Daniel R

1. According to Ephesians 2:10, what were we created to do? Why? (Matthew 5:16) According to Ephesians 2:10, we were all created to accomplish whatever work God has appointed us to do. Whether it be singing, being a pastor, or even just working in an office, God has appointed each person with a specific job/work to do so that ultimately, He may be glorified through us, others may glorify Him, and others may come to know Him. 2. What is the difference between these works and the works Paul discredits in verse 9? The difference between these works and the works in verse 9 is that these works were appointed to us before we were created, God had these works planned out before we had ever put our faith in Him. On the contrary, the works in verse 9 are works that come after/from our faith. They weren't necessarily things that God had chosen us to do, but they are things we do because of our faith and love for others, which comes from His gift of salvation. THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!

1. "Saved" has become Christian jargon. How can you "translate" this word into modern speech so people can understand what it really means and why they need it? If I were to translate "saved" into modern, understandable language, I would probably use words such as "rescued" or "freed" and maybe emphasize them because we are being rescued/freed from eternal damnation and eternal life in hell. But yes, I would probably just use "rescue" or "free." THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. Why is it so hard for us to understand grace? What commonly held life principle does it demolish? Grace is an extremely difficult thing for us to understand because it completely destroys the life principle of getting what we worked for. Grace is something that we receive for no reason whatsoever. Somebody, in this case God, just chooses to give us things because He wants to. As humans we're not used to that. We find it unusual and almost uncomfortable to receive something when we've done nothing to receive it. Still, if grace is stretched out toward, the only thing we can do is thankfully accept the gift/blessing. 2. Translate the word "grace" into language a 10-year-old child would understand. Grace is "getting something that you didn't work for and don't deserve." THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. What does it mean that we are seated with Christ in "the heavenly realms"? By saying that we are seated with Christ "in the Heavenly places/realms," Paul is telling the Ephesians (as well as any other readers) that we share in the power, authority, and dominion that Christ received and have dominion over all demonic and human spirits and powers because of that. 2. What does this say about God's grace? This clearly shows us that God's grace is GREAT and ABUNDANT. As humans, if we have something nice we rarely tend to share with others, and even if we do share, we tend to scarcely share, but God on the other hand shares his dominion, power, and authority with us directly through Jesus Christ, without any cutting corners and holding back at all. 3. What does this say about our spiritual authority? This says that we have much more spiritual authority than we tend to believe. We do have power and authority over human forces and demonic forces, and though it may not look like it when the enemy comes at us full force, with faith and confidence, we will completely obliterate the enemy with the power, authority, and dominion of Christ. 4. How should this knowledge affect our prayers and our boldness? In general, this knowledge should make our prayers much bolder but also just our general boldness more bold. We shouldn't just tell God that we're afraid of satan when he throws stones at us, but we have to realize that God has given us authority and power in Jesus Christ and with faith, confidence, and boldness, we can overcome any and all the enemy!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. In verses 4 and 5, which words describe God's motivation and character? * Mercy * Great love * Grace 2. Which verbs describe what has happened to us in Christ? * Alive together in Christ *By grace you have been saved THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. Few people would knowingly follow Satan. How can people unwittingly follow Satan? Obviously, many people would never diligently follow satan because that's like "stepping over the line" or "venturing into dangerous territory," but they fail to realize that through sin, they unknowingly follow satan. Satan's biggest tool to trip people up is sin and so far, he's been able to make every person fall for it minus Jesus Christ. So, without us knowing, satan has made us fall into his trap, meaning that we have fallen under his authority. Adding to that, satan is the prince of darkness and of sin, so every time we sin, we follow in his footsteps and his plan for us, therefore, accidentally falling into his trap and following him and his plan. 2. In what sense are we responsible for unwitting rebellion against God? We are responsible for our rebellion and sin against God because God has given us free will, meaning that we are strong enough to resist temptation and sin with the Holy Spirit. Sadly, few of us try to fight those temptations hard enough and even if the Holy Spirit is fighting with us, we shrug Him off and just take the sin, or in other words, choose to sin, meaning that we are responsible against rebelling against God because we chose to sin against Him. 3. How can God, in all fairness, blame us? God, in all His fairness has every right to blame us. We did do wrong and because of that we do deserve punishment, and because of God's fairness we have to be blamed and punished for that. Thankfully though, because God loved the world so much, He chose to send His Son onto this earth so that He could bear all our sins so that when we commit them either in the future or the past, our sins can already be paid for and we can be extended mercy, forgiveness, and grace, and cleansing of our sins through the holy blood of Jesus Christ. ALL THE GLORY TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST AND THANK YOUR JESUS AND PLEASEEEEE HAVE MERCY AND GRACE ON ME!!!!!!!

