Count Your Blessings (Part 2) - Ephesians 1:1-14

May 17, 2026
Count Your Blessings (Part 2) - Ephesians 1:1-14

What does it mean to belong to the family of God? Pastor Matt opens this message by looking back to January 1991, when he left the United States for the first time as a college freshman on a mission trip to Haiti. He vividly recalls his first glimpse of devastating poverty outside the airport—a young boy with one leg holding out his hand on a homemade wooden crutch. That evening, hanging out with children at a local orphanage, he was struck by the profound reality of what it means to be an orphan in one of the poorest places on earth, even as they beautifully sang a popular English song together.

This moving picture of orphanhood serves as the ultimate backdrop for understanding the glorious Gospel truth of spiritual adoption. Continuing our study of Ephesians, Pastor Matt challenges us to step off the exhausting "spiritual ladder" of trying to earn our own salvation and instead rest fully in the finished work of Jesus. Because of Christ’s redemption, we are no longer defined by our past, no longer slaves to sin, and no longer destined for wrath. Discover how to take your eyes off the immediate challenges of this world and fix them on your eternal identity as a deeply loved child of God.

Key Topics:

  • The Lesson from Haiti: Reflections on Pastor Matt’s first international mission trip in 1991 and how an encounter with a young boy begging on a wooden crutch opened his eyes to extreme poverty.

  • The Orphan’s Song: A look at the heartbreaking reality of orphanhood and the inspiring moment the Haitian children sang a familiar song in English.

  • Stepping Off the Ladder: Why true salvation requires us to abandon our legalistic attempts to climb our way to God and instead rely completely on His grace.

  • No Longer Slaves: Exploring the theological shift from being spiritual orphans under wrath to becoming fully redeemed heirs in the family of God.

  • An Identity of Peace: How walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and anchoring our lives in the hope of a future resurrection brings daily comfort and joy.