Dead in Trespasses, Made Alive in Christ

In one paragraph

Todd Lampa, an elder at First Baptist Jackson, filled in for Pastor Ray while he was in Guatemala. Preaching from Ephesians 2:1-10, Todd walked through what the passage says about the human condition, about God's mercy, and about the life God has prepared for those who belong to Him. He drew on his own story and on conversations with friends to show what these truths look like when they run up...

Read together

1. Ephesians 2:1-10 the main passage read aloud and expounded throughout the sermon
2. John 15 quoted to show that the world hated Jesus and would hate his disciples
3. 1 John 5 cited to say the whole world is under the control of the evil one
4. John 3:36 quoted on eternal life for those who believe and the wrath of God on those who do not
5. Romans 8:1 quoted to show there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus
6. Luke 7 referenced for the account of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus and loved much because she knew her deep sinfulness

Talk about it

1. Todd shared that knowing what you believe matters because if you do not know what you believe, you are prone to believe anything. Where have you seen that play out, either in your own life or in someone you know?
2. Todd said that God does not want bad people to become good, He wants dead people to become alive, and that good works follow salvation rather than produce it. How does that order change the way you think about your own efforts to live a better life?
3. Todd read from Ephesians 2 that even when we were dead in our trespasses, God loved us and made us alive together with Christ. How does remembering the specific condition you were in before salvation affect how you experience that love now?
4. Todd pointed to the woman in Luke 7 who loved Jesus deeply because she knew how deeply she had sinned, and contrasted her with the Pharisee who did not see his own depravity. Where do you find yourself on that spectrum, and what gets in the way of seeing your sin clearly?
5. Todd listed several things God has already given us as good works to walk in, including loving God and neighbor, making disciples, forgiving others, and husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church. Which of those feels most neglected in your life right now, and what is one concrete thing that might change that?