The Work of Ministry


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Sunday Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16 (NRSV)

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Read more…

Looking to Sunday: Preparing to Hear From God

by Elaine Poproski

Last week’s sermon focused on Equipping the Saints. It can be summarized like this: We are all saints. We all need equipping for the work of ministry. The goal is maturity in Christ for all of us. At the end of the sermon I challenged you to reflect on ways to become more mature in faith found in Ephesians 4-6. If you haven’t already re-read those chapters of Ephesians, I encourage you to do that before Sunday.

This week we are moving to the second part of Ephesians 4:12: For the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. The reason the saints (that’s us) are equipped is for the work of ministry. We’ll be looking at what that might mean for all of us on Sunday. To prepare to participate in the worship service, I suggest that each of us think about roadblocks that prevent growth in faith, and participation in the work of ministry. What prevents you from being an equipped saint? What prevents you from doing the work of ministry? Once you’ve identified your roadblocks, give them to God. Ask God for insight into what you need to do next in your life of faith. Listen for what God says to you.