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Humility

Surrender Day 3 Pride Or Intimacy?

January 25, 2023 by Mary Kathryn Tiller Leave a Comment

Surrender Day 3 Pride Or Intimacy?

Mary Kathryn Tiller

January 25, 2023

Clothed,Humility,Mercy,Pride

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 10:25-37
John 13:1-17
Proverbs 11:2
Romans 12:3-21
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I felt a shock of pain reverberate through my body. The woman’s cutting remark wounded me, deeply. Instinctively, my pride bristled and the desire to wound back reared its ugly head. Mercifully, I heard His voice: 

“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord [. . .] Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” (Romans 12:18-19, 21)

Had this happened a few years earlier, I would have embraced vengeance without a second thought. I’m quick-witted and hot-blooded; I know how to spin up a razor-sharp defense.

But things had changed.
I had encountered Jesus and was growing to be more like Him.

Through that process, I learned I no longer had the right to use my wit as a weapon. Nor could I nurse my wounded pride. I surrendered those the day I chose Christ as my savior. And so did you. 

Pride has no place in the gospel. 
Surrendering our pride is essential to experiencing intimacy with Christ.

The Good Samaritan: a study in surrendered pride
In one of my favorite Bible stories, Jesus speaks with a scribe, an expert in the Law. (Luke 10:25-37) At first, the scribe seems to simply lack understanding. He wants to know how one obtains eternal life. But Jesus quickly uncovers the root of his question. The scribe understands what the Law requires, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27) 

The scribe does not lack understanding, but the ability to live it out.
In an effort to justify himself, the scribe asks, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)
In response, Jesus tells him a story… 

A man was robbed while traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was beaten, stripped, and left to die. Luckily, it’s a busy road and a Jewish priest comes along. When he sees the man, however, he crosses the road and keeps walking. Later, a Levite (Jewish holy man) walks by, but he too ignores the wounded man. 

Finally, a Samaritan (an ethnic enemy of the Jews) encounters the man, and is moved with compassion. He tends to the man’s wounds, places him on his own donkey, and brings him to shelter. The next day, he leaves money with the innkeeper, asking him to care for the wounded man and promising to cover any cost. (Luke 10:30-35)

Jesus’ point is clear, our neighbor is anyone God places in our path. The scribe, however, would have understood a deeper truth, caring for this man cost the Samaritan his pride. You see, Samaritans were despised. Chances are, the beaten man would have spit on the Samaritan had he had been well. Only compassion could compel the Samaritan to show such mercy.

While compassion compels us to draw near another’s suffering, pride erects barriers and interjects mockery. Jesus’ lesson? We cannot love our neighbor while holding onto pride.

Washing Feet: an act of surrendered pride
Jesus lived what He taught. Instances of His surrendered pride is evidenced throughout the gospel accounts, but my favorite is the night He washed His disciples’ feet. (John 13:1-20)

The setting is the final meal Jesus and His disciples would share. His betrayer sits at the table. Jesus knows once they leave, His death will be set into motion. This is the last time He’ll be with the men He has loved and led for the last three years. I can only imagine the emotions He experienced.

Here, John shares some of my favorite verses in the Bible: 
“Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing [. . .] and began to wash his disciples’ feet [.]” (John 13:3-5)

Jesus was assured of His identity and authority. Yet in those precious moments, He didn’t choose to display his power. He chose, instead, to demonstrate His love.

Even in the face of this divine humility, human pride bristles. When Peter realizes what Jesus was doing, he balks at the insanity of it. His pride will not allow Jesus to do something so lowly. 

Jesus gently rebukes him saying, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8) Jesus knows our pride distances us from true healing only He can provide. Jesus calls us to surrender our pride because He wants to offer us healing and intimacy instead. 

The promise in practice
Both of these stories, rich with meaning and subtext, offer us one simple truth. 
As long as we cling to our pride, we will be unable to experience intimacy with Christ or offer it to others.

Surrendering our pride allows us to respond to this hard and hurting world just as Christ did. 
Surrender teaches us to look to God for our identity and defense. 
Surrender leads us to care for our enemies and wash the feet of our traitors. 
Surrendering our pride may feel like a loss of protection, but in reality, it is the opportunity to experience the fullness of Christ.

And in the fullness of Christ,
we want for nothing.

Tags :
justice,Justify,love,mercy,pride,surrender
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Anyone can study God’s Word and grow in knowing God and His character and His purpose for us, but if you’ve recognized yourself as a sinner, repented of that sin to Christ who died to pay the penalty of your sin, and surrendered your life to Jesus, you also have the Holy Spirit living in you. The Spirit makes Scripture come alive to teach, correct, and remind us to walk in Truth. By studying God’s Word under the power of the Holy Spirit we become experts in knowing what He desires. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
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Posted in: Clothed, Humility, Mercy, Pride Tagged: justice, Justify, love, mercy, pride, surrender

Pause VI Day 7 Hold Fast

January 10, 2023 by Melodye Reeves 2 Comments

Pause VI Day 7 Hold Fast

Melodye Reeves

January 10, 2023

Discipleship,Faith,Follow,Humility

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:12-18

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

Read More Of His Words

How should we respond to Jesus’ sacrifice? Paul pleads for the believers to take action in light of Jesus’ unfathomable humility.

“Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)

This is not a call to work for our salvation with a fear of somehow missing it. It’s a plea to work out our salvation. Those who follow Jesus are to work out salvation by imitating their Savior. We live a life of obedience, recognizing we cannot make ourselves more like God. What Jesus has done for us fills us with an awe-inspiring recognition of our total dependence on our Savior.

The psalmist said people of faith will “serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling.” (Psalm 2:11) We hold fast to Jesus through our obedience as He is holding us fast to complete the work in us. Sister, it is Jesus who changes our desires and habits. It is not forced upon us, but thankfully He enables and equip us for a life of obedience and sacrifice.
This reality should leave us joyfully shaken to the core!

“For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

The Philippians had been a receptive church, eager to do what was right and acceptable before God. Paul wrote to encourage them to think even more sacrificially and selflessly, applying the humility of Christ to their relationships specifically within the family of God. Paul had gone to great lengths to remind them of Who they were to emulate.

