Welcome to this study of the book of Ephesians! Please see the links on the right sidebar or find all materials in one place HERE.
*Please note - this study was originally done through a facebook group so you may see in the materials some references to that group. Please disregard. The materials will are organized in such a way that they will still be valuable, even if you didn't participate in the priginal format).
I will be approaching this study with a firm belief that the Bible is absolutely trustworthy, dependable, perfect and true. I do not view the scripture as something “mystical” and impossible to grasp nor do I believe that they are imperfect words written by men and interpretable in a variety of different ways. Scripture was given by God to men through the Holy Spirit and that He intends for us to know Him through it. We will be going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians and praying that the Holy Spirit will be our teacher. (Did you know that Jesus promised us exactly that in John 14:26? Hallelujah!)
If your position on scripture differs from that (in other words, if your standpoint is that the Bible is fallible, has been corrupted, is not God’s perfect Word revealed to us in order to show us God’s heart, etc.), I pray that you will still go through this study. I would be happy to provide you with some resources on the trustworthiness of scripture and the reliability of the Bible. This study will absolutely allow for discussion but please know that I am approaching this study from the viewpoint that the Words contained in the Bible are truth and are perfect and that they were given to us as a gift straight from the heart of the Father to us so that we might know Him.I pray that this will be a place to delve deep into the Scripture based on the conviction that it is God’s revealed heart and that it holds meaningful truth that we can know.
PURPOSE and GOAL
The purpose of this study is to read through the Book of Ephesians and come away refreshed and with a renewed interest in God’s Word. My highest goal is that we would get excited about The Bible and to see it as relevant to our daily lives. The writer of Hebrews put it well when He said that the "Word of God is alive and full of power". I have found that the more I study the Word, the more I love Jesus and the more I want to know Him! It is my deepest desire that this study will draw you into a deeper place with the Lord and that He will, as Paul prayed for the Church of Ephesus, “give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God and that your hearts would be FLOODED with light so that you can understand the CONFIDENT HOPE that He has given us and that you will understand the INCREDIBLE GREATNESS of God’s power for those who believe in Him.”
PRAYER and ENCOURAGEMENT
As we get ready to start, I will leave you with these words from Paul: “You are God’s Masterpiece! In Christ Jesus, God created you anew so that you can do the good things He planned long ago for you to do!” Ephesians 2:10
May we seek His heart for us – He has BIG PLANS for us! May we walk right into the center of them together!
PS - I love LISTENING to the Bible in addition to reading it.
You can listen to via computer HERE.
You can also download the Bible App for your smartphone HERE.
(When I am listening to the word, I prefer to listen to the NLT – New Living Translation - but for reading and closer study, I like the ESV – English Standard Version. I encourage you to experiment with different versions and choose one or a few that best speaks to you!)
Praying that we will be washed by the pure water of God’s Word. (Ephesians 5:26)
Love,
Julie
