New Series: Fully Alive - A Study of Ephesians
There is No Class this week for
Sermon Recap
In Ephesians 1:15–23, Paul prays that
believers wouldn’t just know about God but would truly know Him — deeply,
personally, and transformationally. He asks God to open the eyes of our hearts
so we can grasp the hope we’ve been given, the riches of God’s inheritance in
us, and the immeasurable resurrection power already at work in our lives. When
we truly know God, everything else in life is reframed — our fears, our
identity, and our purpose come into clarity. This week, our next step is simple
but profound: ask God to help you know Him more, place your hope fully in Him,
and live in the power He’s already given you.
Our Prayer is that God Would Open Our Eyes to
See:
Hope - Biblical hope is confidence, not uncertainty- are future is secure based on God’s calling on our lives in Christ. Our hope in Christ for future resurrection gives us motivation to obey, endurance through trials, and joy day to day.
Value - In Christ, we receive an inheritance of immense value, but we also are a part of God’s inheritance ourselves. God not only gives you something of priceless value, you are of priceless value- we are His own.
Power - The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives and works within the believer. We do not have weak optimism as we face the trials of this life, but resurrection power rooted in the supremacy of Jesus. If you are in Christ, you are not alone, you are not stuck in sin, and you are not helpless in the fight. In our weakness, we have the greatest and highest power.
Ephesians 1:15-23
For this reason, because I have heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease
to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts
enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is
the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the
working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from
the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above
all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is
named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all
things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which
is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Ephesians
1:15-23.
Discussion Questions
What does this prayer reveal about what Paul
believes we need most as Christians?
What are some ways we unintentionally replace
knowing God with just knowing about Him?
How is Paul’s prayer different from the way
you pray for yourself or others?
How have you personally experienced growth in
your knowledge of God over time?
What is one truth you know in your head but
struggle to fully believe in your heart?
How would your daily life look different if
you were more anchored in eternal hope?
Closing Thoughts
Spiritual growth happens not when we do more
things, but when we realize more what has already been given to us in Christ.
Think what could happen if we were a church who not only prayed this prayer,
but believed God will do exactly what we ask. Imagine the depth of our walk
with Christ, the impact it would have on Upstate of South Carolina.
END
