We worship our God who commands watchful prayer in perseverance. God’s answer to prayer, no matter the direction of the answer, does not annul the directive. Paul establishes God’s edict to pray and the time frame, “at all times.” Prayer is not out of mind, but a state of mind for the Christian. He calls the Ephesian church to watchfully pray and petition the Father on behalf of all saints. Perseverance, according to Paul, is the mentality that shapes the order to pray. Prayer is not a haphazard activity. It takes our attentiveness, but it does not require a monastery….
Sunday Morning Calls to Worship
Call To Worship June 5 2016
We worship our God who provided weapons for His people. The weapons He afforded us defend against the flaming arrows of the evil one and are directly from the words of God. At times, it seems believers stand alone in the world. They do not. Yes, they stand with the church, but ultimately they stand with the Omni-present Triune God. Paul directed the church in Ephesus to stand firm with the armor and weapons God provided. Those accoutrements never fail. God never changes. His gifts to His church never fail, so let us worship in awe of the constancy and…
Call To Worship May 29 2016
We worship the God of truth who gives armor to all His soldiers. Paul commanded the church in Ephesus to put on the full armor of God. His command is by way of imagery. Picture soldiers going into battle. The war we face as Christians is a war in which truth, righteousness and the gospel are fundamentals in the fight against the world forces of darkness. We need truth to attack and defend ourselves from Satan’s devices and our own remaining flesh. Righteousness is a necessity to stand against the false mentalities of the world and the gospel grants us…
Call to Worship May 22 2016
We worship our God who is almighty in His being. Due to His all-powerfulness in being, God is almighty in His purposes and protection of His people. Therefore, Paul instructs the church in Ephesus to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Eph. 6:10) The command directly goes against the individualism of our day. The Christian never relies or puts trust in self. We must be strong in the Lord. We must place our trust in His strength, purpose, protection and not our own. Certainly, Paul did not say, “Let Go and let God,” but…
Call To Worship May 15 2016
We worship our God who calls people to salvation from every background of life. No matter whether you are poor or rich, God saves sinners, and all mankind is fallen in sin. Socio-economics never calculated any measurement for God’s grace. He saves whom He desires, when He desires and they were bought with a crimson price. So, the church needs to function in accordance with this truth. The gospel does not promise financial equity on this earth for those who believe in Christ. Yet, God promises to provide and care for His people until He comes to gather them for…
Call To Worship May 8 2016
We worship our God in the first person of the Trinity as the heavenly Father. The term Father is important to us as humans and Christians. God as our Father indicates the sovereign authority and supreme power that God has over all things. God as our Father elucidates the necessity of provision and wisdom. God as our Father specifies the importance of accountability and caring guidance. The term “Father” left in human vernacular falls short of God in His perfections, but enables people to grasp an idea of God as a being. At the same time, we call Him our…
Call to Worship April 10 2016
We worship our God who created and instituted the ordinance of marriage. God set the purposes, and parameters of marriage. The marital relationship exists between one man and one woman without exception. God knew the struggle of Adam as there was no suitable companion for him after creation. Therefore, God made woman from a part of Adam’s body and as a helpmate and companion. God never placed the woman over the man in the Garden, so subjection occurred in the created order. Furthermore, non-submission on Eve’s part and faulty headship in Adam’s life was the major catalyst in the fall…
Call To Worship March 27 2016
We worship our God who committed His Son to die for sinners. Yet, we must not forget that the Son, Jesus Christ, submitted to the will of the Father. Jesus walked perfectly without sin and was whipped, beaten, and crucified as the only sacrifice capable of saving sinners from the wrath of God. Also, His death was the only perfect way for God to accomplish the redemption of those He loved before the foundation of the world. The obedience of Christ to live and die for sinners illustrated numerous relational elements in Christianity. Paul specified these relational connections to the…
Call To Worship – March 20 2016
We worship our God who does all things in perfection. Troubles, trials and terrors seem to be around every corner. Sin permeates the recesses, and sometimes the forefront of our minds. Yet, the Triune God does all things in purity. When troubles assail us and sorrow, need or death are ours, what should we do? Paul told the Ephesians to walk with a truthful, tuneful, thankful and thoughtful spirit. Thankfulness is often challenging when times are at ease and more so when times are difficult. We may cry out to God when circumstances of difficulty arise, but we are to…
Call To Worship March 13 2016
“Those whom God effectually calls, he also freely justifies, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ’s active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God….