Gracefully Truthful
  • Register!
    • GT Journey Groups
  • Today’s Journey
  • Previous Journeys
  • Faces of Grace
  • GT Bookstore
  • Our Mission
    • Our Beliefs
    • GT Partners
      • Dee
      • Donna
      • Michelle
      • Rebecca
      • Sarah
      • Sara
    • Translations Matter

Grace

Worship X Day 11 From Eternity To Eternity

May 23, 2022 by Sara Cissell 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 103
Deuteronomy 6:10-12
Deuteronomy 8:11-20
Psalm 25:8-11
Isaiah 40:28-31

Worship X, Day 11

Day 1
As I sit to write today’s Journey Study, physical and emotional tiredness are my companions. Thankfully, tomorrow is a new day and His mercies are new every morning.

“[Your mercies] are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:23)
His promise allows me to let the events of the day drain away while focusing on the truth found in His Word.

The truth in Psalm 103 is a solid reminder while my body is ready for rest and a new day, His mercies for today are still active.

“My soul, bless the LORD,
and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
My soul, bless the LORD,
and do not forget all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2)
Tiredness begins to melt away as my focus shifts from myself to the truth of the Lord. The tension in my shoulders eases as I ponder His benefits.

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.” (Psalm 103:8)
Thank You, Lord, for Your compassion, grace, and slowness to anger. I am so undeserving of those, especially today when I failed to extend the same to my husband. Please forgive me.

“He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10)
Thank You for Your forgiveness, for not repaying me according to what I deserve.

“He satisfies you with good things;
Your youth is renewed like the eagle.” (Psalm 103:5)
Thank You for renewing my youth and my strength, so I can “run and not become weary [. . .] walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31) when I wait on You. This, too, is one of Your mercies for today. Help me wait on You and experience Your energizing presence.

Lord, You have poured out so many benefits, yet how often do we fail to thank You for all the ways You demonstrate Your love towards us?

I’m not sure I actually want to answer that question.
But I can choose to make tomorrow and each subsequent day different.

Day 2
I set alarms today on my phone. Four of them.
When they sounded throughout my day, I intended to pause and focus on the Lord and the truth of Psalm 103.

When the first alarm rang, I remembered my conviction, paused to say a quick thank You for my current blessings, and continued on with my day.

A short while later I snapped at my husband in conversation and the words of Psalm 103:2 wafted through my mind, “do not forget all His benefits.”

Ugh. My fleshly heart rebelled at the gentle conviction of the Lord through His Word.

My study of this verse revealed connections to Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 6:12 reminded the Israelites, in the midst of their materiel bounty,
“[B]e careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.”

Two chapters later, Deuteronomy 8:11 reiterates,
“Be careful that you don’t forget the LORD your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today.”

Understanding began to dawn. I’d said thank you to the Lord for His benefits to me with the first alarm, but quickly forgot Him by failing to follow His commands to show His mercies to others.

With the next alarm, my heart posture stretched a bit deeper.

Thank You, God, for forgiving me. Please help me to demonstrate my love for my husband and respect him with my words and tone.

This encounter with the Lord didn’t fade into the background of my day. Much like the eased tension of the previous night, my emotional and physical reactions softened. I sensed the Holy Spirit within me, helping me as I surrendered more fully to Him.

The third alarm was set for late afternoon. Reflecting on the impactful second alarm, I felt anticipation growing. What would You speak to me during this moment of encounter, Lord?

As I waited for late afternoon to arrive, the words of Psalm 103:17 lovingly wrapped themselves around my heart.
“But from eternity to eternity
The LORD’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him[.]”

Psalm 25:10 echoes,
“All the LORD’s ways show faithful love and truth
To those who keep his covenant and decrees.”
He is faithful to us now, and promises His faithfulness will extend to eternity.

This brought such hope to my heart; no matter the circumstances awaiting us in this lifetime,
if we seek the Lord, He will faithfully walk with us.

We can thank Him for the hard times with confidence.
We can rejoice in today.
We can praise Him for all of His benefits.

In the Lord’s divine multiplication, when we praise Him
from the depths of who we are
for who He is, He is honored and we are helped.
He is worthy of worship now and for eternity!

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 Worship X 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 X!

Posted in: Adoration, Adoring, Anxious, Believe, Faith, Faithfulness, Grace, Mercy, Redeemed, Worship Tagged: adoration, Bless, kindness, Lord, mercy, praise, soul

Worship X Day 6 Just Be Still And Know Already

May 16, 2022 by Sarah Young Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 54
Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 5:38-48
Psalm 50
Psalm 51

Worship X, Day 6

Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door

Jonny Diaz’s song BREATHE filled my head as I began working on this Journey Study, part of a series on Worship. The prompt I was given begins, “The call to be still and know our God…”

Should we read all of Psalm 46, we would promptly be reminded, “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, emphasis mine)

If there was ever anyone who desperately needed God as a refuge, it was David, the Hebrew shepherd-boy-anointed-king whose subsequent military victories incited the jealousy of the current king, Saul.

As David penned the words in Psalm 54, our passage for today’s study, he was hiding in an epic game of hide and seek from Saul, who sought to kill him. Hence, David cries out, “God, save me by Your name[!]” (Psalm 54:1)

And, true to Psalm 46:1, God answered David’s desperate plea. David’s life was spared and he declared, “God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life.” (Psalm 54:4)

As we read this story, we might think David has the right to defend himself and KILL Saul. In 1 Samuel 24, David has the chance to do just that; instead, David spares Saul.

If we look closer at Psalm 54, we better understand David’s uncanny grace for the man who wanted him dead.
David writes, “He [God] will repay my adversaries for their evil.” (Psalm 54:5)

Maybe a song of Moses came to David’s mind as he hid.

In Deuteronomy 32, as the Israelites FINALLY prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses reviewed their journey in the form of a song, his lyrics deep and poignant.

“Vengeance belongs to Me [God]; I will repay.” (Deuteronomy 32:35)

So David leaves justice in God’s hands.

I’m more familiar with the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter 12, where Paul repeats Moses’s words. Paul also quotes from Proverbs 25:21-22, where Solomon advised, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink[.]”

Jesus Himself taught this “new” way of living.
“You have heard it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you[.]” (Matthew 5:43-44)

In our wait for fulfilled promises or our search for justice, we can easily get caught up in the chaos. We shout and FIGHT, demanding justice – as WE see fit – be served, right now.

Anyone else’s voice a little hoarse?
Anybody else’s thumbs a little overworked from typing out comments on social media?
Anyone else’s relationships been a little (or a lot) strained?

Maybe we should take a different approach.
Ya know, like Psalm 46 tells us.
“Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

What if we viewed justice the same way as David?
The God David served is the same God we serve today.
We are assured in Scripture that God does NOT change, EVER.

