The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 3

July 30, 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

1) Many of us know the hard edges of pain, injustice, and sorrow we felt would surely swallow us whole, or worse, bit by bit. Joseph’s story, the longest recorded single narrative in Genesis, is fraught with many opportunities to sink into the waves of sorrow, bitterness, and injustice. But God’s love was, and always will be, the greatest game changer of every story. In His lavish love, He strengthened Joseph’s faith in the midst of suffering and, rather than allow him to be swallowed by grief and despair, slowly taught Joseph to trust the Almighty Sovereign God. We each have this same choice. Every day. Every moment. Inside of each second of mundane or pain, God has provided the opportunity to lean into Him with authentic honesty or pull back. When we lean in, He increases our faith, strengthens our souls, sustains us, and gives His courage and peace. When we pull back, we soon find ourselves running blind through a minefield of bitterness, anger, depression, and despair. In the end, we lose everything. Take time to identity the opportunities the Lord is giving you recently. Where do you find your heart turning?

2) Joseph wasn’t really looking for redemption. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see the familiar faces of his brothers amidst the sea of faces that day as they came to Egypt, bowing to him, to purchase grain. Redemption and restoration within his family relationships may have surprised Joseph, but it didn’t surprise the Lord. He had seen this day from long before Joseph’s brothers had plotted to murder him. The Lord knew redemption was coming when Joseph unjustly sat in prison. More so, the Lord knew all the internal wrestling, heart ache, and grieving hot tears Joseph would cry in the years between being sold into slavery and the day he would embrace his brothers with glad tears. God never once abandoned Joseph; not one of His promises was broken. The Lord proved faithful at every single point, and eventually, Joseph saw with his physical eyes what the Lord had taught him to see with his spiritual eyes: redemption. The Lord loves us far too much to simply give us what we think we want in the physical realm without first teaching us what we really need in the spiritual realm: God Himself. Wherever you are in your own journey, high hope or struggling to lift your head, be encouraged that the God of redemption sees you, and He knows your redemption story inside and out. Trust Him!

3) Every injustice. Every broken place. Every wound that has relentlessly damaged bodies and relationships. Every single tear that has stained our cheeks. Healed, made whole, and redeemed one day. Joseph experienced only a small sliver of the full redemption the Lord had planned for His people during his life. Joseph’s family experienced partial redemption and the nation of Israel was blessed temporarily with safe harbor and sustaining food for a season. Eventually, though, Israel became enslaved for 400 years and suffered significantly in many ways even into modern times. Still, their homecoming is sure and certain, and so is ours. Whatever good we experience and whatever redemption we receive in this life is merely a hint of the good restoration still to come for those who have trusted Christ completely for their salvation. When we choose to adjust our lens to see our struggles with the perspective of Home on the horizon, even hardship becomes more bearable. Practice turning over your perspective to the Lord this weekend. Ask Him to fix your gaze on the eternity to come! To help you anchor in this truth, marinate your soul in truths of Scripture like Revelation 21 and 22 and Psalm 27.

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 John 13:7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, like Peter at the Last Supper, like Joseph in prison, like Israel wandering the desert, like Abraham leaving his homeland to follow Your lead, Your words speak truth to our reality, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” (John 13:7) When You sat with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), when You commissioned Joshua to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9), when You came to Isaiah in a vision (Isaiah 6), they had no way of knowing what You were doing in their timeline or how it would echo through the ages. But You did; You knew all along. You never cease to be faithful, steadfast, and true.

Teach us to trust You with our stories. Teach us to honestly bring You every piece of our painful suffering, surrendering it fully to You, and waiting with great, expectant Hope for Your sure and certain coming redemption. What You are doing now in our lives, we cannot comprehend the wide spectrum You have planned, but teach us to live by faith and not by sight. May our hearts choose praise, worship, and adoration now, whatever our circumstances look like. Here is my life, Lord God, make Your redemption known in its storyline!

