hersheyfree.com 330 Hilltop Road, Hummelstown, PA Participant Guide

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1 hersheyfree.com 330 Hilltop Road, Hummelstown, PA Participant Guide

2 - Lesson One - Transformed to Live in Christ Ephesians 1:1 14 The Big Picture Paul begins the book of Ephesians by revealing that the church is a spiritual body initiated and formed by Christ. This group of individuals becomes a community of earthly relationships that reveal a new identity in Christ. The blessings of the church s heavenly identity become the foundation for a new kind of conduct rooted in Christ. Paul s letter exhorts the believers to put this new identity into practice. Ephesians 1:1 14 presents the truth that the church is part of the plan of God from all of eternity. God forms the church in Christ to bring himself glory. This demonstration of God s grace, based on the work of Christ, is intended to accomplish God s will both here on earth and in heaven. Key Verse: Ephesians 1:9 10 Interaction: Interpretation 1. Locate the names of God, including any mention of the individual members of the Trinity, observed in this passage. 1

3 Lesson One 2. List all of the spiritual blessings you see in this passage given by God to believers. As you reflect on those blessings, what role does each person of the Trinity play in providing us with these blessings? Interaction: Application 1. How should the truths from today s session affect your self-worth or opinion of yourself? Ephesians 1: Think about the statement, he chose us in him. (This phrase is significant in its structure. God put us and Christ together in his mind. He chose to make us who did not yet exist his own children through the redeeming work of Christ which had not yet taken place.) Ask the group what is significant and powerful about that statement. 2. How do the truths of today s study benefit you when you go through hard times? When you commit sin? 3. What difference should it make that you know you will receive God s full inheritance in your life? 4. What does it mean to be chosen by grace? 5. What does it mean to be sealed with the Holy Spirit? How does this knowledge impact our inheritance and redemption? Reflection and Prayer 1. What is the most significant truth you gleaned from this session? 2. How will this truth impact your understanding of yourself and the other relational areas of your life listed here? a. God 6. What is God s big plan? We aren t chosen for our sake, but for what God wants to accomplish through us. In what ways might God want to bless (or is already blessing) others through you or our Christian community? b. Family and Friends c. Co-workers d. The World 2 3

4 - Lesson Two - Praying for Others Ephesians 1:15 23 The Big Picture So often we as individuals and we as the church forget the necessity of prayer in our lives and therefore miss its power. In fact, we are often guilty of trying to provide the power to live the Christian life from within ourselves. Paul recognized the impossibility of that approach and lived a life saturated with prayer. All of Ephesians 1 is really a prayer, for he is addressing God while thinking about the Ephesians (and the broader church of Christ). As we study this passage we will see a model of intercession and a high level of prayer that we can each adopt in our own lives. The prayer in this passage has as its focus the fullness of Christ in the church. Key Verse: Ephesians 1:18 20 Interaction: Interpretation 1. List the specific things that Paul prays for in this passage. 5

5 Lesson Two 2. What are the key words you notice in this passage? (These are words that are theologically significant or set the theme/ big idea for the passage.) Interaction: Application Ephesians 1: What difference would it make in the life of the church if we prayed in a way that was more aligned to Paul s model of prayer in this passage? 3. What does Paul mean when he says, For this reason.. (v.15)? 2. How does Paul s description of Christ in verses relate to our practice of prayer? 4. What is the primary thing that Paul asks for in this prayer? Why does he place such an emphasis on this request? 3. Jesus is the head of the body of believers who are his hands and feet. How can we, his church, act as his agents within this present world? 5. What do we learn about each person of the Trinity in these prayers? (To which of them should we pray? What role does the Holy Spirit play in our lives? Where is Jesus now, and what is he doing?) Reflection and Prayer 1. What is the most significant truth you gleaned from this session? 6. How does this passage relate to the previous passage? (How does the content of Paul s prayer in verses relate to the believer s blessings in verses 1 14?) 2. Based on this week s session, how would you like your own prayer life to change? 6 7

