#John16 #John17 - Wisdom from a Stone

Click here to read John 16-17:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

At Ingham Lake Bible Camp stands a chapel building that was built in 1949, even before the first official camp was held. In the front corner of the building, before you walk in the door, there is a verse inscribed on the cornerstone. It comes from John 17:17 and says, "Sanctify them by thy truth; Thy word is truth." That verse has been a prayer and a desire among staff for all who come to experience God at Ingham. I understand sanctification to describe a life-long transformation that takes place when we let God shape us to become more like Jesus. That happens when we are immersed in the truth of God's word, which can be encouraging or convicting, freeing or guiding, revealing or teaching. We need to keep God's word in the center.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

In John 17:3 and 17:26, it talks about eternal life as knowing God, and then making him known is a natural byproduct. Besides being the mission statement of Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps, "To know Jesus Christ, and to make Christ known to all", it reminds me of Philippians 3. Paul is describing the things of this world as rubbish and a loss, compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

3. What does this mean for my life?

Jesus talks a lot about the Holy Spirit in these chapters. One of the things he says is that "when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." As I seek God's truth for my life to be transformed, I need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who will guide me into truth.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

Jesus prays at the end of chapter 17 that all believers would be one, that we would be brought together in complete unity. Well, that's not what I see happening today. My question is, what does Jesus mean by oneness and unity. Where does it leave room for different interpretations of Scripture? Where does it leave room for different worship practices? Where does it leave room for different emphases in church life? Maybe it doesn't, but it's not very clear then. How then are we supposed to be totally unified?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

#John11 #John12 #John13 #John14 - More Marthas please

Click here to read John 11-14:

With some internet difficulties over the last couple days, I was unable to post anything until now. The beauty of this method and these questions are that you can use them for any length of reading, no matter how short or long. It's easy to play "catch-up." With that in mind, here are my thoughts on John chapters 11-14.

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Right off the bat in John 11 we get the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Some people might not realize that the Mary and Martha of this story are also the Mary and Martha that host Jesus when he "scolds" Martha for worrying about household chores. I feel like Martha always gets a bad reputation for being a workaholic and worrywart. But in this story, we can see that Martha's faith is far from lacking. In fact she makes a clear, bold claim that few others in Scripture say so definitively. She says, "I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask...Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." So rather than chide Martha, this story lifts her up as a woman of incredible faith. I wish we had more Martha's in this world.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

In Philippians 2, Paul spends much time describing the humility of Jesus, who understood that God was greater than he was, who humbled himself by becoming a man, and who became like a servant - giving his life to others until his dying breath. I don't know of many other chapters in Scripture that show this characteristic in Jesus than John 13. Jesus does the job that usually a slave or servant would do, and he washes the dirty feet of the disciples. He also shares that if Jesus, their Lord and leader, gives his life in service to others, then they too should take on the same approach. And they do. As the church sparks in Acts 2, we find the disciples sharing what they have to care for the poor. They are following in the footsteps of Jesus.

3. What does this mean for my life?

In John 12:24 Jesus says, "...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." He then talks about following Jesus to mean serving him and losing your life for him. I don't think he is only talking about dying, like a martyr in a persecuted country. I think his is talking about living your life for God - keeping his kingdom purposes at the forefront of your life and devoting time, energy, and resources to do what God has called you to do. The apostle Paul uses the analogy of being "poured out like a drink offering" to describe how he is spending/investing his life for God's purposes.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

In John 14:13-14, Jesus says, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." What does he mean by "anything"? I would guess he means anything, but why don't things happen when we pray in Jesus's name? I know some, even many, prayers are answered, but there are a lot left unanswered or the answer is no. So is it because we ask without enough faith? any faith? Is it because of sin in our life? Does "anything" mean "anything that God already wants to do?" I'm just not sure. In the meantime, I'm going to keep praying boldly in Jesus' name and watching for God's hand at work.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Luke22 - When Darkness Reigns

