Growing Strong - Ephesians 4:11

In this episode of Weekly Wisdom with Jeff Schreve, we explore Ephesians 4:11 and the journey of growing strong in faith. Join us as we delve into understanding the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in perfecting the saints and edifying the body of Christ. Through prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit, we learn how to stand firm in truth while being a beacon of love. Discover the importance of unity and maturity in faith with this powerful message on Pray.com.

Welcome to Weekly Wisdom, an inspirational series hosted by Pastor Jeff Schreve. Each week, Pastor Jeff illuminates different sections of the Holy Bible, meticulously extracting pivotal themes and life lessons that can enrich and uplift your daily life. 

This series invites you to delve deeper into understanding the scripture, offering a transformative platform for spiritual growth. As you navigate through this journey, you will be offered an opportunity to fortify your relationship with God, accompanied by Pastor Jeff's insightful guidance. 

Join us weekly as we engage in heartfelt prayer and foster a stronger connection to God, under the expert guidance of Pastor Jeff Schreve. Experience a profound transformation as you embrace the wisdom of the Bible, distilled for you, each week.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ephesians four, beginning in verse eleven, says this, and he
gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and
some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the Body of Christ, till we all come in the
unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure

(00:22):
of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we
henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight
of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait
to deceive. But speaking the truth and love may grow
up into Him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ. Let's pray Father in Heaven. We want to

(00:46):
be people who know the truth, and we want to
be people who speak the truth and love. We don't
want to be blown about by every wind of doctrine.
So Lord, teach us by your spirit. Teach us the truth,
and help us to walk in it, and help us
to stand for it. Help us to be good soldiers
of Christ Jesus who know the truth and who are

(01:07):
willing to share the truth no matter the cost. In Jesus' name.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
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Speaker 1 (02:30):
Hi, friends, and welcome to this episode of the Weekly
Wisdom podcast from Prey dot com. I'm Pastor Jeff Sree,
the pastor of First Baptist Church in Texar, Canada, Texas
and the founder of From His Heart Ministries. The Bible
says in Ephesians chapter four, beginning in verse eleven, and
he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists,

(02:52):
and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of crime Rist, till we all come in
the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that
we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro

(03:15):
and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the
slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into Him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ. As Christians, it is critically important for us

(03:36):
to grow up big and strong in our faith, just
as a child grows into adulthood, and God desires us
to become mature in our beliefs and grounded in His
truth and built up to the fullness of Christ. Now,
in the verses we just read in Ephesians chapter four,
the apostle Paul tells us that God has given gifts

(03:56):
to the church to equip the saints for the work
of service us to build up the body of Christ,
and to attain unity and faith and knowledge of the
Son of God. The goal is for us to grow
up to mature so that we won't be tossed about
by waves and carried away by every wind of doctrine.
And then we speak the truth in love. That's how

(04:18):
we combat that by speaking the truth and love. Now,
to grow strong in our Christian life, we must receive
the truth in love and walk in the truth. We
can't find our way or experience the good things of
God that He has for us unless we accept the
truth of the Word of God and put it into
practice in our daily lives. Now, let me share with

(04:39):
you three discoveries about truth. Number one, truth is not subjective,
it is objective. And what's the difference Subjective truth is
based in the opinions and preferences of the subject, whereas
objective truth is based in the facts of the object.

(05:00):
For example, if I say blue is the best color, well,
that's a subjective statement. That's my opinion. But if I
say the sky is blue, that's an objective statement about
the sky. Biblical truth is objective and absolute. It's what
God says about reality, about certainty, and about fact. Objective

(05:25):
truth is true regardless of the situation, regardless of the
circumstances or the day and age. Objective truth never changes,
while subjective truth changes with the wind. Now, the second
discovery about truth is that it is revealed to us
by God John fourteen six, Jesus said, I am the

(05:47):
Way and the Truth and the Life. He is the
embodiment of truth, and through him we come to know truth.
The Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to be with us
after he ascended into heaven, and he's the one who
guides us into all truth. We can't know truth on
our own or through human wisdom. It's only revealed to

(06:09):
us by God. And the third discovery we make about
truth is this, It sets us free. In John chapter eight,
verse thirty two, Jesus said, and ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. The truth of
God's word frees us from the lies of the enemy,
from the lies and deception of the world, and from

(06:31):
the sin that so easily entangles us. The truth gives
us clarity and direction for our lives, and it brings
us into a closer relationship with God. As we continue
to grow spiritually, let's pray that God would reveal his
truth to us, that we would have open hearts and
minds to receive it, and that we would walk in

(06:52):
it with love and gratitude and obedience. Pray with me,
Gracious Heavenly Father, We thank you for the truth of
your word and for the love that you've shown to
us and showered upon us. In Jesus Christ, help us
to grow strong in our faith by receiving and walking

(07:13):
in the truth of your word. We ask that you
guide us and give us wisdom to discern what is
true and what is not, and to always speak the
truth and love. May we continue to be built up
as a part of your body, Lord, working together for
the building up of your kingdom. And we pray all
these things in the matchless name of Jesus. Amen, you've

(07:38):
been listening to Pastor Jeff Shreeve, the pastor of First
Baptist Church in Texas, Canada, Texas and the founder from
his Heart Ministries. May the Lord bless you and keep you,
and make his face shine upon you, and be gracious
to you and grant you peace.