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Paul

Sketched XI Day 14 Unpopular Justice: Digging Deeper

July 6, 2023 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

Sketched XI Day 14 Unpopular Justice: Digging Deeper

Melodye Reeves

July 6, 2023

Christ,Digging Deeper,Grace,Mercy,Paul

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 "Unpopular Justice"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 32:1-9

“Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak; listen, earth, to the words of my mouth. 2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my word settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass and showers on tender plants. 3 For I will proclaim the Lord's name. Declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock-His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true.

5 His people have acted corruptly toward Him; this is their defect-they are not His children but a devious and crooked generation. 6 Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn't He your Father and Creator? Didn't He make you and sustain you? 7 Remember the days of old; consider the years long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will teach you.

8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance and divided the human race, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the people of Israel. 9 But the Lord's portion is His people, Jacob, His own inheritance.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does God’s continual interaction with Moses reveal about His character? (verses 1-4)

As his time on earth was ending, Moses obediently arranged for his departure. (Exodus 33:17-23) Commonly called “The Song of Moses,” its lyrics were given by God to Moses (Deuteronomy 31:19-22, 30) for the people to sing as a reminder of their God-authored history. It was a song delivered in the presence of all creation (verses 1-2) to remind the people of God’s continued faithful ways in contrast to their continued rebellious ways. (Isaiah 25:1)

Moses’ own sin resulted in him coming only to the border of the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 34:4) His unrestrained frustration had revealed a deficiency in his reverence for God’s holiness and justice. Even as a man of great faith, Moses had demonstrated a lack of trust in God’s revealed character. (Exodus 34:5-10, Numbers 27:12-14) Though it had been a learning process for him, Moses now vividly sees that the name of the Lord should be honored. God’s name represents His essence! (verses 3-4)

Earlier in his life as a shepherd, Moses had been tending his flock when he guided them toward Mount Horeb (Sinai) and met the LORD there. (Exodus 3:1-8) This location would take a prominent place in Israel’s history. (Psalm 68, Judges 5:1-5, 1 Kings 8:9, 1 Kings 9:8-12, Acts 7:29-38) From then on, Moses would come into the Lord’s presence and learn the significance of the Lord’s name.

After he received “The Ten Words”, Moses came down from the presence of God only to find the people had rebelled, breaking the first and second commandments. In anger, he smashed the tablets the Lord had given, but God again showed His compassionate character by declaring His great name to Moses. (Exodus 33:17-23)

So as it is, Moses has now learned to fully and sincerely sing, “The Lord’s name is great … perfect … just … faithful … righteous and true!” (verses 3-4) This is who He is!

The Everyday Application

1) What does God’s continual interaction with Moses reveal about His character? (verses 1-4)

There are at least two more songs Moses wrote. One is recorded in Exodus 15:1-21 after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and the other is found in Psalm 90. I imagine whenever Moses rehearsed his own story, he went way back to that day. (Exodus 3:4-6)

Surely he recalled the fear he experienced in that unexpected moment as he was simply tending sheep. But Friend, I believe he also remembered the awe and wonder he felt. The God of the universe had come to Moses.

The Israelites usually missed the value of God’s nearness, responding instead by complaining or rebelling. They refused to believe God by trusting His character. They rejected His mercy, believing they didn’t need Him. Oh Sister, I feel their pain! I tend to trust what I perceive or assume instead of what God has clearly revealed about Himself. HE IS our salvation and hope!

At Mt Sinai (Mt Horeb), God gave the Law with its guidelines and promises. Moses would not understand how God, in Christ, would Himself one day suffer the consequences of His laws being broken. Though Moses had wrongly struck the rock in anger, it is our God – the Rock – who would strike death, and Himself be stung in the process. (Isaiah 53:1-6)

The Son was struck not by the rod of Moses, but by the Father’s rod of wrath concerning sin. It is our unchanging Rock who perfectly completed the work of redemption and satisfied the justice of God. (Romans 9:30-33, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Sweet Sister, as a result of this, we have been given, not the promised land of Israel but a promised life with God! God’s love lasts forever!!

The Original Intent

2) How had God’s children, the nation of Israel, acted in the wilderness toward God? (verses 5-6)

God’s instruction to Moses and His people had repeatedly pointed to a God who was close and interactive! “The Lord God spoke to us…”. (Exodus 19:9-11) But Moses and the Israelite people underestimated the consequences of allowing themselves to tolerate a rebellious and critical spirit.

At the rock where they received water (Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:3-13, Psalm 95:8-9), the people demonstrated their distrust of God by complaining about their circumstances and criticizing God. Then Moses demonstrated his distrust of God by misrepresenting Him, choosing instead to unnecessarily lecture the people with harshness.

“Moses misrepresented God by acting as if God needed him to provide water for the people … angrily striking the rock twice, instead of just speaking to the rock as God had, told him to.” (enduringword.com) In verses 5-6, however, we notice that Moses has gained a little perspective. He knows God is loyal and true while so many of the people are not. (Deuteronomy 7:7-12)

The Hebrew for “defect” in verse 5 indicates “Israel’s major fault was its failure to act like God’s people; in fact, they acted quite the contrary.” (bible.org) Knowing what he knows, and what they know, Moses calls into question their rebellion and foolishness. (verse 6)

Did they not remember who made them? (Isaiah 45:18) It had been about 400 years since Joseph’s brothers promised to bury his bones in the Promised Land. Had they not heard how God had been faithful to Joseph and would be faithful to them? (Joshua 24:31-32)

Had not all the people been together to see the mighty works of God in how He had delivered them, provided for them, guided them and been so patient with them? (Acts 7:17-45) Moses is appalled at their continued unbelief!

The Everyday Application

2) How had God’s children, the nation of Israel, acted in the wilderness toward God? (verses 5-6)

Simply put, the people had forgotten. Remembering God is an essential disciplined practice of our faith! The Old Testament uses a form of the word “remember” over 200 times. (blueletterbible.org) The prophet Jeremiah summarized the condition of the defiant Israelites, “My people have forgotten Me.” (Jeremiah 18:13-23)

What an indictment on those to whom the Lord has revealed Himself. Maybe you are like me, friend, and the ‘sin of forgetfulness’ creeps up on you. By God’s grace, let’s strive to be like the saints of old mentioned in Hebrews 11 who had come to know Yahweh’s character by believing Him.

Jesus told His disciples to “remember” His sacrifice, and Paul urged his fellow believers toward that practice of remembering. (Luke 22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 11:17-26) Sister, we can discover the character of God as we remember the triumph of grace (Romans 5:18-21) through His perfect justice, and as we revere the Lord’s name as the great I AM who created you and me.

