Week 12. Thursday: Be Alert and Keep Praying PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:17-18 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Helmet of Salvation (Greek: perikephalaia sōtērios): the assurance of salvation The helmet protects the brain which is the command center for the body. The renewing of our minds drives what we do (Romans 12:2). Sword of the Spirit (Greek: machaira pneuma): an offensive and de

Week 12. Wednesday: Flaming Arrows PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:15-16 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Feet Fitted with the Readiness (Greek: hypodeō pous en hetoimasia): Refers to the binding or covering of the feet with the Gospel. We should be prepared to take the Gospel wherever we go. This is offensive rather than defensive. We’re going with the Gospel, which is the power of God (Romans 1:16), straight into Satan’s terri

Week 12. Tuesday: Truth and Righteousness PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:13-14 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Day of Evil (Greek: hēmera ponēros): the evil age we live in All of our days are filled with temptations to do evil. Note that Paul says “when” not “if” the day of evil comes. Stand Your Ground (Greek: anthistēmi): resist, to set one’s self against,

Week 12. Monday: The Devil’s Schemes PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Be Strong (Greek: endynamoō): receive strength from God (Philippians 4:12-13) Mighty Power (Greek: ischys kratos): the ability of God’s strength and dominion Full Armor of God (Gr

Week 11. Friday: No Favoritism PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:9 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Masters (Greek: kyrios): a title of honor respect and reverence This is specifically referring to the owner of household servants. For application purposes we should read this passage with employee and employer relationships in mind. This could also be applied to supervisors and volunteer leaders. In the Same Way (Greek: poieō autos): refers back to the previous

Week 11. Thursday: Fair Wages PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:8 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words You Know (Greek: oida): to know or understand definitively Paul is saying that this is something we should know with certainty. Paul is describing a non-negotiable principle in this verse. Reward (Greek: komizō): to receive back what was invested “Reward” is not the best translation of this term. When we think of getting a reward we don’t often relate it to the integrity or quality of our work. In our sin nature, we often want wha

Week 11. Wednesday: Who Are You Serving? PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:7 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Serve Wholeheartedly (Greek: douleuō eunoia): to render service with a good will This phrase refers to serving with benevolence. This means that we should go above and beyond what is required. Christians should always be committed to serving with excellence. Serving the Lord (Greek: hōs kyrios): obedience to the ultimate authority Christ the Lord is our ultimate authority. We are accountable to Christ. We serve others as if we are serving Christ, because we are s

Week 11. Tuesday: The Right Motivation PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:6 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Win Their Favor (Greek: anthrōpareskos): men-pleasers, courting the favor of others This refers to having a selfish motivation. We do not serve our leaders just so they will be impressed with us. We serve them because God commands us to. We owe our obedience to those God has placed in authority over us (Colossians 3:22). Eye Is On You (Greek: ophthalmodoulia): eyeservice This refers to performing tasks wi

Week 11. Monday: Sincere Obedience PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:5 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Slaves (Greek: doulos): servant, bondservant, devoted to another “Servants” is a better term. “Slaves” is not the best english term to use here. Our modern view of slavery is not what Paul is referring to in this passage. In first century Ephesus, a servant was an integral part of the family. While some servants were abused and mistreated in that culture, most servants were treated as devoted family members. In most cas

Week 10. Saturday: Prepare for Sunday REVIEW: Take a few minutes to make a list of what you’ve learned this week. PRAY: Ask God to use this time to help you get familiar with Sunday’s scripture passage. READ: Ephesians 6:5-9 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the s

Week 10. Friday: Obedience and Honor PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 6:1-4 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Obey (Greek: hypakouō): to listen, to submit to commands In the Lord (Greek: en kyrios): by way of the Lord, in view of the Lord Honor (Greek: timaō): to revere, to venerate, to hold in high esteem Fir

Week 10. Thursday: One Flesh PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:31-33 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words For This Reason (Greek: anti houtos): because of what Christ has done Leave (Greek: kataleipō): depart from, leave behind, not taking others along In marriage we are called to leave our parent’s household and provision. One cannot be

Week 10. Wednesday: Selfless Husbands PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:25-30 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper unde

Week 10. Tuesday: A Word to the Wives PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Submit Yourselves (Greek: idios): subject yourselves, an invitation to lead Submission is freely given as an invitation to the other person. For the wife, it is an invitation for the husband to be the leader. As You Do To the Lord (Greek: hōs ky

Week 10. Monday: Mutual Submission PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:21 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Submit (Greek: hypotassō): to be subject, to yield to one’s admonition or advice Paul is teaching a principle we call mutual submission. Submission is not one-sided nor can it be demanded. We submit freely for the sake of the other person. Submission to others is taught throughout the New Testament. See Romans 13:1; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:5,9; 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13,18; 3:1; 5:5 One Another (Greek: allēlōn): reciprocally, mutually The context here is the Christian household. Therefore

Week 9. Saturday: Prepare for Sunday REVIEW: Take a few minutes to make a list of what you’ve learned this week. PRAY: Ask God to use this time to help you get familiar with Sunday’s scripture passage. READ: Ephesians 5:21-6:4 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by

Week 9. Friday: Be Very Careful PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:15-20 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine,which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Be Very Careful (Greek: b

Week 9. Thursday: Exposed PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:11-14 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Have Nothing to Do (Greek: mē sygkoinōneō): do not participate in any way Christians often flirt with sin while believing they won’t be overcome by it. Paul is saying we should stay as far a

Week 9. Wednesday: Children of Light PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:6-10 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Deceive (Greek: apataō): to cheat, beguile, trick Empty Words (Greek: kenos logos): vain, worthless, fruitless (James 1:26) Partners (Greek: symmetochos): partakers,

Week 9. Tuesday: Not Even A Hint PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word. READ: Ephesians 5:3-5 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words Even a Hint (Greek: mēde onomazō): not even mentioned, named, or rumored Paul is saying that this list of sins should