Ephesians: the operational manual for the church
Located in modern Turkey
Church started in the midst of pagan culture of worshipping Artemis and Diana
Ephesians 1:1
Saul (Shaal) - "to asked of God" from the tribe of Benjamin
Paul - "little, small" if we're going to be used by God we need to be humble
Apostle - "a sent one" with authority to teach, that spiritual gifts are important
19+ spiritual gifts in New Testament
You don't have to know what your spiritual gifts are to be effective in the kingdom, but you have to use them to serve others
2 dimensions: horizontal and vertical, our relationship with others and with God
1. Saints (hagios) - allow your uniqueness to impact and influence others.
We are saints in a port city, Tampa in our case, a location that has many cultures and opportunities for diverse human contact
2. Faithful in Christ Jesus - being reliable, which is more important than having knowledge, talent, gifting, and ability. We can have everyt
