Living Stones Spanish Springs

Pastor Mark South explores Ephesians 2:11–16 and how the grace that reconciles us to God also unites us to one another in the church. Paul calls believers to remember how far we once were from God, restoring gratitude rather than returning to shame. Through the blood of Christ, we have been brought near, and our belonging rests on His finished work even when we feel distant. Jesus Himself is our peace: He removes dividing barriers, creates one new family, and reconciles us to God in one body through the cross. The church displays the power of grace when people with different backgrounds and preferences love one another through Christ. Rather than rebuilding the walls Jesus died to overcome, we are called to confess pride, extend forgiveness, welcome others, and refuse to make peace with hostility.

00:00 Don’t Waste the Church, Pt. 1

04:08 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 2:11–16

06:40 Introduction – A Church Living Entirely by Grace

14:00 Remember the Distance – You Couldn’t Be Farther

20:40 Remembering Restores Gratitude, Not Shame

25:30 But Now You Are Near – You Couldn’t Be Closer

29:30 Brought Near by the Blood of Christ

32:00 One Shared Story of Grace

33:15 Trusting Christ When We Feel Distant

35:50 Jesus Himself Is Our Peace

39:55 Christ Removes the Barriers

45:15 Christ Creates One New Family

46:15 Reconciled in One Body Through the Cross

47:10 Killing Hostility – What Makes the Church Radical

49:35 Responding to Hurt Within the Church

52:00 Refuse to Make Peace with Hostility

54:35 Closing Prayer

On this Reformation Sunday, Pastor Mark South explores Ephesians 2:8–10 and what it means to live entirely by God's grace. Drawing on Martin Luther's struggle to earn righteousness and Paul's teaching in Romans 3:27–28 and Galatians 6:14, Mark shows that salvation is God's gift, received through faith rather than earned through performance. Grace removes every ground for boasting, makes us new in Christ, and sends us to walk in the good works God has prepared. Our standing in Christ is secure even as God continues to shape us into His image. Good works are the fruit of salvation and depend on the same grace that saves us. Whether we are striving to earn acceptance, taking credit for spiritual growth, resisting further change, or settling into comfort, the invitation is to come with empty hands, boast only in Jesus, and live in daily dependence on Him.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 2:8–10

01:58 Introduction – Entirely by Grace

05:09 Martin Luther and the Reformation

12:43 What Does It Mean to Be Saved?

18:01 A Life of Grace Is Received

25:35 Boasting Is Removed

34:59 New Creation Is Formed

38:51 Secure in Christ, Still Being Formed

43:42 Walking in Good Works

48:48 What Makes a Work Good?

51:58 Four Hearers – Responding to Grace

53:48 Closing Prayer

Pastor David explores Ephesians 2:1–7, reminding us that understanding who we were before Christ deepens our gratitude for the life He has given us. Apart from Christ, we were dead in our trespasses and sins: condemned for rejecting the giver of life, choosing rebellion, sinful by nature, and powerless to save ourselves. Drawing also from Romans 1–3, David shows that everyone needs the same miracle of grace, whatever their testimony. But God, rich in mercy and great in love, made us alive with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly places. Remembering our past is an invitation to live confidently in Christ, extend mercy to those outside the church, show grace to one another, and leave behind the sin that once brought death. Our redeemed lives display the immeasurable riches of God's grace and call us to worship Him for His goodness.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 2:1–7

02:21 Introduction – Who Were You Before Christ?

07:12 Everyone Needs New Life

11:00 Dead as in Condemned – Trespasses and Sins

19:09 Dead by Choice – Without Excuse

21:38 Dead by Nature – Why the World Is Broken

24:46 Dead as in Powerless – Unable to Save Ourselves

27:38 But God Made Us Alive – Rich in Mercy

30:25 Raised with Christ – Walk in Confidence

31:14 Remembering Grace Changes How We Live

35:38 Our Lives Display God's Grace

36:36 Closing Prayer

In this sermon, Pastor Mark explores Ephesians 1:15–23 and shows how Paul's prayer can reshape both our expectations and our prayer life. Paul begins with gratitude for the visible grace of faith and love, reminding us not to confuse imperfect progress with no progress. He asks the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that what we know about God becomes something we see and live. Rather than chasing new spiritual experiences, believers are invited to grow more deeply in the hope, inheritance, and power they already have in Christ: a secure future, belonging to God as His treasured people, and His immeasurable power at work in us. Because Jesus is risen and reigning over all things for His church, we can persevere in ordinary, daily faithfulness and pray with gratitude, confidence, and endurance.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 1:15–23

