Author: Tawnya Smith

Worship V Day 1 All Glory Be To Christ

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Read His Words Before Ours!

James 4:13-16
Matthew 6:9-13
Isaiah 55:1-3
Revelation 21:5-6

Worship V, Day 1

Every New Year’s Eve my husband and I marvel at the crowd gathered at Times Square.  While we are cozied up enjoying the comforts of home, thousands gather hours in advance, often standing in rain or sleet, to watch the ball drop and mark a new year.
“It’s just sooo exciting”, reporters and party-goers repeat on the quarter hour. There’s a palpable energy even from across the screen. Truly, these attendees are up to their eyeballs in anticipation. As that ball finally drops, so does the tune known round the world. You’ve definitely heard it, but maybe you don’t really know it.

It’s the nostalgic piece written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. Its lesser known title, Auld Lang Syne, can loosely be translated “for the sake of old times”. The song is a celebration of old friendships, good memories, and a plea to not forget or forsake them. It’s certainly a beautiful song and sentiment. We can understand the emotion, the build-up, and the excitement that surrounds the turning of a new year, and paying homage with a song like this.  However, as good and right as it may be to celebrate these earthly gifts, the reality that always pricks my heart and grounds my soul is how much more there is than this.

More to give thanks for, more to anticipate, more to bank on, more to cherish – more to celebrate. Really, Someone to celebrate.

With similar thoughts, worship leader and song-writer Dustin Kensrue felt compelled to pen new lyrics to Auld Lange Syne as he flew home on December 31st, 2011. He explains, “The idea is that—especially at the beginning of the new year—we would dedicate all our efforts to bringing glory to Jesus Christ, to acknowledge that anything else would be of no value, and to celebrate our redemption in him.”

 And my, what new life Kensrue breathed into this song with his new adaptation, All Glory Be to Christ, (recorded by King’s Kaleidoscope)! With a heavy lean on the Word of God, this new hymn ushers us into worship any time of the year reminding us to set first things first.

 Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive

 Right at the start, Kensrue pulls from Psalm 127:1, reminding us that “Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.”

 To you who boast tomorrow’s gain
Tell me, What is your life?
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ!

 The second verse brings in Proverbs 27:1 “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” Similarly, James 4:13-14 reminds us we cannot make plans without acknowledging that in the scheme of God’s grand design, our lives are like a vapor appearing for a little while and vanishing.

 His will be done, His kingdom come
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread
Praise Him, the Lord of love

 Kensrue brilliantly ties in the Lord’s prayer as well as the heartbeat of James 4:15-16 teaching us to preface our every move with a submission to the Lord’s will.  The theme of these first three verses rests on humility.

 All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing
All glory be to Christ!

 This repeated refrain is our anthem! Whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, may everything be for the glory of God! (I Corinthians 10:31)

Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ!

 The fourth verse references the sweetest invitation found in Isaiah 55. Although “cup of kindness” is in the original lyric of Auld Lang Syne, it clearly has a different meaning here which is beautiful writing! With this line, Kensrue turns our eyes to the cup of kindness our Savior offers (because He took the cup of God’s wrath upon Himself), which is intended to lead us to repentance and the fullness of life! (Romans 2:4)

 When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new

 The lyrics come to a crescendo now highlighting a future grace where God makes all things new for those found in Jesus Christ! (Revelation 21:5-6) Now THAT’s palpable excitement!

 Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall e’er his people be
All glory be to Christ!

And so now, for the “already but not yet” living, we hold fast to the hope that God will never leave us nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5)

A beautiful anthem for this life and beyond! Whether we’re turning over the page to a new job, a new stage of life, a new responsibility, or simply a new day, may we choose to ground our anticipation in the hope of Christ, and may we step into what God is calling us towards with a determination to give all glory to Christ!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship V Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship V!

Cross Day 13 Two Men From Emmaus

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 24:13-35
Isaiah 9:2-7
Isaiah 53
John 3:14-16

Cross, Day 13

Our feet kicked up dust as we walked along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It had been a long, strange, eventful week neither of us would forget and now we were grappling over recent rumors. Cleopas was sure it was possible, but I, on the other hand, was adamant it simply could not be. Both our hearts hung low in heated confusion, high emotion, and debate. We talked and argued for several miles, until we were joined by a strange fellow traveler. The heat of our discussion dawned on us when the traveler intrusively asked, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?”. (Luke 24:17)

Cleopas and I stopped in our tracks.  My thoughts went racing. Is this a foreigner? How can he not know what’s taken place? Everyone in Jerusalem, if not the entire nation, knows what has happened! Cleopas asked him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”. He replied, “What things?”. (Luke 24:18-19)

 What things?!
Only the most earth-shattering possibilities for our nation, people, and time!

