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She Day 9 Is She My Neighbor?: Digging Deeper

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She Day 9 Is She My Neighbor?: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

November 9, 2023

Christ,church,Excuses,Faith,Follow,Made New,Neighbor

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 "Is She My Neighbor"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5:14

“For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What law is Paul referring to in this verse?

Paul is the author of the letter to the Galatians under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. In this verse, Paul is referring to the Old Testament Law given to Moses by God to give to the people of Israel.

The Law was given by God to provide boundaries, examples, and directions on how best to follow Him and obey Him. In Exodus 19-31, Moses and the Israelites receive instructions on how to honor God in their everyday life. The Law was the standard practice of behavior to pursue holiness and live rightly before the Lord; it required a yearly sacrifice for sin atonement, plus keeping the law, and following the feasts and festivals.

These laws were put in place by God, prior to Jesus being sent, as a way for people to follow God and for God to be in relationship with His people.

The Everyday Application

1) What law is Paul referring to in this verse?

The Law described the standard practice of those who believed in God. When Christ came the Law was fulfilled to completion. (Matthew 5:17) Jesus explained how every possible thought, word, or deed we could imagine for pleasing God comes down to two connected things: Loving God and loving others. (Mark 12:28-34)

As women, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to love well and use our freedom in Christ as an opportunity to serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)

Paul challenged the Galatians, and he challenges us today, as we read this letter, to have confidence in our relationship and identity in Christ and to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit produces “the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

This fruit in our life pours out in tangible ways such as taking a meal to a friend, having patience with our kids as they test boundaries, returning hateful words with gentleness and a pursuit of peace, and allowing joy to permeate everything we do.

The Original Intent

2) How did Jesus change our perspective of the law?

Prior to Christ, the Law was the way God’s people followed Him. When Christ came, Jesus fulfilled every part of the law and provided a new covenant for those who desired to follow God. (Matthew 26:28) He was the fulfilled way to access a relationship with God as He perfectly fulfilled the Law on our behalf. (John 14:6-7)

In Romans 8:1-4, another letter Paul wrote, he tells us the Law was based on flesh (human weakness because of sin) and there was a need for continual sin offering because humanity could never keep the law perfectly because of their sinfulness. (Romans 7:5) Every year, the Jewish High Priest was required by the Law to make an offering before God for the sin of humanity, but when Christ came, His death on the cross and His resurrection, did away with the need for a sin sacrifice.

Jesus became the sin sacrifice for us! (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus fulfilled every part of the law in full and also made right all of the wrongness of sinful humanity for all eternity. (Matthew 5:17) He did not do away with the Law but fulfilled it in every way, which means we have eternal freedom if we are in Christ. (Romans 5:1-11)

In our freedom and through the Holy Spirit, God transforms who we are by adopting us and placing His Spirit in us (Romans 8:12-17); because He loves us and forgives us, we can, in turn, love others as He does. (1 John 4:19)

The Everyday Application

2) How did Jesus change our perspective of the law?

Jesus approached the Jewish leaders of His day wanting them to see beyond just the “letter of the Law” to the heart behind the Law. (Matthew 15:1-9)

Jesus changed the filter through which we operate as believers.

It is no longer a set of rules to be followed, but a heart transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit that prompts us to love God and others by going above and beyond in the name of the Lord. In Him, we can go the extra mile, we can turn the other cheek, and we can pray for those who persecute us. (Matthew 5:38-44)

As neighbors, we seek out the unreachable, the downcast and, as the Spirit prompts, live open-handed lives for the purpose of intentionally loving and serving others as ambassadors for Christ who bear His Name. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

The Original Intent

3) Who are the neighbors that Paul is describing?

In this verse, Paul is referring to more than the person who technically lives next door to your house. Although, traditionally, we would define our neighbor in a proximity sense, the Bible pushes beyond our borders to include everyone under the definition of “neighbor”.

From our new filter of living called Jesus’ Love, we are called to demonstrate this love to all people, regardless of how well they love us in return. In Romans 13:8-10, Paul defines what it means to love your neighbor as doing no wrong toward them and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus, in Matthew 5:43-48, clarifies in detail that loving your neighbor goes beyond loving the lovable, it also includes your enemies.

