Slow

Worship IV, Day 3 Holding Us Together

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:15-20
Hebrews 12:26-29
Isaiah 9:1-7 

Worship IV, Day 3

Some may ask what the value is of their high school studies in chemistry (let’s be honest: high school math, art, etc.). While I always thought there was some use in what I was learning even if passing the class was the main reason, preparing for this Journey Study highlighted how the Lord can use anything for His glory.
High school chemistry included.  

I read through Colossians 1:15-20 and spent some time pondering the truths nestled there. What does it say about the Lord? What does it say about me? What does it speak to regarding my interactions with the Lord? 

In the midst of those questions, my high school chemistry class materialized in my mind. The long black countertops and the silver gray stools that became the backdrop of our scientific explorations set the scene. I remembered the feel of the delightful goggles providing safety as we dealt with chemicals as well as deep imprints on our cheeks announcing to everyone that we had just spend time dabbling with liquids, and solids, and mass (oh my).  

In my mind’s eye, I remember seeing a centrifuge on the counter and clearly recollected this actual day in class. We had a few liquids in our test tube and the only way to separate them was using the centrifuge, which essentially spun the tube at high speeds, the force of which caused the liquids to layer themselves by their densities. Little did I know that learning how to use that machine and comprehending all the science behind it would bring a section of Scripture to life years later.
Yet, here we have on display the goodness of the Lord through His creation.  

Colossians states that the Lord is before all things and in Him all things hold together. 

All things. 
Held together.  

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months, seasons where you just don’t feel like you have it together?
That everything is spinning out of control?  

Me too.  

Those personal examples came flooding to my mind after the centrifuge memory.
They marked my own moments of surviving the centrifuge of life.
Moments where life only seemed to pick up speed and everything began coming apart at the seams.

Hebrews 12 says that the Lord will shake things to prove what cannot be shaken. Those times have come and will come again, and I have learned to rejoice in the outcome of those moments because I am then able to separate what is from the Lord and what is not. I have discovered that sometimes that “spinning” of life is the only way to find that dividing line, much like using the centrifuge enables separating the liquids in that specific way as well.   

So if you are like me, may this section of verses from Colossians grant you the permission to quit trying to hold everything together by your own strength and rest in the arms of Jesus.  

Because He is strong enough to hold us together
and to separate what needs to be removed.  

Colossians 1:15
Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Wait, what? He is the image of the invisible God.
Have you ever known that the Lord has you but you still wanted some “real” arms to hold you?
I have.
It’s comforting to know that Jesus lived and walked the earth. He came to us with skin on and arms that could truly hold us together. Hands that healed the servant whose ear had just been cut off and hands that willingly surrendered to nails at the cross. So while I’ve never experienced the literal arms of the Lord encircling me, I know that they once embraced those that came before me, and He brought to life the picture of God the Father.  

Colossians 1:16
All things have been created through Him and for Him.
I am friends with artists of many kinds. I have watched the love and effort they pour into their creations. Their investment is not haphazard and their joy at the completion is deeply felt. Now imagine Jesus’ response to His creation. (For the record, we are His creation.) Let that soak in for a bit. 

Colossians 1:17
He is before all things and by Him all things hold together.
Read this one out loud. Read it with the understanding that as the Creator of all things He alone has the capability to hold all things together.
Let the words sink into the depths of who you are.  

Colossians 1:18
He is the head of the body and the church and is the firstborn from the dead. Jesus has the authority and capability to lead us into eternal life.
He died and defeated death for us. He has us.  

Colossians 1:19-20
For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully man. Because of this duality, His death on the cross and victorious resurrection created the way through which we are reconciled with the Lord God. Without Jesus and His sacrifice, I would be spiraling out of control due to the weight of my sin and the separation from Him it causes.  

So, is your world spinning?
Is the force of life starting to pull you apart?
Run to Jesus.
Surrender it all.
He can hold you together.  

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

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

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

Pause 2 Day 7 Chosen, Precious, Beloved

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You, rejected by people…..
When we mean “Pause”, we really do mean it.
Slow down and hit the breaks, girlfriend.

Pause 2, Day 7

You, rejected by people…..
When was the last time you felt rejected by people?
If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t have to look back too far.
Maybe it was a few days ago, but more likely, you felt a familiar pang a few hours ago, or even a few minutes.

You, rejected by people…..
We can learn to process and dismiss and respond instead of react and lean solidly into the truth that our identity isn’t found in any other person, but none of that changes this truth.

