Ephesians 2:1-10

Big Things…
* Unbelievers are spiritually dead; children of disobedience; children of wrath.
* Satan rules this world.
* Satan has a powerful influence not only over systems and organizations, but also over individual unbelievers.
* We are saved by grace, through faith, apart from works.
* We are totally underserving of our salvation.
* We have been saved, not simply to be happy and to go to Heaven, but also in order to do good works.

1) Before we put our faith in Christ, we were wpiritually dead; we were children of disobedience; we were children of wrath. We were doing what we thought would make us happy.
2) Satan rules this world we live in.
3) Before coming to Christ, each one of us was following the world and Satan.

THEOLOGY:
* God has permitted Satan, for a season, to wreak havoc on the world.
* God is in ultimate control, and nothing happens apart from His doing it or allowing it.
* There is only 1 Satan, and he can’t be everywhere. He’s not omnipresent or omniscient or omnipotent like God is. But there are many demons, and he is at their head.

PERSONAL REFLECTION/APPLICATION/PRAYER

–  Have you ever truly put your faith in Jesus Christ and been saved?
–  Are you praying every day for the salvation of your kids and grandkids? Are you sharing Christ with them? Are you showing them a good picture of what it looks like to warmly and joyfully and obediently follow Christ?
–  Are you praying for the salvation of others around you? Are you sharing Christ with other people?
–  Are you experiencing the attacks of Satan? Are you being oppressed by Satan? Are you or someone close to you possessed by Satan?
–  Are you watching or doing things that are worldly and likely corrupted by Satan? Are you adequately protecting your kids from worldly influences? (friends, screens, books, etc.)
–  Are you giving Satan and the world the freedom to corrupt your kids? Maybe by who you are allowing them to spend most of their time with? Maybe by what you are allowing them to watch and listen to?
–  What’s your weak spot? If Satan were going to try to tempt you into sin and complacency and unfaithfulness, how would he do it? How can you be on guard against his attacks?