Neighbor

The GT Weekend! ~ Neighbor Week 3

1 Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Oh wounded. We hear the word and we feel the ache of our own wounds. We likely don’t need to reach too far back to feel a wound we’ve endured from another. Or, maybe, we call to mind the shame of knowing how we’ve wounded another. This life is fraught with wounds. Kendra brings on our attention to the main character of our Journey Theme, the Samaritan who was a good neighbor to the one who lay wounded and dying on the road. The physical wounded man was overlooked by the religious ones, but there was another wounded man in this story, the Samaritan neighbor. Samaritans lived with mockery and racial slurs constantly attacking them. Yet, he chose love over bitterness. Does that hit you, Sister? It does me. We are not called to only love those who love us back, but those who have wounded us. Who is that for you? How will you love them this week? Maybe it starts with simply a prayer over them. Will you begin?

2) Forgiveness. An easy word for our lips to form, a difficult task for our hearts to live out with authenticity. Whether the offense is a mountain formed over years, or a sharp word spoken just a few hours ago. May I speak from my own life experience for a moment? I’ve realized I just don’t have the ability to forgive. I love myself too much. I like revenge. I like payback that is equal to or greater than what I was served. One pastor helped my heart along significantly by giving me freedom to admit I couldn’t forgive offenses, but Christ in me, He can. When I humble myself before the Lord, when I remember how big of a sinner I am and how much I have been forgiven, Christ fills me with His power to forgive. Who is Lord calling you to forgive through His power?

3) I don’t know about you, but I’m guessing that, like me, you know what it feels like to have unmet expectations by those you love. Frustration springs up quickly for me when I find myself breathing in the air of unmet expectations. I love them, they love me, so why would they not do X or Y or P, L, Q for that matter?! Choosing to pick up love instead of offense is always a choice we have in our relationships. Love is what the Samaritan chose, when he had every reason to keep walking past the man on the road. Though our reasons may be fully justified as to why we should be offended, let’s decide together to pick up the gift of love instead! Oh Lord, help us to love well this week!

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 7:41-43 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Prayer Journal
Remind me, oh Lord, of my sin. Not with waves of guilt or condemnation, but to keep before me how rich Your immeasurable mercies of forgiveness are that have been given to me. Clear my eyesight so I can see Your holiness more plainly. Sweep my heart clean of any thoughts of what is owed me because of my own righteousness and flood me with Your love. Cast out fear of judgement and greedy stinginess of pride, and give me anew, every single moment, a greater awareness of Your vast love and deep forgiveness. Let me pour that over those around me with as much gentleness, care, and love that You extend to me. Teach me to love like You, Lord Jesus!

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

Neighbor Day 13 Wounded One

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 7:36-50
Luke 10:25-37
Romans 5:6-11

Neighbor, Day 13

“Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity”

These words from Hillsong’s “Hosanna” echoed from the walls of a small school cafeteria full of people seeking Jesus one bright, Palm Sunday morning.

God was already working in my heart before those words even left my mouth as I sang along.

The morning before, I’d run through my normal Saturday routine and headed to a nearby coffee shop to join some of the best women I know as we dove into God’s Word.

I happened to arrive a little early, so I ordered my breakfast and had a seat to kill some time.

Opening Facebook for what I thought would be a mindless scroll, I ran across an article about a 5-year-old boy who was thrown from the 3rd floor of the Mall of America by a random man. There wasn’t much information available, because authorities still were unclear on many details. Normally, I would read the article, think something like, “Oh that’s so sad” and move on, but for some reason, I was prompted to delve further.

I looked up several different articles and then unwittingly dove into the comments section on Facebook. People were commenting with prayers for the young boy and his family, for healing and peace and comfort. I was heartened to see the support pouring out for this family in their time of crisis.

Yet, what really struck me were the comments about the young man who’d allegedly thrown the boy. Comments abounded regarding what an evil person he was, and vengefully suggesting people violently take matters into their own hands. As I read, I felt convicted to pray for the accused man. So, throughout the rest of the day, I prayed.

The next morning, as our setup team for our little plant church gathered for prayer, I continued to feel burdened to pray for everyone involved in the tragedy. As I shared about how this man was God’s creation and needed healing and Jesus just as much as any of us, tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes. The depth of my reaction surprised me, but I knew it was a sign of the Holy Spirit working within me.

The rest of the morning I was a mess, crying during prayer and as I spoke with others, all outward signs of God breaking my heart for what breaks His. Opening up my eyes to the things unseen. Showing me how to love like He has loved me.

Jesus spoke often on forgiveness and its power to completely change a person’s life; the parable of the man who was forgiven much in Luke 7 is an amazing example. If you’ve ever been subject to debt, imagine how grateful you would feel if it was completely paid at no expense to you. 

What if extravagant forgiveness was shown to the young man from the Mall Of America incident? What if, instead of all of those hateful, vengeful remarks, the comments were filled with words of compassion and forgiveness for this man? Imagine how his life might have changed.

