Introduction

When you look at your life, do you ever wonder what God sees? In this message from Belay’s “Rooted in Christ” series, Greg Seymour walks us through Ephesians 2 and gives us both the hard truth and the stunning hope of the gospel. We were dead in sin. But God, rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ—and not just as individuals, but as a new family. Greg unpacks what it means to go from spiritual death to life, from outsider to insider, from rebellion to purpose. This message will leave you humbled, grateful, and re-centered on who you are in Jesus.

📌 Study Guide Tips

• You don’t need to do every section—use what fits your group or season.
• Let the Spirit highlight where to slow down and engage.
• For the greatest impact, invite a few others to go through it with you.

⌘ Space to Belong (Icebreaker)

• What’s an embarrassing moment from high school you can actually laugh about now?

  (Greg opened up about high school—IYKYK—so this is a safe space!)

• If someone made you a custom t-shirt that summarized how you feel when you remember God’s grace, what would it say?

⌘ Space to Believe (Scripture Focus)

Ephesians 2:4–10 (NIV):

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“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

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Context: Paul is writing this letter to a group of believers in Ephesus while in prison. In chapter 2, he reminds them of who they were without Christ and who they've become because of Him: fully alive, fully included, fully new.

Discussion Questions:

• What stands out to you in this passage? Is there anything new for you to believe or obey?
• Why do you think Paul uses such strong language—“dead in sin”—when describing our spiritual condition before Christ?
• What does it mean to you that salvation is a gift? How does that shift the way you live or view yourself?

⌘ Space to Become (Application)

Key Truths from Greg’s Message: