Nov 30th "A Love Gift" Eph 1:11-12

Devotional

Day 1: In Christ believers possess a secure inheritance.

If you have looked to Jesus by faith, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places belongs to you—there are no half‑heirs and no second‑tier Christians; you are fully in Christ. This inheritance is not a distant idea but a present reality grounded in God's covenant purpose: He predestined and works all things according to the counsel of his will so that those who hope in Christ live to the praise of his glory. Let this truth reshape how you look in the mirror and whom you choose to trust today. [26:55]

Ephesians 1:11–12 (ESV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Reflection: When you look in the mirror today, which voice will you believe? Choose one concrete action: write “I belong to You” on a sticky note and place it on your mirror, then pray aloud a short sentence confessing your trust in Christ before you go to bed.

Day 2: God delights in His people as inheritance.

God delights in his people—Israel is called his inheritance in the Old Testament, and that same covenant affection is true of you in Christ: you are treasured, ransomed by the blood of Jesus, and delighted in by the Father. This is not because God lacked anything but because he chooses to rejoice over his people; knowing that he delights in you changes how you live and frees you from the lie that you are unloved. Let that warming truth reshape your self‑talk and daily posture toward God. [52:18]

Deuteronomy 32:9 (ESV)
But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.

Reflection: Identify one persistent negative voice you hear about yourself; today, speak the truth of God aloud five times—“God delights in me”—and thank him for one concrete example this week that shows his delight.

Day 3: Israel chosen as God's treasured possession.

Being called God's treasured possession means belonging to him in covenant relationship; the language of “treasured possession” in Deuteronomy captures how dearly God values his people. This truth confronts shame and insecurity: God did not take you because he needed you, but because he delights to claim and cherish you, redeeming you and crediting you with Christ’s righteousness so that you stand beloved and chosen. Allow that identity to shape how you treat others and how you carry your own heart. [51:08]

Deuteronomy 7:6 (ESV)
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Reflection: Who in your life feels unlovable or cast off? Today, send one short, encouraging message to that person reflecting that God treasures them, and offer to pray for them this week.

Day 4: Heavenly inheritance imperishable, undefiled, unfading.

The inheritance kept for you in heaven is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading—an unshakable hope that speaks into daily fears, fragile finances, and uncertain circumstances. This promise calls Christians to stop letting worry dictate life and instead rest in God’s keeping power; the same grace that saves also secures and preserves, so trust that what God has prepared for you will neither spoil nor be lost. Let that eternal certainty reorient your present anxieties into praise. [58:02]

1 Peter 1:4 (ESV)
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

Reflection: Make a list of three specific worries about tomorrow; for each one, write a single sentence declaring 1 Peter 1:4 over it and then pray, “Lord, I surrender this to You,” committing each worry to God before the end of today.

Day 5: Test teachings by Scripture like Bereans.

Being a Berean means receiving teaching with eagerness but also searching the Scriptures daily to see if things are so; spiritual growth requires a personal, disciplined engagement with God’s Word beyond the sermon. Shepherding equips and elders make resources available, but spiritual maturity happens when each person responsibly reads, checks, and applies Scripture—using sermon notes, devotional tools, and community to grow. Take ownership of your growth by becoming a careful student of the Word. [39:37]

Acts 17:11 (ESV)
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Reflection: Pick one recent teaching you felt uneasy about; spend ten focused minutes today reading the sermon notes or the cited Scripture and one cross‑reference, then write one sentence about whether it aligns with Scripture and one concrete step you will take this week to learn more.

Sermon Summary

We walked slowly through Ephesians 1:11–12 and the Father’s promise of inheritance. The Greek word behind “we have obtained an inheritance” can also mean “we were made an inheritance.” Both are gloriously true in Christ: we belong to God as his treasured people, and God belongs to us as our unfading inheritance. That two-sided covenant reality reshapes identity and anchors hope. In Christ, there are no second-tier Christians or half-heirs; every believer shares fully in every spiritual blessing. If you’ve looked to Jesus in faith, that very faith bears witness to the Father’s electing grace and secures your inheritance.

