south ridge blog

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Have you ever had a parent, teacher, or coach challenge you to do something you thought was beyond your capabilities, but with a lot of practice and perseverance you were able to rise to the challenge? This is common within our culture. And this form of teaching or coaching has a lot of benefits. It’s good to be challenged and to learn how to persevere. 

But this form of teaching or coaching can have some downsides to it as well. Some come to believe that they can overcome any obstacle that may arise. So when a difficult situation comes their way, they will do everything in their power to overcome it. If they fail, they’ll try again. And again. They won’t ask others for help and will instead believe that they can overcome this challenge in their own strength. 

In Ephesians, Paul reminds all followers of Jesus that God not only has unlimited resources and strength, but he empowers us with His strength (3:16-17). We ought not – and must not – attempt to live our lives primarily in our own strength. It is the strength of God through His Spirit within us that empowers us to live the life He has created us to live. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 3:14-19 (also read the commentary notes in your study bible of choice)

Are you more likely to try to overcome challenges using your own strength, or are you more likely to rely on the strength of God? (Consider writing down examples of times when you have done each of these. See if you can identify a pattern as to the kinds of situations you’re more likely to use your own strength.) 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that more often than not, I enter into challenging situations by relying on my own strength instead of resting in Your strength that is within me. Continue to help me grow by recognizing Your strength within me and resting in it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Have you ever wondered how to pray for somebody else you may not know very well? Perhaps it’s a missionary in another country or even an extended family member who lives in another state. Whoever it may be, you think of them often but just aren’t sure how to pray for them. 

When Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in a distant city, he wasn’t able to make a phone call or reach out to them through social media. There wasn’t a messenger providing a list of prayer requests. Instead, Paul wrote the prayers he believed were most important.

The NLT Study Bible notes that the first prayer Paul prays for the Ephesians was for them to have spiritual understanding (Ephesians 1:15-23). Later, Paul prays for the people to experience spiritual growth and to be empowered by God’s strength to be the people He has called them to be (Ephesians 3:14-21). 

You may not always know exactly what to pray for others. But praying for them to have spiritual understanding and to experience spiritual growth is always a good starting point.

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 3:14-21

How regularly do you pray as Paul did – for others to have spiritual understanding and for them to experience spiritual growth?

How do people grow spiritually? (Hint: You can summarize Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 to answer this question.)

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, while some of my prayers for others are for their salvation, I acknowledge that many of my prayers are for the physical or emotional well-being of others, or myself. This week, may my prayers be more about the spiritual understanding and spiritual growth of others. And as I pray for others, may You also instill spiritual understanding deep within me as well. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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What truths from Ephesians 3:1-13 impacted you most this week? 

Consider talking or meeting with somebody you trust to discuss what you’ve learned this week and how it’s helping you to grow emotionally and spiritually. 

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Proverbs 1:7 reads, Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

This verse, among others, is often misunderstood in our day and age. When we see the word fear we’re more likely to think of being afraid. We think we need to be afraid of God in order to gain knowledge and wisdom. 

But the word used here isn’t about being afraid. Yes, we need to have immense awe and reverence for God. We must also recognize that everything comes from Him and therefore, we are to be fully dependent upon Him and not ourselves. But to fear Him is to recognize that He is the most important aspect of our lives. It is to know, deep within, that He is the foundation of all wisdom and knowledge and that nothing in this life will make sense without Him.

So how should we approach God? Not in fear and trembling, but with absolute confidence. Ephesians 3:12 reads, Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 3:1-13

What does it look like for you to enter into God’s presence with boldness and confidence? 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I am grateful for the reminder that I am able to approach You with boldness and confidence. Help me continue to grow in understanding the meaning of this. And help me to know that even though I ought to have awe and reverence toward You, I ought not be afraid to be near You. Surround me with Your presence today. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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What is the Church? How should it function? What is its purpose? 

Questions such as these have been studied out and discussed for centuries. Regarding the first question – what is the Church? – the simplest answer is that all who have professed trust and faith in Christ make up the Church. It cannot be summarized by any one denomination, nor can it be understood as a building where people worship. The Church is the people of God. All of them. From all nations, backgrounds, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. 

And what is the purpose of the Church? Questions such as this are much more comprehensive and cannot be made into a short list of bullet points. Nevertheless, at least one of the purposes of the Church is mentioned in Ephesians 3:10. The NIV of this passage reads, His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…

Read that again slowly. Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 3:1-13

As part of the Church, in what ways are you making known the manifold wisdom of God? 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are times when I think that it’s the job of pastors or priests to make known Your wisdom. But as one of Your children I recognize that I am part of the Church, and as such You are making Your wisdom known through me as well. Today, I simply ask that You will continue to work within me and through me in significant ways. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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On more than one occasion, the Apostle Paul notes that he is the least of all God’s people (Ephesians 3:8). The man who wrote a lot of the New Testament. The man who started churches in many major cities throughout the Greco-Roman world. The man who trained up pastors and deacons. The man who, as tradition has it, was beheaded by the Roman Empire for his ongoing efforts to spread the gospel message. Why would Paul consider himself to be the least of all God’s people?

