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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Nightly Scripture,

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Speaker 1: a calming, scripture centered devotional podcast designed to help you

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Speaker 1: end each day with God's word in your mind and

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Speaker 1: on your heart. Right after the short word from our sponsors,

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Speaker 1: will reflect on tonight's scripture, Ephesians chapter two. Tonight's scripture

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Speaker 1: reflection is written by Shay Smith and read by Lea Gerard.

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Speaker 1: Ephesians chapter two. As for you, you were dead in

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Speaker 1: your transgressions and sins in which you used to live,

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Speaker 1: when you followed the ways of this world and of

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Speaker 1: the ruler of the Kingdom of the air, the spirit

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Speaker 1: who is now at work in those who are disobedient,

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Speaker 1: All of us also lived among them at one time,

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Speaker 1: gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires

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Speaker 1: and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving

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Speaker 1: of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God,

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Speaker 1: who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ,

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Speaker 1: even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by

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Speaker 1: grace you've been saved, and God raised us up with

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Speaker 1: Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms

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Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages,

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Speaker 1: he might show the incomparable riches of His grace expressed

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Speaker 1: in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it

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Speaker 1: is by grace you've been saved through faith, and this

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Speaker 1: is not from your solf. Else it is the gift

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Speaker 1: of God, not by works, so that no one can boast,

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Speaker 1: For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to

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Speaker 1: do good works which God prepared in advanced for us

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Speaker 1: to do. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are gentiles

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Speaker 1: by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves

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Speaker 1: the circumcision which is done in the body by human hands,

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Speaker 1: Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ,

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Speaker 1: excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants

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Speaker 1: of the Promise, without hope and without God in the world.

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Speaker 1: But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away,

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Speaker 1: have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For

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Speaker 1: He himself is our peace, who has made the two

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Speaker 1: groups one, and has to destroyed the barrier, the dividing

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Speaker 1: wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the

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Speaker 1: law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to

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Speaker 1: create in himself one new humanity out of the two,

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Speaker 1: thus making peace and in one body to reconcile both

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Speaker 1: of them to God through the cross by which he

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Speaker 1: put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace

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Speaker 1: to you who were far away, and peace to those

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Speaker 1: who were near, For through him we both have access

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Speaker 1: to the Father by one spirit. Consequently, you are no

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Speaker 1: longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people,

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Speaker 1: and also members of his household. Built on the foundation

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Speaker 1: of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as

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Speaker 1: the chief cornerstone. In him, the whole building is joined

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Speaker 1: together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord,

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Speaker 1: and in him, you too are being built together to

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Speaker 1: become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit.

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Speaker 1: The opening of our passage tonight reminds us that we

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Speaker 1: were once dead in our sins and disobedience, and the

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Speaker 1: desires of our flesh only begot more death. But God,

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Speaker 1: who is rich in mercy and grace, has saved us

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Speaker 1: in all our dird and mess because of his great love.

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Speaker 1: What a good God. As believers, we must fight the

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Speaker 1: thought that it's by our own merit or good works

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Speaker 1: that we earn our salvation or keep ourselves in God's grace.

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Speaker 1: Our culture says be better, keep hustling and accomplish more.

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Speaker 1: If we're not careful, we will quickly take the same

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Speaker 1: approach in our relationship with God, treating our devotion time

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Speaker 1: as a checklist and serving out of guilt and obligation.

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Speaker 1: Paul made it clear and Ephesians two eight through nine,

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Speaker 1: for it is by grace you have been saved through faith,

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Speaker 1: and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift

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Speaker 1: of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

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Speaker 1: Let's pause and take a moment to soak this truth.

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Speaker 1: In Grace is a gift, not something to be earned.

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Speaker 1: Are you living your day to day striving for approval

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Speaker 1: or are you living in the peace of God's love

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Speaker 1: and grace. Ephesians two ten says, for we are God's

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Speaker 1: handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which

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Speaker 1: God prepared in advance for us to do. God's grace

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Speaker 1: to save us wasn't just so he could add our

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Speaker 1: names to the book of life. He saved us for

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Speaker 1: a purpose to fulfill. As believers, we each have a

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Speaker 1: calling to tell others about the life changing grace we've experienced.

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Speaker 1: I'm so grateful for the influence and courage that other

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Speaker 1: people in my life had to tell me about Jesus.

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Speaker 1: This is a great time to remind you you do

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Speaker 1: have purpose. Sometimes it's easy to forget our purpose in

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Speaker 1: the midst of day to day ordinary life. But that

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Speaker 1: is the purpose. Remembering God in all of his faithfulness,

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Speaker 1: connecting with Him daily, and surrendering to how the Lord

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Speaker 1: wants to use you each day. If you're in a

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Speaker 1: season where a whole lot of nothing is happening, perhaps

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Speaker 1: with the dreams He's put on your heart or certain

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Speaker 1: prayers that haven't yet been answered. Lord, keep rooted in Jesus,

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Speaker 1: Paul reminds us in Ephesians two eighteen, for through him

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Speaker 1: we both have access to the Father by one spirit.

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Speaker 1: In God's house, you have a role and a part

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Speaker 1: to play. Don't lose sight of the one who's called you.

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Speaker 1: But tonight relish in his great love, mercy and grace.

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Speaker 1: You are chosen, called and designed to shape the Kingdom.

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Speaker 1: Be refreshed in Jesus' name. Lord, thank you for the

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Speaker 1: access I have through the spirit because of Jesus. Tonight

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Speaker 1: I acknowledge your great mercy and grace in my life.

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Speaker 1: I'm so grateful you sought after me and saved my life. Lord,

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Speaker 1: I pray for a refreshment in my vision, purpose, and hope.

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Speaker 1: I want to listen to your will and obey what

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Speaker 1: you You've called me to. May my heart and spirit

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Speaker 1: be sensitive to yours. Father, restore my heart as I

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Speaker 1: rest tonight and when I start a new day tomorrow,

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Speaker 1: help me see the people around me with great care

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Speaker 1: and as an opportunity to point to you. I pray

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Speaker 1: that my heart and actions reflect my testimony and that

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Speaker 1: you would give me the courage to share it with others.

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Speaker 1: You've changed my life, Jesus, and I want others to

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Speaker 1: know freedom and peace. I pray this in the name

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Speaker 1: of Jesus. Amen. How did Tonight's scripture speak to you?

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Speaker 1: Share your thoughts in the Your Nightly Scripture Forum discussion.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Scripture. Tonight's scripture

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Speaker 2: was read from the New International Version by Biblica. All

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Speaker 2: rights reserved. If Tonight's episode blessed you, be sure to

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Speaker 2: a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. Thank you

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Speaker 2: and we'll see you tomorrow night.

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