Sunday January 4, 2025
The Lineup
The first week of First & Goal(s) begins with a deliberate pause. Instead of rushing toward new habits and resolutions, Ephesians 1 calls us to start beneath the surface. Paul opens his letter with praise, not commands. He names what is already true for those who are in Christ before describing how they are called to live. The foundation of faith is gift, not effort.
The sermon begins with a story about a Schefflera tree sustained by a hidden water reservoir. When it thrives, little attention is required. When the leaves droop, the issue is not the system but a missed return to the source. The problem shows up late on the surface but began quietly underneath. Paul writes the same way. He addresses roots before results, alignment before action.
Ephesians names identity with care and repetition. Chosen before the foundation of the world. Adopted into God’s family. Redeemed and forgiven through Christ. Lavished with grace according to God’s good pleasure. Sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. These are not goals to reach but truths to receive. Paul repeats the phrase “in Christ” because location matters. Who you are is settled by where you are.
The sermon uses a football image to make the point concrete. Before the snap, the team is set. The count is called. Everyone knows their place. The seal of the Spirit functions the same way. It steadies the heart so the body does not move too soon. False starts happen when action runs ahead of identity. Faithful movement happens when the lineup is right.
This ordering matters at the start of a year filled with urgency. January pushes speed and productivity. Scripture offers grounding instead. Practices and goals still matter, but they are no longer carrying the weight of proving worth. They become responses to grace already given.
The invitation for the week is intentionally small. Begin each morning with a single sentence: “Set me in Christ today.” Read a portion of Ephesians 1 slowly. Name the words the passage gives you. Chosen. Adopted. Redeemed. Forgiven. Sealed. Picture roots drawing from a reservoir you cannot see.
The Lineup reminds us that faith moves best when it starts still. Identity leads. Effort follows. Alignment before action allows growth to come without scrambling. When roots are tended, fruit arrives in season.