One of the many problems for Christians over the centuries has been the answer to this question: If I am made righteous, why do I struggle with sin? The solution for centuries has been to work harder at not struggling, yet that has proven itself to be a problem too. If we dig deeper into the biblical understanding of sin and its origins, we'll find the problem is in us but not of us.
We are God’s ‘workmanship’ and are created for good. Both for good works and for the good that our Father has planned for us. Join Ross as he shares from Ephesians 2:10 the invitation that Jesus offers us every day.
Now that we are saved by grace, don’t we need to keep the Law in order for God to be pleased with us and earn His blessing? That kind of misguided thinking is a result of not understanding the nature of God’s grace and the effect of the Law on sin. Listen as Ross Gilbert explains what it means to live under a Law system mentality and why it is doomed to fail as he teaches from Ephesians 2:8-9.
We don’t intend to fail. We want to make good choices and do things well. But we don’t always. We fail, make mistakes, make bad choices. And our enemy shames us into thinking that God is disappointed in us and that we better try harder or else. But that is not what one of the most famous passages on the entire New Testament teaches. Ephesians 2:8-9 is our answer to all the enemy throws at us - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not...
In today's sermon, we spend time studying the work of a poet struggling to cope in the midst of sweeping catastrophe. The artist runs unflinchingly through some of the most painful and difficult emotions humanity can experience: utter loss. Thorough devastation. Abject loneliness. Within this painful, beautiful piece of art, God reveals His faithfulness and goodness to us - and invites us to take one more step of trust.
Judgement day. Those two words probably leave you feeling like you have an exam in biochemistry that you haven’t studied for. Fear. Dread. Guilt. Shame. The prospect of facing a judgement day has often been used to scare people into altering their behaviour. But, as believers in Jesus, judgement day is not a day that we should fear. Instead, it’s a day where we will celebrate all that God has done through each of us. For that is the heart of God. Not to punish, but loving us, in order to love us...
It can be very hard to live emotionally open because we are often afraid if you knew what was going on inside of me. If I shared my feelings and told you about myself, what will you think? What will you do? Will you accept me? Will you reject me? The truth from Ephesians 2:5-6 and our identity in Christ means that I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. It means that I am fully known and fearlessly loved. It means I am completely secure and accepted in the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, ...
Evangelism can be a dirty word. We often fear it because of the context by which it was introduced to us. We were either told we had to do for Christian merit or we were told that it was set apart only for great 'evangelists.' This talk is a bedrock conversation about the whys and hows of evangelism and how it speaks to our new covenant hearts.
But God. Maybe the two greatest words in the English language. We were born experiencing death, making a mess of ourselves and the world around us. But God. God’s rich mercy and great love caused Him to rescue us and save us from our mess, but also from ourselves. Listen as Ross teaches from Ephesians 2:3-6, showing us the condition of man before God, and the remarkable change that God has made in our lives.
At times we all feel unloved and not good enough. Feelings that lead to us making choices that we end up regretting and feeling even more of a failure. The reason for this struggle is our battle with the Flesh. It is a universal and daily battle that we will not be able to overcome on our own. Ross teaches from Ephesians 2:1-3, explaining the Flesh in greater detail and how it operates.
Everyone wants to experience more joy in their lives. The amazing news is that God has made it possible for His children to experience joy in any and every circumstance. Join Greg as he explores the topic of joy, and the surprising secret to releasing it.
Jesus came to bring us more than just forgiveness of sins and ticket to Heaven one day. He came that we might have life because before we trusted Him, all we had was death. Death is more than just something we experience when our body stops working. Death, the same death God warned Adam and Eve about in the Garden of Eden, is something we experience when we aren’t finding life in Jesus. Join Ross as he explains what death practically looks like in this world.
Suffering, difficulty, and pain are an unavoidable aspect of the human experience. In the face of such challenges, it’s all too easy to be overwhelmed and slide into hopelessness. In this second half of a two-part series, Josh explores and unpacks the uplifting and timeless reasons for hope found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Living on a planet tainted by sin means difficulties and afflictions and persecutions are par for the course. Will your suffering ruin you? Leave you without hope, alone, finished? It doesn’t have to. In this first of 2 sermons taken from 2 Corinthians 4, Josh walks through a particularly comforting and encouraging passage for those caught in overwhelming storms.
