Ray Bentley

159 Episodes

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The Mystery of Marriage • Ephesians 5:18 • Part 1

2024-09-2625:39

Marriage is God's idea. It's his design that one man and one woman would promise to him that they'll live together as one for the rest of their lives.But today, we'll see there's more involved in Hannon's ship and procreation. We'll see. Marriage is God's colorful painting of our relationship with him. Let's open our Bibles to my favorite chapter in all of the Bible, Ephesians chapter five. Okay. The title of the message is The Mystery of Marriage. It is a wonderful picture of our relationship between Jesus, who is the heavenly bridegroom, and the church, which is like the bride.

Spiritual Health • Ephesians 5:18 • Part 2

2024-09-2525:37

Now that is that's amazing to me. Why is Paul comparing a man who gets drunk with wine and alcohol, with a man or a woman that is filled with his spirit? He is. He's bringing some rather unusual linkage here. But there is a purpose. These two have more in common than what appear on the surface. For instance, both men have a thirst. Both men have a need. Both men have something inside that they need to help with the pressures of life and the anxieties of life and and the complexities of life. And, you know, you ask a guy that drinks, why are you drinking? And he says, because it helps me relax. Takes the edge off and it makes me calm down.

Spiritual Health • Ephesians 5:8-14 • Part 1

2024-09-2425:32

The foundation of Ephesians. And by the way, it is not only the foundation of Ephesians. It is God's priority throughout the entire Bible. And this is how God has revealed himself to us and how we have a relationship with him. It begins with what God has done for you. It begins with God's gift to you of salvation, forgiveness, eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Walking With God • Ephesians 5:1-14 • Part 2

2024-09-2325:35

The instant the instant light comes on the scene. Darkness is chased away. Every time you turn on the light switch, you see a powerful spiritual principle demonstrated right before your eyes.

Walking With God • Ephesians 5:1-14 • Part 1

2024-09-2125:36

Our goal as believers should be spiritual growth. The process often reveals some surprising things growing spiritually is a greater revelation of just how big a sinner that I really am, and God's grace is deeper than I had imagined. His mercy is far wider than I could have ever dreamed, and as I begin to experience that now, I have a greater capacity to share that same love, grace, forgiveness toward others spread.

A Heavenly Wardrobe • Ephesians 4:17-32 • Part 2

2024-09-2025:36

To put on the mind of Christ we have to put off the mind of the world, and we need to start thinking heavenly thoughts and heavenly minded ways. And they're very, very different. This world says, looking out for number one and be aggressive and dominate. And Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit, the ones who feel like they're just bankrupt, spiritually blessed.

A Heavenly Wardrobe • Ephesians 4:17-32 • Part 1

2024-09-1925:36

There's books on how to dress for success and all the rest, but it really doesn't change who you are on the inside. It's a presentation. But now Paul here tells us that there is another kind of wardrobe. It's a heavenly wardrobe, or new and spiritual clothing that really makes a new spread.

It’s Time To Grow Up • Ephesians 4:7 • Part 2

2024-09-1825:37

There's an old saying. When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you're gone, the world will cry and you will rejoice. Today, pastor Ray brings us some insight on living a life that touches others. We are studying Ephesians with a focus on maturing spiritually

It’s Time To Grow Up • Ephesians 4 • Part 1

2024-09-1725:37

You start with this little tiny group 2000 years ago, and today you see that because of the pastors, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers, there are now 2.5 billion people. 2000 years later, who believe that Jesus is not dead in some tomb in the Middle East, but he actually rose from the dead that he is alive.That's a pretty aggressive growth campaign. Today, pastor Ray points out how the Lord structured the church to reach the world just that way. Let's open our Bibles to Ephesianschapter four. And we're now in the second section of Ephesians, where Paul is saying, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, verse one, to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

Blessing of Unity • Ephesians 4 • Part 4

2024-09-1625:37

You want to make peace. Show the gentleman house of God. Not that God's running around. He's angry and he's fed up. And he can't wait to judge everybody. That's that's not God. That's not the one I believe in. I believe in the one who said he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

Blessing of Unity • Ephesians 4 • Part 3

2024-09-1425:36

How do you identify yourself? . . . First and foremost, we should view ourselves as God's children. When we do, we'll be amazed at how that changes our lives. Want to know why?

The Blessing of Unity • Ephesians 4 • Part 2

2024-09-1325:36

God's love should so fill us that it flows over to others . . .Paul was encouraging. He goes, look, I know there's going to be differences of opinion, differences of expression, but strive for unity. Realize you're all brothers and sisters. You're all going to spend eternity with one another. You realize that we're going to be spending eternity with each other.

The Blessing of Unity • Ephesians 4 • Part 1

2024-09-1225:34

The successful Christian life starts with what God has done for us. Many times the church, let's say as an institution, has gotten the order backwards. You need to do this for God and you need to do that for God. And if you do this, then God will bless you. I believe that is not the biblical order.

What to Pray For • Ephesians 3:14-21 • Part 2

2024-09-1125:36

Jesus wants to have a close, caring relationship with us. You have a shepherd who's going to protect you. He's going to lead you to green pastures. He's going to work every circumstance, be involved in every detail, and even use the negative things in a fallen world to disciple you and to grow you up and to prepare you for an eternity of sharing as adjoined here with Jesus Christ

What to Pray For • Ephesians 3:14-21 • Part 1

2024-09-1025:34

What if you were full of pain, cuts, bruises, beaten, and yet what you were feeling was so much more real, so much more powerful, this overcoming joy and victory. Now you've got it. When life is at its darkest

God’s Amazing Plan • Ephesians 3:1 • Part 2

2024-09-0925:38

He walked on water. Cast devils out. He raised the dead. And so the disciples are thinking. Messiah. Kingdom, if he can do these things. What power on earth could stop him? But instead of using that power. Jesus is taken, nailed to a cross. Dies.

God’s Amazing Plan • Ephesians 3:1 • Part 1

2024-09-0725:33

Paul was persecuted by the religious leaders for spreading the gospel. They said, look, if you'll stop preaching this message of grace by faith, we'll stop persecuting you. Paul was beaten up so many times in prison, so many times for you Gentiles. Why was he so convinced of this? He wanted to make sure that you could be saved by grace through faith alone.

Where God Is at Home • Ephesians 2:18 • Part 2

2024-09-0625:33

So when Jesus crossed, as it were, the threshold, he was crucified. His blood was shed. Symbolically, the angels clean their swords, sheathed them, stand back. And now the way is open. Access is available. Now that Jesus. And of course, the beauty is that he not only died right there at the very entrance to fellowship with God, then he rose from the dead.

Where God Is at Home • Ephesians 2:18 • Part 1

2024-09-0525:35

Why only through him and with the analogy that comes here, actually comes from the Middle East and the patriarchs. Abraham, of course, was a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd. David was a shepherd. And interestingly, when I went to when I went to high school, I was in a district where I was supposed to go to this one high school, but I wanted to transfer because of the sports program that they had and the sport that I was in. Why only through him and with the analogy that comes here, actually comes from the Middle East and the patriarchs. Abraham, of course, was a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd. David was a shepherd. And interestingly, when I went to when I went to high school, I was in a district where I was supposed to go to this one high school, but I wanted to transfer because of the sports program that they had and the sport that I was in.

Made Nigh by The Blood • Ephesians 2

2024-09-0425:34

So we are our salvation is by a gift. You don't have to earn it. You don't have to deserve it, and it's just given to you. And that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Even your faith in the Lord is a gift to you. If you believe in trust in Jesus Christ, it's not something that you have created or manufactured.

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