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Q3. (Ephesians 4:29-32) What kind of "unwholesome talk" is common among us Christians? What three guidelines does Paul give us to measure the value of what we say? What is slander? How common is it among Christians? How can we prevent it? Unwholesome speech is corrupt speech and generally means conversation that is filthy and suggestive; this would include off-colour jokes, profanity, and dirty stories. But it could even include speech that is frivolous, empty, idle, and worthless. Paul deals with obscene and vile language in Eph 5:4 but here he is telling us to abandon profitless speech and substitute it with more positive and constructive conversation. Our speech should be more edifying in that it should result in building up our listeners. Also it should be more appropriate in that it should be more suitable to the occasion. It can also be more gracious in that it should impart grace to our listeners. Slander is an abusive attack on another person

Q2. (Ephesians 4:26-27). Why did God give us the emotion of anger, do you think? How can anger be dangerous? How can we keep from sinning when we are angry? Is anger itself sin? At times we as believers may be legitimately angry against sin. We are not told that we shouldn't feel angry, but that it is important to handle our anger properly. If vented thoughtlessly, anger can hurt others and destroy relationships. If bottled up inside, it can cause us to become bitter and destroy us from within. We find many passages in the Bible where God was angry, 1Ki 11:9; 2Ki 17:18; Psa 79:5, and Christ was also angry, Mar 3:5; John 2:15-17. Aristotle said,

Q1. (Ephesians 4:17-19) Using Ephesians 4:17-19 as a basis, how would you describe (in your own words), the secular, non-Christian mindset of our age? Why are we tempted to conform to its values? We live in a world of selfishness. The secular world is only after the instant gratification of their desires, and has no consideration for other people. Mention the name of Jesus and you see their reaction; totally alienated. They all seem to be enjoying themselves, when in reality they are all seeking. Nothing seems to satisfy them. It is only when we get them to see through this facade that they realise that Jesus is the only answer.

Q4. (Ephesians 4:12) What's wrong with the old model of the minister or pastor being the main worker in the Church? How does it hinder people in the congregation? How does it hurt the community? What is the purpose of pastors and teachers? Every Christian is commissioned to serve our Lord. We are given gifts to perfect or equip us to serve the Lord, and thus to build up the body of Christ. We cannot expect pastors to serve in such a way as to make people perpetually dependent on them. Instead, they should work toward the day when we as Christians will be able to carry on by ourselves. Every Christian is meant to be in full-time Christian service. In this way the church grows and expands and serves the community. So, if this is does not occur it prevents the people in the congregation from growing spiritually as well as not serving the community as it could or should. The bottom line is then that pastors and teachers are there to equip, prepare and train us as believers to serve the Lord. I

Q3. (Ephesians 4:11) How could a person have the spiritual gift of pastor or teacher without having an official position in a church? What must a church do if its "senior pastor" doesn't have the spiritual gift of pastor? Who gives these gifts? I feel this occurs at most churches. There are specially gifted people who have been given the gift of caring for the spiritual needs of others, and they are not pastors. I was a member of a church were the pastor was more of a teacher and the elders had to take over the duties of a pastor. This only lasted for about two years and the pastor eventually left to go into a different ministry where he was more of an administrator. We received excellent teaching and the elders coped very well, but yet the church was not functioning as it should have. I feel the Holy Spirit is the one that gives special gifts to each one of us; gifts that we can use to glorify our Lord and Saviour.

Q2. (Ephesians 4:11) How can we stir up the gift of evangelism among members of our congregations? What might be the earmarks of a person with this gift? How can we encourage and stimulate the Spirit-gifted evangelists in our midst? I remember doing a course, at our church, on giving our testimonies. It helped us tremendously in becoming comfortable in speaking to others about how we came to Jesus. We practised and became more skilled and confident. This could be a start in stirring others to evangelise. They could then realise they have the gift to share the gospel with others. A person with a passion for spreading the message of salvation, one that realises the urgent need that exists in the world today, are perhaps the characteristics of a person with this gift. Evangelist need our support and we can do this with our prayer support, financial support, encouragement, and communicating with them, understanding their needs and concerns.

Q1. (Ephesians 4:11) If there were apostles today, what kind of function might they have? What needs do our congregations and regional groupings of churches have that an apostle might meet? How might we detect false apostles? (2 Corinthians 11:13; Revelation 2:2) They would be sent as special messengers to spread the Word and to establish churches. They would also be responsible for a group of churches, being the overall leader of that group. We will detect any false apostles by their teachings and if they should act on their own behalf and not in the interest of his group of churches.