(Numbers 23:19, Psalm 90:1-2; Isaiah 40:8; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)

He is forever gracious, compassionate, merciful, and JUST.

Always. (Hebrews 13:8)

If David could offer a sacrifice of praise in response to all God had done, so can we.
Indeed, Paul urges us to do so at the beginning of Romans 12.

In David’s time, God had outlined very specific sacrifices and offerings the Israelites were to make. Additionally, a person could make a FREEWILL OFFERING, voluntarily presenting a sacrifice that was above and beyond what was expected.

Thankfully, we no longer need to make sacrifices for our sins. Jesus died – in our place – for all sin, for all time. Then, He rose again, conquering death and declaring ultimate victory for everyone who believes in Him. He longs for people’s HEARTS, to be in close relationship with us.

We reflect our relationship with God, and HIS character, in the way we treat others . . . especially the ones who aren’t so easy to love.

We make a freewill offering when we don’t complain because the neighbor’s dog poops in our yard. Instead, we write a friendly note and put fresh cookies in their mailbox.

We offer ourselves as a living sacrifice when we don’t blast someone on social media because they voted differently than us. Rather, we invite them over to watch the Super Bowl – because everyone loves chips and salsa.

In the midst of our messy, busy, noisy lives may we quiet our hearts.
May we allow space for our souls to respond to the God who created us and constantly cares for
When injustice consumes the world around us, may we look to our God of justice.
In the stillness, may we see Him, hear Him, and KNOW Him.

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 Worship X 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 Worship X!

Posted in: God, Grace, Love, Prayer, Relationship Tagged: God, grace, love, relationship

Eden Day 14 Exiled For Good: Digging Deeper

May 5, 2022 by Melodye Reeves 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 Exiled For Good!

The Questions

1) Does God’s grace give a believer the freedom to sin recklessly and consistently? (verses 15-16)

2) How can those in Christ be set free, yet at the same time be enslaved? (verse 18)

3) What prompted the apostle Paul to use the analogy of human freedom and slavery? (verses 19-20)

4) What are the contrasting results and outcome of choosing to depend on grace rather than law to save us? (verses 22-23)

Romans 6:16-23

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, 18 and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. 21 So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. 22 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Original Intent

1) Does God’s grace give a believer the freedom to sin recklessly and consistently? (verses 15-16)
Since the original Koine-Greek didn’t provide punctuation, the translators supplied it as they saw necessary within the context. It is crucial to understand that Paul was emphatic in verse 15. Paul’s point of emphasis was essential to understanding God’s grace. Especially in an epistle, this kind of examination of the writer’s tone is vital to correct interpretation. When reading a letter we have received, we may repeatedly review the written words. We want to know if there is a hint of something more than what is evident. Punctuation is helpful as we assess tone. To understand Paul’s whole tone, we refer to his questions introduced in Romans 5:20-6:2. His question in verse 15 is not simply a repeat of those questions, but rather it evidences he is building his case. The verb tense in the Greek makes it clear that in the previous verses he is referring to continual sinning, while here it’s the act of a particular sin. (preceptaustin.org) Though Paul never indicates sin will completely lose its appeal, he makes it clear that a sinful lifestyle and specific acts of sin will be loathed by a professing believer. The Greek phrase mē genoito (“may it never be”) is the key to knowing how to punctuate these verses. It is why every reliable translation for verse 15 adds the exclamation point. Verse 16 stresses the importance of the believer’s slavery to obedience leading to righteousness, not to slavery to sin leading to death. “Having presented himself to God in dedication, the believer needs to obey Him. Obligation always follows dedication whether the dedication is to sin or to obedience. The outcome of dedication to sin is death, but the outcome of dedication to obedience is righteousness.” (studylight.org)

2) How can those in Christ be set free, yet at the same time be enslaved? (verse 18)
There is such a beautiful gospel paradox in verse 18! Only in God’s reality is there a freedom and a slavery that exists concurrently. The freedom to obey is a concept beyond our human comprehension. It requires faith in God’s word and in His promises, and a radical reconstruction of our view of sin and righteousness. Our human tendency is to see boundaries as restrictive, not freeing. A fish is restricted by water, while also alive in that water. It seems impossible for self-denial to be a demonstration of grace received. Yet it is this tension that is at the core of the entire book of Romans. The life of a Christ follower is one of continual, internal war between competing desires. Paul himself knew the struggle well. (Romans 7:18-23) The difference between genuine obedience to righteousness and attempting an obedience to the law is in our heart motivation. These believers obeyed “from the heart.” In verse 17, Paul expresses his thankfulness for their good choice to sincerely obey. Paul reminds the reader that “being enslaved to righteousness” is a position and a decision. We become slaves to righteousness when we come to Christ; it is our position as believers. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) But we must choose to declare that freedom when temptations arise that would take us captive to sin again. (Galatians 3:21-27) Dedication to God’s way and God’s will does not provide an automatic assurance we will always do the right thing. Paul understands that not every believer will access his or her freedom (verse 16) from sin’s oppression and choose slavery to righteousness. Yet, righteousness obtained inevitably leads the people of God to desire to live in obedience to Him.

3) What prompted the apostle Paul to use the analogy of human freedom and slavery? (verses 19-20)
Jesus also spoke of being a slave to sin in John 8:34 because His hearers understood the relationship between slave and master all too well. They were keenly familiar with the circumstances in which serving as a slave necessitated yielding to the one in control. Paul also used this comparison because the understanding of its gravity was so common and readily understood by the masses. He wrote that he was “using a human analogy” (Romans 6:19) by comparing the believer’s situation to that of a free person on the one hand and to a slave on the other. Paul did this to help his readers grasp the critical importance of the message. He felt compelled to be extremely explicit due to their past relationship with sin. Paul wrote in verse 19 that he used this analogy “because of the weakness of their flesh [human nature]”. They were sinful humans needing God’s saving grace. (Romans 5:8-12) Now he reminded them that the saving grace they had initially experienced would be the same grace that produced the righteousness in them on a regular basis. Bible scholars call this process of choosing which way we’ll be enslaved “progressive sanctification”. Though we possess the righteousness of Christ and eternal life at the moment of our salvation (John 10:28-29, 1 Peter 1:3-5), believers are a work in progress even now as His Spirit makes us more like Christ. Paul said that each time we choose righteousness over sin, sanctification is taking place. (verse 22, see question 4) “[This] refers to the process in our daily lives by which we are being conformed to the image of Christ. It is the process of becoming what we are in Christ. This involves the putting off of the old habits of lying, stealing, backbiting, etc., and putting on the Christ-like qualities of honesty, mercy, and love.” (Bible.org)

