Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20 & 21)

These words from Paul encourage me. His words inspire me. His words cause me to imagine and to think big, to think beyond what is going on around me right now, to something that is grand!

As we come to the end of our sermon series in the Ephesians, we conclude with the spiritual battle that we are engaged in and the uniform that we have available to fend off the enemy. We also are reminded that that there is a power that is at work within us that is greater than anything that we will face in this world. It is greater, so we have no fear. We are Christ’s and Christ is in us. So, I get to imagine, to dream, to think beyond what is present right now. There is something better and it will be forever, and Christ is glorified!

I hope that you can join me this Sunday, whether it is in-person or online.

“I have told you these things,

so that in Me you will have peace.

In this world you will have trouble!

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We see on our screens the news about wars in other countries, shootings in our country, and tragedies that happen close to home. Sometimes it makes you want to “duck and cover” in our homes or pack up and get away. We want to be away from the trouble out there and hoping that the bad things will not touch us or the lives of our loved ones.

Even though it was over 2,000 years ago, Jesus knew that in this world, we would have trouble. In His day and in ours, there is trouble, and that trouble touches our lives. It will be that way until He returns.

There are two amazing things that Jesus said about the times of trouble.

First, that He has overcome the troubles in this world. Nothing can overtake us in the midst of our trouble.

Jesus also said that we would not be alone. In the midst of the trouble, the Holy Spirit is with us. God is with us, indwelling in those who believe to give us the power necessary as we face various trouble in this world.

Take heart. In the midst of our troubling times, God is with us, and He has overcome the troubles. This is Good News. Good News that we need to share with others who see our world as hopeless.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations,

for ever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20 & 21

I am excited that this Sunday we are going to have an All-Church Potluck right after our worship service. There isn’t an agenda, and nothing that we need to get done, so it will be good for us to gather and to spend time conversing and connecting with one another. If you haven’t signed up yet it isn’t too late, so call the church office and let Silvia know that you are coming.

Also, next week, our church campus is going to get a much-needed update, as our landscaping project will get under way. The project will take 6-8 weeks to complete and has been in the planning process for over a year. With the help from San Diego County and a variety of different agencies, we will be able to complete a project that will cost over $100,000 but will only cost the church around $10,000. We never could have done this project without the extra help, resources, and expertise from the county.

When I think of the landscaping project and about all of the capital improvements and repairs that we have done over the past few years, I think about the above verses from Ephesians. God is in the business of doing “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.” He does His work in us and in the Body of Christ in ways that we can’t imagine.

If you would have asked me a few years ago if the church needed some improvements I would have said “yes, absolutely but we don’t have the funds to do projects.” But through the sale of the church owned homes adjacent to our property a few years ago and a variety of circumstances, we are doing things that are immeasurable more that we could imagine.

We needed God to do far more than all we could ask or imagine by His power in us, and we do all of this so that God might be glorified.

So, as you see the project getting under way and the workers doing their various tasks, give thanks to God. He is and will do immeasurable more than we can ask or imagine and He gets all the glory.

Have a great rest of the week and I hope to see you on Sunday.