Once we realize the full extent of Christ’s sacrifice, we will naturally and willingly surrender our lives to Him. It will be our honor to imitate Him. As we look to Jesus’ humble death, our hearts grow in a healthy fear of offending God with sin and we delightedly bow our will to Him in awe and respect for His majesty and holiness.
If you know the song, worship the Lord with these lyrics sung by Shane & Shane, “For my life He bled and died, Christ will hold me fast. Justice has been satisfied, He will hold me fast.”

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Pull out your Bible and read Philippians 2:12-18 fully through 3 times. Read slowly, emphasizing different words each time. Let the words of Scripture wash over you as the Spirit speaks to your heart.

2) Each time you read, write down everything that pops out at you, makes you curious, or wonder “why?”. When you’re finished, go back through and you’ll be amazed at the new things the Spirit is leading you into knowing about Him!

3) Write out a prayer of thanks to God for sending His Son to endure the cross on your behalf. Ask Him to help you love His word and be true to it. Pray for a life free of grumbling and complaining, knowing God is holding you fast and will complete His work in you. (Philippians 1:6) Thank Him for other believers all over the world who are living lives of faith, even in the midst of persecution.

4) Memorize Philippians 3:13-14

Tags :
following,humility,imitate,obedience,sacrifice
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Pause VI, Day 6

Trevin Wax said, “the Creator was slain by His creation. The shepherd was slain by His sheep.” What a ghastly, glorious thought. Ghastly, for it was the price of our sin and our rebellion the Son of God suffered on a cross to pay. Glorious, for it was the Father’s rich mercy and unfathomable love which exalted Him to the throne of heaven!
(Revelation 4:8-11)
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Posted in: Discipleship, Faith, Follow, Humility Tagged: following, humility, imitate, obedience, sacrifice

Pause VI Day 6 Breathtaking Humility

January 9, 2023 by Melodye Reeves 1 Comment

Pause VI Day 6 Breathtaking Humility

Melodye Reeves

January 9, 2023

Alive,Hero,Humility,Obedience,Service

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Read More Of His Words

Some Bible scholars call this passage “the Philippian hymn,” because of the style and rhythm of Paul’s writing in these verses. Was Paul adopting lyrics that believers were already singing about Jesus? The thoughts that filled his mind were possibly overwhelming him with truth, sinking into his soul and captivating his heart much like our own worship song lyrics today.

He wanted to encourage the Philippians to consider Jesus. The author of Hebrews was also meditating on this unfathomable truth when he wrote, “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Sister, consider the beauty and the horror of our humble Jesus. Paul’s life goal was to know Jesus so deeply that he was able to “know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death …” (Philippians 3:10)

Consider the One who:
existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.
Instead, He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.

Was Paul so gripped by the sacrifice of Christ that he burst into praise and worship? Do you see it, friend? His hymn simply must contain the whole ugly truth. He can leave nothing out.

And when He had come as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8) 

Maybe you’re so familiar with this passage you aren’t stunned at this verse.

But the first-century Jews who read this letter and sang this hymn would have winced, maybe even shivered, to think of their Savior dying this way.

The supreme example of selflessness, as today’s passage describes, is Jesus. If we look to Him and adopt His same attitude, we are doing nothing more than our duty as believers. (Luke 17:10) Trevin Wax said, “the Creator was slain by His creation. The shepherd was slain by His sheep.” What a ghastly, glorious thought.

Ghastly, for it was the price of our sin and our rebellion the Son of God suffered on a cross to pay.
Glorious, for it was the Father’s rich mercy and unfathomable love which exalted Him to the throne of heaven! (Revelation 4:8-11)

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Read Philippians 2:5-11 and answer these 3 questions in your journal.

a) What do these verses tell me about God and His character?
b) What do these verses tell me about others and the world around me?
c) What do these verses tell me about me and my heart?

2) Close your time by praying for these truths to take root in your heart and for the Holy Spirit to remind you and teach you more about these things today. Be sure to write out any questions you have as you read and send us an email; we’d love to study with you!

3) Read the lyrics to “Lower Still” by My Epic. Meditate on the sacrifice of our humble Savior.

4) Memorize Philippians 3:13-14

Tags :
death,hymn,life,obedience,suffering
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Journey Into Pause VI!

Learning to be others-focused, not self-focused, is a long, growing process as we surrender to the Spirit’s work in us as we study truth from Scripture. When we are communally intent on one purpose, we move ahead as partners and teammates toward a goal. If we’re choosing to put others first, we won’t have space to be proud or seek power. It’s hard to be self-important when we’re genuinely considering others as more important.
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Posted in: Alive, Hero, Humility, Obedience, Service Tagged: death, hymn, life, obedience, suffering

The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

July 2, 2022 by Katelyn Palmer Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

Katelyn Palmer

July 2, 2022

Broken,Character,Christ,Community,GT Weekend,Hope,Humility,Jesus,Scripture,Truth,Unity

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Psalm 103:1-6

“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. He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with Faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, You have told us we are not of this world (John 15:19) and neither is Your Kingdom of this world (John 18:36), yet we are to remain here, shining as lights in the darkness until Your return. (Philippians 2:15)

Please keep my thoughts centered on Your Kingdom, Lord, especially when the darkness seems overwhelming. Use me to reflect Your light so others may be drawn to You and a little more darkness is squeezed out of the broken places. Guide my quiet time with You, still my mind and heart so I may hear Your whispers, God.

Yahweh, you are the Shepherd (Psalm 23), the Teacher (Psalm 25:5), and the Lord of Armies (Psalm 46:7). You quench the thirst of my soul like a glass of ice water in the desert (John 4:14). I ache to be close to You, to feel Your love and warmth in my soul. Equip me to reflect this love to Your creation and renew my strength to push forward each morning against the rulers of this world in Your power. (Ephesians 6:12)

I pray for opportunities in this coming week to lift up someone who is low in spirit and point them back to You, Father. I move as You command; in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE 
As Christ-followers, we must hold to truth when it seems hatred is around every corner and division on every billboard. Scripture reminds that our fight is not temporal but spiritual. (Ephesians 6:12)

Of course, we battle our flesh daily, but a spiritual enemy uses our physical world to attack our spiritual livelihood. The enemy’s tactics have remained the same since time began: lying, deception, misinformation, distortion, and misinterpretations of God’s truth. 

