Chosen in Christ: Lavished Grace and Our Praise

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: From Little-g Gods to the King’s Family

The weight of God’s kingdom transfer reshapes everything. Before Christ, we lived under the rule of lesser gods—approval, addiction, self-sufficiency. But Jesus plucks us from empty kingdoms and plants us as heirs in His family. This isn’t about behavior control; it’s bloodline adoption. You don’t earn a throne room seat—you inherit it. Your failures don’t revoke your last name. Your Father’s grace holds tighter than your worst day. [37:20]

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12, ESV)

Reflection: What “little-g god” did you unconsciously serve before Christ? How does knowing you’re an heir, not a hired hand, change today’s struggles?

Day 2: Lavished, Not Sprinkled

Grace isn’t rationed. Picture a child dousing themselves in a parent’s perfume—overwhelming, excessive, marking every breath. God doesn’t drip-feed mercy. He drowns rebels-turned-children in undeserved favor. Your shame fears scarcity, but the cross declares abundance. His kindness isn’t a drizzle; it’s a monsoon washing off hell’s stench. [56:38]

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7–8, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you still act like a beggar when God calls you a lavished child? What would change if you believed grace was truly inexhaustible?

Day 3: Sovereignty That Stares Down Screw-Ups

God knew. Before shaping stars, He saw every relapse, lie, and lukewarm season—and still formed Adam’s ribs. Sovereignty isn’t a cold doctrine; it’s the Father’s stubborn grin as He crafts a redemption plan for rebels. Your worst choices didn’t surprise Him. His patience isn’t passivity—it’s the pause before the Prodigal’s feast. [48:03]

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV)

Reflection: What failure makes you doubt God’s foreknowledge? How would trusting His timeline transform your guilt into gratitude?

Day 4: Redemption’s Double Move

Jesus didn’t just break chains—He dragged you into the family reunion. Freedom from sin means nothing without adoption into the Father’s lap. Hell’s prison cells empty into heaven’s dinner table. You’re not just unshackled; you’re handed the Son’s robe and ring. Rescue was never the end goal—belonging was. [01:00:37]

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

Reflection: Do you live more like a grateful prisoner or a hesitant heir? What would walking in royal identity look like today?

Day 5: Extravagant Worshippers Over Theological Theorists

Debating election won’t save your neighbor. God’s sovereignty isn’t a puzzle to solve—it’s a wildfire to fuel worship. The Patriots fan strips his shirt for a rookie quarterback; shouldn’t we riot with joy for the Resurrected King? Theology that doesn’t end in doxology is just spiritual Sudoku. [42:32]

“So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” (Ephesians 1:6, NLT)

Reflection: When did “figuring out God” replace marveling at Him? What unashamed act of worship would mirror those shirt-waving football fans?

Sermon Summary

Ephesians opens up the wonder of a real kingdom transfer. Paul says that when a person says yes to Christ, God does not enroll that person in a behavior modification program. God picks sinners up out of the devil’s family and places them in the Father’s family. Old things pass away, all things become new, and the believer receives a new kingdom identity, a new King, and a new kingdom walk.

Ephesians 1 presses into the sovereignty of God, and that truth gets bigger than any little three pound brain can handle. God has the first word and the last word. His ways are not human ways, and his thoughts are not human thoughts. Yet the point is not to figure God out like a math problem. The point is to love him more, trust him more, and become an extravagant worshiper who holds nothing back for the risen Savior.

Paul says that before the foundations of the world, God loved and chose his people in Christ. God did not need a family, because Father, Son, and Holy Spirit already lived in perfect community. Still, God desired a family. Before there was a world, before there was sin, before there was a cross, there was a Father who desired a family. God knew creation would turn away, and still God made a way to bring sinners back.

Ephesians keeps repeating the only way back to the Father: through Christ, through Christ, through Christ. Baptism does not bring a sinner back. Keeping the Ten Commandments does not bring a sinner back. Being a good religious person does not bring a sinner back. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the door. The just God paid the price for the unjust sinner, and he did it through the blood of his Son.

Paul’s response is praise. Election, predestination, and foreknowledge can bring big theological conversations, but the bottom line is that God is patient, not willing that any should perish, and calls people everywhere to repentance. God pours out grace, not in a little sprinkle, but lavishes it on those who belong to his dear Son. Redemption means Christ bought sinners out so he could bring them in. Freedom comes with family. The believer can say, “My Father,” because Jesus purchased that access with his blood. The only proper response to holy God is a life of praise, a walking, talking, living testimony to the One who did what sinners could not do for themselves.

