3rd Quarter of 2023 Sabbath School Study Guide Introduction

The theme for the Sabbath School Study Guide for the Third Quarter of 2023 is "Ephesians". As Paul seeks to draw believers in Ephesus into fresh devotion to their Lord, he does not dumb down the demands of Christian discipleship. Paul develops four metaphors in pursuing the importance of being part of God’s church. Believers make up the body of Christ demonstrating their devotion to Christ and their unity to each other. They are a living temple, built through the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, in which God is worshipped. They are the bride of Christ, who look toward a grand marriage ceremony when the bridegroom comes to claim them as His own. They are the army of Christ, which wages peace in His name, combating the forces of darkness in God’s strength as they look toward Christ’s return. Ephesians speaks to times like our own, in which the allure of the world and the passing of time threaten to dull Christian discipleship. Ephesians lifts up Christ and accents the significance of following Him as faithful members of His Church as we live out the hope of His return.

Here is an outline for the weekly topics for this quarter:

WEEK	LESSON’S TOPIC	PERIOD
1	Paul and the Ephesians	June 24 - June 30
2	God’s Grand, Christ-Centered Plan	July 01 - July 07
3	The Power of the Exalter Jesus	July 08 - July 14
4	How God Rescues Us	July 15 - July 21
5	Horizontal Atonement: The Cross and the Church	July 22 - July 28
6	The Mystery of the Gospel	July 29 - August 04
7	The Unified Body of Christ	August 05 - August 11
8	Christ-Shaped Lives and Spirit-Inspired Speech	August 12 - August 18
9	Living Wisely	August 19 - August 25
10	Husbands and Wives: Together at the Cross	August 26 - September 01
11	Practicing Supreme Loyalty to Christ	September 02 - September 08
12	The Call to Stand	September 09 - September 15
13	Waging Peace	September 16 - September 22
14	Ephesians in the Heart	September 23 - September 29