Verses: Ephesians Chapters 1-3

Main Point: The Gospel gives people a new identity, new community, and a new purpose in life.

Introduction:

This week we are studying the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians. This will set up our study of Ephesians chapter four. The book of Ephesians has two parts: Doctrine (Right understanding of the truth) and Application (How we live in response to the truth). In the first three chapters, the Apostle Paul lays out the realities of the Gospel. In the final three chapters, Paul gives practical application for how Christians are to live into the reality of their new identity in Christ.

Ephesians chapters 1-3 are some of the most beautiful and profound chapters in all of Paul’s writings. They express the magnitude God’s work through Jesus, Christians’ new identity in Christ, unity in Christ that goes beyond ethnic groups, and the power of God at work in Believers.

We are studying a larger section of Scripture than we normally do, so please take your time, and enjoy the beauty and depth of God’s word.

 Questions:

What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

What is the most significant thing that you learned or remembered about God, the Gospel, or your identity in Christ.

Read Ephesians 1:1-14. What does this section tell us about God’s love? For what purpose did God choose Christians? What questions do you have after reading this section?

All three members of the Trinity are working in salvation. What things does Paul say the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do in salvation?

Read Ephesians 1:15-23. What is the substance of Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians? What do these verses tell us about God’s power?

Read Ephesians 2:1-10. How does Paul describe the spiritual condition of humans before they trust in Jesus? What is God’s motivation form making us “alive with Christ”?

Do good works save us? What saves us? What has been prepared in advance for Christians to do?

Read Ephesians 2:11-22. One of the outcomes of the Gospel is unity across ethic lines. What two groups is Paul talking about being reconciled? How was this accomplished?

Read Ephesians 3:1-12. What is the mystery that Paul is talking about? What mission was Paul given?

Read Ephesians 3:14-21. What does Paul pray for in this passage? Why is it important to know and experience the power and the love of God?

In verses 20-21, Paul breaks into praise of God. What does Paul’s praise reveal about God?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week? How has your understanding of God’s love, grace, and salvation changed or deepened?

Main Point: We must be on guard against God substitutes in our lives.

 Questions:

What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

How would you define an idol? What are some of the most common idols in the United States?

Read 1 John 5:18-21. What contrasts do you notice in this section? Why does John use the word “true” three times? What does he want people to know?

John instructs his audience to keep themselves (be on guard) from idols. What does that mean? In practical terms, how can Christians guard themselves against God substitutes? Why are idols so dangerous?

Read Exodus 20:1-4. What is the first command in the Ten Commandments? Why is this the first commandment given by God?

How does the first commandment relate to the rest of the commandments?

Read Romans 1:18-25. What do we learn about people’s response to God in these verses? What do these verses tell us about the root cause of idolatry?

In verse 25, Paul writes that, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator…” People worshipped and served created things. What does this verse tell us about the human need to worship? How do people serve their idols?

Read Acts 17:16-34. How does Paul respond to all the idols he sees in Athens? How does he use the Athenians religious devotion to share the Gospel?

What contrasts does Paul make with the idols and the true God? In verse 30, what does God (through Paul), command the people to do?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week? What idols have you discovered in your life? How can you deal with the idols?

Main Point: Relationship with God allows us to engage life with confidence.

 

Questions:

What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

What areas of your life do you feel confident in? What areas are you less confident? How does a relationship with God provide confidence in life?

Read 1 John 5:13-15. What does John want his readers to be assured of in these verses? What does the word “know” mean? Why is it important for Christians to know they are saved, and God hears their prayers?

What does it mean to pray according to God’s will? How do we know if we are praying according to God’s will?

Read 1 John 5:16-17. What are Christians supposed to do when they see another Christian sin? What is the result of their prayer?

What’s the difference between a sin that does not lead to death and a sin that leads to death?

Read 1 John 5:18-19. In these verses, John makes is clear that Christians will not continue in a habitual pattern of sin. If this is true, why do Christians continue to sin?

How does God keep Christians safe? What does it mean that the evil one controls the world? How does this understanding of the world impact the way we relate to the world?

Read 1 John 5:20. What implications can be drawn from this verse? If Jesus is the true God and eternal life, what does that mean about others claiming to know the truth? Why is the concept of truth challenging in a post-modern pluralistic culture?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: We respond to God’s great love and salvation with love and obedience.

Questions:

What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

Have you ever wondered if you or someone close to you is truly saved? What would you tell someone is required to be saved? Why do you think people doubt their salvation?

Read 1 John 5:1-5. What does it mean to believe Jesus is the Christ? What happens when a person believes this? How does this new nature affect the way we love others?

How is loving God related to keeping his commandments? (See John 14:15 and John 15:9-14) Why are his commands not burdensome?

How do Christians overcome (“conquer”) the world through faith in Christ? Have you seen evidence of overcoming the world in your life?

Read 1 John 5:6-10. John wants his readers to be sure Jesus is God’s son. What evidence does John present? What does John mean by “water” and “blood”?

How does the Spirit give witness to the fact that Jesus is the son of God? What does John call the person that does not accept this testimony?

Read 1 John 5:11-15. John is very clear about who has eternal life. What does a person need to have confidence that they have eternal life?