6 Lesson Two 3. How will this truth impact how you pray for yourself and others in the following areas of your life? a. Family and Friends b. Co-workers c. The World - Lesson Three - Transforming Grace, Purposeful Life Ephesians 2:1 10 The Big Picture Believers have spiritual blessings that include access to the power of the sovereign ruler of the present world and the age to come. Paul wants believers to be careful to not boast in the riches they are given by God, but instead give all the glory to God for what he has done and is doing in the follower of Christ and in the entire body of Christ. In this passage Paul writes about the mercy and grace of God for salvation and glorifies God s workmanship. The passage moves from a description of the depravity of all people to the working of God s mercy in Christ for all who believe. The passage concludes with a wonderful reminder that we belong to God; we have been created by him for his work. Key Verse: Ephesians 2:8 10 Interaction: Interpretation 1. List all of Paul s descriptions of the former life of his audience. What used to be true of them? 8 9

7 Lesson Three Ephesians 2: What has God done for us according to verses 4 10? In particular, look for verbs that describe his actions toward us. c. Saved d. Faith 3. What are the key words you notice in this passage? (These are words that are theologically significant or set the theme/ big idea for the passage.) 7. Why did God save us? Interaction: Application 4. What does Paul mean by being dead? Who is the ruler of the kingdom of the air? What power and authority does he have? What is wrath and what does it mean to be by nature deserving of wrath? 1. The gospel that Paul reveals is all about grace that is more than mere enrichment; it gives life to the dead. Many believers recognize that salvation is by grace, but fall into the trap of believing that living the Christian life is by hard work. Why is it important that we live the Christian life by grace and not by hard work? 5. Based on your answers to the previous questions, describe a person s condition without Christ. Do you think non-christians recognize their condition? Why or why not? 2. What does it mean to be made alive with Christ? 3. Based on what we ve seen in this passage, how would you explain what salvation is? 6. Define the following key words from the passage: a. Grace b. Works 10 11

8 Lesson Three Reflection and Prayer 1. What is the most significant truth you have gained from this week s session? 2. Suppose you were to stand before God tonight and he were to ask you, Why should I open Heaven s door to you? How would you answer? - Lesson Four - Reconciled! Ephesians 2:11 22 The Big Picture 3. Think of ways that God s grace impacts your daily life. How does it change the way you see yourself and others in the following relationships? a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers Ephesians 2:1 10 explained that believers have no reason to boast in their salvation. Their lives were dead, having no inclination toward God; and God alone interrupted their dead lives with grace from Christ. In verses 11 22, Paul writes about how the work of Christ created one united identity among believers, which foreshadows the fullness of the union believers will share with God and one another in eternity. This passage explains reconciliation and its implications for the unified identity of the Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ for the present and the future. (The Old Testament, given before Jesus came, reveals God s chosen people, the Jews. The Mosaic law, given as commandments for the Jews to follow, was given by Moses to make the Jewish people an attractive light and an example of righteousness for the Gentiles to follow. But in the centuries before Jesus came, the Jews distorted the law and created man-made traditions that were cumbersome or burdensome and deprived them of a life-giving understanding of God.) Key Verse: Ephesians 2:

9 Lesson Four Ephesians 2:11 22 Interaction: Interpretation 1. What did Jesus do for the Gentiles on one hand and for Jews on the other? Interaction: Application 1. What are the challenges when groups of people who used to be separate, or who want to be separate, work together to form one group? 2. Think about the reaction people might have had when receiving Paul s letter. How easy or difficult do you think it was for them to live out the oneness they were called to as fellow believers in Christ? 2. Paul uses three images in this passage: citizens, family, and building. What are the implications of these images for the church today? 3. We were created to experience shalom, or the total peace of God, in our relationship with him. This shalom was shattered as a result of sin and the Fall and resulted in separation. Ultimately, shalom means the way things ought to be. Why is it significant that Jesus preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near? How does this thought fit with the shalom of God? 3. How should our interactions be different with each other because we are members of God s family? Reflection and Prayer 1. What is the most significant truth you have gained from this week s session? 4. What does it mean to have access to the Father by one Spirit? 2. Shalom, peace with God, is a key idea in this passage. How are you experiencing peace with God? 14 15

