Packed #9 Sermon Discussion Questions

On Sunday, July 20, 2014, I preached a message based out of Ephesians 5:1-21 at Wildwood Community Church. Below you will see a list of questions for group discussion tied to this sermon.

Small Group Discussion Questions (Eph. 5:1-21)

Read Ephesians 5:1-21
What is one thing you have learned in life by imitating the behavior of someone you trust?
In Ephesians 5:1-2, we are called to imitate the love of God in our lives. What are some of the characteristics of God’s love and what would it look like for you to imitate it?
Rather than imitating God’s love, the world wants us to mimic it’s lust leading to sexual sin. Are there areas of your own life where you are being tempted to sin sexually? What are action steps you can take to not tolerate that sin in your life?
We are also called to radiate the light of the Lord (and not live in darkness). As we radiate this light in a dark world, our lifestyle helps show a great contrast with sin around us. What is an arena of your life (workplace, school, neighborhood, college friends, etc.) where your obedience to God shines as a light in a dark world?
Based on your understanding of Ephesians 5:18, what does it mean to be “filled with the Holy Spirit”?
How does Ephesians 5:1-6:9 help you understand more what it looks like to be filled with the Spirit?
Any particular application you took away from this passage this week?

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Taught and Caught

How many of the things you have learned in life were “taught” to you and how many were “caught” by watching others? No doubt all of us have a number of things in each of these categories. The fact is, different kinds of truths are more easily taught while others are better caught.

Things that are more easily taught are a number of “book facts” like you learn in school. Without someone teaching you what 2 + 2 is, you might never learn that the correct answer is 4. Without someone teaching you the correct spelling of the word “gnat,” you would never just figure it out by watching people live.

There are also things that are better caught than taught. Things that are more easily caught would include all relational things. For instance, someone can talk to you about how to love others well, but it is even easier to learn how to love by imitating kind/loving people in your life. The concept of forgiveness could be taught from the pulpit or the lectern, but to really know what forgiveness looks like, you need to see someone you know be deeply hurt and still forgive. Relational things are sometimes better caught than taught.

God knew this. That is why He did not just send us the New Testament, He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to love the lost, heal the brokenhearted, and forgive those who wronged Him. When it comes to Christians living out a life of love, submission, and respect for their fellow humans, Paul does not simply provide a laundry list of “to dos” and “to don’ts.” Instead, he organizes what is taught around what He hopes they have caught by living in relationship with Jesus Christ.

To put it simply, Paul challenges us to imitate (or mimic) Jesus Christ. Paul breaks down Ephesians 5:1-21 in four movements, three of which call Christians to imitate a specific aspect of God’s character. In other words, since God is __________, we should imitate Him and do ____________. The passage breaks down like this:

Since God is love (1 John 4:8), we should love one another as we have seen God love us. Not in a selfish way (using others for our own gratification), but sacrificing our desires for others. (Ephesians 5:1-6)
Since God is light (1 John 1:5), we should live according to the light and not practice the deeds of darkness. Our lives should be a contrast in this world exposing wickedness, not blending in with it. (Ephesians 5:7-14)
Since God is truth (1 John 5:6), we should live according to His wisdom, not wasting time pursuing our own half-baked ideas. (Ephesians 5:15-17)
We can see these traits of our Heavenly Father manifest in our lives as we are controlled by the Holy Spirit of God who dwells inside us. We do not merely act the part, when dependent on God’s Spirit inside us, we are compelled to BE the part, showing our family resemblance to our Heavenly Father in the process. (Ephesians 5:18-21)

Therefore, as you study God’s Word, do not merely be taught by the words on the page (as important and infallible as they are.) Also allow yourself to be caught up into a real relationship with Jesus Christ. Get to know Him and imitate Him in obedience, and see the Spirit inside us control and compel us to be all He has recreated us to be.