03:00 Welcome and Gratitude for the Church

04:45 Introduction – When an Apostle Prays for You

08:56 Faith and Love – Visible Grace

13:42 Prayer Begins with Gratitude

16:40 Don't Confuse Imperfect Progress with No Progress

19:55 The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation

25:15 A Deeper Awakening to What You Already Have

26:54 From Mind Knowledge to Heart Seeing

30:47 Growing in the Hope, Inheritance, and Power We Have

34:57 Hope – Confidence in the Future God Has Secured

40:19 Inheritance – We Are God's Treasured People

44:03 Power – His Immeasurable Greatness at Work in Us

46:40 Anchored in the Risen and Reigning Christ

52:44 Closing Prayer

In this sermon, Pastor Mark explores Ephesians 1:11–14 and invites us to anchor our hope in the future God has already secured in Christ. Success, comfort, relationships, and past milestones cannot give us a lasting future, but in Christ we have obtained an eternal inheritance. Mark 10:29–30, 1 Corinthians 15:51–54, and Revelation 21:3–4 point to a future of resurrection, freedom from grief, and life in God's presence. God has chosen us and is working all things according to His purposes, so even suffering cannot overturn His promise. The Holy Spirit seals us as God's own and guarantees our inheritance by dwelling in us now. Authentic faith is expressed through hearing and believing the gospel, repentance, and surrender—not simply through our feelings. Because we have more ahead of us than behind us, we can take risks, give generously, and obey Christ today instead of wasting our lives building a future He has already secured.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 1:11–14

02:16 Welcome and Church Anniversary

04:31 Church Building Update

11:07 Introduction – A Hope Story Worth Telling

15:00 What Is Your Hope Story?

17:39 In Christ, We Have Obtained an Inheritance

23:13 The Future God Promises

27:18 In Christ, You Have More Ahead Than Behind

29:32 Not Merely Surviving, but Inheriting Everything

33:19 God Has Secured Your Future

35:38 Because He Chose It, We Cannot Lose It

36:47 Everything Is Working to Get You to Your Future

41:05 Sealed with the Holy Spirit

46:13 Authenticity Is Hearing and Believing

49:52 The Spirit Guarantees Our Inheritance

51:19 God's Pledge Is His Presence

54:26 Application – Keep Rebuilding Your Hope in Christ

55:25 Closing Prayer

In this sermon, Pastor Mark explores Ephesians 1:7–10 and urges us to use the grace God has already given us in Christ. Jesus' blood has redeemed us from the real guilt of our trespasses, and His forgiveness is sufficient for both our sins and the sins committed against us. God's grace makes us rich through union with Christ, and He lavishes it on us rather than rationing it. This redemption is part of God's purpose to display Christ and, in the fullness of time, unite all things in Him. Because that future is coming, we can begin surrendering our wills to Christ today instead of wasting the life His blood has purchased.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 1:7–10

01:50 Introduction – Don't Waste Your Forgiveness

09:55 Redemption Through Christ's Blood

13:14 Redemption Means Forgiveness of Trespasses

15:02 Seeing Our Real Guilt

25:56 The Cross Shows Sin and Redemption

30:20 Rich in God's Grace

36:23 Grace Is Poured Out

38:00 Pursuing Pennies Instead of Grace

38:55 God's Purpose Revealed in Christ

44:36 One Visible Purpose Amid Unanswered Questions

46:29 God's Plan to Unite All Things in Christ

52:20 Begin Uniting Your Will With Christ

54:31 Closing Prayer

In this sermon Pastor Rick Walker explores Ephesians 1:3–6 and asks why God’s people can sing even when their lives are on fire. Every spiritual blessing is ours in Christ: the Father chose us before the foundation of the world according to the good pleasure of His will and adopted us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Adoption gives us a new identity as God’s children, the assurance of His Spirit (Romans 8:15–16), and a loving Father we can approach with trust and intimacy. We are invited to stop living like orphans or finding our worth in accomplishments and instead rest in our belonging to God. These blessings lead to the praise of His glorious grace—not only through Sunday singing, but through offering our bodies and daily lives in worship (1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Romans 12:1). When the song of our lives matches the song of our voices, others can see God’s glory, even through suffering.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 1:3–6

