Ephesians 2:1-10

Made Alive in Christ

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Prayer for the Day

Father God, I celebrate Your masterful work of taking me, a sinful human being, and – through the redeeming work of Jesus – creating a holy and righteous follower capable of godly love and contagious joy. Help me grow even more deeply into this identity under the blessing of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Micro-Group 
Moment

Considering living under the Holy Spirit
as part of the lifestyle of a disciple of Jesus

Many people are not comfortable discerning the voice of God (or Jesus or the Holy Spirit) in their lives. A good way to discern if we are hearing from God (versus our own inner voice or those of others) is to check out what we hear in the following ways:

• Know your Bible; the Spirit does not contradict Himself.
  "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
  ~ 2 Timothy 3:15-17
  
• Learn to connect with the Holy Spirit within you.
  Spontaneity is key here; the idea is learning to identify the flow of the Spirit as one “catches” the wind when sailing. Don’t be afraid to follow an inkling or nudge when a connection occurs. To protect from wrong voices, I was coached to write and then re-read journal entries after three weeks to differentiate the Holy Spirit inspiration from other voices or thoughts.
  
• Check what you see or hear with spiritually mature believers.
  Lean on the judgment of mature believers that are also seeking after God. “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” ~ 1 Corinthians 14:29
• Be willing to accept the Spirit’s message at the heart level also.
  Not everything will make sense to your mind; “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:10-11
• Obedience and application makes real what you believe.
  Many Christians over the years have noted that at times, when God seems to go silent, it may be because He has already given previous instructions that have not yet been obeyed or taken care of. “Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” ~ James 2:17
  

Here is a list of Scripture references shared at a seminar which can be used to foster a journaling experience toward developing a life of conversation with God using the Bible. I suggest one per day.