Ephesians 6: 10-20

Leaders,

Spiritual warfare is all around us and attacks from the Enemy are inevitable. God provides the only armor effective in this war. Paul tries to prepare us for this spiritual battle by urging us to constantly live(stand firm) in truth, righteousness, and readiness. He calls us to live in the truth of the Word, allowing it to govern our lives and hold everything together like a belt buckle. He calls us to live righteously, to protect our hearts from latching on to any idolatrous desires that can pull us away from God, out into darkness. Paul calls us to stay alert with readiness to respond when God calls us into action. If we are not putting God first, we will surely hesitate when we have to sacrifice chasing the materialistic idols of this world to respond to God.

When under attack, Paul teaches us to protect ourselves with the shield of our faith, the security of salvation, and to fend off the evil forces at hand with the sword of the Spirit. Alerted by the presence of the Enemy, we should pick up our shield of faith, made strong through the constant refinement of living a life for Christ. Just like the security a helmet provides in battle, we trust in the security of our salvation, knowing we are saved eternally no matter what happens. Lastly, positioning ourselves at the point of attack, we pick up the sword of the Spirit(the word of God), the only weapon with which we should counterattack Satan’s temptations. All the while, we should be praying in the Spirit continuously, for ourselves and for the fearlessness of others to fight for the Gospel with how we live our lives.

Here are some possible questions for your connection groups:

1.What are the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world? Are these seen or unseen? How are these different from the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms?

2.Why do you think these verses are all about defending yourself, instead of attacking the forces of evil?

3.If this struggle is not of flesh and blood, where is the most common battlefront in this spiritual war?

4.What are some examples of spiritual attacks in your lives and how do you deal with them?

5.How does knowing the truth from the Bible, help you protect yourself when under attack?

6.What is the one weapon Paul lists that we can use to counterattack the enemy?

7.How did Jesus respond while Satan was tempting Him in the desert? (Luke 4, Matthew 4)

8.If Paul, superhero of the New Testament still struggles with fearlessly declaring the Gospel, then how do we stand a chance at being fearless?

9.How does God’s sovereignty play into this spiritual war in our lives? (1 Corinthians 10:13)

10.If strength in numbers is as true in spiritual warfare as it is in flesh and blood war, we should be praying for each other constantly. How often do you pray for others? How often do you check to see how they are doing with struggles in their life? If not often, what are some practical ways to change this in your lives?

Ephesians 6:5-9

Read over this passage and pray for God to reveal better ways to live out this passage in your jobs. Jesus, ruler of all creation, served His disciples by washing their feet and said, "14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.(John 13:14-15)" Then he said in verse 17, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

Whether you are a slave(employee) or a master(employer), I would challenge you to go to your boss or employees and ask them how you might serve them better. Here are some possible discussion questions for your connection group:

1. Notice that the passage is void of conditional obedience(ex. obey your boss only if he treats you in a manner deserving of respect). Do you serve your boss wholeheartedly, regardless of how he treats you?

2. How does the unconditional obedience towards your boss in this passage testify for our relationship with Christ? What are some practical examples in your work life?

3. Bosses do you shepherd your employees, as Christ shepherded His disciples, even when rebuking them? What does this look like in your office?

4. Do you believe that God will bless you if you obey your boss, even though you don't agree with what he is asking you to do(as long as he is not asking you to sin against God)? Give some practical examples of this in your life.

5. For many, work is the place where you spend the most time with non-believers in your life. How well do your work habits testify for your relationship with Christ?

Ephesians 6:1-4

If you are a parent, take time this week to work through these verses with your kids.

Connection Group Discussion Questions:

1. What is the goal of being a parent? Children: What is the goal of growing up?

2. Parents: What does it look like in your home to bring your children up in the "training and instruction of the Lord?"

3. Children: Do you really believe that it may not go well with you if you do not honor your father and mother? Then why do we disobey?

4. Once we, as children, have “grown up,” do we still have to obey our parents? What does it look like to honor them? - ex. When do parents stop telling their children what to do and when do children get to stop obeying?

5. Parents: What does exasperating your children say about your trust in God‘s sovereignty over their lives?

6. Adult Children: What does not honoring your parents say about your trust in God’s sovereignty over both your life and their lives? Do you ever try to play the role of the parent with your parents? Do you honor your father and mother as adults in a way that glorifies God?

7. If parents and children are both playing the roles God has given them, (children honoring and obeying; fathers not exasperating and training) does this verse apply to these relationships throughout life?

8. Parents: What does it look like to not exasperate your children as they get older, even moving into adulthood?

9. Thinking about this passage: Parents, how does being a child of God and our relationship with Him affect the way we parent our own children? Children, how does our relationship with God the Father affect the way we serve those who look up to us?

10. Do we as children of God really believe that He, the father, is trying to train and instruct us for the best life He has to offer? Then why do we disobey?

Ephesians 5:21-33

1. Prior to reading this passage / hearing the message, how would you finish the following sentence: The goal or the purpose of marriage is __________ .
2. Read Eph. 5:21-24 and verse 33. How is God challenging wives in general and you in particular? When wives reject this passage, how do they tend to relate to their husbands?

3. Ladies, does this calling in the marriage relationship threaten your worth or acknowledge and accentuate it? How so?

4. Read Eph. 5:25-33. How is God challenging husbands in general and you in particular?

5. When men reject this passage, how do they tend to treat their wives?

6. Based on this passage, what is the goal of the husband, the wife, and the marriage? Is your marriage an attractive picture of the gospel?

7. Go around the room and have everyone finish this sentence: As a result of this passage and with God’s strength (5:18b), I plan to ______________ .