Godly Living, 2 August 2026
03 08 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
Godly Living
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
August 2, 2026
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Following Jesus involves living a godly, alternative lifestyle that re-presents him well.
How many of you like rules?
How many of you like it when others break the rules?
Most rules are designed for the safety and welfare of people, which includes us. I am glad when people obey laws such as don’t murder, stay in your lane except to pass, don’t yell f-i-r-e in a crowded building, or don’t smoke indoors.
Christianity often gets a bad rap for being filled with rules that make life boring, when in fact every command in the Bible is designed for our good and God’s glory. Today continuing our study of the short book of Ephesians, we’ll look at a list of instructions given by Paul to Christians in the first century. Following Jesus involves living a godly, alternative lifestyle that re-presents him well.
The context from last week was a contrast from life BC—before Christ—and after.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Here’s a vision of the new self:
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Ephesians 4:25)
Don’t lie. Tell the truth. Any questions? This does not mean blast people but rather speak the truth in love…for the benefit of the body, the Church.
He reminds his audience again we are one body. You and I are part of the body of Christ. Each part is important. Each part is different. Each part represents Jesus. We need every part…including yours!
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
First, Paul is quoting Psalm 4:4 which says in the New International Version:
Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. (Psalm 4:4, NIV)
I think the New Living Translation is easier to understand.
Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. (Psalm 4:4, NLT)
How many have heard this as marriage advice? Don’t go to bed angry. While that’s an admirable goal and we should promptly address conflict, not every conflict can be resolved by midnight. But let’s look at this word “anger.”
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
Does this imply anger is not a sin?
The word “anger” here is orgizo, to provoke or enrage, to become exasperated, to be angry. The word “angry” here, parorgismos, is rage or wrath. There are things like human trafficking and injustice which should make us angry and motivate us to selfless action. I believe most anger, however, is rooted in personal offense that can result in resentment, revenge, and unforgiveness.
I like what Brant Hansen says in his book Unoffendable:
The thing that you think makes your anger “righteous” is the very thing you are called to forgive. Grace isn’t for the deserving. Forgiving means surrendering your claim to resentment and letting go of anger. Anger is extraordinarily easy. It’s our default setting. Love is very difficult. Love is a miracle.
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
I believe what’s required of us is to die to ourselves, to our agendas, to our rights and submit to the will of the Father. This doesn’t mean we’re doormats without boundaries, but it means recognizing we’ve been forgiven and need to develop a lifestyle of forgiving others. We don’t have to have our way. We seek God’s way. We are to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). Anger is not required. Brant Hansen notes,
“the best police officers don’t do their jobs in anger. The best soldiers don’t function out of anger. Anger does not enhance judgment.”
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. (Ephesians 4:25-28)
Don’t steal. Work. Share. Most of us are good with the first one. I think most of us understand the value and necessity of work. Generosity is next level, though. It’s not yours in the first place. Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. It’s God’s money. He gave us the ability to possess it, but we must never let it possess us. Generosity is the pathway to peace, contentment, and trust in God.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
What does this mean? Edify, stupid! That’s an old high school joke.
Simply consider the Golden Rule spoken by Jesus:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
There’s a place for humor and joking, but not at the expense of another person. This includes people absent from the conversation, often known as gossip or slander. Here’s a simple test: would you say it if they were present?
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
The Holy Spirit is grieved when relationships and unity in the Church are broken by the things mentioned such as lying, foul language, and unforgiveness.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (Ephesians 4:31)
Get rid of all rage and anger. We will get angry, but then we must get rid of it. How?
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
This is radical! Where do we see kindness, compassion, and forgiveness in our culture?
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
This is the essence of the gospel, the good news: Jesus! Jesus is LORD! He came, lived, loved, died, rose from the dead, and is returning soon.
Jesus never asks us to do something he has not already demonstrated.
We are to follow his example, not just obey his commands. To walk in the way of love, we must experience it. To walk in the way of forgiveness, we must experience it.
If you’re going to call yourself a Christian, act like Jesus, which first requires you to spend time with Jesus, know Jesus, and obey Jesus.
So What?
The Bible is really not a collection of rules. It’s a master plan of how to live an abundant, flourishing life filled with meaning, purpose, satisfaction, and joy. While the world seeks revenge, deceit, manipulation, gossip, envy, and personal happiness at all cost, the way of Jesus is radically different. It’s not just avoiding things, but replacing sinful behavior with righteous, godly action.
Last Sunday we talked about the old self and the new self, a true transformation. Here’s a summary:
Old Self New Self
Lies Truth
Sinful anger Peace and reconciliation
Stealing Honest work and generosity
Corrupt speech Encouragement
Bitterness Forgiveness and kindness
Self-centered Selfless and Christ-centered love
Which one of these areas needs the most attention in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal one step for you to take this week.
Instead of a rule book, the Bible is a life book, a complete guide to joy, peace, and purpose. Imagine a world in which everyone has taken off the old self and put on the new self, where everyone is becoming like Christ.
Following Jesus involves living a godly, alternative lifestyle that re-presents him well. There’s no better way to live!
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
August 2, 2026
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Following Jesus involves living a godly, alternative lifestyle that re-presents him well.
How many of you like rules?
How many of you like it when others break the rules?
Most rules are designed for the safety and welfare of people, which includes us. I am glad when people obey laws such as don’t murder, stay in your lane except to pass, don’t yell f-i-r-e in a crowded building, or don’t smoke indoors.
Christianity often gets a bad rap for being filled with rules that make life boring, when in fact every command in the Bible is designed for our good and God’s glory. Today continuing our study of the short book of Ephesians, we’ll look at a list of instructions given by Paul to Christians in the first century. Following Jesus involves living a godly, alternative lifestyle that re-presents him well.
The context from last week was a contrast from life BC—before Christ—and after.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Here’s a vision of the new self:
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Ephesians 4:25)
Don’t lie. Tell the truth. Any questions? This does not mean blast people but rather speak the truth in love…for the benefit of the body, the Church.
He reminds his audience again we are one body. You and I are part of the body of Christ. Each part is important. Each part is different. Each part represents Jesus. We need every part…including yours!
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
First, Paul is quoting Psalm 4:4 which says in the New International Version:
Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. (Psalm 4:4, NIV)
I think the New Living Translation is easier to understand.
Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. (Psalm 4:4, NLT)
How many have heard this as marriage advice? Don’t go to bed angry. While that’s an admirable goal and we should promptly address conflict, not every conflict can be resolved by midnight. But let’s look at this word “anger.”
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
Does this imply anger is not a sin?
