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Worship VIII Day 14 My Victory: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out My Victory!

The Questions

1) What is meant by the words ‘treasure in clay jars’? (verse 7)

2) Why is it important for power to come from God and not us? (verse 7)

3) How can we remain positive, like Paul in verses 8-9, when everything around us seems to go wrong?

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

7  Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8  We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9  we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.

Original Intent

1) What is meant by the words ‘treasure in clay jars’? (verse 7)
“Treasure”; it’s such a beautiful word and found quite often in the Bible. In some instances it refers to riches (Ezra 6:1, King James Version), a storehouse (2 Chronicles 5:1, King James Version), or hidden treasures (Deuteronomy 33:19). In the New Testament, it is often found in relation to the Kingdom of Heaven. I specifically think of the parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44), where Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven as being a treasure that was buried in a field. A man found it, sold everything he owned, and bought the field. In our verse for today, the treasure refers to the gospel. It’s the good news that, though we are sinners separated from God, Jesus as God the Son, became like us in human flesh to take our punishment of death and separation on Himself, sparring all who surrender in trust to Him. The truth of the gospel is a treasure so great, it’s difficult for us to understand its true value. The treasure Paul speaks about, is said to be carried around in “clay jars.” These earthen vessels were used in ancient culture to be filled up with items and carried about, but the clay is fragile. If it falls, it could easily break. This symbolism refers to our own weak bodies on the outside, but in our hearts, we carry the treasure of the gospel to share with others around us.

2) Why is it important for power to come from God and not us? (verse 7)
This question has two short answers, simple to understand, but more difficult to surrender to and live out. First, because we are sinful, finite human beings who truly have no power at all, and certainly no ability to save ourselves from our eternal punishment of sin and death, we are immediately disqualified from giving power to ourselves. The power we have comes from God as He is the only One who holds ultimate authority. It is He who declares us, sinful though we are, as righteous when we give ourselves fully to Him. It is He who has the power to forgive us, the power to free us from sin, the power to make us more like Himself, and the power to safeguard our souls for all eternity. There is none like Him! Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For when I am weak, then I am strong”, meaning that God will make him strong through the platform of his own weakness. Power doesn’t come from us, but from our Father in Heaven. (2 Timothy 1:7) Secondly, the power comes from God because, even if we could use our own power, we would have reason to boast in our ability, stealing the rightful glory from God alone. (Ephesians 2:9) Instead, we should join Paul by saying, “If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses” (2 Corinthians 11:30), and “boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)

3) How can we remain positive, like Paul in verses 8-9, when everything around us seems to go wrong?
Paul makes it clear in his many letters that his strength came from the Lord alone. Daily, he gave himself to Jesus and died to himself and his self-focused desires. (1 Corinthians 15:31) He tells us to do the same as we commit to following Jesus, “So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) Paul surrendered to Jesus with everything he had and he held onto the hope of eternal life offered only through Christ. He trusted Jesus with his whole life and lived out his surrender with his everyday decisions. He knew with confidence that, one day, he would be with the King of kings. Nothing else mattered in light of that reality. This truth motivated Paul to keep moving forward until the day he gave his physical life for Christ in death.

Everyday Application

1) What is meant by the words ‘treasure in clay jars’? (verse 7)
We live in a world where we’re busy running here and there. Often, even Christians are too busy to open their Bible, read it, study it, and ask the Lord to show us how to apply its truth to our lives. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes a day! Yet, this single discipline is so important for us to dedicate time, attention, and priority. The Word of God holds an indescribable worth of treasure. We need to soak ourselves in His Word. We need to pray and grow closer to Jesus, no matter how busy we are. When we have a close relationship with our Saviour, we become increasingly aware of the wonderful treasure we carry inside our fragile human bodies, and we long to share this beautiful gift with the world! God gives us the mission to go out and spread the treasure of the gospel. (Matthew 28:20) He doesn’t give this important calling to His angels, but to us, mortal sinners who are utterly hopeless without Christ. Our only hope for eternal life and salvation is found through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19) Together, let’s be a worthy vessel for God and share His “treasure in clay jars”. Let’s start today!

