2025 MERCH

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1 — “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…”

Story:
From the outside, life can look pretty good—career, money, relationships, all the things people say you need to be “living.” But I know what it’s like to have all that and still feel dead inside. Because the truth is, the first life—the one centered on me—can’t satisfy.

When I lost it all, I realized that what I thought was “life” was really just survival. That loss was painful, but it became the turning point.

How This Applies to Us:
We all have to face the truth: our first life doesn’t work. Even as believers, our old self tries to sneak back in every single day. That’s why Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31). Dying daily means surrendering my pride, my need for control, and my sin to Jesus. Every morning, I get to say, “It’s not about me today—it’s about You.”

Reflection Questions:

• Where am I still trying to live in my first life?

• What do I need to “die to” today so Christ can live through me?

Prayer:
“Lord, today I die to my selfishness and my plans. Teach me to lay down my old life so that Your life can shine through me.”

Action Step:
Before bed tonight, write down one area where you need to die to self (fear, control, pride, sin). In the morning, pray over it and ask God to put it to death so you can walk in His life.

Scripture: John 10:10 — “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Story: When I was living in a halfway house, working a minimum-wage job, I had “nothing.” But for the first time, I was alive. Not because of circumstances, but because Christ was alive in me.

This is the second life. It’s not built on success or comfort, but on resurrection. And here’s the key—it’s not just a one-time thing. Just as we die daily, we also rise daily. Each morning is a fresh resurrection moment: new grace, new joy, new hope in Jesus.

How This Applies to Us: The second life isn’t about being perfect or having it all figured out. It’s about choosing, every single day, to rise in Christ’s power. That means letting His Spirit shape your decisions, your relationships, your attitude. It means finding joy in Him, even when life feels heavy.

Reflection Questions:

• What does it look like for me to “rise daily” in Christ today?

• Where do I need to invite His resurrection power into my life right now?

Prayer:

“Jesus, thank You that I don’t just live once. I live twice. Today I rise in Your Spirit. Fill me with Your joy, Your peace, and Your power.”

Action Step:

Tomorrow morning, declare out loud: “Today I rise with Christ. His Spirit is alive in me.” Then look for one opportunity to live it out—whether by showing kindness, choosing joy, or walking in faith.

🔥 Wrap-Up:

The world says, “YOLO—you only live once.”

But Jesus says, “You only live twice.”

The first life? It’s about you, and it leads to emptiness.

The second life? It’s about Jesus, and it leads to joy, freedom, and resurrection power—every single day.