1. In what sense are our non-believing friends, neighbours, and relatives "dead"? They are spiritually dead, meaning that the have no hope of spiritual life after physical life, but that they are doomed to everlasting death. 2. What's the difference between us and them? The difference between us and them is that we, unlike them, have a spiritual hope to look forward to after our physical death, meaning that instead of suffering in hell for eternity, we will be enjoying Heaven in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all eternity. 3. If we really believed that they were "dead" and subject to God's "wrath," what would we do? I believe that we would try harder to convince them the seriousness of their sin and we would try to spread the gospel with them and help them come to faith. Still, I believe that God would have to be present in the experience, because if we try to do it all on our own terms, I think we would do more harm than good. THANK YOU AND FORGIVE ME LORD JESUS!!!!!!!

1. When we neglect to be an active part of a local congregation, what particular blessings do we miss out on according to Paul in this verse? When we neglect to be part of a congregation, we miss the blessing of fellowship, as well as being truly filled in Christ and being part of His body and working as a member of His body into whatever He has told/called you to do. 2. How do we, by our absence, withhold this blessing from others? When we neglect to be part of a congregation, we could be withholding the blessing of fellowship from others because we might be the only person they feel comfortable talking to but we might also be hindering whatever they were called/told to do because sometimes for one member to do one thing, another one has to do something else first. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Why do we so often take a "pass" when it comes to spiritual warfare? Wars not pretty. People get hurt, some die. Proof of this is WW1, WW2, and the many wars that come after. Spiritual warfare is much the same. Though we don't necessarily have demons coming at us and trying to rip our limbs off, we have them targeting something much more vital, our spiritual life, our spirit. When we are in a spiritual war, there is immense struggle, whether it be against demonic thoughts, actions, ideas, etc. or against demons themselves. This tiring war tends to leave people spiritually exhausted, hurt, unhappy, and sometimes even distant from God, at least for the time being... After the fight, we feel better. We have clarity, and we tend to grow closer to God than ever before. Sadly, not many people think that that struggle, and all that spiritual blood, sweat, and tears that was shed is worth the price of clarity, peace, and a close relationship with God. 2. Why is Christ's exaltation, demonstration of complete victory, and superior rank over all spiritual powers important enough for Paul to mention it to his readers? Christ's superiority and power is crucial for Paul to mention as only Christ has the strength to win spiritual warfare. Paul doesn't seem to mention this (not here at least), but a person alone can't stand against a spiritual attack. Satan and his demons are far more power than we will ever be...ALONE. This is why you see so many non-Christians constantly oppressed, depressed, stressed, anxious, suicidal, etc. People can't win against the devil by their own ability. But with Christ, we will ALWAYS WIN. This is why Paul mentions this in his letter, to show us that by and with Jesus, we can overcome what we wouldn't have been to overcome by ourselves. 3. Why do we tend to feel powerless in the face of spiritual enemies? Simply because we alone are powerless. As stated above, we people have no chance against the devil and his demons, which should make us feel powerless, but it should also make the only Person who can overcome them, Jesus Christ, show us His true power. If we feel powerless and we know that we're fighting a battle with Christ on our side, than that may be a result of faithlessness, or of humility. I say faithlessness because if you feel powerless and have the mindset that you're going to lose, you have no faith in the power, dominion, authority, and superiority that Jesus has above all evil spirits though. This feeling of powerlessness isn't all bad though. Feeling powerless can be a sign of humility. You might feel as if you are powerless, but if you understand and believe that Jesus is still fighting for you and that He's still going to secure you the victory, than that is an act of humility, because you're realizing that the podium isn't yours, but that is, was, and always will be Jesus'. 4. What was Paul assuring the Ephesians of? I've indirectly answered this in the previous questions, but to quickly summarize it, Paul is assuring the Ephesians that Jesus is in charge, that He is the Boss of bosses, and that all dominion, power, strength, might, authority, and superiority are His, meaning that He will win every spiritual battle, and that we are His people/church, meaning that He will fight all of our spiritual battle . 5. What does this encourage us to do? I don't know how this may encourage others, but for me personally, it encourages me to not be afraid of spiritual battles, because Christ is ready and willing to fight and win, and to also be willing to sacrifice some comfort, at least for a period of time, for better end results. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. Why are we powerless sometimes? Sometimes we can be physically powerless as a result of lack of physical needs, but lots of times, especially spiritually speaking, we are powerless and weak as a result of lack of faith. 2. Is it an inadequacy with the source or with our faith? When it is related to spiritual weakness, it is almost a result of our lack or weak faith. 3. Why do some congregations and movements produce disciples with miracle-believing faith and others produce disciples with wimpy faith? I believe the major reason some congregations produce miracle-believing disciples and some wimpy-faith disciples is because of the lack of the Holy Spirit in the discipleship. If the Holy Spirit is not present while training up a person in Christ, then that person will never be spiritually strong until they receive the Holy Spirit, because only the Holy Spirit can empower us spiritually. 4. How can this be changed? As I kind of stated above, this can be changed by introducing the Holy Spirit into the person's life. Whether it be changing the teacher, or teaching the teacher the truth, or whatever else, this wimpy-faith discipleship can be changed and set in a completely different direction when the Holy Spirit is introduce both into the disciple, and to the teacher(s) of the disciple(s). THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!!

