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A Home in God – Love Beyond Measure · Still, Here

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: This is still here.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: A quiet moment to remember what is true.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Listen to these words from the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 19 through 22.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: So then,
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God,
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone,
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: in whom the whole building,
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: fitted together,
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: There is a difference between visiting, attending, and belonging.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: A visitor comes occasionally and knows the space belongs to someone else.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: An attender may remain longer while still wondering whether they truly are a part of the family.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Belonging means there is a place that is yours because you have been welcomed into
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: the household.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: The small ruler says, I am only a guest and I must be careful not to lose my place.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Paul tells people who had once been treated as outsiders
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: that they are no longer strangers or foreigners.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: They are fellow citizens with the saints.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: They are members of God's household.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: They are living parts of the dwelling God is building.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: This image can be difficult for people wounded by churches or religious systems.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Words such as household, family,
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: and belonging carry memories of manipulation,
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: rejection, secrecy, or pressure to conform.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Human communities sometimes fail to reflect the home God desires to create.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: God's household is not permission for a community to demand unlimited access to your life.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Belonging does not require you to deny harm, silence questions or remain in an unsafe system.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: No congregation,
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: denomination,
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: leader or institution has the authority to revoke the identity Christ has given you.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Your deepest belonging comes from Christ within.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Not from the approval of a community that can be swayed by fear, hostility, or control.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: God's household is the home we have always longed for,
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: a place where love does not depend on performance,
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: difference is not treated as a threat,
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: and wounded people are not required to become flawless before they are welcomed.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Paul also says we are being built together.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Spiritual formation is deeply personal.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yet, it was never meant to remain isolated.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: Alone, we can begin to believe our limited perspective is the whole truth.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Built together, we discover that we are shaping and being shaped within a family.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: God does not wait until the stones are flawless before He builds.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: He gathers imperfect, wounded, growing people and makes His presence known among them.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: The wall that once divided them comes down.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: And its stones become part of a home.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Christ is the cornerstone.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: He, rather than uniformity,
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: charisma,
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: institutional loyalty, or personality of a leader, holds the dwelling together.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Every part of the structure takes its direction from Him.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: You are no longer waiting at the entrance.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: You are not a temporary guest.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: You belong to God and your life is being joined with others into a home for His presence.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: God is not merely giving you a place to visit.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: In Christ, He is making you part of the place where love dwells.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Take a moment for this prayer of presence.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: God of welcome, you have made me a member of your household.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: I remember the communities that made belonging feel unsafe.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: As you walk back into your home,
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Your office, your calling, carry this prayer with you.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: I am not a stranger.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: I am at home in God.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: I am not a stranger.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: I am at home with God.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: I am not a stranger.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: I am at home with God.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you would like to go deeper,
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: the written reflections and other resources are available
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: at powerloveandmiracles.com.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, stay steady, stay open, stay present.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: You are still here.