Focus

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VIII 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!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Brianna shared an intensely profound thought on Monday that deserves slow savoring, “The intent of theology, our study of God and His nature, is to expand our heart, enlighten our minds, and grow our love and devotion toward God.” Think of all the reasons someone, maybe even you, might choose to study God. For many, myself included, it can be about appearance or self-proclaimed righteousness. There’s little else as enticing as the idea of making yourself feel good about impressing others, even more so if there’s a chance you could impress God. Others might at first begin pursuing God because others around us are doing the same, and we don’t want to stick out as awkward or shallow. Or maybe, we once loved Him passionately, but somewhere along the way, studying Him became rote, more like a checkbox than an act of adoration. Pray with me, will you Sister? Pray with me for the Spirit to convict our hearts, yours and mine, to bring about true revival so we may lay aside all that hinders our worship and grow deep in our love and devotion towards this God who loves us so magnificently!

2) It’s easy to find our hearts questioning God, isn’t it? Give yourself permission to take a few minutes and explore the corners of your heart without judgment or self-condemnation. Which scenarios in life have brought up your most intense questions or emotions towards God? What motivated your wonderings? What was the undercurrent emotion of your questions? Don’t back away from the emotion stirring in your now as you recall those events. Perhaps, as you look back, you don’t feel you’ve ever really questioned God. Did you ever feel you had the freedom to actually question Him? As Sarah shared on Wednesday about the questions she’s asked the Lord, she reminded us of an unchanging truth, the Lord never changes. He is both the center and the sustainer of all things. His magnitude is unmatchable. There is none like Him. He is not only big enough to handle our questioning, but is also kind, humble, and lowly enough to answer us with tender compassion. If His embrace is strong and sure, what questions will you bring?

3) Raise your hand if you’ve felt overwhelmed in the last 48 hours. Oh, you’re laughing? Last 24? Raising your eyebrows and smirking, I see? Fine, fine, last 10 minutes? There we go, now we all confidently assert we are on the same page of freaking out thinking of all the things. Hold your breath, I’m going to flip the coin. When were you last overwhelmed with the glory of Christ our Savior? A quiet fills the space here between us, doesn’t it? Some of you are smiling, remembering the sweet satisfaction of a holy moment in the not-so-distant past where we encountered the living God that marked you. Some eyes are glazing over as you work to control the outward eyeroll. Others are realizing it has been years since we felt our souls tremble in the presence of the Living God. Wherever you land, let this be a personal invitation to you to go farther than you are. Go deeper. Explore the God who loves intimate connection with you. Explain your doubts, your hurt, your distance, or your love for knowing Him. Lay it out, and ask for Him to make Himself known to you. Listen in, He wants to overwhelm You with the fullness of Himself!

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 Isaiah 42:8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I am the Lord. That is My name,
and I will not give My glory to another
or My praise to idols.

Prayer Journal
There is none like You, O Lord remind me today, over and over, if this life-giving refrain. There is none like You. When I look into someone else’s eyes, remind me of Your image stamped upon their hand-crafted soul and my I be in awe, there is none like You. When I connect with someone I love, let me stop to consider how much I love the sound of their voice, and remind me again with fresh wonder, there is none like You! You who gave Yourself in unthinkable sacrifice so I could hear Your voice, be known, and know You. Surely, there is none like You! As I move into next in my day whether it’s errands, or picking up children, or making a meal, or calling a friend, let worship reframe my everyday, common moments. May my heart, my face, my voice, my embrace, my eyes, all reflect the glory of the One who chose to love me and dwell within me. Oh Lord my God, there is none like You!

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

Worship VII Day 11 Held Fast

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Timothy 1:8-14
Psalm 91
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Hebrews 6:17-20
Jude 1:24-25

Worship VII, Day 11

When asked in 2015, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’m certain no one answered correctly! In Kansas City, we started with a Super Bowl Championship parade; joy was in the air and life was GOOD.

A few weeks later, Covid-19 entered the US; life turned upside-down.
Stay-at-home orders were issued.
#InThisTogether began trending.

Despite the hashtag’s slogan, however, stress and uncertainty quickly gave way to anger and division on our streets over racial inequality. The deaths of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George sparked protests against racial injustice and emotions raced even higher.

Adding to the tumult, investigations continue uncovering horrific atrocities against children.

Not to mention, it’s an election year in the United States.

Yep, pretty sure NO ONE could have predicted 2020’s events.
NO ONE except God.

