The Bible Speaks - His power working in us

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host Elgin Carelock.

[00:00:42] [SPEAKER_00]: The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ,

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_00]: rightly dividing the word of truth and learning how to apply it to our daily lives.

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00]: You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And now here's Elgin.

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Brothers and sisters, I welcome you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus the Christ,

[00:01:10] [SPEAKER_01]: to another edition of The Bible Speaks where we explore the depths of the Biblical truth

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_01]: and how it guides us in our journey through life.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And today we are tackling a topic that is as challenging as it is empowering,

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_01]: His power working in us.

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_01]: Our focus today comes from a powerful verse found in Ephesians 3 verse 20.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And in the complete Jewish Bible it reads,

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Now to him who by his power working in us is able to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_01]: This verse is often quoted as a source of encouragement,

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_01]: but it also challenges us to consider what it truly means to have God's power working within us

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_01]: and what's required for that power to be fully unleashed in our lives.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_01]: As believers we all desire to see God's power at work in us,

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_01]: power to overcome challenges, power to live righteously, power to fulfill our God-given purposes.

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But if we're honest there are times when we struggle to tap into that power.

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Why is that?

[00:02:37] [SPEAKER_01]: What holds us back?

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And how can we grow into the full expression of God's power in our lives?

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_01]: So let's dive into the topic together,

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_01]: exploring the challenges we face, the growth that's required,

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_01]: and the trust in God that will ultimately lead us to experience His power working in us in extraordinary ways.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's start by understanding what Paul means when he talks about God's power working in us.

[00:03:09] [SPEAKER_01]: The Greek word used here for power is dynamos,

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_01]: which refers to inherent strength or ability.

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_01]: This is the same word used to describe the power that raised Jesus from the dead in Ephesians 1 verses 19 through 20.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_01]: So when Paul says that God is able to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine by His power at work in us,

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_01]: he's talking about a power that is limitless and transformative.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_01]: But here's the challenge.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_01]: God's power doesn't automatically operate in the fullness within us.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_01]: There's a process, a growth journey that we must undergo to fully unleash this power.

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And this journey requires faith, obedience, and a deepening relationship with God.

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_01]: One of the biggest challenges to unleashing God's power in our lives is a need for continual growth.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_01]: Philippians 2 verses 12 through 13 tells us,

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_01]: for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Notice that Paul says, work out your salvation.

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_01]: This implies an ongoing process.

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_01]: It's not about earning salvation, but about growing into the fullness of what God has already given us.

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And part of this growth involves developing spiritual discipline, meaning prayer,

[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_01]: study the study of God's word, fasting, and fellowship with other believers.

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_01]: These practices help us align our lives with God's will, making room for His power to work more freely in us.

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Yet, growth often comes with discomfort.

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_01]: It requires us to step out of our comfort zones, to confront areas of weakness or sin in our lives,

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_01]: and to surrender more and more of our will to God's will.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Hebrews 12 and 1 encourages us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_01]: so that we can run the race marked out for us with perseverance.

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_01]: This shedding of hindrances is part of the growth process, and it's essential for unleashing God's power in our lives.

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Another challenge we face is trusting God to lead the way.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_01]: Ephesians 3 and 20 speaks to God's ability to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine,

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_01]: but this requires us to trust that God's plans are better than our own.

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Proverbs 3 verses 5 through 6 famously reminds us,

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_01]: trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_01]: In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your path straight.

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Trust is difficult because it often involves letting go of control.

[00:06:33] [SPEAKER_01]: We like to have a clear plan, to know what's coming next and to see the path ahead,

[00:06:39] [SPEAKER_01]: but God often leads us in ways that are unexpected,

[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_01]: ways that require us to walk by faith and not by sight as it tells us in 2 Corinthians 5 and 7.

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_01]: This trust is critical because God's power is unleashed in our lives when we are willing to follow Him,

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_01]: even when the way is unclear, even when it requires patience,

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_01]: and even when it seems that His timing is different from our own.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Here's an interesting paradox.

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_01]: We often experience God's power most profoundly in our weakness.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Paul writes it in 2 Corinthians 12 and 9,

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_01]: This scripture is crucial because it flips our natural thinking on its head.

[00:07:44] [SPEAKER_01]: We often think that God's power is shown in our strengths,

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_01]: but Paul teaches us that it's in our moments of weakness when we recognize our own limitations

[00:07:55] [SPEAKER_01]: and depend fully on God that His power is most evident.

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_01]: This requires humility and a willingness to admit that we can't do it all on our own.

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_01]: It's in these moments of surrender that God's power is unleashed in ways that we couldn't even have imagined.

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Finally, to see God's power working in us, we must walk in faith and obedience.

[00:08:24] [SPEAKER_01]: James 2 and 17 reminds us that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

[00:08:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Faith must be accompanied by action.

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_01]: This means stepping out in obedience to what God has called us to do,

[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_01]: even when it's challenging, even when we don't have all the answers.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Think of the Israelites at the Red Sea.

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_01]: They were trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army,

[00:08:55] [SPEAKER_01]: and it wasn't until they stepped forward in faith,

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_01]: obeying God's command to move that the sea was parted, and they were delivered.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Similarly, in our lives, God often calls us to take a step of faith,

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_01]: whether it's starting a new project, reaching out to someone in need,

[00:09:15] [SPEAKER_01]: or simply trusting Him with a difficult situation.

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's in that step of obedience that His power is unleashed.

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_01]: So how do we unleash God's power in us?

[00:09:29] [SPEAKER_01]: It starts with understanding that the power is not about us.

[00:09:34] [SPEAKER_01]: It's about God working through us.

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_01]: It requires continual growth, trusting God's leading,

[00:09:42] [SPEAKER_01]: embracing our weaknesses, and stepping out in faith and obedience.

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Brothers and sisters, remember that the power that raised Jesus from the dead

[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_01]: is the same power that is at work in you.

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a power that can transform lives, overcome obstacles,

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_01]: and accomplish more than we could ever ask or imagine.

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_01]: But it requires us to grow, to trust,

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_01]: and to follow God's lead every step of the way.

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_01]: I thank you for spending time with me on today,

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_01]: and I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow.

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Until then, God bless.

[00:10:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Find The Bible Speaks on Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and many more.

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Follow us on YouTube at The Bible Speaks Online.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_00]: You may contact Elgin at P.O. Box 5582, Ocala, Florida, 34478,

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_00]: or by email at TheBibleSpeaksOnline at gmail.com.