We both took a deep breath, exchanging looks of wonder, and relayed what we knew to this aloof traveler. “What things? The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.” (Luke 24:19-20) Oh how our hearts were discouraged because we thought this Jesus was truly the one who would redeem Israel.  We thought He was the one who would be our King and fulfill all the prophets had told us concerning hope for our nation. Now, we didn’t know what to do with those thoughts.

Our traveling companion listened intently as we continued.
“Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. Some women from our group astounded us. They told us they arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find his body, they said they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.  Some of the other followers went to the tomb upon hearing this and reported finding it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see Jesus” (Luke 24: 22-24)

This was what we were in such disagreement about.
How could we believe such news?
Can we believe anything we hear at this point?
How could we entertain such heart-wrenching hope only to be let down again?

Our minds were spinning, and come to think of it, our hearts were burning as well.

As soon as the words left our lips, the traveler responded with shocking authority and knowledge. Here we thought this man was ignorant and foreign to our nation’s history and hope, yet he rebuked us for not understanding! “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 25:25-26)

We barely had a moment to process what our ears were hearing because he immediately began teaching and interpreting the Scriptures for us, shedding light on all we had been discussing. He seemed to be telling us that Jesus indeed was the Messiah, and that we were blind to be doubting this!!
Certainly, there was more to this man than first met our eyes.

Cleopas and I hung on his every word until we came to our village.  We begged this traveler to stay with us, and he agreed. After all, it was nearly evening. If we were honest though, it could have been mid-day and we still would have found a reason to convince him to stay with us.  This man had answers. Who in the world was he?! We still didn’t know, but he had something our aching hearts needed.  Was it hope?

With comforting anticipation, the three of us reclined at the table together to enjoy a meal.  Our new friend gave thanks, broke the bread and handed it to us. In that instant we were astonished to suddenly recognize this was Jesus! It was Him!
Then just as quickly as we saw Him, He disappeared before our eyes!
Oh how our minds and hearts flooded with thoughts!

How had we not known we were with Jesus this entire time?

Was this why our hearts raced with fiery energy?

Was it why we didn’t bristle at His rebuke, but were drawn into His words?

Or the reason we begged so fervently for Him to stay with us?

We leapt from the table, leaving behind our uneaten meal and raced back to Jerusalem in the middle of the night.  When we found the eleven disciples we feverishly blurted out “the Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” (Luke 24:34). Cleopas and I then took turns delivering every last detail of our day’s encounter with Jesus.  We shared all He had explained to us on the road.  As the words came tumbling out, God’s plan of redemption for Israel became clearer and clearer. Truly, Jesus was sent to the be the Lamb of God, to rescue His people from their sins.
We praised God He’d heard His people’s cries!
He had made a way!

Cleopas and I returned home on the Emmaus Road. This time, no longer squabbling, fighting and saddened, but instead unified and rejoicing over the risen Christ.

The One we had seen with our own eyes.

 The One who made our hearts burn within us. 

 Because of Jesus, we would never be the same.

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Cross Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Cross Day 10 John The Disciple

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:1-18
John 6:27-35
Isaiah 53

Cross, Day 10

In the beginning was….

The Word. The Logos. The Image.

The very expression of Yahweh sent from heaven, to dwell among us. (John 1:14)

This Light in all of its mystery and life,
knelt down to our world to expose our darkness.
(John 1:4-9,  3:19-21, 12:46)

The very Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world, to make all things new,
to bring men back to God. (John 1:29)

Standing on the banks of the Jordan, watching Jesus, son of Joseph the carpenter, be baptized produced a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty in me.
Could this truly be The One Isaiah said would be given to us?
Could this be Israel’s redemption?

“For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

I, John, give testimony of this Word made flesh.
As John the Baptizer prepared the way, Jesus of Nazareth has come to reap the harvest of God’s kingdom. (John 3:22-30)  He called us to follow Him. First inviting Andrew, then Simon Peter, Philip and Nathaniel, then my brother James and myself.

We marveled at the speed at Jesus’ glory-following, as we baptized one after another.
James and I, known as the “Sons of Thunder”, were like a lit canon of untamed zeal and ambitious devotion.