As unsettling as 2020 has been so far, NOTHING has surprised God.  Our family word is KAIROS, referring to how God’s timing is SO different from ours.  As finite humans with limited knowledge, we are unable to “fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

To illustrate this mystery, consider a beautiful tapestry.  Merely surveying the BACK of the tapestry reveals only a tangle of thread and knots. Amidst the mess, the weaver continues the work, knowing the end result will be stunning.

GOD is a master weaver.

2020 is part of His plan.
In fact, all of history is His Story unfolding.
None of it is beyond His weaver’s fingers.
We can trust Him!

In the midst of chaos and confusion, HE remains steadfast, faithful, and GOOD.
We must cling to this truth!

Sitting in the middle of the unknown, it’s tempting to feel overwhelmed or defeated. Instead, let’s focus on truth: God is still at work.

In researching the hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast, I was blown away by God’s Almighty ability to weave the threads together.

In the early 1900s, the traveling evangelist, R.A. Torrey, was sharing the gospel. In 1902, in Australia, Robert Harkness joined his team as a pianist. Ironically, he agreed to be an accompanist at revival meetings BEFORE trusting Jesus as his personal Savior. He actually tried to mess up the music but failed. Due to the grace shown him by Torrey, he accepted Christ into his life.

The team traveled Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, India, and the British Isles while sharing Jesus. In London, they connected with the then-famous song writer, Ada Habershon, who joined their team. Ada would pen hymns lyrics while Robert expertly put them to music.

In 1906, a Canadian man spoke with Robert, expressing his fear of being unable to “hold out” in the midst of difficulty. Harkness wrote to Ada in England and requested lyrics speaking to this man’s struggle.

While Torrey preached to a crowd of 4,000 in Philadelphia, Harkness took out the slips of paper with Ada’s newly penned words for “He Will Hold Me Fast”, putting them to a melody then and there.

The music was captivating, and the song’s message stuck.
Over a hundred years later, we still sing Ada’s lyrics set to Robert’s melodies.
Incredibly, these words from 1906 intertwine perfectly with the experiences of 2020!

This is God at work, weaving a beautiful tapestry!

I got goosebumps reading testimonies of the impact Ada’s words have had over the years, even some from Kansas City.  Consider studying this history for yourself and pray God reminds you He is the same today just as He was then. (Hebrews 13:8)

Do you fear you also cannot “hold out”?

Maybe you need to be reminded we don’t need to depend on OUR strength, but in Jesus!  We can REST in Him, depending FULLY on HIS wisdom, power, joy, hope, peace, courage, and love.

Do you feel weak or weary?
Can you sense fear creeping in?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you question where your path will take you?
Do you question God’s love and goodness?
Do you doubt His sovereignty?
Do you wonder if He TRULY cares about you and the details of YOUR life?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do doubt, cynicism, and anger seem to be crowding out grace and compassion?
Does showing love to others feel exhausting?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Do you feel control slipping away?
Are you longing for Jesus to come back, wondering why He hasn’t yet?
Are you worried you might lose hope before He does?
You are NOT alone.
Christ will hold you fast.

Recently, the song, Another In The Fire, reminded me again that even in the FIRE, we are not alone.  Jesus stands with us just as He did with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

God parted the Red Sea.
He provided manna in the wilderness.
He shot water from a rock.
He closed lions’ mouths.
He defeated a giant through one boy’s faith.
Time and time again throughout history, He made His presence and power known as He wove His tapestry.

Then, He came to actually DWELL among us.
Jesus left heaven and was born humbly in Bethlehem.
His presence and power were felt in fresh BIG ways.

Jesus made the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, and brought the dead back to life.
Then, one day, He Himself died, paying the penalty for our sin.
Three days later, He rose again, forever conquering Death and offering eternal life and forgiveness to all who trust Him!
He can indeed hold us fast!

No thread of history can unravel God’s plan, including 2020 and the struggles in your life! We can trust JESUS remains constant, knowing He will forever hold us fast!

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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 VII 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 Worship VII!

Ten Day 1 Only One Worthy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-4
Acts 17:22-31
1 Kings 18:20-46
Isaiah 44:9-23

Ten, Day 1

Since the beginning of time, created beings have had an affinity for worship, we were in fact, handcrafted for worship! Alas, we set our worship on what we can visually feast our eyes on, or we worship the longings of our hearts. In all transparency, we worship ourselves.

