Ephesians 4:7-13
Your Story
Tell your family about a time when you had to work together with others as a team to be able to get something done. Would you have been able to do that thing alone? How did it feel working together as a team? How did you feel after it was accomplished?
My Story and the Bible Story
When I was a teenager, we often performed a skit in my youth group called “The Body of Christ.” We would all say, “We are the body of Christ, the body of Christ, the body of Christ. We are the body of Christ; the body needs all its parts to work.” Then we would say “except for . . .” followed by a body part (hands, feet, ears, eyes, etc.). We would then have to try to do things without those parts. What followed was a funny but eye-opening reminder that, just as it’s much easier for us to move with all of our parts, it is much easier for the body of Christ to show people our Savior when everyone is doing what God has called them to do.
Read Ephesians 4:7-13.
God has given each of us different gifts. Some are called to preach, others to teach, others to make snacks for Vacation Bible School, still others to fix the air conditioner when it breaks, others to build homes, etc. We are all important to the body of Christ. Every one of us has a role, whether we are six years old, sixty years old, or one hundred. When we work together as the body of Christ, we become efficient and graceful, united in our faith in God. Jesus says our faith can move mountains. When we are all united in our faith, impossible things no longer seem quite so daunting, and those mountains start to move.
Discussion and Prayer
- Talk to your children about the roles they play in the body of Christ. Ask them which body part they think they are: an elbow, a hand, an ear, etc. Also ask them how they can use the talents God has given them to share God’s love with others (you may need to help them list their talents).
- Talk about what role you play in the body of Christ. How can you use your talents to further the kingdom of God?
- Talk about big things your church has done when they have been united.
- What are some ways that you and your family can be the body of Christ this week?
- Pray, thanking God for giving each of us different gifts. Ask God to help the people of your church and other Christians work together to show love to others.
Rev. Jessica Asbell is the Minister to Children and Families at First Baptist Roswell, where she has been serving since 2012. She has written the children’s curriculum for Smyth & Helwys’s Annual Bible Study for the books of Daniel; Ezekiel; Luke; Jonah; 1 Corinthians; 1, 2, 3 John and Jude; Colossians; The Story of Israel’s Ancestors: Living toward a Promise; and Where Faith & Family Meet: A Book of Weekly Devotions. She has also written for CBF’s Spark and Form and for Affect in CBF’s fellowship! magazine. Married to Jonathan Oravec, Jessica reads every chance she gets.
