Avenue Church

How do we trust God when what He asks feels impossible? This week, we trace Abraham’s journey from simple obedience to deep confidence in God’s character.  God strengthens our faith through time under tension and provides exactly what He asks us to surrender. Be encouraged to trust God’s direction even when you can’t yet see the destination.

What do you do when your resources feel like they’re running out? Let's unpack Elijah’s encounter with the widow at Zarephath and how God used her small act of obedience to release daily provision. Let's break the scarcity mindset and learn to depend on God’s word even when circumstances look bleak. Seek God first and respond with a handful of obedience.

Do you ever feel like life is a battle? Some days are tougher than others. We aren't just fighting for victory; we are fighting FROM victory and are called to stand in the Full Armor of God. The armor isn't a different outfit we put on just for battle. Instead, it's another way to visualize ourselves in Christ. Suit Up with the Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, and Sword of the Spirit. 

What are the most important relationships in your life? They probably fall into one of these categories: your spouse, your parents, your kids, or your work relationships. We are to bring our identity and righteousness in Christ into those relationships. When we do, they are transformed from relationships of selfish gain to opportunities for humble submission and service as unto the Lord.

If you are in Christ, you are made new and have received a new nature. But that doesn't free you from the need to CHOOSE to follow God's Word and His Spirit. Living intentionally to please God is essential. This is where the spiritual meets the practical. Paul provides some simple (but not easy) ways to live according to our calling as saints. 

Paul wants us to do something with everything he's shared with us in the first three chapters of Ephesians. He wants us to live in a way that reflects our calling in Christ. He doesn't begin with rules; he starts with relationships. The first relationship he emphasizes is with the local church. It is more than an event we attend; it's a body we're connected to. Believers are part of it and have something to contribute. 

What would you do if you were in prison? Paul prayed! Even though Paul was in a Roman prison, he considered himself only a prisoner of Jesus Christ. As he shifts from what we need to know to what we need to do, Paul prays that we would experience, understand, and have the power to live the life we've been called to live!

We've all felt like outsiders at some point in our lives. At the same time, we may have contributed to others feeling like outsiders. The Gospel message is the most unifying message there is. Christ has brought down all the walls of hostility between us and brought us together in peace. 

We are more than just lost without Christ. We are spiritually dead. Apart from Him, we are depraved and deserving of His wrath. BUT GOD - in His goodness and grace — has brought us to life through Christ. Understanding our original condition and our new position in Him is more than encouraging because this is not something we can do ourselves. We are saved by faith through grace.

Paul was a persecutor of Christians who became an apostle, church planter, and author of much of the New Testament. His letter to the church in Ephesus is a highlight in helping us understand the new life we have in Christ and how we should live as a result.