Welcome Home

A 47-Day Journey at Treasure Coast Community Church

You have been personally invited to Welcome Home.

A quick note on the numbers: Welcome Home is 47 days total — a 7-day Welcome Week (Week 1) to help you settle in and meet your Paul & Silas partner, followed by the 40-day journey through Ephesians 2 (Weeks 2–7) that gives this course its shape.

This experience is not primarily about learning a program or filling a role. It is about something deeper.

It is about spiritual formation. Before Jesus ever sends us out to make Him known, He first forms our hearts.

Introduction

Understanding Change-Agents

Many people hesitate to see themselves as someone who could shape the people around them. When they picture someone who changes lives, they think of a title, a stage, or a platform. But that’s not how it works in the Kingdom of God.

Henry and Richard Blackaby define leadership simply as “moving people on to God’s agenda.” Notice what’s missing from that definition, a title. Whatever your role, whatever your platform or lack of one, this is exactly what every follower of Jesus is invited into: helping the people around you — your spouse, your kids, your coworkers, your LifeGroup — take one more step toward Him.

That’s what we mean when we call someone a change-agent. Not a position. A posture of following Jesus so closely that the people around you start moving toward Him too.

Throughout this journey, we will explore what it means to be that kind of influence in someone’s life —
not through power or position, but through humility, spiritual formation, and a life rooted in Christ.

Over the next seven weeks, we will walk primarily through Ephesians chapter 2, reflecting on the grace of God that brings us from death to life and forms us into His people — along with other passages of Scripture that speak into each week’s theme.

Together we will pursue:

unhurried time with Jesus
authentic relationships within the body of Christ
humility and grace
a vision for pouring into the people around us
learning to love within the multi-ethnic family of God

The gospel does not only transform individuals; it forms a new people. In Ephesians 2, Paul teaches that Jesus tears down dividing walls and creates one new family in Christ. Because of this, following Jesus well means learning to love, listen to, and serve people from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Our prayer is that this journey shapes us into people who reflect the reconciling work of Jesus in our church and in our community.

Our prayer is simple.

That by the end of this journey you will not simply know more about Jesus.

You will love Him more deeply, and love others from that same place.

What to Expect

Each week you will experience three rhythms:

Daily Devotionals

Throughout the week you will spend time with Jesus through Scripture reflection, prayer, and
personal journaling.

Weekly Teaching + Connection

Each week you’ll watch a short teaching video from Pastor Miles, then connect with your Paul & Silas partner one-on-one. If your group wants to watch together and talk it through together, you’ll have discussion questions ready for that too. However you connect, you won’t walk through this alone.

Spiritual Practices

Each week will conclude with a spiritual practice designed to help move the truth of Scripture from our heads into our hearts.

Our Hope for This Journey

We believe that people who are spiritually formed will shape the culture of this church.

Our hope is that by the end of this journey you will:

develop a daily rhythm of unhurried time with Jesus
rediscover a deep love for Christ
build meaningful relationships within the church
grow in love and understanding across cultural and ethnic differences within the body of Christ
walk in humility and grace
intentionally pour into someone else
pursue those in the church who may feel unseen or alone

Because the gospel forms one new family in Christ, the way we love one another must reflect the reconciling work of Jesus across cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

Our Commitment

Participants in this journey commit to walking through these weeks intentionally.

Together we commit to:

Daily Time with Jesus
Cultivating unhurried and undistracted time with God through the daily devotionals.

Humility Before Everything
Remembering that life with Jesus begins with grace, not performance.

Multi-Ethnic Relationships
Intentionally building relationships with people who are different from us within the body of Christ.

Serving Like Jesus
Following Jesus by picking up the towel and serving others.

Pouring Into Someone
Showing up fully for our Paul & Silas partner, and looking for others we can encourage along the way.

Seeking the Lonely
Noticing and pursuing those in our church family who may feel unseen.

Our Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Form our hearts.
Teach us humility.
Deepen our love for You.
Make us people who serve like You.
Amen.

How to Use this Study

This study is designed to guide you through a 47-day journey centered on spiritual formation — a Welcome Week followed by 40 days through Ephesians 2.

Rather than simply learning information, this experience invites you to slow down, listen to God, and allow Him to shape your heart.

Each week of this journey includes three rhythms.

Daily Devotionals
Throughout the week you will spend time with Jesus through short daily devotionals.

Each devotional includes:

a passage of Scripture
a short reflection
a question for personal reflection
space to journal or pray

The goal is not to rush through the material, but to spend unhurried time with God.

Even ten or fifteen minutes of focused attention can become a meaningful moment with Jesus.

Weekly Teaching + Connection
Each week, a new teaching video from Pastor Miles will be sent to you.

During this rhythm you’ll:

reflect on what God has been showing you through the devotionals
watch a short teaching from Scripture
connect with your Paul & Silas partner about what God is doing in your life

if you’re watching in your group, work through the provided discussion questions together

These conversations — whether one-on-one or around a table — are an opportunity to encourage one another and grow together.

Spiritual Practices
Each week we conclude with a spiritual practice. These practices help move the truth of Scripture from our heads into our hearts.

They may include:

silence and reflection
prayer
confession
intercession
acts of service

These moments are not meant to feel rushed. Instead, they create space for us to listen for the voice
of God.

A Simple Encouragement

Come into this journey with an open heart.

Be honest.
Be curious.
Be expectant.

God often does some of His deepest work in the quiet moments when we slow down long enough
to listen.

Practicing Unhurried Time with Jesus

One of the most important rhythms of this journey will be learning to spend unhurried and undistracted time with Jesus.

In a world that constantly demands our attention, we rarely slow down long enough to be present

with God.

But Scripture reminds us that spiritual transformation happens when we spend time in His presence.

A Simple Rhythm

Each day during this journey, set aside 10–20 minutes to be with Jesus.

You may find it helpful to follow this simple rhythm.

Be Still

Begin by slowing down. Take a few deep breaths and become aware of God’s presence with you.

You might begin with a simple prayer such as: “Lord, I am here. Help me listen.”

Read the Scripture

Read the Scripture passage slowly. Pay attention to words or phrases that stand out to you.
You may want to read the passage more than once.

Reflect

Ask yourself:

What stands out to me in this passage?

What might God be saying to me through this Scripture?

How does this connect to my life right now?

Write down your thoughts in the space provided.

Respond in Prayer

Talk to God about what you have just read.

You might:

thank Him

confess something

ask for wisdom

pray for someone else

Prayer is simply an honest conversation with God.

Carry It With You

As you go throughout your day, return to the thought or verse that stood out to you.

Ask God to continue shaping your heart through it.

Remember

The goal is not to check a box or complete an assignment. The goal is to be with Jesus.

Over time, these small daily moments can become the foundation of a deeper life with God.

7-Week Formation Map

Over the next seven weeks we will walk primarily through Ephesians chapter 2, reflecting on the grace of God that brings us from death to life and forms us into a new people — with room each week for additional Scripture that speaks into that week’s theme.

Each week builds on the previous one. The journey begins with belonging and ends being sent out to make Him known.

WEEK ONE

Welcome to the Journey

Before we open Scripture together, we slow down and understand the heart of this house, what the journey ahead will look like, and who’s walking with us.

