Changing Our Walk

Change is not a moment; it’s a movement. Maturity comes when we stop sprinting ahead and start walking faithfully with the Lord.

We have forgotten the power of a steady walk. It’s hard to believe that we’re nearing the end of another year. When we began 2025, our word was Change. We prayed for it, we planned around it, and we believed for it — not change for the sake of something new, but change that would help us reflect Jesus Christ more deeply in our lives and in our church.

Walk, Don’t Run

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One of the greatest challenges Christians face is understanding what real change looks like. This is the third time we’ve addressed this theme, as it has been the heartbeat of our year. You may have noticed our visual reminders — the memory verses from Acts 1:8 and the image of the mountain. Those weren’t just decorations; they were invitations. Invitations to climb higher, grow deeper, and move forward at God’s pace.

And over these past ten months, we’ve seen that change.
We’ve seen a steady stream of visitors who have become engagers. We’ve watched people step into volunteer roles for the first time. We’ve seen long-time Kingsview family members graduate, get married, start families, and continue to serve faithfully.
But if we’re honest, life moves fast. Too fast.

And because it moves fast, we often feel pressured to keep up the same pace spiritually. We hurry through discipleship meetings, rush through worship, skim through Scripture, and speed through our prayers. We move so quickly that we fail to absorb what God is teaching us in the moment. And that hurried rhythm doesn’t just affect our spiritual lives — it bleeds into our personal lives, our homes, and our relationships.

As I’ve watched this year unfold, I’ve seen God at work — changing hearts, restoring relationships, reshaping our church culture — all because He’s been forming us into the likeness of His Son. But here’s what the Lord’s been reminding me lately: change doesn’t happen all at once.

Change Doesn’t Happen All at Once

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It doesn’t happen in the rush of a single moment — it happens in the rhythm of a walk. In Acts 1, Jesus gathers His disciples and gives them their mission: “You will be My witnesses.” That moment marks the beginning of the Church — the birth of purpose, the spark of movement. But later, in Ephesians 5, Paul tells us how to live out that calling. And he doesn’t say, “Run in love,” or “Sprint in light,” or “Hurry in wisdom.” He says, “Walk.”

Because walking requires consistency — step by step, day by day, relationship by relationship. Running is about speed; walking is about stability. If we’re going to change for the Lord, if we’re going to mature in Him, we have to be willing to slow down and walk with Him. Too many of us want to run to the next thing, chase the next feeling, or jump to the next stage. But God says, “Slow down. Walk with Me.

Because when we walk, we notice what He’s doing. When we walk, we grow in maturity. And when we walk, we learn that real change isn’t about the pace — it’s about the presence.

Walk in the Pace of Love

Ephesians 5:1–2

Paul begins this section of Ephesians by calling believers to imitate God. But notice the way he frames that calling — not by sprinting ahead, but by walking. “Walk in love,” he says. Step in the same direction God steps. Move at His pace.

We Imitate God by Walking, Not Rushing

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When we are trusting the Lord with everything, we are being led by His Spirit. And when we follow His leading, our direction becomes clear and our movement becomes steady. But when our lives are filled with busyness — when we’re running from one thing to the next — we speed past the very moments that could bring transformation.

Yet when we walk with the Lord, we begin to notice things. We notice His hand shaping our hearts. We notice His presence in ordinary places. We notice change, both within us and around us. Paul reminds us that we are loved and called children of God. Think about that for a moment — children imitate their parents. They watch us, absorb our habits, mirror our tone, and even pick up our flaws. They don’t do this because it’s taught, they do it because it’s caught.

In the same way, when we move too fast spiritually, when our faith becomes hurried and shallow, we unintentionally model that same hurried faith to the next generation. We raise followers of Jesus who know how to move but not how to abide. We create drive-through devotion instead of daily discipleship.

Our Walking Pace is Set by Jesus

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But notice, Paul doesn’t say, “Try harder to be holy.” He says, “Walk in love.” That means every step we take should carry the aroma of Christ’s love. Love isn’t a place we visit occasionally; it’s a path we travel daily. Jesus didn’t love in bursts. He loved in a steady, consistent rhythm — forgiving, serving, healing, sacrificing. And Paul says that’s our model.

To walk in love means to reflect the heart of the Father in how we live and how we treat others.
It means our love sets our pace, slow enough to notice people, steady enough to stay faithful, deep enough to look like Jesus.

This mindset leads to intentional action, a life lived with purpose and awareness. Paul reminds us that Jesus, through love, gave Himself up as a sacrifice, and that sacrifice was described as “a fragrant offering to God.” In other words, love expressed through obedience delights the heart of the Father.

So we must ask ourselves: Are we slowing down enough to love well? Have we stopped long enough to listen before reacting? Are we choosing forgiveness when bitterness feels easier?
Have we been imitating the world’s hurried pace instead of the Father’s holy patience? Walking in love doesn’t mean we always get it right, it means we’re always moving in the right direction.

And here’s the truth I’ve learned: We cannot walk in love unless we have first experienced the love of Jesus for ourselves. When we have His love spills over in every direction — into our homes, our relationships, our church, and our world. When we walk with Jesus, love becomes both our path and our pace.

