Roads

The GT Weekend! – Roads Week 3

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The GT Weekend! – Roads Week 3

Rebecca Adams

September 29, 2018

Anxious,Believe,Broken,Courage,Enough,Faith,Future,Generous,God,Gospel,Grace,GT Weekend,Hope,Jesus,Life,Meaning,Overwhelmed,Prayer,Preparing,Purpose,Pursue,Relationship,Roads,Scripture,Seeking,Strength,Struggle,Trust,Truth,Welcome,Wisdom

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

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Ephesians 2:1-6

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 

3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord Jesus Christ, I praise You, O King, for having mercy on sinners like me. Sinners who have marred Your holiness, sought after my own gain, and worshipped other gods before You. How deep and wide is Your gracious forgiveness! Turn my heart to ever sink into the truths of Your Word as Your Spirit reminds me constantly of the Gospel.  

I know this gospel isn’t just a lavish gift for me, You have intentionally called me out to share it. Jesus, I confess I become easily overwhelmed when it comes to sharing my faith. I worry about not having the right answers, offending someone, or turning them away from You. I confess my lack of faith to You now, Abba.

Teach my heart to trust Your word and Your way and Your Spirit. Give me opportunities to share Your hope, break my heart for the eternity of others that I might fully love them with grace and truth by sharing about You! 
For Your Glory, my King, Amen. 

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Hope is something none of us can live without. Total lack of it is the cause of death for victims of suicide all across the world. Though many of us reading this aren’t necessarily suicidal, we all struggle with losing hope in some form.

What would it look like to take the hope of the gospel, offered through Jesus Christ in the middle of your seemingly hopeless situation? Journal some areas you are feeling hopeless, then take the truth of Jesus to those areas, laying everything before the Lord.

Ask Him to bring you solid, certain hope!

JOURNAL TWO

There seem to be so many different belief systems around us and it can feel overwhelming trying to understand them all. Which is why having a solid foundation of knowing truth is a critical first step to engaging someone else.

Challenge yourself to write down 4 or 5 main core beliefs you hold about the state of the human heart, God, eternity, and salvation. Why do you believe those? Are you worried those aren’t strong enough to support genuine criticisms? Why or why not?

Be willing to dig around and investigate, it will always be worth it!

JOURNAL THREE

The road home; it sounds so inviting doesn’t it? Jesus is constantly pursuing each of us, calling us homeward, to rest with Him in intimate, deep relationship.

As we’ve studied these 9 religions, only one road will bring us home, the way of the Lord Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man, sacrificial Lamb, and perfect mediator between us and God. As believers in Jesus, this gives us great confidence as we look towards eternity! But this good news is not meant to be bottled up.

Begin praying intentionally, every day this week, about who the Spirit of God is leading you to engage in spiritual conversations with that they too, might find the road home!
Tags :
different,digging deeper,gospel,hope,Jesus,live,overwhelmed,prayer,salvation,struggle,suicide,Truth
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Roads Day 15 The Road Home

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Roads Day 15 The Road Home

Merry Ohler

September 28, 2018

Believe,Busy,Character,Comfort,Community,Faith,Follow,God,Gospel,Grace,Heaven,Loss,Love,Overwhelmed,Peace,Prayer,Relationship,Roads,Scripture,Seeking,Truth,Worship

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 14:1-7
Matthew 7:13-14
Jeremiah 14:14-16
2 Timothy 4:3-4 


 

“God, HELP me! Why can’t I HEAR You?!” 
Angry tears filled my eyes and I swallowed hard, slamming towels into the washing machine so quickly they tangled into a big wad. Shrieks reached my ears as I wrestled with the laundry, and in my frustration, I slammed my little toe into the dryer as I turned to shush my two oldest so they wouldn’t wake their sleeping little brother. 

I’d be lying if I said an unpleasant word didn’t hiss across my lips. (Sorry, but it’s truth…and I’ll bet if you are being honest, you might be able to relate.) 

“You aren’t listening, Love. Your attention is divided.” 
His gentle nudge in my spirit sparked fresh tears. He was right. 

It had been a long day week year. The temperature outside was frigid, and with three little ones under four, I could count on one hand the number of days when every person in our little tribe had been healthy… in over two months.
I loved being a wife and mama, but between those two most important roles, the demands of my growing business, various ministry commitments, a part time job, and maintaining family relationships, I found myself incapable of focusing on a single task (or person) for even a few minutes. I couldn’t give 100% to anyone or anything.

I was tapped out. Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually.  

And truth? I was pretty angry with myself…and maybe at God a little, too.
I couldn’t understand why He seemed so silent through everything.
I was reading my Bible.
I spent time in prayer and worship.
But, for a while now, He had seemed… uncharacteristically quiet.

Having experienced the loss of our first daughter and His supernatural peace and comfort through that time a few years prior, I was frustrated that such seemingly trivial issues affected me like this. …and that He wasn’t showing up as I expected. 

His soft correction was on point.
I had been so busy juggling ALL OF THE THINGS,
that nothing and no one was getting the best, or even most, of me.  

Have you been there, Sister? Are you there? 
So overwhelmed that you just… can’t?  

And here’s the million dollar question, Love.
Looking past all of that, are you still 100% committed to following Christ?
Through the mundane as well as the mountains?  

A while back, a friend and I were somewhat casually discussing faith and eternity.
As our discourse turned to another religious perspective that was outside biblical salvation by grace through faith, my friend asserted,
“Well, whatever makes them happy. 
As long as it isn’t hurting anyone, what’s the harm, right?”  