How do we fight against that? First, we educate ourselves on the enemy’s battle plans, like deception through social media or the division rising up around us. (1 Peter 5:8) We must study Scripture to understand and identify truth, praying for guidance and wisdom. We can stay informed on world events through multiple sources and strain our responses through the safeguard of Scripture. Second, we engage. We must start a dialogue with those inside and outside our circle with open minds and soft hearts about the brokenness of our world with a willingness to take action. Third, we seek community. God designed us to seek support from our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds. God did not promise us a life free of storms;
He promised to be present with us through them. (Isaiah 43:2)
JOURNAL TWO
It’s easy to acknowledge that we live in a damaged world and that humanity is flawed, but what happens when the finger is pointed at us?

The most effective way to attack oppression, hatred, and evil, is by looking inwardly first. Zechariah reminds us to have compassionate hearts for others (Zechariah 7:9-10), and Jesus taught us to love one another as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) Isaiah calls for us to repent of our sin, be cleansed, and learn what it looks like to do right in order to stand against injustice. (Isaiah 1:17) 

All of these Scriptures appeal to Christ’s Church, that’s us! Imagine if the whole of believers around the globe actively lived out these verses in our everyday relationships. What peace and pushing back of oppression would result! Conquering hate and bringing unity to our communities must start at home. We must also pray fervently for leadership in our churches and our world. (1Timothy 2:1-4) Where we have the privilege to elect government officials, do so by searching the Scriptures and using your vote to elect righteous leadership. Have conversations, not debates, about what righteous leadership looks like that protects people, lifts oppression, and promotes justice. (Jeremiah 22:2-3, Proverbs 31:4-5; 8-9, Matthew 20:26-28).

It is our duty as Christ-followers to lead and pray with zealous love as God has commanded us to in order to reflect His light in the darkest places.
JOURNAL THREE
Have you ever heard the saying “practice what you preach?” Better yet, have you ever met anyone who could do it? I can think of one person who practiced everything He preached, and the world was quite literally saved in the process. Jesus.

He experienced sorrow, oppression, discrimination, and hatred, as well as taught about it in the synagogues, in boats, in fields and in city centers. Jesus illustrated how to suffer silently with purpose (Mark 15:3-5), but also how to boldly call out sin. (Matthew 21:12-13) He showed us how to lift up the lowly (Luke 8:43-48) and stand firm against the enemy, both spiritual and worldly. (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 23:1-7) More than all of that, Jesus showed us how to bring our brokenness to God in humble submission. (Mark 14:33-36)

In His submission, Jesus was renewed in His mission for God’s glory, for it is in tribulation where we develop endurance; endurance produces proven character, which produces hope. (Romans 5:1-11)

I challenge each of us as we face adversity in the next minute or the next week to rejoice at the opportunity God has allowed to further shape us into the image of His Son that we might proclaim Him all the more! (Romans 8:29)
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Beautiful,character,Christ-followers,compassion,engage,heart,leadership,righteous,seek,whole
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Posted in: Broken, Character, Christ, Community, GT Weekend, Hope, Humility, Jesus, Scripture, Truth, Unity Tagged: Beautiful, character, Christ-followers, compassion, engage, heart, leadership, righteous, seek, whole

Whole Day 9 Identifying The Oppression: Digging Deeper

June 30, 2022 by Shannon Vicker Leave a Comment

Whole Day 9 Identifying The Oppression: Digging Deeper

Shannon Vicker

June 30, 2022

Deep,God,Humility,Justice,Love,Righteousness,Scripture,Shepherd

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Identifying The Oppression"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 22:3-5

3 This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor. Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses—they, their officers, and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself—this is the Lord’s declaration—that this house will become a ruin.’”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?

Context matters significantly when studying Scripture and it keeps us “in bounds” for making follow-in right application to our lives. Studying a whole passage by considering its surroundings keeps us tied tightly to Scripture, allowing truth to shape our understanding instead of our own biases. Asking questions like who, what, why, and when helps broaden and deepen our understanding of any passage.

In order to know who Jeremiah is addressing in this passage, we must look backwards just a couple of sentences to Jeremiah 22:1-2 where we read of God sending Jeremiah to speak to the king of Judah. This king would have been a descendant of King David and sat on David’s same throne. Jeremiah was a prophet, speaking as God’s mouthpiece to God’s people; in this instance his message was directed to the reigning king of Judah.

The message also extended beyond the king of Judah to the Israelites under his rule as they were directives on what it looked like to “be” God’s people. These words were spoken to the king so he would model God’s justice and all of Judah would also walk in the Lord’s ways.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?

Jeremiah’s message to Judah’s king on how to live in a way that reflected God’s righteousness and justice is ancient to us in the 21st century. Still, its meaning and significant implications are just as relevant to God’s people today as they were in ages past. The Word of the Lord is always relevant, enduring for eternity! (1 Peter 1:25)

God’s message through Jeremiah carries meaning for believers today where they live out being Christ’s Body in every culture in every nation and city around the world. Everywhere oppression and injustice exist, Jeremiah’s words still carry the authority of the Lord God. We are not exempt simply because we live in 2022.

How will we live out the rest of today differently because of Jeremiah’s relevant message? How will we shift the direction of our lives tomorrow? Not sure? Commit to reading just these brief verses every morning and praying for the Lord to convict and shape you as you take in His living and active words. (Hebrews 4:12)

The Original Intent

2) What does verse 3 mean?

Jeremiah began by telling the king he must administer justice and righteousness; the burden of wisely leading and shepherding God’s people fell to Judah’s king. This administration aligned not only with God’s heart, but also mirrored how King David had led God’s people. (2 Samuel 8:15)

Judah’s kings had drifted far from the pattern of righteous justice modeled by King David, and Jeremiah’s message was a clarion call to return to the ways of the Lord which He had manifested in David’s kingship. Jeremiah then instructs all Israelites to actively come to the aid of the vulnerable. In specifically calling out resident aliens, fatherless, and widows, the Lord was shining a spotlight on the weakest, neediest group of people of Judah. Israelites knew exactly how they were to treat resident aliens as God had addressed this issue centuries prior during the time of Moses in Exodus 22:21-22. 

