Bible Study Network

A growing network of women are studying the Bible together. You’ll find Bible resources, study aids, devotionals, prompts, service ideas and everyday applications as well as ideas for starting your own online or onsite group.

February 26, 2019 by Karen Wingate Leave a Comment

Ephesians Bible Study Session 3: Peace That Will Break Any Barrier

How can peace happen between opposing groups of people?

Welcome to Session Three of our online Bible study as we look at God’s blueprint for the Church. This week, we’ll check out Ephesians 2:11-20

Watch my Introduction to this week’s session on my video.

Have you heard of separation anxiety? That’s the phenomenon when a baby becomes more aware of the presence and identity of Mommy and is definitely more aware of Mommy’s absence!

God never intended for His people to be separated from Him. He wanted us to have such an intimate relationship with Him that we would want to take daily walks in the cool of the evening with Him just like Adam and Eve did in the beginning of time. he longs for there to be peace between Him and the people He created. He longs for people to experience peace with each other.

The Lord never intended for the division between Jew and Greek to be permanent. Marking one group of people with the mark of circumcision was not supposed to mean that the Jews exclusively received God’s blessings and were superior to all other groups.

Superiority. That’s one wall that comes between people. What else divides people?

Disagreements over religion, politics, and any number of topics where people have a difference of opinion
Jealousy over wealth
An inability to accept the difference of race, culture, social-economic status,gender, or age

In my video this week, I talk about two groups of people who couldn’t get along with each other. Their conflict shows the extent of unrestrained hostility.

Who were the two groups of people?
What divided them?
What was the spark that led to the hostility?
How did they resolve their hostility?

Read my blog post, “Rwanda: After the Genocide” to learn more about how that country has sought to bring PEACE to their people.

Read Ephesians 2:11-22

Barriers exist between all kinds of groups of people. The strongest, most devastating barrier is the one that separates all people from God. The Lord longs to reconcile all people back to Himself.

What is reconciliation? Reconciliation means the restoration of friendly relations. But a lot of work must go into that restoration process.

In Ephesians 2:11-13, which groups need to be reconciled?
How did God choose to bring these groups back together?

Read these verses to learn more about God’s reconciliation process:

Romans 5:9-11
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Colossians 1:22

When we break down the barriers between us and God, what can happen to the barriers between us and other people? How is this possible?

What hinders us from reconciliation?

As we try to reconcile, what is our hope of reconciliation?

I love v. 14!

“He Himself is our peace!”

And v. 17 is wonderful too. God has made His brand of peace available to everyone. All of us have access to God’s lasting, permanent peace.

In verses 19-22, Paul uses the imagery of a building to describe the unification process between God and all people. Why is this a fitting description of the peace we can find with God and others?

Let’s Make It Personal

Sadly, even though Christ has reconciled us to himself, many people who call themselves Christians are hostile toward each other, whether it’s county against country, clan against clan, or even people within a congregation. This is sad because through Christ, hostility does not have to exist. God has provided a way for us to get along with each other.

In the video, I give three steps toward reconciliation that I see in this passage.

Make sure YOU are reconciled to God. Ephesians 2:14 says the Jesus is our peace. Have you found peace in Jesus Christ alone?
YOU start the process of forgiveness and reconciliation. It has to start somewhere.
Do all you can and then let it go. Romans 12:18 (NIV) says,

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Remember it takes THREE. You do as much as you can to restore the relationship and you make sure there is peace between you and your Creator. If animosity still exists, it is now on the other person. The most important thing is that your relationship is right with God.

This week:

What barriers exist between you and other people?
Why do those barriers exist?
What do you need to do to partner with God to begin the process of reconciliation?

If your issue is with a brother or sister in Christ, focus on what you share in common – your mended relationship with Jesus Christ. His blueprint for the Church is that both of you find peace in Him.

February 18, 2019 by Karen Wingate Leave a Comment

Ephesians Bible Study Session Two: The Best Gift of All

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received from another person?

