⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

Ephesians

Today we begin a new book of the Bible. If you’ve been a part of The Oil Change for awhile, you know that this will be the thirteenth book of the Bible that we have covered (we’ve done a few books twice).

There have been a few times in the past when I wanted to start into this particular book, but decided to go in another direction. Of course, looking back, I believe it had a lot to do with God’s timing. You see, I think now is the perfect time to look at a book that’s primary focus is The Church. And so, I’m very excited about jumping into Ephesians.

Ephesians is another of the books written by Paul. And, as I’ve explained in the past, these “books” were actually letters written by Paul for the church in specific areas. However, it was common for Paul’s letters to be passed around from city to city. This letter, to the church in Ephesus, was no different.

Most scholars believe that the letter was written around A.D. 60, while Paul is in prison in Rome. Paul knew the people of Ephesus, having lived there for approximately three years during one of his earlier missionary trips. It was Paul who started the church in Ephesus.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be challenged with the area of unity within the church. Paul will remind us of what it means to be a Christ follower and the beauty of being part of something far bigger than just one small group of people. The Church is made up of millions of people all around the world. We worship in thousands of different ways in order to effectively reach people from various backgrounds, and yet, we have one purpose: to represent Jesus in a world needing salvation.

So, I hope you enjoy this next study. And, as I always say when we are first starting into a new book, this is the perfect time to forward this devotional to friends and family and encourage them to sign up and enjoy the journey with us.

My prayer: Lord, open my heart over the next few weeks and help me discover again what it means to be part of a glorious church. Amen.

Until tomorrow.