I celebrated evidences of grace among us—new believers and baptisms, the joy and stretch of launching our Chelsea campus, and the growing maturity I see as we walk through deep doctrines without flinching or fracturing. We also named the tenderness of this season: grief often intensifies around the holidays. We don’t deny sorrow; we bring it under the bright promise of resurrection and the Father’s delight. Part of our shepherding in this stretch includes word-centered rhythms, tools for daily devotion, elder availability, and even a Q&A space to wrestle honestly with difficult texts.

Then we turned to God’s covenant affection: he calls his people his inheritance, his portion, his treasured possession. In Christ, the Father does not merely tolerate you; he delights in you. That does not trivialize sin; it magnifies the Redeemer who purchased you with his blood and clothes you in his righteousness. So we must learn whose voice we will trust—the world’s dismissive chatter or the Father’s true word.

We also considered God’s covenant provision: he is our inheritance—imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for us. This confronts our fragile finances, bodies, emotions, and plans, and it exposes worry for what it is: a failure to rest in the Father’s care. We’re saved by grace and kept by grace; if salvation could be lost by our weakness, we would have lost it already. The heart of heaven is not streets of gold but the presence of Christ himself. Do we want his gifts, or do we want him?

Finally, we named God’s covenant purpose: all of this is “to the praise of his glory.” Maturity means not only believing these truths but living in light of them regardless of circumstances. The Ephesian church faced pressure; Paul wrote in chains. Yet the refrain rises: to the praise of his glory. May our lives echo that song in this season.

Key Takeaways

1. You are God’s cherished inheritance God doesn’t merely accept you; in Christ he delights in you. Scripture calls his people his portion, treasure, and inheritance, which reframes shame and insecurity. He hates our sin, but he loves the blood-bought sons and daughters he has clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Choose to receive your identity from the Father’s delight, not from your failures or the world’s verdict. [50:26]
2. An imperishable inheritance steadies fragile lives Everything around us feels breakable—health, finances, emotions, even plans. God answers that fragility with an unfading inheritance kept by his power, not our performance. When worry rises, it signals we are trusting the wrong thing; answer worry by rehearsing what cannot be taken. Rest in the One who keeps what he promises to give. [58:02]
3. Election is assurance, not obstacle God’s choosing does not blockade faith; it births it. If you have looked to Christ, that desire itself is evidence of the Spirit’s work and the Father’s electing love. This moves the heart from anxiety to gratitude and from self-trust to worship. Your inheritance is as secure as God’s purpose. [49:16]
4. Praise God beyond your circumstances If praise depends on ease, it will evaporate when life turns hard. Paul wrote doxology from prison and called suffering saints to fix their joy on God’s unchanging grace. Maturity learns to let truth govern our worship, not circumstances. Situations may shake us, but they do not silence praise. [70:04]
5. Choose the true voice over lies Daily, competing voices attempt to name you—failure, fear, comparison. The Father’s voice tells you who you are in Christ: cleansed, clothed, loved, and kept. Training your ear to Scripture is not cosmetic; it is survival. Believe the word that builds real freedom and joy. [54:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:55] - Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:11–12
[27:56] - Gratitude and Baptism Testimonies
[30:47] - New Chelsea Campus Update
[36:45] - How We Shepherd and Equip
[41:56] - Upcoming Ephesians Q&A Invitation
[44:30] - Inheritance: Two Key Observations
[50:26] - God’s Covenant Affection: We Are His
[56:39] - God’s Covenant Provision: He Is Ours
[60:20] - Kept by God’s Power and Grace
[62:42] - Do We Want Christ Himself?
[64:32] - God’s Purpose: Praise of His Glory
[66:18] - Ephesus Context and Courageous Praise
[72:18] - Closing Prayer and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ephesians 1:11–12 — In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Observation Questions

