Okay ladies, here we go with online and virtual abiding, connecting, and care! We are doing things a little different and are teaching before you dive into the study, so make sure to watch the video first.
Abide:
- Read Ephesians 3:20-4:16
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
If you are doing the Ephesians study, you can choose to do the modified version or the whole week. Choose to do the questions below:
- Day 1: #2, #6
- Day 2: #5, #8, #12
- Day 3: #1, #5, #17
- Day 4: #3, #10
- Day 5: #3, #8, #12
Connect: Find a way as a group to connect virtually. Zoom and Google Hangouts are best because you can see faces! Otherwise we recommend Voxer, Marco Polo, or WhatsApp. And of course good ol fashioned phone calls work too!
Care: Check out the following ways to serve this week:
- Pray! Pray for each other and with each other! Pray for our leaders, our government, and our medical staff on the frontlines helping others right now. If you want specific ways to pray you can sign up for women’s bible study prayer team here: https://thewellcommunity.org/connect/womens-bible-study/groups/womens-bible-study-fall-study-interest
- Love Your Neighbor Handout: https://servefresno.org/serve/projects/outreach/love-your-neighbor-handout
- Sew Medical Masks: A few of the nurses in our study have shared they don’t have enough supplies in preparation for what’s ahead. One of our nurses suggested crafting masks and dropping them off to the hospitals! https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+make+surgical+face+mask+at+home&oq=how&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l4.2292j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
- TP someone! But the “love your neighbor” kind of way. If you are able to pick up a roll (or 2) of paper products and drop off on someone’s front door. It’s the COVID-19 version of flowers or a gift basket.
If you’re looking for more encouragement:
Watch The Well’s sermons on this passage with deeper teaching:
Ephesians 4:1-6 by Shea Sumlin https://thewellcommunity.org/podcasts/sermons/ephesians-41-6
Ephesians 4:7-16 by PJ Lewis https://thewellcommunity.org/podcasts/sermons/ephesians-47-17
Check out this devotional from Dorina Gilmore on How to Talk to Your Kids about COVID-19 https://dorinagilmore.com/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-covid-19/
Melissa Danisi 