Ephesians 2

We His People - We Believe

We His People - We Believe

Dave Riddle - 9/3/2023

Key Passage: John 3:14-16

You may have heard “Hope is not a strategy”

  • There is some truth to that popular saying.

    • But hope IS an essential part of our faith.

      • 1 Corinthians 13:13

      • Hebrews 11:1-3

      • Romans 15:13

We Believe

  • We are people of faith.

    • John 3:14-16

    • Ephesians 2:8-9

      • Saved by faith though grace.

    • Romans 5:1-2

      • Faith and hope

We often struggle to live by faith

  • So often, we walk by what we see, know, and feel, rather than walking by faith.

    • Galatians 2:20

    • 2 Corinthians 5:7

      • walk = peripateo (Greek: περιπατέω) literally: to tread all around, walk at large. Figuratively: to live, to make one’s way, to regulate one’s life, to conduct oneself

      • Are you living in a manner consistent with your confident belief in God’s promises?

    • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

      • We do not focus on what is seen!

On what our whom do you set your eyes?

  • What/who are you chasing?

  • Are we people who live by faith?

  • Romans 8:24-25

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith 

  • Matthew 15:21-28

    • Great faith is powerful

The Disciples failure to heal

  • Matthew 17:14-21

    • Little faith is powerful

The Fiery Furnace

  • Daniel 3

    • We have faith even if God doesn’t answer our prayers.

    • We have faith even in death.

Do you believe?

  • John 11:25-26

God Hates Wicked Hearts and Evil Feet

The Hated Six - God Hates Wicked Hearts and Evil Feet

Dave Riddle - 8/20/2023

Key Passage: Proverbs 6:16-19

Seven are Detestable to Him

“Detestable” = tôʿēḇâ: Something disgusting (morally), an abhorrence, especially an idol or idolatry. Often translated “an abomination”

A Heart That Plots Wicked Schemes

  • “Heart” = lēḇ - inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding

  • “Wicked” = āven - to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught; nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness

What we think is right

  • Proverbs 15:12 / Most of Judges

    • The way the seems right to us is the way that leads to death.

    • We plot towards nothingness and scheme towards vanity

  • Romans 6:23 - the wages of sin is death…

  • Psalm 14:1 - …there is no one who does good.

We plot… and then eagerly run to do evil

  • Proverbs 6:18

    • What the heart plots to do, the feet are eager to carry out

    • Run = mâhar - to be liquid or flow easily

  • Proverbs 6:12-17

  • Genesis 6:5-6 - God sees the wickedness of our hearts and it breaks his heart.

The Answer

  • Christ alone.

  • Ephesians 2:8

    • We can be saved, by grace, through faith.

Humble Service

House Rules - Service

Dave Riddle - 11/13/2022

doulos (Greek: δοῦλος): a slave, bondman, man of servile condition

It’s What Jesus Did

  • Matthew 20:28

  • Acts 10:38

  • Philippians 2:7

We’re (re)created for it and called to it

  • 1 Peter 2:21

  • Philippians 2:3-5

  • Ephesians 2:10

  • Galatians 6:10

  • Matthew 20:26-27

It Demonstrates Love

  • Galatians 5:13-14

  • Romans 12:9-10

  • Romans 13:8

It Strengthens the Household

  • 1 Corinthians 14:12

  • Ephesians 4:11-13

  • 2 Peter 1:5-8

  • James 2:15-16

  • 1 Peter 4:8-11

It’s Pleasing to, and Rewarded by, God

  • Matthew 25:21 & 23, 34-36


House Rules

House Rules

Dave Riddle - 9/18/2022

Key Passage: Ephesians 2:19

We are a family!

  • Ephesians 2:19

    • …members of God’s household

    • oikos (Greek: οἶκος) - an inhabited house, a physical dwelling place. Also, the inhabitants of a house, all the persons forming one family - a household.

  • Galatians 6:10

    • …do good to everyone, but especially to the family of God.

  • 1 Timothy 3:15

    • God’s household=the church

  • 1 Peter 2:4-5

    • A spiritual house

  • Hebrews 10:19-21

    • Jesus is the head of our family

Gospel of Jesus – Priority 1!

  • Romans 1:16

    • The gospel is the power of God that brings salvation!

  • 1 Corinthians 9:16

    • Sharing the gospel is a necessity.

    • …Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

God’s Greatest Commands

  • Mark 12:29-31

    • Love God

    • Love People

God’s Great Commission

  • Matthew 28:19-20

    • Make disciples, baptize, teach.

Genuine Discipleship

  • Luke 9:23 - Follow me

    • Be on the same road

  • Galatians 2:20 - crucified with Christ

    • We no longer live, but Christ lives in us!

Targeted Spiritual Development

  • Luke 6:40

    • We should become more like Jesus

  • 1 Timothy 1:5

    • The goal of our instruction is love.

The Word of God- Our Way of Life

  • 2 Timothy 3:15-17

    • The Word changes us and equips us.

The Impact of Hope

The Impact of Hope

12/5/2021 - Dave Riddle 

Psalm 42:11 - why are you overcome with despair? Hope in God!

  • We are the people of Hope.

    • Surrounded by despair, but not living in despair.

How is it that we can be legitimately hopeful?

God is.

  • He exists

  • Jeremiah 10

    • The worthlessness of idols compared to a true God. (10:10)

      • Jeremiah 10:16

God is here.

  • Matthew 1:23 - God is with us.

  • Hebrews 1:3a - Jesus is God in the flesh

    • Philippians 2:5-7

God is love.

  • 1 John 4:8-9 - God is love.

  • John 3:16-17 - How much God loves us.

  • Titus 3:4-7 - what it means for us.

God is Salvation.

  • Roman 8:38-39 - there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

  • Hebrews 1:3 - God the Savior

God is King.

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - don’t live as those who have no hope

    • Ephesians 2:12 - We were… without Christ, without God, without hope. No longer!

  • 1 Timothy 6:13-15 - Celebrating his first coming while awaiting his second coming!

    • God will make all things new!

  • Hebrews 10:23 - hold tightly, without wavering, to the hope we affirm…

How can we embrace hope today?

Receive this truth in faith

  • 1 Peter 5:7

Reflect on how God is providing hope in your life

  • Psalm 9:1

Encourage another Jesus-follower you’ve seen exhibiting hope.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Share hope with someone in your missional context.

  • 1 Peter 3:15

Racism and Our Response

Racism
• 2 Chronicles 20:12

Racism exists.

Racism is wrong.
• Genesis 1:27

Repent.
• 1 John 1:9

Listen.
• James 1:19
• Proverbs 1:5

Pursue.
• Galatians 3:28
• Ephesians 2:14-15

Embrace.
• 1 Corinthians 13:7-8a Strategize.
•1 Chronicles 12:32
• Amos 5:24

“In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted on the Negro, I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities.”
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.