The Everyday Application

3) Who are the neighbors that Paul is describing?

One of my absolute favorite stories in all of the Bible is the encounter Jesus has with the Samaritan Woman. (John 4) In this case, the regions of Samaria, Galilee, and Judea were all literal neighbors butting right up next to one another like puzzle pieces.

Yet, the Jewish people of the day spent extra days in hotter, more mountainous regions, traveling between the three regions because Jews and Samaritans detested one another. The reviling hatred these two ethnicities carried toward one another is likely the strongest racial prejudice we encounter in the Bible.

If a Jew was traveling from Judea to Galilee or vice versa, they would physically take a harder route in order to go around Samaria. I tell you this because it is a perfect example of how Jesus changed everything. Jesus didn’t go around the reviled and unlovable. We see in John 4, He went through and, not only that, He stayed in Samaria and many came to believe because of it. (John 4:39-41)

When we talk about who our neighbors are, and the role we play in their life, Jesus is our example. He disregarded the man-made laws of the day and prejudiced attitudes to intentionally go out of His way to bring life and light to his neighbor, a Samaritan woman.

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In his human-ness do you think it was easy for Jesus to be persecuted during His ministry and then willing give His life for us so He could be resurrected for our salvation?

Reading the record of His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, I think not.

His was the greatest and most extravagant sacrifice. One we certainly do not deserve, but He gave it anyway.
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Surrender Day 2 Come & See: Digging Deeper

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Surrender Day 2 Come & See: Digging Deeper

Lois Robbins

January 24, 2023

Alive,Future,Made New,Redemption

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 "Come & See"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:29-30

29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does it mean that God “foreknew”? (verse 29)

Consider the complete knowledge of God, not one thing is missing, obscure, or overlooked in His omniscience. From intricate atomic structure to the number of trees that would one day grow from a singular apple seed, the Lord God knows all things. Before the world was created, God foreknew those who would one day believe in Him for salvation of their souls and who would not. According to Scripture, even faith is God’s gift to us, for even this act we cannot muster up on our own power. “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.” (Ephesians 2:8)

Even the good works performed by believers are prepared beforehand by God. “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Our faith comes from the Author, our rescue from sin comes from Him, the works He has crafted for us to do were designed by Him. In His perfect knowledge of all things, He foreknew all of these things, but more so, He appointed and structured them to result in praise of His glory and for our great rescue that we might be welcomed by the vast love of an all-powerful, all-knowing God.

The foreknowledge mentioned in verse 29 refers to “divine active delight”. It was from God’s sovereign good pleasure that He set His love upon those who would choose Him. We are both chosen, and we have the freedom to choose; a tension that will exist for our finite minds until we reach Eternity with Christ. To the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord said, “I chose you BEFORE I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean that God “foreknew”? (verse 29)

Christians do not stumble into a saving relationship with God. We did not initiate our coming to Christ for rescue from death and forgiveness of our sin. Before we chose to act on the faith God provided as a gift, Christ loved us first and chose us in Christ first. The initiation and knowledge of us and our rescue have always begun in the heart of God. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16)

Paul means to comfort us in our waiting and suffering by reminding believers we have never been outside of God’s knowing. The God who foreknew us before we were born also perfectly knows every aspect of our current and future circumstances. In the verse prior, Paul described believers as people who are called according to God’s purpose. 

Our calling goes way back to “before”; God foreknew all those who are now, and will be, brothers and sisters in Christ. “He chose us in Him (Christ), before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him.” (Ephesians 1:4) The bottom line of this verse is that we can stand secure in our eternal rescue from sin and its consequence of death. The God who foreknew our salvation will not randomly decide to abandon us.

The Original Intent

2) What does “predestined to be conformed” mean? (verse 29)

When Paul assures the Roman saints that God causes “all things to work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (verse 28), it is tied with predestination as a reason why we have such assurance despite trials.

