Landmark #2: TRANSFORMED (Ephesians 1)

Read Ephesians 1:1

Why do you think Paul calls the people in Ephesus "saints"? What had they done to earn that title? Do you think Paul would refer to you as a saint? Why or why not?

Read Ephesians 1:3-9.

Which part of this paragraph is your favorite? What parts of this paragraph raise questions for you? How would you summarize this paragraph in one or two sentences?

As a group, make a list of all the words that describe what God has done for us. Why do you think he did all this?

Verse five says this all happens "through Jesus Christ." How did Jesus' life make all this possible?

Tell a story about someone you know that has been radically transformed by God.

If you had to identify one part of your life that has been transformed by God, what would it be?

If you had to identify one part of your life that still needs to be transformed by God, what would it be?

One of the reasons we aren't always transformed as much as we should be is that we don't allow God access to our full life. What is a simple step you can take this week to allow God to begin the transformation you need?

What can this group give you that will enable you to do this?

Comments

Discussion Questions for Easter

Have several people ask the question, “What’s the most important thing you’ve ever done?” Ask other people, “What do you hope to accomplish in the next several years of your life?” Tell your class that today you’ll be talking about “life mission” or the one most important thing you do that drives everything else. Tell them that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the defining moment in history, so it should be the defining moment in our lives. Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. How does the resurrection impact some of the crucial beliefs of Christianity? How would Christianity be different if there was no resurrection? How would you be different without the resurrection? Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. What are some specific ways that the resurrection gives us hope? If you had been a friend of Jesus when he was on earth, how would the resurrection have impacted your life? How do you think his followers then were effected by the resurrection? Read 1 Corinthian...

FIGHT CLUB! (iron sharpening iron)

Our youth pastor, Keith Sandison, has implemented "Fight Clubs" with the young men of our church. While these teenagers and young adults aren't actually pummeling each other physically, they are using the opportunity to aggressively challenge one another to be more attentive to their spiritual formation. Right now my son is participating in a fight club focusing on Proverbs. I love it. Keith has created a handout he uses for the fight clubs which lists seven different methods of "generic Bible study". I think the idea started with this post a few years ago, but as he often does; Keith took my thoughts and made them immensely more substantive and beneficial. Check out his system below:

SOAPY Bible Study

In the past, I've written about and talked about the SOAP method of Bible study. This is a simple Bible study method which can be utilized by an individual or a small group. All you need is a passage of Scripture and 15-30 minutes (a journal is helpful). Many churches use this method of Bible study for their groups. Some have modified the SOAP method by adding a Y. Read more about it below: This Bible study is an intentional focused effort of growing in the understanding of the scriptures. This form of study will assist in the transformation of our inner lives as we mature in understanding and in faith. Set aside 15 minutes every day for the study. You might want to take more time after you have gotten started. Don’t overload yourself in the beginning. Keep a “soapy” journal because there will be the need to write everyday. As you develop your routine, share what you are learning with your Discipleship Group, Sunday school class, Circle, other groups in which y...

Creative Community

Search This Blog