Bethesda Chapel 2002
SG Bible Study #8
Managing Time or Managing
Priorities - for Who?
Text:
Ephesians 5:15-17
Warm up song
Select
songs that will help you to focus on giving priorities to God and His word and
His people.
Contemplation
Consider
some of the occasions in your life that have gone by, would you have make more
out of these occasions?
Sharing
Select
one:
a)
Can man add more time to his life?
b) What are evil things that you have read recently in the newspaper.
Scripture Readings
Ephesians chapter 4 and 5
A. Time
Chronos and Kairos
Ecclesiastes
3:1
Compare
different translations of Ecc 3:1 and see what words were used for time and
season.
In
the Greek translation of the Hebrew text the first word is
, the second
word is
....
Chronos
refers to the seasons, and to chronological time
Kairos
refers to appointed time, opportunity or occasion.
B.
Days are for good or evil (Eph 5:16b)
What was
the nature of wicked men in the days of Noah? (Gen 6:11-12).
What was the nature some wicked men in the days of the early church? (2 Tim 3:13).
List
the characteristics of evil that comes out from men (Eph 4:14-32)
Unconverted
men: vv14, 17-19,
22
Christians: vv 25-26, 28-32
How is nature of man summarized in Jer 17:9?
C. Be wise, do not be foolish, know
what the will of the LORD is (Eph 5:15, 17)
To be
foolish is to do what God prohibits.
To be
wise is to do what God commands.
Eph
5:1-17 contain commands and prohibitions, and the reasons why:
List
the prohibitions vv 3, 4,
6,
7
Give reasons for the prohibitions vv 5, 12, 13
List the commands vv 1, 2, 8, 10, 11
Give reasons for the commands vv 1, 2, 8, 9, 14
D.
Application
Manage your priorities by asking: "For
whom am I living the days of my life?"
Jesus
says in John 9:4, As
long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.
Night
is coming, when no one can work.
Challenge:
For whom
are you living the days?
Redeem
the kairos (the opportunity) when it comes.
Additional
reading
Joshua
10:1-12 God lengthened the day. How
did Joshua and his men respond?
2
Kings 20:1-18 God extended king Hezekiahs life by 15 years how did he
respond?
It
is not how much time you have, but what you do when the time comes.
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