Everyone is a Gift - September 1, 2024

Welcome to today's sermon podcast! Inspired by the Apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 6:19, this sermon aims to bring the Word of God alive in your heart and aid your understanding of His divine plan for your life. Amen.

In today's episode, we kick off a new series titled "Gifted for More." Despite conventional advice against starting a new series on a holiday weekend, our speaker dives into this exciting journey, emphasizing that every individual is blessed with unique talents and abilities. This sermon encourages us to recognize that God has a grand plan for each of us, regardless of age or background.

Through a humorous anecdote about caricatures, the sermon explores how we often create exaggerated versions of God, which can distort our understanding of His true character. By examining Ephesians 2, the message highlights key characteristics of God—His love, mercy, grace, and kindness—and how these attributes should shape our relationships with Him, others, and ourselves.

We are reminded that we are God's masterpieces, created anew in Christ Jesus to do good works. The sermon calls us to recognize ourselves and others as gifts from God and challenges us to share our unique gifts with the world. It concludes with a reflection on the ultimate gift exchange—Christ's sacrifice—and an invitation to adjust our views of God, discover our spiritual gifts, and use them for His glory.

Join us as we embark on this transformative journey of understanding and embracing God's plan for our lives. May today's message inspire you to live out your divine purpose with confidence and joy.

Everyone Is a Gift

Ephesians 2:1–10

INTRODUCTIONS: Caricatures

 MAIN IDEA: Our view of God shapes how we see ourselves and others.

CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S CHARACTER…

1. Confidence in God’s character changes our relationship with God. (v. 4–9)
2. Confidence in God’s character changes our response to others. (v. 1–3)
3. Confidence in God’s character changes our relationship with ourselves. (v. 10)

 

THREE RESPONSES TO GOD’S CHARACTER:

 

1. We recognize ourselves as gifts from God. (v. 5b–6)
2. We realize others are gifts from God. (v. 1-3)
3. We respond to God’s goodness and share our gifts. (v.7–10)

 

ACTION STEPS:

• Adjust your view of God's character

What adjustments do you need to make to the way you see and respond to the character of God?

• Identify lies about your identity and others

As people who are made in the Image of God, when we have a warped image of the character of God, it begins to create in us a warped self-image. Can you name lies that you may believe about your identity based on a wrong view of God’s character?  What about lies that you believe about others?

• Discovering and use your unique gifts

Knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for each of our gifts, take time to discover your unique gifts and how to steward them. (Take your S.H.A.P.E. Assessment – Coming soon!)