I invite you to join me as we continue our “Alive with Christ” series, diving into the rich truths of Ephesians 4. In this message, we’ll explore the description of the unbeliever and uncover the root cause behind their state of futility, darkness, and ignorance. Through the analogy of an electrical outlet, you’ll also gain insight and understanding into your new identity in Christ and why you don’t need to put off your old self daily.
Additionally, we’ll delve into the importance of not letting anger linger and preventing the enemy from gaining a foothold in our lives. We’ll also explore the profound concept of forgiveness as a choice and what it looks like in our daily lives.
I encourage you to listen to this message and be inspired by the life-changing truths of living in Christ. Let’s embrace the transformative power of knowing our true identity in Him!
Discussion Questions for Ephesians 4:17-32:
- Read verses 17-19. How do words like futility, darkened, excluded, ignorance, hardness, and callous describe the unbeliever? What is the main cause of this? (Hint: Consider the electrical outlet analogy.)
- Read verses 20-24. Why is it important to read these five verses as one big thought? Is it really saying we need to put off our old self daily? If not, what does it mean? (Make sure to cross-reference Colossians 3:9-10.)
- What does verse 24 say about you as the new self? What does this mean to you personally?
- Read verse 25. How does belonging to one another relate to lying?
- How does “letting the sun go down on your anger” give the devil an opportunity? What’s the solution? Be sure to discuss what “forgiveness as a choice” really looks like.
- Read verses 29-30. How does verse 29 give us insight into what it means to grieve the Spirit?
- Read verse 32. In what way is this the opposite of what we see in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:14-15)? How do we resolve the discrepancy? (Hint: Consider the cross as the dividing line of human history and the purpose of the Sermon on the Mount.)
