Handiwork

Treasure Day 13 Living Treasure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 7:6-9
Matthew 13:44-46
2 Corinthians 4:1-18
1 Peter 1:13-25
1 Peter 2:1-9

Treasure, Day 13

Treasure.

What images fill your mind when you read the word? Mounds of gold? Rubies, diamonds, or other costly gems? The fanciful Cave of Wonders from Aladdin? Scrooge McDuck and his millions? Captain Jack Sparrow and his endless quest for bounty? Maybe you’re like me, and your mind is instantly filled with glimpses of Gollum and his “Precious.” (Thank you, Mr. Tolkien.)

Interestingly, of all the things most of us picture when it comes to treasure, actual people are close to, if not the, very last on our list.

And yet, treasure is exactly what our Creator God says we are.

“But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Let’s talk about treasure for a minute.

What do people usually do with treasure?

We take care of it, right? We might hide it, or bury it, or (if we’re being current) take it to the bank.
We protect it, keeping it for ourselves.

In Matthew, Jesus weaves the stories of the man who finds a treasure in a field, and of the pearl of great worth. His parables make perfect sense and resonate with us because they fall in line with our natural tendencies to hide, protect, save and keep treasure for ourselves. We might take it out to look at from time to time, but for the most part, we tuck it away and leave it alone.

What does God do with His treasure (read: us)?
He takes care of us.
He hides us in Himself.
He sets us apart.

Here the similarities end, because His ways are not our ways, and His purpose is much greater than anything we could envision. He hides us for a season, as He is working in and on us, but His end game is to reveal His handiwork to all.

Next, He polishes us and purifies us, getting rid of everything marring the beauty and testimony of His transformative, powerful handiwork. If you’ve been through any of His polishing, you know it’s a life-changing, beautifully brutal process by which He eliminates our dross and cultivates His refined glory in our lives.

Scripture clearly shows us we are treasured in God’s eyes and heart…but are we living this truth? 

Do you honestly believe you, Dear One, are treasure? I mean, really, deep down in your heart, do you believe it? Your spirit believes it, sure. If you’ve given your life and heart to Him, your spirit is joined to His already by the work of the cross.

But does your soul (your heart, mind, emotions, and will) operate daily in the reality of the truth? 

To put it another way, when you look in the mirror, do you wince and turn away?When you think about yourself, do you think in treasured terms?
Is your self-speech lovely and kind? Or is it harsh and critical?
Do you joke about how “terrible” you are, or make light of your shortcomings in a self-effacing kind of way?

Sweet friend. I’m guilty of it, too. But it ought not be this way.

Believe it or not, poor talk and thoughts about ourselves are actually a form of self-idolatry. We are called to align ourselves with His truth, not to adopt whatever bits and pieces of His truth fit our own personal narrative.

When we insist on thinking about ourselves in any way other than what He says about us, we are effectively elevating our own selves, and what we think is true, above our Creator. Ouch.

Friend, how can we expect to be a light and share His love with the world, when we don’t even believe He loves us the way He says He does? How can we ever hope to make a difference in the lives of those in our spheres of influence, or in the lives of our very children, if we do not believe and live what we claim to believe?

And further, how in the world do we expect to genuinely care for others in the Church as treasure, when we don’t even believe we are treasured by Him?

Hard questions, I know. I’m squirming, too. 

But Loves, we have to stay here in this uncomfortable place and wrestle with this until we get it.
Because this is big “T” Truth.
Because this is how He loves us, and how He calls us to love: by edifying our brothers and sisters in Christ and treat them as the treasures they are!

Lord, You are worthy of all my praise. I repent of not agreeing with You about who and what You say I am. I break agreement with the negative self-talk I have been using, and I agree with Your Word, which says I am treasured, loved, and a masterpiece. Help me to keep from speaking poorly about myself, and renew my mind with true thoughts in alignment with Your Word. My life belongs to You. In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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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 Treasure 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 Treasure!

Worship IV, Day 3 Holding Us Together

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:15-20
Hebrews 12:26-29
Isaiah 9:1-7 

Worship IV, Day 3

Some may ask what the value is of their high school studies in chemistry (let’s be honest: high school math, art, etc.). While I always thought there was some use in what I was learning even if passing the class was the main reason, preparing for this Journey Study highlighted how the Lord can use anything for His glory.
High school chemistry included.  

