On a break at the Central District (EFCA) Annual Conference at Valley Church in West Des Moines. I’m a delegate for Grace Evangelical Free Church in Indianola since I’m the interim pastor. We are officially being brought into the Evangelical Free Church tonight, so it is a big moment in the life of the church.
Our first session this morning was with Chris Dolson, the senior pastor at Black Hawk Church in Madison, WI. His text this morning was Ephesians 2:8-10.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them, (Ephesians 2:8-10, ESV).
Far too often Evangelicals are known for what they are not – what they are against. But that should not be the case. This passage makes it pretty clear that we have been saved for a purpose – for good works. Good works doesn’t save, but it does do something very vital. Money quote from the session:
“We are to do good works that generate good will which gives us an opportunity to share the good news.”
So often we get that backwards, but this is what being missional mean, which is my next workshop so got to run.