First Lutheran Church • All Saints Sunday • Sunday, November 2, 2025

Devotional

Day 1: Chosen by God Before the Foundation of the World

You matter to God. Before the cosmos was created, God had you in mind, choosing you in Christ to be holy and blameless in love. This truth is the foundation of your identity—knowing that you are not an accident or an afterthought, but someone deeply valued and intentionally chosen. When you truly believe that you were on God's mind from the very beginning, it changes how you see yourself and how you live each day. Let this truth sink in: you are wanted, loved, and called for a purpose that began before time itself. [01:41]

Ephesians 1:3-4 (ESV)
"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..."

Reflection: What would change in your life if you truly believed that you were on God's mind before the world began and chosen for a purpose?

Day 2: Adopted as God’s Children, Delighting His Heart

God’s love for you is not distant or abstract; He has adopted you as His own child, taking delight and pleasure in you. Imagine God smiling over you, not because of your achievements, but simply because you are His. This identity as God’s beloved child transforms how you relate to yourself and others, infusing your life with confidence, joy, and a sense of belonging. When you know you bring delight to God, it shapes your choices, your relationships, and your vocation, grounding you in a love that never fails. [04:00]

Ephesians 1:5 (ESV)
"He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will..."

Reflection: How does knowing that God delights in you as His child affect the way you approach your relationships and daily decisions today?

Day 3: Living as Saints—Holy and Blameless in Christ

You are a saint—not because of your perfection, but because God has made you holy and blameless through Christ. This identity is not reserved for a select few, but is given to all who believe in Jesus. Being a saint means living out your calling in everyday life, whether at home, at work, or in your community, and seeing yourself as someone set apart to reflect God’s love and grace. Ask yourself: how does a saint act in the world? Let your sainthood shape your actions, your words, and your presence wherever you go. [08:49]

Ephesians 1:4 (ESV)
"...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love..."

Reflection: In what specific situation today can you choose to act as a saint—set apart and reflecting God’s love—instead of following the crowd?

Day 4: Gathering Others to God—Our Mission as Saints

As saints, you are sent into the world to gather others to God, blessing those around you and helping them see His love and forgiveness. This mission starts with your family and extends to every person you encounter, whether through prayer, encouragement, or acts of service. Your life becomes a channel through which God’s grace flows to others, inviting them to experience the goodness of God. Consider how you can be intentional today in gathering people up to the Father, just as others have done for you. [07:46]

Ephesians 1:9-10 (ESV)
"making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."

Reflection: Who is one person you can intentionally gather to God today—through prayer, encouragement, or a simple act of kindness?

Day 5: Remembering the Saints Who Shaped Our Faith

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses—saints who have gone before us and pointed us to Jesus through their lives, sacrifices, and love. Their examples encourage us to persevere in our own journey of faith, reminding us that sainthood is not about perfection but about faithfully following Christ. Take time to remember those who have shaped your faith, giving thanks for their influence and considering how you might carry on their legacy by pointing others to God. [13:50]

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."

Reflection: Who is a saint—past or present—who has shaped your faith, and how can you honor their legacy by encouraging someone else in their walk with God today?

Sermon Summary

Each of us is on a journey of discovering who we are and what God has called us to do. There is deep joy in knowing that our identity and purpose are not random, but chosen by God before the foundation of the world. Long before the cosmos existed, God had each of us in mind, calling us to be holy and blameless in love. This identity as saints—God’s holy ones—is not reserved for a select few, but is given to all who are in Christ. We are adopted as God’s children, not because of anything we have done, but because of God’s delight and good pleasure. When we truly believe that we matter to God, it transforms how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we live out our daily vocations.

Being a saint is not about perfection, but about living out the identity God has given us. Just as a new father learns what it means to be “dad” over a lifetime, we grow into our sainthood day by day. Our mission as saints is to gather others to God, to help them see His love, forgiveness, and invitation to serve. This calling is lived out in the ordinary moments—praying for a worried waitress, teaching our children about God’s love, or simply being present and listening to those in need. Our sainthood is like a filter through which we see and engage the world, shaping our actions, our relationships, and our priorities.

