Tell Me Your Story

Hey ladies, we are going to take a break from our study for the next few weeks. We will still meet on Thursdays, but we will spend our time doing some other things: fun, fellowship, reaching out to others. 

That doesn't mean I might not give you some study prep.....

This week I want you to tell me your story from darkness into light. We have spent much time in Ephesians talking about how God through Jesus rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us into His kingdom of light. We have talked about who we are without Jesus and what we are in Him. So it's time to get personal and share our stories. Use the questions below and write out your story to share with us. Every story is a story of rescue. Every story is a story of a Mighty God who pursued you. Be proud of your story!!

Some questions that might help you:

• What was your life like before Jesus became Lord in your life?
• What brought you to realize you needed Him?
• How has your life been different since?

Three simple questions, but I know the answers may be complex. We all have a story and I cannot wait to hear yours! 

Ephesians 5:6-14 Darkness & Light

Read Ephesians 5:1-14. Our focus will be on verses 6-14. Read through this section and ask yourself the questions below. Remember we are looking for the text to tell us the answers. Don’t make up any answers. Be sure to make notes in your journal about your observations.

• What do you see contrasted? 
• Who were they formerly?
• Who are they now?
• What is the fruit of the light? 
• How are they told to handle the deeds of darkness? Why?

Look these words using Blue Letter Bible and write down what you learn: darkness and light

Cross References:

• John 1:1-8
• John 3:19-21
• Colossians 1:12-14
• Matt 5:14-16
• 1 Peter 2:9
• 1 John 1:5-7

How does Ephesians 5:14 fit the flow of thought?

What is the point of this passage and how does it fit in all that Paul has been saying to the Ephesians? 

Write down your thoughts in your journal

Ephesians 5:3-5: Not a Hint

This week we will keep diving into Ephesians 5. Read Ephesians 5:1-5.

Our focus this week will be on Ephesians 5:3-5. Ask yourself  the questions below (using Ephesians 5:3-5 to find your answers) and write down the answers in your journal:

• What is not to be named among you? (Who are the you?)
• What do you know with certainty?

Look up these key words (remember key words are important words that help unlock the meaning of the text) using Blue Letter Bible (you can get the app for your phone or go online) and write down what you find in your journal:

• immorality
• impurity
• greed
• proper
• filthiness
• silly talk
• coarse jesting
• fitting

Let's look at another place in Scripture that talks about something similar (we call this a cross reference). Look up 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and write down in your journal what you learn and how it connects with Ephesians 5:3-5. 

Ask yourself: 

• who will not inherit the kingdom of God (according to Ephesians 5:3-5)
• What is not fitting or proper for a saint (follower of Christ)?
• Why do you think Paul stressed this matter? Does anything you learned this week apply to today? 

Come to Bible Study ready to talk about what you learned!!! Cannot wait ti see you! 

Ephesians 5:1-2 Sacrifice and Fragrant Aroma Pt 2

Last week we talked about Old Testament sacrifice. This week we will look at a New Testament perspective of sacrifice. 

Read Ephesians 5:1-2. Last week we talked about the two instructions in Ephesians 5:1-2: to be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love as Jesus loved us and gave himself up as an offering and fragrant aroma. Remember we are trying to understand what the text means when it says that Jesus loved us and gave Himself up as an offering and fragrant aroma. We must understand Jesus' love to understand how we are called to love. Keep this at the front of your mind as we study this week. Ultimately our purpose is to take everything we learn back to Ephesians 5:1-2 and understand what it means and how that applies to our lives.

Read the following cross references and write down in your journal what you learn about sacrifice and how it relates to Ephesians 5:1-2:

• Hosea 6:6
• 1 Samuel 15:22
• Hebrews 9
• Hebrews 10
• Hebrews 11

Now, go back and read Ephesians 5:1-2. What does it mean that Jesus loved us to the degree that He gave Himself up as a sacrifice and a fragrant aroma? Really think about it. What then does that mean for what you believe or how you live? Write down your thoughts in your journal. 

Ephesians 5:1-2 Jesus our Sacrifice and Fragrant Aroma Pt 1

This week we will focus on verses 1-2 of chapter 5.

Start by reading through chapter 5. Now let's look at verses 1-2.  What instructions does Paul give in these verses? (There are two) Write down the instructions in your journal.

Look for comparisons. A comparison is when someone is looking to two things to see how they are similar. What is Paul comparing here (hint: they are connected to the instructions, look for the word as.)? Write down what you observe in your journal.

Now let's do some word studies. Remember a word study is when we look at the definition of the word in the language it was written. Look up these words using Blue Letter Bible: imitators, offering, sacrifice, fragrant. 

Now let's look at cross references. Remember in Inductive Study we want to have an overall view of Scripture. We want to let Scripture interpret Scripture and speak for itself. To fully understand these verses in Ephesians, we must look at the Old Testament sacrificial system. We will not look at it comprehensively, but I want you have a glimpse so you can better understand these verses. Read: Leviticus 1& Leviticus 16. Write down what you learn from each portion of Scripture about the sacrificial system. What was to be done, why, who did it, what do you learn about the pleasing aroma, etc. Write down your answers in your journal. 

Next week we will look at the New Testament and see how the Old Testament and New Testament connect. 

Ephesians 5 - Chapter Overview

Well, we made it to chapter 5!! Yeah!!!! Did you think we would never make it out of chapter 4? I was starting to think we might be there forever.

This week we will do an overview of chapter 5. That means we are going to look at chapter 5 with a high view. We will not dive in deep this week, but that is okay. We want to establish a good context of chapter 5 before we go deeper. This week our goal is to observe all that we can of chapter 5 and see how it fits together. Remember, when we observe we are asking ourselves "what does the text say?"

Begin this week by reading all the way through chapter 5. Okay, now let's read the text again, this time read with a purpose, investigate the text looking for key repeated words. Look for main themes or concepts.

Now it's time to mark words. What words stuck out to you as key words? Did you see any words that were repeated? Remember we mark key words because it helps us slow down and it helps us see what is obvious. This is an important part of Bible Study, what we observe helps build a foundation for everything else. Marking words, is when we use colored pens or pencils and actually mark up the text. 

If you are recently joining us, you will need to mark these words: Paul(my, my, I), The Ephesians (you), walk, formerly, in Jesus(in Him, in the Lord, etc)

If you have been studying with us and have already marked the words above, mark these words (newbies, you need to mark these too): God, Jesus, dark, light, husbands, wives, subject, love,  church, therefore (term of conclusion), but (showing contrast)

I encourage you to mark only one word at a time. Each time reading the text. Don't just skim. Reading while marking will help the text become familiar to you. Our minds are not trained to really read and soak up the text, so this may feel frustrating, keep going!! Press on! 

Once you have marked these words, the paragraph themes will become more clear. Now we want to walk through each paragraph and look for a word or phrase that sums up what the paragraph is saying (you are looking for words from the text, DON'T PARAPHRASE. Look at the words you marked in each paragraph, that should give you an idea of what the theme is.) Write down in the margin or in your journal what paragraph themes (maybe one word, or maybe a string of words from the text) you see. If you are using the worksheets, you can see the beginning of a paragraph noted with a bold number. Here are the paragraphs: 1-2, 3-5, 6-14, 15-21, 22-24, 25-33. Observe these paragraphs, investigate the text. Remember you are looking for the text to tell you what it says, you are not trying to make it say something. 

Now think, how does chapter 5 fit in with the rest of the book of Ephesians? Do you see how it connects? Write down in your journal your thoughts. You may need to go back through and read the first 4 chapters again, it is worth your time to understand how this chapter fits in with the other chapters. Write down in your journal what you observe and how Ephesians 5 connects with the rest of Ephesians.

Come to Bible Study ready to talk about the main ideas/themes of chapter 5. Be ready to discuss how this chapter fits into the rest of the book of Ephesians. It's important to build this foundation before we dive in deep to chapter 5.

Ephesians 4:30-32 Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit

This is the week we will finish Ephesians chapter 4. We have slowly been mining the truth in this chapter. I pray that God has revealed so much about His character and what true heart transformation looks like. 

Start by reading Ephesians 4:17-32. Remember the context is the old self and new self. Get out your journal and write down what you learn in verses 30-32 about the old self and the new self.

What does verse 30 tell us? What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? Look up the definition of the word grieve using Blue Letter Bible. Write down what you learn in your journal. How is the Holy Spirit defined or explained in verse 30? What has the Spirit done? What role does He have according to this verse? Write down what you see in the text. 

What can we learn about the Holy Spirit from other places in Scripture. Look up the following verses and write down in your journal what you learn about the Holy Spirit:

• John 14:26
• John 16:13
• Rom 5:5 
• Rom 7:6 
• Rom 8:11-16
• 1 Cor 3:16
• 2 Cor 1:22 
• Gal 5:22 
• Eph 1:13 
• 1 Thess 5:19 
• 2 Thess 2:13
• Titus 3:5 
• 1 John 3:24
• 1 John 4:13

Now let's focus on verses 31 and 32. What is listed in verse 31? What is the action in verse 31? Paul tells the Ephesians to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. Using Blue Letter Bible look up the definitions for: put away, bitterness, wrath, anger clamor, slander, and malice.

What do we see in verse 32? There is another list in verse 32 that describes the new self. Using Blue Letter Bible look up the definitions for each attribute listed. 

Now, how does the Holy Spirit connect to the old self and new self? Write down your thoughts in your journal.

Have you ever grieved the Holy Spirit? Spend some time talking to the Lord about it, even write down your thoughts or a prayer in your journal. 

Ephesians 4:29 - No Unwholesome Word...

This week we will focus on Ephesians 4:29. Below you will find some prep work that will help you prepare for our time together on Thursday. I encourage you to take some time and complete all the work. You will get more out of our time together if you have completed the prep work. 

Read Ephesians 4:17-32. Ask yourself, what is the context of Ephesians 4:29? Write down in your journal the contrast you see in Ephesians 4:29 (look for the word "but" to help you find the contrast). What are we not to do? What are we to do? Write down in your journal what the text says.

We want to find out what Ephesians 4:29 means. One way we can find out what the text means is to do word studies. Word studies are when we look at what the words mean in the Greek. We use Blue Letter Bible to help us do our word studies. Go to Blue Letter Bible and look up these words/phrases: unwholesome, good, edification, according to the need of the moment, give, grace. Write down everything you learn about these words in your journal. 

Another way we can find out what the text means is to do cross references. Cross references help us to see what the rest of the Bible haste say about the text we are looking at. Look up the cross references below and write down what you learn:

Words:
James 3:12
Proverbs 18:21
Proverbs 31:26
Matthew 12:33-36
Mathew 15:18

Unwholesome:
Matthew 7:17-18
Matthew 12:33
Luke 6:43

Edification:
Romans 14:19
1 Corinthians 10:23

Grace:
Luke 4:22
Romans 5:20-21
Ephesians 2:8-10
Colossians 3:16
Colossians 4:6


Now, go back and read Ephesians 4:29 again. What is this verse calling us to? What is the Lord specifically saying to you in this verse? Write it down in your journal. 

Ephesians 4:28 - Do not Steal - Labor and Give

Since it's been a couple of weeks since we met, I want you to begin by reading Ephesians 4:17-32. Ask yourself, what is the context of verse 28? What is the main idea that Paul is talking about here? 

Remember, Paul is focusing on what it looks like to wear the new self, the righteous robe of Jesus. So what do we learn from verse 28? What doesn't it look like? What does it look like? Write down your observations in your journal. 

Now let's dig a little deeper. Using Blue Letter Bible look up the words: steal, labor, and share. Write down everything you learn in your journal. 

Now let's look at some cross references. Remember we look at cross references because we want to see what the entire counsel of God's Word has to say about what we are studying. Look up the verses below and write down what the verses say about stealing, laboring, or giving (Not what you think it means, but what it says)

Steal:
Exodus 20:15
Jeremiah 7:3-11
Romans 13:7-10

Labor:
Romans 16:6,12
1 Corinthians 15:10
1 Timothy 4:10
Exodus 20:9-11
John 17:4 
Colossians 3:23
1 Thessalonians 4:9-11
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

Give:
Luke 3:11
Acts 4:32-35
Acts 20:35
Matt 6:1-4
James 2:15-20

Now, how does any of this apply to your life? Is God showing you something through His word this week? Write down in your journal what you have learned and how you can apply it to your own life (This is a personal question, think specifically).

Ephesians 4:27 Do Not Give the Devil an Opportunity

I vividly remember sitting on the steps of Sally's steps crying. I was so angry. She looked me in the eyes and said "Ashlee, do not give the devil an opportunity." I really wasn't sure what that meant. I knew that verse was in the Bible, but that was about all I knew about it. 
This week we will study what it means to give the devil and opportunity. Let's start by reading Ephesians 4:17-31. Remember when we look at studying what something means (Interpretation) we want to stay in context. 

Now let's look at some key words. Look up "give" and "opportunity" using Blue Letter Bible. Write down everything you learn about these words in your journal. 

Now let's do some cross references. Remember that cross references are looking at other places in Scripture to gain more understanding of what we are studying. 