“Predestined to be conformed” is both a present, on-going reality and futuristic confidence. If true believers in Jesus look to the future when Christ returns, we understand Paul’s affirmation that God will give believers glorified bodies and perfect relationships with one another and God Himself. Sin will no longer mar any aspect of life! We will be wholly “conformed to the image of His Son” (verse 29) just as we were predestined to be.

As Christ-followers, foreknown and chosen to be His adopted children, His Spirit living in us creates a longing to become more like Jesus. As we surrender our will to His, He accomplishes this beautiful re-making in us. God is conforming us in our present lives and one day, He will finish the work. “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Our goal is “not just to enter heaven at last, BUT to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.” (Hendrikson) Paul speaks of this reality for every true Christian in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The old way of living has died, and the new has come as the Spirit of God shapes us to become like Himself.

The Everyday Application

2) What does “predestined to be conformed” mean? (verse 29)

If you’ve trusted Christ for salvation and you’ve repented (turned away) from your sin and turned toward God, YOU can have complete confidence that your rescue from sin was foreknown by the God who made you His own. More so, you can confidently know you were predestined for the purpose of becoming like Jesus. If you’ve ever wondered what your purpose is, it’s here!

All who trust Jesus for rescue from the consequence of eternal death we rightly earned by our sin have always been predestined not only to salvation, but also to become like Jesus. Consider how the Christian life is not about whether you make it to heaven or hell, rather it’s about whether or not you love God and want to be like Him. Herein is a distinguishing mark of true Christ-followers! This is why we are called to go and make disciples, who really are students of Jesus who then live like Jesus in real, everyday life. (Matthew 28:19)

We are to follow and become like Jesus who is Himself like the Father. We willfully surrender whole-heartedly as God the Spirit leads us into unity with God and His holiness and into the will of God in our daily decisions and plans.

One day, when Christ, in Whom is found our real life, appears, then we also will appear with Him in glory in our fully new selves, perfectly conformed to Christ! (Colossians 3:4) This is the underlying purpose of God’s gracious predestination, the careful crafting of His beloved ones, bearing His image and reflecting the Creator’s glory both in everyday living now and in the life to come that will not end!

The Original Intent

3) How do “predestined, called, justified, and glorified” all fit together? (verse 30)

Four Mighty Words! If predestined stood by itself, one may conclude the only ingredient to our eternal salvation is an action by God whereby one is chosen for salvation. But the remainder of the verse indicates otherwise.

Our salvation is much more than a deliverance from sin and eternal death and requires our faith-response to His call. The background for each of these powerful words is adoption. (Romans 8:14-15) These words don’t belong in a contract drawn up between two parties where we swear allegiance and God trades us forgiveness. We are adopted sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, God the Son, who laid down His life that we might become co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) We are His own people, His priceless possession. (1 Peter 2:9)

Consider the loyal love of a Dad who fiercely vows to protect, love, and advocate for his child no matter the cost. Adoption fuels the Father Heart of God who lovingly predestined that all who respond to His call through faith will not only be justified through His own sacrifice and their sins eradicated but will also be guaranteed a future glorification in eternity.

In our everyday life as adopted children, we share in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10, Romans 8:17) Though painful, the Almighty God who wastes nothing uses even our suffering to gradually shape us into the likeness of Jesus Christ; this is the essence of sanctification. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The final aspect is conformity of our physical bodies which will be realized at our eternal resurrection. (Philippians 3:21) Set against the beautiful background of adoption, God’s predestination to make us like His Son, His hearkening call, and His promises of justification and glorification are steps in realizing our divine purpose.  

The Everyday Application

3) How do “predestined, called, justified, and glorified” all fit together? (verse 30)

From the beginning, the Lord God decided to shape the lives of those who love Him to reflect the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity as the “exact representation” (Hebrews 1:3) of what it looks like to perfectly reflect every aspect of God for “the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ.” (Colossian 2:9)

We can see the original intended shape of our lives in Jesus. God predestined us to reflect Him then He marked us with love by calling us by name. As we respond to His call through faith, He sets us on an immovable foundation in clear relationship with Himself by personally paying the penalty we owe for our heavy offense of sin against Him.

