What is God’s address, and where should we look for his nearness? This seemingly naive question opens a new series on spirituality, a word that today means almost everything and therefore almost nothing. The sermon returns to Paul’s prayer in the third chapter of Ephesians, asking that Christ make himself at home in our hearts and that we grasp a love beyond our understanding (Ephesians 3). It turns out you can know all about God’s riches and still live like a pauper. Listen, and ask whether God dwells not only among us but in you.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul writes this letter from prison to believers in Ephesus, a city full of temples and cults, yet he begins his prayer with God rather than with himself or their problems. What does that tell us about how he understands spirituality?
- In Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul prays that Christ would dwell in believers' hearts through faith, even though he is writing to people who already believe. Why do you think he prays for exactly this?
- The story of Hetty Green shows someone rich who lives like a pauper. In which areas of faith do you know a lot about God but do not actually experience it or enjoy it?
- The word "know" in Paul's prayer means both to learn about and to experience. What helps you move from knowing about Christ's love to actually living in it?
- The sermon says that God now lives in the community of believers, and that loving requires other people, including those very different from us. Who in your church community is hard for you, and what does that teach you about God's love?
- Antipas sees a master at the table serving food to his slave and calling him brother. What concrete step can you take this week so that someone in your community experiences that kind of love?
