Lesson 5: Ephesians 3:14-4:16 (DUE Mar 4)

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Hello All,
Here's the next lesson. Due March 4

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Read:  Ephesians 3:14-4:16

WATCH
Session 5: Ephesians 3:14-4:16

Questions

1. What comments or stories struck you from this video? Did anything shine a new light on the biblical material?
2. How can we “live a life worthy of our calling” as Paul mentions in the beginning of chapter four? How does he describe that worthy life?
3. J.D. made a big deal about growing up. How do the qualities we mentioned display a mature faith?
4. Take another look at verses 4–6. Why do you think Paul emphasizes “oneness” so much?
5. In light of contention in the church, how does a conversation about the gifts of the Spirit promote unity?
6. According to 4:7–13, Who gives spiritual gifts? Who gets spiritual gifts?
7. What are some of the spiritual gifts? What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?

LIVE IT OUT
Try out the following and we can get together and talk about your experience.

Prayer: Talk with God about the gifts He has given you. Ask Him to confirm your thinking, or to adjust it as necessary. Ask Him for opportunities to use your gifts in His service. In these prayers, spend more time listening than talking.

Conversation: Talk with other close friends about your gifts. Ask them to confirm the abilities you think God has given you, and they may even suggest ways to use them. You need some cheerleaders around for support, but also talk with someone who can challenge you—“speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Volunteer: Look for a new way to use the abilities God has given you. Volunteer for an appropriate ministry in the church.

[Cameron98]

1. I thought Greear's story about his wife having the gift of celibacy was amusing and shows the imprecise nature of determining a person's spiritual gifts. I did not learn anything new from this lesson, but it did reinforce what I already knew about spiritual gifts.

2. We "walk in a manner worthy of [our] calling" by being humble, gentle, patient, and by "bearing with one another in love." We are only able to be and do these things by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

3. These things evidence a mature faith because they do not come naturally to us in our fallenness. They are the fruit of the Spirit and signify His presence and influence.

4. Paul emphasizes "oneness" because it is part of "walk[ing] in a manner worthy of [our] calling." He also mentions the unity of the body because he is about to contrast it with the diversity of gifts distributed within the body.

5. Though it is possible to over-emphasize some gifts and under-value others, and thus divide the church based on spiritual giftedness (as the church at Corinth had done), diverse spiritual gifts are meant to be unifying, not divisive. All spiritual gifts are meant "for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7).

6. The One, Jesus Christ, who descended to the Earth, then ascended back "far above all the heavens" while "He led a host of captives" gives spiritual gifts. He gives spiritual gifts to "each one of us."

7. Some of the gifts are actually people: the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. Others are temporary: (interpreting) tongues, prophecy, and healings. Still others are permanent: helps, administration, mercy, generosity, exhortation, and teaching (1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12). All of the gifts are given for the building up of the body of Christ.

[Hasan VohraGuest]

1. What comments or stories struck you from this video? Did anything shine a new light on the biblical material?
The comments and stories that struck me from this video and that shined a new light on the biblical material were the comments of how if you don't use your spiritual gift, whatever work associated with your gift won't get done, and story of churches these days are like a football team that doesn't run plays, but just comes up with and celebrates plays without running them.

2. How can we “live a life worthy of our calling” as Paul mentions in the beginning of chapter four? How does he describe that worthy life?
The way we can "live a life worthy of our calling" is by knowing and then completely using our spiritual gifts. He describes that worthy life as a life of humility, gentleness, patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, and being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

3. J.D. made a big deal about growing up. How do the qualities we mentioned display a mature faith?
The way the qualities display a mature faith is that Jesus had these qualities, and when we display these qualities, it shows that we are becoming more like Him, and that we follow Him.
4. Take another look at verses 4–6. Why do you think Paul emphasizes “oneness” so much?
Paul emphasizes "oneness" so much because when we are united as a church, that's when we fulfill the purpose and mission God has given us in the world.

5. In light of contention in the church, how does a conversation about the gifts of the Spirit promote unity?
The conversation will make people find out their gift and use it. This promotes unity because the church is one body, the saints are the parts make up that body, and the body is optimal when all its parts are active and doing what they're made to do, in this case, when all the saints are using their gifts.

6. According to 4:7–13, Who gives spiritual gifts? Who gets spiritual gifts?
God gives spiritual gifts. Every believer gets spiritual gifts.

7. What are some of the spiritual gifts? What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?
Some of the spiritual gifts are teaching, mercy, exhortation, administration, the gift of the evangelist, faith. The purpose of the spiritual gifts is to build up others to help them know God more.

LIVE IT OUT
Try out the following and we can get together and talk about your experience.

Prayer: Talk with God about the gifts He has given you. Ask Him to confirm your thinking, or to adjust it as necessary. Ask Him for opportunities to use your gifts in His service. In these prayers, spend more time listening than talking.

Conversation: Talk with other close friends about your gifts. Ask them to confirm the abilities you think God has given you, and they may even suggest ways to use them. You need some cheerleaders around for support, but also talk with someone who can challenge you—“speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Volunteer: Look for a new way to use the abilities God has given you. Volunteer for an appropriate ministry in the church.

[Kevin Alex]

1. What comments or stories struck you from this video? Did anything shine a new light on the biblical material?
One of the messages that stuck with me is that everyone that is in Christ, has a spiritual gift and I found it funny that his wife’s number one gift was celibacy.

2. How can we “live a life worthy of our calling” as Paul mentions in the beginning of chapter four? How does he describe that worthy life?
We can live a life worthy of our calling by living with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another with love.

4. Take another look at verses 4–6. Why do you think Paul emphasizes “oneness” so much?
He emphasizes oneness because we are one as a church and it is as one we accomplish our purpose but grace is given to each and everyone of that and with that we find out what our spiritual gifts are.

5. In light of contention in the church, how does a conversation about the gifts of the Spirit promote unity?
It allows us to better serve our purpose by playing our specific role in the church.

6. According to 4:7–13, Who gives spiritual gifts? Who gets spiritual gifts?
God gives spiritual gifts and we get them.

7. What are some of the spiritual gifts? What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?
Gift of teaching, faith, healing, interpretation and wisdom are all examples of spiritual gifts. These gifts are used to fulfil our purpose.

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