We are not alone in this calling. We stand in a long line of saints—those who have gone before us, both famous and familiar, who have shown us what it means to follow Jesus. Their lives encourage us, challenge us, and remind us that sainthood is about faithfulness, not flawlessness. Today, we remember those saints who shaped our faith, who gathered us to God, and who now rest in His presence. And we look forward to the day when all God’s saints will be gathered together, praising Him in fullness and joy. Until then, we live as God’s holy ones, sent into the world to share the good news and to gather others into the embrace of God’s love.

Key Takeaways

1. Our identity as saints is rooted in God’s eternal choice, not our own achievements. Before the world began, God chose each of us in Christ to be holy and blameless in love. This truth is foundational: we matter to God, and that changes everything about how we see ourselves and our purpose in life. [01:41]
2. Sainthood is not about perfection, but about living out the identity God has given us. Like learning to be a parent, we grow into our calling as saints through daily acts of faithfulness, service, and love. God delights in us as His children, and our lives are meant to reflect that joy and belonging. [04:43]
3. The mission of a saint is to gather others to God, starting with those closest to us. Whether it’s teaching our children about God’s love, praying for a friend, or simply being present for someone in need, we are called to be agents of God’s blessing in the world. Our sainthood is lived out in the ordinary and the everyday. [06:40]
4. We are shaped by the examples of saints who have gone before us—both the well-known and the personal. Their stories remind us that sainthood is about perseverance, humility, and faithfulness, even in the midst of struggle or imperfection. Remembering their lives encourages us to continue our own journey of following Christ. [10:46]
5. Our hope is anchored in the promise that God is gathering all things to Himself. As saints, we live not for our own glory, but for the praise of God’s glory, trusting that one day we will be gathered with all the saints around God’s throne. Until then, we are sent into the world to share the good news and to participate in God’s work of redemption. [14:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:32] - Discovering Identity and Purpose
[01:07] - Chosen Before the Foundation of the World
[01:41] - You Matter to God
[02:38] - Called to Be Holy and Blameless
[03:15] - Seeing Ourselves as Saints
[03:45] - Adoption and God’s Delight
[04:29] - Learning to Live Our Identity
[05:29] - Our Mission as Saints
[05:56] - God’s Will: Gathering All Things
[06:40] - Gathering Others to God
[07:24] - Living Sainthood in Everyday Life
[08:49] - The “Saint” Filter: Living Differently
[09:41] - Remembering the Saints Who Came Before
[10:46] - Learning from the Lives of Saints
[12:28] - Saints Who Shaped Us Personally
[13:50] - The Great Cloud of Witnesses
[14:18] - Our Hope and Our Mission
[15:00] - Worship and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 1:3-10 (ESV) — 3 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,
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 1, when did God choose us, and for what purpose?
What does the word “saint” mean in the context of this passage and the sermon? [02:38]
What examples did the pastor give of living out our identity as saints in everyday life? [07:24]
How does the sermon describe the mission God gives to His saints? [05:29]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says our identity as saints is rooted in God’s eternal choice, not our achievements. How might this truth challenge the way people usually think about their worth or purpose? [01:41]
The pastor compared learning to be a saint to learning to be a parent. What does this suggest about the process of growing in our faith and identity? [04:43]
The sermon talks about gathering others to God, starting with those closest to us. Why do you think this is emphasized as the starting point for our mission? [06:40]
The pastor mentioned remembering saints who have gone before us. How can their stories shape our own journey of following Jesus? [10:46]

