TALK IT OVER

Talking through the message during the week helps you turn what God is saying to you into action steps. These talking points, questions and scriptures are designed to help you take the next step. If you are leading a group, don’t feel like you must answer every question. Pick out the questions that will stir up conversation and action among those in your group.

With your Bible or CFCOG App, read Ephesians 4:1-16. God’s dreamscape for us isn’t to travel this journey alone. He designed us for community and interconnectedness…it’s essential to our survival. Paul reminds us to stay together, to be one with the Lord and each other, to be equipped to serve, to mature, and to do our part to make the whole body grow together in love.

• Following Jesus brings a new awareness and a new purpose to our lives. Talk about what these might look like.

• Describe the role of the church (and its leaders) in finding and living our purpose as followers of Jesus.

• How does this purpose for His followers work its way out in our attitude, vocabulary, behavior, and lifestyle personally?

• How does the rest of Ephesians 4 (v.

17-32) describe how we are to live as followers of Jesus?

READING PLAN MONDAY Ephesians 4:1-16

TUESDAY Ephesians 4:17-32

WEDNESDAY John 17:20-23

THURSDAY Acts 4:32-37

FRIDAY

2 Timothy 2:1-17

This week reflect and write about your responses to the following… How connected are you to the church? Do you sense that you are ‘one’ with the Lord and his people? Why or why not? Dream a little…In what ways do you need the church to help fulfill Jesus’ purpose for you? What will you do about it this week?

application TAKE IT HOME TAKE IT HOME

As you think about this week’s message, reflect on how you’ve experienced this topic in your own life. To break the ice in your group, discuss the following first before you talk it over.

God’s plans for us are so far beyond our wildest dreams! This series through the book of Ephesians is designed to ignite your imagination about God’s dreams for your life and for the future of our church. Take the journey with us through God’s Dreamscape.

• They are the largest living things on the planet: 200-300 feet high, 40-100 feet in diameter; can weigh about 4,000 tons, and can hold a volume of 30,000-50,000 cubic feet of water. The giant sequoias only grow in the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. These giant trees don’t die of old age, they die from falling down. But their roots only grow 6-20 feet deep. What keeps something so mammoth from falling…the roots spread out wide, AND intertwine with other sequoia roots. You’ll only see sequoias growing in groves, a sequoia growing by itself is destined to fall. The same is true of followers of Christ.

• Has anyone in your

group ever seen sequoias? Share your stories.

• Share your examples

of what unity looks like for you.

5/7/2017

GETTING STARTED

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together…You have one Master, one

faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are

and think and do is permeated with Oneness. Ephesians 4:4-6, MSG