Click here to read Luke 22:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Perhaps it was because I read this right after seeing a Living Last Supper drama. Perhaps it was because I am reading this on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week. Perhaps it was because I am not as familiar with the gospel of Luke as much as the other gospels. Or perhaps because of this journey I'm on to dig daily into God's word, I am noticing more details as I read the familiar stories. Whatever the reason or combination of factors, reading this chapter tonight felt more personal and emotional. I noticed that Jesus was agonizing in telling his disciples about the Passover feast and his suffering. I noticed the earnestness in Jesus' prayer in the garden. I noticed the exclamation marks when Jesus was telling the disciples to put away their swords. Finally I noticed the sentence that defined the next couple of days for Jesus in verse 53. "This is your hour - when darkness reigns." It was a literal darkness, since they came to arrest him at night when nobody would notice them, but it was also a spiritually dark time when the Son of God would be humiliated and killed.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

In Ephesians 5:8-12, Paul encourages Christians to live as children of light, since we are now light in the Lord. He goes on to warn Christians not to have anything to do with the "fruitless deeds of darkness." It just seems to be that the physical darkness and spiritual darkness may not be all that disconnected. It seems that much of what is spiritually dark is done when it is physically dark because, as Paul also mentions in this passage, "It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret." If you want something to be secret, you do it in the dark. That was really an interesting connection.

3. What does this mean for my life?

As a personal application of this, another passage came into my head from Romans 6:11-13. Here's what it says.

"11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."

I need to be on guard that I don't give in to the temptation to obey these desires of darkness, but rather dedicate my body and life to do what is right in God's sight.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I don't understand what Jesus was trying to say about selling your cloak and buying a sword. I don't think the disciples did either, because they apparently scrounged up two swords, but Jesus said, "That's enough!" Later he rebuked the disciples for using their swords. I bet they were confused then too.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Luke12 - Don't Worry...Trust God

Click here to read Luke 12:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Three times in this chapter Jesus tells the crowds not to worry about the things of this world like food, clothing, etc. If you count the number of times Jesus says do not be afraid that number gross. There seems to be a pattern in Scripture of being content with what you have and trusting God for the things you need. Many times in the gospels Jesus warns about the danger of loving money and seeking money as your highest aim in life. Even in the last chapter Jesus taught his disciples to pray the Lord's Prayer even in the last chapter Jesus taught his disciples to pray the Lord's Prayer. In it he says, "give us this day our daily bread." He doesn't say give us lots so that we can store it up and not have to worry about tomorrow. He leaves it at and give us what we need for today and implies that they should trust God tomorrow for their needs tomorrow.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV) Paul teaches the same philosophy as Jesus, reminding us not to worry, but to ask God and trust that he will provide what we need. 

3. What does this mean for my life?

I was really struck about the section Jesus taught about being ready. We have no idea when Jesus will return, but we need to be ready. Practically speaking I believe this means that we need to be living our life in love and faith and obedience so that if Jesus returned at any moment he would find us faithful. The warnings in here are pretty serious about Jesus returning in finding us to be acting in an evil way or deserting the faith. 

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

One of the hardest passages in this chapter for me to understand is when Jesus talks about bringing division instead of peace. On the surface this seems contradictory to everything we think about Jesus. However the peace Jesus came to bring is a piece between people and God. If we were to follow all of Jesus's teachings we would find peace with one another, but it seems the division Jesus is talking about is division between people who will follow him and people who will reject him. Does that make sense?

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

#Luke11 - Shameless Audacity

Click here to read Luke 11:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Two words: shameless audacity. I have read this passage before, although it's been awhile. I always knew it was about prayer, but for some reason as I read it today it really hit me: GOD WANTS US TO BE BOLD IN ASKING FOR THINGS IN PRAYER! In three ways Jesus gets the point across that we can ask God in prayer for things. Please don't read this as saying that God is a genie and we get whatever we want. But if we need something, we should turn to God first. Jesus says, if you earthly fathers like to provide for your kids, and if your earthly friendships are strong enough to give to each other, just think about how much more God, our heavenly father, wants to provide for us and bless us. I think the last time I read this was before the NIV was updated, so I don't think the words "shameless audacity" appeared before. Yet those two words really struck me today.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