Before you push back from the table and roll your eyes, can you see it?
Laundry folded my way.
The routine planned in benefit of me.
The fight with my spouse because I wasn’t being heard.
The dishwasher re-arranged to satisfy my preference.
Frustrated at church because they didn’t play the music I like best.
My playlist.
My meal plan.
My fitness agenda.
My way.
My pride.

Hold on and take a breath in, then say this with me, “I worship myself.”
Oh, that stings doesn’t it?!
My eyes are burning with tears having just said that out loud with you. Let its truth sink into the far-reaching corners of your heart, the areas we toss decorative throw pillows so no one sees what’s actually under there, least of all ourselves.

So, why would God’s first, most critically important commandment, and the second, jump off the page because it calls our attention to solely focus on Him as being God and the only One worthy of worship?

Because He loves us.

Wait, what?

Yes, do it with me again, take a breath in and linger over each syllable as you whisper out loud, “Because He Loves Us.”

Oh, that fills my heart and chills my skin.
What radical love exists that desires to loosen our death-like grip on ourselves, lift our chin to One Worthy, and allow us to bask in pure, brilliant love cascading over us?!

You shall have no other gods before Me.
I alone am He who brought you out slavery. (Exodus 20:2)
I alone have chosen you for My own possession and beautiful inheritance. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
I alone have cleared the ground before you, giving freedom. (Psalm 18:19)

You shall make no carved image and shall not bow down and worship it.
I am a jealous God, longing to pour out My steadfast love on you. (Exodus 20:5-6)
I alone am forgiver and redeemer. Only I can do what no created thing can. (Isaiah 44:17-22)
I alone am worthy. (Revelation 5:1-10)

One man stood atop a high hill, flanked on all sides by men who worshipped wooden idols their hands had created. They mocked him for worshipping Yahweh.

The man called aloud an impossible challenge, “You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of my God. The God who answers with fire, He Is God.” He built an altar, dug a ditch around it, and flooded the entire area with so much water, it flooded the ditch.

All the while, the men mocked. They pleaded for hours and hours for their god to send fire. They cut themselves. They danced provocatively. They slaughtered an animal. Silence.

Dusk crept around the crowd, tensions ran high, and Elijah beckoned to each bloody man, “Come near me.” With an audience of enemies tightening around him, he lifted his head and said, “Answer me, Yahweh! Answer me so this people will know You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.” (1 Kings 18:37)

Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the meat, the stones, and even the water.

Only One Worthy

A death sentence pressing against him because he refused to worship a man, Daniel fought against the grip of pride, and fell to his knees before an open window, choosing to publicly worship the Only One Worthy. The Lord God shut the mouths of the lions and spared Daniel’s life. (Daniel 6:10-21)

Dusty feet walking around a mega-city, eyes falling on a sign over an altar reading, “To The Unknown God.” With burning clarity, Paul turned to the citizens following him and said, “This God you worshipped in ignorance, I now proclaim to you.” (Acts 17:23) He, the Creator of all things, does not live in a shrine made by human hands. He who breathes into your lungs and fashioned your DNA is drawing you to Himself that you might worship Him, and Him alone. For He is the Only One Worthy of your worship. (Acts 17:24-29)

A vast multitude, innumerable by any standard, representing every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, stood as one body. Robed in white. Palm branches in their hands. They cried aloud with one, thunderous voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”.  (Revelation 7:9-10)

One who had power to pay our death penalty for sin by dying in our place.
One who offers to slay our pride so we can enjoy eternal life with Him.
One who commands our true worship because He loves us.

Only
One
Worthy

Who will you worship?

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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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 Ten 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 Ten!

The GT Weekend ~ Blessed 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!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Hungry and happy. Lord, teach me, please, to long for this state of being. Keep before my eyes how little I know, and have experienced with You, compared to all You are and all You have for me. Keep my heart hungry to feast upon You with insatiable longing. Turn my eyes from lesser loves; let me love them less and less until they no longer pull me in with their lucrative cravings. Make space this weekend to slow down to a place of complete stillness. Maybe a dark closet. Maybe a walk outside with no other distractions. Or maybe it’s just closing the bathroom door on yourself and b r e a t h i n g. In and out, slowing yourself, and praying, asking the Spirit to create a deep craving hunger inside you for Him. Beg Him to show you His glory and speak truth over you. Be hungry and happy.

