1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,300 --> 00:00:17,900 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:17,940 --> 00:00:22,950 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Ephesians 2, verse 12, which says, 5 00:00:24,270 --> 00:00:28,030 Speaker 1: Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, 6 00:00:28,710 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and As Paul wrote 7 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,260 Speaker 1: to the church at Ephesus, he invited them to remember 8 00:00:44,340 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: their old lives apart from Christ. Many of them had 9 00:00:48,020 --> 00:00:51,580 Speaker 1: been involved in the worship of false gods. Some of 10 00:00:51,620 --> 00:00:53,690 Speaker 1: them were caught up in the worship of their own 11 00:00:53,770 --> 00:00:59,230 Speaker 1: material prosperity. Some had once practiced and embraced various forms 12 00:00:59,310 --> 00:01:05,060 Speaker 1: of culturally acceptable immorality. Paul reminded the church that that 13 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,900 Speaker 1: was a hopeless way to live. At one time, these 14 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,690 Speaker 1: men and women weren't believers in Christ. They walked according 15 00:01:12,730 --> 00:01:16,009 Speaker 1: to the counsel of their own minds. Their hearts weren't 16 00:01:16,230 --> 00:01:20,030 Speaker 1: joyfully submissive to Christ, and they lived without hope and 17 00:01:20,090 --> 00:01:24,500 Speaker 1: without God in this world. In that state, they were 18 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: separated from Christ, and at one time, so were we. 19 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:31,700 Speaker 1: We were outlawed from enjoying the kind of blessings God 20 00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:36,260 Speaker 1: has historically poured out upon Israel. We were distant from 21 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:41,020 Speaker 1: and ignorant of the promises fulfilled in Christ. We too 22 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,380 Speaker 1: lived without hope and without God in this world. But 23 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,780 Speaker 1: that all changed when we met Christ. We went from 24 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:56,220 Speaker 1: being distant, self-reliant, and alienated to becoming a close, Christ-reliant family. 25 00:01:57,340 --> 00:02:02,050 Speaker 1: In Christ, we find a secure, unwavering hope. In Christ, 26 00:02:02,390 --> 00:02:13,780 Speaker 1: we find certainty, fulfilled promises, and eternal guarantees. Let's pray. Lord, 27 00:02:13,810 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word. And we thank you 28 00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 29 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: read this portion of Scripture together today from the book 30 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,410 Speaker 1: of Ephesians. And Lord, as we look at this portion 31 00:02:23,430 --> 00:02:26,549 Speaker 1: of Scripture, we're reminded of the old life that we 32 00:02:26,650 --> 00:02:30,630 Speaker 1: used to live. We lived without hope. We lived outside 33 00:02:30,669 --> 00:02:33,470 Speaker 1: of your family. We were trying to do things in 34 00:02:33,530 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: our own strength and in our own wisdom. And we 35 00:02:36,470 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: weren't focused on what's eternally true or what matters for eternity. 36 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: But Father, we're grateful for the fact that that no 37 00:02:43,980 --> 00:02:46,820 Speaker 1: longer needs to be the case. We don't need to 38 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,380 Speaker 1: live separate from your Son, Jesus Christ. We don't need 39 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,940 Speaker 1: to be outlawed from enjoying the kind of blessings that 40 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: you have in store for those who know you, love you, 41 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 1: and trust you and are part of your family. We 42 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:03,100 Speaker 1: can live with hope. We can live confident of your 43 00:03:03,180 --> 00:03:05,940 Speaker 1: presence in our lives during the days that we spend 44 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: on this earth. And we're grateful, Father, that we don't 45 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: need to live distant from you. We don't need to 46 00:03:11,620 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: live self-reliant lives. We are close to you through your Son, 47 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. We are part of your families. You make 48 00:03:19,780 --> 00:03:23,580 Speaker 1: us certain of your promises. You give us eternal guarantees 49 00:03:24,020 --> 00:03:27,279 Speaker 1: that cannot be taken away from us. So Lord, we're 50 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: grateful for the fact that you reveal these truths in 51 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,380 Speaker 1: your word. And then you inspire us to live with 52 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:38,260 Speaker 1: confidence in you that everything you assure us is absolutely 53 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: true and will come to pass. We're grateful for these 54 00:03:42,420 --> 00:03:45,430 Speaker 1: reminders today, Lord. And we're grateful for the privilege to 55 00:03:45,470 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: be able to read this together. We pray this all 56 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,380 Speaker 1: in Jesus' name. Amen.