Healthy, Focused, Growing
February 13, 2023

Welcome to Westside!

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make 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 when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)

Bridgebuilders— A Series on Unity

Recap: What Have We Learned?
1. The mission of the church requires the unity of God’s people.
2. Jesus paid a high price for the unity of the church.
3. Not every issue is a matter of our salvation.
4. We need to separate fact from fiction
5. Quick / Slow / Slow

Where Do We Go From Here?

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

Key Words from Ephesians 4:11-13
1. Equip — Training and mentoring each other to better serve the Lord.
2. Built Up (Edified) — Encouraging each other and strengthening the body.
3. Unity — Love, fellowship, and a shared sense of purpose
4. Mature — Wise, resilient, calm in the midst of chaos.
5. Fullness of Christ — The overflowing presence of Jesus in our midst.

What Happens When the Church Does This?

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16 (NIV)

Notice how Paul Emphasizes Growing, Maturity, and Service.
1. Maturity doesn’t happen on its own; it’s the result of intentional spiritual growth
2. Growth doesn’t happen on its own; it’s the result of a united church family building each other up.
3. Unity and Edification don’t happen on their own; they are the result of a church family being equipped for works of service.
4. Works of service aren’t going to happen unless there’s an intentional effort to equip people to serve and a commitment that each person is willing to do their work.
5. And none of that is possible unless we are all committed to being part of the same body, with Jesus as the head.

Three Words for 2023: Healthy, Focused, Growing.

Healthy: Pursuing health as a church, in our relationships, and in our walk with God.

  1. A church that’s filled with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. A church that process conflict, tragedy, and adversity in a healthy way.
  2. Helping people develop healthy habits in their relationships with each other
  3. Helping people develop a healthy habits in their relationship with God

Focused: Avoiding the distractions that pull us away from God’s calling on our lives.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Francis Chan

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

Growing: Gratitude for how far we’ve come and a hunger for the next part of the journey.

The Wrong Question: How can we survive?
The Right Question: How can we pursue God’s will?

Upcoming Opportunities

  1. Volunteer in our kids ministry!
  2. Springfest (March 24-26) — Volunteer, host a group, attend the sessions.
  3. Mega Sports Camp (June 12-15) — Pray about the event and what role you might play.
  4. Vacation Bible School (July 17-20) — Save the date and start praying for the kids who will attend.

New Message Series Next Week: “What Must I Do to be Saved?” Taking a closer look at salvation.

Church of the Week: Living Grace Community Church

Prayer & Invitation

During the invitation song, you may come forward to…
1. Commit Your life to Christ
2. Pray About a Difficult Situation
3. Talk About Baptism or Next Steps

Tap here to Respond to today’s message

Questions? Contact Bryan: (609) 356-3147 or bfojtasek@westsidelife.org.