Ephesians 3:8
"Although I am less than the least of the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things."
Today's Prayer Focus
- For the riches of Christ to be displayed in the worship and preaching this morning, especially as we see Christ as our comfort in life and in death.
- For the new sermon series this fall on the book of Ephesians, with its rich teaching on the person of Christ and the community of believers. Pray that the discovery of these riches will shape our congregation and our personal lives. Pray that new people will find Christ and his riches through this new series.
- For the riches of Christ to be experienced in our many community groups and Bible studies this fall.
- For the riches of Christ to be discovered by our SPLASH kids each Sunday morning, and by our youth on Sunday evenings. Think of some children or youth you know, and pray for them by name.
"The Boundless Riches of Christ"
Mike Tilley
One time a mother came up to me to let me know that her teenage daughter prayed for me daily. That meant a lot to me, because there is always a part of me that feels inadequate, even while preaching. Surprising as it seems, the apostle Paul may have felt a similar inadequacy: Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people...
But Paul did not remain stuck in his inadequacy: This grace was given to me. We all need grace (strength) from God, and that’s why our prayers make such a difference. Today, your prayers can be a means of grace for your pastor, for our SPLASH teachers, for our youth leaders, for our community groups, and for all the places where grace is needed.
There’s a pot at the end of this rainbow: the boundless riches of Christ. For all of us, there is more to see and savor of Christ, more treasures of love to mine, more drinks of mercy for our soul, more victories for his kingdom, greater majesty to contemplate in song. May this be a day to discover and live out of the emotional and spiritual wealth we have in Christ.
Mike Tilley is the senior pastor of Lake Baldwin Church, and has lived in Orlando since 1994. He and his wife, Molly, worked with a core group from the Baldwin Park community to plant Lake Baldwin Church in 2006. Mike loves teaching the Bible in a way that relates to real life. In his spare time, Mike enjoys good movies, long dinner with friends, snow skiing, hanging out with his kids and two granddaughters, and travel.