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

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 2

July 23, 2022 by Carol Graft Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) Giving us a bit of Joseph’s story from Genesis, Sarah pointed out how his story shares similarities with Moses’ life. Neither of these men felt ready to speak on the behalf of others, but God equipped them fulfill His plans in His way. I completely relate to feeling unequipped. As I write, I’m preparing for a conference where my words will be critiqued as part of a focus group. Impostor syndrome and fear rises up strong inside and I need truth to anchor me and the Spirit to equip me. I am comforted in knowing that long before I began penning these very words, God knew I would need the reminder of His constant presence through the narratives of Moses and Pharaoh. How wonderful to be so fully known by the God of the Universe! While Joseph may have felt he had no voice and was incapable and forgotten, He was given protection and favor from the Lord. Where have you seen the Lord give you favor and protection even if it didn’t come in the same way you expected? Even in the midst of struggle, Joseph grew in his awareness of being given Divine gifts to be used for God’s glory. What a great reminder! Even when we don’t see God working in our lives, we can choose to trust His work! What specific struggle are you facing that you need to lean into the truths God is specifically providing for you? How do you feel knowing He is providing for you with loving intentionality?

2) Pharaoh didn’t know the Lord God, but still, Yahweh gave him a dream in order to lead Pharaoh to know Him. Through someone outside the people God had chosen for Himself, God continued to build His plan of redemption. God’s invitation for wholeness and forgiveness is for all people. Everyone who is currently a believer in Jesus was, at one point, rebelling against the Lord. Every believer in Jesus who currently walks in deep faith with the Lord was, at one point, wading in the shallow waters of unbelief and wrestling with doubt. We each have a faith journey and the Lord is intent on pursuing every heart that we might turn to Him and experience the blessing of redemption and the abundance of life He offers. We only see a small portion of Pharaoh’s faith journey and we don’t know if he ever surrendered himself to Yahweh, but we do know the Lord used him and invited him to know Him more deeply. Where have you seen the Lord do the same in your life? Who has He used to get your attention? What has been your response? What would it look like for you to grow in trusting Him and His design for your life?

3) Rebekah provided us with another snapshot of Joseph’s life in yesterday’s Journey Study. Because of the Lord’s goodness, years of slavery and imprisonment eventually gave way to Joseph holding the position of Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Pharaoh trusted Joseph implicitly with nearly everything in his kingdom. Even when it came to interpreting Pharaoh’s own dreams, he trusted Joseph and his faith in the One True God. While Pharaoh may not have ultimately worshipped Jehovah, Pharaoh knew Joseph’s faith to be genuine and he trusted his relationship with God and he proved it by believing Joseph’s interpretations. Through all the betrayal and harsh realities in his life Joseph kept his eyes on God, even if he wrestled with doubt along the way. How often do we question God’s plans for our lives or even His active presence? When have you felt forgotten by God? Whether we are in a pit or a prison, whether our suffering is the result of another’s actions or our own, we still have the option to choose God’s steadfast character or reject Him. Joseph’s long wait as slave and prisoner grew his faith and prepared him to save an entire nation through his reliance on the Lord. If we choose to surrender to the Lord, He will use our suffering to prepare, refine, and redeem us for His future work. Only God knows those plans and we must trust even when we can’t see Him.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 105:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

When they were few in number,
very few indeed,
and resident aliens in Canaan
wandering from nation to nation
and from one kingdom to another,
he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their behalf:
“Do not touch my anointed ones,
or harm my prophets.”

Prayer Journal
Lord, Your word shows us that throughout history, it didn’t matter whether Your people were large or small in number, Your love and protection held fast. We know too, that we don’t need to be one of Your prophets, have an extra special anointing, or a particular platform to earn Your attention; You lovingly pursue each of us.