Walk in the Light of Clarity & Conviction

Ephesians 5:8–10

Paul now shifts the focus from our identity in love to our integrity in light. He writes, “You were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Notice what he says, you were darkness. Not just in darkness, but darkness itself. Before Christ, we didn’t just live in a dark world; darkness lived in us. But now, because of Jesus, we are light. That’s change.

The Path of Light Brings Clarity

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To walk as children of light means to live in a way that reveals Christ to the world. Light exposes what’s hidden, it guides the path ahead, and it brings clarity where there once was confusion.

Goodness, Righteousness, and Truth Guide Our Steps

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Paul continues, “The fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.” In other words, walking in the light will always produce fruit, the kind that looks like Jesus. Goodness. Righteousness. Truth. These are not quick results; they’re cultivated through steady steps of obedience.

We can’t run in the dark, we’ll trip, stumble, and fall. But when we walk in the light, we begin to see what God sees. We see sin for what it is, not what it promises. WE see people through the eyes of grace, not judgment. We see our purpose with clarity and conviction. That’s what happens when light fills our path.

And for some of us, this year has been exactly that, a season where God brought things into the light that needed to be healed or restored. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been holy. That’s not failure; that’s faithfulness. Because every step in the light brings you one step closer to freedom.

So when Paul says, “Walk as children of light,” he’s calling us to live in a way that reflects the transformation we’ve already received. We don’t walk to become light; we walk because we are light. Every moment of honesty, every act of forgiveness, every decision guided by truth, that’s what it means to walk in the light. And as we walk in that light, our lives begin to shine with the character of Christ, good, right, and true.

The Path of a Mature Walk

Ephesians 5:15–21

Now we come to the section where Paul moves from identity to intentionality. If love is the heart of our walk, and light is the direction of our walk, wisdom is our walk. This is where we live out change with purpose. Paul unpacks six practical steps that describe what a wise, Spirit-led walk looks like.

Careful of the Steps We Take

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Paul says, “Pay attention.” Wisdom begins with awareness. Too often, we live on autopilot, reacting, scrolling, rushing, without ever asking, “Where is this taking me?” The word “carefully” in the Greek means exactly or with precision. It’s the image of someone walking along a narrow path, mindful of each step. If we’re careless with our walk, we’ll drift. But if we’re careful, we’ll stay in step with Christ.

We can’t walk carefully if we’re distracted by everything else. The wise believer doesn’t rush; they notice.

Walk with a Purpose

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Paul adds urgency to awareness. He’s saying, “Don’t just pay attention, make your time count. “Making the best use” literally means redeeming the time, buying it back, reclaiming it from waste. We live in a world that loves distraction. But wisdom recognizes that every moment is a stewardship.

Paul says, “the days are evil”, meaning they’re filled with things that pull you away from what matters. So wisdom is not just time management, it’s mission management.

Don’t Chase What’s Popular; Pursue What’s Purposeful

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This is a key moment of this section of Scripture;  the hinge between wisdom and worship.
Paul isn’t just making a statement about alcohol; he’s contrasting influence. Whatever fills you controls you. If you’re filled with the world, the world will lead your steps. But if you’re filled with the Spirit, the Spirit will guide your walk. The command “be filled” in the Greek is ongoing — keep on being filled. It’s not a one-time experience; it’s a daily dependence.

Start each morning asking, “Holy Spirit, fill me today.”
Recognize when your emotions or desires are being influenced by something other than Him.
Let the Spirit lead your reactions, your responses, and your relationships.

Running people live off adrenaline; walking people live off anointing. If we want lasting change, it must come from the Spirit’s continual filling.

Whatever Fills Us, Controls Us

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Expressing Gratitude and Grace is Easy When We Are Walking Instead of Running

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Taking Our Time Forms Authentic Relationships

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My Next Step in the Walk Is…

Do I need to walk more carefully — paying attention to my steps?
Do I need to walk more purposefully — redeeming my time?
Do I need to walk in deeper understanding — seeking Your will?
Do I need to walk filled with the Spirit — less of me, more of You?
Do I need to walk with more gratitude — learning to give thanks in all things?
Do I need to walk in humility — honoring others before myself?

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Whatever it is, write it down on your card: “My next step in my walk with Christ is…” This is not a moment of guilt; it’s a moment of growth. Every walk begins with one step.

In Acts 1, when Jesus ascended, the disciples stood staring at the sky until the angels said, “Why do you stand here looking up?” In other words, “Don’t just stand still. Start walking.” God has changed us this year, Kingsview, but He’s not finished yet.

Change doesn’t end with a celebration; it continues with a step.

The world measures success by speed.
God measures it by steadiness.

So let’s keep walking —
In love that imitates Christ.
In light that reveals truth.
In wisdom that honors the Spirit.

Because the greatest evidence of change isn’t how fast we move —
it’s how faithfully we walk.

The Christian life isn’t a sprint to the finish; it’s a Spirit-led walk of faith.