Application Questions

The sermon says, “You matter to God. Start there.” What would change in your life if you truly believed that you matter to God? Is there an area where you struggle to believe this? [02:06]
The pastor shared about praying for a worried waitress at Waffle House. Can you think of a recent ordinary moment where you could have lived out your sainthood by being present or praying for someone? What might that look like this week? [07:24]
The sermon describes sainthood as a “filter” for how we see and engage the world. What is one area of your life—work, family, friendships—where you want to see through this “saint” filter more intentionally? [08:49]
Who are the saints in your life who have shaped your faith? What is one thing you learned from them that you want to pass on to others? [12:28]
The pastor said, “Being a saint is not about perfection, but about living out the identity God has given us.” Where do you feel pressure to be perfect, and how can you shift your focus to faithfulness instead? [10:46]
The sermon calls us to gather others to God, starting with those closest to us. Who in your family or circle of friends might need to be reminded of God’s love this week? How can you reach out to them? [06:40]
Our hope is that one day we will be gathered with all the saints around God’s throne. How does this future hope shape the way you live today? Is there a specific way you want to live differently because of this hope? [14:32]

Sermon Clips

You were chosen by God before the foundation of the world, before the cosmos, that's the word in Greek, was created. Millions of years ago, when God was just starting to think about the universe he would make, you were on his mind. You matter to God. Start there. You matter to God. And that's the beginning of understanding your identity. [00:01:41] (33 seconds) #YouMatterToGod

What would change for you, if you believed the Bible when it says, before the foundation of the world, you were on God's mind. And you were chosen for a purpose. It goes on to say that you were chosen to be holy and blameless in love. [00:02:32] (17 seconds) #ChosenForLove

When you think about yourself, in God's eyes, do you think about him smiling? Being delighted? Taking pleasure in you, his children? What changes when you believe that? What changes in your relationship with others? In your vocation? In the choices you make? When you know that you matter? When you know that you bring delight to God? [00:03:58] (26 seconds) #DelightInGod

``I was at Waffle House this morning, I got there early because of the daylight savings thing. So I had extra time to eat my hash browns and eggs. And I've been going there for seven years. And today the waitress came up to me and she knows I'm a pastor. And she said, hey, can I ask you a favor? I said, sure. She said, will you pray for my son? He's having surgery later this week and I'm worried about him. Will you pray for him? And then she said, and my husband too. Because he's having surgery too. Will you pray for him? I'm really worried. And so I just reached out and we held hands over hash browns and coffee. And I prayed for her. I prayed for peace. I prayed for healing. Because that's what saints do. Saints gather people up and bring them to the Father in prayer and other ways. [00:07:09] (50 seconds) #PrayerInAction

You are saints, chosen by God from before time and sent by God into the world to gather people up and present them to the Father. We live not for our own glory. Ephesians says we live for the praise of His glory. [00:09:03] (20 seconds) #LiveForHisGlory

One of the saints I remember today is a man named Link. He was a chaplain at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City. I did my three-month chaplaincy work there when I was 25 years old. And I'm just this kid trying to learn how to be a pastor, and this man in his 60s was my supervisor. And he took me under his wing, and he taught me how to listen. He taught me how to go into a hospital room and check myself out at the door so I could be fully present with the people there, and taught me how to be a pastor. How to listen. In that way, I can gather people up to the Lord through listening, and Link was the one who taught me that. He's a saint I remember today. [00:12:51] (46 seconds) #CloudOfWitnesses

We remember them all today. The great cloud of witnesses of all the saints who have gone before us. And we include ourselves in that number. We are saints too. Chosen by God. It doesn't mean we're perfect. But it is who we are. And we do have a mission and a purpose in this life. [00:13:48] (23 seconds) #SentWithGoodNews

We are sent into the world to tell the good news of God. That there is a God who made this world. There is a God who loves this world. There is a God who is working to bring this world back home to Himself. [00:14:11] (15 seconds) #GatheredToGod

And we trust that we are being given and gathered to. That we are being brought home to God. That one day that work will be complete. And we will gather with all the saints around the throne of God and praise Him for His goodness together. That's our hope. That's our direction. And it is our work. [00:14:26] (23 seconds)

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