You, chosen and honored by God.
Chosen.
Honored.
Slow. Down.
How would your heart change, your thoughts shift, and your emotions stabilize if this was your standard operating truth platform?

You, chosen, precious, beloved of God.
Determine to take a pause right now, in the middle of your whatever-is-going-on-day, and refocus on truth, allowing yourself to be embraced by this rich grace of
total acceptance and love.

Today's Invitation

1) Pull out your Bible and read 1 Peter 2 fully through 3 times.

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

3) Pay special attention to what God will do, and how He intends to grow us as His chosen, beloved ones. How can we submit in deeper, more authentic ways, to the beautiful shaping hands of the Shepherd God?

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1 Peter 2

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation, 3 if you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 For it stands in Scripture:
See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.   

7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,
The stone that the builders rejected— this one has become the cornerstone,
8 and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits. 

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Submission of Slaves to Masters
18 Household slaves, submit to your masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel. 19 For it brings favor if, because of a consciousness of God, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten, you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause 2 Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause 2!

Prayer Day 13 All Of Everything

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew 3:1-3
2 Samuel 7:10-16
1 Chronicles 29:11
2 Chronicles 20:6 

Prayer, Day 13

“For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory…” 

Loves, will you receive some truth in grace today? (Deep breath, here we go.)
Truth? When I received this writing assignment for Prayer, I was not super thrilled. 

I know what you’re probably thinking. Prayer should be as natural as breathing when we are in Christ. I agree. In fact, it is through this daily, constant conversation with our Father that breathes His new life into and through us.
I believe that to be wholly, wonderfully, irrevocably true…
but this particular topic in our Prayer series made me squirm. 

The thing is, there is some controversy around that last line in “The Lord’s Prayer.” This might be the first time you’ve heard this, or perhaps you are already nodding in agreement with my remark. Like many of you, I committed those words above to memory along with the rest of the lines at an early age…so you can imagine my surprise as an adult when I first discovered that the line was not actually a part of the earliest original Biblical manuscripts. (Can I get a WHAT?) 

While the phrase does still exist in a few versions of the Bible (King James, New King James and Holman Christian Standard – all with annotation that the latter part of verse 13 differs from other versions), it has been omitted from most other translations because that final doxology was likely not a part of Jesus’ actual verbal instruction to the disciples regarding how we should pray. (If you’re anything like me and this is news to you, you may commence squirming now. I’m with you. It’s okay. Stay with me and we’ll work through this together.)  

This may present a bit of a conundrum for us as believers, at first thought. We say we believe His Word is living and active, that His instruction is inerrant. 

We believe His Word is true, transcribed by divinely inspired human hands.  

That through Scripture, He speaks to and moves in us to bring about conviction, transformation and renewal in our hearts and minds.  

But wait, here’s a heaping dish of contradiction for you: That last line of the Lord’s Prayer you’ve known and quoted all your life? Well, they are not actually the words of Jesus.  

While all of this is true and may reflect our first feelings about the matter, it’s vitally important that we unpack the how and why this phrase was added to Scripture. Only then will we understand that while the words may not have been part of Christ’s verbal instruction for how we should pray, they are still a reasonable addition to our prayer model that lines up with other Scriptural truth and can be applied in our prayer life today. 

In the gospels, we find that there are two instances in which Jesus tells His disciples how to pray: once in the book of Matthew, and once in Luke. Upon examination we can see several differences. From this we can infer that He was not giving them, or us, a prayer we should pray verbatim, but rather a form to follow and personalize.
(Thank you, Jesus, for being a personal God!)

He never intended for us to pray through the Lord’s Prayer every day by recitation.
No! Instead, He was conveying that in our conversations with Father God, we should emulate His example by expressing adoration, confessing our sins, and giving thanks before making our supplications. 

At that time, it was common practice for Christians present during public prayer times to respond verbally together. Much in the same way that we might nod in agreement or add an enthusiastic “amen” during our pastor’s moving prayer, they would respond individually (but in a group) at certain points. It was in this type of forum that the phrase “for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory” was commonly used. The assertion was a passionate proclamation – of God’s kingdom being ushered into the earth through Jesus, His supernatural power and all-encompassing glory. The phrase was so well accepted, that it was actually scribbled onto the margin of the Scriptural text…and eventually transcribed as part of the original text.  

