Focus

Experience silence in the midst of your busy day. Take some time to relax into a time to be with God.

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Read

Ephesians 2:1-10 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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Reflect

I was recently doing some studying about modern-day idolatry for the coming fall quarter of the Encounter.  (You should order it!) I came across a graduation speech given by David Foster Wallace.  In the speech he shared a story, “There are two young fish swimming along, and they happen to go past an older fish swimming the other way who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys, how’s the water?” They continue until one of the younger fish eventually looks at the other and asks, “What is water?””

I imagine that this is what it means to be dead in our transgressions and sins.  We don’t even know we are dead.  It is not until God in Jesus Christ makes us alive that we even knew we were disobedient.  It wasn’t until God raised us up that we even had a taste of life.

Now that I have been raised with Christ, I want to become what God intended for me, to be created in Jesus Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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Pray

Lord Jesus, I pray to be formed and shaped to your good pleasure.  In some way, use me as a tool to call others from death to life.  Amen

Go with God!