By Scott Brown First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:15-21  Paul, here, encourages believers to be careful to walk wisely. What exactly does it look like to walk wisely? Wisdom is the blessing Solomon chose which pleased God. Wisdom is offered freely to any and all believers who would ask for it in faith according to James. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of it in Proverbs. 

By Scott Brown First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 5:1-14 This chapter starts with the transitional statement to which the previous chapters have been building. Paul says, “Therefore (because of everything you’ve already read), be imitators of God, as beloved children.”  After this statement he begins to expound on what that will look like. When I think on that command to imitate God like beloved children, I think of

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:17-32 Several years ago, I did a study through the gospels, taking special notice of every time someone encountered Jesus and their response to Him. Some people left Jesus rejoicing, some enraged, still others left perplexed. There were multiple responses to encounters with Jesus but no one left an encounter with Jesus unchanged.

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16 God’s desire for His Body (the church) is for it to grow — not only by quantity but by quality. The Great Commission doesn’t end with just making more believers but with making more mature believers by “teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you.” Something my faith family knows all too well about me is

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly  Focal Passage: Ephesians 4:1-10 Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” Paul desires that the Ephesians walk worthy of their calling, together. So many of the New Testament commands are relational, showing how we are to have healthy relationships with each other because of our right relationship with Jesus. Thank God, the Christian life isn’t meant to be

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is constantly weaving together teachings to them and prayers for them. This incredible prayer is a beautiful picture of Paul’s heart for the faith family in Ephesus and a worshipful description of the infinite wonder of the majesty of God.  He prays that they might comprehend the length, width, breadth and depth of

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 3:1-13 There is an old story I’ve often heard about a group of blind men trying to describe an elephant. You may have heard it something like this: “A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. They said:

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 2:11-22 Nothing can distract, discourage, and destroy, bringing God’s work in a church to a grinding halt like senseless division. In fact, the presence of ongoing, unending, and intentional division in a fellowship is a fairly clear indicator of the absence of prayer, the Holy Spirit’s power and presence, or purpose.

By Scott Brown Pastor, First Baptist Church, Waverly Focal Passage: Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul takes the time here to outline clearly our desperate need of Jesus and the importance of His grace as the root of our salvation. He contends that, apart from Christ, we were not just sick in sin but dead in our trespasses. We were entirely helpless and utterly hopeless apart from Christ. Being made alive in Christ

By Scott Brown First Baptist Church, Waverly. Focal Passage: Ephesians 1:15-23  It’s nice to be thought of. A thoughtful note, an e-mail, or just a quick text can really change your day. Paul was reminding the Ephesian believers that they were on his mind and in his heart.  He wanted them to know they were prayed for. Paul is enduring his first imprisonment for proclaiming King Jesus, and rather than