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1. “In him, we have redemption through his blood” (English Standard Version, 2016, 2
Ephesians 1:7)
The Bible verse from the book of Ephesians is a reminder for each and every one of us that we
have an eternal redemption regardless of our actions yesterday, today, or in the future.
Redemption in the Bible is helping someone out of their current situation, and this specific
verse entails the love of Jesus Christ our Savior, and how he will free us from any challenges or
anything that we have done in our lives. As Jesus Christ doesn’t judge his people, regardless of
their background and sins they may have done to themselves and others.
2. “We dream, hope, and strategize only to be caught off guard by something we did not
foresee happening. As a result, we move to plan B or plan C as a way to accomplish only a
fraction of what we had originally intended” (Cartwright et al., 2016, p.4).
Each person has their unique dream and goal in life. They often plan ahead and think of ways to
achieve their dream or goal, and reach it at a certain stage in their lives. However, not
everything they plan or expect will occur in their lives as they expected, or planned. But the
best way to accomplish such a dream in life is to always use it as a motivation, regardless of the
outcome. It is also always important to have a backup plan for everything, as this plan will help
individuals to be less discouraged and be more optimistic about the events in their lives. Not
everything they hope for will occur just because they want it or have the means to achieve it.
There are still unforeseen events that could occur in everyone’s lives unexpectedly.
3. “The condition of every human being is one of lostness. We are desperately and hopelessly
lost because of the actions of our first parents—Adam and Eve—and our own willful sin”
(Cartwright et al., 2016, p.4).
God always wants to restore faith in humanity. Sin is what drives a wedge between God and
humanity, which in turn leads to eternal punishment and renders salvation impossible. God did
not force anyone to do anything. The fact that people regularly make the decision to disobey
God is an issue that God can only resolve.
4. “If you know the history of a person or event, you will have a better understanding of that
person or event” (Cartwright et al., 2016, p.8).
Each person has different background or history, as everyone goes through different challenges,
problems, and issues in their daily lives. The same goes for any event, as it has different stories
to tell to properly provide the true meaning or the reason behind such an event. However, the
goal of the writing is to make everyone understand and learn to respect the differences of
others instead of judging them depending on what others might say or what they may see
before them. It is important for each individual to learn to respect one another to better
understand the reason why they act the way they act or speak the way they speak, to avoid
miscommunication, misrepresentation and misunderstanding in all aspect.
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5. We cannot live a life of total obedience at every turn and in every moment. (Cartwright et
al., 2016, p.6).
Following an order, request, or abiding by someone’s request are an important part of each
individual’s life. Obeying and abiding by every rule or policy helps individuals grow and is an
essential part to live their daily lives peacefully to correspond with the norm of the majority.
However, according to the textbook, it is important to understand that not everything in life
must be about compliance and obedience, as total obedience can limit individuals of their
freedom. As there are times when policies or rules contradict someone’s perception and
knowledge, so I believe that it is important to be knowledgeable first about the rules, policies,
requests, orders and etc. before fully becoming obedient and following others’ actions and
emotions.
6. “The story of God’s plan, the Bible, shows us that through Christ Jesus we are loved by God,
adopted as his sons and daughters, and declared heirs through God” (Cartwright et al., 2016,
p.7).
God's love is vastly different from the way we humans love; our love requires that if we love
someone, they must also love us back. It is a mutually beneficial connection. Because human
love is conditional, it falls short of expectations. God's love, on the other hand, is an
unconditional love known as agape love. He loves us as his creation, and there is no distinction
between rich and poor, good and wicked, Jew or Gentile, man or woman; we are all his
treasured children, regardless of our circumstances.
7. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
earth.” P14
The verse implies that trusting God's work and guidance is essential. As this will assist us in
spreading the Gospel to others, it is also our responsibility to spread the word of God. We can
help by volunteering in church, helping those in need, and participating in activities that will
help plant God's mission and purpose in our lives.
8. "Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you,
which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if
you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to
you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures.” (English Standard Version, 2016, Corinthians 15:1-4)
The word of God empowers us through his assurance that everything will happen at the right
time. Moreover, God's word encourages us to rely upon it. Regardless of the problems we
encounter, we should entrust them to the lord because there is nothing complicated if we
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depend on him. Through the empowerment of God's words, he will open a way out for us,
allowing us to see the brighter side and his great power to overcome life's fears and challenges.
9. "Jesus’s miracles primarily served as a sign that he was whom he claimed to be. They
validated his message and ministry." (Cartwright et al., 2016, p.19).
Jesus Christ is the Son of God who has sacrificed many things for us and was crucified for the
sins of the many. The miracles he has shown, including those that he has done, are a great
example of his greatness. Jesus is our savior, and will continuously save us from hell and any of
our wrongdoings, specifically when we show our faith and trust in him.
10. "We should not be afraid of being honest with God. Not only does he already know how
we feel, but also it is through these moments of emotional honesty that God can use the
Psalms in our lives"(Cartwright et al., 2016, p.26).
We are always encouraged to be true and honest with ourselves so that we can easily accept
our differences and imperfections. The same is true in terms of our interaction with God, as it is
better to be fully honest than someone who never truly accepts who they are in front of him.
God, himself can see through us and will accept us regardless of the sin we make, the actions
we have done, and the hurtful words we have said to one another. The book of Psalms
expresses the worship and encourages us to learn the things that God has done and praise God
for what he did for us, including allowing us to know that despite everything that he went
through, he still learns to forgive and help others.
References:
Cartwright, J., Gutierrez, B., & Hulshof, C. (2016). Everyday Bible study. Nashville, TN: Lifeway
Church Resources.
English Standard Version (ESV) Bible. Corinthians 15:1-4. (2016).
English Standard Version (ESV) Bible. Ephesians 1:7. (2016).
