Kim and I were so humbled and blessed to have so many of you join us for today's lesson. We have been praying for you and preparing for this study throughout the summer and it is such a thrill to have this day finally here.
We hope this blog will be a source of encouragement and an opportunity to spur one another on to love and good deeds! We have included a variety of resources, but if you would like to see something else included, please let us know.
Let's begin with prayer.
Read {page 3} of your Lesson guide and take the time to write out your prayer. This will be a sweet encouragement to you at the end of your study to see how God has led you down the path that He has for you!
Read through the entire book of Ephesians.
We encourage you to set aside 20-25 minutes to read through the whole book of Ephesians in one sitting. For an even fuller experience, read it out loud. This allows you to not only see it, but also hear it. Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Precept Upon Precept: What you need to know.
For those of you who are new to Precept studies or the Inductive study method, now would be a good time to read {Important Information for First-timers on pages 1-2}. When filling in answers throughout your Lesson guide, we have found it helpful to write the reference (1:1) next to your answer. This keeps us looking in the Bible for our answers and also allows us to share God's Word with others more clearly.
Pull out the {Observation Worksheets} located in the Appendix {pages 137-158}.
As you re-read through the book of Ephesians, mark references to the author in a distinctive way. (Precepts recommends an orange circle, but you can mark it any way that makes sense to you. We have found it helpful to cut out the bookmark {on the back cover} of the Lesson Guide and write down your markings to remind you throughout the study.) Make sure to include pronouns (I, me, my) that refer to the author, but do not mark we or us where the author links himself to the recipients.
After you have circled all references to the author throughout the whole book of Ephesians:
- write down who the author is at the bottom of {page 4}, with references supporting your answer.
- Follow the instructions listed at the bottom of {page 5}.
- Using the 5 W's and H {page 5}, write your observations on the chart {page 13}. You'll have to write small!
- Complete {page 6}.
Remember to include pronouns such as you and your, but do not mark the pronouns we or us.
After you have circled all references to the recipients throughout the whole book of Ephesians:
- write down who the recipients are at the bottom of {page 4}, with references supporting your answer.
- Follow the instructions listed at the bottom of {page 7}.
- Using the 5 W's and H {page 5}, write your observations on the chart {page 13}. You'll have to write small!
- Complete the top of {page 8}.
Read Day Four and follow the instructions on {page 8-9}. Here you will learn some of the Ephesians' culture by studying Acts 19-20.
Kim did a great job of the history of Ephesus, for a timeline, click here.
Below are a couple of maps of Ephesus.
Letter Summary
To get more familiar with the book of Ephesians, we will look through the book and summarize the content. Read {page 9-12} and answer the questions.
Now that you have summarized the book, do you see any natural divisions or segments? Answer question #3 on {page 12}.
Complete question c on {page5}.
In the Appendix you will find a chart called Ephesians At A Glance {page 159}. Using pencil, fill in as much as you can, but don't worry if you are unsure of certain sections. We will continue to build and change this chart throughout our study of Ephesians.
So there you have it! You made it through the first week. The first week is almost always one of the most difficult, but it will be worth it my friend! We look forward to hearing what He has taught you throughout this week of study. May He enlighten the eyes of your heart.
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