Theme Passage
Ephesians 3:1-21
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 you have heard, haven't you, about the administration of God's grace that He gave to me for you? 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 the Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this [gospel] by the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of His power. 8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints!—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God's multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to the purpose of the ages, which He made in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness, access, and confidence through faith in Him.13 So then I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 [I pray] that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. [I pray that] you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and width, height and depth, 19 and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think —according to the power that works in you— 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Background to Theme
Everyone at an athletic competition knows the moment it happens. The competitors can sense it; the coaches can only watch it and the fans are in awe of it.It’s the instant when an athlete takes his or her game to a higher level during the course of a contest. Something happens that catapults the athlete into a stage of competitive performance where every skill is performed with perfection and every move is executed flawlessly. The competitor’s confidence rises with every second that goes by…and he or she literally becomes unstoppable. The athlete is playing “In the Zone.”
God desires each one of us to live our lives “In the Zone” through an unstoppable faith.He calls us to a higher level of living that is much greater than simply living for ourselves.What would your team or sport look like if you lived your life “In the Zone” for the Lord? How would things change on your campus if you lived out an unstoppable faith in Jesus Christ? Is this level of spiritual influence possible? Absolutely! It’s time to live “In the Zone” for Jesus Christ!