DBS Workbook. Individuals and Families

Transcription

1 DBS Workbook Individuals and Families Discovery Bible Study of Ephesians September 14 - November 29, 2014

2 Welcome and Table of Content PCCer s, Welcome to an experience of learning to understand God s Word, hear His voice, and apply what He is saying to your life. In this workbook, you will find an explanation and tools of how to use the very simple Discovery Bible Study (DBS) method as an individual and/or family for each week of our Fall Ephesians series. At the end of our workbook is an overview that can help you understand the book of Ephesian, its major themes, and the breakdown of the weekly messages. Ben Pierce Small Groups Pastor benp@wearepcc.com Introduction to Discovery Bible Study 2 Ephesians Series Passages for Individuals 3 Discovery Bible Study for Families 4 Ephesians Series Passages for Families 5 Discovery Bible Study Worksheets 6 Pastor Gary s Ephesians Overview 16 2

3 Introduction to Discovery Bible Study We often overcomplicate reading the Bible. The Discovery Bible Study process is a very simple way for you to read the Bible for yourself, obey what God is saying to you, and share what you are learning with others. We ve laid out the passages of this Fall s Ephesians series for you one per week. (If you prefer using a computer, this is an easy table to set up.) 1. You ll see the first column is labeled Write it. Pick the 1-6 verses from the passage for that week that speak most to you and hand write it or type it word- for- word in the this column. 2. The second column is labeled, How would I say that? Write the verses you picked in your own words in the 2nd column. You are basically paraphrasing it in words that make sense to you. 3. In the third column, write something you think God would have you do in the next 48 hours to obey Him in relation to these verses. It s important not to write massive goals like I want to be a better husband, but rather a small goal that works to that end like, I m going to take my wife out for coffee this week and listen to her share her heart. 4. Also in column 3, write the name of a person who God might want you to share what He s saying to you through this passage with. Maybe it s a family member, maybe someone you know socially, or at work. See what God does! We ve found one passage per week is best because it takes about that long to figure out what God wants you to do as your I will and I ll share and follow through. Grab a Bible and give it a try! Let me know how I can support you! Ben Pierce Small Groups Pastor benp@wearepcc.com 3

4 Ephesians Series Passages for Individuals Week of 9/14 Ephesians 1:1-14 Week of 9/21 Ephesians 1:15-23 Week of 9/28 Rod Toews Farewell Message Week of 10/5 Ephesians 2:1 10 No passage - so catch up or revisit week 1 and 2. Week of 10/12 Ephesians 3:1-21 Week of 10/19 Ephesians 4:1-16 Week of 10/26 Ephesians 4:17-32 Week of 11/2 Ephesians 5:1-21 Week of 11/9 Ephesians 5:22-33 Week of 11/16 Ephesians 6:1-4 Week of 11/23 Ephesians 6:

5 Parents: Discovery Bible Study for Families If you have a desire for your kids to not only know about the Bible, but to understand and live out God s Word, Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a great tool for your family. You can lead your family in a time focused on specific passages that allows your kids to start flexing their own spiritual muscles by hearing, paraphrasing, and acting. If you have any questions, want coaching, or have success let us know. Tom Netane, tomn@wearepcc.com Lynette Sanchez, lynettes@wearepcc.com STEPS FOR DBS FAMILY SUCCESS: 1. DO YOURS FIRST: Time together in God s Word as a family will flow out of your own time studying, paraphrasing, and deciding how you will act. 2. PICK A TIME: Determine weekly when your family can be together and focused. Mark it on your calendar or post a sign to let everyone know. This could be over a meal or at a separate time you set. 3. READ 1 VERSE: For each passage in this workbook we ve chosen a family verse that we think is best for kids to think through and understand. 4. RESTATE IT: Take turns as a family saying the verse in your own words or sharing what you think the passage means. This could be done verbally or writing it using the 3 columns. 5. DETERMINE ACTION: What will you each do or do differently because of what you are reading? Help your kids think of something concrete they can do this week. ( I want to share my toys with my brother is better than I want to be nicer ) 6. SHARE IT: Do your kids have a friend, sibling, parent, and or grandparent they can tell their aha from God? 5