He then covenants to remain with His own not only on earth by the power of His Spirit, but for all eternity, thereby gloriously completing the work only He could begin. The One who died for us and raised us to life by the power of His own death and resurrection, is now in the very presence of God advocating for us.

Do you think anyone or anything could drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love? IMPOSSIBLE! No trouble, no suffering, hatred, hunger or homelessness, bullying, backstabbing, not even the worst of sins is powerful enough to tear us away from His rescue. (Romans 8:38-39) His eternal Love for His foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified children knows no limits. God had scheduled each of our entries into HIS family long before we were ever born.

As His chosen ones, He has personally arranged for our salvation and eternal life from beginning to never-ending. Knowing GOD IS IN CONTROL and is perfectly bent on loving us as His own provides us with great comfort. As we surrender our entire being to God, we wait with gleeful expectation to be with our Heavenly Father forever.

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Surrender Day 1
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Jesus’ followers needed to hunger for more than paltry fish and crumbs. He wanted them to hunger and thirst for Him. This invitation to abundance is for you as well, dear sister.

As when He called Andrew and Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael, Jesus’ invitation to us includes an underlying caveat: total surrender.

The call to come and see doesn’t explain every detail, doesn’t assure safety, doesn’t put us in control of plans or the future.
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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched X Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Digging Deeper author, Patty Scott, held up snapshots of Joseph’s life and challenged us to consider how nearsighted we are when we view snippets of our own lives. It’s easy to longingly ache for more, for wholeness, for redemption, for better than our current hardship. We hunger for a season when the pressing isn’t so intense, and like our New Testament brother in Jesus, Stephen, we can wonder how our seemingly senseless difficulty could result in good. When we hold up Joseph’s and Stephen’s stories to Jesus and the Eternal Hope He offers, we are encouraged to take a broad scope lens approach to our own suffering. Learning to trust in the Hope of Jesus takes time as God’s Spirit teaches us through hardship to fix our eyes of Him instead of our circumstances. What is your perspective on the details of a current hardship? If you’re in a sweet place, where does your anchor lie for when the details shift from easy to hard? Take some time to read and reflect on the words from the Lord found in 2 Corinthians 4:14-18 over the weekend and let them take root in your heart!

2) As Joseph’s story began in the early years his fledgling faith was barely beginning, but he leaned into what he knew to be true despite the chaos and challenge of his life. The Lord was revealing Himself through the heritage of Joseph’s past and through dreams. His home life was painful and unstable in many ways, but he still believed the Lord enough to trust the dreams he’d been given. Through the pages of Scripture, we see the Lord revealing Himself to His people in small portions that increase over time as they deepen in their faith. This is true for us as well! Consider where you are in your faith journey. What do you hold to be true about God? Where did you learn it? Who influenced you in these beliefs? What do you hunger to know more about Him? Are you allowing your circumstances to dictate what you believe or the truth of Scripture? Take just 2 minutes this weekend and write down what you believe about God. Ponder these reflections and give them over to the Lord, letting Him lead you into deeper understanding of Him as you seek His face!

3) Injustice piled on top of injustice for Joseph. I’ve felt the same in my own life. My gut response is to seriously question the goodness of God and whether He really sees me and knows me. It’s so easy to doubt Him and, in place of faith, wonder if He will really do anything about unjust treatment. When resolution and redemption don’t happen on my timetable, I begin to doubt whether Scripture is true when it says the Lord is a God of justice. (Isaiah 30:18) Lord, pour spiritual cement on my heart when these temptations to doubt come at me; anchor me in truth and don’t let me leave! When are you most tempted to doubt the Lord and His goodness? Consider your default setting of belief about the Lord when you experience easy seasons and then again in hard ones. Do your beliefs align with what the Lord says about Himself in Scripture? Are you willing to embrace what God’s Word says or will you hold fast to your perspective? Think about the why behind your answers and bring this to the Lord!

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 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, I can look backwards in my life and see how faithful You have proven to be to me and to every promise in Your word. When doubt creeps in, I can look straight to Scripture and see how You prove Your faithfulness through every story. Holding onto truth is much harder than holding onto lies; Lord Jesus, increase my appetite for truth and lead me away from temptation to believe deceptions.

