01: Ephesians 1:1-14 - Deepen

Hey Church Fam!

During this season of “The Dig” we’ll be “digging” into the book of Ephesians! Each week we’ll drop three mini episodes - one to deepen our understanding of what we’ll be reading that week in Ephesians, one to ignite our curiosity about how that week’s scripture fits into the God’s big story and the good news of the gospel, and then one to help us grow as fruit-producing, God-glorying disciples!

This is a DEEPEN Episode! This week we are reading Ephesians 1:1-14. Below you can find a suggested reading plan. 

READING PLAN

• M: Ephesians 1:1-2
• T: Ephesians 1:3-4
• W: Ephesians 1:5-6
• Th: Ephesians 1:7-8
• F: Ephesians 1:9-10
• Sat: Ephesians 1:11-12
• Sun: Ephesians 1:13-14

RESOURCES

• Ephesians - An Introduction, Warren Wiersbe

Transcript

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Welcome to the Dig Church Family. This podcast will serve as a way for the church and the home to connect outside of the church building, providing parents and spiritual families with the resource to dig into God's word together. As always, when we dig, we're deepening our understanding, igniting our curiosity, and growing as fruit-producing God-glorifying disciples. During this season of the dig, we'll be digging into the book of Ephesians. Each week, we'll drop three mini episodes. One to deepen our understanding of what we'll be reading that week in Ephesians, one to ignite our curiosity on how that week's scripture fits into God's big story and the good news of the gospel, and then one to help us grow as fruit-producing, God-glorifying disciples. Today's episode is a deepen episode. During these episodes, I'll set you up for what we'll be reading this week. I'll give you a few things to be looking for as you read and some questions to be asking as you study. This week we'll be reading Ephesians 1, verses 1 through 14. In the show notes, you can find a suggested breakdown of the daily readings of this week's passage, or you can just read the passage every day this week. Maybe you'll try reading it in a few different Bible translations. While you're reading this week, here are three things I want you to be on the lookout for. First, watch for mentions of the three persons of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Maybe consider marking them with a different color in your Bible or a different symbol. Look very closely for them. The second thing for you to look for are words or phrases that repeat themselves. Make a list of them in a journal or on a post-it note as you read. When God repeats things, he wants us to pay attention. The last thing I want you to look out for as you read is another list. Make a list of all of the actions that God does. Then read the passage again and look for all of the actions that we are doing or are supposed to be doing. Compare and contrast your two lists. Who does the doing? Okay, you have what you're supposed to look for and what you're supposed to be reading. Let me leave you with a few questions to think about or talk about as a family. Number one, how does it make you feel knowing that God chose you before the creation of the world? How is the Holy Spirit prompting you to respond to Him right now? And number two, what characteristic or attribute of God are you really thankful for after reading this week's passage? To wrap up our deepen episodes, I'm going to read our passage aloud each week. Grab your Bibles and read along, or sit quietly and listen to God's word. This is Ephesians chapter 1, verses 1 through 14. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one who loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment, to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we who were the first to put our hope in Christ might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation. You believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession, and the praise of his glory. This is the word of the Lord. Amen.