I read through Colossians 1:15-20 and spent some time pondering the truths nestled there. What does it say about the Lord? What does it say about me? What does it speak to regarding my interactions with the Lord? 

In the midst of those questions, my high school chemistry class materialized in my mind. The long black countertops and the silver gray stools that became the backdrop of our scientific explorations set the scene. I remembered the feel of the delightful goggles providing safety as we dealt with chemicals as well as deep imprints on our cheeks announcing to everyone that we had just spend time dabbling with liquids, and solids, and mass (oh my).  

In my mind’s eye, I remember seeing a centrifuge on the counter and clearly recollected this actual day in class. We had a few liquids in our test tube and the only way to separate them was using the centrifuge, which essentially spun the tube at high speeds, the force of which caused the liquids to layer themselves by their densities. Little did I know that learning how to use that machine and comprehending all the science behind it would bring a section of Scripture to life years later.
Yet, here we have on display the goodness of the Lord through His creation.  

Colossians states that the Lord is before all things and in Him all things hold together. 

All things. 
Held together.  

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months, seasons where you just don’t feel like you have it together?
That everything is spinning out of control?  

Me too.  

Those personal examples came flooding to my mind after the centrifuge memory.
They marked my own moments of surviving the centrifuge of life.
Moments where life only seemed to pick up speed and everything began coming apart at the seams.

Hebrews 12 says that the Lord will shake things to prove what cannot be shaken. Those times have come and will come again, and I have learned to rejoice in the outcome of those moments because I am then able to separate what is from the Lord and what is not. I have discovered that sometimes that “spinning” of life is the only way to find that dividing line, much like using the centrifuge enables separating the liquids in that specific way as well.   

So if you are like me, may this section of verses from Colossians grant you the permission to quit trying to hold everything together by your own strength and rest in the arms of Jesus.  

Because He is strong enough to hold us together
and to separate what needs to be removed.  

Colossians 1:15
Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Wait, what? He is the image of the invisible God.
Have you ever known that the Lord has you but you still wanted some “real” arms to hold you?
I have.
It’s comforting to know that Jesus lived and walked the earth. He came to us with skin on and arms that could truly hold us together. Hands that healed the servant whose ear had just been cut off and hands that willingly surrendered to nails at the cross. So while I’ve never experienced the literal arms of the Lord encircling me, I know that they once embraced those that came before me, and He brought to life the picture of God the Father.  

Colossians 1:16
All things have been created through Him and for Him.
I am friends with artists of many kinds. I have watched the love and effort they pour into their creations. Their investment is not haphazard and their joy at the completion is deeply felt. Now imagine Jesus’ response to His creation. (For the record, we are His creation.) Let that soak in for a bit. 

Colossians 1:17
He is before all things and by Him all things hold together.
Read this one out loud. Read it with the understanding that as the Creator of all things He alone has the capability to hold all things together.
Let the words sink into the depths of who you are.  

Colossians 1:18
He is the head of the body and the church and is the firstborn from the dead. Jesus has the authority and capability to lead us into eternal life.
He died and defeated death for us. He has us.  

Colossians 1:19-20
For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully man. Because of this duality, His death on the cross and victorious resurrection created the way through which we are reconciled with the Lord God. Without Jesus and His sacrifice, I would be spiraling out of control due to the weight of my sin and the separation from Him it causes.  

So, is your world spinning?
Is the force of life starting to pull you apart?
Run to Jesus.
Surrender it all.
He can hold you together.  

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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 IV Week One! 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 Worship IV!

Worship III, Day 3 Returning To Wonder

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 4:6-10
Psalm 5:1-3
Exodus 33:18-23
Isaiah 45:5-7
Psalm 96:10-12

Worship III, Day 3

While my mother would tell you she does not have a good singing voice, to me,
her voice will always be a sound of comfort and home.

One of my earliest memories is of my mother singing a hymn as she cleaned the house, her voice floating down the hall and into my room,
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning my song shall rise to thee!”

Even now, as I remember the lines of that song, I hear it sung in her voice and I long to go back to that happy time, to my childhood home. As an adult, however, the Lord has used that song
to bring me home to Him.

