This Sunday, Pastor Tim Richards will be starting a 12-week series entitled "In Him--Paul's Letter to the Ephesians."

SERMON QUESTIONS 1. When Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus, he was writing to people he had spent significant time with previously. Read Acts 19:1-20:1. What memories do you imagine were running through Paul’s mind as he wrote to his friends?

2. One of the themes Paul returns to again and again in Ephesians is the idea that we are “in Christ”. He says this in a number of different ways. Try scanning through the book of Ephesians and see how many ways and how many times Paul mentions this idea of being “in Him”. If you are doing this as a group, assign a different section to each member, then compare and compile what you find. Why do you think this concept was so important to Paul?

3. In Ephesians 1:5, Paul talks about God having predestined us for adoption. That concept of predestination has caused lots of debates over the years about how God’s will and human wills interact. However, Paul’s point in talking about this was not to start a debate – he wanted to share a word of encouragement. Regardless of how human will plays into the equation, what is encouraging about knowing that God has predestined you for adoption?

4. Looking at Ephesians 1:1-10, what evidence do you find that points to God’s great love for you?