The GT Weekend! ~ Alive Week 3

October 2, 2021 by Erin O'Neal Leave a Comment

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

1) I recently read a Tim Keller quote stating, “God will either give us what we ask for in prayer or give us what we would have asked for if we knew everything He knows.” His point is we always see our circumstances (and pray about them) from a limited viewpoint. We cannot know all the things God knows, because we are not Him. He alone knows all things, and can judge what is truly good. Romans 8:28 tells us, “all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purposes.” Does this change the way you view your circumstances? Reflecting on your history, are there any events that seemed decidedly not good which you now recognize as for your good? Maybe there are difficult events you cannot fathom why they happened. Perhaps even now you are experiencing a difficult season and cannot see how this could possibly be good. Whichever of these statements resonates with you (maybe all three!), turn those circumstances over to the Lord. Ask Him to reveal His goodness to you and empower you to trust that what He says He will do, He does. He will work all things for our good, even when we cannot see how.

2) Jesus Christ was described by the prophet Isaiah as a “man of suffering who knew what sickness was” (Isaiah 53:3) or as another translation says, He was “acquainted with grief.” (ESV) Jesus knows suffering, just as much, even more, than us. We saw in Wednesday’s Journey of God’s promise to equip, carry, and sustain us through every season of life, even those of intense suffering. Michelle wrote, “Our sufferings do not change the realities and truth of God’s love for us.” Do you believe this, dear sister? Do you affirm that nothing can separate us from the love of our great God? Consider your current season of life. Are you in a season of comfort, enjoying the light of life with few cares? Remain steadfast in your relationship with the Lord. Speak loudly the truth today, so when trials come, you may hold fast in the day of trouble. Are you in a season of suffering, with wave after wave of grief wearing away at your heart? Cling to the Rock of your salvation. Remember the truths you have found in the light. Are you somewhere in between? Maybe your life has more downs than you would like, but you feel capable of managing. Do not forget the source of your comfort and true strength. Resist the temptation to rely on yourself! Jesus Christ must hold you fast. Write out an honest prayer asking God to meet you where you are to equip, carry, and sustain you through the now.

3) “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) How many times have you heard this verse and focused on the first half regarding being “more than conquerors” without considering the second half, which emphasizes our source, “through Jesus Christ our Lord”? Paul writes these words, not from a place of pride in his own work, but in a humble reverence for the work of God in his life. This week, we spent much time discussing suffering and life circumstances, but the truth is, no matter what season of life we are in, the key to living a victorious life is to abide in Jesus Christ. How can you practice abiding in Christ this week? In John 15:8, Jesus says, “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” Ask God to show you how He is specifically calling you to live for Him in everyday life as you abide in Him this week. Maybe He is calling you to repent of sin that you cannot defeat on your own, confessing that you have fallen short and need His victorious strength. Maybe He is calling you to show His redeeming love to someone in your life who is hard to love. Maybe He is asking you to spend more time meditating on the things of God than the things of the world. Ask Him to show you what He is asking of you, and make a plan to be obedient to His call.

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 138:7-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

If I walk in the thick of danger,
You will preserve my life
From the anger of my enemies.
You will extend your hand;
Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.
Lord, Your faithful love
Endures forever;
Do not abandon the work
Of your hands.

Prayer Journal
Heavenly Father, King of my heart, Lord of my life, You are good. All Your ways are good. All Your thoughts are good. But the world around us lacks the good we so desire. Because of sin and brokenness, we are keenly aware of suffering and hardship in this world. From sickness and disease, to poverty and injustice, we don’t need to look far to see pain and suffering. But, we stand firm in the day of our trouble, knowing the truths of Your goodness, love, and faithfulness do not waiver, no matter our circumstances. Forgive us when we doubt. Forgive us for our short-sightedness and self-dependence. Help us live our lives abiding in You. As king David wrote in the Psalms, “For Your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth.” (Psalm 26:3) Help us, oh Lord, to live by Your truth, trusting that all things will work together for our good because we love and serve a good, good God.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Alive Day 12 For The Good: Digging Deeper

September 28, 2021 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

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 For The Good!

The Questions

1) How are we called according to God’s purpose? (verse 28)

2) What does it mean to be “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”? (verse 29)

3) How are we called, justified, and glorified by God? (verse 30)

Romans 8:28-30

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Original Intent

1) How are we called according to God’s purpose? (verse 28)
First, we must understand what it means to be called by God, then we must consider what Scripture tells us about His purposes. The Greek word for called is “κλητός”, meaning to be invited as if to a banquet. God’s purpose for those who are called is answered in the next verse, “to be conformed to the image of His Son”. (verse 29) To respond to God’s call and live out His purpose means to believe in God and obey His command to spread the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19) God’s plan for us is to know Him and make Him known. (Galatians 1:15-16) Anyone who responds to God’s invitational call accepts His purpose to both deepen their relationship with Him (Jeremiah 33:3) and share the love of God with others (Matthew 28:19). Author Albert Barnes suggests that being called according to God’s purpose “Implies that God had a plan, purpose, or intention in regard to all who became Christians. They are not saved by chance or hap-hazard. God does not convert people without design; and His designs are not new, but eternal.” God desires everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so this means we are all called to accept the message of the Gospel and fulfill His purposes. When we surrender to God and accept His purposes, we can be sure He is working everything together for our good and His glory. Whatever happens, He uses it for our eventual benefit and the expansion of His kingdom, even if we see no apparent good at the time. We can rest assured His plans are good, even when our circumstances suggest otherwise, if we accept the invitational call to follow Him.