Formation Focus: Belonging

Practice: Pre-Journey Assessment; meet your Paul & Silas partner

WEEK TWO

Identity Reset

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1–10

Before anything else, we remember who we were and what Christ has done for us.

Formation Focus: Humility

Practice: Silence & personal reflection

WEEK THREE

Saved By Grace

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8–10

Grace is not only what saves us — it’s what shapes the way we live.

Formation Focus: Gratitude for grace

Practice: Prayer of gratitude

WEEK Four

Remember You Were Once Far Away

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11–13

Remembering where we came from produces humility and compassion for others.

Formation Focus: Humility through remembrance

Practice: Confession & remembrance with your Paul & Silas partner

WEEK five

A New Family

Scripture: Ephesians 2:14–18

Jesus has torn down the dividing wall of hostility and formed one new family in Christ.

Formation Focus: Multi-ethnic unity

Practice: Intercessory prayer

WEEK six

Citizens of the Kingdom

Scripture: Ephesians 2:19

Through Christ we belong to the household of God.

Formation Focus: Identity in God’s family

Practice: Prayer for the church

WEEK seven

Being Built Together

Scripture: Ephesians 2:20–22

God is building His church, and He’s inviting us to help build people.

Formation Focus: Sent out as change-agents

Practice: Commissioning prayer & foot washing

Connection Guidelines

One of the most important parts of this journey will be the conversations.

These conversations create space for honesty, reflection, and encouragement.

To help create a healthy environment for everyone, we ask participants to follow these simple guidelines.

Be Honest
Share authentically about what God is doing in your life.

You are not expected to have everything figured out.

Listen Well
Give others the space to speak without interruption.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer someone is simply our attention.

Speak From Your Experience
Use phrases like:
“I sensed God showing me…”
“One thing that stood out to me was…”
This keeps conversations personal rather than theoretical.

Respect Confidentiality
What is shared — one-on-one or at a table — should stay there.
This helps create a safe environment for honest conversation.

Avoid Fixing People
Our goal is not to solve each other’s problems.
Instead, we listen, encourage, and pray for one another.

Make Space for Everyone
Each person’s voice matters.
If you tend to speak often, consider giving space to others.
If you tend to stay quiet, know that your perspective is valuable.

Focus on What God Is Doing

The goal of these conversations is to notice how God is forming us.
Ask questions like:

What stood out to you this week?
Where did you sense God speaking?
What might obedience look like?

A Word to Paul & Silas Partners

If you’re serving as a Paul & Silas partner, try to take your person out for coffee at least once during the journey — even a quick one. A short weekly text goes a long way, but nothing replaces sitting across from someone.

Ask your partner how the week’s devotionals landed. Ask what they’re wrestling with. You don’t need to have answers — you just need to show up.

A Final Encouragement

Formation grows in the context of community.

These conversations — one-on-one or around a table — are an opportunity to:

encourage one another
learn from one another
walk with Jesus together

Come ready to listen, share, and grow.

Devotional

We’ve Been With Jesus

Day One

Not Here By Accident

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb… My frame was not hidden from you.” Psalm 139:13, 15

“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:4

Before you ever walked through the doors this week, God already knew you.

Not generally. Not as part of a crowd. Specifically — the way you process things, what you’re carrying right now, the question you’ve been almost afraid to ask Him. He knew all of it before you showed up.

That matters, because most of us walk into something new running a quiet audit: Do I belong here? Am I enough for this? Will they actually want me once they know me?

Psalm 139 answers that before you can even ask it. You were formed, known, and named long before this week. Ephesians 1 goes even further back — chosen before the foundation of the world. Not earned. Not auditioned for. Chosen.

That’s the whole posture of Welcome Home. This isn’t a class you have to perform your way into. It’s forty days to remember Whose you already are.

What’s the quiet audit you tend to run when you walk into something new — the question underneath the question?

Where have you been trying to earn something that God already gave you for free?

Find five quiet minutes today. Read Psalm 139:13–15 slowly, out loud if you can.

Then just say this back to God: “You already knew me. I don’t have to prove anything to be here.”

Sit in that for a minute before you move on with your day.

Day Two

Being With, Before Doing For

“Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

“Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Jesus had every reason to skip His time alone with the Father. People needed Him. Crowds were forming. There was work to do.

He went anyway. Before the healing, before the teaching, before the miracles — He was with the Father first.

Over these next forty days, the only assignment we’re giving you is that same one: be with Jesus. Not produce for Him. Not perform for Him. Just be with Him — five, ten, twenty unhurried minutes, however long you’ve got.

If Jesus needed that rhythm, so do we. And here’s the freeing part: you can’t pour out what you haven’t received. Being with Jesus isn’t the warm-up before the real work of following Him. It is the work.

Where in your life have you been trying to pour out love, patience, or wisdom that you haven’t actually received from Jesus first?

What usually crowds out unhurried time with Him?

Use the rhythm from the front of this workbook — Be Still, Read, Reflect, Respond, Carry It With You — today for the first time. Don’t rush it. Ten minutes is enough.

Day Three

We’ve Been With Jesus

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

Nobody in that room was impressed by Peter and John’s résumés. They didn’t have one, not in the way that room would’ve respected. No formal training. No polish. No title.

What stopped people in their tracks was something else entirely: you could tell where these two had been.

That’s the value everything else at TC3 grows out of. Not what we know. Not what we’ve accomplished. Who we’ve been with.

It’s tempting, especially early in something like Welcome Home, to start measuring yourself against other people in the room — their knowledge, their story, how put-together they seem. None of that is the point. The only question worth asking is the one that the room asked about Peter and John: Does it show that you’ve been with Jesus?

If someone spent a week around you, would it be obvious you’d been with Jesus? What would give it away — or what might hide it?

Write down one specific way you want people to be able to tell, by the end of these forty days, that you’ve been with Jesus. Keep it somewhere you’ll see it again.

Day Four

We Host: Guards Down

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Most people don’t walk into a church, a conversation about faith, or even this workbook with an open hand. They walk in with a checklist of objections, old hurts, or a story about what “church people” are like.

That’s exactly who God loved first. Not the version of us that had it together. Romans 5:8 is clear: while we were still sinners — not after we cleaned up.

That’s the posture we want to have toward everyone we meet, starting with the people in your community group and your Paul & Silas partner. We host before we correct. We love before people believe. Guards down, before anyone’s earned it.

Who in your life right now is carrying a guard up around faith, or around you? What would it look like to love them before they change?

Reach out to one person today — your Paul & Silas partner is a great place to start — and simply ask how they’re really doing. No agenda. Just presence.

Day Five

We Exalt, We Connect

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

Two more things are true at the same time at TC3, and they’re both going to shape these
forty days.

First: we don’t soften Jesus or His Word to make it more comfortable. We lift Him up, and trust that a high view of Jesus does more good in a person’s life than a diluted one ever could.

Second: none of us grow alone. You can build a skill by yourself. You cannot mature by yourself. That’s exactly why you’ve been given a Paul & Silas partner for this journey.

Growth that only happens in your own head rarely sticks. Growth that happens in the context of an honest relationship usually does.

Where have you been trying to grow spiritually in isolation, when what you actually need is a person?

Text your Paul & Silas partner today, even briefly. If you haven’t set up a time to grab coffee yet, do that now.

Day Six

We Work Willingly

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23

If it’s for Jesus, it ought to be excellent — not because we’re trying to impress anyone, but because of Who we’re actually working for.

