Desire to Live Worthy of Your Calling.

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NLT) Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

2Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Five Essentials for Spiritual Growth.

Humility.

Gentleness.

Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Patience.

Love.

Unity.

Ezekiel 34:18-21 (NLT) Isn’t it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn’t it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19Why must my flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled?

20“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep. 21For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands.

Titus 3:10-11 (NLT) If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. 11For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.

Ephesians 4:4-6 (NLT) 4For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Ephesians 4:7-10 (NLT) 7However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”

9Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 10And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
 

Be Equipped to Grow.

Ephesians 4:11 (NLT) Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

1 Corinthians 14:3 (NLT) But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

Ephesians 4:12-13 (NLT) Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

We All Reap the Rewards.

Ephesians 4:14-16 (NLT) Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

15Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

16He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Next Step: Lean into your spiritual growth.