New Creation
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
God has completely transformed you into someone entirely new, giving you a full life in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b)
Living in your new identity is not automatic. God doesn’t instantly change your behavior or erase all your wrong thoughts. But He is available to help you change.
“For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants.” (Philippians 2:13, Living Bible)
With God’s help, you can discard old messages you received from your past and embrace the truths of your new identity. As you do this with the help of His Holy Spirit, God will continue to transform you. Then your thoughts and behavior will reflect the new life He has given you.
For instance:
~ You no longer have to believe or live like you are rejected, unloved, or shameful. You are God’s treasured possession. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
~ Nothing in all creation can separate you from God’s love. (Romans 8:35-39)
~ You no longer have to believe or live like you are guilty, unprotected, alone or abandoned. You are forgiven and free from God’s condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)
~ You will never be alone. God’s Holy Spirit lives in you. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
~ You no longer have to believe or live like you are worthless, inadequate, helpless, or hopeless. You can do all that God has planned for you. He lives in you and will enable you. (Philippians 2:13 and 4:13)
~ You have been given all you need to live the life God created you to live. (2 Peter 1:3)
You may be thinking, “How can I discard wrong messages from my past and embrace my new identity? I’m not even sure how to identify wrong messages. Even if I do, I have no idea how to discard them.”
The best place to start is to ask God to reveal where you have believed something that doesn’t agree with Him. Your new life is based on a relationship with Jesus. He wants you to come to him for help. Take a close look, with God’s help, at attitudes and beliefs that are driving your behavior. You don’t have to stay stuck in your old ways—you are a New Creation!
Sharon Chapman
EFCC Member
Born Again
John 3:1-9
Everyone is born physically alive, but not everyone is spiritually alive. Spiritual life results from receiving Jesus Christ.
“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 1:3)
"Yet to all who… believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12)
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:6)
God’s Spirit makes you into a completely new spiritual creation with an entirely new identity. You are His reborn workmanship! The “Who I Am in Christ” affirmations (see Friday’s Daily Fill devotional for the Practice section for this week to read more about the “Who I Am in Christ” affirmations) confirm the attributes of a born-again Christian’s new identity.
Throughout your life, you have received messages about who you are. Some messages agree with your born-again identity. Some do not. Sadly, those messages have sometimes led you to see yourself as unacceptable, insecure, and insignificant. These negative views of identity often become who you think you are.
The good news is that, once you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, your identity changed radically to one who is accepted unconditionally, totally secure, and greatly significant. In Christ, your identity is redefined because of your relationship with Him. Your past no longer defines who you are.
You might be asking, “If I have a new life with a new identity in Christ, why do I still feel the effects of my past? What does God want me to do about these old ways of thinking?” God loves us so much that He has told us what to do:
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
When you choose to believe everything that your new birth includes, you will increasingly put off your old self and put on your new self. Are you willing to “be made new in the attitude of your mind”? Start by reading the “Who I Am in Christ” affirmations. Ask God to show you what is preventing you from living like they are all true about you.
Sharon Chapman
EFCC Member
Practicing the Presence of God
During the FOLLOW sermon series, The Daily Fill devotional will consist of four days of the regular devotionals, and the 5th day (Fridays) will include a “practice” section to help you go a little deeper with the subject studied this past week.
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Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk, is one of the best-known voices on intimacy with Christ. He called this solitude of the heart, “Practicing the Presence of God.” Brother Lawrence was not a priest or teacher, but a lay brother. Following a near-fatal injury during the Thirty Years’ War, he entered a Carmelite Monastery in Paris, crippled, and became their cook. While his daily routine included the mundane tasks of a cook, he did so with a passion to know and be known; for his Lord to be ever-present in every part of every day. Lawrence was said to be “never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its season, with an even, uninterrupted composure and tranquility of spirit.” He claimed that this was not spirituality, but the “practice of the presence of God in all ways and in all times.” During his almost 50 years as a monk, he was sought out by monks and outsiders alike for the beauty of his soul.
Practicing God’s presence means “discerning and developing habits for discerning and awareness of God’s presence.” This comes in part through “noticing.” Noticing draws our attention to the creation that surrounds us and the Creator who has formed a beautiful tapestry of goodness, mercy, and grace right before our very eyes. Noticing takes our attention off ourselves and invites us into the presence of the Almighty.
Start your day by noticing God’s presence.
~ Go for a walk outside. Try not to think about anything in particular—just notice.
~ Breathe deeply and slowly.
~ Listen.
~ Smell.
~ Look.