That includes these forty days. It’s easy to treat a workbook like homework: something to get through. But Colossians 3:23 reframes even the small, unglamorous things — five quiet minutes with your Bible open, a text to your partner, showing up when you don’t feel like it — as work done for the Lord Himself.

Excellence here isn’t about being impressive. It’s about remembering Who you’re actually doing this for.

Where have you been going through the motions this week instead of engaging with your whole heart?

Look back at Days 1–5. Is there a practice you skipped or rushed? Go back and actually do it today.

Day Seven

Ready for What’s Ahead

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

Next week, we open Ephesians 2 together — and it starts in a hard place. Paul doesn’t ease

into it. He tells us plainly who we were before Christ found us.

But he doesn’t leave us there, and neither will this journey. Everything that follows in these next six weeks builds toward one truth: God isn’t finished with you, and He started this work in you long before this workbook did.

So as you close out this first week, take a breath. You’ve begun building a rhythm of being with Jesus. You’ve got a partner and a group walking with you. And what’s ahead is going to take you somewhere good.

What’s one thing God has already shown you this week that you don’t want to forget once Week 2 begins?

Pray this simply: “Lord, You started this. Finish what You started in me these next 40 days.” Write down today’s date, and one sentence about where you are right now — so you can look back on it later.

Identity Reset

Day One

Dead Means Dead

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

There is a quiet lie many Christians carry without realizing it. It sounds spiritual on the surface: “If I miss my time with God today, my whole day will fall apart.” Or, “If I don’t get unhurried time with God, then I won’t walk in the Spirit.” At first that sounds like devotion. But underneath it is often something else.

It assumes that God’s presence depends on our performance. That our spiritual disciplines somehow keep God close to us. But Ephesians 2 dismantles that lie immediately. Before prayer, before obedience, before spiritual discipline, we were dead. Grace did not come because we performed well. Grace came because God is merciful.

The gospel begins with a diagnosis. Paul’s description of humanity as “dead in trespasses and sins” reveals a universal human condition that transcends ethnic, cultural, and religious distinctions. Grace begins where human effort ends.

Where do you find yourself believing that God’s love or approval is connected to how well you perform spiritually?

Take a moment to reflect honestly.

Are there places in your life where you feel more accepted by God when you pray more, serve more, or do better?

The gospel reminds us that God’s love for you was established long before you could ever perform for Him.

Spend five minutes in silence before God.

Resist the urge to pray or say anything at first. Simply sit in the truth that God’s love for you is not dependent on what you accomplish today.

Let this sentence settle in your heart: “I am loved by God because of Jesus, not because of my performance.”

Day Two

Formation Is Always Happening

“In which you once walked, following the course of this world…” Ephesians 2:2

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

Think about how algorithms work. Watch one video about food, money, politics, or relationships, and before long your entire feed begins to disciple your desires. What you watch shapes what you want. What you repeatedly consume begins to form the kind of person you are becoming.

Paul says something similar in Ephesians 2. Before Christ, we “walked” according to the patterns of this world. In other words, our lives were being shaped by values, desires, and systems that were opposed to the life of God.

Formation is unavoidable. The question is never whether you are being formed. The question is what is forming you.

That is why this matters so deeply for every one of us. If we are not being intentionally shaped by the presence of Jesus, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God, then we will be shaped by hurry, pride, comparison, fear, and the pressure of the world around us.

Spiritual formation happens as people are shaped by practices, relationships, and stories that direct their desires toward God. The world is always discipling us. The gospel forms us differently.

We have to pay attention not only to what we believe, but to what is shaping our loves, our habits, and our desires.

What has been shaping your mind and heart most this season?

Be specific.

What voices, habits, environments, or patterns are forming you right now more than Scripture, prayer, or the presence of Jesus?

Turn off one digital input for one hour today.

Then slowly read both Ephesians 2:1–3 and Romans 12:2.

As you read, ask: “Lord, what has been shaping me lately? What would it look like for my mind to be renewed by You?”

Write down one area where you sense God inviting you to be formed differently.

Day Three

Two Words That Change Everything

“But God…” Ephesians 2:4

“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” Lamentations 3:22–23

Two words changed the entire story of humanity: But God.

Before those words, the picture is hopeless. Dead in sin. Following the world. Separated from life with God. Unable to rescue ourselves.

Then Paul says, “But God.” The gospel always begins there.

Not with our effort. Not with our goodness. Not with our resolve to do better. It begins with the merciful initiative of God.

Paul wants us to see that salvation begins in the heart of God before it is ever experienced in the life of a believer. Grace is not God responding to our worthiness. Grace is God moving toward us in love when we had nothing to offer Him.

This is why humility matters so much for every one of us. If grace begins with God, following Jesus cannot begin with self-importance. We are not the heroes of our own story. Jesus is.

Every one of us needs to keep coming back to those two words: But God. When you remember that your life was interrupted by mercy, pride begins to loosen its grip.

Where are you still tempted to think your spiritual life depends mostly on you?

Where do you need to remember again: “But God”?

Write the words But God somewhere you will see them today.

Then list three ways God’s mercy has interrupted your story.

Take a few minutes to thank Him specifically for each one.

Day Four

The Slow Work of Formation

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us.” Ephesians 2:1–4

“For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.” Philippians 2:13

Old-school football used to have a phrase: “Two yards and a cloud of dust.” It described a team slowly moving down the field. Two yards. Then two more. Then two more. It was not flashy, but it was faithful. Spiritual formation often works the same way.

We want breakthrough moments. We want instant change. We want one prayer, one sermon, or one emotional experience to transform everything overnight. But most of the time, God forms
us slowly.

Prayer by prayer. Scripture by Scripture. Obedience by obedience. Day by day.

That does not mean we are transformed by our own effort alone. Grace is still the source. God is the One at work in us. But grace is not opposed to participation. We respond to grace by showing up, obeying, repenting, praying, and staying near to Jesus.

Formation is slow because love is slow. Maturity is slow. Deep roots are slow.

We all need to remember this, because impatience can make us discouraged with ourselves and demanding with others. But Jesus is patient. He is committed to forming His people over time.

Transformation rarely happens in a moment. It is usually the slow work of God in
surrendered people.

Where are you impatient with your spiritual growth?

How might God be inviting you to trust His slow work instead of demanding instant change?

Spend ten unhurried minutes today reading Ephesians 2:1–4 and Philippians 2:13.

Then pray: “Lord, thank You that You are patiently at work in me. Help me respond to Your grace with daily faithfulness.”

Write down one small act of obedience you sense God inviting you into today.

Day Five

Made Alive Together

“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ—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.” Ephesians 2:5–6

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” Colossians 2:13

There is a quiet pressure many Christians carry. The pressure to perform spiritually. To pray enough. To read enough. To stay strong enough. And when we do well, we feel close to God. When we do poorly, we assume we have drifted.

But Paul says something radically different in Ephesians 2.

Before grace, we were not weak. We were dead.

Dead people do not improve themselves. Dead people do not revive themselves. Life with God begins because God, in mercy, makes us alive.

And Paul adds something important: God made us alive together with Christ.

This is not only personal salvation. It is shared salvation. Grace does not merely rescue isolated individuals. It forms a people. A family. A body. A new community brought to life together in Jesus.

