Emphasis Preaching Journal

The new Christians in Ephesus are urged to lead lives of patient love, using their various gifts in the unity of the Spirit, while growing toward maturity in Christ. Roles of service are varied, but there is a oneness at the heart of the faith and its goal. All believers’ efforts are meant to strengthen the body of Christ. The family of God derives its being and identity from God. Relationships within this household come from a relationship with God. The writer of these verses desires for us to be strong in our inner being, rooted and grounded in love. It’s important to be strongly supported and properly grounded when storms of a human nature come to uproot us. A firm grounding in Christ and our strong inner being can help us weather life’s storms. How can we stay rooted and grounded in love as the world pounds us one way or another? We are strengthened through the Holy Spirit. We must rely on God’s strength, just as a plant relies on the gardener to plant the seed deep enough that the roots are strong and deep. If God is planted within us, we will be strong enough to face all the storms of life.