The Greek word behind “we have obtained an inheritance” can also be translated “we were made an inheritance.” What difference do you notice between these two shades of meaning — “we have an inheritance” and “we are God’s inheritance”? [45:29]
Who does Paul mean by the “we” in verses 11–12? According to the sermon, who is included in these blessings? [47:07]
Verse 11 says God “works all things according to the counsel of his will.” What specific phrases in the verse show that this blessing is grounded in God’s purposeful work rather than human effort? [44:30]
Verse 12 ends “to the praise of his glory.” What concrete end does Paul give for our election and inheritance? How is that end stated in the text? [01:04:45]

Interpretation Questions

How does reading the phrase as “we were made an inheritance” change the pastoral tone: is God primarily described as owning something, as delighting in people, or both? How does that interpretation affect how a believer understands God’s affection? [50:26]
Paul ties predestination and the obtaining of an inheritance together. How should believers understand the relationship between election (God’s choosing) and personal faith — is election a barrier to faith or a ground for assurance? [49:16]
The sermon quoted 1 Peter 1:4 about an inheritance “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” How does the promise of an imperishable inheritance reframe typical worries about fragile things (health, finances, relationships)? [58:02]
The preacher stressed choosing which voice to believe (the world’s accusations vs. the Father’s delight). What evidence from the text supports trusting the Father’s voice over cultural or internal voices of shame? [54:52]

Application Questions

When you look in the mirror or face discouraging self-talk, which voice do you most quickly believe — the Father’s delight (“you are my treasured possession”) or the world/your shame? Give one concrete sentence you can put into practice this week to speak the Father’s truth back to yourself. [54:52]
The sermon said election should move the heart from anxiety to gratitude. When you begin to worry about your standing with God, what is a simple, short action you could take (prayer line, Scripture verse, calling a friend) to remind yourself that your inheritance is guarded by God’s purpose? Try one this week and report back next meeting. [49:16]
Grief and loneliness tend to intensify in the holiday season. What is one specific way you can bring your sorrow “under the bright promise of resurrection” this month — a practice (journaling, meeting an elder, joining a small group, setting aside a weekly time to read 1 Peter 1:3–5), and when will you do it? [35:14]
The preacher encouraged daily word-centered rhythms and tools for devotion. If you don’t have a daily quiet time, what exact first step will you take this week to begin one (pick a resource, set a 10‑minute time, meet a partner)? If you already have a quiet time, what one habit could you add to deepen it? [38:45]
The sermon asked, “Do we want his gifts, or do we want him?” Think of one recurring desire or “gift” in your life you’re tempted to chase (comfort, success, control, approval). What is one practical action you can take this week to reorient that desire toward pursuing Christ himself? [01:02:42]
Paul and the Ephesian church praised God even under pressure. Identify one current circumstance in your life that threatens to silence your praise. What truth from Ephesians 1:11–12 can you rehearse this week to enable a response of praise despite that circumstance? Plan when you will rehearse it (morning, bedtime, driving). [01:06:18]

Sermon Clips

The good news of the gospel is simply this. That if you have put your faith in Christ, every spiritual blessing belongs to you. Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places belongs to you. In other words, every believer, every believer, everyone who has put their faith in Christ, every single one of us belong to the camp of we in verses 3 through 14. So what that means is there are no half heirs. That God's not looking at some of us as if we're redheaded stepchildren. But that if you're in Christ, you are fully in Christ. [00:47:40] (41 seconds) #AllBlessingsInChrist

If you've placed your faith in Christ, it is proof positive that the Father has elected you and predestined you. And your inheritance is secure. So if there's any fear in you this morning. Like I don't know if God chose me. Hear the word of God. If you've put your faith in Christ, you are exactly the one whom God is talking about right here in Ephesians 1. You're saved by God's grace through faith. And that faith we're going to find out in chapter 2 is a gift from God. [00:49:19] (35 seconds) #SecuredByFaith

If you're in Christ, you are his inheritance. Now, when I say you're his inheritance, the Bible is not saying that God was lacking in something. It's not saying that he needed some inheritance because he was lacking. No, it's a word to represent the reality of how treasured we are by God. Do you want to know how much God treasures you? He treasures you so much that two weeks ago, we looked at what he did to redeem us. He sent his son Jesus to go into the slave market in which we were in bondage to sin and to purchase us with the blood of Jesus Christ so that all of our sin, past, present, and future would be washed away. [00:53:40] (44 seconds) #TreasuredAndRedeemed

