Pillar Church Podcast

Submission has become one of the most misunderstood words in the Church.For some, it sounds like weakness. For others, it has been used as permission for control, domination, or silence. But when Ephesians teaches biblical submission, it begins somewhere very different: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”In “When Did Submission Become A Dirty Word? | What Biblical Submission Is...And Isn't,” we walk through Ephesians 5:21–6:9 and examine what submission actually looks like in marriage, family, work, and our relationship with God.In this sermon, you'll discover:Why biblical submission begins with surrender to JesusThe difference between submission and subjugationWhat submission does—and does not—mean for wives and husbandsWhy godly leadership looks more like sacrifice than controlHow parents and children can reflect God’s authority without becoming controlling or rebelliousWhat submission looks like between employees and employersWhy Jesus is the ultimate picture of power under authorityBiblical submission never diminishes someone’s value, gives permission for domination, or asks us to dishonor God. Instead, it teaches us how to carry strength, influence, and authority in the way Jesus did.We see that most clearly in Christ Himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” At the cross, He had the power to come down, yet remained surrendered to the Father. What looked like weakness became the very means through which salvation came to us.That is the picture Paul gives us: not power erased, but power willingly brought under the authority of God. And the more we learn to live like Jesus, the more faithfully we can steward whatever influence He places in our hands.

Following Jesus was never meant to stop at believing the right things. The more we know God, the more His character should begin shaping the way we actually live. Ephesians 5 begins with a simple but weighty command: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.”In “What Does It Mean to Imitate God? | How Knowing God Changes the Way You Live,” we walk through Ephesians 5:1–20 with four practical questions: Why should we imitate God? How do we imitate Him? How can we recognize when we are not? And how do we consistently live this way?In this sermon, you'll discover:Why we imitate God from our identity as His children, not to earn His approvalHow knowing the Father helps us increasingly reflect His characterWhy living a life of love requires spending meaningful time with GodHow old patterns can keep believers living unlike the Father they belong toWhy freedom begins by changing what we continually feed our hearts and mindsWhat it means to carefully consider what pleases God in everyday lifeWhy becoming like Jesus requires continually being filled with the Holy SpiritGod did not save us so we could remain unchanged. He brought us out of darkness, called us His children, and invited us to learn His ways. That means the goal is not simply to become “better people.” It is to become people whose lives increasingly resemble our Father, and we cannot imitate someone we do not know.As we spend time with God—not only when we need something, but simply because we desire Him—we begin learning His heart. Our desires change, our appetite for old patterns changes, and His character begins influencing the way we speak, love, choose, and respond.Paul ends by reminding us that this transformation requires more than discipline. We must continually be being filled with the Holy Spirit.You do not have to remain who you once were. You were once darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. Know your Father. Stay filled with His Spirit, and let the way you live reveal whose child you are.

Everyone imitates someone. We absorb the habits, values, language, and priorities of the people we look to for direction. In Ephesians 5, Paul takes that natural tendency and gives believers a clear command: imitate God, because you are His dearly loved children.In “Do You Live Like Your Father? | How To Shine Bright In A Really Dark Day,” we walk through Ephesians 5:1–20 and what it looks like for the children of God to actually resemble their Father in the way they live.In this sermon, you'll discover:Why our identity as God’s children is the foundation for imitating HimWhat it means to live a life of love rather than simply talk about loveWhy genuine love is always connected to sacrificeHow believers can live as light without isolating themselves from people in darknessWhy carefully determining what pleases God should shape everyday decisionsWhat it means to make the most of every opportunity in difficult daysWhy being continually filled with the Holy Spirit is essential to living like JesusJesus did not simply tell us He loved us. His life made that love undeniable. He gave Himself for us, and Paul says that sacrifice was a pleasing aroma to the Father. That same love should become visible through us. And in a dark world, God has not called His people to retreat. Light is most valuable in darkness. We are called to live among people who do not yet know Jesus in such a way that the character of our Father becomes visible through His children. But we cannot do that through human effort alone.Paul’s instruction is not simply to be filled with the Holy Spirit once. The invitation is ongoing: be being filled. We need His presence and power again and again to love well, walk wisely, recognize what pleases the Father, and make the most of every opportunity He gives us.So before you simply look at your calendar and begin another day, start with a different prayer: Holy Spirit, fill me again. Give me everything I need today to live like my Father.

