Summit Ridge Church

The blessings and grace of God, and the benefits of following Christ, were not only for the Jews of Paul's day, but also for the Gentiles of Ephesus to whom Paul wrote this letter. Here, Paul emphasized that the cost of following Christ is worth any suffering our hardships we may experience because the Lord, through Christ, has revealed His plan of salvation (and the riches of His grace associated with it) to those who place their faith in Him for salvation.

As believers in Jesus Christ, how do we most identify with God? Do we look at ourselves as mainly a saint, or sufferer, or sinner? Is our view of ourselves and others around us mostly defined by one of these words or as a combination of them held in balance. Here, Pastor Jeremy explores the meaning of these terms and how our view of them affects our lives.

Continuing from his previous message, Pastor John Flint from Summit Henderson continues teaching on Christ, our Living Hope, from the book of 1st Peter. Here we dive into chapter 1, verses 6 and 7, where we see three clear lessons: 1) Rejoicing is rooted in Christ, 2) Faith is refined through trials, and 3) A refined faith is a praiseworthy faith.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is loaded with theology but learning from it was never meant to be just an academic exercise. It is intended to affect our lives. Whereas chapter 1, verses 1-10, deals with the reality of a holy God breaking down the wall of separation and alienation between unbelievers and Himself, verses 11-22 shift to how the Lord breaks down the barriers and walls of division that exist among believers, bringing peace to both relationships.

If you want to understand what a Christian is, this is a great passage to go to. These verses describe what salvation for Christians is. Boiled down to its essential message, Ephesians 1 states that Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And the problem most of the time is... that we don't like to admit that we are ultimately that needy.

There is no shortage with God. He is rich in mercy toward everyone who is in Christ. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead physically, so has the Lord made spiritually dead people alive; saved by grace and raised with Christ in the heavenly realms. What is true of Him is true of us resulting in great honor and confidence for those who are in Him.

What is the gospel? Is my sin really that bad? Does it even matter? The second chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians begins by declaring the truth and reality of our sinful nature. Having a clear understanding of our "Total Depravity" before God best prepares us to accept that we are hopeless and helpless without His intervention in our lives.

Peter's letter to the church was applicable to the early church as well as to the church today. Whether we experience a high level of persecution like the early church or the struggle of today's life experiences, the message of Jesus being our Living Hope applies to every generation and grounds us in our faith.

As we grow in our submission to the Lord's holiness, sovereignty and Lordship, we become better prepared to love others in thankfulness and prayer. In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul offers several ways that we might pray because we can know the greatness of God in our lives based upon who He is and all He has done for us.

Jesus Christ has given his followers everything they need to live in Him. In fact, God is sovereign and in His sovereignty He purposefully chose those who would follow Him and gave them the power to choose Him through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has an essential role in sealing and assuring our salvation, especially as described here in Ephesians 1:13-14.