Stunned, I said nothing, and as she changed topics, the moment was lost. 

What’s the harm, right? 
Her words still echo in my mind.
How I wish I had spoken truth in love to her at that moment. 

I wish I’d told her the harm has eternal ramifications.
I wish I’d  told her the harm is that, as Christ followers, we know there is only one road which assures salvation for eternity.
There is only one road holding the hope of a future which far outshines our sin-stained past. There is only one road offering us healing and forgiveness, righteousness, and adoption into God’s family. 

One narrow road, and His name is Jesus. 

Not our own righteousness,
nor how we think we should act or be,
nor any other thing, but JESUS. 

Are we willing to receive some challenge today, Loves? 

This is not a popular truth to tell in this day and age. 
We live in a world where “live and let live,” and “do whatever makes you happy” rules.
Comfort is king.
While we are encouraged to “speak our truth,” those who shout this mantra the loudest,
are often the first to hush us when THE Truth is what we speak.  

Just like my own failure to speak truth in the moment Holy Spirit provided with my friend, many of us fail to give 100% to the people He has placed in our circles.  

Look, I get it.
Living our beliefs out there for the world to see in real life is HARD.
It’s much, much easier to stay in our little Sunday bubble and post faith-influenced social media status updates once or twice a week and never actually get in the dirt to love the people He has tasked us to love. 

But…what about that mimics the Christ we profess to believe in, love and follow? 

As followers of Christ and daughters of God…
We know we are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
We know this world is not our home.
But we also know we are tasked to bring His Kingdom here… which includes sharing the truth in love with whomever God places in our path.
These opportunities to share are the most important part 
of our journey as we travel the road Home. (read: Heaven) 

No, not preaching on every corner or issuing condemnation and judgement.
It isn’t a “one and done” kind of deal.
Rather, we are challenged to actively love others, continually and invitationally.   

Invite them into our lives and homes and hearts. 
Invite them into our community and demonstrate Christ’s love in word, action and deed. 
Build real relationships so when Holy Spirit prompts us to speak the truth in love,
we can do it with grace. 

When we commit to giving our whole attention and focus to whatever He hands us, we free ourselves to be obedient and experience His fullness.
Even in the mountains and the mundane.
THIS is our purpose, our calling, and our joy!
To live out this Gospel as we travel the road Home! 

A Note About Sketched

In Sketched themes, we imaginatively step into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally.

We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters viewed God, themselves, and the world around them.

Perhaps we will find parts of our story reflected in theirs!

Tags :
anger,busy,comfort,faith,God,help,loss,peace,prayer,relationships,seeking,silent,Truth,worship
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Roads, Day 15 Digging Deeper

How many times has relational conflict been elevated because we stubbornly clung to what we were “sure” was true, only to find out that we were wrong.

Or maybe we’ve believed something about another person, pre-judging them before we discovered the whole of their story.
Dig Deeper!

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Roads Day 12 The Weight Of Hopelessness: Digging Deeper

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Roads Day 12 The Weight Of Hopelessness: Digging Deeper

Randi Overby

September 25, 2018

Believe,Digging Deeper,Enough,Faith,Fear,Follow,God,Good,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Inheritance,Jesus,Life,Meaning,Missing,Roads,Scripture,Seeking,Service,Significance,Sin,Truth,Wisdom

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 "The Weight of Hopelessness"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 10:17-22

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”

20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.ld.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1)  What was the man hoping to hear from Jesus when he approached him?

I can almost hear this man’s thoughts as he runs up and kneels at Jesus’ feet, seeking His approval, and desiring to justify himself.  Did you notice the man called Jesus a “good” teacher, and Jesus brought that out in His response? 

Jesus tells the man that if he acknowledges Him as “good”, he is agreeing that Jesus is a prophet/teacher from God and is therefore owed the authority and deference that would be given to one sent from God.  

Without saying it, Jesus essentially warns the man, “Remember that you called me ‘good’ when you don’t like my answer.”  The man asks Jesus what is required for eternal life.  Jesus reminds him of the commandments, and the man quickly responds, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth,” (verse 20).  CHECK.  AND.  DONE. 

The man had to feel victorious in that moment.  Jesus knew the man wanted the easy answer of “you’ve done enough.”  The man’s works were the center of his hope.  He wanted to hear that he was good enough, had done enough, and was “in” for eternal life.  All because of his own efforts.  

The Everyday Application

1) What was the man hoping to hear from Jesus when he approached him?

Just like the man who approached Jesus, many of us and those we know, look for the same answers: easy checkboxes that say “Yep, you’re good and don’t need to do anything else.” 

However, the work of sanctification is a lifelong pursuit.  We will never fully arrive. We never get to the point of being done and accomplished on this side of eternity.  There will always be more growth for us to do.

  Psalm 39:7 says, “Now, Lord, what do I wait for?  My hope is in you.”  Jesus alone completed the work of a perfectly righteous life.  As humans, we are unable reach that level of perfection.  Instead, all we need is to believe that Jesus was the perfect son of God.  And His perfection makes it possible that we don’t have to be. 

The Original Intent

2)  What did Jesus’ response reveal about true hope?

Jesus knew the reality that this man was putting his hope in his own works and earthly possessions before He ever heard his answers, yet it didn’t change Christ’s love for the man.  In fact, Jesus loved this man enough to tell him about true hope.

 Jesus exposed to the man what was still a false hope in his life (his works and his riches).  Jesus then shared with him that hope always has to be in a Person, not in things or works.  “Follow me” was the only hope this man would ever know and it would require him to let go of all else. 

