Wednesday Night Services

How does a Christian walking in the light become a person of darkness? That is what Paul is addressing here in Ephesians 4:17-19. The word “darkened” means to “to deprive of light, or to make dark” so some level of light had to have been given. Looking closely at these verses we will see some truths about the darkness of the unsaved as well as how a born again person can turn again to the darkness from which they came. It’s important that we know how it happens so we don’t fall into it.

What happened when Jesus "ascended on high?" Paul quotes a verse from Psalms 68 in discussing this, and its use he ties two other events into the ascension of Jesus. What are these events and what light do the shed on what happened? The verse tells us that "He led captivity captive," so what did Jesus lead captive? Was it something the cross gave Him victory over or was there another victory. I've been spending a good bit of today to get an understanding of the other two events that using Psalm 68 brings into this, and also looking at the ascension of Jesus. There were two, so which one is in mind here? The first after he rose from the dead, or the second from the mount of Olives? There is a good bit of teaching about Jesus leading captivity captive, but if our understanding is wrong, so are our conclusions.

What are the main characteristics our walk should demonstrate? Paul begins our text tonight in Ephesians 4 with four characteristics that should be a part of our walk. What are they, how do I know if they are apart of me, and how can I get them or make them stronger? If you can get these four characteristics working in your life, your life will greatly improve! That’s not all that is in these opening verses

We look at the basis of Paul's second prayer for the saints and how this prayer can benefit us.

Paul discusses “The Ages” as this chapter begins, so what are they and how do they impact the way we live our Christian life now?

Are the covenants of Israel relative to us today? Paul states that these saints were once strangers from the covenants (plural) of promise, the ones made to Israel in the Old Testament. What are these covenants and how are they relevant to us today? Also, Paul looks at the devil's call sign of getting people to focus on one single trait of a person and decide on that basis if they are good or evil, but this is not God's way.

The opening verses of this chapter teach us a great deal about the world we live in. Understanding this will help us to not become like the world, but to walk different!

A study of Paul's first prayer for the saints in the book of Ephesians.

What does Paul mean when he says that God "works all things according to the counsel of His will?"

A look at Redemption and the purpose of Jesus' blood on the cross.

A look at the teaching of Paul on Predestination, as we continue in our study of Ephesians. Much is taught about Predestination but none of it can be demonstrated in scripture. At the end of this lesson we look at examples of how this type of predestination belief is supported with Biblical examples.

Why did God not put a pause or break in the prophesies about the coming Messiah, like Isaiah 61 when it describes what Jesus would do in His first and then His second coming? The two comings of Jesus have different purposes (in short the 1st to redeem; the 2nd to rule.) Was the confusion this brought intentional to keep it a mystery? In the Midweek service tomorrow night we begin a new series, looking at the Epistle to the Ephesians. I heard a great summary on Ephesians as being a statement of our heavenly account, with the first half telling us what is in the account and the second half how to use it. We begin with a overview of the book and a look into the mystery of the church age that this epistle defines for us so well.

Keith Porter is ministering from 1 John 4:1-21. Can the love of God affect our earthly relationships, even though the God kind of love seems to set an impossible standard. We'll find out "What love's got to do with it" tonight.

Does God allow things that do us harm to happen in order to accomplish His good? Joseph tells his brothers that "you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Did God mean or intend for this to happen to Joseph? I looked at all the translations I could, but there was no help in them and there is a reason for that. We will look at what Joseph is saying and see what we can learn about the events in our own lives. I think there is a good understanding to be had here. There are other principles to get to as well in a pretty packed final chapter of Genesis.

How much of our past mistakes and bad decisions are we held accountable for? Can we ever overcome them? Did the blood of Jesus separate us from any consequences of these mistakes or bad decisions? It might be nice to just think everything got washed away, but then there is a problem looking at Genesis 49. Jacob's "blessings" over his first three sons were more of a curse, and all three stemmed from a mistake they made in their younger days. What was spoken over them came about, so here is one of the big questions we will take on tomorrow night in the midweek service. In God's eyes will I always be under the affects of my past bad decisions? How is it that Jacob doesn't even mention what they all did to Joseph? If they were not held accountable for that, what made these mistakes so much greater or unable to be overcome? Were mistakes like theirs overcome by others?

Is there someone in your life that is very negative? Always sees the bad side of whatever occurs in their life? Maybe it’s evn yourself. How do you help those you know or yourself? We learn from Jacob the life of a negative view person can be brought around and we see how it can be done.

Why did Jacob seem to always talk about his soon arriving death? There is a reason and understanding it can help us better enjoy our lives here. The chapter moves on to Joseph’s handling of the rest of the famine and how the Egyptians lost their money, livestock, land, and even became slaves. Was this right to do? I did some research into the famine and found some very interesting things I will show you tonight. The chapter ends with Joseph’s vow to Jacob and what this action means.

Why is getting Israel into the land of Goshen so important? Since it was first mentioned in Genesis 45:10 we see it repeated 7 more times up in 46:28 - 47:27. Joseph carefully constructions what he will say to Pharaoh and what the family is to say to Pharaoh. Has God shown something to Joseph? The answer to these questions will help you understand some things we face in life today. If we don’t understand and operate in the wisdom Joseph followed, we can create a problem instead of avoiding it completely

Joseph is finally free to reveal himself to his brothers after over a year upon first seeing them. Joseph knows it’s coming down to this now and he must be excited with anticipation, but still keeps his sights on accomplishing the mission God gave him. Not only will Joseph’s response show us some things, so to will Pharaoh’s and his father Jacob.

In this midweek service we come to find out why God had given Joseph the two dreams. It begins with Joseph setting up Benjamin to be found guilty of something he did not do. So what happens next and why did Joseph do this?