None of us deserves forgiveness. Regardless of the ranking system we humans have erroneously developed for sin, all sin deserves God’s wrath. And yet through the death and resurrection of Jesus, forgiveness is ours. All of our debts, past present, and future are paid.

That man at the Mall of America could be any of us, one snap or mental health breakdown from wreaking havoc on another life, community, or ourselves.

So, before we are quick to condemn today, let’s ask ourselves if that person could use forgiveness.
If they could use love and an encouraging word instead of ridicule and condemnation.
If they need Jesus.
Because don’t we all?

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Neighbor 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 Neighbor!

Neighbor Day 12 The Neighbor Who Wounds: Digging Deeper

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 The Neighbor Who Wounds!

The Questions

1) How do I love my neighbor as I love myself?

2) Why is it important to show mercy to others?

3) What must we do to inherit eternal life, as the expert in the law asked?

Luke 10:25-37

Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “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.”

28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’

36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.  Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

Original Intent

1) How do I love my neighbor as I love myself?
In the book of Leviticus, God gave Moses the laws of holiness for the Israelites to follow.  One of them, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), is mentioned again in Luke 10:27 when a teacher of the law suggests to Jesus how he might inherit eternal life by following this law. The teacher mentions this command along with the great command to love God with all your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:5) The Old Testament command to love your neighbor as yourself is very similar to the Golden Rule, found in Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Pastor John Piper suggests, “Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves is the visible expression and manifestation and practical completion and fulfillment of all that the Old Testament was about, including love for God.”  We show God love when we love others with the love of God.  We love God well when we love all those He loves, no matter what.  As author David Guzik explains, “my neighbor is the one who others might consider my enemy. My neighbor is the one with a need right in front of me.”  To love your neighbor as yourself is to treat other people the way you want them to treat you.  It is to reach out to the one near you, no matter what she looks like or what she believes, and give her the same treatment you would hope to receive from her.

2) Why is it important to show mercy to others?
In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan in answer to a question from a lawyer. If the law says to love your neighbor as yourself, then how do you define neighbor? (Luke 10:29) Jesus tells of a Samaritan who stopped to help a Jewish man beaten by robbers, even though two Jewish religious leaders passed by without helping. The Jews and Samaritans had a long history of hatred between them. As Robert Deffinbaugh explains, “When the Assyrians defeated Israel, they dispersed the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom among the Gentile nations.  They also brought foreigners into the land of Israel to re-populate the land.  The result was a half-breed race (half Jewish, half Gentile) that populated the Northern Kingdom of Israel from then on.”  So, even though Samaritans were hated by Jewish people, the Samaritan in the parable had compassion on the wounded man.  When Jesus asked who was the neighbor in this story, the lawyer answered, “The one who showed mercy to him.” (Luke 10:37) As author Albert Barnes notes, “His Jewish prejudice [against Samaritans] would not permit him to name the Samaritan.”  Why would the Samaritan help when the two Jewish leaders would not?  He helped because he was merciful. It is just as important for us to show mercy in our daily lives, because Jesus has given mercy to us.  As author Scott Sauls notes, “We make it our aim to love as we have been loved by Jesus, to show mercy as we have been shown mercy by Jesus, and to bear burdens as our burdens have been borne by Jesus.”  We love and show mercy because God loves us and is merciful to us.  When we reach out in mercy in the name of Jesus, we are declaring the mercy of our Savior.

3) What must we do to inherit eternal life, as the expert in the law asked?
In Luke 10:25, we meet a teacher of the law (some versions refer to him as a lawyer) who asks Jesus a question, “Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” According to author Thomas Constable, “the term inherit had a particular significance for Jewish readers distinguishing a special way of receiving eternal life. (Matthew 5:5; Matthew 19:29; Matthew 25:34). However, Gentile readers for whom Luke wrote would have regarded it as synonymous with obtaining eternal life (Mark 10:17). Eternal life is the equivalent of spiritual salvation and included entrance into the messianic kingdom.”  Peter Pett echoes this, pointing out that “Canaan had been Israel’s inheritance. But now that inheritance is replaced by ‘eternal life,’ the life of the age to come, life under the Kingly Rule of God. That now was what all Israel sought for.” For Jewish people at this time, gaining eternal life was not about living forever but rather about living a godly life and following God’s laws completely. This is seen in the teacher’s answer when Jesus throws the question back to him in Luke 10:27 by saying, “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.”  As author Peter Pett explains, “The Scribe points first to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5), which was repeated twice daily by every pious orthodox Jew, and was borne by many on the forehead in a leather pouch at the hour of prayer.”  The last part of his answer came from Leviticus 19:18.  Jesus knew that there was no way to love God perfectly and love others apart from knowing God, which was why He came to earth.  He came to give us a way to live in His kingdom while we are on earth and when we go to heaven.

