Identity in Ephesians: You are Gifted
Ephesians 4:1-16
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out – what God did in and through you (Phil. 2:13) Celebrate and thank God for those together and pray with those who experienced some “Lows” this week, for God’s encouragement for them.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are launching into a new series on our identity in Christ as presented in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. There are 14 things that God says we are. We are “Blessed”, “Rooted”, “Alive”, “Reconciled”, “Called”, “Loved” and now “Gifted”! See if your group can summarize the main idea in the previous ones!
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Share about a time when it was really clear God put you in a certain situation because He had given you gifts that exactly met the need in that situation— what happened?
Read Ephesians 4:1-3
o What is the value of unity— why is it so important in the body of Christ? (John 17:20-23, Romans 14:19)
o Of the 3 values that Scott talked about which promote unity, which is the hardest to maintain (humility, gentleness, patience)? Explain.
Humility
o How are we to think of ourselves? (Romans 12:3 and 10, and Philippians 2:3)
o How is it possible to continually “think more highly of others than we do of ourselves”? Perhaps by becoming more deeply aware of my own failures? (Luke 18:9-14)
o If we choose not to humble ourselves, what happens then? (James 4:10, Matt 23:12)
Gentleness
o How does Gentleness affect us as people?
o What difference does gentleness make in the situaitons described in these verses (Gal 6:1, 1 Peter 3:15,16, 2 Timothy 2:24,26)
Patience
o How might a heart of humility help us to more easily show gentleness and patience to others?
o How do the following verses help us to understand how patience makes a difference? (Galatians 5:22, James 1:19, Exodus 34:6, Colosians 3:12,13)
o Read Ephesians 4:11-16: Discuss what those 5 roles are and how they help to “equip” and “strengthen” the church.
Respond:
o These three values are really tough to maintain in relationships! What is one step of personal obedience I can take this week to live these out? Think about specific people you know now, will relate with this week!
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