Walk Worthy of Your Calling

In one paragraph

This message was the beginning of a walk through Ephesians 4:1-16, led by Deborah Buckingham as part of a continuing women's study. She opened by grounding the session in the permanence of the Christian faith before moving into Paul's call for believers to walk in a way that is worthy of their calling. The heart of the teaching was five progressive virtues that Paul says make unity in the church...

Read together

1. Ephesians 4:1-16 the main passage for the sermon, covering the walk worthy of calling, five virtues, the seven ones, and spiritual gifts
2. 1 Peter 4:8 love covers a multitude of sins
3. Proverbs 10:12 hatred stirs up strife but love covers it
4. Matthew 18 going directly to a sister or brother who has offended you rather than telling others
5. Acts 4:12 there is one name under heaven whereby we must be saved, Jesus Christ
6. 1 Corinthians 12:7 spiritual gifts are given to each one for building up the church
7. 1 Corinthians 2:14 those not born again are spiritually dead and cannot respond to God's ways
8. Ephesians 4:7 spiritual gifts are given by grace, not earned
9. 1 Corinthians 12:11 the Holy Spirit decides what gifts each person receives
10. 2 Timothy 1:6 believers are called to develop the gifts God has given them
11. Matthew 25:14-30 the parable teaching that wasting the gift God gives is a sin
12. Ephesians 1:13 having believed, you were marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit

Talk about it

1. The sermon opened with the observation that human beings pour themselves into fads that eventually crumble, while God and His word remain. What is something you have seen people give their devotion to that has faded, and how has your faith in Christ proven different from that kind of devotion?
2. Paul lists five virtues in Ephesians 4 that build on one another: humility, gentleness, patience, making allowance for each other's faults, and peacemaking. Which of those feels most natural to you right now, and which one is the Lord most clearly working on in you?
3. The sermon described long suffering as having three dimensions: enduring difficult circumstances, enduring difficult people, and accepting when a hard situation is simply God's plan for you. Which of those three is hardest for you personally, and why?
4. The sermon drew a distinction between a peacekeeper, who avoids anything uncomfortable, and a peacemaker, who works to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created. Can you think of a time when you were tempted to keep the peace instead of make it? What held you back or pushed you forward?
5. The sermon argued that you discover your spiritual gift by serving, not by waiting until you have identified the gift first. Where are you currently serving, or where have you considered volunteering? Has anything surprised you about what you enjoy or what God seems to bless when you do it?