Look up these verses and write down what you learn about the devil:

• John 8:44
• Acts 10:38
• Matthew 4:1
• 2 Timothy 2:26
• Luke 4:13
• John 13:2
• 1 Timothy 3:7
• 1 John 3:8
• Genesis 3:1-7
• Job 1:6-12
• Matthew 4:1-11
• Ephesians 6:10-18
• James 4:7
• 1 Peter 5:8

Now, stop and think about what you learned this week about giving the devil an opportunity. What does it mean to give him an opportunity in your life? What specific ways have you given him an opportunity in your life? Write down your thoughts and be ready to share. 

Ephesians 4:26 - Anger

This week we are going to focus on Ephesians 4:26. Start your time of study by praying and asking the Lord to open your eyes, heart, and mind to His Truth. Read Ephesians 4:17-32. What is the context or main theme of this passage? When we break our study down verse by verse we always want to remember what the context of the passage is. If you are struggling to know the context focus on verses 22-24. Write down in your journal what the main idea is in these verses.

Now let's look specifically at verse 26. Verse 26 is one of many instructions in the last part of Ephesians 4. What is the instruction in this verse? What is the benefit, warning, or exhortation connected to this verse? Write your answers down in your journal. 

Now let's dive in deeper. Using Blue Letter Bible, look up the definitions for angry and anger. You do this by clicking the tools tab to the left of the verse, then click on the strong's number next to the words angry and anger. Write down what you learn about these words. I encourage you to also look at the root word for angry (click on the number in the box at the top right that says root word). I always also try to look at what the Vine's dictionary says about the word, just click View Entry in the dictionary aid box. 

We have looked at what the words mean in the Greek. Now let's develop a wider context of these verses. How do we do that? By looking at cross references. Cross references help us see other places in Scripture that we can learn about that topic or idea. Look up each verse below and write down what you learn about anger. Write down in your journal what you learn about anger or being angry:

• Numbers 32:9-13
• Judges 2:11-14
• Exodus 34:6-7
• Psalm 145:8
• Proverbs 14:29
• Proverbs 22:24
• Ecclesiastes 7:9
• Gal 5:19-20
• Ephesians 2:3 (wrath is the same word for anger)
• Ephesians 4:31
• Colossians 3:8
• James 1:19-20
• Romans 12:18-19
• Matthew 5:21-24
• Matthew 18:15-17

So what did you see in Scripture about anger or being angry? What did you learn about not letting the sun go down on your anger? Can you connect any dots from these verses? Write it down in your journal. Now what about you personally? Write down what the Lord is showing you through His Word. How do these verses change the way you think, believe, or live your life? I encourage you to be ready to share at Bible Study. 

Ephesians 4:25 Speak the Truth

Last time we talked about the old self and the new self. As we move into the next section we are going to take the verses bit by bit. So hang in there as we dive in deep.

Read Ephesians 4:25-5:2 looking for Paul's instructions to the Ephesians. Remember these verses are connected to what we learned about the old and new self. Ephesians 4:25-5:2 includes a list of instructions, did you see them? Let's make a list. Get out your journal and list all the instructions given in Ephesians 4:25-5:2. If there is a benefit, warning, or exhortation connected with an instruction, make sure you list that too.

The rest of this week's lesson will be focused on the first instruction given in Ephesians 4:25. What is Paul's instruction here? To speak the truth. What does that mean? It is easy for us to misinterpret this phrase so lets look at some key words and do some cross references.

Look up these words using Blue Letter Bible and write down what you learn in your journal: lay aside, falsehood, speak, truth, neighbor.

So what does it mean to speak the truth, each one with his neighbor? First we must ask ourselves, what is truth? Look up these cross references and write down what you learn about what truth is or how to speak truth. Remember a cross reference is just another place in the Bible that talks about the same idea we are studying. We are looking at other places to develop a full understanding.

• Psalm 86:15
• John 1:17
• John 8:44 (this verse talks about a lack of truth)
• John 14:6
• John 17:17 (do you see that truth is a key word in the book of John?)
• Romans 1:18
• 1 Corinthians 13:6 
• Colossians 1:5
• Ephesians 4:15
• 2 Timothy 2:15-18
• 1 John 1:6-8
• Psalm 15

I know that is a lot of cross references but I want us to see what the Word has to say about truth. What is truth? How does the Word define it? How then do we in turn speak truth? Who are we to speak truth to? Summarize what you have learned in your journal. 

Ephesians 4:17-24 Old Self and New Self

This week we will move on from Spiritual Gifts and talk about the old self and the new self in Ephesians 4:17-24. 

Stop, and read Ephesians 4:17-5:14. Remember when we read, we read slowly and intentionally trying to understand what the passage says (not what it means). We do not skim through the verses. 

Now it's time for us to mark some words. We mark words because it helps us to see what the text says. It helps us see what is obvious in the text. So get out your colored pens or pencils and mark these words in Ephesians 4:17-5:14: walk, according to, former, truth, therefore, lay aside, just as, old self, new self (if you are new to Bible study you also need to mark: in Christ or in Him, and any reference to the Ephesians - you).

Look at the therefores you marked (I like to mark it with a black box). What conclusions to they introduce? (Remember therefore is a term of conclusion, so we know it is summing up something). Make a list of what you learn in your journal.

Do you see any reason for grouping Ephesians 4:17-5:14? Write your thoughts in your journal.

Now let's focus the rest of our study on Ephesians 4:17-24. There are two groups of people listed is these verses. Who are they? In these verses we see the gentiles and those taught truth in Jesus. In your journal make a list of what you learn about each of these groups. Remember when we make lists, we are just writing down what the text says, we are not interpreting what the text says.

Did you notice a verse in 17-24 that contrasts believers and gentiles? (look for the word but, it tells us there is a contrast). Write down the verse in your journal.

You also marked the old self and new self in these verses. There are two other main places in scripture that talk about the old self and new self. I want you to use the chart below to make a list of everything you learn in each passage about the old self and the new self: Romans 6:1-11, Colossians 3:5-17. 

Let's look up some greek words! Remember we use Blue Letter Bible to look up words, not the dictionary. Go to Blue Letter Bible and Search Ephesians 4 using the NASB or ESV. Scroll down to the verses you will see a button that says Tools next to each verse. You click on that button and then click on the Strong's number next to each word to find the definition. One you are in the definition look for the Vine's Dictionary link and read there too. Look up these words in Ephesians 4:17-24 and write down everything you learn: lay aside, corrupted, renewed, put on, righteousness, holiness

In your journal I want you to summarize what you learned about the new self and old self. Now I want you to look at your chart on old self and new self, look at the greek words you looked up, and ask yourself two things: What does this mean to you practically? How is this going to help you in your day to day walk? 