This week, we’ll look at Ephesians 1:15-2:10. As you read, look for the gift God offers to us.

On my latest Ephesians Bible Study video, I share about the best gift I’ve ever received. It was a gift that expanded my world and blew open the door to so much more in life. It’s a gift I still use to this day. Am I overstating? Find out what my gift was on the video.

Click here to see the video.

Gift giving is a funny business. [Read more…]

February 12, 2019 by Karen Wingate Leave a Comment

Ephesians Bible Study: The Family of God

What is a family?

Welcome back to our Bible study of the book of Ephesians. Today, we’ll be looking at Ephesians 1:1-14 which talks about God’s original design for the family of God. Be sure to watch my video on this section of Ephesians and then use the questions below in italics to guide your study of the passage.

In Ephesians 1:1-14, we’ll look at God’s earliest conception of the church. Paul uses the image of a family with adopted children to describe the institution of the church.he world has many definitions of what constitutes a family. So, let’s consider this question: [Read more…]

February 9, 2019 by Karen Wingate Leave a Comment

Ephesians Bible Study Intro: Let’s Start With Prayer

How do you pray for other people?

Pick the top three topics you most commonly cover in your prayers for other people:

Health needs
Financial difficulties
Relationship issues
Courage
Peace
Comfort
Spiritual growth

What did the Apostle Paul pray for most?

This week, I’m launching our Bible study of the Book of Ephesians. It seems only appropriate that we start our study with prayer.

If you haven’t yet done so, listen to my welcome video.

As you read through the letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches, you’ll find that he often started his letters by telling his recipients how he was praying for them. Paul prays two prayers within his letter to the Ephesians and his first prayer doesn’t occur until the middle of Chapter 1. I think it will surprise you how both prayers focus on the spiritual growth of his readers. Really? Can we pray that for each other? Of course we can.

In our study, I’m leapfrogging to Paul’s first prayer in Ephesians 1:15-22 before we deal with the first section because I want us to start this bible study with an attitude of prayer and I want you to start praying for each other. I figure if Paul can pray for his hearers regarding their spiritual growth,then we can do the same.

Let’s analyze Paul’s prayer. What exactly did he pray about?

Check out Ephesians 1:15-21:

Paul prays that the Ephesians will be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and the eyes of their heart may be enlightened. In other words, he wants their heads and their hearts to grow in understanding. He wants them to think and feel. He wants this to be more than head knowledge.

Paul lists four things he wants the Ephesians to know about their faith. Use the discussion questions given in italics to guide your study of this passage and to apply it to your daily life.

Know God better.

How do you get to know a person better?
How is this similar to becoming better acquainted and more intimate with God?
What will happen when we know and understand God better?
On a scale of one to ten, how well would you say you know God?
What do you need to do this week to know God better?

Know the hope to which God has called.

Hope in what? What does the Christian hope for?
How does our Christian hope enable us to face our earthly life?
For the unbeliever, this earthly life is the best it will ever be. For the Christian, this earthly life is the worst it will ever be. Life will only get better. How is this so?

Know the riches of our inheritance.

We are God’s adopted children. Like children, we have yet received our full inheritance. When will we get our inheritance?
What will be included in that inheritance?
How has your understanding of your heavenly inheritance changed as you have grown in your Christian faith?

Know His incomparably great power.

How strong is God’s power?
Practically speaking, what might that power look like in a believer’s life?
How have you seen God’s power at work in your life? In your church?

Now it’s time to pray.

Pray these four things for yourself.

Then pray these four things for someone else in this study. If you know other people by name, pray for them. If you don’t know anyone, that’s all right. God knows.

I’m excited! God will answers our prayers. We’ve seen Him answer many prayers for physical needs. Let’s see how He answers prayers for our spiritual needs.

One more thing to know. I am praying for YOU. I’m praying that God will reveal His character, His hope, your inheritance, and His power to you as you study His Word.

Let me know how I can pray for you. Contact me here.