By including this group of people in His message, the Lord emphasized how far Judah had strayed from His instructions and was calling them back to what they already knew. He reminded them to carry out righteous justice with the essential component of humility as Israel herself had once lived as resident aliens in Egypt.

Next, the Lord reminds Israel to protect the fatherless and widows, another group of often overlooked and neglected people which God had also addressed in Deuteronomy 14:29 during Moses’ leadership. God had commanded Israelites to diligently care for and give special attention to the widow and orphan.

These weren’t new commands, but they were instructions Israel had long ago disregarded and set aside. God’s deep compassion is revealed by his firm call to the king and his subjects of their duty to care for the vulnerable, ensuring that all were protected and given care.

The Everyday Application

2) What does verse 3 mean?

Just as Jeremiah’s message to administer righteous justice is relevant to us today as Christ-followers, so also are the carefully selected recipients of this protective care. Jeremiah specifically called out the weak and vulnerable in Judah, and we must consider who these groups of people are within our own cultures and cities. Here is where we are to begin our work of administering righteous justice.

It should not come as a surprise to us that these same groups are among the most vulnerable in our modern time as well. Single moms, orphans, and immigrants are among the neediest and vulnerable of our world and should be the first ones the church humbly runs toward to protect and love. Regardless of our location on the globe, I’m confident we each know someone who fits one of these categories. Our call is to refuse to exploit them or ignore reality when they are exploited or overlooked. We must not puff ourselves up and think less of them because of society’s label.

Christ calls us, just as He did to Judah’s king, to love and care for those who cannot care for themselves, for in so doing we are loving and caring for Christ. (Matthew 25:35-40) 

All over the world, people are displaced from their homes, children grow up without parents, and widows struggle in many cultures to provide for themselves. Our call toward each of these is to extend justice, act righteously, and love them with the humility of Christ. (Micah 6:8, James 1:27) When we actively live out this kind of love, we are reflecting Christ’s humble, generous sacrifice when He gave His life for us.

Living with justice for the oppressed is one way we live out of the overflow of Christ’s love for us.

The Original Intent

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?

Jeremiah’s message was a warning of God’s coming judgment against Judah’s king and the Israelites if they chose, again, to disobey God’s command and reject His ways of justice. They would be found in ruin. Sin’s rule would continue oppressing them while they continued oppressing the weak and vulnerable, even if it was simply by ignoring that a problem existed. Sin’s gravitational pull would continue increasing until eventually they would lose everything.

This was not a quiet, casual command that was really more of an optional activity, this was a matter of life and death.

Jeremiah continued to describe their ruin in verses 6-9. If they chose to ignore the Lord’s command, Judah (and Jerusalem) would soon lie in ruins. A direct result of their choice to place something else, anything else, before the Lord would be their fall. Judah, and therefore Jerusalem, would cease to be an amazing nation and city and would be turned over to an enemy.

Graciously, God, through Jeremiah, not only provided the Israelites a choice, but He also provided a clear call to return. Life and death were in their hands, and their choice carried significant, wide-sweeping consequences.

The Everyday Application

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?

Just as Judah was unable to prosper if they did not heed the Lord’s call we will never prosper as the Church if we do not heed His same call to leave our sinful patterns and embrace His ways of living righteously. The Global Church is the hands and feet of God, intended to actively show love to those often seen as the least lovable, most-likely outcast, and exceptionally vulnerable. When we do not choose to take on His mission in our everyday lives as believers, our lives end up in ruin, wasted and ineffective for the Kingdom. We allow sin and conflict to gradually take the place of love in our lives and it poisons everything. (James 1:14-15)

We can never live up to our calling in Christ if we allow sin and disobedience to fester instead of humbly pouring out the love Christ has demonstrated to us. (Romans 5:8)

If I am honest with myself, I can think of people I interact with daily who fall into these categories of unlovable, outcast, and vulnerable. I must ask myself if I am heeding the call of the Lord toward each of these individuals. I challenge each of us to think carefully about those we interact with regularly, and those around us who need to be seen and loved by us; are we pouring out the same love Christ has lavished on us? (1 John 3:1)

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The snarls of a sinister enemy snaked through the goodness of Eden, deviously plotting the downfall of the Almighty who had cast him from His glorious presence. How the enemy loved himself. How he loathed the Almighty.

Humanity would pay the price of the enemy’s sickening self-love by carrying his pride in their hearts, grooming it, making it their own, then calling it righteousness by justifying their selfish pride to the Almighty. Perfectly mimicking the enemy’s craft which had earned him ejection from The Presence.
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Posted in: Deep, God, Humility, Justice, Love, Righteousness, Scripture, Shepherd Tagged: compassion, Enduring, eternity, God's People, King David, Oppression, questions, whole

Champion Day 10 Casting Out The Shadows

June 10, 2022 by Jami Stroud Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Samuel 17:16-50
2 Samuel 5:1-5
2 Samuel 11
Psalm 51
Romans 8:38-39

Champion, Day 10

A repentant, handsome poet, and songwriter with charm, intelligence, and swagger – a man after God’s own heart.

An adulterer, polygamist, and murder conspirator with a tendency to ignore important issues, and do whatever it takes to get what he wants – even at the expense of others.

These descriptions sound like two completely different men, and I don’t know about you, but I am more interested in being associated with the first guy than the second.

But all of those characteristics describe one real, historical person, King David.

Most of us are familiar with David. He spent his early years shepherding as the youngest of 8 brothers, bravely taking down the menacing giant Goliath as a teenager, and eventually rising to power as king of the Isrealites. It’s common for us to uphold David as a hero and shining example of who we should be as God’s people and gloss over the corruption of power, flagrant misconduct, and general carelessness that also characterized this Biblical man.

In a way, I understand the value of seeing David through grace-filled eyes, as this is how God sees us, thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

However, without discussing the full truth of David’s wrongdoing, we falsely believe David possessed innate righteous heroism, and, in comparison, we have nothing to offer because we could never be as brave, upstanding, or godly as David.

