come and play for you." It was pretty brazen, but he made it plain. "You may choos...  Read More

"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." - Ephesians 1:5 (NKJV)All of us have experienced some form of rejection at one time or another. Perhaps you were the child who wasn't as athletic, and as the teams were being chosen, you watched one by one as each child was picked, until there were three to go, then two, and finally,...  Read More

"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." - Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV)Have you ever felt like an afterthought? Like you weren't part of the original plan? Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to your relationship with God. Before Adam and Eve walked in the Garden of Eden, before the first star was hung i...  Read More

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NKJV)There was a man and wife who won an all-inclusive cruise, but they didn't realize it was all-inclusive. Being poor with little money, they stayed in their cabin eating cheese and crackers the entire trip. When crew members noticed they hadn't been to th...  Read More

"But Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, 'Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.'" - Numbers 13:30 (NKJV)Moses sent out a committee, a team of twelve individuals who would spy out the land and see what it looked like. Ten of them came back with an evil report, a report of doubt, a report of "I can't do it." These ten spies came back and they sai...  Read More

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)Paul says in Ephesians 1:3 that we've been blessed "in the heavenly places." "Places" is not in the Greek. It's fine to put it there, but it's just "in the heavenlies." What ...  Read More

"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!" - Psalm 68:19 (NKJV)Ray Stedman once said, "It is amazing the change that comes over us when we simply review our resources and count our blessings. That is where true encouragement is found in an honest accounting of the Father's limitless resources and blessings, made available to us in Christ."He wrote, "I once r...  Read More

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." - Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)There was a man in South Africa who owned a small compound where he and his horse would travel daily. As they passed through his property, there was a little stream filled with shiny objects that frustrated him greatly. His horse would c...  Read More

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 1:2 (NKJV)Remember the story of Mephibosheth? He was the grandson of King Saul and son of Jonathan, David's best friend (2 Samuel 4:4). Due to an accident in childhood, he was crippled and living in a wasteland called Lo Debar - literally meaning "no pasture" (2 Samuel 9:4). When King David sought to show kindness ...  Read More

"Him who knew no sin He made to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)"The me I see is the me I'll be." This simple phrase captures an important truth about human nature. Have you ever been to a house of mirrors at a carnival? Those distorted reflections show you a false version of yourself - sometimes taller, sometimes shorter, sometimes ...  Read More

"To the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 1:1 (NKJV)When you hear the word "saint," what comes to mind? Perhaps stained glass windows, haloes, or someone who lived centuries ago and performed miracles. Maybe you think of the New Orleans Saints football team or those celebrity-faced candles you might see in gift shops. But here's what might surprise you: if you've...  Read More

"... [T]o the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 1:1 (NKJV)When someone asks what you do for a living, you might say "I'm in education" or "I'm in business." When you're newly married, you might say "I'm in love" - and everyone understands. But when the Bible says we're "in Christ," people often scratch their heads, wondering what that means.Think about having an ...  Read More