Ephesians 4:1-16
4I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” 9(When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
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There comes a time in all of our lives when we must face it, we must recognize that it is time. It is time to grow up and live lives of productive and true adulthood. For me I think the turning point in my life was shortly after I recovered from viral meningitis in college. I was just floating through life, just getting by. But the life-threatening illness really woke me up to what was in front of me, the responsibilities that I was overlooking, and the possibilities that lie ahead if I just claim it.
But how does this play out in our lives of faith? The author of Ephesians (some say Paul) writes, “4We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” This growth is found only in Christ. Jesus Christ is the head of the body that is wholly and utterly connected, each and every part of the body grows and functions in and through its connection with the other parts of the body. It is only through this connection that is in and through Jesus Christ that the body grows up into that which is called to be. May we stay connected and grow in and through this body that is Christ.
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Loving God, you have knit us together into your body. May we seek to stay connected to ALL parts of the body in order that we may grow up into that which you intend us to be together. Amen.
Growing Deep in God's Word 
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