2) The mercy Jesus spoke of in the beatitudes goes much deeper than loving compassion for someone or their situation. His mercy moves in to another’s circumstance, holds their hand, weeps while they weep, grieves while they grieve, and sits beside them in their suffering. The sweetest gift is given to those who are merciful to others, they are shown mercy. Tears fill my eyes just thinking of the vast kindness offered to us by our Savior in this! As we live out His merciful love to others, our God promises to show us the beauty of His deep mercy to us. Who is the Lord leading you to be merciful towards? Don’t close your box in and only consider those who you naturally love; where is the Father stretching you to be merciful? Know that, as you do, the Lord will shower His mercy upon you!

3) When I was a younger student of the Bible, I would read many passages with similar ideas to this one from Psalm 24:3-5, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord…stand in His holy place? Only those with clean hands and a pure heart…who has no deceit…He will receive blessings from the Lord and…salvation.” I would leave God’s Word feeling sick to my stomach, because I knew I could never be “one of those” who ascended the mountain to be with the Lord. No deceit? A pure heart? Clean hands? Shame would flood me with sharp realization of how deeply I was stained with my own sin. BUT GOOD NEWS! Jesus came to take ALL my sin and shame and do the miraculous, DECLARE ME RIGHTEOUS! Because of Jesus, I can ascend to be with the Lord. I have clean hands. I have a pure heart, because of Jesus Christ, my Mighty Rescuer! What sin and shame have you been carrying for far too long? Turn to the One who died to free you and elevate you with His righteousness when you humbly admit your need for a Savior!

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 Isaiah 29:14-16 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Therefore, I will again confound these people
with wonder after wonder.
The wisdom of their wise will vanish,
and the perception of their perceptive will be hidden.
15 Woe to those who go to great lengths
to hide their plans from the Lord.
They do their works in the dark,
and say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”
16 You have turned things around,
as if the potter were the same as the clay.
How can what is made say about its maker,
“He didn’t make me”?
How can what is formed
say about the one who formed it,
“He doesn’t understand what he’s doing”?

Prayer Journal
Lord God, let me not be found mocking your gift of lavish grace and love. What an indescribable gift to be given. Genuine, true, constant, intimate relationship with You, the Living God! And not a single work I could do to either earn it or keep it; only You have that mighty strength. Yet, Lord, I take this unsurpassed kindness, and I still choose to serve myself, withhold mercy to others, and choose my ways over yours. I still struggle trusting You. I still find myself doubting Your goodness. Spirit, remind me how You lovingly take me as I am, bind me up in Your love, and remake me to love and live in a way that brilliantly reflects Your own glory. Oh, Lord, I’m in awe of Your ways and Your working!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Focus 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) Control. We all love it. We all seek after it in varying degrees, with varying motives, and with varying degrees of success, yet we all crave it. So where are you today? Where are you lusting after control? What do you wish you could, or maybe are glad you do, have control over? Kendra reminds us that there is only One who holds the corner on all wisdom, all sovereignty, and all power. While He cannot be manipulated by us, He will allow us to have our way and fight to hold that power in our hands at the expense of His wisdom flowing through our lives. So, as you take stock, pray for His wisdom to overtake your own. Pray for your hands to loosen their grip and your heart to hunger for His ways instead of yours.

2)  Surrendering our perceived “right” to judge another with condemnation places us in a position to love instead of pass judgement with arrogance and pride. I’m challenging all of us, myself included, to make a short list of the last 5-7 people or instances where we flippantly passed judgement from a place of “we know better”. Now, stop everything, and pray for those people, those circumstances, and finally, pray for your own heart. Pray for a tender awareness to stop condemning and start loving instead. Pray for the Spirit to teach us to abide with Jesus first and then lovingly engage people for the sake of the gospel, not what we think they should or should not be doing. Turn that “short-list” into a prayer list, and see what the Lord will do!

3) Think through the process you went through as you made a decision recently. Maybe it was an important, weighty one, or maybe it was something simple; regardless, the manner in which you approached the decision reflects quite a bit about your faith, what you believe about God, and the posture of your heart. Read through Sara’s Journey yesterday and consider the steps she laid out for processing a decision. How have you experienced good from the Lord because you were wise in your decision process?

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 Isaiah 26:4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!

Prayer Journal
Creation speaks of you. Every leaf, every blade of grass, every puff of wind, all declaring You moment by moment. The tilt of the earth on its axis, the roll of the tide in tandem to the pull of the moon, the blood pulsing through our veins, all of it points to You as Creator and author from beginning to end. Yet, I still find myself again and again choosing my ways and my ‘wisdom’ over Yours. You, who know all, see all, understand all, and is sovereign over all, have delighted to share Yourself with me. Unimaginable! Lord, redirect my thoughts and plans. I long to be wise, to follow Your wisdom. Teach me to abandon myself over to You again and again.