4) What are the contrasting results and outcome of choosing to depend on grace rather than law to save us? (verses 22-23)
Paul consistently though of the law in terms of its commands, so when he speaks of righteousness not being attained through the law, he has this in mind. For more of Paul’s teaching regarding the law, his letter to the Galatians is helpful. Check out our accompanying Journey Theme: Freedom. Paul says in verse 15 these believers were “not under the law but under grace.” The Law had provided for the people the habits of holiness, but it could not change their sinful nature. It lacked the power to change the desire of their hearts. Paul’s concern was that this newfound grace would wrongly lead them to sin more by completely ignoring the Law as if it no longer mattered. He was astonished at this response. Since the fruit of their failed attempts to keep the Law was shame, why would they take for granted the grace that had freed them from that?! Sin had held them captive to an eventual death. BUT NOW (verse 22) there was different fruit that would be produced through God’s Spirit! No longer would the fruit be shame, it would be life! This new life generates fruit that glorifies God and creates lasting joy, where the ultimate outcome is eternal life. Paul equates being a slave to righteousness with being “a slave to God.” (verse 22) Their now-Master is God Himself instead of Sin. Paul had explained in Romans 1:28-32 that sin was serious and that the wages were fair. All sinners “deserve” to die. Now he repeats the important outcome of sin and the contrast that must be acknowledged, “The wages of sin is DEATH.” (verse 23) But under grace – that is, the gift of God – the outcome is eternal LIFE! (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Everyday Application

1) Does God’s grace give a believer the freedom to sin recklessly and consistently? (verses 15-16)
Maybe you’ve heard someone say, ‘freedom isn’t free’. That’s likely accurate when it comes to a nation, but when it comes to God’s grace, what sounds too good to be true is a believer’s reality! This sets up a believer for a lifelong fight against the craftiest enemy to ever exist. Because Satan hates us and he hates God, he will constantly whisper in our ear, “Did God really say?”(Genesis 3:1) His whispers can tempt us to either distrust someone who gives us an expensive gift with no strings attached (John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9), or take advantage of their generosity. Paul worried about the readers doing the latter. From a purely natural viewpoint, grace is scandalous. That’s why the enemy’s scheme is a devious one. “Did God really offer you HIS righteousness for free?!” Everything Paul reminded the reader of in verses 3-9 is true for us as believers. Though the non-believing person is free from righteousness, when we experience grace we have no desire for that kind of freedom. Our response to God’s grace should not be to live a life of rebellion, void of submission and thankfulness. May that never be, my sweet sister! We are free from the penalty of our sin, and are now both required and free to say no to sin on a daily basis and free to follow Jesus into life everlasting. It’s not too good to be true, it’s delightfully freeing!

2) How can those in Christ be set free, yet at the same time be enslaved? (verse 18)
Sister, this is everything! Do you remember the story Jesus told of the generous father and ungrateful son in Luke 15:11-32? The son wanted freedom from boundaries and obedience, so he asked for his inheritance and left home. But his choice didn’t lead to freedom at all, but into deeper slavery. He became entrenched in slavery to his selfish desires and eventually became someone’s servant who took care of pigs. He wanted to free himself but he enslaved himself in the process. It was only when he came to his senses, realized the love he had abandoned, and humbly returned home to his father that he found grace and real freedom. We are that son in so many ways. We think freedom is found in living a life centered on ourselves, our desires, and our happiness. Maybe you’ve experienced the anguish of choosing a life free of righteousness only to find it led you to despair and desperation. Often, this choice involves so much pain and sorrow. It is certainly true that we will not be completely free from our sinful desires until Jesus returns. There will be a never-ending battle to walk in that freedom until He does. Even as people who bask in our righteous condition, from time to time we will give into sin which we must confess. (1 John 1:8-2:2) But once we’ve tasted and digested the good grace of God, we will desire to stay away from what displeases Him.

3) What prompted the apostle Paul to use the analogy of human freedom and slavery? (verses 19-20)
The history of humanity is deeply embedded with the element of slavery. Many Bible scholars believe slavery in biblical times was very different from the wicked slavery that has plagued our world. For one, it was rarely based exclusively on race. In Bible times, slavery was based more on economics and social status. People often sold themselves to pay their debts and provide for their families. Some actually chose to be servants of others. This is helpful as we attempt to comprehend Paul’s analogy because he intentionally chose it to illustrate his point. Let’s consider the picture he paints for us as it points us to the way of salvation. The slavery Paul writes of had nothing to do with society or the reformation of a social system, but it had everything to do with the reformation of a person’s mindset. When we experience God’s gift of salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin, God reforms our soul. It is then we realize that the slavery Paul speaks of is tied to an allegiance. We are no longer bound to sin that drives us to obey unrighteousness. We are now bound to a better Master, God Himself! This kind of slavery actually offers freedom for life. It’s a glorious paradox that shouts: Emancipation Day! You’re all free to obey God and live in His righteousness!

4) What are the contrasting results and outcome of choosing to depend on grace rather than law to save us? (verses 22-23)
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20 that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. It is through Him we are no longer responsible to perfectly keep the regulations we find in the Law for our salvation. We couldn’t if we tried! Understanding the grace of God in Christ helps us to keep Him precious in our souls, sweet friend. We see His beauty and we are drawn to it. Sister, it is this glorious grace He offers that compels us to obey. We have the freedom to reject this offer, but once we understand the value of this free gift we are overwhelmed with gratitude. It is by God’s grace, through faith in His promise, we are saved from death. (Galatians 3:21-26) It is this grace that also attracts us to our Savior. (2 Corinthians 4:6) John Piper offers an excellent insight, “[There are] people whose Christianity is a group of ideas about Christ, not an experience of the preciousness of Christ. Their Christianity is all truth and no treasure. All ‘choice’ and no cherishing. All logic about Christ and no love for Christ. All ‘decision’ and no delight. Oh, that we would all pursue the preciousness of Christ. And the preciousness of justification by faith. And the preciousness of being under grace, not under law. He came under law and satisfied the law, so that we might be redeemed from law and become children of God.” The outcome of choosing our own righteousness by trying to keep the law is death. BUT the outcome of choosing Christ’s righteousness through His grace is LIFE FOREVER!

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

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 The Groom & His Bride!

