Key Points:
1. God distributes grace to every member of the Church
2. God's gift of grace allows the church to be built through every individual's fulfillment of their role in unison with the rest of the Body.
3. God's people need each other to grow in maturity and confidence in Christ.
Key Themes:
o God dispenses grace the way He sees fit(7)
o Christ's triumphal resurrection from the dead allowed him to take captives (8)
o God equips his people to do the work of ministry and build up the body of Christ(8, 12)
o Christ came to Earth to redeem Earth so that God's glory would be established in heaven and on Earth(9-10)
o God assigns tasks to His people(11)
o God appointed some people to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to build up , train, and equip the people of God to participate in the work of ministry building up the Church. (11-12)
o All of God's people work to be unified in their faith and knowledge of Jesus so that every member is mature and stable and so that Christ might become more complete in His body (12-14)
o The "gifts" God gives protect the people of God from deception by giving them confidence in Christ. (11-14)
o Paul exhorts believers to communicate in such a way as to allow every member of the body to grow in Christ-likeness (15)
o Every part of the body is necessary for the Body of Christ to grow. (16)
Reflective Questions:
1. What are the gifts given as a result of the Messiah?(7-11)
2. What does Paul say is given to every member or the Church?(7)
3. What is the purpose of the gifts God's given?(11-13)
4. What is the product of all the gifts working as one? (14-16)
5. How does Paul instruct the Church to do so that it grows? (15)
a. What does it mean to speak the truth in love?
b. What are obstacles you face in speaking the truth in love?
6. What does Paul's description of the body in vs 16 imply about members of the Church?
a. What kind of talk in churches devalues the need for every member?
b. What are some church practices that may devalue the need for every member?
c. How can we inspire and encourage people to participate in the work of the body?
7. How does the church derail people from fulfilling their purpose in the church in regard to the roles mentioned in vs 11?
8. How does vs 12 affect your view of pastors, teachers, and prophets?
a. How can we help the church and the people mentioned in vs 11 do what they were designed to do?
Individual Challenge:
How would your life change if you knew what your role in your church was? How would confidence in your role affect your relationships and activities at your church? Would you commit to asking God to reveal your place at your church this week?
Specifics:
o Commit to praying everyday this week to ask God to reveal where you fit and should be serving in your church
o Consult church leaders about opportunities of service you can explore
o Ask 2 church friends to commit to praying that God help you find your place of service at church
Community Challenge:
How would our church change if every member was actively serving where God called them? How would the attitude and energy of the church change if people took ownership and responsibility of ministries in the church? How would it allow the church to grow and be more effective in reaching it's community?
1. God distributes grace to every member of the Church
2. God's gift of grace allows the church to be built through every individual's fulfillment of their role in unison with the rest of the Body.
3. God's people need each other to grow in maturity and confidence in Christ.
Key Themes:
o God dispenses grace the way He sees fit(7)
o Christ's triumphal resurrection from the dead allowed him to take captives (8)
o God equips his people to do the work of ministry and build up the body of Christ(8, 12)
o Christ came to Earth to redeem Earth so that God's glory would be established in heaven and on Earth(9-10)
o God assigns tasks to His people(11)
o God appointed some people to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to build up , train, and equip the people of God to participate in the work of ministry building up the Church. (11-12)
o All of God's people work to be unified in their faith and knowledge of Jesus so that every member is mature and stable and so that Christ might become more complete in His body (12-14)
o The "gifts" God gives protect the people of God from deception by giving them confidence in Christ. (11-14)
o Paul exhorts believers to communicate in such a way as to allow every member of the body to grow in Christ-likeness (15)
o Every part of the body is necessary for the Body of Christ to grow. (16)
1. What are the gifts given as a result of the Messiah?(7-11)
2. What does Paul say is given to every member or the Church?(7)
3. What is the purpose of the gifts God's given?(11-13)
4. What is the product of all the gifts working as one? (14-16)
5. How does Paul instruct the Church to do so that it grows? (15)
a. What does it mean to speak the truth in love?
b. What are obstacles you face in speaking the truth in love?
6. What does Paul's description of the body in vs 16 imply about members of the Church?
a. What kind of talk in churches devalues the need for every member?
b. What are some church practices that may devalue the need for every member?
c. How can we inspire and encourage people to participate in the work of the body?
7. How does the church derail people from fulfilling their purpose in the church in regard to the roles mentioned in vs 11?
8. How does vs 12 affect your view of pastors, teachers, and prophets?
a. How can we help the church and the people mentioned in vs 11 do what they were designed to do?
Individual Challenge:
How would your life change if you knew what your role in your church was? How would confidence in your role affect your relationships and activities at your church? Would you commit to asking God to reveal your place at your church this week?
Specifics:
o Commit to praying everyday this week to ask God to reveal where you fit and should be serving in your church
o Consult church leaders about opportunities of service you can explore
o Ask 2 church friends to commit to praying that God help you find your place of service at church
Community Challenge:
How would our church change if every member was actively serving where God called them? How would the attitude and energy of the church change if people took ownership and responsibility of ministries in the church? How would it allow the church to grow and be more effective in reaching it's community?
No comments:
Post a Comment