He loves us and wants to rescue us from the consequence of our sin, which is eternal death. (Colossians 1:13-20) Let’s heed the warning and remember God’s mercy. Let’s sing it together!

You’re our creator, our life sustainer –
deliverer, our comfort, our joy.
Throughout the ages, You’ve been our shelter – our peace in the midst of the storm.

With signs and wonders,
You’ve shown Your power.
With precious blood,
You showed us Your grace.
You’ve been our helper, our liberator –
the giver of life with no end.

When we walk through life’s darkest valleys, we will look back at all You have done.
And we will shout, our God is good, and He is the faithful One!

We will remember, we will remember, we will remember the works of Your hands.
We will stop and give you praise, for great is Thy faithfulness!
(We Will Remember by Tommy Walker)

The Original Intent

3) What does Moses call the people to do as a response to his testimony about God? (verses 7-9)

Moses makes one last appeal to the people before his death in verses 7-9. He calls on the people to REMEMBER! In verse 6, Moses questioned how they could forget what they had seen and heard. The love of God had always been on display for His people. In verse 7, Moses refers them to their parents and grandparents if they couldn’t come up with the answers.

If it was anything at all, God’s love was a proven love! His faithful love was evidenced by the many times God had repeated it to the wilderness-wandering children of Israel. I emphasize again: God IS love! (Exodus 34:6-7) God is abounding in faithful love. He is daily maintaining faithful love. God’s love is FOREVER lasting. God had centered the Law around this reality of love. (Exodus 20:3-6)

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said of His people, “I have loved you with an everlasting love”. (Jeremiah 31:2-3) The Lord’s portion in verse 9 refers to His beloved people, those He most highly values. We find the same thought in Exodus 19:4-6, “Now if you will carefully listen to Me and keep My covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples.”

The New King James Version translates the phrase as “His peculiar treasure.” The Hebrew noun segullah, which means a special possession, conveyed how Israel was to stand in a place of privilege simply because God picked them. It wasn’t for anything they’d ever do, that’s for sure!

This scene in Deuteronomy 31:28-30 is stunning and Moses can’t help but remember it. He also realizes he only has a little time left on earth to convince them to remember the two most important things 1) Whose they are as the Lord’s portion and 2) What they have; an inheritance! (verse 9)

The Everyday Application

3) What does Moses call the people to do as a response to his testimony about God? (verses 7-9)

Sister, how should we respond to the challenge from Moses to remember? Let’s do so by reflecting on Peter’s words to those “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” If you’re a true believer in Jesus, that’s you and me, the “chosen” ones!

I can’t improve on Peter’s encouragement and invitation, let’s read and reflect on it together, allowing it to remind us to remember the Lord!

“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.
Cry out for this nourishment now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor.

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, ‘I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.’

Yes, you who trust Him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject Him … they stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.
” (1 Peter 2:1-10, NLT)

Let’s all practice remembering the truth of who God is!

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grace,justice,mercy,Remember
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Sketched XI, Day 13
Journey Study

“Ahab’s death is near”, I finally managed to speak after several minutes of heavy, silent walking.

Elisha’s arm stopped my forward momentum as he turned hard eyes on me, “It will be dishonorable, won’t it?”.

I closed my eyes against the scene the Lord had given me of dog’s licking up Ahab’s blood. (1 Kings 21:19) He was intended to be Israel’s king, leading us to worship Yahweh, but instead his death would be a mockery just as his life had been.
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Posted in: Christ, Digging Deeper, Grace, Mercy, Paul Tagged: grace, justice, mercy, Remember

The GT Weekend! ~ Steadfast Week 1

April 1, 2023 by Carol Graft Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Steadfast Week 1

Carol Graft

April 1, 2023

Christ,Equipped,Faith,Jesus,Paul,Resurrection

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

This Week's Journeys

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Tuesday
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Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Luke 24:36-38

36 As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts?”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord, when we read about You actually appearing in the flesh to Your disciples and so many  more, over 500!, following your physical resurrection from the dead, I’m astounded with awe! It gives me pause to wonder, “How would I react?”

I’d like to think that I would not doubt or question the sight of You. For how I have longed to see You as Your first disciples did, especially on my hard days and dark seasons. One day, Lord, one day I’ll be welcomed Home because of Your resurrection! Because You conquered death, and my faith hangs on You, I will also conquer death.

Until that day, when I’ll see you face to face and worship at Your feet, give me eyes to see You moving in the midst of my every day. In my hard circumstances and my joyous ones, give me an ear to hear your words of wisdom and a heart to quickly obey.

I desire a deep, abiding relationship with You just as Your first followers had when you walked the Earth. Draw me close, Jesus, through Your Spirit! Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

On Monday, Sarah pointed to the essential foundation Pauls’ words built in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 when he described “of first importance” how Christ died for our sins, was buried, and raised on the third day.

This is our foundation for both Eternal Hope of life after death as well as Living Hope in the midst of every circumstance on earth. Christ is our resurrected Savior! “…Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope…” (1 Peter 1:3)

Sarah also asks questions that have been asked throughout millennia. Perhaps you’ve wrestled with God’s identity and purposes, His promises, His timing, and His presence in our lives. God’s Word reveals Him, and His Spirit teaches us to trust His faithful, steadfast character.

We can take the truth of Peter’s words from the Lord and hold fast, “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you…” (1 Peter 5:10)

We can declare these truths over ourselves, personalizing His Word in us. His Words discipline us to keep our eyes on the prize of Jesus and the coming reward of an eternity with Him for all who trust Him as Lord and Savior.

JOURNAL TWO

Like reading the preface of a book, understanding the background of biblical characters helps us grasp the workings of God in their lives.

Lesley evidenced this as she helped us enter the life of Paul and his ministry beginnings. We seem to think Paul was the apostle of all apostles because of his numerous writings and successful church plants. We forget he began as an enemy to the church. After the dramatic meetup with God on the road to Damascus, he spent a few years studying God with new understanding and growing in his faith.

Looking back through the Scripture, the Torah, the psalms and the prophets (what we term the Old Testament), Paul grew in dependent faith on the Lord Jesus. Paul studied not with his former eyes of a Pharisee, but through the lens of his new relationship with the Christ.

Paul neither became the “super apostle” nor changed the early church overnight, and neither will we. Steadfast growth requires discipline to study God’s Word and a willingness to keep on surrendering our ways to the Lord one small step at a time. As the Lord shepherds our hearts, just as He did for Paul, we will see Him shaping us to be more like Jesus!

JOURNAL THREE

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

These comforting words were evidenced in Friday’s Journey Study depiction of Christ as the very same God who authored humanity’s redemption beginning to end. Our rebellion as human beings against the Lord God has never lacked in fervor from the Garden of Eden to the 21st century. Neither has our need for a resurrected Savior ever lessened.

