Ephesians 2:1-10 (CEB)

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 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. 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.

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! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. 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.

 

Today's Reflective Questions

• Do you have a gnawing in your soul that will not go away?
• Do you wish to be a part of what Jesus was about so much that you want to live His life and share with others what He had to say?
• Do you have a desire to understand or know something through the power of the Holy Spirit?

This Week's Lenten Focus: Discernment

This Lenten season, Bishop David Wilson, along with some conference staff and members of the laity, are inviting the people of the Great Plains Conference and beyond to “Pay Attention to God’s Voice” during this season of Lent. The theme for this week is Discernment.

“To come into silence is to come into the presence of the Divine.” (John O’Donohue). The Spiritual Discipline of Discernment calls us into the presence of the Divine. During the Lenten Season, we follow the steps of Jesus into the wilderness as we wander around in the barren land. We open our souls (discernment) to hear from Him during these days and hours of self-examination and repentance. We lean into discerning the Words we hear and how we will live as Resurrection people each and every day.

Rev. Hollie Tapley
htapley@greatplainsumc.org
and
Cesar Duran
cduran@greatplainsumc.org

• Watch a video featuring the Rev. Hollie Tapley and Cesar Duran talking about discernment
• Watch a video featuring Bishop David Wilson inviting you to observe a Holy Lent
• To learn more, check out this special page on our website dedicated to our Lenten topics.

Invitation to Go Deeper 

Each day this week, use the provided Lenten passage and the three questions above to listen and discern what is revealed to you during your time of examination and repentance. 

Prayer for Reflection

Psalm 143
2 Kings 4:18-37