Ephesians 4:1-8

"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your..."

"Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you...."

"Dear Father, You have called me to your kingdom and glory! Help me to live a life worthy of the calling I have received from you. Help me live the..."

"Dear Member of My Body, Paul emphasized in several of his letters to churches that My church is My bodily presence in the world (Romans 12:3-8; 1..."

"Dear Father, Thank you, Father, for the unity you have provided for us: the one body, the one Spirit, the one hope that belongs to our calling, the....."

"For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and....."

So what's the big deal about breakfast? There are some things that are good to change, but there a some we cannot compromise on.

How can an out of business restaurant speak to churches? Mark Frost of Interim Ministry Partners shares a powerful parable about Bill Knapp's restaurants and America's quick fix mentality about the North American church and its troubles.

For the sake of making 'every effort to pursue the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace' (Ephesians 4:3). Rubel Shelly gives us a practical, yet very challenging, set of practices to help us pursue unity with other believers without compromising our own faith and commitment to Scripture.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and..."

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were..."

Why is unity such a big deal? Phil Ware continues his series on SpiritFire and challenges us to look at the importance of the unity of the Spirit.

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

"Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace."

Inspirational illustration of Ephesians 4:2 -- Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

A scripture card on unity: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:3

How do we avoid magical thinking and shortcuts that dangerously risk our doom? Phil Ware continues his series of articles on churches facing the challenges of the interim season and uses the imagery of high mountain climbing to help us appreciate the challenges.

How can they be the same and yet so different? Sometimes differences aren't as large as they appear in the big scheme of things.

"Dear Servant of God, In My earthly ministry, I repeatedly taught that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is a servant. My death on the cross for....."

Where will we find Jesus in the middle of our messes? We will find the presence of Jesus in our lives when we are willing to be his presence in the lives of others.

Jesus wants to be united as one! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos and invite us to see the power of the Holy Spirit to make us part of Jesus' one body.

Can we really get out of this mess> The awful murders in our schools several weeks ago almost went unnoticed because we were so busy focusing on the Terrell Owens soap opera which shows how messed up we really are.

How much do you really have? Paul Faulkner tells about a paralyzed friend and his patience, but reminds us that all of us need patience if we are to be what God wants to grow us to be.

How are we alike when we seem so different? What Christians share in common is much greater than any differences than could seem to separate them.

"[God] has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. . . . Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the..."

Everyone in God's family is flawed just as we are, which makes loving each other hard at times. However, our love generously shared with each other is proof we are God's children in whom the Holy Spirit lives. Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us to love one another and put other's need above our own.

"Dear Father, giver of lasting gifts, Thank you for the gracious gifts bestowed by your Messiah on us when he descended into the depths for us and..."

We have to remember what we were made for We were not meant to live our lives like animals. We are called to be sons of God.

Jesus died. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. Each one of those facts reminds us that Jesus was not some antiseptic hero from a distance. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that Jesus died and was buried and that his burial has special significance for us.