The word “anger” here is orgizo, to provoke or enrage, to become exasperated, to be angry. The word “angry” here, parorgismos, is rage or wrath. There are things like human trafficking and injustice which should make us angry and motivate us to selfless action. I believe most anger, however, is rooted in personal offense that can result in resentment, revenge, and unforgiveness.
I like what Brant Hansen says in his book Unoffendable:
The thing that you think makes your anger “righteous” is the very thing you are called to forgive. Grace isn’t for the deserving. Forgiving means surrendering your claim to resentment and letting go of anger. Anger is extraordinarily easy. It’s our default setting. Love is very difficult. Love is a miracle.
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)
I believe what’s required of us is to die to ourselves, to our agendas, to our rights and submit to the will of the Father. This doesn’t mean we’re doormats without boundaries, but it means recognizing we’ve been forgiven and need to develop a lifestyle of forgiving others. We don’t have to have our way. We seek God’s way. We are to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). Anger is not required. Brant Hansen notes,
“the best police officers don’t do their jobs in anger. The best soldiers don’t function out of anger. Anger does not enhance judgment.”
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. (Ephesians 4:25-28)
Don’t steal. Work. Share. Most of us are good with the first one. I think most of us understand the value and necessity of work. Generosity is next level, though. It’s not yours in the first place. Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. It’s God’s money. He gave us the ability to possess it, but we must never let it possess us. Generosity is the pathway to peace, contentment, and trust in God.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
What does this mean? Edify, stupid! That’s an old high school joke.
Simply consider the Golden Rule spoken by Jesus:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
There’s a place for humor and joking, but not at the expense of another person. This includes people absent from the conversation, often known as gossip or slander. Here’s a simple test: would you say it if they were present?
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)
The Holy Spirit is grieved when relationships and unity in the Church are broken by the things mentioned such as lying, foul language, and unforgiveness.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (Ephesians 4:31)
Get rid of all rage and anger. We will get angry, but then we must get rid of it. How?
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
This is radical! Where do we see kindness, compassion, and forgiveness in our culture?
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
This is the essence of the gospel, the good news: Jesus! Jesus is LORD! He came, lived, loved, died, rose from the dead, and is returning soon.
Jesus never asks us to do something he has not already demonstrated.
We are to follow his example, not just obey his commands. To walk in the way of love, we must experience it. To walk in the way of forgiveness, we must experience it.
If you’re going to call yourself a Christian, act like Jesus, which first requires you to spend time with Jesus, know Jesus, and obey Jesus.
So What?
The Bible is really not a collection of rules. It’s a master plan of how to live an abundant, flourishing life filled with meaning, purpose, satisfaction, and joy. While the world seeks revenge, deceit, manipulation, gossip, envy, and personal happiness at all cost, the way of Jesus is radically different. It’s not just avoiding things, but replacing sinful behavior with righteous, godly action.
Last Sunday we talked about the old self and the new self, a true transformation. Here’s a summary:
Old Self New Self
Lies Truth
Sinful anger Peace and reconciliation
Stealing Honest work and generosity
Corrupt speech Encouragement
Bitterness Forgiveness and kindness
Self-centered Selfless and Christ-centered love
Which one of these areas needs the most attention in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal one step for you to take this week.
Instead of a rule book, the Bible is a life book, a complete guide to joy, peace, and purpose. Imagine a world in which everyone has taken off the old self and put on the new self, where everyone is becoming like Christ.
Following Jesus involves living a godly, alternative lifestyle that re-presents him well. There’s no better way to live!
Righteousness and Holiness, 26 July 20926
26 07 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
Righteousness and Holiness
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 26, 2026
Ephesians 4:17-24
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Followers of Jesus are made new, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
History is filled with many great stories of transformation. There’s Pinocchio going from a doll to a boy, the Ugly Duckling becoming a beautiful swan, and one of my favorites, a little rag-wearing orphan named Annie finding herself as the adopted daughter of a prestigious family. I once was…now I am…
It reminds me of a song. Maybe you’ve heard it. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.
Followers of Jesus are made new by the power of God. Your world is different when you go from lost to found. Transformation occurs when you go from blindness to sight. It is impossible to follow Christ and not be different.
As we continue our study of Paul’s letter to first-century Christians he says,
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. (Ephesians 4:17)
Everything begins with our mind. We must think differently from the world. We have purpose and meaning. Don’t keep up with the Jones’. Don’t do what everyone’s doing. Culture is filled with lies. Fools are everywhere. The way of the world, the flesh, and the devil leads to death, though it can be so shiny and attractive on the outside. Sin distorts and destroys.
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:18)
I can’t imagine separation from God. That’s essentially the definition of hell…and we all get to make the choice. You can’t follow God and the world. I think we all try, but it’s impossible. Jesus said,
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24a)
We not only change our thinking, but our citizenship. We belong to Jesus, not the world. Back to Ephesians…
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. (Ephesians 4:19)
This is what happens when we reject God. Fortunately this is no longer relevant in our pure, generous culture, right?
It’s amazing how relevant this verse is 2000 years later! Our world is obsessed with money, pleasure, and power. Paul says, “Having lost all sensitivity” and sometimes it seems people have lost their minds! What is the fruit of following the world? Addiction, abuse, anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction, pain, regret,…
That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. (Ephesians 4:20-21)
Throughout this letter Paul talks about being in Christ, in him, in Jesus. A few weeks ago I referenced being on his team, wearing his uniform. This is not the result of a hobby or casual relationship, but rather radical commitment. God’s not looking for part-time lovers. He said,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
An hour on Sunday isn’t enough. Following Jesus is a lifestyle.
It’s that time of year when I hear whistles blowing and coaches yelling outside my office. The UF football team is prepping for the upcoming season. Imagine a player saying to the coach, “I’ll give you an hour a week.” You can’t be committed to a college sports team in one hour a week…and the same can be said for following Jesus. We need to be in Christ. With Christ. Following Christ.
Now here’s where we see the before and after story.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Put off your old self. Put on the new self. You’re not that old person anymore. You’re a new creation!
It’s like switching teams, taking off the old uniform and joining a new one.
The fancy word is sanctification. It’s the process becoming like God in true righteousness and holiness. You could say there are three phases.
Positional sanctification or justification is when we say yes to Jesus and are saved by God’s grace. For most of us, this is a past event.
Progressive sanctification is what we’ve been talking about today, growing in holiness, a present process.
Final sanctification or glorification is when we die, enter eternity with God, and are conformed to the image of Jesus.
Last year, I was introduced to the incredible work of Welcome to a New Life in Findlay whose mission is to provide mentorship and resources for adults who are involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, helping them to achieve crime-free, drug-free, productive lives. I’ve heard several before-and-after stories from their staff and today I’m thrilled to welcome one of their clients to briefly share their story.
