Pastor Paul’s Advice

Since the last post, I’ve been in Paul’s letters to churches he helped plant.  Here is what I’m underlining…

 Ephesians:  

1) God loves us more than we can imagine… “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt into His own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  And this gave him great pleasure” (Eph. 1:5, NLT)

2) Growth is normal and expected for the believer… “Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the like sound like the truth.  Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Eph. 4:14-15, NLT)

3) God has a plan for the family… “For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior” (Eph. 5:23, NLT)

Philippians

1) Paul loved God’s church… “And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.  It is right that I should feel this way about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart.  We have shared together the blessings of God…God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:7-8, NLT)

2) Paul’s outlook on life was crystal clear… “I once thought all these things (his accomplishments) were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done” (Phil. 3:7, NLT)

Colossians

1)  Jesus is all that matters…

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.  He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.  Everything was created through him and for him.  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.  He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.  So he is first in everything. (Colossians 1:15-18)