We are starting a study of Ephesians!

Our text for this study is… Ephesians! To prepare, you may want to read through the book of Ephesians or to write it out with space for notes, circles, highlights, etc. Both of these ways help me.

We will be using commentaries, reference materials such as Blue Letter Bible and Beyond Suffering’s Study Bible (By Joni and Friends). Growing up, I listened to J Vernon McGee which I believe was on Through the Bible Radio. He had a very unique voice and teaching style, but I learned a lot from him as we listened Through the Bible over and over. I found his outline of and notes for Ephesians which are a blessing!

Why Ephesians?

J Vernon McGee sums it up nicely in his theme of Ephesians: “Ephesians reveals the church as God’s masterpiece.” So, why is that important to us, the chronically ill, the isolated, the disabled? If we have trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we are part of His body, the church. We are part of this masterpiece. (Sometimes I feel like the Picasso section, but ahem, we are precious in His site and still part of His masterpiece!) We are important.

It is easy as a disabled person to feel less than or to see our isolation, chronic illness, or disability as our identity. Yet, God sees us as part of this masterpiece. We want to look at our identity as He sees us.

From the intro to Ephesians in the Beyond Suffering Study Bible, it explains that the book’s purpose is to show the strength and purpose of the church. Remember, we are part of that church. There will be wisdom for our suffering as we go through this book.

My heart’s desire is that your perspective will change as we go through this and that those in the church will have their perspective of the disabled changed as we go through it.

For tomorrow, go through chapter one and circle all references to Paul, put a triangle over all references to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and underline all references to us as believers, the church. What did you learn about God, Christ, the Church?