In those early days, I could be foolish and harsh, shutting down those who didn’t fit my expectations. (Mark 9:38-41) Other times, I was arrogant and presumptuous, expecting honor for following Jesus. (Matthew 20:20-24)
My heart was on fire, but oh I had so much to learn of Jesus’ perfect balance of grace with truth.

Jesus was ushering in a new Way, a new Kingdom.
Yet, there was an ancient familiarity to Jesus.
Something in His presence, His words, His essence, spoke of Yahweh’s long prophesied suffering servant who would come and be broken, overcoming sin and oppression, for our nation. (Isaiah 53)

He called Himself the Light (John 3:19),
Living Water (John 4:10),
the Bread of Life (John 6:35),
and the Good Shepherd (John 10:11),
progressively showing us greater dimensions of Himself.

We’d seen prophets and teachers before, but Jesus was different.
Jesus performed signs, miracles and wonders no man had ever done. From healing those with life-long diseases and displaying authority over nature, to feeding thousands with hardly any food and even bringing Lazarus back from death itself.
Truly we were awestruck with each move He made!

Everywhere people murmured, questioned, and speculated if Jesus really could be the Christ. Many disputes broke out among the Pharisees, wearying us with their constant questions. After a particularly heated debate, Jesus brought the final word on His identity with one cataclysmic statement,
“Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am”. (John 8:58)

Did He say what we think He just said?
The Pharisees began picking up stones to kill Him.
We all knew exactly what Jesus meant.
So did He.   

Could I believe that standing before us was the great I AM?
The Same who appeared before Moses in the burning bush?
The very God whom our people have been serving from the beginning of time?

The unbridled passion of my discipleship was finally met with unwavering and sincere belief. Yes, my heart only knew one answer.
This Jesus was indeed the Son of God,
the Chosen One, the Christ,
the very expression of Yahweh.

Each glimpse of glory made my heart swell all the more, and yet ache as we watched hostility and hatred from Pharisees grow toward our long-awaited Messiah. We had grown to not only follow, but truly love Jesus. Why?
Because He first loved us. (I John 4:19)

He came not to be served, but to serve us. (Mark 10:45)
It was a stunning paradox that rattled my heart.
Little did we know we were on the cusp of His greatest service to mankind.

It began one night in the garden.
Soldiers and traitors came to arrest Jesus.  I, along with the other disciples scattered in shameful fear.  From afar, we watched a whirlwind of accusations, threats, beatings, mockery, torture and insults hurled at our beloved Jesus.

Was this really happening?  Weren’t we all just riding the wave of His glory-wonder? Weren’t we just feasting together, safely tucked away in the upper room?

And yet, it was happening and His words began to echo through our hearts.
“A little while, and you will see me no longer…”. (John 16:16a)

Standing at his blood-drenched feet, nailed to a crucifixion cross, I knelt in heart-aching horror.  Beside me was Mary, Jesus’ mother.  With pounding hearts, we both stared up, hanging on every mustered word He could give.  When Jesus assigned me the honor of caring for His mother, and taking her as my own, a rush of new energy and devotion came over me, even as we failed to understand this mystery before us.

With His last breath, darkness covered the earth.  And our hearts.

But the Word still reverberated. “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while and you will see me” (John 16:16)…… “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)

In a daze with wrung out hope, our hearts nearly burst within us come Sunday morning! Mary Magdalene came running through town spreading the word that Jesus’ tomb was empty, she’d actually seen his face, and that He was alive!  Later that evening, her words were confirmed. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to us in flesh and bone!  We, the disciples were stunned and shocked back to vibrant life, now with unshakable fervor.

It all became so much clearer now. Jesus truly was the Lamb of God, sent to take away the sins of the world! What once was a hard saying, now nourished our souls.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) ….”For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” (John 6:55)

He gave His flesh and blood as the final sacrifice for the sin of all mankind!
This was our rescue!  
This was our redemption!
The power of God raised Him back from death, conquering over sin and death once for all.  The promised Helper came like a rushing wind and with Him came our eternal peace. (John 14:16-17, 27)
This was our rest!

I made it my aim going forward to be a defender of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the same gracious humility our Savior demonstrated for us.
I will not work for food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man gave to me. I walk with confidence in His Spirit knowing that on me God the Father has set his seal (John 6:27) to be a light and guide for the faith of others.

This is the Word and He dwelt among us.

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Cross Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Cross!

Gospel Day 15 But Have Eternal Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 3:16
Romans 6:22-23
John 11:25-26
John 10:27-29
Revelation 21:3-5

Gospel, Day 15

If you’ve been tracking with us in our in-depth study of John 3:16, then you know we’ve reached the final phrase today, but have eternal life.  What exactly does eternal life refer to? Is it something that begins when we die?
How did Christ’s death purchase it?
How is it sustained?

