Made New: An Ephesians Book StudyНамуна

I once heard a statement from a pastor that rocked my world. He said, “Some of you have been Christians for twenty years, but you’ve been repeating year one of the journey the entire time.” Ouch.

It is human nature to fall into ruts. We go to church, read a bit of the Bible, pray before we fall asleep, and our relationship with God is on auto-pilot before we know it. This is not God’s best for our lives, sensing there should be more.

Like any relationship, the goal is to consistently grow deeper. We don’t want a stale marriage or a boring relationship with our children. The same is true in our relationship with God. As time passes, we want to experience Him in more significant ways as time passes.

In verse 14, Paul says that as we grow in our faith, “we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves…” When we start our journey with Jesus, we’re like infants; our faith can be shaken easily, and we are prone to wander. This is not the end goal.

Ephesians 4:15 says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” As we follow Jesus, we mature from infants, gradually looking more like Jesus. This is what God wants for you.

One of my favorite parts about being a follower of Jesus is that it is not a spectator sport. We are invited to “speak the truth in love” and to grow to be more like Jesus. If your faith feels stale, let me remind you that God has something better for your life. Maybe your faith has been on repeat for some time. The best time to snap out of it is now and invite God to grow your faith in new ways.

Response
1. Read verse 14. What does it mean for a follower of Jesus to be tossed back and forth by the waves? Have you ever experienced this?

2. What action can you take to grow deeper in your faith?

3. Have an honest conversation with God about your relationship with Him. Are there areas that are stuck? Ask God to reveal where He wants you to grow more deeply in your faith.

Weekly Memory Verse
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2-3

Written by Derek Beauchamp