~ Feel.
~ Ask God to reveal Himself.
~ Call out names of God.
~ Call out his blessings.
~ Be still and know.
The Bible uses phrases such as “abiding,” “remaining in Christ,” “walking with God,” and “keeping in step with the Spirit.”
The following are 13 images that portray what it means to practice God’s presence. These are not one-time actions but ongoing practices. Choose a few to read, ponder, and practice this week, then share your experience with someone.
~ Abide: John 15:4-5
~ Love: Matthew 22:37-40
~ Set your mind: Romans 8:5-6
~ Walk (in step with the Spirit): Galatians 5:16, 25
~ Set your heart: Colossians 3:1-2
~ Rejoice: Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16
~ Pray: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
~ Give thanks (in all circumstances): 1 Thessalonians 5:18
~ Run (with endurance and perseverance): Hebrews 12:1-2
~ Submit/Offer (yourself): Romans 12:1-2
~ Press on: Philippians 3:12-14
~ Dwell: Philippians 4:6-8
~ Remember (God’s faithfulness and provision): Deuteronomy 8:2-3
Will You Accept His Invitation?
Matthew 11:28-30
Do more… Be more… The pressure builds like a drumbeat in the background of our lives. Expectations stack up. Responsibilities multiply. The world chants, “More! More! More!” And somewhere inside, we brace ourselves—Don’t break. Don’t crack. Keep going.
But above all the noise, there is another Voice—a gentle whisper. A holy invitation:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
What if you took Him at His word? What if you laid it all down at His feet—the fears, the hurt, the striving, even the weight of who you think you must be? Instead of struggling to carry our burdens, what if you let Him carry you?
Your Heavenly Father longs to free your hands so they can hold His. He invites you to rest—not just physically, but deep in your soul. When you feel like you can’t take another step, He offers His strong shoulder. When you feel alone, He wraps you in everlasting love.
In His arms, you are safe (Psalm 91:4-6).
In His arms, you are loved (Romans 8:37-39).
In His arms, you are enough (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Jesus invites you to take His yoke—not a burden, but a bond. A way of walking so close to Him that your steps fall into rhythm with His. His yoke is perfectly fitted for you. His pace is one your soul can actually bear.
But can we trust His pace? When life screams for speed and productivity, can you gently turn your attention back to His steady steps beside us? Can you feel His nearness, guiding you forward, carrying what you cannot?
Every burden you release into His hands, He lifts. None are too heavy, none too small (John 16:33). The weight that crushes you cannot crush Him (2 Chronicles 20:6). The One who conquered death (John 3:16-17) has already carried your heaviest burden—your sin—because He desires a relationship with you (Romans 5:8-10).
If He carried the greatest burden, can you trust Him with all the others? The hands that shaped your heart are reaching out, waiting patiently to lift what weighs you down. On His yoke, there is a place made just for you. Will you accept His invitation to rest?
Caroline Chaiban
EFCC Member
No Two Ways About It
Luke 9:57-62
I think we live in a world that likes to hedge its bets. Some young adults (I have heard this with my own ears) talk about how crazy it is to get married without a prenuptial agreement. The thought of making an “all-in” commitment is ludicrous. Others will make a commitment to this or that and intend to keep it unless something better comes along. When it does, they bounce. In sports, you can bet on both teams. Even in the stock market, you can short the same stock you are holding with the intention of selling it at a higher price. In the language of today’s text, our culture seems to value the ability to “put your hand to the plow” while “looking back,” ostensibly to make sure something better isn’t coming along.
But this approach doesn’t work in the Kingdom. Why? First, nothing we would “look back” on would even come close to being as valuable as the Kingdom of God! (See Jesus’ Parables in Matthew 13:44-46) So it would be kind of dumb to turn down something infinitely more valuable than what we have just to hold on to what we have. Yet people do it all the time.
Second, a commitment to the kingdom of God can be a costly one while we still live in this world. Jesus knows and models this. I recall a wise pastor who mentored me when I was considering vocational ministry. He told me to be very sure about pastoral work because it isn’t always an easy life. He was right, as the first church I served in after seminary went through a nasty, divisive split. Had I not been sure of my calling and commitment to that calling, I might have been tempted to hang up my spikes.
