Bible Reading Plan: Ephesians and Philippians
Bible |ˈbībəl| noun (the Bible) the Christian scriptures, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.
Hey ladies! We are just finishing up our Equipped by Faith Bible Reading Plan for the month of April 2018 with the books of Ephesians and Philippians. How did it go?
Our core team met this week to discuss what we took away from these two books, and I can’t wait to share our thoughts with you on Wednesday for our May gathering!
I love the books of Ephesians and Philippians simply because of how and where they were written. The Apostle Paul wrote these letters to the church of Ephesus and Philippi while he was sitting in prison for nearly 6 years! And, it was there, at the end of his letter in Philippians that he wrote, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
Wow! It can be so easy for us to become discouraged or resentful based on our current situations in life. We can become dissatisfied with our singleness or even within our marriage. We can become impatient with ourselves, or with our children. We can become unhappy with our current job, paycheck, or even lack thereof. But what I find so fascinating in these two books is that Paul started both of these letters with thanksgiving and prayer. Paul teaches us that we can have joy and contentment in EVERY season of our lives—the good and the bad—because of what we have in Christ Jesus.
The top three things I took away from these books were:
1. Relationships
2. Redemption
3. Encouragement
A common theme I noticed throughout these books was the power of our relationships and community. I loved this, because relationships and community are the core of Equipped by Faith! We cannot walk the journey of life alone, and it is so encouraging to have the support of a committed group of friends. Paul discusses the importance of unity in the church (Ephesians 4:1-6) and even describes spirit-guided relationships for husbands, wives, children—and even healthy relationships in the workplace (Ephesians 5:21-31, 6:1-9).
“Therefore I, a prisoner of the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Ephesians 4:1-2
More than anything, Paul encourages our spiritual growth and redemption through Christ when he reminds us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that, "God saved you by His grace when we believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Paul acknowledges the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and prompts us to wear the spiritual armor of God each day by putting on the belt of truth, the body armor of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18).
For me personally, I found these books to be extremely encouraging in the season of life I am walking through. My dad passed away last week, and I began to notice, as I was reading, that Paul refers to God as a “Father” in these scriptures. After losing my earthly father, these words mean so much more to me now. God is, and has always been our Heavenly Father—there is so much comfort in His arms.
The last few months watching my dad’s health decline have been filled with worry and anxiety. I began to pray this verse over my life and my family to put my mind at ease… “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s PEACE, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 4:6-7)
This peace is not a a prayer—it’s a promise. We are told we will have trouble in this world, but Jesus came to overcome sin and to give us hope for a future in heaven with Him. We can bet on that. Whenever you are feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, know that your hope is ultimately in Jesus—and that He will give you the strength, peace, joy, and grace to overcome anything you are dealing with.
When we think about our relationship with God and our relationship with people, we can think of the cross. The vertical line connects us upward, with God. The horizontal line connects us, hand in hand, with people. These books are a beautiful reminder of the way we should act and treat one another—an outward expression of our love for God! When we have peace, joy, and love within our own hearts—we are able to give those things to others.
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we ALL come to such UNITY IN OUR FAITH and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
Equip the saints. This is the very reason we are here and the very reason we meet together each month. I hope to be able to equip each of you with what you need to accomplish all that God is asking you to do—if even just to offer community, a yummy snack, and a good laugh (or cry) with our monthly speaker. I love you ladies, and I want to see you thrive as you live for Christ!
Signing off with one of my favorite prayers, found in Ephesians 3:16-19:
“I pray, that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God!”
We will see you this Wednesday, May 2nd for Equipped by Faith with my dear friend, Amy Vanderoef. I know it is going to be a super special evening. And, if you haven’t been getting our email updates for the Bible Reading Plan or monthly events, email us your information at info@equippedbyfaith.com. See you soon!
XO-
Sabrina