MAIN POINT:

Who is in control of your life – you or God?

ICEBREAKER:

Think back to your first year of something (high school, college, marriage, or first job for example). How did you react when you made mistakes? Did you react with humility or with anger?

INTRODUCTION:

This Father’s Day weekend Pastor Chris preached on Ephesians 6:1-4. He spent considerable time on verse 4, speaking on how fathers should not provoke their children to anger. Anger is an emotion that can overpower and control us. When we are filled with anger we are not being led by the Holy Spirit, but instead we are led by the flesh. We get angry because we realize that what we want is not happening (selfishness) or we realize that we are not in control. In order to battle the flesh, we must accept that we are not in control and consistently remind ourselves that God is in control.

ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY:

Read Ephesians 2: 1-6
1. According to verse 2, what makes people disobey?
2. Even while we were sinners, why did God make us alive with Christ?
3. How are we saved?
4. What is grace?

Ephesians 6: 1-4
5. Why are children to obey their parents? Notice that there aren’t any “opt-out” scenarios. It does not say “obey your parents if they are honorable/if they deserve it.” Discuss.
6. What promise accompanies this command?
7. What are fathers to do? How does this work in practice?

Romans 12: 1-2
8. Why did God tell us not to conform to this world? How do we change?

Galatians 2: 20
9. How can we allow Christ to live within us?

LEADER NOTES

1. ruler of power of air; spirit of Satan
2. because of His great love for us
4. Grace is unmerited favor. God’s riches at Christ’s expense = GRACE
5. We should obey our parents because God commands it and because it is right.
8. Plugging into this world leads to self-centeredness, anger and sin. We can be transformed (changed) by renewing our minds (gaining new knowledge and understanding) by studying His words.
9. We ask God into our hearts and believe in Him by faith. We will mess up and continue to sin (Romans 3:23), but we know that God will forgive us when we repent (Romans 5:8).

Questions 8 and 9 are natural springboards to the plan of salvation.