Week 3
God’s Handiwork
Ephesians 2:1-10
Alternative Video site: https://vimeo.com/288993682
Opening: Share with the group two skills or abilities you have or things in which you are good at. Consider highlighting an unusual thing you are good at. (If you participated last week, share also how practicing prayer went.)
Examine the Passage: Read Ephesians 2:1-10
- In Ephesians 2:1, we find that we were dead, or separated from God, in our “transgressions and sins.” It is often easy to gloss over sins or consider them ‘not that bad.’ Take time in the group to have a conversation about some common sins, found in the church or in society, that are easily brushed aside as not a big deal. (If you are comfortable share personal temptations. Later, on your own time, you will likely want to practice confession in your private prayer time.)
- The word “But” found in vs. 4 changes everything. What does God do for us? And why does God do it (vs. 4-5)? Grab a pen and highlight or circle significant words or phrases here.
- In your own life and personal story of redemption, what was something that helped you grasp God’s love for you and move you from being “dead,” in your sins, to “alive” in Christ?
- Reading vs. 8-10, we find that “grace,” and not “works,” saves us. But we also find that we are created “to do good works.” Discuss as a group the difference between the works found in verse 9 and the works found in verse 10.
- How does thinking about yourself as “God’s handiwork” affect how you feel about yourself (vs. 10)?
- Re-read vs 10 and circle or highlight key words related to your identity.
Explore the Theme: Good works. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24
Discern what good deeds you are being called to now during this season of your life. Consider the words of Frederick Buechner as a guide, “God calls you to the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
- Share as a group specific issues you care deeply about or feel especially burdened by. Where do you grieve that God’s Kingdom has not fully come to reign?
- Describe something that brings you joy.
- You already began your time sharing specific skills or abilities you have, but feel free to share additional ones.
- Now, look for a way to serve that lines up closely to the intersection of your burdens, joys and skills. Help one another brainstorm here! (Often times we can play an important role in someone else’s service by spurring one another on or by encouraging each other. A very tangible way you can do that is by telling one another skills or ministries in which we think the other would be good at.)
If you have not found a place to regularly serve in your life, here are four suggestions: (1) reach out to different LAC staff members for discernment about where to contribute at LAC or in the community, (2) check out the ‘serving opportunities’ section in the weekly Lake Ave News publication, (3) visit the Pathways Center on the west end of the Worship Center Lobby after any worship service to discuss how to get involved, and (4) visit www.lakeave.org/volunteer.
Engage Your Life: Serving. This is an important week to engage in the good works you were created to do. Commit to serve. Begin by choosing a small act of service to someone you see daily or weekly, either because you live with them, work with them, or go to school with them. Then consider if you are not yet regularly serving in the community or at our church, what is the next step you need to take to make a regular commitment? Come ready next week to share about a small act of service which you did for someone else.
Praying Grace and Peace: Throughout this series we are encouraging everyone to pray for grace and peace to come to all. (As a refresher, grace refers to the kindness God has shown us to redeem us and give us access to God through the work of Christ on the cross. Peace refers to the gift of God to set right, and make whole, all the different aspects of our lives.)
Begin by sharing prayer requests, then provide a couple of quiet moments of individual prayer time for confession. Finally, go to corporate prayer for one another, and for praying grace and peace to come for all.