Living In Abundance - Week 1

Our church - Birmingham LifeChurch - began our fall LifeGroups this past weekend.  We are going to be studying the book of Ephesians, all together as a whole.  I am so excited about this study, and what God is doing in and through our church... I felt the need to post here for my friends to read.

So here we go.

Week One:

Our scripture for the week was Ephesians 1:1-14. 

Paul tells us about three wonderful aspects of these verses:  That we are CHOSEN, ADOPTED, AND REDEEMED. 

Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that before we were even shaped in our mother's womb, He knew us.  God had already planned for us.  He had already chosen us to be His own.  We were hand picked, chosen to belong to the Father, even before we came into being!  Wow!

.... He predestined us for adoption to sonship, Through Jesus Christ.  (Eph 1:5)  We are sons/daughters of the MOST High God, because of adoption.  Galatians tells us we are His heirs!  True children.

There are several families (a bunch actually) who have adopted in our church.  That is one of the things I love about our church, the willingness of everyone to share in the adoption process.  One of the adoptive moms shares something very AWESOME adoption.  Although they could someday "disinherit" their biological children... laws are in place in which they can NEVER, "disinherit" their adopted child.   Ok, did you get that?

We are God's adopted child, and He will never turn us away!  What safety and assurance that is!

Lastly, we are redeemed, by the blood of Jesus.  Our freedom was purchased by His blood, our sins were forgiven, because of His sacrifice.  God's ONLY son, purchased the lives of all of His adopted children, by the shedding of His blood.  Oh how marvelous the precious blood of Jesus! 

I'll leave you with this verse:  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ!  Eph 1:3