I have recently come to a place in my faith where I am tired most of the time.
I’ve spent a great deal of time and energy “doing” the work of the Lord,
and not enough time simply “being” his daughter.
If you’ve read my story, you’ll understand this is an ongoing battle for me.
One from which the Lord is consistently winning me back.

One particularly harsh side effect of my busyness is I often lose the wonder of my faith.
The more I focus ministry and the service of God, zeroing in on accomplishments and tasks,
the more I forget to simply see Him, love Him, and worship Him.

In the past few weeks, however, the Lord has been playing “Holy, Holy, Holy” in my mind, bringing it up in those quiet moments. I woke one morning with this song in my head and felt compelled to look up the lyrics. An hour later I was in tears, overwhelmed by the beauty and wonder of our God.

This is the power of a good hymn.
They can help us see and understand the theology of our God with fresh eyes,
bringing us to worship Him the way He deserves.

Relational & Personal
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

The author of this song tells us so much about God in these four powerful lines.
We are reminded that God is holy, merciful, mighty and in perfect relationship with the members of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

King David declares,
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you and watch expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3)

We serve a God who loves us and listens to our requests.
David knows God not only listens to us, but He responds and therefore, when we cry out to Him in the morning, we can spend our day waiting expectantly for His response.
It blesses me to know that this merciful, mighty, and awesome God
listens and responds to me.

He Alone Is Worthy
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Painting a picture of Revelation 4, the author describes the “right now” snapshot happening in God’s heavenly throne room, where elders and living creatures are bowing down and worshipping God. The scene depicted is beyond imagination: thunder, lightning, rainbows, creatures covered in rare jewels, and of course, a “sea of glass, like crystal”. While everything in this throne room is awe-inspiring, it is our eternal and infinite God, the Creator of all these things, who alone deserves our worship.
He alone is worthy of our praise!

Perfectly Holy
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

Here, the author takes a moment to remind us of our sinful condition and its implications. Because we are born into sin,
we are unable to fully grasp the glory of our God.

It is my sin that constantly draws me away from worship
and into frenzied action.
But, as we know, He has not left us in this state.
Mercifully he sent us Christ,
who became sin,
defeated death,
and hides us within Himself until He returns.
It is His perfect power and love that has opened the door to intimacy with God!

Without Christ, we could not draw near to a holy God, who is completely separated from sin.
But covered by Christ’s perfect purity,
we too have been made holy and can draw near!

I love that the Lord used this song from my childhood to draw my eyes back to Him.
I am floored by the amount of wonder the author of this hymn packed into four little stanzas!
I pray that we would always remember just how wonderful, powerful, mighty and gracious our God is, and should we forget, I pray He would sing his songs over us again and give us the ears to hear Him. Amen!

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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 III Week One! 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 Worship III!

Worship III, Day 1 Join The Song

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 19:1-4
Psalm 148
Romans 12:1-2
Revelation 5:11-14

Worship III, Day 1

The middle of the orchestra was a wonderful place to be. 

Sitting there in the center of the woodwind section, I was captivated by the different sounds all around me: the delicate melody of the violins, quiet at first but gradually growing, the rich harmony of the violas and cellos supporting it, the driving rhythm of the double basses underpinning it all.
Everything was perfectly balanced.

Then the horns and trombones came in adding warmth and strength, then the volume increased until finally, as the choir began singing, the percussion section exploded with rhythm. The brilliance of the trumpets added a joy and vibrancy which lifted the whole thing to a new level.

As I sat there, listening to the music all around me, I was caught up in worship, longing to join in and be part of it until, finally, my entry approached, and I lifted my clarinet to join them, playing my part in the song.

As I read the lyrics of the hymn “All Creatures Of Our God And King,” I picture a similar scene as all creation joins together in praise to God.  As with the instruments in an orchestra, there is rich variety but also unity of purpose and, while each individual line has its own beauty, they combine to create something even greater.

The “burning sun with golden beam” lighting the darkness and providing warmth, the “silver moon with softer beam” gentle and peaceful, accompanied by thousands of shining stars which point to the vastness of God, the “rushing wind that art so strong” displaying God’s power and might.

That’s not even to mention the majesty of the mountains, the stunning beauty of the sea, the attention to detail shown in the intricacy of the tiniest flowers and creatures.

