Generations Community Church

Americans believe that the PERFECT gift is both spontaneous AND something given with no strings attached (and no obligation of reciprocity). And so when we read that salvation is God's GIFT to us, that's HOW we tend to see it. But throughout the ancient world (the Hebrew world, the Persian world, the Babylonian world, the Roman world, the Jewish world), gifts were nearly always given with the expectation of reciprocity...because a gift was often given to initiate a relationship. In this message, Max Vanderpool teaches from Ephesians 2:8-9 and explains what's behind Paul's understanding of this gift of God.

Because Jesus is God - when Jesus says something, God is saying something. When Jesus does something, God is doing something. And when Jesus feels something, we're given a picture into how God feels about something. And DESPITE being God, Jesus spent a ridiculous amount of time around ORDINARY people - people who weren't necessarily the brightest, most beautiful, or most powerful. And we see something VERY IMPORTANT in the call Jesus issues to Peter, James, John, and Matthew.

Because Jesus is God - when Jesus says something, God is saying something. When Jesus does something, God is doing something. And when Jesus feels something, we're given a picture into how God feels about something. And DESPITE being God, Jesus spent a ridiculous amount of time around ORDINARY people - people who weren't necessarily the brightest, most beautiful, or most powerful. And we see something VERY IMPORTANT in the call Jesus issues to Peter, James, John, and Matthew.

How you think about the future matters, because how you think about the future affects the decisions that you make (today) and the feelings and attitudes you have. Among theologians, this is called ESCHATOLOGY. But make no mistake, the way in which the American church has tended to see the future (the world's going to burn, etc.) has affected how American Christians live out their faith. But what if the way we've tended to think about it or see it is NOT how the Bible presents it? What if the Apostle Paul, Jesus, and God's people of the Old Testament saw it a different way? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks some of the future-talk from Ephesians 1 and why it matters today.

How you think about the future matters, because how you think about the future affects the decisions that you make (today) and the feelings and attitudes you have. Among theologians, this is called ESCHATOLOGY. But make no mistake, the way in which the American church has tended to see the future (the world's going to burn, etc.) has affected how American Christians live out their faith. But what if the way we've tended to think about it or see it is NOT how the Bible presents it? What if the Apostle Paul, Jesus, and God's people of the Old Testament saw it a different way? In this message, Max Vanderpool unpacks some of the future-talk from Ephesians 1 and why it matters today.

Blessing. Predestined. Forgiveness. Blameless. Grace. God's Will. Adopted. Redemption. Glory. Believe. These are all words the Apostle Paul uses right out of the gate in his letter to the Ephesians. But as AMERICANS, we have a tendency to read a few things INTO these words - particularly words like predestined - and chosen. But what if we allowed Paul to define those words? And what exactly is Paul getting at in the first (lengthy) sentence in Ephesians?

Blessing. Predestined. Forgiveness. Blameless. Grace. God's Will. Adopted. Redemption. Glory. Believe. These are all words the Apostle Paul uses right out of the gate in his letter to the Ephesians. But as AMERICANS, we have a tendency to read a few things INTO these words - particularly words like predestined - and chosen. But what if we allowed Paul to define those words? And what exactly is Paul getting at in the first (lengthy) sentence in Ephesians?

Blessing. Predestined. Forgiveness. Blameless. Grace. God's Will. Adopted. Redemption. Glory. Believe. These are all words the Apostle Paul uses right out of the gate in his letter to the Ephesians. But as AMERICANS, we have a tendency to read a few things INTO these words - particularly words like predestined - and chosen. But what if we allowed Paul to define those words? And what exactly is Paul getting at in the first (lengthy) sentence in Ephesians?

Paul's letter to the Ephesians hits on many BIG themes like salvation, the nature of family, belonging, reconciliation, identity, powers, and holiness. And at the heart of this letter is Paul's insistence that, when what's been hidden gets revealed, it can change EVERYTHING. In this first message on Ephesians, Max Vanderpool attempts to allow Paul to speak to us today - and will be making a case that Paul simply taught Jesus 101 - putting into letter form the bigger things that Jesus taught and lived.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians hits on many BIG themes like salvation, the nature of family, belonging, reconciliation, identity, powers, and holiness. And at the heart of this letter is Paul's insistence that, when what's been hidden gets revealed, it can change EVERYTHING. In this first message on Ephesians, Max Vanderpool attempts to allow Paul to speak to us today - and will be making a case that Paul simply taught Jesus 101 - putting into letter form the bigger things that Jesus taught and lived.