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Eph. 3:7-13 ~ Overcoming Apathy ~ Carl Crouse

10/28/2019

[NOTE: FB Live Video did not come out smoothly this week, not sure if it will get posted later this week or not.]

What’s the difference between Ignorance and Apathy? [anyone know the answer? It’s a common joke] “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Overcoming apathy. I’m taking liberty in today’s message. In the last verse, Eph. 3:13, Paul says “do not be discouraged...” There is a difference between discouragement and apathy. Apathy is one more step of indifference beyond discouragement. Apathy is everything discouragement is except you add an element of not caring. Apathy literally means lack of emotions…

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Ephesians 3:1-6 ~ "The Riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of men" (Chesterton Quote) ~ Carl Crouse

10/22/2019

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Do you ever feel inadequate trying to explain the grace of God? Grace is fundamental to faith, yet to fully grasp and receive grace is beyond our minds… The idea of pure grace is even more fleeting for those that don’t know Christ: surely there is something we need to do! It is common for people to not feel good enough to receive God’s love! To be accepted. To be forgiven.

In seminary I had a job at the front desk of registrar’s office. Every quarter a few students would come in to see me because they got a failing grade in a class they didn’t attend. When I looked up the record and showed them they signed up but forgot to drop it, more than one panicking student shouted, “you have to give me grace because you are a Christian School….” Newsflash: Forced grace is not grace, it’s law… Our minds have a tough time grasping pure grace…we excuse ourselves secretly thinking I’m not as bad as the person sitting next to me…

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Ephesians 2:14-22 ~ A Fresh Start: The Big 'C' Church ~ Carl Crouse

10/15/2019

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When we preach about the cross of Christ we normally focus on Jesus paying the price for our sins. If I ask “why did Jesus die?” most people, including me, will describe salvation through the forgiveness of sins. Today’s scripture describes another purpose ~ Reconciliation!!!!! Togetherness… This is a BIG PICTURE SCRIPTURE and the importance of seeing ourselves in unity with the World wide Church… This Big C Church is what motivates me as a pastor… often when I am critical of myself I think maybe I haven’t spent enough time on our local church… but that isn’t how I am wired, that isn’t what I saw in my father…But I know I’m right that if more pastors/churches looked beyond the local church and how to build our little Kingdom and see the Bigger Kingdom…

Today’s scripture: the Big C Church ~ all Christians present, past and future are members… As today’s scripture begins, the word PEACE speaks of oneness/togetherness … The purpose of Jesus death is to bring literal peace between people that are so different from one another …the 1st part of today’s Bible reading is to bring peace … the 2nd part is the result: Oneness. Unity. READ EPH. 2:14-22.

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Ephesians 2:11-13 ~ A Fresh Start: Re-Member ~ Carl Crouse

10/8/2019

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There are some things God wants us to forget: past offenses from others... turn the other cheek… life is much easier when we let God be the judge and not be vengeful… Some of you are experts on forgetting!... anyone have that spiritual gift?

Some things the Lord wants us to forget! But others he wants us to NEVER FORGET. In today’s scripture Paul twice uses the word, REMEMBER (Eph. 2:1 and 2). REMEMBER is Paul’s swift kick in the pants ~ don’t forget the appointment, it’s important! .

Paul kicks us in the pants to remember our past so that we will always thankfully rejoice for our salvation. “Therefore” in Eph. 2:11 refers to Eph. 2:1-10: you have been saved by grace therefore remember what you were like. God wants us to have awareness of the great contrast of before and after. One person noted the new identity that Ephesians describes ~ He compared it to a kitten looking in a mirror and seeing the reflection of a lion….I get it… but for me, the mirror needs to be like those old triple panel department store mirrors that I used to play in as a kid when I was shopping with my mother ~ three angles….the lion is definitely reflected in one of the panels, but in the other is still a kitten. Never forget you were once a weak, helpless, dependent kitten.

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Ephesians 2:1-10 ~ A Fresh Start: Four Worldview Questions ~ Carl Crouse

10/2/2019

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If I had to choose one paragraph from the Bible to explain Christianity to a non-believer today’s scripture is it. This scripture explains basics of how a Christian sees the world.… The great contrast of the old life apart from Christ and new life with Christ.

You want a fresh start of faith in Christ Jesus? Reaffirm the foundational truths of what it means to be a Christian… EMTs often go over basic first aid practices… Mountain Rescue experts hold drills of rescue and safety techniques to stay fresh and current… as Christians in a hostile world, it is refreshing to return to the simple gospel of who we are and what Christ has done. Eph. 2:1-10 outlines the fundamental truth of what it means to be a Christian. These verses fit well into the long recognized World View questions which one way or another every thinking person has to answer:

Who am I? (where’d I come from? How’d I get here?)
What’s the problem?
What’s the solution?
Where am I going?

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Eph. 3:7-13 ~ Overcoming Apathy ~ Carl Crouse

Ephesians 3:1-6 ~ "The Riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of men" (Chesterton Quote) ~ Carl Crouse

Ephesians 2:14-22 ~ A Fresh Start: The Big 'C' Church ~ Carl Crouse

Ephesians 2:11-13 ~ A Fresh Start: Re-Member ~ Carl Crouse

Ephesians 2:1-10 ~ A Fresh Start: Four Worldview Questions ~ Carl Crouse

Carl Crouse, Pastor

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