Everyday Application

1) How do I love my neighbor as I love myself?
I want to see myself like the hero of the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.     After all, I am compassionate and caring, but sometimes I am more like the clergymen who ignored the dying man. Too often I choose not to see some of my neighbors in need.  According to author Christine Caine, loving our neighbor is a “decision we must make to open our eyes, take notice, elevate our thinking, and reach out to meet the needs of those around us.”  We don’t get to decide who God wants us to love, He wants us to show love to everyone! Sometimes it seems easier to love those who look and talk like me, whose ways I understand. John Wesley cautioned us against displaying “insensibility for all the human race, but a small number whose sentiments and practices are so much our own, that our love to them is but self- love reflected.” I want to love the neighbor God puts in my path the way I would love myself because I love God. That will not just be the neighbor who is like me or who is convenient to love, though it includes her. While it is not possible to care for the needs of everyone, it is possible to reach out to those around me where I am right now.  That means the widow at book club who is falling into depression, the single mom getting resources from the food pantry, and the refugee family at school who seems overwhelmed and afraid.  If they are within my reach, they are my neighbor.

2) Why is it important to show mercy to others?
Once, as a child, I was playing with two cousins when we had the idea to throw rocks at birds’ nests.  We were having fun until we knocked a nest from a low-hanging branch and found a chirping baby bird inside.  We were devastated! We tried to return the bird and the remains of the nest back to the safety of its limb, but we couldn’t.  We ran crying to our parents, and each child was punished.  I could hear how the others’ punishments were going with lots of yelling and crying.  However, my parents gently discussed with me what had happened and why it was wrong. They could have punished me severely, as my cousins’ parents did them, but instead they showed mercy, though I didn’t deserve it. I deserved to be punished for destroying a bird’s nest and leaving the hatchling with no way to survive.  My parents felt my sorrow had taught me a more valuable lesson than severe punishment could. This reminds me of the fact that “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end.  They are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)  When Jesus told the story of the merciful Good Samaritan, He told the listeners to be like the Good Samaritan and “go and do the same”. (Luke 10:37) We must be merciful because people need to know about the merciful Savior who desires to save them from the punishment they deserve. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:4-5 that “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. . .”.  When we show mercy, we are reflecting the love and mercy shown to us by God whose mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:13)

3) What must we do to inherit eternal life, as the expert in the law asked?
The verse in Luke 10:25, can be confusing because the teacher of the law asks what he can do to inherit eternal life.  To me that sounds like he is trying to earn his way to heaven.  It is reminiscent of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17 who asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. In Luke, the teacher mentions the two great commandments, to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) In Mark, Jesus mentions the Ten Commandments and selling all to come follow Jesus. (Mark 10:19-21)  Both answers dismay the petitioners because, as author David Guzik points out, “It is clear enough what it means to love God with all we are, though it is impossible to do completely.”  Jesus is not suggesting the men can earn a spot in heaven with their good behavior.  Instead, He is pointing out the fact that He has come to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) so they do not need to do the impossible, which is to be perfect. In John 5:39-40, Jesus says, “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.”  When we accept the life Jesus offers, we have life abundant here on earth and life forever in heaven.  With the help of Jesus, we can love God and love others.  We can give sacrificially and serve God with abandon because of His strength empowering us.  We don’t need to struggle to obey all the rules and follow all the laws because we know His righteousness covers us. We just need to accept Jesus and allow Him to work through us, giving us an empowered life.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Neighbor Who Wounds!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Neighbor Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Neighbor Day 11 The Neighbor Who Wounds

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 10:25-37
Luke 9:51-53
Luke 4:14-30

Neighbor, Day 11

“The one who showed mercy…” 

I read “wounded” and my heart reels.

I know wounded.
I know slowly retreating to care for the deep cuts and sharp blows I’ve endured.
I know sprinting away from the lashes against me.
I know wounds so deep they begin to look healed on the outside, but still throb and gape.
I know wounded, friend.

I bet you do, too.
But no one knows wounded quite like our Jesus. 

In Luke 10, Jesus tells a fictional story about a Jewish traveler attacked by robbers and left for dead.

Wounded. 

Two men passed by the nearly lifeless body, a priest and a Levite, both religious and both the same race as the wounded man, but they didn’t stop.
They saw him, and they chose to look away.

Wounded. 

Then a Samaritan man enters the scene.
The original audience of the story possessed the context to understand this Samaritan man was wounded, too. But, like so many of us, his wounds weren’t visible.

At the time Jesus told this parable, Samaritans and Jews had a long-standing rivalry, spanning hundreds of years. Due to the mixed Assyrian and Jewish genealogy of Samaritans, Jews resented Samaritans’ “impure blood line” and often treated them like trash.

We know from a true story in Scripture that Jews and Samaritans never interacted with one another (John 4:9), and even Jesus wasn’t received by Samaritans when He was heading into Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51-53)

We don’t know the kind of ridicule this Samaritan endured from Jews, but undoubtedly, the hatred seething from the Jewish community cut him deeply.

Wounded.

Yet, we see the Samaritan man, wounded by the Jews, breaking barriers of racism by caring for the physically wounded Jewish man.

We’ve all been wounded.
Maybe, like the Jewish man, we’ve been physically and emotionally wounded from abuse.
Maybe, like the Jewish man, we’ve been spiritually wounded by “religion” and people in leadership positions who’ve told us we’re too dirty and too damaged to be worth helping.
Maybe, like the Samaritan, we’ve been wounded by society, or racial and economic barriers.
Or maybe we’ve been wounded by something else….
friends, family, business deals, jobs, the government. 