2) Why is it important for power to come from God and not us? (verse 7)
When we go out into the world, whether it’s in our neighbourhood or on mission across the globe, we should always remember the reality that, without the Spirit of God, we are incapable of doing anything that will last into eternity. Jesus described Himself as the vine where we are the branches. He is the Source of everything, and we are invited into Him to accomplish His work in the world through Him. As long as we abide in Him, and He in us, we will bring forth much fruit for His kingdom. (John 15:5) In other words, the gospel will go out in power because of Christ’s Spirit at work in and through us. Jesus continues, if we refuse to abide in Him, we will be rendered useless in His kingdom. (John 15:5) The power doesn’t come from us, but we must make the important decision of walking in surrender to Christ. If we want to share the treasure of the gospel with others, it’s vitally important we remain close to Jesus through prayer, studying Scripture, and living in biblical community as we daily surrender our will to His.

3) How can we remain positive, like Paul in verses 8-9, when everything around us seems to go wrong?
Jesus warned us we would have hardship and troubles in our lives. He told us to follow Him and carry our cross, putting to death our self-serving desires in order to live fully surrendered to Christ. (Matthew 16:24) He didn’t say these things to frighten us. No, the opposite is true. He wanted us to know that life would be challenging as we committed to following and surrendering to Jesus, more challenging than we could imagine. In light of this, He told us to not fear over and over again. (Matthew 8:26; Matthew 14:27; Mark 5:36; Luke 12:7) The list of passages where God commands those who trust Him to leave behind all fear fills the pages of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Even in the Old Testament, we hear the Lord say, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) Just like Paul, we are called to leave fear behind us, instead fixing our eyes of faith on Jesus and the promise that He will always be with us, even for the rest of eternity! (Matthew 28:20) Let’s keep in the forefront of our mind, that all troubles aren’t even worth comparing the greatness of that One Day when we will dwell with God in His fullness forever. He will wipe all tears from our eyes and keep us in His perfect, joyous peace. (Revelation 7:17)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with My Victory!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship VIII Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Calling Day 9 Live Worthy: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Live Worthy

The Questions

1) What is the calling received in verse 4 and how do we live worthy of it?

2) What is the gift Christ gives in verse 7 compared to the gifts in verse 8?

3) Why is there an emphasis on unity in these verses?

Ephesians 4:1-16

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8 For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Original Intent

1) What is the calling received in verse 4 and how do we live worthy of it?
When referring to the calling of the Ephesian believers, Paul reminds them they belong to Christ. Christ has called them to Himself and they are now representatives of Christ to the unbelieving world. Christ called them out of their life of sin, which brought death, and offered them the gift of eternal life. Paul is challenging the Ephesians to live as those who received that gift. Paul defines how the Ephesians can live worthy of the calling in verses 2-3, specifically, by living in humility, gentleness, patience, love, and in unity as believers. On the surface, these seem difficult, however, when Jesus is living through us these are the traits that flow out of us with the power of the Holy Spirit working from the inside.

2) What is the gift Christ gives in verse 7 compared to the gifts in verse 8?
Unlike most of the Ephesian letter, Paul takes an individualistic tone in verse 7. He is speaking to the individual believer and not the Church as a whole. Paul is reminding them of the gift Christ bestowed on them which is grace. This gift is in proportion to what Christ bestows on each individual. Gift is singular in verse 7, not plural as it is in verse 8. Paul shifts to a plural word in verse 8 and lists several of the gifts bestowed on believers in verses 11-12. The gifts listed in those verses are some of what Paul is referencing in verse 8. These gifts are given for the advancement of the Kingdom, and meant for the betterment of the entire community.

3) Why is there an emphasis on unity in these verses?
Together, the believers in Ephesus make up a local Body of Christ. They each have different gifts and roles to play. Paul is reminding them of the importance of unity throughout this section. He is speaking to the entire body of believers and not the individual. This unity is important because the church is only as good as those who are in actively working within it. As believers work together in unity, they are challenged to grow, and sharpened to work properly as Christ has called them. On an island alone, no believer can reach their true potential or calling. Proverbs 27:17 speaks to the sharpening of mankind. If there is no unity, there cannot be sharpening. We must focus on God, instead of ourselves, and allow Him to bind us together in unity if the Church is to be the Church as God designed her to be. True unity doesn’t happen without prayerful work and intentional discipline, and it doesn’t happen without staying focused on what binds the Church together, which Paul specifically states in verses 5-6. As each individual of the Church clings to the truth of unity under the truth of “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God” (verse 4), the Church is sharpened, and each gift is better used to advance the Kingdom.