We are surrounded by armies we can’t see and are protected from our enemies by Your hand of love. You still hold us despite our erring ways. You still walk beside and before us even in hard times, desiring to show us more of Your heart and love for us in our everyday lives. We know that without You in our lives our situations would be impossible. Because You are present with us and call us Your own children, You have equipped us by Your Spirit to extend your love and faithfulness to others. Make us effective in this work of reflecting Your love to others! We praise You for being kind and good at all times!

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

Sketched X Day 10 Perfectly Planned

July 22, 2022 by Rebekah Hargraves Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 41:33-57
Psalm 105:16-22

Sketched X, Day 10

When you’ve been through what I’ve been through, you come out on the other side a very different person. I can honestly tell you that I now know my God better and trust my God more as a result of what I’ve been through. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything, even though it was hard.

You see, I was sold into slavery in Egypt by my older brothers when I was a boy. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I was falsely accused not too long after I got there and thrown into prison. At any point along this road I could have given up on God, wondering what on earth He was doing and why it seemed that He was treating me so unfairly. But I’m glad I didn’t. Because I’m seeing now that all of my days were perfectly planned by Him before even a single one came to be.

The Lord, in His sovereignty and according to His plan for my life, gave me the gift of being able to interpret, with His help, the meaning of dreams. And would you know it – that is the very thing God used to finally get me out of prison once and for all after I had been forgotten there again and again for years.

When I interpreted Pharoah’s dream for him, telling him about the coming famine, I said to him, “Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting him to decide I was the wise and discerning man for the job! Not after all I had been through! But that is exactly what he did! In fact, he put me over his house and all his people! He even gave me his signet ring and clothed me in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about my neck. I couldn’t believe it!

Now during the seven plentiful years which preceded the famine, I gathered up all the food and put it in the cities. I stored up so much grain that I couldn’t even measure it anymore! The Lord so blessed us thatwhen the famine then spread over all the land, I was able to open all the storehouses and sell grain to the Egyptians even in the days of such a severe, all-encompassing famine. Our God is so good, and I am now so thankful for all I went through. He intended it for good, and I now know I can trust Him with all my days going forward.

Biblical Connections:
Daniel – The same God who revealed dreams to Joseph and gave him the divine wisdom necessary to plan for widespread rescue from famine is the same God I worship. When I was called on to tell King Nebuchadnezzar his dream and interpretation, I reminded the king that no human could do this, only the God who was willing to share His wisdom with me.

God- Mankind was enslaved by Sin, stuck in their rebellion against Me with no hope of escape, but I used all of history to lead up to My entrance into humanity’s timeline that I might rescue them. Because I am sovereign, I knew the precisely perfect time to send Jesus to live in the flesh perfectly and die for the sins of the world. My timing is never late.

Lazarus – I died from sickness, despite my sisters’ pleas for Jesus to come heal me. It seemed hopeless, but Jesus had other plans. My death and my sisters’ sorrow had a divine purpose for God’s glory to be displayed. His wisdom is far above ours. He is worthy of our trust – always and no matter what!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched X Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched X

Whole Day 12 Whole Story Messengers: Digging Deeper

July 5, 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 Whole Story Messengers!

The Questions

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)

Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.

23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. 25 Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

26 “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

28 “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

29 “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. 32 Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

Original Intent

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)
The Book of Matthew, and the other Gospel books of Mark, Luke, and John, closely follow Jesus’ active ministry years from beginning to end. Jesus expends a lot of energy throughout His ministry emphasizing the importance of repentance and recognition of Him as Lord and Savior in order to be reconciled to God. Jesus describes one of the marks of a genuine, reconciled relationship with God as being how lovingly we engage in relationships with others. Though Scripture has much to say about loving and reaching out to those who don’t know God, these verses in Matthew 18 reference those already in Christ’s kingdom (Christians). Chapter 18 begins with Jesus’ disciples asking, “[W]ho is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”. (verse 1) This information provides us the contextual setting for Christ’s words in verses 21-35 which describe another aspect of what it looks like to be “greatest” in His kingdom. In fact, the whole of chapter 18 paints a picture of who is “greatest” according to God. As Jesus addressed the heart-posture of His followers, He spoke of attributes like childlike humility and tender care for individuals within Jesus’ flock, the Church. These characteristics reflect God’s unending forgiveness toward other believers as God has covered the believer’s sins with the blood of Jesus. It is this combination of forgiveness and patient endurance Jesus calls Christians to live out among each other in order to remain reconciled to one another. This love distinguishes His disciples from the world (John 13:35) and demonstrates to the world God’s offering of forgiveness for those who repent and follow Him.