But Jesus?
He was wounded by it all. 

He took on the sins of the world when He suffered on the cross,
eventually dying from the extreme torture He endured.
He was wounded physically and emotionally.

He was wounded by the religion bearing the same name as His nationality,
and He – who IS God – was killed by the religious people who claimed to worship God.

Jesus knows wounded, friend.

He knows the sharp pains piercing our hearts by betrayal. (Luke 22:3-6)
He knows the hurt embedded in us when grief becomes part of our story. (John 11:32-36)
He knows the rejection of people who have loved us and known us for our entire lives. (Luke 4:14-30)

Jesus knows wounded.

Because Jesus knew wounded so well, because He allowed Himself to be wounded beyond recognition, so badly He eventually died …

We don’t have to live a wounded life.
We have hope.

So, what do we do about the people who hurt us?
What do we do with this story about a wounded man loving another wounded man?
How do we love those who have wounded us?

Mercy.
Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. 

The Samaritan had every excuse to ignore the beaten man on the side of the road. This Jewish man had spent his entire life scoffing and scorning Samaritans, believing they were a lesser people, unwanted by God. And even if he didn’t believe it, his people did.

No one would’ve been surprised if the Samaritan kept walking.

But mercy.

Mercy isn’t just the Samaritan’s compassion, but the forgiveness he displayed toward a man he could’ve left for dead.

Mercy is the forgiveness God offers to us, even though we deserve death.

Mercy is hard, isn’t it?
I get a knot in my stomach just thinking about loving the people who inflicted my deepest wounds.

Friends, I cannot go on without emphasizing that forgiveness and even love are completely possible while still maintaining strong boundaries.

Sometimes, you can love someone best by enforcing boundaries, and forgiveness does not mean boundaries must be removed or even lowered. Abusive and toxic relationships can cause some of our deepest wounds, and we can forgive abusers while still protecting ourselves.

I want to be “the one who showed mercy”. (Luke 10:37)
I want to live ready to show compassion and offer forgiveness to people who have wounded me. I want to love my neighbors, even the ones who have wounded me.

Merciful love is going to take all of me, and all of you.
It’s going to take all of our strength.
But it’s worth the struggle because of
Jesus, the One who showed us mercy.
If He can be merciful to us, surely, with His strength, we can extend mercy to others.

We, too, can be . . . the ones who show mercy. 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Neighbor 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 Neighbor!

The GT Weekend! ~ Neighbor Week 2

Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Sara helps us view our work through the perspective that we each provide a service of one kind of another. Whether grandmother, neighborhood quilt lady, school bus driver, or nail salon technician, we all provide a service to others. Consider the roles you actively serve in your everyday life. When was the last time someone noticed your work and encouraged you in it? Think back through those feelings and that scenario. What made it impactful for you? Now consider who are those providing a common service around you who you may have a tendency to overlook? The trash removers? The cashier? The bank teller? The postal worker? Your spouse? Your boss? Pray over these people!! Ask the Lord to give you a heart to love them as neighbors!

2) Rebekah identifies isolation and busyness as the culprits working against her when it comes to intentionally recognizing the people who are so close to her. While she regularly sees these people, she admits to knowing very little about them. Good intentions of offers to connect and build relationship slam hard against Isolation and Busyness. Closing the garage door is easier than crossing the street. What if we decided to re-arrange our schedules to allow space to engage our neighbors, the ones we “see”, but decide aren’t worth the investment? Suppose we, collectively, chose to take off the glasses that insist our plans must be prioritized over that text message to a neighbor or the decision to walk across the lawn and ask how we can pray for someone, or maybe even ask what they are having for dinner. Pray over who the Lord wants you to connect with, then step out and fight against Isolation and Busyness for the sake of the gospel!

3) We all have a story. We all know this is true. Every person we meet, at the store, in our neighborhood, driving down the road, standing next to in the parent pick-up-line at school, or sitting beside at church. Heavy baggage. Wounds. Heartache. Triumphs. Victories won. Loss experienced. And every story matters to the Lord. He saw the bleeding woman in the crowd (who didn’t want to be seen), and wanted her to feel known and loved. This was Christ’s mission, for all to be known and accept His precious gift of love for them. It’s one thing to say we love people. It’s another to sit with someone who aches, listen to their story, and reflect the love of the Savior in that present moment. Maybe it’s your child, or your spouse, or a friend you’ve lost touch with, or maybe it’s a perfect stranger, but the Lord is calling you to lean in and love well. Who will you be a neighbor to this week?!

