Grace: The Heart of the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: Without Christ, We Are Spiritually Dead and Hopeless

Our natural state apart from Jesus is one of spiritual death, brokenness, and separation from God. Though we may do good things and are made in God's image, sin has twisted our hearts inward, making us unable to save ourselves or truly reflect God's goodness. Recognizing the depth of our need is the first step toward understanding the power of the gospel and the hope it offers. [57:15]

Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Reflection: Where do you see evidence of spiritual deadness or brokenness in your own life, and how does acknowledging this reality change the way you view your need for Jesus today?

Day 2: God’s Grace and Mercy Move Us from Death to Life

Even when we were lost and undeserving, God, rich in mercy and great in love, made us alive with Christ. Grace is God’s unearned, undeserved favor—His kindness and love given freely, not because of anything we have done, but because of who He is. This grace is the heart of the gospel, transforming our hopelessness into new life and hope in Jesus. [01:05:57]

Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: In what specific ways have you experienced God’s grace and mercy in your life, and how can you express gratitude for that gift today?

Day 3: Salvation Is a Gift—Received by Faith, Not Earned by Works

Salvation is not something we can achieve or deserve; it is a gift from God, received through faith. Even our ability to believe is empowered by God’s grace. We are called to simply accept this gift, trusting in God’s goodness rather than our own efforts, and humbly walking across the bridge He has built for us. [01:09:15]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you are still trying to earn God’s approval or love? What would it look like to rest in His gift of grace instead?

Day 4: We Are God’s Handiwork, Created for Good Works

God not only saves us by grace but also calls us to a purpose—He has uniquely shaped each of us as His handiwork, created in Christ to do good works He has prepared in advance. These good works are not just grand gestures but often play out in the small, everyday moments where we can reflect God’s grace to others. [01:15:09]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Reflection: What is one small act of kindness or service you can do today that reflects God’s grace to someone else?

Day 5: Because We Have Received Grace, We Are Called to Give Grace

The power of the gospel is not only in what it does for us but also in what it does through us. As recipients of God’s grace, we are called to extend that same grace to others—in forgiveness, love, and generosity—becoming channels of God’s kindness in our daily lives and relationships. [01:17:20]

1 John 4:19 (ESV)
We love because he first loved us.

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience God’s grace through you today, and how can you intentionally show them that grace in a practical way?

Sermon Summary

Today’s focus is on the heart of the gospel—grace. We began by celebrating the generosity of our church family, highlighting how acts of giving, whether through financial gifts or donated time and resources, are tangible expressions of God’s grace at work among us. These stories of generosity are not just about meeting needs; they are about participating in God’s mission and reflecting His character to the world.

We then turned to the book of Ephesians, where Paul lays out God’s grand plan for all creation: to bring everything together under Christ. This vision is not just cosmic but deeply personal. Paul contrasts our life with Christ—whole, complete, filled—with our life without Him—dead in sin, broken, and hopeless. The reality is stark: apart from Christ, we are spiritually dead, unable to save ourselves, and our default mode is self-centeredness and rebellion against God.

Yet, into this darkness, God shines the light of His love. “But God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.” This is the essence of grace: God’s unearned, undeserved favor and kindness toward us. We are not saved by our own efforts or goodness, but by God’s initiative. Grace is not a one-time event; it is the ongoing, transforming kindness of God that will be poured out on us for eternity.

Paul makes it clear that even our faith—the act of receiving God’s gift—is itself empowered by God’s grace. Salvation is entirely a gift, so that no one can boast. But grace is not just about what God does for us; it is also about what He wants to do through us. We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ for good works that He has prepared in advance. These good works are not just grand gestures, but often the small, everyday acts of grace we extend to others because we have first received grace ourselves.

The power of the gospel is that grace received becomes grace given. As we experience God’s love, forgiveness, and kindness, we are called to reflect that same grace in our relationships, our community, and our world. This is how the gospel transforms not just our eternity, but our everyday lives.