Melodye unpacked the fundamentally essential component of the physical, literal resurrection of Christ’s dead body back to life from the grave. Without this piece, not one of us has any hope for life after death!

We don’t generally like to ponder the end of life. But for the person who has surrendered full control to the God of the Universe and placed their Hope on this God whose power raised Christ from the dead, death is the beginning of the consummated Hope we’ve longed for!

When you think about your death, what emotions surface? Trace the roots of those emotions to their source and be curious about what drives them. Do you find Hope or Fear? Why?

Spend time this weekend considering what you personally believe about the biblical account of Christ’s resurrection and why, or if, it matters.
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courage,Easter,faith,hope,resurrection,Truth
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Posted in: Christ, Equipped, Faith, Jesus, Paul, Resurrection Tagged: courage, Easter, faith, hope, resurrection, Truth

Steadfast Day 4 Not In Vain: Digging Deeper

March 30, 2023 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Steadfast Day 4 Not In Vain: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

March 30, 2023

Faith,Faithfulness,Glory,Kingdom,Obedience,Paul,Persevere

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 "Not In Vain"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 15:8-11

8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does Paul mean in reflecting that he was spiritually “born at the wrong time”? (verse 8)

Paul did not become an apostle while Jesus ministered on the earth like the other 12 apostles. (Matthew 10:1-4) Paul answered the call of Christ after Jesus’ death, when the resurrected, ascended Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus and chose him to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. (Acts 9:15)

Describing his place as the last apostle called, Paul wrote “Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, He also appeared to me” (verse 8) David Guzik explains how the phrase “born at the wrong time” comes from “the ancient Greek term ektroma meaning, ‘abortion, stillbirth, miscarriage’ – it speaks of an untimely birth with ‘freakish’ associations.”

Paul’s salvation was atypical in comparison to the other leaders who had been hand-picked by Jesus. He did not live and work with Jesus on a daily basis in the same way as the other apostles who learned from Him and had grown in faith while ministering together. (Mark 4:34) Instead, Paul was on a mission to shut down Christianity after the death and resurrection of Jesus before God captivated his attention and changed the direction of his life. (1 Timothy 1:12-14)

Because of this early persecution and late calling, Paul considered his birth as an apostle to have come at the “wrong time.” David Lowery suggests “Paul considered himself abnormally born because he lacked the ‘gestation’ period of having been with Christ during His earthly ministry.” Though Paul didn’t spend three years walking with Jesus physically, he spent three years in Arabia before entering full time ministry to personally learn from the Lord and grow in his newfound faith. (Galatians 1:16-17)

No matter how or when we come to Christ, God has plans for us to know Him and to make Him known to those around us. (Acts 20:24)

The Everyday Application

1) What does Paul mean in reflecting that he was spiritually “born at the wrong time”? (verse 8)

Having come to Jesus late in life, Paul may have felt he missed out on being trained in the same way as the other apostles. I felt something similar as an older first time Mom. I was nearly 30 when my first child was born. I didn’t think my age was that uncommon until the labor room nurse asked why I’d waited so long to have a baby. I noticed the age difference throughout those early years whether on field trips, at ball games, or during dance lessons. Mommies my age were in the minority. I was tempted to feel bad about being a little older, but the joys and demands of motherhood left little time for regret. I had baths to run, lullabies to sing, and stories to read! There was no time for looking back when there was so much living to be done.

The apostle Paul realized this as well. He may have missed out on learning at the feet of Jesus, but he was dramatically chosen to share the story of Jesus with those who would listen. (Acts 22:14-15) Once he knew the truth, he began to learn, grow in his faith, and “immediately” shared the Gospel. (Acts 9:20)

I encourage each of us today to focus on the plans God has laid out for us (Psalm 32:8) without wasting time wishfully comparing our storyline with someone else’s. If the Lord has saved you, He’s not wasting time; He is intentionally using your surrender to point others to Himself and strengthen you in your faith if you continue your willful surrender!

Resist the temptation to linger on regrets over what lies behind (Romans 8:1); press onward to all you have been given in Christ! (Philippians 3:13-14)

The Original Intent

2) Why was God’s grace toward Paul shown to not be in vain? (verse 10)

The Apostle Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of [the other apostles], yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) Paul was saved by God’s grace in an intense fashion, literally apprehended by the power of God on the road to Damascus en route to persecute Christ’s followers. (Acts 9:1-4)

By God’s grace he was shown the redemptive power of Jesus’ sacrifice, and from that moment forward he made it his highest purpose to share the Good News of Jesus and His saving grace. (Galatians 1:23) Still, all of this was not accomplished by Paul’s ability or strength, and he calls our attention directly to his power Source: God’s lavish grace. Paul needed to continually surrender his way to the Lord’s, but he also needed to rely on Christ’s work in and through him instead of his own grit and determination.

God’s grace toward Paul was not in vain because Paul shared God’s love with everyone he came in contact with while fueled by God’s loving grace, even though it often landed him in prison or resulted in persecution. (Acts 16:16-24, Acts 14:19) John Stevenson asserts that Paul “pictures the grace of God as a motivation for service. As he comes to see the wondrous and undeserving goodness that God has bestowed upon him, he is moved to labor even more greatly.”

Paul did not experience God’s grace and keep the Good News to himself; he was inspired to share the freedom and joy he found in Christ that God would be glorified through his willful surrender.

The Everyday Application

2) Why was God’s grace toward Paul shown to not be in vain? (verse 10)

One frustrating thing about teaching is that no matter how much help you provide, you can’t guarantee a child’s success. You can give everything necessary for high achievement, but you cannot force students to accept the help given. A teacher can offer after-school study sessions, provide notes and study aids, give practice tests and identify study partners, but these efforts are all in vain if the student decides to ignore the assistance. It is exasperating as a teacher to expend so much energy and get so little in return.

The Apostle Paul assured the Corinthians that the grace extended to him by His Savior was not given in vain. He wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of [the other apostles], yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (verse 10). God extended incredible grace to Paul, a self-proclaimed “worst sinner” (1 Timothy 1:15), so His redemptive power would be beautifully displayed in Paul’s transformed life; Paul allowed Christ’s lavish grace to radically change everything. He became one of the most faithful Christians of all time, dedicating his life to sharing the Gospel.

Paul allowed God’s grace to empower his life, ensuring His grace was not given in vain. Author Tony Evans asserts, “Without the power of God’s grace working in us, our labor for Him would produce nothing of eternal value. Once you get your eyes on Christ alone for your assurance, your Christian life will soar, not crash.” This was the case for Paul, and so it is for any Christ follower who allows God to work through them to spread the Good News of Jesus’ offer of total forgiveness and new life.