That matters for every one of us walking this journey.

Following Jesus is never just about “my walk with God.” It is about learning to live as part of the people God is forming. Grace humbles us personally, but it also joins us communally.

You were not only saved by grace. You were brought into a grace-shaped people.

Where are you tempted to think about your spiritual life only in individual terms?

How might remembering that God made us alive together reshape the way you see the church?

Thank God today for making you alive in Christ.

Then thank Him for at least three specific people He has used in your spiritual formation.

If appropriate, send one of them a text and thank them for the way God has used them in your life.

Day Six

God’s Workmanship

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14

Ephesians 2:10 contains one of the most beautiful descriptions of our identity in Christ.

Paul writes, “For we are His workmanship.” The Greek word Paul uses is poiēma. It is where we get the English word poem. It describes something intentionally created, something crafted with purpose and care.

In other words, your life is not random. It is not accidental. It is not defined by your worst mistakes or your greatest achievements. You are God’s workmanship.

Grace does more than forgive our past. Grace also reshapes our identity. When God saves us, He begins forming us into people who reflect His character in the world.

This matters deeply for every one of us.

Many of us quietly believe our value comes from what we produce, how much we accomplish, or how well we perform. But the gospel says something radically different.

Your identity is not rooted in what you build for God. Your identity is rooted in the fact that God is building you.

A healthy walk with Jesus begins when we stop trying to prove our worth and start living from the identity God has already given us.

You are His workmanship

Where are you tempted to measure your value by productivity, success, or performance?

How might remembering that you are God’s workmanship reshape the way you see yourself?

Slowly read Ephesians 2:8–10 and Psalm 139:14.

Read each passage twice.

As you read, pay attention to any word or phrase that stands out to you.

Then pray: “Lord, help me see myself the way You see me. Form my identity in Your grace, not in my performance.”

Write down one truth about your identity in Christ that you want to carry with you today.

Day Seven

Humility Before Everything

“For by grace you have been saved through faith…” Ephesians 2:8–10

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:6

Influence in the world often begins with confidence. In many environments the people who step forward first, speak the loudest, or demonstrate the most ability quickly rise to the front.

But the Kingdom of God operates differently. In the Kingdom, everything begins with humility. Why? Because humility remembers the truth about our story.

We were dead in our sins. We could not rescue ourselves. We did not earn God’s love. But God, in His mercy, made us alive with Christ. Humility keeps that story in front of us.

It reminds us that following Jesus is not about proving ourselves, building a reputation, or securing influence. It begins when people who have received grace start extending that same grace to others.

Jesus once washed His disciples’ feet and said, “I have given you an example.” He was teaching all of us that following Him is never about power over people. It is about serving people. Before we pour into anyone else, we must first let God shape our own hearts in humility. Grace produces humility. Humility produces a healthy, grounded life with Jesus.

How does remembering your story of grace protect your heart from pride?

Where might God be inviting you to walk with greater humility this week?

Spend five quiet minutes sitting with the Lord today.

Read Ephesians 2:8–10 slowly.

Then pray this simple prayer: “Jesus, keep my heart humble. Remind me that everything I have is a gift of Your grace.”

Before you watch this week’s teaching, reach out to your Paul & Silas partner. Let them know what God has been showing you this week, and come ready to listen, share honestly, and receive what God wants to form in you.

Saved by Grace

Day One

Grace is a Gift

“Therefore remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth…” Ephesians 2:11

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Some gifts are easy to receive. Others are harder. When a gift is expensive or meaningful, our first instinct is often to respond by trying to repay it. We feel uncomfortable simply receiving something that we know we did not earn.

Many people approach God the same way. We hear that salvation is a gift, but something inside us still wants to contribute something. We want to prove we deserve it. We want to earn it through good behavior, spiritual effort, or religious performance.

But Paul makes the gospel unmistakably clear. “You are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.” Grace cannot be earned. It cannot be deserved. It can only be received. This truth is both humbling and freeing. It humbles us because it reminds us that we brought nothing to the table except our need.

But it frees us because our relationship with God no longer rests on our performance. It rests entirely on what Christ has done for us. None of us ever move beyond grace. We keep returning to it again and again. Grace is not just how the Christian life begins. It is how the Christian
life continues.

Why do you think it can be difficult for people to fully receive grace as a gift?

Where do you still find yourself trying to earn what God has already given freely?

Today take five minutes to thank God specifically for the gift of salvation.

Pray something like: “Father, thank You that salvation is a gift I could never earn. Thank You that Jesus has done for me what I could never do for myself.”

Write down three ways God’s grace has changed your life.

Day Two

Grace Before Effort

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6–8

One of the most powerful truths in the gospel is the timing of God’s love. Romans 5 tells us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

Not after we cleaned up our lives. Not after we proved ourselves faithful. Not after we finally got everything together. God moved toward us in love while we were still far from Him.

Grace always comes first.

The world teaches a very different story. In most areas of life, acceptance follows performance. Work hard enough, succeed enough, prove yourself enough, and eventually you will be welcomed. But the gospel reverses that order. In the Kingdom of God, acceptance comes first. Transformation follows.

God’s grace welcomes us before we ever deserve it. And that grace becomes the power that slowly changes us. When we understand this, we begin to treat others differently. Instead of demanding perfection from people, we learn to extend the same patience and mercy that God has shown us. Grace received becomes grace extended.

When did you first experience the grace of God in your life?

How might remembering that moment shape the way you treat others?

Take a moment today to thank God for the moment He first drew you to Himself.

If you are able, share that story with your Paul & Silas partner or someone else this week.

Remembering our story of grace helps keep our hearts soft and grateful.

Day Three

Grace That Welcomes

“And he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.” And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.’” And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And they began to celebrate.’” Luke 15:11–24

Jesus once told a story about a son who walked away from his father.

The son took his inheritance, left home, and wasted everything in reckless living. Eventually he found himself broken, hungry, and ashamed. So he decided to return home, hoping to be treated like a servant.

But Jesus tells us something remarkable. While the son was still a long way off, the father saw him, ran to him, embraced him, and welcomed him home. This is what grace looks like.

Grace does not wait for us to clean ourselves up before welcoming us back. Grace runs toward us in compassion. Many people carry a quiet fear that God is disappointed with them. They assume that if they have wandered, failed, or struggled, God must be distant.

But the story Jesus tells reveals a different reality. The heart of the Father is not reluctant. It is compassionate. God delights in welcoming His children home. Grace always moves toward people.

And when we understand grace, we start creating spaces where people experience that
same welcome.

Do you ever find yourself believing that God is disappointed with you?

What does the father’s response in this story reveal about the heart of God?

Spend a few moments thanking God that His grace welcomes you again and again.

Ask Him to help you extend that same welcome to someone in your life this week.

Day Four

Grace That Forgives

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:8–12

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Grace does not ignore sin. Grace forgives it. Psalm 103 describes the mercy of God with remarkable language: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” East and west never meet. The psalmist is helping us see the radical nature of God’s forgiveness.

When God forgives, He does not hold our past over us. He does not keep a record to bring up later. Through Christ, our sin is truly removed. And yet many believers struggle to live in that freedom.

We often confess our sins but continue carrying guilt and shame long after God has already forgiven us. Instead of trusting God’s mercy, we punish ourselves internally, believing that lingering shame somehow proves our sincerity.

