Ephesians 2:11-13

11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision"--a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Questions to consider:

• What would your world look like without hope?
• How is it changed through the hope of Christ?
• How has Jesus’s blood closed the gap, transforming us from strangers and aliens to citizens?

Possibilities for prayer:

An existence without hope is a sad thing indeed. Without hope, it is difficult to experience joy, or be motivated to take action for change. If there’s no hope, what’s the point in just about anything? But fortunately for us, there is hope found in God and that changes everything. Take some time to appreciate the power of the hope we have in God, and try to make a list of the things in your life that are more hopeful because God is a part of it.