Pillar Church Podcast

There are some things about your past you need to remember—not so you can live there, but so you can understand just how much God has done.

Ephesians 2 begins with a difficult truth: apart from Christ, we weren't simply struggling, misguided, or in need of improvement. We were spiritually dead. Sin had shaped our desires, the world influenced the way we lived, and we could never make ourselves alive through enough goodness or good works.

But God. Those two words change everything.

In “Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ | Understanding Who You Were, What God Did & Who You Are Now,” we walk through Ephesians 2:1–7 and the incredible contrast at the center of the Gospel. We were dead, but God—rich in mercy and because of His great love—gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. We couldn't rescue ourselves, so Jesus did for us what we could never do on our own.

And He didn't only save us from something. He brought us into an entirely new way of living.
Before Christ, sin was our master. But because we have been raised and united with Jesus, what once ruled us no longer has the final authority over us. The world will still tempt us. Our flesh will still have desires that need to be denied. The enemy will still try to influence us. But the believer no longer approaches those battles as someone who is powerless.

You have been set free. That freedom isn't permission to ignore sin; it's the power to stop living like you're still enslaved to it.

Paul takes it even further: God has raised us with Christ, seated us with Him, and made our lives examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness. Our transformed lives become living evidence of what a merciful and powerful God can do.

So remember who you were—but don't confuse who you were with who you are.

You were dead. But God made you alive.
You were enslaved. But Christ set you free.
You were ruled by sin. But now you are united with Jesus.

You don't have to keep living like a slave to something Christ has already freed you from.

There are some things about your past you need to remember—not so you can live there, but so you can understand just how much God has done.

Ephesians 2 begins with a difficult truth: apart from Christ, we weren't simply struggling, misguided, or in need of improvement. We were spiritually dead. Sin had shaped our desires, the world influenced the way we lived, and we could never make ourselves alive through enough goodness or good works.

But God. Those two words change everything.

In “Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ | Understanding Who You Were, What God Did & Who You Are Now,” we walk through Ephesians 2:1–7 and the incredible contrast at the center of the Gospel. We were dead, but God—rich in mercy and because of His great love—gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. We couldn't rescue ourselves, so Jesus did for us what we could never do on our own.

And He didn't only save us from something. He brought us into an entirely new way of living.
Before Christ, sin was our master. But because we have been raised and united with Jesus, what once ruled us no longer has the final authority over us. The world will still tempt us. Our flesh will still have desires that need to be denied. The enemy will still try to influence us. But the believer no longer approaches those battles as someone who is powerless.

You have been set free. That freedom isn't permission to ignore sin; it's the power to stop living like you're still enslaved to it.

Paul takes it even further: God has raised us with Christ, seated us with Him, and made our lives examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness. Our transformed lives become living evidence of what a merciful and powerful God can do.

So remember who you were—but don't confuse who you were with who you are.

You were dead. But God made you alive.
You were enslaved. But Christ set you free.
You were ruled by sin. But now you are united with Jesus.

You don't have to keep living like a slave to something Christ has already freed you from.

What if some of the greatest things God has given you remain underused simply because you haven't fully understood what is already yours?

In “Urgent Prayers For The Church | How To Steward Your Divine Inheritance,” we finish Ephesians 1 by looking at the prayers Paul considered essential for the Church. After spending the first half of the chapter revealing the overwhelming inheritance we have received as children of God, Paul doesn't simply give believers more information—he prays that what they know would become something they actually understand, experience, and live from.

And it begins with prayer.

Paul's first response to a church growing in faith wasn't simply to teach them more, but to continually bring them before God. His prayers reveal what every believer needs: to know God more intimately, to live anchored in a confident hope, to understand how deeply God values His people, and to recognize the incredible greatness of His power available to those who believe.

In this sermon, you'll discover:
Why prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can love and serve one another
The difference between knowing more about God and actually growing in your knowledge of Him
Why biblical hope isn't wishful thinking, but an anchor that remains secure when circumstances change
What it means to realize that you aren't only someone who receives an inheritance from God—you are His treasured inheritance
How the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to accomplish God's will through His people

Paul's prayer wasn't that the Church would become more impressive, self-sufficient, or powerful on its own. He prayed that our eyes would be opened to a reality that is already true.

There is more of God to know. There is a hope strong enough to hold you when life feels uncertain. You are deeply treasured by the Father. And there is a power available to you that was never meant to draw attention to you, but to accomplish His will and bring Him glory.

The question isn't simply whether you've received an inheritance from God.

Are you learning to live from it, share it with others, and steward it for His glory?

What if some of the greatest things God has given you remain underused simply because you haven't fully understood what is already yours?

In “Urgent Prayers For The Church | How To Steward Your Divine Inheritance,” we finish Ephesians 1 by looking at the prayers Paul considered essential for the Church. After spending the first half of the chapter revealing the overwhelming inheritance we have received as children of God, Paul doesn't simply give believers more information—he prays that what they know would become something they actually understand, experience, and live from.

And it begins with prayer.

Paul's first response to a church growing in faith wasn't simply to teach them more, but to continually bring them before God. His prayers reveal what every believer needs: to know God more intimately, to live anchored in a confident hope, to understand how deeply God values His people, and to recognize the incredible greatness of His power available to those who believe.

In this sermon, you'll discover:
Why prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can love and serve one another
The difference between knowing more about God and actually growing in your knowledge of Him
Why biblical hope isn't wishful thinking, but an anchor that remains secure when circumstances change
What it means to realize that you aren't only someone who receives an inheritance from God—you are His treasured inheritance
How the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to accomplish God's will through His people

Paul's prayer wasn't that the Church would become more impressive, self-sufficient, or powerful on its own. He prayed that our eyes would be opened to a reality that is already true.

There is more of God to know. There is a hope strong enough to hold you when life feels uncertain. You are deeply treasured by the Father. And there is a power available to you that was never meant to draw attention to you, but to accomplish His will and bring Him glory.

The question isn't simply whether you've received an inheritance from God.

Are you learning to live from it, share it with others, and steward it for His glory?

You were never an afterthought in the plans of God.

In “You Are More Essential Than You Think | God’s Perfect Plan Always Included You,” we continue through Ephesians 1 and discover the magnitude of God’s plan to bring everything together under the authority of Christ—and the incredible truth that He has intentionally given us a place within it.

Paul reminds us that because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God. We have heard the Good News, been brought into His family, and been identified as His own through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our place in God's story isn't based on our importance, accomplishments, or ability to prove our worth. It begins with a God who set His love on us and chose to make us His own.

In this sermon, you'll discover:
How your life fits within God's greater plan through Christ
What it means to be united with Christ and receive an inheritance from God
Why God's plan has always included people we might be tempted to overlook
How the Holy Spirit identifies us as God's own and guarantees what He has promised
Why understanding our place in His plan should ultimately lead our lives to bring Him praise and glory

We can spend our lives wondering whether we matter, where we belong, or if God can really use us. Ephesians 1 gives us a much bigger perspective. God is working out a plan that stretches far beyond any one of us, yet in His love, He has intentionally invited us into it.

You don't have to make yourself essential by becoming more successful, influential, gifted, or important. Your significance begins with belonging to Christ. And the Holy Spirit living within you is a reminder that you are His, His promises are secure, and His work in your life isn't finished.

Your life matters to God, your place in His family is secure, and your purpose has always been part of His plan.