Spiritual warfare is often more practical than we think.Ephesians 4 shows us that the battle is not only happening somewhere in the unseen realm. It is also showing up in our thoughts, habits, relationships, words, reactions, and everyday decisions. The way we live can either agree with what God is doing in us or give ground back to the enemy.In “What Does Enforcing Victory Look Like? | Three Ways to Stand Firm in Spiritual Battle,” we continue through Ephesians 4:17–32 and look at what it actually means to live from the victory Jesus has already won.In this sermon, you'll discover:How believers can unknowingly partner with the enemy through agreement and repeated sinWhy the way you think eventually shapes the way you liveWhat it means to put off the old nature and live from the new life Christ has given youWhy grieving the Holy Spirit is relational, not merely behavioralWhy sensitivity to the Holy Spirit matters in spiritual warfareWhat it means to “walk in the opposite spirit”How truth, generosity, encouragement, kindness, and forgiveness become acts of spiritual resistancePaul does not tell believers to simply stop doing bad things. He gives us a different picture: throw off the old nature, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes, and put on the new nature created to reflect God.That means enforcing victory is active.When the enemy invites you into fear, move toward trust. When greed tells you to hold tighter, become generous. When dishonesty feels easier, tell the truth. When bitterness feels justified, forgive. You do not simply refuse the enemy’s direction, you move deliberately in the opposite one. And we do this with the help of the Holy Spirit, our greatest ally in the battle. He is not a power to use or a presence to visit occasionally. He is the Person of God who lives within us, leads us, speaks to us, and forms us into the likeness of Jesus.Spiritual warfare does not always look dramatic.Sometimes it looks like telling the truth. Giving generously. Choosing kindness. Forgiving someone who hurt you. Turning away from an old pattern and walking back toward God.Jesus has already won the victory. Our invitation is to stop giving ground away and start walking like it.

Spiritual warfare is often more practical than we think.Ephesians 4 shows us that the battle is not only happening somewhere in the unseen realm. It is also showing up in our thoughts, habits, relationships, words, reactions, and everyday decisions. The way we live can either agree with what God is doing in us or give ground back to the enemy.In “What Does Enforcing Victory Look Like? | Three Ways to Stand Firm in Spiritual Battle,” we continue through Ephesians 4:17–32 and look at what it actually means to live from the victory Jesus has already won.In this sermon, you'll discover:How believers can unknowingly partner with the enemy through agreement and repeated sinWhy the way you think eventually shapes the way you liveWhat it means to put off the old nature and live from the new life Christ has given youWhy grieving the Holy Spirit is relational, not merely behavioralWhy sensitivity to the Holy Spirit matters in spiritual warfareWhat it means to “walk in the opposite spirit”How truth, generosity, encouragement, kindness, and forgiveness become acts of spiritual resistancePaul does not tell believers to simply stop doing bad things. He gives us a different picture: throw off the old nature, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes, and put on the new nature created to reflect God.That means enforcing victory is active.When the enemy invites you into fear, move toward trust. When greed tells you to hold tighter, become generous. When dishonesty feels easier, tell the truth. When bitterness feels justified, forgive. You do not simply refuse the enemy’s direction, you move deliberately in the opposite one. And we do this with the help of the Holy Spirit, our greatest ally in the battle. He is not a power to use or a presence to visit occasionally. He is the Person of God who lives within us, leads us, speaks to us, and forms us into the likeness of Jesus.Spiritual warfare does not always look dramatic.Sometimes it looks like telling the truth. Giving generously. Choosing kindness. Forgiving someone who hurt you. Turning away from an old pattern and walking back toward God.Jesus has already won the victory. Our invitation is to stop giving ground away and start walking like it.

