Wk 1 // April 26 & 27
Wk 1 // LET’S TALK ABOUT IT
April 26 & 27, 2025
Small Group Study
SERMON RECAP
Spend a few minutes recapping this week's sermon together.
TAP HERE TO VIEW THE SERMON NOTES.
INTRODUCTION
Some go well; some do not go so well. But by and large, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a freshly remodeled room in our home. It’s as if they’ve been made new. Likewise, we who have faith in Christ have been made new. We are new creations. And in light of our salvation, we are called to live in a new way that lines up with our new life in Christ.
UNDERSTANDING
Most of the members of the Ephesian church were Gentiles (Eph. 2:11; 3:1). Before receiving Christ, they had lived in a typical worldly fashion. Gentiles were notorious among Jews for sensuality, sexual immorality, and idolatry. In receiving Jesus as Lord, they had committed themselves to a new standard of life. Paul called them, therefore, to bring their living in line with their profession of allegiance to Christ.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 4:17-32.
Change begins with Jesus and the truth that comes from Him. This truth pushes believers to take off the old sinful nature and put on the new nature. Both cannot be worn at the same time. The more we reflect on and grow in our understanding of how much God loves us and how much He has forgiven us of, the more we want to treat others the same way. The main way this happens is by imitating one of God’s chief characteristics—love.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 5:1-6.
Jesus modeled, among other things, love and sacrifice. Because of how much He loves us, He sacrificed His life for us, and that should motivate us to love others. Imitating God is a matter of character and action. The sins Paul listed in verses 3 and 4 are examples of self-gratifying sins through which people find value and acceptance in things other than their identities as children of God.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 5:7-14.
The fruits of the light are qualities the Holy Spirit brings about in our lives to help us live as children of God. When we choose daily to live in the light of God’s truth, we put on goodness (moral excellence), righteousness (a right standing we gain through Christ’s sacrifice for us), and truth (honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness).
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 5:15-21.
Whereas being drunk with wine leads to foolish actions, being filled with the Holy Spirit is a command for the believer to yield himself to the illuminating, convicting, and empowering work of the Holy Spirit. As He works in our hearts through His Word, our lives are brought into conformity with the will of God (v. 17).
APPLICATION
PRAYER
Finish your time in prayer, praying that God would be constantly transforming you and your group. Pray that He would reveal places in your lives to put off the old self and on the new self. Pray that God would help each of you to continually experience transformation on a daily basis.
—----------------------------------
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY
[for further reading on this passage]
EPHESIANS 4:17-32
Eph. 4:17-19. Paul’s instructions denounced the readers’ former way of life. The content of the instruction clearly parallels early Christian baptismal practices of putting off old clothes before putting on new clothes to enter the baptismal waters. The picture is similar to one in Colossians 3:5-11, except that the Colossians passage contrasts heavenly and earthly life. The Ephesians passage contrasts a person’s former lifestyle and the new life in Christ.
4:20-24. Paul pictures the truth totally in terms of the Messiah, who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The apostle often described who believers already are, while also pointing to what they should strive to become. The practical paradox is that while freedom from sin’s eternal penalty is already ours, freedom from the former way of life (a life of sin) comes only through our daily quest for obedience and purity. These are lifestyle commitments that every believer is called to make.
4:25-32. Paul offered five examples of what living the new life means in the context of relationship with others. All of the examples include a negative command, a positive command, and a spiritual principle on which the commands are based. At the base of all of Paul’s commands is a God-centered spiritual foundation.
EPHESIANS 5:1-21
5:1-2. Just as it is natural for an earthly child to imitate his earthly father, so should the spiritual child imitate his Heavenly Father. To imitate God in this context means to walk in love. Love denies self. It is willing to give up self-interest for God’s sake. Since Jesus gave Himself up for us, we ought to give ourselves up for Him. To give oneself up means “to follow, to obey, to live in relationship with.” Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins. We must become a living sacrifice, obeying Him (see Rom. 12:1).
5:3-10. The opposite of imitating God and giving oneself up for Him is living in sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. Paul says that it is not proper for these things even to be named among the children of God. These are sins of “deed.” In addition to sinful deeds, there ought not to be sinful “words.” Obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking ought not be part of the speech patterns of Christians. Rather, we ought to speak from a heart of thankfulness to God. Paul warns the Ephesian Christians not to engage in the activities of those who are disobedient. Paul is saying that we are not to do these things because we are no longer those who are disobedient. Since we are not part of them anymore, we should not be partners with them. It is not a matter of salvation in this instance but a matter of identification. Rather than doing deeds of immorality, impurity, and greed, they should do deeds of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Christians are no longer darkness, but children of light. Therefore, we should do deeds of light, not darkness. Only as you walk in God’s light can you please Him.
