This week, we continue our series In Him by studying Ephesians 5:25-33

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

What a challenging and inspiring picture of how Jesus loved and sacrificed himself for the church. And then, how husbands should model Jesus in the way that they love and sacrifice for their wives.

This week we will sing a new song, In Our Place. We will sing about the beauty of Jesus’ sacrifice for the church:

You have washed us white, You have borne our guilt and shame

You have satisfied the Law, In our place

Join us this week as we worship the one who loved us first! To prepare, check out these helpful links:

Oh! Great Is Our God! (Purchase)

 

In Our Place (Purchase)

 

Come Thou Fount (Purchase)

 

Jude Doxology (Purchase)

 

Jesus Paid It All

 

See you on Sunday.

 

This week, we continue our series In Him by studying Ephesians 5:22-24

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

This passage is one that has been debated about and struggled with for a very long time. This Sunday, as we enter into a series of passages that deal with the topic of submission (Ephesians 5:21-6:9), we will be discussing a few questions:

1. What is submission?
2. Did God ordain submission?
3. Does submission negate equality in personhood?
4. Did submission exist before the fall?
5. What happened to submission after the fall?

In the midst of asking these questions, it’s good for us to remember that Jesus, our Savior, submitted himself to the will of the Father to save you and I from our sins. Think about that – our salvation, our adoption, our reconciliation, our very life, rests on the one who modeled submission perfectly. Read these words from Philippians, chapter 2:

7 (Jesus) emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Join us this week as we worship the one who humbled himself to save you and I from our sins! To prepare, check out these helpful links:

Before the Throne (Listen | Purchase)

The Truth (Listen | Purchase)

Be Thou My Vision (Listen | Purchase)

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Listen | Purchase)

Nothing But The Blood (Listen | Purchase)

See you on Sunday.

 

This week, we continue our series In Him by studying Ephesians 5:15-21

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Paul continues with instructions for all believers in this passage. He starts by describing how not to walk in verses 15-18a. Then he moves to what it looks like to be filled with the Spirit in verses 18b-21). Look at the beautiful description of the actions of a person who is filled with the Spirit:

1. Speaking songs (v. 19a)
2. Singing songs (v. 19b)
3. Making songs (v. 19b)
4. Giving thanks (v. 20)
5. Submitting (v. 21)

Join us this week as we sing and make melody to the Lord together! To prepare, check out these helpful links:

To Praise Your Glory (Listen | Purchase)

Sing to the King (Listen | Purchase)

Man of Sorrows (Listen | Purchase)

Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus (Listen | Purchase)

Rejoice (Listen | Purchase)

See you on Sunday.

 

This week, we continue our series In Him by studying Ephesians 5:3-14

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Sex, speech, thanksgiving, impurity. This passage is full of strong words from Paul about how we are called to think and behave.

We see two movements:

• The first movement is an instruction to Run from Darkness (vv. 3-7)
• The second movement is an instruction to Walk in Light (vv. 8-14)

Join us this week as we study the word of God together.

 

Preparing to sing together

To prepare to sing together, check out these helpful links:

By His Grace (Listen | Purchase)

Here is Love (Listen | Purchase)

I Surrender All (Listen | Purchase)

Grace Alone (Kings Kaleidoscope) (Purchase)

In Tenderness (Listen | Purchase)

See you on Sunday.