Today's Scripture:

Ephesians 2:1-10 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 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. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 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. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Read: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
Overall, these ten verses can be summed up in two parts: part 1 (verses 1-3) – our past condition. Then we move into Part 2 (verses 4-10) is where we see God’s amazing grace extended to us. There are so many ways that this passage from Ephesians speaks to me, but what drew my attention repeatedly in this Lenten season was verse 10, “for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (ESV) He designed me with unique gifts and talents to do the things that He wants me to use in His Kingdom building here on earth. Every day, He desires for me to accomplish things that He has prepared beforehand. I love the reminder that we are created to do good works whose purpose is to reflect our thankfulness for God’s grace, and ultimately bring honor and glory to His name.

Reflect: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
There are two stories that immediately come to mind. I don’t think my parents missed any of their four grandsons’ baseball games from Little League through high school. One of the things I remember Dad telling them was “to practice like you play.” As a former hockey player, Dad knew that in order to play their best, the boys needed to hone their skills on the practice field. And until the day Mom died, she started every morning with an open Bible, even as Alzheimer’s robbed so much of what she remembered. I don’t think there is a page in her Bible that doesn’t have notes and prayers in the margin. She knew that in order to be able to stand against what the world was telling her to do, she had to “practice like you play.” Verses 1 and 2 in this passage from Ephesians 2 gives a reminder about how we walked when we were dead in our sins, following the ways of the world (Satan). Even now though, Satan uses all tools at his disposal, spreading his lies to undermine biblical truth. Sadly, many of us get our “truth” from social media, or what politicians or newscasters are telling us. Recently, we rolled out a new key concept – Come Live Differently. For me, part of living differently is to know what is contradictory to what Scripture says by spending time in the Word, and by being part of a covenant group that speaks the hard truth into each other’s lives during those times where our new nature is battling the old.

Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
Reflecting back on verse 10 again, I don’t want to be so preoccupied with busyness, that I miss opportunities that God has prepared beforehand for me. I want to be mindful of those moments He has placed in my path that allow me to share my everyday life with others, whether it’s with family, my covenant group, with the waiter who is serving a meal, or by making that phone call or sending that note. There are 19 days left in this Lenten season - my prayer is that everyone reading this would be aware of the ways that each one of us can make use of the time God has so graciously given us to share our very lives with others.

About Sharon High:
My walk with Jesus was shaped primarily by watching the way my parents modeled what it meant to become more like Christ and to attempt to live as He did. My five siblings and I spent our childhood in South America due to our dad's job with a major oil company, but I think I can consider myself a Texan, having now lived here for 48 years! I have a 30-year-old son, who currently lives in Hawaii. I am an avid reader of several genres (currently switching between reading Outlive and Practicing the Way - both of which are hard to put down), love to scuba dive whenever I get the chance, and as any one who knows me well will tell you, the place I'm the happiest is at the beach.
I joined the staff at Grace in March 2020, the week before we shut down for COVID, and I got to know my coworkers through our weekly Zoom meetings. It's a gift to be part of the staff here at Grace, working alongside my colleagues doing Kingdom work. You'll find me here during the week, "managing every aspect of Pastor Julia's life." (Her words, not mine!). On Sundays, you'll find me worshipping at an Anglican church in Katy.