2) What does it mean to be “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”? (verse 29)
The Bible tells us God created us in His image. (Genesis 1:27) When Adam and Eve sinned and humans were separated from God (Genesis 3), the Divine plan was for Jesus to reunite us with God by coming to earth, fully human and fully God, to take our sins and show us how to live in right relationship with the Lord. God wants us to be like Jesus; He is the model of how to live life for God’s glory. In Romans 8:29, Paul writes,^“For those [God] foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God’s plan before the beginning of time was for humans to be conformed to God’s image. God tells us that those who trust in Jesus should “walk just as he walked”. (1 John 2:6) We have the example of the humble, loving life of Jesus to teach us how God designed us to live. God sent His Son not only to save our lives for eternity, but also show us how to live today. He gives us the Holy Spirit to empower us to follow Jesus’ example, which is impossible to do on our own. (Galatians 5:22-23) Not only do we have the life of Jesus to pattern our lives after, but we have the Holy Spirit to help us be more like Jesus.

3) How are we called, justified, and glorified by God? (verse 30)
Romans 8:30 includes what some scholars call the Golden Chain of Salvation, the “inviolable order in which our Creator saves His people” (Ligonier.org) The first link in the chain occurs in verse 29, which says that God foreknew those He would save. Author Adam Clarke explains that foreknow means to “design before, or at the first forming of the scheme to bestow the favour and privilege of being God’s people upon any set of men.” The second link in the Golden Chain is predestine, which author J.D. Watson describes as “God’s marking out a destiny befitting His foreknown people.” God decided ahead of time that He would make a way of salvation for His people. Predestination sets up the next two links: being called, or invited to be saved, and being justified, where God declares us righteous in Christ. We are called by God because He wants no one to perish. He calls every human to follow Him. If we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus, we can be saved. God justifies us through the blood of Christ Jesus, His Son, Who gave His life so we could stand blameless before God. The last link of the Golden Chain is being glorified by God. This can refer to going to heaven, but author N.T. Wright suggests, “Our glory in the present is focused as we stand in prayer at the place where the world and the church are in pain . . . so that the gospel may be seen at work in power through our praying as well as our preaching.” We are glorified by God in that Christ lives in us. His presence and His glory dwell within each person who trusts in Christ and shines from each person as they demonstrate His love.

Everyday Application

1) How are we called according to God’s purpose? (verse 28)
Something that frustrates many Christians is trying to discern God’s will for their lives. People want God’s crystal-clear direction about every decision. Should they marry, should they move, should they change jobs? While we are commanded to pray about all things and ask for God’s leading regarding decisions, following God is much more about making wise decisions with the information He provides through His Word and His people. (check out our Journey Theme “Follow” for more on this!) When it comes to knowing God’s will, the Bible reveals much about His purposes for us. When we lean into these principles, we will be following Him. Romans 8:28 references those who “love God and are called according to God’s purpose.” His purpose in being conformed to Jesus is for us to love God and share His love with others like Jesus. Author W.E. Vine explains that “them that are called and them that love God, are to one another as cause and effect. Those who love God are necessarily those who are called. The call . . . produces the response of love to Him who calls.” We love God because He first loved us and drew us to Him. (1 John 4:19) When we love Him, we want to share His love with others, which is one of God’s purposes for us as we are shaped to reflect Him to the world around us. (John 13:34) When we follow the express purposes of God as found in His Word, we can know for certain we are following His will for our lives. As we live this out, we can ask Him for wisdom to know more specific things He wants for us. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” We can rejoice that God shares His plans and purposes with us!

2) What does it mean to be “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”? (verse 29)
Do you ever cringe when you see Christians doing a shabby job of representing Christ? Surely you have seen the guy who left the waiter a Gospel tract as a tip instead of cash, or the lady with the I LOVE Jesus bumper sticker cutting folks off in traffic. Jesus provides us an example of how to live humbly and righteously with love and mercy, but sometimes we don’t do a good job of following in His footsteps. Learning to be more like Jesus is part of God’s plan for our lives. Romans 8:29 tells us God predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. His Word is given to us, in part, to teach us how to live like Jesus. Author Howard Hendricks asserts, “The Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity, but to make you conform to Christ’s image. Not to make you a smarter sinner, but to make you like the Saviour. Not to fill your head with a collection of biblical facts, but to transform your life.” Because Jesus is the Word, the Word has the power to change us into God’s image. John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:1, 4) From the beginning, Jesus has been the Life that is the Light to illuminate the path for all people to know God and be restored to Him. God’s plan is for us to be more like Jesus, and He wants us to represent Him wherever we go, including restaurants, the freeway, at church, our neighborhoods, and our social media profiles. He wants us to be loving and kind so people see Jesus when they look at us.