Everyday Application

1) What is the calling received in verse 4 and how do we live worthy of it?
We are called Christians, bearing the name of Christ as our identity. The calling we received is that of belonging to Him. As we grow in relationship with Christ, who we are looks increasingly more like Him. Just as the Ephesians were representatives to the world around them, so are we. We are called to be Christ’s representatives to an unbelieving world. Our lives should be an overflow of what Christ is doing in us. When we are walking closely with the Lord, it His love and heart the world sees playing out in the characteristics Paul mentions in verses 2-3. Matthew Henry writes, “Christians ought to accommodate themselves to the gospel by which they are called, and to the glory to which they are called; both are their vocation. We are called Christians; we must answer that name, and live like Christians. We are called to God’s kingdom and glory; that kingdom and glory therefore we must mind, and walk as becomes the heirs of them.” Is this what others see when they look at you? Does the world see Jesus when they see you?

2) What is the gift Christ gives in verse 7 compared to the gifts in verse 8?
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:7) Each of us receives grace as Christ gifts it to us. Just as with the Ephesians, this gift is an individualistic gift of grace, providing believers not with what they deserve, but with something so much better, forgiveness and life. The gifts in verses 11-12 still exist today and no single believer is given all of them. Within the Body of Christ, the Church, we each have gifts to use to advance the Kingdom and pour into His Church. Christ entrusts each of us with gifts He intends to use through us. Much like in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, it is our choice what we will do with those gifts. We can choose to utilize those gifts and grow them, or we can choose to bury them away, using them for selfish purposes. Sisters, are you actively looking for opportunities to serve others with the gifts He has given you, or are you hiding them away? If you aren’t using them, I urge you to begin looking for outlets to serve using the gifts God has given. The Church was designed for each of us to use our gifts for His Kingdom! We need each other!

3) Why is there an emphasis on unity in these verses?
Matthew 28:16-20 provides the call on all believers to make disciples of people in all nations. When I think about this, I am in awe that God would entrust me with the task of sharing the Gospel! However, I am quickly reminded this is not a task I am capable of completing on my own. My job is to plant seeds in those who do not know Him, and allow the God of the Universe to water and grow those seeds. I am also quickly reminded this task of making disciples globally is not one I can accomplish alone. Yes, I have a role to play, as do each one of us who trust in Jesus as Savior, but alone it would be impossible. It is only as we band together in unity under Christ, who is the head of the Church, we can accomplish the mission set before us. When the world looks to the church and sees division instead of unity, the message of the Gospel is lost. When the Church cannot come together in unity under the one who saved us, we can never reach our potential. We need each other to make us better. If we all had exactly the same gifts, viewpoints, and passions, the Church would be pretty boring, but it would also not be able to work as God intended. We need each other to have a complete picture. Therefore, I ask you, are you allowing the differences to tear us apart or looking to what unifies us to make each of us better?

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Live Worthy!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Calling Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Calling Day 8 Live Worthy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:1-16
Deuteronomy 6
Galatians 5:16-26

Calling, Day 8

“I’m curious. How did you save your marriage? I need to know so I can try to save mine,” my friend inquired.

I knew she was looking for a magic bullet. I didn’t have one for her, though. “We prayed individually. We went to our Bibles and discovered what marriage is supposed to look like. We read Christian marriage books.

“And at the end of the day, we just decided to love each other like Jesus loves us.” It wasn’t the easy answer she was looking for, but it was the truth. 

When I said my marriage vows, I was called to be a wife. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1, I needed to live worthy of that calling, just as my husband needed to live worthy of his calling as a husband. But most importantly, we needed to walk worthy of being called by Christ.

Marriage is an earthly reflection of God’s relationship with us, His bride; so, Sister, regardless of your marital status, if Jesus lives in your heart, Paul’s exhortation to walk worthy of God’s calling is for you.