Key Takeaways

1. Grace is the defining feature of the gospel, setting it apart from every other religious system. It is not about what we do for God, but what He has done for us—His unearned, undeserved favor poured out through Jesus. This grace is the foundation of our relationship with God and the source of our hope. [65:57]
2. Our natural state apart from Christ is spiritual death and brokenness. The gospel does not flatter us with self-help or affirm our innate goodness; it confronts us with the reality of our need and the depth of our sin. Only by recognizing the darkness of our condition can we truly appreciate the light of God’s solution. [60:18]
3. Faith is not a work we perform to earn God’s favor, but the act of receiving the gift He freely offers. Even our ability to trust and respond to God is itself a result of His grace working in us. This humbles us and removes any grounds for pride or boasting in our own efforts. [72:46]
4. God’s grace is not just a past event but an ongoing reality. He saved us so that He could continue to show us the “incomparable riches of His grace” for all eternity. The Christian life is a continual experience of God’s kindness, mercy, and transforming love, both now and forever. [68:22]
5. Grace received must become grace given. We are God’s handiwork, created for good works that reflect His character. The gospel calls us to extend the same grace, forgiveness, and love to others that we have received, often in the small, everyday moments of life. This is how God’s kingdom advances and how the world sees the reality of Christ in us. [77:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:21] - Invitation to Generosity
[34:28] - Celebrating Missional Giving
[36:20] - Stories of Generosity in the Church
[37:38] - Honoring a Graduate: Austin’s Story
[42:13] - Praying Over Austin
[46:12] - The Gospel in Poetry
[48:04] - What Is the Gospel?
[49:30] - The Uniqueness of Grace
[50:50] - God’s Grand Plan in Ephesians
[53:39] - Life With and Without Christ
[56:10] - The Bad News: Our Condition Without Jesus
[64:10] - The Good News: God’s Grace
[69:15] - Saved by Grace Through Faith
[74:51] - Created for Good Works
[77:20] - Grace Received, Grace Given
[78:27] - Everyday Grace: A Short Film

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 2:1-10 — (Main text of the sermon; see [56:10] through [01:15:09])

- Jeremiah 17:9
("The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" - referenced at [01:01:22])

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 2:1-3, how does Paul describe our natural state apart from Christ? What words or phrases does he use to paint this picture? ([56:10])
In Ephesians 2:4-7, what does Paul say God has done for us, and what are the reasons he gives for God’s actions? ([01:04:24])
What is the difference between “grace” and “mercy” as explained in the sermon? ([01:06:51])
According to Ephesians 2:8-10, what role do our works play in salvation? What does Paul say about faith and grace? ([01:09:15])

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize the darkness of our condition before introducing the good news of grace? How does this help us appreciate the gospel more deeply? ([01:01:04])
The sermon says, “Grace is not a one-time event; it is the ongoing, transforming kindness of God that will be poured out on us for eternity.” What does it mean for grace to be an ongoing reality in the Christian life? ([01:08:22])
The pastor mentioned that even our faith is a gift from God, not something we can boast about. How does this understanding affect the way we view ourselves and others? ([01:12:46])
Ephesians 2:10 says we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” What does it mean to be God’s handiwork, and how does this shape our purpose? ([01:15:09])

Application Questions

The sermon began by celebrating stories of generosity in the church as “tangible expressions of God’s grace at work among us.” Can you think of a time when you received or witnessed an act of grace or generosity that reflected God’s character? How did it impact you? ([34:28])
Paul says our default mode without Christ is self-centeredness and spiritual death. Are there areas in your life where you still notice this “default mode” showing up? What would it look like to invite God’s grace into those areas? ([56:10])
The sermon described grace as “God’s unearned, undeserved favor and kindness toward us.” Is there a part of you that struggles to accept grace as a free gift? Why do you think that is? ([01:06:14])
Since even our faith is a result of God’s grace, how can this truth help us respond to people who are struggling with doubt or unbelief? ([01:12:46])
Ephesians 2:10 says we are created for good works that God prepared in advance for us. What is one “small, everyday act of grace” you could intentionally do for someone this week? ([01:17:20])
The sermon said, “Grace received must become grace given.” Is there someone in your life who needs to experience grace, forgiveness, or kindness from you? What is one step you can take toward that this week? ([01:17:20])
The pastor mentioned that the Christian life is a continual experience of God’s kindness, mercy, and transforming love. How can you remind yourself daily of God’s ongoing grace, especially when you feel discouraged or unworthy? ([01:08:22])

Sermon Clips

Before the dawn of creation, there was the word. Before the beginning had begun, before the planet spun and the sun hung in the sky, there was the word. He was the light. And the light was alive, giving life to all things, everything. No thing was created except through him. And in his image he created them, us in his likeness to reflect the light and be just like him. But sin came on the scene and everything went dark. [00:46:03]