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

Focus Day 15 Walking With Wisdom

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Read His Words Before Ours!

James 5:13-20
Proverbs 9:1-18
Isaiah 26:1-9

Focus, Day 15

I feel the ground shifting beneath me.
Not in experiencing an earthquake sense, but the reality upon which the past season has rested is moving with the times. I am not the same person I was a year ago.
The people and the circumstances around me have transformed as well. Tiny, almost imperceptible changes over time have led to this point of awareness.

What does tomorrow hold?
What decisions am I to make today?
How do I navigate the unknown and walk out the plans You have for me, Lord?
I wrap my hands around my mug and let the warmth seep into my hands.

Abba, today I pray Your word back to You and rest on its promise. Isaiah 26:3 says You will guard me and keep me in perfect and constant peace when my mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because I’ve committed myself to You, lean on You, and hope confidently in You. (AMP, adapted). Help me do just that, Lord. Help me surrender the future to You and listen for Your leading. Show me Your heart in order to help me find Your hand. For Your glory, Lord. For Your glory.

Tears now drip into my mug. I’ve lovingly been referred to as the Queen of Tears due to my ability to cry, and I bear the title with honor (and hopefully grace!). Today the tears mark my surrender that ushers in freedom. I know Who holds my future and that He has the details covered. While all those details may not be revealed too terribly far in advance, I know He will faithfully guide me along the way.

How do I know this? Because His proven track record in my life cannot be ignored. Over the years, He has walked me through many similar seasons in which His wisdom has paved the way for growth and increased discernment.

Does this mean that every time I approach a new decision, especially ones that feel significantly impactful, that I have no doubts or trouble in making the decision?

No, but I have learned a few key elements that help in the process as I seek the wisdom of the Lord.

Rehearse past decisions and outcomes.
More than likely, I’ve faced a similar decision in the past. It may not be the exact circumstances or feel like a similar scenario, but wisdom grows when we learn from our history. In looking back, I can see how the Lord has guided me. Other times, I have seen how He carried me through choices that may not have been the original plan. I can see how to make a different decision this time, while also holding onto the truth that He will never leave me or forsake me.

Pray.
Process through the decision with the Lord. What are all the elements involved? What are possible outcomes? Share with the Lord the emotions, the challenges, the hopes, etc. I like to pour out my heart to Him. (Psalm 62:8) If you’re anything like me, be sure to keep tissues nearby for this portion of the process.

Read the Word.
What does the Bible say? Are there any possible options the truth of the Word could eliminate? If the choice being made contradicts the Bible, the outcome will be less than desired.

Talk with trusted mentors, family, and friends.
I’m all about learning from others and have found this to be key in growing in wisdom. Countless times a decision has made sense in my mind, but then verbalizing it to someone else with wisdom has opened my eyes to see new perspectives. Others can ask questions to prompt new understanding or share their personal experiences to help me glean from their wisdom.

Listen for His peace.
For me, this is one of the final pieces in seeking and implementing the Lord’s wisdom. As I make a decision, does peace accompany it? This doesn’t mean all nerves go away. Any adventure, even the most positive and hoped-for ones, contain an emotional array of responses. I’m talking about peace at the heart and mind level. Is the Holy Spirit, who dwell within me, pouring out peace to lead me?

Seeking and implementing wisdom is worth the time and energy it takes to find it. I cannot even begin to process all the ways my life has been blessed, and heartache has been saved, due to walking wisely. No, life hasn’t been easy. In fact, making wise choices often result in countercultural decisions that have been difficult. However, time has proven the rich reward of obedience.

Today, my drink has cooled and my nose is now red, but my heart is settled once again in the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. I did not suddenly get the answers I so desperately wanted, but I found something much more powerful.

I experienced the awareness of His Presence
and the reminder of the promise that He holds tomorrow in His hands.

I’ll keep asking and seeking His wisdom, trusting that once again He will lead me on.
The ground may be shifting, but my hand is solidly in His.
Let’s walk this adventure, Lord. For Your glory.

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 Focus Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Focus Day 14 Me Or You?: 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 Me Or You?!

The Questions

1) Who is speaking in this passage and to whom are they speaking?

2) What is the purpose of this message?

3) What is the main theme of this passage?

