• Memorize Ephesians 3.20

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

• All three week’s BIG IDEAs
  

I will not settle for LESS because the God who is ABLE has infinitely MORE for me
I will RAISE THE WHITE FLAG because with God SURRENDER is the path to infinitely MORE.
I will SHOOT for the STARS because I’m believing God for MORE

• Make Ephesians 3.14-21 your daily prayer
  

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Listen to the LIFE to the power of INFINITY series online at elevate-church.com

• Memorize Ephesians 3.20 between now and April 29

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

• Use this week’s BIG IDEA as a statement of faith for your life

I will RAISE THE WHITE FLAG because with God SURRENDER is the path to infinitely MORE.

• Make Ephesians 3.14-21 your daily prayer through April 29

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Join us for the LIFE to the power of INFINITY series at Elevate Church in one of 3 identical services Saturdays 5.15p, Sundays at 9.15a & 11a or listen online at elevate-church.com

• Memorize Ephesians 3.20 between now and April 29

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

• Use this week’s BIG IDEA as a statement of faith for your life

I will not settle for LESS because the God who is ABLE has infinitely MORE for me

• Make Ephesians 3.14-21 your daily prayer through April 29

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Join us for the LIFE to the power of INFINITY series at Elevate Church in one of 3 identical services Saturdays 5.15p, Sundays at 9.15a & 11a or listen online at elevate-church.com

Follow The Leader

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.  You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.  Don’t participate in the things these people do.  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.  It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.  But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,  for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

 

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Old to new.  Darkness to light.  Unwise becoming wise.  Previously dead to the world, to each other and to God, but now wide awake to living.  Living in the world as God’s new people, truly human ones who do what humans were made to do: reflect God’s image in everything we do.  How can you follow Jesus faithfully…

…in the creation?
…with other people in community?
…in your personal attitudes, thoughts and intentions?

 FOLLOW THE LEADER

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.  They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,  for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. -Ephesians 4:17-5:2

The old way of being human must die, a new way of being human has been born in us through Jesus.  What specifically must die and what must live…

…in the wider world?
…in the way groups of people relate to each other?
…for you?

• Memorize Ephesians 3.20 between now and April 29

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

• Use this week’s BIG IDEA as a statement of faith for your life

I will not settle for LESS because the God who is ABLE has infinitely MORE for me

• Make Ephesians 3.14-21 your daily prayer through April 29

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Join us for the LIFE to the power of INFINITY series at Elevate Church in one of 3 identical services Saturdays 5.15p, Sundays at 9.15a & 11a or listen online at elevate-church.com

• Memorize Ephesians 3.20 between now and April 29

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

• Use this week’s BIG IDEA as a statement of faith for your life

I will not settle for LESS because the God who is ABLE has infinitely MORE for me

• Make Ephesians 3.14-21 your daily prayer through April 29

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Join us for the LIFE to the power of INFINITY series at Elevate Church in one of 3 identical services Saturdays 5.15p, Sundays at 9.15a & 11a or listen online at elevate-church.com

FREEDOM-recovering the true way to be human through Jesus

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.  God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. -Ephesians 2:4-10

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.  For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.  He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.  Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.  He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.  Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.  So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.  Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.  Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. -Ephesians 2:13-22

We who follow Jesus have already been “raised up with Christ” to God’s realm, to share in his rule over all things.  Paul also says we are God’s “handiwork” -His work of art- created to do good things with the gift of our lives. 
What does this mean…

…for the world we live in and that God will restore?
…for the “one new humanity” God has made in Christ?
…for you?

FREEDOM-recovering the true way to be human through Jesus

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.  I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.  Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.  God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.  And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

God raised Jesus from the dead, and “placed all things under his authority.”  This makes Jesus the truly human one, the one who fulfills what God promised in Psalm 8.  But Paul says the power God used to raise Jesus  is also for “us who believe.”  What impact could this resurrection power have…

…for the world?
…for the body of Christ, the church?
…for you?

 FLASHBACK-to every detail purposed by God

¹ O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
    Your glory is higher than the heavens.
² You have taught children and infants
    to tell of your strength,^[b]
silencing your enemies
    and all who oppose you.

³ When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
⁴ what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?^[c]
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God^[d]
    and crowned them^[e] with glory and honor.
⁶ You gave them charge of everything you made,
    putting all things under their authority—
⁷ the flocks and the herds
    and all the wild animals,
⁸ the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
    and everything that swims the ocean currents.

⁹ O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Psalm 8

Every detail was dictated by His direction.  The stars and moon in the sky, every animal on the earth, all the birds in the sky, and every fish in the sea .  Theof  glory of God is evident in all things, yet He placed humans higher than the rest and us authority over it all.  From that alone we can only begin to imagine His purpose for everything.

In the midst of an amazing creation, this Psalm says God himself gave humans “glory and honor” and “put them in charge of everything.”  What difference does this make for how you see the purpose God had…

…for all the rest of creation?
…for other people?
…for you?