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Small Group Lesson
“Are You Walking Dead or Alive?”
LESSON OBJECTIVES
- What’s the big idea? (ABI “author’s big idea”): I want my students to know they used to be dead, and that God made them alive in Christ for good works
- What’s the big problem? (FCF “fallen condition focus”): I want to remind my students they used to walk in the world’s and Satan’s dead ways of thinking
- What’s the big solution? (RS “redemptive solution”): I want to remind my students that God made them alive, raised them, and seated them with Himself; and that God created them as His workmanship in Christ to walk in His good ways
- What’s our big response? (APP “application”): I want my students to live like they are fully-alive with the royal resurrection life of Jesus Christ coursing through their veins; walking in good works as God’s creative living-art
LAUNCH
...if time allows, play this 5 minute video as a hook to pull together your group. Don't say why you are playing the video, just play it to have some fun and watch their reactions. After musing about it for a few minutes after it's finished, THEN ask the below launch question and make them wrestle with what a Zombie is). Note: Daniel Curran, while serving with the San Francisco Metro Ministry was actually caught in the middle of a Zombie flash-mob one night in a BART station like the one above and lived to tell about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJHhkNdTerA
Describe a scene from your life where you remember feeling and/or acting like a zombie?
- Zombie is a term used to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli. Of voodoo origin, the word initially referred to a curse cast by sorcerers allowing them to take control of a person's mind, therefore affecting his or her actions. However, due to significant influence ofHaitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo on witchcraft mythology, this meaning soon morphed into that of a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. –source/Wikipedia
We are going to look at a passage in which the Apostle Paul reminds us that we were once like satanic zombie children; but now in Jesus Christ we are God’s works of living-art --- We're going to ask ourselves the big questions "Who am I?" and "Am I Walking Dead or Alive?"
EXPLORE
Survey the Big Picture:
- Survey the Big Picture: Ephesians is Paul’s letter to the Gentile believers in South-West Asia Minor, written in the first century A.D. The Gentile believers in Ephesus had been in a state of spiritual death before God made them alive together with Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul contrasts their former position to their position in Christ and stresses that they were saved by grace alone.
Explore the Passage:
Read Ephesians 2:1-3
- What does this passage say about the nature of deadness? (aka “zombie-likeness”)
- What does Paul mean when he uses the term “dead” in this passage?
- What does Paul NOT mean when he uses the term “dead” in this passage?
Read Ephesians 2:4-9
- What is is the significance of the connecting word at the beginning of this passage?
- What specifically does this passage say God did for the Ephesians?
- According to this passage, what does it mean to “have been saved” by God?
- According to this passage, what does it NOT mean to “have been saved”?
- Compare and contrast the differences between being “dead” (aka “zombie-like”) in the former passage, with being “saved” (aka “with” or “in” Christ) in this passage?
Read Ephesians 2:10
- According to this verse, what has God made the Ephesians?
- What does Paul mean when he identifies the Ephesians as “[God’s] workmanship”?
- Whose “workmanship” specifically is NOT mentioned in this verse?
Discover the Big Idea:
- What did Paul want to make sure the Ephesians knew about how and why they were saved?
Summary statement (ABI “authors big idea”): Paul wants the Ephesians to see that they were dead in their trespasses and sins but God made them alive in Christ by his grace through their faith so that they may walk in the good works that he prepared for them beforehand.
APPLY
- Which of the issues raised in Ephesians 2:1-3 do you struggle with?
- Which truths about God’s salvation in Ephesians 2:4-9 do you need to cling to?
- What does hearing you are God’s workmanship (not a zombie) in Ephesians 2:10 do for your soul?
- In light of this passage, how can you begin thinking differently about yourself? (ie. When you reflect upon the implications of being one of God’s saved-creations, of being His living-art)
- As God’s workmanship in Christ, what are some of the “good works” that you are currently aware of that God has created you to “walk in”?
- What is presently keeping you from walking in any of them? (see Ephesians 2:1-3)
- How does your being “with Christ” (v.5, v.6) and “in Christ” (v. 6, v.7, 10) resource you to overcome these obstacles and empower you to walk in all “good works” you were created for?
Directions: Simply read Ephesians 2:1-10 by yourself; maybe print out this Bible Study on hardcopy; honestly walk yourself through all the above questions first, jotting your answers and questions down on the paper; then, invite some friends to meet up with you and simply walk the group through this lesson like you did with yourself (these notes are just for you --- others just look at their Bibles --- you can give them hardcopies if you like afterwards). Take time to draw everyone out with the first "Launch" question and give everyone a chance to answer most of the the last 5 "APPLY" questions --- it's sufficient if only one or two folks answer each of the middle "EXPLORE" questions, not enough time for everyone to answer all those. Take time at the end to of your meetup to pray for one another in light of what everyone shares. Don't take for granted what the Holy Spirit can do in your group in just one meeting. Figure out ways to encourage one another to "Walking Alive!" during the week, and don't stop meeting together to spur one another on towards love and good deeds. -dc