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 Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Prayer Journal
I don’t mean to indifferent, Lord. I just truly don’t see them. All the people around me; I don’t really see them. I certainly don’t see them the way You do. It’s too easy to think about my problems, my relationship dynamics, the ways I feel I’m walking in circles, my losses, or the ways my needs aren’t being met. I confess, Lord, I often don’t see those around me as being real people. Broken people. People with just as many hurts and needs and broken stuff in their lives as I do. Father, I plead with You to break my heart for them. Open my eyes, Lord Jesus. Refuse to let me stay blinded to them, because You see every person uniquely and with tender love. You know their stories; they matter to You, just as my own stories, struggles, and triumphs do. Teach my tongue to speak Your truth and love over them. I know You’re already giving me opportunity to love them, help me to step out in obedience to share hope!

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

Neighbor Day 9 Reaching Beyond Isolation: Digging Deeper

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 Reaching Beyond Isolation!

The Questions

1) Why is this lawyer asking questions of Jesus?

2) Although Jesus never directly answers the man’s question, what can we gather from His answer about our neighbors?

3) During the story Jesus told, He used three characters; what is the importance of the three characters He used?

4) Why is Jesus’ command at the end so important then and today?

Luke 10: 25-37

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Original Intent

1) Why is this lawyer asking questions of Jesus?
There were many who questioned Jesus throughout his ministry, especially religious leaders of the day, as well as those who simply did not understand what Jesus was doing. In the verses just before this passage Jesus is celebrating with a group He has empowered and sent out to do to ministry. They are celebrating over the work that has been accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit through them. As they rejoice, Jesus reminds them there will be those who will not understand, nor see, or hear as they do. On the heels of that conversation, this lawyer stands up and asks, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”. In Jesus’ answer, Jesus emphasizes His point to the disciple about people missing the message of hope even though they are hearing it. While the lawyer answers the question according to the law, he entirely misses the point Jesus was making, which why the lawyer follows up with another question, “And who is my neighbor?”. Luke tells us the lawyer seeks to justify his own actions by seeking a point of clarification rather than embracing the fullness of hope Jesus offers.

2) Although Jesus never directly answers the man’s question, what can we gather from His answer about our neighbors?
Jesus tells a story, called a parable, to answer the lawyer’s question. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus used them often to answers questions such as these. Through this story we gather that, as follower of Christ, we should show compassion, mercy, and hospitality to our neighbors. We can also understand that our neighbor isn’t just the person who lives next door to us, but rather anyone we happen upon in our goings and comings, whether they are permanent fixtures in our life, or just in our lives for a season.

3) During the story Jesus told, He used three characters; what is the importance of the three characters He used?
Although the three characters may have little connection to present day, when Jesus was telling this story His three characters had significant impact on His audience. The priest and Levites were the Jewish religious leaders of the day who had great knowledge of the Law of God and were regarded as the leaders of the Jewish people, both politically and spiritually. The Samaritans where considered “half-breeds”, outcast, even unclean by the Jewish people because they were descendants from the Jews who had married women during the time of the establishment of northern kingdom when the ten northern tribes separated from Judah. The children who came from these marriages were not fully Jewish, rather only half Jew, which was a disgrace beyond reconciling in the eyes of Jewish people and Jewish leaders. This family lineage made them “less than” in the eyes of those who had two Jewish parents. Jesus used this cultural resistance to the Samaritans to prove a point to Jewish listeners and break down cultural barriers that existed at that time.

4) Why is Jesus’ command at the end so important then and today?
When Jesus told stories of this nature there was intentionality and purpose behind them. In this case, He uses this story to form to activate those listening to go and follow in the footsteps of the Samaritan. His command is simple, Go and do. The importance of this is found in the simplicity of the command. Two thousand plus years have come and gone, but the command of Christ remains to show mercy, be intentional, and show hospitality to those around you, regardless of who you are, or who they are, in the eyes of the world.

Everyday Application

1) Why is this lawyer asking questions of Jesus?
Some people ask questions because they are truly seeking an answer and desire greater understanding, and some ask questions with the intent to justify their own actions because they know what should be done, but are instead trying to find a “loop-hole” around it. As we read this passage, we should take note of our hearts before the Lord. When God moves us to speak to our neighbor or talk to the person behind the counter as we check out at the grocery story, our first response should not be one of questioning and finagling around the situation, but rather one of obedience much like the Samaritan. Questions are not wrong, if our intent is true wonder and deeper understanding rather than justification of our actions. Intentionality, even in our questions, could open our eyes to see and our ears to hear in new ways.  Do we desire loop-holes or obedience?

2) Although Jesus never directly answers the man’s question, what can we gather from His answer about our neighbors?
It is much easier to move through life if the world were always structural defined with obvious black and white lines rather than gray. Giving specific definition to who our neighbors are with names and places would make it much easier. As we read the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus answer is quite clear. Setting aside cultural differences and societal status, our neighbor is everyone we encounter. Every encounter is an opportunity for expressing the gospel in love, and that is the simple answer Jesus was giving through a detailed story. Our purpose is to be on point for Him and be imitators of Him regardless of who crosses our path (Philippians 2:5).

3) During the story Jesus told, He used three characters; what is the importance of the three characters He used?
Jesus, the Messiah, the Emmanuel, the bringing of salvation, came to break down barriers, changes lives, and help us see differently than the world. He empowers us to have open eyes to those who are different from us, to those who believe differently than us, and those who look different as well. There are no barriers when the Gospel is present. May our prayer be to follow Him despite the barriers the world, or even we, put in the way. May our eyes be open to see as He sees and love like He loves!