We need to ask these questions so we have a full, robust understanding of what God gives.  In previous Journey Studies we’ve seen how those who believe in Him [Jesus], are the ones referenced here who have eternal life.  We also understood how this kind of belief is not simply agreeing to facts about who Jesus is, but it is entrusting oneself to the very Son of God.  When we believe in this way, we will not perish, (experience eternal death), but have eternal life.

In Christ
Eternal life is not a distant destination, a rank to check off a list, or a dusty chapter of a theology book.  It’s a person – Christ Himself. There’s no getting eternal life without getting Jesus; there’s no getting Jesus without eternal life. They go together because He came ushering it in.

Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” Christ’s missional focus in coming to earth was to bring abundant life to mankind. Life is found only in Him, and it is His life that brings light to all men. (John 1:4)

We see another contrast between life and death in Romans 6:23 when it tells us that the wages sin pays is death.  When we are a slave to sin, whereby it is our master, Sin will only deliver us over to Death.  Sin does not love or provide for us, but steals, kills and destroys. Yet when God is our master, He gives us an undeserved gift, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Eternal life cannot be found through any other means, religion, person or spirit.
It is only in Christ Jesus because only He is a flawless sacrifice taking the punishment of Sin, which is Death, upon Himself.

In John 11:25-26 Jesus comforts Martha when grieving the death of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Not even death puts a stop to life as Jesus gives it!  The body may die and pass away from this earth, but it is not the end.

The Substance of Life
So what IS eternal life? When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman he compassionately told her, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life. (John 4:13-14)

The life Jesus came to give fully satisfies our soul’s needs and lasts far beyond any physical need.  If Christ Himself is eternal life, then He has actually come to give us Himself.
Our soul’s needs are met in the very person and work of Jesus Christ.
All of who He is, is the substance of eternal life.

Revelation 7:16-17 and 21:3-5 give us heart-bursting images of this eternal life to come, when “He will wipe away every tear” and “Death will be no more” and He will make everything new.  It’s difficult for us to imagine this world because we’ve never experienced it. We will spend eternity with God, knowing Him more, and will never bore of His beauty, love, and goodness. Why? Because it’s the world we were actually made for.
It’s the truest life there ever will be.

Yet eternal life doesn’t begin only when our bodies die.  John 5:24 says, “anyone who believes…. has eternal life”.
Do you see it?
That’s right now!
We have eternal life the moment we entrust ourselves to Jesus.
His Living Water rescues us from the bondage of sin today.
It awakens us to obey our Master today.
It compels us to love others today.
It ushers in hope and peace into our soul today.

The Securing and Sustaining Savior
This eternal life was purchased for us by Jesus, fully-God and fully-man.
Having lived a perfect, sin-less life, He offered Himself freely in death on the cross, to make atonement for the sin of mankind.  The chastisement that was put upon Him is what brought us peace with God (Isaiah 53:5, Romans 5:1-2), which is how we are offered the gift of eternal life.
Because there is nothing we’ve done to earn this gift (Ephesians 2:8-9),
we must accept the reality of Christ’s working power on our behalf.
Because there’s nothing we have done to achieve this salvation,
there’s nothing we can do to lose it. (John 10:27-29)

We praise You Jesus for coming that we may have life and have it abundantly into eternity! Fix our eyes on this true life – that we may walk in it now and have hope for a future!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Gospel Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Gospel!

Gospel Day 11 Believes In Him

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 3:1-21
Daniel 7:9-14
Numbers 21:4-9
Hebrews 2:17

Gospel, Day 11

The beauty of John 3:16 is the simplicity of the gospel as it captures a fly-over view of God’s master plan. Many of us who grew up in the church memorized it as a small child.  Perhaps some of us have quoted this in a brief conversation with a stranger. It’s likely most of us have clung to its foundational promises in our own struggles.

Believes in Him
As we’ve been unpacking this verse phrase by phrase, we’ve already seen the first two action-words: loved and gave. These both speak of God’s initiation toward mankind. Now, however, we come to the third verb found in the phrase, “believes in Him”.

While this phrase is simply stated, we still must ask ourselves, “what does it mean to believe?” and, “what exactly must one believe in”?

On the one hand, the immediate context of verse 16 helps us understand we are simply to believe in Him, in God’s only Son, that is Jesus.  Yet, that word believe…we need a little more information on it, don’t we? The Greek word here for believe, pisteuó, also specifically means “to entrust”.

