Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is an amazingly rich manuscript for both Christian theology and practice. Paul begins the letter by delineating all the spiritual blessings that believers have in Christ. Then he prays a prayer of thanksgiving for the faith that the Ephesian believers have in Him. In chapter 2, Paul gives us a beautiful portrayal of the essence of salvation which is summed up in Ephesians 2:8-10. Next, he describes the unity believers have because of that faith in Jesus Christ. Here in chapter 4, he continues this theme of unity but he makes specific application for it—he emphasizes the unity that believers should have in the church, the Body of Christ.

But how is unity possible among such a wide-range of diversity? That’s what Paul addresses in the first half of Ephesians 4. We will discover that our approach to life is important to the unity of the church, this Body of Christ. We will see how that our spiritual giftedness is also important for the unity of the church, this Body of Christ. We will discover God’s plan for accomplishing His will in this world through the church, this Body of Christ. And we will see how that God wants every member of this church, this Body of Christ, to be used to accomplish His plan and His purposes. For this reason, it is imperative that you discover your ministry SHAPE! How can you be effectively used by God if you do not know your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences.