Silence: Find a quiet place, remove potential distractions, clear your mind of other thoughts, and ask God to speak to you as you read and contemplate this passage:

Reflective Reading: Read Ephesians 4:11-16 thoughtfully:

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until 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.

14 Then 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 people in their deceitful scheming. 15 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. 16 From 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.

Meditation: Reflect on this letter from Paul to the church at Ephesus, the main theme of which is unity within the church, with secondary themes of how the church should function and each believer’s call and gift. What is God speaking to you through this exchange? What do you feel is Paul’s key message in this passage?

Oration: From your reading and prayer, verbalize or write in the space below your response to what God is speaking to you from this passage:

Contemplation: Over the next day, contemplate this passage and what God is saying to you. Think on these topics:

• These verses highlight church leaders’ responsibility ‘to equip His people for works of service’. Who then has primary responsibility for the ‘works of service’ that our church is called to?
• Have you ever spent time in the gym or weight room, in order to prepare your body (build it up) for your position in a sport? Have you ever considered Paul’s thought that we (the body of Christ) need to be ‘built up’ for our work in the church?
• Paul says each part (member) in the body of Christ has its own work. How effectively would you rate your work in the body at First Baptist?
• Are you as critical of your own work in the body as you are of others?
• What actions might this passage be directing you to begin?