I know You will follow through on Your word to redeem my suffering for good, to bring healing from my brokenness, and to restore the years the locusts have eaten. (Joel 2:25-26) Keep leading me to surrender my plans and expectations to You in the middle of suffering. Teach me to be strong and courageous and wait for You to move perfectly in Your time to accomplish Your good work! (Psalm 27:14)

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Esther Day 8 Tears That Move God’s Heart

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 4:1-11
Psalm 56
Psalm 66:8-15
James 1:2-3
Romans 5:1-5

Esther, Day 8

Bless our God, you peoples,
let the sound of His praise be heard! (Psalm 66:8)

Reason for rejoicing must be clear here, right?
Such jubilant praise!
Such rich, ardent voices lifted up in adoration!

But the Psalmist continues….
For you, God, tested us;
you refined us as silver is refined.
You lured us into a trap;
you placed burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water….

Wait, what?
Those are crushing words.
Words, I could have written myself, and have, at various points along my own journey.
Burdened, trapped, pressed in upon, barely breathing, trampled over, scorched by flames, drowning in swirling waters.

Praise?
What kind of people would praise while drowning?
Or maybe better, what kind of deity would want to hear praise in dire trials?

Death had been decreed for Queen Esther and her people.
The date had been set for mass extinction of an entire people group.
There were no backdoors of escape, no democracy to provide checks and balances, only one option, prayer.

Prayer for Old Testament Jews meant a few things, especially in hopeless situations, but among the most prominent were gut-wrenching honesty, humility, petition, and praise.
The prayer book of the Jews was the book of Psalms, it also conveniently doubled as their hymnal. Yes, their prayers were their songs. The lyrics of their worship were the authentic pleadings and praises of their hearts.

Though prayer and the name of God are never explicitly noted in the book of Esther, where there was fasting, sackcloth, lamenting, and mournful weeping for Jews, there was prayer.
And where there was prayer, there was praise.

One only needs a cursory glance through Psalms to find this to be true. Go ahead, try it! Pick up your Bible, open to Psalms, and read a few random songs, skip pages, and read again.

Praise is everywhere, but so is brokenness.

Later in the New Testament, the great Pastor Paul says it like this:
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

As Mordecai wept, ripped his clothing, and dipped trembling, fearful fingers into the dust from which he’d been made and streaked his face with it, he prayed in faith to the God of the Universe.

He knew his weakness.
He recognized his complete and utter inability to change the decree of his own death or the massacre of his people.
Yet, he prayed.

He prayed because he also knew something else.
He knew God’s character could not, would not, be faithless. (2 Timothy 2:13)
He knew God does not abandon the work of His hands. (Psalm 138:8)
And for these reasons, Mordecai, a man on death row, could praise.

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

No doubt, Mordecai was afraid. He agonized. He mourned. He wailed.
But he knew where to take his fear.

Mordecai did not know how God would answer, nor even if his own life would be spared, but He did trust that God would bring redemption.

Sisters, with tears in my eyes as I write, I too have felt Mordecai’s helpless fear.
My face has been planted into the floor, my clothing as rumpled as my spirit.
My cheeks have been stained with tears (and a whole lot of snot), my hands have trembled with the unknown and the glaring reality of my own endless weakness and inability to change my circumstances.

With upturned hands and downcast, flooded eyes, I’ve begged for mercy, for release, for redemption. I’ve admitted out loud in all gut-wrenching honesty that I did not know if God would bring redemption in my life or, if He did, that it would look as I wanted.

But through praise, lament, and petition, He uncurled my fists and I anchored again in the safe harbor of His sure and certain character.
He would not abandon the work of His hands.

Mordecai couldn’t see the end, but He trusted all the same.
To Esther, he spoke with unshakeable conviction, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place…”

I don’t know your fears, your hurt, or your great need for God to redeem and act, but the Lord does know.

You yourself have recorded my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8)

Not a tear falls without the Lord seeing, knowing, holding it, and waiting to redeem it in His time and in His way, which is precisely why we can praise in the midst of floods and fires and ruin and heartache.

