River Oaks Church Sermons

A sermon on Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 by David Camera.
Application questions:
Make a list with your group of your top 5 prayer requests. 
Why does Paul pray? (I.e., What is the reason he speaks of in v. 1 and v. 14?) 
To whom, for what, and to what end does Paul pray? 
What does the phrase "…filled with all the fullness of God" mean? (cr. 4:13) 
How can Paul’s prayer inform our own prayer life?  
Why does Paul end this prayer with a doxology in vv. 20-21? (I.e. What is the relationship between vs. 20-21 and Paul’s prayer?) 
What does the doxology tell us about God? 
Where is God glorified according to the doxology? 
How can a church focus on glorifying God? 
How important is church-life to you? 

A sermon on the wisdom and power of God by Rev. Cody Brobst. 
Application questions:
What is meant by ”the mystery of the Gospel”? Are there hints around what this means throughout the book of Ephesians (start with verse 6)?  
What is Paul’s goal with the Gentiles? What message is he trying to send about the nature of the church this side of Christ's death on the cross? 
How does this inform “who is in”? Does the body of Christ today do well at inclusion? Do we have a warped definition of inclusion? Discuss. 
Both in v. 2 and v. 7, we see that God’s grace was given to him (Paul). What does he want us to know about his ministry as an apostle? 
Paul sees himself as a steward of the Gospel mystery. What is a “steward”? Read 1 Peter 4:10 and encourage one another by naming your own gifts! 
Paul further calls himself “the very least of all the saints.” Is this false humility since we know he is an apostle? What context in Paul’s life drives his view of himself? 
Where would we be helped practically by having this kind of humility?  
Verse 10 says "that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” What does this refer to? Again visit 1 Peter 1:12. Why would angels take interest in the church? 
What is “wisdom”? What does the world say wisdom is? What are the ways God’s wisdom is made known to the church? 
Verse 11 says “This was according to the eternal purpose...” Which is?  
Do you approach God’s throne boldly knowing you have direct access to him?
V.13 encourages us to not lose heart over Paul’s suffering (remember: in prison). How would Paul’s suffering lead to the Ephesians glory?
As you consider your own suffering or that of those you care about, what are the pitfalls of how Christians view suffering positively and negatively? 

A sermon on Ephesians 3:1-6 by Dr. Ben Shaw.
Sermon application questions:
How is the term "mystery" used in Scripture? How is Paul using it here?
What is the "mystery" of Christ?
How does the OT reveal the gospel?
Why is the inclusion of Gentiles so important to the biblical gospel, both OT and NT?

A sermon on Christ's work demolishing the dividing wall of hostility and building the church, by Rev. Greg Lanier.
What are some examples in both OT and NT of the “dividing wall of hostility” between Gentiles and Jews/Israel? Why is motivating Paul to address this? 
Why is it important to think through the corporate (“we”) aspect of Christ’s work and not limit it to the individual (“I”)? 
Revisit the ways in which Christ tore down the division between Jew and Gentile. Then reflect on ways in your own life or community you can see him doing the same. What sorts of dividing walls still exist, and how does the work of Christ address them? 
Reflect on this (summary) statement from the sermon. “The church founded by Jesus is the most staggering social experiment of all time: a community that is not based on any external things (talent, money, nation, vocation, social status) and only on faith in Christ.”  
What sort of “dividing walls” could threaten the peace/unity of River Oaks Church? How can you proactively seek to foster unity on the sole foundation of Christ? 

A sermon on God's grace of saving us from spiritual death in Ephesians 2, by David Camera.
How does Paul describe the condition of humanity in 2:1-3? List out the words/phrases. 
What does Paul say is the reason God saves us? (v. 4) 
When did God love us? Where is the first mention of God's love in Ephesians? 
Contrast our former predicament with our present status in Christ. 
Where have we seen the phrases in 2:6 already in Ephesians? What is Paul's point? 
Why did God save us? (v.7) 
So how does chapter 2 fit in Paul's argument so far? What is he explaining that he brought up in chapter 1? 
From this passage, how would you respond to someone who claimed that the way to be saved was to do more good than evil? 
What did we contribute to our salvation? What did we do according to this passage? 
What is the relationship between faith and works? 
What ought to be our response to God's grace to us in Christ? 

A sermon on Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23 by Pastor David Camera.
How does a person's self-perception impact the way they approach life? 
Paul begins in verse 15, with "…for this reason." What reason/s? 
Do you ever thank God in your prayers when you see good things in others? 
In verses 17-19 Paul reports the content of his prayer. For what does Paul pray? 
In verse 17, Paul teaches that the key to knowing our identity, purpose and future is knowing the identity and purpose of _______________. 
What is our hope as Christians? How did we come to possess that hope? 
What is the church according to v. 18? 
What power is at work within the church? 
Read verses 20-21. What do we learn about Christ? 
Identify the parts of Christ's body in verses 22-23 in relationship to all things. 
What have you learned about who you are and about your place in God's cosmic plan? How will this new understanding impact the way you approach life? 
How can we use Paul’s prayer as a model for us in our prayer life? 
Do we realize we are part of something so big? And are we praying, as he does, to know and experience these great blessings more and more? 

A sermon on Paul's introductory praise of the Triune God by Rev. David Camera.
Application questions:
What comes to your mind when you think of a blessing? 
Look at verses 3-14, list all the “blessings” God has made available. 
What words or phrases are repeated?  
Why do you think Paul repeats himself?  
What has God the Father done, what has God the Son done, what has God the Spirit done? 
How are people made recipients of God’s blessed salvation? 
How would you answer someone who argued that God’s blessings are available apart from Christ? 
What evidence does Paul provide that assures us that God’s blessings are found in Christ? 
How could you use this passage to answer someone who claimed that there were additional blessings given to Christians after their salvation? 
What we are most thankful for is an indication of the things we value most highly. For what blessings in your life do you typically thank God? Compare your list to Paul's. 
Take some time to thank God in prayer for the blessings listed in this passage which belong to all Christians. 

Introducing the letter of Paul to the church at Ephesus, by David Camera.
Application questions:
How would you describe yourself to someone you did not know? 
What impact does our identity have on the way we live? 
Read Acts 19:1-20:41. Summarize Paul’s ministry in Ephesus in your own words. 
How does Paul describe himself? Why is this important? 
How does Paul describe the Christians in Ephesus? 
Paul begins and ends this letter in similar fashion. What words or phrases are repeated? 
According to 1:1-2 and 6:21-24, who is the source of grace, peace, love and who are those that receive these blessings? 
What are some implications of your answers to question 7? 
How would your life be different if you understood that your primary identity was a saint and child of God? 

A sermon on the qualifications for ordained leadership in the church by Rev. David Camera.
Application questions
Review the list of character qualifications in this passage. What sorts of categories do they include?
Why does Paul include these and not others that modern leadership gurus might include (like 'visionary leader' or 'efficient' or 'charismatic speaker')?
Why must an elder/deacon be able to lead his household well?
Why is character more important over the long term than skill?

A sermon on remembering God's faithfulness and offering prayerful praise by pastoral intern Daniel Turner.
Application questions:
What does Paul offer thanks for?
Why is it important to thank God for what you see in others (and not just yourself)?
What are you thankful for as you head into 2026?
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