2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 2:2: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 2:5-7 - "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."

There is no shortage of division in the world we live in. It seems almost as though the world WANTS us to be divided. Unfortunately, there has also been no shortage of division in the church over the centuries.

However, we are called to live different. John 13:35 says that the world will know we are followers of Jesus, if we love one another. We may have differences, but we are one body. When we are united, the world will know Jesus through us. Our unity directly affects our witness.

As we explore Ephesians 2:1-10, we will be reflecting on the profound truth that, though we were once spiritually dead and bound by our sins, God's immense love and mercy have made us alive in Christ. We will see how God's grace not only saves us but also elevates us, giving us a place with Christ in the "heavenly realms".

Grace is an unearned and undeserved gift. We are called us to embrace it and extend it to others.

When we speak of God's will, often we use it as a platitude to explain away something that we don't understand. It is usually thought of as some sort of mystery to us. However, while there will always be elements of God's will that we won't understand, God's GENERAL will is made very clear in scripture.

What is more, God's will is revealed in us, to us, and through us when we have the mind of Christ (Romans 12:2: be transformed by the renewing of your minds), and when we are willing to FOLLOW the will of God.

Change is hard. We all have things we would like to change about ourselves. But no matter how much we desire those changes, it just doesn’t seem to get done.

Why is that? It is because usually, we want to change specific behaviours and outcomes without changing the processes and systems that cause those behaviours. We desire change without transformation. But transformation is what produces the change we need.