Ephesians 4:7-16 Spiritual Gifts Defined

Last week we looked at why gifts are given. We asked what the ultimate purpose of gifts are. This week we will focus on what we can learn from Scripture about what gifts are given.

Pull out your Spiritual Gifts chart. Read through each passage on Spiritual gifts and write down in the gifts column what gifts are listed in each passage: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:1-8, Ephesians 4:7-16

Now it's time for Word studies. Use Blue Letter Bible to do a word study on each gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:1-8, and Ephesians 4:7-16 (that you already wrote down on your chart. Only look up the word once, if it is repeated in each passage, don't look it up again). Make sure you look at the Vine's Dictionary reference for each word. Write down everything you learn about each word in your journal.

I want to encourage you again. Let the Word speak for itself, try your best to not bring your own perspective into this lesson, but let the Word speak and lead you. I know it's hard. I struggle with this often, but our ultimate goal is to allow the Word to shape us, not try to shape the Word.

This last piece of homework is optional. I prefer you to learn about your Spiritual Gift from the Scripture. I know personally that God will reveal your gift to you through the study of His Word (He did that for me). If you would like to take a Spiritual Gifts test, First Euless has a test on their website.  Go Here for the test.

Ephesians 4:7-16 Intro to Spiritual Gifts

This week we will study part one of spiritual gifts. This week our focus will be a general overview of why gifts are given before we dive into the specific gifts. 

You will spend this week in four different passages: 1 Peter 4:10-11, Ephesians 4:7-16, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:1-8. 

So let's go to Ephesians 4 and read verses 7-16. See the word gift? What is a gift? Let's find out by looking up the greek definition using Blue Letter Bible. Write down what you learn about the word in your journal. Make sure you look at both the general definition and the Vine's entry. 

Now let's look at the other passages on Spiritual Gifts. We will end this week's study by coming back to Ephesians 4 and focusing on what we see in this passage, but first let's see what the rest of Scripture has to tell us. 

As we study Spiritual gifts this week and next I want you to use this chart:

I want you to use four different colors of pens or pencils as you write your notes about each different passage. Use one color for 1 Peter 4, one color for 1 Cor 12, one color for Romans 12 and one color for Ephesians 4. This will help you separate what you learn in each passage. 

Read 1 Peter 4:10-11. Write down what you learn that answers the questions who? What? How/Why? and any results (or outcomes). As you answer these questions write down what you learn in the columns on your chart. (This week we are NOT using the Gifts column. The gifts column will be our focus next week)

Read 1 Corinthians 12. Write down what you learn that answers the questions Who (Who was given gifts, who gave them)? What (at what time were they given?)? How/Why(How were they given? Why where they given?)? and any results (or outcomes. What are the result of spiritual gifts). As you answer these questions write down what you learn in the columns on your chart.

Read Romans 12:1-8.Write down what you learn that answers the questions who? What? How/Why? and any results (or outcomes). As you answer these questions write down what you learn in the columns on your chart.

Now let's return to Ephesians 4:7-16. Write down what you learn that answers the questions who? What? How/Why? and any results (or outcomes). As you answer these questions write down what you learn in the columns on your chart.

Now let's look at all we have learned this week about Spiritual Gifts. Remember our goal is to get a general overview of them. We want to know, why they were given, when they were given, how were they given, who they were given to. What is the purpose of the gifts. Stop and review your chart. What did you learn this week about Spiritual Gifts? Was there something new that God showed you? Stop and make note of the new things you learned this week about Spiritual Gifts. Are they important? Why? Write down a summary using all four passages answering the question: Why are Spiritual Gifts given? What is the ultimate purpose/goal of Spiritual Gifts?

Unity: Ephesians 4:4-6

I pray that after last week you are balancing obedience and grace. That you have seen God's standard for our lives, yet realized He is the only one who can accomplish that standard in our lives. This week we will turn toward unity. Our main focus will be verses 4-6.

Read Ephesians 4:1-6, observing what you can about unity (unity, one, same, etc). In verse 3 we saw that we are to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit. If we must know what truths unite us. Look at Ephesians 4:4-6 and list in your journal what truths unite us. 

Who is the body that Paul is referring to in verse 4? What have we seen so far about the body in Ephesians? Who is the body in the context of this book (Ephesians 2:11-22)? Write down your observations in your journal.

Who is the one Spirit? Again, what have we learned about the Spirit so far in Ephesians? (Go back and look at places you marked Spirit and make a small list.) Let's look at some cross references on the Holy Spirit. Look up these cross references and write down what you learn:

• Ephesians 4:30 & 5:18
• John 14:15-17,25-26
• John 16:12-15
• 1 Corinthians 12:13
• Romans 8:9,14-17

From what you have observed, what is the connection between the Spirit and the body? 

What is one hope of your calling? We studied this phrase in chapter one. Go back and look at your notes from our study on Paul's Prayer. If you weren't with us, here are some cross references for you:

• Romans 8:28-30
• Philippians 1:3-6, 19-21
• 2 Timothy 1:9-12
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now let's look at one Lord, one faith, one baptism in verse 5. Look up the definition of Lord in Blue Letter Bible, write down what you learn in your journal. Now look up these verses and write down what you learn about one Lord:

• Romans 10:8-13
• Philippians 2:9-11

What about one faith? Look up the definition for the word faith in Blue Letter Bible, write down what you learn in your journal. From what you see and what we studied in Ephesians, what is the one faith that is held by those in one body, whether Jew or Gentile (See Eph 2:8-10 if you feel confused)?

You have already looked up 1 Cor 12:13, look at it again and write down what you learn about one baptism.

Our final one, is one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Look up these verses about God and write down what you learn about Him:

• Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:39
• Isaiah 43:10; 45:5-6
• Mark 12:29
• John 5:44
• Romans 3:29-30
• John 17:20-23 (Look for a connection here on everything we have studied. Note who is speaking, to whom, about whom, why, and what is being spoken about)

Is your brain spinning? We have looked at a lot of truth this week. I pray that you will be diligent in your time this week and work through all the homework. Know I do the homework right along with you. I don't ask you to do anything I am not willing to do myself. I am praying for you!

Walking Worthy- Ephesians 4:1-3

I have been waiting for this week and I am so excited it is finally here. When I studied this book for the first time, this lesson completely blew my mind. It changed the way I viewed my entire life. I pray the same thing happens for you this week!

Begin this week by praying (as we do every week). Ask the Lord to open up your mind and teach you. Ask Him to give you a head understanding and a heart understanding (understanding that changes the way you live).

