Christianity is not about becoming what you are not, it’s about becoming who you are in Christ. When you grasp all that Christ has done for you, you will move from aimless living to purpose, blind ambition to clear vision and shameful pursuits to holy living. ~ Pastor Dave
Open: Have you ever lied? Share your story. Have you ever been inauthentic in your actions and choices as a Christian? Share your story.
Read: Ephesians 4:17-32; Romans 1-2; Colossians 3:1-18
Discuss:
1. How does Paul’s letter to the Ephesians remind us that “it’s not about becoming what we are not, but becoming who we are in Christ”? Have you ever felt like you needed a refresh or restart in your life? Share your story. In what ways does Paul call us to a restart in our spiritual lives through Ephesians 4:17-32? Of all the things that he mentions, which do you struggle with the most?
2. Paul exhorts the Ephesian Christians to “no longer walk the way the rest of the world walks.” Describe how the “world” walks (Ephesians 4:17-19). How do you see these characteristics displayed in our current society? How did you walk this way before Christ?
3. Paul tells them to “take off the former self” and “put on the new self.” Why do we still struggle with our “former self”? How is our mind the place where the battle lines are drawn? How does thinking affect the way you live? How should Ephesians 1-3 affect the way we think about ourselves?
4. In Ephesians 4:25, Paul literally says to “put away the lie.” What are the ways that Christians in our culture live authentically to their calling in Christ? Do you have an anger problem? What does it mean to “not let the sun go down on your anger”?
5. Read 4:25-32. There are seven characteristics of conduct from the old kingdom and three from the new. Go down the list and rate yourself with either: not an issue, kind of an issue, or big issue.
6. What does it mean to not “grieve the Holy Spirit”? What are some ways that you have grieved Prayerfully examine your own life?
Pray: Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the willingness to take off the sin that entangles your life and put on the lifestyle that honors God.
Memorize/Meditate: …Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24