Each aspect of creation points to its Creator. As David writes:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

Psalm 148 is a call to praise God.  One by one the different parts of creation are invited to join the song: the heavens, the skies, the angels, the sun, moon and stars, ocean creatures, wind and snow, and animals large and small…

I’m left with the same longing to be a part of it,
until finally our turn comes:
“Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,
young men as well as young women,
old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for His name alone is exalted.” (Psalm 148:11-13)

We are not called just to listen and appreciate God’s creation,
but to join in and play our part in this symphony of praise.

Romans 12 makes it clear that worship, the part we are to play, is not only about our words, but about our lives: presenting our bodies “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”  This is our “true worship.”  (Romans 12:1)

The hymn gives some examples of what that might look like in practice:
“And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others take your part,
O sing ye!  Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!”

As creation points to God, we are called to do the same: reflecting God’s character in our compassion and forgiveness towards others, demonstrating our trust in His love and faithfulness in the way we turn to Him and trust Him through times of trial and difficulty.

The hymn also calls us to remember our place, to “worship Him in humbleness.”|
We are to come before Him, acknowledging that He is the Creator and we are the creatures, that it is only because of Him that we exist, and that our purpose is to praise and honor Him.
Our little individual lines are only one small part
of the great symphony of God’s creation.

When you play in an orchestra, it is important to know whether your line is melody or accompaniment.  Is your part meant to be the prominent one at this particular moment, or is your line there to add depth and color to someone else’s melody?  If one part is too timid, or too overbearing, the outcome is disappointing, but when you work together and follow the direction of the conductor, the result is beautiful!

If we approach God with that same attitude of humility, knowing our place, focused on loving Him and loving others,
the result will be sweet-sounding music that glorifies His name.

We may only be one small part of the great symphony,
but it is a song of praise that will echo into eternity and never end:
“I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!””
(Revelation 5:13)

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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 III Week One! 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 Worship III!

The GT Weekend! Misunderstood Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) How are you at sitting still before the Father? It’s tempting to be busy doing good things in His name. But if we do good works separate from being steeped in His presence, we’re wasting our time. Where can you adjust your schedule this week to spend more time at the feet of Jesus?

2) Life is often tumultuous and unpredictable. Where have you experienced loss and needed hope? Share your interactions with the death of a loved one or loss of a relationship. Ask the Lord to pour out healing or bring restoration to your life. Wait on Him as He is faithful to breathe a soothing balm over your loss and hope found in His Name.

3) When you hear lies people believe about Scripture being brought to light, how do you feel? How do reconcile these commonly held beliefs with truth from the Word? We highlight using www.studylight.org to study the meaning of Scripture. Try it out and tell us what you found at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 130:5-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

5 I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, you know me better than anyone. You know that my love language is acts of service, You created me that way! As I battle against myself to balance the desire to serve with spending time with You, let me wait on You! I choose to put my hope in Your word as I wait. I need Your redemption to flow in my life; bring me close to Your heart, Lord.

As I think back over the loss of our son, I have so many questions. The biggest one I come back to is, “did shoveling the snow that day cause his death?” Lord, as I rethink these questions, I wait on You for comfort. I know there are many questions this side of Heaven that I will never have answered. Pour out your grace to cover those questions until I am before You and reunited with my sweet boy.

Worship Through Community

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Misunderstood Day 7 No More Than I Can Handle: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out No More Than I Can Handle!

The Questions

1) Who is doing the talking and who is the audience? 

2) What is the purpose of the history lesson given in verses 1-5? 

3) What warnings are we given in this passage? 

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Now I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them, since they were struck down in the wilderness. 

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did. 7 Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.8 Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died. 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes. 10 And don’t complain as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer.11 These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it. 

Original Intent

1) Who is doing the talking and who is the audience?
The name of the book is Corinthians for a reason. The audience for this letter is the Corinth church. The author of this letter is Paul (1 Corinthians 1:1) and he was writing to the church to correct several issues that weren’t properly being addressed in Corinth. Greed, gluttony, sexual immorality, puffing themselves up with super-spirituality, and on and on goes the list for the Corinthian Church who weren’t addressing their sinful issues with a gospel focus.  