In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul called us to walk worthy of our calling by maintaining the unity of the Spirit — through humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love. That’s how we protect unity as individuals. But in verse 7, Paul turns to how we maintain it together as a church.And it starts with a gift.In “Your Gift Isn’t for You | How Spiritual Gifts Build The Church,” we walk through Ephesians 4:7–16 and the grace Christ has given to each one of us. This isn’t only saving grace — it’s enabling grace, a spiritual gift that empowers us to do what we could never do on our own. And Paul makes clear that these gifts were never meant to be kept to ourselves. They were given to build up the body.In this sermon, you’ll discover:Why Christ has given a grace gift to every believerThe difference between unity and uniformityWhy fear, comparison, and jealousy keep us from using our giftWhat Psalm 68:18 reveals about the gifts Christ won for usHow Christ equips the church for the work of ministryWhy using our gifts helps us grow into maturity and unityWhat it means for each part of the body to work properlyUnity has never meant sameness. Like different voices singing in harmony, our different stories and gifts come together into something more beautiful than any of us alone. Every part is needed — if we don’t use the gift God gave us, what He gave it for won’t get done.So why do we hold back? Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes we think our gift isn’t valuable. Sometimes we’re jealous of someone else’s. But none of us earned our gift. It belongs to Him, and we are simply stewards of it.Paul draws on Psalm 68:18 — the picture of a conquering king handing out the spoils. Christ has defeated sin and death, and our gifts are the spoils of His victory. Every time we use them, we declare that the enemy could not hold us.Your gift isn’t for you.It’s for the people around you — and their gifts are for you. As each part works properly, we grow up into Christ, no longer tossed around by every wind of doctrine, and the whole body is built up in love.Because the unity Christ created becomes visible when every gift is in play.The question isn’t whether you have a gift. The question is: Are you using it to build up the body?

In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul called us to walk worthy of our calling by maintaining the unity of the Spirit — through humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love. That’s how we protect unity as individuals. But in verse 7, Paul turns to how we maintain it together as a church.And it starts with a gift.In “Your Gift Isn’t for You | How Spiritual Gifts Build The Church,” we walk through Ephesians 4:7–16 and the grace Christ has given to each one of us. This isn’t only saving grace — it’s enabling grace, a spiritual gift that empowers us to do what we could never do on our own. And Paul makes clear that these gifts were never meant to be kept to ourselves. They were given to build up the body.In this sermon, you’ll discover:Why Christ has given a grace gift to every believerThe difference between unity and uniformityWhy fear, comparison, and jealousy keep us from using our giftWhat Psalm 68:18 reveals about the gifts Christ won for usHow Christ equips the church for the work of ministryWhy using our gifts helps us grow into maturity and unityWhat it means for each part of the body to work properlyUnity has never meant sameness. Like different voices singing in harmony, our different stories and gifts come together into something more beautiful than any of us alone. Every part is needed — if we don’t use the gift God gave us, what He gave it for won’t get done.So why do we hold back? Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes we think our gift isn’t valuable. Sometimes we’re jealous of someone else’s. But none of us earned our gift. It belongs to Him, and we are simply stewards of it.Paul draws on Psalm 68:18 — the picture of a conquering king handing out the spoils. Christ has defeated sin and death, and our gifts are the spoils of His victory. Every time we use them, we declare that the enemy could not hold us.Your gift isn’t for you.It’s for the people around you — and their gifts are for you. As each part works properly, we grow up into Christ, no longer tossed around by every wind of doctrine, and the whole body is built up in love.Because the unity Christ created becomes visible when every gift is in play.The question isn’t whether you have a gift. The question is: Are you using it to build up the body?

For the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been showing us who we are in Christ, what we have received through Him, and what His grace has accomplished on our behalf. But when chapter 4 begins, the focus shifts. Paul moves from what we believe to how those beliefs should actually shape the way we live.And the first thing he addresses is unity.In “Do You Really Understand Unity? | Learning to Walk Worthy of Our Calling,” we look at Ephesians 4:1–6 and what it means to live in a way that reflects the calling we have already received. Paul doesn't tell believers to create unity. The Holy Spirit has already done that work. Our responsibility is to recognize its value, protect it, and live in a way that makes that unity visible.In this sermon, you'll discover:Why Ephesians 4 marks a major shift from belief to everyday practiceWhy unity is one of the first characteristics of a life worthy of our callingThe difference between unity and uniformityWhy biblical unity is something the Holy Spirit creates, not something we manufactureHow preference, obligation, and agreement fall short of Spirit-created unityWhy humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love are essential to protecting unityWhat it means for our conduct to actually match the calling we have receivedThe unity Paul describes is deeper than having the same preferences, personality, convictions, or background. We are united because we are found in Christ. That means our relationships with one another cannot be built only on how easy someone is to love, how much we agree, or how closely their preferences match our own.God has already created something stronger.Paul calls us to bear with one another in the unconditional love we ourselves have received from Jesus, to walk humbly enough that self is no longer at the center, and to yield to the Holy Spirit who enables us to live differently.Knowing the truth is only part of the Christian life. Eventually, what we believe should begin showing up in our relationships, our choices, our conversations, and the way we respond to people who are difficult for us.Paul calls this walking worthy of our calling.Not earning the calling. Not proving ourselves worthy of grace. But allowing the way we live to increasingly reflect the grace we have already received.If we really understand what Jesus has done for us, it should become visible in the way we walk with Him and with one another.

