Ephesians is a theologically rich letter, filled with glimpses of core doctrine as well as deeper explorations of the main tenets of Christianity. And in Ephesians 3, Paul offers a prayer for the Ephesian Christians that God will do three things in their lives. In Paul’s prayer, he outlines the reality of the Trinity. His prayer petitions God in three ways: as the Spirit, as Christ, and then as the Father.
This three-fold prayer is powerful just as it’s written in this letter. Paul is seeking strength, love, and fullness for the Ephesian Christians, but when we factor in the Trinity, this takes on an ever deeper and richer significance.
In this Random Rambling, we’ll see take a brief look at what Paul prays, and what it means for the Ephesians, and for us as well.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind, primarily about what I’ve gained from my study of Scripture. I hope these ramblings can be an encouraging and helpful part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Theology Matters. And I found a t-shirt to prove it. You can find it on Amazon.com.
The time of the book of Judges was a very dark period of Israel’s history. The people of Israel were in a cycle of sin and oppression. God would send a deliverer, and they would have peace for a time, and then the cycle would repeat, getting progressively worse. However, there are a few bright spots to be found during this time. One of them is the example of a man named Manoah.
One of those bright spots is the example of a man named Manoah and his wife, found in Judges 13. God reveals to Manoah what he is about to do for his people, and Manoah’s response is one that we can follow as an example of faith and obedience.
In this Random Rambling, we’ll see four characteristics that Manoah displays, characteristics we should develop in our own life as well.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind, primarily about what I’ve gained from my study of Scripture. I hope these ramblings can be an encouraging and helpful part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
That sweet mug is handmade by THrō Ceramics. I received it as part of my Mugbox subscription. Check them out!
After much consideration and planning, I have decided to shift my focus a little concerning the approach I take with Random Ramblings. I am renewing my attempts to create and share short videos to encourage and inspire others. Going forward, these will be focused on something I have gained and gleaned from my study of the Bible.
In Ephesians 3:6, Paul explains the mystery of God’s inclusion of the Gentiles in with his chosen nation of Israel. Paul uses three words to describe this, all with the same prefix. In English, it would be “co,” and in Greek, it’s “syn.”
In this Random Rambling, we’ll take a look at these three words. In fact, he seems to coin one of them for his own purposes in describing what “together” looks like.
This passage from Ephesians is a great example of what it looks like for the body of Christ to be together, and it’s one of my favorite passages in this little letter.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind, primarily about what I’ve gained from my study of Scripture. I hope these ramblings can be an encouraging and helpful part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
No links available for this episode.
Change happens. Someone once said that the only things certain were death and taxes. While that may be true to a degree, there’s at least one more thing we can add to that list. Change is certain. Things will not stay the same, the way they are right now.
In my life, I have had a season of change. One of my kids, my oldest, is fully independent for the very first time. She and her roommate got an apartment. It’s a hard thing for me to see that one of my kids is old enough for that to be true. Change.
My second child just graduated. She’s getting her first car later this summer. She’s headed to college this fall. That’s also hard for me to accept. And on top of that, this year has been a crazy one for her as well. She finished high school in the midst of COVID-19; graduation and prom were postponed, and most of her senior year was derailed. Change.
My third child just turned 16. He’s learning to drive. He has not yet chosen to get his driver’s license… yet. But that change will happen sooner or later. Change.
So change is certain. If that’s the case, then how do we deal with it? How do we adjust? How do we embrace it? And how do we prepare ourselves for it? These are the questions rattling around in my head this week. I hope they challenge your thoughts as well.
Also, isn’t that T-shirt sweet? One of my favorite movies is Tommy Boy, with Chris Farley. Callahan Auto Parts was his father’s company in that movie. So the T-shirt was a must-have.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Callahan Auto Parts T-shirt
Tommy Boy on DVD
Have you ever had an epiphany? One of those moments when a light bulb goes on in your mind, in a major way? I had one of those a few days ago when I made some changes to the way I read and study the biblical text in my Logos software.
I was reading through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, and I turned off all the extraneous stuff that you find in most printed Bibles: the verse and chapter markers, the subheadings, the cross references. I was reading the letter in much the same way that the Ephesian people would have experienced it. And I noticed something significant in the context and flow of the letter in what we view as chapters 5 and 6.
There are two famous passages in those chapters, one on marriage, and the other on spiritual warfare. With the headings removed, the context of the letter allowed those two passages to be seen in a completely different relationship. All of a sudden, I saw that marriage might be one of the most intense areas of spiritual warfare that we experience.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Logos Bible Software
The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
Defending Your Marriage by Tim Muehlhoff
This quarantine and social isolation has really been a difficult time for many. As a minister, I have found it to be both a very difficult experience, and a very enlightening one. In this episode, I share a few of the things I’ve realized during this time.
I have leaned a few lessons in at least three areas. The first area is my family. This isolation has given us the opportunity to prioritize family time in greater ways than we have been able to recently, in various ways, like family movie nights, and more meals together. The second area affects my role as a minister and the church I serve. How we approach the process of canceling service, and now reopening them, has been an eye-opening experience. The third area… Well, you’ll need to watch the video to find out what it might be.
The crazy thing is that God can use even times like these to make himself known to us in ways that we might not have ever noticed. I have seen God do some pretty amazing things in my life an din the lives of those around me during this time. What has he been doing in your life through this quarantine? Have you been watching?
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Ozark Christian College (Mug I’m using)
In this inaugural episode of Random Ramblings from Randleman, I share a new coffee subscription service that I have joined called Trade Coffee. I’m two bags in, and so far, I love it. And with a little soap box discussion of coffee-related opinions, you get a glimpse into my inner coffee nerd.
I most typically brew my coffee using a pourover, like the Chemex or Hario V60. I prefer the flavors that those methods can bring out from a bean that has been roasted well. Currently, my favorite regions are either Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Kenya. I also prefer a lighter roast, because I think it brings out a better range of flavors that are inherent in the bean.
I have written several articles about how to make the perfect cup of coffee. In this series, I cover several topics, including water quality, the roast, the grind, using pourovers, and more. As you can see, this is a pretty important element in my life, and I enjoy all the subtle variations you can have in a single cup, as well as more dramatic differences between regions, roast profiles, and the beans themselves.
About Random Ramblings:
Random Ramblings are just that: they are random, and I’ll probably ramble. It’s an opportunity to share a little about what’s going on in my mind. From resources, to things I’m thinking about or studying from Scripture, to fun stuff, I hope these ramblings can be a fun part of your day. These brief videos will be shared here and on my YouTube channel. You can jump over there to subscribe for only video updates, or subscribe here to be notified of posts of all kinds.
Links:
Trade Coffee
Airscape Canister (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Ozark Coffee Company
Ozark Christian College (T-shirt I’m wearing)