The Everyday Application

2) What did Jesus’ response reveal about true hope?

Are you willing to hear the truth about hope?  Jesus’ teaching proved to be much harder to accept than the man in this passage had bargained for.  Often this is our same experience.  But just like this man, Jesus loves me, and you, enough to tell us the truth about hope.  

Titus 3:7 says we are justified by grace through Christ’s death on the cross, which gives us hope.  Jeremiah 14:22 warns us that worthless idols can do nothing, so our hope must be in God alone.  Ephesians 1:18 promises us the hope that comes through His calling in our lives; He gives us meaning and purpose in a way that nothing else can.

 1 Timothy 4:10 says that since our hope is in Christ alone, this is the reason why we labor, rather than in any wasted effort to save ourselves.  And what about those you know who are putting their hope in good works?  Are you willing to share the truth about hope?   To ask them how they will know when they have reached enough?  To let them know that hope comes in Christ alone? 

The Original Intent

3) Why did the man walk away dejected, despite the fact that Jesus did give him an answer?

Jesus was clear about His expectations and not afraid to ask for more.  The man had hoped his works would be enough.  But Jesus said there was more required: to give it all up and follow.  However, the man’s riches proved to be a hindrance that would keep him from fully following Jesus.  

The man loved what he had more than what he would gain from accepting Jesus’ challenge.  In that moment, the man chose to love his riches and the false hope of good works, over the One who could have given him everything he truly desired

The Everyday Application

3) Why did the man walk away dejected, despite the fact that Jesus did give him an answer?

Unfortunately, I can resonate with this man’s story.  For years, my career was the one thing I would bargain with God over. ”You can have anything in my life…please just don’t ask me to give this up.”  What about you?  Are you clinging to anything over Christ?

 Like the man in this passage, what do we miss out on when we make that choice?  Psalm 62:5 says, “Rest in God alone my soul, for my hope comes from Him.”  Trying to earn our way in and do enough is exhausting. Rest comes when we place our trust in Him alone.  

When we are finally willing to make that transition, our rest and hope will be noticeable to the world around us that is still busy striving to earn something.  In those moments, we have the opportunity to share the truth of the gospel, the “…reason for the hope that is in [us],” (1 Peter 3:15).  

 This is our calling. This is why we have been set apart, to bring His hope to the world around us that is still busy striving and looking for more.

Tags :
Buddhism,commandments,eternal life,false hope,follow,God,good,hoping,Jesus,seeking,Truth,works
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Roads Day 11 Journey Study

Prayer is the most important work to be done in cross-cultural sharing of the Gospel. We need to rely heavily on the Holy Spirit to lead us as we share truth.

We need Him to guide us to engage with those who are ready to listen, those who have an open heart, and who will respond in faith to the hope we share from Scripture.
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Sep 10 - Sep 28, 2018 - Journey Theme #40

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Roads Day 11 The Weight of Hopelessness

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Roads Day 11 The Weight of Hopelessness

Michelle Promise

September 24, 2018

Believe,Broken,Character,Desperate,Dignity,Emptiness,Forgiven,Freedom,Gospel,Heaven,Hope,Inheritance,Kingdom,Lonely,Prayer,Purpose,Roads,Scripture,Significance,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

 

Psalm 86:5-10
Matthew 27:45-28:10
Mark 10:17-31
Luke 8:26-39


 

On one trip to the mountainside in South Korea,
we met up with my husband’s extended family for lunch at their family restaurant.
We were welcomed by the sour-est faced elderly grandma sitting in the back corner,
sulking for no apparent reason.
As lunch was served, I discovered she was my auntie-in-law and we were sitting at the entrance to one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the country.
She was a firm follower of Buddhism and wore her sufferings plainly for all to see.
Her faith permeated every facet of her life, yet she looked so hopeless.

The daily goal of Buddhism is to find an end to suffering through a constant recycling of life by re-incarnation. That is, after death, a soul is “reincarnated” or “comes back to life” as a different life form.
Good works are cornerstone in having any hope of coming back as anything better. The ultimate goal, however, is enlightenment (also known as nirvana); an experience saved only for monks and nuns.
Publically demonstrating sufferings followed by an outward display of good actions becomes an easy way to convince yourself there’s a good chance of returning as a monk/nun in the next life.
There is no thought that any choice you make in this life has the power to improve, change or even alter your current life, only the one to come.
Many Buddhist friends believe the bad things that happen to them are the result of karma. They presume they must’ve done something bad in their previous life and, in hopes of improving their next life, must simply buckle down, grin, and bear it without grumbling.

My auntie passed away last year thinking she had done a sufficient job of enduring the difficulties of her life. She passionately believed that she would come back to life as something better than a female human.
The very sad reality is that she died without knowing the hope found in a relationship with Jesus.

Hope.
We all cling to something as truth, praying it will stand up under fire.

Matthew 27:45-28:10 vividly records the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
We see Jesus holding ultimate power over death with the ability to break the chains of sin and bondage.
This is an important truth of Christianity for your Buddhist friend!
There IS something we can do to change not only our current life,
but also our eternal one!

Accepting, believing and confessing Jesus as Lord brings instant hope into one’s life, forever changing the trajectory of our lives.

Most Buddhists do not recognize Jesus as God’s son, co-equal with God the Father in deity. Before they will understand the truth of God’s Word, we must PRAY.

Pray, pray, and then pray again.