This sheds a bit more light on what this kind of believing looks like. Jesus actually gives us an example when we’re told He chose not to entrust Himself to men because He knew what was in their hearts. (John 2:24-25) Instead, He entrusted himself to the One true Judge. (I Peter 2:23) The essence captured in these passages signifies that “to entrust” oneself to another indicates embracing that person’s authority; you trust their heart and you hand your life over to their care.

This believing in Him is more than simply agreeing to facts such as Jesus is God. After all, James warned the church how even the demons do that and shudder in fear! (James 2:19) To believe in Him, is to entrust oneself to God the Son, Jesus, whom God gave as a sacrifice to the world for its sin. (1 John 2:2)

But still, who is this Son we are to believe in?
We can agree that if we entrust ourselves to a false version of the Son then it is not true Biblical belief.  We need to be certain who this Son is.

 The Son of Man
It’s important to understand how verse 16 is right in the middle of a long conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.  As they’re talking, Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man (3:13), as He often did throughout His earthly ministry.  This name speaks both to Jesus’ humanity, (‘son of man’ was a common title used in that day), and for the ear tuned to the kingdom of God, it was also a subtle, but very clear revelation of Jesus’ deity.  It alludes to Daniel 7:13-14 where the Son of Man is described as an exalted being whose kingdom will have no end.  In addition, Jesus says of Himself in Matthew 24:30, ”…they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory.” 

 Jesus then makes another Old Testament allusion.
In Numbers 21 the Israelites complained to Moses about their circumstances and God punished them with poisonous snake bites.  This consequence softened their hearts and they admitted their sin, turned to God, and asked for the snakes to be removed. God tells Moses to make a bronze image of a snake and to lift it up high.  When the people who’d been bitten looked at the snake, God healed their wounds.  With this story in mind, Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (3:14-15) Jesus speaks of Himself and His coming sacrifice.  The Son of Man would be lifted high on a cross for the healing from sin of all who believe in Him. When those who know they are sin-sick look to Him, entrusting themselves to His atoning work and not the works of themselves or other men (Ephesians 2:8-9), Christ’s wounds will heal their hearts (Isaiah 53:5, I Peter 2:24)

This mystery of Jesus being fully-human and yet fully-God is why His sacrifice could be acceptable and pleasing to God the Father. Hebrews 2:17 says it this way, “Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.”

The Son God gave to the world.
The Son we are to believe in.
He is not just another teacher, prophet or good man.
He is not even just another type of god, as if there could be more than one.
No, Jesus is God Himself, who dwelled among His people, for His people.

This is what sets Christianity apart from any other religion.
This is why we are to believe in, entrust ourselves to, surrender our weight to JESUS!
God’s perfect plan is displayed in the combination of sinless flesh and holy reign, providing redemption, forgiveness of sins and a way back into fellowship with the God of this universe. Believe in Him!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Anchored Day 10 Fabric Of Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:1-4
Colossians 3:12-18
Genesis 1:26-27

Anchored, Day 10

Be Who You Are?
Look around and you’ll see all kinds of inspirational quotes encouraging you to
“be yourself”, “be who you are”, “you be you”.

Absolutely! God made each of us uniquely (Psalm 139:13-16) and we can celebrate that! However, found hiding underneath these pithy statements is a subtle message to focus on whatever you’d like to say or do regardless of what others think or care about.
Surely this must be the “real” you.

The problem?
Who you are depends on you.

When I became a mom 11 years ago, I slowly had to face the painful reality of
who I thought I was,
what I felt defined that identity,
and the stark contrast of who God says I am in Christ.
Who I thought I was, wasn’t good enough.
I needed something much more solid.

Perhaps you’ve had a season like this, where God uses circumstances and people in your life to patiently reveal where your identity had wrongly been resting.
Perhaps like me, you didn’t even know it was resting there
and it was God’s grace He showed you!

The book of Colossians gives us a different framework to, “be who you are”.
It’s actually the most hope-filled message of identity there could possibly be!
Colossians 3:12 begins, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved…”.  
What glorious truths!
God chose me of His own will!

His redemption makes me holy!

The Father already dearly loves me!