The Original Intent

3) Why doesn’t it matter how the Corinthians came to believe on Jesus? (verse 11)

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he emphasized that the Gospel preached by the other apostles and by himself was one and the same. He wrote, “Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.” (verse 11) Paul pointed out that no matter how the Corinthians came to the saving knowledge of Christ, whether through Paul’s own preaching or through the message of another apostle or follower of Jesus, the important thing was that they heard the Truth and believed in Jesus.

Dr. Thomas Constable explains, “Even though Paul had a different background from the other apostles, he heralded the same message they did. Consequently, his original readers did not need to fear that what they had heard from him was some cultic perversion of the truth. It was the true gospel, and they should continue to believe it.” What mattered to Paul, and what should matter to us, is that the Gospel be shared with everyone, regardless of who shares it. (Matthew 28:19-20)

The importance should be placed on whether it’s the True Gospel and whether we are believing the True Jesus as recorded in Scripture rather than a “Jesus” of our own desires or imaginations. Paul’s goal was that the truth of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection be shared by everyone who hears and accepts the message of Jesus. (Colossians 1:25-29)

May we each fulfill our mission from the Lord with the same focus on Jesus and the same dedication to sharing God’s love as Paul had.

The Everyday Application

3) Why doesn’t it matter how the Corinthians came to believe on Jesus? (verse 11)

Most students have strong feelings about getting a group assignment where everyone does part of the work and gets the same grade as everyone else. Some students want to coast by on the work of their classmates, and those classmates dread doing extra work to make up for the group’s slackers.

One group project I had in high school was to research, write, and perform a historical play that included a dinner scene where we served dishes made from vintage recipes we had compiled. My approach was a factual, academic treatment of the subject matter, but my partners wanted to add some fun, whimsical details. Eventually I agreed, against my better judgment. I was shocked to discover that our teacher loved the facts and recipes I had voted to keep out of the presentation. I learned to be more open to other people’s ideas and that a strong team working together can accomplish much.

The apostle Paul addressed the team effort of evangelism in 1 Corinthians 15:11 when he wrote, “Whether, then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.” Paul wanted to assure his readers that the Gospel he preached was the same Gospel preached by the other apostles and had the same effect on those who heard and believed.

It did not matter to Paul who did the work or who got the credit, so long as Christ was proclaimed and converts were made. (2 Corinthians 2:14) Each apostle had a different style and manner of presentation, but they all experienced Jesus and shared His love and His truth with others.

It was the same information, shared in different ways, to the same effect: salvation from sin (Romans 3:23) and freedom from chains. (John 8:36)

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Steadfast Day 3
Journey Study

Often, progress in the Christian life can seem slow. Sometimes it can feel as if we’re pushing forward, trying to do the right thing day by day, without really getting anywhere.

It can be tempting to look at the lives of Jesus’ followers in the Bible and think the process of spiritual growth was different for them, especially when it comes to someone like Paul.
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Posted in: Faith, Faithfulness, Glory, Kingdom, Obedience, Paul, Persevere Tagged: eternity, faithfulness, persevere, perspective

Enough Day 14 Sacrificial Lamb: Digging Deeper

April 15, 2021 by Rebecca Adams 1 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 Sacrificial Lamb!

The Questions

1) What boasting is Paul referencing in verse 6?

2) Why does Paul care about cleaning out leaven (yeast) and new batches of dough? (verse 7)

3) What feast are we to be observing? (verse 8)

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Original Intent

1) What boasting is Paul referencing in verse 6?
When we read Scripture, it’s extremely important we first read for context. What does the whole passage say? What is the main point? If we fail to do this, we will quite likely run away with a poor understanding of Scripture, of God, and even ourselves. Then we try to apply this mis-alignment to our lives and end up with a mess! The church in Corinth, who first received Paul’s letters we’ve cleverly dubbed “1 & 2 Corinthians” had major issues. They had serious conflict, bad beliefs, and were known for blatant sins that ran counter to Christ and His gospel of love and unity. Yet, they still felt justified in boasting about how great they were doing. Paul’s admonishment was meant to sternly call them out for their lack of love and inconsistency in holding to truth and what it really meant to follow Jesus as His Church. In this specific instance, a man was committing a gross sexual sin by sleeping with his father’s wife, an action not even condoned by Corinthian culture outside the Church. Yet, inside the church, they boasted on how loving they were by not calling this man out for his blatant hypocrisy and sin as he claimed to follow Jesus and love people. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2) They felt they were doing the right thing by ignoring this man’s sin. It’s also very important to note that Paul makes a distinction in verses 9-13; he did not intend believers in the church to cast judgement on people who were not Christ-followers. “I did not mean the immoral people of this world (…); otherwise you would have to leave the world!” Christians are not meant to judge those outside the church, only God can do that! “For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? (…) God judges outsiders.” (verses 12-13)

2) Why does Paul care about cleaning out leaven (yeast) and new batches of dough? (verse 7)
We don’t use the word “leaven” much in today’s world, but it refers to yeast one would use in baking. Why does Paul care about yeast? Well, he actually didn’t; he knew his audience understood “yeast” to be a symbol for “sin”. In the Old Testament, God had commanded His people to rid their houses of yeast as they prepared for Passover, a special festival commemorating God’s rescue of Israel from slavery to the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:14-20) When Paul states, “Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?” (verse 6), he wasn’t trying to mock them for their lack of scientific understanding. Rather, he was illustrating the extreme potency of sin and its deadly affects. If Christ’s Church was like a batch of dough, even a small bit of sin (yeast) would quickly spread throughout the dough. Because the Corinthian church understood yeast to be a metaphor for sin, Paul’s point was abundantly clear, they could not just “ignore” sin within their local church body for eventually, the entire church would be consumed with sin. No one would hold them accountable for their sin because everyone would just “accept” a lower standard and justify each other’s sinfulness. Paul instructed the Corinthians to “clean out the old leaven” by confronting sin within their churches. He reminds them they are indeed a “new, unleavened batch” (verse 7) because Christ has died for them, declaring them righteous! Jesus paid for their sin, so they should respond by fleeing from it and following Christ in living holy lives that honor Him together as a whole church. Out of great love for one another and gratefulness to Jesus, they should encourage each other to reject sin’s allure and run instead toward the life of fullness offered in Christ.

