It is by God’s gift (grace) we have been saved. This gift then transforms and equips us to share God’s love in tender action with the world.

Us vs. You. We Jews need you Gentiles. We seem to need someone to "other". But the Cosmic Christ - the one that is in all and through all - not just the Jesus who died and rose, breaks the dividing wall. We may have differences but God makes us one new people. One God,  one Church, One... One... One. There is no "we're in"/"you're out". 

A group reading of the letter to the Ephesians.

We are salt & light. We live in the Now & Not Yet - 2 realities at once.... Our saltyness & lightyness are gifts given by grace of Jesus, not something we earn through behavior. Go be salt & light - bringing flavor & color. 

How do we build the king of community that Jesus was building? 

What happens when the Holy Spirit shows up and disrupts everything? At the Jerusalem council, the Pharisees KNEW that they were following God correctly because they knew the law and kept it but Jesus' disciples were teaching something new and different. The Pharisees followed Jesus plus law but the disciples said - Nope, just Jesus.... that was different, seemingly breaking rules. How will we respond as the Holy Spirit takes us forward into new territory to reach others in this day/age.

Change! It's not an option. It's always happening. Saul KNEW (he "believed") that he was Right! Recognizing that he was wrong.... Revising his understanding was a blinding experience! God links Jesus and His Church when He asked, "Why are you persecuting ME?" Ananias was told to GO and he did. Does our certainty keep us from going? From following Jesus away from what we KNOW is "right"?

The end of the journey is never really the end. We hit roadblocks. The question is... How are we going to get to the other side? A step of faith (aka: risk) is needed before we see God move.

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Jesus appears in a garden - a call back to the first garden. A renewing of all things. There is new creation! Look for it. Live like it!

What happens when a people forget who God is and what He has done?