The Questions

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Original Intent

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?
The phrasing in verse 10, “I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with” refers to the scene from Genesis 3 when the curse is laid on Adam as a result of his sin in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:17-19) The curse details how, even though Adam had previously been given work as a gift, now the work would carry a burden, it would be difficult, and produce only a fraction of what it would have before the effects of sin. The work God intended to bring us life and satisfaction in the doing of it, will now be twisted with sin and death. The Genesis passage also references life itself, which was a gift given to humankind, but now because of sin, all life will return to dust. If this were the end of the story, life itself is utterly meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?
Verse 11 immediately follows up the meaninglessness of verse 10 with hope, “He has made everything beautiful in its time”, which also references the finishing of Creation in Genesis 1:31 when God declared that everything He had made was very good. All of creation, in its original design, was very good, flawless without a hint of imperfection, but man chose sin, destroying the beauty. (Ecclesiastes 7:29, Genesis 3:6-7) Yet, the God who made everything beautiful at creation’s inception, is not impotent when it comes to sin and its decay. The same all-powerful God who formed atoms at the beginning of time and space, is the same all-powerful God who “has put eternity into man’s heart”. There is more beyond the “now”, there is eternity, and an eternal God who, in His own creation, shaped the heart of all people to long for eternity, to seek out the eternal God…to look for HOPE beyond themselves. This is the heart of a Groom who longs for His Bride. This is a picture of a pursuant God who intentionally designed His Beloved to hunger for Him, to ache to be made whole.

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?
The teacher of Ecclesiastes notes that “whatever God does, endures forever” (verse 14) His purposes are sure and His plans cannot be thwarted, even in spite of our sin! The teacher further goes on to explain that this eternality of God and His immutability, is for our benefit. He set up creation that humanity would perceive the character of God (Romans 1:20) in order that we might fear Him (meaning to stand in absolute stunning awe of Him), come to know Him, and call Him Lord for ourselves. He is the pursuant Groom, and we are the ones He is seeking that He might call us His Bride! “God seeks what has been driven away.” (verse 15)

Everyday Application

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?
The “business” God has given is the gift of work. Whatever your work is, this is the gift of God. How do you spend your days? What fills them? What is your work and when was the last time you saw it as a gift? What makes our work a gift, even now living in a fallen world with the effects of the curse pervading every aspect of life, is Who we do the work for. Work is redeemed when we see it as a means to glorify God and love others. (Colossians 3:17) Verse 12 notes, “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.” Enjoy your work (Ecclesiastes 3:22), honor the giver of work, and love others well (Psalm 34:14, Psalm 37:3).

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?
As you consider your everyday life, your work, your relationships, your joys, and your sorrows, where are you longing for Hope? What would begin to shift in your perspective and your heart when you consider that God intentionally designed for you to seek and know and be found by Him and He uses your everyday scenarios to draw you closer to Himself? What if you began to see your everyday, real life situations as invitations from the Almighty to come to Him, to seek Him, and be known by Him? Would you reach for Him more willingly? Would you call out for His help more frequently? Perhaps your heart would even become more quickly stirred to aching for His return when He will make all things new and beautiful once again. (Revelation 21:5)

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?
I’m a mom of 7; nothing I do lasts for 5 minutes, let alone for eternity. Laundry, dishes, tidy beds, or a stocked pantry last only moments, but what God does never fades. God Himself is eternal, and because He loves His Bride, He has created a future for her to dwell with Him for eternity. His Church, the Beloved, made up of all those special and unique lives that have surrendered their all to Him, will finally find fullness and sweetness as it was designed to be from the beginning. We will inherit a life of purpose, a life of productivity, a life of intimacy with God, a life that will last for eternity! This kind of hope will never fail!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Groom &His Bride!

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 Bride 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.

Posted in: Christ, God, Grace, Righteousness, Salvation, Sin Tagged: Christ, God, grace, righteousness, salvation Christ, Sin

Eden Day 10 Invitation To Conversation

April 29, 2022 by Sara Cissell Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
1 John 1:5-10
John 8:1-11

Eden, Day 10

There is power in a question.
It’s an invitation to connect.
It’s a humble initiation of a conversation.

All of these make perfect sense to me as I reflect on my use of questions in recent interactions. Asking clarifying questions helped me better understand the work project my husband had begun. Asking the daughter of a friend her thoughts drew her into the conversation and helped bridge the gap between generations. Asking for the motivation behind a friend’s decision enabled me to infuse the conversation with grace in the midst of a challenging discussion.

Questions have power and can yield powerful results.
In Genesis 3:9-13, the Lord graciously asked Adam and Eve the first questions in Scripture.
Where are you?
Who told you that you were naked?
Did you eat from that tree that I commanded you not to eat from?
What have you done?

Consider the significance of the Lord asking questions.
God, the Creator of everything, asks questions which invite and allow us to engage with Him. He initiates conversation with us through questions. Is that mind boggling to anyone else? The infinitely powerful Lord, Who was, is, and is to come, chooses to interact with us. (Revelation 1:8)

Not only does He choose to interact with us, He does so with grace and mercy.

He did not ask Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” because He did not actually know where they were. The Lord knows all things (Psalm 139:1-4), but by His ask, He provided space for them to come to Him with their defenses down.

Have you ever experienced a similar interaction? Has someone asked you a question to which you both knew the answer, but you were given an opportunity to speak non-defensively?

Tone and timing have an incredible impact in this communication. When I visualize the Lord’s interaction with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, I picture the patient calm of a parent seeking to draw her child’s attention to a glaringly obvious mistake. As in, the mom asking her toddler where the cookie went while the visible crumbs still line the child’s lips.

By asking the question instead of declaring the failure, the ownership of the decisions made rested solely on Adam and Eve. A defensive response did not arise because the Lord’s approach revealed the sin, instead of attacking it.

The Lord asked a series of questions that fleshed out the first sin on earth. He lovingly removed the shame by addressing the failure while still treating Adam and Eve with dignity. He asked them to explain their decisions, He addressed their sin, and He conveyed the consequences of those decisions.

Because of the way the Lord engaged Adam and Eve, an open door for communication remained and a framework for dealing with sin was created.

These truths apply to us as well. When we sin, we must process through it with the Lord just as Adam and Eve did in Eden. The Lord invites our conversation and lovingly prompts us with His questions.

Why?

Because He desires us to engage with Him, and be transformed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18) as our sin is washed clean through confession and asking for His forgiveness.

“If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

Thousands of years after the first sin in Eden, when the Lord walked the earth as Jesus, His gracious invitation to conversation remained unchanged. To a woman caught in adultery and literally surrounded by predatory, self-righteous accusers, He responded with mercy, dismissing those who sought her death. (John 8:1-9)

Then, He invited her into conversation with two gentle questions.
“When Jesus stood up, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’
‘No one, Lord,’ she answered.
‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus. ‘Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.’
(John 8:10-11, emphasis mine)

Like Adam and Eve, like this woman, I know the Lord is after my heart when I sense the Holy Spirit ask me sweetly-convicting questions about my behavior, thoughts, or anything else. The sooner I confess my sin to Him, the sooner I experience restoration in our relationship. The process goes much quicker and more smoothly when I approach the Lord with lowered defenses.