This Sunday, July 20 at Wildwood Community Church, I will be preaching a sermon based out of Ephesians 5:1-21 in our 9:30 and 10:50 worship services. This message will be part 9 in our 12 week summer series on the book of Ephesians. If you are in the OKC area, and are looking fora place to worship this weekend, we would love to have you join us as we worship together and study this great passage of Scripture. Hope to see you Sunday!

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Ephesians 5:1-21 (Study Prompts #3)

I am currently preaching a sermon series on Sunday mornings at Wildwood Community Church called “Packed” – based out of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. During this series, I am using my blog to post study prompts, devotionals, sermon audio/video, and discussion questions to help facilitate personal or group study of this book. NOTE: At the bottom of this post, I have a set of links to previous resources in this series.

Ephesians 5:1-21 – Study Prompts #3

Take a moment to pray. Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
Read Ephesians 5:1-21
As previously mentioned, “walking” is a biblical term used to describe how you live your life. Therefore, it would be appropriate to paraphrase Ephesians 5:15 this way, “Live your life carefully, making sure you are living a wise life, and not a foolish one.” What kinds of things would a Christian do who was being careful to make wise choices?
Pastor Andy Stanley says that Ephesians 5:15-17 instruct us with how to ask the “best question ever.” His premise is that it is much better to ask “is it wise” than “is it lawful”? In other words, there are many things that are permissible for Christians to do, but not ultimately helpful in light of their personal history, present circumstances, and future hopes and dreams. What are some things in life that you “can do” but would not be “wise” for you to do?
Part of the reason it is important to live wisely is because our time is limited and “the days are evil” (5:16). What do you think Paul means when he says this?
In Ephesians 5:17, the antidote to foolishness is to know what the will of the Lord is. How does someone discover the will of the Lord (in order to live a wise life)? What can you do to discover the Lord’s will/wisdom?
There are a few ways in which we use the word “fill.” Sometimes “fill” means to pour into an empty container a substance until it is completely full. An example of this usage would be “My car was out of gas, so I filled it up with gasoline.” Another use of the term “fill” is to be controlled by something or someone. An example of this would be to say that “I was full of anger, so I slammed my book on the table.” In Ephesians 5:18, Paul says that we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Which of the two meanings of “fill” do you think he is using here? Why?
There are many things that seek to control the life of the Christian. Some are controlled by their appetite for sex. Others are controlled by their appetite for a certain “high” feeling. Others are controlled by their appetite for money or things. Here, Paul calls the Christian to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (5:18). What does it mean for a Christian to be controlled by the Spirit of God?
One of the things that happens when a person is controlled by the Spirit of God is that they spend time praising God; Ephesians 5:19-20 detail this outcome of the Spirit’s controlling influence on our lives. Reflect for a moment on your own heart. Audit the last month of your life. Have you frequently found your heart rejoicing in thankfulness to God? If not, what is preventing you from spending time praising Him? The Holy Spirit that resides in the life of a believer wants to move us to praise and thanksgiving for who God is and all He has done for our lives.
STUDY NOTE: In Ephesians 5:19-20, one indication that a Christian is controlled by the Holy Spirit is the praise and thankfulness they exhibit toward God. Another indication of the controlling influence of the Spirit is that Spirit led Christians submit to and serve one another (5:21). Sadly, the work of the Holy Spirit has been very misunderstood by some Christians. Some have erroneously expected the Spirit’s control to most be evident through strange and spectacular phenomenon like speaking in tongues, voicing new prophecy, or healing the sick. While the New Testament has examples of some believers exhibiting these gifts some of the time, these kinds of spectacular manifestations are not the normal indicator of the Spirit’s presence. The normative work of the Holy Spirit is far more relational. All Christians, when they are controlled by the Spirit of God have a thankful and worshipful heart before God (5:19-20). And, all Christians, when they are controlled by the Holy Spirit, have a heart of service and humility before their fellow Christians (5:21). From Ephesians 5:22-6:9, Paul will apply what a Holy Spirit empowered life looks like in one’s marriage, work, and parenting. It is in these very normal arenas of our every day life that the work of the Spirit is most seen, and most needed. Of this concept, Darrell Bock said, “For Paul, the Christian faith was not an abstract exercise in theological discourse. Instead it called for a different way to relate to others.” Further, John Stott said, “Too much so-called ‘holiness teaching’ emphasizes a personal relationship to Jesus Christ without any attempt to indicate its consequences in terms of relationships with the people we live and work with. In contrast to such holiness-in-a-vacuum, which magnifies experiences and minimizes ethics, the apostles spelled out Christian duty in the concrete situations of everyday life and work.” Praise God! The controlling presence of the Holy Spirit is not simply for our prayer closet or Sunday services . . . it is for everyday life!

