Read Ephesians 4:17-32

Get a blank piece of paper and draw a line down the middle making two columns (reference model from paper devotional):

Read through the passage slowly, listing characteristics that pop out to you in columns labeled “my new life” and “my former self”.

Prayerfully consider both lists.

• Are there things you need to confess to the Lord, or to someone else, to lament, or ask the Lord to change?
• Are you telling the truth, first about your own story? Sit in the good news that Jesus has given you a new self, is renewing your mind, transforming you to resemble the righteousness and purity of Jesus.
• Second, are you encouraging “your people” by speaking the truth of Jesus into their lives?

Ponder and pray about verse 32.

• Do you speak and spend your time out of a posture of kindness, compassion and forgiveness (for yourself and others) because of your new life in Jesus?

Verse 25 in The Message paraphrase reads” What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.”

1 Peter 2:9-10 gives us words of hope and truth:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy”

(Cathy Parker, North by Northwest home group)

We will continue on in the book of Ephesians to see how what God is saying is true of us (the first 3 chapters from last week), impacts our daily living (the following 4 chapters!).

Read Ephesians 4:1-16

• KNOW (what does the text say about God?)
• BE (What does the text say about us?)
• DO (what is the text calling me to do?)

Read back through Ephesians 1 and thank the Father for each truth that is shared about who He says that you are once you are adopted into His family.

I’ll start by expressing deep gratitude for His love for me, and for you.

Read Ephesians 3: 14-21

In the first two chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been teaching them about their new identity in Christ. The Ephesians were non-Jewish believers that learned of the saving grace offered to all of us through the death of Jesus. Coming out of a society of idol worship, there was much they needed to learn about the one true God.

Paul reveals his total reliance on God as he “bows his knee in prayer before the Father” as he prays for the Ephesians. He explains his deep desire that all of them will understand the mystery of becoming part of the family of God and the limitless power that is available to them from the Holy Spirit. Paul is encouraging them to fully comprehend the depth of God’s love so they will experience the fullness of God in their lives. Ephesus was a city of great wealth; Paul is imploring them to seek spiritual wealth that is far greater than the physical riches of Ephesus.

Paul’s encouragement is still applicable to our lives today.

How often have you withdrawn because of fear or a feeling of helplessness?

How often do you settle for less than what God would provide?

It is so easy to settle for second best rather than bowing our knee to the Father. All of our lives have been upended to some degree these past couple years. I encourage you to bow your knee to rediscover and embrace the depth of God’s love. Paul’s words in verses 20-21 are for us today as much as it was for the Ephesians centuries ago.

(Wade Stoller, Westside Home Group)

This fourth Friday of Lent our reading is Ephesians 3:1-13. Here Paul teaches about the “mystery of God”. As you meditate on this passage, ask God to reveal a full understanding of the mystery.

The Ephesians believers were not Jewish, but Gentiles. God had given Paul a sacred assignment to teach the truth of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to the Gentiles, who previously did not have a seat at the table with the family of God. The gospel broke down the barrier between the Jew and Gentile, bringing both groups into one body in Christ. Years of division between the “chosen” and the “unclean” were reconciled through the gospel.

God choosing Paul (Saul) to be HIS servant in this restoration is almost unthinkable. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees who persecuted the church, actively imprisoning and killing any who were followers of Jesus. This was true until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus where he too became a disciple of Jesus. God told Paul he was selected to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. All of his life Paul would have avoided Gentiles as much as possible. Then the touch of Jesus so radically changed his path that he spent the remainder of his life spreading the gospel among the Gentiles.

Paul surrendered a lifetime of power, prestige, honor, and comfort to become a slave of the gospel. He determined that all he lost was nothing compared to the riches he received through Christ Jesus.

Are we able to say the same today about of life in Christ? Is there evidence in my life that I determine the most valuable thing is knowing Christ?

Something to consider today, and every day.

Read Ephesians 2:11-22

One of the names we call Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). Christ is, in fact, our peace. He made peace with God possible by becoming our atoning sacrifice, i.e. by dying on the cross. However, another peace was also established, in bringing Jews and Gentiles together, as one. Who once were devout enemies, are now one in/through Christ. We are united together in God’s New Creation, the Church. The church is distinctly Christ’s own, His bride. We are His people!

Look at some of the ways we are uniquely and distinctly His:

• The Holy Spirit in our Hearts – II Cor. 1:22
• Our adoption as sons & daughters – Eph. 1:4-6
• Christ’s Unending Love & Intercession on our behalf– Romans 8:34-39
• Holy Spirit’s Power in us– Eph. 3:20-21
• Contentment – Heb 13:5
• Holy Spirit Intercession – Romans 8:26
• A place reserved in Heaven – John 14:2-3
• Immortal Bodies – I Cor. 15:51-53

Spend some time praising God for how He loves us & makes us His own.

(Phil Lubensky, Westside Home Group)

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

As you read these verses, think back to the time in your life the Holy Spirit called you to repentance and rebirth as a son or daughter of God. This should be a very sweet memory for all of us.

After a powerful, beautiful explanation of what God has done for them as believers in chapter one, Paul switches gears in chapter two. In the first three verses, he lays out before them their previous condition. Reminding them they thought they were fully alive while they were actually dead, walking in the darkness of sin. The first time they read this I imagine they were a bit shocked with the brutal honesty. Then chapter 4; “But God”.

In the next seven verses Paul explains the richness of God’s grace. Paul boldly tells them that God’s grace has extracted them from the death of sin into true life, even eternal life. He drives home the truth by telling them their salvation was only possible through the free gift of grace from God. He emphasizes that salvation is not possible by the works of man, only by the grace of God. How humbling to realize there is nothing we can do, make, buy or sell that can bring about salvation. We are powerless and totally dependent upon God for our salvation.

How often do we stop to consider how dead we were before God’s grace changed our lives? Do we fully understand the great gift God has given us?

Today would be a good time to give it some thought.

(Wade Stoller, Westside Home Group)