Many times I have felt the Lord lift my head and invite me to talk with Him. Never once have I raised my eyes to look upon His gaze only to be turned away with condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

When you hear the Lord ask about your heart, know He is inviting you into deeper relationship with Him.

How will you answer His invitation to conversation?

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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

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

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

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

Posted in: Creation, Grace, Lord, Love, Mercy, Power, Uncategorized Tagged: creation, grace, Lord, love, mercy, power

The GT Weekend! ~ Sacrifice Week 3

April 16, 2022 by Marietta Taylor 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

Worship Through Journaling

1) Sarah kicked off our final week of Sacrifice with a powerful story about forgiveness. She demonstrated how the forgiveness we receive from Jesus can lead to personal forgiveness toward others. As she walked us through the Bible, unpacking the path from animal sacrifice to the sacrifice of our Savior on our behalf, how did you personally connect to the purpose of sacrifice? Journal your thoughts and prayers on how this sacrificial thread has affected your life. Looking at Ephesians 2, which is where we find our memory verse, we can see clearly that without the sacrifice of the cross, we would be eternally lost. God’s love for us is so great that Christ paid the highest price to win us to freedom, peace, and belonging. With whom can you share this great truth? Write down their name and share your story with them, giving them a glimpse into the gospel. Check out the Journey Theme, Gospel, to help ground you understanding “the Gospel in one verse” in John 3:16.

2) One of my favorite worship songs is “Mercy Seat”, which describes how believers in Jesus have freedom to run to the mercy seat and find God’s presence, grace, and mercy. In the Old Testament, the “mercy seat” was a physical part of the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God would “meet” with His people. In the New Testament, that physical mercy seat has been replaced by the constant spiritual presence of God’s Spirit living within all who place their faith in Him. Jesus has made one sacrifice for all sin, replacing the Old Testament’s animal sacrificial system. Because of His sacrifice, we who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior have victory over sin and death as well as the constant presence of God’s Spirit within us. The mercy seat dwells in us! Write a prayer of praise and thanks for the daily ability to access the mercy seat. Journal how God’s mercy has impacted you. Choose a second person and share your journal entry with them. Invite them to either share their own story of God’s mercy or to gain access by praying to the Lord Jesus as Carol led us at the close of her Journey Study, “One Sacrifice”.

3) On home renovation shows everyone gets excited about demo day as the old is torn down to make way for something new and better. Our spiritual Demo Day is no different. To be made new and become more Christlike, the old must go. This means leaving behind our old sinful ways and surrendering our lives to God’s transformative plans. Lori encouraged us to pray a simple, but sometimes scary, prayer of surrender “God, break my heart for what breaks Yours.” Did you do it? If not, write it in your journal, pray it aloud and keep track of what God does with your prayer of faith. It’s not easy to walk the road of surrender, but we’re reminded in Paul’s letter to the Galatians that it is an important and necessary road we must walk. So let’s do that! As we conclude our Journey Into Sacrifice, do a quick review of the entire study and journal about which day impacted you most and why. How can you more effectively live out what you learned from that day? How can you sacrifice your time to bring others awareness of the greatest sacrifice ever made as Jesus gave His life on the cross?

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 Ephesians 4:20-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off, your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on, the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Prayer Journal
Lord today I pray a simple prayer, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours”. There is no way, Lord, for me to surrender my life to You in this way and not be changed. I will not be able to hold onto my old selfish, sinful ways if I am giving every part of my life over to You. Let me see and respond to others the way You do. Help me respond to situations the way You would. Transform my heart to be more like Yours. May it be so Lord for Your glory.

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

Tweet
Posted in: Forgiven, Gospel, Grace, GT Weekend, Mercy, Peace, Sacrifice, Sin Tagged: forgiveness, GT Weekend, hope, remade, sacrifice

Sacrifice Day 6 The Blood Path

April 4, 2022 by Lesley Crawford 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 15:1-21
Mark 14:22-24
Romans 4:13-25
Hebrews 6:13-20

Sacrifice, Day 6

As Abram gathered the animals for the sacrifice, he must have done so with trepidation.

This would be no ordinary sacrifice. He was preparing to enter into a covenant, a binding agreement, with the Almighty God. This was a serious matter.

Abram knew he was unworthy. He had always been unworthy. His life had been spent worshipping idols until his encounter with the true, living God changed everything, prompting him to step out in faith and obedience leave his homeland, Ur, to travel to Canaan. (Genesis 12:1-4)

Since then, Abram had seen God’s faithfulness. God had led him to Canaan, blessed him, and promised him an abundance of descendants. His words to Abram had always been full of grace and encouragement, and Abram believed God, despite the seeming impossibility of the promise.

Even so, Abram felt uneasy. He knew he was far from perfect. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked God for reassurance about His promise. (Genesis 15:2-3, 8) As he gathered the cow, the female goat, the ram, the turtledove, and the pigeon God required, he was all too aware of their fate, and he began to ponder his own fate for failing the covenant.
Who was he to make a covenant with God?

Then came the part he was dreading the most, cutting the animals in half. As the blood of the animals was splattered and spilled and he arranged half of each animal to line either side of a small ditch, allowing the blood to pool, Abram reflected on the covenant into which God was directing him to enter. To seal a covenant, both parties would walk the path of blood, symbolising how, if they broke the terms of the covenant, they too could be slaughtered like the animals.

Here was the cause of his fear: Abram doubted his ability to keep the covenant. What would happen to him if his choices failed to honour God? Deep down, he knew that it wasn’t so much a matter of “if” he would fail, but “when.” At some point, it was inevitable.

God, however, was fully aware of Abram’s unworthiness, still He also knew his faith, and it pleased Him. (Hebrews 11:6) He had seen Abram’s faith in action as Abram responded to the call to leave his home and step into the unknown. God knew that despite his imperfection, Abram trusted His promises, and God had a plan. Faith would save where works could not. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

God knew that Abram would never be able to keep the terms of the covenant. If it depended on Abram’s goodness and his ability to keep the moral law, it would certainly fail. God knew that the only way to preserve Abram’s family line and this covenant promise was for Him to walk the blood path for both of them.

So, as darkness fell, God put Abram into a deep rest while allowing him to see the vision of what He was about to do on Abram’s behalf. The silence of night surrounded Abram and the ground where blood gathered became sacred as a smoking fire pot and flaming torch passed between the pieces of the animals; God secured His promise by His own faithfulness. Smoke and fire are common symbols of God’s presence in the Bible, e.g. the smoke on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:17-19) and the burning bush where God met with Moses (Exodus 3:1-2). Here, they represent God walking the path of blood. God alone.