Now, get out your Bible or your Observation Worksheets (just the scripture printed out on paper). Let's read all of Ephesians 4.  Get out your colored pens or pencils and do some marking. Mark these words in verses 1-16: grace, body, faith, knowledge, according to, love, in Christ, time, walk, one, truth, unity.

Do you remember how to do paragraph divisions? When we start a new chapter we want to look at the chunks of Scripture. Look at each paragraph and look for a phrase or word that describes what is happening in that paragraph (in the text, DO NOT interpret scripture by summarizing). Here are your paragraph divisions: 1-6, 7-16, 17-24, 25-32.

Looking at 4:1, you notice the word therefore. We want to stop and see what it is therefore. Therefore is a term of conclusion, that means it is summing something up and building on it. What (from previous chapters) is this verse summing up? What (in this verse and others following) is it building upon?

Now we dive deep. Look up these words using Blue Letter Bible and write down everything you learn about them in your journal: walk, worthy, humility, gentleness, patience, showing tolerance.

It's cross reference time. Write down what you learn from each cross reference about the word or phrase.

Walking Worthy:
Roman 6:4
Colossians 1:10
1  Thessalonians 2:12
1 John 2:6

Humility/ Gentleness/ Patience/ Showing Tolerance:
Philippians 2:3
1 Peter 3:8
Galatians 5:22-23
Colossians 3:12-14

Now ask yourself (and write your answers in your journal): What is Paul urging the Ephesians to do in 4:1-3? Why does it matter? According to these verses what is your responsibility as a chid of God to maintain unity in the body of Christ? Come to Bible Study with your answers and be ready to discuss what you learned this week!

Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul's Prayer Pt 2

Last week we talked about the mystery found in Ephesians 3:4-13 (that the Jews and the Gentiles are one in Christ brought into one body we call the church). This week our focus will be on Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. Start this week with prayer, ask the Lord to reveal His Truth to you. Ask Him to teach you what He is saying in this passage. Ask Him to focus your mind as you study. 

Now I want you to read Ephesians 3:1-21, focusing on verses 14-21. Notice how Paul describes God, write down what you see in your journal. Read back through verses 14-21 and write down the main points of Paul's prayer (pay attention to the word that). There are two main statements here with corresponding results. Make sure you write down not just Paul's points, but the why (or results).

Now let's dive a little deeper. Look up these words using Blue Letter Bible and write down everything you learn in your journal: dwell, rooted, grounded, power, love. 

Power is used twice in this prayer. We have seen it in other places in Ephesians. Let's see what the rest of the Bible has to say about power. Look up these verses and write down what you learn about power and how the verse relates to what you see in Ephesians 3:14-21.

• Acts 1:8
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
• 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7
• 1 Peter 1:3-5
• 2 Peter 1:3
• Revelation 7:12

The word love is also repeated in these verses several times. Look up these cross references on the word love and write down how they relate to Ephesians 3:14-21

• John 15 (yes the whole chapter. Pay attention to the word abide)
• Romans 5:8
• 1 John 4:7-12

I realize our homework is cross reference heavy this week. I pray that you are diligent to do the work. End this week by going back and reading Ephesians 3:14-21. What is Paul praying for these people? Why was he praying it? (Again look for answers in the text) How does Paul's prayer for the Ephesians relate to your life? 

Ephesians 3:3-13 - The Mystery

Last week we talked about Paul's calling, his ministry. We saw that God placed a specific call on Paul's life to make known the mystery. But what is the mystery? This week we will unpack the mystery.

Start this week with prayer. Ask the Lord to open your heart. Ask Him to teach you his Word this week. Be diligent sweet girls, and He is faithful to write His truth on your heart!

Read through Ephesians 3:1-13 and ask yourself. What is the mystery? Does Paul define it in these verses? (He does! Keep looking until you find it) In last week's homework I asked you to look up the mystery. Go back and look at it. (If you didn't get that far, now is the time to go find the definition on Blue Letter Bible)

Last week we marked the word body in Ephesians 3 (I like to mark it as a stick figure). Go back through the first two chapters and mark any references to the body that you find. Now go back through and mark the word church (Pay attention to any synonyms for the church. I mark church with a little building or house). What do we learn about the body and the church? Make a list about what you learn about each word (in chapters 1-3). (This is another reason we mark, it helps us easily go back and find where the key words are.) Now ask yourself, what does the body and the church have to do with the mystery? Write down your answer

Now let's look at another place in scripture that talks about the mystery! Go to Colossians 1:24-29, read through this passage and write down in your journal what you learn about the mystery. Now let's look another passage in Romans 11:13-36. A word of warning, this passage may seem very confusing. Your job is to learn what you can about the mystery. You do not have to understand everything. Pay attention to the imagery of the natural olive tree and the wild one. Write down what you learn in your journal from Romans 11:13-36 about the mystery.

Now let's return to Ephesians. Did you notice the word administration in 3:9? If not go back and read that verse. That word administration is the same word for stewardship in verse 2. What did the word stewardship mean? Go back at look at it in your notes (or look it up in Blue Letter Bible). Write it down again in this weeks notes. Consider what Paul is saying in 3:8-9 (including the administration). Write down in your own words what Paul is saying.

Now let's look at verses 11-13. How do they connect to verses 4-9? (notice the word purpose) How does purpose connect to the rest of these verses? Write down your observations in your journal.

Now stop, read Ephesians 3:1-13. Do you understand what it says and what it means? Remember this week we want to understand the mystery. What is the mystery? What does the mystery mean for us? If you don't completely understand its okay. That is why we come together for Bible Study and discuss it. Remember we always start with knowing what it says. What it says builds the foundation for what it means. Now I must ask a third question, how does this apply to you? Are you apart of God's body? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus by putting your faith in Him? Remember what Ephesians 2:8-10 says: It's by grace you are saved, through faith, it's not works (something you earn), it's just faith. Have you put your faith in Jesus? I never want to assume that you have. If you are apart of God's body, what does Ephesians 3:12 mean for you? What has been given to you? Write down your applications in your journal.

God's mystery is great! He in His great purpose brought the Gentiles into the body, His church. He took down the barrier wall and made the Jews and the Gentiles into one body in Jesus (and only by and through Jesus did this happen). Are you grateful? Do you realize you did not earn this? Does it humble you? It is not a truth to be taken for granted. Make sure you stop and thank Him that He made known the mystery of Jesus through the Apostle Paul.

Ephesians 3:1-3 - Paul's Stewardship

This week we are moving on to chapter three. We will look at chapter three in general and then we will focus in on the first three verses.

Start by reading chapter three. Read through it again looking for key words we have marked so far (grace, time, love, knowledge, power, in Jesus, in heavenly places, according to). Also mark: faith, church & mystery.