According to John, what confidence do Christians have in their prayer life? How does this compare to John 14:13-14 and James 5:16? How would your prayer life change if you have more of this confidence?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: We must know the truth to determine what it false.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

2. Why is knowing the difference between real teachers and false teachers so important? Can you think of an example of a false Christian teacher that claimed to know Christ and led people away from God?

3. Read the entire section and look for the times John uses the phrases “from God” and “the world.” What do you notice about the contrast John sets up? What are the characteristics of those who are “from God” and those that are part of “the world”?

4. Read 1 John 4:1. What two commands does John give his people in this verse? If a spirit is not from God, what is the other alternative?

5. John notes that “many false prophets have gone out into the world.” How does this relate to 1 John 2:18-19?

6. Read 1 John 4:2-3. What test does John give to determine whether a teacher is from God or not from God? What does it mean to acknowledge, “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God”?

7. Read the Gospel of John 1:1-4 and 14. How do these verses clarify what John means in 1 John 4:2-3? What is Jesus’ relationship to God? What does it mean that he, “became flesh and made his dwelling among us”?

8. Read 1 John 4:4-6. What does John compare in these verses? How are the false teachers received by the world?

9. What test does John give in verse 6? How does this relate to the importance of the Bible?

10. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

11. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: We must know the truth to determine what it false.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

2. Why is knowing the difference between real teachers and false teachers so important? Can you think of an example of a false Christian teacher that claimed to know Christ and led people away from God?

3. Read the entire section and look for the times John uses the phrases “from God” and “the world.” What do you notice about the contrast John sets up? What are the characteristics of those who are “from God” and those that are part of “the world”?

4. Read 1 John 4:1. What two commands does John give his people in this verse? If a spirit is not from God, what is the other alternative?

5. John notes that “many false prophets have gone out into the world.” How does this relate to 1 John 2:18-19?

6. Read 1 John 4:2-3. What test does John give to determine whether a teacher is from God or not from God? What does it mean to acknowledge, “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God”?

7. Read the Gospel of John 1:1-4 and 14. How do these verses clarify what John means in 1 John 4:2-3? What is Jesus’ relationship to God? What does it mean that he, “became flesh and made his dwelling among us”?

8. Read 1 John 4:4-6. What does John compare in these verses? How are the false teachers received by the world?

9. What test does John give in verse 6? How does this relate to the importance of the Bible?

10. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

11. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: If we are loved by God, we will love like God.

Questions:

What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you?

What does John teach us about love in these verses? What contrasts does he use to help us understand love more deeply?

Read 1 John 3:11-15. In what way is loving one another inseparable from the gospel? How do Cain’s actions provide a contrast to loving one another?

Why does the world hate Christians? According to verse 14, how are Christians different than the world? How does loving people reflect the reality of knowing the love of God?

Read 1 John 3:15-18. What does Jesus’ sacrifice tell us about what love? What does it look like for Christians to lay down their lives like Jesus?

What connection does John make between God’s love in a Believer and meeting a brother or sister’s needs?

John is clear that real love acts. What does it look like to love with “actions and in truth”?

Read 1 John 3:19-24. What does John reveal about assurance of salvation in these verses? What reassurance does John provide about prayer?

What is God’s command? How is that similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 22:34-40?

What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

Main Point: God’s amazing love adopts us and changes us, so we become like Jesus.

Questions:

1. What impacted you from the sermon this weekend? What ideas challenged you or encouraged

you?

2. How would you describe God’s love from these verses? How does being a son or daughter of

God through faith in Jesus change the way we live?

3. Read 1 John 2:28-3:1. How does John want his readers to respond to Jesus’ return? What

allows them to feel this way?

4. Being a child of God is a big deal! What allows a person to become a child a God? How did

God lavish his love on us to make us children of God?

5. Read 1 John 3:2-3. What do these verses tell us about being transformed by God? How does

having this hope affect the way a Christian lives?

6. What does it mean to purify oneself? Are there practical ways of doing this?

7. Read 1 John 3:4-8. How does the believer relate to sin? Is John calling believer to be sinless

to show they are saved?

8. How does Jesus’ work on earth destroy the work of the devil?

9. Read 1 John 3:9-10. What does John mean that “No one who is born of God will continue to

sin”? How does one know if they are a child of God or a child of the devil?

10. What did you learn about God this week? What did you learn about yourself? What is God

asking you to understand or to do as a result of what you have learned?

11. By God’s grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week?

1. Read John 15:1-12

What are the major parallels between this passage and the first two chapters of 1 John?

2. Read 1 John 2:15-19

Do you think there is any connection between the instruction to not love the world and the warning against denying the son?

3. Read 1 John 2:20-21

Why do you think John clarifies the purpose for writing?

What does he mean no lie comes from the truth?

4. Read 1 John 2:24-25

What is John referring to when he says "what you have heard from the beginning"?

What does it mean that it "remains in you"?

What is the end result of that?

5. It has been almost 2,000 years since this letter was written. Can you identify areas where John's instruction is still relevant?

What do you think is still the most important or relevant portion of this passage?

6. Looking at the message John proclaims, how can you apply it? If John were still alive and writing to you or to this church, what would he say?