3) What feast are we to be observing? (verse 8)
Imagine the churches of Corinth gathering together in the homes where they regularly met for worship and preaching to listen to Paul’s letter. Jews, Gentiles, men, women, and children all came together under the freedom Christ had come to give them. This was the New Testament church! They had complex lives with countless temptations to sin, worship idols, and pressure to achieve more just like us today. The Jews present, who were probably fewer than the Gentiles, were as familiar with Torah (Old Testament) Law as the back of their hand. Though the Gentiles hadn’t grown up with God’s Law, they were still familiar with Jewish practices, sacrifices, and feasts because they played such a prevalent cultural role. When Paul wrote, “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast…” (verses 7-8), everyone listening immediately understood the connection between Christ and the Passover lamb. Christ was the One crucified on a Roman cross and resurrected from the grave three days later. The Passover lamb was the animal slain every year by every Jewish family during the Passover feast which commemorated God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Paul was tying these two together as the same symbol. Christ had become the Passover Lamb. Once Paul made this clear, he urged the churches to go out and live everyday lives in light of this incredible sacrifice. “Therefore, let us observe the feast…” The audience recognized the feast as Passover, but Paul wanted them to go deeper and understand that feasting was now meant to encompass the whole of the Christian life. Believers were now to feast on Christ as the Bread of Life (John 6:35) who has no sin in Him and calls those who trust Him to also leave behind all sin (yeast).

Everyday Application

1) What boasting is Paul referencing in verse 6?
It’s so easy to justify ourselves, isn’t it? Or maybe it’s just me who is always running ahead with ready defenses for every action, thought, or word. I’d much rather point to the shiny, pretty things I’ve done and completely ignore those sinful patterns I keep right on living with. Shockingly, I was given another opportunity to confront my sin just a few days ago as my husband expressed his frustration with how I consistently interacted with him. Regardless of the suggestion, dream, or feeling he shared with me, I was oh so quick to shut him down with my own counter opinion or critique. As he talked with me about his frustration, the Lord opened my eyes and I realized my husband was right. I was stuck in a pattern of criticism and harshness, but I had justified my attitude and sharp words toward him as me being allowed to have my own voice. Expressing myself was never the issue, my willingness to listen and encourage him was where I was deeply lacking. I’m sure Paul’s sharp words were hard for the Corinthians to hear; facing our sin is generally painful. As difficult as it was, I am so grateful for my husband’s willingness to point out my sinful pattern and for the Spirit enabling me to recognize how I wasn’t loving my husband despite my lengthy list of justifications. Where is the Lord pointing out your sin patterns? Resist the urge to boast in your justification and surrender to His conviction! Maybe you see sin habits in a brother or sister who loves Jesus. Make the loving choice and confront them, calling them to recognize their sin and turn away from it! Our churches desperately need believers to hold each other accountable to following Jesus and loving others! 

2) Why does Paul care about cleaning out leaven (yeast) and new batches of dough? (verse 7)
How often do you think about “getting rid of” the sin in your life? Probably not often! If we look at our sin patterns, we can feel overwhelmed and weighed down with impossibility of breaking comfortable habits. We choose to sin because it’s easy and we enjoy it, but we like it because we have forgotten the far greater delight of following the ways of the Lord. Psalm 119 is FULL of declarations on how joy-full (Psalm 119:14-16), wise (Psalm 119:23-24), life-giving (Psalm 119:25), freeing (Psalm 119:45), and even delicious (Psalm 119:103) the commands of the Lord are to His people who follow them. Proverbs says the path of those who reject wisdom leads to death. (Proverbs 2:19) Paul knew, and had experienced in his own life, that Jesus was always the Better, which is why, when writing to confront the Corinthians of their sin, he turned their focus onto the Sacrificial Lamb. (verse 7) Only when we keep Christ, His love, and His sacrifice that we could never repay in focus, do we become repulsed by our sin instead of drawn toward it. When you think of “getting rid of sin” in your life, begin in prayer and ask the Lord to show you His glory, goodness, and righteousness. As we gaze on Him, His Spirit will stir within us a far greater love for God than for our sin. Only in Jesus do we have victory to break the deadly pattern of sin in our everyday lives! (Romans 7:24-25)

3) What feast are we to be observing? (verse 8)
We don’t have the same contextual benefit the first New Testament churches had when they read Paul’s letters. Most of us don’t celebrate all the Jewish festivals, and we have no concept of an annual Passover Lamb, let alone daily sin offerings through animal sacrifice. While the first century church had real life visuals for these concepts, 21st century believers need to work a little harder to understand the original culture and context. Nevertheless, Paul’s connection of Christ as the Passover Lamb and his urgent call for the early church to reject sin’s pull and move forward into living as God’s holy people is a message for us today! Sin isn’t a plaything, something to be ignored, or passed over as insignificant. Our sin is what cost the Savior His life. If it wasn’t for our sin, there would be no need for Jesus to sacrifice Himself on our behalf, but because He did, we are free to reject sin and love God and others around us! Consider your role in your local church body as you think about what if you had been one of the first believers in ancient Corinth. Would you hear Paul’s Spirit-led words and become an advocate for addressing sin in yourself, your family, and your church body? Would you hunger for the sinless “bread” of Christ, desiring to daily feast on Him through studying His Word and developing a deeper relationship with Him? It’s one thing to claim you’re a Christian, it’s quite another to take your relationship serious enough to leave your sin behind and feast on the holy life God has called us to enjoy together!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Posted in: Christ, Digging Deeper, Enough, Fullness, God, Gospel, Jesus, Love, Paul, Rescue, Sacrifice, Scripture, Sin, Unity, Wisdom Tagged: accountability, Boasting, Context, delight, Feast, Justify, lamb, Passover, understanding, Willingness

Worship VIII Day 12 Authentic Worship: Digging Deeper

March 23, 2021 by Shannon Vicker 1 Comment

Worship VIII Day 12 Authentic Worship: Digging Deeper

Shannon Vicker

March 23, 2021

Christ,God,Holy Spirit,Hope,Jesus,Paul,Power,Prayer,Redeemed,Relationship,Sacrifice,Transformation,Trust,Worship

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 "Authentic Worship"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” and how is this done? (verse 1)

The practice of sacrificing an innocent animal was common practice for Paul’s audience. When he said “sacrifice”, they had immediate, visual context for his meaning. However, a sacrifice was typically not left alive. Israelites presented their offering for the priest to sacrifice on the altar after it had been slaughtered, for “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

Sacrifice was vital to the everyday living out of the Israelites’ faith. Yet Paul refers here to a different type of sacrifice, a living one. Christ had already come and sacrificed Himself for all of mankind, spanning the impassable gap between us and God created because of our sinfulness. Paul is calling his audience to willingly sacrifice, or turn over, their entire lives to God and His will.

He is reminding his readers their lives are not their own, rather they belong to the God who gave His Son to redeem them.

