PURPOSE: Extracts from Ephesians 1 and 3...
"It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.
Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up,
he had his eye on us,
had designs on us for glorious living,
part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
I ask God...
to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally,
your eyes focused and clear,
so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do,
grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers,
oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way,
I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians.
God saw to it that I was equipped,
but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities
God can do anything, you know—
far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!
He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us,
his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