Prayer is the most important work to be done in cross-cultural sharing of the Gospel.
We need to rely heavily on the Holy Spirit to lead us as we share truth.
We need Him to guide us to engage with those who are ready to listen, those who have an open heart, and who will respond in faith to the hope we share from Scripture.

Because Buddhist people do not believe there is a God, or that God has any power to influence their life, studying Scripture about the character of God is useful.
Psalm 86:5-10 highlights several aspects of God’s character. Dig into these truths and be prepared to share about the character of our great God!

Forgiving. Good. Abounding in love. Ready to answer. Almighty. Doer of mighty deeds. Father.

In the muck of life when all seems lost, these are truths we, as followers of Jesus, claim and cling to. Truth of God’s character build hope within our hearts, providing solid assurance and calming our fears in the middle of real suffering.

We have hope, Sisters!
Hope that our Buddhist friends have yet to experience.

When your friend watches you navigate the messiness of your life circumstances, seeing you cling to the truth of Jesus and Scripture, they will begin to wonder, “how is it possible to actually find joy in this difficulty” rather than just endure the situation.
Faithfulness to Scriptural truth and actually living it out daily, coupled with intentionally inviting your Buddhist friends into everyday life with you, will influence your friends in a mighty way for eternity!

Buddhist, Zen, or New Age people are our neighbors, our baristas, our librarians, sports’ coaches, teachers, and friends.
Find the ones in your community!
Pray for them to be open to the solid hope the Gospel offers.
Tell them of the power, authority, and victorious freedom of the cross of Jesus.
Explain the character of God and allow them to see firsthand in your life who He is and how He can impact their daily life.
Hold tightly to the truth of Scripture while sharing His love letter with them, remembering He is a God of grace and truth and He expects us to share His forever hope with gracious love and respect!

In doing so, you can help others be
forever free from this heavy weight of hopelessness!

Tags :
Buddhism,challenge,friendship,gospel,grace,grow,hope eternity,reincarnation,roads,Truth
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Roads Day 12
Digging Deeper

Jesus alone completed the work of a perfectly righteous life.  As humans, we are unable reach that level of perfection. Instead, all we need is to believe that Jesus was the perfect son of God.  And His perfection makes it possible that we don’t have to be.
Dig Deeper!

Can We Pray With You?

Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

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Explore This Journey Theme!
Sep 10 - Sep 28, 2018 - Journey Theme #40

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The GT Weekend! – Roads Week 2

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The GT Weekend! – Roads Week 2

Rebecca Adams

September 22, 2018

Believe,Community,Courage,Digging Deeper,Enough,Fear,God,Good,Gospel,Grace,GT Weekend,Heaven,Jesus,Love,Meaning,Prayer,Roads,Scripture,Seeking,Struggle,Truth,Wisdom

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

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Ephesians 2:1-6

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Father, Your gospel is so beautiful yet bold, intricate yet simple. Awaken the eyes of my heart to behold the preciousness of Your gospel story in my everyday life this week. Show me how much I need You. Remind me how desperate I am for Your solid truth.

Surround me with friendships who speak truth over me, while placing people continually and intentionally in my path who need Your truth and grace. Show me how to love people better because of the beautiful truth of Your gospel, Jesus!  

Teach me, Spirit, to have a ready defense, to know Scripture, and be prepared to point people to You. I praise You that sharing about Your redemption is never about my intelligence or my ability to have the right words, it’s simply about allowing You to speak through me. Oh, Lord, Speak!

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Perhaps you’ve struggled, as I have, in knowing how to respond well to someone who clearly doesn’t hold to the biblical gospel. Fear of offending or of not knowing the right answers can hold us back from saying anything at all.

Practice thinking of how to respond next time you find yourself in a spiritual conversation. Ask questions to encourage them to share more about their faith, praying for the right question to ask at the right time.

To help you prepare and practice, write down your biggest fears or the questions you dread hearing. Take this list to Jesus, pray over it, and then do some honest digging to find good answers. 

JOURNAL TWO

When have you encountered someone who believes if they are “good enough” they will earn going to Heaven? What about their argument sounds convincing to you?

Something I’ve learned to ask is, “How do you know when you’re ‘good’ is actually ‘enough’? What if you die unexpectedly before you’ve actually done ‘enough’?”

These questions aren’t attacking, but conversational. Listen well in spiritual conversations and pray often that the Spirit would lead you as you share truth!

JOURNAL THREE

Regardless of the religious belief system, people long for community and true, genuine relationships the most. Set aside this week to intentionally pray that the Lord would give you opportunities to boldly share truth in love and grace.

Look for those who are different from you and reach out, make a connection, pray for them consistently, and watch what the Lord will do through your obedience to love!
Tags :
believe,Community,digging deeper,enough,fear,good,gospel,Heaven,how,Jesus,opportunities,practice,pray,respond
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on the daily?
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Roads Day 10 The Gospel + Something = Nothing

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Roads Day 10 The Gospel + Something = Nothing

Audra Darville

September 21, 2018

Believe,Faith,Forgiven,God,Gospel,Heaven,Jesus,Life,Meaning,Return,Roads,Sacrifice,Scripture,Significance,Sin,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:7-8 
Galatians 1:6-10
Romans 10:9-10 
Psalm 73:23-28 

Many have said people can believe in the biblical view of God,
while still ascribing to the Catholic faith.  

In preparing for this Journey Study, I set out to examine this claim for myself.
A difficult task, I might add.  

I began with the Twelve Articles of Catholic Faith, which are central to the Catholic faith. These mirror the Apostle’s Creed, a summary statement of apostolic beliefs.   