3) How are we called, justified, and glorified by God? (verse 30)
It has always fascinated me to read God’s Word regarding His plans for His people even before they were born. In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells the prophet, “I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born . . .” In Psalm 139:16, the psalmist writes, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” To know that God has a plan for us before we are born is incredible! His plan for everyone includes salvation through His Son, Jesus. This plan is described in Romans 8:30, where Paul tells us God has called us, justified us, and glorified us. This is God’s plan for salvation for us. He calls each one of us to come to a genuinely saving knowledge of Christ through repentance (turning away from) our sin and accepting His free gift of salvation. He tells us in John 3:16, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It is the blood of Jesus that justifies us by washing away our sin and making us righteous before God. When we are saved through Christ Jesus, we can be glorified by living in Heaven with Jesus when our life on earth is done. We are also glorified because Christ lives within us here on earth, teaching us how to be more like Him through the power of His Holy Spirit. (1 John 2:27) It is comforting and empowering to know that God has a plan for each one of us that extends from before we are born until after we pass into Heaven.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with For The Good!

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 Alive 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!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Alive Week 1

September 18, 2021 by Erin O'Neal Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

Worship Through Journaling

1) God grants a wonderfully freeing, fully permanent declaration in the opening words of Romans 8. No more shame. No fear of condemnation. Both are radically erased because the One we have offended with our sin has freely forgiven us! The sticking point is two-fold. First, this gift of freedom remains entirely inaccessible if we have not recognized our own sin to the Holy God, repented of it, and chosen to trust Christ to rescue us from permanent death and separation from God. Second, if we have indeed been made free in Christ, the temptation to believe a lie seems to follow us like our shadow. The lie? That we aren’t really freed from shame, that we still, somehow, owe God and should therefore beat ourselves up for our past sin. Can you relate like I can?! Let’s refuse to let our enemy continue to have a foothold here! Name that place where you most often find yourself falling into the trap of shame and guilt from sins you’ve already been forgiven from and pray persistently over these. Lay hold of truth and carry it with you in place of shame! “If the Son sets you free, you really will be free!” (John 8:36)

2) Either we live according to flesh or according to Spirit. We cannot please both simultaneously; it is impossible. On Wednesday, Marietta helped us understand we must all make a personal decision to follow Jesus for ourselves. Our default position before God is not goodness, but an inherited sin nature that rejects God and rebels against Him. Thankfully, what is impossible for us and our natural sin nature, is possible with God when He puts His new nature inside of us! All believers, those who have been made new in Christ, have certain areas of life where we struggle more than others to surrender to God’s nature over our own. In the span of 3 verses in Romans 8, we find the phrase “mindset” used five times! The key to overcoming our areas of struggle is to surrender to the Spirit’s activity in us, and take up His mindset, which is entirely renewed and different from our sin-nature mindset. Think about the character of God, really pause to do this! Look up some passages to help like Philippians 4:8-9, Psalm 86:5, 15, and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. As you consider His heart, His “mindset”, turn your thoughts to your areas of struggle and your old mindset of approaching them. See the difference?! Ask the Lord to renew your mind! (Romans 12:1-2)

3) I once heard a story of an orphan child who had lived for most of his young life in severe poverty and food insecurity. This child was adopted into a loving and secure family, where there was no question about the source of the child’s next meal. He was fully provided for. However, he would often take food from the kitchen and hide it in his room, keeping it secure for himself. Even though his entire situation had changed, his attitudes and behaviors were still in accordance with his previous insecurity. For those of us who have come to the place of belief in Christ, repenting of our sins, and trusting in Him to give us new life, we are like that adopted orphan. We no longer need to worry about our security, but we often act like we are still in spiritual poverty. When we sin, we are living according to our old manner of life, but when we walk by the Spirit and set our minds on things above, we are operating in our new identity as children of God. Colossians 3:12-17 give us one picture of what our new life in Christ can look like. Write out these verses and post them somewhere you will see them frequently. Set your mind on things above by reading and contemplating these verses and by applying them to situations in your daily life.

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 Romans 5:6-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.How much more then, since we have now been justified by His blood, will we be saved through
Him from wrath.For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our God, thank You for the great work You have done by setting us free from our old ways of life. Once we were dead in our sins, without hope, striving to make ourselves better. But You, oh God, being rich in mercy, because of Your great love, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4-6) You weren’t forced to save us, but You did. And now, we can walk in freedom with no more shame, no more condemnation, and no more fear. Forgive me, Father, for the times I revert to my old way of living. I am acutely aware of my tendency to live as though I need to save myself or make myself better. But You are the one who transforms and makes me new. Enable me to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, shifting my mindset to focus on the truth of the new life that You have given me. (Romans 12:2) Help me live my life as one who has been changed by You, sharing the joy and freedom that comes with new life in Your family.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music