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Open Day 14 Radical Offering: 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 Radical Offering!

The Questions

1) Who is speaking and who is the audience in this passage?

2) Who are “they” in verse 44?

3) Based on verse 46, in its context of the entire passage, how is true, genuine righteousness demonstrated?

Matthew 25:42-46

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me. 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Original Intent

1) Who is speaking and who is the audience in this passage?
The One speaking in these verses is Jesus. This passage is part of His teaching that began in the previous chapter of Matthew. “As Jesus left and was going out of the temple…” (Matthew 24:1) As He proceeded from the temple and made His way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus made a startling statement, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” Obviously curious, the disciples privately approached Him (Matthew 24:3) with questions. Commentator Ray Stedman explains: “It was well known that the Romans were lovers of temples. It was their boast that they preserved, if at all possible, the temples and monuments of any country they conquered. They had been in power in Palestine for many years and they had not destroyed the Temple. There seemed no good reason, therefore, why this Temple should ever be destroyed. But Jesus solemnly assures them that there would not be one stone left standing upon the other.”
Matthew 24-25, often referred to as the Olivet Discourse, contain the long answer to the disciples’ questions. Matthew 26:1 indicates it was only the disciples with Jesus as He spoke. (Matthew 26:1)

2) Who are “they” in verse 44?
Contained in Jesus’ long answer to the disciples was a warning communicated through a parable. In His explanation of future events, Jesus designated every person a sheep or a goat. He also assigned them a position on the right and the left. Although we have no scriptural evidence for why He chose to make the goats the evil ones and the sheep the virtuous ones, Bible commentator Adam Clarke compares them in a helpful way:
“Sheep, which have ever been considered as the emblems of mildness, simplicity, patience and usefulness, represent here the genuine disciples of Christ. Goats, which are naturally quarrelsome, lascivious, and excessively ill-scented, were considered the symbols of riotous, profane, and impure men.” In this chapter, it’s evident that the message of the parable is much less about the characteristics of sheep and goats, and much more about how behavior indicates what is truly in a person’s heart. Jesus began by describing the deeds of the righteous sheep (Matthew 25:35-40) positioned on the right. In verse 44, He’s referring to the unrighteous goats on the left, previously mentioned in Matthew 25:41. These are “they”. When Christ returns, “they” will join all the others mentioned in chapters 24-25 who will spend eternity separated from God.

3) Based on verse 46, in its context of the entire passage, how is true, genuine righteousness demonstrated?
Chapter 25 ends with a serious statement from Jesus, just as chapter 24 does. (Matthew 24:51) The disciples’ questions regarding Jesus’ coming again and the “end of the age” gave Him an opportunity to again teach them about true righteousness as opposed to the false righteousness of the religious leaders of the day. (Matthew 5:20)
The Scriptures, Old Testament and New Testament both, clearly state what God means when He calls His people to righteousness. It’s not a call to work for our salvation, but it is a call to work out our salvation through obedience. James explains that true religion is demonstrated by our deeds. (James 1:26-27) This is especially true of how we respond to those in need within the church. The good works mentioned in Jesus’ parable are not meant to communicate that salvation is achieved by our efforts. He is stressing that our salvation will produce effects, including a compassion for others that motivates us to love through serving. The disciples very likely did not understand all that Jesus was saying about His returning (Matthew 24:27, 36, 44 and Matthew 25:13). He hadn’t even left yet! But one thing is certain, as commentator Adam Clarke reminds us:
“… the punishment inflicted on [these] was not because of their personal crimes; but because they were not good and were not useful … Their lives do not appear to have been stained with crimes, but they were not adorned with virtues. They are sent to hell because they did no good. They were not renewed in the image of God; and hence did not bring forth fruit to His glory.”

Everyday Application

1) Who is speaking and who is the audience in this passage?
Jesus taught and lived out compassion in front of His disciples in everyday life. His very purpose for coming to earth was to love other through serving them. (Mark 10:45) The disciples may have been slow learners, but that didn’t stop Jesus from teaching deep truths and demonstrating his compassionate love over and over. More than once, the disciples asked Jesus a question and they received an answer that was deeper and broader than they probably expected. Had we been in earshot of the conversation on the Mount of Olives, would we have chosen to keep following Him? The calling on the life of every disciple is exactly the same. What Jesus spoke on this day has just as much relevance today as it did then. As His followers, may we remain close to Him through His word. May we read and study this parable and pray for wisdom to practice the hospitality Jesus was teaching His disciples to live out with bold love.

2) Who are “they” in verse 44?
It’s doubtful that anyone participating in this Bible study desires to be counted with the goats in the parable Jesus told. Yet, we may find ourselves feeling guilty we aren’t serving our brothers and sisters in Christ the way we should. Though we should not compare our service to others, we would be wise to study the Scriptures that teach us to serve others, to pray for God’s leading and strength to do exactly this, and to seek how we can reach out to those God wants us to love through service. For those who have no desire to serve others, this is a serious message from Jesus: examine your heart. It may take time to discover the practical ways to meet the needs of others, but His sheep recognize His voice and are willing to obey His command to love and serve those “least” among us. (John 10:27-28)

3) Based on verse 46, in its context of the entire passage, how is true, genuine righteousness demonstrated?
The righteous have eternal life, not because we do great works, but because Christ did the great work on the cross. (Galatians 1:3-4)The eternal life we have in Him has already begun for those who are in Christ. While on earth, we are to live like He did while He was here. It’s a life that is outward focused, because we know our future with Christ. Truly righteous people who have been made new in Christ see others’ needs and serve them as Jesus would. The true believer does this not out of duty, but from a heart of gratitude for salvation and the rich, fullness of knowing Christ. Rosaria Butterfield was the recipient of genuine hospitality and it changed her life:
“Counterfeit hospitality seeks to impress and entertain. Counterfeit hospitality separates host and guest in ways that allow no blending of the two roles. It separates people into noble givers and needy receivers, or hired givers and privileged receivers. Counterfeit hospitality comes with strings; Christian hospitality comes with strangers becoming neighbors as they become the family of God. Radically ordinary hospitality is never convenient. A good question to ask yourself: What is the difference between inconvenient and impossible?”
What we do for the stranger, the disadvantaged, and the disabled we do for the Lord Jesus.
It’s real love in action. And it’s a crucial element in the believer’s life.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Radical Offering!

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

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Open Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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!

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

Captivating Day 1 The Middle Of The Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 2:4-17
Colossians 1:24-29
Judges 13-16

Captivating, Day 1

I catch Ms. Eileen out of the corner of my eye as we sing the chorus to “Only King Forever.”
You are the only King forever
Almighty God we lift You higher
You are the only King forever
Forevermore, You are victorious

Ms. Eileen is the older sister/motherly type figure in my life and my children’s. She is the one my husband refers to as “The hugging bandit”.
She is coming my way and I know what she wants and will lovingly give: the biggest, tightest hug one can take without choking.

My one son, who is not the touchy-feely type, jokes that Ms. Eileen could kill someone with her hug. My other son, however, gleefully smiles with open arms, eager to receive her gift.

When Ms. Eileen is seated, the scent of her lingers in the air, on my shirt, and on my son’s head. It is the fragrance of Ms. Eileen.
It is the aroma she carries on her and sweetly leaves behind.

As I read 2 Corinthians 2 of believers being the aroma of Christ, carrying the fragrance of life or death depending on whether the recipient has trusted Jesus, is seeking Him, or has turned away, I think of Ms. Eileen.
Scent-wearers carry with them an odor, some more pleasant and welcoming than others. *For the record, I am quite fond of Ms. Eileen’s fragrance. 😉

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience where someone wearing a strong fragrance embraces you and then you “smell” that person on you the rest of the day.  In similar lingering fashion, the gospel brings a lasting fragrance of either life or death.

This aroma of Christ is something we, as believers, ARE, not necessarily something we do.
It is, however, directly correlated with the message we profess and the hope we offer to others through the gospel.

God delighted in creating Adam and Eve and provided everything they needed for life, even boundary lines by which they would know their lives were intended for worship to the Lord. God gave one command: do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17).

Man, deceived by God’s enemy and his own desire to rule over himself instead of trusting God’s good love for him, sinned against God and crossed into disobedience. (Genesis 3)

God sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment man deserved for the sinful state perpetuated in every human being since Adam (Romans 5:12, John 3:16).

By trusting in the atonement of Jesus, man receives forgiveness of sins and is given the gift of eternal life with God, forever dwelling in perfect communion with Him (Romans 10:9).

As Christians, we are called to both
declare these truths
and live this hope.
In this way, others catch the waft of Christ’s fragrance.

The people within the walls of our home are the ones receiving a front-row seat to this dramatic, fragrant affect.
The pleasing fragrance intensifies as we devote time to studying God’s Word and conversing with Him in prayer. Its aromatic tendrils extend towards those we love, first for the ones at home, who are the first witnesses of our dedication to the living God and His active Word.