The 12 Articles 
A triune God who created the universe. 
Jesus as Divine Savior; He is fully God. 
Jesus was born of a virgin, conceived through the Holy Spirit, proving He is fully human and fully God.
He was crucified under the word of Pontius Pilot, a Roman governor of Judea. He died and was buried. 
Jesus then descended into Hell and rose from the dead three days later. 
Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven, mediating for us. 

Jesus will return to earth to judge the living and the dead.
They believe in the Holy Spirit.
They believe in the catholic Church (meaning one global church) and communion of Saints. 
The forgiveness of sins. 
The resurrection of the body. 
And finally, in everlasting life.  

While these 12 are core doctrine for Catholic and Christian beliefs,
the difference lies in definitions.   

Forgiveness of Sin
According to Catholic doctrine, Christ’s death “afforded grace for the forgiveness of sin.”
But it wasn’t actually “enough”, we still need to “work” to be “good enough” for that forgiveness to be extended to us.
Catholicism says “original sin” is removed only through baptism, which is a bit like the “Door to Forgiveness” being opened for you. To walk through it, however, you must participate in the “Sacrament of Penance.” This mainly happens through Confession with a Catholic priest. The priest is said to be the mediator between God and humankind, able to extend God’s forgiveness to us on His behalf.  

To a Catholic, Christ’s work on the cross was insufficient to forgive sin without these works of baptism and confession to a priest on our part.

Christian doctrine also holds to Baptism and Confession,
but with different definitions.  

Ephesians 1:7-8 makes it clear:
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of His grace, that He richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.”

Through His blood.
By His grace.
Nothing more, nothing less.
We don’t need to work for forgiveness,
it’s freely given through Christ’s complete sacrifice.  

Our Catholic friends are constantly working to cover up the bad things they’ve done through penance, instead of walking into the guaranteed forgiveness the cross and shed blood of Christ brings.  

With constant work comes a constant question,
“Am I good enough for forgiveness?”

Eternal Life
Death, for a Catholic, continues to beg the question, “Am I good enough?’.
At death, if their soul is deemed holy by God, they go to Heaven.
If the soul is evil, they go directly to hell.
If the soul is neither holy nor wicked, they go to purgatory until the soul is cleansed of any sin (through others praying to Mary on their behalf) before going to Heaven.

In the Catholic faith, Mary is the mediator between us and Jesus, as we pray to her, and she prays to Jesus for us.  

However, Scripture teaches two precious truths:
There is only one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ! 1 Timothy 2:5
We are given access, through Christ’s precious blood, to boldly and directly enter His throne room of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he tore the veil in the temple.
That veil separated the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God resided, from the rest of the temple. Only a priest could enter the Holy of Holies to intercede for forgiveness on the peoples’ behalf. If the priest entered in with sin in his life, he would be struck dead.  

But Jesus, who is the only sinless one,
came to earth to make God accessible to us through Himself.  

Jesus came to take the place of the priests as mediator.
He is our perfect mediator because He is the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
Mary was a great woman, but being human means that we are sinful.
She was never intended to be the mediator between us and Jesus. 

The Gospel
The gospel says Jesus’ shed blood and resurrection plus our acceptance equals salvation. Romans 10:9-10 

But Catholicism says the gospel plus work equals potential salvation.  

For all of the good, solid doctrine Christianity shares with Catholicism,
when we start adding things to the gospel, it’s no longer the gospel.  

Good Enough?
If we’re honest, it’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves.
It’s one I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.

Good enough to go to Heaven?
Good enough to bypass purgatory?
Good enough for God’s forgiveness?  

If we’re honest, it’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves.
It’s one I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.  

In truth, Sisters, we can trust that neither are we good enough, nor do we need to be!

Because our God is more than good enough. 
It’s not by baptism that our “original sin” is removed.
It’s not by attending mass without missing.
It’s not by confessing sins to a priest, or any other requirement.
Salvation is found, and forgiveness atoned for, by confessing with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Romans 10:9)

Our eternity is secure.
Nothing can ever snatch us from His hand once we’ve crossed the line of salvation for ourselves. (John 10:28)

The full gospel, nothing more, nothing less, is solid enough to hold our souls for eternity.
Jesus + Nothing = Everything!
Have you trusted Him?!

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The truth Peter proclaimed to the Sadducees is just as important for us as it was for those who heard it immediately following Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Jesus came to Earth, lived a perfect life, took all of humanity’s sin to the cross, bearing the punishment for our sin, and rose again to forever conquer death and sin. This is the truth the Church is still built on.
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Roads Day 8 How Much Is Enough?

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Roads Day 8 How Much Is Enough?

Guest Writer

September 19, 2018

Believe,Birth,Comfort,Community,Enough,Faith,Follow,Forgiven,God,Gospel,Grace,Jesus,Meaning,Missing,Prayer,Roads,Scripture,Significance,Sin,Truth,Wisdom

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-10
1 John 2:1-6
John 1:1-18 


 

Imagine a young woman named Fatima who grew up in the Islam faith. 
As far back as she can remember, she has seen her mother quickly cover her head, kneel on her prayer rug, and pray five times a day during the namaz (required memorized prayers).

She has watched her brothers being sent to the Imam (EE-mom) weekly to learn recitation of the Quran in Arabic. Arabic wasn’t Fatima’s native language and though poorly understood, was necessary for recitation as it was chosen by Allah.

On Fridays, her brothers and Father proudly wear their white caps and Kurtas (long shirt) and pray at the mosque.

Fatima’s mother has strictly taught her to keep her skin covered in front of men, following the example of Prophet Mohammad’s wives. Allah’s command is for women to be modest so as not to entice men. She regularly hears her parents sneering at their unbelieving neighbors who eat unclean pig, drink forbidden alcohol, and flaunt their women instead of protecting them.

As Fatima seeks to obey the principles of Islam, she sees how this pleases her parents and she is filled with pride. The more she denies herself with fasting from “worldly” desires, the more she is seen as righteous. She feels a strong sense of pride in being Muslim. 

This is a common picture for an Islamic family today.
Taking pride in their religion is taught from a young age as Muslims are family and community based. Their communities are centered around mosques; religious practices are outward, not private or personal.

The biggest difference between Christianity and Islam is how Jesus is understood.  Muslims are taught Jesus was a great Islamic prophet.
Believing Jesus is the Son of God will send you to hell. (Quran 5:72)
Christianity believes Jesus is the Son of God and belief in Him, as being fully God, will save you from Hell and grant forgiveness.

What does this mean in everyday life?
Since Islam does not believe in Jesus as Savior, good works attain salvation.
Salvation in Christianity is based on grace and faith alone, with no good works in order to be forgiven. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
How will we know if our good works have finally achieved salvation?
How much “good” is good enough?
And, of course, there is the constant pressure to perform and perform, better and better.  

In my conversations with girls like Fatima, I have often asked,
“What happens to you after you die?”
They respond, “I will go to heaven if Allah wills.”
When I ask, “How do you know if Allah wills it?”
They shrug their shoulders saying,
“We cannot know for sure. 
We hope our good works outweigh our bad, 
and hope Allah will be merciful.”

These words break my heart!
Our gracious, loving God has given us His truth that we may indeed know for certain He will rescue our souls for eternity!

The Qur’an teaches that in the last day, Allah will bring out a scale, weighing good versus bad deeds. Many hope their prayers and rule-keeping to be enough to grant acceptance by Allah on judgment day. 

All religions and belief systems, except for one, are the same as Islam;
they are man-made,
relying on our ability to work for forgiveness and eternal security.

That one that’s different?
It’s Christianity!
The Bible teaches faith in Christ’s work on the cross for eternal salvation is,
and will always be,
enough to cover the sins of the truly repentant heart.
This stark contrast between true Christianity and all other religious belief systems, including Islam, should give us confidence as we share our faith with others!

One reason Christians feel inadequate, even scared, to share the Good News with Muslims is because they aren’t sharing regularly with anyone.

Learn to share the Gospel and begin sharing 
with everyone God puts in your path!
As evangelism becomes more natural, through faithful obedience and dependence on God, you will be able to adapt and adjust to whatever religious or spiritual background you encounter.  

There’s no silver bullet in how to share with a Muslim, but Christianity and Islam share much common ground we can utilize to begin and continue spiritual conversations.

Both religions believe in creation, monotheism, similar prophets, Torah/Psalm/Injeel (New Testament), many of God’s qualities (such as omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence), and many things about Jesus (such as His virgin birth, no sin, many miracles, His ascension to heaven, and His future return to earth). 

Want to help a Muslim understand the gospel?
Intentionally make a friend!  
Because Muslims practice their faith in community, many immigrants to America feel isolated. Take this opportunity to disprove any wrong presuppositions they might have toward Christianity as they get to know you.

What does that mean practically?
Humanize them!
These are the faces of individuals with many of the same problems as you:  finances, marriage, raising children, workplace difficulties, etc.
Invite them over for birthdays, holidays, and special events.
Start regularly praying for specific concerns they have.  

As your friendship grows, be intentional to share the Good News both directly and indirectly.
This isn’t time to shy away until you “know each other better”.
Direct sharing is as simple as sharing your Gospel-focused story of how Jesus remade you! As you gain their trust, you can ask what they believe about Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible. Not all Muslims believe the same way. This will provide opportunities to humbly use God’s Word to correct wrong understanding of Christian principles and beliefs.

Indirect sharing can be accomplished by drawing them into your everyday life. Allow them to witness the sincerity of your faith in the way you treat your spouse, children, and time spent in worship and prayer. Don’t pull away from your regular spiritual practices out of fear of offending your Muslim friends.  

There is a good chance that a woman like Fatima lives near you.
Be intentional, share in her life, faithfully pray for her, and speak of Jesus often with reverence and love, using Bible stories about Him.  At the appropriate time, you can gift a Bible in her heart language (the New Testament, Psalms, and the first five books of Old Testament are acceptable portions of Scripture in Islam).
Then, if she is willing, teach her how all the books of the Bible fit together!
Just as Islamic women are proud of their religion, let us also be unashamed of the Gospel of Christ! 
Let’s pray for boldness in reaching Muslims around us, in order to bring them into eternal Christian community!
Because Jesus is more than enough!

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Jesus is altogether different from any other figure in any other religion. There are many religions that will acknowledge Jesus as a good teacher or prophet, but that doesn’t go far enough.

He was, and is, the Son of God. Anything that makes Him less than that doesn’t line up with the truth of Scripture. We must stand firm in that truth.
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Roads Day 7 Quest For Truth: Digging Deeper

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Roads Day 7 Quest For Truth: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

September 18, 2018

Believe,Emptiness,Excuses,Follow,Forgiven,God,Gospel,Grace,Jesus,Meaning,Preparing,Provider,Roads,Scripture,Selfishness,Significance,Sin,Truth,Wisdom

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 "Quest For Truth"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 16:1-6

The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He replied, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then he left them and went away.