10 Lesson Four 3. What role do you think you might have in breaking down barriers in the following relationships? a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers - Lesson Five - Participating in God s Victory Ephesians 3:1 13 The Big Picture Ephesians 1 and 2 painted a picture of the Lord pouring his fullness into the believers as one new humanity. This new humanity is the visible demonstration of the renewal Christ will make of the full creation in his time. In this interlude, Paul takes time to explain the relationship between the gospel and his imprisonment. In this passage, Paul reveals the mystery of the Gentiles equal inheritance in Christ. He exhorts the Ephesians to remain strong in spite of his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. Key Verse: Ephesians 3:10 Interaction: Interpretation 1. This chapter opens with the phrase, For this reason, connecting it to chapter 2. Based on what Paul has just said, why do you think he was a prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles? 2. According to this passage, what changes resulted from Christ s work on the cross? 16 17

11 Lesson Five 3. In verses 3 6, Paul talks about a mystery. Why does he use the word mystery? What was the mystery that had now been revealed? (In Greek, the word mystery has a different meaning than in English. The Greek meaning carries the connotation that what was once closely guarded is now open. Christian mysteries are truths which, although beyond human discovery, have been revealed by God and so now belong openly to the whole church.) Interaction: Application Ephesians 3: What can believers do to heal divisions? In the church? In the world? 2. In what way do you see yourself as a prisoner for the gospel of Christ? 4. Why would Paul use the phrase, the boundless riches of Christ, to describe his preaching to the Gentiles? 3. How would you describe your attitude toward the church of Jesus Christ, and how might your attitude need to change? 5. God s intent in Paul s preaching of the gospel is that the manifold wisdom of God would be made known through the church to the powers in the heavenly realms. Based on what Paul has said thus far in Ephesians, what is this wisdom? Why would the Lord intend the powers to see this wisdom? Reflection and Prayer 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 2. Did the Spirit bring anything specifically to mind that you need to do to promote unity in the body of Christ or to reveal the mystery of the gospel to a non-christian? 6. According to verses 8 12, why did God create the church? What role does the church play in God s plan for human history? 3. Think of ways that the boundless riches of Christ can be revealed in the following relationships: a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers 18 19

12 - Lesson Six - Grasping the Reality of God s Love Ephesians 3:14 21 The Big Picture Ephesians 3:14 begins a transition that continues through Ephesians 4:16. Paul expands his thoughts on the identity and role of the church to show how we are agents of God s glory through the ministry of reconciliation and community life. This particular passage focuses on the necessity of joining together action and prayer. Too often we are lulled into the belief that action and prayer are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Prayer links love and power together by connecting us to the God from whom the power comes. As we pray, God s power is given to us and through us for the good of others and the benefit of the Kingdom. The prayer in this passage asks God to move the church to realize the significance of its identity as a body united in the Trinity. Key Verse: Ephesians 3:17b 19 Interaction: Interpretation 1. List all the requests that are mentioned in this prayer. 21

13 Lesson Six 2. What does it mean to be strengthened in your inner being? Ephesians 3: What effect would it have on the church if we prayed that we could all grasp the love of Christ? What effect would that same prayer have on the world? 3. How is God characterized in verses 14 and 15? How does our understanding of God impact how we approach him in prayer? 3. How should we be encouraged by the phrase, at work within us? 4. Paul uses the idea of being rooted in love to speak of the believers lives. What is he hoping they will do when they are rooted in love? 4. Paul describes the final goal of the church in verse 21. What does this statement say about the hope of the gospel for the church? 5. Filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (3:19) points back to the fullness of him who fills everything in every way (1:23). By what measure could the Ephesians determine if they were experiencing the fullness of God? How does this fullness relate to their identity in Christ in the present and the future, both spiritually and practically? Reflection and Prayer 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 2. How did this passage bring together the ideas of prayer and action? Interaction: Application 1. Why is it important that Christ dwell in our hearts as we pray for believers? For non-believers? 3. Think of ways that you can pray for the immeasurable love and power of Christ to be revealed in the following relationships: a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers 22 23