When Paul started Ephesians 4:1 with the word “therefore,” he reminded us of Ephesians 1 through 3. In those chapters, we find that by knowing God and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive
spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3),
grace (Ephesians 1:7),
salvation (Ephesians 2:5-6),
power (Ephesians 3:16-17)
and unity (Ephesians 2:11-22).

These wonderful gifts are freely given to us.
And we honor God when we use them to reflect Him to others. 

Focusing on God enables us to live worthy of the gifts of salvation and the Holy Spirit.
But how?

If you’ve been in church, you’ve probably heard prayer is how we “conversate” with God. In these ongoing conversations with our Father, it’s helpful to dedicate space to listening, so we can also hear from Him. And finally, sometimes He answers me while I’m doing mundane things, too! He can speak to me at any moment, from driving in my car to preparing a meal!

Reading and studying the Bible are also important. We read not just to learn God’s instructions, but also to know His character. Again, human interactions mirror our relationship with God. Just as we grow closer to people as we spend together and learn their character, we can know God is loving, just, merciful, patient and faithful by reading His Word. 

God’s character and heart for us are revealed all throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. For example, in Deuteronomy 6, we learn what it means to fear God (Deuteronomy 6:2). This does NOT mean we ought to be afraid of God, but rather, we ought to live in respectful awe of God’s character and the greatness of His power and might.

And when we fear Him, we try to walk in obedience to His commands, which He gives us in the Bible. See how it’s all connected?

Finally, when we meet in community, we gain others’ perspectives about and experiences with understanding and applying Scripture. We can also be encouraged and challenged by other believers. Just like children learn life skills from older siblings, we can learn from those who are more spiritually mature. Consider Titus 2:2-8, which exhorts both men and women to teach those younger than them, both in physical age and spiritual maturity.

As we pray, read, and study the Bible, meet in community and revere Him, we come to know and love Him more, “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Then, in a natural outpouring of this love, we begin to reflect Him to others around us. In doing so, we display His heart and character to those in our spheres of influence who may not know Him.

For instance, my friend was not a believer.

But she watched my husband and I work through an extremely difficult period in our marriage.
She watched me change attitudes and behaviors.
She watched my husband transform as he studied.
Thus, we were able to show her Jesus through our daily actions.

But when our lives do not align with the Bible, we can turn people away from the gospel. If our lives look more like the list from Galatians 5:19-21 than the one in Galatians 5:22-23, who would want that Jesus? I wouldn’t, would you?

And finally, Scripture urges us to remain consistent in our obedience and resulting godly behavior. We cannot live double lives. Even Peter falls prey to this trap of duplicity and is corrected by Paul in Galatians 2:11-14. May we never cause others to regard the Church as hypocritical.

In this Gracefully Truthful Community, we read and study the Bible. We learn about God’s character. We share authentically with each other. In this is place, we can grow in spiritual maturity. We are helping each other learn to live worthy of our calling!

I’m so glad I took those baby steps years ago. Because I, because we, chose to live worthy of the commitment to which God called us, my husband and I will celebrate 28 years of marriage this December.

So ladies, I declare with confidence, if the Spirit of God lives within you, then you CAN walk and live worthy of your calling.
Go show the world.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Calling!

Calling Day 7 For This Reason: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out For This Reason!

The Questions

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)

Ephesians 3:1-21

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people  in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him.13 So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Original Intent

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)
In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays his readers will be “filled with all the fullness of God”. “Fullness” comes from the Greek “pleroma” and “describes the full measure of something with an emphasis on completeness.” (Precept Austin.org) When Paul prays for the Ephesians to be filled with all the fullness of God, he begins by praying they would be “rooted and firmly established in love and be able to comprehend the length and width, height and depth of God’s love that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:17-19) To experience this love beyond any measure is the beginning of being filled with all the fullness of God.  Author Stephen Cole suggests, “Paul is praying we will attain to spiritual perfection, having all that God is fill us to overflowing. As our capacity to receive it grows, He keeps filling us again and again. The idea of fullness implies total dominance or control, so that God perfectly controls our minds, our emotions, and our will.”  We can be filled with all the fullness of God when we give God all access and full control of all parts of our lives.  The better we know Him and His love, the more willing we are to let Him in to fill us and change us.  Paul follows this prayer to be filled with God’s fullness by reminding us that God can do much more than we can think or ask. (Ephesians 3:20) This extends to filling us with His love and with everything that God is and has for us.  He can fill us to a fullness we can’t even fathom!

