MONDAY - November 9

Read. Ephesians 4:1-16

Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. 2 Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, 3 and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. 4 You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.

7 God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ. 8 That’s why scripture says, When he climbed up to the heights, he captured prisoners, and he gave gifts to people.[a]

9 What does the phrase “he climbed up” mean if it doesn’t mean that he had first gone down into the lower regions, the earth? 10 The one who went down is the same one who climbed up above all the heavens so that he might fill everything.

11 He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. 12 His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ 13 until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others.15 Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, 16 who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.

Reflect. Over the past few weeks we have been using terms from American political culture to try to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. This just so happens to coincide with our presidential election. At the writing of this, it is still unclear as to who the president will be for the next four years. What is clear is that the American ideal of “indivisible” seems uncertain. Many lament the fact that Americans seem more divided today than at any other point in their memory. If America was once “indivisible,” it does not seem to be so today. 

• For those that follow the way of Jesus, we know that the nations of the earth are only temporary. This does not mean that we should hide from public life or desire for disunity in our nation. However, it does mean that for Christians true unity and indivisibility is found not in the nationstate, but rather in the cross of Jesus. 
• In Ephesians, Paul is writing to remind us that followers of Jesus are united, that the followers of Jesus are one body. This unity that Paul sees is not uniformity. Instead, perhaps, Paul is talking about unity in diversity. Each has a different role to play, each has a different outlook, each has a unique perspective and giftedness. These different roles and perspectives, though, do not tear the body apart; instead it is in the difference that the body of Christ finds strength as differences are held together in love. 
• This practice of Christian faith is counter to our current American culture. This practice of faith binds together Christians who happen to be conservative and who happen to be liberal. In what ways do you see the unity of fellow believers? How can the church be a force for unity during our divided times? How can you be a force for unity during our divided times? 

Pray. Take a few moments to pray for the unity in the church, and for followers of Jesus to set an example of how people can live united even in their differences. 
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COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST

Doug Lawson. Collier. Glenn Ethridge. Adam Funderburk.  Mary Reber.  Linda Harmon. Betty Carolyn Ward. Albert Rasanke. Lois Robinson. Ross Henley. Tiny & Donald Creasman. Bonnie Brenner. Baker Family. Robert McKenzie Family. Kibler family. Carolyn Harlow. Jeff Green. Earl Graves. Mickey Huff. Huff & Welch families. Helen Leigh. Paul Huffman. Schools, Teachers, Staff, Parents, Students. Church regathering plans. Layman family. Charlene Withrow. Brandon Casteel. Dirk Orr family. Smith family. Crowder family. Lillard family. Family of Floyd Eaton. Family of Eddie Rynes. Robertson Family. Harmon Family. Nancy Ryan & family. Bobby Roberts. Elizabeth May & family. Melvin Rinehart. Susan Rogers. Brandon Haugh. Barbara Buchanan & family. Harold Cordell. Debbie Arrowwood. Maggie Morgan family. Kay Ledford. Lacey Hitchcock and baby River. Leita. Rose Blyler. Tina Sage. Dave McKale. Chris Denton. Drew Ellison.