Element Christian Church
Ephesians Week 19 - Walk As The Wise
Locations & Times
Element Christian Church
4890 Bethany Ln, Santa Maria, CA 93455, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
Welcome to Element
We strive to ensure the biggest thing people think when they hear about Element is Jesus! We aim to glorify God by teaching and living out the Scriptures, transforming community into Gospel community, and planting churches.
Meet and Greet TODAY
If you are new to Element, join us in the lounge immediately* following each service to meet a few of our key leaders we think you should know. You will get a quick over view of who we are and what your next steps can be to become more connected with Element. These meetings last between 10-15 minutes.
*If you have children in one of our classrooms, please pick them up before coming to Meet & Greet so we can meet them too!
*If you have children in one of our classrooms, please pick them up before coming to Meet & Greet so we can meet them too!
Youth Beach Trip TODAY
Students in grades 6-12 are invited to hang at Avila Beach with friends and leaders. Parents must have an up to date medical release form signed and on file for student to participate. Meet at the Barn following 2nd service.
Youth Summer Camp
Summer Camp is July 21st-26th for students in grades 6-12 at Hartland Christian Camp. Details and registration found at link below. Deadline to register is June 2nd
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Get the latest on the various local and global ministries Element helps support.
https://ourelement.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_Spring_MissionsUpdate.pdfStart serving at Element
If you are looking for a way to meet more people at Element or feel more connected, one of the easiest ways is to start serving. From once a month for 15 minutes, to helping in our classrooms for a longer time, we have needs to fit your gifts.
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https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/setupThis week's song list
Interested in looking for some of the songs we sang this week? Here's the titles and original artists:
Your Name Is Power - Rend Collective
In Christ Alone - New City Church
Fall Afresh - Jeremy Riddle
Always Forever - Phil Wickham
Future/ Past - John Mark McMillan
Cherry Blossoms - Andy Squyres
Your Name Is Power - Rend Collective
In Christ Alone - New City Church
Fall Afresh - Jeremy Riddle
Always Forever - Phil Wickham
Future/ Past - John Mark McMillan
Cherry Blossoms - Andy Squyres
Ephesians: Week 19
Walk as the Wise
One of the main ideas throughout Paul’s words is that we want to honor God before a world of people who dishonor Him. This goes with Paul’s words today in Ephesians 5:16: making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. We know we live in a world where the majority of people live in darkness; one of the reasons we live for God in outward expressions of faith is that we want to live in a way others can see the light of God in the midst of the darkness.
Walk as the Wise
One of the main ideas throughout Paul’s words is that we want to honor God before a world of people who dishonor Him. This goes with Paul’s words today in Ephesians 5:16: making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. We know we live in a world where the majority of people live in darkness; one of the reasons we live for God in outward expressions of faith is that we want to live in a way others can see the light of God in the midst of the darkness.
• When you think of “evil” in our present day, what comes to mind?
• What does it mean for God’s people to “make the best use of their time?”
• What lies about God prevent us from trusting His will?
Jesus hung out with the “undesirables” but people knew His love, grace, and righteousness by being around Him. Not feeling condemned; they felt called to something greater as they witnessed His life on display.
Walk as the Wise – The goal of Scripture is to reveal Jesus to us; it speaks about sin because sin separates us from Jesus. There are a lot of ways today that are “just the way the world currently operates,” but that doesn’t mean it should be that way. The story of God reveals a way of life in His Kingdom that is not like the broken one around us. Walking as wise people and understanding what “the Lord’s will is” go hand in hand. Christian and non-Christians do many of the same activities, but how God’s people conduct themselves in life is different because we are in relationship with God. Our goal is to walk with Jesus in wisdom, so we are to ask “What does God want?” This is usually the opposite of how most of us start our internal conversations.
• What does the “will of the Lord” look like in your life right now?
• How are you being called to live differently from those in darkness?
Be Filled with the Spirit – The Holy Spirit enables us to walk in wisdom; when Paul talks the way he does, he is pointing us toward a maturity. When Paul says to be filled with the Spirit, he is emphasizing that we can’t live in wisdom correctly (or live authentic lives) without the Spirit. We have to look at what it means to be filled with Him and then relate it all back to wisdom.
