Calvary Vero Home Groups

Week of 03/30/25

Pastor Nate Gallagher

Ephesians 5:8-14

Introduction

In Sunday’s teaching we learned about our life once as darkness and now as light. We were once darkness but we are now light in the Lord. Now that we are in the light we need to “Walk as children of the light.” V 5:8. The first 3 chapters of Ephesians expresses at length all the things we have because of Jesus and in Jesus. Consider 1:3 “blessed us with every spiritual blessing..” The rest of the book tells us how we ought to “walk” as a result of all God has done and is doing. We are instructed to walk in light, and her in our passage we begin to see how this is to play out in our lives practically.

Pastor Nate spoke mostly about sanctification and spiritual formation. Sanctification is defined as: The ongoing process by which believers, through the work of the Holy Spirit are progressively transformed into the likeness of Christ.

For the sake of our time together, rather than focusing on the darkness which was our previous condition, lets focus on Walking in the light which is our current condition and the most important aspect of our Christian walk as it relates to our witness in a world of darkness. Jesus came to expose the darkness and bring people into the light of God. Our lives should be a witness of this work of God by being the light of God.

The condition of light does several things:

  • Light exposes darkness and lies - How does the light of God do this and how do we do this?

  • Light Illuminates and helps direct the path - How does the light of God do this in our lives and how can we help do this in the lives of others?

  • Light brings about growth and fruit - How does this happen in our Christian lives? Fruit is produced through the presence of God. What does time in Gods presence look like in your life?

We have been shaped and formed in large part to our upbringing, education, culture, learned habits, etc.. Now that we have met Christ and are being transformed we are called to walk in the light which requires intentional Counter Formation which also requires intent and participation with God on our part. There are a couple ways in which this takes place.

  1. Through God’s word informing us through resonance. That is those things we see in God’s word that resonate with us and we agree with as right, just, true, etc.. These things are readily agreeable to us and easy to live in obedience to.

2. Through God’s word we are also formed through resistance. What does being formed through resistance mean?

3 points were made as it relates to intentional formation and practices we can form to help in the process so that we can walk as light in this dark world.

  • Strategy (prayer, Scripture, Confession, Discernment, Worship, Service, etc.)

  • Consistency (Do it. Do it again. Keep doing it.)

  • Community (Accountability and growing together)

What does “Settling in sanctification mean? How can we avoid this and help each other from growing stagnant in our walk with the Lord?

What are some ways you have been or are currently being called to deeper sanctification?

How has your community of Christian friends helped you in your formation in Christ?

John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Ephesians 5:8 …Walk as children of light.