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)
In Ephesians 3:20, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to give glory to the God who is “able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”  It’s not lost on his readers that Paul writes this encouragement from a prison cell in Rome, where he sits because of his unceasing desire to preach the Gospel.  Yet, Paul is focused on how the power of God in us can do far more than we think possible.  Author Priscilla Shirer observes that Paul is “just spilling over himself, tripping over himself trying desperately to figure out how to communicate the greatness and the grandeur of God’s capacity and His ability to work miracles in our lives and to be engaged in the details of our everyday living.”  Even in his difficult circumstances, Paul believes God’s power is beyond human comprehension.  Author Thomas Constable asserts, “The basis for Paul’s confidence that God is able to do far beyond what he had prayed for or could even imagine was the work God had done to bring Jews and Gentiles together in one body.”  Preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles became Paul’s life work, and he had daily proof that God could bring about unity and harmony in Christ beyond what Paul ever thought possible. Paul’s faith in God’s vast power was also based on his own conversion experience, which found him walking toward Damascus with intent to harm Jesus’ followers and instead encountering Jesus Himself. This experience turned his life upside down.  Instead of persecuting Christians, he was now converting others to Christianity, which was abundantly more than he could ever have considered.  Paul knew better than anyone how far God can go beyond our petitions and our thoughts; this knowledge caused him to give glory to God.

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)
When the apostle Paul told the Ephesians his afflictions are their glory in verse 13, he wasn’t speaking flippantly.  Paul’s mission since his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) had been to share the Good News of Jesus with the Gentiles. Fulfilling this mission caused him countless problems, including beatings, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and various physical dangers and discomforts. (2 Corinthians 11:25-26) Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while under Roman house arrest, and the people worried about him.  Paul told the Ephesians he didn’t want them to feel bad he was going through hard times for them because everything he faced was part of his heavenly mandate to bring the message of salvation to them. Through his hardships, they received the message of God’s redemptive love, and that was worth everything he suffered.  Author Peter Pett notes Paul declared his trials are “either a cause for them to glory, or will result in glory for them, or both. Without his imprisonment there may well have been no letters, and what would we have done then?”  Paul was as zealous to convert people to Christ as he had been to condemn Christians before his own conversion.  Every trial he faced brought the Gospel to more people, which was cause for rejoicing.

Everyday Application

1) How does Paul suggest we be filled with all the fullness of God? (verse 19)
It still amazes me some days that God chose to redeem me and chooses to love me.  I wouldn’t do it if I were Him.  I would have given up on me a long time ago, but God’s ways are far above mine. (Isaiah 55:9) He not only chose me, redeemed me and loved me, but He has all kinds of blessings and good things in store for me. (Ephesians 1:1-14) Paul calls it “being filled with all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:19) He wants to make me more and more like Him by filling me with His fullness. He wants me to look like Him so I can draw others to discover Him. The best part is, I don’t need to do anything in my own strength to accomplish this! I cannot fill myself with all the fullness of God.  He fills me up with His love, His mercy, His grace, His compassion, and all the other things He is, so I will spill over with “His fullness”.  He fills me to capacity, and then when I grow, He fills me to capacity again.  Sometimes, He fills me just by pouring out His love and His goodness on me.  Sometimes, He fills me by letting me struggle and grapple and pursue.  Even when what I feel as being empty, He is actually in the process of filling me with hope and faith.  I agree with Paul that “God’s love surpasses knowledge” (verse 19), and I am grateful He keeps filling me as I grow to be more like Him.

