Ephesians 3:1-12
Your Story
Describe something you discovered about God that helped you understand some of God’s mysteries. Share any epiphanies you had about God.
My Story and the Bible Story
I love mysteries. And I, like most others, would love to figure out the mysteries of God. I would love to know exactly how God makes decisions, how God knows what’s best, why God chooses not to interfere, and the list goes on. But one mystery that I find easier to understand is that we all stand on the same ground before God. It doesn’t matter if you grew up in the church or if you are just beginning to explore faith. It doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. It doesn’t matter where you have been or what you have done, we are all on the same ground. This mystery of God is a welcome one for us all. Paul talks about this in Ephesians.
Today we celebrate the Epiphany. It’s the time when the wise men found Jesus. Epiphany means the appearance of God (which makes sense, since we are celebrating the wise men finding Jesus). It also means a sudden insight into the meaning of something. As we celebrate Epiphany, we remember the mystery of God. We also remember the insight into the mystery that every one of us is a child of God, that we all are on equal ground with God. God doesn’t play favorites and He loves each of us. Once Jesus came and taught and died, the people discovered that they didn’t have to be Jews to be part of God’s kingdom. All they had to do is believe! There are some mysteries of God that we may never understand, but this one we know is true: God created each one of us and we are all equal in His eyes.
Discussion and Prayer
1. Ask your children to name some things they don’t understand about God.
2. As a family, talk about some of the things your children named. Share your insights.
3. Talk to your family about ways you can find out more about the mysteries of God (read the Bible, ask a minister, etc.), and talk about how there are some things about God that we will never understand.
4. Pray, thanking God for loving us no matter what and for loving us all equally. Ask for help in finding peace with God’s mysteries.
Rev. Jessica Asbell is the Minister to Children and Families at First Baptist Roswell, where she has been serving since 2012. She has written the children’s curriculum for Smyth & Helwys’s Annual Bible Study for the books of Daniel; Ezekiel; Luke; Jonah; 1 Corinthians; 1, 2, 3 John and Jude; Colossians; The Story of Israel’s Ancestors: Living toward a Promise; and Where Faith & Family Meet: A Book of Weekly Devotions. She has also written for CBF’s Spark and Form and for Affect in CBF’s fellowship! magazine. Married to Jonathan Oravec, Jessica reads every chance she gets.
