May 12, 2025
Ephesians 5:1-14 (HCSB)
5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. 2 And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.
Light versus Darkness
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear, 14 for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:
Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you.
Ron Estes
I am the youngest of three children. My brother and sister favor my mom’s side of the family. They have similar personality traits and even similar appearances. I am the one that looks like my dad. As I grow older, I have noticed that I am beginning to exhibit some of my father’s mannerisms. When people see our family together, they often comment on who we look like or who we ‘take after.’ In this scripture, Paul is encouraging the church people to make every effort to ‘take after’ or resemble our Lord Jesus Christ. He tells them to love, to sacrifice and do what is right and pleasing to the Lord. Paul also tells them to avoid sin, evil, selfishness, foolishness, greed and disobedience. Verse 8 is clear that we are to live like children who belong to the Light, then people will know that we behave like, or ‘take after’, our Heavenly Father.
5 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. 2 And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.
Light versus Darkness
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made clear, 14 for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:
Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead,
and the Messiah will shine on you.
Ron Estes
I am the youngest of three children. My brother and sister favor my mom’s side of the family. They have similar personality traits and even similar appearances. I am the one that looks like my dad. As I grow older, I have noticed that I am beginning to exhibit some of my father’s mannerisms. When people see our family together, they often comment on who we look like or who we ‘take after.’ In this scripture, Paul is encouraging the church people to make every effort to ‘take after’ or resemble our Lord Jesus Christ. He tells them to love, to sacrifice and do what is right and pleasing to the Lord. Paul also tells them to avoid sin, evil, selfishness, foolishness, greed and disobedience. Verse 8 is clear that we are to live like children who belong to the Light, then people will know that we behave like, or ‘take after’, our Heavenly Father.
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Questions for the WeekConnect Lesson for Sunday, March 2, 2025March 3, 2025A Note from Pastor HDMarch 4, 2025March 5, 2025March 6, 2025March 7, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 9, 2025March 10, 2025March 11, 2025March 12, 2025March 13, 2025March 14, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 16, 2025March 17, 2025March 18, 2025March 19, 2025March 20, 2025March 21, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 23, 2025March 24, 2025March 25, 2025March 26, 2025March 27, 2025March 28, 2025Questions for the WeekSunday Connect Lesson for March 30, 2025March 31, 2025
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