TUESDAY - September 1

Read. Ephesians 2:1-10

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 2 You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. 3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.

4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

8 You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. 9 It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. 10 Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.


Reflect.  Today, we take a break from reading through the book of Acts to reflect on the community of Ephesus that Paul is with. This community was kind of a home base for Paul and later in his life he wrote this letter back to the community. Tradition says that Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote these words to the church in Ephesus. 

• In this letter, Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus (and you) that God has saved you “because of the great love that he has for us” (v.5). 
• Love is one of the things that defines God from age to age. In Psalm 136, the writer reflects on God’s love and repeats the truth that “God’s faithful love lasts forever!” Throughout all of the Bible, we read again and again of how God’s love for God’s people brings them to safety and salvation. As a child of God, God loves you like this too. 
• Take a moment to reflect on God’s love for you. How does it make you feel that regardless of what’s going on in your life today, God loves you. How do you experience the love of God? How have you seen God’s love show up in your life lately. 

Pray. Pray the Jesus prayer and allow God’s love to fill your soul. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner. 

COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST


Doug. Bobby. Collier. Glenn. Adam.  Mary.  Clyde.  Linda. Betty Carolyn. Jeff. Albert. Richard. Lois. Ross. Tiny. Donald. Bill. Barbara. Andreas. Helen. Bonnie Brenner. Baker Family. Robert McKenzie Family. Kibler family. Carolyn Harlow. Jeremy. Jeff Green. Lyric. Earl Graves. Mickey Huff. Huff & Welch families. Helen Leigh. Paul Huffman. Schools, Teachers, Staff, Parents, Students. Church regathering plans. Layman family. Charlene Withrow. John. Brandon Casteel. Dirk Orr family. Smith family. Crowder family. Lillard family. Family of Floyd Eaton. Thompson family. The coming birth of Titus. Family of Eddie Rynes.