A Prisoner Set Free to Serve | Matt Beasley

Ephesians 3:1–13 — Paul, a prisoner, discovers that grace runs through his weakness to serve others. Lead Pastor Matt Beasley continues A Study Through Ephesians at Severns Valley.

We tend to think of service as something we owe — court-ordered hours, or what our groups expect of us. Paul's service flows from somewhere else entirely: grace operating through his weakness. He wasn't ready to work for anyone else's benefit until he was emptied — and when he begged God three times to remove his thorn, God answered, "My grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness."

A few things to carry into your week: - Grace — not guilt or obligation — is what frees us to serve. - God can use your affliction for someone else's good; Paul served out of emptiness, not strength. - Instead of only praying "God, make it stop," we can ask Him to let His grace flow through the hard thing for someone else. - At the cross, Jesus bore the isolation our sin deserved ("My God, why have you forsaken me?") so He could invite us to cast our sin on Him.

"Is there a hard place in your life God might use for someone else's good — if you stopped only asking Him to make it stop?"

March 29, 2026

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