Ephesians 6:1-9

This week's passage

Ephesians 5:22-33

LOVE AND RESPECT

UNCONDITIONALLY

This the theme of this passage and the name of a book that Richard and I have studied and it is simply the best marriage material.  It is all you need to heal a bad marriage or to make a good one better.

Ephesians 5:1-21

Some thoughts that jumped out at me about this passage : 

Be imitators of God.

Live as children of Light.

Make the most of every opportunity.

Understand what the Lord's will is.

And here is how we do these things : Verses 18-21

     Be filled with the Spirit.

     Speak scripture to each other.

     Sing and make music in your heart.

     Give Thanks.

    Submit to each other out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 4:7-16

Do not live like non-christians - futile thinking.  

Left to myself, my thoughts naturally go to the futile thoughts.  Worry about the future, focus on myself and my needs, etc.  This leads me to anxiety and depression - as Paul puts it - darkened in understanding, separated from God, hard heartedness, given over to selftish desires.

I have to choose, every day to :

Put Off this old self which is corrupted by selfish desires

and

Put On the new self which is like God, righteous and Holy

I love the teaching of Paul on how to use our words : use them only to build others up.  

Before speaking test yourself :

Is it true?

Is it kind (in love)?

Is it beneficial?

Ephesians 4:1-6

Carol, I agree.  "Live a life worthy of the calling you have received" is SO convicting.

Paul tells us how.

Be completely :
    HUMBLE
    GENTLE
    PATIENT
    BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE
    KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH THE BOND OF PEACE

He tell us the 7 things that unite us:

ONE :
    BODY
    SPIRIT
    HOPE
    LORD
    FAITH
    BAPTISM
    GOD, AND FATHER OF ALL

I meditated on these things this week.

Focus on what unites us with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

There will be differences: personalities, opinions, preferences, responses, ways of dealing with situations etc etc.  When faced with the irritation, annoyance or even frustration or anger that arises because of these differences, remember ... be humble, gentle, patient, bear with each other in love.

Then we will keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.

I think I managed to be somewhat humble, gentle, patient, bearing with people.  But definitely not completely.  Thank you Lord for YOUR humility, gentleness, patience and for bearing with me in love.

HE enables us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received by giving us endless grace and the perfect example to follow.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Another amazing prayer of Paul's to study this week :)

This week was horrible, it was filled with doubts, disappointments and depression.  It was also extremely gloomy weather and I was sick so that did not help :(

I was thankful to have this passage to study.  I prayed this prayer for myself mostly : I want to be strengthened with His power to be rooted and established in His love so that weeks like this don't matter.  If I am fulled to the measure of all the fullness of God then there is no room for all those "d" words.   Praying this passage lifted me up multiple times.

And the last part of the prayer was just what I needed to be reminded of for some of the situations and people that I am praying for : He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work in us.

I was reminded of this quote - I think it was Mother Theresa
Look around you, be stressed
Look inside you, be depressed
Look to Jesus, be at rest

To HIM be the glory.

Ephesians 3:1-13

Paul was given clear direction and purpose and did his job faithfully and powerfully.  He endured much suffering because he trusted God completely and had a strong purpose and mission.

The lesson I see is that when we are fulfilling God's purpose for our lives there is nothing else we need.  All suffering pales in comparison to the joy, fulfillment and blessings we receive by trusting and obeying God.

Application : We have all been given the same purpose as Paul - to take the Word and Truth of God to a hurting world.  To love God and love people.  To be disciples and to make disciples.  That is the general purpose which we should be working on all the time.  Then there are some specific things that God gives us as individuals.

My prayer is that I can trust God like Paul did, to be consumed with God's purpose for my life instead of my own.  And in the face of any burdens, hardship or suffering, to not be discouraged but strengthened.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Christ reunites Jews and Gentiles and reconciles them both to God. He took us from being foreigners to being members of God's family. We are accepted in and we belong. More amazing blessings!

Ephesians 2:1-10

The depths from which God saved me : I was dead in my sins and an object of wrath.

The heights to which God raised me : I am alive, saved, raised with Christ, seated in the heavenly realms, given good works to do, I am His workmanship.

God is rich in :

love

kindness

grace

mercy

I am so unworthy, His grace is amazing :)

Ephesians 1:15-23

I LOVE Paul's prayers!!  This week I prayed this prayer for those people we wrote on our list and for many other people in my life who do not yet know God and the amazing hope, inheritance and power that we have in Him.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

This was also my memory verse for the week :)

What did you guys find in this passage?