Ephesians 3:17b-21 (TNIV) – “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Research involves looking at the smallest details and combining it with previous knowledge to piece together a new picture and new knowledge, but what if there is something that is beyond our knowledge.  In Ephesians, it says that the love of Christ is so wide, so long, so high, and so deep that it even surpasses knowledge.  We cannot research God’s love or try to figure it out, but God’s Word says that we can experience it ourselves and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  How awesome that our experience of God and what we think others can experience is not capped at our knowledge, but it is by God’s grace that we may be able to be filled all fullness.

Responding to the transmitted message: Let’s pray for the Spirit’s power so that we would deeply grasp how much God loves us and how much God loves those whom we have a hard time loving.  Let’s ask according to God’s Word that God would do what is impossible for us, but is possible for God to do.  Let’s continue to ask God for our missional groups and campuses.

Romans 12:9-13a (ESV/NLT) – “Let love be genuine.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Rejoice in our confident hope.  Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.”

Pop culture says love is a feeling, lifting us up when we are down and so that is why we need love.  This description of love is a one man show, but we know loving involves more than one person.  In this passage, love is active, vibrant and relational.  There are twelve exhortations in how to love and it is in relation to God for someone else.  We can love not because of feeling, but arising from our confident hope in God.

Responding to the transmitted message:  As we continue by the power of the Spirit, let’s pray that we would be able to love genuinely and not settle with just being nice to people.  Let’s pray that God would also help us feel what we ought to feel, that liking and loving someone would go hand in hand.  May God grow our hearts to love one another deeply in our community, guests, and students.

Romans 12:3-8 (MSG/NLT) – “I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you.  Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.  No, God brings it all to you.  The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

“In this way we are like the various parts of a human body.  Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people.  Each of us finds our function as a part of his body.  But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?  So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

“So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.  If your gift is serving others, serve them well.  If you are a teacher, teach well.  If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

When we have a long list of things to take care of, we often write a to-do list.  Sometimes we want to write a to-do list for Christian life too.  Gave thanks to God – check.  Served another person – check.  Did not envy or was not prideful – check.  Encouraged someone – XXXXX (nothing)… and then the list falls apart.  Transformation is not switching from a list of worldly things to a list of “holy” things, but transformation is the work of the Spirit.  Transformation is the complete gift of God and that’s why we can be thankful.  God’s will for us is good, pleasing and perfect.  By the Spirit, we become functioning body parts and not cut off appendages.  We are able to truly prophesy with faith, serve and teach well, encourage, give generously, lead, and show kindness.  

Responding to the transmitted message: Let’s pray with thanksgiving because we are included in the body of Christ.  Let’s pray for our church that we would be a body that understands fully what God is and what He does for us.  Let’s pray that God’s good, pleasing and perfect will will be worked out in our lives and the lives of others.  May we be vessels of God’s love for this generation.   

Colossians 3:10-17 (MSG/NLT) – “Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe.  Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it.  All the old fashions are now obsolete.  Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing.  From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and be quick to forgive an offense.  Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, clothe yourselves with love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment.  Never be without it.

“Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other.  None of this going off and doing your own thing.  And cultivate thankfulness.  Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house.  Give it plenty of room in your lives.  Instruct and direct one another using good common sense.  And sing, sing your hearts out to God!  Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”

In Paris, Milan, London, and New York, fashion capitals of the world, each season brings a flurry showcasing what’s in and what’s out.  In God’s fashion, what He has given us is always in, in every season and location.  We are not defined by any industry, upbringing, education, social status, or religious fortitude.  We are simply defined by Christ.  Christ who went to the cross and overwhelmed death gave us a new label and a wardrobe He picked out for us.  We are to make room in our lives for this new wardrobe with new garments of love.

Responding to the transmitted message:  Because of what Christ has done on the cross, the old way of living loveless is obsolete.  Let’s pray that we would daily put on the wardrobe of love: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, patience, and forgiveness, so that we can truly love one another.  Let’s pray for ourselves, our church, our children, our missional group, and our campuses.  May God help us to really tune into each other, so that we can be quick to respond and seasoned with words to instruct and direct one another.

Philippians 2:5-8 (TNIV/MSG/NLT) – “In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had.  He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what.  Not at all.  When the time came, he set aside his divine privileges, and took on the status of a slave, became human!  Having become human, he stayed human.  It was an incredibly humbling process.  He didn’t claim special privileges.  Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.”

When we turn 18, the law says we become full fledged adults, where contracts are binding, voting has influence, and our actions and decisions are accounted.  This age of majority makes us equal to someone who is in their 30’s as well as someone in their 60’s.  Just as when we believed in Jesus, everything changed and we became equals in God’s community, with all the rights to be near to God.  In this passage, Jesus shows us that equality with God is not something He used to His own advantage, but he emptied Himself through the cross to become the servant of others.  Whether we have believed for a short or long time, have certain likes and dislikes, are problem-causers, -finders, or -solvers, we are all to have the same attitude of mind Jesus had.  Instead of pushing our personal preferences, likes and dislikes into how we relate to others in the community, we are to become servants in our relationships to one another.

Responding to the transmitted message: Let’s pray that the Spirit would help us and shape our attitudes into the attitude of mind Jesus had.  Let’s humble ourselves and ask that God would teach us how to serve one another in love.  May He change our preferences, likes and dislikes so that we can genuinely relate to one another and look to the interests of others.