So What?
The message today is not about trying harder, do better, improve yourself. It’s about being transformed by knowing Christ. The order Paul gives is
a. You learned Christ (20)
b. You were taught in Christ (21)
c. Your mind is being made new (23)
d. Therefore, you can live differently through surrender to the Holy Spirit (24)
We are told to put off the old self and put on the new self. We were once in Adam with distorted desires and self-centered thinking. Now we are in Christ, new creatures recreated in God’s image, living like Jesus in righteousness and holiness.
If you haven’t said yes to Jesus, today can be your spiritual birthday, the most important day of your life. The simple prayer is, “Jesus, I give you my life.”
If you’ve said yes to Jesus, how is your journey? I know you’re not perfect, but are you growing? Are you being sanctified? Are you living more like Jesus in righteousness and holiness today than a year ago?
If not, your next step may be to join a small group, begin serving, develop daily habits of prayer and studying the Bible, or filling your mind with media created to help you become like Jesus.
It’s hard to be in the world and not of the world, to be surrounded by sin and evil and temptation while living an alternative lifestyle of faith, hope, and love. It doesn’t just happen. Every day we need to surrender, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus.
We’ve been changed. We are different. We’re not that old person. We’re no longer orphans like Annie was, but adopted sons and daughters of the most high God. Let’s act like it!
Followers of Jesus are made new, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness…for His glory. Hallelujah!
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 26, 2026
Ephesians 4:17-24
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Followers of Jesus are made new, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
History is filled with many great stories of transformation. There’s Pinocchio going from a doll to a boy, the Ugly Duckling becoming a beautiful swan, and one of my favorites, a little rag-wearing orphan named Annie finding herself as the adopted daughter of a prestigious family. I once was…now I am…
It reminds me of a song. Maybe you’ve heard it. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.
Followers of Jesus are made new by the power of God. Your world is different when you go from lost to found. Transformation occurs when you go from blindness to sight. It is impossible to follow Christ and not be different.
As we continue our study of Paul’s letter to first-century Christians he says,
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. (Ephesians 4:17)
Everything begins with our mind. We must think differently from the world. We have purpose and meaning. Don’t keep up with the Jones’. Don’t do what everyone’s doing. Culture is filled with lies. Fools are everywhere. The way of the world, the flesh, and the devil leads to death, though it can be so shiny and attractive on the outside. Sin distorts and destroys.
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:18)
I can’t imagine separation from God. That’s essentially the definition of hell…and we all get to make the choice. You can’t follow God and the world. I think we all try, but it’s impossible. Jesus said,
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24a)
We not only change our thinking, but our citizenship. We belong to Jesus, not the world. Back to Ephesians…
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. (Ephesians 4:19)
This is what happens when we reject God. Fortunately this is no longer relevant in our pure, generous culture, right?
It’s amazing how relevant this verse is 2000 years later! Our world is obsessed with money, pleasure, and power. Paul says, “Having lost all sensitivity” and sometimes it seems people have lost their minds! What is the fruit of following the world? Addiction, abuse, anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction, pain, regret,…
That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. (Ephesians 4:20-21)
Throughout this letter Paul talks about being in Christ, in him, in Jesus. A few weeks ago I referenced being on his team, wearing his uniform. This is not the result of a hobby or casual relationship, but rather radical commitment. God’s not looking for part-time lovers. He said,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
An hour on Sunday isn’t enough. Following Jesus is a lifestyle.
It’s that time of year when I hear whistles blowing and coaches yelling outside my office. The UF football team is prepping for the upcoming season. Imagine a player saying to the coach, “I’ll give you an hour a week.” You can’t be committed to a college sports team in one hour a week…and the same can be said for following Jesus. We need to be in Christ. With Christ. Following Christ.
Now here’s where we see the before and after story.
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Put off your old self. Put on the new self. You’re not that old person anymore. You’re a new creation!
It’s like switching teams, taking off the old uniform and joining a new one.
The fancy word is sanctification. It’s the process becoming like God in true righteousness and holiness. You could say there are three phases.
Positional sanctification or justification is when we say yes to Jesus and are saved by God’s grace. For most of us, this is a past event.
Progressive sanctification is what we’ve been talking about today, growing in holiness, a present process.
Final sanctification or glorification is when we die, enter eternity with God, and are conformed to the image of Jesus.
Last year, I was introduced to the incredible work of Welcome to a New Life in Findlay whose mission is to provide mentorship and resources for adults who are involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, helping them to achieve crime-free, drug-free, productive lives. I’ve heard several before-and-after stories from their staff and today I’m thrilled to welcome one of their clients to briefly share their story.
So What?
The message today is not about trying harder, do better, improve yourself. It’s about being transformed by knowing Christ. The order Paul gives is
a. You learned Christ (20)
b. You were taught in Christ (21)
c. Your mind is being made new (23)
d. Therefore, you can live differently through surrender to the Holy Spirit (24)
We are told to put off the old self and put on the new self. We were once in Adam with distorted desires and self-centered thinking. Now we are in Christ, new creatures recreated in God’s image, living like Jesus in righteousness and holiness.
If you haven’t said yes to Jesus, today can be your spiritual birthday, the most important day of your life. The simple prayer is, “Jesus, I give you my life.”
If you’ve said yes to Jesus, how is your journey? I know you’re not perfect, but are you growing? Are you being sanctified? Are you living more like Jesus in righteousness and holiness today than a year ago?
If not, your next step may be to join a small group, begin serving, develop daily habits of prayer and studying the Bible, or filling your mind with media created to help you become like Jesus.
It’s hard to be in the world and not of the world, to be surrounded by sin and evil and temptation while living an alternative lifestyle of faith, hope, and love. It doesn’t just happen. Every day we need to surrender, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus.
We’ve been changed. We are different. We’re not that old person. We’re no longer orphans like Annie was, but adopted sons and daughters of the most high God. Let’s act like it!
Followers of Jesus are made new, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness…for His glory. Hallelujah!
Unity, 19 July 2026
26 07 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
Unity
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 19, 2026
Ephesians 4:1-16
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters.
Do you enjoy doing puzzles? During the COVID lockdown, the one pastime I enjoyed was completing two different 1000-piece puzzles, both baseball-related as I love baseball. Both took weeks for me to finish, but eventually saw the photo on the box enlarged in front of me.
Imagine I had 990 pieces in place and counted nine left. How awful would it be to have 99.9% of the puzzle completed with one missing piece?!
Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters.
