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A Chosen People

1 Peter 2:9-10

Purpose flows naturally from identity. A surgeon performs surgery. A mail carrier delivers mail. A born-again child of God lives to show others the love and goodness of God. You have not just been saved from something. You have been saved for something.

“You have been chosen by God himself—you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were less than nothing; now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it.” (1 Peter 2:9-10, Living Bible)

"God gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:18b, 20)

Being certain of who you are in Christ will determine how you represent Him because your life will always reflect what you believe. As you mature in Christ, your identity will not come from what you do; what you do will flow from your security in who you are in Christ. Once you are certain of God’s love, acceptance, and approval, you don’t need to work to earn it. You serve from gratitude for all He has done for you. You are freed to become Christ’s ambassador and an agent of reconciliation between others and God.

“Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, your calling is a mission to disciple others to grow in their understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for them.

“For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

God has created you uniquely different from every other person. Likewise, His purpose for you is uniquely designed and prepared in advance by Him. The specific way in which you will serve God is a calling you receive as you abide in Christ. You don’t lead the way; you follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. So, as you spend time with your Lord, ask Him to show you what He wants you to offer to others whose hearts and lives He wants to impact through you. He chose you because he loves you!

Sharon Chapman
EFCC Member

by Sharon Chapman

Christ Lives in Me

Galatians 2:20

Your new life in Christ includes the presence of God’s Holy Spirit living in you.

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20a)

“…you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…” (Ephesians 1:13b)

To experience the fullness of your new life in Christ, it will be necessary to surrender all that conflicts with the Holy Spirit.

“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

Sometimes a stronghold makes it difficult to live your new life. A stronghold is a habit or a way of thinking that controls how you live. God has given us instructions in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 for surrendering strongholds.

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Paul mentions we have been persuaded to believe things that do not agree with God’s truth, resulting in strongholds. So, what can you do? God says, “Take them captive! Make them obedient to Christ!” Take a thought captive by asking if it agrees with what God says is true. Make it obedient to Christ by choosing to believe it (if it agrees with what God says is true) or by refusing to believe it (if it disagrees with what God says is true).

Further obedience requires replacing wrong thoughts with God’s truth. For example, if I believe I am not good enough, I need to realize that is not how God sees me. It is a lie! He says I am His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). I am His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). I must accept and embrace these truths to keep the lie from influencing how I live.

As you surrender thoughts and attitudes from your old identity, your new life in Christ will become an expression of His love, not your old self. You’ll become increasingly sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Satan will lose the ability to influence your thoughts. What a gift we have through Jesus Christ, who lives in each of us!

Sharon Chapman
EFCC Member

by Kim Freels

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

by Sharon Chapman

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

by Sharon Chapman

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

by Anonymous

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

by Caroline Chaiban

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

by Scott Smith

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

by Lynette Fuson

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

by Ryan Paulson