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BLESSED

Part 1: Blessed By God

Scripture

Ephesians 1:3-7

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sermon Recap

This week, Pastor Pete launched our new sermon series Blessed by teaching from Ephesians 1:3–7 on what it truly means to be blessed by God. While our culture often uses #blessed to describe material comfort, success, or good circumstances, Scripture reveals something much deeper. From the opening chapters of Genesis, where humanity is created and blessed, to the words of Jesus and the promises of Revelation, blessing is about God’s relational presence with His people. To be blessed is not simply to receive good things, but to be in right standing with God—chosen, adopted, forgiven, and secure in His love.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians that we have already been given every spiritual blessing in Christ. God sees us, has chosen us before the foundation of the world, and has adopted us as His beloved children. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are clothed in righteousness and free to live with joy, peace, and fruitfulness. Yet many of us live with a deep sense of spiritual poverty, seeking blessing in substitutes like approval, success, or possessions. Just as Jacob and Esau longed for their father’s blessing, our hearts ache to hear God say, “You are my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

The good news is that in Christ, that blessing is already ours. We are not defined by curses, failures, or striving for human approval—we are defined by God’s blessing over us. This year, our call is to go deeper by receiving God’s blessing into the hidden places of our lives, letting His love bring freedom, identity, and joy that overflows to others. The

One Thing: we are blessed with the fullness of life in relationship with God.

Discussion
Questions

Connecting

  1. What is one small thing you were genuinely thankful for this past week?
  2. When you hear the word “blessing,” what usually comes to mind first?

Considering

  1. According to Ephesians 1:3–7, what are some of the specific blessings we already have in Christ?
  2. How does the Bible’s view of blessing differ from the way people around us often use the word?

Confessing

  1. Where in your life are you tempted to seek blessing from substitutes like success, approval, or possessions?
  2. Do you struggle to believe that you are already blessed and fully accepted as God’s beloved child? Why or why not?

Committing

  1. What is one step you can take this week to receive and live out of God’s blessing instead of striving for substitutes?
  2. How can you share the blessing of God’s love and presence with someone else in your life this week?

Next Steps

As part of our annual theme, Deep & Wide, we invite our church family to go deeper in relationship with God so that we can be the greatest blessing to one another and the world around us. Each week, we will follow up from the sermon with simple, practical steps to help us receive God’s blessing and apply the truths of the gospel more deeply into our lives.

Part 1: Blessed by God (Sep 14, 2025)

  1. What is one step you can take this week to receive and live out of God’s blessing instead of striving for substitutes?
  2. How can you share the blessing of God’s love and presence with someone else in your life this week?