The life of being Spirit-filled means a life of self-control or “under the control of the Spirit of God.” That is often not the first thing that comes to people’s minds when thinking of being “Spirit-filled.” Tim Keller paraphrased this passage as, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that burns you out, it exhausts you, and it dissipates you. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
Read Ephesians 5:15-21.
• What would it be like to live in the Spirit’s strength and not your own?
• What are common “counterfeits” of the Holy Spirit?
• How does the Holy Spirit grant us courage, vulnerability, and meaning?
• What evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work do you see in your life? In your community’s lives?
“Don’t get drunk…be filled with the Spirit,” means that the Spirit of God gives us meaning, courage, and the ability to be vulnerable, not by diminishing our vision, but by expanding it. The Spirit of God stimulates a life to see the bigger picture of reality centered in Jesus. Being filled with the Spirit is to be moved and propelled by God.
• Eph 1:13 – Jesus died for our sins and we were sealed with the Spirit. Are you a Christian?
• Eph 1:17 – Spirit of God instructs us so we can get to know God. Are you growing in your relationship with God?
• Eph 2:18 – We have access to the Father by the Son through the Spirit. Are you in prayer?
• Eph 3:16 – Spirit empowers us for service. Are you serving others in ministry?
• Eph 4:2-6 – Spirit knits those in the church together in spiritual friendships. Do you have spiritual friendships with believers?
The Spirit of God comes from GOD, not from man.
• What does it mean for God’s people to “make the best use of their time?”
• What lies about God prevent us from trusting His will?
Jesus hung out with the “undesirables” but people knew His love, grace, and righteousness by being around Him. Not feeling condemned; they felt called to something greater as they witnessed His life on display.
Walk as the Wise – The goal of Scripture is to reveal Jesus to us; it speaks about sin because sin separates us from Jesus. There are a lot of ways today that are “just the way the world currently operates,” but that doesn’t mean it should be that way. The story of God reveals a way of life in His Kingdom that is not like the broken one around us. Walking as wise people and understanding what “the Lord’s will is” go hand in hand. Christian and non-Christians do many of the same activities, but how God’s people conduct themselves in life is different because we are in relationship with God. Our goal is to walk with Jesus in wisdom, so we are to ask “What does God want?” This is usually the opposite of how most of us start our internal conversations.
• What does the “will of the Lord” look like in your life right now?
• How are you being called to live differently from those in darkness?
Be Filled with the Spirit – The Holy Spirit enables us to walk in wisdom; when Paul talks the way he does, he is pointing us toward a maturity. When Paul says to be filled with the Spirit, he is emphasizing that we can’t live in wisdom correctly (or live authentic lives) without the Spirit. We have to look at what it means to be filled with Him and then relate it all back to wisdom.
The life of being Spirit-filled means a life of self-control or “under the control of the Spirit of God.” That is often not the first thing that comes to people’s minds when thinking of being “Spirit-filled.” Tim Keller paraphrased this passage as, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that burns you out, it exhausts you, and it dissipates you. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
Read Ephesians 5:15-21.
• What would it be like to live in the Spirit’s strength and not your own?
• What are common “counterfeits” of the Holy Spirit?
• How does the Holy Spirit grant us courage, vulnerability, and meaning?
• What evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work do you see in your life? In your community’s lives?
“Don’t get drunk…be filled with the Spirit,” means that the Spirit of God gives us meaning, courage, and the ability to be vulnerable, not by diminishing our vision, but by expanding it. The Spirit of God stimulates a life to see the bigger picture of reality centered in Jesus. Being filled with the Spirit is to be moved and propelled by God.
• Eph 1:13 – Jesus died for our sins and we were sealed with the Spirit. Are you a Christian?
• Eph 1:17 – Spirit of God instructs us so we can get to know God. Are you growing in your relationship with God?
• Eph 2:18 – We have access to the Father by the Son through the Spirit. Are you in prayer?
• Eph 3:16 – Spirit empowers us for service. Are you serving others in ministry?
• Eph 4:2-6 – Spirit knits those in the church together in spiritual friendships. Do you have spiritual friendships with believers?
The Spirit of God comes from GOD, not from man.