How relieved Abram must have been to find that he was not required to walk the path, to discover that the covenant did not depend on his own faithfulness but on God’s, and therefore, it could not fail. (2 Timothy 2:13)

Abram would have a child, and, despite enduring 400 years of slavery, his descendants would return to possess the land. (Joshua 1:1-9)

All of this pointed ahead to a day when an even greater sacrifice would be made; when, in Jesus, God sacrificed Himself. (John 19) As blood dripped from His thorn-crowned head and poured from the nail-wounds piercing His hands and feet, He sealed His promise forever

And He secured the hope for all who trust in Him that we, like Abram’s descendants, would one day be brought home, not simply to Canaan, but to the Promised Land of eternity where God and man would dwell together, free from sin’s entanglement. (Revelation 21:1-4)

For us, as for Abram, the good news is that this does not depend on our goodness, our ability, or our faithfulness. As He walked the blood path of incredible sacrifice, Jesus did all that was necessary.

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 Sacrifice 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 Sacrifice!

Posted in: Blessed, Encourage, Faithfulness, Grace, Obedience, Sacrifice Tagged: blessed, faith, grace, obedience, worship

The GT Weekend! ~ Sacrifice Week 1

April 2, 2022 by Rebecca 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

Worship Through Journaling

1) As Michelle reflected on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for her own sin, she was bold enough to share some personal examples from her own recent life. There is nothing that brings the sacrifice of Jesus into sharper perspective than spending time in prayer, asking the Spirit to show us our own sin. It’s for these sins, these offenses against a holy God, that Christ was crucified, scorned, and rejected both by the ones He came to save and the Father who sent Him to the cross. There is no greater loss. When was the last time your prayer life reflected confession of your very specific sins? When did you last feel gut-reaching sorrow for your sin because you knew the weight of how it mocked the God who came to rescue you? As you go into this weekend, be mindful of the cross and the Savior who was slain there. Ponder your sin and ask the Lord to show you kindness in bringing you to repentance. Perhaps you’ll even follow Michelle’s example and confess some sins to a friend as well.

2) We don’t normally include Jesus’ story of a tax collector and a Pharisee praying in our reflections on Easter, but the idea of Christ “flipping tables” on our world view perfectly marries with absolutely everything about Easter. The eternal God of the Universe dying on a manmade cross of wood? The infinite Creator submitting to the constraints of human flesh for the purpose of dying in place of sinful man? The only perfectly righteous, all-powerful Being choosing to die a gruesome death instead of the ones who slaughtered and mocked Him? The righteous for the unrighteous. The eternal for the finite. The sovereign for the impotent. The holy for the wretched. Still, we foolishly think we can somehow attain a good enough status before this God! How quickly we minimize the Almighty! How much easier might it be to choose to surrender in the small things of our everyday lives, as well as the big things, if we remember to glimpse even a sliver of the majestic vastness of the God who chose to sacrifice Himself in our place! Accepting this reality, taking it into our souls, brings true, humble worship from contrite hearts.

3) We might read the narrative of Noah’s ark, see the mass destruction of land, animals, and especially humanity, and naturally ask how God could be so cruel. Obliterate humanity? Decimate the land? Drown land animals? How do these statements reconcile with the Bible’s authoritative declaration that God is good and gracious? Shifting the lens, where can you ask similar questions about your life? Loss of income, illness, death, broken relationships, children gone astray, abusive past, mental or emotional instability, divorce, and pain of all types assault the premise that God is good. Oh, how our perspective is narrow! How the “God” in our mind is so small and confined! Mankind was so horribly sinful that God sent the flood as an act of mercy to halt the onslaught of evil. I don’t pretend to know the answers to the deep pains we experience, but still, we can each either choose to cling to the truth of Scripture and God’s view point, or we can stubbornly insist our perspective is accurate and complete. In my pain, I’ve found that God becomes all the more precious and beautiful as I study His word and hold out my hands to accept His mercy, even if it doesn’t look as I expect. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to His mercies this weekend and choose to worship the God of all Goodness!

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 Joal 2:12-13 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Even now–
This is the Lord’s declaration–
Turn to me with all your heart,
With fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Tear your hearts,
and not just your clothes,
And return to the Lord your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love,
And He relents from sending disaster.

Prayer Journal
Lord God, I confess that I do not choose to worship You as the good, gracious God You constantly are towards me. I have become angry with You. I have doubted You. I have insisted on my views instead of Yours. Lord, I know You are gracious, and I know You stand ready to forgive this even now. Teach my heart to hold more tightly to truth than to lies. Root out the lie that I can somehow earn Your favor, win Your smile of approval, or worse, that You “owe me” because of what I’ve done for You.

Remind me of my sin, Lord Jesus, keep it before me. Not to shame or mock me, as I know that is not Your heart, but to remind me I too was once enslaved by worldly passions, by jealousy, anger, and yes, self-righteous success.

How I praise You for coming near to me! How I praise You for choosing the cross of crucifixion and the pain of bearing the weight of the world’s sin that I might come near to You! Give me opportunity to share this glorious gift with others, and make my words bold and my actions loving as I share!

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

Tweet
Posted in: Grace, Love, Prayer, Sacrifice, Sin Tagged: grace, love, perspective, sacrifice, Sin

Sacrifice Day 4 Two Sacrifices: Digging Deeper

March 31, 2022 by Rebecca 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 Two Sacrifices!

The Questions

1) Why does Luke record the aside note in verse 9 of Jesus’ purpose in telling this parable?

2) What are the identifiable hinge points of each prayer? (verses 11-13)

3) Why are Jesus’ closing remarks so important to the whole of the story? (verse 14)

Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Original Intent

1) Why does Luke record the aside note in verse 9 of Jesus’ purpose in telling this parable?
Each gospel writer had a different, God’s Spirit-inspired motivation to record and compile their experiences with Jesus during His ministry on earth. Matthew wrote to his fellow Jews, and didn’t care much for chronological recording, but rather focused on seeing Jesus as the Promised Messiah who fulfilled every prophecy. Mark wrote with big emotion, and though his book is the shortest, it also contains more graphic detail in many accounts than the other gospels because his focus lies in highlighting Jesus’ total authority over all things, especially sin and death. John recorded his gospel from a different perspective than the other three as very few parables or miracles are recorded in his writings. His purpose was to logically lay out exactly why Jesus is both Lord and Savior; John prompts us to deep faith. Luke, as the longest gospel writer, intends to provide as much thorough, eye-witness confirmed information in a clear chronological order as possible. Luke, a physician by trade, is the investigative detective of the gospel writers. He was not an eye-witness of Jesus; he apprenticed under Peter and much of what he records came from firsthand accounts of Peter. Being well-educated and logical, much of his narrative falls under directive headings, like the one we see in verse 9, so the reader will not mistake the intention or become distracted by misapplication. Though Jesus’ audience was certainly wide and varied at the time He told this parable, Luke wants us to understand the thrusting purpose and heart behind why Jesus told it and for who He chose His words.