Last week we ended chapter 2 by looking at the paragraph divisions. This week I want you to do this on your own. Look for the bold numbers, they tell you where a paragraph begins. Look for a phrase or verse that sums up what that paragraph says. Write down the divisions in your journal. Now I want you tho think about the way the first three chapters flow together. Write down in your journal the flow of thought. Now let's see what we can observe from chapter three. What do you learn about Paul in chapter three. Jot down some main things you see. Make sure you notice what Paul's status is.

In 3:2 Paul talks about the stewardship is God's grace that was given to him. We must ask ourselves "What stewardship was Paul given?" See what answers you can find in the text. Scripture tells us so much about Paul, his life, his ministry, and his calling. What does the word stewardship mean? Look it up using Blue Letter Bible and write down in your journal what you learn. What else can we learn about Paul's stewardship from other places in the Bible? Let's read Acts 26:1-20, what do you learn from this passage about Paul's calling and ministry (Don't miss his language about the promise)? Write down what you learn in your journal. Now go to 2 Timothy 2:8-12, read it and look for what you can learn about his ministry and his calling. Write down what you learn in your journal. Now read 2 Timothy 4:4-18, here Paul writes about finishing his calling well. Look for the lessons he shares with Timothy and write down what you learn.

Now go back and look at the Ephesians 3:1-3. What other words do you see here that might be helpful for us to look up? I believe it's insightful for us to look at the words revelation and mystery. Write down what you learn. Now stop and look at the verses again. What stewardship was given to Paul? Why was it given to him? Write down what you see.

Paul was an amazing man. It blesses me that we get to read his story in the Bible. God's divine story of grace in Paul's life. I want us to end this week of homework thinking about how this applies to our lives. How did this passage speak to you? What did God teach you? What life lessons do you learn from Paul's ministry and calling? Write these down so you don't forget them. I look forward to meeting together with you this week. I pray that God will open your hearts and minds to the great truth about His gospel and the way it transforms us.

Ephesians 2:18-22 Jesus the Cornerstone

This is our last week in chapter two. I am amazed at everything the Lord has shown us in just 22 verses! I pray that you are amazed at the Gospel and that it compels you to share what you have learned with those around you. 

Start by reading chapter 2. (Yes again) As you read pay attention to everything Jesus has done for you.  Now go back and read verses 17-22. If you didn't last week mark the word building/built/dwelling in these verses. Make a list of what you learn about what Jesus built. 

Did you notice the word cornerstone? Last week someone asked what that was. Well this week we are going to talk about it. Look up the definition in Blue Letter Bible for the word "cornerstone." Ephesians tells us that Jesus is the cornerstone. But what does that mean? Let's look up some cross references and write down what we learn about the cornerstone: Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 8:13-15, Matthew 21:42-44, Romans 9:30-33. 

Now let's look at the cornerstone a little bit further. Find 1 Peter 2:4-10 (or use the handout below) and mark references to the recipients in Peter's letter (you), stone, and house. Now make a list on what you learn about the stone and the recipients. 

Are you confused yet? I pray that God is using His word to bring the pieces together and help it make sense to you. It's time to do another word study. Look up "being fitted together" in Blue Letter Bible and write down what you learn in your journal. In verse 22, being built together is present tense which means a continuous action. How does this help you understand this verse? What is it telling you about the house? Write down what you learn in your journal. Also ask yourself: What follows the foundation? Who makes up the rest of the building? 

Have you noticed the word "Spirit" in these verses? Who is this Spirit and what role does the Spirit have in what you have studied in verses 14-22? What role does the Spirit play in 1:13-14? Write down your conclusions. 

This week ends our study in Ephesians 2. Spend some time thinking about what God has taught you in this chapter. Write in your journal what you have learned in our study do far.

Ephesians 2:14-16: Reconciled in Jesus

Last week we looked at what it meant to be strangers to the covenants of promise. I pray your eyes were opened to new truth. This week our focus will be Ephesians 2:14-16. 

Let's begin by reading Ephesians 2 (yes the whole chapter). Now go back and read Ephesians 2:11-22 and mark references to Jesus. I like to mark Jesus with a red cross. Now get out your journal and write down everything you learn about Jesus in these verses. Do you notice any other key words in this passage? Go back and look for any other key words and mark them. As we focus on 14-16 what do we see in these verses that Jesus did and is? 

We see that Jesus abolished in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of the commandments. Look up the greek word "enmity" using Blue Letter Bible. Write down what you learn in your journal. What two groups are being made into one new man because of what Jesus abolished? Write down your observation in your journal. What does it mean that Jesus made the two groups into one new man? Let's look up the word "new" using Blue Letter Bible. Write down what you learn in your journal. What do you think caused this enmity between these two groups? Let's look up some cross references and write down what we learn:

• Leviticus 20:22-26
• Acts 11:1-18 (Note who is taking issue with whom and why. How is the behavior validated? How does this verse support the enmity Christ takes away?)
• Colossians 2:16-17 (What is the issue here?)

Let's consider...who were the two groups that God was bringing together? Why were they separated? How was the enmity abolished? Write down your answers.

Another thing we see is that Jesus is our peace (vs 14). Peace is a key word in this section. Was it one of the words you marked? If not, go back and mark peace. Write down what you learn about peace in verses 14-16. What does that word peace mean? Let's look up the word "peace" using Blue Letter Bible. Look up Isaiah 9:6-7 and write down what you learn about Jesus and peace. 

Did you notice the word reconcile in Ephesians 2:16? The jews and gentiles were reconciled to God through the death of Jesus. Look up the definition for "reconcile" and write it down in your journal. Now let's look at other places in scripture that talk about this reconciliation. Look up Romans 5:6-10, Colossians 1:18-21, and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Or use the handouts attached to the end of this lesson). Mark the word reconcile in each passage. Make a list in your journal about what you learn about reconciliation. Now ask yourself how can we who are dead in our transgressions and sins, living under the power of the prince of the power of the air, be reconciled to God? Write down your answer in your journal. 

As you end this week of study I want your to go back and look at Ephesians 2:11-16. Read it. Remember the context. Why does reconciliation matter? How then should we live? Write down your thoughts in your journal. Be ready to share what God is teaching you! 

Ephesians 2:11-12 - Strangers to the Covenants of Promise

Have you ever been a stranger? Walked into a place where you did not belong? Felt cut out or separated from a group of people? Welcome to the world of a Gentile. This week we will look at the Jews, the Gentiles, and the Covenants of Promise. I know I say this every week, but this week's study will blow your mind!! I pray you are excited each week to approach Scripture on your own, to see it for yourself. I pray you gain confidence that you can study scripture on your own! 