But the gospel tells a different story. Grace means that when we confess our sins, God actually forgives us. Not partially. Not reluctantly. Fully.

Learning to live in the freedom of forgiveness is part of spiritual formation. Understanding forgiveness teaches all of us to walk in humility and extend mercy to others.

Is there something from your past that you still struggle to believe God has fully forgiven?

What would it look like to trust God’s promise of forgiveness today?

Take a few quiet moments to confess anything that the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

Then slowly read 1 John 1:9 again. After you pray, thank God for His forgiveness.

Resist the urge to hold onto guilt that Christ has already carried for you.

Day Five

Grace That Changes Us

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” Titus 2:11–12

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Grace does more than forgive our past. Grace transforms our future.

Sometimes people misunderstand grace and assume that if salvation is a gift, then spiritual growth must not matter very much. But the Bible presents grace differently.

Titus tells us that the grace of God trains us. Grace teaches us to say no to sin. Grace reshapes our desires. Grace forms a new way of living.

This transformation is not driven by fear or shame. It is driven by love. When we begin to understand how deeply God loves us, our hearts begin to change. We start wanting different things. The things that once defined us begin losing their grip.

This is the work of spiritual formation. Grace forgives us instantly, but transformation often happens slowly. Day by day, God reshapes our hearts so that our lives reflect the character
of Christ.

We all need to remember this. Real change is not forced. It is formed through grace.

Where have you seen God’s grace slowly changing your heart over time?

Is there an area where you sense God inviting you into deeper transformation?

Ask the Lord today: “Where are You shaping me right now?”

Write down one area where you sense God inviting you to grow.

Pray for courage to cooperate with His grace.

Day Six

Grace Produces Gratitude

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15–17

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

One of the clearest signs that grace has taken root in a person’s heart is gratitude. When we begin to understand how much God has done for us, thankfulness naturally begins to grow. Gratitude becomes the language of a heart that remembers grace.

Paul writes in Colossians, “Be thankful.” Not just once. Not occasionally. Gratitude becomes a rhythm of life. Gratitude changes the way we see the world.

Instead of constantly focusing on what we lack, we begin noticing the gifts that surround us every day. Instead of striving to prove ourselves, we begin celebrating the kindness of God.

Gratitude also protects all of us from pride. When we remember that everything we have is a gift, we stop taking credit for things that ultimately came from God. Grace received becomes gratitude expressed.

What are three specific ways you have experienced God’s grace in your life recently?

How might practicing gratitude reshape your perspective this week?

Write down five things you are grateful for today.

Be specific. Take a moment to thank God for each one. Let gratitude become your prayer today.

Day Seven

Living From Grace

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

John writes something beautiful about the life we receive in Christ:

“Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from His fullness.” Grace upon grace.

The Christian life is not sustained by occasional moments of grace. It is sustained by a continual flow of grace from the heart of God.

Every day we receive mercy. Every day we receive strength. Every day we receive help we did not earn. Learning to live from grace changes the way we approach God. Instead of approaching Him with fear, we come with confidence. Instead of hiding our weakness, we bring our need honestly before Him.

Grace reminds us that God is not waiting for us to prove ourselves. He invites us to come to Him again and again. And living from grace allows all of us to extend that same mercy to others.

Grace received becomes grace shared.

What would it look like for you to live today fully aware that God’s grace is available to you?

How might that change the way you approach your responsibilities and relationships?

Spend a few minutes thanking God for the grace He has shown you this week.

Then pray: “Lord, help me live from Your grace and extend that grace to others.”

Before you watch this week’s teaching, reach out to your Paul & Silas partner and share what God has been doing in your heart this week.

Remember You Were Once Far Away

Day One

Therefore Remember

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands.” Ephesians 2:11

“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2

Paul begins this section of Ephesians with a command that might seem unusual: Therefore remember.

In the Christian life, remembering is a spiritual discipline.

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to remember. Israel was told to remember slavery in Egypt, the wilderness, and the faithfulness of God along the way. In the same way, Paul tells the church to remember what life was like before grace.

Why? Because forgetting makes pride easier.

When we forget the distance God rescued us from, we begin believing we got here by our own strength, discipline, or goodness. But remembrance tells the truth. We were not always near. We were not always whole. We were not always alive to God.

Every follower of Jesus has a “before” story. For some, that story is dramatic. For others, it is quiet. But every one of us needed rescue. Remembering does not keep us stuck in shame. It keeps us rooted in humility.

And humility is the soil where a healthy, grounded life with Jesus grows.

What do you remember about who you were before God’s grace became real to you?

How does remembering your story help protect your heart from pride?

Take ten minutes today to write down a portion of your story before Christ.

What did life feel like? What were you trusting in? What was God rescuing you from?

Then thank Him for the grace that met you there.

Day Two

Without Hope

“Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Paul does not soften his description of life apart from Christ.

Separated. Excluded. Without hope. Without God in the world.

Those words are meant to humble us. Before Christ, humanity was not simply searching for a better path. We were spiritually disconnected from the life we were created for. We were made for God, and without Him, every other place we run for meaning eventually leaves us empty.

This is why remembrance matters.

When we remember what it felt like to live without true hope, the grace of God becomes more precious to us. And compassion begins to grow for people who are still living there now.

Humility deepens when we tell the truth about what life was like apart from Jesus.

What did “without hope” look like in your own story?

Who in your life seems to be searching for hope apart from Christ right now?

Spend a few minutes thanking God for the hope you now have in Christ.

Then pray by name for one person who may still be living without that hope.

Ask God to open their heart and use you to love them well.

Day Three

Strangers to the Promise

“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10

Paul says that before Christ, the Gentiles were strangers to the covenants of promise.

In other words, they stood outside the story. They were not insiders. They were not at home. They were strangers. Most people know what that feels like on some level.

Walking into a room where everyone else seems connected. Feeling like you do not belong. Wondering if there is a place for you at all. Paul wants believers to remember that before Christ, this was true of all of us spiritually. We were outsiders to the life of God.

But grace changes that story. The gospel welcomes outsiders. Jesus brings near those who were far away. He gives belonging to those who once stood outside the promises.

When we remember that we, too, were once outsiders, it changes the way we see others.

When was a time in your life that you felt like an outsider?

How might remembering that experience shape the way you see people around you now?

Ask God to help you notice someone this week who may feel unseen, disconnected, or on the outside.

Take one simple step toward them today — a conversation, an encouragement, an invitation, or a prayer.

Day Four

Memory Creates Compassion

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:11–12

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Memory plays a powerful role in spiritual formation.

When we forget our past distance from God, pride slowly replaces humility. We start assuming grace is normal, expected, or deserved. But when we remember where we came from, compassion begins to grow.

This is one of the reasons Paul tells the church to remember. Remembrance softens us.

It reminds us that we were once the ones in need of mercy. We were once the ones who were far from God. We were once the ones who did not belong.

That changes the way we see people. The people who frustrate us. The people who seem far from God. The people who do not yet understand grace. They stop looking like problems to fix and start looking like people God loves.

Remembering our own rescue trains our hearts to respond to others with humility
and compassion.

Where have you seen pride begin to eclipse compassion in your own heart?

How does remembering your own story change the way you see others?

Thank God today for the grace that welcomed you when you were far away.