 Paul purposely sets the Colossians up to be rooted in who God has
already established them to be.
If we go back to the beginning of chapter 3, He also reminds those in the church:
1) We have died and been raised with Christ
2) Our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4)

So in a sense, this is Paul’s case to “be who you are”.
Perhaps a better way of saying this is be-who-you-already-redemptively-are.
(but that doesn’t fit quite as nicely on a bumper sticker, now does it? 😉

 The Clothes Laid Out For You
Paul continues by telling us what to “put on”.
It’s as if these are the clothes that the Holy Spirit has laid out for us.
Among them are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (3:12), as well as forgiving one another and bearing with others, and above all the garment of love, which has the ability to weave all things together in unity (3:13-14).
It’s important to note these all relate to our relationships with others.
Whether with family, neighbors or co-workers, we all feel hard-pressed in the very things we’re told to put on!

This is a tall order in our own strength and impossible to muster up.
Which is exactly why Paul started by reminding us to step into these clothes
from a place of being chosen, holy and dearly loved.
This identity is fitted by the power of God.

We don’t show compassion and kindness so that God chooses us.
We don’t respond with humility and gentleness to make ourselves holy.
We certainly don’t show love to be loved.

When we know and understand our position in Christ,
it frees us to step into the character God has designed us to show others.   

Reflecting The Father
In 3:13 Paul implores, “forgive as the Lord forgave you”.
In verse 15 he asks us to “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts”.
In 3:16 Paul insists “the words of Christ should richly dwell (take up their home!) in us.”
With wide strokes and vibrant colors, Paul paints what a life reflecting the character of Christ looks like when we put it on.

When Genesis 1:27 tells us God created mankind in his own image, it supports what Paul is saying here.  Since you’ve been crafted to reflect the image of God – so reflect Him! Do It!

We are given ample opportunities to do this through the relationships God has placed in our lives. Remembering we were created to reflect Him helps us turn away from seeking our own comfort, pleasure and happiness in those relationships, instead asking God’s glory to be revealed even as we struggle and brush up against others.

When we are rightly rooted in reflecting God’s image,
we’re not stuck trying to be filled by others as we relate to them.

Drilling Down
At first glance, it seems Paul begins an entirely new thought in verses 3:18-4:1, but if we think about the whole chapter, it becomes clear Paul is simply drilling down to another layer.
He’s already encouraged us with who we are in Christ.
He’s told us what to put on.
Now He’s showing us what our daily relationships will look like
if the first two areas are embraced.

Tying it up, Paul circles back to what could be the second side of the same coin.
Instead of stating his point from the place of our identity,
this time he states it from the place of our ultimate motivation:
to bring glory to our Master!

“Whatever you do, do it from the heart,
as something done for the Lord and not for people,
knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord.
You serve the Lord Christ.” (3:23-24)

What are you wearing today, Sister?
Does your apparel reflect the rich identity you have as Beloved Daughter of God?
be-who-you-already-redemptively-are
Wear it well and may it bring glory to God!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Anchored Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Anchored Day 5 Christology

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:15-23
John 14:8-9
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
John 1:1-3
Philippians 3:7-11

Anchored, Day 5

Paul was up against a fight.
Though he’d never met the believers in Colossae, he’d heard of their love and growing faith. He was also made aware of the false teachers and truth twisting impacting this small body of believers.  Like any good fight, the first blow matters, so Paul throws his hat in the ring to contend to the Colossians that Christ is supreme over all.

Fully God
Paul cuts to the chase when he states, “He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).  This means Jesus is the very representation of God’s being.  If we want to know what God is like, look to Jesus. In fact, Jesus Himself rebuked Philip for demanding to see the Father when He says, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father”. (John 14:9)

Likewise, later in Colossians 1:19, Paul expresses “For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him”.  The word dwell here literally means to abide lastingly or permanently. Paul wants his readers to understand Jesus was not simply a good teacher, a prophet, or a spirit being. He was and is fully God-Man. This was a direct jab at the heresy trying to wear down the truth of Christ’s deity.

Firstborn Over Creation
When verse 15 says “He is…the firstborn over all creation”, we are not being told that Jesus was a part of creation. Heretics in Paul’s day, and even in ours, would have us believe Jesus was simply the first to be created, and therefore, does not hold full deity status. We’ve already established Christ’s deity from the text, but what do we make of this little statement?  At first glance, it can be confusing! What we know by looking a little deeper is that the original Greek word used for firstborn (prototokos), refers not to origin or creation, but to rank, rights, and authority. This is affirmed by the fact that God has given His Son Jesus all authority over heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:17) Skipping ahead to verse 17, we are also told “He is before all things…”, establishing again, a sense of rank and order.