5:11-14. Not only ought we not do the same sins as those who are disobedient, but we should try to expose them. If a Christian lives in flagrant, unrepentant sin, the church is to try to get them to turn from their sin (see Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1). Sins are exposed by shining light into sin’s darkness. An amazing thing happens. Darkness can no longer hide its nature and acts in secret. All is exposed to light. This is the church’s mission. Christ is light and the source of their light. His shining light exposes all their darkness and transforms them into light.
5:15-17. The world in which we live is filled with dangers and deceptions. It is not always easy to live an enlightened life even when we want to. We can get tripped up or ambushed by events and people without even being aware of the danger. We must be very careful to live our life rooted in wisdom, using our time wisely. Not to do so would be foolish. The will of the Lord is that we live carefully, cautiously, always matching our lifestyle with the teachings of Scripture.
5:18. Paul was talking about how to commune with the God of heaven, how to live for Him, how to serve and obey Him, how to determine His will. It was natural for Him to draw the contrast between how the god of Ephesus is served and how the God of heaven is served. With the God of heaven, you do not get drunk with wine. Rather, you are filled with the Spirit. Being drunk with wine leads to the sexual sins and immorality of darkness described above. By being filled with the Spirit, you can determine God’s will and serve Him faithfully in moral living.
5:19-21. The Spirit’s fullness is demonstrated in spiritual understanding, praise, and thanksgiving that are constant and comprehensive. The church that is filled with the Spirit will be characterized by praise and thanksgiving to God. Beyond that there will be evidence of self-control, mutual encouragement, and mutual submission, which is the opposite of rudeness, haughtiness, and self-assertion.
April 26 & 27, 2025
Small Group Study
SERMON RECAP
Spend a few minutes recapping this week's sermon together.
TAP HERE TO VIEW THE SERMON NOTES.
- What was one takeaway from this week's sermon for you?
- Were there any stories, ideas, or points that stuck out?
- Was there anything that challenged you?
INTRODUCTION
- Have you ever undergone a home renovation project? What was the project, and how long did it take?
- What were some of the frustrations and obstacles during the project?
- When the project was over, were you pleased with the result? Were you glad that you made the changes despite all that frustrated you?
Some go well; some do not go so well. But by and large, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a freshly remodeled room in our home. It’s as if they’ve been made new. Likewise, we who have faith in Christ have been made new. We are new creations. And in light of our salvation, we are called to live in a new way that lines up with our new life in Christ.
UNDERSTANDING
Most of the members of the Ephesian church were Gentiles (Eph. 2:11; 3:1). Before receiving Christ, they had lived in a typical worldly fashion. Gentiles were notorious among Jews for sensuality, sexual immorality, and idolatry. In receiving Jesus as Lord, they had committed themselves to a new standard of life. Paul called them, therefore, to bring their living in line with their profession of allegiance to Christ.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 4:17-32.
- How would you compare the moral standards of today with the moral standards of Paul’s day? How should Christians be different from the people described in these verses?
- Take each principle in verses 25-32 one at a time (or choose a few to focus on) and discuss: (1) What we are to put off; (2) what we are to put on; (3) the reason we are to put on that quality.
- When might we be tempted to exhibit one of these negative qualities? How can we demonstrate the positive instead?
- According to verse 32, what should be the primary motivation for pursuing holy (God-honoring) living?
Change begins with Jesus and the truth that comes from Him. This truth pushes believers to take off the old sinful nature and put on the new nature. Both cannot be worn at the same time. The more we reflect on and grow in our understanding of how much God loves us and how much He has forgiven us of, the more we want to treat others the same way. The main way this happens is by imitating one of God’s chief characteristics—love.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 5:1-6.
- What can we learn from Jesus about loving as God loves (v. 2)?
- Now read verses 3 and 4. What’s the common link among the sins listed? What purposes do these sins serve in our lives? How is God’s standard for our lives different?
Jesus modeled, among other things, love and sacrifice. Because of how much He loves us, He sacrificed His life for us, and that should motivate us to love others. Imitating God is a matter of character and action. The sins Paul listed in verses 3 and 4 are examples of self-gratifying sins through which people find value and acceptance in things other than their identities as children of God.
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 5:7-14.
- What should characterize the lives of those living as “children of light” (v. 8)?
- What characteristics are the result of “the fruit of the light” (v. 9)? How do these compare with the fruit of the darkness in Ephesians 4:18-19?
- What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us live in the light? What role do other Christians play?
The fruits of the light are qualities the Holy Spirit brings about in our lives to help us live as children of God. When we choose daily to live in the light of God’s truth, we put on goodness (moral excellence), righteousness (a right standing we gain through Christ’s sacrifice for us), and truth (honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness).
HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ EPHESIANS 5:15-21.
- Why is wisdom necessary if we want to live in the light and imitate God’s love? Give some practical examples of what it looks like to live as wise people.
- What commands did Paul give the Ephesians in verses 17-21? Why are each of these actions examples of wise living? How do they help us ensure we are living as imitators of God (5:1)?
- What comes to mind first when you hear the phrase “be filled with the Spirit”? Are you seeking to be filled by the Spirit daily? Why or why not? If not, what needs to change?