6 Ephesians Series Passages for Families All verses from New International Readers Version of Bible (NIrV) Week of 9/14 Ephesians 1:7 We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Through his blood our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God s grace is so rich. Week of 9/21 Ephesians 1:17 I pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the glorious Father. I keep asking him to give you the wisdom and understanding that come from the Holy Spirit. I want you to know God better. Week of 9/28 Rod Toews Farewell: No passage - so catch up or revisit week 1 and 2. Week of 10/5 Ephesians 2:8 God s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn t come from anything you do. It is God s gift. Week of 10/12 Ephesians 3:18 May you have power with all God s people to understand Christ s love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is. Week of 10/19 Ephesians 4:2 Don t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love. Week of 10/26 Ephesians 4:26 27 Scripture says, When you are angry, do not sin. (Psalm 4:4) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Don t give the devil a chance. Week of 11/2 Ephesians 5:15 So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren t wise. Live like people who are wise. Week of 11/9 Ephesians 5:31 Scripture says, That s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one. Week of 11/16 Ephesians 6:2 3 Scripture says, Honor your father and mother. That is the first commandment that has a promise. Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth. (Deuteronomy 5:16) Week of 11/23 Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power. Put on all of God s armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil s evil plans. 6

7 Discovery Bible Study Week of 9/14/14 Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-14 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 1:7 7

8 Discovery Bible Study Week of 9/21/14 Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23(pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 1:17 **Note that you have a catch up week next week due to Rod Toews Farewell Message on 9/28/14. 8

9 Discovery Bible Study Week of 10/5/14 Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 2:8 9

10 Discovery Bible Study Week of 10/12/14 Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-21 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 3:18 10

11 Discovery Bible Study Week of 10/19/14 Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 4:2 11

12 Discovery Bible Study Week of 10/26/14 Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-32 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 4:

13 Discovery Bible Study Week of 11/2/14 Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-21 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 5:15 13

14 Discovery Bible Study Week of 11/9/14 Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 5:31 14

15 Discovery Bible Study Week of 11/16/14 Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 6:2-3 15

16 Week of 11/23/14 Discovery Bible Study Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-24 (pick your favorite 1-6 verses) Kids verse: Ephesians 6:

17 Pastor Gary s Ephesians Overview Alive in Christ Hetty Green was known as America's greatest miser. She managed an inherited fortune so shrewdly that she was also considered the greatest woman financier in the world. In 1916 she died leaving an estate that was worth nearly $3.8 billion in today s dollars. Yet she would eat cold oatmeal because she didn't want to spend the money to heat the water. Her son eventually lost his leg from a relatively minor injury because she took him to a number of free medical clinics instead of calling for a doctor. How pathetic! you say? God agrees and is extremely concerned that His children not be miserly with the riches of His character and authority. The book of Ephesians is primarily about the riches, fullness, and inheritance that believers have in Christ. Because of that, some have called Ephesians the treasure house of the Bible. The Book of Ephesians will not only teach us how rich you are, but also how we should invest our lives for Christ's glory. Ephesians recognizes that being able to understand and articulate our identity in Christ is foundational to our Christian life because when we know who we are, we will know what to do! The key repetitive phrase in Ephesians (36 times!) to describe our primary identity is in Christ (or a similar expression, such as, in the Lord, in Him, or in whom ). In Christ is Ephesian s way of explaining salvation and its benefits for believers, while also creating an ethic for behavior that is beyond natural, God- honoring, and life- giving behavior that both reflects and imitates Jesus. Ephesians is so rich, one commentator writes that...pound for pound, Ephesians may well be the most influential document in history! Why Study Ephesians? Ephesians deepens our understanding of the Gospel: While the Gospel (the good news that new life is available through Jesus Christ) is a doorway to the Christian life; it is also the atmosphere with which followers of Jesus exist daily. The Gospel is not just something we believed to become Christians, it is what we center our lives upon and live dependently on day by day. Ephesians puts this Gospel on full display revealing the boundless riches of Christ (3:8). Ephesians magnifies the importance of the church: Arguably more than any other New Testament epistle, Ephesians clearly lays out how the church is central to God s Kingdom agenda on Planet Earth. The church is placed in the context of eternity and through the church, we will discover that God s intent is to make known His multifaceted wisdom (3:10). Lives have been forever changed through the study of Ephesians: Throughout history, theologians have alerted followers of Jesus to the power contained in this little book. As early as the 4th Century CE, Jerome stated that Ephesians is like the heart in the midst of the body, and writes that Ephesians has everything important in it that you can find anywhere in Scripture. Twentieth century theologian D. Martin 17