Creator of All Things
On the heels of proclaiming Christ’s position over creation, Paul pulls a quick one-two punch in describing Jesus as Creator Himself!  This was a bold statement that certainly communicated the eternal nature of Jesus to the Colossians. Paul was equating Jesus’ eternal nature with that of the Father, having no beginning and no end. While this taps into the theology of the trinity, what Paul is exalting here is Christ’s specific hand in creating all things “in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”. (Colossians 1:16) He was there in the beginning! (John 1:1-3)

Having created all things is amazing enough, but Paul kicks the false teaching while it’s down by adding, “…and by him all things hold together”. (Colossians 1:17) Jesus not only created at one point in time, but in Him the fullness of God dwells forever so He is sustaining and continually upholding all of creation.  After these three punches, the opposing lies being fed to the Colossians were certainly staggering, but there’s more.

Reconciled by love
God was pleased to fully dwell in Christ, but what else pleased the Father?  Verse 20 tells us He was pleased to reconcile all things to Himself through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Why did God need to reconcile all things? Paul makes it clear that without the blood of Jesus, we (all mankind), are “alienated” (cut off, estranged) from God and hostile in our minds toward Him. (verse 21)

We may not like to think of ourselves as hostile toward God. That might even sound offensive. But it’s the truth about our rebel hearts.
What did God do?
It pleased Him to reconcile us “by making peace through his [Christ’s] blood, shed on the cross”. (Colossians 1:20)
Do you see it?
Jesus is the ultimate peace-maker!  He made peace by His blood, which made it possible for mankind to be brought back into fellowship with God.

If the other blows didn’t take the false teaching down, this final punch was certainly meant to knock it out of the church and proclaim Jesus Christ as the ruling, reigning champion over all creation.

Servants of the Gospel
Paul, a servant of the gospel, fought to make known these riches of Christ because He had already settled in his own heart Who surpasses all. (Philippians 3:7-11)
Oh may we do the same, looking to Christ who is fully God, firstborn over all, creator of all things, and the ultimate peace-maker. Since God has “rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13), let us “remain grounded and steadfast in the faith”, not shifting away from the hope of the gospel that we have heard. (Colossians 1:23)

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Anchored Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Sketched V Day 13 Paul, The Renewed Soldier

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Read His Words Before Ours!

I Timothy 6:11-14
2 Timothy 1:4-7
2 Timothy 3:1-5
2 Timothy 4:3-5

Sketched V, Day 13

Well this just might be it. 

The Sovereign hand of our Lord Jesus Christ released me for a time from Roman house arrest.  I did all I could in that brief time to continue visiting the brotherhood throughout Asia, preaching the gospel to all who would listen and teaching the established churches, encouraging young pastors to hold fast to what they’d been taught.

By the time I returned to Rome however, the city was in chaos.
Controversies were being stirred up, and those who followed Jesus were beginning to be hated, threatened and accused of wrong-doing. When I made my defense, there were no co-laborers who stood beside me, in fact all of them deserted me! However, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it (2 Timothy 4:17).

I was indeed rescued from the lion’s mouth, but here I sit once again bound up, yet this time chained in a Roman dungeon. And this, this just might be it.

As it may be the end, there’s a fire in my bones.
There’s a pouring out of all the things that have been rushing through my mind, my heart, my soul for the sake of the church, and ultimately, for the sake of the glorious appearing of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My body might be guarded night and day, weak as it is, but my heart and soul are set ablaze to send more letters to the brothers and sisters who need them. Why? Because this is a battle – it is a fight for faith to the end, both of myself and for my brotherhood.
I might be the one in chains, but they must know that all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).  For there is no other option for a good soldier but to share in the sufferings of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).

That is what I am doing – bound up in chains for the gospel I have preached.
Yet, the Word of God is not bound!
Do they see it?
Do they see how it’s spreading, taking off, taken in, and setting whole regions ablaze?
This is why we pour ourselves out – this is why we suffer – for the sake of the elect, those chosen by God.  And this cosmic injustice that saves us all is that even if we are faithless, God remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13)

I am thinking of one dear child of mine in the faith, Timothy. His is a sincere faith, which was passed on to him from his mother and grandmother – dear women of faith themselves. I praise God for how Timothy received the gospel message and how, as the elders and I laid hands on him, he took up this charge and commission to serve the church of Christ faithfully.

But oh, I must remind him that just as he followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, along with the persecutions and sufferings, he must continue in what he has learned and firmly believed (2 Timothy 3:10-11a, 14).