But this is the gospel we put our hope in. That God in his endless wisdom fashioned the word into flesh. And he pitched his tent in the midst of our mess. And the rest is history. The mystery of the cross, the incalculable cost of his life in exchange for our imperfection, the beauty of his resurrection, giving us life in exchange for his death when we call upon his name. [00:46:41]

The goal of this series is to try and answer this question. What is the gospel? And the second question is, how does this gospel or good news of Jesus make a difference in our normal everyday lives? Try to connect those two together. And so throughout this series, we've been using a series of creative short films to show what it looks like when the good news of the gospel meets the real world. [00:48:08]

But when we say the gospel, what we mean is the life, teachings, resurrection, and second coming of Jesus or the story of Jesus. If we want to condense it further, we could just say that the gospel is Jesus. It's not just a message. But the best news is that the gospel is a person and he is a real person to us. He is the best news. [00:48:53]

In fact, this part of the gospel is so unique that other religions don't really even have a category for it. This aspect of the gospel sets the gospel apart from every other religious system in the world. because of this one concept which was taught and lived out by Jesus. And this this concept has literally done more to change our world and advance civilization forward than any other system of thought. [00:49:44]

And this is how Paul describes God's plan. In verse 9, he says, "And God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ, which is to fulfill his own good plan." And this is the plan. He's going to lay it out for us. says, "At the right time, he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ, everything in heaven and on earth." [00:51:51]

Everything being restored back to God's original plan and beauty. Everything being set right that has gone wrong. And the amazing part of this plan is that we get to be a part of that if we want. God chose in advance that we could join him and his family as part of this plan. So it's just a tremendous tremendous first chapter of of Ephesians as he lays out this plan for us. [00:52:49]

Paul says that you and I as the church, we are made full and complete in Christ. This reminds me of that line from Jerry Magcguire. Uh if you've seen that movie where, you know, Tom Tom Cruz is like, "You complete me." if you remember that any romantic comedy fans in the house right so but that's not really what this is but if you this is except here we find it's that Christ who completes us as the church as his followers as his children literally what he's saying is that we are incomplete without him you and I are incomplete without Christ [00:54:49]

Paul says our default mode as humans without Jesus is sin. That's our default mode. We're dead in our dead in our sins. We are all born spiritually dead, spiritual zombies. We may be walking around, but we're the walking dead. Dead in our sins and separated from God. He describes our natural condition as people as living in sin, disobedient, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, and deserving of wrath and punishment. [00:55:59]

But the counterfeit gospels around us tell us that no no people are naturally good, right? Naturally wonderful and beautiful. So trust that your heart is naturally good. So just follow your heart. Find your truth and you will be happy. This is the cultural message that we're inundated with. But this is literally the opposite of what God's word teaches. And this is so important because it impacts everything else about us and about the gospel. [00:58:52]

Before we can appreciate the light, we have to understand and feel the darkness. We are no good on our own. We are broken. We're fallen. We're sinful. We can't just follow our hearts because our hearts are not trustworthy. In fact, the Bible describes our hearts in Jeremiah 17. He says, "The heart is deceitful. is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? [01:01:16]

The gospel is not a self-help philosophy that helps you self-realize, become a better, happier person because you deserve it. No. Paul says the gospel is way more than that. Because your condition, my condition is way worse than that. We are dead in our sins and hopelessly lost. And because of that, we deserve nothing but punishment from God, which are the consequences of our sins and our rebellion against him. [01:02:34]

The reason the gospel is such good news is because it is grace and mercy for you and me. Grace is the the unearned undeserved favor from God. It's God's kindness, his love, his help given freely to you and me. Not because we deserve it, but because God is good. Because God loves you. It's a gift. We can't earn it. We can't deserve it. [01:06:10]

God can give us grace. He can build a bridge, but we have to walk across it. Like without our faith, there's no relationship with God. Without God's grace, there's no bridge. There's no possibility of a relationship with him. But before we get too prideful about our faith so that we don't start thinking that it's our works or anything that we do, Paul makes sure to tell us that even our faith comes from God. [01:11:33]

The power of the gospel is this and that is because we have been given grace. We give grace to others because I have received I give. This is the power of the gospel. And once you see that you can't unsee it. It's all through scripture. If you remember, God told Abraham, "You are blessed to be a blessing." Jesus told his disciples, "So I have as I have loved you, so you must love one another." [01:16:08]

Most often God calls us to do the small things, but to do them with grace. The power of the gospel is this and that is because we have been given grace. We give grace to others because I have received I give. This is the power of the gospel. And once you see that you can't unsee it. It's all through scripture. [01:16:53]

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