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)
The Enduring Word commentary notes the traditional “holy” response from Jewish Pharisees was to forgive an offender three times. Knowing Jesus is gracious and compassionate, Peter extended that number to an extraordinary “seven times”. Jesus’ response, however, revealed His endless heart of divine love as He instructed Peter to forgive an offender more times than he could count by saying “seventy times seven”. (verse 22) Prior to this conversation, Jesus outlined explicit teaching for His gentle, loving approach to correcting and restoring a brother or sister who has sinned against another believer. Of greater importance even than the crucially important loving correction within the Church, Jesus focused on the vast forgiveness of God that ought to be reflected by His people. In verses 23-27, Jesus described a servant who owed the king ten-thousand talents. A commentary from the Working Preacher explains this would equal about 150 years’ worth of income. A nearly incomprehensible amount! The first servant had incurred a debt that was impossible to repay. Lavishly, the king did not provide any ultimatums to earn forgiveness, rather, the king was compassionately moved by the servant’s imploring and freely cancelled the debt. The king took the financial hit himself, wiping clean the record of debt just as Christ does for us as the substitutionary atonement offered between us and the King of the World. Christ took the hit of death and separation from the Father for our sin. Then, He made the offer of a cleanly wiped slate to all who trust Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Tragically, the servant left the king’s presence and demonstrated a total lack of mercy toward another servant who had incurred a lesser debt. His selfish greed reflected his lack of genuine sorrow or understanding of the grand forgiveness bestowed on him.

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)
As previously noted, the verses prior to this passage discuss a plan of correction when one believer has sinned against another. This discussion prompts Peter to ask his question of forgiveness. As we read the dialogue, Jesus’ response centers around His disciples loving one another. He is not explicit in this parable on the part of whether each servant was truly repentant. Instead, He focuses on the one in position to forgive or withhold forgiveness. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray by modeling what has now become well-known as the Lord’s prayer. (Matthew 6:9-14) When stepping back to scan the whole text, it is interesting that Christ pauses to reiterate forgiveness before shifting to the topic of fasting. The Lord’s prayer ties our request for personal forgiveness to our willingness to forgive others. (Matthew 6:12) Christ re-emphasizes forgiveness again in the verses following His model prayer. (Matthew 6:14-15) When studying an overview of Bible verses on forgiveness, I do not find direction or allowance to withhold forgiveness from one another until someone repents, but I do see plenty of calls for repentance before the LORD GOD Himself and for Christians to live peaceably with one another as far as they are able. (Romans 12:18) As I chew through these hard teachings of God’s love displayed through forgiveness, I see hope for the struggling and pained in this parable. In the end, the King returns to settle grievances and dole out justice. May we not find joy in another’s suffering of judgment, but comfort in the Lord’s righteousness and coming justice! (Romans 12:19)