My favorite prayer in the Bible is in John 17 where Jesus says,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21)
I believe this is the only prayer in the Bible Jesus prays for us—those who will believe. His prayer is unity. He prays that we would be one. We are not all the same, but together we form one body, one congregation. We are like pieces of a puzzle, and every one of you matters.
Today we continue reading Paul’s letter from a Roman prisoner to Christians in the first century. Notice the use of the word “one.”
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1)
What is their calling? What is our calling? It’s ultimately to follow Jesus. Often when we think of calling, we think of a mission or vision for an individual, but here it’s corporate. You might say, in fact, the calling is to be the Church, the body of Christ, those who re-present Jesus to the world. This is a high calling. It’s an important calling. It’s at the heart of our mission to love, equip, and send. Paul describes this calling.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
(Ephesians 4:2)
He doesn’t say be a little humble, but completely humble…and gentle. These words seem to have gone out of style in favor of narcissism, pride, power, conquest, control, and—dare I say it—machismo. These are not part of the fruit of the Spirit!
What Paul is describing here is the way of Jesus, the narrow way, the righteous way. It also paints a picture for what we are to be to one another…humble, gentle, patient, loving. This is our calling.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
Unity. This is the theme of our text today. Think one puzzle…all the pieces! The purpose of a puzzle isn’t to collect all of the pieces in a pile…or to scatter them across the table. The goal is for you to end with one picture composed of a variety of parts.
Now notice the use of the word “one” in the next three verses.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
One. LORD, make us one! We’ve witnessed churches splitting, denominations splitting, entire branches of Christianity splitting! Since Paul wrote this, the global Church which brought together Jews and Gentiles split into Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic in 1054 before the Protestant Reformation broke away from the Catholics in the 16th century. Then, Protestants split into Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed which led to groups like the Brethren, Quakers, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists,…and let’s not forget the Churches of God, General Conference which started 201 years ago by John Winebrenner! Today, there are more than 40,000 Christian denominations worldwide…and both Jesus and Paul prayed we would be…one!
Paul continues,
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.” (Ephesians 4:7-8)
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) (Ephesians 4:9-10)
Jesus is the head of the Church. We are his body. He died for us, gave us a mission—a Great Commission—to go and make disciples of every nation. He has given us gifts and resources to accomplish the task.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
What’s the goal? Unity. Knowledge. Maturity. Christ-likeness.
It would be tempting to move on, but I want to highlight one thing…a comma!
First, Jesus gave five gifts to the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. APEST.
Apostle in this case is not a capital-A person who witnessed the resurrection, but instead a small-a person who is a spiritual entrepreneur. They love to start ministries and plant churches and challenge the status quo to avoid death and decay.
Prophets are not future-tellers, but forth-tellers, offering challenges and sometimes warnings to others.
Evangelists proclaim good news, leading people to Jesus. We sometimes call them missionaries.
Pastors or shepherds care for the flock—the people—while teachers…teach!
They are all different, yet all important. Today, we might call them church leaders. Seminaries typically focus on training pastors and teachers, though all five are vital to the flourishing of the Church on earth.
What do they all do? That depends upon a comma!
In the original 1611 version of the King James Bible, the text reads,
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11-13, KJV)
In 1982, the New King James Version was released with a few revisions. It reads,
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:11-13, NKJV)
Did you notice the difference? The original King James Version said God gave APEST leaders for the perfecting of the saints, (COMMA) for the work of the ministry…
Every modern translation I have seen—including the New King James Version—removes the comma.
God gave APEST leaders for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…
I believe that comma has created a Christian culture where the leaders do the ministry instead of equipping the saints to do the work of ministry. This is why I love our mission of love, equip, and send. Our staff is not hired to DO the ministry, but to equip YOU to love, serve, evangelize, care, encourage, prophesy, plant churches, and make disciples. If our staff does its job equipping you…
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:14-16)
This is Paul’s vision for the church, and it’s my vision, too. I want to see College First be a mature, discerning family of men, women, and children on God’s mission, speaking the truth in love, one body joined to Jesus our head, each part—each piece—working together for God’s glory.
So What?
Imagine a team where the players sat in the stands…while the coach played against the other team! That’s a picture of many churches today, Christians watching the professionals do the ministry instead of the professionals equipping the Christians to do the ministry.
Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters. You matter. What piece of the puzzle are you? Are you lost or connected to the others? Are you trying to stand out and make a name for yourself, or focused on making Jesus famous? Are you connected to Jesus or doing your own thing? Are you a spectator watching others or are you on the field playing the game?
College First, we need all of you equipped and sent—across the street or around the world—proclaiming in word and deed the good news that Jesus is LORD, they are loved, and together we are one in Christ.
AMEN!
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 19, 2026
Ephesians 4:1-16
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters.
Do you enjoy doing puzzles? During the COVID lockdown, the one pastime I enjoyed was completing two different 1000-piece puzzles, both baseball-related as I love baseball. Both took weeks for me to finish, but eventually saw the photo on the box enlarged in front of me.
Imagine I had 990 pieces in place and counted nine left. How awful would it be to have 99.9% of the puzzle completed with one missing piece?!
Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters.
My favorite prayer in the Bible is in John 17 where Jesus says,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21)
I believe this is the only prayer in the Bible Jesus prays for us—those who will believe. His prayer is unity. He prays that we would be one. We are not all the same, but together we form one body, one congregation. We are like pieces of a puzzle, and every one of you matters.
Today we continue reading Paul’s letter from a Roman prisoner to Christians in the first century. Notice the use of the word “one.”
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1)
What is their calling? What is our calling? It’s ultimately to follow Jesus. Often when we think of calling, we think of a mission or vision for an individual, but here it’s corporate. You might say, in fact, the calling is to be the Church, the body of Christ, those who re-present Jesus to the world. This is a high calling. It’s an important calling. It’s at the heart of our mission to love, equip, and send. Paul describes this calling.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
(Ephesians 4:2)
He doesn’t say be a little humble, but completely humble…and gentle. These words seem to have gone out of style in favor of narcissism, pride, power, conquest, control, and—dare I say it—machismo. These are not part of the fruit of the Spirit!
What Paul is describing here is the way of Jesus, the narrow way, the righteous way. It also paints a picture for what we are to be to one another…humble, gentle, patient, loving. This is our calling.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
Unity. This is the theme of our text today. Think one puzzle…all the pieces! The purpose of a puzzle isn’t to collect all of the pieces in a pile…or to scatter them across the table. The goal is for you to end with one picture composed of a variety of parts.
Now notice the use of the word “one” in the next three verses.