1. If you knew that in a few years you would inherit $10 million, would it affect your life now? If I knew I would inherit $10 million in a couple years, I would probably live these couple years of my life less scarcely with money. I wouldn't be so hesitant to give money to those in need and I wouldn't be extremely focused on money because I would gain a very large amount of many shortly anyway. I would probably still save a little bit of money though, in the case that I might need some money before the $10 million arrive. 2. How should our expectation of an inheritance in God's presence temper our present-day concerns? Honestly, the expectation of an inheritance in God's presence should make any Christian live this life take many more risks. Not stupid risks like many people take, but risks in different good things as in ministries jobs, outreach teams, dreams. If we know we are going to have the greatest reward in about 80 years time, than we should live this life taking very many risks because they will either benefit our time on earth, but if they harm us, we have a future of eternity in the presence of God to look forward to. 3. Since this inheritance will be shared with "the saints" -- our Christian family -- how should that affect our fellowship with them? Because of inheritance will be shared with the saints, it is extremely important for us to strengthen relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ while we are on earth. This doesn't mean that we need to be best friends with every Christian we know. But it does mean that we need to have good relations with those Christians because we are going to spend eternity with them in the AWESOME presence of God! THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!

1. What do we Christians have to look forward to? We Christians have a hope of eternity with the Father, Son, and Holy-Spirit. We have a hope of an eternity with God! 2. How should this hope be a major motivation in our present-day lives? This should should majorly motivate us because it reminds us that our time on earth is temporary, meaning that we need to take risks for God's greater glory and for the betterment of others. Also, this hope should burn a fire of joy constantly inside our lives because we know that after death we will have everlasting life! 3. How should this hope affect our decisions and our lifestyle? Like I previously stated, this hope should make our lifestyle much less "safe" and much more risky. We should be ready and willing to take risks for God because even if things don't work out and our whole lives go down in a downward spiral, after this short time on earth, we will have eternal life with God! 4. How does our great hope differ from the hope of the average non-believer? Average non-believers have very short-term hope. Their hope is put in physical things and the result of their hope comes during this very short time on earth. Believers on the other hand have a eternal hope. Unlike non-believers, this hope is put in spiritual things and the result of this hope comes only after death. THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!

1. These verses contain two analogies: (1) seal and (2) down payment, with the balance to be paid in a lump sum at the end of the term. When does the "end of the term" occur? The "end of the term" occurs when Jesus comes again and raptures the church/believers. It will be the end for believers on this earth, but the beginning of an everlasting life in Heaven, therefore, we will receive the full reward of everlasting gifts. 2. How do these analogies help explain how the Holy Spirit functions in our lives? These analogies are extremely useful in showing us how the Holy Spirit works because these analogies are very relatable, therefore very easy to understand and grasp. Just like a seal protects a letter from being broken into by somebody other than the receiver, so the Holy Spirit protects us and keeps us only for God to "open"/receive us. Also, just how a down payment is a small amount of the full price given beforehand, so the Holy Spirit is a small reward that we receive beforehand on this earth, and when we do leave this earth, He provides us with the full reward of everlasting life and everlasting riches!!! THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT!!!!!!!

1. According to verses 11 and 12, what is God's purpose for our lives? Though god has a specific purpose for every individual -- some to sing, others to preach/teach, and some to be missionaries -- He has a much broader and ultimate purpose for every believer, and that purpose is found in verses 11 and 12. God's ultimate purpose for all believers is to bring praise to Him and bring glory to His glorious name! 2.What do we need to do to fulfill this purpose? How does this purpose relate to Matthew 5:13-16? Obviously there are a few things we need to do to fulfill this. Some of the ways are by professing our faith and by being obedient to God and what He calls us to do, but specifically in this lesson regarding to Matthew 15:13-16, we see that we can accomplish this ultimate purpose of praising and glorifying God by being as lights (or likes mirrors; reflecting God's greatness in our lives) who shine God's greatness in our lives. In other words, we can accomplish this by showing God and His greatness in/through our lives and through our works! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!

1. What is the significance that all things will be brought under one head -- Christ himself? How does this relate to the Creator? Christ being the head of all things is significant because Christ is also God, meaning that all things will be under God. Not under money, or social status, or friends, family, drugs, sex, ****, fame, or any of those things. Everything will be under God! All things will be brought together under the Creator (which is God), not under the created! 2. What does it say about unity? Here in these verses, we see that all things will be unified, not just all people or even all things on earth, and not just all people in Heaven or everything in Heaven. Rather, all things will be unified under Christ. Things on earth, and things in Heaven! All things will be united altogether under the head of Christ! 3. Extra Credit: How does this verse relate to 1 Corinthians 15:24-28? 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 is similar to Ephesians 1:9-10 in the sense that it also talks about Christ putting all things under His authority ("put all things in subjection under Him") and then He Himself putting Himself subject to God (the Father probably) so that He may be all in all! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!