Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Built Up

As you come to him, the living Stone rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5 (NIV)

“Not finance, not strategy, not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.”-Patrick Lencioni

Truth In Love 

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)

“With the phrase ‘being true in love’ … we recognize the harmony of the two great principles of individuality and unity … Uniting both, we have the perfect humanity, at once individual and social, at once free before God and lost in God. Ellicott, Charles. Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers: The Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. London: Cassell & Company Ltd., 1887, p. 158

“Community doesn’t mean that we will always agree. It means that we are willing to live in the tension of disagreement while staying committed to the whole.” — Parker Palmer Community and the Heart of Truth

Every Supporting Ligament 

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

CONNECT WITH GOD (Use the below practice or choose a practice from a different week.)

Practice of Generosity: The spiritual discipline of generosity is not simply a practice of financial giving, but it is a way of life. Today, we will engage in intentional reflection about “generosity of thought.” How we think about and turn towards others is a practice of generosity as well. (The below practice was adapted from the Faith Practices Project) 

• Pray: Begin your time by praying that the Spirit reveals to you things you don’t see about your own habits, generosity and inward assumptions about others.
• Journal: Reflect on the following questions. 
• Think of a person about whom you easily grumble or make assumptions. 
• Intentionally look for the image of God in that person. 
• When a critical thought enters your mind, what questions, words or practices might help you to reframe that assumption or negative thought?
• Pray: Close in slow and expectant prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate a new impulse toward generosity in you, that encompasses every area of life–and especially towards others this week.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Before beginning your time in the message and scripture passage, consider asking each person: What comes to your mind when you think about what community is and what it could be? 

TIME FOR PERSONAL AND SHARED REFLECTION 

Alone and Together: Read Ephesians 4:11-16 . Offer time for personal reflection. Then, share with one another. Reflect/journal on the following prompt: 

• Where does this passage connect to your own life or the world around you?  

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

If needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.  

• Review the main points from the sermon outline. 
• What are you noticing about the themes in this message series so far? 
• Was there anything in the message that you’d like to unpack more together? 
• How do the other Bible verses in the message outline help you engage more deeply with Ephesians 4:11-16? 
• What does verse 12 have to say about what ministry looks like in community? 
• How does Paul describe “maturity” in this passage? 
• What do you think it means to speak the truth in love? 
• Consider the body metaphor and explore its significance in our life together as a church.

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE 

Together: explore this quote by Parker Palmer, in connection with the passage and message.  

“Community doesn’t mean that we will always agree. It means that we are willing to live in the tension of disagreement while staying committed to the whole.” — Parker Palmer, Community and the Heart of Truth

PRAYER 

In light of All Saint’s Sunday, spend time caring for one another in listening and prayer. Consider closing with the below excerpt from A Liturgy of Gratitude for Your Community (Liturgies for Wholeness by Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore).  

Help me remember that it is good and right

for communities to change with time.

I thank You for my community as it is today,

as it used to be,

and as it will be in the future. 

May I surround myself with people who feel like

home,

who help me heal and grow,

who help me love and learn.

Knit our hearts tightly together

as we continue to spur one another on

toward goodness and integrity

and the love that is better than life.