While we now know that the final proclamation of the Lord’s Prayer wasn’t uttered from Jesus’ actual lips, we can be confident that expressing our adoration for God through our prayers is exactly in line with His word. The practice of making prayer “our own” – individually and corporately – is fulfilling exactly what Christ modeled for us in instruction and action! 

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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 Prayer Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Misunderstood Day 12 Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness: Digging Deeper

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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 Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness!

The Questions

1) Why is important that Mary sat as Jesus’ feet?  

2) How was Martha distracted with “much serving”? 

3) What is the “right choice” mentioned in verse 42 and how can it be taken away?

Luke 10:38-42

While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So, tell her to give me a hand.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Original Intent

1) Why is important that Mary sat as Jesus’ feet?
When Jesus entered the city of Bethany, He was needing a place to rest. Mary was enthralled with the truth of Scripture being shared and wanted to learn more. Her position at Jesus’ feet displayed a posture of eager anticipation. As a servant sits at the master’s feet, hungry to learn every last detail of the trade, so Mary was ready to grab onto every nugget of truth being shared.

2) How was Martha distracted with “much serving”?
Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus were friends of Jesus’ and He frequently stayed at their home when traveling through Bethany. Martha was quite concerned about the business of her house; she had a standard to uphold and was consumed with having it done well. Martha knew the house needed cleaned and food needed prepared, but instead of completing the tasks and being satisfied, she “was distracted with much serving.” She was striving to go above and beyond her call of duty and as a result missed a chance to sit with the Son of God.  

3) What is the “right choice” mentioned in verse 42 and how can it be taken away?
Where Martha saw laziness and poor use of time, Mary saw a golden moment of deepening her relationship with the Almighty God in the flesh. The choice was open for both sisters to either sit with the Lord or be busy, but only 1 was the “right choice” for relational growth. Martha directly asked Jesus to “tell Mary” to help her, but here, Jesus says no. He refused to tell Mary to get busy “doing” rather than sit still “being”.  Jesus would not take away her choice to be with Him. Mary chose as the psalmist did, “The Lord is my chosen portion.” (Psalm 16:5) and she was protected by the Lord as He guarded and honored her decision to put their relationship above her busyness.  

Everyday Application

1) Why is important that Mary sat as Jesus’ feet?
When we spend time with the Lord, we are choosing to sit at His feet. He longs for relationship with us and hurrying through our devotional time compromises our ability to commune with the Living God. Sitting in a posture that shows our readiness to receive His word is important. We show that receiving the Word, being obedient to the Word, and submitting to the Word is a natural progression of our interactions with the Most High. The more we filled with the fruitful knowledge of God’s Word, the more deeply we will walk in intimate relationship with the Savior. If your spiritual life is feeling “lacking”, consider asking yourself how your time with the Lord is? Are you devouring His Word, hungry for more of Him? Or are distractions around you pulling you away, convincing you that time with God is boring and pointless?   

2) How was Martha distracted with “much serving”? 
Many earthly cultures value the habit of being busy, of doing good things because it’s expected. Heavenly Kingdom culture, on the other hand, says going slow, meeting the needs of others around us, and spending time with the Father are more important. Our commitment to spending time daily with God is a mirror of what our heart holds most valuable. Take a moment to assess what is distracting you by enticing you to serve beyond what the Lord has asked you to do. Ask the Holy Spirit to draw you back to the throne of God; sit and linger with Him today!  

3) What is the “right choice” mentioned in verse 42 and how can it be taken away?
While Jesus protected her choice, Mary could have felt unnecessarily guilty and chose to hop up and help her sister, but she didn’t. Neither Jesus nor Mary “took away” her choice to stay in communion with the Lord. How often do we “take away” our own choice to sit with God because of self-imposed guilt or a mis-prioritization on what is truly important?! Finding balance in life feels like an elusive fish to catch, but if we are to function well as healthy Christ-followers, feasting on the bread of life is absolutely critical! Jesus says, “Don’t work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you…” (John 6:27) The temptation to emphasize “busy, but important, stuff” over consistent, regular, lengthy time with Jesus is strong, which is why over the ages, time with God has fallen under the category of “spiritual disciplines”. It’s not easy to choose Jesus first, but denying our self-importance and learning to truly see Christ and our relationship with Him as supreme, will create a beautiful rhythmic dance for your life and ministry! Don’t take away the “good choice”, guard it just as Jesus did for Mary! 

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Misunderstood Week Three!
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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 :-))

Memorize It!

