Eric's message yesterday on Ephesians 3:1-13 was wonderful. "The church's very existence proved that God's plan of salvation worked." Through these verses, we see that the church is:
- God's Plan
- God's Proof
If the church is evidence that God's plan of salvation has worked then there are two important implications of this:
- The gospel continually renews our sight. Like a pair of glasses, the gospel clarifies what was blurry. It reminds us that the people in our church, however different they may be from us, are "fellow heirs". They are our brothers and sisters.
- We need to pray. Especially, we need to pray for unity. And we need to work to preserve unity among our church at all costs. This is not always easy, but it is worth it, and it honors God.
Here are some discussion questions for parents and teens to discuss together:
- Read Ephesians 3:1-13 together.
- How do these verses show us that the church is God's plan?
- How do these verses show us that the church is God's proof?
- What is the "mystery" Paul writes about?
- How is unity in the church expressed? Give specific examples?
- Are there any ways you have been experiencing disunity in the church? Do you need to go and be reconciled to anyone? Read Matthew 5:23-24 and 7:1-4.
- What does Wayne Grudem mean when he says that "prayerlessness is functional atheism"?
- What do you pray for regularly? Why?
Posted on
Monday, December 1, 2008
by Steve Whitacre
filed under