4) Why is Jesus’ command at the end so important then and today?
In our busyness, we create obstacles with our schedules and our time. The simplicity of the gospel is evident in Jesus command to go and do. In the Great Commission, His words were very similar: go, make disciples, baptize, and teach them. What’s interesting in Jesus’ story is that the Samaritan man wasn’t putting on a great production or doing something special in his everyday life when he encountered the wounded man. He happened up a man on the road and helped him. An injured man entered his world, and he had a choice to make. Much like the Samaritan, we have people constantly entering into our lives and we too have a choice to make just like he did. God, changer of lives, can use anybody to impact this world for Him, we must make the choice to let Him work through us!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Reaching Beyond Isolation!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Neighbor Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Neighbor Day 8 Reaching Beyond Isolation

1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 10:25-37
Matthew 28:18-20
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Psalm 139:1-6

Neighbor, Day 8

I look out my window and see her walking to her mailbox. I suddenly realize we have now lived in this house, next door to this lady and her family, for a whole year, yet I know very little about her.

I’ve certainly never invited her over for tea or coffee like I intended. All I really know about her is she is a fellow homeschool mom. Embarrassingly, I don’t even know how many children she homeschools.

Perhaps you can relate to this scenario. Sadly, it’s an incredibly common one in our age of isolation and busyness. But common though it may be, it is a far cry from what God intended for us.

From Genesis 2:18, when God first declares it is not good for man to be alone, to Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which speaks of the sad danger of doing life in isolation, we see God created us as relational humans, designed to do life in community.

Not only that, but a crucial aspect of the Christian life is seeking to fulfill the Great Commission, which centers around relationships and living an invitational, hospitable life.

But we have allowed busyness to creep in.
We have allowed to-do lists, expectations, and goals
to crowd in and crowd out
long teatime chats, visits, hospitality, and potluck dinners with friends and strangers alike.

We may not realize, however, how foundational prayer is to reaching our neighbors with the love, light, and good news of Christ. Scratching tasks off the to-do list, or removing events from our calendars, in an attempt to make space for discipleship is a good first step, but it won’t get the job done. Even purposing to “do better” and be more hospitable in the future leaves us relying on our own efforts.

Instead, effective discipleship is a living, moving partnership with the Father,
and it all starts with prayer.

4 Prayers to Pray As We Seek to Reach Our Neighbors

1. Pray for eyes to see and a heart to care.
We all have neighbors with whom we have barely had a complete conversation, let alone made time to build deep and authentic connections. Often, this stems from a lack of understanding of the huge importance of befriending our neighbors and sharing the love of Christ.

So, let’s pray for understanding hearts, ones who care more deeply for those around us than we do for our own comfort, convenience, or daily agenda. Then, pray for eyes to truly see those around us, eyes not fixed on our own busyness and to-do list, but rather on the people the Lord has placed in our communities. Let’s ask for God’s vision for reaching our neighbors. He will undoubtedly answer our prayers!

2. Pray for opportunities to reach out, and the fortitude and intentionality to follow through.
Once our hearts are in the right place, we can pray for opportunities to build relationships with our neighbors. Those around us are often just as busy as we are, so unless we are praying for open doors and for the will to intentionally take advantage of the opportunities when they do arise, they may just slip by unnoticed. As we work to build trust, our consistency and follow-through are key.

3. Pray for receptive hearts.
We don’t know what our neighbors are currently going through or what their worldview may be, but God does. We can ask His Spirit to touch their hearts and make them receptive not only to our invitations to get together, but also to the words He leads us to speak.

4. Pray for God to speak His powerful, incisive words through us.
Lastly, let’s cover those anticipated conversations in prayer. Let’s ask for His wisdom and discernment to guide our words. Finally, we can seek the Lord’s blessing on our efforts to genuinely connect with, love, and serve our communities.

And then sit back and watch what He does with your willingness to obey and live out His great commission, right where you are, in your very own neighborhood!

It can feel rather uncomfortable to reach out to people we don’t even know. But it is part of our Great Commission from our Lord, and it is worth the awkwardness it may take to get there!

Step out in faith and obedience, and the Lord will do the rest!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Neighbor 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 Neighbor!

Neighbor Day 7 Seeing Beyond The Service: Digging Deeper

2 Comments

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 Seeing Beyond The Service!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to be a sinful woman? (verse 37)

 

2) What are the differences between the sinful woman and Simon the Pharisee? (verse 39-40)

 

3) What is the relationship between forgiveness and love?

Luke 7:36-50

36 Then one of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume 38 and stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—she’s a sinner!”

