I never get tired of reading about the armor of God. It's vital for us to survive and thrive in our Christian walk. So as I read Ephesians 6:10-20 yet again today, I asked the Lord to show me something I hadn't focused on before. Well, God answered. I noticed that in the first three verses (10-13) Paul tells us twice to put on the whole armor of God. I'd never really noticed that word "whole" before but it makes total sense. If we fail to put on all of the parts, then we won't be fully protected or prepared to deal with the strategies of the devil.

So what can we do to make sure we're fully dressed with God's armor? And if we realize that we're deficient in one or more areas, how can we deal with and correct that? Tami W.

I was going to avoid it, but then figured why not? Let's just talk about submission. I'll be honest, I don't relish the idea of submitting to anything or anyone. I like being in charge and being my own boss. That's human nature.

As a Christian, though, I'm called to set that nature aside and submit. Submit to the Lord (first and foremost), then to my parents or my husband or my employer as the case may be. Now that can be a challenge because that nasty human nature is constantly trying to assert itself back into my actions and thinking.

So how do we get and then keep a submissive heart and attitude? Tami W.

Ephesians 5:16-33

How many times a week do you find yourself thinking or saying, If I just had a little more time? Or, Why can't there be more hours in a day? Well I don't know about you, but I wish for expanded time a lot. Kind of silly, I know, because no matter how we come at it, there are only 24 hours in a day and once today is done, it's gone forever.

So when Paul tells us to look carefully at how we walk and to make the best use of our time because the days are evil (Ephesians 15-16), it caught my attention. Time is always an issue for me. I pack every minute of pretty much every day full. So I thought it would be good for me to take a closer look at how I'm handling my time.

So are you up for joining me in a little self assessment? Here goes:

• How much of my time am I spending for the Lord?
• Am I using that time wisely?
• Could I be doing more?
• Should I be doing more?
• Is there something that's diverting my time (and attention) away from the Lord?
• How do I balance my time between the Lord's work and my family? The Lord's work and my job?

I spent quite a little time thinking on this and the "should I be doing" and the "balancing time" questions hit me the hardest. I over extend myself "doing things" for the Lord (that's hard for me to admit to you, by the way). I know it, but I still allow it. So thank you Lord (and Paul) for Your words and prompting because I needed this gut check today.

So how'd you do with your assessment? Are there any time adjustments (less or more) in your future? Tami W.

Paul tells us to be imitators of God and to walk in love as Christ loved us as he starts Ephesians 5. He then goes on to provide us with a number of things we shouldn't do, that we need to avoid, as children of God. When we get to verse 9 and 10 we see this instruction, "Walk as children of the light . . . and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."

So how do we do that? How do we discern what is and isn't pleasing to God--in our day-to-day lives and also when a specific circumstance or situation presents itself? Tami W.

I love it when the Bible really lays out specific details on how I should be living. Verse 22 tells us to put off the old self and to be "renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Then the passage goes on and gives us a bunch of examples of godly living, both positive and negative--things to do and things not to do.

How have your thoughts and attitudes been renewed or transformed as a result of accepting Christ as Savior? How do you see that being reflected in your daily life? How can we tackle those areas that still need some work? Tami W.

Paul talks about unity in the Body of Christ in Ephesians 4, and part of attaining that unity is us becoming spiritually mature. So what does that look like? Well, Paul tells us that our goal is to be like Christ. "We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (verse 15). But growing up is a process. I find it helpful to think about growing up spiritually as a journey. I'm on a road with my destination being living my life like Christ. But here's the thing. When we accepted Christ as Savior (whether that's six months, five years, twenty years ago) isn't necessarily an indicator of where we are on that road.

So take a minute and consider how far you've come on your journey. Then, let's talk about how we can move further down the road. What are some specific actions you and I can take to grow our relationship with Christ and in so doing become more like Him? Tami W.

Ephesians 3:14-21

The love of Christ. We hear that phrase all the time, but how much do we really understand and comprehend it? And even if we do have a good understanding of Christ's love, are we accepting and benefitting from it? I know, lots of questions, but those were just a few of the things that came into my mind as I read this morning, particularly when I got to verses 17-19 where it talked about being rooted and grounded in love and having the strength and power to understand the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ's love for us.

I certainly know that Christ loves me, but there are times when I struggle a little with accepting that love. And here's something else. As my relationship with the Lord grows, I find that my understanding of His love grows and expands as well.

So what does the love of Christ look like to you? And how can we experience that love to the fullest? Tami W.

