SERMON NOTES:

Prayer Requests Y Pray for Devin Vosdingh as she goes through extensive dental work. Y Pray for Erika Dochniak as she struggles with diabetes. Y Thank you for the cards and healing prayers for Gloria Ivers broken ankle. Y Pray for a seven year old boy named Carter Olson who is recovering from eye surgery and will be undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer. Y Pray for Bob Polzin in Casa Grande, AZ who is facing surgery soon for a brain tumor. Y Pray for Rebecca Kleins family as they go through divorce. Y Pray for Franks Grandma Warnock who might go to heaven soon, and pray she has peace and a relief from her intense pain. Y Pray for Angelicas friend Ann, a friend and colleague, who is receiving treatment for breast cancer. Y Pray for Gary Longs sister Karen as she has been diagnosed with Parkinson. Y Pray for Carole Lloyd, a friend of Pastor Paul and Amy Moore, whose brain cancer has reappeared. Y Pray for Dwight Zvorak as he recovers from the disease of alcoholism.

Y Pray for persons and process involved in property purchase for COL.

DEVOTION
The letter called Ephesians is a deeply spiritual letter containing many powerful prayers and teachings about the faith. This week consider reading a chapter a day. Scholars are divided about who wrote Ephesians. Even though the letter says that the apostle Paul wrote it, the language of the letter is very different than the language of Pauls other letters. Therefore many people believe that the letter was written by a follower of Paul who used Pauls name in order to give the letter more legitimacy. In this devotion were calling the writer of the letter, E. It could be Paul and it might not be. Whats ultimately important is we take the message and apply it to our lives. Comments about the devotion can be emailed to pastor@colpres.org. Monday, November 14 Read Ephesians 1:1-23 In this first chapter E shared two powerful passages. In the first 14 verses E explained the blessings that God has given to us through Christ. These verses share a basic description of the cross and resurrection. Through Jesus we are adopted and redeemed and destined to receive an inheritance.

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In verses 15-23 E shared a wonderful prayer. The first part of the prayer is worth memorizing. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. Read that prayer through a few times today. As you read through it replace the word, you with your name. Make this your prayer! Tuesday, November 15 Read Ephesians 2:1-22 This chapter has often been used to illustrate the purpose of the church. You and I at Chain of Lakes are part of a spiritual structure that is bound together in Christ. Our Purpose Statement of strangers becoming friends has its biblical basis in verse 19: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God We can see the progression of strangers to friends to disciples in this verse. Toda,y as you pray, pray for the church. Dont only pray for Chain of Lakes Church, but pray for as many churches as your mind allows you. Open your mind to receiving an image of the churches that you know churches in your neighborhood, churches that youve visited, churches in which you have participated. Pray for them. May your prayer be a glorious recital of petition for churches!

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Wednesday, November 16 Read Ephesians 3:1-20 Using the name of Paul, E said he was a prisoner of the gospel. E had experienced the power of Gods grace. We can appreciate this understanding of grace in the prayer in verses 16-19. May this be your prayer today. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, God may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through Gods Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Again put your own name in the place of the word, you. Make this your own prayer. Thursday, November 17 Read Ephesians 4:1-32 Pastor Paul preached from this passage this past Sunday. In this passage E shared what happens when people get connected to a faith community. Each of us is given gifts. In verse 11 E described leadership positions in the church more than a specific gift. We have these gifts to that The people of the church are equipped for ministry (verse 12) The body of Christ is built up (verse 12) People come to unity of faith and of knowledge of Christ( verse 13) To maturity and the measure of the full stature of Christ (verse 13) E shared in these verses what happens in local congregations when people use their gifts.

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As you pray today, think about people that you know. Pray for these four points for those people. Specifically pray that a person can be equipped for ministry, that a congregation can be built up, that the person comes to full knowledge of Christ, and to maturity. Friday, November 18 Read Ephesians 5:1-32 This is one of the hardest sections of Ephesians. This letter was written in a time when wives were subject to their husbands. At Chain of Lakes Church we would not teach that wives be subject to their husbands or that the husband is the head of the wife. We would teach that people are called to love each other. In verse 21 E wrote that we are called to be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. This would be another way to say that we are called to love each other. Verses eight through eleven are powerful. For once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of lightfor the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. On the day that this devotion is written the sports world is being rocked by child sexual abuse charges at Penn State University. The alleged activities took place a long time ago and certainly were unfruitful works of darkness. But eventually these allegations were exposed to the light. As Christians we believe that everything eventually will be exposed to the light. Part of our calling as Christians is to expose the light of Christ to all areas of lifeeven those areas that are full of darkness. This can be hard at times and bring pain. But as

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E wrote exposing darkness to light is good and right and true. Today as you pray, pray that you can bring light to the darkness of the world. Pray for courage in doing this! Saturday, November 19 Read Ephesians 6:1-24 In this last chapter E wrote that we are called to put on the whole armor of God. E assumes that we will be assailed in our life. Our task is to wear this armor so that we can withstand the wiles of the devil. You probably know of someone who could use the armor of God today. Today as you pray, pray that the person might experience the armor of God. Imagine the person having a protective coating over them that will withstand the challenges of the world. Pray also that our new congregation will wear the armor of God. Starting a new church is very much a spiritual struggle. Pray that we can withstand being assailed by forces that dont want to see us succeed. Pray for the armor of God!