Will you believe the voice of the world that says this is who you are? Will you believe the voice in your head that says you're really not worth that much? Will you believe those who have been around you, naysaying you and tearing you down all of your life? Or will you believe the only voice that matters? The voice of the sovereign God who says that he delights in you, that you are his treasured possession, that you are his loved one, that you are his child. Friends, this is why election and predestination are not mechanical cold truths. This is why they warm our hearts toward God. Because what we see in these deep theological truths is that God has made us his own. And he delights in us. [00:54:52] (50 seconds) #BelieveGodsVoice

How might that change your life? How might that change the way you view yourself? How might that change the way you live if you actually believed that God delighted in you as his inheritance? I can tell you, I'm working on getting a hold of that more and more every day in my life. God, would you better help me understand what it means that you rejoice over me, that you've claimed me as your own, that you delight in me? Lord, would you help me to hear the truth of who I am in Christ? Because there are some days, and we know it's true, that it's a real struggle to believe these things. And when we believe the truth, what it does is it sets us free to respond to God rightly. [00:56:00] (56 seconds) #DelightInYourIdentity

We're saved by God's grace. We're kept by God's grace and God's power. And so we rest every day not in order to say, I'm saved by grace, I can live however I want. No. If you're saved by grace, you rest in that the work is finished and you're trusting in the power of God to keep you. And Jesus said that he will never lose any that the Father has given him. Maybe you're here this morning and you're going, I love this inheritance picture, but how can I be confident that this inheritance will be mine? Friends, the scripture tells us that God is the one who keeps it. [01:00:31] (42 seconds) #KeptByGrace

When you think about heaven, do you think about being with God? He is our most treasured possession. Let me ask you this question. Would you want heaven if Christ wasn't there? If you could have all of the things, the mansions, the street of gold, but didn't have Jesus, would you want to be where Jesus is? Our inheritance is Christ. Our inheritance is Jesus. And I'm looking forward to that picture in the garden of Adam and Eve walking with the Lord. I'm looking forward to that because that's going to be more of what it looks like. [01:02:42] (38 seconds) #HeavenIsChrist

The inheritance is God himself. The inheritance is a relationship with Jesus forever. And that's what I hope our hearts long for daily. What we see here as well as we move into our third point is God's covenant purpose. You know, the chief end of man is what? To glorify God and enjoy him forever. The chief end of man. We're talking about God's covenant purpose. And we've seen this now three times. We see it here in verse 12. That God has worked all of these things out in accordance to the counsel of his will in verse 11. So that we, who are the first to hope in Christ, might be to the praise of his glory. [01:04:11] (45 seconds) #GlorifyAndEnjoyGod

Maturity as it relates to the Christian faith is not just believing what the Bible says, but it's then living in light of it. Not just believing what it says, but living in light of it. And so the question we have to ask this morning as it relates to the truth that we are all in Christ to the praise of his glory is simply this. Are we living in the joy of being God's children? Is that joy leading us to praise him? See, maturity looks like believing and rejoicing in God's glorious grace regardless of our circumstances. [01:05:18] (39 seconds) #JoyfulMaturity

Christian maturity is believing and rejoicing in the truth of who God is and what he's done for us regardless of our circumstances. Rejoicing in the good times and the bad. Rejoicing in the truth of who we are in Christ. You know what's interesting is Paul's writing to the church in Ephesus in a time where it would have been very easy for them to believe that they were neglected or forgotten by God. [01:05:58] (31 seconds) #RejoiceRegardless

``If you're in Christ today the Father belongs to you he is your treasure you are his child you are fully loved and I love the good news of the gospel that tells us being fully loved in Christ means that he cannot possibly love us more and he will never love us less than he does right now if you'll meditate on that this week it will change your life so that no matter what circumstance you're in you can praise God for his glorious grace. [01:11:48] (34 seconds) #FullyLovedInChrist

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