My friend Steve Kneale has written a very helpful article here about how we learn to experience love across cultures. In his article, he picks up on how the concept of “love languages” has often been misunderstood and misused. Steve, observes that too often, people talk in terms of what their “love language” is meaning… Continue reading Submitting to one another and learning love languages
Tag: Ephesians
Ephesians and the prosperity Gospel
There’s been a lie going around for so many years, often referred to as “The Prosperity Gospel.” This is the belief that if we have enough faith and use the right words, then we can claim whatever we like from God and he will give it to us. This is sometimes known as “Health, wealth… Continue reading Ephesians and the prosperity Gospel
Can I skip Sunday?
I remember the conversation well. We were part of a church at the time that published a term card with the topics and speakers listed for each Sunday. The other person looked at the term card and saw that coming up was a sermon on Ephesians 5:22-32. They said “I think I’ll give that Sunday… Continue reading Can I skip Sunday?
Ephesians and Church leadership
We want our church leadership to be Biblical. Usually by this, we mean that we want to appoint people to the offices we find in Scripture and mirror the structures we find there. The problem is that there is often a lot of disagreement here because in fact the New Testament doesn’t really have that… Continue reading Ephesians and Church leadership
Ephesians and mission
What does Ephesians have to say about the mission of The Church and our part in it? Well, to start with, it begins with the mission of God. It is the Father himself who chooses to love and bless us by seeking us out when we were far off, dead in sin, aligned with and… Continue reading Ephesians and mission
Slaves and Masters
Ephesians 5-6 applies the way God’s love poured out to us is reflected in our love for each other in four relational examples Encouraging one another in the church Marriage Parents and children Slaves and Masters Here is some background reading relating to the 4th example with a look at church history and the movement… Continue reading Slaves and Masters
Husbands, love your wives … wives, let them
This title might be seen as a possible TL:DR of one of the crucial applications of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (ch 5:21-32). Back in 2010 for my MTh dissertation I had the privilege of studying that particular passage in depth. You can read the results of that study here:
Spiritual Warfare in Ephesians
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Spiritual Warfare”? You perhaps think first of all about demon possession and exorcism, perhaps too about witchcraft and sorcery. Perhaps you will have in mind some famous secular films like the Exorcist or popular level Christian literature. Well you would not be wrong to think about… Continue reading Spiritual Warfare in Ephesians
Marriage health-check (applying Ephesians 5)
In my previous article, I suggested that we should be cautious about attempting to be over prescriptive about what it means to practically apply Ephesians 5:21-32. I’m convinced that rather than looking at each aspect individually to see if wives are submitting, husbands are being good heads etc that we do best to look at… Continue reading Marriage health-check (applying Ephesians 5)
Strengthened in love (A sermon on Ephesians 3:14-21 for Pentecost)
What is love? Famously, a set of cartoons back in the 1980s offered the answer “love is…” with lots of examples. Perhaps, given he was not too sure himself at the time and what was to follow, they were unwise in one suggestion “Love is Charlie and Di” We might suggest that love is our… Continue reading Strengthened in love (A sermon on Ephesians 3:14-21 for Pentecost)