John 15:9-17

 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Original Intent

1) Who is speaking in this passage and to whom are they speaking?
Jesus is speaking to the disciples in this passage. They have eaten the Passover meal and Jesus is preparing them for what is about to happen, His crucifixion on the cross. He has broken bread with them, washed their feet, and He is giving them His last words of encouragement and instruction before delivering Himself over to the Romans guards.

2) What is the purpose of this message?
Jesus is preparing the disciples to be in this world without Him. For three years, they have traveled with Him and listened to His teachings, but now it is time for them to become the ambassadors and spread His message without Him physically by their side. He does tell them He is not leaving them alone, but rather is providing them “a Helper”, the Holy Spirit. (John 14:15-20)

3) What is the main theme of this passage?
There are two words that stand out in this passage “abide” and “love”. Jesus is taking time in His last moments with His disciples to remind them of what they already know and have been taught over the last three years, but He is preparing them for what is to come. They must both abide in Him and love one another.

Everyday Application

1) Who is speaking in this passage and to whom are they speaking?
The disciples were Jesus’ closest followers. They left their homes, their families, and their lives to follow Him in His teaching. In these last moments, He is giving them one final message of hope with His last instructions being abide in me and love one another. As believers today, we are called to be Christ followers; we are His disciples in our time in history. We are to take His instruction to abide in Him and love others as the standard for the how to live out everyday lives. The Son of God knew His time on Earth had come to an end, and He left behind Holy Spirit empowered disciples to proclaim His truths until His return. We are these empowered and equipped disciples! Are we abiding? Are we loving well? Not sure what abiding looks like in real life? Check out our 3-week Journey Theme: Dwell!

2) What is the purpose of this message?
Have you ever been so wrapped up in a book or movie, you didn’t want it to end? Maybe the story was just that good or the characters were relatable, and you found yourself entrenched in their lives. Purely conjecture on my part, but I wonder if the disciples felt that way. They didn’t want their time with Jesus to end. They were scared (terrified really) and could see that things with Jesus were different; things were coming to an end. The things He spoke about seemed final and His once-coded messages about leaving began to unfold right before them. In all of that, Jesus wanted to offer hope, direction, and assurance. He wanted to put their mind at ease about coming events and, most importantly, wanted to give them instructions about things to come. He wanted to assure them this was God’s plan all along and in Him they were capable of carrying on. So Are We! You and I didn’t walk with Jesus while He was in the flesh, but when the ends of our lives are unraveling, the same assurance is for us. He sees, He knows, He is still the “with us” God!

3) What is the main theme of this passage?
Jesus’ instructions to the disciples were clear: abide in me and love one another. As followers of Him, that is our evaluation standard before I post on social media, before I speak to a friend who has hurt me, before I speak to my disobedient child, before I confront a co-worker about their choices, before—- you can fill in the blank. My focused questions should be am I abiding in Him? And am I loving that other person? John, the writer of this book, says “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The love we have for our neighbor that comes from our knowing Christ deeply through studying His word and growing in biblical community is the most powerful testimony to a world who does not know Him.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Me Or You?!

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 Focus 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!

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Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Focus Day 13 Me Or You?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

James 5:7-12
Proverbs 8:1-21
John 15:9-17

“Who does she think she is spouting off her credentials as if the rest of us aren’t qualified too? That’s not a great way to

Focus, Day 13

make friends in a new company!”

Whenever she wasn’t traveling and was in the office, I had this same thought, but then the Lord reminded me of a passage in Matthew 7.  Jesus is teaching to stop judging “her” for the splinter in “her” eye and worry about the giant plank in our own.
What was my plank?
Judging her for something I had done months early when I transferred to the department.

Then recently,  I judged a friend for getting into some serious trouble. Oh, I was high on my horse, passing out judgement like it was free candy day.
God’s words in John 15:17 crashed over me, “Love one another.”

What was my problem?
Why was I doing these things?

I was looking at others through my own lens.
Unfortunately, I still do that much too often. It’s pretty easy for us to get caught up in our own standards of “I would never”,
“That’s not a good way to handle things”, or even
“That’s not very godly or Christ-like.”

We pass our judgement and think nothing of it.
But what about when their “I would never” is the very thing we struggle with?
What if the way we would handle that situation isn’t what’s best for them?
Suppose we worried about our own areas for growth instead of focusing on theirs?