Everyday Application

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)
Undoubtedly, we’ve all experienced hurt from others in life. Some hurts are small while others are so painful we would be well-served to navigate them with Christian counseling. When preparing to live overseas as missionaries, it’s often said the hardest people to love are those within God’s church. Hmmm, say that again?! The church is supposed to be the safest, easiest place to love others! In the context of self-sacrificing, generous, forgiving love, everyone will experience God’s love in action, which overflows into living peaceably. God teaches us how to love one another in His Word. God promises His Spirit is actively working in us to complete His work in us. (Philippians 1:6) God promises to use our perseverance in trial to lead us into deeper maturity as His sons and daughters. (James 1:4) When a Christian repents of sinning against God and is reconciled to Him through forgiveness and the blood of Christ, that person is not immediately made perfect and neither am I. Some of my own past thoughts and habits are not yet realized as to sin to me; I have more growing to finish. Or, if they are, self-control of them has not yet been worked out to the point of eliminating that sin. What has God most used to convict and free me from my sin over the years? The perseverance and patience of my Christian brothers and sisters. Their grace towards me and readiness to forgive me has played a crucial role. Authentic, loving believers who listen well and exhibit gentleness when I confess my sin spurs me on to follow Jesus more closely. While God’s church may, at times, be quite unbecoming, God is at work bringing us to completion through continued repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. May this love call the lost to Jesus!

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)
My oldest child persistently uses unkind words toward his siblings and parents for attention. This child also happens to have a processing disability, including complex emotions. We take hours of time to converse again and again about how words hurt people. On occasion, he connects that if he wants something (a toy or reconnection) he can hug me with an apology of mumbled and jumbled words. At times, the apology is forced through a rehearsal. Frequently, perhaps within the hour, he will use hurtful words again. Does he actually understand and mean his apology? Do I continue forgiving him and encourage my other children to do so as well? How weary we feel at bedtime! This example might seem simple to forgive as you consider he was born with a disability, but are we really much different in our own deficits of understanding the ways of the Lord? Doesn’t a Christian spend their lives learning the depths of what Christ means for us to live out His joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control? (Galatians 5:22-26) We often respond based on a level of understanding that makes sense to us. Jesus prods us ever further to love like Him. R.C. Sproul wrote a helpful article noting that Scripture never commands us to forgive one who is unrepentant, but we do have the freedom to still offer forgiveness just as Jesus asked God to forgive those who nailed him on the cross. Scripture DOES command us to rebuke one another with the readiness to forgive and reconcile for even the same repeated offense. (Luke 17:3-4) We lack the ability to fix a fellow sinner who is, perhaps, wearing us down with their offenses, but we also have the never-ending call to be ready with reconciliation in the strength of the Lord.

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)
Several years ago a devastating story was reported of a pastor who went to the gym and returned to find his home a crime scene and his wife murdered. Days later, the pastor publicly claimed he’d forgiven the murderer. This response perplexed me. Why and how could he say these things? Surely the Bible doesn’t call him to forgive these strangers who had shown no sign of repentance. The Enduring Word Bible Commentary provides helpful insights. First, there is a distinction between forgiveness, which is one-sided, and reconciliation, which requires two parties to participate in both repentance and forgiveness. Secondly, we are one sinner striving in relation with another sinner. As such, true forgiveness is only possible as an overflow from our relationship with the Lord. Only He, the divine God who perfectly loves and forgives, is capable of cultivating His forgiveness in us. (Luke 7:47) This is a different relationship than a sinner being fully forgiven by a holy God. We are not in a position of righteousness, but rather one who also needs the covering of Jesus’ forgiveness through His sacrificial blood. God is holy; He is the One most grieved by evil, even our smallest sins. Graciously, the LORD is also the most ready to forgive when a broken heart is burdened by their offense against the righteous LORD and harmed others. The LORD is also He who will one day carry out complete justice. This pastor, in his deep grief, knew that in order to live without bitterness, his heart must be always ready to forgive. (Ephesians 4:31-32) He had long leaned into the Spirit of God who had faithfully taught him to forgive. This man took his own sin seriously and he confidently trusted that His King would one day make all things right. (Psalm 94)

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Whole Day 11 Whole Story Messengers

July 4, 2022 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Matthew 18:21-35
Mark 2:1-12
Micah 7:18-19

Whole, Day 11

It was a warm, sunny day in Mali, West Africa.

I’d jumped at the chance to lead a missions work team to the local artisan market to shop for souvenirs before their departure.