Like Mordecai, I do not know how the Lord will work His redemption over my brokenness, but I will shout in triumph in the face of this fear and trembling,
“My enemies will retreat on the day when I call.
This I know: God is for me.” (Psalm 56:8-9)

The rest of that psalm of praise we began this journey with?
The one about being refined as fire, burdened down, and walking through fire and flood?
Here is the worshipper’s refrain on the prayer of his song,
“but You brought us out to abundance.”
(Psalm 66:10-12)

Trust His heart, Lovely One.
Cry the tears.
Rend the garments.
Mourn with authenticity.
Then surrender to the One who holds your tears in a bottle, records your pain in His own journal, and is waiting to bring you into His redemptive abundance!

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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 Esther 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 Esther!

The GT Weekend! ~ Open Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Sit still, Bible open, pen ready. This could be harder, and more convicting, than we’d like to admit. Open to Luke 19:6-7. Read these two verses over and over, slowly, quickly, again. Pray over them as you read, asking the Spirit to stir your heart. The rejected, hated, outcast man was downright giddy to be welcomed in. The ‘righteous’ crowds? The despised Jesus’ actions. Disgusted. Angry. Who sits at your table? Who is on your ‘to invite over’ list? Who do you spend time, talent, and treasure loving on? Write down those names, they are important and Jesus loves them and how you invest! But is anyone offended by your willingness to love the ugly, outcast, hated, rejected? Beg the Holy Spirit to bring to mind those faces, because maybe you don’t know their names, who you could invite in, but very intentionally haven’t. Write down those names, they are important and Jesus loves them; He’s calling you to invest!

2) Radical, generous hospitality finds its roots in obedience. But not blind obedience to a cosmic being dictating morally good acts. Rather, truly loving hospitality stems from obedience grown from the bedrock of deep, abiding faith. The knowing who God is and trusting His heart. Is your openness towards generosity feeling a little rusty or maybe even stingy? How’s your faith? Who do you say God is? Is He faithful and trustworthy enough to provide for you? How stingy do you view Him?

3)  Yesterday, Parker challenged us to ask the Lord a question when we begin to interact with someone we find challenging to love, let alone like. “Jesus, show me what you love about them.” Challenge yourself to take this question to the next level this weekend by journaling out the names of the people in your closest circle. Maybe your closest friends, your spouse and children, or parents and siblings. One by one, pray over these names and ask the Lord this question, writing down what the Spirit brings to mind. Remember these aren’t qualities you admire, rather you’re asking the Lord for His vantage point. Then, take the opportunity when presented to share these small treasures with each person you named!

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 Matthew 25:40 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Prayer Journal
Lord, in brokenness I come to You. My total inability to love like You is so evident as I live out this precious life You’ve given me. I mis-prioritize, I choose my comfort over going beyond myself, I choose my schedule over loving intentionally because it’s costly, it’s difficult, and mostly because I am selfish. Lord, make me new. Not once, but over and over and over. Remind me that You are always on the horizon, arms spread wide celebrating when I return and ask You to fill me again. I want to love like you, Abba. Remind me that only when I sit here with You, like father and child, can I love others well and, in so doing, show You love. May my life declare Your love, Lord!

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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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Kaleidoscope Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Not only is the Lord’s love individually set upon us, uniquely drawing us towards His good, Father heart, God’s love is also patient, waiting for us to come to Him. As you consider the Lord’s patience towards you in your faith journey, where would you place yourself? Are you exploring the faith as He waits for you to accept His invitation into real life? Is He waiting for you to trust Him in deeper ways? Perhaps you waiver between leaning on your understanding while knowing you should trust His ways. His love allows Him to patiently keep on waiting for you, wherever you are. Think through areas in your life the Lord has waited or is waiting for you. Praise Him for never being exasperated, but lovingly extending patience!