Then ask Him to give you compassionate eyes for the people around you.

Day Five

Scars That Remind Us

“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” John 20:20

After the resurrection, Jesus still carried scars.

Those scars were not signs of defeat. They were reminders of sacrificial love. They told the story of what it cost to bring people back to God. In a similar way, spiritual memory serves as a kind of holy reminder for believers. Not a reminder that keeps us trapped in shame, but a reminder that keeps us grounded in humility.

We remember what it felt like to be far from God. We remember the emptiness. We remember the striving. We remember the grace that found us.

That memory becomes a mercy-shaped scar. It does not define us, but it keeps us from forgetting what Jesus has done. And when we remember our own rescue, it changes the way we see people who are still far away.

How does remembering your own story help you see people far from God with greater tenderness?

Take five minutes today to thank Jesus for rescuing you.

Ask Him to help you remember your story in a way that produces humility, not shame.

Day Six

Living as People Brought Near

“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:13

One of the natural fruits of remembering grace is hospitality.

Why? Because people who remember what it felt like to be outsiders begin making room for outsiders.

Hospitality is more than entertaining friends. It is one of the ways the gospel becomes visible.

It says, “There is room for you here.”

When we forget our own story, we can become guarded, exclusive, or inward. But when we remember how graciously God welcomed us, our hearts begin opening to others.

Meals matter. Tables matter. Invitations matter. They create space for people to move from stranger to friend, from disconnected to known.

Remembering we were once far away should shape the way all of us build community now.

Who has made you feel welcomed and known in a meaningful way?

Who might God be inviting you to make room for right now?

Begin thinking about one person or family you could invite to share a meal, coffee, or conversation with you in the next week.

Write their name down today, and if it’s your week for a Paul & Silas coffee, consider inviting them along.

Reminder: There is no day seven in week four. Continue on to week five.

A New Family

Day One

Christ Is Our Peace

“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Ephesians 2:14

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Paul makes a remarkable statement in this passage. He does not simply say that Jesus brings peace. He says that Jesus Himself is our peace.

Through His death and resurrection, Christ reconciles us to God. But the gospel does not stop there. The same cross that reconciles us to God also reconciles us to one another.

In the ancient world, the divide between Jews and Gentiles was deep and hostile. Entire systems of identity and culture reinforced the separation between these groups. Yet Paul says that Jesus has done something radical. He has made both groups one.

The gospel creates a new kind of community — one that is not built on shared culture, status, or background, but on the grace of Christ.

This means the church is meant to be a place where people who would normally remain divided become family. When we truly grasp this reality, we begin to care deeply about the unity of the church. Because when the church lives as one family, the reconciling power of Jesus becomes visible to the world.

Where have you experienced division or tension within Christian community?

How might remembering that Christ Himself is our peace shape the way you approach

those situations?

Spend a few moments thanking Jesus for reconciling you to God.

Then ask Him to shape your heart into someone who actively pursues peace within His church.

Day Two

Destroying the Dividing Wall

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18–19

Paul describes Jesus as the One who has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.

For his original readers, this imagery would have been powerful.

In the temple in Jerusalem, there was a literal barrier separating Gentiles from the inner courts where Jewish worshippers gathered. Gentiles who crossed that barrier could be executed.

Paul uses that image to explain what Jesus has accomplished. Through the cross,

Christ removed the barriers that once separated people from God and from one another.

The church is meant to embody this reality. When people encounter the body of Christ,

they should see something unusual — people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences living together in genuine unity.

This unity is not based on similarity. It is rooted in the reconciling work of Jesus. The gospel does not ignore division. It overcomes it.

Where do you see division shaping the world around you?

How might followers of Jesus live differently because of the reconciling work of Christ?

Ask God to reveal any places in your heart where resentment or hostility may still linger.

Invite Him to replace those attitudes with the peace of Christ.

Day Three

One New Humanity

“By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” Ephesians 2:15–16

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Paul says that through the cross, Jesus created one new humanity.

This does not mean our cultures, personalities, or life experiences disappear. Instead, it means our deepest identity is no longer defined by those things. Our deepest identity is now found
in Christ.

Before the gospel, humanity is divided in countless ways — ethnicity, class, politics, history,

and culture. These divisions often shape how people see themselves and how they treat others.

But the gospel introduces a new reality. In Christ, people who would normally remain separated are brought together as one family. This is why the church is meant to look different from
the world.

The world often organizes itself around difference and division. The church is meant to display reconciliation and unity. This kind of unity does not happen naturally. It is the result
of the transforming work of Jesus. When we understand this truth, we begin to see the
church differently.

It is not simply a place where people attend services. It is a family where the reconciling power
of the gospel becomes visible.

What aspects of your identity have shaped the way you see other people?

How does belonging to Christ reshape the way you view those around you?

Spend time thanking God for the diversity of people within His church.

Ask Him to help you grow in love and appreciation for believers whose experiences or backgrounds are different from your own.

Day Four

Reconciled Through the Cross

“And might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” Ephesians 2:15–16

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

Paul reminds us that reconciliation comes through the cross. The cross does more than forgive sin. It kills hostility. Jesus absorbed the weight of sin and division in His own body so that peace could become possible.

This means reconciliation is not merely a human achievement. It is the result of Christ’s sacrifice. Because of the cross, relationships that once seemed impossible to repair can begin to change.

Forgiveness becomes possible. Unity becomes possible. Healing becomes possible. This is why the church should be one of the most hopeful communities in the world. Where the gospel takes root, hostility begins to lose its power.

And those who are shaped by the gospel become people who actively pursue reconciliation.

Is there a relationship in your life where reconciliation may be needed?

What might it look like to move toward peace rather than away from it?

Pray for someone you may feel tension or distance with.

Ask God to give you humility, wisdom, and courage to pursue peace.

Day Five

Access to the Father

“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:17–18

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Paul concludes this section with a powerful reminder. Through Jesus, we all have access to the Father by one Spirit. This truth changes everything.

The gospel does not create different levels of access to God. Every believer is welcomed into the presence of the Father through Christ. This means that in the church, no one stands closer to God because of status, background, or experience.

We all come the same way — through grace. And because we share the same access to the Father, we are invited to pray for one another. Intercessory prayer becomes one of the ways the family of God cares for one another. We bring the needs, burdens, and hopes of others before the Father who welcomes us.

This is part of all our calling as His family. We stand before God not only for ourselves, but for the people He has placed around us.

How often do you approach God with confidence that you are welcomed in His presence?

How might this truth shape the way you pray for others?

Spend several minutes praying for others in your church.

Ask God to strengthen unity, deepen love, and grow the church as a family shaped by the reconciling work of Jesus.

Day Six

One Spirit, One Access

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

Paul ends this section of Ephesians with a powerful picture of the Trinity at work. Through Jesus, by the Spirit, we have access to the Father. This is the foundation of prayer.

Prayer is not an attempt to convince God to listen. Because of Christ, we are already welcomed into the presence of the Father. And we do not enter that presence alone. The Spirit of God helps us pray.

The Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know what to say. He carries our prayers before the Father and shapes our hearts along the way. This is why prayer is such an important part of life in the family of God. When we pray for one another, we participate in what God is already doing through His Spirit.

Intercession is an act of love. It is one of the ways the family of God carries each other’s burdens.

When you think about prayer, do you feel pressure or invitation?