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Shepherd Day 5 Quiet Waters

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Zephaniah 3:14-20
Psalm 23:2
Colossians 3:12-17

Shepherd, Day 5

Lead
Definition of the Hebrew word: יְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃ (pronounced naw-hal’)
to lead, give rest, lead with care, guide to a watering place or station, cause to rest,
bring to a station or place of rest, guide, refresh

Leadership is a tough road, friends. It’s scary, it’s intense, it’s pressure-filled.
It’s heavy on the side of accountability, vision, loving others, being “on”.
Leadership wearies.

And before you say, “I’m not a leader, so this doesn’t apply.”
Stop.
You are. We all have a sphere of influence that we’ve been given. We all lead.

Every single one of my seven children from 15 months to 14 years are leaders.
They all lead those around them into either greatness or into disobedience.
And let me tell you, their influence is significant; able to quickly turn the tide of their siblings, of their friends, of their parents, and even their whole family.
Whether it’s a tantrum, an encouraging word, a genuine hug, or a kick and a punch,
their influence is felt.

As Is Yours.
Student. Wife. Mama. Friend. Co-worker. Boss. Woman. Sister. Leader.
What we do with our leadership is significant.
Its influence is felt far and wide, whether we realize it or not.

Because our leadership reach is so far-reaching,
where we lead from makes all the difference.

When my daughter reaches out to hug the brother who just kicked her and, rather than run tattling, rather than kicking back, she hugs and says, “I can tell you’re having a rough morning.”
She is leading from something deeper and more solid than her own sense of self-preservation.
She’s leading from love.
Sacrificial. Humble. Love.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

When my husband gets my text message and reads between the lines to know that something deeper is happening than the words appearing on the screen, and he chooses to lay aside his work, hang up his call, and ask what’s really going on…..he’s leading from love.
Sacrificial. Humble. Love

He leads me beside quiet waters.

When we hold our tongue to listen to others.
When we choose to step into another’s shoes rather than pass judgment.
When we give generously.
When we pause to consider what it would look like to love our spouse better today.
When we seek the good of another over our own convenience.
When we lay aside the insistence that others fit into our parameters.
We are leading from love.
Sacrificial. Humble. Love.

Leading like this is hard. Leading like this doesn’t come naturally.
Leading like this, doing it well, and doing it consistently, necessitates One Thing.
Being led.
Sacrificing our own agenda to be led.
Humbly submitting ourselves to another’s leadership.
Leading from love.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

Hush. Peace. Slow. Be still.
He leads.

Hands stop moving.
Brains stop rushing ahead.
Agendas die.
Must Do lists fade.
All the voices silenced.
Closed doors.
Hush.
Peace.
Listen.
Quiet Waters.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

We cannot lead well if we refuse to be led.

יְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃ has the connotation of being led station by station, from one, very intentional place of rest into the next in a continuous journey of quiet water to quiet water.

Wait, you might say, I don’t know about you, but my life is anything BUT quiet water.
Yes! Mine too!
But still, His invitation remains.

He leads me beside quiet waters.
Whether I’m leading my toddler in a rhythmic bedtime routine, homeschooling my children, leading at church, or choosing to love my husband better, intentional rhythms are crucial.
Leadership takes planning, forethought, a direction, and the discipline to follow through on those plans.
Being led requires the same discipline.

We will not have access to the quiet waters if we refuse to be intentional on allowing the Shepherd access to our hearts.
Quiet time.
Space for silence and solitude with the Savior.
Journaling prayers.
Allowing access. Being led. Accepting love.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

When we make space for quiet and time carved out to let the Savior love us with His own Word, we can lead from that love.
When we make meeting with Him, in submission to His leadership, the rhythm and practice of our daily lives,
He leads us solidly from quiet water to quiet water.

The world will continue to be loud.
The relationships may continue to spiral.
Others choices may continue to frustrate and be destructive,
but you will be steadfast.
Held by the hand that leads you from the quiet water of Himself, the very Living Water.

Jesus answered,
“If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you,
‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask Him,
and He would give you living water.” (John 4:10)

If you knew….
Oh sisters, if you knew of the sweet intimacies and depth of riches of being led from quiet water to quiet water, while being refreshed and refueled by the Living Water of Jesus Christ Himself, you would ask Him. And He would give it.

