Living in God's Abundance: Embracing His Ever-Present Love

Ephesians offers a sweeping vision of God’s purpose for creation, the church, and our lives. It begins with the astonishing claim that we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. This is not just a distant theological idea, but a reality that shapes how we see ourselves, our community, and our mission. The way we think about God is crucial: if we see God as just another being—albeit the biggest and best—within the universe, we risk reducing him to something manageable, even manipulable. But God is not a thing among other things; he is the very ground of all existence, the One who holds all things together and gives life to everything.

God’s presence is not something that comes and goes depending on our actions or feelings. He is always present, closer to us than we are to ourselves. Our experience of his presence may fluctuate, but his nearness never does. This means that every breath we take, every moment we live, is a gift from God’s sustaining presence. We don’t need to strive to bring God into our situations—he is already there, already at work, already giving us all we need.

Furthermore, God is utterly free and self-sufficient. He is not subject to any law or need outside himself. Love and justice are not standards God measures up to; they are who he is. God did not create us out of need or lack, but out of sheer, overflowing generosity. Everything we have—life, purpose, calling, community—is pure gift. Our distinctiveness as followers of Jesus is not that we have more blessings than others, but that our eyes are open to the reality of God’s presence and goodness.

This understanding transforms how we live and serve. We do not go out into the world to bring God with us or to earn his favor. Instead, we rest in his goodness, knowing that he is already present in every place and every person. Our calling is to become aware of his presence, to gaze at him, and to let our lives flow from that place of rest and gratitude. As we do, we become agents of alignment and healing in a world marked by disconnection and striving, simply by living out of the abundance we have already received.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God is not just the greatest being in the universe; he is the very source and sustainer of all existence. Everything that is, exists because of God’s active, ongoing presence. This means God is not sometimes present and sometimes absent—he is always here, holding all things together, including us. Our understanding of God must move beyond seeing him as a distant helper to recognizing him as the One in whom we live and move and have our being. [05:12]
• 2. Our experience of God’s presence does not determine his nearness. Whether we feel close to God or not, his presence is constant and unwavering. No amount of spiritual feeling brings God closer, and no lack of feeling drives him away. This truth frees us from striving and reassures us that nothing can separate us from his love. [10:51]
• 3. God’s love and justice are not external standards he conforms to; they are his very nature. God is not compelled by need or by some law outside himself. He is utterly free, and everything he does is pure gift. This means our relationship with God is not transactional—we cannot manipulate or earn his favor, but simply receive his generosity with gratitude. [12:26]
• 4. All of life, purpose, and calling is a gift, not a reward for our effort. God does not need us to fulfill him or to accomplish his plans. Our existence, our mission, and our community are all rooted in his overflowing goodness. We are invited to rest in this reality, letting our lives and service flow from a place of gratitude and trust rather than anxiety or performance. [17:01]
• 5. Living from God’s abundance brings alignment and healing to the world. When we rest in God’s goodness and become aware of his presence, we naturally bring life and unity wherever we go. The disconnection and striving that mark our world are healed as we live out of the spiritual blessings already given to us in Christ, sharing that gift with others through simple awareness and love. [19:50]
  ** [19:50]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:10] - Introduction to Ephesians
• [00:27] - God’s Big Picture and Our Place
• [01:18] - What Makes Us Distinctive with Jesus
• [01:31] - Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ
• [03:11] - How Not to Think About God
• [04:42] - Rethinking God’s Nature
• [05:31] - God as Existence Itself
• [06:26] - God’s Presence and Power
• [07:41] - Experiencing God’s Nearness
• [09:06] - The Holy Spirit and Divine Power
• [11:30] - God’s Freedom and Self-Sufficiency
• [14:07] - Everything is Gift
• [15:25] - Our Eyes Opened to God’s Presence
• [16:15] - Living from Rest, Not Striving
• [17:53] - Practicing Rest and Gaze
• [19:35] - Alignment, Sin, and Healing
• [20:53] - Awareness of God in Everyday Life

Bible Reading

Ephesians 1:3-10 (ESV) — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Colossians 1:17 (ESV) — And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV) — For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation Questions

1. According to Ephesians 1:3, what has God already given to those who are in Christ?
2. In Colossians 1:17, what does it say about Jesus’ relationship to all things?
3. The sermon says, “God is not sometimes present and sometimes absent—he is always here, holding all things together, including us.” What examples did the pastor give to help us understand this? [[06:26]]
4. In Romans 8:38-39, what are some of the things Paul says cannot separate us from God’s love?

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon describes God not as “the biggest and best being in the universe,” but as “the very ground of all existence.” How does this change the way someone might relate to God? [[05:12]]
2. The pastor said, “Our experience of God’s presence may fluctuate, but his nearness never does.” Why is this distinction important for how we live and worship? [[10:51]]
3. The sermon claims that “God’s love and justice are not external standards he conforms to; they are his very nature.” What does this mean for how we understand God’s actions and character? [[12:26]]
4. If all of life, purpose, and calling is a gift and not a reward for our effort, how might that affect the way we approach serving God and others? [[17:01]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon says, “We don’t need to strive to bring God into our situations—he is already there, already at work, already giving us all we need.” Can you think of a recent situation where you felt you had to “bring God in”? How might it have changed your approach to remember he was already present? [[08:30]]
2. The pastor encouraged us to “rest in his goodness, knowing that he is already present in every place and every person.” What are some practical ways you could pause and become aware of God’s presence in your daily routine? [[20:53]]
3. The sermon challenges the idea that we can “manipulate or earn God’s favor.” Are there areas in your life where you find yourself trying to earn God’s approval? What would it look like to receive his generosity with gratitude instead? [[13:33]]
4. The pastor said, “Our distinctiveness as followers of Jesus is not that we have more blessings than others, but that our eyes are open to the reality of God’s presence and goodness.” How can you practice opening your eyes to God’s presence this week, especially in ordinary or difficult moments? [[15:25]]
5. The sermon described living from a place of “rest and gratitude” rather than “anxiety or performance.” What is one area of your life where you feel pressure to perform or prove yourself? How could you intentionally shift toward rest and trust in God’s abundance? [[17:01]]
6. The pastor used the image of “gazing at God” and making space to rest in him. What is one way you could build this kind of “gazing” or contemplative rest into your week? [[17:53]]
7. The sermon says, “Living from God’s abundance brings alignment and healing to the world.” Is there a relationship or situation in your life that feels marked by disconnection or striving? How might living out of God’s abundance change the way you engage with it? [[19:50]]