Whereas being drunk with wine leads to foolish actions, being filled with the Holy Spirit is a command for the believer to yield himself to the illuminating, convicting, and empowering work of the Holy Spirit. As He works in our hearts through His Word, our lives are brought into conformity with the will of God (v. 17).
APPLICATION
- What does the world around us say about the way that we should live? In what ways could your life or your family’s lives better contrast those practices?
- Is there anything you are particularly struggling to “put off” from your former way of life? How can our group encourage you in that effort?
- In light of God’s calling, how will your actions toward people change?
- Of all the broad commands given in Ephesians 4–5 for Christian living—holiness (Eph. 4:17-32), love (5:1-6), light (5:7-14), and wisdom (5:15-21)—which seems to be the major command God is challenging you to live out? How can you act on His challenge?
PRAYER
Finish your time in prayer, praying that God would be constantly transforming you and your group. Pray that He would reveal places in your lives to put off the old self and on the new self. Pray that God would help each of you to continually experience transformation on a daily basis.
—----------------------------------
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY
[for further reading on this passage]
EPHESIANS 4:17-32
Eph. 4:17-19. Paul’s instructions denounced the readers’ former way of life. The content of the instruction clearly parallels early Christian baptismal practices of putting off old clothes before putting on new clothes to enter the baptismal waters. The picture is similar to one in Colossians 3:5-11, except that the Colossians passage contrasts heavenly and earthly life. The Ephesians passage contrasts a person’s former lifestyle and the new life in Christ.
4:20-24. Paul pictures the truth totally in terms of the Messiah, who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). The apostle often described who believers already are, while also pointing to what they should strive to become. The practical paradox is that while freedom from sin’s eternal penalty is already ours, freedom from the former way of life (a life of sin) comes only through our daily quest for obedience and purity. These are lifestyle commitments that every believer is called to make.
4:25-32. Paul offered five examples of what living the new life means in the context of relationship with others. All of the examples include a negative command, a positive command, and a spiritual principle on which the commands are based. At the base of all of Paul’s commands is a God-centered spiritual foundation.
EPHESIANS 5:1-21
5:1-2. Just as it is natural for an earthly child to imitate his earthly father, so should the spiritual child imitate his Heavenly Father. To imitate God in this context means to walk in love. Love denies self. It is willing to give up self-interest for God’s sake. Since Jesus gave Himself up for us, we ought to give ourselves up for Him. To give oneself up means “to follow, to obey, to live in relationship with.” Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins. We must become a living sacrifice, obeying Him (see Rom. 12:1).
5:3-10. The opposite of imitating God and giving oneself up for Him is living in sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. Paul says that it is not proper for these things even to be named among the children of God. These are sins of “deed.” In addition to sinful deeds, there ought not to be sinful “words.” Obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking ought not be part of the speech patterns of Christians. Rather, we ought to speak from a heart of thankfulness to God. Paul warns the Ephesian Christians not to engage in the activities of those who are disobedient. Paul is saying that we are not to do these things because we are no longer those who are disobedient. Since we are not part of them anymore, we should not be partners with them. It is not a matter of salvation in this instance but a matter of identification. Rather than doing deeds of immorality, impurity, and greed, they should do deeds of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Christians are no longer darkness, but children of light. Therefore, we should do deeds of light, not darkness. Only as you walk in God’s light can you please Him.
5:11-14. Not only ought we not do the same sins as those who are disobedient, but we should try to expose them. If a Christian lives in flagrant, unrepentant sin, the church is to try to get them to turn from their sin (see Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1). Sins are exposed by shining light into sin’s darkness. An amazing thing happens. Darkness can no longer hide its nature and acts in secret. All is exposed to light. This is the church’s mission. Christ is light and the source of their light. His shining light exposes all their darkness and transforms them into light.
5:15-17. The world in which we live is filled with dangers and deceptions. It is not always easy to live an enlightened life even when we want to. We can get tripped up or ambushed by events and people without even being aware of the danger. We must be very careful to live our life rooted in wisdom, using our time wisely. Not to do so would be foolish. The will of the Lord is that we live carefully, cautiously, always matching our lifestyle with the teachings of Scripture.
5:18. Paul was talking about how to commune with the God of heaven, how to live for Him, how to serve and obey Him, how to determine His will. It was natural for Him to draw the contrast between how the god of Ephesus is served and how the God of heaven is served. With the God of heaven, you do not get drunk with wine. Rather, you are filled with the Spirit. Being drunk with wine leads to the sexual sins and immorality of darkness described above. By being filled with the Spirit, you can determine God’s will and serve Him faithfully in moral living.
5:19-21. The Spirit’s fullness is demonstrated in spiritual understanding, praise, and thanksgiving that are constant and comprehensive. The church that is filled with the Spirit will be characterized by praise and thanksgiving to God. Beyond that there will be evidence of self-control, mutual encouragement, and mutual submission, which is the opposite of rudeness, haughtiness, and self-assertion.