Multiply Church (Pensacola)

In Ephesians 5:21–6:9, Paul shows us that following Jesus isn't just about what we believe or how we behave at church, but how we love and serve the people closest to us. Whether in marriage, parenting, or the workplace, a Spirit-filled life is marked by humility, sacrificial love, and a willingness to put others before ourselves. The people closest to us should have the clearest picture of Christ in us, because the gospel doesn't just change our hearts; it transforms our relationships.

Ephesians 5, Paul reminds us that belonging to God's family means learning to walk like our Father. Because Jesus has rescued us from darkness and brought us into the light, we're called to imitate his sacrificial love, reject the patterns of our old lives, and live intentionally through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's time to wake up to the new walk and live like the people God has made us to be.

In Ephesians 4:17-32, Paul challenges the church to take off the old life and put on the new. Our identity in Christ should change the way we think, speak, and live. As we continue growing into the people God has called us to be, we must learn to hate sin, deepen our love for God, and lean into His people. God’s grace doesn’t leave us where it found us, but continually shapes us to look more like Jesus.

In Ephesians 4:1–16, Paul paints a picture of a church growing up together into Christ. We're called to walk differently, united by one Lord, uniquely gifted to play our part, and committed to helping one another mature. Church isn't simply something we attend; it's a family where God shapes us into the likeness of Jesus. One body. Many parts. One purpose. Becoming more like Jesus.

In Ephesians 2:11-22, we see that God’s great redemptive plan was never simply to build a new you, but to build a new humanity. Through the cross, Jesus tears down the walls that separate us, brings us near to God, and makes us one family filled with His Spirit. The church is not just an event we attend, but a people we belong to as we grow together into the dwelling place of God.

In Ephesians 2:1–10, Paul reminds us of the radical transformation that takes place through the gospel: though we were dead in our sin, God, rich in mercy and great in love, made us alive in Christ. Salvation is entirely a gift of grace, received through faith—not something we can earn through our works. But this grace doesn’t leave us unchanged; we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to walk in the good works He has prepared for us. Because of what God has done, we are invited to live by faith, join Him in His work, and allow His grace to continually shape who we are.

Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus wasn’t that God would give them something new, but that He would open their eyes to see what was already theirs in Christ. We have hope in our calling, we are treasured by God, and resurrection power is at work in us right now. Open your eyes, own what’s yours, and move from simply admiring the life of faith to actively living it.

Growing up in faith starts with knowing who you are. In Ephesians 1, Paul shows us that our identity is rooted in what God has already done: He has chosen us, adopted us, redeemed us, and sealed us with His Spirit. That identity gives us security, shapes how we strengthen one another, and sends us into the world with purpose.

This Sunday, as we celebrate Family Commissioning, we’ll look at Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30 and be reminded that everything we have—including our children, gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities—has been entrusted to us by God. Because God knows us and graciously gives according to our ability, our calling is not to compare what we’ve been given with what someone else has received, but to faithfully steward what belongs to Him. Whether as parents, students, or members of the church family, we all have a role to play in faithfully investing what God has entrusted to us for the sake of His kingdom. Ultimately, our faithfulness isn’t about our success or our glory, but about the joy of our Master.

Lust takes God’s good gift of desire and twists it into consumption, turning people made to be loved into objects to be used. In Matthew 5, Jesus names what we have learned to excuse, unmasks the addiction and shame lust produces, and invites us into healing through confession, community, courage, and a heart made new by grace.