Brick By Brick
Introduction
Are you building or breaking?
It’s a question that hits different when life is heavy. When we’re emotionally exhausted, spiritually drained, or just trying to make it from one day to the next, it’s easy to go numb. And numbness doesn’t just affect your feelings, it affects your faith.
But God didn’t design us for survival mode. He designed us to thrive. And in this week’s Thrive Together message, we looked at Ephesians 4:17-24, where Paul lays out how to move from survival to transformation. It begins with one simple truth: if you want to thrive, you have to start living different.
Discussion Questions
Outline
I. Be Real. Eph 4:25, 29
II. Deal With It. Eph 4:26-27, 31
III. Give Away. Ephy 4:28, 32
Study Questions
1. What’s something someone said to you that stuck with you for years…good or bad?
2. Look at Ephesians 4:25 and 29. What does Paul say we should be doing with our words? Why is truth-telling so foundational to unity and trust? What makes it hard to speak truth in love?
3. In verse 29, Paul says our words should build up others. How can we be more self-aware of the power of our words to build up or tear down? What’s the difference between building up and just being nice?
4. Reread verse 26-27 and 31. Why do you think unresolved anger is so dangerous, both personally and in the church? How can we tell the difference between righteous anger and meanness?
5. Bitterness can simmer quietly for years while looking like “justified frustration.” How can you tell when anger has turned into something deeper and destructive? How does this hurt us spiritually? Why is it important to deal with it in a Godly way?
6. Verses 28 and 32 talks about living generously with our work, our possessions, and our forgiveness. How can our attitudes about money, work, and giving build or break relationships? What happens when forgiveness is withheld in the church or in our relationships?
7. CALL TO ACTION: Memorize Ephesians 4:29. Talk with someone you trust about you typically speak to or treat others, or lingering anger and bitterness. Be willing to listen without defending yourself and deal with it. Look for ways to build others up through encouragement, truth, grace, and forgiveness.