Walk Not as Unwise But as Wise

In one paragraph

Pastor Mike opened Ephesians 5 on what it actually looks like to walk wisely, working through three "don't do this, do this" contrasts that Paul lays out and the five practical marks of a Spirit-filled life that follow from them. The sermon sat inside a longer series moving through Ephesians 4:17 through 6:9. Pastor Mike explained that Paul builds his argument the way a traffic sign works:...

Read together

1. Ephesians 4:17 - 6:9 identified as one unit that Pastor has been preaching through in sections
2. Ephesians 5:15-16 quoted as the closing verse from the previous week: look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil
3. Ephesians 5:17-21 the main passage for the sermon, covering do not be foolish, do not get drunk, be filled with the spirit, and the five participles that follow
4. Colossians 3:16 cited as a parallel passage to Ephesians 5:19, letting the word of Christ dwell richly with psalms hymns and spiritual songs
5. Philippians 2:5-11 identified as one of the earliest Christian hymns, about Christ's humility
6. 2 Timothy 3:16 identified as one of the earliest Christian hymns, about scripture being God-breathed

Talk about it

1. The pastor used the image of traffic signs to talk about why God gives us clear commands. Which purpose of a sign, safety, protection, reassurance, or direction, do you find yourself most needing from scripture right now, and why?
2. The pastor described the current of our society as always flowing away from the holiness and goodness of God, and said a sleeping shrimp gets carried along by that current. Where in your own life have you noticed yourself being carried along without realizing it?
3. The command 'do not get drunk' is described as active and personal, while 'be filled with the Spirit' is a passive construction, meaning God is the one doing the filling. How does it change the way you think about spiritual growth to see it as something you open yourself to rather than something you produce on your own?
4. The pastor listed five participles that follow 'be filled with the Spirit': addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody, giving thanks, and submitting to one another. Which of these five feels most natural to you, and which feels most difficult in your current season of life?
5. The pastor called giving thanks always and for everything probably the hardest command in Ephesians, and pointed out that Paul wrote it from prison. Can you think of a situation in your own life, past or present, where giving thanks felt nearly impossible? What would it look like to practice it there?