14 - Lesson Seven - It s Time to Grow Up! Ephesians 4:1 16 The Big Picture In this section, which opens the second half of the letter, Paul reminds the Ephesians of the fundamental nature of their calling. Ephesians 4:15 says that the church is to grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Paul emphasizes how the church, as the dwelling place of God, is to mature in the character and nature of Jesus. Just as Jesus is the incarnation of God in the world, so the church is the incarnation of Jesus in the world (Gombis). In this passage Paul exhorts the Ephesians to live their calling through the diverse gifts that will build the church up in love. Ultimately, the works of the individual members of the body will result in the unity and maturity of the church as a whole. Key Verse: Ephesians 4:15 Interaction: Interpretation 1. This passage needs to be framed in the ideas of unity and mission. In verses 4 6 Paul repeats the word one seven times. Why does Paul stress the idea of one? What are the implications of these verses for unity in the church? How do these verses help us understand our identity and mission? 25

15 Lesson Seven 2. Verses 7 10 give us a picture of the purpose of gifts in the local church. What does the phrase, But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it mean? Paul s quotation of Psalm 68:18 connects the giving of gifts to Christ s ascension. What is the significance of Christ s ascension and the picture of captives in our understanding of the role of spiritual gifts? Interaction: Application Ephesians 4: God s desire for each of us is that we flourish and experience an abundant life. How does using our gifts and receiving from others the gifts that they exercise contribute to an abundant life? How do those ideas contribute to unity in the body? 3. What is the role of each of the people who are mentioned in verse 11? How is verse 12 a job description for today s church leader? 2. What do you do to maintain and work for the unity of the Spirit in this local body? In the Church as a whole? 4. What is the connection between the proper understanding and use of gifts and immaturity? Why does Paul include this image of immaturity in this passage? 3. What are your spiritual gifts? How are you currently expressing those gifts? Are there barriers that are preventing you from exercising your gifts? What can you do to eliminate any roadblocks that inhibit the use of your gifts? Reflection and Prayer 5. The passage states that the gifts are to be used to build up the body until we all reach unity in the faith and become mature. What do we learn in verses that helps us understand the unity and mission of the body? 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 2. How can you be a person who expresses unity and mission in your interactions with others? 26 27

16 Lesson Seven 3. Think of ways that you can purposefully reveal the unity of Christ, by tearing down the cultural barriers that separate us, in the following relationships: a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers - Lesson Eight - The Transformed Life Ephesians 4:17 32 The Big Picture Ephesians 4:15 sets the tone for the next passage. Paul now writes what it s to look like to speak and live the truth in love. It is powerful to be the church that lives the truth in love where people reflect Christ through belief and actions. This passage shows that life in Christ demands a radical change in one s actions. Taking off the old ways and putting on the new ways of Christ does not happen automatically. It takes intentional surrender and a retraining of the mind and habits to be formed into the character and image of Christ. Key Verse: Ephesians 4:22 24 Interaction: Interpretation 1. Paul uses strong language and insists that Christians must no longer lives as the Gentiles (pagans) do. What do you think he means by using such strong language? Explain the downward path of people described as pagans

17 Lesson Eight 2. Paul draws a sharp distinction between the believers former way of living and the new life found in Christ. How important are the correct hearing of the gospel and spiritual formation to the taking off of the old life and the putting on of the new life? Ephesians 4: Scan the new behaviors that are found in the passage, but this time read them as a description of how God acts toward us. How does that change your overall perspective of the passage? 3. List each of the examples of sin that are to be put off, taking note of the positive commands that indicate what we should put on. 3. The formation of our character toward Christ-likeness does not happen in a vacuum. How can you help others become more like Christ? How can others help you? Verses Put off Put on 4:25 4: :28 Reflection and Prayer 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 4:31 2. What does it look like for you to put off the old self and put on the new self? 4. What s the overriding reason to change our thinking in order to change our behavior (4:30)? Interaction: Application 1. Which of the old ways of thinking and acting do you need to put off? 3. Think of ways that you can be a person who practices speaking and living the truth in love within the following relationships: a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers 30 31