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” and how is this done? (verse 1)

When we become believers in Jesus, trusting Him to cover the payment for our sins against God, our lives are no longer our own. We freely accept what Jesus did on the cross for us and in return we offer our bodies, the whole of our lives back to Him out of love, knowing we could never repay Him for His sacrifice. In doing this, we choose to allow God to work in and through us how He sees fit; we turn our will over to Him.

This surrender is not a one-time occurrence, instead this sacrifice is a moment by moment decision we make as believers to surrender ourselves to the Lord.

There are times where my life does not look like a sacrifice, when I am operating in my will instead of God’s, and He lovingly calls me back to Himself in full surrender. We are constantly called to choose to live as a sacrifice presenting ourselves to be used for the glory of God and not our own ways.

The Original Intent

2) Why should we “not be conformed to this age”? (verse 2)

Paul instructs his audience to “not be conformed to this age”, or in some translations, “to the world”. According to Webster’s Dictionary, conformed literally means to make similar in form, nature, or character.

The Greek word for conform, “συσχηματίζω”, takes the definition farther in meaning, “to fashion one’s self according to the pattern or mold of another.” Paul is urging his readers to not look like the world in which they live.

He strongly reminds them they are now free from the pattern of the world and no longer need to fit themselves into its mold. Christ has done a good work in them and they now carry a different identity than the world in which they reside. They have been reborn to live free and renewed!

The Everyday Application

2) Why should we “not be conformed to this age”? (verse 2)

Perhaps you’ve heard the popular Christian saying, “be in the world but not of it”. In essence, this is exactly what Paul is calling believers to in this verse. Jesus Himself prays for believers in John 17 and we are reminded several times in His prayer that believers are not of the world.

This is not our home because we have now been born of the Spirit of God. (John 3:5-6) Our real home awaits us in the presence of our Heavenly Father when we leave this world and enter eternity. Just as Paul did not want his audience to look like the world, neither are we to fit its mold either.

We are called to look and behave differently than those with no hope. We are called to live a life that resembles Jesus, a life lived out of the overflow of our relationship with Him rather than an attempt to fashion ourselves after the world’s pattern.

When our everyday lives are an overflow of our close walk with Jesus, He naturally shapes us to not look like this world even though we currently reside in it. He crafts us to be like Jesus Himself! (Romans 8:29)

The Original Intent

3) What does transformation look like? (verse 2)

Transformation is a process that completely changes an object into something new. Paul is telling his audience their full surrender allows the God of the Universe to transform them to be like Him. Paul isn’t talking about simply a physical transformation, but instead a transformation of their whole being. This is radical!

Paul is calling believers to allow God to change the way they behave, think, react, and so much more as He puts His Spirit to live within them, making them new as they give over control. This process begins with renewing their mind.

As God transforms their minds, the changes flesh out in their behaviors and everyday life. Matthew Henry calls it, “a change not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul”.

He goes on to say it occurs in a way “that the man is not what he was, old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs”. This is transformation by the Spirit’s power!

The Everyday Application

3) What does transformation look like? (verse 2)

A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly and no longer looks as it once did. An example like this is what many of us immediately consider when we hear the word “transformation”. We think of something that endured a change so great it no longer resembles its old self.

Transformation is not something that occurs overnight, and the same is true of the transformation Paul references in these verses. We become believers the day we accept the free gift of salvation Jesus offers through His death on the cross. However, we are not complete at that moment. Instead, God continuously transforms us to look less like our old selves and more like Jesus as we grow in relationship with Him.

This transformation is not first one seen on the outside, but as God changes our mind and our thoughts, what pours out of our lives begins to look different. We slowly transform into a new person, one who more and more resembles Jesus and less and less resembles sin and the broken pattern this world represents.

However, Sisters, do not lose hope when you fail to live up to the transformation taking place in you, for it will not be complete until we enter eternity and the temptation to follow the pattern of sin is forever banished. Instead, acknowledge when you look more like the world and less like Jesus, turn again in surrender and allow God to do what only He can, forgive you and continue making you like Him.

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Worship XII Day 14 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!: Digging Deeper
December 7, 2023
Worship XII Day 13 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
December 6, 2023
Worship XII Day 12 Go Tell It On The Mountain: Digging Deeper
December 5, 2023

Worship VIII Day 11
Journey Study

It can be tempting to judge our worship by our feelings. How strongly do we feel our connection with God, how clearly do we sense God speaking, or how intensely do we feel the emotion behind our words. But God doesn’t judge our worship this way.

Instead, He invites us to come as we are, through Jesus (Ephesians 2:13), regardless of our feelings.
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Posted in: Christ, God, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Paul, Power, Prayer, Redeemed, Relationship, Sacrifice, Transformation, Trust, Worship Tagged: Allow, authentic, calling, glory, grow, Living Sacrifice, surrender

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VIII Week 1

March 13, 2021 by Rebecca Adams 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) On Monday, Marietta transparently shared of an idol taking up time, focus, and adoration in her life. Her willingness to be so honest gives me the courage to stop shying away from addressing “idol worship” lurking in the corners of my own heart. I want to say Jesus is my first and only love, and that every other love flows from my rich and intimate relationship with Him, but if I discount my love of self, I’ve already deceived myself. Whether it’s the desire to “control”, the urge to “fix”, or my “bad habit” (ie: sin!) of jumping to conclusions about others before hearing the whole story, I know the list of idols vying for my attention is long. If I’m not actively praying for the Lord to remove temptation from me, I will easily fall into the idolatry habit of setting up Jesus as just “one of” my many idols instead of worshipping Him as the only One deserving of my whole life. If you sat for just 60 seconds, what idols would you identify from your life? Ask the Lord for courage to look them in the face. Ask Him to give you a heart that is repulsed by idol worship. Choose one idol you feel the Lord leading you to tear down, and text a friend, asking her to hold you accountable to flee the temptation of idol worship.

2) Paul sings of the riches of God, of His vast knowledge, and depths of wisdom that are impossible to plumb in his magnificent hymn of praise. (Romans 11:33-36) The way Paul sings about these gives me the idea he would gladly sit and consider them and gaze on them for eternity without boredom. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time on many pursuits. Some worthy, and some utterly ridiculous. I can remember a season where I put countless hours into a game on my phone. How many hours have I spent belittling myself or others? Too many. The amount of time I’ve spent picking up toys after small children is quite high as well. When I consider the amount of time I’ve sat in worship, awestruck at the glories of the God I serve, I admit it doesn’t even come close to comparing. While I can easily justify my time by insisting that toys don’t pick up themselves, I forget that true worship isn’t limited to instances when I can physically sit still, open my Bible, and journal my praise. Opportunities for fully attentive heart worship are as plentiful as the seconds in my day and yours. Begin your journey into deeper worship right now by asking the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, to remind you to offer up praise in the everyday moments instead of just the ones you deem as “holy”. Start a dialogue with the Lord and practice continuing it throughout the day and watch your relationship with God deepen as worship colors everything!