We forget that God never told us to judge others with condemnation because He doesn’t condemn. (Romans 8:1) In fact, He says “Do not judge.” Not just once, but over and over, in places like Matthew 7:1, Luke 6:37 and James 4:12. This kind of judgment of one another comes from a heart of jealousy, competition, arrogance, and self-righteousness.
All of which are in stark contrast to God’s character. (Note that we aren’t talking about righteous, brotherly/sisterly confrontation of sin, which we are most definitely called to do!)

James doesn’t only call out believers for this arrogant judging though, He doesn’t want us complaining about each other either. (James 5:9, James 4:11, 1 Peter 4:9) If you think about it, when we judge, are we not also complaining about that person’s imperfect nature?
But aren’t we all imperfect here on earth? This was Jesus’ point!

Instead of judging others we should be doing something else God commands.
Love.
So how do we go from judging to loving?

When God convicted me about judging my friend, I felt nudged to pray for her.
I hadn’t done the most loving thing you can do for someone — pray.
It cost me just a few minutes, but changed my entire perspective.

If given the opportunity, sharing your struggle with the same or similar thing moves you from self-righteousness to caring and understanding. Sharing verses of encouragement is also a very practical way to love instead of judge. You never know how much one verse can give someone just enough hope for that moment, day, or journey.

These loving acts are also acts of wisdom.
Proverbs 8 describes the importance of wisdom and the rewards for living wisely, which includes loving others without condemnation. In verse 18 a few rewards for living wisely include: riches, honor, lasting wealth, and righteousness.

Wisdom is God’s gift!
But His benefits include much more. Revelation 5:12 says Christ received power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing. Since we are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), these valuable treasures are also available to us! It doesn’t mean we all walk around with exquisite material possessions, but it does mean we have an inheritance in Jesus that will never fade!

I tried to compare the short-lived satisfaction I might get from judging others with the eternal riches of Christ, but it’s not even worth mentioning.
Is it better to do things my way or to focus on living like Jesus?
How does my “wisdom” for life stack up against what God has appointed me to do by living wisely for Him? (John 15:16)

Two words.
It doesn’t.

The best, most wise thing I can do, day after day, is to focus on following Jesus with all that I am, which means loving others well and growing in understanding of who God is through studying Scripture.

As I focus on following, my Father will delight my heart in much sweeter ways than any temporary pleasure I might have in straying into sin with my words or heart attitudes.

I’m learning to follow better by asking myself some questions when I start to judge, complain, or do something unloving.

Am I judging this person because it reminds me of my own past or current behavior?

 Will doing this draw me closer to God in any way?  Will it draw this person closer to God?

Does this reflect God’s wisdom?

How can I turn what I am headed toward into an act of love?

Sisters, let us be rich in the Lord and rich toward each other by loving wisely!

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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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Here’s a link to all past studies in Focus!

Focus Day 12 Giving Space And Losing Control: 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 Giving Space And Losing Control!

The Questions

1) Does verse 13 prohibit or discourage believers from making plans?

2) Does the warning to the rich (5:1) connect to the previous verses in chapter 4?

3) The Bible plainly teaches that overt disobedience to God is sin, sometimes called a ‘sin of commission’; but how serious is it to simply neglect to do what is good, sometimes called a ‘sin of omission’? (verse 17)

James 4:13-5:6

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. 4 Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you.

Original Intent

1) Does verse 13 prohibit or discourage believers from making plans?
We can know that James is not discouraging planning because of what he says in verse 15. He isn’t dealing with man’s plans as much as he is encouraging the reader to consider God’s sovereign rule in everything, just as the writer of Proverbs does: “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21) and “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” (Proverbs 27:1) Both Bible authors are expressing what God intends our posture to be towards Him, and what our attitude should be as we make plans. Under the influence of the Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21), James was recalling and emphasizing these Old Testament principles. Neither the writer of Proverbs nor James prohibit planning. In fact, there are many Proverbs that encourage it! (Proverbs 15:22; Proverbs 16:3, Proverbs 24:27, and Proverbs 6:6-8) The focus is our need for humility and dependence on God as we plan, recognizing that He is in control of our present and future.