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Ephesians 5:1-21 (Study Prompts #2)

Ephesians 5:1-21 – Study Prompts #2

As you prepare your heart for study, know that God desires to reveal Himself to you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into truth. Before you open in prayer, consider Jeremiah 9:23-24. “This is what the Lord declares: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” Pray for this understanding and knowledge of God with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
Read Ephesians 5:1-21
In Ephesians 5:7, Paul draws a contrast to Ephesians 5:1. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul challenges Christians to imitate our Heavenly Father. In 5:7, he contrasts and challenges Christians to NOT imitate (or join) the world in its sinfulness. In what ways are you personally tempted to “imitate” the world instead of following God’s plan?
The overall context for this chapter focuses on believers in Jesus Christ imitating their Heavenly Father. From 5:1-6, we are encouraged to imitate the love of God. From 5:8-14, Paul mentions that we are also to imitate (or follow) in “light” and not darkness. The root of this comes from the fact that God is light. This is a notion that is mentioned throughout the Scripture. A few references to God being light are: Psalm 27:1, Isaiah 60:19, Isaiah 49:6, John 1:9, 8:12, and 1 John 1:5. What do you think the main idea is by saying that “God is light”?
STUDY NOTE: Understanding the biblical idea of “light” is very important to understanding this section of Ephesians. John MacArthur has accurately summarized the biblical meaning of “light” when he says, “In Scripture the figurative use of light has two aspects, the intellectual and the moral. Intellectually it represents truth, whereas morally it represents holiness. To live in light therefore means to live in truth and in holiness. The figure of darkness has the same two aspects. Intellectually it represents ignorance and falsehood, whereas morally it connotes evil.”
Based on what you have seen in the book of Ephesians so far (in particular review Ephesians 2:1-3 and 4:17-19), what does Paul mean when he says that before Christ, people ARE “darkness” (5:8)? Based on what you have seen in Ephesians so far (pay special attention to 2:4-10 and 4:20-24), what does it mean that we are now “light” (5:8)?
To walk in as “children of light” means that we are living in truth and holiness, not ignorance and evil. “Walking” is a biblical figure for the everyday action and rhythm of our lives. We are to live out our days marked with holiness and truth. 5:9 speaks of our lives producing holy “fruit” or actions, and 5:10 points to our lives organized around God’s truth that we vigorously pursue. While this is the pattern of the Christian life, the Bible does not imply that we will live a perfect life. Far from it. Take a moment and read a parallel passage on living in the light: 1 John 1:5-9. What does this passage add to your understanding of what it means to “walk as children of light”?
Instead of joining the world in sinful behavior, the Christian is called to “expose it” (5:11). What do you think Paul has in mind when he calls on believers to expose sin, not join it? Is this a call for Christians to become the world’s moral police, or is there a different idea Paul has in mind?
STUDY NOTE: One of the most effective ways Christians expose sin and darkness is to live a life of purity and holiness. An honest person makes dishonest people uncomfortable. Their mere example contrasts the sin around them. However, there are times when an example is not enough, and sin must be confronted with words. While it is appropriate to do this, we must be careful (according to 5:12) to not speak to explicitly about the evil that is practiced. Describing the details of past or present sin might enflame others to sin themselves. Some modern preachers (and Christians) feel it necessary to speak in vulgar detail about sin under the banner of “telling it like it is” however, this passage would warn us to use discretion and moderation when speaking of sin. We are to expose sin, but we do not have to break it down verbally in all its parts.
STUDY NOTE: There is some debate over the correct translation of Ephesians 5:13-14. The ESV translates this section, “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. . .” A better translation of this verse is the NIV which says, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible . . .” In other words, the big idea here is that Christians help the world understand things in “truth” and not “ignorance.” It is not that the Christian will make EVERYTHING “light” as the ESV implies. The idea is that God will use the Christian to help add truth to life.
The quotation in 5:14 is apparently from an ancient Christian hymn (extra-biblical) but based on Isaiah 60:1. The big idea is that Christians are not to sleep walk through life, but to be alert and live intentionally according to God’s commands. Is there an area of your life right now where you have been “sleep walking” and not actively seeking to walk with Christ?