In verses 29-32, Jesus declares that the only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah. If you don't know the biblical account of Jonah, it's a short read (only 4 chapters in the whole book). He was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and then was spat out to witness to the sinful Ninevites. Jesus was in the tomb for three days, then rose and appeared to the disciples who witnessed to the world. But that's where the comparison ends for Jesus. He is saying that even though the Ninevites were sinful, they listened to God's word through Jonah and repented. He's saying that if the Jews don't listen to him and refuse to repent, they will be condemned in the final Judgment, while the repentant Ninevites will enter heaven. That should have been a huge wake-up call for the Jews, who put the Ninevites right up there with Sodom and Gomorrah in terms of sinfulness.

3. What does this mean for my life?

Next time I'm at a pastors house for supper, don't start proclaiming woes on them, or they might be insulted and try to kill you. :) Just kidding. Seriously, my personal application came from the first point I made about asking for things in prayer. I pray, but often catch myself wondering if God will do it, since it doesn't seem as "urgent" or "important" as many other needs in the world. But I need to ask more boldly for things I need: either in ministry, or family, or financially, or health. God can still say no, but he is still telling us to ask more often and more boldly.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I don't totally understand when Jesus teaches about the strong man. He describes a bit about what happens to demons when they leave a person, but how can a person prevent them from coming in again? It's possible Jesus was saying that God is more powerful than demons, and unless God is living inside of you, you're vulnerable again to demons. But it's still really confusing.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Mark1 - Mark's Action-Packed Gospel

Click here to read Mark 1:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Many scholars agree that the gospel of Mark is almost certainly the first of the gospels to be written. Even looking at the type of Greek language used to write it (not the formal educated Greek, but the common street language Greek), Mark was mostly written for an audience of the ordinary citizens. It's the shortest of all the gospels, with only 16 chapters, but it's not for lack of content. I was struck by how quickly he moves from story to story. He doesn't spend a lot of time on dialogue. He doesn't spend any time talking about the birth story of Jesus. He just wants to get out the news about all that Jesus did during his adult ministry, ending with his death and resurrection. It's kind of like the Twitter version of the gospel. #JesusPreachesCallsTeachesExorcisesHealsPrays

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

Because Mark was likely the first gospel written, scholars believe that Matthew and Luke were also written using Mark as a template. They simply added their own perspective and some other details that Mark left out. So it follows that most of the stories in Mark will be very similar to reading through those other two gospels. Outside of the other gospels however, one of the verses stood out to me, Mark 1:34 said that Jesus would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. This reminds me of James 2:19 which says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." It gives us some insights about the spiritual world. The demons all knew and believed that Jesus was the Son of God, the Holy One. It's funny that humans had (and still have) such a hard time seeing and believing that.

3. What does this mean for my life?

Jesus was the Son of God, but he was fully human. In fact, I believe that Jesus's miracles didn't necessarily come from his own "power" but from the Holy Spirit which filled him. I also believe that Jesus knew God's will so perfectly not just because he was a part of the Trinity, but because he was constantly seeking God in Scripture and in prayer. Mark 1:35-39 reminds us that even Jesus snuck away from the crowds (and even from his disciples) to pray and seek God in solitude. I need to do that regularly. That's a part of what this blog is all about. Carving out 30ish minutes each day to seek God in his word and in prayer and find out what he wants for me and from me.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

I understand there was a little bit of a mystery and plan to the time when Jesus was fully revealed as the Son of God, but why was he so intent on telling everyone to be quiet about who he was and what he had done? He quiets the demons before they can "spill the beans" about his identity. He tells the healed leper not to tell anyone. Why?

Those are my thoughts for the day! I'd love to hear yours. God bless and keep digging in!

In Christ,
Dan

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#Matthew6 - Rewards and Treasure!

