Ephesians 1

Well after a few requests, we are finally starting our series on Ephesians! We did this chapter both on Friday, May 11, 2007 and Sunday, May 13, 2007:

First off, we played this game called "Amoeba." This was just for fun. Everyone joins hands in a circle with a chair in the middle. The point is to avoid touching the chair in the middle, amidst being pushed and pulled by your surrounding players. If you touch the chair, you are out. If two people let go with their hands and break the circle, they are both out. This was a pretty fun game, but left a lot of people with sore hands and arms!

After that was another get-to-know-you game with M&Ms. Everyone had to say one thing about themselves for every M&M they had.

After that we read Ephesians 1, and I brought up a few points:

"9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10
God makes his plan known to us, just like with our getting to know you game. That plan? To unite Jews and Gentiles in one body. This was not made known until Christ's death and resurrection.

"11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" Ephesians 1:11
What is the purpose of His will? To offer salvation to the world. Refer to the Great Comission in Matthew 28:16-20 or Mark 16:15-18.


For Sunday, the two points from Friday were brought up along with these:

Oral readings back then were usually intoned or chanted, rather than spoken. If you had heard this passage in that way, what would you think it was? Many would associate it with a Psalm, which are heavily associated with songs from past to present.

Paul mentions how God blesses us MANY times in this first chapter.
i.e. vs 4- chosen to be holy and blameless
vs 7- redemption through his blood, forgiveness of sins
and so on...

We did a couple different things after that. I really believe it's important not to just read the bible and read in the same way every time. We should meditate on it, memorize it, study it, put it in our own words, pray it, etc. So we did a couple of those things on Sunday. I had the youth paraphrase verse 4 in their own words. In the NIV translation, it reads:

"4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."

And finally, we each took a verse to incorporate into our prayer time at the end. I encourage everyone to try something new this next week, whether it is to meditate on a passage, memorize a verse, or whichever method that I suggest above. These are just a few ways the scriptures can become alive to us. I'll end with this:

"16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I 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." Ephesians 1:16-17

One of the greatest things we can do is get to know Christ better. Learn to be more like Him. Point others to Him. There is no secret about what God is about. My question for tonight is: Are you looking for Him?

blessings