40 Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
He said, “Say it, teacher.”
41 “A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.”
“You have judged correctly,” he told him. 44 Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 Those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?”
50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to be a sinful woman? (verse 37)

In this passage, the woman is introduced to us as “a woman who was a sinner”. Her sin defined her. She was known for her sin. It was her identity. In the Greek, the word “sinful” means pervaded by sin. A sinful woman may have been one who prostituted herself, possibly because she was widowed, or had no other means of making an income. She knew her community identified her by her specific sin, and she would have been filled with shame as she was constantly distanced, unwelcomed, and the center of gossip. The inner thoughts of Simon the Pharisee reveal the attitude people took towards her because of her sin. Simon is revolted by the reality that Jesus would allow her to touch Him. He uses this fact to discredit Jesus’ status. A sinful woman was meant to be rejected, not embraced and drawn near. When we think of identity, it is the very essence of what we believe about ourselves. Our identity consists of what we think, or feel, make up the deepest truths about ourselves. Yet, Scripture teaches us we are all sinners. (Romans 3:23) We are even reminded we were “slaves to sin”. (Romans 6:6-22)

 

2) What are the differences between the sinful woman and Simon the Pharisee? (verse 39-40)

Jesus clearly lays out the truth here as He contrasts Simon’s cold reception to the effusive love of the sinful woman. (Luke 7:44-46) Simon didn’t wash Jesus’ feet, as was customary, neither did he greet Jesus with a kiss, which was the traditional manner of a host welcoming someone he respected. Additionally, Simon didn’t anoint Jesus’ head with oil, a common practice of hosts to show honor to a guest. In contrast, the sinful woman wept and washed Jesus’ feet with her own tears, wiped His feet with her hair, and bought special oil at great price to herself and poured it out on Him as an offering. These are outward differences, but Jesus goes on to show how these actions reflected both the heart of Simon and the woman. Inwardly, Simon didn’t perceive himself as needing Jesus’ forgiveness. He didn’t perceive his own sin and didn’t acknowledge Jesus as his Savior. In stark contrast, the “sinful woman” stepped into an extremely uncomfortable situation, bypassing her own shame to lavish Jesus with honor and gratitude. She did this because she knew her own depravity, while also acknowledging the immeasurable gift of Jesus’ forgiveness.

 

3) What is the relationship between forgiveness and love?

Special attention is required so we don’t turn Jesus’ message upside down. As we look at the actions of the sinful woman, and hear Jesus explain how her sins are forgiven, we might be tempted to think He forgave her because she poured herself out. We need to remember all sins are forgiven based on the love of God, not the love of man (or woman). We did not choose God, He has chosen to come to us! (1 John 4:19) Jesus laid down His life for all people while we were His enemies. (Romans 5:10) The forgiveness He extended cannot be earned, and no one can add to it through actions. In the parable Jesus told Simon, both people were forgiven. The cross is for all sin for all time. (Romans 10:12) It is available freely to all (Romans 10:13), but in order to actually be forgiven, we must intentionally choose to receive it. When a person like this sinful woman becomes aware of the debt they owe to God because of their sin, and then finds themselves completely freed of the debt by turning to Jesus, the love they feel in response is overwhelming. To the extent that a person acknowledges their sin debt to God, they will feel that much more overwhelmed by the canceling of their indebtedness. Surely Simon owed Jesus a deep debt. The trouble was he was unaware of his own need. In contrast, this woman knew. She had been freed from an identity shackled to sin and shame and given new life and unconditional love in exchange. This new life changed her identity forever and love overflowed without measure!

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to be a sinful woman? (verse 37)

When we consider the status of the sinful woman in this passage, it is easy to separate ourselves from her. We might look upon her as lower than us (as Simon did). We may think there are sinners who do “small” sins and those who do “great” sins. We then mistakenly feel those with “greater sin” are beneath us. On the other hand, those who have walked with Jesus since childhood and haven’t led a debauched life may feel they never could muster this kind of gratitude and responsive love for Jesus. We need to understand that the love extolled in this true story is a love born of recognizing our own slavery to sin. Not one of us is better than another because sin, all sin, has equalized us before the throne of God. As we understand our own sinfulness, we begin realizing how great the sacrifice was, the humble, willing sacrifice, Jesus made to forgive us and draw us near. When we acknowledge our deep need, our real shame, and our enslavement to sin, we can thank God for His grand rescue with a depth we would not have otherwise reached. A love bubbles up within us when we see the completely voluntary and pursuant love of God for us completely not based on what we could do for God, rather rooted in the reality that He loves us fully, even in our sin.

 

2) What are the differences between the sinful woman and Simon the Pharisee? (verse 39-40)

The key difference between these two is an issue of pride. The pharisee saw himself as one who could judge Jesus and deny Him honor. He invited Jesus as a peer, but then failed to show any common signs of respect. In his heart, he didn’t see himself as needing forgiveness or having a life of sin. He defined sin as something blatant and external, with no regard for the internal heart condition. The woman knew herself to be a sinner, both outwardly and inwardly. Her sin defined her. She knew she was stuck and lived the life of an outcast. Interestingly, Simon’s sin, the sin of pride, is one Jesus spoke against frequently in His teachings. (reference examples) Whenever we see Jesus addressing someone who is stealing, cheating, or fornicating, we find Him inviting them to repentance and speaking forgiveness over them. When we see Jesus addressing pride, He often uses the words “woe to you.” (Matthew 23:13-29) Pride is a subtle, but powerful sin, effectively separating us from our sense of dependence and need. When we step into pride, we feel we don’t need God, His love, or His forgiveness. We are far better off acknowledging our sin and throwing ourselves at Jesus’ feet than standing back judging others and foolishly rejecting the love of God.

