Today’s passage: Ephesians 3:20-21

Helpful thoughts:

• God is able to do more than we are able to think.
  • This isn’t a “name it and claim it” prosperity gospel verse.  Those are things we think about and they are selfish.  They aren’t the riches and love of Christ.
  • This is a reminder of where our power comes from.  Our effectiveness in ministry/service comes from the one who gave us the Spirit, caused Christ to dwell in our hearts, and filled us with the fullness of God.  He is the power source, not my imagination.
• When we do God’s work, God’s way, God will get the glory and the results will last forever.
  • When we do man’s work, man’s way, man will get temporary praise and the results will last…a little while?

Questions to consider:

1. How could these verses help you to be encouraged to witness to that person you are sure would never get saved?
2. How do these verses encourage us to pray?  (Where does the power come from?)
3. Why is it so important that our church would seek to glorify God not just in what we are doing but also how we are doing it?  Whenever we see success in our church (Or our personal spiritual growth), who deserves the glory?

Today’s passage: Ephesians 3:14-19

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul’s response to the gift of God’s grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ, the creative power of God, the manifold wisdom of God, and the eternal purpose of God?  Bow – the – knee.  His posture in prayer was submissive.
• The Spirit ministers to you within your inner man…So that Christ may dwell in your inner man.
  • Over and over in Scripture the Spirit serves to point us to Jesus Christ.  The Spirit magnifies the Son.
  • Therefore, we are pleasing the Spirit of God when we are magnifying the Son of God.
• It takes the strength of God by the grace of God to comprehend the love of Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it right for us to pray submissively to God?  Why is it right to call Jesus our Lord?
2. Why did you come to understand the Gospel, repent of your sin, and put your faith in Jesus Christ?  What had to happen for you to hear the Gospel, believe, and be saved?  Praise God for His amazing grace!
3. Why does it make perfect sense for submission and love to be found in this same paragraph?  How does the way of the world make that pairing seem strange?

Today’s passage: Ephesians 3:7-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul’s present, temporary suffering was worth it!
  • He knew he wasn’t too important to suffer.
  • He knew his salvation and ministry were given to Him by God’s grace.
  • He knew the riches of Christ are unsearchable…beyond HUGE…beyond measure.
  • He knew the church was made to display the wisdom of God to the world, angels and demons alike.
• With all this knowledge of truth, Paul had (And we can have) boldness and confidence!
• Paul, in this passage, proves that we can be humble and confident at the same time.
  • Confidence is not found in self-esteem.
  • Confidence is found in esteeming Jesus Christ!

Questions to consider:

1. Why should we have confidence?  What is God doing and what is He going to do?  Can He lose?
2. What does boldness and confidence in these truths look like?  Is it going to look entirely different than it did in the first century A.D.?
3. How does faith turn our suffering into glory, our hurt into triumph, and worldly rejection into victory?  Which is temporary and which is eternal?

Today’s passage: Ephesians 3:1-6

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul was not growing wealthy in his endeavor.  From the world’s eyes this calling ruined his life.
• The generations that proceeded the life and ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ did not have the same knowledge of the Gospel that we do.  It was a mystery to them.
• If you are a Christian, you and Abraham and Paul are on the same team.  All given the same righteousness through Jesus Christ.  All the children of God.  All joint-heirs with Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. If Paul’s ministry was so hard from the world’s perspective, why did he do it?  What was his joy and motivation?
2. Who made the Apostles, apostles and the Prophets, prophets?  Who communicated the truth of the New Testament through them?  Does a person become a prophet because they or any other person wants them to be?  If a person calls themselves a prophet today or says they have heard from the Holy Spirit, how could you confidently measure what they are saying?
3. How amazing will it be to enjoy God forever with all the saints?  How could your faith and eagerness for that day help you to pursue God’s glory today?

Today’s passage: Ephesians 2:11-22

Helpful thoughts:

• Because of Jesus Christ, both circumcision and the lack thereof are nothing more than characteristics of the flesh.
  • Jews and Gentiles who are saved by the grace of God are one people.
  • There is no higher or lower rank in Christ.
  • All who are in Christ are fellow citizens.
  • Christ died for us all the same.
• God is the builder. Christ is the cornerstone. The apostles and prophets served as the foundation.  We are the building.

Questions to consider:

1. What was the function of the apostles and prophets?  Given their mention in this passage with this explanation, should we expect to see new apostles and prophets today?
2. What should the God-given makeup of the universal Church do to any forms of racism?
3. Why are we not required to become Jewish and follow the OT Law?  What has Christ done?  Does this mean that we can continue in sin that grace may abound? (Romans 6)

Today’s passage: Ephesians 2:1-10

Helpful thoughts:

• It’s important to remember who you were.  We need saving.  We need mercy and grace.
• Faith is a noun. It’s not something you do, it’s something you have.  And it’s a gift.
• Good works (Righteous living) are the fruit of God’s saving grace.
  • If you are trying to earn God’s favor, you are actively rejecting His grace.
  • Saved people are changing people who grow in their desire to obey God.

Questions to consider:

1. How does verse 7 answer the question, “Why does God allow sin in the world?”
2. If you are a Christian, who made you what you are today?  Who deserves all the honor, glory and praise?
3. What is your story?  What did God save you from?  How is He graciously changing you now as you grow?

Today’s passage: Ephesians 1:15-23

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul gives thanks for the Church in Ephesus because they are bringing glory to God.
• Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian Church:
  • That knowing God would result in wisdom and understanding of the truth.
  • That they would know what it is they are looking forward to. (Think Philippians 3:14)
  • That they would understand just how powerful God is, now and forever.
• Jesus Christ is the Head.  The Church is His body.

Questions to consider:

1. What is our greatest prize and inheritance?  Is anything better than God Himself?
2. If there are other things that you prize MORE HIGHLY than being with God and being without sin, then what is your definition of Heaven?  What is your definition of the bad news (What is my greatest problem)? And what is your definition of the good news, the Gospel?
3. To Whom does the Church belong?  How does that decide our purpose and function?  How does that truth change us from consumers to contributors when we think of “church”?

Today’s passage: Ephesians 1:11-14

Helpful thoughts:

• If Jesus is your Lord, you are also His joint-heir!
• Salvation comes from hearing the word of truth – the Gospel – and then believing.
• One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to serve as a guarantee of our inheritance.
  • You receive the Holy Spirit at salvation, not later.
  • The Holy Spirit will not stop serving as a guarantee/down payment until you receive your whole inheritance.

Questions to consider:

1. Why were we predestined?  Who gave God counsel?  How does this glorify God?
2. What was God’s motivation?  How can you bring Him glory today?
3. How does the promised ministry of the Holy Spirit give you confidence in the permanence of your salvation?  Can you choose to lose something which God has guaranteed of His own volition and for His own glory?