One New Humanity
Read: Ephesians 2:11-22 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. (v. 14) We live in a deeply divided world. Nations war against each other. Countries broil with political and religious tension. Cities simmer with unrest. Even our churches […]
Double Grace
Read: Ephesians 2:1-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing . . . (vv. 8-9) When my oldest daughter was learning to ride a bicycle, I’d jog behind her, holding on to the bike seat until she’d call out, “Okay, Dad, let go! I can do […]
Running with Wisdom
Read: Ephesians 1:15-23 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him. (1:17 NRSV) Every day we face a barrage of choices. Our lives traffic in so much information. How do you discern what is […]
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Read: Ephesians 1:1-14 [God has made] known to us the mystery of his will . . . to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (vv. 9-10) While Paul doesn’t use the image of running in his letter to the Ephesians, think of the letter as a training manual for […]
Training vs. Trying
Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes . . . goes into strict training. (vv. 24-25 NIV) Try harder. Work more. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. These messages clamor loudly in Western culture. But the Bible tells us that resilience is not a […]
The Race Set before Us
Read: Hebrews 12:1-6 Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (v. 1) Several years ago, I signed up to run my first 25K race. I knew I couldn’t do it alone, so I trained with some more experienced runners. We would wake up early, while it was dark, and get […]
You Are My People
Read: Leviticus 20:22-26 I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. (v. 24) Like sojourners in a foreign land, like refugees fleeing violence, we may feel like strangers in a distant land. We look around and see a world that is ravaged by violence, illness, and death. We may find […]
Be Holy
Read: Leviticus 11:44-45 Be holy, for I am holy. (v. 44) God calls us to be holy, but have you wondered if this is even possible? Maybe you imagine that if you’re not a pastor or working in ministry, you’re not as holy. Maybe you compare yourself to Christians around you and think that they’re […]
A Holy and Acceptable Offering
Read: Romans 12:1-4 Present your bodies as a living sacrifice . . . which is your spiritual worship. (v. 1) Every Sunday, Christians gather to worship God—in person at church, with family members at home, or virtually online. We often think of “worship” as singing or praying. Both of these are a part of worship. […]