5 The disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They were discussing among themselves, “We didn’t bring any bread.” 8 Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? 9 Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected? 11 Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”

12 Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the leaven in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What would Jesus not give the Pharisees and Sadducees to prove He was God?

Seemingly, a visible sign could have once and for all removed any false accusations that Jesus was fully God. But Jesus knew it wouldn’t because human beings without the Holy Spirit, will always choose to believe what they want to believe.

He pointed out that these religiously righteous follow the signs they want to follow, like weather markers. Jesus knew the heart of these leaders, and they wanted nothing to do with following God in their hearts. 

Jesus spent His entire ministry giving “sign after sign” that He was God. He healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, mended the lame, and even forgave sin. (Mark 2:5-11) Yet, the self-righteous still refused to accept truth because it would radically shift their entire lives. 

Even the most incredible “sign” of all, Jesus’ resurrection after 3 days of being dead (likened to Jonah in this passage who was in the belly of the sea creature for 3 days), would not be enough to turn hard-hearted skeptics with no sincere desire to know truth to accept truth. Signs weren’t the problem, their hearts were.

The Everyday Application

1) What would Jesus not give the Pharisees and Sadducees to prove He was God?

People will always excuse away evidence, even if it’s right in front of them and seemingly undeniable, in order to hold on to what they want to believe. That’s why being “free” to “choose our truth” is so dangerous.

While it appears welcoming to all beliefs and safe from any judgment, having no “real truth” leaves us, and our lives, empty and meaningless, like waves tossed to and fro that are neither here nor there. Even Christians are susceptible to this precarious way of thinking.

How often have you held to what you thought was a biblical perspective only to find out through careful study and conversation with another trusted Believer, that you were wrongly interpreting Scripture?

We must be studying God’s Word for truth, aligning our lives with it, and constantly asking the Holy Spirit to convict us where our beliefs are out of line with His perfect truth! Check your heart as you seek truth; are you willing to sacrifice your beliefs if you discover truth?

The Original Intent

2) What did Jesus mean about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

To get the full understanding here, we travel back to when the Israelites were being freed from slavery under the heavy hand of the Egyptians. Their exit would be quick, at a moment’s notice, and they had to be ready to leave. Of course, having no groceries along the way, they needed to quickly prepare bread for the journey, which meant not using yeast because it took so long to rise.

The Israelites were commanded to remove all yeast as they hastily prepared to leave when the Lord said Go! Over time, yeast became a byword for evil or wickedness.

Paul uses the same phrasing in Galatians, “This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little leaven (or yeast) leavens the whole batch of dough.” Just as a small amount of yeast spreads quickly throughout the dough, so do distortions of truth.

Jesus was warning His disciples to be on guard against evil teaching from the Pharisees and Sadducees, who, though they had the appearance of righteousness, they denied the Holy Spirit room to work in their lives. Both Jesus and Paul warn to “avoid these people” and their insidious deceptions. (2 Timothy 3:5)

The Everyday Application

2) What did Jesus mean about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

False doctrine and belief systems run rampant in our society. Even pastors claiming to be true and biblical have distorted the truth. We must always be on our guard, constantly comparing what we are taking in from leaders and teachers and friends to the truth of the Bible.

It’s not enough to trust “someone else’s” study, we must know our Bible for ourselves! Paul says it like this, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!” (Galatians 1:8)

 The people in Berea, who listened to the teaching of Paul and Silas, didn’t simply take their word for it. They poured over the Scripture to see if what they’d heard was true. (Acts 17:10-12) We would be wise to follow their example of faithfulness to truth! Despite how appealing it may seem to have the freedom to “believe whatever you want”, truth matters.

The Original Intent

3) What is the significance of the exchange between Jesus and His disciples about who they say that He is? 

Jesus and His disciples have crossed the sea of Galilee in this passage, and are walking together on their way to Caesarea Philippi, an ancient Roman city located at the base of Mt. Hermon. It’s a beautiful spot, lush and green as it was the chief source of water for the Jordan River.

It’s also the historic location of idol worship for the then-current mythological Greek god “Pan” and, going farther back, to King Jeroboam, who led the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel into idolatry as they worshipped Baal here.

The significance of the location wouldn’t have been lost on the disciples as Jesus posed His question, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”. The competing voices for worship were loud. The disciples gave several names the crowds were throwing around for who this Jesus really was, the spirit of John The Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or other prophets.

All were important people, all carried the weight of respect with the people, but none of these were God. None deserved total life worship and surrender. 

Jesus presses in as He turns the question to them as individuals and Peter responds based on everything he has witnessed in his time with Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (verse 16)

The Everyday Application

3) What is the significance of the exchange between Jesus and His disciples about who they say that He is? 

In yesterday’s Journey Study, Sara likens the Unitarian view of Jesus not being God, to Him being on an “all-star” team of super prophets. Jesus intentionally allowed the question of His true identity to sit with His disciples as they sorted through what others said versus what they had witnessed day in and day out. Owning that truth was a turning point for Simon Peter, as it is for each one of us that call Jesus Lord.

Has there been a day, a moment, when you stood surrounded by other voices, other religions, other deceptions, and it became clear to you that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of the Living God? I pray so!

If you ever find yourself in a conversation and feel the Spirit tugging you to turn it to spiritual matters, follow Jesus’ own example and ask, “who do you say Jesus is?”. It’s a great, open-ended, non-threatening way to give the other person a chance to talk and share freely. Listen closely, build the relationship, and when it’s the right time, don’t shy away from sharing who Jesus is to you!

