Welcome to Eastern Hills Baptist Church
We are so glad that you decided to join us in worship today. Here at Eastern Hills we realize that we are all in different places on our journey with Christ, and that's okay. Whether you are a seeker, looking for answers, or a long-time follower of Christ, you are welcome here.

THE MISSION OF EASTERN HILLS:

People helping people live out the unexpected love of Jesus every day.

THE CORE VALUES OF EASTERN HILLS:

AUTHENTIC FAMILY
We have fun and encourage each other through life’s ups and downs.

REAL TRUTH
We dig into Scripture for clarity in a confusing world.

TRANSFORMATIONAL GROWTH
We thrive as we learn to become more like Jesus together.

PRACTICAL IMPACT
We seek to meet the needs of our neighbors wherever we find them.

EHBC'S OUTCOME #1 EXPRESSIONS:

I set aside daily time to study and memorize Scripture to deepen my intimacy with God.

I pray many times throughout the day, seeking God’s heart and direction.

I can hardly wait to meet God in Family Worship to be refreshed and restored.

I find myself becoming more and more sensitive to how the Spirit is prompting me throughout my day.

I am quick to recognize my sin and run to God to confess and repent.

TODAY'S OUTLINE ON DRAWING NEAR:

1: Drawing near involves prayer.

2: Drawing near provides stability.

3: Drawing near happens both individually and together.

4: Drawing near brings maturity.

This provides an overall image that makes this passage memorable: the church consists of a family (the people of God) living in a sacred structure (the church as a house and a temple) where Christ dwells in and with us. At our home we have a landscaped yard (rooted) and a firmly anchored house (grounded). The love that roots and grounds us is the love of the Godhead more than it is the love of church members for each other. It is divine love that anchors us in the church.

—Grant R. Osborne, Ephesians: Verse by Verse

It is wonderful to revel in the love of God. Truly to experience that love, to live in the warmth of its glow, invests all of life with new meaning and purpose. The brotherhood of the saints takes on new depth; “fellowship” becomes precious, not the artificially arranged shaking of hands in a service or the shared pot of tea or coffee. Forgiving others becomes almost natural because we ourselves, thanks to God’s immeasurably rich love, have been forgiven so much. Others may despise us, but that makes little difference if God loves us. How shall trouble or sorrow or bereavement drive us into macabre despair, when we can say, with Paul, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35). Our speech, our thoughts, our actions, our reactions, our relationships, our goals, our values—all are transformed if only we live in the self-conscious enjoyment of the love of Christ. Our testimony is then no longer dry and merely correct; it is living and vital as well. We are, in short, growing up spiritually.

—D.A. Carson, Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation

TAKE IT HOME QUESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK:

— When you "draw near" to someone you love, and who loves you, what does that look like?
— How does drawing near to God through studying His Word create stability in our lives?
— Why is it important to see the church as a part of God's provision for our spiritual growth?