Begin each day of study this week with prayer. Ask the Lord to open up your eyes. Ask Him to help you understand anything that is difficult for you to get. Ask Him to be your teacher. Ask Him to illuminate your mind with His awesome truths!! 

Start by reading Ephesians 2 (yes the whole chapter). I want you to remember where we have been so that it connects to what we will study this week. As you read, slow down, and actually read through the text. Don't rush through just to mark words. This is the Word of God, we want to cherish it's words and soak them them. We want to truly understand them, not just breeze over them to complete a task. Now get out your colored pens or pencils and mark these key words in 2:11-12: remember & time. Notice how Paul begins verse 11, he says "remember." Paul wants the Ephesians to remember something. In your journal write down what Paul wants them to remember from verses 11&12. 

One of the things Paul wants them to remember is that they were called "uncircumcision." Let's dive a little deeper and figure out what the text means when it says this. To do so, we must go all the way back to Genesis. Find Genesis Chapter 17:1-14 (in your Bible or on the worksheet attached at the end of this lesson). Read and mark the words covenant and circumcision. Now make a list in your journal about what you learn about covenant and circumcision. Ask yourself this question and write the answer in your journal: How does what you learned in Genesis 17 relate to the place of the Gentiles before they were saved by grace? 

Ephesians 2:12 tells us that the Ephesians were strangers to the covenants of promise. Notice that word covenant is plural meaning multiple covenants. Don't you think we need to explore what these covenants were? Let's explore these covenants by diving into some scripture. Read the passages below and write down what you learn about each covenant:

• Abrahamic Covenant
• Genesis 12:1-3 & 15:1-18 (How does Gd plan to make Abraham a father of many nations? How does Abraham respond?)
• Galatians 3:5-9 (Look for how this passage relates to Abraham)
• The New Covenant
• Jeremiah 31:31-34 & Ezekiel 36:26-27
• Hebrews 10:10-18
• Luke 22:14, 19-20
• The Davidic Covenant
• 2 Samuel 7:12-13,16 & 2 Chronicles 21:7
• Romans 1:1-5 & Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4

I realize at this point you may be wondering, what does any of this have to do with Ephesians? Well, let's look at it. Go back and read Ephesians 2:11-12. Ask yourself how do these covenants relate to the Ephesians and where they were without Christ? Be ready to discuss everything you learned in class on Thursday! 

Ephesians 2:8-10: Saved by Grace

I am so excited for our study this week! I pray that this week you will be amazed by the grace of Jesus! I pray that through your diligent study God will reveal Himself to you and the way He calls you to live! 

I want to start this week with a review of the Inductive Study Method (ISM). The ISM is the way we study the Bible. You have probably walked the aisles of several Christians book stores and seen lots of Bible studies written by great Christian Authors. I know we have all listened to a sermon on a Sunday morning. Both using a a study written by someone else and listening to a sermon are called deductive learning. We are getting the information through someone else's way of thinking. Inductive Bible Study is getting the information from the primary source...the Bible. We are not listening to what someone else thinks about it, but discovering it on our own. 

The Inductive Study Method has three main components:

Observation
Observation is when we ask the question "What does the text say?" We are looking not to figure out what it means or what it means to me, but just what it says. We do several things to help us learn what the text says. We read with a purpose, not just skimming the text but trying to understand it as we read. We mark key words. Key words are words that are repeated and help us unlock the meaning of the text. We ask questions. Questions like "who is writing, who are they writing to, what are they asking, why are they asking that...."We also make lists and make note of contrasts, comparisons, and terms of conclusion. Remember in observation we are looking to find out what the text says and only what the text says. We often have to keep ourselves from rushing forward, so many of us cannot wait to get to the next step. Proper observation is essential because it builds the foundation of our interpretation!!! So don't miss out here! 

Interpretation
Interpretation is when we ask the question "What does the text mean?" The biggest thing we must remember in interpretation is CONTEXT. Context is the setting in which something dwells. As we study any passage we want to remember what the book as a whole is talking about along with the chapter we are studying. The meaning is always connected to the chapter and the book as a whole. Interpretation is where we focus on key word studies and cross references. We are digging deeper to understand the meaning. 

Application
Application is when we ask the question "How does the meaning of the text apply to me?" In application we must determine how what we have learned changes our belief about something or our behavior. Application is our ultimate goal in Bible Study. We do not just want to gain knowledge, we want our lives to be transformed by the living and breathing Word of God!

Okay, now let's look at our homework for this week. I am going to break the homework up this week into the three steps so you can see them for yourself. 

Observation
Start by praying and asking the Lord for His wisdom and discernment. Ask Him to teach you as your study. Now let's read Ephesians 2:1-10. Now I want you to read it again, this time I want you to mark every reference to grace.  Go back through verses 1-10 and mark any reference to time. I mark time with a green clock. Get out your journal. I want you to write the following questions in your journal along with your answers. Remember look for the answers in the text:

• What do you learn about grace in these verses?
• How are the Ephesians saved?
• Through what are they saved?
• What is it not of?
• Why?
• What does verse 10 say about the Ephesians?
• How are they described?
• When were their works prepared?
• What were they prepared for?

Interpretation

Let's do some word studies and cross references. Let's start with the word grace. You may have looked it up last week. Let's look it up again, write it down, and allow it to sink in. Now I want you to look up the word faith. Write down what you learn in your journal. Now we are going to do some cross references. Look up these verses and write down what you learn about grace, faith, and works.

• Romans 3:22-28
• Romans 4:13-24
• Galatians 2:16
• Galatians 3:22-24
• Acts 26:15-18
• Hebrews 11:1-2

Now let's dig deeper into verse 10. We must ask ourselves, What does it mean to be God's workmanship? Look up these verses and write down what you learn: 

• 2 Cor 5:15
• James 2:14-26

Application

How does what you have learned this week about grace, faith, works change the way you believe or the way you act? What in your life needs to be transformed by God's Word? 

Ephesians 2:4-7 - But God...

Last week left us in a heavy place. We were faced with the reality of our sin. We realized that what we have all earned is death and wrath. And that's difficult, because we often believe we are pretty good people, doing pretty good on our own. But no, last week left us realizing we need someone to step in on our behalf. And I promise you that verse 4 will be sweet music to your ears.

This week as you do your homework, please stop each time you study and pray. Ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment. Ask Him to help you to remember the dark reality of life without Him. I encourage you to slowly work on your homework throughout the week. This helps you savor the text instead of rushing through it just to get it completed. (Tip: Each paragraph below could be treated as a day of homework)

Let's start by reading verses 1-7 of Ephesians chapter 2. Look for the word that marks a big shift or contrast (but) and place a black slash before the word but. Marking contrasts help us to see that there are two major things Paul is showing us the difference between. Last week we looked at the dark reality of being without Jesus, this week we will look at the other side Read back through verses 4-7. What did God do? Paul lists out several things God did, let's number each one to help us see them more clearly. When you have marked them, get out your journal a make a list of what God did. How is God described in verse 4? I would like us to break down what we learn about God here. We learn two things in verse four about God, write them down in your journal. 