When we connect the dots of Paul’s life throughout the New Testament, we discover that he wasn’t always an advocate for the gospel. In fact, he murdered those who were strong missionaries for Christianity and did everything in his power to stop Christianity from spreading (1 Corinthians 15:9, Acts 7). God intervened in Paul’s life, and the mysteries of God’s grace were made known to him. Paul began to teach the gospel, train up others in ministry, and completely transformed how he lived. God had given him a new purpose, and instead of living out his own purpose, he aligned himself with God’s purpose. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 3:1-13

What is one way you may be out of alignment with God’s purpose for your life? 

What steps will you take to align yourself with His will for your life instead of asking Him to align with yours?  

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, when I think of areas of my life which may be out of alignment with Your purpose, I am able to think of more than one. This sometimes leads me to experience shame and feelings of falling short. Today, help me to remember that while I can grow, You don’t desire for me to experience shame. Instead, Your desire is simply that I know You and experience Your presence moment by moment. May Your presence be known to me today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Have you ever taken the opportunity to consider who may be sitting next to you in heaven? For many who have trusted in Christ, we assume we’ll be sitting next to a spouse, parent, child, friend, or another loved one. But the Scriptures provide very little insight as to exactly who we will be with in heaven.

In Brennan Manning’s book The Ragamuffin Gospel, he writes, “A friend of mine once told me years ago that the one thing that made her uneasy about heaven is that she won’t get to choose her table companions at the Messianic banquet.”

Manning’s friend makes an excellent point. We won’t get to choose who we’re sitting next to at the Messianic banquet (Revelation 19:9). You could be sitting next to somebody who voted very differently from you. Somebody from a different nation that was structured under communism, socialism, a kingdom, or some other form of government. Perhaps somebody who lived as a murderer but who later accepted the Gospel message. We just don’t know what it will be like.

In the end, all who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children (Ephesians 3:6).

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 3:1-13

What do you think it means that all who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children (Ephesians 3:6)?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today I am grateful for the reminder that all who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. You see all of your children equally, and I am honored to be known as Your child and Your friend. May I continue to reflect Your love and grace in this broken world. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Take the opportunity to review the readings from this week.

What truths from Ephesians 2:19-22 impacted you most this week? 

Consider talking or meeting with somebody you trust to discuss what you’ve learned this week and how it’s helping you to grow emotionally and spiritually. 

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The story of the Bible is without a doubt the greatest story ever told. Throughout it we see God doing what only He can do to bring His people back into right relationship with Him.

In the Old Testament, God invited Moses and the people of Israel to build a tabernacle. This tabernacle was a location in which God’s presence could be near and among His people.

Centuries later, Jesus came and made His home among us. John 1:14 literally reads that Jesus “tabernacled” among us. It was John’s way of communicating that Jesus was and is the very presence of God.

As the story moves forward, God continues to do what only He can do for His presence to be with and among His people. The Holy Spirit comes to live within the people of God. This shows that God isn’t just living near His people, but within His people. We are a temple (or tabernacle) made to house the very presence of God. 

The church isn’t simple building we go to, it is something we are. And the presence of God Himself is always with us. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 2:19-22, MATTHEW 18:20, MATTHEW 28:20,  1 PETER 2:4-5

How would your life be different if you took regular opportunities to reflect on the truth that God lives within you? 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the fact that You have chosen not only to live near me, but within me, is truly remarkable! May I continue to grow in recognizing Your presence within me, and may I grow in loving you and others with my whole heart, eyes, ears, hands, and feet. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Traveling internationally, even when there isn’t a worldwide pandemic, has a lot of rules and regulations. A passport is required for all travelers and the majority of countries around the world require an additional visa. This may be necessary even if you’re only planning to stay in that country for a few days. If anything goes wrong, there’s an Embassy with government officials that can help you get back to your home.

But one of the principles regularly communicated in the New Testament is that as followers of Christ, we are first and foremost citizens of heaven. No matter our nationality, race, or other aspects of our heritage, we are all in Christ and citizens of the Kingdom of God. As you can guess, the implications of this would’ve been profound to those reading it for the first time. Those who trusted in Christ were invited to set aside their cultural biases and instead see themselves as part of the one family of God.

As members of the one family of God (Ephesians 2:19) we are invited to do the same. To see ourselves and all followers of Christ as citizens of heaven.

READING & PRAYERS:

     EPHESIANS 2:19-22, PHILIPPIANS 3:20, 1 PETER 1:4, HEBREWS 13:14, 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16

How would you explain to a friend what it means to be a citizen of heaven? 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that just like everybody else, I can give in to the temptation to be part of my culture. Continue to help me live a life in which I am in this world even though I am not of this world. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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