I Want In
22 September - 10 November 2024
Ephesians 1-3 · Why is it that followers of Jesus seem, sometimes, to be so unlike the Jesus they follow? Why does Christianity often appear to be bad news, rather than good? And, for some of us, the question is much more personal…why is it so hard to see any change in our own lives? If Jesus came to change the world, why can’t I seem to change the patterns and actions in my own life?
-
What if Jesus wants to disrupt everything you ever believed to be true? What if the offer he extends to you is more incredible than you ever imagined, more disruptive to your life than you thought, and more transformational than you could ever dream?
Study Questions
Read Acts 19:1-21
In Acts 9 we read of the significant encounter Saul had with Jesus whilst on a journey to Damascus. Have you ever had a ’Damascus road’ experience?
What do you think the difference is between a ‘baptism of forgiveness’ and being ‘baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus’?
Read Acts 19:11. Do you have examples of miracles you have seen God do in your life or the lives of others?
In Acts 19:11 we read ‘God did extraordinary miracles through Paul’. What is your reaction to this statement? How can it encourage us in our faith journeys?
On Sunday, Sarah looked at the importance of why Paul chose to do his longest mission trip to Ephesus. Remind yourself and discuss why this was? How can we use Paul’s example when sharing our faith in our own communities?
Read Roman’s 7:14-25. Despite the enormous change Paul had experienced, at least one thing wasn’t changing. What do you think it was?
Do you have an example of God ‘disrupting’ your plans?
Why didn’t the people who practiced sorcery sell their scrolls and give the money to the poor?
Pray for a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit.
-
When you were young, did you judge a Christmas present on the size of the present? Were you slightly disappointed when you got a smaller parcel than someone else? What if God offers something to you that is the best possible gift, and yet you completed misjudged what it was. What if his gift to you was so much more wonderful than you ever realised.
Study Questions
Read Ephesians 1:1-12.
Share a time when you were chosen for something in your life. How did it make you feel?
Compare and contrast the following terms: ‘religious’, ‘Christian’ and ‘in Christ’. Why do you think it is significant that the term ‘in Christ’ is used many more times in the New Testament than the term ‘Christian’?
What do you think Paul means in Ephesians 1:3 when he says ‘[we have] every spiritual blessing in Christ’?
Judy described Ephesians 1:3-14 as an ‘avalanche of praise’. How much does praise and adoration make up your prayer life? How can you encourage one another in this?
Read Ephesians 3:17-19. When we truly understand these words, how might it impact the way we live our lives?
Ephesians 1:11 talks about us ‘being chosen’ into God’s family. How does being a part of God’s family differ from being a part of the family that you were born/adopted into?
Judy talked about the fact that a relationship with Jesus changes our final destination; that we can know our future lies with Jesus forever free of pain and suffering and eternally praising God. How does this truth impact your life or the way you share Jesus with others?
Spend some time praising God for all he has done.
As you explore these questions, pray for one another to deepen and develop your relationship with Jesus.
-
The Bible tells us the good news of Jesus: 'that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.' (Romans 10:9) So the invitation is clear, but have we chosen to accept it? And if yes, how can we make sure that others in our life can hear this good news as well?
Study Questions
Read Ephesians 1:13-14
Can you think of anyone who made a particularly positive impact on your faith as a new believer?
Have you ever had the opportunity to share openly about Jesus with someone? What was that experience like?
A guarantee is only as good as the person making it. Discuss people whose guarantees we trust and people or organisations whose guarantees aren’t worth the paper they are written on. Where do you think God comes on this spectrum?
The word ‘redemption’ in Greek is sometimes translated as ‘release’. Release from what?
What do you imagine Hell is?
Do you think we receive the Holy Spirit at the same time as salvation or afterwards?
What does Paul say is the purpose of our salvation? Do you think that there is any more?
Read Romans 10:9. What about our ongoing sin?
Pray that we never fall into the trap of trying to impress God with our actions.
-
In the prayer of thanksgiving from Ephesians 1:15-21, Paul encourages us to rediscover all the riches that we have by being “in Christ. “ He prays for the church that we would know God more. He asks that we live afresh in the hope we already have in what Jesus has done for us.
His prayer is that we would know that the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that is in us.
How differently do we see our lives through the lens of this prayer?
Study Questions
Read Ephesians 1:15-21.
Is there a fact about you that most of the group won’t know?
In the NIV version, this week's scripture begins ‘For this reason’. What is the 'reason' that Paul is talking about?
What are some things that we could do to get to know God better?
According to verse 17, what do we need to do to know God better?
What do you think Paul means by 'enlightening the eyes of your heart'?
Which member of the trinity do you normally pray to? Why?
Is there somebody for whom you are running out of hope that they will know Jesus?
“How would this week look, if I really believed this passage were true?” (Tim Keller).
Share with your group the things you'd like prayer for this week. Instead of asking for God's help, pray for a greater revelation of what He has done.