Its attractiveness is found in the soft answer we return to harsh words.
It’s on display as we patiently endure through suffering, both in everyday trials and intense life-storms.
Its winsome delight is displayed in our willing surrender of our preference to another’s and as forgiveness is extended before apologies are even made.

In these ways we emit the aroma of Christ.

Eyes are watching.
Hearts are witnessing.
How deeply do we love the Savior?

To those in our homes and families for whom the veil is being lifted (2 Corinthians 3:15), witnessing our life and hearing our hope is the beginning of sight for them!

But, it is a hard, hard reality to accept that for some within our families,
the fragrance of Christ we embody will be to them the stench of death.

Our motives will be questioned.
Our meekness, mocked.
Our “religion” considered a crutch.
And, it will sting.

I imagine it stung deeply for Samson’s parents, too, when the boy they were gifted deceived his parents, denied his consecration, and followed after his fleshly desires rather than God’s purposes for his life.

As a mother of two teens and one tween-ager, I have a different vantage point reading Samson’s story than when I read it as a child. Now I see through the eyes of Samson’s parents, and my heart breaks for the years they surely spent in travail for the wayward choices of their son.  I imagine (because the Scripture doesn’t say) them appealing to Samson, pleading with God, angling to arrange God-fearers to influence Samson to turn from his selfish, arrogant pursuits and dedicate his life afresh to the God Who set him apart from birth.

We know the end of Samson’s story.
We know the faith of his parents eventually became his own.
We know Samson turned to God in the final moments of his life. And, though his eyes were gouged out, Samson finally was granted sight.
He saw God for Who He is: The Only One with infinite power to both destroy and save.
The One who longs for all to find life and so He tarries patiently.

All of us, however, are still in the middle of both our stories and others’.
Our children, parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles; all of our family members are either carriers of the aroma of Christ or catching whiffs of us.

For those in our families, whether unbeliever or Christ-follower, we live out love, travail in prayer, and proclaim with our lives and tongues the greatest news ever given!

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to him belong

They are weak but he is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me

Oh, yes Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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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 Captivating 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 Captivating!

Kaleidoscope Day 9 A Quick Trip to Isolation: 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 A Quick Trip to Isolation!

The Questions

1) What end is Peter referring to and why does it call for action now?

2) Why are “alert” and “sober-minded” tied together?

3) What is meant by “love covers a multitude of sins”?

1 Peter 4:7-8

The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Original Intent

1) What end is Peter referring to and why does it call for action now?
Peter, as well as the other apostles, had a pressing, imminent urging of the Lord’s returning to renew all things, which meant the end of all things in creation as we know it would pass away forever. They did not know the patient timing of the Lord would extend generations into the future that many would come to repentance and enter into a right relationship with the Lord. (2 Peter 3:9) But truly, it didn’t matter; they didn’t need to know when the “end of all things” would come, just that it would. Deeper than their current lives ending, the end of “everyone’s” life would end, and with it all opportunities to choose Christ and all opportunity to love another. This perspective is the reason for urgency in Peter’s letter. He writes to remind his brothers and sisters, some of whom were suffering intense persecution for the name of Christ, that an end would indeed come. Because of that future reality, believers were called to live rightly in the now.

2) Why are “alert” and “sober-minded” tied together?
Because the time is so short, Peter calls for clarity within the believer. He specifically calls out the mind, but the intention is for the wholeness of a person which also includes body and spirit. Peter urges his readers to be aware of the vanishing breath of life, and be alert for the ways the Lord is moving around them. The only way to be “alert” is to also be “sober-minded” and the only way to be sober minded in the manner Peter intended is by focusing intently on the relationship between God and self. Peter calls for prayer because by focusing intently on speaking with the Lord and listening to His Spirit speak, we will be prepared to live well in these last days.

3) What is meant by “love covers a multitude of sins”?
The interesting thing to note before this phrase is how the command to “maintain constant love”, or fervent, passionate love, is specifically called out “for one another”. Peter was writing to all believers in his letter. He was writing to the Church at large, the global Body of Christ-followers. The love Christians are to have for one another is to be intense, passionate, and something we should intentionally “stir up” as we engage with other Christians. Paul says in Romans, “Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Again, “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters; outdo one another in showing honor.” The author of Hebrews adds, “let us watch out for one another to stir up love and good works….all the more as you see the day approaching.” The idea is constant and pressing, love intentionally because we only have the right now to love like this on earth. Of course, we are to love all people, even our enemies, but a special love for brothers and sisters in Christ should be given special attention. Because of this brotherly bond of love, we can forgive offenses easier. When forgiveness is couched in the blend of love and a desire for unity, “covering sin” is a natural outcome.

Everyday Application

1) What end is Peter referring to and why does it call for action now?
In the span of eternity, our lives are a vanishing mist. (James 4:14) One only needs to take a cursory glance through our social media feeds to be reminded of the brevity of our quickly disappearing lives. The “end of all things” is indeed near, generations nearer than it was at the time of Peter’s writing. Peter urges, we have no time to waste on selfishness and all manner of lusts and passions that are self-absorbing. We are called to love and love we must, because the day is near! We are called to think rightly about the Lord and spend our days communing with Him in sweet fellowship as He fills us up to love others. There is no better way to live in the now. (Romans 13:8-14) Looking for a life with no regrets? It’s rooted here, in a deeply abiding relationship with the Lord of All which overflows onto others as we love with the love the Father has given to us. Spend time intentionally wrapping your mind around the idea that “the end of all things is near”, and live your days with that pressing perspective. Not in a panicked frenzy, but by breathing in every moment in depth of relationship with the Father and loving others.

2) Why are “alert” and “sober-minded” tied together?
If I begin thinking about “seize the day” or “live every moment like it’s your last”, I feel the panic rise inside. Am I making every day count? What did I waste? What opportunity did I throw away? But the Lord does not call us into this mindset, He calls us to Himself. He is the anchor and He intends us to discover how to correctly perceive our circumstances and learn how to love in the last days when our mind is stayed on Him. Don’t get caught up in thinking a “prayer-life” is for old, stodgy Christians from centuries long past. Instead, consider your own communication with God. As I was reading the Psalms a few weeks ago, the psalmist spoke of praising God seven times a day. (Psalm 119:164) Surely, I praise Him more than that and I decided to mark a tally on my wrist every time I praised God that day. I was shocked I only made it to five! Be alert, be aware of the movement of God in your life and in the world around you, and lean in to the only solid foundation available, a deep and intimate relationship with Him!

3) What is meant by “love covers a multitude of sins”?
How well do you love with the minutes in your day? This is the focus of Peter’s letter, and its practical description is provided by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. How we love is to be a glorious reflection of how Christ loves us! It was God’s love for us that sent His Son to die in our place. It was God’s love for us that sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every heart that proclaimed Christ as Lord. It is God’s love for us that forgives again and again, covering over every offense and every sin, large and small. This is how we are to love; this is how we are to spend our days, however many we have. Be alert, be grounded in your relationship with Jesus Christ, speak with the Savior constantly, and love the Church. By loving well, we steer clear of all the little “off-ramps” like rudeness that lead us into sin and isolation.
Love for the Day is near!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with A Quick Trip to Isolation!

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

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Kaleidoscope Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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!

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

Kaleidoscope Day 8 A Quick Trip to Isolation

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Numbers 12:1-16
Proverbs 12:18
1 Peter 4:7-8
1 John 4:7-11

Kaleidoscope, Day 8

To love is to commit to paying a costly price.
To love is to commit to messy, broken relationships.
To love is to commit to being hurt.

The alternative?
Isolation.

The on-ramp to safe isolation, far away from great cost, mess, brokenness, and excruciating pain?
Rudeness.

Extreme?
Well, I’ll let you decide.

Surely, there are other, more clear symptoms of isolation and lack of love, right?
Traits like anger, bitterness, and hatred seem pretty key in a successful journey to isolation.

True, these traits are clear evidences of having lived a life in attempt to keep a heart safe from the costly effects of love, but these are destination signposts, not on-ramps.
One who is perpetually angry, bitter, and hateful has already succeeded in staying away from love.

But rudeness.
There is the attractive little signpost flashing brilliantly along a benign highway, promising a quick detour to safety and self-justification.
“Just a little rudeness,” the lie begins.
“Just a little self-protection.”
“You deserve, no, you have a right, to be rude.”
One sweet little sampling of lies after another and our quick detour lands us far off course, well on our way to Isolation.

Not sure you believe me?
I present you with a true story….

A widely respected, deeply kind, and exceptionally humble man had been given the opportunity for a highly visible leadership position, despite his genuine objections. He had no desire for power or profit, but was compelled to take the position out of love and respect for authority above him.

