Building Up the Body of Christ

Dennis McCallum
Ephesians 4:7-16

Building up the Body of Christ involves using the gifting one received upon conversion in an attitude of love. The goal is for everyone to use their gifting to help others to attain spiritual maturity. Paul calls all Christians to make every effort to learn to love and build up others in the Body.

Unity Out of Diversity

Scott Risley
Ephesians 4:7-16

Because Christians are united with Christ, they have unity with other Christians. This is not a unity we generate, but a unity we must strive to maintain. Just as our bodies are made up of many parts, so too is the Body of Christ made up of many different individuals who work together, each doing their unique role, to build up the Body of Christ for the work God created each of us to do.

Experiencing True Unity in the Body of Christ

Dennis McCallum
Ephesians 4:1-6

When we put our faith in Jesus, we are mystically joined to the Body of Christ. We become one with Jesus, vertically, and we become united with other Christians, horizontally, in the Body of Christ. We do not create this unity, but we are called to preserve it. Our fallen nature opposes this but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can experience true unity in the Body of Christ.

Unity in Christ

Conrad Hilario
Ephesians 4:1-4

When Paul calls Christians to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, he is pointing out that we already have unity in Christ. It is not something we have to generate, but it does take effort to preserve it. We have been formed into "one people" the moment we are united in Christ, but it takes walking in a manner worthy of our calling to demonstrate this unity. Being humble, gentle, patient, and forebearing with one another is living a life worthy of the calling we have received.

The Unity of the Spirit

Scott Risley
Ephesians 4:1-6

In Chapters 1-3, Paul emphasizes the "Sit" phase of a Christian's life, where he learns to embrace all the things God has done for him. In Chapters 4-6, he talks about the "Walk" phase , where the Christian learns to "Walk" in a manner worthy of his calling. Based on all the wonderful things God has done for him, the Christian must walk in such a way that he demonstrates humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance. A Christian that walks in this manner will preserve the unity of the Body of Christ that Christ provided for us.

New Creatures

Mike Sullivan
2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Three features of being a new creature in Christ are one, that we have a new motivation for a new life, second, we have a new way to measure success, and third, we have a new role as "sent ones." Our new motivation is to no longer live for self but to life for Christ. We no longer measure success as the world does, but we see people with new eyes. We now have a new role as ambassadors of Christ, entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation.

The Mystery of Christ

Conrad Hilario
Ephesians 3:1-11

God created man with freewill which led to a dilemma for God. He is both loving and just. He loves us but His justice demands he punish us for our sins. His enemies make accusations against his character. So, God kept secret His plan to resolve His dilemma for a time. At the right time, he revealed that Jesus would be the perfect substitute to pay for man's sins. Thus, He demonstrated His great love but also satisfied his justice.

Flexibility in Parenting

Kristen Mayer
Ephesians 3:1-11

Kristen Mayer cautions parents to avoid black and white thinking in our parenting. Every child is created unique and will differ from his or her siblings in temperament, learning style and response to discipline. This requires parents to be willing to be flexible in their parenting style depending on the unique differences inherent in each of their children. Fortunately, the Bible gives us direction in raising our children to be respectful of authority, submit to discipline, respect/love others, think critically, have resiliency, to name a few. No one is born knowing how to be a great parent. We need to be willing to receive feedback in our parenting and to give feedback to our friends' in their parenting.

Kindness: What Does It Mean To Live Like the Servant of All?

Mary Beth Gladwell
Ephesians 3:1-11

There is a lot of talk in our culture today about kindness. But what does it mean? This session looks at the New Testament, and especially at the life of Jesus, discovering the bar extends far beyond being nice. It will challenge us and excite us for the adventure God has for those who would set out to love in this way