UNITED: ONE BODY, ONE HOPE, ONE LORD
Keith O’Connor
Woodland Church
Sunday, February 1, 2026
(Ephesians 4:1-6) “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 gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 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 have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all”
(Ephesians 4:3, NLT) “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace”
One Body = The Church
1. Unity Begins on Our Knees
(Acts 1:14, NLT) “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus”
2. Power of Prayer
a. Met together
b. Were constantly in prayer
c. Were united in prayer
(Acts 12:5, NLT) “Prayed very earnestly for him”
(1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT) “Never stop praying”
(Isaiah 41:10, NLT) “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with My victorious right hand”
3. We Are One Body
(1 Corinthians 12:12-13, NLT) “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit”
(1 Corinthians 12:18, NLT) “Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it”
(1 Corinthians 12:25, NLT) “This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other”
a. Stay connected
b. Serve faithfully
(Colossians 1:18, NLT) “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body”
4. You Belong Here
a. You are somebody in His body, AND you are somebody in this body
(Romans 12:4-5, NLT) “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other”
5. Our Hope is Secure
a. God is still writing our story
(Romans 15:13, NLT) “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit”
b. Hope is the work of the Holy Spirit
c. Our hope for the future of Woodland Church is secure because it is anchored in the finished work of Jesus Christ, not in human strength
(Philippians 1:6) “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus”
(Hebrews 12:2) “Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”
(Romans 12:15-16, NLT) “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”
(Psalm 33:20-22, NLT) “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone”
Growthwork
- Find strength in prayer together
- Serve and support each other
- Stay rooted in Scripture
- Trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance