Category: From Pastor

This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)

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Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Have you ever tried to build something without a level? You can get the pieces together. You can make it look right for a while. But eventually, the crooked lines begin to show. Doors don’t fit. Walls don’t meet. What looked fine at first becomes a problem.

That is why builders need a solid foundation and something that keeps everything aligned.

Paul gives us that picture in Ephesians 2. He says that God’s people are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”  (Ephesians 2:20).

The cornerstone was essential to an ancient building. It helped establish the position and alignment of the rest of the structure. Everything else was built in relationship to it.

Paul says Christ is our cornerstone.

That means the Church is not built around personalities, preferences, traditions, or whatever happens to be popular at the moment. The Church is built on God’s Word and aligned to Jesus Christ.

That matters for us personally too.

We are constantly tempted to use something else as our measuring line. We compare ourselves with other people. We build our identity around our accomplishments. We allow our feelings to determine what is true. We let culture tell us what is important. We can even judge a church by whether it fits our preferences.

But Christ calls us back to the cornerstone.

Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” God’s Word gives us the foundation we need. It tells us who God is, who we are, what Christ has done, and how we are called to live.

And when Christ is the cornerstone, we begin to see the Church differently. We don’t gather simply because everyone agrees with us or because we enjoy the same things. We gather around Christ and His Word.

First Peter 2:5 says, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.”

Notice that word: being built.

God is still working on us. He is still shaping us, correcting us, strengthening us, and teaching us how to live together. And He is doing that work through His Word and by His Spirit.

That means the difficult people in the Church may sometimes be part of God’s work in you. The person who needs your patience may be teaching you patience. The person who needs your forgiveness may be teaching you grace. The person who sees something differently may be teaching you humility.

God isn’t simply building a church around you. He is building you together with His people.

So when church becomes difficult, don’t immediately ask, “Do I like this?” Ask, “Is Christ still the cornerstone? Is God’s Word still the foundation? And how might God be using me to build up the people around me?”

You are not a loose block sitting on your own. You are a living stone, connected to Christ and being built together with His people.

Christ is your cornerstone.

His Word is your foundation.

And He is not finished building.

Reflect: What am I tempted to use as the foundation or measuring line for my life? How can I help build up Christ’s Church and the people around me this week?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being my cornerstone and for building me into Your Church. Forgive me when I place my preferences, feelings, or opinions above Your Word. Keep me grounded in Your truth and aligned with You. Give me patience with the people You have placed around me and help me build them up with encouragement, forgiveness, and love. Use me as a living stone in the Church You are building. Amen.

This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)

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Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Imagine a pile of building blocks sitting on the floor. Each block is close to the others, but the pile isn’t a building. The blocks haven’t been shaped into something together. They have no shared structure or purpose.

It is possible for Christians to be like that.

We can sit in the same worship service, sing the same songs, listen to the same sermon, and even know each other’s names without really being connected. We can be near one another without sharing life with one another.

Ephesians 2:19 says, “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

That is a beautiful picture of Christian identity. God doesn’t simply invite us to attend His house. He makes us members of His household.

A family is more than people who happen to live under the same roof. Families share life. They celebrate together. They hurt together. They forgive one another. They carry one another through difficult seasons. They show up when it matters.

The same is true of the Church.

Hebrews 10:24 says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” That requires more than sitting in the same room. It requires knowing people well enough to encourage them, caring enough to notice when they are struggling, and loving enough to step toward them.

Sometimes we can settle for a superficial kind of belonging. We attend when it is convenient. We participate when we enjoy the experience. We connect when the people around us are easy to like. But when church becomes uncomfortable, when someone disappoints us, or when we don’t like someone’s personality, it can be tempting to pull away.

But Christ calls us to something deeper.

The Church isn’t a place where everything will always be comfortable. It is a family of sinners who have been forgiven by the same Savior. That means we will sometimes disappoint one another. We will have differences. We will misunderstand each other. We will need patience and forgiveness.

That doesn’t mean connection has failed. Sometimes those difficult moments are where Christian love becomes most visible.

Again, Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “Find people who never frustrate you.” He says, bear with one another.

Why? Because Christ has borne with us.

Today, ask yourself whether your connection to the Church is deeper than simply attending. Who knows you well enough to notice when you are struggling? Who are you encouraging? Whose burdens are you carrying? Is there someone you have pulled away from because the relationship became difficult?

You don’t have to fix every relationship today. But take one step toward deeper connection. Make the phone call. Ask the question. Invite someone for coffee. Offer to help. Sit beside someone you don’t normally talk to.

You are not just a block sitting beside other blocks.

In Christ, you are part of His household. And Christ is teaching His people to live as a family.

Reflect: Is my connection to my church deeper than simply attending? Who is one person God may be calling me to know, encourage, or serve more intentionally?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making me a member of Your household through Christ. Forgive me when I treat Your Church as something I attend instead of a family to which I belong. Give me patience with others, humility when relationships are difficult, and a heart that is willing to love and serve. Help me take a step toward deeper connection and use me to encourage the people You have placed around me. Amen.

This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)

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Ephesians 2:14-15 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,…

 

We often talk about finding “our people.” We look for people who understand us, share our interests, make us laugh, and see the world the way we do. There is nothing wrong with having close friendships. But the Church is something bigger than finding people we naturally connect with.

In Ephesians 2, Paul reminds us that Christ has done something remarkable. He has taken people who were separated from one another and “has made us both one” (Ephesians 2:14). Our connection to one another does not begin with what we have in common. It begins with Christ.

That changes the way we look at the people around us.

The people sitting next to you at church may not be people you would naturally choose as your friends. They may be older or younger. They may have different interests, personalities, backgrounds, and experiences. You may have very little in common with some of them. You may even find some of them difficult to understand.

But if Christ has brought them near to God, they are part of your family too.

Romans 12:5 says, “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Notice those last words. We are not simply members of the same organization. We are members of one another.

That means Christian community carries a responsibility. We are called to love, serve, encourage, forgive, and care for one another because Christ has joined us together.

This can be difficult. Sometimes we are tempted to treat church like a restaurant. If we don’t like the people, the music, the style, the pastor, or the atmosphere, we simply look for another place that suits us better. Again, there are times when God may lead us to a different congregation. But we should be careful about making personal preference the measure of Christian community.

The Church is not primarily about finding people who fit me. It is about being part of the people Christ has brought together.

Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Notice the words “bear with.” That assumes that sometimes people will be difficult. Christian community isn’t always easy. But that is precisely where the grace of Christ becomes visible. We learn to love people because Christ first loved us.

So look around you today. Who has God placed in your life? Who might need your patience? Who needs encouragement? Who might feel like an outsider? Who have you avoided simply because you don’t naturally connect?

You don’t have to become best friends with everyone. But you can choose to see them differently.

Christ brought them near.

Christ made them His own.

And Christ has placed them among His people.

They may not be people you would have chosen, but they are people Christ has chosen to bring together with you.

Reflect: Is there someone in my church or Christian community I have avoided because we don’t naturally connect? How might Christ be calling me to love or serve that person?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for bringing me into Your family and for surrounding me with Your people. Forgive me when I judge others by my preferences or avoid people who are different from me. Help me remember that You are the One who brings us together. Give me patience to bear with others, humility to receive their care, and love to serve them. Use me to help make Your Church a place where others know they belong. Amen.

This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)

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Ephesians 2:13-17 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 

There are moments when God can feel far away. Maybe you have had a difficult week. Maybe you have failed in a way that makes you wonder how God could still love you. Maybe you have prayed and heard only silence. Or perhaps you simply feel spiritually tired. In those moments, it is easy to believe that you have somehow drifted too far from God.

Today God gives you a beautiful reminder: your relationship with God does not depend on how close you feel to Him. It depends on how close Christ has brought you.

Paul writes, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

Those words, “but now,” change everything.

You were far off. But now you are near.

You were separated. But now you belong.

You were without hope. But now you have peace with God.

And notice who does the work. Christ brings you near.

We sometimes imagine that our relationship with God depends on our ability to reach Him. We think that if we pray enough, read the Bible enough, serve enough, or become a better Christian, then God will be pleased with us. But the Gospel tells us something completely different. We do not climb our way up to God. Christ came down to us.

He came into our broken world. He took our sin upon Himself. He shed His blood on the cross. He rose again. And through His death and resurrection, He opened the way for sinners to come home.

Hebrews 10:19 says, “We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.” Our confidence is not found in ourselves. It is found in His blood.

Think about that today. When you feel unworthy, Christ brings you near. When you have failed, Christ brings you near. When you feel forgotten, Christ brings you near. When your faith feels weak, Christ brings you near.

You don’t have to work your way back to Him. You don’t have to convince Him to love you again. You don’t have to make yourself worthy of His presence.

Christ has already done it.

So when God feels far away, don’t measure His presence by your feelings. Look to His promises. Look to Christ.

You may feel far away today, but Jesus says something stronger than your feelings:

“I have brought you near.”

Reflect: When have I been tempted to believe that God is far away? What promise of Christ can I hold onto today?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming near to me when I was far from You. Thank You for Your cross, where You paid for my sin and opened the way to the Father. When I feel distant, remind me that Your promises are stronger than my feelings. Help me rest in Your forgiveness and trust that I am never beyond Your reach. Keep me close to You through Your Word and Your gifts of grace. Amen.

This week’s devotions are based on “Rooted: Finding My Identity in Christ: I am Connected! (WATCH HERE)

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Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

Ephesians 2 begins by reminding us of something we would rather forget. Paul describes what life was like before Christ. He says we were “separated from Christ,” “alienated,” “strangers,” “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Those are strong words. They remind us that sin is not simply making a few bad choices. Sin separates us from the God who created us and loves us.

Separation from Christ stinks.

Think about what happens when something is separated from the thing that gives it life. A branch separated from a tree may look fine for a while, but eventually it withers. A phone disconnected from its power source may keep working for a little while, but eventually the battery dies. In the same way, we were never created to live separated from God. We were created to know Him, trust Him, and live in His presence.

Sin also separates us from one another. When our relationship with God is broken, our relationships with people become broken too. We become protective of ourselves. We compare ourselves with others. We hold grudges. We choose people who make us comfortable and avoid people who challenge us. We build walls.

Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.” That separation is real, and we cannot fix it by simply trying harder to be better people. We need something more than self improvement. We need reconciliation.

That is why Ephesians 2 is so important. Paul wants us to understand how bad our separation was so that we can appreciate how amazing God’s grace is. He doesn’t want us to minimize our sin, but neither does he leave us trapped in it.

There is hope because separation is not the end of the story.

In fact, the very next words Paul writes are among the most beautiful in Scripture: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

That is where our identity begins. We were far away, but Christ brings us near. We were separated, but Christ reconciles us. We were without hope, but Christ gives us hope.

So today, take an honest look at your life. Are there places where sin is creating distance between you and God? Are there relationships where you have allowed resentment, pride, fear, or selfishness to build a wall? Don’t excuse those things, but don’t despair over them either. Bring them to Christ. Confess them. Trust His forgiveness.

Your sin may create separation, but it does not have the final word. Christ does.

You are not defined by how far away you have wandered. You are defined by the Savior who comes looking for you and brings you home.

Reflect: Where have I allowed sin to create distance between me and God or others? What would it look like to bring that separation to Christ for him to restore?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I confess that my sin has separated me from You and has often created distance between me and others. Forgive me for the walls I have built through pride, selfishness, resentment, and fear. Thank You for sending Jesus to bring sinners near through His blood. Help me trust Your forgiveness and begin tearing down the walls that separate me from others. Keep me rooted in Christ and His grace. Amen.