While he made some mistakes, he genuinely loved the people he led, and continually sacrificed his own good for their own. From the outside, it was plainly obvious what a rare, and incredible leader this man was.

Like any leadership role, it came with its share of criticisms and complaints directed towards him, but the one to whom he reported was constantly watching his back. Often, the man overlooked the negativity, not allowing it to deter him from his strong, gentle leadership. Other times, it drove him absolutely batty to the point of near insanity, but always the one above him, protected him.

The man was in this specific leadership role for over 40 years and there was no end to complaints filed against him as he was constantly under attack for his extremely difficult position. Curiously, the records of his career carefully chronicle one specific incident out of the mass lump sum.
One incident with incredible detail.
One incident of blatant rudeness.
Ending with isolation.

The man had a deeply devoted sister whom he loved, but she was beginning to feel as if she deserved some of leadership’s limelight. Unlike her honorable brother, she wanted the attention and the power. She saw the neon flashing lights on the highway and she exited onto “Rude”. She tossed a handful of caustic words in the air, feeling quite justified. Her words were seemingly harmlessly, but undeniably drenched in rudeness. Her rudeness was heard and felt. As a result, she found herself granted a personal audience with the one in authority who had heard her curt remarks.
And it wasn’t pretty.
I’ll let you listen in…

“Listen to what I say:
If there is a prophet among you from the Lord,
I make myself known to him in a vision;
I speak with him in a dream.
Not so with my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my household.
I speak with him directly,
openly, and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
The Lord’s anger burned against them, and He left. (Numbers 12:6-9, emphasis added)

Sister Miriam’s words were intended to hurt. She wanted to make her point known. She set out to amplify her perspective even if it cost her being just a bit rude in order to justify her position against a man who was not only her leader, but also her brother.

The Lord heard, He saw her heart of arrogance, He felt her rudeness, and called her out on it. He took up the cause of Moses, fighting on his behalf, because God is a just and loving God. When it was all said and done, the Lord’s presence left Miriam and her sympathizing brother, Aaron, alone. What’s more, the Lord also gave Miriam a skin disease as He left her as further consequence of her rudeness. Moses, the loving leader, pleaded with the Lord for healing on behalf of his sister, which the Lord gave, but He also said, “If her father had merely spit in her face (as a consequence), wouldn’t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp (as a consequence to her rudeness) for seven days; after that she may come back.”  (Numbers 12:14)

Her rudeness was disgraceful.
Her rudeness was not loving.
Her rudeness was sinful.
Her rudeness brought isolation.

Miriam took the easy exit off the highway of genuine, authentic Love, and she ended up alone.
How often I’ve done the same!
Rudeness is like an arrow jutting into the people around us. (Proverbs 12:18)

The Lord is a God of unconditional love.
He is a triune God who Himself dwells eternally in community.
Isolation and rudeness have no place in His character,
and neither do they in ours as we take on the Name of Christ.

Maybe you can identify scenarios where you tend to take that quick trip to Isolation via the on-ramp of rudeness. Maybe you can identify people you’ve alienated or perhaps you’ve become familiar with that sense of distancing you feel when you choose to be rude.

Or maybe, just maybe, you know someone who habitually takes that glittery exit called Rude. You see them isolating themselves.
In fact, you want to be isolated from them because of their sharp, cutting habits.
But, I wonder, what if the Lord intended for you to love them with His love, drawing them back just as He did with Miriam. Just as He does for me when I’m rude, again and again.

Suppose He is equipping us to love those who are rude, and to stand at that exit sign,
pointing the way back to Love?!

To love another is worth the high price it will cost us.
It’s worth the mess.
it’s worth the pain of entering into the brokenness.

How do I know?
Jesus did it for me.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

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 Kaleidoscope Week Two! 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 Kaleidoscope!

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!

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Gospel Day 1 For God

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 1:1-3
Psalm 19:1-6
Psalm 139:1-16
Acts 17:24-28
Hebrews 1:1-3

Gospel, Day 1

One of the first lessons I learned when I began writing is that the first line matters.

It should invite the reader in to the story or the topic, it should introduce something important that sets the scene for what is to come and, most crucially, it should grab the reader’s attention so they want to continue reading.

The opening sentence of the Bible provides an example of an excellent first line:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

This intriguing statement raises several questions, encouraging us to keep reading:
Who is this God?
How did He create the heavens and the earth?
Why did He create them?
If God created everything, and I am part of His creation,
what implications does that have for my life?