-
A famous story is told about C.S. Lewis, the twentieth-century English writer. During a conference on the difference and similarities between the major global religions, Lewis entered a room halfway through a debate. “What’s the rumpus about?”, he asked. He was told that they were discussing what was unique about Christianity. “Oh, that’s easy.” Lewis replied, “It’s grace.”
Read Ephesians 2:1-10
What do you think ‘is so amazing about grace?’ How is it different to mercy?
What’s the difference between justification and sanctification?
Read Ephesians 2:8-9 again. These two verses make it very clear that we are saved by grace alone. Why do you think that Paul feels it is necessary to keep making this point?
The Message paraphrase of Galatians 5:2-3 says, ‘ I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered.’ What rules today do some Christians feel that they must follow?
Our society seems to teach us that it's what we ‘do' that matters and will ultimately bring about the greatest reward. How does the counter-cultural concept of grace that Paul teaches differ from this ?
If God has shown us grace do we have to show it to others?
Grace is a golden thread woven throughout the entire biblical narrative, not just the New Testament. In what ways can you see God’s grace at work in the Old Testament?
It is God’s grace alone that is saving you right now. Where do you find yourself striving for God’s approval and how can you ensure you keep your faith reliant upon this gift of grace?
Pray that God reveals our need for His grace and gives us reassurance of His grace anew.
-
It is easy to nod along with Gandhi’s famous quote, ‘I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.’ But what if our judgement about other Christians is more of a statement about ourselves than it is about them? The beautiful, and inconvenient, truth about being a Christian is that the moment we become Children of God is the same moment we become a brother and so sister to all other followers of Jesus. How do we cope when we really struggle with other people?
Study Questions
Read Ephesians 2:11-22.
1 . Think about people in your life who might hold opposing views from yours.
What does it mean to ‘disagree well’ with them?
2. In the passage, Paul celebrates the way in which the opposing Jews and Gentiles found a miraculous unity in the 1st century church.
How does the fact that both groups are now ‘in Christ’ alter their enemy status?
3. The beautiful and perhaps inconvenient truth about being a Christian is this - the moment that we become children of God is the same moment that we become a brother or a sister to all other followers of Jesus.
What Christ-like characteristics are you wanting to know more of in your own life, so that people will see and know that you are His family members?
4. The Jews had felt superior because they had been given the Law and the Gentiles couldn’t access it.
In what ways can you feel superior merely because you have a gift that someone else might lack? (e.g. a home, good mental health, physical prowess, a job…)
5. In verse 14, Paul says that Jesus has ‘destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility’.
Pause to pray for warring countries and factions in our world who desperately need to know the peace of Christ.
6. Verse 15 says that Jesus destroyed the old law with its command and regulations in order to create one new humanity.
Where do you still see legalism robbing you or others of grace?
7. The new holy temple that is being built is one in which Jesus is the cornerstone (vv21-22) and we are all under construction too.
Pray for us as Riverside Church, that we will be built up in unity and excel in love for each other and for those who might oppose us .
-
From our guest speaker from the Further Faster Network.
It's tough to get life right when you keep getting Jesus wrong. When you look more closely at Jesus, you understand that everything about him is counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, upside-down and maybe even a little back-to-front. So let's take a whistle-stop tour through his life and look at Jesus in a way we’ve may never have looked at him before.
We weren’t able to record the service on Sunday due to technical issues, but here’s the video that was used at the end of the talk: What’s so good about Good Friday?
Study Questions
Do you consider yourself to be a risk-taker or a risk-avoider?
What is upside-down about God's kingdom?
What's so good about Good Friday?
Duncan shared, "It's tough to get life right when we keep getting Jesus wrong".
In which ways might you have been "getting Jesus wrong" in the past?
What did you learn and how did your perspective on Jesus shift?
When you think of Jesus, how do you see him? As a gentle teacher, or resilient champion? Or something else entirely?
Pray for one another - that you will understand and experience more of the real Jesus this week.
-
Have you ever needed glasses? The first time you put a pair of glasses on that have the correct lenses, it’s almost miraculous! The world suddenly becomes much, much clearer! It’s almost as if you hadn’t realised how fuzzy things were until you put on the right pair of glasses. The same is true about Jesus. Once we understand what is available in Jesus, it’s as if the mysteries of life suddenly become clearer.
Study Questions
Read Ephesians 3:1-21.
What is your favourite movie of all-time?
Read Ephesians 3:5.
What caused Christians to understand the mystery after it had remained concealed for generations?
Why do you think Paul believed that his sufferings were the glory of the church?
What does it mean to approach God with freedom and confidence?
Read Genesis 12:3.
How do you think Saul would have interpreted this scripture before his conversion?
What is the difference between a ‘biblical mystery’ and something that just doesn’t make sense?
Can you think of a group of people that you secretly hope will never accept Jesus?
Has God ever done something in your life that’s so immeasurably good that you would never have asked or imagined that he would do it?
Read Matthew 12:15-21, then Isaiah 42.
What do these passages tell you about what is important to Jesus?
Pray that we might grasp the grace and freedom God has shown us.