2) What is the purpose of the history lesson given in verses 1-5?
At the beginning of the passage, Paul says the reason for the history lesson of the nation of Israel is to give a reminder and an awareness of bad choices. He wanted to give the history lesson so that history would not be repeated.  

3) What warnings are we given in this passage?
The first five verses of this passage recount the history of the nation of Israel for the express purpose of turning a mirror on the church at Corinth. Paul’s desire is to provoke self-reflection  and compare the Corinthian church behavior with the Israelites to see if there were similarities. The warnings in this passage are numerous, but the most important warning is, “do not test Christ” by thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. This mindset will cause you also to fall into the pit and find yourself worshipping and serving idols as the Israelites did.

Everyday Application

1) Who is doing the talking and who is the audience?
It is important when you read a book in the Bible that you remember these are real stories about real people living a very real life. This was a letter written to believers in the 1st century church who struggle though everyday life and needed to be reminded to hold fast to the one true faithful God. He will not fail you or tempt you beyond what He can handle. He will always provide a way for you to walk according to His plan and purpose, but you have to be willing to make that choice. God wants us at our limits so we will realize our need for Him.  

2) What is the purpose of the history lesson given in verses 1-5?
Have you ever heard the expression “learn from the past so as not to repeat it”? That is a theme throughout Scripture where we see Paul and many other writers of the New Testament recall the unfaithfulness of the Israelite people, while at the same time, pointing them to the faithfulness of God. The Israelite’s history is our history as believers. We read and recount history so we can learn from it and not repeat it. God uses our history to tell others how amazing He is. Our redemption story may become the catalyst for someone else to come to Christ, it may spark repentance in someone’s life, or it may bring about healing in a broken relationship. When we remember where we have come from and tell others, then the brilliance and glory of where we are going is that much sweeter! Those who hear our story have opportunities to see God’s handiwork. History becomes the teacher that lays the foundation for an eternal future.  

3) What warnings are we given in this passage?
Paul is very clear – don’t think more highly of yourself because you will fall! That is what we call PRIDE. If we think we are too good for sin, we have sinned. If we think we can stand apart from Christ, we can’t. There is nothing, absolutely nothing of value that we can accomplish apart from Christ. He will guide us, but we must submit. He will provide a way, but we must die to our way. He wants us weak, because in our weakness He gets the glory, He gets the fame, He gets the worship! And rightly so! When we are tempted, tired, weary, and at our wit’s end that is the moment of vulnerability and brokenness where we die to pride and realize we can’t, but HE can! (2 Corinthians 12:10)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with No More Than I Can Handle!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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Woven Day 10 Ruled By Rules

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-21
Matthew 19:16-24
James 1:22-25 

When I was still pregnant with my twin daughters, they were given a book called, “The Jesus Storybook Bible”. (If you’ve never heard of this book, go order it right now! Or you can wait until you’re done reading… but seriously. You need this in your life. Not just for your kids… but for YOU. You’ll see why…)

Anyways…

This “children’s” Bible had beautiful illustrations with some of my favorite current color schemes bringing the truth of these Bible stories to life in a way I’d never seen before. The author wove God’s great redemption plan through every story. For the first time in my life, as I read these stories to my babies after they were born, I saw a connection between the Tower of Babel and Christ’s birth, or the Creation story and Jesus’ death, in a way I’d never seen it before.
As I read this book aloud to my, often sleeping, babies, I found myself amazed.
Some may call it hormones, or maybe it was the Holy Spirit,
but I never cried over a book like I cried over this children’s Bible.

So, I want to share with you one of the biggest things I learned while reading this book about God’s truths.

Rules can’t save us.

Guys, I knew this already.
But I didn’t know it.
I could have told you that “rules don’t save us”.
I could’ve even told you that God gave us rules to protect us
and show us that we really need Him.

But I truly learned this one day while I was rocking my babes.
In awe, I read and reread the last few sentences of the story of The Ten Commandments:
“Only one Person could keep all the rules.
And many years later God would send Him –
to stand in their place and be perfect for them.
Because the rules couldn’t save them.
Only God could save them.”

How many times have we gotten stuck thinking that we need to be perfect in order to be loved by God? How many times have we thought that following the Ten Commandments, or even the “rules” that have become tradition and standard in the modern Church, were the key to being given grace?

