Lets Take A Walk

BP12LetsTakeaWalkEphesians

Ephesians 4: 1-32

Intro: Evolution of walking

1. roll/crawl

2. Walk – unsteady; need others

3. Walk – more confidence; still hold on but take steps without help

4. Try new things – walk, run, jump, skip; more skills, more strength, more coordination

Still fall, stumble, trip

Kneecap story – football in the gym and injury

Platform behind pulpit – my bifocals – we blame falling on many things but really we all trip up sometimes.

Walking is a good illustration for living our Christian life

Spiritually – new baby Christians trip more – into sin traps, or old habits

Need others, unsteady about their new faith – church responsibility!

May continue to make mistakes all along the walk but we will become stronger as we grow, go, and learn

Learn how to avoid sin traps, temptations will be there – our choice

Walking – we all face new things – and sometimes danger

We meet others who are learning how to walk spiritually too.

Paul tell us today how to walk a worthy walk in our Christian life…

1. Keep unity

a. WORK AT IT – it doesn’t come naturally

b. I = rights = fighting over little things like carpet color, songs we sing,

c. What is it that matters?

i. That we are one in the Spirit

ii. All looking for the return of Jesus

iii. All serving the same Lord

d. Must work at getting along rather than letting our selfishness cause divisions over trivial things that really don’t matter in our spiritual walk with God.

2. Become Mature

a. LEARN – all the time

b. It would be easier if we relied on others for our spiritual food

c. Easier to just hold on to others or follow them around

d. Can’t do that – must learn to walk on your own!

e. Work at learning, discovering spiritual gifts, using them…

f. Work at walking daily with JC and telling others

g. We must grow, mature, change in order to walk a worthy walk Paul says.

h. We cannot stay in the past, but must move forward into a future full of blessings

3. Be honest & kind

a. Seek truth and don’t be afraid to share it

b. Put away bitter, angry spirits

c. Put away hateful & mean attitudes

d. Put others before self & be thoughtful, kind, forgiving LET”S GO FOR A WALK