DNA Of A Dangerous Church - Day 09
Day 09 - Thursday, August 22
Read Ephesians 3
Highlight
In Acts 22 Paul shares his testimony of becoming a follower of Jesus and he begins by saying who he was before Christ: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way [the way of Jesus] to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished” (v. 3-5). No one was more surprised than Paul to find himself a follower of Jesus. He wasn’t just Jewish, he had made it his life’s passion to pursue the law of God and not only keep it, but enforce it among other Jews. He saw Jews who followed Jesus as a threat to that tradition, that structure of power. Imagine what it must have been like for him to find out, not only were the followers of Jesus right, but the love of Jesus was so vast it was available to ALL people! Talk about a transformation! You can sense in Ephesians 3 how overwhelmed he still is by it. Only by the power of God Himself, through His Spirit, could any of us actually grasp the transformative love of God.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying about God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth? Who could you share this story with and how God is speaking to you about it this week?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8).
Read Ephesians 3
Highlight
In Acts 22 Paul shares his testimony of becoming a follower of Jesus and he begins by saying who he was before Christ: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way [the way of Jesus] to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished” (v. 3-5). No one was more surprised than Paul to find himself a follower of Jesus. He wasn’t just Jewish, he had made it his life’s passion to pursue the law of God and not only keep it, but enforce it among other Jews. He saw Jews who followed Jesus as a threat to that tradition, that structure of power. Imagine what it must have been like for him to find out, not only were the followers of Jesus right, but the love of Jesus was so vast it was available to ALL people! Talk about a transformation! You can sense in Ephesians 3 how overwhelmed he still is by it. Only by the power of God Himself, through His Spirit, could any of us actually grasp the transformative love of God.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying about God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth? Who could you share this story with and how God is speaking to you about it this week?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8).
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