Prepared for Good Works: Ending 2025 With Purpose

As one year comes to a close and another stands before us, it’s natural to reflect. We think about what we’ve endured, what we’ve learned, and what we hope might be different in the year ahead. But Scripture consistently presses us to look forward—not with anxiety, but with purpose.

This Sunday’s sermon, “Prepared for Good Works,” is drawn from Ephesians 2:8–10, one of the most beloved passages in the New Testament. We often quote these verses to celebrate God’s grace—and rightly so. Salvation is a gift, not something we earn. But Paul doesn’t stop with forgiveness. He takes us one step further.

Grace doesn’t end the story. Grace begins it.

Paul reminds us that we are God’s workmanship—carefully crafted in Christ Jesus—and that God has prepared good works ahead of time for us to walk in. That means our lives in Christ are not accidental, unnecessary, or aimless. God saved us on purpose, and He saved us for a purpose.

This sermon will help us reset our thinking as we move into a new year. It’s not about doing more or feeling overwhelmed. It’s about understanding why God saved us in the first place and how He equips His people to serve with joy rather than guilt.

During the lesson, we’ll explore how this calling takes shape in everyday ways within our church family—through generosity, teaching, hospitality, care for widows and widowers, mentoring young people, and quiet acts of compassion that often go unseen but matter deeply to God.

You’ll be encouraged to ask one simple question as the year begins: “Lord, what is one good work You want me to walk in?”

Not everything.
Not forever.
Just one faithful step.

As we prepare to begin 2026 under the theme Knit Together in Love, this sermon serves as an on-ramp—helping each of us see how the body of Christ is strengthened when every member walks in the purpose God has already prepared.

If you’re tired, uncertain, or wondering where you fit, this message is for you. Grace does not burden us; it equips us. And when God calls us to serve, He walks with us every step of the way.

Join us this Sunday as we end the year not just grateful for grace—but ready to live it out.

Prepared for good works. Let’s walk in them—together.

1.  Why is it important to understand that we are saved by grace but created for good works?
2.  Paul says we are God’s “workmanship.” What does that word tell us about our value and our role in the body of Christ? 
3.  God has prepared good works ahead of time for us to walk in. What are some ways we might recognize the works God has already placed in front of us?
4.  Which of the ministries mentioned in the sermon resonates most with you, and why?
5.  What is one practical step you could take in the coming weeks to begin walking in a specific area of service? Who could you talk to or pray with to help you follow through?

Those Serving
CALL TO WORSHIP/PRAYER
Richard Jacobs
SONG LEADER
Drumand McLaughlin
LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Jason Schofield
 ASSIST LORD’S SUPPER
Brayden Grushon
Josh Childers
Gary Stewart
Reggie Johnson
SCRIPTURE READING
Justin Spargo
Ephesians 2:8-10
PREACHING
Matthew Allen
CLOSING PRAYER
Nathan Armstrong
CLOSING COMMENTS
Boyd Hastings
WELCOME CENTER
Emily McDonald // Tina Jacobs
USHERS
Jeremy Price // Bob Hoopes
COMMUNION PREP
Stephanie Braden
CLOSING THE BUILDING
James Passmore