03:37 Introduction – Chosen for Worship

07:41 Blessed in Christ

09:57 Chosen Before the Foundation of the World

16:32 Chosen According to the Good Pleasure of His Will

18:41 Chosen for Adoption Through Christ

21:35 Adoption Provides a New Identity

29:38 Adoption Provides a Loving Father

40:07 Chosen to Praise His Glorious Grace

49:30 Closing Prayer

Pastor Mark South begins our series in Ephesians “Don’t Waste Your Life” by showing how the opening words of Ephesians reveal the way to a life of lasting purpose. Drawing on Paul’s transformation in Philippians 3:4–7, Mark explains that the grace of God’s will turns rebels into servants of Christ: a life directed by God’s will may not be easy, but it will not be empty. Believers are saints—sinners claimed and set apart by God—whose truest address is not their circumstances but “in Christ.” Paul’s greeting of grace and peace summarizes the gospel: God’s unearned favor leads us to faith and repentance, the experience of reconciliation with God, and war against every competing loyalty. Through Acts 19:18–29, the message shows that the gospel both frees people to abandon their idols and provokes resistance from those whose gods are threatened. A life is not wasted because following Jesus costs something; it is wasted when spent on what can never give grace and peace.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Ephesians 1:1–2

01:46 Introduction: Don’t Waste Your Life

10:02 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus

14:03 The Battle of the Wills – Philippians 3:4–7

18:00 God’s Will Turns Rebels into Servants

22:36 Saints: Sinners Claimed by God

27:57 Faithful in Christ Jesus

31:25 Your Truest Address Is in Christ

37:55 Grace and Peace from God

43:24 From Grace to Faith, Repentance, and Peace

45:28 When the Gospel Came to Ephesus – Acts 19:18–29

47:09 Grace Makes War Against Idolatry

48:57 Christ’s Lordship Resisted

52:03 The World Resists a Jesus Who Replaces Its Gods

52:26 The Way to the Unwasted Life

52:55 Closing Prayer

Pastor Gregg Katz concludes Living Stones’ core values series by exploring what it means to be in the city for the city. Beginning with God’s call to the exiles in Jeremiah 29:4–10 to seek the welfare of Babylon, Gregg draws on 1 Timothy 2:1–7, Proverbs 11:9–12, Matthew 22:34–40, and Titus 3:1–3 to call Christians to pray for their leaders, speak with kindness, love their neighbors, and be ready for every good work. He offers practical ways to be present physically, culturally, and spiritually through local relationships, community involvement, generous service, prayer, and sharing the gospel. Although our citizenship is in heaven, the promise of God’s eternal city in Revelation 21:1–4 gives purpose to our life here: we seek the good of our city because we want its people to be in God’s city. The message closes with encouragement to keep doing good, serve through local ministries, and invite others to know Jesus.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Jeremiah 29:4–10

01:48 Introduction: In the City for the City

07:48 Seek the Welfare of Your City – Jeremiah 29:4–10

11:40 Pray for All People and Leaders – 1 Timothy 2:1–7

13:36 Speak Encouragement into Your City – Proverbs 11:9–12

15:37 Love God and Your Neighbor – Matthew 22:34–40

17:19 Be Ready for Every Good Work – Titus 3:1–3

22:05 Physically: Be Present and Invest in Your City

24:42 Culturally: Participate and Influence for Good

26:53 Spiritually: Pray and Share the Gospel

28:17 We Are Exiles: Our Citizenship Is in Heaven

30:08 We Want the People in Our City to Be in God’s City

30:46 Our Eternal Home – Revelation 21:1–4

34:00 Keep Doing Good: Your Neighbor Needs Your Service

36:12 Practical Next Steps: Serve Locally and Invite Others

38:57 Closing Prayer

Guest pastor Caleb Richardson of Radiant Church in Alaska continues Living Stones’ “This Is Us” series by exploring the core value of churches planting churches. Drawing on the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20, the Spirit’s power in Acts 1:8, and the church at Antioch in Acts 11 and 13, Caleb shows that church planting is the fruit of a healthy church, is led by the Holy Spirit, and requires going out to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Through stories from Alaska and pictures of multiplying dandelions and fireweed bringing life to burned ground, he illustrates how the gospel brings hope to communities marked by sin and brokenness. Grounded in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, the message calls every believer to consider their part in God’s mission and pray for people, places, and provision for new churches.

00:00 Scripture Reading – Acts 13:1–5

03:16 Introduction: Caleb Richardson and Church Planting in Alaska

08:00 This Is Us: Churches Planting Churches

12:25 The Great Commission – Matthew 28:19–20

18:00 Empowered by the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:8

21:45 The Gospel Spreads to Antioch – Acts 11

25:29 Antioch Sends Barnabas and Saul – Acts 13:1–4

27:00 Church Planting Is the Fruit of a Healthy Church

30:12 Church Planting Is Led by the Spirit

34:40 Go and Proclaim the Good News – Acts 13:5

36:21 Christ’s Death, Burial, and Resurrection – 1 Corinthians 15:1–4

41:50 Fireweed: Gospel Hope in Broken Communities

43:55 Our Part: Pray for People, Places, and Provision

47:35 Closing Prayer