2) How does God do above and beyond what we can ask or even think? (verse 20)
I have always been a tea drinker.  I believed all teas were about the same, until a friend gifted me a tin of gourmet cinnamon tea sachets.  Once I tasted that brew, I was ruined for any other cinnamon tea! I tried going back to cinnamon tea in the grocery aisle, but it would no longer suffice. The store brand tea was flat and bitter compared to the gourmet blend with hints of citrus. I think of this experience when I read Paul’s words in verse 20, “God’s power in us can do more than we could ask or dream up”.  Before my friend’s gift arrived, I had only known to ask for regular cinnamon tea, but this special blend was beyond anything I’d imagined!  It is important to consider this truth when I am asking God for things or imagining how I want things to go.  God has plans and purposes beyond what I can dream that are abundantly more than I can comprehend.  He puts His power in me so He can do great things beyond my wildest imaginings to bring Him glory.  I need to ask Him for what I can imagine, then trust Him to do more beyond that.  He doesn’t want me to be limited by what I can think or what I know to ask for; I need to be open to all He has for me.  Usually that doesn’t come in a package that says, “better than you can imagine.”  It often comes wrapped in change, difference, discomfort, and unknown. This is why Paul prays for the Ephesians to be “strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit and to have faith.” (verse 16) He knows that trusting God is key.  May we trust in Him to do abundantly more than we can even think to ask Him!

3) Why does Paul say his afflictions are for the glory of the Ephesians? (verse 13)
The internet is full of beautiful stories about people shaving their heads to show solidarity with loved ones losing their hair to chemotherapy for cancer.  My tears fall with every pass of the razor when I watch those clips!  When I was a kid, I had a pal who was one of the only red heads in our small town, and he suffered a lot of teasing and embarrassment as a result.  His mom decided to dye her own hair red so he wouldn’t feel so alone.  These stories of people willing to endure hard things for their loved ones are deeply inspiring to me. The love they have is powerful. Even more inspiring to me is the lengths the apostle Paul was willing to go so he could share the Gospel with the Gentiles. He suffered much more than losing hair! He opens his letter to the Ephesians by calling himself the “prisoner of Jesus Christ on behalf of the Gentiles“. (verse 13) He endured intense persecution to preach salvation to those who would listen.  Jesus’ love for Paul was so radical and bursting with grace, Paul was compelled to give this love away.  Christ got Paul’s attention when He revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus, and Paul lived his life from that moment on with the singular purpose of sharing God’s love with everyone he could.  He was glad to suffer abuse if it meant the Gospel would be preached to more people.  He wanted everyone to know how deep and how wide God’s love is. (verse 18) He experienced God’s powerful love, and it made him able to love others profoundly, even when it cost him dearly.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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Calling Day 6 For This Reason

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:1-21
Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Peter 3:13-22

Calling, Day 6

For this reason.
These are the first three words in Ephesians 3.

Lean in, sisters. Paul is about to explain the motivation driving his life of incredibly challenging, incredibly impactful kingdom work.

What propelled him to get up after each beating?
What kept him going after shipwrecks?
What urged him to declare the Gospel with the same vigor he once used to attack the church?

For this reason.

Paul knew his why. And that made all the difference.

We discover Paul’s why by reading Ephesians 2. Read it aloud as if you were having a conversation with Paul, keeping in mind the passion saturating his words; this would not be a dull, emotionless speech!

Dear sisters, we share in Paul’s why:

We, too, were dead in our sins until God made us alive with Christ through grace, by faith.

We, too, were once far away from God, but have been lovingly brought near through Christ, who is our peace. (Ephesians 2:13-14) Upon His foundation, we too, together with all believers, are being built into God’s holy temple. (Ephesians 2:19-21)

For this reason, we, like Paul, can experience a similar desire to bow before the Lord, to humble ourselves at the awareness of all Christ has done for us. In this moment, overwhelmed with revelation of the mysterious love of our Father (Ephesians 3:1-7), the busyness and strife of the world around us fade away. The incessant cries for “Now and Must Do!” are wonderfully replaced with an eternal, holy urgency. This life shall pass away and we are assured we will spend eternity with Christ.
For this reason, we live with holy abandon!

But what about our co-workers, our neighbors, or the barista at our favorite coffee shop?

How can we share the good news,
the call from death to life,
and the Father’s heart longing to draw them near?

Are we willing to sacrifice our own comfort, or finances, or status
to invite the lost of our dying world into peace with God?

Paul told the church in Ephesus to not be discouraged over his afflictions on their behalf; he understood how his suffering would further God’s mission of sharing Jesus with the Gentiles.