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
One. LORD, make us one! We’ve witnessed churches splitting, denominations splitting, entire branches of Christianity splitting! Since Paul wrote this, the global Church which brought together Jews and Gentiles split into Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic in 1054 before the Protestant Reformation broke away from the Catholics in the 16th century. Then, Protestants split into Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed which led to groups like the Brethren, Quakers, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists,…and let’s not forget the Churches of God, General Conference which started 201 years ago by John Winebrenner! Today, there are more than 40,000 Christian denominations worldwide…and both Jesus and Paul prayed we would be…one!
Paul continues,
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.” (Ephesians 4:7-8)
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) (Ephesians 4:9-10)
Jesus is the head of the Church. We are his body. He died for us, gave us a mission—a Great Commission—to go and make disciples of every nation. He has given us gifts and resources to accomplish the task.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
What’s the goal? Unity. Knowledge. Maturity. Christ-likeness.
It would be tempting to move on, but I want to highlight one thing…a comma!
First, Jesus gave five gifts to the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. APEST.
Apostle in this case is not a capital-A person who witnessed the resurrection, but instead a small-a person who is a spiritual entrepreneur. They love to start ministries and plant churches and challenge the status quo to avoid death and decay.
Prophets are not future-tellers, but forth-tellers, offering challenges and sometimes warnings to others.
Evangelists proclaim good news, leading people to Jesus. We sometimes call them missionaries.
Pastors or shepherds care for the flock—the people—while teachers…teach!
They are all different, yet all important. Today, we might call them church leaders. Seminaries typically focus on training pastors and teachers, though all five are vital to the flourishing of the Church on earth.
What do they all do? That depends upon a comma!
In the original 1611 version of the King James Bible, the text reads,
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:11-13, KJV)
In 1982, the New King James Version was released with a few revisions. It reads,
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:11-13, NKJV)
Did you notice the difference? The original King James Version said God gave APEST leaders for the perfecting of the saints, (COMMA) for the work of the ministry…
Every modern translation I have seen—including the New King James Version—removes the comma.
God gave APEST leaders for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…
I believe that comma has created a Christian culture where the leaders do the ministry instead of equipping the saints to do the work of ministry. This is why I love our mission of love, equip, and send. Our staff is not hired to DO the ministry, but to equip YOU to love, serve, evangelize, care, encourage, prophesy, plant churches, and make disciples. If our staff does its job equipping you…
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:14-16)
This is Paul’s vision for the church, and it’s my vision, too. I want to see College First be a mature, discerning family of men, women, and children on God’s mission, speaking the truth in love, one body joined to Jesus our head, each part—each piece—working together for God’s glory.
So What?
Imagine a team where the players sat in the stands…while the coach played against the other team! That’s a picture of many churches today, Christians watching the professionals do the ministry instead of the professionals equipping the Christians to do the ministry.
Jesus prayed that we would be one…body…united for his glory…and every part matters. You matter. What piece of the puzzle are you? Are you lost or connected to the others? Are you trying to stand out and make a name for yourself, or focused on making Jesus famous? Are you connected to Jesus or doing your own thing? Are you a spectator watching others or are you on the field playing the game?
College First, we need all of you equipped and sent—across the street or around the world—proclaiming in word and deed the good news that Jesus is LORD, they are loved, and together we are one in Christ.
AMEN!
God's Amazing Plan, 5 July 2026
06 07 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
God’s Amazing Plan
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 5, 2026
Ephesians 3:1-13
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Paul wants his readers to understand the mystery of God’s amazing plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike.
There are two types of people in this world—those who plan and those who…don’t! Which are you?
I like the old adage if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! We’ve all made plans, whether it was a vacation, a business, or something as simple as an outfit.
God has a plan. It’s an amazing plan which includes you, and we’re going to look at it today as we continue our series on the book of Ephesians, a letter written about two thousand years ago which remains relevant to this day.
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—(Ephesians 3:1)
Let’s stop right there! For this reason. For what reason? Last week Brent Sleasman looked at the end of chapter two, what Markus Barth called “The key and high point of the whole epistle.” Ephesians is an epistle, a short letter. Paul was talking about Jesus and Gentiles coming together to become God’s people. This was radical! Imagine someone tried to bring Republicans and Democrats together in our day. Incredible! Yet Jesus died for Jews and Gentiles alike. Last week’s text ends,
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
Amazing!
Back to verse one of chapter three:
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—(Ephesians 3:1)
One more thing—Paul’s writing from prison, but he doesn’t say he’s a prisoner of Rome, but rather the prisoner of Christ Jesus…for the sake of the Gentiles. He’s doesn’t see himself as a victim of Roman injustice, but rather imprisoned for a cause…for Christ. Jesus is everything to Paul, and he endured seemingly constant suffering to accomplish the mission of making disciples, making followers of Jesus. In fact, he also wrote Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon from prison.
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. (Ephesians 3:2-3)
We take it for granted today, but nobody in the ancient world imagined God’s grace was for all people. The Jews were God’s chosen people…and sometimes let it be known! As a Jew, here Paul is called to the Gentiles, non-Jewish people.
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:4-5)
What is the mystery of Christ?
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:6)
Paul sees God’s grace through the bringing together of Jews and Gentiles as God’s children. He says “together” three times in this verse! This was a very big deal because, again, many believed salvation was only for Israel, not the entire world. It’s an understatement to say the two groups didn’t always get along. But God revealed to Paul the mystery of together. All are invited to the party! All are welcome to follow Jesus!
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:7)
Paul calls himself a servant, a diakonos in the Greek, the term we call “deacon.” People often like the idea of being a servant…until they are treated like one! Are you a servant? He’s not merely serving people, but a servant of this gospel, a minister of good news, a proclaimer of truth…of the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus the Messiah.
Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. (Ephesians 3:8-9)
It seems hard to imagine the writer of much of the New Testament being less than the least of all the Lord’s people, but Paul had persecuted the Church before encountering the risen Jesus. God used him greatly, but he lived every day with the memory of his life before Christ. Can you imagine the guilt and shame…and forgiveness he experienced?
What does this tell us about God? His grace is amazing. His riches are boundless. He created all things.
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:10-11)
Let’s unpack this.
God works through the church, the people of God, Jews and Gentiles revealing God’s plan of salvation together.
Rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms refer to spiritual beings over which the Church has power to declare, and God’s purposes are eternal. We have authority given to us by Christ and we need to use it for his glory. Also, Paul says Jesus’ work and mission have eternal consequences. When you give, serve, love, volunteer, promote, share, disciple, equip, it will pay dividends for eternity! Try that with your 401(k)!
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)
I love that we can approach God…with freedom…and confidence. Our Father loves us and wants to hear from us, no matter what’s on our mind.
What’s on your mind today? What have you hesitated to tell God? What request seems selfish, insignificant, or simply too big for God to handle?
