Gifted with Faith

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. So today we start our sermon series, and we're going to be looking today at, I think, a foundational verse that's kind of behind it all. It's in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10. If you don't have a Bible with you, we've got some available. And they can also be a gift to you from Thrive if you don't have one. We've got a New Testament that I think Vern has a few of. Anybody need one to follow along with today? Also, if you have a Bible app called the YouVersion Bible app on your phone or iPad, you can go under it, and you can get to this section called More. You go to Live, and you will notice that Gifted by Faith Thrive Community Church is there, and you get the notes right there in your Bible. Like, I'm amazed. I didn't do it, of course. I give the notes to Phil right now. I've got to learn how to actually do this. I'm so old, you know. When I think apps, I think of appetizers. That's me and food. But anyways, there is an app for that. We'd love for you to have those notes and kind of consider this a little more. So, everything in life is a gift. The video at the beginning said that. We had some gifted people put that video together. We thank you for that. But everything in life is a gift, okay? That's kind of a fundamental point. And I'll tell you this. This is what I think is even fascinating. Having the perspective that everything in life is a gift is a gift. Most people don't think everything in life is a gift. Most people don't have that framework. Most people don't see it that way. Today, more than ever, in the United States, most people still are looking at life as something you grab onto and get yourself. And we've got enough giddy-up to do it. We've got enough that can get us going, and we can go and get it. And the majority of people think that. The millennial generation, a recent survey said 96% of them. I know people in the millennial generation don't like to be considered part of a generation. They don't label me and all that stuff. But 96% of young adults stated that they were sure they will get where they want to be in life by their own efforts and abilities to get it. Now, that same survey done of a young adult generation in the 1950s had only 12% of the people say that. Isn't that fascinating? And I would say the generation growing up in the 50s, that probably 90% of that generation had more opportunities to get it because the America was in a different place. And I'm surprised. What's going to happen when 96% of the millennial generation realizes they don't get everything they thought they were going to? Are they going to start looking at it differently? You know, our optimism itself, our optimism in our ability to get what we want, when we want it, how we want it is almost its own faith system. But today we're going to look at the fact that life is a gift. Everything in life is a gift. And when we have that perspective, the fruits of that life becomes one of abundance, one of humility, one of gratitude. But when we don't have that perspective, when we don't see life as a gift, when we don't understand this basic given of life, when we have a different perspective of I got to get it, I've got to take it when I can, I've got to go for it. Then life becomes competition. Survival of the fittest. You know, the American can do spirit, pick myself up, make myself get what I want when I want. That's why I think this passage at the beginning is so important, because every other time that we're going to preach on this or speak on this and very short next week. On giftedness is based on the fact that we've got a good, good father who gives good gifts, who gives us everything that we have and everything is a gift. And when we have that and everything in life is a gift, then we are able to really. Understand what it means to be gifted by the spirit, gifted for ministry, gifted for godliness, gifted with talents. Otherwise, we're going to use it as entitlements or something else. So Ephesians to eight through ten, let's read that for by grace, you have been saved through faith. It is a gift of God, not a result of work so that no one may boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I think when Paul wrote this to the Ephesian church, he was very particular, very specific in the order of his language and what was going on. And that is by grace through faith for works. That order is so important. If you get that order, any other combination of that order, it's not by works through faith. For grace, it is not. Saved by faith through grace for works. Saved by faith through grace for works. It is. Paul was specific by grace through faith for works. And then we've got good news, not just good advice. Then we've got God's power, the gospel, and not God's pep talk trying to g...