May 2, 2022
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Ephesians 2:4-10
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hymns
“Amazing Grace” was written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807) and was published in 1779. It is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world. Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and turns that were often caused by his own rebellious insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. Towards the end of his sailing career he was a slave ship captain. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion.
Do you know this amazing grace that Newton wrote about? In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he reminded them of God’s amazing grace. We can understand why God’s grace is so amazing.
September 12, 2021
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Ephesians 2:4-10
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gospel
The gospel, which means “good news,” is news that can change our lives. Indeed, as Christians “living by God’s gospel of grace” is the most live- giving way to live! Some have called this “preaching the gospel to yourself everyday.” What do you preach to yourself everyday? In other words, what news or message are you constantly repeating to yourself? Some of us constantly remind ourselves of past failures or mistakes. As a result, some live in a constant state of guilt and shame. Some of us feel stuck and unable to make changes in our life that we want to make. We’ve tried self-improvement, but we keep seeing the same person looking back in the mirror.
But what if we could live by faith in God’s gospel of grace? Why would this be important and life giving? In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he taught them the importance of living by God’s gospel of grace. We can see the importance of living by God’s gospel of grace.
July 5, 2020
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Ephesians 2:4-10
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grace
Have you noticed how grace-less our culture has become? The so-called “social graces” that used to guide our social interactions, like polite speech, good manners, etiquette, deportment, appropriate dress, have faded into a rude, rough and selfish disregard of others. Add to our declining social graces the political turmoil, the pandemic, the racial unrest, and other problems continuously broadcast to us 24/7 and you have the makings of the graceless and divided country we see today.
How can we change? How can we understand how much “grace matters” to God and how much it matters to how we should live as believers? First, we must understand that in the Bible, grace takes on an even deeper spiritual meaning than just good manners. In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he reminded them how much God’s grace mattered to their salvation. We can understand how much God’s grace matters to our salvation.
June 30, 2019
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Ephesians 2:1-10
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evangelism, prayer
Below is an automated transcription of this message all right. Good morning, church. We’re continuing our series, “Who’s your one?” and we’ve accepted the challenge from my good friend Pastor J.D. Greer, who pastors a church in Raleigh, Durham. He’s challenged us to join his church and other churches across America in answering this question,
April 14, 2013
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Ephesians 2:1-10
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easter, gospel
Pastor Gary Combs continues the EVANGELIUM series with this message from the book of Ephesians about receiving the free gift of God’s grace, which is salvation. This message emphasizes that the receiving of this grace is not just the ABCs of being a Christian, it is the “A to Z” of being a follower of Christ. We never outgrow our need for the gospel. In fact, we can’t continue growing without a deeper and deeper understanding of its message.
May 8, 2011
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Ephesians 2:19-22
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easter
Pastor Gary Combs continues the sermon series “NOVUS” which is Latin for “new.” This third message comes from the book of Ephesians that describes how God wants to include us in His family.
September 5, 2010
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Ephesians 2:4-10
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hymns
Pastor Gary continues our series on Hymns on one of the most famous hymns of all time, “Amazing Grace.”