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:13)
Pauls’ suffering in prison, yet it is an investment in their future, the age to come.
In a letter to a church in modern day Greece, he said,
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
In our culture, we will do just about anything to avoid suffering. Paul seems to almost like it! His eyes are not on today’s trouble, but eternity’s rewards. Instead of asking God, “Why?” he is asking, “What are you up to, LORD?” It’s all about perspective.
I was present for the birth of three babies. Standing around for hours and supporting my wife took a lot out of me! Ha! I detected she had a little discomfort during natural, drug-free childbirth! Yet during hours of labor, she kept thinking about the purpose…the why. She knew it would be worth it. The pain was temporary. The payoff would last a lifetime.
Have you ever been persecuted for your faith? We are blessed with many freedoms in this nation, but today many of our brothers and sisters are suffering deeply for the gospel, the good news we proclaim and embrace. According to the 2026 World Watch List from Open Doors and Global Christian Relief, approximately 388 million Christians today are experiencing persecution and discrimination for their faith, rising 8 million in one year. That means about 1 in 7 Christians today is suffering for their religious identity. There are now 15 countries experiencing extreme persecution, led by North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea.
So What?
Paul wants his readers to understand the mystery of God’s amazing plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike. Here’s a simple summary of the story:
God created a perfect world (Genesis 1-2).
Adam and Eve sinned and messed up everything (Genesis 3).
God chose Abraham to be the recipient of a special covenant, leading to the formation of the nation of Israel, the Jews (Genesis 12).
Jesus came to die not only for the Jews but also Gentiles. “For God so loved the world!”
Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is coming back soon.
We are on a mission from God to make sure everyone has a chance to hear the good news—the gospel—that Jesus is LORD, that reconciliation with God was made possible by the cross and empty tomb. We do this through prayer, telling our story, sending missionaries, and the Internet. As an example of that last one, our Outreach & Missions Commission invested $500 earlier this year in an Easter outreach with Jesus Online Ministries. The $500 was matched by a generous donor in Pittsburgh and as a result, 52,632 people heard the gospel, 1599 rededicated their lives to Jesus, 1441 accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and 914 new Jesus Online App users accessed spiritual growth resources. Praise the LORD!
Today, whether you’re in prison or a palace, God sees you, He knows you, He loves you, and He wants every person on this planet to know, love, and serve Him. Let’s go follow His plan to love, equip, and send, making disciples of all nations…for His glory!
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
July 5, 2026
Ephesians 3:1-13
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: Paul wants his readers to understand the mystery of God’s amazing plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike.
There are two types of people in this world—those who plan and those who…don’t! Which are you?
I like the old adage if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! We’ve all made plans, whether it was a vacation, a business, or something as simple as an outfit.
God has a plan. It’s an amazing plan which includes you, and we’re going to look at it today as we continue our series on the book of Ephesians, a letter written about two thousand years ago which remains relevant to this day.
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—(Ephesians 3:1)
Let’s stop right there! For this reason. For what reason? Last week Brent Sleasman looked at the end of chapter two, what Markus Barth called “The key and high point of the whole epistle.” Ephesians is an epistle, a short letter. Paul was talking about Jesus and Gentiles coming together to become God’s people. This was radical! Imagine someone tried to bring Republicans and Democrats together in our day. Incredible! Yet Jesus died for Jews and Gentiles alike. Last week’s text ends,
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)
Amazing!
Back to verse one of chapter three:
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—(Ephesians 3:1)
One more thing—Paul’s writing from prison, but he doesn’t say he’s a prisoner of Rome, but rather the prisoner of Christ Jesus…for the sake of the Gentiles. He’s doesn’t see himself as a victim of Roman injustice, but rather imprisoned for a cause…for Christ. Jesus is everything to Paul, and he endured seemingly constant suffering to accomplish the mission of making disciples, making followers of Jesus. In fact, he also wrote Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon from prison.
Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. (Ephesians 3:2-3)
We take it for granted today, but nobody in the ancient world imagined God’s grace was for all people. The Jews were God’s chosen people…and sometimes let it be known! As a Jew, here Paul is called to the Gentiles, non-Jewish people.
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:4-5)
What is the mystery of Christ?
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:6)
Paul sees God’s grace through the bringing together of Jews and Gentiles as God’s children. He says “together” three times in this verse! This was a very big deal because, again, many believed salvation was only for Israel, not the entire world. It’s an understatement to say the two groups didn’t always get along. But God revealed to Paul the mystery of together. All are invited to the party! All are welcome to follow Jesus!
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:7)
Paul calls himself a servant, a diakonos in the Greek, the term we call “deacon.” People often like the idea of being a servant…until they are treated like one! Are you a servant? He’s not merely serving people, but a servant of this gospel, a minister of good news, a proclaimer of truth…of the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus the Messiah.
Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. (Ephesians 3:8-9)
It seems hard to imagine the writer of much of the New Testament being less than the least of all the Lord’s people, but Paul had persecuted the Church before encountering the risen Jesus. God used him greatly, but he lived every day with the memory of his life before Christ. Can you imagine the guilt and shame…and forgiveness he experienced?
What does this tell us about God? His grace is amazing. His riches are boundless. He created all things.
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:10-11)
Let’s unpack this.
God works through the church, the people of God, Jews and Gentiles revealing God’s plan of salvation together.
Rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms refer to spiritual beings over which the Church has power to declare, and God’s purposes are eternal. We have authority given to us by Christ and we need to use it for his glory. Also, Paul says Jesus’ work and mission have eternal consequences. When you give, serve, love, volunteer, promote, share, disciple, equip, it will pay dividends for eternity! Try that with your 401(k)!
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)
I love that we can approach God…with freedom…and confidence. Our Father loves us and wants to hear from us, no matter what’s on our mind.
What’s on your mind today? What have you hesitated to tell God? What request seems selfish, insignificant, or simply too big for God to handle?
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:13)
Pauls’ suffering in prison, yet it is an investment in their future, the age to come.
In a letter to a church in modern day Greece, he said,
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
In our culture, we will do just about anything to avoid suffering. Paul seems to almost like it! His eyes are not on today’s trouble, but eternity’s rewards. Instead of asking God, “Why?” he is asking, “What are you up to, LORD?” It’s all about perspective.
I was present for the birth of three babies. Standing around for hours and supporting my wife took a lot out of me! Ha! I detected she had a little discomfort during natural, drug-free childbirth! Yet during hours of labor, she kept thinking about the purpose…the why. She knew it would be worth it. The pain was temporary. The payoff would last a lifetime.