In reality, David was a complex, complicated human just like you and I, yet God still called him a “man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) and chose him as the king of the Israelites. The hero of David’s story is not David, but God.

David’s story seems like the plot of a movie.
A shepherd boy who defeated a giant and was anointed as the next king at a young age.

A musician and songwriter who gained the favor of King Saul, only to be hunted by him soon after when jealousy took root in King Saul’s heart.
Taken with one of his men’s wives, he called for her, had an affair with her, and
got her pregnant, then had her husband killed to cover it up.
Married multiple women and did as he pleased.
Refused to discipline his children which led to turmoil and trauma within the family.
And woven throughout each of these moments are David’s prayers of repentance and psalms of praise to God.

David’s story is not linear or straightforward. It is complicated and wrought with bad decisions, devastating loss, incredible favor from God, humility, and repentance. He wasn’t redeemed from a tragic past before God chose him to lead. His sordid stories and the ups and downs of his life happened alongside his journey from shepherd boy to anointed king to warrior to leader of Israel.

What matters about David and his story, and what is the most compelling, is that over and over, God redeems his story. God relentlessly pursued David’s heart, and continued to use him to unfold God’s plan for Israel.

As I reflect on my current lot in life, I am in a valley moment, where David found himself countless times. (Psalm 23:4) I feel far from God and hope has become overgrown with loss and disappointment and unmet expectations. I feel like David, hiding away in a cave wondering if God will rescue me, or turn me over to my enemies.

If I am honest with myself, the darkness feels safer.
In the darkness, no one expects me to be more than I am. Nothing changes for worse or for better. Simply existing on my own seems like the best possible option.

Without looking at the entirety of David’s life, we miss the significance of how each moment prepared him for the next and how God’s sovereignty and mercy covered every transgression.

We have the advantage of seeing David’s life from a young boy until he dies. We can see the arc of God’s Sovereignty made clear through his stories and psalms. We can see how God chose him and worked through him to accomplish salvation for all people through David’s lineage. We can see how, in spite of and because of David’s scandals, God showed us His unyielding pursuit of our hearts. We can see how much God desires a relationship with us – children after His own heart.

We don’t get to see the full picture of our own story, but God already knows.

And so, in the midst of our valleys, or when we feel safer in our darkest moments than in the light of day, we can rest assured that God is not finished with us. There is no barrier too big, no sin too wicked that can separate us from the love and power of our Champion.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38-39)

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Posted in: God, Humility, Jesus, Love, Power, Redeemed, Sacrifice, Shepherd Tagged: Casting, champion, chosen, David, God's Heart, Grace-filled, repentance, Shadows

Build Day 3 Building Plans

February 16, 2022 by Rebekah Hargraves Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 2:11-3:32
Proverbs 16:1-3
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Philippians 1:3-6

Build, Day 3

When we speak of building and relying on God, the Master Builder, throughout the building process, my mind immediately turns to parenting. As a Christian mama, my heart’s desire is to train my children in the way they should go. (Proverbs 22:6) Though I often fall short, I am daily seeking to build a legacy, attempting by God’s grace to talk with my children of God and His Word, in the hope of seeing love for God built into their hearts.

As I approach the passage from Nehemiah through which we are journeying today, I see so many nuggets of wisdom to glean and apply to my life’s work. These truths are for all of us regardless of whether you’re a parent! As Great Commission workers, we are all seeking to build God’s Kingdom!

First, I notice Nehemiah does not allow zeal or excitement to lure him into foolishly and immediately jumping head-first into construction tasks (which would be easy to do!). Instead, he surveys the area, he ponders, and he assesses before he gets to work. (Nehemiah 2:11-15) There is so much wisdom in this important first step because, as they say, “when you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

I see this as a lesson for me as a mama, too. With anything I am seeking to build and instill in my children, I first need to think about the end result, the character I hope my children possess as adults, what unique personalities and learning styles God gave to each one, and what they most need from me. Taking the time to engage in this important, preparatory step helps each of us work with victory and productivity. Nehemiah knew the same was true for him and his own divinely-inspired building project.

Next, I see the impact Nehemiah had on the community assisting him and vice versa. In Nehemiah 2:20, Nehemiah says, “The God of heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building[.]” He proclaims these words in reply to naysayers and enemies; undoubtedly, facing this kind of opposition must have made Nehemiah’s fellow workers feel ill-prepared for the task, uncertain, and perhaps even afraid. Immediately following Nehemiah’s declaration, the atmosphere shifts, and everyone diligently sets to work. (Nehemiah 3)

This is a living testimony that “two are better than one[.]” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) We need the help, support, and encouragement of Christian community to spur us on in the building tasks set before us by the Lord God. I have certainly seen this to be true as a parent!

This passage also highlights the importance of godly leadership in ensuring service to the Lord actually comes to pass in our churches and communities. Without someone going first (in this case, Nehemiah), the important work of rebuilding may have never happened. In fact, an earlier attempt to rebuild the wall had already stagnated and failed when Nehemiah entered Jerusalem! Nehemiah bore an enormous mantle of responsibility, which he carries with humility and sobriety, repeatedly turning to God both for direction and as the only One who could empower the completion of the wall.

When thinking about building-up my children, I see the wisdom of Titus 2:3-5 and God’s design for older, wiser women to come alongside younger women. We need older mamas-in-the-Spirit to guide, encourage, and edify us in our God-given tasks, just like Nehemiah’s community needed him!

Finally, as we have already seen in Nehemiah 2:20, the focus is not truly on Nehemiah; he is not the star of the show. He was an important, faithful leader, yes, but he was not the Master Builder; that title belonged to God alone. This is such good news, because it means we don’t need to rely on ourselves to get everything right, to complete a task perfectly, or to make it all come to fruition.

The same is true for us, who all too often feel as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders and as if the success of our parenting–or any other–endeavors ultimately depends on us. The Lord is the One Who constructs the blueprints, Who builds, and Who ensures His plans to fruition. Our role is to lean into Him, rely on Him, and follow Him.

May this truth be a source of great encouragement to your heart in whatever God-given building task you find yourself today!

