Hi, brothers and sisters,
Welcome to our “Get Out with God” podcast. We are Rick and Kristine Ingraham, founders of The Viking and the Lioness Ministries, Inc. Our mission is to encourage people to “Get Out with God” in order to begin to heal, become whole and live well… spirit + soul + body.
We hope that this podcast blesses you with the Word of the Lord and serves as bite-sized encouragement as you clear the clutter, quiet the noise and draw closer in your relationship with the Lord.
· Access our “Journey with Jesus: A Lenten Reflection” calendar with links to the daily scriptures here.
· Access our Day 11 companion download here.
In Day 11 of our 40-Day Journey with Jesus: A Lenten Reflection, we begin with Ephesians 2:12-13.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Have you ever felt that you didn’t belong, were left out, alienated from a group, or that you just didn’t fit in? Perhaps it was because you had different beliefs, looked or acted differently, or maybe it was because you were a foreigner from a different place.
“remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:12-13
As you set out on your journey today, we encourage you to reflect back on a moment you did not feel that you belonged. How did it feel to be separate and apart from a group, not wanted? What did you do? Did you show up authentically, just as you were? Or, did you access the situation, try to adapt, mold yourself to fit in and to try to please the group with hopes of being accepted?
Brothers and sisters, if you have ever longed to belong and be a part of something larger than yourself, you are not alone. We have all longed to belong. Researcher and author, Brené Brown defines our desire to belong as:
“...the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
Now, imagine for a moment how the Gentiles must have felt at the time of today’s scripture. They were not the “Chosen Ones”, but were foreigners, outcast, left out, not wanted, not accepted, and simply did not belong. They didn't have a place in God’s kingdom or a way to Him.
BUT God. He desired to bring both Jew and Gentile together into His Kingdom that He gave his only beloved Son at the cross to do so.
Join us as we dive deeper into Ephesians 2:12-13 and discuss how we are ALL God’s children that belong in His Kingdom, no longer needing to feel left out, unworthy, or that we don’t belong. We hope today’s podcast blesses you as it did us in preparing it. In His precious love,
Shalom shalom (perfect peace)
Rick & Kristine Ingraham - The Viking & The Lioness
The Viking & The Lioness Ministries, Inc.
Connect with us: THEVIKINGANDTHELIONESS.COM / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK
