The Apostle Paul has been leading us through a grand celebration of the Gospel: in Christ, by grace and through faith, we have been reconciled with God and with one another. We are alive as God’s sons and daughters. We are unified as God’s family, Jews and Gentiles together in this multi-ethnic family of God. … [Read More…] The Power of Prayer
The Apostle Paul is writing the letter to the Ephesians from a Roman prison because the Jews in Jerusalem accused him of fraternizing with Gentiles. And here in Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul tells us it’s worth it! All the sufferings for the Gospel, all the hardship, pain, loss, and imprisonment, every bit of it is worthwhile…because … [Read More…] The Wonder of the Gospel
In this sermon from Ephesians 2:11-22, we’re going to see the glorious truth of what that salvation means for our relationships with one another. Salvation works on both a vertical and a horizontal axis (like a cross). Salvation reconciles us with God, and it reconciles us with one another. Salvation isn’t just about “I … [Read More…] One In Christ
A few years back a friend of mine in Washington State had a near death experience. In God’s mercy, he survived. And I asked him how it had changed his perspective, and this is what he told me: “When you’re a dead man, and God gives you your life back, it means He’s got a … [Read More…] Alive By Grace
Did you know that as a follower of Jesus Christ you have a secret identity? By grace, through faith, in Jesus, you are a son or daughter of God! You are royalty incognito. You are an eternal being hidden in time. You are a Titan in this everyday world. You say, “But I don’t … [Read More…] Our True Selves
To be alive in Christ is nothing short of a miracle! And it didn’t just happen; there was a purpose, a plan, and a promise. In fact, as the Apostle Paul is about to tell us in Ephesians 1 all three Persons of the One Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—have been collaborating from eternity past … [Read More…] To the Praise of His Glory
The letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians is all about what it means to be “Alive in Christ.”Have you ever wondered what it would take to come truly alive? To be alive in Christ is to be abundantly alive forevermore. In this series through Ephesians, we’ll be exploring this topic in detail. The Book … [Read More…] The Word of His Grace
The resurrection changes everything. But for many people, the resurrection is just a fact until we get the call with the goodness that changes our lives. In this Easter Sunday sermon, we explore 3 vignettes of people when they first discovered the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. The resurrection had already taken place, but … [Read More…] When Jesus Calls Your Name
Throughout this series, we’ve seen how our orphan hearts tend to look to everything but God for the significance, security, and satisfaction we long for deep down. We’ve seen how we look to people, power, and possessions to know who we are. And, how they all end up letting us down. But the good … [Read More…] Living as a Child of God
In this sermon, we look at the 9th and final identity trap: Solomon aimed for satisfaction through possessions. King Solomon was one of three great kings who ruled over Israel. King Solomon’s story is a fascinating and cautionary tale. The story begins fairly well and things seem to be going so great, but then … [Read More…] Solomon’s Trap—Seeking Satisfaction Through Possessions
