In Ephesians Chapter 1 we learn that Christians are chosen by the Father (verses 4-6), redeemed by the Son (verses 7-12), and sealed by the Holy Spirit (verses 13 and 14).  There are a couple of big words in there that you might not know, but we'll learn about them this week!

The Daily Readings for the Challenge are below, and the Daily Studies for this first week are further down this page!

What a great God we have who loves us so much! Enjoy your reading and study on the first and second chapter of the Book of Ephesians.

- Dan

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Week One:  Readings

Sunday -  Chapter 1:1-10

Monday - Chapter 1:11-14

Tuesday - Chapter 1:15-23

Wednesday - Chapter 2:1-5

Thursday - Chapter 2:6-10

Friday - Chapter 1:1-17 (a review)

Saturday - Chapter 1:18 to Chapter 2:10 (a review)

** Read online HERE or listen to an audio bible HERE

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Week One: Studies

Day One

1. Who wrote the book of Ephesians and who was it written to?

2. Paul describes himself as an "Apostle". According to your favorite Bible Dictionary (like this one), what is an Apostle? Paul was an Apostle of who?

3. If you were writing a letter to other Christians who attend another church outside of Oceanside, how would you describe yourself?

* I’m a believer in Jesus Christ.
* I’m a Christian.
* I am not a Christian ... but soon might be.
* I’m a born again Christian.
* I’m a child of God.
* I attend church at (name of your church).
* _________________________(something else).

Day Two

1. Read verses 3 through 12. Can you find three verses where Paul says God made a decision about you before you made a decision about Him.

2. Verse 9 states that God made the mystery of His will known to us. What is the mystery of His will? (hint: Dan talked about this at PYM)

3. Have you ever wondered “What is God’s will for my life?" How can you determine God’s will for your life? Can you share your experience learning God’s will for your life?

Day Three

1. How many verses from the Bible can you find where the Holy Spirit was promised like it says in Ephesians Chapter 1 verse 13?

2. Do you think Paul had visited with the church in Ephesus prior to writing this letter to them? Why or why not?

3. Paul says he prays for the believers in Ephesus. What does Paul ask God to give them? Spend some time praying for the people of the church you attend, or for the students at PYM. Ask God to give them the same things.

Day Four

1. From reading Chapter One, what is the ultimate purpose of our salvation? What verses help you determine this?

2. God’s Holy Spirit lives in those of us what have invited Jesus to be our God and rescuer from sin. The Holy Spirit is God’s seal in us. Read the following verses from other Bible books and figure out what it means to have a "seal" on something? (Use the Table of Contents at the front of your Bible if you need to!)

* Daniel 6:17 & Matt 27:62-66
* 1 Kings 21:1-16
* Jeremiah 32:10
* Ester 8:7-12

Day Five

1. In Ephesians Chapter 1 verses 19 through 23 we learn about God’s power. What impresses you about that power of God? What did God do with His power for Jesus Christ?

2. What do we learn from the following verses about God putting "everything under the feet of Jesus" (that means God put Jesus in control of everything)?

* Psalm 8:1-8
* 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
* Hebrews 2:5-9

3. What was the coolest thing that you discovered in Ephesians Chapter 1?

In March and April, the PYM High School Community answered your questions about God, Life, Culture and how they all come together in the Christian faith.  One of the questions that you asked was about the year 2012 and End Times stuff in the Bible.  So, we found a guy named John Burke who had preached earlier this year about the exact same topic and thought we'd let him bring all of us up-to-speed!

Here is the video ... enjoy!

2012 | Live With No Fear - January 3, 2010 from Gateway Church on Vimeo.

I love listening to the rhythmic beating of drums.

Now, let me clarify that. This isn’t about some first-time percussionist who is simply trying to create and sustain loud booming noises by beating sticks on a snare or pounding out an inconsistent cadence on a bass drum.

I’m talking about the disciplined professional drummer, whose skill and experience are able to create a warm and passionate rhythm with their instrument. There is something about that rhythm.

All of Creation, too, has a rhythm to it. It shows itself most obviously in the changing of the seasons, in the flipping of the calendar, and in the dropping of the New Year’s Ball in New York’s Time Square. The writer of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes captured it perfectly when he wrote:

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.

With my multi-tasking talent I think I could quite easily dribble a basketball with one hand, prepare a tasty casserole with the other, put on a pair of shoes, read a short novel, play the harmonica and ballroom dance all at the same time … I’m also very modest.

There’s a fine art to being able to balance a million different things at the same time like an expert plate spinner, but then there’s the question of how much you can balance at once in your relationships with others and God. Has your listening juice been diluted by distractions, or are you 100% concentrate?

Sometimes I ask myself the question, how much am I listening? I mean really listening. In today’s world of short attention spans, there are many methods to avoid listening. One of my friends came up with the term ‘Shoulder Surfing’ to explain how they would ‘surf’ over the shoulder of someone they were having a conversation with at a party, to see if there was anyone better around to talk to instead.

Then there’s the ‘selective hearing’ of my younger years, when very conveniently I “didn’t hear” when I was asked to do chores. I’m sure you’ve heard the familiar saying that God gave us two ears and only one mouth for a reason, but I think this is more than just a saying; being a good listener is something that can make us stand out as Christians. So many of us are desperate to talk to someone who is just going to listen, attentively and carefully. Being that person who will listen shows care, patience, and above all love.