 

3) What is the relationship between forgiveness and love?

Jesus said, “her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much.” (Luke 7:47) It truly is that simple. The love we show is first and foremost responsive love to Jesus. Recently, I had an experience of procrastinating. I knew I should be getting something done, but I kept putting it off. It was more than an oversight. I was intentionally neglecting a responsibility. I noticed I wanted to stay away from my quiet time with Jesus because I was embarrassed for my irresponsibility. I went into prayer anyway. In that private time, Jesus approached me. I sensed Him saying, “I love you anyway.” There isn’t a way to convey the feeling or reaction I had, except to use the word freedom. I felt empowered, not shamed, just as Jesus had said to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11) I wanted to make things right, to respond to His sweet, unconditional love by doing what needed to get done. I was motivated by love to honor my Lord, not by fear to finish a checklist for my performance. When we love Jesus responsively, He changes our heart to deeply desire to do what is right. We don’t do it to earn His love, but as a thank you for His goodness towards us. We also love others well, without deep effort, because we have been filled with His love.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Seeing Beyond The Service!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Neighbor Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Neighbor Day 6 Seeing Beyond The Service

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 7:36-50
Colossians 3:23-24
Isaiah 43:1-4

Neighbor, Day 6

I currently spend my working hours at the front desk of a doctor’s office. I am the voice answering the phone and seeking to assist the person on the other end. I am the one who schedules the next appointment and wishes individuals a good day as they leave. I am the face welcoming them to the office as they arrive for appointments.

For the most part, I love my job, because I am able to serve patients and my fellow staff members from my role at the front desk. The position enables me to be a blessing in a scenario where anxiety may be high and tensions may be mounting. My ability to multitask, function in a fast-paced environment, and think quickly on my feet increases the effectiveness of my service.

I prayed a great deal during the interview process for this job. Was this the job for me? It was not a logical choice in light of my degrees or the jobs I had previously held, but I knew I wanted a place where I could serve the Lord and those around me while also healing from the previous toxic work environment I had left.

Repeatedly, I sensed the Lord confirming this job choice. Several years later, I have discovered multiple reasons for my presence in the office, including the chance to write this Journey Study on loving the neighbor who provides a service!

For clarification, everyone, regardless of job title, provides a service: the stay-at-home mom, the CEO, the custodian. We all have the invitation to serve wherever we are with a mindset of working unto the Lord.

In the last several months, I have heard Beth Moore and Christine Caine reference the story in Luke 7 of Jesus asking Simon if he sees the woman before Him. Both highlighted the reality of Simon not truly seeing the woman, in contrast to the Lord seeing her, knowing her, and loving her.

The Lord demonstrated an intentionality Simon sorely lacked. Simon was blinded by the woman’s reputation and (in his eyes) inappropriate display of wastefulness. Yet, the Lord saw her as His precious child, looking past her sordid history and culturally unacceptable display of worship to the heart behind them.

We are invited to do the same.
To pursue intention.
To truly see the people before us and invite Christ’s love to guide our interactions.

Now, if you are like me, you could use some examples of what intentionality might look like. Below are a few suggestions of ways to truly see those providing a service.

Names are significant.

More often than not, people in the service industry wear name tags. While this is a useful tool in getting their attention, it is also an excellent reminder they are unique individuals. Throughout Scripture, the Lord highlights the importance of names. (Genesis 17:3-16) Therefore, when possible, use the name of the person with whom you are interacting.

We can honor individuals with our awareness of their dignity as human beings, rather than simply valuing them for the service they are providing. I am always surprised when people use my name when interacting with me, and I feel the interchange took place between two people, rather than simply patient to staff.

Express gratitude.

Regardless of the service being rendered, express gratitude to the individual providing it. This creates value for that role and honors the person at the same time.

Let’s remember in order to complete their jobs, even people performing what might be considered the most menial of tasks still carry a level of authority and access higher than our own. For example, a server at a restaurant has access to the kitchen. Let’s recognize and acknowledge, with gratitude, workers are walking in the authority granted to them in order to meet our needs.

Learn from examples of excellence.

For a season of life, the Lord consistently drew my attention to examples of excellence. More often than not, these demonstrations were observed in the service industry. I observed people doing their jobs with high levels of integrity, attention to detail, and positive, uplifting attitudes. Each person challenged me to do the same. I remember truly seeing those individuals in a deeper way as they taught me to live my life better.

The Lord created us to fellowship with others. While it may be easy to do this with those with whom we have a deep connection, we also may fellowship with those who provide a service when we truly see them.

The Lord is a good author, and our neighbors in the service industry are living His beautiful stories.
Let’s celebrate them and love them well! 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Neighbor 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 Neighbor!