2) What are the identifiable hinge points of each prayer? (verses 11-13)
First, Jesus underscores that each character in the parable went to the temple to pray. Jesus included this aspect because the common place to pray was the temple. Though both characters went to the right “place” to gain access to God, this didn’t automatically grant them access. This would have astounded Jesus’ first hearers, for it was the common understanding that all who came to the Temple accessed God. Secondly, the true heart-posture of each man in Jesus’ story is identifiable by both their word choices and their body language. Though both men were standing, Jesus says the tax collector was “standing far off”. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says Pharisees would stand to pray in conspicuous places so as to be seen by others. (Matthew 6:5) One man stood to be noticed, the other chose to stand “far off” (think, tucked back in a corner), so as only to be seen by God. (Matthew 6:6) The Pharisee talked to God about himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like others…”. (verse 11) In contrast, the tax collector, without even raising his eyes, talked to God about his need for Him, “God have mercy on me, a Sinner.” (verse 13) The tax collector knew his condition as sinner, and he knew full well the only hope he had was in the mercy of the God who was perfectly holy and righteous. Lastly, where the Pharisee listed his self-proclaimed-righteous-acts, the tax collector merely beat his chest in an outward action that reflected an internal humility. Sisters, which are we? List-givers or humble-heart-bowers?

3) Why are Jesus’ closing remarks so important to the whole of the story? (verse 14)
Jesus finishes His parable with a hard reality and a sweet hope for every human heart; it’s the perfect antidote to the hopeless melodrama of the human condition. Regardless of a person’s good deeds or how wonderfully they view themselves, none can be justified before God by exalting themselves. (verse 14) Some may think, oh that’s good news for me because I always think the worst of myself. I don’t think I’m worthy of God’s love, I know how terrible I am, I mess up constantly. But do you notice the subject of each of those phrases? Self. Whether you think highly or lowly of yourself, you’re still thinking of yourself. Jesus teaches that only the truly humble of heart can “go home justified before God.” Humble of heart does not mean self-deprecation, which is self-focus just in a different form. Rather, humble hearts see the reality of their state as sinner and recognize God as the only available Giver of Mercy because we each deserve eternal death as a result of our sin. We cannot even lift our eyes to Heaven, as the tax collector demonstrated. Not because we think so terribly of ourselves and have lowered our innate worth as a person, but because we recognize God as perfectly holy and ourselves as utterly full of sin. We simply cannot bridge the impossible chasm between us. THIS is a humble heart. THIS is the heart God looks upon and says, “Yes! Welcome Home, Child! You are forgiven and free!”

Everyday Application

1) Why does Luke record the aside note in verse 9 of Jesus’ purpose in telling this parable?
When we read Scripture, it’s absolutely imperative we begin with the original purpose as much as possible in order to make correct application to our own lives. Luke, because he was a natural investigator, makes it easy for us to know we are headed in the right direction with this parable, but we must not gloss over his purposed introduction. This parable is not about how to be a good Christian, or who should come to church (temple), or even how to pray effectively. Though we can gain insights about each of these areas, they aren’t the main reason Jesus told the parable. We would miss the mark of understanding HIM if we go off on our own tangent to make HIS parable into something He didn’t intend. What are good applications for our everyday from this teaching? They are many! But let’s hang out with a handful of them that center around the original meaning and let the Spirit convict our hearts as we pray and study His Words before ours. In a nutshell, the original intent could be phrased, “Self-Righteousness Cannot Justify Us Before God”. Now, let’s offer out our hearts to the Spirit, asking Him to convict us of sin and change us to be like Him! We could ask the Lord, “Where am I holding onto my own “goodness” with You?”, “Am I expecting You, Lord, to act on my behalf because I have told You how much I “deserve” it?”, “Do I expect others to behave or speak in a certain way toward me because I have declared myself “worthy”?”. These are only a few questions we can bring to the Spirit through prayer, but when we pair true Scripture study with genuine, humble prayer, we can be absolutely certain the Lord will speak to our hearts!

2) What are the identifiable hinge points of each prayer? (verses 11-13)
The first-century Jews believed that if they went to the right place and did the right things, they would be right before God. We may live centuries later, but we can be guilty of believing the same deception! Bring these questions before the Lord as you authentically pray, and see how the Spirit convicts you, teaches you, and encourages you. Consider writing down your thoughts as you pray and listen to the Lord as He reshapes your heart to be like His! Ask God, “Where are the places I go, actions I take, and words I say that lure me to trust myself and my own goodness to give me access to You?” “Have I elevated my church attendance, service, giving, or personal ministry to others as a “good work” that You now “owe me” for, or that I “passively brag” about to others to show how “good” I am?” “Remind me, Spirit, that I am justified through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone and my good works have absolutely no bearing on Your love for me, acceptance of me, or Your willingness to forgive my sin.” Consider taking the next few days and studying up on the core tenants of why Christians believe they are saved by grace, through faith, and of Christ; our Journey Into Sola is a great place to begin! When we study Scripture with a humble willingness to be changed by God, He will shift our hearts! (https://www.gracefullytruthful.com/journey-into-sola)

3)
Why are Jesus’ closing remarks so important to the whole of the story? (verse 14)
Jesus begins His closing statements with an interesting phrase we might easily gloss over, “I tell you…”. The Jews held the Pharisee as the Top Dog of Jewish Law. None ranked higher in understanding the nuances than a Pharisee, but Jesus, ever intent on the flipping the tables of our worldviews, speaks with unequivocal authority, “I tell you…”. I, as God the Son. I, as God in the flesh come to rescue you from your bottomless, hopeless pit of sin. I, the God of Mercy. I, the original Law Giver who came to perfectly fulfill the Law and the Prophets for you because you never, ever will. (Matthew 5:17) You can’t. Your sin stops you. Your righteousness will fail you because it isn’t perfect. I know this, and I have come to Be Your Rescue. I have come to be Righteousness FOR YOU. “I tell you…”. Have you adopted these words into your view of self and God? What do they mean for you? What chains can fall away because of their truth? What burdens of “good works” and “trying harder” and “just can’t do all the things” would Christ desire to lift from your shoulders right now, in this moment? He is speaking, Sister, are you willing to give it up to the God of Mercy?

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

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 Sacrifice Week One!
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.