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Posted in: God, Hope, Humility, Kingdom, Love, Truth, Wisdom Tagged: build, children, desire, heart, His Word, Nehemiah, plans, testimony

Training Day 4 Lovely Conversation: Digging Deeper

January 27, 2022 by Rebecca Adams 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 Lovely Conversation!

The Questions

1) What are the markers of prayers God does not accept? (verse 5)

2) What are the markers of prayers God does accept? (verses 6-7)

3) Why can we be confident our prayers will be received? (verse 8)

Matthew 6:5-8

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

Original Intent

1) What are the markers of prayers God does not accept? (verse 5)
The most striking word the Lord Jesus chose for instruction and conviction of His hearers on how not to pray is the Greek word for hypocrites, transliterated phonetically as “hypokrínomai”. Trending at the time of Jesus’ teaching were the wildly popular Greek theatre troupes. With relatively nearby theatres across the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias and in Sepphoris, north of Nazareth, and, of course, the Roman theatre, stage acting and masks were just beginning to make their mark on culture. Of course, masks were required to depict one actor taking on a character role that wasn’t his real self in everyday life. This was hypokrínomai in action. The root word is defined by “taking up another’s statements in reference to what one has decided for one’s self; to feign, impersonate, and pretend.” One has decided who he is in himself, but then takes on another’s statements, impersonating their life, ideals, and beliefs as if they were their own. Jesus took the popular Greek trend and, flipping it on its head, applied it to the most elite of the Jewish sect, Scribes and Pharisees. (Matthew 23:13) Right there in the public streets, He called the religious ones spectacle actors for they were just as much putting on a show as Greek performers. They spoke loudly not out of bold confidence in relationship with God, but to be heard and seen. The whole point wasn’t to be heard and known by God, but by the onlooker, and perhaps, God would notice also and be astounded by their overt muchness. (verse 7)

2) What are the markers of prayers God does accept? (verses 6-7)
Arrogant, brassy, self- flaunting prayers are met with God’s rejection, but Jesus didn’t come to condemn, instead, He came to show us the fullest way of deep life. (John 10:10) Jesus loved using relevant topics and trends to teach people about the spiritual realm, for this was His purpose, to make the Father known. (John 17:26) With a little imagination, you can see Jesus walking village streets, nodding towards the loud, babbling scribe whom everyone took for granted, as His disciples began seeing their world through a different lens. His purpose was first to correct their perspective, and second to align their hearts toward full reliance on God. Jesus points out the babbler as an example of how not to pray, but then with a softer tone and invitational voice as if  sharing the sweetest of secrets, begins to describe how to really pray in such a way as to be received, “Go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (verse 6) Prayers weren’t for the sight and sound of the many, but for the ears of the One who, remarkably, already knows all and sees all, for here, relationship flourishes in the context of singularly focused adoration. There are no distractions in a closed private room, which wouldn’t even have boasted a window. The slow, emphatic details of His teaching make us wonder if Jesus’ voice caught in His throat as He taught them of the tender act of praying to the Father in quiet worship, neither bothered by what others thought, nor consumed by self-love. What Lovely Conversation prayer truly is!

3) Why can we be confident our prayers will be received? (verse 8)
Most often in His common personal prayers, Jesus demonstrates His relationship by calling out, “Father”. Take a minute to read John 17, picturing Jesus in the Upper Room with His disciples having shared His final meal with His beloved ones just hours before His betrayal. He prays aloud in deepest of sweet intimacies to His Father. As you read, count the number of instances Jesus prays, “Father”, intonating intimate relationship. There is no need to address the Father as “God” for the two Beings are co-equal in divine title of God with the Holy Spirit, yet the title of Father reflects such rich depth and astounding shared beauty and adoring love. (John 5:20) Matthew’s record of Jesus’ teaching on prayer sets up a clear distinction, “…they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” (verses 7-8) Puffed up arrogant pray-ers think they will be heard by God for their words, because of what they can do, but those who pray with genuine love for God are confident their prayers will be received because their Father already knows.

Everyday Application

1) What are the markers of prayers God does not accept? (verse 5)
Paul writes to the Corinthians, whose culture had become even more embedded with the popularity of stage performances and hypokrínomai, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it.” (1 Corinthians 8:1-2) With this unmasking of heart motivations to display the stark distinction between “show off knowledge” and genuine, affirming love, Paul cuts to the quick of Jesus’ teaching. The religious elite felt they were truly special, garnishing the applause of men, and surely God, by their loud speech, many words, and ornate garments, but they were merely puffing themselves up, proving they actually understood nothing. Paul continues with the antidote, “But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.” (1 Corinthians 8:3) Arrogant, puffed-up hearts are not always easy to recognize in ourselves, but regardless of our self-perception, the Lord clearly sees our hearts; we cannot put in a mask for Him! (1 Samuel 16:7) We can be assured that prayers marked with arrogant, self-exaltation, and inflated views of ourselves and our understanding will not be received by God. While we all would love to say we steer clear of these kinds of prayers, it’s easier to be arrogant than we would like to admit. As I reflected on this (in prayer!), the Spirit revealed how my attempt to humbly surrender to His ways tonight wasn’t genuine surrender; I was secretly holding onto my ways as superior. I was wearing a mask and thinking I could sneak past the God who sees all and knows all. Thankfully, Paul’s words remind me of the right heart-motivation in prayer, simply loving God for Who He is. When I pray with love for God instead of self, He aligns my heart with His own!

2) What are the markers of prayers God does accept? (verses 6-7)
Single focused worship is hard when there are a hundred distractions on all sides. I’m mama to 7 Treasures who live on earth (1 sweet love already worshipping in glory!); finding quiet time without distraction to pray is laughable. Someone is always asking for a snack, calling or texting me, building a fort, complaining about not having more food, or bragging about the giant mess of food they created in my once-clean kitchen. Even when I manage to bar the door of my bedroom, toss out electronic devices as bribes, and lock the bathroom door, and lock the closet door to sit in the dark, a hundred distracting thoughts plague me still. Did I start the washer? Was I supposed to make that dentist appointment today? Do we have ingredients for dinner? It requires discipline and consistent practice to follow the command of single-focused worship by closing the door on all other competing loves. Whether we close ourselves within a physical room, are making dinner in a noisy kitchen, or stuck in busy traffic, we always have the opportunity to enter the secret place with God and pray deeply. The more we practice shutting out distractions, the easier it becomes to relish deep communion with God no matter what’s happening around us. Anyone can begin practicing now in this very moment; what’s holding you back?