Drink deep.
Create the space.
Submit to His leadership.
And learn the rhythms of leading from His quieting love.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Shepherd Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Character Day 4 Jealous God: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
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Exodus 20:1-11 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
3 Do not have other gods besides me.
4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.
7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

The Questions

1) Why is verse 2 included before listing the Ten Commandments?

2) What does it mean that God punishes the children for the fathers’ iniquity?

3) What does it mean that the seventh day is a Sabbath “to the Lord”?

The Findings for Intention

1) Why is verse 2 included before listing the Ten Commandments?
Verse 2 is a preface of sorts.  It reminds the Israelites Who it is that is giving them these commandments.  By reminding them that He alone is Jehovah, God is calling them to remember that He is their creator, their very source of existence.  By reminding them that He brought them out of slavery, He is reminding them that He has been faithful to them and powerful to cause the plagues and the miracles that allowed their exodus.  By making this statement, God reminds the Israelites that He is worthy to command the way they should live.

2) What does it mean that God punishes the children for the fathers’ iniquity?
Many commentators believe that this speaks of the natural consequences of our sin.  As parents, many times our sins have direct effects on our children, and even on their children.  This verse does not mean that the children of sinners are damned because of their parents—Ezekiel 18 points out that every person is responsible for their own sin (as do many other passages).  This serves as a warning to us.  Our idolatry can cause punishment, not only for us, but for our children and grandchildren.  But our faithfulness also has long-lasting good consequences.

3) What does it mean that the seventh day is a Sabbath “to the Lord”?
God gives us the Sabbath, not just for our benefit, to allow our bodies and minds to rest, but for His sake.  We are to dedicate one day in seven to the Lord. This is His day, when we are prescribed a time to remember and worship Him.  We are creatures who too easily forget the One who made us and holds us together, so He gives us the Sabbath to keep us focused on Him.

The Everyday Application

1) Why is verse 2 included before listing the Ten Commandments?
When I think about myself, my desires, my perceived injustices, I find obedience to God to be cumbersome.  But when I think about the Lord, how He made me, saved me, sustains me, and is so awesome, powerful, just, sovereign, and inconceivably wiser than me, I find obedience to be the clear, easy choice.  Women, remember the God you serve, when you are tempted to think of yourself first!

2) What does it mean that God punishes the children for the fathers’ iniquity?
It is sobering to see my children speak in a way that reveals the sinful way that I’ve spoken to them.  It’s true that God can and does redeem our mistakes in parenting, but it is also true that our sins affect our children negatively.  Let this be a motivating factor as we make decisions; our sinful choices affect more people than only ourselves.

3) What does it mean that the seventh day is a Sabbath “to the Lord”?
Although the Sabbath is practiced differently in the New Covenant (meaning right now) than it was in the Old Covenant (meaning before Jesus’ sacrificial death), it is still a part of the Law that God gave us as a gift.  Often, we feel like we don’t need to take time to rest and worship, but the Sabbath is not about us—it’s about God.  How can you set aside intentional time to cease from your work and remember your Creator? What would it look like to set aside one 24-hour period each week to cease from everything that is work, both paid and un-paid, and simply delight in the life that the Father has given you? Consider trying out God’s rhythm and see if you sense a more gently pace for living!

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Character Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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.
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The GT Weekend! Chase Week 2

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The GT Weekend

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

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) How has a change of plans brought anger in your life? After that anger wells up, we have two options; to move forward in that anger or choose to give thanks that God is sovereign over all (even the chaos!). Pray today for the Holy Spirit to help you choose thankfulness!

2) God forgave an entire city because of their immediate repentance. God’s forgiveness does not stop being offered because of your sin; that’s just the beginning! While there may still be physical consequences of our sin, God will always extend His gracious hand of forgiveness to the response of genuine repentance.

3) At the end of Jonah 2, we see Jonah was given so much grace. His response was to “sing a song of thanksgiving”. He made a resolution to move forward and share that grace but ended up being sidetracked. We’ve also been given an abundance of grace, how are we using it? Are we passing it on to others freely? Or holding onto it tightly?

Worship In Song

Music Video: Forgiveness 

Pour Out Your Heart

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I let my selfishness and pride give way to anger in my life. Lord, I get so stuck on my schedules, my lists, and my time. All of that focus leaves very little margin for You to do any work in my life; it’s no surprise I get all worked up that I don’t witness You working. I haven’t left You any space to do so! Let me lay ALL my life at your feet and leave it there as I watch Your hand at work in my life!