Q4. (Ephesians 4:7-10) Who gives spiritual gifts? Can our "natural" talents be related to our "spiritual" gifts? How? What is the difference between a natural God-given talent and a spiritual gift? The ascended Jesus gives us each spiritual gifts. There is no difference between our talents or spiritual gifts if they are both used for His glory. Both are given by Christ. We must take comfort in the fact that whatever gifts we have received, either great or small, they are to be used as He requires.

Q3. (Ephesians 4:3) How much energy must we expend on Christian unity? What is "the bond of peace"? How do we strike at peace when we are intent on argument and dissension? We are told to make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit, and as Pastor Ralph mentions

Q2. (Ephesians 4:2) Why are patience and humility so important to preserving unity? What happens to the reputation of Jesus Christ when we have right doctrine along with a sense of arrogance towards those who disagree with us? How are we to be both "gentle" and to "fight the good fight of faith"? If only we will remember that our entrance into the church and into God

Q1. (Ephesians 4:1) According to verse 1, what is the standard of our behaviour? What is the "calling" to which God has called us? We are to behave as one body. We should be concentrating on the things that unite us: one Lord, one faith, one Spirit, and one God. Differences often cause division but if we make a determined effort these can be overcome, especially if we acknowledge the viewpoints of others. We are called to follow Jesus, to be like Him and also to bring glory to Him.

Q4. (4:19-20) In this context, what is the condition that must be met for the promise to be valid? What is the limit of the fulfilment of the promise? In your own words, what does the promise mean to you? I think this is a specific promise to all of us, who faithfully and devotedly give in the name of Jesus. It promises that we will never lack. It is also true in a general sense that God does supply the needs of His people. I am however very aware and cautious that I do not only give in order to receive. I give because I want to out of my love for Jesus. He is our Heavenly Father and we are his creatures and it is not for us to make demands on Him. He gives and provides because of His love for us through our Lord Jesus.

Q4. (4:19-20) In this context, what is the condition that must be met for the promise to be valid? What is the limit of the fulfilment of the promise? In your own words, what does the promise mean to you? I think this is a specific promise to all of us, who faithfully and devotedly give in the name of Jesus. It promises that we will never lack. It is also true in a general sense that God does supply the needs of His people. I am however very aware and cautious that I do not only give in order to receive. I give because I want to out of my love for Jesus. He is our Heavenly Father and we are his creatures and it is not for us to make demands on Him. He gives and provides because of His love for us through our Lord Jesus.

Q2. (4:11-13) What is the basis of Paul's contentment? Does this contentment undermine ambition? What is necessary for us to achieve this kind of contentment? Paul had to learn to be contented; it is not something that comes automatically. As he stated, he experienced both little and plenty. Later he was to become independent of circumstance and this because he became dependent upon Christ. This total dependence on Christ is what gave him his contentment. I don

Q1. (4:11-12) How can a "prosperity doctrine" threaten Christian ministry? To what prime motivation in us does such a teaching often appeal? In balance, what does the Bible teach about poverty and riches? The prosperity doctrine gets us to focus on materialism, and also on what God can do for us instead of what we should be doing for God. We must realise that everything we possess is ultimately from God, and also in reality it all belongs to Him, we are only the custodians. It is this realisation that can free us from enslavement to materialism. As long as we seek security in money, and possessions, we will fail. God wants us to learn the lesson that security is only found in Jesus Christ. There is no school or textbook that will teach us this lesson; it can only be learnt through experience. The prevailing philosophy of our day is that the more things we have, the more we want, and the more our lives will be enriched. However this is not true, some of the unhappy people in the world are wealthy celebrities who do not have a life. They are fabulously rich but miserable. Fame and fortune do not equate contentment. If we rest our joy on circumstance, our joy is vulnerable to circumstance. Our circumstances do not need to determine our state of mind. Our state of mind can be content if we learn that our source of satisfaction is Jesus Christ. We have to learn to be Christ-sufficient.