Posted in: Broken, Digging Deeper, Faith, Fervent, Forgiven, Freedom, Grace, Prayer Tagged: forgiveness, holy, prayer, pride, Sin

Sacrifice Day 2 Eden’s Sacrifice: Digging Deeper

March 29, 2022 by Dr. Leslie Umstattd 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 Eden’s Sacrifice!

The Questions

1) In verse 1 of this passage, who is the “you” Paul is referencing?

2) In verses 2-3, what characteristics and inclinations does Paul describe?

3) What contrasting statement takes place within this passage and what is its impact? (verse 4)

4) Who makes it possible to move from fleshly desires? (verses 4-10)

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Original Intent

1) In verse 1 of this passage, who is the “you” Paul is referencing?
Paul, a missionary in the 1st century, wrote the book of Ephesians. He visited Ephesus on his second and third missionary journeys. In writing this letter, he is speaking directly to the Ephesians within the church. When he says “you”, it is much like the word “you all” rather than a singular person, he is speaking to all believers who gathered in the various house churches in Ephesus and the surrounding areas.

2) In verses 2-3, what characteristics and inclinations does Paul describe?
Within these two verses Paul references a former way of life where the Ephesians walked in opposition to God in a spirit of disobedience. This “old way of sin” was still the pattern for unbelievers in Ephesus. Think of neighbors, friends, merchants at the marketplace, or passersby on the streets; these friends of the Ephesian believers, without Jesus, were still “dead in their trespasses and sin”. (verse 1) Paul is reminding the Christ-following Ephesians they too were at one time no different than their neighbors as “children of wrath”. Without the rule of Christ within them, they once were under the authority of Satan, the “the ruler of the power of the air”, and carrying out the inclinations of the flesh, meaning their prideful lusts. Paul was using the people around them to remind the believers of their past so they would neither become self-righteous in what they have been given in Jesus, nor forget the glory of their coming hope!

3) What contrasting statement takes place within this passage and what is its impact? (verse 4)
In verse 4, the linking word “but” provides contrast to Paul’s previous statements. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us” (verse 4), sacrificed His Son. Although this verse is linked to verses 1-3, it is a contrasting statement of what Paul has previously discussed in this section of Ephesians. He is contrasting a former way of life apart from renewal in Christ with the Ephesian believers’ current state of living under the authority of God. Paul is emphasizing the believers’ movement from death to life, from worldly desires of the flesh to good works for Christ, and from children of wrath in opposition to God to being saved by grace in relationship with God.

4) Who makes it possible to move from fleshly desires? (verses 4-10)
The second half of this passage in verses 4-10 offers a different set of characteristics to the first. Although God was aware of the previous sinful state of the now-believing-Ephesians, He richly offered mercy, grace, and an eternal hope that could only come through His Son’s sacrifice. God is the one who, from the beginning of sin in the Garden of Eden, knew the price tag of sin, and was already willing to pay it by sacrificing Himself in order to restore the relationship that was stolen by sin. Paul reminds the Ephesians in verse 8, it is nothing they could ever accomplish on their own, but rather God who is at the center of their salvation and new life. The work of paying for sin was finished in Christ’s death, and the hope of eternity was guaranteed with Christ’s resurrection; Christ, and Christ alone.

Everyday Application

1) In verse 1 of this passage, who is the “you” Paul is referencing?
Reading Scripture in the 21st century can sometimes feel odd because it was written so long ago. When we read letters written to a specific group of people, it can seem even easier to dismiss them as archaic and unrelatable to our everyday lives. In this passage, Paul is addressing the Ephesian church as a group, but he is also addressing the larger Christian population past, present, and future. The truths Paul writes are timeless for all who surrender to Christ, as the author of Hebrews emphasizes in Hebrews 4:12 in saying the Word of God (the Bible) is “living and effective penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul tells us the Word of God “is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching and (…) training” so all believers will be equipped. Although the original context is a letter written in the 1st century, Scripture spans the ages and God’s Spirit makes His Words come alive regardless of the historical date so His people will be equipped with truth for everyday life.

2) In verses 2-3, what characteristics and inclinations does Paul describe?
Paul references a “former” way of life and a place that some still live. The characteristics he describes provide detail on what it looks like to live separated from God. There are only two positions before a holy God. You are either in relationship with Him actively working out your salvation in real life because of Jesus’ transformation inside (Philippians 2:12), or you are running from Him as a child of wrath and disobedience. From the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and permanently separated all of humanity from God. (Genesis 3) This is the default starting point for each of us, but, as Paul states later in this passage, it doesn’t have to be our ending point.

3) What contrasting statement takes place within this passage and what is its impact? (verse 4)
Paul’s word, “But God” dramatically change eternity for all of mankind if we are willing to surrender to Him, accepting His gift of mercy for ourselves. Despite a sinful nature, God “who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.” (verses 4-5) God’s mercy and grace built a bridge through the death of His Son Jesus effectively providing a pathway of redemption for every person, a path for freedom from sin that can change the ending of our story. (Romans 3:23-24) For those who believe, Paul is speaking to you as a reminder that you were once lost but now you are found, you were separated but now you are together with Christ for all eternity. May this reminder urge you to lean all the more fully upon Christ’s work and live daily in the light of a remade life. If you have never fully surrendered to Jesus, or are unsure if you have, take Paul’s words as the most grand invitation available, accept His gift of merciful forgiveness, and move from Death to Life!

4) Who makes it possible to move from fleshly desires? (verses 4-10)
Paul desires readers of this letter to remember we are absolutely helpless to save ourselves from fleshly desires and God’s wrath. Humanity, by its very nature, is fallen and sinful. In His perfect timing, God sacrificed His Son, Jesus, to die a sinner’s death on the cross. (Romans 5:6-10) Nothing we can do or say makes us stand as righteous before the perfectly holy God; salvation is a free gift He willingly offers to us. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Fellow genuine Christ-follower, remember where you came from so you can clearly see God’s sacrifice and faithfulness to complete His work in you. (Philippians 1:6)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Eden’s Sacrifice!

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 Sacrifice Week One!
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.

Posted in: Accepted, Alive, Grace, Mercy, Truth, Victorious Tagged: grace, mercy, Sin, trespass
1 2 3 4 5 … 59 60 61 62 63 Next »

Social

Follow GT!

Questions or Comments?

Contact@gracefullytruthful.com

RSS Gracefully Truthful

  • The GT Weekend! ~ Worship X Week 3 May 28, 2022
    Know what’s good about tomorrow? It’s a new day! A clean slate. It’s even better when you know your new day comes with new mercies from God. On Monday we took a deep dive into Psalm 103 and a dip into Deuteronomy. We learned how to use Psalm 103 as a tool for pausing and […]
    Marietta Taylor

Copyright © 2022 Gracefully Truthful.

Lifestyle WordPress Theme by themehit.com