New City Church | St. Augustine

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "Put on Generosity", Moving from a heart of taking to a heart of giving requires addressing two fundamental problems: laziness and greediness. Stealing isn't just about taking physical property - we can steal honor, respect, intimacy, and even rob God through unfaithful giving. The solution involves honest work and generous sharing. Biblical generosity means giving with predetermination, making it a priority, and trusting God's abundant provision. When we transfer ownership of everything to God and give faithfully, we discover that generosity becomes a testimony to others of God's faithfulness and care.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "How To Sunset Your Anger", We live in an angry culture, but as Christians, we didn't learn anger from Christ. Ephesians 4:26-27 teaches us to be angry without sinning and not let the sun go down on our anger. Anger reveals what we treasure and often masks itself as frustration, disappointment, or resentment. While some anger can be godly when protesting evil or protecting good, human anger is usually mixed with unrighteousness. The solution is to put off anger and put on trust, following Christ's example of entrusting himself to God's perfect judgment and control.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "Honest to God", we see that the truth is what God has revealed as right, good, and beautiful for all people in all places at all times. We embrace falsehood through fear of rejection, desire for control, and attempts to cover up sin. Christian character requires learning to tell the truth in three key relationships: with others by being honest about who we really are, with ourselves by acknowledging our sin without justification, and with God by confessing rather than denying our failures. The good news is that Christ's blood cleanses us from all sin, including our lying and falsehood. This week, commit to radical honesty and find one person with whom you can practice deeper transparency about your real struggles.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "What Not To Wear", Jesus doesn't just forgive our sins - He transforms us completely from the inside out. In Ephesians 4:17-24, Paul explains that before Christ, we lived with darkened understanding, alienated from God and enslaved to our desires. The Gospel awakens us to realize we were spiritually drowning in what felt normal. Through Christ, we gain new perspectives: from darkness to light, from alienation to welcome, from ignorance to being informed by God's word. Real change happens by learning from Jesus as our teacher and being renewed in our minds. We must actively put off old patterns and put on new behaviors empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "How God Grows a Church", churches progress through four stages of development: survival, stability, strengthening, and sending. True church maturity isn't measured by attendance or activities, but by five essential characteristics. God builds mature churches through unity around shared beliefs, intimacy with Jesus, stability amidst distractions, clarity with compassion, and urgency for the mission. When all parts function properly - through unceasing prayer, high-impact worship, effective connections, children's ministry, and city engagement - the church builds itself up in love. Healthy churches don't just grow bigger; they become such blessings to their communities that even non-believers recognize their positive impact.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "The Power Of Oneness", Paul's letter to the Ephesians reveals seven foundational convictions that unite believers in a world full of competing loyalties. These include one body (the church), one Spirit (the Holy Spirit), one hope (our future in Christ), one Lord (Jesus), one faith (shared biblical truth), one baptism (public profession of faith), and one God and Father of all. Just as the Ephesians faced pressure from multiple gods and Caesar's demands for worship, modern believers navigate competing allegiances to career, politics, and personal ambitions. These seven convictions provide the foundation for genuine Christian unity and peace, anchoring believers to what truly matters rather than temporary solutions.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "Walk Worthy" - Paul's call to walk worthy of our calling in Ephesians 4:1 connects our identity in Christ to how we should live. Walking is Scripture's primary metaphor for the Christian life, involving direction, progress, pace, balance, and companionship. The goal is maintaining unity through character development. Paul identifies five essential qualities: humility (I am not above you), gentleness (I won't crush you), patience (I won't rush you), forbearance (I won't give up on you), and love (costly commitment). These character traits create unity in the church and display Christ's transforming power to the world.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "Diving Deeper" Many Christians today remain "toe dippers," staying in the shallow end of faith rather than diving deep into relationship with Jesus. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 offers three ways to grow spiritually deeper: praying for Christ's strengthening presence in your inner being, His stabilizing love that roots and grounds you, and His saturating glory that fills you completely. Going deeper means giving Jesus access to every area of your heart, not just keeping Him as a guest but recognizing Him as owner of your entire life.

In today’s sermon, we take a break in Ephesians and look at 1 Samual 17 with Matt Mendenhall. In the message "The battle belongs to the Lord " we see that the story of David and Goliath reveals a powerful truth about facing life's giants. For 40 days, Goliath's taunts paralyzed Israel's army with fear, showing how open defiance of God can freeze believers when we forget who our God truly is. David understood that this wasn't about human strength but about God fighting the battle. This story isn't about our ability to defeat giants with enough faith—it's about representative battle, where David fought for all of Israel. Similarly, Christ stepped onto the ultimate battlefield at the cross and won the decisive victory over sin, death, and Satan. We don't fight for victory; we fight from victory that's already been secured.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Trent Griffith continues in the series "The Center of it All" going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians. In the message "Mystery Solved" we see that the Bible is the ultimate mystery book, but unlike other mysteries, this one has been solved. The mystery of salvation - how God saves sinners and includes outsiders in His family - has been fully revealed through the gospel. God doesn't want to remain mysterious; He wants to be known. The gospel can be summarized simply: God is holy, man is sinful, Christ is Savior, and we must respond in repentance and belief. This mystery is displayed through the church, where every member is a minister called to distribute God's grace. Everything God has for us is accessed through faith, which serves as the key that unlocks His purposes for our lives.