Blessed – Part 4

January 26, 2025

  • Ephesians 1:9-10
  • Ephesians 1:11-12
  • Ephesians 2:10
  • 1 Corinthians 10:31

Pastor Gene’s sermon focuses on the theme of hope, trust, and recognizing God’s plan for our lives. Key points included:

  1. The Need for Hope: Just as the body requires essentials like food, water, and air, the soul requires hope to survive. Pastor Gene emphasized that losing hope leads to despair, while faith in Jesus provides a resilient source of hope.
  2. God’s Plan and Authority: Referencing Ephesians 1, Pastor Gene taught that God has a plan for everyone, a plan that is good and cannot be thwarted by circumstances, governments, or hardships. He emphasized the importance of submitting to the authority of Christ, as blessings and spiritual fulfillment flow from that submission.
  3. Trusting God’s Timing: He highlighted that God works according to His timing, not ours, and that faith requires trusting God’s plan even when life “stinks” or doesn’t make sense.
  4. Living as God’s Masterpiece: Pastor Gene reminded listeners that they are uniquely crafted by God for good works (Ephesians 2:10). He encourages you to stop speaking negatively about yourself, as doing so is like criticizing God’s masterpiece.
  5. Being the Good News: The pastor stressed that Christian responsibility extends beyond Sunday worship. Followers of Christ are called to live with excellence and kindness in their daily lives—at work, school, and in the community—becoming living testimonies of God’s love.
  6. Practical Faith: He urges the congregation to focus less on overcomplicated spiritual tests and more on simply doing good works and embodying the good news of Jesus.