Key Takeaways

1. God desires a family God does not need anyone, because Father, Son, and Holy Spirit already dwell in perfect love. Yet before creation, before sin, and before the cross, God desired a family and made a way for broken people to come home. That truth humbles the believer because salvation begins not with human worth, but with divine desire. [47:14]
2. Redemption brings people into family Redemption is not only release from bondage. Christ bought sinners out so he could bring them in, giving them the privilege to call God “Father.” Freedom without belonging would still leave the soul wandering, but grace gives both rescue and a home. [60:14]
3. Grace is lavished, not sprinkled God does not ration grace like a cautious giver. Ephesians says grace is poured out, lavished on those who belong to the dear Son. The believer’s security rests not on performance or failure, but on the richness of God’s kindness in Christ. [56:20]
4. Praise is the proper response The sovereignty of God is too big to fit inside human categories. Paul does not lead the church into prideful debate, but into worship before a holy God who made a way. Praise becomes more than singing, because the whole life becomes a testimony to grace. [55:26]
5. Through Christ, and Christ alone The Father brings sinners to himself through Jesus, not through religion, rule keeping, or good behavior. John 14 and Ephesians 1 say the same thing: the way back to the Father has a name. Faith must move beyond believing about Jesus to receiving Jesus as Savior. [45:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:40] - Opening Prayer and Faith in Jesus
[34:38] - Joy in the House of the Lord
[36:22] - Ephesians and the Kingdom Transfer
[39:00] - God’s Sovereignty and Human Limits
[41:49] - Extravagant Worship Holds Nothing Back
[44:00] - Ephesians 1:3-6 Explained
[46:52] - God Desires a Family
[49:24] - Justice, Sin, and the Lamb
[50:57] - Election, Predestination, and Humility
[52:03] - God’s Patience and Repentance
[54:46] - Praise for Glorious Grace
[59:50] - Redemption Means Bought Out and Brought In
[62:18] - Hope Has a Name: Jesus
[64:33] - Invitation to Accept Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 1:3-6
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” [44:00]

John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” [45:54]

2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” [52:19]

John 1:12
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” [01:03:24]

Observation questions

In Ephesians 1:3-6, what repeated phrases show where God’s blessings and adoption are found?
According to Ephesians 1:4-5, what did God do before the foundation of the world, and what was his goal for those he chose? [44:47]
What are some specific things that do not bring a person back to the Father, and what is the only way back? [45:32]
In 2 Peter 3:9, what does the passage say about God’s patience and desire for people who are far from him? [52:25]

Interpretation questions

Ephesians 1 says God blessed his people in Christ, chose them in Christ, and adopted them through Christ. What does that say about how central Jesus is to salvation and identity?
God desired a family before there was a world, before there was sin, and before there was a cross. How does that shape the way a believer understands salvation—as something bigger than rescue from trouble? [48:21]
If redemption means being bought out so that a person can be brought in, how does that deepen the meaning of freedom in Christ? [01:00:14]
Paul says the response to God’s glorious grace is praise. Why is praise a fitting response to truths that are too big for human minds to fully explain? [54:56]

Application questions

Many people drift toward thinking of Christianity as behavior improvement instead of kingdom transfer. Where is that temptation showing up most right now—in guilt, striving, comparison, or trying to clean up outward behavior first? [37:13]
Through Christ, a believer is brought into the Father’s family. Does daily life reflect more of a servant who is afraid, or a son or daughter who knows they belong? What would change this week if that identity was truly believed? [01:00:41]
Grace is lavished, not sprinkled. Where is there a struggle to believe that God’s grace is bigger than personal failure, shame, or inconsistency? [56:20]
The proper response to holy God is praise, and praise is more than singing. What would a “walking, talking, living testimony” look like in ordinary places like home, work, school, or conversations with friends? [01:01:45]
God is patient, not wanting any to perish. Who comes to mind right now that needs patient prayer, faithful love, and a clear word about Jesus? [53:21]
Jesus is not just one option among many; he is the way to the Father. Is there any place where trust is being placed in religion, church background, morality, or spiritual effort instead of Christ alone? [46:01]
John 1:12 says those who receive Christ become children of God. For those who have already received him, when was the last time there was simple gratitude for being able to say, “My Father”? For anyone unsure, what is keeping that step of faith from being taken personally? [01:03:31]