Most importantly, it teaches us a key truth: everything started with God.

In the same way, John 3:16, the key verse for this entire Journey Theme over the next three weeks, and probably the most well-known verse in the Bible, presents a succinct summary of the Gospel message, and it begins with the words, “For God…”

In both verses, God is the subject of the sentence. He is the focus; He is the one taking action. Whereas we, the heavens and earth that He created and the world He so loved, are the object of the sentence. We are not the ones taking action, but we are the ones affected by the action.

Both creation and the Gospel begin with God.

The Bible makes no attempt to prove the existence of God.
It simply presents Him as the eternal, sovereign Creator who was there before everything else began:
“Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world,
from eternity to eternity,
you are God.”
(Psalm 90:2)

At the same time, Scripture presents Him not as a hidden God, but as a God who has made Himself known. One way He reveals Himself is through creation; the world around us proclaims God’s glory and craftsmanship! (Psalm 19:1-6)

I don’t know about you, but every time I see the power of waves crashing on the shore, or I look up on a dark night to see the vastness of the starry sky, or I marvel at the intricacy and variety of creatures and flowers I see on a country walk, it points me beyond myself to the One who created it all.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews mentions God’s revelation through the prophets, and ultimately through His Son, Jesus, the living Word. He speaks in all these ways because, as Paul points out to his listeners in Athens, God wants us to know Him.

He did not simply set the world in motion and leave it to run; He continues to be actively involved, sustaining and ruling, and His purpose in this is that we might know Him:
“He did this so that they might seek God,
and perhaps they might reach out and find him,
though he is not far from each one of us.”
(Acts 17:27)

Psalm 139 speaks of the closeness of God.
He knows us intimately, He cares about even the smallest details of our lives,
and we can never escape from Him no matter how far we run.

He is a God who is powerful and sovereign, supreme over all things, but also a God who sees and cares for each individual. He is present, active, and interested in our lives, a God who took the initiative to send his Son for our salvation.

So, what difference does this make to how we live?

For me, it puts life into perspective, reminding me God is in charge and I am not.
It reminds me He is the Creator and Saviour, and salvation is a result of His actions in sending Jesus to die, not a result of my actions in measuring up to a certain standard.  It is not all down to me.  I am not in charge of fixing the world, or situations around me, or even myself.

The reality of God’s eternal authorship and authority also reassures me I can trust Him because He sees and He cares. No concern is too trivial to bring before Him and nothing is beyond the scope of His interest or sovereignty.

In a world that often encourages us to seek happiness in self-fulfilment,
the truth of the Gospel points us to something greater.
We are not the stars of the show.
This story is not about us at all.
Rather, it is God’s story, which He invites us to participate in by His grace.

He is the author.
The first line and the last line, and every word in between, belong to Him.
For 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!

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Sketched V Day 3 Saul, The Persecutor

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 5:33-8:3
Acts 26:1-23
Psalm 110

Sketched V, Day 3

Somehow the prisoners had escaped!
Not only had they escaped, but they had literally returned to doing exactly what I had imprisoned them for in the first place: preaching in the name of Jesus.
Even now the guards were returning to the Temple to bring them back before the Council. What level of geniuses are we dealing with? Obviously, they are not in their right minds to disregard the commands of this authority.
We are the Council.
We are the teachers of the Law.
We decide if you are in good standing before God.

The more I thought about their disrespect of our authority, the angrier I became.
A few of the members of the Council laughed about a recent happening in the marketplace as we waited, and I caught the eye of the man facing me.
I’m not completely sure what my facial expression communicated, but the smile on the other man’s face dimmed and their conversation dropped several decibels. Maybe idiots aren’t only outside this group.
Scandalous disrespect for the Torah and our traditional laws is no laughing matter.

When the guards arrived with the prisoners in tow, I stared at the leader.
If I caught his eye, maybe I could convey a similar message to him as I had to my compatriot. I intensified my gaze and straightened my spine.

The high priest questioned them as to why they had disobeyed their previous orders to stop teaching in the name of Jesus and the leader had the gall to promptly reply that they were obeying God rather than man.
We are the authorities God put in place.
We are the teachers of the Law.
We are the ones who know the texts and are required to implement them.
Who is this man that implies he has heard from God and we have not?
Disgusting arrogance!

