Day 3: No Longer a Stranger
Reading: Ephesians 2:19-22
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by[b] the Spirit.
Footnotes
[a] Ephesians 2:19 Or sojourners
[b] Ephesians 2:22 Or in
Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-5
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional:
There is a particular pain in feeling like an outsider. Many people carry that wound for years, sometimes into the church itself. Yet Scripture declares that in Christ, the status of stranger is permanently revoked. You are a citizen. You are a member of God's family. You are a living stone being built into something far larger than yourself. God does not merely tolerate your presence in his house; he is actively building you into its structure. Your life, your story, your transformation has a place in what he is constructing. You are not an afterthought. You are part of the design.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by[b] the Spirit.
Footnotes
[a] Ephesians 2:19 Or sojourners
[b] Ephesians 2:22 Or in
Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-5
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional:
There is a particular pain in feeling like an outsider. Many people carry that wound for years, sometimes into the church itself. Yet Scripture declares that in Christ, the status of stranger is permanently revoked. You are a citizen. You are a member of God's family. You are a living stone being built into something far larger than yourself. God does not merely tolerate your presence in his house; he is actively building you into its structure. Your life, your story, your transformation has a place in what he is constructing. You are not an afterthought. You are part of the design.
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2026
January
February
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March
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April
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May
Day 5: Your Life MissionDay 1: What Do You Have to Give?Day 2: Community Over CharityDay 3: Discernment in GivingDay 4: Walking in the LightDay 5: Mission-Focused HelpingDay 1: What Do You Have to Offer?Day 2: Faith That Helps Others StandDay 3: Healing as a Sign Pointing to JesusDay 4: Different Kinds of Healing We All NeedDay 5: Becoming a Healing CommunityDay 1: The Power of the SpiritDay 2: Rejoicing in PersecutionDay 3: United in MissionDay 4: Generous Hearts, Growing ChurchDay 5: Obedience Over ComfortDay 1: Everything Belongs to GodDay 2: The Heart Behind the GiftDay 3: Unity Through the SpiritDay 4: Obedience Over ObligationDay 5: Trusting God's Provision
June
Day 1: The Foundation of Our MissionDay 2: United in PurposeDay 3: God's Heart for the VulnerableDay 4: Sustained by CommunityDay 5: Your Mission FieldDay 1: The Battle Belongs to GodDay 2: The Cost of Following JesusDay 3: Separated for a PurposeDay 4: Spirit-Filled and Spirit-LedDay 5: Hope in the DepthsDay 1: Scattered But Not SilentDay 2: From Slave to ChildDay 3: The Beautiful FeetDay 4: Waiting in HopeDay 5: Living Testimony
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1 Comment
As one who has felt on the outside my whole life, there is a true beauty in being included into the best group of all—God’s family. When with others have forsaken me, not only has God NEVER forsaken me but he has chosen me.