Click to read Matthew 6:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Every time I've read this chapter before, I think I have looked at it section by section. I'm amazed that I never really noticed the comparison and contrast that takes place in the first part of the chapter with the second part. The first part is all about rewards and the second part is about treasure. There is a strong notion that if you live out your life in order that others might see you and praise you, then that will be your full reward. But if you give, pray, and fast in order that you might draw near to God, without the praise of others, it will be God who will reward you. The second part encourages us not to seek rewards and treasure on this earth, through material gain and earthly possessions, but rather to remember that our real treasure lies in heaven. We are called to "seek first his kingdom and righteousness" and all of the earthly things will be given to us by our loving heavenly Father.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

In verses 25-34, there is a strong theme of God being a loving father who gives good gifts to his children. He will provide for our needs. In fact, the first part of the next chapter goes on to expound on this theme (which makes sense, because there were originally no chapter/verse markings). But it also reminds me of a verse in James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

3. What does this mean for my life?

My personality is one that generally favors routine, predictability, and planning. Sometimes the encouragement to "not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself," is a hard one for me to grasp. Now it is not wrong to make plans, and it is very wise stewardship to plan ahead and be prepared. However, the verse doesn't caution against planning, it cautions against worry. For me, those too often go hand in hand. I need to learn to trust more, pray more, and worry less. God has been faithful to provide for me for every one of the 31 years I've been alive, so I think I can believe that he will continue to do so. :)

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

Why has fasting become less popular in our church today? Jesus talks about it here by saying, "When you fast..." He doesn't say, "If you decide someday to fast..." What really is fasting, and why should we practice it? I have really not learned about this much, but would love to know more.

That's it for today. I will be off the electronic grid for about 3-4 days, so there will be a break in posting until Sunday or Monday. And apparently this blog has not automatically posted to Facebook in about a month. I think I fixed it though. I'm not doing this for the praise of others, though, rather for all of our growth and encouragement.

In Christ,
Dan

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#Colossians1 - Paul's Goal And Mission Statement

Colossians 1:

1. What stood out to you from this chapter?

This is one of the most Christ-exalting passages in all of Scripture. There are many other people and passages which lift up the name of Jesus, but few (if any) do it as directly as Colossians 1:15-23. You can't read these verses and think that the Bible portrays Jesus as just a good person. There is no doubt that Paul exalts Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords above all other rule and authority. Verse 17 is really cool: "...in him all things hold together." Louis Giglio gives a really neat message on this passage and a fascinating illustration from biology. Click here to watch the YouTube video about it.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

In the book of Ephesians we read together, I said that Ephesians 3:14-21 was the 2nd most powerful prayer in the Bible. Colossians 1:9-14 is easily up there in the top 5 with it. What an incredible prayer for someone, to know God's will through the Holy Spirit, to live a life worthy of God's calling, to bear fruit, to grow in knowledge, to keep the faith, to be thankful. Those are amazing prayers to pray for yourself, or for someone else.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

As I thought about this question, I am drawn to the last two verses of this chapter. If you listen carefully enough, it could be that this is the closest thing to a "mission statement" that Paul gives us for his ministry. Verse 28 shares that Paul proclaims Christ, teaches others, SO THAT he may present everyone mature (or perfect) in Christ. The "so that" in verse 28 along with the "to this end I labor" in verse 29 make it pretty clear that those objectives are Paul's ultimate goal. It was a good challenge for me to think about my personal mission in life. I want to keep in mind that someone's personal mission in life does not always have to reflect their career. The workplace is simply a place to live out your mission, whether it relates to your actual job or simply provides a new community of people to build into and to support you. Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps has the mission statement, "To know Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to all." Between the camp which has been a huge part of shaping my faith, and these passages from Paul's letters, I would see my mission as being almost identical. That really gives me a focus and filter for my decisions, my words, my actions, etc.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

Verse 23 seems to clarify the reconciliation and promise of forgiveness we have with the line, "if you continue in your faith." Paul's statement here does cause me to ask the question, "Once we put our faith in God and receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit, can we 'forfeit' that again by later rejecting faith and God and Christ?" I hesitate to use the word, can we 'lose' our faith, because it doesn't seem to me from Scripture that we could accidentally 'lose' God. In fact is says that Jesus will not "lose" any that the Father has given him (John 6:39). So it's pretty clear that God will not 'lose' us, nor do I think we can somehow 'lose' our salvation. That's why I chose the word 'forfeit' in my question. No matter what the answer is, this question has caused me to think differently about how I ask people about faith. The question is not "Did you put your faith in Jesus?" as if one prayer at one time, or one checkbox on a survey, or raising your hand at one conference would hopefully be enough to count. The question is not DID you put your faith in Christ, but DO you put your faith in Christ? Today. Now. Is your faith in Jesus Christ? If it is, you can have 100% assurance that you are forgiven of your sins, have heaven ahead of you, and have been given an abundant life with Christ to live out in service to others here on this earth.