3) Yesterday, Carol pointed us toward the constantly astounding beauty of creation helping us attentively take in the glory of the Lord and respond with worship. We interact with the earth and its beauties every day in various forms, yet it takes intentional practice to move beyond interaction to worshipping the Creator. Set aside time this weekend to explore what it would look like in your relationship with God to spout off praise as you take in the intricate details of creation around you. Did you breathe deeply? Thank Him for perfectly balanced molecules of hydrogen and oxygen. Did you remind your heart to beat? Thank Him for designing your body with such stunning handiwork, wisdom, and creativity. Did your ear catch the sound waves of your friend’s voice? Praise Him for the atmosphere we live in. Maybe you caught a glimpse of the sun, a passing cloud, a masterfully painted sunset, or even the hard-packed ground in winter, these are invitations to know the Creator better and turn your heart to praise Him for His grace, beauty, love, and care!

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 11:33-36 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
35 And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, how deeply I need Your truth to radically shake up my perspective and shape the way I worship You. You are good. Your love endures forever. Your faithfulness stretches to the sky. Lord God, my view of You is still too small; show me who You are. Show me Your glory. Let me glimpse Your face, so I might know You, love You, and worship You in spirit and in truth. Help my hands to slow, my mind to submit to Your renewal, and my eyes to look with fresh understanding at Your creation. Show me Yourself, Lord Jesus. In the process, expose my ugly idol worship, give me eyes to abhor it, then give me strength to tear these idols down so I can love You alone. One moment at a time, one breath of surrender after another, teach me to open my hands, lift my eyes, and offer You my whole heart, Jesus!

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Posted in: Beauty, Creation, Deep, God, Grace, GT Weekend, Jesus, Lost, Paul, Praise, Relationship, Sing, Wisdom, Worship Tagged: Attentive Heart, Awestruck, glory, idols, intimate, temptation

The GT Weekend! ~ Fervent Week 3

March 6, 2021 by Rebecca Adams 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) It’s difficult to feel connected with, or have compassion for, those whose stories we do not know. For Christ-followers in the western hemisphere, this is often the case as we consider our brothers and sisters who live under constant persecution. Take some time this weekend and explore the stories of these fellow believers in greater detail, allowing their everyday experiences to shape the contours of your prayer life with increased fervency. Watch the online film for the Nik Ripkin’s Insanity of God or read some accounts of saints gone before us in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Study Paul’s words about his persecution and the effect his suffering had on the believers around him in Philippians 1:12-20. Be reminded that those Christ-followers who live in religious freedom are deeply connected with those who are persecuted. Commit to live and love and preach Jesus and pray fervently as one connected Body because of Christ Jesus.

2) The temptation to section off spiritual “God things” from our “everyday-everything-else” lives is strong for most of us. Without intentional discipline training to keep the two intertwined and seeing them as one life, we forget the Almighty is God of all, including our everyday moments. Just as physical discipline and self-control push us forward in fitness, these same traits further our spiritual growth. Practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, memorizing Scripture, giving generously, and studying Scripture move us away from spiritual mediocrity and towards a life that seamlessly blends our spiritual and physical lives together as one. Of the disciplines listed above, pick one or two you haven’t practiced lately and begin incorporating them into your everyday rhythms. Wrap your strength training exercises in prayer, asking the Lord to strengthen your faith as you press forward to know Him deeper!

3) Merry concluded our Journey Into Fervent by drawing us near to God’s heart through the call to Family. Of all the different ways we think about God, at the top should be Father. He loves us as His children and invites us to come freely to Him within the tender, deep relationship of Abba Father. Not only are all Christ-followers welcomed into this sweetness with Abba, but we also are connected with one another as brothers and sisters through this wonderful adoption! I often remind my children that friends will come and go in the seasons of life, but their siblings will be with them forever. This is especially true for all who trust Jesus as their Savior because we will share eternity together with each other and our Great God and Father! When we begin viewing one another through the lens of family adopted through magnificent love, our own love for each other grows, forgiveness flows, and our differences are no longer important. Who can you begin loving more fervently as family starting this weekend?!

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 15:5-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

Prayer Journal
Let’s pray Merry’s prayer together this weekend!
Our Father. It’s only by Your mercy and grace we can come to You, together. And hopefully, confidently, if stumblingly, we come to You. Lord, we don’t possess the kind of love that knits hearts together in one mind and spirit, but You do. Your word says we can ask for anything in Your name, and it will be done. Abba, we want to want unity in the Church. We don’t know how to go about it, but You do. Would you fill us with the Spirit of unity? Would you pour out love like we’ve never seen in Your Church in this age? Make us one, as You are one. You’re the only One Who can. This day, our lives and all we have are Yours alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Posted in: church, Deep, Discipline, Faith, Fervent, Generous, Grace, GT Weekend, Jesus, Love, Mercy, Paul, Prayer, Relationship, Scripture, Strength Tagged: Abba Father, body of Christ, Christ-followers, compassion, Connected, family, forgiveness, Savior, Spiritual Growth

Fervent Day 15 The Call To Family

March 5, 2021 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Leviticus 19:18
Matthew 22:35-40
Romans 15:5-6
2 Corinthians 9:12-15
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Fervent, Day 15

Unity. 

The quality or state of not being multiple. A condition of harmony. The quality or state of being made one. (Merriam Webster)

Oh Beloved. Does the mere definition make your heart ache the way it does mine? Division is evident in practically every corner and crevice of the world today, and sadly, within Christ’s Bride, the Church, as well. We squabble over semantics, and methods. How long services should be. Which translation of the Bible is best. We disagree over our prayer, our worship, and missions. We disagree over how often to serve Communion, and what to serve. Who we should vote for.

I could go on, but I don’t need to. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Our adversary’s chief aim is threefold, with a capital D. Division, destruction, and death. And the truth is we’ve allowed him to take ground in the Church on our watch.

As the words of Paul’s prayers for unity wash over us,
may they sink into our very souls and spirits,
and may God answer his prayers in our own lives and in the universal Church today.

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray, He gave them the Lord’s Prayer, which begins with the familiar line, “Our Father in heaven…”.  The Holy Spirit-led, inspired Christian, Andrew Murray, unpacks this prayer in With Christ in the School of Prayer at great lengths, but our focus today is simply the first word: our.

In one single word, Jesus illustrated the heart of our Father and the way of His Kingdom.
Family.
Brothers and sisters, beseeching their Father for what they need.
Not individually, or independently, but together, as one.