How might remembering that the Spirit helps you pray change your approach to prayer?

Spend a few minutes praying for someone in your Community Group or church community.

Ask God to strengthen them, encourage them, and remind them of His presence.

Day Seven

Carrying One Another Before God

“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:14–18

The family of God is meant to be a praying community. Because Christ has reconciled us to God and to one another, we now stand before the Father together. One of the greatest gifts we can offer each other is prayer.

When we intercede for someone, we bring their needs, struggles, and hopes before God. We ask God to move in their lives. We ask Him to strengthen their faith. We ask Him to bring healing and restoration.

Intercessory prayer reminds us that the church is not a collection of individuals. We are a family that carries one another before the Father. This week, we will take time to pray for each other — whether that’s with your Paul & Silas partner, your LifeGroup, or on your own.

Not quickly. Not casually. But intentionally. Because God often does deep work when His people pray together.

Who in your life needs someone to pray for them right now?

How might God be inviting you to carry that person before Him?

Write down the names of two or three people you want to pray for this week.

Bring those names into your conversation with your Paul & Silas partner, or your group discussion, as you practice intercessory prayer together.

Citizens of the Kingdom

Day One

Fellow Citizens

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

Everything Paul says in Ephesians 2:19 flows from what Christ has already done.

Earlier in Ephesians 2, Paul reminded believers that they were once far from God. They lived without hope and without God in the world. But through the blood of Christ, those who were far away have been brought near. Now Paul describes the result. Believers are no longer outsiders.

The word Paul uses for “foreigners” describes someone who lives in a place but does not truly belong there. A foreigner has limited rights and no deep connection to the community.

But Paul says that is no longer our story.

Through Christ, believers become fellow citizens in God’s kingdom. Citizenship changes identity. It determines where someone belongs and what future they share with others.

For followers of Jesus, our deepest identity is no longer defined by culture, nationality, career, or status. Our identity is defined by belonging to Christ and participating in His kingdom.

But Paul pushes the image even further.

He says we are not only citizens — we are members of God’s household. This language moves from political belonging to relational belonging. God does not simply grant us legal status in His kingdom. He welcomes us into His family.

The church becomes the place where that family identity is lived out. It is where believers learn to love one another, carry burdens together, and grow into the likeness of Christ. When we forget this truth, the church can begin to feel like a program or an event we attend. But when we remember it, everything changes.

We realize that the people around us are not just attendees. They are brothers and sisters in the household of God.

Where do you most often look for your sense of identity or belonging?

How might remembering that you are a citizen of God’s kingdom reshape the way you see yourself and the church today?

Spend a few minutes thanking God for welcoming you into His family.

Then pray specifically for your church today. Ask God to strengthen the unity of the church and help every person who walks through its doors experience belonging.

Day Two

No Longer Strangers

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

Almost everyone knows what it feels like to be an outsider. You walk into a room where everyone seems to know one another. Conversations are already happening. Inside jokes are being shared. And for a moment you wonder where you fit.

Paul uses that exact feeling to describe our spiritual condition before Christ. We were strangers to the promises of God. We were outsiders to His covenant. We were not part of His people.

But the gospel changes that reality.

Through Christ, those who were once strangers are now welcomed in. Those who stood far away have been brought near. The cross does more than forgive sin; it creates belonging. This truth reshapes how we see the church.

The church is not simply a place people attend. It is the community where outsiders are welcomed into the family of God.

This matters deeply for all of us. One of the ways we reflect the heart of Christ is by noticing the people who may feel invisible and helping them find a place to belong.

When have you experienced the feeling of being an outsider?

How might remembering that experience shape the way you welcome others into the life of the church?

Pray today that God would help your church be a church where people experience genuine belonging.

Ask God to help you notice someone who may feel unseen and take a step toward them
this week.

Day Three

Members of God’s Household

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10

Paul does not stop with the language of citizenship. He takes the image one step further. Believers are not only citizens in God’s kingdom. They are members of His household.

A household is more than a group of people living under the same roof. It is a place where life is shared. It is where people celebrate together, struggle together, and grow together. That is the image Paul gives for the church. The church is meant to be a spiritual family.

In a healthy family, people care for one another. They encourage one another. They support one another during difficult seasons. They celebrate when something good happens. God uses those relationships to shape our spiritual lives.

Spiritual formation rarely happens in isolation. God forms His people within the context of community. This reminds all of us that following Jesus is never just about tasks or programs.

It is about helping cultivate a community where people live as members of God’s household.

Do you tend to approach church as something you attend or as a family you belong to?

What might change if you viewed the people around you as brothers and sisters in
God’s household?

Reach out to someone from church today.

Send a message encouraging them or asking how you can pray for them.

Day Four

Members of God’s Household

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” Colossians 1:13

Citizenship shapes the way people live. Every nation carries its own culture, values, and expectations. Citizens learn what it means to live within those values. Paul reminds believers that they now belong to a different kingdom. Through Christ, we have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God.

That means our lives begin to reflect a different set of priorities. The kingdom of God values humility over pride. Service over status. Grace over performance. Love over hostility.

Citizens of God’s kingdom begin to live differently because their allegiance belongs to a different King. This does not mean believers withdraw from the world. Instead, it means we live within the world while reflecting the character of Christ.

Our lives become a quiet witness to the values of the kingdom we belong to.

Where do you see the values of God’s kingdom shaping your life?

Where do you feel tension between the values of God’s kingdom and the culture around you?

Pray this simple prayer today: “Jesus, help me live as a faithful citizen of Your kingdom.”

Day Five

The Church as God’s Family

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24–25

When the early Christians gathered, they did not see themselves as attending an event.

They believed they were gathering as a family.

They shared meals together. They prayed together. They encouraged one another in faith.

When someone suffered, the whole community felt it.

Paul’s description of the church as God’s household reflects that same reality. Believers are bound together through Christ. Their shared identity creates a new kind of relationship — one that goes beyond shared interests or backgrounds.

The church becomes the place where people grow spiritually together. God often uses other believers to strengthen our faith, challenge our thinking, and encourage our obedience.

This means that our presence within the church matters more than we sometimes realize.

Every act of encouragement, prayer, and support becomes part of the way God builds

His people.

Who in the church has played an important role in your spiritual growth?

How might God use you to strengthen someone else’s faith?

Thank God today for someone in the church who has encouraged your faith.

Consider reaching out to them and letting them know how God has used them in your life.

Day Six

Praying for the Church

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20–21

If the church truly is the household of God, then praying for the church becomes one of the most meaningful ways we participate in what God is doing. Prayer reminds us that the church belongs to Jesus.

He is the one building it. He is the one guiding it. He is the one forming His people. When we pray for the church, we align our hearts with God’s purposes.

We begin to care about the things that matter to Him. We pray for unity among believers.

We pray for our pastors and leaders to walk in wisdom and humility. We pray for the gospel to reach people who are far from God. We pray for the church to reflect the love of Christ.

Prayer changes the way we see the church. Instead of viewing it through the lens of preference or frustration, we begin to see it as a community God is shaping for His glory.

How often do you intentionally pray for your church?

What might change if prayer for the church became a regular part of your spiritual life?

Spend five minutes today praying for your church.

Pray for its pastors, its families, and the people who will walk through its doors this week.

