Readings for April 3, 2011

This Sunday I will be preaching on Ephesians 3:17 in which Paul, in the process of explaining to the Ephesians what it is he prays for them, explains that he prays in light of the fact that they have been "rooted and established in love."  So many of us who've been believers for a while have gotten into the bad habit of regarding the word "love" in Bible passages the same way we regard tags on mattresses: with a casually dismissive attitude.  

But the fact is that many believers (and churches) attempt to root and establish themselves in many other things before it occurs to them to root themselves in love.  We use, for our potting soil, things like doctrine, works, relationships, church, etc.  

And if we do decide to root ourselves in love we are unsure as to how to do that, and it sounds so namby-pamby to us anyway.

But this verse (and the broader passage) is all about love: knowing it; grasping it; being filled with it.  So let's consider what it means to be rooted and established in love and take steps toward seeing that we are.

Call to Repentance

Ephesians 4:17-18  (page 1821)

Call to Worship

Psalm 61  (page 897)

OT Reading

Amos 9:11-15 (page 1431)

NT Reading

Romans 8:31-39  (page 1758)

Message

Rooted and Established

Ephesians 3:17  (page 1820)