We headed to one of my favorite sections with wooden carvings and other cultural gems. I was immediately greeted in French by a shopkeeper. When my team decided on their purchases, the shopkeeper quoted a ridiculous tourist price, his response curt and full of animosity. He made it known, in no uncertain terms, that he would never sell anything to the French, who had taken advantage of his country, for a fair price.

I was taken aback. He’d clearly assumed my nationality based on hurts from his past and the color of my skin. So, I switched from French to his heart language of Bambara.

“Sir, I think you have it wrong. I am not French. I am American and have lived here for 18 years. My parents & grandparents have lived in your country for many years as well. We love your people and your country. I am sorry for how the French treated your people. It was not right.”

Surprised, his demeanor and tone began to soften. I reassured him we shared a common hope for his people, and we were supporting his community through building schools, medical clinics, and literacy programs. After discussing the beautiful people in his country, which I considered home, we agreed on a fair price and off we went with our carved wooden treasures.

As I look back on that moment, I am reminded that reconciliation isn’t just a one-time event that is wrapped up in a tidy bow. The continuum of reconciliation is ongoing. It requires us to understand the past and properly assess the situation in front of us. This step of obedience will lay a foundation of empathy and trust, paving the way for us to make connections with the messiness of this world.

Our message is full of hope because of Jesus, and our world needs all the hope it can get. Reconciliation requires us to find a commonality with the person next to us and use that as a connection point before we launch into the heart of the matter.

Just as with my shopkeeper friend, it can often involve some uncomfortable moments where emotions run high. I wasn’t able to fix the hurt in his heart from the French people, but I was able to remind him there are people who DO care and want to help. For all of us, this conversation can serve as a helpful reminder that jumping to conclusions can lead to judgment. Instead of judgment, reconciliation involves communication and asking questions.

Why do we engage in this messy work of reconciliation?
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 urges,
“Everything is from God, who has reconciled Himself to us through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.’ He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Because the blood of Jesus has reconciled our separation from God and secured a right relationship for us with the Father, we are now tasked with sharing this message with the world.

Notice Scripture doesn’t say, “If you want, you can be part of the ministry of reconciliation.”
No, Scripture states, “He gave us this ministry.”
God’s commission implies action on our part. (Matthew 18:21-35)

If we truly want to embrace the way of Jesus,
then we are called to step into the lifelong work of reconciliation.

Often, we think of reconciliation as a single, turning-point moment, and while it can certainly be that, I’d challenge us to see small opportunities to pursue reconciliation in everyday situations. They are like stepping stones, leading people to know Jesus and the forgiveness and hope He offers. (Mark 2:1-12) Each stepping stone is key in building trust as we encounter the world.

When we love people who are different from us, we are offering them the chance to be seen by a God who loves them.

When we offer our kindness in the grocery store to a Muslim woman who is wearing her hijab and speaking another language, we are reflecting the kindness and grace Jesus has shown us.

When we build a friendship with our coworker and demonstrate that we can listen without jumping to a rash conclusion, we model the way Jesus listened and truly cared.

These seemingly mundane moments walk people closer to reconciliation with a God who loves them and desperately wants them to know Him.

Questions for reflection…
*What assumptions have you made about people? How might you stop yourself from making those same assumptions in the future?
*How can you engage with someone who is different from you, to show them you are listening?
*How can you reflect the message of hope in the messy parts of your day?

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Whole Day 6 Oppression’s Source

June 27, 2022 by Guest Writer 2 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 10:10-13
Ephesians 6:10-20
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Psalm 44:3-4

Whole, Day 6

In our family, we regularly discuss politics, local news, and current events. However, when a conversation surrounding values took an emotional turn, we knew something deeper was stirring up; our children were seeking a biblical understanding about a belief we strongly held. Feelings of guilt and failure, on my part as mother, overcame me.

My children couldn’t possibly be the ones struggling with biblical foundations and truths. How could this happen?

