Ephesians 3:14-19 is perhaps one of the most powerful descriptions of love we find in Paul’s writings. The love Paul speaks of is so great he is forced to press the boundaries of language to express it.
Focus Scripture – Ephesians 3:14-19HIDESHOW
For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Extended SummaryHIDESHOW
Shawna Boren preached today from Ephesians 3:14-19. This passage is a prayer of Paul’s that wrestles deeply with how to express the profound love of God. Shawna broke it down for us verse by verse:
Verse 14: Paul kneels before the Father which is an act of submission and giving of himself to God on behalf of the church.
Verse 15: This verse makes it clear that God is the source of all families, indeed all life and all of reality!
Verse 16: Paul prays that God will empower us through the Holy Spirit in our inner being. We can’t come to faith on our own, it is by God’s power and strength that we can be reconciled to God. God transforms us from the inside out!
Verse 17: The Spirit’s work in our inner being prepares us to receive Christ in our hearts through faith. Paul then uses both a farming (“rooted”) and a construction (“established”) metaphor to describe the process of our inner change and the foundation that is being laid for our lives of faith.
Verse 18: Here we see the universal call to all of God’s people, that is everyone might grasp the incredible love of God! Shawna reminded us that God’s love is so expansive it doesn’t wait for you to change, it embraces you before you even realize it’s there. You belong to God and no one can change that fact.
Verse 19: To “know the love that surpasses knowledge” is Paul’s way of pushing out of the limitations of what we can understand with our minds and into the entire fullness of our lives. God transforms all of us, not just our ideas and theology. Paul is pressing on the limits of language to express the overwhelming love of God that seeks to fill us “to the full measure of all of the fullness of God”!
(We love discovering art that connects us to God in unique ways. Shawna used a song by Christy Nockels during her message. Find out more about Christy on her web site.)
Verse 14: Paul kneels before the Father which is an act of submission and giving of himself to God on behalf of the church.
Verse 15: This verse makes it clear that God is the source of all families, indeed all life and all of reality!
Verse 16: Paul prays that God will empower us through the Holy Spirit in our inner being. We can’t come to faith on our own, it is by God’s power and strength that we can be reconciled to God. God transforms us from the inside out!
Verse 17: The Spirit’s work in our inner being prepares us to receive Christ in our hearts through faith. Paul then uses both a farming (“rooted”) and a construction (“established”) metaphor to describe the process of our inner change and the foundation that is being laid for our lives of faith.
Verse 18: Here we see the universal call to all of God’s people, that is everyone might grasp the incredible love of God! Shawna reminded us that God’s love is so expansive it doesn’t wait for you to change, it embraces you before you even realize it’s there. You belong to God and no one can change that fact.
Verse 19: To “know the love that surpasses knowledge” is Paul’s way of pushing out of the limitations of what we can understand with our minds and into the entire fullness of our lives. God transforms all of us, not just our ideas and theology. Paul is pressing on the limits of language to express the overwhelming love of God that seeks to fill us “to the full measure of all of the fullness of God”!
(We love discovering art that connects us to God in unique ways. Shawna used a song by Christy Nockels during her message. Find out more about Christy on her web site.)
Practical Applications (homework)HIDESHOW
In this section of Ephesians, Paul writes about the hopes he has for us as we encounter the love of God. It is infinitely wide, long, high and deep, and if we’re “rooted and established” in this supernatural love, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to channel it into the world and the people around us. However, a foundation of love is critical! During her sermon, Shawna talked about the farming metaphor behind being “rooted” in love, and that plants can only produce good fruit if the roots are good. Here’s a homework idea for this week:
- Get together with someone you’re close with (could be a spouse, good friend or small group) and spend a few minutes writing down the “roots” of your life. What things drive your decisions? How have your values been formed? Could be your upbringing, significant life experiences, influential people, etc. Share these with each other.
- Now spend some time being honest about external behavior patterns in the other person that you have observed. Make lists of tendencies that seem healthy, and also those that seem unhealthy. Share your observations with each other, making sure you have the understanding that they aren’t about judging, but helping each other to grow.
- As you hear these behaviors reflected back to you, guard yourself against defensiveness. Make sure you talk through any misunderstandings, but also be sure to “own” both your healthy and unhealthy patterns.
- As you discuss behaviors, try to make connections between these patterns and the “roots” that you initially wrote down. These “roots” can help to explain why you do the things you do, even when you sometimes wish later you hadn’t. Now, what would these behaviors look like if they were rooted in the love of Christ? Spend some time praying together to ask God to help you each become more “rooted and established” in his love.
Reflection QuestionsHIDESHOW
- Read each of the supporting texts. What stood out to you most from this message and the supporting texts?
- As Shawna was unpacking this passage, what ways of describing God’s love challenged you most? Why?
- How does this description of God’s love fit with your experience of what love is all about in your life?
- How can Paul’s prayer strengthen the way we think and act? In other words, how can this prayer encourage us as we seek to love one another?