City Church Garland

Grace is not something we are accustomed to in our present society. We value hard work and success, but not grace. How do we respond to God's grace that saves sinners. In Ephesians 2:1-10, we will see a major contrast between our old life in sin and our new life in Christ as well as God's purposes in showing us saving grace.

Paul prayed to the Father of Glory asking that the Church may gain deep spiritual insight of who God is, what He has done, what He will do and what the Church has. Paul's prayer was that they might know God and have the eyes of thier hearts enlightened to know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and the greatness of His power that works towards us who believe.

God deserves all praise, glory and honor in view of His gracious blessings of election, adoption, redemption and salvation, which He has graciously given us in Christ Jesus.

A community that is centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ will live distinctively different lives from the world. Because of the work that Christ has done in their lives, they will be increasingly marked by virtues such as humility, love, generosity, hospitality, passion, compassion and many others. In Romans chapter 12 the Apostle Paul gives several imperatives that are to be lived out by those whose lives have been truly impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In it he describes what real Christianity looks like on the ground.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ Powerfully transforms the lives of those who have believed it and have had their minds renewed by it. The gospel leads people to surrender to God and live theirs lives set apart for Him.

Strategic prayer, proclamation and partnerships are essential for the growth of any church.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes us and how we relate to one another. The gracious manner in which Christ has dealt with us leads us to relate to others with that same grace and love. As Christ followers who consider Jesus to be "all, and in all" we are to have Christ-centered relationships. Christ-centered relationships are marked by grace, love, peace and gratitude. They are influenced by the word of Christ and they aim to bring glory to the name of Christ.

Since we have a new identity in Christ we must have a new mentality & morality. We are to live in accordance with who Christ has made us & what he has taught us. This involves us making war on sin & actively seeking to be like Christ in our character & conduct.

All that Christ is and all that He has done for us is enough for our salvation. In Him we have a new identity and status before God. Therefore we must be stable and steadfast trusting in Him and we must not deviate from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul's ministry was a stewardship given to him by God for the sake of others. And it involved suffering and struggles in which he had to endure to fulfill his mission of making the word of God known to the Gentiles. Followers of Christ can expect suffering and struggles as well. And they too should see themselves as stewards of the gospel message and seek to be faithful messengers.

Christ is the supreme Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is the Savior and Redeemer of all who believe in Him. Thus, He is worthy of our worship, trust and our highest allegiance.

Our proper response to God's sovereign work of grace in our lives is to seek to please Him in every way.

As a follower of Christ you have an identity & purpose in this world that leads you to actions which will have a positive impact on the world and result in good towards humanity & glory to God.

Loving others Like Jesus requires us to humble ourselves & do undesirable tasks to serve others (John 13:1-17). And it requires us to first recognize & receive His love for us (John 13:34).

Those who know Jesus have their values, vision & views changed by Jesus. The Apostle Paul is a great example of a person who had become transformed by coming to know Jesus & yet he wanted to know Jesus more. He counted everything in this life worthless compared to knowing Jesus.He wrote" Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:8 Knowing Jesus is worth more than anything this world has to offer.

Marks of A Spirit-Filled Community

Our Gospel Confidence, Confession, & Community

Palm Sunday "Sing to the King"

Living Worthy of the Gospel

Being Strong In the Lord