Family, Work and Life for God!!

This Sunday in EBC's Young Adult class we looked at Ephesians 6.
Here are the main ideas along with some additional quotes.

The Gospel Centered Family in Ephesians 6:1 – 4.

The main idea is "Paul provides instructions for the Christian household, covering matters of honor and discipleship."

"For those of you who are not yet parents, remember that the whole body of Christ helps train children. Paul seems to assume children are in attendance as this letter is read, along with others who may not be parents. This instruction is for everyone. If you are single, married with no kids, or married with moved-out kids, the kids at your church are, on one level, your kids. The church is a family (see 1 Tim 5: 1-2). What this means is you should love them, pray for them, teach them, and serve them— while recognizing the parents have a unique, special calling to do this." (p. 146)

God Focused Work in Ephesians 6:5 – 9.

The main idea is "Paul gives instructions to slaves and masters, exhorting them to glorify Christ with proper attitudes, work ethic, and a deep awareness of Christ’s lordship."

"Some have estimated that in the Roman Empire there were 60 million slaves (Stott, Ephesians, 250), or one-third of the people in a city like Ephesus. It was an accepted part of the Mediterranean world’s economic life."  (p. 159)

"In 1 Timothy chapter 1 Paul lists particular sins associated with the breaking of the Ten Commandments. The breaking of the eighth commandment (“ Do not steal”) is represented when he mentions “kidnappers,” enslavers, or slave dealers (1 Tim 1: 10)," (p. 162)

The God Empowered Life in Ephesians 6: 10 - 24.

The main idea is "Believers are called to stand firm in the midst of spiritual warfare by God’s power, with God’s armor, and in constant prayer."

"Do not look in the wrong place for strength. Our strength is not in our resources and ability, in how long we have been Christians, in how much we know about the Bible, or in how long we have been in ministry. Our strength is in our union with Jesus Christ and His mighty power (1: 19)."  (p. 176)

All quotes are taken from Tony Merida's Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary), B&H Publishing Group.

Here are some resources related to several different areas mentioned in the Ephesians 6 lesson

Parenting

Emmanuel's family ministry resource page:  www.ekidzministry.com

Slavery

Why did God permit slavery?    www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-did-god-permit-slavery

Work

Gospel @ Work Conferences resources, go to www.thegospelatwork.com/resources/ 

Prayer

EBC related prayer resources to help your prayer life.  blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/category/prayer/