The ascended Lord Jesus is the great Benefactor of His Church. He gives gifts not only for salvation but for service to build up and promote maturity in His body. All believers are gifted to serve and should contribute to the edification of the Church. youtube.com/live/M1SP5GJpMKg

Paul defines the Church as a unity; not in external but in spiritual oneness: one body, one Spirit, one hope of heaven, one Lord Jesus as Saviour and Head, one faith (body of truth), one baptism that attests trust in Christ, and one God and Father of all. youtube.com/live/FOr5uvBRUJ4

The doxology of Ephesians 3:20–21 magnifies God for His inconceivably great power that surpasses all human thought and expectation. As a result, the Lord deserves fulsome praise and adoration in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. youtube.com/live/4_-EfWN36rQ

God's love is the ground of salvation through Jesus Christ. His blood justifies believers and saves them from God's wrath. As a result, all who trust in Christ rejoice in their reconciled relationship with God. youtube.com/live/4dqk8QameZo

The "I AM Sayings" of Jesus declare His equality with the covenant Lord of the Old Testament, and His indispensability for us. The fifth saying, "I am the resurrection and the life" marks Jesus as the source of eternal life, obtained by faith alone. youtube.com/live/pygWZcAiyBE

The Good Shepherd protects His sheep so that none is lost. They are kept safe in the all-powerful hand of the Lord. For their part, they render obedience to their Lord, hearing and following Him. youtube.com/live/4UdqwkaO2Zk

Jesus' self-identification as the door of the sheep is an exclusive claim to be the sole mediator of the knowledge of God and salvation. He conceives messianic pretenders and blind spiritual guides as thieves and robbers. But only Jesus saves. youtube.com/live/AC51EtNkMxs

Christ's love for His children is divine—eternal and unchangeable—self-giving and abundantly fruitful. Only by God's power can we gain a deeper appreciation for it and, in turn, glorify the Lord who is able to do exceedingly more than we can ask or think. youtube.com/live/DZWLm4oWUD8

Christ's reiteration of the OT Shema (command to love the one true God) elucidates our central obligation to love the Lord with all that we have: heart, soul, and mind. Cold, dispassionate obedience will not suffice. The Lord claims ardent devotion. youtube.com/live/KG49OjcwT6M

"Everybody loves a good mystery," so the saying goes. But the mystery that eclipses all others was hidden in the Old Testament and is now revealed: God's purpose is to unite believers from diverse backgrounds into one body, His Church, through Christ. youtube.com/live/L0mpj3XN_Co

Christ's Church is the new temple God constructs upon the sure foundation of apostolic & prophetic Scripture. Jesus its cornerstone. The Holy Spirit now prepares the Church to be God's temple. Christians should rejoice in this privilege, living holy lives. youtube.com/live/Dh023eXNT9M

Division, conflict, and hostility mar the world in which we live, but the gospel of Jesus proclaims peace. The cross of Jesus reconciled us to God and to one another. The Church is a new humanity consisting of people from all backgrounds, united in Jesus. youtube.com/live/uBMrgInpAyc

Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:15–23 consists of three main requests: that God grant believers greater insight into the hope to which He has called them, their inestimable value as His glorious inheritance, & the exceeding greatness of His power toward them. youtube.com/live/_1VWcTXSui0

The salvation that the Lord Jesus achieved on Calvary and imparted to us by His Spirit is secure. Believers cannot suffer eternal loss because God has sealed us with His indwelling Spirit, the down payment of a greater, future inheritance. youtube.com/live/6qWDAJuCiwE

Ephesians 1:11–12 lists our eternal inheritance as another reason to praise God. It involves all the riches of God's grace, including eternal life and the kingdom of God. But more, the inheritance we anticipate is ultimately the Lord God Himself. youtube.com/live/E46Ee3bZibE

God's great plan involves redemption and forgiveness. He has revealed his cosmic purpose to sum up all things in Christ and put all things under Him. Since Jesus' throne is unassailable, we should gladly submit to His rule and serve Him with all our might. youtube.com/live/lA65F7dOZjI

The blessing of redemption is unfathomably rich and awe-inspiring. God's chosen and adopted children are also redeemed by the costly payment of Christ's blood. The upshot of this is that we are forgiven—all because of the riches of God's grace. youtube.com/live/Og4qiNr7O7I

Among the vast spiritual blessings believers receive from God, election appears first. God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and to become His adopted sons and daughters to the praise of His glorious grace (Eph. 1:3–6). youtube.com/live/mM3bP4cCZqQ

The introductory words of Ephesians are more than a polite hello. Instead, they establish Paul's apostolic authority, outline the true character of Christians, and pronounce God's blessing upon believers. As such, they set the tone for the entire epistle. youtube.com/live/WMXRUpQyE70

"My Times are in Your hand" (Ps. 31:15), expresses the trust of a beleaguered, yet faithful servant of the Lord in God's providential goodness. Recognizing that one's entire life is under God's gracious care is central to the life of faith. youtube.com/live/9OgPcGokxxI