2) Kindness is one definition of love that we rather lose in the shuffle of seemingly brighter and bolder definitions, but when we search Scripture, we see God’s loving kindness over and over, never playing second fiddle. How often do you consider the Lord as genuinely kind towards you? Angry at you? That isn’t kind. Annoyed with you? That isn’t kind. Seeking your good? Loving you intentionally? Giving you good gifts? This is the kindness of the Lord! Reflect on even just the last few days and write down the ways the Lord has shown His loving kindness to you and praise Him for that! Want to go a little deeper? Look up a few of the verses describing God as kindhearted in the book of Psalms and let truth wash over you. (follow this link and click “Psalms” under “NAS”)

3) Jealousy tends to sneak up on us in small ways, but before long, it snowballs and consumes us in ways we never considered. In David’s story, he had several opportunities to step away from the pull of jealousy, but he tragically didn’t. The end result was death of relationships, and even people. How much better it would have been for David to walk away from the sin of jealousy and choose to love generously and confidently instead. David’s story is recorded for all of us. Take a hard look at when and why jealousy surges in your life. Take these to the Lord and ask Him to renew your heart, giving you love in place of blinding jealousy.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Romans 12:21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Prayer Journal
How grateful I am for your conquering love, Lord! By Your gift of righteousness to me, You broke my chains to sin and freed me to walk safe and free in love. Though I’m free to love because of You, I don’t always choose it, still I grab for those ugly weapons of anger, impatience, discontentment, pride, and jealousy. Clearly show me, Spirit, when I am tempted to choose these over love. Remind me how You have freed and equipped me to walk in love with every choice. Take off the blinders I have over my own sin, and fill my hands with Your love!

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! – Screenshot Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Jesus loves you dearly, my sister. He has a plan to use your precious life. How does it make you feel knowing He loves you so much? How are you being obedient in letting Him transform your life? Who can you share truth with this week? 

2) Grab a card and write out Ephesians 2:8-9. Post it somewhere you can see it and be reminded of this truth all week long.
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; 
it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9) 

3) Radical love is costly and can take many different forms. When have you chosen to do something uncomfortable to reach across obvious social, racial or religious lines? How did it feel? If you haven’t taken that risk yet, what is holding you back? As the Holy Spirit to embolden you to love radically this week! Share your experience with us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com . 

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 Luke 6:27-30  back to the Lord and let His Spirit speak to you through it!

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.  

Prayer Journal
Lord, we are provided with example after example of You calling us to love in ways that don’t make sense in our earthly culture. Loving our enemies doesn’t come naturally; it requires a close walk with You so we can learn to trust You calling us into these deeper waters. As we teeter on the edge of the boat, waiting to jump in, let us trust you as we take a step onto the water. Keep our eyes fixed on You Jesus, so we might not waver.  

 

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! Tabernacle Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) In studying the specifics of the tabernacle of the Old Testament, and how clearly it points to Jesus fulfilling the requirements once and for all, we see that God is all about the details. Nothing He does is careless or without intention. We can rest in His character being unchanging, and know He is working in our lives; in the big things and in the small. Where have you seen Him at work today?

2) What lies are you hearing from the Devil about your lack of gifts to bring to the Body? How can you get plugged in locally to use your God given gifts to bring Him glory? Not sure what your gifting is? Find a friend and read through 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.  What do you feel strongest in? Pray for the Holy Spirit to use you in every situation, whether it matches your gifting or not, to further the Kingdom of God!

3) When you’ve read through the Bible, which parts were easiest to read? Which places felt boring or longwinded? How has the study of Old Testimony prophesies, and the fulfillment Jesus brought, strengthened your commitment to studying the Word more deeply? Share with us in a comment below or email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com .

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 139:13-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

13For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
17 God, how precious your thoughts are
to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;
when I wake up, I am still with you.

Prayer Journal
Lord, as I look at the chaos that surrounds me in our world, even in my life, I struggle to see Your order. I see families torn apart, children exploited, and the wealth gap increasing. All of that lacks Your perfect order, and I’m quick to question where You are in all this mess. Remind me Lord that this wasn’t Your design. Man chose this back in the Garden of Eden and has been choosing “self” over You ever since. Show me how and where You are working in the details of our world, Lord God. Rain down Your Presence over us as we look for Your actions in our lives. Let us recognize You quickly and put feet to whatever it is You’re asking us to do!