By now my temperature was rising and my hands were clenched tightly in my lap. I willed the leader to look my direction, but he continued to boldly meet the eyes of the high priest. It was a mercy he did not look my way. If looks could kill…

Suddenly Gamaliel stood and directed the guards to take the men outside. Once the doors were closed, Gamaliel addressed the group and suggested the men be released. He reasoned that in previous uprisings of this sort, incidents faded away once the leaders were gone. He instructed us to remain out of the scenario just in case they truly were speaking for the Lord.

Gamaliel is a well-respected, wise man, but my anger burned at his plan. These followers had already proven disregard for our authority, and I did not foresee that changing if we simply let them go. Thankfully, someone echoed my thoughts and agreement arose to flog the prisoners before releasing them. I barely controlled myself. Flogging? I scoffed under my breath, these traitors deserved nothing less than death.

Some time later, I found myself once again sitting among Council members as another follower stood before us. Stephen was his name. Accusations against him had been raised and we’d called him before us. The high priest asked him for the truth and suddenly I found myself listening to a history lesson. How degrading to have such a lesson from one so inferior. He covered the gambit from Abraham to Joseph to Moses to King Solomon.

My patience waning quickly, I hoped my distaste was clearly communicated each time I ignored his words and smoothed my robes, my every action mocking him with disdain. Every muscle tensed and my heart began to race as he closed his argument by saying, “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Necks went red and white knuckles appeared.

Stephen continued as he stared to heaven, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

The first man stood up and growled low. He broke the floodgates and a wave of men drove Stephen to the city gates. I hurried along with them, grateful my thoughts paralleled those around me. Death was coming quickly for this heretic!
Once we cleared the city gates, the men began shedding the robes and entrusting them to me. If this enabled them to more accurately select their stones and aim well, I would gratefully take care of their robes. I would be a unifying player in the destruction of this uprising.

As the stones flew, meeting their mark. Stephen cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He fell to his knees and cried once more, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” The thud of stones hitting soft flesh and others colliding mid-air lasted only minutes. As the rage lessened and the evidence of the stoning’s success was apparent, the men gradually returned to me and gathered their robes. They dusted them off, pulling them back on as though this was any normal day’s work.

As the last robe was retrieved and I found myself standing alone at the city gates, Stephen’s last words reverberated in my mind. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
This sin?
Against us?
He asked God for forgiveness.

Forgiveness for me?

I shuddered at the thought, at all the thoughts that began swirling much too close to the surface, bringing a heaviness aching in my chest.
Hatred for Stephen and all followers like him silenced the thoughts.
Determined, I turned my steps back to the Temple.
Stephen would not be the last to learn their proper place at my hands.
Forgiveness? No.

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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!

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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 Sketched V 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 Sketched V!

The GT Weekend! Glimmers 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) When you think of Jesus coming as a baby, consider what aspects of his birth and growing up do you perhaps glorify or add a “glossy touch” to? Jesus being fully human and fully God means that nothing about our human experience was different for Him than it is for us, with the exception that He never chose sin. His birth was messy, His growing up was poor, He went through puberty and struggled with acceptance amongst His peers just like every other human being. It’s one thing to know this, but another to remember and apply it when we struggle in our humanity. All of the everyday frustrations from small to big, the Savior came to be with us in the midst of them. What things are you tempted not to talk with God about because they are “too insignificant”?

2) Have you ever struggled with feeling incapable of sharing the gospel or telling others about what Jesus has done in your life? What are some of the fears that prevent you from sharing? The shepherds were the first to hear of Jesus’ arrival; they were the lowest in societal rankings, yet they were also the first missionaries declaring His arrival! The least likely to tell about Jesus were the very ones God entrusted to do exactly what they never expected to do. Who would possibly listen to and believe a smelly old shepherd? It didn’t matter, they were compelled to share. Who might it impact for eternity if we were as bold as those shepherds?

3) Describe in your own words how Christ’s birth was an act of love. Go slow and really consider what it was about His birth that was so loving. If it was an act of immeasurable love, how does it affect your everyday? How might that love transform your waking, your eating, or the way you see yourself and others? Keep in mind Christ’s entire purpose in coming. Have questions or find some parts that don’t make sense? We’d love to walk with you as you think through them! Send us an email or message us on Facebook!

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 Luke 6:35-36 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Prayer Journal
It’s so easy to take Your love for granted, Lord. You sustain us, holding all of creation together by Your hand, and yet I go about life and my focus shifts so quickly to my agenda, my plans, and me needs or wants that I forget how You uphold my existence with Your breath. Recapture my attention, Lord. Bring me, once again, to a place where I stand in awe and wonder of Your unfathomable love.