3) Why can we be confident our prayers will be received? (verse 8)
It’s like the little boy, waking up sleepy-eyed from his nap, toddling to his mama, and stretching out his short arms in request for the snuggling hug he desires. Mama will give the hug for she knows his wanting desire. Mama will give the hug for she values the relationship with her son. His love is fixed on her, and she responds with gracious warm love because she knows him. So it is when we approach our deeply personal Father in Heaven with hearts bent on adoring love for Him and trust of His love already outstretched for us, as evidenced by the invitation to even call Him Father. (Luke 11:13) Responding to His disciples’ request to be schooled in authentic prayer (Luke 11:1), Jesus begins in the same way He Himself has always begun His prayers, warmly inviting His disciples to do the same. It’s as if He grins with delight, His eyes warm with richness, and says, “You want to come in? To share with the Father as you’ve seen me do? (Revelation 3:20) Come then, come, and don’t be shy, call Him, ‘Father’, for He will adopt you through Me (Romans 8:15-16) when I lay down my life for you, paying the penalty for your sins that have always kept you separated from Him. (John 10:17-18) Come, share the Father with Me as co-heirs alongside Me. (Romans 8:17, Revelation 3:21)” Such richness is far beyond our reckoning! Yet, Scripture teaches its truth over and over. So, come, won’t you? Call Him, Father, and enter the Lovely Conversation!

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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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!

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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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Posted in: Beloved, Digging Deeper, God, Holy Spirit, Humility, Jesus, Love, Prayer, Purpose, Relationship, Worship Tagged: Conversation, Lord, Lovely, tender, training

Kneel Day 9 Believing The Best Of God: Digging Deeper

January 13, 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 Believing The Best Of God!

The Questions

1) To whom should the believer demonstrate graciousness (gentleness)? (verse 5)

2) Why should the believer demonstrate graciousness? (verse 5)

3) What does Paul encourage believers to use as a defense against worry? (verse 6)

4) What will be the result of our obedience to pray about everything? (verse 7)

Philippians 4:5-7

5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. the Lord.

Original Intent

1) To whom should the believer demonstrate graciousness (gentleness)? (verse 5)
This isn’t a trick question! But it is a weighty one, isn’t it? Most of us want some sort of clarification for the commanding statement in Paul’s letter. Maybe the original readers did too. Anytime we read a word as inclusive as “everyone”, we typically begin to look for parentheses to offer some sort of exception. Much to our chagrin, there is no clause excluding certain people or situations. The believer is to let our “graciousness be known to everyone.” The Greek word (epieikes) used in this verse conveys that our attitude toward others, all the others, is to be gentle, equitable and patient. Digging into the context of the verse helps us understand Paul’s instructions regarding relationships. In verses 2-3, he encourages two women in the church to strive toward unity, implying there are far-reaching gospel implications in their pursuit of reconciliation. Their discord could drastically affect how others are hearing and receiving the peace of Christ. He writes that these women had “contended for the gospel at my side”. (verse 3) They were faithful servants with Paul in the work of sharing Jesus. Whatever had caused the disagreement wasn’t nearly as important as the commonality they shared in Christ and their goal of telling others about the freedom and peace He brings. It was essential that the gospel (What is the gospel?) they proclaimed not be hindered by their disunity. This message regarding unity and humility wasn’t only for these two women. It was for all believers at the church in Philippi. Graciousness was to be demonstrated by every believer and toward everyone who witnessed their interactions.

2) Why should the believer demonstrate graciousness? (verse 5)
The graciousness we are to show to all people is painted with a broad brush. Our human tendency may be to flinch at the command to treat everyone with grace. It means that our kindness and patience is not just toward those we love or find desirable. Our heart-motivation is key to genuineness! We do this because “the Lord is near.” (verse 5) Sandwiched between the more well-known and oft-quoted “rejoice-in-the-Lord-always” and “be-anxious-for-nothing” verses is this treasure. “Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” When the believer lives with the awareness of Jesus’ daily presence and His pending return (Hebrews 9:27-28), it becomes easier and more significant to rejoice in the Lord and show gentleness to all people. Since we know Jesus will settle every wrong when He returns, we carry our personal struggles and conflicts to Him because we can trust Him to make things right in our sin-stricken world. James tells us that receiving God’s grace and giving His grace are linked. (James 1:19-27) Our time with Jesus in prayer and in the Word is evidenced by our graciousness. When we exhibit the humility of Christ, we season the gospel in a way that adds flavor. We adorn it. Our graciousness gives credibility to our gospel message of grace. When Paul wrote to his disciple Titus, he reminded him to encourage all the believers in sound doctrine and motivate them toward gracious living. (Titus 2:1-14) The Lord is near. He is with us now through His Spirit and His bodily return is forthcoming. Therefore, we live in such a way as to preach the gospel with our lives as well as our words.

3) What does Paul encourage believers to use as a defense against worry? (verse 6)
Paul tells the believers at Philippi to reject worry and instead “present your requests to God.” Though we may never fully grasp how our prayers and God’s will work together, the Bible makes it clear we are to pray. The Greek gnōrizesthō means “to make known, declare, know, discover.” We are to make known to God our worries. Yes, He does know everything, but Scripture repeatedly tells us to confess our sins, to confess our needs, and to confess our desires. We do this by bending our hearts in prayer and taking a humble posture toward God’s purposes. We do not come to Him asking humbly because God is reluctant to answer, but because He is the sovereign Lord of all. He deserves our humble hearted response. (2 Corinthians 9:7-15) We make our requests known to God because He commands us to do so. Had a Syrian woman with a demon-influenced daughter not been bold enough to approach Christ with her request, she would have missed the opportunity to demonstrate her faith in His power to heal. (Mark 7:24-30) Had a blind beggar not cried out to Jesus for mercy, those in the crowd wouldn’t have witnessed Jesus’ power to give sight to the blind. (Luke 18:35-43) God says we often go through life without answers to our prayers because we do not ask, or we ask with the wrong motives. (James 4:2-3) Prayer is the means of defeating the enemy of our souls who constantly presses against our peace. (Ephesians 6:18-19) We can take our thoughts captive by replacing big fears and little worries with pleas to our good Father. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) We acknowledge the presence of our great high priest, and are then able to approach God boldly with our requests. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