What if we really are enough? What if Jesus has so qualified us, and so accepted us, that we no longer have to look to this world for an indication of our worth and value? What would it mean for our daily lives to stand in this truth? This week Krystle Morris explores what it means to be fully measured and fully accepted in Christ, and how standing in His truth can change our everyday moments.
What is the difference between the old covenant and new covenant commandments? How do we fulfill one of the most important commands in the New Testament, and what does that look like? This week's teaching reminds us who we are, and how we were made to live; loving God, and loving others.
For centuries, our understanding of the concept of church has revolved around a building or place to visit to worship God. But this was not the original idea of church. Instead, church is a gathering of called out people that share the life of Jesus with one another and with a hurting and lost world. Discover what that means and how it impacts how we invite people to ‘church’ as Ross explores Ephesians 1:22-23.
Recognizing and rejoicing in the majesty of Jesus will lead us into a deeper appreciation for His love for us. Not only is Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He is also our High Priest. He has built a bridge to represent man to God and God to man. Join Ross as explores Ephesians 1:20-22 and the supremacy of King Jesus.
As we move through our days trying to be better, we are plagued with three major problems: a Needs problem, an Inner Standard problem, and a Personal Commentary problem. Learn about God's perfect, permanent solution.
“Life is hard” is one of those obvious statements, you might as well be saying “water is wet!” Trials and difficulties are an inevitable part of all of our lives—that’s just a reality. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that they can often be overwhelming. As we continue our study in the book of Ephesians, we see a beautiful reminder from Paul, that we have an incomparable power available to us as we face these struggles. In Ephesians 1:19, Paul tells us about the surpassing greatness of G...
What motivated Jesus to leave Heaven, lay down His rights, suffer on the cross and die? Why would He ever willingly choose to experience that? Because He loves you. God wanted to have an inheritance, a possession, a treasure that is His saints. Join Ross as he shares from Ephesians 1:17-18 about the perfect love of God that He has towards us.
Jesus warns us of the game plan of our enemy. It is a plan to steal, kill and destroy. And while there are many ways in which that plan is executed, one of the most effective attacks is to take away hope. Because when one loses hope, everything else begins to crumble around it. But Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. He came to restore our hope. A hope that is not just for after we die, but a hope that will allow us to face each day, each struggle, each problem with a reso...
If you forget to breathe, its not a problem until you're under water and you cannot. Sometimes when we're going through a tough time we also forget the significance of the resurrection and how it speaks to our present circumstances. A look at Luke 24: 1-18, helps us see how gracious Jesus is - even when we forget the most important thing.
Have you ever wondered what God wants for you? What His prayer would be? In Ephesians 1:15-17, the Apostle Paul shares his joy over these faithful and loving saints and what he hopes God will give them with a simple but powerful prayer.
God has created a plan for us that we will bring glory to His name. But what does it mean for us to glorify God? How do we do that? What does it take? Join Ross as he examines Ephesians 1:11-14 and shares how God has given us a down payment on our inheritance in the person of the Holy Spirit. And it is by trusting in the Holy Spirit living through us that glorifies God.
Ephesians 1:8-10 tells us that God's eternal plan was to bring His family together under a New Covenant that is summed up in Jesus Christ. A fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to be a father to a multitude of nations. Join Ross as he discusses what family looks like within a church, specifically within New Life Fellowship.
We try to fix our mistakes, but what do we do with our sin? We try to sweep it under the rug, ignore it, justify them...but our sin remains. It takes Jesus to redeem us so we can be forgiven and free. The question is will we forgive ourselves?
In The Book of Malachi, The Hebrews wondered if God loved them based on what they saw going on around them? They were looking for life on the outside. Sometimes new Covenant believers get stuck doing the same thing—even though what we have in Christ is far better than what those under the Old Covenant experienced. A deeper look at how Christ's Life in us will help us rest in the fact that the life we are looking for is found on the inside—not outside.
What would it mean to you if someone took a deep interest in you. If you were fully known, inside and out, and loved even more as a result. That is what the Apostle Paul is describing in what has been called the treasure chest of the New Testament. Join Pastor Ross as he explores Ephesians 1:3-6 and discover what happens when God sees you.
"Exploring a life of shame, a really crappy week, and a moment of pure grace" This week, many difficult and painful memories bubbled to the surface of my mind. It was like Father invited me to walk with Him from one difficult moment in my history into another… He showed me that the damage I’d suffered cut down into my beliefs about ME. True to His nature as a good, good Father, God stepped into each of those moments. He reminded me again of the beautiful truths of this journey, this LIFE, I’m wa...