 

 

2) Does the warning to the rich (5:1) connect to the previous verses in chapter 4?
Bible scholars disagree about who James is directly addressing in James 4:13-5:6 (studylight.org). Whether he was speaking to those inside or outside the church, it’s clear that his appeal was urgent and serious and meant to be heard by all. James makes the same connection in chapters 4 and 5 that we find in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus told a story about a man who made plans for himself regarding his money. (Luke 12:16-21) This man proved his arrogance in the way he misused what was in his possession. James’ mention of the cause for their fights and quarrels (4:1-2) gives us insight into the attitude that had crept in to the hearts of his hearers.  Self-sufficiency was evidently taking the place of dependence on God. There were those in the church who had been influenced by an egotistical perspective which puts man in control rather than God. (James 4:6-10 ) James’ serious words in 4:13 and 5:1 take a similar tone to the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah. (Isaiah 10:1-2) The first words in both verses, “come now”, were meant to get the audience’s attention and reveal their self-reliance regarding their plans and possessions. The Expositor’s Greek Testament explains that “this expression of disapproval occurs only in 4:13 and in James 5:1 in the New Testament” and has a similar meaning to the phrase “woe is you.”

3) The Bible plainly teaches that overt disobedience to God is sin, sometimes called a ‘sin of commission’; but how serious is it to simply neglect to do what is good, sometimes called a ‘sin of omission’? (verse 17)
We don’t find the phrases “sin of omission” and/or “sin of commission” mentioned specifically in the Scriptures. But the Bible contains many verses which mention sin as a result of not doing something God’s Word commands us to do, as well as those sins a person deliberately commits. In the New Testament, Jesus uses a parable to compare a righteous Samaritan to an unrighteous priest and a Levite. The latter, knowing what was good, failed to do it. The former demonstrated his compassion by stopping to assist a man in need (Luke 10:30-37).  In His story, Jesus was making it clear that not doing the good thing was sinful. In Matthew 25:42-46 , those who are separated from Christ are the ones who saw others’ needs but did not provide for them. There was not intentional harm done, but there was an absence of intentional good. The subtlety of this kind of sin, sin of omission, is what makes this passage so serious. Just as neglecting the needy is unrighteous, so is the kind of pride that causes a lack of acknowledgment of God’s sovereign rule in our lives. “The Lord does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the depth.” Psalm 135:6

Everyday Application

1) Does verse 13 prohibit or discourage believers from making plans?
Paul told Timothy that all Scripture was to be used in our learning. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) As we examine the many Bible passages that speak to some of our questions, we discover what the writers are teaching us through the wider lens. We know James is not instructing the Christian to stop making plans because of what the whole Bible teaches. Solomon repeatedly referred to the wisdom of planning. He even connected it to our possessions and how planning affects our future. Jesus also taught that planning was beneficial. (Luke 14:28-32) The slippery slope for us is failing to acknowledge how God is ultimately in control of every plan we make. We don’t have to verbally say “if the Lord wills” every time we plan something, but we certainly should have that thought in our heart and it should change our outlook and attitude about all our plans and encounters throughout the every day.

2) Does the warning to the rich (5:1) connect to the previous verses in chapter 4?
Most Christians would probably admit that much of their anxiety stems from something related to their finances or possessions. It is difficult to hold material things so loosely that if we lose them, we remain content. What we have can became a source of false security for us. When we let worry infest our living, we can unintentionally become hoarders instead of helpers. We can become keepers, not givers. Failure to daily see God as our sole Life giver and Lifesaver allows too much space in our hearts for the things of the world to move in and reside.
It’s important to maintain humility as we go through our lives, knowing it’s God who has given us everything we have, and He is also the One working in and through every plan to produce something good in and for us. (1 Corinthians 4:7, Romans 8:27-28) Once we learn to focus on His goodness and generosity, we can free ourselves to help others, rather than take advantage of them or oppress them for our own gain.

3) The Bible plainly teaches that overt disobedience to God is sin, sometimes called a ‘sin of commission’; but how serious is it to simply neglect to do what is good, sometimes called a ‘sin of omission’? (verse 17)
Sometimes it’s harder to see our sins of omission. We can become proud of our obedience in the way we avoid overt sins and can miss the grief we bring to the heart of God by our lack of “doing good” when given the opportunity. Though it takes time and intentional practice, it is vital that those of us who desire to please God recognize our dependence on Him. As we begin our day looking at our calendars, we can direct our attention toward Him. Do you see the “watermark” of God’s will on every page of your life’s journal? We should. It’s there in the background of our lives. The jobs we have, the money we make, the kids we raise, the friends we meet … what we commit to and what we omit should all be viewed in light of God’s will. When we take that first step of the day, let’s not neglect acknowledging His presence, His purpose, and His power in our every moment. To fail to do so is sin, and we don’t desire to grieve Him.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Giving Space And Losing Control!

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 Focus 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.