#1386. The fulness of Christ (13/11/25)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

In our last reflection, we considered the church as the body of Christ. 

Today, we turn to Paul’s remarkable claim that the church - Jesus’ body - is ‘the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.’

You can listen to this devotional below

The church is filled with Christ

This phrase can seem mysterious, but it speaks of a profound truth: the church is filled with Christ Himself. He who is exalted above all - “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion” (v.21) - now fills His body, the church, with His presence and power. This doesn’t mean the church contains, limits Christ or completes Him in some way. Rather, it means that Christ, who fills all things, chooses to fill His church and make Himself known through her. 

This aligns with Jesus’ promise in John 14:

To be a Christian is to be united with Christ, and through this union, we are filled with His life. Just as the Old Testament temple was filled with the glory of God, so the church - God’s new covenant people - is now His dwelling place by the Spirit.

Paul expresses this again in Colossians:

This idea is restated by Paul at the end of chapter 2 when, again, He speaks of how we are God’s temple and dwelling place:‘In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.’ (Ephesians 2:21-22)

This truth shapes how we view ourselves. We are not weak and abandoned - we are filled with Christ, the risen and reigning Lord. This gives us dignity, authority, and security.

Response

Are we aware that we are God’s holy temple, and that He dwells in us?

Do we love God’s temple - the church? 

Are we seeking to walk in, and be empowered by His presence?

Community Group Notes

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

Note - Please be thinking and praying about who you might want to invite to our upcoming carol service (7th December) and to sign up for carol singing (30th November). To sign up, go to: https://forms.monday.com/forms/67541e198902721e4b04ee65cc95ae8a?r=use1

2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued our series: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

Our message on Sunday from Ephesians 1:22-23, was:  The authority, life and power of Jesus.

Please read Ephesians 1:22-23 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection – What did God speak to you about through Sunday’s message?

• Over how much is Jesus reigning and how is this meant to affect our thinking, praying and acting? 

• What does it mean for Jesus to be ‘head over everything for the church’?

• Jesus is the head and the church is His body, how do we get connected to Jesus, the head?

• What does Jesus being our head mean for how we relate to Him?

• What does this image of head and body teach about unity?

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

•  If we are joined to Christ, we will receive His power. How will this be seen in our service and witness?

• Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.

• Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Are there any ‘people of peace’ (*see note) in your life—those who are receptive to you and spiritual conversation?

Let’s pray together: 

• Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.

• Pray for one another's SIV opportunities and boldness in following the Spirit's promptings.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - asking God to open hearts and provide opportunities to speak life and truth.