📣 Ephesians 4:1 | Worth, The Power & The Example

👐 support our work // 📧 subscribe

📧 In today’s email…

• 📕 A quick review of what we’ve learned this week

• ✝️ Where we get worth and the power to live as we should

• 📣 Practical questions for sharing the good news

• 🧐 In case you missed it..

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

I _________, _ ________ for ___ ____, urge ___ __ ____

in _ ______ ______ of ___ _____ __ which ___ ____ ____ ______.

Ephesians 4:1

A review of what we’ve learned 🤔 

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve learned this week:

Background Context

• Author: Apostle Paul

• Original Audience:

  • The audience consisted of both Gentile and Jewish Christians in the city of Ephesus (on the western coast of modern day Turkey)

  • They needed guidance on how to live out their faith in a diverse + hostile environment

Passage Context

When reading through the 6 chapters in Ephesians, you can see some of Paul’s main goals in writing this letter, which include:

• Calling for unity within the body of believers (Eph 2:11-22)

• Explaining the mystery of the Gospel - that Gentiles are equal heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ through the gospel (Ephesians 3:1-13)

• Encouraging believers to live in a way that flows from the gospel (Eph 4:1-6)

• Providing practical instructions for Christian living (Eph 4:17-5:21)

• Discussing the armor of God (Eph 6:10-18)

Ephesians 4:1 marks a transition from making a theological point to giving practical exhortation, urging believers to live out their calling.

Original Greek 🤓 

• ‘Walk’ (peripateō) means how you live or conduct your entire life. Think about the phrases “walking the walk” and your “walk of faith.”

7 Ways to Apply Ephesians 4:1 in Daily Life

1. 📖 Start each day with prayer and Bible reading, inviting God's presence and guidance into your day.

2. 🧠 Remind yourself when interacting with people you disagree with that they were made in the image of God.

3. 🙏 Practice patience and forgiveness when faced with frustrating situations or difficult people.

4. 👍️ Be honest and ethical in all your dealings at work, school, or in personal relationships.

5. 👐 Serve others: Look for opportunities to volunteer, help a neighbor, or support those in need.

6. ⏰ Steward your resources (time, money, talents) responsibly, using them to honor God and bless others.

7. 💪 Pursue spiritual growth through the disciplines of Jesus like fasting, meditation, or studying Scripture.

💡 Does one of these stand out to you as something the Holy Spirit is prompting you to focus on?

Worth, The Power & The Example ✝️ 

I often think about the influence of Paul in all of our lives due to the ripple effects of his faithfulness.

Paul was a man living a life worthy of the calling he received.

But where did that power come from?

From the One who lived the only life fully worthy of His calling.

Jesus.

Where Our Security Comes From 🙏 

Consider the word Paul uses in Ephesians 4:1 - worthy.

‘Worth’ is what someone is willing to pay for something else.

Jesus not only modeled for us what it looks like to live a life worthy of the calling God gave us —

— through his sacrificial death on the cross, he made the ultimate statement of what we are worth to him.

Everything.

Practice: Share 🗣️

This weekend, seek an opportunity to fulfill your calling to make disciples.

Questions to Ask ❓️ 

• Do you believe human beings have worth? Why or why not?

• Do you believe in the idea of having a “calling”? Something you were made for? Where does that belief come from?

Share 📣 

• “Worth” is an economic term - it means what someone is willing to pay for something.

• Jesus paid for our debt with his life. On the cross, some of his final words were “It is finished” or “It is paid in full,” which is what was written at the time on the top of financial documents when a debt had been fully paid.

• As Christians, we have assurance of our infinite worth because God took on human flesh (Jesus) and was willing to die on the cross on our behalf so that we could be in right relationship with him again.

In Case You Missed It 👀 

In case you missed it, here are some resources to help you dive deeper into this week’s memory verse:

• 📹️ John Piper’s teaching on Ephesians 6:1-6 (link)

• 🎶 Build My Life by Pat Barrett (Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music)

• 📚️ Follow Me: A Call to Die, A Call to Live by David Platt (link)

• 🗒️ The Three Callings of a Christian by Andy Crouch (link)

Answer key ✅ 

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk

in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

Ephesians 4:1

How did you do? 💡