Have you ever been persecuted for your faith? We are blessed with many freedoms in this nation, but today many of our brothers and sisters are suffering deeply for the gospel, the good news we proclaim and embrace. According to the 2026 World Watch List from Open Doors and Global Christian Relief, approximately 388 million Christians today are experiencing persecution and discrimination for their faith, rising 8 million in one year. That means about 1 in 7 Christians today is suffering for their religious identity. There are now 15 countries experiencing extreme persecution, led by North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea.
So What?
Paul wants his readers to understand the mystery of God’s amazing plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike. Here’s a simple summary of the story:
God created a perfect world (Genesis 1-2).
Adam and Eve sinned and messed up everything (Genesis 3).
God chose Abraham to be the recipient of a special covenant, leading to the formation of the nation of Israel, the Jews (Genesis 12).
Jesus came to die not only for the Jews but also Gentiles. “For God so loved the world!”
Jesus rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is coming back soon.
We are on a mission from God to make sure everyone has a chance to hear the good news—the gospel—that Jesus is LORD, that reconciliation with God was made possible by the cross and empty tomb. We do this through prayer, telling our story, sending missionaries, and the Internet. As an example of that last one, our Outreach & Missions Commission invested $500 earlier this year in an Easter outreach with Jesus Online Ministries. The $500 was matched by a generous donor in Pittsburgh and as a result, 52,632 people heard the gospel, 1599 rededicated their lives to Jesus, 1441 accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and 914 new Jesus Online App users accessed spiritual growth resources. Praise the LORD!
Today, whether you’re in prison or a palace, God sees you, He knows you, He loves you, and He wants every person on this planet to know, love, and serve Him. Let’s go follow His plan to love, equip, and send, making disciples of all nations…for His glory!
Alive in Christ, 21 June 2026
22 06 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ephesians: Our True Identity
Alive in Christ
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
June 21, 2026
Ephesians 2:1-10
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: People can change, but first they must die…to be made alive in Jesus.
One of the radical foundations of our faith is the belief that dead things can come alive. We are reminded of this each Easter Sunday when I say…He is risen! He is risen indeed! Don’t ever forget that!
Our text from today addresses our journey from death to life. It’s not describing a physical resurrection, but a resurrection, nonetheless.
As we continue or identity series on the book of Ephesians, Paul the Jew is writing to Gentile believers, reminding them of their past…which is just like ours. Like the last two weeks, this text—at least the first seven verses—was originally one, long sentence in Greek! He begins chapter two…
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 2:1-2)
That’s a picture of every human before they encounter Jesus. Dead! This is obviously not a physical state, but spiritually dead…until God gives them life. It is not true that God helps those who help themselves. He helps the helpless! He helps the dead! Amazingly, He helps His enemies—sinners, the disobedient, rebels.
The Greek word for sin, hamarita, means to miss the mark. We often compare ourselves to others, which is dangerous. “Well, I’m not a murderer” someone might say, but God doesn’t grade on a curve. If you miss the target by a little or a lot, it’s still a miss.
I love how Paul speaks in the past tense: you used to live. This is our story, too. We followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the space between heaven and earth where it was believed the evil spirits lived.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. (Ephesians 2:3)
Us may refer to Paul and Judean people. That was us. Today, that describes most people on the planet. In a sense, our world is a spiritual graveyard. People are not sick, but dead. Not ready for a remodel but a resurrection!
There are three reasons people are dead: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world says, “Keep up with the Jones’ and conform.” The flesh doesn’t mean our bodies are evil, but rather our natural, fallen nature wants our mind and body to disobey God. The devil refers not to satan proper, but demonic forces who lie. They are real. If you believe in angels, you better believe in demons!
News flash: Sinners sin! It’s their nature. They can never earn their salvation. They are hopeless on their own goodness.
As a result of our sin, we are deserving of God’s wrath. The only thing I deserve is eternal separation from God. Without Christ, we have no purpose. We are filled with sin, selfishness, pride, and deception.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
This is a wonderful “but!” It has been called this the most vital moment in world history. “But God!” The Roman world at the time of this writing was filled with gods—Zeus, Mercury, Poseidon, Artemis—but they had no imagination for being loved by them.
But because of his great love for us. John says God is love (1 John 4:8). His love is expressed to sinners as mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting the punishment deserved. Grace is unmerited favor, God’s undeserved generosity toward us. It’s not transactional. It’s an invitation.
We were dead, but God made us alive with Christ! We used to be enemies of God (Colossians 1:21), but now we are His adopted children, His friends.
Imagine it’s Judgment Day and you’re standing before God. He asks, “Why should I let you into heaven and the new earth?” How would you respond?
If you begin in the first-person by saying, “I,” you’ve got it all wrong. Religion is spelled D-O, what we do, but our faith is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s about what Jesus has done for us. In a word, it’s grace. You can’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. You simply say, “Yes” and receive it.
One of the best stories in the Bible illustrates this wonderfully. It’s about two criminals crucified beside Jesus. We don’t know what they did, but it took more than a speeding ticket to receive the death penalty!
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39)
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41)
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
The man said “yes” to Jesus. He didn’t go to seminary, take a mission trip, give money, or even attend Sunday School! That’s grace…unmerited favor. We are saved by grace. It’s amazing!
While the thief on the cross is an individual example, Paul is writing to a community of people. We’ve been made alive with Christ.
Now back to Paul’s letter:
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7)
We were dead. We were made alive. There’s more to come. Much more. Incomparable riches of his grace! We are given new life now, known as regeneration. We will be given new bodies later, known as resurrection. But today, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and if we are in Christ, we are there with him. Amazing!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
There it is again…grace! A Gift. Not by works. You’re not good enough. Saved from what? God’s wrath for our sins. Notice it is in the past tense. It is done. As I said earlier, Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people come to life. We all need help. We all need Jesus. It begins on our knees. Surrender. “Jesus, I give you my life.” All of it. Our salvation is not the result of our works…but works are the result of our salvation and relationship with God that is the result of faith, belief, trust, loyalty (Greek word pistis).
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Works are the result of God’s grace penetrating our hearts. We don’t strive to be good. We simply know Jesus and the good works come naturally. Good fruit comes when our branches are connected to his vine. Gratitude follows an encounter with God. Obeying God is the natural result of experiencing His love. We are not saved by good works but for good works. What are those good works? They’re representing the love, grace, kindness, mercy, creativity, beauty, peace, and justice of Jesus to the world.