18 - Lesson Nine - The Transformed Community Ephesians 5:1 20 The Big Picture Paul continues to emphasize transformation in Christ in chapter 5 and the beginning of chapter 6 by focusing on relationships. As head of the church, Christ s power transforms the body so that the believers thoughts, attitudes, and actions are vastly different from the world s culture. Paul writes strong words of warning in this passage. In contrast to a life rooted in sin, the believer s life is rooted in Christ and imitates God s character and values. These next passages provide strong motivation to live by the Spirit as children of light and love. Key Verse: Ephesians 5:15 16 Interaction: Interpretation 1. Paul s prohibitions against ungodly desires are absolute there must not be even a hint of certain behaviors. Why is it so important that we separate completely from the sins of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, and coarse talk? 33

19 Lesson Nine 2. What does Paul mean by contrasting the phrases, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord? How do these words impact our identity? 3. What would it look like for us to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit? Ephesians 5: Why is it so important that sin is made visible? How does light expose sin? 4. How does making the most of every opportunity combat evil ways? Reflection and Prayer 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 5. What are the benefits of being filled with the Spirit? What contrasts exist between life in the Spirit (light) and the prior verses that speak of living in darkness? 2. Ask God to fill your heart, mind, and imagination with the truth of what it looks like to imitate him. 3. Think of ways that you can imitate God in the following relationships: a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers Interaction: Application 1. Which of the ways of darkness are most troublesome in your life? c. Non-believers 2. What is one practical way you can live out each of Paul s commands? 34 35

20 - Lesson Ten - The Transformed Marriage Ephesians 5:21 33 The Big Picture Paul now turns to familial relationships and provides a picture of a transformational marriage: one that reflects the gospel and the mission of God. Using a common literary form called Household Codes, Paul writes about the models for marriage and family. When using this form, Paul is laying out a broader vision for marriage and the family. His words had implications for the cultural norms of that day, and his manifesto lays out a new and foundational way for marriage and the family in the Christian community. First and foremost, Paul s words reveal a radical way in which everyone in the church and the family would receive honor, dignity, and the opportunity for full participation in the body of Christ. While there are hierarchical relationships, Paul addresses the subordinate relationship first, giving them unprecedented dignity. In God s people, there is no place for control, domination, manipulation, or exploitation. Instead, mutual respect and service is to be the norm (Gombis). Key Verse: Ephesians 5:21 Interaction: Interpretation 1. Why is the phrase, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ different from how we usually think of submission? 37

21 Lesson Ten 2. In verses 22 33, Paul describes a missional marriage, one that reveals the gospel in the context of the marriage relationship. What command is a wife given? What command is a husband given? 2. What would the dynamic in a marriage look like if the husband sacrificed and the wife submitted as a willful choice? Ephesians 5: Look at the following comparisons. What do these comparisons reveal about a marriage that honors Christ? Husbands Wives Love Respect Sacrifice Submit 3. How do the actions of love and respect create an environment of shalom (peace) in the marriage relationship? How is the gospel revealed in a marriage with that focus? 4. Why does Paul include the passage about the one-flesh relationship described in Genesis in these verses in Ephesians? How does it help us understand God s picture of a biblical marriage? 4. How would the principles of love and respect and of sacrifice and submission be transformative, not only to our marriages and families, but also to the church and community as a whole? Reflection and Prayer Interaction: Application 1. The words for submission and love are written in a Greek format that makes it clear that they involve willful choice. How does that impact the way in which a wife submits and the way in which a husband loves? 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 2. Ask God to show you ways that you can better fulfill your marriage vows by living out the principles stated in this passage. If you are single, reflect on what this passage tells us about God s picture of honor and value in male/female relationships