Q4. (Ephesians 3:21) What might be different in your own congregation if bringing glory to God were considered the very most important function of the church? What would be different in your life if bringing God glory was your most important job, bar none? I feel our church is doing a good job in bringing glory to God. We are very much focused on our Lord Jesus. Of course, there is always room for improvement. It is only when we start putting ourselves first that we have internal bickering. As far as my life is concerned, I feel there would be much room for improvement. I

Q4. (4:8) Why is mind control necessary for success? For mental and spiritual peace? What have you decided to focus on instead of your anxieties? How is this working for you? All sin begins in our thoughts. Jesus said,

Q3. (Ephesians 3:16, 19) What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit" (verse 16)? Is this a one-time experience or a continual reality? What can we do to be filled with the Spirit? Is it different or the same as being "filled with all the fullness of God" (verse 19)? In John 14:16 Jesus tells us that we will possess the Holy Spirit from the moment we believe. He also promised that the indwelling would be permanent. So we distinguish the indwelling from the filling of the Spirit. Ideally we should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit so that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. However in Ephesians 4:30 we read that the Holy Spirit can be grieved,

Q3. (4:7) How does making our requests known to God help build a relationship and trust? What is God's part in the promise of peace? When we ask God for anything and are convinced that God will answer, knowing that He works all things together for our good; we have learned to trust our Heavenly Father. We submit to whatever He chooses to do; we surrender all. It is then that we receive the peace of God which transcends all understanding. It is a peace that promises to stand guard over our soul. God protects our hearts and minds from inner disturbance. We know that God is the source of this peace. Jesus said in John 14:27,

Q2. (4:6) How is a request in prayer altered by the presence of thanksgiving in the prayer? How does thanksgiving affect our faith as we pray? I can truly say, like most of us I

Q2. (3:18-19) What kinds of things prevent us from comprehending the far reaches of Christ's love? What happens in the way we live when we do comprehend, know, and experience this love? What would be different about your life if you could grasp this? We understand that God is love, but this is not enough; we need divine power to understand the deeper dimensions of the love of Christ. To fully experience the Christian life we need to be filled with the love of Christ, a love that surpasses understanding and knowledge. To grow in Christ, we as Christians must consistently stay in fellowship with our Lord through confession of sin, and learning and applying Bible teaching. The growth of our Christian love is a sign that we have been learning and applying doctrine. "By their fruit you shall know them..." Occupation with the person of Christ is the ultimate result of love, and love is the means of reaching maturity and growing and knowing how to apply this love to our fellow human beings. I know I can never fully comprehend this love of Christ.

Q1. (Ephesians 3:16-17) Do the concepts of "strengthened by the Spirit in the inner person", and "Christ dwelling in our hearts" say the same thing, or are they separate and distinct ideas? What do you think? I think they mean the same; as Pastor Ralph says "these are two ways to express the same truth". Christ and the Spirit cannot be separated. When we as believers have the Spirit within ourselves we have Christ within ourselves, as is very clear from Romans 8:9-10," You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness." Christ's precious indwelling is through faith; and faith is full surrender to God in Christ.

Q1. (4:4-5) Is rejoicing in the Lord a feeling or an action? How should you seek to fulfil this command if you don't feel like it? What is the effect of rejoicing? Rejoicing in the Lord is not an automatic feeling, but rather a deliberate choice; it is a matter of obedience. It does not mean that we are immune to feeling sad or depressed, but deep down we know that our Heavenly Father is sovereign and our lives are in His hands. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a solid abiding contentment in God who has given us His promises in His Word.

Q4. What does Ephesians 3:12 teach us about the manner of approaching God? What happens if we try to pray without these qualities? The three important words here are access, boldness, and confidence. Our access is our liberty to speak to God in prayer. It could be a very frightening experience to come into the presence of our mighty God, but thanks to Christ, by faith we can enter directly into God's presence through prayer. We know we will be welcomed with open arms because we are God's children through our union with Christ. Since Christ Jesus is ours and we are his, bought with his blood, indwelt by his Spirit, we know that we have free and unrestricted access to the Father. Our boldness is the respectful attitude and absence of fear we have as children addressing their Father. Such boldness is possible only through our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now we can and should approach him without restraint, telling him all our troubles, asking him to help us in all our needs. Our confidence is the assurance of a welcome, a hearing, and a wise and loving answer. What an awesome privilege to be able to approach God with this freedom and confidence.

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship? It is only by being occupied with heavenly things that we know where our heart will be. We read in Matthew 6:21,