You 2.9: It's You, Only Youier

The majority of your first meeting of the winter semester will be spent getting to know what Connection Groups are all about, and all about each other! Your facilitators will walk you through our three major movements of each gathering:
Belong- Grow- Reach

Following some time introducing one another, you will review the Connection Group Commitment (attached below on the blog). This will clarify what you can expect from your group, and what the group can expect from you.

If this takes the whole meeting, that’s fine. Just make sure to take time at the end to pray with one another, makes arrangements for childcare, start a “snack sign-up,” and make plans for a group “social” and a group “service” event.
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If you have time, or want to get a “preview “ of a normal group meeting, here’s a bible study:
Read Ephesians 1:1-14

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Circle the words “in Christ” and “in Him” in this passage.
Discuss what it means to put one’s life in Jesus-
Why does this seem so important to the writer?
How do you put your life in Jesus?
What difference does it make? List all the spiritual blessing of life “in Him.”
Feel free to focus on one or two blessings that really stand out.

How does life in Jesus make you the you that God intended “before the creation of the world”?