The two attributes of God that we see here are His mercy and His love. Using Blue Letter Bible do a word study on mercy and love. Now let's look up some cross references. Look up these cross references and write down what you learn about God's mercy & love: Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:3, John 15:13, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 1:4-5, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 4:7-8.

Now we must ask ourselves, because of God's mercy & love, what did he do for us? Remember that list we made? Let's look at it further. The first thins we see that God did, was while we were dead, He made us alive (by grace you have been saved). Look up the phrase alive together in Blue Letter Bible. Write down in your journal what you learn. We must ask ourselves, how were we made alive? Did we  earn it? Did we strive toward it? The answer is there in the text. It's by grace that we were saved. Look up the definition of the word grace using Blue Letter Bible. Write down what you learn. There are probably a million cross references on grace, let's look at just a few: John 1:14-17, Romans 3:23-24, 1 Cor 15:10, 2 Tim 1:8-9

What is the next thing that God did for us? He raised us up with Him. What does the word raised up mean? Look up the definition using Blue Letter Bible and write down what you learn in your journal. Let's look up some cross references. Look up these cross references and write down what you learn in your journal: Colossians 2:12, Colossians 3:1. Now I want you to ask yourself after God raised us up, what did He do? He seated us with Him in the heavenly places. Look up these cross references on the heavenly places and write down what you learn in your journal: Ephesians 1:3, Ephesians 1:20,

Now let's look at verse 7. verse 7 has a phrase we call a term of conclusion. a term os conclusion is often determined by the use of the phrase "so that" or "therefore." Find the term of conclusion in verse 7 and mark it with a black box. Now we must ask ourselves what is Paul concluding here? Look at the text and try to answer the question based on what we see in verse 7. Write down your answer in your journal. What the the ultimate outcome or conclusion? That in the age to come God would show the surpassing riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Let's look at this a little closer. We have already looked up the definition of grace, so let's look up the definition of kindness. Write down what you learn. I encourage you to stop and read back through verses 4-7. Conclude this week by thinking about what God has done in Jesus on our behalf. Remember that He did this when we were dead. Dead people can't help themselves, we needed someone to intervene on our behalf.

Know that I am praying for you this week! Asking God to open your hearts and minds to the goodness of His grace, mercy, and kindness!

Ephesians 2: Formerly & In Christ

Welcome to chapter 2!!! I believe this chapter is one of the most important chapters in this book. I believe this chapter will drastically transform the way you view grace.

Let's start this week by praying and asking God to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Now let's look at chapter two and read the entire chapter once all the way through (remember to read slowing looking for key words.) Now, go back and reread chapter 2. This time, I want you to mark two key phrases: formerly (once were or at one time) and in Christ. After you mark these words I want you to make a list contrasting what you were formerly with what you are in Christ.

We will spend the rest of this week focusing on verses 1-3. What does Paul say that we were in these verses? Let's look at verse one first. What does Paul say that we were? Write it down in your journal. Paul tells us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Let's focus on that phrase and break it apart. What does it mean to be dead? Let's do a word study on the word dead using Blue Letter Bible.  Now let's do some cross references on the word dead. Remember we look at cross references to see what Scripture tells us in other places about that same word. Look up these cross references about the word dead and write down in your journal what you learn: Luke 7:15, Roman 8:10, & Colossians 2:13

What does Paul tell us in verse one we are dead in? Write down the answer in your journal. Yes, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Look up the definition to both of these words in Blue Letter Bible and write down what you learn. We also want to check out some cross references for these words. Look up the following cross references and write down what you leant about trespasses or sin: Romans 5:18, Romans 8:28, Galatians 3:22, & James 1:15

Now let's look at verse 2. How does verse 2 tell us we walked formerly? Who is the prince of the power of air? Let's look up some verses on the prince of the power of the air. Look up these verses and write down what you learn about satan: John 8:44, John 12:31, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. Now, go back to verse two. What does it say we did or lived? We walked according to the the course of this world. What does the word walk mean? Look up the definition and write it down in your journal. Look up James 4:4 and write down what you learn about the world.

Okay, let's move on to verse 3. What does Paul say we were in this verse? How did we live? What is lust? Let's look up that word on Blue Letter Bible, write down what you find. Now let's look at some cross references: Romans 6:12, Romans 13:14, Titus 3:3, James 1:14-15.

Now go back and read the first three verses and allow the reality to set in. What were we formerly? Who exactly were we before we became in Christ? Be ready to talk about all of this and share what you learned.

Ephesians 1: Paul's Prayer

This week we will turn our attention to Paul's Prayer in the second part of chapter one. Last week we studied and talked about what it means to be blessed and how God has blessed us. Start this week by praying and asking the Lord to open up your eyes to His Truth. Grab your observation worksheets and read through chapter one. Now read back through 1:15-23. Our study this week will focus on these verses. As you read mark these words: prayer, what is/what are, knowledge, power, & body.

Get out your journal and make a list of what Paul is praying for the Ephesians.

Now let's dive into it! What is Paul praying for them? My hope is that you see this is not just a prayer, but Paul's hope for their growth as they walked in Jesus!

Paul prayed that they would have a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Stop and consider what it means to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. What is Paul specifically asking that the Ephesians would have knowledge of? Look for the phrase what to find out. What does the word knowledge mean? Look up the greek definition and write down what you learn in your journal.

First thing Paul prays is that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened, so that they will know what is the hope of His calling. I want you to think about what is the hope of His calling. Think about what we studied and talked about last week. How do they connect to the hope of His calling? Look up the greek definition of the word hope. Write down in your journal what you learn. Now look at these cross references and write down what you learn from each verse about the hope of your calling: Romans 8:28-30, Philippians 1:3-6, Philippians 1:19-21, 2 Timothy 1:9-12, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Ephesians 4:1&4.

Next, Paul prays that they would know what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.What is the inheritance that Christ has given? How is the inheritance defined? Go back and look at the verses we looked at last week about inheritance.

Finally Paul prays that the Ephesians would know what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. Let's look up some greek definitions. Using Blue Letter Bible, look up these words in the greek: power, working, strength, might. Now stop and think about how great God's power is, what does that mean for believers who are sealed in the Spirit?

Now stop. Go back, and read verses 15-23 in context. See if you can't piece it together and make sense of it. Looking forward to our time together this week!