This was illustrated recently when Oxford professor and Christian apologist John Lennox was interviewed on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast. After a conversation on historical proofs for the Christian faith, agnostic host Steven Bartlett said,
“One of the most compelling arguments for God that you’ve presented…is not actually necessarily anything you’ve written in your books, or not necessarily anything you’ve said…it is actually you. And you have a certain peace and contentment that I rarely see in people that I interview but I often see, and I’ve almost always seen, in the Christians that I’ve interviewed, and this is a interesting phenomenon for me.”
This is an interesting phenomenon for me.” That is an example of shining the light of Jesus in our dark world.
But I don’t want you to miss one important word. Here it is handiwork. I prefer the New Living Translation of this verse:
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
You are a masterpiece! God knew you before the creation of the universe (Ephesians 1:4)! He knew you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
That word “masterpiece” in the original Greek is “poiema,” like poem. You are a one-of-a-kind work of art, created to do good works, created to worship, created to love.
So What?
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
Jesus is alive, and if we are in Christ, we are alive, too! We have been born again to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves for His glory! Amen!
Ephesians: Finding Our True Identity
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
June 21, 2026
Ephesians 2:1-10
Series Big Idea: For followers of Jesus, we find our true identity in Christ.
Big Idea: People can change, but first they must die…to be made alive in Jesus.
One of the radical foundations of our faith is the belief that dead things can come alive. We are reminded of this each Easter Sunday when I say…He is risen! He is risen indeed! Don’t ever forget that!
Our text from today addresses our journey from death to life. It’s not describing a physical resurrection, but a resurrection, nonetheless.
As we continue or identity series on the book of Ephesians, Paul the Jew is writing to Gentile believers, reminding them of their past…which is just like ours. Like the last two weeks, this text—at least the first seven verses—was originally one, long sentence in Greek! He begins chapter two…
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 2:1-2)
That’s a picture of every human before they encounter Jesus. Dead! This is obviously not a physical state, but spiritually dead…until God gives them life. It is not true that God helps those who help themselves. He helps the helpless! He helps the dead! Amazingly, He helps His enemies—sinners, the disobedient, rebels.
The Greek word for sin, hamarita, means to miss the mark. We often compare ourselves to others, which is dangerous. “Well, I’m not a murderer” someone might say, but God doesn’t grade on a curve. If you miss the target by a little or a lot, it’s still a miss.
I love how Paul speaks in the past tense: you used to live. This is our story, too. We followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the space between heaven and earth where it was believed the evil spirits lived.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. (Ephesians 2:3)
Us may refer to Paul and Judean people. That was us. Today, that describes most people on the planet. In a sense, our world is a spiritual graveyard. People are not sick, but dead. Not ready for a remodel but a resurrection!
There are three reasons people are dead: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world says, “Keep up with the Jones’ and conform.” The flesh doesn’t mean our bodies are evil, but rather our natural, fallen nature wants our mind and body to disobey God. The devil refers not to satan proper, but demonic forces who lie. They are real. If you believe in angels, you better believe in demons!
News flash: Sinners sin! It’s their nature. They can never earn their salvation. They are hopeless on their own goodness.
As a result of our sin, we are deserving of God’s wrath. The only thing I deserve is eternal separation from God. Without Christ, we have no purpose. We are filled with sin, selfishness, pride, and deception.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
This is a wonderful “but!” It has been called this the most vital moment in world history. “But God!” The Roman world at the time of this writing was filled with gods—Zeus, Mercury, Poseidon, Artemis—but they had no imagination for being loved by them.
But because of his great love for us. John says God is love (1 John 4:8). His love is expressed to sinners as mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting the punishment deserved. Grace is unmerited favor, God’s undeserved generosity toward us. It’s not transactional. It’s an invitation.
We were dead, but God made us alive with Christ! We used to be enemies of God (Colossians 1:21), but now we are His adopted children, His friends.
Imagine it’s Judgment Day and you’re standing before God. He asks, “Why should I let you into heaven and the new earth?” How would you respond?
If you begin in the first-person by saying, “I,” you’ve got it all wrong. Religion is spelled D-O, what we do, but our faith is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s about what Jesus has done for us. In a word, it’s grace. You can’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. You simply say, “Yes” and receive it.
One of the best stories in the Bible illustrates this wonderfully. It’s about two criminals crucified beside Jesus. We don’t know what they did, but it took more than a speeding ticket to receive the death penalty!
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39)
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41)
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
The man said “yes” to Jesus. He didn’t go to seminary, take a mission trip, give money, or even attend Sunday School! That’s grace…unmerited favor. We are saved by grace. It’s amazing!
While the thief on the cross is an individual example, Paul is writing to a community of people. We’ve been made alive with Christ.
Now back to Paul’s letter:
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7)
We were dead. We were made alive. There’s more to come. Much more. Incomparable riches of his grace! We are given new life now, known as regeneration. We will be given new bodies later, known as resurrection. But today, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and if we are in Christ, we are there with him. Amazing!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
There it is again…grace! A Gift. Not by works. You’re not good enough. Saved from what? God’s wrath for our sins. Notice it is in the past tense. It is done. As I said earlier, Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people come to life. We all need help. We all need Jesus. It begins on our knees. Surrender. “Jesus, I give you my life.” All of it. Our salvation is not the result of our works…but works are the result of our salvation and relationship with God that is the result of faith, belief, trust, loyalty (Greek word pistis).
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Works are the result of God’s grace penetrating our hearts. We don’t strive to be good. We simply know Jesus and the good works come naturally. Good fruit comes when our branches are connected to his vine. Gratitude follows an encounter with God. Obeying God is the natural result of experiencing His love. We are not saved by good works but for good works. What are those good works? They’re representing the love, grace, kindness, mercy, creativity, beauty, peace, and justice of Jesus to the world.
This was illustrated recently when Oxford professor and Christian apologist John Lennox was interviewed on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast. After a conversation on historical proofs for the Christian faith, agnostic host Steven Bartlett said,
“One of the most compelling arguments for God that you’ve presented…is not actually necessarily anything you’ve written in your books, or not necessarily anything you’ve said…it is actually you. And you have a certain peace and contentment that I rarely see in people that I interview but I often see, and I’ve almost always seen, in the Christians that I’ve interviewed, and this is a interesting phenomenon for me.”
This is an interesting phenomenon for me.” That is an example of shining the light of Jesus in our dark world.
But I don’t want you to miss one important word. Here it is handiwork. I prefer the New Living Translation of this verse:
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
You are a masterpiece! God knew you before the creation of the universe (Ephesians 1:4)! He knew you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
That word “masterpiece” in the original Greek is “poiema,” like poem. You are a one-of-a-kind work of art, created to do good works, created to worship, created to love.
So What?
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)
Jesus is alive, and if we are in Christ, we are alive, too! We have been born again to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves for His glory! Amen!