4) What will be the result of our obedience to pray about everything? (verse 7)
This promise is AMAZING! Who would not desire to have this kind of peace? “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Praying from a thankful heart is the key to unlocking the door of peace. If something completely fills a space, the only way another item can fully fit is to switch the items. Paul wanted his readers to understand they could not simply sideline worry without making an adjustment in their minds. Replacing worry with its antidote was imperative! Praying about everything serves as a kind of guard in our hearts. It fills the space that worry might occupy. Nothing that produces angst can get past the guard of peace. Colossians 3:15 tells us the peace of Christ is to serve as a ruling umpire in our hearts and minds. The way we fill up on peace is by praying for it. As we pray, God provides peace to us that we are unable to fully explain. I love how Bethany wrote, “Paul assumed God was good at giving good things. If what he was praying about was a good gift, he assumed it came from God…If Paul was petitioning God for something, he assumed what God had already given and was going to give was good, too…In everything, God’s good provision meant that prayer could coincide with thankfulness.” God takes our obedience of replacing worry with prayer and provides the good gift of peace to us. A supernatural peace only He can give.

Everyday Application

1) To whom should the believer demonstrate graciousness (gentleness)? (verse 5)
We read in the New Testament that the apostle Paul was a mentor to several young men in the faith. I’m especially struck by some of his final instructions to his dear “son” Timothy. He told him to pursue, among other things, gentleness! (1 Timothy 1:2 6:11) He mentions this along with “righteousness, godliness, faith, love and endurance.” My sweet sister, even those of us who may have studied these verses many times, let’s not miss this. Our gentle disposition is an integral part of demonstrating the power of God in our lives. We find the strength to radiate this beautiful grace only through the power of the Spirit. Galatians 5 tells us the fruit of the Spirit include the characteristic of gentleness. (Galatians 5:22-23) Oh that I would exude graciousness when everyone is expecting fretfulness! I long to get up from my knees with an energy to conquer my worry and fears evidenced by a gentleness that mimics Christ. In the power of our Lord and Savior, I have the provision I need to do exactly this.

2) Why should the believer demonstrate graciousness? (verse 5)
We demonstrate graciousness because God is good and full of grace! I believe one of the greatest testimonies of a woman of prayer is her Spirit-induced ability to maintain kindness to everyone in the midst of conflict. What a beautiful gospel picture we are proclaiming when a peaceful spirit oozes from us. I love picturing Jesus’ dear friend, Mary, sitting at His feet, enthralled in His presence. (Luke 10:38-42) Why was her sister Martha fretting? Because she hadn’t learned where rest comes from. She had missed the way to be at her absolute best. I don’t think Jesus was scolding her for attempting to check off her To Do list. Rather, I think He was reminding her there is only one authentic way to peace – remembering Jesus’ nearness and presenting our worries to Him. I think if Mary were here today, she would joyfully join singing with us:
Come find what this world cannot offer.
Come and find your joy here complete.
Taste the living water, never thirst again,
rest here in His wondrous peace.
Come and find your hope now in Jesus.
He is all He said He would be.
Grace is overflowing from the Savior’s heart.
Rest here in His wondrous peace.
Oh the goodness, the goodness of Jesus!
Satisfied, He is all that I need.
May it be, come what may, that I rest all my days in the goodness of Jesus.
(The Goodness of Jesus by CityAlight)

3) What does Paul encourage believers to use as a defense against worry? (verse 6)
Paul’s instruction here is more than a soft word of encouragement. It’s possible that in our attempts to not offend others, we sometimes don’t emphasize the wealth that is found in our obedience to this command, “Don’t worry about anything.” Let’s face it, sweet friends, this isn’t written like a suggestion, is it? Paul is urging his Philippian friends to live at peace with another and within themselves through the command of rejecting worry. I’m so thankful he does not leave us hanging though; Paul continues by telling them to pray about everything. Well, my goodness. We are to be gracious to everyone, not worry about anything and pray about everything. I’m beginning to feel my skepticism rise within me. This feels impossible! And you probably know what’s coming next. It IS impossible! When Jesus used hyperbole in Matthew 19:23-26 to teach His disciples that riches were a hurdle for some to enter God’s kingdom, they were astonished. But He looked at them and stated a dramatic reality: “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) We are able to graciously interact with others. We are able to face difficulties and conflict with inner peace. We are able to maintain a thankful heart. We are able to do these because God has given us access to Himself through prayer. It doesn’t even need to be eloquent or long. It just needs to be sincere.
Lord, I believe You are who You say You are. You are able to do anything. But in my humanity, I’m weak and frail. I fret and flounder. Lord, help my unbelief and replace my worry with worship. Amen.

4) What will be the result of our obedience to pray about everything? (verse 7)
We pray because Jesus taught us and showed us it was essential to pray. It would seem to us if anyone did not need to pray, it would have been Jesus. After all, He was God in flesh. But as Bethany reminded us in her Journey Study, “Paul assumed God wanted to hear it all.” This assumption was borne out of hours spent in prayer to God for His glory to be shown through himself and others. Jesus prayed not only for something, but out of something. He prayed because of His already-established relationship with the Father. He came to His Father through prayer as an obedient, faithful, and loving Son. For the believer, prayer should be like breathing, easier to do than to not do. Yet we know many things keep us from approaching God. Unconfessed sin, distractions, doubt, and even plain old forgetfulness crowd out our intimacy with God. Friend, I’m committing anew to let “everything” mean “everything.” I’m expectant and hopeful to watch my powerful, faithful, and loving Father work in ways that will astound me and bring me unexplainable peace. “For this reason, I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you [and me], according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through His Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)

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1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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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
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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.

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