I love Ephesians 3:12. It's just such a great reminder to me that because of Jesus, I (yes, little ole me) have open access to God. And even better, I can approach Him, come into His presence, boldly and with confidence. What an incredible privilege. Yet, I don't always take advantage of it.

How often do you come boldly and confidently into God's presence? If you're not pleased with your answer, what's holding you back? And, what can we do to remove those barriers and take full advantage of this awesome privilege? Tami W.

Our passage for today (Ephesians 2:11-21) is rich--full of information we need to know and grasp on the Body of Christ. Now because there's so much packed in there, it can also be a little overwhelming (that was my first reaction anyway). At this point, I could have stopped and told myself there was just too much there to understand (And there was definitely a time in my life I would have done that). But not anymore. So here's what I did. I read the same passage in several different versions--four to be exact. I found that each version highlighted something different for me. So as I read, I picked up a little more and a little more and by the time I had read all four versions--no more feeling overwhelmed. I really got it--and what a sense of accomplishment.

So how about reading our passage in a couple of different versions today like I did? Yes, it'll take a couple of extra minutes, but I think you'll find it worthwhile. Then, tell us about it. Was it helpful? Did it cause you to think about different things? Did you see anything new? Tell us about your experience. Tami W.

Have you noticed how lots of people today think that if they're "good" enough, if they make an effort to be law abiding and nice people, they'll go to heaven when they die? That may sound all good and fine, but it doesn't match up to what the Bible tells us. In fact, the Bible says just the opposite, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). So there we have it--our salvation has nothing to do with our works.

But here's the kicker. Once we accept Christ as Savior, works matter. How do I know that? It's right there in black and white in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works..."

So where are you at today? If you're not sure you're going to heaven, I invite you to accept God's FREE (no works required) gift of salvation.

If you've already saved, I encourage you to focus in on verse 10 and all the good works Christ has for us. And speaking of good works, what have you done this week, or even today, in that category? Tami W.

As Paul is jumping in and getting to the heart of his message, he lets the Ephesians know that he is praying for them and their walk with the Lord. One of the coolest feelings is when a fellow Christian (someone from church, P4, Facebook) unexpectedly lets me know that they've been praying for me and/or my hubby, Jeff. It means a lot and is such an encouragement. So you'd think that I would be diligent at praying for others--right? Well...the truth is, this is an area that I can definitely improve in. :(

So how can you and I be more tuned in to praying for our Christian brothers and sisters? What are some steps we can take to be more active pray-ers? Tami W.

We're starting a new book this week--Ephesians--and a new series on Back to the Bible called "Being a Christian Is Like Buying a Car." (Does that title pique your interest? It should. If you get a chance, listen in on the programs this week.) Many times through these first verses in Ephesians Paul uses the term "in Christ" or "in him."

Read verses 1-14 slowly, and maybe even a couple of times. What does being "in Christ" mean for you? Tami W.

I've really enjoyed our readings in Genesis the last few weeks and also our radio series on Joseph on Back to the Bible. Slowing down and really looking at and considering Joseph's life, was a good exercise for me. I found lots of little takeaways, but there was one big message that God impressed on my heart--that I could trust Him completely in all circumstances. Yes, I already knew that, but I needed to see and hear it again the last couple of weeks.

So how did Joseph's story impact you? Did God impress a message on your heart like He did mine? What did you learn, takeaway, realize, discover? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Tami W.

P.S. To get a copy of the entire 3-week cd series on Joseph, visit our online store.

Joseph's faithfulness to Jacob stood out to me today. Jacob takes his last breath but before he dies he makes his sons promise that they will take Jacob back to be buried with his ancestors. Once Jacob passes on, Joseph immediately gets to work on the commitment made to his father. This was not a simple task. It involved embalming, getting permission from Pharaoh to leave, lengthy travel with many family members, servants and workers, just to name a few. Yet, Joseph pursues this task wholeheartedly.

So how are you doing in the "being faithful to others" category? I find that I have great intentions, but those intentions don't always come to fruition. Sound familiar? So if we're lagging a little, what can we do to improve on being there more consistently for our family, friends, even a neighbor in need? Is there someone or a situation in which you can go that extra mile for this weekend? Tami W.

Joseph was quite the man of God. We're almost to the end of Genesis (just two more days) and once again we're shown how special Joseph is. I loved verses 22-24 "Joseph is a fruitful bough...the archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved..."

So what does this passage show us about living life for Christ? How can we work on staying strong as we fight the good fight? Tami W.