22 Lesson Ten 3. Think about the way you talk about your marriage. Are you revealing a healthy, biblical perspective to the following groups of people? a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers - Lesson Eleven - The Transformed Family Ephesians 6:1 9 c. Non-believers The Big Picture Paul continues to focus on familial and societal relationships by addressing the relationship of parents with children and of masters with slaves. Still writing using a common literary form called Household Codes, Paul writes about the way that parents should treat their children and masters should treat their slaves. His focus shows how the early church could be a place of justice for the marginalized in his culture. Building on thoughts from Ephesians 5, Paul writes that the believer should live as wise, not unwise; and one of the ways that would be carried out is through the relationships in the family and in the ways masters treated their slaves. It s important to recognize that these commands are not given just to the individual, but to the church as a whole. He is contrasting two ways of acting in these relationships and desires that the church manifest the work of the Spirit through their habits and practices toward others. Key Verse: Ephesians 5:21 Interaction: Interpretation 1. The purpose of a parenting relationship is transformation. What does the process of transformation look like in the life of a parent? In the life of a child? 40 41

23 Lesson Eleven 2. Why is it important for Christian fathers (and mothers) to avoid exasperating their children and provoking them to anger? What might this instruction to parents say about the necessity of depending on and revealing the Holy Spirit? 2. What are the implications from this passage that relate to the employer/employee relationship? Ephesians 6: What principles of healthy submission can be gleaned from this passage in both family and work relationships? 3. In Roman culture, a bond-servant could own property, but even so he would have limited rights under the supervision of the master and could become the object of abuse. In this passage, Paul adds eight modifying clauses to the command for slaves to obey. How would obeying masters, based on each of the modifiers, have worked to transform and undo slavery in Ephesus? Reflection and Prayer 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 4. How does the idea that we are members of one body permeate this passage of Scripture? 2. How does this passage help you understand the value of all people regardless of their family or societal status? 3. Think about the way you treat people. Are you revealing mutual respect and service to the following groups of people? a. Friends and Family Interaction: Application 1. How specifically can you honor your parents in ways that reflect the truth of the gospel? b. Co-workers c. Non-believers 42 43

24 - Lesson Twelve - Stand Firm! Ephesians 6:10 24 The Big Picture Paul concludes the final section of this letter to the Ephesians with traditional greetings and exhortations to the letter carrier, Tychicus. He includes well wishes of peace, love, faith, and grace themes that permeate the letter. Paul includes a focus on the spiritual conflict that believers face in the cosmic and earthly realms. Believers in the church today would agree that we are involved in spiritual warfare, but explaining what that specifically means is challenging. How do we participate in it? Do we pray and hope that God acts in powerful ways so that things go our way in our culture? Do we get more adventurous and begin praying against spiritual entities in high places? Often we read this passage and believe that it s directed to individuals. However, another reasonable perspective about this passage is that the church performs the cosmically significant role of divine warfare through mundane embodiments of God s life on earth. The church participates in this transformative process; it harnesses and radiates God s resurrection power, which has a transformative effect on outsiders. As the church becomes a culture of justice and cultivates habits that engage issues in society, she performs the role of divine warrior in the world (Gombis). Key Verse: Ephesians 6:10 45

25 Lesson Twelve Interaction: Interpretation 1. Paul urges people to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Why does this war demand we use the Lord s strength? How does the devil fight? Isaiah 59:15 19, discuss the connection from the Old Testament passage to the one in Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6:10 24 Interaction: Application 2. Flesh and blood is a figurative way of talking about people. If people are not the enemy, yet conflict and struggles take place among people, how does one explain the nature of the struggle? How does the rejection of the gospel enter into the realm of spiritual warfare? 1. How is praying in the Spirit a significant part of spiritual warfare? 2. How are temptations for the church to embrace relational patterns found in the world a part of spiritual warfare? 3. What does it mean for you to put on the full armor of God in taking the stance of a warrior who is part of God s transforming work? 3. How does wrestling with immaterial beings explain other conflict-related issues in Ephesians, such as ethnic differences, church unity, incorrect behaviors directed at others, submission, and interdependence? Reflection and Prayer 1. What was the most significant truth that you learned in this session? 4. Paul writes about the armor for the warrior, but his imagery is not based on the uniform of the Roman soldier, but from the Old Testament reference to God who wages war against those who would demean his name. After reading 2. How does this passage help you understand the meaning of spiritual warfare? 46 47

26 Lesson Twelve 3. Think about the people with whom you interact. How can you be more intentional in praying in the Spirit for the following groups of people? a. Friends and Family b. Co-workers c. Non-believers 48