When Jesus calls us to follow Him, not only is He calling us to live in the most valuable realm there ever will be, but He is also calling us to make a full commitment to Him because He knows that anything less will jeopardize our effectiveness and usefulness (which in turn affects His glory and our joy). So, while Jesus’ teaching may seem a bit intense and heartless, it really isn’t because He is fully aware of the costs and rewards of following Him and living in His Kingdom.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
Lean In
Mark 3:13-21
Have you ever had a child tap you on the shoulder and say, “I want to tell you a secret”? What do you do? You lean in. You listen intently because that little one, at that moment, is the most important person in the world. You are treasuring what that child has to say by being with them.
Maybe it’s visiting an elderly person. They have lived a full life and are content that they will soon be with Jesus. Yet in their last moments on earth, they long to impart further wisdom. So, you lean in and listen intently. You are uniting with that person, being with them.
Listening intently can also happen in nature. A walk on the beach, meandering through a meadow, hiking a mountain pass… While there, you lean into the experience, listening intently for God to reveal Himself through His creation. You are experiencing God in His creation by being with Him.
“Being with” requires leaning in. It means tuning out the noise around us and becoming fully focused on who we are with. That little child, elderly saint, or sacred piece of nature is not asking you to do something – they just want you to be with them—to lean in.
Mark 3:14 says, “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.” Being with Jesus does not eliminate God’s command for us to go out and proclaim His truth, but being with Jesus is a precursor to doing for Jesus.
Author Skye Jethani says, “Life with God entails treasuring, uniting, and experiencing… the call to dwell or abide is an ongoing state of being, not an invitation to chat once in a while.” Being with God means leaning in; being close enough to hear his voice, receiving whatever he has for you, whenever he has it, and through whatever method he determines to deliver it.
Revelation 21:3 says, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God.” Jesus longs to be with you—do you long to be with Him? Jethani goes on to say, “It is only when we grasp God’s unyielding desire to be with us that we begin to see the ultimate purpose of the cross.” This was exactly Jesus’ intention as He spent time with His disciples. Had Jesus not spent time with them, they would have had no basis for doing anything for Him.
Treasuring who God is and what He has done for us allows us to be united with Him, through experiencing Him—not only for eternity, but also and absolutely for today. Your God is inviting you into a personal and intimate relationship with Him. Will you decide to lean in?
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Come and See
John 1:35-39
I vividly remember the first backpacking trip I ever went on. I was a late addition to the roster. When I first tried to sign up, the trip was full, so I landed on the waiting list. Two days before departure, someone got sick, and suddenly, I was in. What I didn’t realize was how unprepared I was. I’d never been backpacking. I didn’t know how to read a map. And I only knew a handful of the people who were going.
When we arrived at camp, we were issued our gear, loaded up, and headed toward the trailhead. Somewhere in the miles that lay ahead, my life was quietly, unexpectedly changed. I’ll never forget standing on the summit as the sun rose, watching mountain ranges stack up like layers of watercolor. I remember thinking, If I had said no… I would have missed this. One simple yes opened the door to an experience that shaped me forever.
Following Jesus often works the same way. In John 1, two future disciples begin following Jesus. They were curious, a little unsure, maybe even awkwardly close. Jesus turns, looks them square in the eyes, and asks the question He still asks every one of us: “What are you seeking?”
They respond with a question of their own: “Where are you staying?” It sounds odd to us, but it was their way of saying, “Who are you really? Can we come close enough to find out?”
And Jesus’ invitation couldn’t be simpler: “Come and see.”
Notice what He doesn’t do.
He doesn’t demand a doctrinal statement.
He doesn’t require certainty.
He doesn’t hand them a checklist called “Discipleship.”
He simply invites them into a relationship, into proximity, presence, and discovery.
Discipleship always begins with holy curiosity. Something in us whispers, maybe there’s more to Jesus than I’ve known. Maybe He really can reshape my life. None of us starts following Jesus because we’ve figured everything out. We follow because we’ve seen just enough of Him to want more. And it begins with one small step: opening the Scriptures, showing up in community, whispering a prayer, asking an honest question, paying attention to the tug in your soul.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
And Grace Will Lead Me Home
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21
The phrase “And grace will lead me home” is in the fourth stanza of the song Amazing Grace. Written by John Newton in 1779, it was the declaration of God’s grace in saving him from the depths of sin and evil. He had become a sea captain in the evils of the slave trade, and God used a storm at sea to bring him to saving grace. Later, he became one of England’s most powerful evangelical preachers and an ardent foe of slavery. And Newton knew it was all about grace.
As we have completed the sermon series on Revelation, it is certainly fitting that the last sentence in the Bible focuses on grace. “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21) Grace has been the action of the love of God. When He created the world, it was grace. The Garden of Eden was grace. The plan of salvation was grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) At the culmination of this part of the larger story, grace continues.