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Ephesians 5:1-21 (Study Prompts #1)

Ephesians 5:1-21 – Study Prompts #1

As you pray for your study today, ask God to use His Word in your life as the writer of Hebrews prayed in Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Read Ephesians 5:1-21.
Paul begins 5:1 with another “therefore.” Most of the time a “therefore” appears, it is drawing a conclusion from what PRECEDED it (i.e. based on the truth shared in 4:17-32, THEREFORE . . . ). However, here, “therefore” is used in close association with what FOLLOWS. In other words, SINCE you are God’s “beloved children,” THEREFORE imitate your heavenly Father. How have you seen children act like their parents? Do you see any parallels with believers in Jesus Christ acting like our Heavenly Father?
Read 1 John 4:8. How does this verse connect with Paul’s commands in Ephesians 5:1-2?
When God calls us to love, He calls us to love other people LIKE HE LOVED US. This love was demonstrated by the way God showed His love to us in Christ Jesus (5:2). What is the kind of love that God has for us and what would it look like for us to love others the way Christ loves us?
In 5:1-2, the Ephesians were admonished to love as God loved. Now in 5:3, they are charged to NOT exhibit “love” in ways God forbids. One of the ways people demonstrate “love” in inappropriate ways is through sexual immorality. The Greek word here translated “sexual immorality” is the word “porneia.” Porneia is the root from which we get our word pornography and refers to ANY sexual activity outside of marriage. This would include adultery, premarital sex, consuming pornography, homosexual activity, etc. As people who are created in the image of our loving God, we have a longing to both give and receive love. However, this longing is corrupted by our selfish desires and displayed through many wrong channels. What are some common temptations people you know have to be tempted sexually? What temptations do you yourself struggle with in this area?
Paul also talks in 5:3 about covetousness. At first glance, the only thing coveting and sexual immorality have in common is that they are both sins. However, on further examination, both of these sins are appetites that have run out of control. In both instances, we prefer something (a sexual experience or a prized possession) over what is best for someone (i.e. we either use someone’s body or steal someone’s thing, in both cases hurting them). Is coveting a sin that you struggle with? How would seeking to love others around you as Christ loved you help you NOT to covet their possessions?
Reflecting on Ephesians 5:4, Warren Wiersbe said, “Two indicators of a person’s character are what makes him laugh and what makes him weep. The saint of God sees nothing humorous in obscene language or jests.” As we live in a world that constantly is laughing about vulgar things, how is a Christian to respond?
In 5:5, Paul mentions that there is “no inheritance” for people who practice sexual immorality or covet. However in Ephesians 1:11, Christians are ALL said to have a significant inheritance in Christ. Since all Christians have sinned since coming to Christ (many sinning in the sexual or coveting area), how do you reconcile Ephesians 1:11 with Ephesians 5:5?
STUDY NOTE: I believe that when Paul speaks of the sexually immoral and coveters NOT having an inheritance (5:5), he is pointing out that those behaviors are not consistent with God’s plan for all Christians. His emphasis appears to be on encouraging Christians to abandon these evil practices and obey God in this life . . . living now consistent with the inheritance we have to come.
In Ephesians 5:6, Paul says that there will be some who come along trying to downplay the “evilness” of sin. With winsome words they will try to convince you that sin is not that bad. This was true in Paul’s day, and it is also true in ours. Have you ever heard someone try to convince you that sin is not “all that bad?” How does Paul respond to that line of thinking in 5:6b?
What are some of the ways God deals with sin in the life of Christians?

