“Having the Eyes of Your Hearts Enlightened”

Discussion Questions:

Scripture Memory

Our church-wide scripture memory this year will be selected passages from Ephesians. This is a great opportunity to dive deep into the goodness God has for us from Paul’s letter.

Sermon Overview

The main idea of this week’s sermon was: knowing God is a work of God, so growing in knowing God requires praying to God.

Ice Breaker

·       When you pray for Christian friends or family members, what kind of things do you tend to pray about?[1]

Digging Deeper  

 

Read Ephesians 1:15-23.

 

·       This passage teaches us that those who know God are marked by faith and love. What are some of the specific evidences of faith and love you see in your brothers and sisters in your Gospel Community?  Take this opportunity to “encourage one another,” by pointing out specific evidences of faith and love you see in their lives.  Take this opportunity to thank God for these evidences of his grace.

 

·       To know God better, who will need to be at work in us? (see vs. 17)[2]

 

·       Most of this section is Paul praying. What does Paul pray for? How are his prayer requests similar or different from the prayers you normally hear?[3]

 

·       Paul already knows that his readers know Jesus and love him. Why would he keep praying for them to know even more about all that they have in Jesus? Think of several possible reasons.[4]     

 

·             At the end of verse 18, we might expect Paul to say: “the riches of our glorious inheritance in heaven.” What does Paul say, and why is this surprising?[5] 

 

·       In verse 18, Paul (who is in prison, see 3:1) is teaching us to pray not for our circumstances to be altered but for our hearts’ view of our circumstances to be altered. Why do we find this hard? What would be great to see life this way?[6]

 

·       How should verse 20 excite us about the kind of power that is at work in and for us?[7]

 

The following truths are found in this passage. Spend a minute reviewing them quietly. Then, use them as inspiration to pray for one another.[8]

 

·       Jesus is my resurrected savior, proof of God’s immeasurable power toward us who believe (vv. 19-20)

·       Jesus is my ascended Advocate, representing me from his seat at God’s right hand in heaven (v. 20)

·       Jesus is ruler of all things, controlling all other authorities, powers, and people of great name (v. 21)

·       Jesus is King of the ages, controlling everything about my future both in this life and the age to come (v. 21)

·       Jesus is the victor over evil, able to trample beneath his feet any evil that threatens me (v. 22)

·       Jesus is the head of the church, which he cares for as his body (vv. 22-23)

·       Jesus is the filler of all things, so that when I am filled by him I can be a blessing throughout the world (v. 23)

Prayer Requests

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 [1] Ephesians: Your Place in God’s Plan, Richard Coekin, 13.

[2] Ephesians: Your Place in God’s Plan, Richard Coekin, 14.

[3] Ephesians: The Love We Long For by Scotty Smith, 15.