Prayer is most effective when we are united in it, together. Jesus Christ was the first person in history to speak of God as Father. In this brief interaction with His disciples, He called them up and into family with Him. It’s easy to see from where Paul absorbed his method of high challenge and high invitation; Jesus did it. As He called them to unity, He also called them into family.

Because this is the Gospel work of the Kingdom, Loves.
We who were fatherless, through Christ can know our Father.
We who were imprisoned to our sin, through Christ are made free.
We who were isolated and alone, through Christ are adopted into God’s family, and made co-heirs of His Kingdom. 

Paul knew firsthand the incredible, redeeming power of God, and his fervent desire was for all God’s children to experience their full inheritance in Christ. He prayed passionately for all believers to be made one. To be of one mind and spirit. To approve all things righteously, together.

Do we desire the same? It’s easy to nod and agree, but do we really? Do our actions, words and prayers reflect a passionate desire for unity in the body of Christ? Are we desperate for the unity Christ commanded and prophesied?

I’m not sure I can say yes. Can you?

It’s one thing to comment about the division we see ravaging the Church our brothers and sisters us, but do we weep over it? Don’t mistake gravity for condemnation here, Loves. This is for all of us, including me. Here’s the thing: we are not capable of changing the desires of our heart, or our passions. But God can. We have only to ask Him, and He will do it! 

In order to come to the realization that something must be done, we must have a clear view of where we actually are.

Where are you, Beloved? Are you numb, or indifferent to our divisive plight? Do you find yourself unable to muster a desire for unity? Are you comfortable where you are, but aware that maybe you shouldn’t be? Does this talk of passion, change, and a togetherness as yet unseen spark excitement in your belly? Or does it spark fear?

I’m with you. We are all weighing our hearts in this space, and our Father is doing the same. So where do we go from here?

We go to our Father, together!

Our Father. It’s only by Your mercy and grace we can come to You, together. And hopefully, confidently, if stumblingly, we come to You. Lord, we don’t possess the kind of love that knits hearts together in one mind and spirit, but You do. Your word says we can ask for anything in Your name, and it will be done. Abba, we want to want unity in the Church. We don’t know how to go about it, but You do. Would you fill us with the Spirit of unity? Would you pour out love like we’ve never seen in Your Church in this age? Make us one, as You are one. You’re the only One Who can. This day, our lives and all we have are Yours alone. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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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!

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Posted in: Beloved, Christ, church, Fervent, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Kingdom, Love, Paul, Power, Prayer, Redeemed, Unity, Worship Tagged: called, communion, Desperate, Division, family, God Can, Harmony, heart, Heart of Father, passion

Fervent Day 13 Strength Training

March 3, 2021 by Sara Cissell Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-21
Ephesians 3:1-21
1 Thessalonians 2:1-20

Fervent, Day 13

They say some things are taught while others are caught.

I’m not exactly sure who “they” are, but I couldn’t agree more.

In reading Paul’s letters, I find in the midst of teaching so many truths, Paul exudes much to be caught. His words are not always explicitly cut up for us to ingest quickly and easily, but are implicitly intended to be chewed upon and stirred up in our hearts.

Paul wrote to the church and challenged them to actually be the Church. Today, his words challenge us to be the Church. Paul is the biblical equivalent of a spiritual personal trainer. In order to be a personal trainer, one must have a passion and love for physical fitness that extends past the practical knowledge of exercise.

Paul’s passion and love for the Lord and the gospel are evident throughout his letters. I challenge you to open just one of his letters and not find references to the gospel. Paul knew his why (introducing every possible person to Christ), and it became the foundation upon which all of Paul’s efforts were built.

Paul pleads for God to strengthen His Church, but at the same time, we, as the Church are not called to passive inaction. Like an athlete, Christ’s Body is urged to grow up in Christ by strength training disciplines and put in hard work to build strong muscle. This is Paul’s strength-training prayer for every believer and every local body of believers.

While we do have a role to play in practicing daily submission to the Holy Spirit, this strengthening cannot happen apart from Christ. The Spirit functioning in our lives enables the strengthening, just as He is the motivation for it. John 15 declares we can do nothing apart from Christ, and abiding in Him is vital by staying in close consistent connection with Him. Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God. Praying, worshipping, and fasting are a few spiritual disciplines that help us grow stronger in our faith journey with Christ.

So what are some of the strengthening elements we can “catch” from Paul’s words, beyond his direct teaching? Think of these as the components of a workout a trainer might emphasize, demonstrate, encourage, or adjust in order for the exercise itself to be more effective.

In the three portions of Scripture listed at the beginning of this study, multiple concepts stood out to me, but I’ll only focus on a few. The Holy Spirit may highlight other topics as you read; this is the beauty of the Word being living and active! (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Before His Word can be active in you, it must first be read. If you missed it, I urge you to go back and Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-21
Ephesians 3:1-21
1 Thessalonians 2:1-20

Humility is the proper form needed to carry the weight of sharing the Gospel. Paul understood the rich truth of the Good News was for both Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, he approached everyone around him with a confident humility, explaining that while he had credibility to teach the Truth, he would not wield it like a weapon against them, instead he held it out in love. Paul’s posture lent credibility towards the Savior who had lovingly rescued him!

Boldness is the determined intensity with which Paul proclaimed the gift of the Gospel. When exercising, I can tell the difference in the effectiveness of my workout when I boldly take on the movements, rather than simply going through the motions. Paul spoke up and did not hesitate to share with any and all who would listen. How often do I fail to obey the nudge of the Holy Spirit to speak up? May I be a bolder person for His glory.

Perseverance is the endurance needed to take the Gospel all the places the Lord calls us to go. While this will look different for every person, all of us will have our perseverance tested at some point. The call to be a Christian will be too much, too out of our comfort zones, too counter-cultural, too costly, too overwhelming, and a myriad of other realities.

Similarly, Paul could have listed a variety of trials that might have caused him to stop his Gospel mission. It’s too painful after another flogging. It’s too scary after surviving a shipwreck. It’s too humiliating to surrender the prestige of his former life.

He could have said all of these things, but instead he stepped into a personal trainer role and urged us to keep going.
Press through the pain.
Press through the rejection.
Press through the costs incurred to invite another soul to experience heaven with us.

My dear sisters, we can do hard things with the Spirit of the Living God at work within us!  Christ will carry us through, and He will train our hands for battle. (Psalm 144:1-2)
Let’s put in the work to allow the Lord to strengthen us, to teach us how to be the Church, and to catch Paul’s passion. May we be proven answers to Paul’s prayers.

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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 Fervent 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 Fervent!

Posted in: church, Faith, Fervent, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Humility, Love, Paul, Prayer, Truth, Worship Tagged: Boldness, Full Armor, passion, perseverance, strength, Teaching, training
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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14