Week 2: Strengthen The Community

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

- Ephesians 2:10

DAY 1

Read Ephesians 2:1-7

  • Describe the life of someone who follows the ways of the world.

  • What is your definition of love, mercy, and grace?

  • There is a difference between believing intellectually in God’s love, mercy, and grace and experiencing them in a way that they become the core of your identity.  Where are you in this process?

DAY 2

Read Ephesians 2:8-10

  • How are we saved?

  • Paul is clear that we cannot earn our salvation through good works, but what part do good works play?  

  • According to Storment and Ross in their book, Bringing Heaven to Earth, “The Greek word for ‘work’ used here is poeima.  It’s where we get the English words poem and poetry.  God’s work isn’t slavery.  The work that He made us for and is preparing us for in advance is poetry.” Can you think of a time when your work for God has felt like poetry?  Or a time when it has not?  Explain.  

DAY 3

Read Ephesians 2:11-13

  • What differences used to divide Jews from Gentiles?

  •  How has the situation changed for the Gentiles because of Jesus Christ?

  • Describe different parts of your identity:

    •  Into what identities were you born?

    •  What parts of your identity have you chosen? 

    • What parts of your identity were forced onto you by others?

    • What identity do you have in Christ?

Day 4

Read Ephesians 2:14-18

  • What has Jesus done for the two groups, Jews and Gentiles?

  • God is building a temple out of all of His people.  What dividing walls do you see today:

    • In the world? 

    • In your community?

    • In your church? 

    • In your personal relationships?

Day 5

Read Ephesians 2:19-22

  • Describe the structure of the temple.  Who is the foundation?  Who is the Cornerstone?  Who are the walls?

  • In the Old Testament, foreigners couldn’t enter the temple, but were restricted to the outer court.  Have you ever experienced being excluded from a group or experience because you were an outsider?  Describe the experience.

  • God intends for all people to belong to His household.  What are a couple of practical steps we could take to help people feel that way?   

DAY 6

Reread Ephesians Chapter 2

  • Lingering questions? New insights?

  • Consider the following: In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis describes the process by which God makes us into His dwelling: 

    “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

  • If you were to depict your faith journey as a building, what would it look like?  Draw a sketch of what that building looks like at this point.  Consider the following questions to help you get started:

    • What are your faith foundations (Earliest experiences with God)?

    • What makes up the ground floor (Experiences in which your faith became personal)?

    • What are your additions or remodeling projects (Experiences of spiritual growth and maturity)?

    • What makes up the towers, courtyards, gardens, and galleries (Experiences of becoming the increasingly Christ-like masterpiece God created you to be)?