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Preparing for the Sermon - Ephesians 2:5-10

July 5, 2023 by Sam Walker Preparing for Sunday
Living in Light of God
PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR THE SERMON BY LOOKING THROUGH THESE SUGGESTIONS THAT WILL ASSIST YOU IN MAKING THE MOST OF OUR TIME TOGETHER HEARING GOD'S WORD.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

  • Prepare your hearts by asking God to open your eyes to His words of eternal life. Use Psalm 119:18 and John 6:68 to guide your prayer.

  • Read Ephesians 2:1-10 to gain context and then re-read the text for this week (Eph. 2:5-10).

  • Looking at verses 4-10 specifically, what is the transition from verses 1-3? Who are the main characters in verses 4-10?

  • Can you identify and highlight all the action verbs in these verses?  Who is doing the action of the verbs? Who is receiving the action of the verbs?

  • In verses 8 & 9 there are a few "negative" modifiers (not, no). What are these negating?

  • Verse 7 highlights a "so that" clause giving the result of verses 4-6, what is the result that is found here?

  • Verses 8 and 10, both have "for" clauses, explaining something that was stated previously. What additional information is being provided, and how does that contribute to the understanding of verses 4-7?

  • What is a gift of God? What is not a result of works?

  • What did God prepare beforehand? Who did he prepare it for and how is Jesus Christ involved?

Prayerfully Meditate

  • Meditate on the Scriptures through the week by writing these verses down several times or memorizing them as you think through the questions.

  • Think through the reason God saves believers. What kind of love is this?

  • What is the grace that saves us? Is it just “undeserved favor", or is there something more involved?

  • What is the focus of God's saving grace? Man or God?

  • What is the result of God making us alive together with Christ?

  • Are faith and works related? If so, how are they related based on these verses?

  • Does God's grace extend into our lives based on these verses? If so, what implications of God's grace do we see beyond "initial salvation"?