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Packed #8 Sermon Audio/Video

On Sunday, July 13, I preached a message at Wildwood Community Church based out of Ephesians 4:17-32. This message was the eighth in the “Packed” sermon series. Below you will see audio and video files of the sermon for listening or download.

To download the audio to listen to later, click on this link:

Packed #8

To listen to the audio online, use the media player below:

To watch the video of the sermon, view via Vimeo below:

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Packed #8 Sermon Discussion Questions

On Sunday, July 13, 2014, I preached a message based out of Ephesians 4:17-32 at Wildwood Community Church. Below you will see a list of questions for group discussion tied to this sermon.

Small Group Discussion Questions (Eph. 4:17-32)

Read Ephesians 4:17-32
Based on what you see in Ephesians 4:17-24, why should Christians no longer live the lifestyle of a non-Christian?
How have you seen the lifestyle and perspective of non-Christian living be futile or aimless?
Do you really believe that “in Christ” your base style has changed? Why or why not?
In what way are you challenged by the command to “speak the truth with your neighbor” (4:25)?
In what way are you challenged to not let your anger progress into sin (4:26-27)?
In what way are you challenged to not steal but work hard to give to others (4:28)?
In what way are you challenged to speak only edifying words to one another (4:29-30)?
In what way are you challenged to be kind and forgiving to one another as Christ has been to us (4:31-32)?
Any particular application you took away from this passage this week?

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Change in Style

At the back of my closet hangs a little piece of nostalgia. Tucked behind Halloween costumes hangs my high school letter jacket. Baby blue sleeves made of faux leather, and a wool royal blue torso decorated by the large fuzzy “B” representing Bartlesville High School – this piece of my history currently gets very little action. The jacket (to my knowledge) has never been washed. The sleeves are not quite long enough. The style is just not really “me” anymore.

Of course, there was a day when that jacket was the most prominent piece of my wardrobe. My high school days were largely defined by football or basketball games or track meets. I played on lots of teams, and that jacket really identified my life during the late 80’s. It is totally appropriate for a high school sophomore to wear his letter jacket.

It is, however, as sad for a grown man to wear his high school letter jacket as it is proper for a sophomore to wear that same jacket. Why? The person has changed. High school sports no longer define me. I have grown up and moved on. Sure, I could put on that old jacket, but it just doesn’t fit anymore. It is no longer my style. It stinks! Why would I choose to wear that when I have so many other options in my closet which are far more appropriate for who I am now?

I was thinking about this scene the other day as I read Ephesians 4:17-24. In this challenging section of Scripture, the clear implication is that those who are in Christ are no longer who they once were. Paul was writing to a collection of Ephesian Christians, many of whom came from a Gentile background. People from a Gentile background were not known for their godly or moral heritage. There was a time when the Ephesians were known for their immoral actions, futile lifestyle, and ignorance to the reality of the God who created them. However, since trusting in Jesus Christ, all that had changed. The identity of the Ephesian Christians was no longer dead and dying (2:1-3), but was now alive and redeemed (2:4-10). The change in identity that we have experienced in Christ, is a total transformation, and demands a change in “style.” No longer is it fitting for a Christian to live the lifestyle of a non-Christian (or Gentile). A life that is spent chasing sinful pleasure fits a Christian the same way a letter jacket fits a 40 year old man. It just looks totally out of place based on who we are now.

In Ephesians 4:22, Paul reminds us to “take off” those sinful actions which we are tempted to live out (our former/corrupt manner of life following deceitful desires). There was a time in your life (before you trusted in Christ) when this kind of behavior fit who you were . . . but that is not who you are anymore!

