Happy Aloha Friday! It’s June 6, 2025. Some moments don’t just change our direction—they redefine our destination. In one verse, everything shifts. One phrase flips the story. And tucked in the middle of Ephesians 2 is a turning point so powerful, it reframes not just our past, but our purpose.
Today's Reading:
Ecclesiastes 1,2,3; Psalms 45; Ephesians 2
Scripture
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:4–5)
Observation
Ephesians 2 reads like a two-act story. The first part is grim—dead in sin, enslaved to desire, far from God. But then, in verse 4, we hit the pivot point: But God.
That phrase turns the whole story. The past is on one side of the cross—shame, striving, judgment. The future is on the other—mercy, purpose, life.
The cross is the hinge. The defining line. The pivot point.
Application
I remember in Bible college, my professor would read this passage and say, “God has the biggest but.” We all laughed—but he was right. That little phrase, “But God…” changes everything.
But here’s the catch: I still get to choose which side of the “but” I live from.
God made me alive, but I can still reach back to habits that kept me dead. He nailed my sin to the cross, but I can still carry the shame. I’ve been raised, but I can still live like I’m buried.
The pivot point has come. Jesus already made the move—I just need to follow.
Today, I choose to live from the side of resurrection, not rebellion. From mercy, not memory. From grace, not guilt. And when the old life calls, I’ll remember: the cross was the pivot point. I don’t belong to what came before it—I belong to the One who gave me mercy through it.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being the pivot point of my life. I don’t want to live stuck on the wrong side of the cross. Help me let go of what’s already been crucified, and step fully into the life You’ve raised me for. Amen.
—Chris Kiriakos