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If you’re on a quest for truth, of if you have the opportunity to connect with someone who is, Solid Truth is available. No, we aren’t “good enough”.

But Praise God, there’s One who is, the Lord Jesus Christ! Don’t shy away from sharing the Hope we have. It isn’t hazy or uncertain, it’s true.
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Roads Day 6 Quest For Truth

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Roads Day 6 Quest For Truth

Sara Colquhoun

September 17, 2018

Believe,Community,Enough,Freedom,Heaven,Hope,Jesus,Life,Meaning,Roads,Truth,Welcome

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 1:28-32
Matthew 17:1-13
Matthew 16:1-16 

 

 

“I don’t really believe in any certain thing. 
But I’m a pretty good person, and that’s good enough for me.” 

If you’ve ever encountered this line of thinking, you’ve likely met a Universal Unitarian, whether they even realized it or not.  

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion characterized by a ‘free and responsible search for truth and meaning.’  

1) They assert no creed.
2) They hold to a 7-principle system for those in their community, but they consider it a “guide” rather than a “doctrine”.
3) Some believe in “a god”, but they are “openly revising their view on god as they learn and grow in their own lives.”
4) Their unity comes from a shared search for spiritual growth as they include congregants of various religious backgrounds including, atheists, agnostics, deists, Jews, Muslims, Daoist, Buddhists and many more others.
It’s a quest for truth, but without a measuring stick for what actually is true.  

Jesus? 
With such a strong core value of searching for truth, while, at the same time, necessitating that all views be accepted equally, the biblical view of Jesus is too intense. A universalist will gladly welcome conversation with you, but will maintain
Jesus was nothing more than a great prophet and teacher. 
He most certainly was not divine; He definitely is not the Son of God.

Many view Jesus as someone on an “All-Star” cast of teachers that has transcended through time, but acknowledging that Jesus could be the very Son of God would challenge their entire belief system. From a Universalist perspective, Jesus serves no other purpose aside from feeding the hungry and clothing the poor.

Trinity?
Unitarians entirely reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Which is understandable if your foremost value of self-knowledge is jeopardized by an all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful three-in-one God who Himself contains the fullness of truth and life and has created life as an overflow of His love that they might come to know and understand the fullness of His love.  

Life After Death?
When it comes to an afterlife, Unitarian’s believe that all roads lead to heaven.
They strongly promote universal atonement, meaning that there is no “divine judgement after death”, but if you happen to believe there is judgement, they won’t reject you from their community. This theory of universal pardon maintains that God, if there is a God, will not hold unswervingly to the conditions He has (presumably) laid down for righteousness. While He has threatened eternal condemnation for all those who do not accept Him, He will in the end relent and forgive everyone.
But, if even the existence of God is hazy, there can’t really be much hope for an afterlife can there? 

A Unitarian website is quoted as saying,
“Why does life exist as we know it?” and “What happens after we die?” 
Unitarian Universalism won’t promise you ironclad answers to these questions.”
I don’t know about you, but that theology doesn’t seem nearly strong enough to support my eternity. 

Be that as it may, I can see how Unitarianism would be appealing in today’s society.
We live in a day and age where people crave control,
and want to manifest their own destiny.
Many people we come in contact with in our everyday lives have a belief system made up of personal experiences and in turn, handcraft their own religion from those experiences.
A quest for truth, waiting for something substantial, but does it even exist? 

Is being good really enough?  

Do all roads really lead to Heaven?  

Does the Trinity actually exist?
Was Jesus just part of an ‘All-Star’ cast as a glorified humanitarian? 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
Even the best person among us falls, perpetually short of God’s holiness. 
God’s standard is absolute perfect righteousness.
No person ever has, or ever will, meet that except for one…..Jesus.  

Just one act of disobedience in an otherwise ‘good’ life, is all it takes to be found guilty and worthy of punishment in the eyes of God.
He is a holy God. Flawless. He cannot be in the presence of sin.  

But Hope!
“But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
God’s forgiveness depends on faith and trust in Jesus, not on us or our works. 
Jesus alone earned it for us.  

In a previous Journey Study, I wrote:
“Jesus is both tolerant and intolerant;
utterly exclusive and wholly inclusive. 
He made it plain and simple in Scripture:
“No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
There are no other “gods” (Buddha, Gandhi, Muhammad..),
simply, only, Jesus.
Because He alone is able to save and stand in the gap and take our punishment for sin.
Jesus Christ lived the human life flawlessly in our place, being fully God, yet becoming fully human,
He alone could bear the full measure of God’s wrath upon Himself.” 

The idea that Jesus was just part of an ‘all-star’ cast couldn’t be more flawed.
You see, without Jesus, it would be impossible to have a relationship with God! 

The Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit) has eternally existed. Complete. Fully in community with one another. One does not exist without the other.

If you’re on a quest for truth, of if you have the opportunity to connect with someone who is, Solid Truth is available.
No, we aren’t “good enough”.
But Praise God, there’s One who is, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Don’t shy away from sharing the Hope we have.
It isn’t hazy or uncertain, it’s true. 

Hungry for more on what we believe as Christ-followers and how to share it?
We spent an entire Journey Theme on Creed.  

We’d love to continue this dialog in the comments or through e-mail – reach out!  

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believe,Community,free,good,guide,meaning,quest,shared,Truth,Universal Unitarian,various religions
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