Sisters… wearing dresses to church on a Sunday won’t save you.
Praying before every meal won’t save you.
Raising your hands during worship won’t save you.
Listening to the Christian radio station won’t save you.
Having a daily quiet time won’t save you.

We’ve got to stop thinking that we need to follow those rules
for God to keep extending His grace to us!

Some of these are still great guidelines to follow to help us grow in our relationship with Him… but DOING will never equal GETTING when it comes to a grace-filled, saving relationship.

Even further… following every single one of the Ten Commandments is utterly impossible for us because of sin. Go ahead, and take a look at the Laws and see how many you’ve broken.
You aren’t alone, every human being falls into the category of “sinner” because we’ve all broken the Law of Holiness designed by God, who is Holy.
We are doomed to Death because of our inability to perfectly fulfill the law!

God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments for several reasons.
Yes, He cared about their personal well-being and He didn’t want to see them hurt. He knew that they could greatly minimize the hurt in their lives by following these commandments. Just like we know that children are given rules to minimize the possibility of their getting hurt. And yes, He needed to bind His people with a common law, just like we are bound by the common laws and constitutions of our lands.

But most of all… He needed to remind His children of their sinfulness. He knew that they would never be able to keep this law, and every single time they failed, they would be reminded of just how sinful they are, and just how perfect God is. James tells us that the law can be used as a mirror. Any time we start to think that we have it all together, we can just look in that mirror and realize that we have seven zits popping up, our roots are two inches long, and we haven’t plucked our eyebrows in a few weeks.

We are so far from perfection.

And there was only one Person who was ever able to follow every one of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus.

Once we choose to step into the grace that Jesus has extended to us, once we choose to fully embrace that grace, only then can the gap between “Us trying to follow The Law and miserably failing” and “The Law” be filled.

Do you see it?!
Do you see how the Gospel is literally woven through the Ten Commandments and every single law written after that?
It is amazing and exciting!
The Bible isn’t just a bunch of random stories placed together.
Every single story has a purpose,
and that is to point to Jesus and the redemption we can receive through Him!

Hundreds of years before Jesus even walked this planet,
God was weaving His plan of redemption from His heart straight to yours!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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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 Woven Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Eve Day 9 Eve Of Love Incarnate: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
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Isaiah 9:6-7 English Standard Version (ESV)

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The Questions

1) What is the significance of the phrase “For to us…”?

2) What does the writer mean by the “increase of his government and peace” having no end?

3) What is the meaning and purpose to the names ascribed to Jesus?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the significance of the phrase “For to us…”?
Isaiah was commissioned by God (Isaiah 6) to speak to His people and share a message of both condemnation and hope.  In chapters 7-8, God sends Isaiah to the king, priests, and His people to declare that they have been living in a way that is not acceptable in His sight. They have refused to follow God’s ways and continued doing as they please.  The message of darkness and gloom is clear.  And then it comes…  As Isaiah opens chapter 9, he writes in verse 2 that those “…who walked in darkness have seen a great light…”  Isaiah brings a message of hope to God’s people:  a child is coming who will change everything.

2) What does the writer mean by the “increase of his government and peace” having no end? When Isaiah shared God’s word with the people of Judah, he was ministering and speaking to those who were living under threat of oppression from the Assyrians. He was reaching out to a people who did not know the security of peace and whose government was under the constant threat of being overtaken.  To say to those same people, living in such dire circumstances, that a child would be born whose reign and government would be like no other, marked by peace, was the hope of dawn to a new morning.  God promised a day would come when His people would be firmly established for His greater purposes.

