Mkay. Today I have to mow. I might have to take a nap... (I am planning an afternoon nap at 9 AM. Something might be wrong with me...)
Then it's the last night of VBS. Always a fun night. Always a crazy night. I have to take a nap so I can be CRAZY! Right? That's what I'm telling myself at least!
Today the reading for NIPTO is Ephesians 4:1-16. I know it's a lot to cover, but we can do it! Just bear with me :)
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
If he's a prisoner for the Lord, the least we can do is live a life that is worthy of our calling, right?
2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
These are some general instructions. Things that we should strive to be. Humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love. HEY! I asked you guys to bear with me... would you do it in love? :)
We should strive to be in unity with the Spirit with peace.
Alright. Everybody have that? Yes? Moving on.
4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
One. We are all one. One body, one spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father, over all, through all, in all. That's a whole lot o' one.
Is the church one? Or are we separate? I think that, unfortunately, we're mostly separate. We can be different, but we should still be one.
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
We've all been given grace. This verse almost makes it seem like it's rationed out to people. Which it kind of is. But not really. But kind of.
But when he went back to heaven he lead captives (freeing them) and gave gifts to men (us?).
9(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
So cool. What goes up... must've come down at some point? ;)
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
I think that we're all called to be something. It could be a job. It could be motherhood. I think that in each calling, we're called to something bigger: to build up the body of Christ. To prepare God's people for works of service so that can happen. We're to build up the body of Christ until we're all of one mind in our faith and in our knowledge of God. Until we become mature.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Once we're mature, it will be so much harder to be "blown here and there." We'll be more stable.
15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Speaking truth in love. Truth... with LOVE. Not love without truth. It's not "tender steamrolling" as Mark Bowen at IGNITE told us not to do. (You can listen to that sermon here (Growing Wiser People Skills by Mark Bowen)).
When we speak truth in love, we will mature in all things. We'll grow up into God. The Head... Christ.
16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
We're all joined together in Christ. We support each othere, grow with each other, and build eachother up in love when we do our work.
Alrighty. I'm going to gow mow. Thanks for bearing with me!
There might be a post about VBS tonight. I don't know though. I might be too exhausted from being HYPED UP! We'll see though.
Hope you're having a good day!
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