e6 Series Ephesians 5 - Zahn Philip | 23 August 2026
We live surrounded by thousands of daily messages telling us we're missing something — and quietly, that discontent shapes how we live. In this message, Zahn walks through Ephesians 5 to unpack covetousness: the jealous longing that steals our peace and pulls our eyes off what we already have.
You'll leave with a clearer picture of what it means to walk in love, be genuinely thankful, and find freedom from always chasing more.
Chapters
0:00 Walking Side by Side
1:58 Be Imitators of God — But Why?
5:30 The Goodness of God Remembered
8:47 What Covetousness Really Is
10:25 10,000 Messages a Day
13:23 Cheating on the One Who Loves Us
15:45 What Walking in Love Looks Like
23:00 Submitting to One Another
27:03 Marriage: Two Fleshes, One Purpose
39:15 The Greater Walk
📖 BIBLE STUDY (approx. 10 minutes)
Title: The Greater Walk
Key Passage: Ephesians 5:1–2 (TPT)
"Let love be your guide. Follow the ways of God, imitating him as a beloved child imitates his father. Live your life surrounded by love, following the example of Christ, who loved us so completely that he gave himself up for us as a sweet, sacrificial aroma to God."
Context: Zahn opens Ephesians 5 by asking not just what God calls us to, but why — and the answer sets the tone for everything: we imitate God because he first loved us and proved it on the cross. From that foundation, the chapter exposes covetousness as an idolatry that quietly steals our contentment.
Discussion Questions:
Zahn warns against believing something "just because the Bible says it" — without sitting with the why. What's the difference between obeying out of duty and obeying out of a love you've actually encountered?
Covetousness is described as a "jealous longing for what another possesses." Where do you notice this showing up most in your own life — and what's feeding it?
The average person sees somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 advertising messages a day, all designed to make us feel a lack. How do you personally guard your heart and mind against that constant whisper?
Zahn offers four practical marks of walking in love: being considered and wise, filled with the Spirit, thankful, and submitting to one another. Which one is God nudging you toward this week?
Application: This week, name the thing you keep checking first thing in the morning and last thing at night — and honestly ask whether it's holding you captive. Then counter it with gratitude: write down the simple blessings already in front of you (people, safety, freedom to gather) rather than the one or two things you're chasing. In your closest relationships, look for one way to put the other person's wellbeing ahead of your own.
Takeaway Thought: The Lord isn't a commander at a distance — he's a friend who's close, picking us up off the ground.
Further Reading: Ephesians 5:1–33 · Exodus 3:13–15 · Hosea 3:1 · Jeremiah 3:6–10 · Matthew 6:24 · Genesis 2:21–24 · Genesis 3:1–7 · Philippians 4:8–9
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