3) What is the meaning and purpose to the names ascribed to Jesus?
God’s words through Isaiah about the Child to come bear witness to His history with Israel and her as a rebellious people.  The names that God reveals about the baby to be born bring to mind stories of Israel’s history.  Wonderful Counselor:  a promise for guidance.  At one time, Israel had received counsel through the ark of the covenant and the presence of God in His temple.  Mighty God:  a promise of deliverance.  The same God who brought His people through the Red Sea would again save His people through the promised Child.  Everlasting Father:  a promise for belonging.  Through the Child to come, God’s people would no longer experience the pain of oppression they had known in Egypt or their current need to “fit it” with the surrounding nations, but would have security in the simplicity of being God’s people.  Prince of Peace:  a promise for rest.  God’s people would again experience a peace even greater than they had known under the rule of Solomon.  In each name that God revealed, He reminded His children of their past, but also pointed to the hope of the future to come.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the significance of the phrase “For to us…”?
Just like Israel, we all choose our own way at times.  We reach for independence and autonomy, believing that our ideas and plans are best.  When things don’t work out to our advantage, we wonder where God is in the midst of it all, sometimes even venturing to blame Him for the mess we have created.  When our circumstances are dark and difficult, we may even feel like God is working against us.  Darkness leads to hopelessness and deep longing to see light.  Yet when we choose our own way, the darkness only grows darker still. However, when we open our hearts to the truth of Christ, the words are life-altering:  “For to us…”  US!.  Me.  You.  Every.  Single.  One.  Without exception.  Our deep longing for light can only be satisfied by The Light that comes through the person of Christ and the hope that He can and will change everything for us. Where in your life are you seeing the light of hope that comes through Christ?  Where does the darkness seem to grow even darker with each passing day?  How do you need to allow the light and hope of Christ to invade those dark places?

2) What does the writer mean by the “increase of his government and peace” having no end? If you take 15 minutes to watch the news, the sense of oppression, threat, darkness and danger can overtake your thoughts.  Chaos surrounds us, so how do we respond to reality of this out of control world?  God says to His people in Isaiah 8:12-14:  “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.  But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”  When we know the truth of Christ, nothing should leave us uneasy.  We have no reason to engage in the fear-driven conversations that mark the discussions of our culture.  Angst and worry about what is coming next find rest in what will come later.  Our attention turns instead to the work He has for us today while we wait.  How do you find yourself responding to the uneasy state of our current culture?  Is there a particular topic that seems to pull your attention away from peace, that leaves you wondering about what may happen?  How do you need to shift your focus?  How does the hope of Christ change your perspective? 

3) What is the meaning and purpose to the names ascribed to Jesus?
Jesus Christ is the I AM of all that has been taken from us, all we need, and all we dream of having.  We each have a personal history with God and how He has revealed Himself to us.  The practice of remembering His faithfulness to us and work on our behalf is a powerful exercise that builds our faith, hope and trust in the times to come.  How has God taken care of you in the past that you need to remember for the difficulties of today? How did He reveal His character to you in those moments? Take time to reflect on those moments in your life, the truth they showed you about God, and how they can give you hope in any of the difficult circumstances you face today.  Pray or journal about what He brings to mind. 

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Eve Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

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.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Eve!

The GT Weekend – Worship II, Week 2

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The GT Weekend

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer, rest your soul in reflective journaling, and spend time worshiping the Creator who longs for intimacy with each of us!

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) Think of the eternal impact of knowing Jesus, really think on it. Amazing, isn’t it? Pour out your thankfulness to the Lord for His perfect provision. Now think of a friend who doesn’t know Jesus and what that means for their eternal destiny. Pray for them to have a saving relationship with Jesus and for the Holy Spirit to embolden you in sharing!

2) Take a moment today to enjoy the beauty of nature around you. What feelings does looking at God’s creation provoke? Pour out your worship and thankfulness as it flows naturally!

3) Reflect over your life the last several months. Are you on a mountain top or in a valley? What is your feeling of how close God is? Remind yourself that God is always near if we draw near to Him (James 4:8)! He’s waiting to hear from you, regardless the emotion you’re feeling towards Him. Let it all out and find redemption in His arms!

Worship In Song

Music Video: “Thank You Lord” by HIllsong

Pour Out Your Heart

Father, as I call on Your name from the valley, rescue me Lord. I am weary from all that needs done and I ask You to pour out more joy in my life. As I go about my tasks for the day, well up joy in my heart as I serve my family and those around me. Holy Spirit take my eyes off myself and shift them to the people You want me to see and interact with!

God, You are so creative. The beautiful red bush behind my house is just gorgeous this morning. Thank You, Father for all the ways You’ve painted the land with Your glory. I love when my kids see sun streaming through the clouds and know that was Your mighty hand at work creating so magnificently. You are amazing; thanks for reminding me of that every time I look outside!

Pray With Us!

In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
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Send your prayer request to prayer@gracefullytruthful.com
We are committed to praying over and walking with you!

Journey With Us

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