For the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been showing us who we are in Christ, what we have received through Him, and what His grace has accomplished on our behalf. But when chapter 4 begins, the focus shifts. Paul moves from what we believe to how those beliefs should actually shape the way we live.And the first thing he addresses is unity.In “Do You Really Understand Unity? | Learning to Walk Worthy of Our Calling,” we look at Ephesians 4:1–6 and what it means to live in a way that reflects the calling we have already received. Paul doesn't tell believers to create unity. The Holy Spirit has already done that work. Our responsibility is to recognize its value, protect it, and live in a way that makes that unity visible.In this sermon, you'll discover:Why Ephesians 4 marks a major shift from belief to everyday practiceWhy unity is one of the first characteristics of a life worthy of our callingThe difference between unity and uniformityWhy biblical unity is something the Holy Spirit creates, not something we manufactureHow preference, obligation, and agreement fall short of Spirit-created unityWhy humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love are essential to protecting unityWhat it means for our conduct to actually match the calling we have receivedThe unity Paul describes is deeper than having the same preferences, personality, convictions, or background. We are united because we are found in Christ. That means our relationships with one another cannot be built only on how easy someone is to love, how much we agree, or how closely their preferences match our own.God has already created something stronger.Paul calls us to bear with one another in the unconditional love we ourselves have received from Jesus, to walk humbly enough that self is no longer at the center, and to yield to the Holy Spirit who enables us to live differently.Knowing the truth is only part of the Christian life. Eventually, what we believe should begin showing up in our relationships, our choices, our conversations, and the way we respond to people who are difficult for us.Paul calls this walking worthy of our calling.Not earning the calling. Not proving ourselves worthy of grace. But allowing the way we live to increasingly reflect the grace we have already received.If we really understand what Jesus has done for us, it should become visible in the way we walk with Him and with one another.

What do you pray when life gets hard?For most of us, the instinct is understandable: God, change this. Fix this. Get me out of this. But in Ephesians 3, Paul shows us another way to pray.In “The Prayer You’re Not Praying | Learning To Pray For What Matters Most,” we look at Ephesians 3:14–21 and one of Paul's most powerful prayers for the Church. Writing from prison, Paul doesn't pray for his chains to fall off or his circumstances to change. Instead, he prays that believers would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in their inner being, rooted and established in the love of Christ, and filled with the fullness of God.In this sermon, you'll discover:What Paul's posture teaches us about approaching God in prayerWhy difficult circumstances should never keep us from prayingWhat Paul didn't pray for—and what that reveals about spiritual maturityWhy strengthening your inner life matters when life's battles comeThe difference between Christ being present, prominent, and preeminent in your lifeHow deeply knowing God helps us understand the depth of His loveWhat it looks like to pray for God's will and glory above our ownPaul's prayer challenges us to look beyond what is happening around us and pay attention to what God is developing within us.Because sometimes the prayer we need most isn't, “God, change my circumstances.”It's, “God, strengthen me in the middle of them.”There will be moments when life feels overwhelming. That's why our inner life with Jesus matters. We strengthen ourselves in the Lord through His presence and His Word, allowing Christ to become more than simply present or even prominent in our lives. We surrender until He becomes preeminent—the One around whom everything else is ordered.And the more deeply we know Him, the more we begin to understand a love that Paul says surpasses knowledge—a love wider, longer, higher, and deeper than we could ever fully comprehend.Paul ends his prayer by turning his attention completely toward God's glory: to the One who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.So maybe the prayer isn't only, “God, get me out of this.”Maybe it's also:Strengthen me here.Become preeminent in me.Let Your will be done.And be glorified through my life.