Grace has several definitions. Families may say “grace” before meals at the dinner table. We often describe someone’s movement as full of grace. But the grace of the Bible is something entirely different. It is the loving kindness of God toward undeserving mankind. We didn’t and don’t deserve grace. We have done nothing to merit it, and still God acts in grace toward us. Grace exists because of who He is, not because of what we have done. We live in a “quid quo pro” world, something for something. Not so with the grace of God, He has done it all. We are never meant to answer the question, “How can I repay Him for what He has done?”
Dear brothers and sisters, as you read through these three stanzas of the song Amazing Grace, ponder how God’s grace has led you to your true home with Him.
Amazing Grace (https://youtu.be/n3QbHNOxzcY)
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.
’Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
Soonish
Let’s be honest: the word soon has a wide range of meanings. When my kids say they’ll clean their rooms “soon,” I know I could probably sit down and watch a show or two first. But when I hear the words, “Dinner will be ready soon,” it usually motivates me to wrap things up a little quicker. What do we do with Jesus’ words, “Surely I am coming soon,” from nearly 2,000 years ago?
John heard these words at the very end of Scripture, and Christians have been repeating them ever since: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” This has been a prayer echoed throughout centuries of persecution, revival, boredom, faithfulness, failures, and successes. And still, Jesus hasn’t returned. So what are we supposed to do with a promise that feels delayed?
When I hear the word “soon,” I’m tempted to echo the words of Inigo Montoya, in The Princess Bride, who says, “I do not think that this word means what you think it means.” I don’t know… Maybe Jesus should have said that he was coming back soonish.
Or maybe we are the ones who misunderstand.
What Jesus is doing here is not giving us a countdown clock. He’s not circling a date on the calendar or telling us to start frantically tidying up the house at the last minute, like unexpected guests are pulling into the driveway. Notice the difference: Jesus doesn’t tell us to get ready. He tells us to be ready.
Those are not the same thing.
“Get ready” implies panic, scrambling, and pretending. It’s the idea that someday, when the timing feels clearer, we’ll finally clean up our act, take faith seriously, and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. “Be ready,” on the other hand, is about posture, not performance. It’s a settled way of living. A life already oriented toward trust, obedience, and love.
To be ready means we trust Jesus with our lives today. It means we forgive when it’s hard, love when it’s inconvenient, and remain faithful when the world feels impatient or cynical. Readiness isn’t about predicting His return; it’s about practicing His way. Loving God. Loving people. Walking humbly. Staying awake to what He’s doing all around us, right now.
In that sense, “soon” is always true. Jesus’ return is always closer than it’s ever been. And more importantly, our opportunity to live in His way, with His heart, is always now.
So we pray the ancient prayer with both hope and humor, honesty and trust: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Whether His return is soon, soonish, or far beyond our understanding of time, may He find us ready, not rushed; trusting, not pretending; but faithfully living in His way of love today.
Josh Rose
Family Pastor
Who Let The Dogs Out?
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:13-15)
My family had a few pet dogs while I was growing up. For most of my childhood and adolescence, we had these two dogs, Max and Charlie. These dogs were fairly well-behaved, despite barking at anything that moved. We had gates inside our house and around our yard to help ensure they couldn’t go anywhere they weren’t supposed to. One day, we let the dogs into the yard, assuming that the gate was closed. After a while, I went out to check the yard and found the gate wide open and no dogs in sight. When we went to look for them, Max had found his way to the front door and he was just sitting there. Charlie, on the other hand, was running down the street. We eventually found him and brought him back.
The thing that I find most interesting about this passage is that, along with the idolaters and murderers, the dogs are outside the gate. Many of us who have had pet dogs might find this a little bit unsettling. When we imagine pet dogs, though, we miss the picture. I’ve been to several countries with lots of street dogs, and these are the ones I picture, desperate for scraps and only looking out for themselves. The thing about these street dogs, too, is that if you feed them, they will never leave you alone.
It’s possible that we’re talking about literal dogs — but the sentiment beneath that is what you feed sticks around. If you feed your sin, it doesn’t go away on its own. If you feed your addiction, it doesn’t go away on its own. If you don’t repent of it and release it, that sin will follow you around like a stray dog. However, if you feed self-control, discipline, and patience, these will also stick around and continue to grow.
I think that the dogs, along with the others mentioned here, let themselves out. We have the tendency to act a little bit like dogs. Yet, like my own dogs, while some of us may wander, others return home.
May we be people who return home.
Kassie Lowe
Young Adults Lead