Yes, he must be warned! In these days, it is becoming more and more difficult to discern truth and preach the gospel without distraction. Many are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4b), and will completely oppose the truth.
I know my dear Timothy understands where truth comes from and how from infancy he has known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give him wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

I must remind him to be ready to preach the same gospel he first received is of utmost importance, because the risk for not sharing its fullness grows increasingly larger.
The risks of death and suffering will grow, yes.
But the risk of leading brothers and sisters onto a deceptive path to hell is far worse!
Many will turn away from truth and will beg to hear what their wicked hearts long to hear, rather than the truth from God Himself.  So I must admonish Timothy, my dear son in the faith, to exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, to do the work of an evangelist, and to fulfill his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).

For this is what God has charged of me, and for what I have fought the good fight for.
I have kept the faith in Christ that first came to me, and I will finish this race.
But first, I must pass the torch to the brethren so that they too might fight the good fight in the face of opposition and come through awaiting the crown of righteousness that the Lord will award us in that final day!

So this truly might be it for me.
For in this way I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close (2 Timothy 4:6). But this I know and trust completely: The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched V Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched V!

Sketched V Day 10 Paul, The Torch Carrier

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 9:1-19
Galatians 2:11-21
Philippians 3

Sketched V, Day 10

Overwhelming light.

 An unfamiliar voice.

 I dropped to my knees. 

Before I knew what happened, all went dark. My eyes were open, but I saw nothing.
All was night around me, but somehow, everything inside was lit up.
That was the day Jesus of Nazareth stopped me in my tracks.
It was the day He became my Lord, my Light, my salvation. (Psalm 27:1)

My traveling companions led this blind man into the city because that’s where Jesus told me to go.  For three days I saw nothing, ate nothing, and drank nothing until a stranger, Ananias, was sent by God to restore my sight.
Light held a new meaning for me now.

Having spent time, a long time, studying Scripture and experiencing community, I began boldly preaching in the synagogues that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. Barnabas, a true brother, trusted what God had done in me, and helped the apostles to believe this too.
The Light begged to be shared!

Everywhere I preached, some believed, and many hated, spurning me, forcing me to flee for my life just as I had once made others do. The more I shared, the more persecuted I was, but the more pressing the mission of sharing Light began. I was coming to truly understand that I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) That life is the same light that continues transforming me and others as I preach Christ crucified!

Barnabas and I, like fellow torch bearers, eagerly carried this news to many areas including Antioch, Cyprus, and cities throughout Asia. We so desperately wanted our Jewish brothers to understand a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, and that even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 2:16) Faith made possible by Light entering the world. Faith for which I carry this torch, no matter the cost. (John 1:4-5)

It quickly became apparent that the degree of rejoicing and freedom many brothers and sisters were experiencing would also be equally matched with severe opposition against our bodies, our plans, our message – ultimately, we knew, against Jesus Christ.
Yet, the Spirit of God strengthened us for each mission,
each task, each opportunity to preach this good news.
In fact, we couldn’t contain it!
The gospel of Jesus Christ was a fire set ablaze by the Spirit of God
to build His church – His people!
Joy in our hearts fueled our eagerness to lay down our lives to be a part of this incorruptible flame.

So, I pressed on that the message given to me when I opened my mouth would make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19). And oh how I loved the church Christ was growing!  They became to me like children, so that whether I was present with them or apart, it was my joy to teach, instruct, correct, discipline, and pray that their joy in Christ might be full!

The Sovereign Spirit led me all the way to Rome, and to eventual imprisonment, yet by the grace of God this did not limit my ability to preach the gospel – it only made it flourish!
For this Light shines in the darkness, and darkness cannot overpower it! (John 1:5)
The churches throughout Asia were growing while experiencing intense persecution. Some speculate that this suffering will squelch us, but I know better.
The more we carry the Torch, the stronger the flame will grow.  

I fervently wrote while on house arrest, urging them to hold firm to the word of life, so that I could boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. But even if I was poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of their faith, I was glad and rejoiced with all of them. In the same way I so desired that they would also be glad and rejoice with me! (Philippians 2:16-18).

I desired that my imprisonment would be a source of encouragement to the saints in their own suffering. I boldly reminded them to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), and that this would be possible for us as we acknowledged that to live is Christ, and to die would be gain (Philippians 1:21).

Carrying the light of Christ is worth it, infinitely more so than the “meaning” my former life brought me. It’s worth it because Christ is my life. (Colossians 3:4)

Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).

I have certainly lost much
But this I fully know and believe that everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Philippians 3:7)
But, the treasure of the Light, the honor of carrying it, is worth everything, even my life.  

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched V Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched V