e6 Series Ephesians 1 - Kent Thompson | 19 July 2026

Series Introduction:

This is episode 1 of our new series on the New Testament book of the Bible... Ephesians. Join us as we journey through it over the coming weeks. We have subtitled this series - Sit, Walk, Stand (Sit in Christ, walk in love and stand in armour).

Ephesians 1

We live in a world obsessed with identity — chasing it through careers, relationships, success and social status. In this message, Kent opens Ephesians 1 to show that real identity isn't something you create; it's something you receive. If you've ever wrestled with who you are or where you belong, this one's for you.

https://youtu.be/-F54YjGOfYA

📖 BIBLE STUDY (approx. 10 minutes)

Title: Received, Not Achieved

Key Passage: Ephesians 1:3–4 (TPT)

"Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ — all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence."

Context: Kent walked us through Ephesians 1 as Paul's overflow of worship — one long, breathless celebration of who we already are in Christ. The point isn't what we do for God; it's what He's already done for us.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where do people around us tend to look for their identity — and where have you looked in the past?

2. Paul says we're "chosen before the foundation of the world." How does it change things to know your value was settled before you did anything?

3. Kent talked about God removing the whole backpack of rocks, not just one. Where are you still carrying weight God has already lifted?

4. If the same power that raised Jesus is at work in you, what's one thing you'd step out and believe for this week?
   

Application: This week, catch yourself when you start building your worth out of work, relationships, or wins — and swap it for what you've already received in Christ. Live like the lights are on and they're not going out. In our region, that looks like carrying an unshakeable hope into workplaces, homes, and schools that are running low on it.

Takeaway Thought: You don't have to earn your identity — in Christ, you just have to receive it.

Further Reading: Ephesians 1:1-23 · Ephesians 2:6 · Philippians 2:9-11 · Matthew 6:20 · Revelation 13:8 · Jeremiah 1:5 · John 1:11-13 · 2 Peter 3:9 · Jeremiah 29:11 · Romans 13:9 · Proverbs 4:23