Day Seven

Gathering as the Household of God

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42

This week, you’ll watch another teaching together with your Paul & Silas partner or your group. But Paul’s words invite us to see that time differently. You are not just watching a video with a stranger. You are citizens of the same kingdom.

You are members of the same household.

The early church understood this deeply. When believers gathered, they expected God to work among them. They listened to Scripture, shared life together, prayed for one another, and encouraged one another in faith.

Their gatherings were not just informational. They were transformational. When believers come together with the awareness that they belong to the same family, the atmosphere changes.

Conversations become more meaningful. Prayer becomes more intentional.

Relationships deepen. God uses those moments to form His people. As you prepare to watch this week’s teaching, remember that you are not simply consuming content.

You are stepping into the household of God, alongside a partner who’s walking this with you.

How might remembering that the church is God’s household shape the way you approach this week’s teaching and conversation?

Before you watch this week’s video, pray: “Father, help me love Your church the way You love it. Help me encourage my partner this week.”

Being Built Together

Day One

Built on the Right Foundation

“Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” Ephesians 2:20

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11

Every building begins with a foundation.

If the foundation is weak, the entire structure becomes unstable. No matter how beautiful the building appears on the outside, a faulty foundation will eventually reveal itself.

Paul uses this image to describe the church. He says the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. These were the men God used to proclaim and preserve the truth of the gospel. Through their witness, the message of Jesus was established as the foundation of
the church.

But Paul makes it clear that the true cornerstone is Christ Himself. In the ancient world, the cornerstone was the most important stone in the entire structure. It determined the alignment of the entire building. Every other stone was positioned in reference to it.

Paul is reminding believers that Jesus is the one who determines the direction and shape of the church. Everything in the Christian life is meant to align with Him.

This truth is essential for every one of us. Following Jesus begins by making sure our lives are aligned with Him. Our priorities, decisions, and relationships are shaped by the One who stands at the center of everything.

Where do you see your life aligning with Christ right now?

Where might God be inviting you to realign something with Him?

Spend a few minutes asking God to help you keep Christ at the center of your life.

Day Two

Joined Together

“In whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” Ephesians 2:21

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

Paul emphasizes something important in this verse. The building is joined together.

This means that no stone stands alone.

Every believer is connected to the others in the structure God is forming. Each life becomes part of the larger work God is doing through His church. This image reminds us that spiritual growth is not meant to happen in isolation.

God shapes our faith through relationships with other believers. Encouragement, accountability, prayer, and shared mission become part of the way He forms us. When people begin to see themselves as part of something larger than their individual lives, the church begins to flourish.

That means every one of us has a part to play in helping people discover how they fit within the body of Christ. Following Jesus is not about doing everything ourselves. It is about helping others step into the place God has given them.

How have other believers helped shape your faith?

How might God use you to strengthen someone else’s spiritual life?

Encourage someone in the church today.

Send a message, offer a prayer, or speak words that strengthen their faith.

Day Three

Growing Into a Temple

“In whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” Ephesians 2:21

“You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

Paul says the church is not a finished structure. It is growing.

This means that God’s work among His people is ongoing. Every generation of believers becomes part of the work He is doing. New lives are added to the structure. Faith deepens. Relationships strengthen. Change-agents emerge. Communities are transformed.

The church continues to grow as God builds His people together. Paul also describes this building as a holy temple in the Lord. In the Old Testament, the temple was the place where God’s presence dwelled among His people. But through Christ, something remarkable

has happened.

God’s presence now dwells within His people themselves. The church becomes the place where the presence of God is experienced in the world.

This truth is both humbling and inspiring for every one of us. The work of discipleship and encouragement becomes part of the larger story of what God is building.

Where do you see God growing people around you?

How might He be inviting you to participate in that work?

Pray for someone in your life whose faith is still growing.

Ask God to strengthen and guide them.

Day Four

God Dwelling Among His People

“In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” John 14:23

Paul concludes this passage with a breathtaking picture. God is building a church where His presence dwells.

In the Old Testament, the presence of God was associated with sacred places — first the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem. But through Christ, the presence of God now dwells among His people through the Holy Spirit.

The church becomes the living temple of God. This means the ordinary moments of community — conversations, prayers, encouragement, shared worship — become places where God’s presence is experienced.

When believers gather, God is present. This changes how all of us approach faith community.

The goal is not simply to organize activities or run programs. The goal is to cultivate spaces where people encounter the presence of God.

Where have you recently sensed the presence of God in your life?

How might God use you to help others experience His presence?

Spend a few quiet moments inviting God’s presence into your day.

Day Five

Participating in God’s Work

“Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:20–22

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

When Paul describes the church as a building, he is reminding believers that God is actively at work among His people. He is shaping lives. He is forming change-agents. He is bringing people together in ways that reflect His kingdom. Every believer becomes part of this work.

Sometimes that participation looks simple. A conversation that encourages someone’s faith. A prayer offered for a friend. A moment of service that strengthens the community.

These moments may seem small, but in God’s hands they become part of the larger structure

He is building.

None of us are architects designing our own vision. We are participants in the work God is already doing. Our role is simply to remain faithful as He builds His church.

Where do you see God working among the people around you?

How might He be inviting you to participate in that work?

Pray that God would help you see opportunities to build others up in faith.

Day Six

Sent to Build

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20

Over the past forty days we have followed the movement of Ephesians 2.

We remembered who we once were. We reflected on the grace that saved us. We considered the reconciliation Christ brings. We discovered our belonging in God’s household.

Now we end with the image of a building still under construction. God is continuing to build His church. And every believer becomes part of that work.

Being a change-agent in the Kingdom is not about position or recognition. It is about helping others grow in faith and step into the life God has prepared for them.

Every conversation can build someone up. Every prayer can strengthen another believer.

Every act of service can reflect the heart of Christ. God builds His church through ordinary faithfulness.

As this journey concludes, remember that the work of formation is not finished. God is
still building.

And He invites you to participate in the work He is doing among His people.

What has God been shaping in your life over the past forty days?

How might He be inviting you to continue building others up in faith?

Pray a simple commissioning prayer: “Lord, use my life to build Your people and reflect
Your love.”

Day Seven

A Commissioning Moment

Over the course of this book, you have walked through the story of Ephesians 2.

You remembered who you once were — far from God and without hope. You reflected on the grace that saved you through Jesus Christ. You considered the unity Christ creates among His people.

You rediscovered that you belong to the household of God.

And finally, you saw that God is building something through His church. Paul ends Ephesians 2 with a powerful picture. The church is like a building. Christ is the cornerstone. The apostles and prophets laid the foundation. And every believer is a living stone being built together into a dwelling place for God.

This means something important. God is not building His church through programs alone. He is building His church through people. And one of the primary ways He does that is through change-agents who invest in others.

Being a change-agent in the Kingdom of God is not about influence, visibility, or position. It is about helping people grow into the life God created them to live.

Healthy change-agents build people. They encourage faith. They extend grace. They walk alongside others in their spiritual journey. They help others discover their place in God’s family.

This is the invitation placed before you now.

You have experienced what it means to be formed through Scripture, prayer, and community. Now you are being invited to help cultivate that same formation in the lives of others — starting with the person you’ll one day serve as a Paul & Silas partner. Not through perfection. Not through performance. But through faithfulness. God is still building His church. And He invites you to participate in that work.