Week Eight, 2025
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8–10)
In the first two chapters of the Book of the Revelation, penned by the Apostle John, seven churches are described. They were all located in what is modern day Turkey. One of the largest cities, and most restored, is Ephesus, close to Izmir, Turkey. Recently, we walked the city, but no church was to be found. That is because there is none………none in any of the cities of the “seven churches” locations.
The Apostle, Paul spent three years in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, building the “church” and walking the same streets that I walked. The early believers met in homes, rather than in special buildings. Churches were house gatherings in Ephesian homes. Worshipers would enter the home and enter a courtyard to meet with other believers, perhaps Paul himself. Paul later wrote one of the most significant books of the Bible …. Ephesians.
Paul emphasized that Christians are saved by grace and not of their own doing. We are created for good works. We are dead when we follow the ways of the world. Naturally, in our sinful nature, we crave the things of the flesh, but because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
As I walked past the foundations of those old homes, I wondered which ones housed church meetings and which ones fostered the spread of the Gospel. I remembered the night I spoke in the fellowship hall of a church next to the remains of the sanctuary that had burned to the ground. I asked the pastor when the church burned down and he said ”Never, only the building burned, but the church is alive.”
I was reminded that the church is not a building, but a movement in the hearts of the believers committed to saving the world with the Word of God. As I walked along, I was reminded that my faith is a product of a shared Gospel that began in those homes two thousand years ago and I thought how my faith and its sharing would affect the world years from now. It compelled me to share more and worry about the world less and it should to you too.
Sometimes True Stories
Dr. Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, says it this way, “Passion is a consuming, motivating love and commitment for someone or something. In this context, it is a burning desire to please God above men.”
Passion is what drives men and women to desire more than what is expected. It’s a fire in the belly that drives one to go deeper… to try harder… to give that extra push.
“Growth is a fundamental aspect of life. We begin to grow and develop physically, mentally, and emotionally from the moment we are born,” wrote author, speaker, and host of the podcast, Passion Struck by John R. Miles. “As we progress through life, we seek new experiences and challenges that help us grow and develop as individuals.
Reaching your goals and dreams takes more than just doing what is expected of you, as good and as hard as that may be. Exceeding your goals and dreams is about doing what is expected and then some. It’s about taking personal responsibility for it. It’s about owning it. Marty Stubblefield
– 0 –
The return of Jesus holds different outcomes for humanity. For believers, it is the fulfillment of the Blessed Hope, a time of restoration and victory over evil. For those without faith, it will be a time of calamity. Your relationship with Christ determines your experience on that day. Dan Shock
– 0 –
Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “godfather of artificial intelligence,” is warning that AI could wipe out the human race within the next decade. He said the technology is developing “much faster” than he expected and could make humans the equivalents of “three-year-olds” and AI “the grown-ups.” In his view, “We’ve never had to deal with things more intelligent than ourselves before.”
Quotes You Can Use
The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well. John D. Rockefeller
Power must never be trusted without a check. John Adams
There is more in every person’s soul than we think. Ralph Waldo Emerson
When we stand at that great white throne judgment of God and hear our names called, we need not fear. Dan Shock
Before you mock children who still believe in Santa Claus, remember that there are still adults who believe everything they read on Facebook.
You are not grown up until you know how to communicate, apologize, be truthful and accept accountability without blaming someone else.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity and I am not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the trust is still putting on its shoes. Mark Twain
Wisdom begins with understanding, as you are a student forever learning.
***
Your feedback is welcome and if you want to contribute your ideas and thoughts, address all items and comments to [email protected], © Thoughts on Life Copyright 2025