After much careful consideration, prayer, and wise counsel, we decided we would not run from hard truths or leave our kids alone to interpret their questions. Instead, we would study and engage with them. In months to follow, when the Holy Spirit led, we attempted to address a multitude of questions about Biblical concepts.

As we peeled away the layers, I soon realized my children, like many others, needed abundantly more spiritual guidance to help navigate the topics significantly impacting and shaping their faith journeys.

In an article by Christianity Today, a study found that out of 500 youth group graduates, over 70 percent reported having serious doubts about faith. These students’ opportunities to express and explore their doubts were correlated with greater faith maturity. In other words, it’s not doubt that’s toxic to faith, it’s silence.

I realized God was working on our family’s behalf, bringing attention to areas within our life that were out of alignment with Him. My family messiness was no different than others, which highlighted a message of its own: as believers, we’re not given immunity from assaults of the enemy.

In fact, Jesus promised we “will have suffering in this world” (John 16:33) and described our enemy as “a thief [who] comes to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10)

In my family’s journey, I understood the enemy is a liar, and I was not going to feel pinned down by doubt, blame, insecurity, comparisons, fear, or relational discord. My family prayed, and God revealed we needed to make some adjustments. Our initial steps were refocusing our priorities (putting God first), being intentional with our time, having patience with our children in learning the word of God, and seeking community.

Furthermore, the Spirit revealed a deeper truth to me during this tumultuous time.
The struggles we were facing needed to happen.
God didn’t want me to spend all my time trying to fix every problem of my children or of this world; He wanted to show me how to fully lean on Him and demonstrate this dependence in every area of my life.

Through this adversity, God wanted to fill me with His strength. In 2 Corinthians, preacher Paul uses the language of siege warfare to talk about engaging in spiritual battle.

“For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.”
(2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

As believers, we are not left defenseless. Satan wants to disrupt God’s place in our lives b y displacing God’s authority with deceptive, manipulative evil schemes. This truth should remind us we cannot defeat Satan in our own strength and neither can we fight spiritual battles without God’s protection and weapons. (Psalm 44:3-4)

In Ephesians, Paul talks about the spiritual weaponry available to Christians, often called “the full armor of God.” (Ephesians 6:10-20) Paul emphasized the reality that our warfare is against more than the natural temptations of flesh. There are powers in the unseen world against which we are powerless, except through the aid of Christ.

Spiritual armor prepares us to face any and all spiritual battles we encounter. These battles are not fought against “flesh and blood” enemies, but against the “cosmic powers of this darkness[.]” (Ephesians 6:12) Satan’s strategy is clever; he uses technology, popular culture, consumerism, misinformation, and distorted views about biblical truths to wage war against us constantly.

But we’re not falling for it. The real enemy, the real source of oppression in our world, is the devil, not people, places, or things. The spotlight of God’s truth will effectively expose every single scheme of the enemy.

By God, we have all been given weapons to fight the unseen. For me, I needed to take this truth seriously in my parenting.
We’re called to follow God, Who is “the way, the truth, and life.” (John 14:6)
Follow God, Who has come so we “may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)

Follow God, Who brings true peace and freedom from oppression as His death and resurrection “conquered [the powers of] the world.” (John 16:33)

As we follow Him, His grace is sufficient, and we can have hope and victory in any spiritual battle that comes our way.

Lord, following You is hard. Sometimes it feels our brokenness is cliché, but I’m so grateful we serve a God who cares. A God who knows our battles, and equips and sustains us through them.

Help us to push away from culture, familiarity, and likeness, instead embracing Your Word and Your love. May we find strength in Your infinite and absolute goodness, and when the battle is fierce, remind us the true source of oppression is the devil himself. May we not be afraid to stand firm, as parents and leaders of faith, by putting on the full armor of God. Amen.

*Written by guest writer, Keshia Jackson

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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 Whole 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 Whole!

