Blessed Be God the Father

In one paragraph

Ray walked through the opening doxology of Ephesians, one long sentence in Greek covering verses 3 through 14, and wove into it a firsthand account from a mission trip to Hope of Life International in Zacapa, Guatemala. The two threads ran alongside each other the whole way through, with the Guatemala story illustrating what the passage was actually describing. A question he had left the...

Read together

1. Colossians 1:16 opening scripture reading used to call the congregation to praise
2. Ephesians 1:3-6 first section of the main passage, about God the Father choosing and predestining believers before the foundation of the world
3. Ephesians 1:7-12 second section of the main passage, about Christ as the agent of redemption through his blood
4. Galatians 4:4-7 quoted to explain the phrase 'fullness of time' in connection with God sending his Son to redeem those under the law
5. Colossians 1:19-20 referenced as part of the long sentence in Colossians paralleling Ephesians, about the fullness of God dwelling in Christ and reconciling all things through the blood of his cross
6. Romans 8:28 quoted as a bumper sticker illustration of all things working together for good for those called according to God's purpose
7. Ephesians 1:13-14 third section of the main passage, about the Holy Spirit as the seal and guarantee of believers' inheritance
8. John 20:21-22 quoted to show Jesus sending the disciples as the Father sent him, and breathing the Holy Spirit on them

Talk about it

1. Pastor Ray asked whether you would rather have God work through your obedience or in spite of your disobedience. Which examples from your own life come to mind, and what did you learn from them?
2. Pastor Ray described the doxology in Ephesians 1:3-14 as showing God the Father's will, Christ the Son carrying out that will, and the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance. How does seeing those three roles laid out together affect the way you think about your salvation?
3. Pastor Ray said he does not like to nag people about reading their Bible or inviting friends to church because he wants that motivation to come from the inside out rather than from outside pressure. Do you agree with that approach, and how has it played out in your own experience?
4. One member of the congregation texted asking for prayer before he invited a friend to church, and then reported back that he had done it. Pastor Ray said whether the friend comes or not is almost beside the point, and he compared it to Jeremiah's forty years of fruitless but faithful ministry. How do you hold together faithfulness and the desire to actually see results?
5. Juan Bautista and Graciela, after receiving their new house, immediately went back to their neighborhood to tell people what God had done for them. What does that response say about how the Holy Spirit works in people, and where do you see that kind of motivation in your own life?