Then teach me to love others as You have loved me. You are “gracious to the ungrateful and evil”, which is me, Lord. That’s me: ungrateful and evil all on my own seeking my own good and my own way. Father, Your Love Is Magnificent! And keep my heart humbly seeing how undeserving each of us are of Your love. None of us has more merit than another. Teach me to love as You have loved me.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Glimmers Day 15 Hope For Life (because of death): 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 Hope For Life (because of death)!

The Questions

1) What does joy mean?

2) What does it mean to love as He has loved us?

3) How do we produce fruit?

John 15:9-17

9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

17 “This is what I command you: Love one another.

Original Intent

1) What does joy mean?
Before looking further into this text, readers must understand John is recording a teaching of Jesus to His disciples. The Greek word John used here is ‘chara’ which translates to joy or gladness. Often times when we think of the word joy we think of happiness. According to dictionary.com, joy literally means “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying”. Jesus tells His audience that the joy in them is complete and the same joy Jesus Himself has. However, it is not a feeling of happiness that comes and goes based on circumstances. It is a joy or delight that is constant because the joy of the Lord never ends.

2) What does it mean to love as He has loved us?
The word love can mean a variety of different things in Scripture depending on the context. In these verses, specifically verse 12, Jesus used the Greek word ‘agape’ which we would equate with unconditional love. He is commanding His readers to love just as He loved, which, by the way, is absolutely impossible unless His love is alive inside of us. His love is a self-sacrificing love, demanding nothing in return for Him to give it, that was ultimately displayed when Christ gave up His life on the Cross to rescue humanity from Sin. This isn’t a surface level love. This deep love is the same love Jesus is calling His readers to sacrificially and unconditionally live out to others. Jesus is not necessarily telling His readers they must physically die for someone else, but He is telling them they must love in a way that crucifies their own selfishness.

3) How do we produce fruit?
The idea of producing fruit refers back to what Jesus taught in John 15:1-8. These verses draw on an analogy of a vine growing in a vineyard. Jesus teaches that without being connected to the vine a branch cannot grow and produce fruit. Jesus is that vine and Christ-following believers are the branches. Jesus then tells His disciples they have been chosen and appointed to produce fruit. By ‘chosen’, God means ‘purposefully intended’. His designed purposeful intention for His children is for us to ‘bear fruit’. A believer’s relationship with Jesus allows this fruit to grow. Fruit only comes as the disciple draws near to Jesus, asking Him to grow us. (verse 16)

Everyday Application

1) What does joy mean?
We know the joy John is referring to is not a fleeting feeling because this joy is from the Lord.  As believers, we have access to this same joy through the Holy Spirit who shares Jesus with us. This joy is unfailing and unending. Regardless of the storm we may be walking through, we can find joy in our lives as believers because the Spirit of God dwells within us. This joy flows from an ongoing relationship with Jesus. As we remain in fellowship with Him, His joy continues to be our joy.

2) What does it mean to love as He has loved us?
Just as the original readers were called to love with an unconditional, self-sacrificing love so are we. The meaning hasn’t changed since Jesus originally spoke the words.  We are called to love others by willingly setting ourselves and our comforts aside. We are to live out a humble and sacrificial love by serving others before ourselves. Jesus didn’t limit this love to people we like or who are similar to us. He simply commands us to love one another as He loved us. We are called to love everyone in the same manner. As believers, we are called to set aside differences and to see people as Jesus Himself sees them and be willing to step out and love them wherever and whoever they are. In each situation God puts in our path, this love may be fleshed out differently each time, however, the one constant will be us setting aside ourselves and giving of ourselves regardless of the situation, expecting nothing in return.

3) How do we produce fruit?
Once we enter into relationship with Jesus by acknowledging that He is Lord and Savior (and we are not!) and inviting Him into our lives as Lord, we are then connected to Him as the vine, the Source for growth. We become His branches to produce fruit that glorifies Him. As believers, this fruit will not look the same as another believer’s. We are to draw near to Him and ask Him to grow us as He sees fit. As we do, fruit is produced. This fruit comes through answered prayers, through loving as He calls us to love, and living a life connected to the Father through Jesus by daily disciplines like Scripture reading and prayer. Fruit is simply the overflow of our relationship with the Father. We cannot expect to produce fruit and grow deep with Him if we are not investing in our relationship with Him on a regular and consistent basis.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Hope For Life (because of death)

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

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Glimmers Week Three!
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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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