18 Lloyd Jones states that the peculiar feature and characteristic of the Epistle to the Ephesians is that here the Apostle seems to be, as he puts it himself, in the heavenly places, and he is looking down at the great panorama of salvation and redemption...the Epistle to the Ephesians is the sublimest and the most majestic expression of the Gospel contained within the Bible. Ephesians resonates our twenty- first century lives on the Peninsula: Ephesians is relevant to us because it is written to followers of Jesus within a metropolitan, religiously pluralistic, hedonistic, culturally diverse, and sexually saturated culture. In the midst of this context, rather than guilt producing demands, we discover grace- filled, truth- valuing encouragement. If you ever get discouraged, tired, feel beat up, confused or lonely in your life, Ephesians is for you! Ephesians is written to ordinary people just like us! Some were wealthy, some were simple employees, some worked in the city of Ephesus, others worked in the trades, some were married, some were single, some were parents, while others were children. They were Christians living in the real world and they first needed to understand whom they were and then how to live within their reality, just like us. Ephesus: The city of Ephesus was a highly cultural city, containing great wealth and many amenities, which come from great wealth. Ephesus was home to large commercial enterprises, striking civic structures, and the great Temple of Artemis one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was therefore a very cosmopolitan city, harboring people from many walks of life and belief. The Temple of Artemis thrived on cult prostitution as well as statues and commerce, forming the idolatries and culture of Ephesus comfort, sex, money, and status greatly mirroring those of our own Peninsula. In the midst of the lure towards idolatry, Paul s first instruction is not for new and better behavior but an understanding of a new and better God. He points to life in Jesus as a far more eternal, majestic and beautiful experience than all of the Ephesian idolatries. Once grounded in who they are, Paul moves on how to behave. Series Verse: Ephesians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Series Breakdown: o 9/14 Eph 1:1-14 Worship: The Key to Living Alive in Christ o 9/21 Eph 1:15-23 Richer Than We Realize o 9/28 Rod Toews Farewell Message o 10/5 Eph 2:1-10 Destined for Greatness o 10/12 Eph 3:1-21 Paul s Prescription for Bored Believers o 10/19 Eph 4:1-16 All for One, One for All o 10/26 Eph 4:17-32 It Came from Within Part 1 o 11/2 Eph 5:1-21 It Came from Within Part 2 o 11/9 Eph 5:22-33 Heaven Help the Home: The Master Bedroom o 11/16 Eph 6:1-4 Heaven Help the Home: The Family Room o 11/23 Eph 6:10-24 War of the World 18

19 What it means to be Alive in Christ Looking both at Ephesians and the whole of the New Testament, we will discover that being in Christ is a mind- blowing reality. Here is just a glimpse of what it means for us: In Christ we were chosen by God before creation. Eph 1:4, God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In Christ we are loved by God with an inseparable love. Ro 8:38-39, I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Christ we were redeemed and have been forgiven for all our sins. Eph 1:7, In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses. In Christ we are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is credited to us. 2 Cor 5:21, For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. In Christ we have become a new creation and a child of God. 2 Cor 5:17, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Gal 3:26, In Christ Jesus you are all children of God, through faith. In Christ we have been raised and seated in the heavenly places even while He lived on earth. Eph 2:6, God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In Christ all the promises of God are Yes for us. 2 Cor 1:20, All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ. In Christ we are made holy and faithful. Eph 1:1, To God s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus In Christ everything we really needed will be supplied. Phil 4:19, My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. In Christ the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. Phil 4:7, The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In Christ we have eternal life. Ro 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And in Christ we will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord. 1 Cor 15:22, For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 19