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Worship III Day 13 Made New

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 20:11-15
Revelation 21:9-27
Philippians 4:1-9

Worship III, Day 13

I was eight years old, enthralled with having become a believer. 
Of course, as anyone who has married knows, I had no idea at the beginning, the depth of sacrifice this decision would require, but neither did I know how rich the treasure was that awaited me.

I chose Christ following a series of dreams the Lord used to point clearly to Himself as being the Only One who could eternally be my Rescuer. Jesus sealed me as His own, forever rescuing me from the wages of death because of my sin, and I was ready to follow Him in believer’s baptism.

It was a small, country church, quintessential with its white clapboard exterior, red velvet carpet, wooden pews that groaned when you sat (or wiggled), a bell tower that tolled when rung by hand at the conclusion of every service, and a rough-hewn stone baptismal pool that smelled of sulfur.

As traditional as church was, these hymns were carving a foundation of Scriptural truth into the bedrock of my heart. When I was plunged into the cold waters that Sunday, coming up gasping for breath and shivering, I requested the hymn that had been playing in my heart on repeat for weeks…. A New Name In Glory.  

I only knew the chorus, but that was enough.
There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
A sinner has come home.
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam

“It’s mine! O yes! It’s mine!” 
Jesus was mine, I was safe! Rescued from death, bound to the Savior and made new that I might run free in life everlasting. Something deep began when I gave Jesus my everything, an anchor was placed. I was His and He was mine, “never more to roam”. 

Storms were coming. I didn’t realize how many or how fierce, but the solidity of my name being written down in glory would hold firm, despite my efforts to run hard and fast away from the Lord. This holding me, binding me. This writing my name down in Glory, this was a forever vow, and it wasn’t held by my ability, only Christ’s. 

Jesus said it like this:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. 
No one will snatch them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.
No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 
 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)

Christ is both the Giver and Securer of eternal life.
Salvation begins with Jesus, is continued because of Jesus,
and is brought to completion because of Jesus.
No attempt on our behalf could even make a smudge of a difference. 

But neither is everyone automatically rescued from the deadly consequences of sin.
When we choose to trust Jesus, taking Him at His word, made clear in Scripture, that He is willing to take our sin and punishment on Himself and give us His own flawless righteousness, that’s faith.
Faith that pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith the Lord credits to us as righteousness because of Christ. (Romans 4:3-5)
Faith that allows His salvation to bind us to Himself. (Romans 5:1-2)
Faith that makes us conquerors over Sin and Death. (1 John 5:4)

Jesus says of those believers whom He has made conquerors:
The one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes,
and I will never erase his name from the Book of Life, 
but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5)

My name is written down in the Book of Life, I stake my life on it.
But I’ve also been given a New Name. 
The Name of Righteousness Himself; I am Christ’s, I wear His Name. 
Shame is not mine.
Neither is regret.
Despair, emptiness, lost, broken, wounded, scarred, these are not mine. 
Christ Is. 
I am His and He is mine. 

As believers, we have been Made New. 
We are given a new life
with a new purpose,
wearing our new name.

We are called to purposefully, intentionally love people. (Romans 13:8-12)
Love by sharing the eternal hope of Jesus!
Love because the Day is near when time will cease and Glory will begin.
The Day when the time for writing down new names will end. 

A Day when the books are opened.
“Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.” (Revelation 20:12)

A Day when the Lord’s Justice will finally set the record straight with all who have sinned against Him, which is all of us. 
Our only hope is faith in Christ.
Which is enough! 
Faith is enough, Sisters! 
But it is the only thing that counts. 

“And anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life 
was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

That Lake of Fire is eternal punishment, rightly deserved because of our sins. 
God is not un-just, payment for sin must be made on an individual level.
Which is why, out of vast love we will never understand, Jesus stood in the gap, taking the punishment on Himself for us. 

The very moment, I said yes to Jesus, I was covered for eternity by His righteousness.
Those steps into the chilly waters of baptism were my first steps of a life lived out to follow Him forever.
It was the beginning of being made new.
The beginning of wearing His Name! 

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship III Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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