2. TITLE: God’s Love Defeats Discouragement TEXT: Ephesians 3:14-21 THEME: Experiencing God’s Love defeats discouragement

4. They followed a three point outline. 1.Before salvation I was an alcoholic, a drug addict, sexual promiscuous, depressed, poor, materialist, or atheist.

5. They followed a three point outline. 1.Before salvation I was an alcoholic, a drug addict, sexual promiscuous, depressed, poor, materialist, or atheist. 2.Jesus saved me and changed my heart.

6. They followed a three point outline. 1.Before salvation I was an alcoholic, a drug addict, sexual promiscuous, depressed, poor, materialist, or atheist. 2.Jesus saved me and changed my heart. 3.Now I am drug and alcohol or drug free, married in a stable relationship, joyful, good job, and love Jesus.

7. THEMES IN EPHESIANS Identity: knowing who you are in Christ.

8. THEMES IN EPHESIANS Identity: knowing who you are in Christ. Unity: understanding who the church is and how we are to relate to one another..

9. THEMES IN EPHESIANS Identity: knowing who you are in Christ. Unity: understanding who the church is and how we are to relate to one another. Power: how to live in God's strength.

10. God's power. “we will know who Christ is” [1:17]

11. God's power. “we will know who Christ is” [1:17] “know who we are in Christ” [1:18]

12. God's power. “we will know who Christ is” [1:17] “know who we are in Christ” [1:18] “experience his power” [1:19].

13. God's power. “we will know who Christ is” [1:17] “know who we are in Christ” [1:18] “experience his power” [1:19]. “...incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength...” (Ephesians 1:19)

14. How do you experience God's power?

15. Ephesians 3:14-21 “14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

16. Ephesians 3:14-21 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

17. Ephesians 3:14-21 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

18. 1. God's greatest resource is love.

19. Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you a mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.

20. "Glorious, unlimited resources." God has it all. He owns it all.

21. "Glorious, unlimited resources." God has it all. He owns it all. Psalm 50 says, all the animals of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills, every bird of the mountains...”

22. "Glorious, unlimited resources." God has it all. He owns it all. Psalm 50 says, all the animals of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills, every bird of the mountains...” “All the world is mine and everything in it." (Psalm 50:12)

23. Ephesians 3:18 And may you have power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

24. Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.

25. August Hare "Love flows downward. The love of parents for their children has always been far more powerful than that of children for their parents. In the same way, no man has ever loved God with more than 1/1000th of the love that God has given us."

26. Augustine "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."

28. How do you experience God’s power in your life?

29. II. God's love is your life.

30. Philippians 1:9 “I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.”

31. Do you know what makes Christianity unique? Do you know what separates us from all the other religions and organizations in the world? The answer is "Love." Without love, we're just robots...organized, disciplined robots. Love puts us in a league of our own, and it is the best thing we have to offer the world."

32. Pearl Bailey "What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork."

33. Ephesians 3 (17) May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvellous love.

34. Ephesians 3 (17) May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvellous love. (18) May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

35. Ephesians 3 (17) May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvellous love. (18) May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. (19) May you experience the love of Christ.

36. Two Latin words: meditatio, contemplation—meditation and contemplation.

37. Two Latin words: meditatio, contemplation—meditation and contemplation. Meditation is thinking in a specific direction;

38. Two Latin words: meditatio, contemplation—meditation and contemplation. Meditation is thinking in a specific direction; Contemplation is thinking for an extended duration.

40. How do you experience God’s power in your life?

41. III. Living in God's love is the key to power.

42. Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

43. What kind of power are we talking about here? Power over sin. Power over weakness. Power over fear. Power over shame. Power over despair. Power over rage. Power over lust. Power over greed. Power over pride. Power over doubt. Power over guilt.

44. Spurgeon "He is truly great in power who has power over himself."

45. Ephesians 3:20 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

47. APPLICATION: 1. One of the greatest things each and every person needs in their life is for someone meaningful to love them unconditionally. We all crave for it. We crave for someone who knows the deep secrets of live with all its weaknesses and shortcomings and loves us anyway

48. APPLICATION: 2.Maybe you have not found that in a parent or spouse or a friend and you feel lonely and empty or fearful because you think, “If this person really knew the true ‘me’ they would despise me.”

49. APPLICATION: 3.Maybe you have a view of God that sees him simply as a judge and as such He cannot love you because of your many flaws.

50. APPLICATION: 4.The reality is that God knows you better than you know yourself and yet he still loves and wants your best. Don’t obsess with your weakness and inadequacies- focus on how God loves and accepts you fully in spite of those things.

51. Gregory Boyle, “Tattoos on the Heart” Rigo started sobbing with the same ferocity as before. After catching his breath, he gasped through the sobs, "Seven buses. She takes … seven … buses. Imagine."

52. Gregory Boyle, “Tattoos on the Heart” Jesus' ministry—his birth on Christmas morning, his meals with sinners, his healing of the sick, his death on the cross for our sins—he showed us the heart of God, the God who will take a long journey of love to find us.