The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 1

June 25, 2022 by Carol Graft Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) How often have you wished you could just run away and hide? There have been many moments like that for me. It sounds so easy and freeing to hide from the difficulties and stresses of everyday life. How wonderful to be able to hide from situations where I’ve messed up and don’t want to call more attention to myself. Running away and hiding might seem like a lovely thing to do if it would actually solve our problems, but it won’t. Hiding, as Adam and Eve attempted to do, merely postpones the consequences. From what have you wished you could hide? What part of your past do you wish was deleted and forgotten? Have you ever brought these to the Lord? How do you imagine He would respond? Does Scripture support your answer? Mandie reminded us on Monday that, when we attempt to hide, we end up focusing on the wrong things. Truth? We are never alone, and the Lord God is for us. No matter how broken, lost or anxious we feel, Jesus is constantly present with us. Christ came precisely for the hurting, the wounded, the lost, the broken, the sinner. He isn’t afraid of our emotions, sadness, anger, or our questions. He isn’t shocked by the situations we find ourselves in, instead He endured the suffering of the cross to bring us redemptive healing. Reflect on what it might be like for Jesus to take your surrender and make you whole! What would you give Him?

2) Our sister in Pakistan brought such insight from her experiences and urgently reminds us of the suffering Jesus promised would come to those who follow Him. Knowing the darkness of oppression exists is one thing, but seeing the face of the persecuted, hearing her story, and knowing she is paying a high price for following Jesus is entirely different. There is a cost for every follower of Jesus, but not all look the same. What challenges have you faced for holding steadfast to Christ and choosing Him over the call of the world? In what way can you fervently intercede for others facing persecution for choosing Christ? Oppression against Christianity takes many forms and is found all over the world. Though it may look different in your part of the world, it still exists. Oh, that those for whom following Jesus carries little to no physical threat would share Jesus as bravely as those brothers and sisters who endure significant oppression. Remember, we are all one Body in Jesus, highly persecuted or not. We must each continue sharing Christ together. Keeping our hearts steadfast on Jesus, our eyes and minds in His word, communing in prayer and conversation with Jesus keeps us hopeful that one day oppression will cease and Christ’s kingdom will come. Selah. Let it be so.

3) What an encouraging and transparent Journey Study Melis shared with us this week! It is never easy to confess our sins and make known our areas of weakness, but in doing so, Melis reminded us we are not alone in our struggles. When was the last time you confessed a sin to another brother or sister in Jesus? Are you participating in a community of believers where this is common? What was challenging to you personally about the discipline practices Melis described? Training for following Jesus is so important and dramatically increases our focus on the Lord. Which spiritual disciplines have been particularly effective or challenging for you as you seek to follow the Lord? Not sure what they look like? Take a peek at our Journey Theme: Training. The Lord God never intended us to live the Christian life alone, which is why He designed us to hunger for iron-sharpening-iron friendships and community that press us into knowing Him more deeply. Consider choosing a spiritual discipline that Melis listed and put it into practice in the coming week. Set up reminders on your phone, or better yet, invite a friend to join you! Whether you take a Sabbath rest, pick up a new journal, or set aside time to fast, the intentionality we invest into our relationship with the Lord always pays off! May we each commit to doing whatever it takes to nourish and cultivate our relationship with God and keep our focus on Him as He shapes us to be more like 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 1 Peter 5:6-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. Be sober minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
Lord, I confess it’s difficult to be humble. Arrogance and self-love are always sneaking around my heart and it’s easy to get caught in the trap of false humility. Help me to become more disciplined in surrendering to You my anxiousness. Help me to lean steadfastly on You and the surety of Your unchanging Word every day, even every moment. I don’t want to let my guard down and give in to the cares of the world or the deceptive traps of the scheming enemy.

Lead me away from the temptation to flee my troubles without facing them and turn my heart toward worship. Make me aware of Your mercies and Your movement in my life as I surrender to You, waiting in trust for You. I know you hear me, see me, and guard me; teach me to rest here in these truths as I praise You!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music