1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. 9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.

11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Big Idea: God builds a strong church when every believer is united, gifted, equipped, and growing together in Christ.

Four Building Blocks of a Strong Church Family

1) ONE Family (Unity — 4:1–6)

• Walk worthy of your calling. (v.1)

Your walk should match your talk.

• Treat each other like family. (v.2)

Humility, gentleness, patience, love.

• Protect the unity. (v.3)

Unity is fragile—peace takes effort.

• Remember what makes us one. (vv.4–6)

One Lord. One faith. One Father.

Unity is not the absence of difference—

it’s the presence of Jesus.

2) PURPOSE Gifts (Diversity — 4:7–10)

Grace isn’t just for you—it’s for others through you.

• Grace is personal. (v.7)

“Each one” means you belong and you matter.

• Grace is purposeful. (v.7)

Jesus supplies what His church needs through His people.

• Grace is victorious. (vv.8–10)

Jesus gives gifts as the risen King.

Everyone has grace.

Everyone has a gift.

Everyone has a role.

3) EQUIPPED to Serve (Ministry — 4:11–12)

Leaders don’t do all the ministry—leaders equip the ministry.

• Christ appoints leaders. (v.11)

• Leaders equip people. (v.12)

• People do ministry. (v.12)

Ministry isn’t something you watch—it’s something you join.

• The body is built up. (v.12)

Healthy churches aren’t just fed—they’re formed.

We measure health by, “Am I becoming like Jesus… and "Am I helping others follow Him?”

4) GROW Into Maturity (Growth — 4:13–16)

We grow up as we build up.

• Maturity is the goal. (v.13)

• Maturity makes us stable. (v.14)

• Maturity speaks truth in love. (v.15)

• Maturity needs every part. (v.16)

When one part is missing, the body doesn’t function the same.

The church gets stronger when everybody contributes.

NEXT STEPS

1—Belong — Find your people.

2—Build — Do your part.

3—Be Known — Don’t do life alone.

4—Protect Unity — Fight for peace.

Jesus is our center.

The Word is our foundation.

And community is where we grow strong.