Sharing the gospel will not be without sacrifice. It may be in the form of intense persecution, as Christians in some countries are currently experiencing. It may look like someone’s laughter after hearing the gospel. It could be a harsh “no” when asked to talk about Jesus. It might even just be the inconvenience of obedience when the Lord nudges us to hold the door for someone several steps behind us.

Regardless of what each day may bring, I desire to live with Paul’s boldness in pursuit of Christ and sharing Him with those around me. I want to trust so deeply in the Lord that even my levels of joy and peace in Him declare His goodness.

For this reason, I echo Paul’s prayer in verses 14-21, with an intense expectancy for the Lord to respond.
Will you join me, sisters?

Oh Lord, teach us to share the gift of the gospel with those around us. Strengthen us with power in our hearts through Your Spirit. Dwell within us and teach us how to love those around us. Help us comprehend Your love, which surpasses simple knowledge. 

Lord, You truly are able to do beyond what we can ask or imagine. May we live our lives for You and Your glory. Solidify our “why” within us and help us invite others to meet you wherever we go. 

Amen. 

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Seeds Day 11 Seeds Of Encouragement

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 1:6-11
Acts 9:26-27
Acts 11:19-30

Seeds, Day 11

We all come to Jesus under different circumstances and with a past.
A past without Him.
Some of those pasts are basically “forgettable”, while others are more difficult to leave behind.

The apostle Paul was no exception.

None would argue the impact Paul had on the early Church, an influence which continues to the church today.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he preached the good news of Jesus and because of his influence, many have come into a relationship with Jesus.  However, Paul, who began life as Saul, had a past.
A past quite different than the one we most attribute to him.

Before Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his purpose was in direct opposition to the one for which he is most remembered.  In fact, he was on that road to carry out that purpose: to stop the Gospel’s advancement by killing Christians!

However, Jesus met him and changed EVERYTHING!!  (Paul’s story!)

While Paul’s purpose immediately changed after meeting Jesus, others were not so quick to forget his past.  The disciples in Jerusalem were afraid to associate with Saul, remembering who he was and what he had done. How could God use such a dramatic story if no one would give him audience because of his past?

It wasn’t until Barnabas came alongside Saul, affirming him, supporting him, and sharing his story, that others began to believe Saul had really changed and began working with him, instead of against him.  Acts 11:24 describes Barnabas as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith”. Barnabas believed Paul, but more so, he trusted what God could accomplish by His Spirit through a humbled heart. Because Barnabas had experienced God’s transformation for Himself, he was able to rejoice in what God alone had done while encouraging others to do the same.  Barnabas supported and encouraged Paul, ministering with him as they taught and edified the church to stay true to the Lord.

But suppose Barnabas had not affirmed Paul?

A high school girl I know has a personal mission. She has chosen to sit by another girl in church who has mild special needs, writing questions which correspond to the message, allowing her friend to interact with the sermon in ways she can better understand.
How easy it would be to allow irritation to take root or simply issue a reprimand.
What if we, like my young friend, chose instead to take someone aside, get to know them, and see how we might be able to help them learn more about Jesus? What if we come alongside another for the sake of the Kingdom so someone else can understand Jesus better?

What if, instead of coming to conclusions about the mom with disruptive kids in the grocery store who are interfering with our peace, we understood that she too has a story. What if we whispered a kind word instead of giving a judging look?

What if that child in your classroom who asks for attention in inappropriate ways is the child who ends the day in an empty home or a home with little or negative attention?  Suppose we got to know that child and took him under our wing, helping him succeed while possibly opening an opportunity for the gospel because of your investment?

What if?

How would our churches, our communities, and our schools change
if we began seeing others as image bearers of our Father
and people for whom Jesus died?

In Acts 1:8, Jesus gives His followers the charge of being His witnesses to those in our sphere of influence. To extend hope and encouragement like Barnabas did in our homes, communities, and businesses, we must get close to people, hear their stories, and be exposed to the uncomfortable.

We all have a past, some appear darker than others, but in reality,
we are all the same without Jesus!

Because Jesus changed him, Barnabas knew Jesus could change Paul.
If Jesus has changed me, I must believe He can do the same for others, even those I’m hesitant to engage.
What might God do when our hearts are ready to hear and obey Him?
Who might God want you to come alongside to encourage and make a difference for His Kingdom?
Ask, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide you!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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