Well done, Lesson 1! Moving right along.
Please complete Lesson 2, Ephesians 1:15-23, Questions 1-7
for discussion Tuesday, January 31.
Please complete Lesson 2, Ephesians 1:15-23, Questions 1-7
for discussion Tuesday, January 31.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 1:15-23
1. J.D. summarized Paul’s prayer in four parts. What four things did Paul
want the Ephesians to see?
2. What specific actions have happened, or are happening—just in
Ephesians 1:15–16?
3. How does viewing Paul’s prayer as a story change the way you might
use prayer-as-story?
4. What does Paul mean in Ephesians 1:17? How do we “know God”?
5. How does God’s Spirit make us know God?
6. How would you define “the hope to which He has called you”?
7. What’s the best thing you can do for someone else to help them have
this kind of hope?
8. Are there times when you feel that you aren’t loved by God?
9. How can verse 18 change your mind about hope?
10. In verses 19–20, we find the next main point of Paul’s prayer. What is
it?
11. How does Paul describe God’s power?
12. Think of that part of your life that needs a touch of God’s power. Your
attitude? Your health? Your struggle with temptation? Your relationships?
How could God use His resurrection power to transform that?
13. Is there one phrase that stands out for you in verses 20-23? What does
that mean to you?
LIVE IT OUT
Prayer: At least four days in the coming week, pray for other Christians
you know, using Paul’s prayer as a model.
Encouragement: Do you know someone who is losing hope? What could you
say to them, inspired by this passage, to open their eyes to God’s love and
power? Find a way to say that this week.
Resolve: Is there a struggle in your life where you need to rely on God’s
power? Temptation? Attitude? A thorny relationship? Is there some difficult
thing you need to do—saying “no,” saying “yes,” or saying “sorry”? Review
Paul’s prayer, ask for God’s guidance, and act in God’s power.
Memorize: Commit verses Ephesians 1:17–23 to memory (so you can use it as a
model for your own prayers forever). Alternatively, write out 5-7 “bullet points”
from the prayer and memorize those. Check yourself by reading through the
whole prayer each day. (And you might just find that you’ve learned the
whole thing anyway.)
Gather: Talk with a few friends about getting together this week for a prayer
time, based on this passage, in which you specifically pray for the spiritual
vitality of your church or your community.
Lesson 1: Ephesians 1:1-14
1. What were the last three things J.D. mentioned—three things we can
take away from this text?
2. According to Ephesians 1:3–10, what has God done, what is He doing,
what will He do?
3. According to 1:3-10, what do we “have”? What blessings has He blessed
us with?
4. What does adoption mean when God is doing it?
5. How would you define grace?
6. What “riches” has God lavished on us?
7. What’s mysterious about God’s will?
8. According verse 10, what is the mystery?
9. According to Ephesians 1:11–14, who are we?
10. What does our identity as Christians mean to you? How can we bring
Him praise?
11. If you began to see bringing Him praise as your purpose in life, how
would that change things?
12. How are you doing with bringing Him praise?
LIVE IT OUT
Prayer: At least four days in the coming week, thank God that He has
included you in His great plan.
Encouragement: If you know a fellow Christian who is going through tough
times, offer a word of hope. God has plans for us.
Conversation: Talk with somebody who isn’t a Christian (as far as you know).
Ask them about their beliefs. If they ask about yours, be ready to tell them
God’s story.
Journaling: Write out the text of Ephesians 1:1–14, a few verses at a time,
jotting down your questions and reactions.
Worship: If you exist “for the praise of His glory,” then throw yourself into
worship. Take time on your own to sing and dance and pray and shout, but
also join with the church or youth group in a gathering of praise.
1. What were the last three things J.D. mentioned—three things we can
take away from this text?
2. According to Ephesians 1:3–10, what has God done, what is He doing,
what will He do?
3. According to 1:3-10, what do we “have”? What blessings has He blessed
us with?
4. What does adoption mean when God is doing it?
5. How would you define grace?
6. What “riches” has God lavished on us?
7. What’s mysterious about God’s will?
8. According verse 10, what is the mystery?
9. According to Ephesians 1:11–14, who are we?
10. What does our identity as Christians mean to you? How can we bring
Him praise?
11. If you began to see bringing Him praise as your purpose in life, how
would that change things?
12. How are you doing with bringing Him praise?
LIVE IT OUT
Prayer: At least four days in the coming week, thank God that He has
included you in His great plan.
Encouragement: If you know a fellow Christian who is going through tough
times, offer a word of hope. God has plans for us.
Conversation: Talk with somebody who isn’t a Christian (as far as you know).
Ask them about their beliefs. If they ask about yours, be ready to tell them
God’s story.
Journaling: Write out the text of Ephesians 1:1–14, a few verses at a time,
jotting down your questions and reactions.
Worship: If you exist “for the praise of His glory,” then throw yourself into
worship. Take time on your own to sing and dance and pray and shout, but
also join with the church or youth group in a gathering of praise.