Sermon Clips

57s

#BoughtIntoGodsFamily

“``He bought us out so he could bring us in to the family of God. Redemption isn't simply freedom. a freedom that comes with family. That you now have the privilege to pray, our father, my father, which art in heaven. That in Christ, our God, who desired a family, that through the redemption that is found in Jesus Christ, you became a son, a daughter, a person who has spiritual blessings in Christ waiting for you and inheritance in eternity. And yet, God doesn't simply wait for eternity. He blesses us in the here and now because he is a good, good father. Can we thank God for that today? Come on,”

38s

#GodDesiredAFamily

“So even before creation, God and his sovereignty knew his creation would turn their back on him, and yet he still created humans. God knowing what God knew. It's mind blowing that mankind would choose sin over him. And think about it this way, before there was a world, before there was sin, before there was a cross, there was a father who desired a family. I don't know why, but we're here. And I'm so glad God invites us to himself.”

62s

#GraceAndUnmeritedBlessing

“This is understanding what God has done. This is understanding the price that God would pay. Verse seven goes on to say, he is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with his blood, with the blood of his son, and he forgave us of our sins. And the only response for the work of Christ in our life has to be praise and adoration, extravagant worship that I refuse to hold back on the one who held nothing back from us. What a good, good father. That's why we sang earlier in the first song, how good God is. It's not just a cool song with cool lyrics, it's a biblical truth. And those of us that are in Christ, we are so stinking blessed. Amen. To think that my performance doesn't make me accept it. My failures don't make me reject it. My goodness doesn't earn God's love, and my bad days don't cancel out God's love.”

48s

#SovereignLoveMakesAWay

“So God and his love still created humans. Knowing what he knew, he also knew he would have to provide a way for human beings to have their broken relationship restored back to the father and before. Somebody say before. Before. The foundations of the world. Ephesians one says, God says, I'm sovereign. I see it all. They're gonna reject me, but we will make a way for them to come back to us. It's amazing. Do we fully understand it? Nope. But I'm so grateful for a God who is love.”

43s

#HumbleWorshipNotDebate

“So we praise God for his glorious grace. You know what the response is? That we serve a God who's bigger than us, that we can't wrap our mind around. A God who wasn't willing that anybody should perish. A God who wouldn't write us off, but a God who would make a way. A God who would come to redeem us, to pay for us. A God who would lay down his life for us. Listen, the ultimate response is this, not trying to figure God out, not having great theological discussions and debates. The bottom line is it ought to bring us to our knees in humility before holy God and live a life of praising God for his grace.”

88s

#JustButLovingGod

“But also know this, God's not only love, he's just. And because he is just, he couldn't overlook sin. He had to deal with sin because sin had to be punished. Justice had to be served. will provide himself a lamb to restore what we broke through sin. And that's why Jesus Christ came through him, through him, through him. Somebody say, through him. Through him. Him. You read it in the Bible. Well, I was told this into my, you know, my preacher, my priest, my denomination, my religion told me this. The Bible is a final authority for faith and practice. So it doesn't matter what we've been told growing up. What matters is what thus saith the Lord. Amen? Because the word of God is just that, God's word. So through him is how we are redeemed and brought back into relationship with the father. And our just God paid a price. Listen. the just God paid a price for the unjust sinner so that we can be brought back to the Father.”

50s

#RichInKindnessAndGrace

“And Ephesians chapter one verse seven, the Holy Spirit emphasizes this, and he's like, I need you to slow down. I want you to praise God. Our proper response should be, praise God. And then he adds more logs to this fire. And he says, you gotta understand what God has done. He is what? So rich in kindness and grace. Gotta understand, he's poured it out. He's lavished it on us. He is he he is just. He is holy. Yes. But he is grace filled and merciful. That he would not only pour that out, but he would purchase our freedom with the blood of his son, and he would be willing to forgive us of our sins. It's an amazing thing that God would make a way.”

78s

#SalvationByFaith

“And yet, the Bible says that we have a responsibility by faith. Somebody say by faith. By faith. By faith to respond to the goodness of God. That the Bible says, I I need you to see this, that by faith. Listen, this is a big deal. I have to ask Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sins. That by faith I have to trust Christ and trust him alone. That by faith I have to come to a point in my life where I not simply believe in Christ, John one twelve. To those who believe and accept him. That I have to believe and accept Christ into my life. And when I do, the promise of God's word, the word of God and the God of the word is this, that when I place my faith in, when I believe in and accept in, accept into my life Jesus Christ, I become child of God. Through Christ, through Christ, through Christ, through Christ.”

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Why did God desire a family before creation

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What is proper response to God's sovereignty and grace