Instead of wearing those outdated actions, Paul encourages us to clothe ourselves instead with the righteous actions of Christ (4:24). This lifestyle of pursuing holiness and righteousness was styled just for us by God Himself. These actions show on the outside who we are today. Not someone clinging to past “glory” in our spiritual adolescence, but someone outfitted for eternity in the presence of their Savior Jesus Christ.

The next time you are tempted to pursue sin instead of the Savior, pause for just a moment and think of how goofy that looks in light of who you are. Living a righteous life is consistent with who we are in Him, and it never goes out of style.

This Sunday, July 13 at Wildwood Community Church, I will be preaching part 8 in our “Packed” sermon series where we will be exploring the great truth of Ephesians 4:17-32. If you are in the area, we would love to see you in either our 9:30 or 10:50 worship service.

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Ephesians 4:17-32 Study Prompts #3

Ephesians 4:17-32 – Study Prompts #3

Take a moment to pray. Praise God for His Word and ask Him to teach you its truth, just as the psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:12-16, “Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.”
Read Ephesians 4:17-32
STUDY NOTE: Though it may not appear so in our English translations, Ephesians 4:29 is closely linked with Ephesians 4:30. The “And” that appears in many English translations at the beginning of 4:30 shows the connection in the original language that “grieving the Holy Spirit of God” is part of the reason we should only speak edifying words to one another. When we were children, we would sing “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Not only is this rhyme not true for us (we are OFTEN hurt when others tear us down with their words) but it is also true of our relationship with God. We can grieve God when we tear down our brothers and sisters in the Lord with our words. Any parent would recognize this. Parents are emotionally pained when people speak poorly of our children . . . especially if it is not true and wounds them in the process! Our Heavenly Father hurts for us when we are wounded by the negative words of fellow Christians.
Examine the commands from 4:29-30. In these verses, what are believers NOT to do? What are they TO DO? What is the reason given for why they are to do this?
Think of your life. Would obeying the commands of 4:29-30 require you to change anything you are currently doing? Are you challenged by this verse in a particular way?
Examine the commands from 4:31-32. In these verses, what are believers NOT to do? What are they TO DO? What is the reason given for why they are to do this?
Think of your life. Would obeying the commands of 4:31-32 require you to change anything you are currently doing? Are you challenged by this verse in a particular way?
How does remembering what Jesus has done for you encourage you to love/forgive/encourage your fellow Christian?

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links:

Ephesians 4:17-32 Study Prompts #2

Ephesians 4:17-32 – Study Prompts #2

As you prepare your heart for study, know that God desires to reveal Himself to you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you into truth. Before you open in prayer, consider Jeremiah 9:23-24. “This is what the Lord declares: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” Pray for this understanding and knowledge of God with the Holy Spirit as your guide.
Read Ephesians 4:17-32
STUDY NOTE: In Ephesians 4:17-24, Paul gives a general framework for why Christians should live a “new life” – because they are “new people”! Beginning in 4:25, however, Paul begins to breakdown some specific commands for what a “Christ clothed” life actually looks like. From 4:25-32, Paul gives five categories of commands that a Christian should obey. In these verses, Paul gives a negative (don’t do this), a positive (do this instead) and a reason for that action. In today’s study we will break down three of these commands.
Examine the commands from 4:25. In these verses, what are believers NOT to do? What are they TO DO? What is the reason given for why they are to do this?
Think of your life. Would obeying the commands of 4:25 require you to change anything you are currently doing? Are you challenged by this verse in a particular way?
Examine the commands from 4:26-27. In these verses, what are believers NOT to do? What are they TO DO? What is the reason given for why they are to do this?
Think of your life. Would obeying the commands of 4:26-27 require you to change anything you are currently doing? Are you challenged by this verse in a particular way?
Examine the commands from 4:28. In these verses, what are believers NOT to do? What are they TO DO? What is the reason given for why they are to do this?
Think of your life. Would obeying the commands of 4:28 require you to change anything you are currently doing? Are you challenged by this verse in a particular way?

For more resources related to this study of Ephesians click on the following links: