May 31, 2020
Ephesians 4:25-32
Pastor Ricky Smith

Sermon Notes

I. Recommit to the Team

Ephesians 4:25
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Truthfulness promotes unity.

II. Revolt Against the Norm

A. Resolve Anger

Ephesians 4:26-27
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

B. Earn to share

Ephesians 4:28
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

C. Speak hope to all who hear

Ephesians 4:29-30
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

III. Reflect His Glory in Your Goodness

Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

The glory of God on display elevates the Gospel

Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times seven”

Forgiven people should forgive people.

Next Steps

• I realize that I need to put my trust in Jesus for the first time.
• I desire to be forged to this faith family. Sign me up for new members class.
• I confess that I have allowed sin to dominate my life and choose to change.

Deep Dive

1. Ephesians 4:25 describes a value of being part of a team. Share why being a member of a church is important to you, and how Calvary has encouraged your walk with Christ.
2. Ephesians 4:26-30 challenge specific areas of our conduct. How does our speech, selfishness, and unresolved anger negatively impact unity in our faith family?
3. Ephesians 4:31-32 speak to the forgiveness of Christ and how it impacts our fellowship. How should a forgiven soul be willing to offer forgiveness to others, and why is this sometimes difficult to do?

Springboard

1. Read out loud the Lord’s Prayer together from Matthew 5:9-13. Discuss how this prayer models what our daily prayers should be?
2. Matthew 6:5 begins with a simple phrase of, “When you pray…” While there isn’t a challenge to be like ancient Jews who prayed three times each day at designated times, share what your daily prayer life does look like compared to what it should look like.
3. How does a common view of prayer compare to God being a genie in a bottle? What is wrong with this view?