That's it. Tomorrow we'll do Colossians 2, and then on the 24th we'll do Colossians 3-4 together. God's blessings.

In Christ,
Dan

#Ephesians6 - Ready, Set, STAND!

Ephesians 6: 

1. What stood out to you from this chapter?

This is a well known passage of Scripture called the Armor of God. Most Christians have heard about it, but I bet not a lot of people could name all six pieces of the armor that Paul describes. It's kind of a cool, Christian catch phrase, "Gotta keep puttin' on the armor, ya' know?" But these 11 verses are really rich. They are like a miniature BASIC TRAINING for living the Christian life. Paul not only describes the Armor of God, he also describes the battle that we are in - that it is not primarily against people, but rather the forces of evil in the world. If anyone has seen the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, there's a line within the movie someone says to the main character, "Remember who the real enemy is." Paul describes the real enemy here: the devil - that he is scheming, flinging flaming arrows, and continually moving evil forward in the world. Finally, Paul gives us our marching orders, and it's not what we would expect. I would have expected something like, "Here is the armor we are supposed to put on. Now let's go storm the gates of hell..." or something like that. But he basically says, "Ready, set, STAND FIRM!" Our goal is to stand firm while the evil is happening all around us. That is hard enough, and we can only be victorious through the strength of God within us.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

In the first three verses, Paul is still speaking some instructions to Christian households, and he references one of the ten commandments from Deuteronomy 5, "Honor your father and mother." He even points out that it is the first commandment (and really the only) that contains a promise attached to it. But this section about children and parenting also reminded me of the next chapter in Deuteronomy, where God gives some important parenting mandates to make sure the kids know the commands of God. Chapter 6 of Deuteronomy is a section all parents should come to know.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

When Paul describes the Armor of God, he takes four verses total to talk about the six different pieces of armor. He could have probably taken a whole paragraph of chapter about each one to expound on them more. But then he comes to the topic of prayer, and spends three verses on one thing. It was pretty clear to me which thing was most important to Paul. PRAY. It was a good reminder for me to keep praying. I'm sort of an action oriented guy, so it's something I have to remind myself of.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

Paul does address slavery once or twice in the Bible, and when he does he has instructions for both slaves and masters. Slaves are to work hard, as if working for the Lord. Masters are supposed to treat slaves with respect, as equals in terms of worth in God's eyes. I understand that slavery within God's people was not the same as like, American slavery. The Israelites had a system of slavery that was more like working off a debt than kidnapping and ruling by force and fear. But my question still remains, what exactly was the slavery system like if neither Paul, nor God through other authors didn't just outright condemn it?

That's it for today. Tomorrow we are on to Philippians chapter 1. Philippians contains two of my three favorite sections of verses in the Bible, so I'm excited.

In Christ,
Dan

#Ephesians3 - Second Most Powerful Prayer In The Bible

If you can get past the early 90's styles, this is a song by the group Acappella that uses Ephesians 3:20-21. It's beautiful.

Ephesians 3:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

For being a relatively short chapter of the Bible (only 21 verses) there is SO much good stuff in here. What caught my attention was this profound prayer that Paul offers for the Ephesians and "all the Lord's holy people." It is both very simple in nature and incredibly powerful in the outcome. It is a simple prayer, that people would receive the Holy Spirit as their source of strength and guidance, put their faith in Christ, and understand the deep love of God the Father in Christ. It's not long or drawn out, and it's not asking for riches or health or success in careers. It's a prayer for people in their relationship with God. Honestly, of all the recorded prayers in the Bible, I would put this as number 2 on the list of prayers we should all know about and pray ourselves. (Number 1 is the Lord's Prayer...if that needed clarification).

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

First, in this prayer, Paul really emphasizes how we relate to each member of the Trinity. God the Father is the head of the family, Christ is the Son and is our Savior in whom we put our faith, and the Holy Spirit is sent to dwell within us. Since we just read the book of Galatians, I thought of a portion of Galatians 4 that really mentioned the members of the Trinity in a similar fashion. Second, since this is a prayer that I believe we as believers should be very familiar with, I thought right away of the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 and also in Luke 11.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

This chapter and prayer was sort of a slap-in-the-face reminder that I need to be praying for others in this way. I do pray, and I do pray for others, but it's usually about healing their illness or helping them through something. While none of these prayers are bad, I often forget to pray for my friends (believers and unbelievers alike) that they would simply come to know Christ more and more and more. The mission statement of Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps is "To know Jesus Christ and to make Christ known to all." This mission is based on the same passion as Paul's prayer here in Ephesians 3, that people would know Christ in a life-changing way. I need to pray this prayer more often for others, as well as for myself.

4. What question do I have about this passage?

This is more of an English question than a theological question, but the two are related. What is the meaning of the word 'administration' as it appears in this chapter in verses 2 and 9? It seems to confuse me just a little bit. I get the overall picture of how Christ's salvation by faith in Him was kept a mystery until it happened and now it is revealed, but I don't know what the "administration" part is. If that word doesn't appear in your translation, click the link on the "Ephesians 3" above to read it in NIV on BibleGateway.com .

God's blessings.

In Christ,
Dan

#Ephesians 1 - Deja Vu All Over Again

Ephesians 1:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

This famous quote by the great baseball player Yogi Berra seems like the appropriate title for this blog. Have you ever been to two church services in the same weekend, and heard the pastor preach the same sermon twice? Or have you ever worked at a camp where someone has given the same message or share to a different group or audience? Have you ever re-read a book because a new group you're in wants to do a book study that you've already done, or you just want to remember it better before the movie comes out? That's how I felt when I started reading Ephesians. I know I've read it all the way through, but that was awhile ago. I'm talking about having just finished Galatians, I feel like I'm hearing some very similar thoughts. But they are worded a little differently, have a slightly different tone, and shed a little new insight into the same concepts (if I'm willing to pay attention and listen.) One of the main ideas that was repeated from Galatians is the idea of adoption into God's family and becoming heirs of the kingdom. Also, a very clear message from the beginning of Ephesians is that this promise of eternal life is by faith in Christ: "the first to put our hope in Christ" (v. 12), "When you believed you were marked..." (v.13), "your faith in the Lord Jesus" (v.15), "great power for us who believe" (v.19). This also is very reminiscent of Galatians...and Romans...and Acts...and the rest of Scripture. It's almost like it's a big deal. :)

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

Besides the connections I just made to the previous books we went through, I really was struck by Paul's personal commitment to praying and giving thanks. This reminded me of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. "Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Paul really practiced what he preached.

3. So what does this mean for my life?

In verses 17-18, Paul is praying a very heartfelt prayer that his "spiritual children" would grow up to know God more. I am first of all convicted to pray this same thing for my children continually. I am probably even more convicted to pray that for myself. As a teacher of the Bible, as a parent, as a ministry leader, it's really easy to just teach out of what you've learned and be content with that for a long time. But I really need to keep growing, keep seeking, keep opening my heart to what God has for me, and keep trusting in His power to sustain me.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

Because this passage contains some of the strongest "predestination language" in the Bible, I want to ask the following question. I understand that someone who is adopted does not "choose" their adopted family without the family first initiating, but as I read Scripture it seems like EVERYONE has the opportunity to repent and turn to faith in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life. So here is my question: "What, if any, are the problems with the following statement? God chooses those who respond to the gospel by faith in Jesus." See also some similar questions from my blog on Romans 9.

That's Ephesians 1. We're gonna go through Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians by Christmas Eve! Join me for Paul's sermons through Christmas. :)

In Christ,
Dan