I don’t deserve Your lavish love and forgiveness. As You pour out those in my life, encourage me to be a good steward of them. Out of the outpouring of Your love at work in me, let me love others deeply and freely as You do. For Your glory, Lord!

Pray With Us!

In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
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Journey With Us

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Worship II Day 8 Overflowing Heart

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 19
Psalm 104
John 17:20-23
Romans 5:12-17
Colossians 1:16-17

Give thanks!
Have an Attitude of Gratitude!
Count your Blessings!

We see these short comments of thanksgiving everywhere, spilling onto journals, tote-bags, books, cards, home décor and more.  There’s nothing plainly wrong with the commercial use of these phrases.  I know I need visual correctives for my ever-wandering heart.  Could it be, though, in our culture of short, pithy, decorative statements, we’re quick to gulp down the words without processing their weight and worth?
Do we pause to consider what true thanksgiving is and where it comes from?

I ask this because I recognize I’m not able to simply make myself more thankful.  I can’t muster it up, (for long). I can’t just put on gratitude like I throw one of those tote-bags over my shoulder.  I’m not able, and you’re not either.

And yet, God’s will is for us to give thanks in all circumstances (I Thess 5:18).
God always supplies what we need to obey what He’s commanded,
so how do we reconcile this tension?

Consider that, just as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7),
the soul rooted in humility is the beginning of thanksgiving.

Andrew Murray, in his book Humility, explains,
“Humility comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all…..humility is simply acknowledging the truth of man’s position as creature, and yielding to God in His place.”

How do we see that God is truly all, and all has come from Him?

HIS GIFT OF EARTH’S BEAUTY
The Nineteenth century hymn-writer Folliot Pierpoint helps us as he reflected on the gifts God has generously given.  Pierpoint was one day walking through the countryside admiring God’s creation. He was so overcome by God’s glory revealed that it inspired him to write the beautiful hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light,
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

King David captured the same response to God’s gift of earthly beauty in Psalm 19:1-6 when he spoke of all the earth declares about God.  Both of these men saw God’s glory-revealing gift of creation, and it produced a humility of position before their Maker, which in turn produced the only possible response: praise and thanks to the One from which it all came.

When was the last time you took in creation simply to see,
wonder at, and give thanks for it?  

HIS GIFTS TO THE CHURCH
God has also lavished the church with His good gifts. Humans were never meant to live alone. God designed us for community from the beginning (Genesis 2:18).  Sharing our lives with and encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ brings us nearer to God (Proverbs 27:17).  Just as the Godhead Trinity gives us a beautiful picture of unity, submission, and community, so God gifts us with the same unified relationships as we submit to Him (John 17:20-23). Pierpoint continued on to speak of these relationships in the following verse:

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

Seeing God’s glory revealed through His people, though imperfect, helps us rightly give praise to Him for the gift that these fellow souls are.
Could this “seeing” be the end of biting comments, critical spirits and petty arguments?  Could seeing the gift of God’s grace covering our imperfect relationships, give us praise-producing humility?
Let’s allow Jesus’ pleading-prayer for us to be a reality
and we’ll praise Him for what He’ll do!

HIS BEST GIFT DIVINE
“For God so loved the world that He gave….” (John 3:16).  He gave, He gave, He gave.  The most precious gift God gave was His only Son, Jesus Christ.  This incredible gift ushered in a thousand more. Pierpoint rightly placed the climax of his reflection and praise for Christ Himself in the final verse of his hymn:

For yourself, best gift divine,
to the world so freely given,
agent of God’s grand design:
peace on earth and joy in heaven.
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

Romans 5:12-17 rightly shows us the despair of our sin without Christ.  Our position is one of hopelessness, need, and inability because of the death that began reigning through the first man. Seeing the reality of this humble state of our soul however, produces a rich, overflowing place of gratitude for God’s abundant, new life provided through Christ .

We, who are so needy and undeserving, have a heavenly Father who displayed His generosity in a thousand ways!
Let the humility of this reality produce thanksgiving that runs rich!

Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts to see Your glory in creation, to recognize the gift of Your people, and to ultimately acknowledge how great a war was won with the best gift divine, Jesus Himself.

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

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

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

Pause Day 13 Soul Space

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“Thus says the Lord of hosts:
These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”

Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!”
(Haggai 1:2-5)

There’s always something else, isn’t there?
Another load of laundry. Another stack of dishes. Another paper to grade, shoe to tie, diaper to change, friend to check in on, budget to balance, problem to solve, lawn to mow, repairs to make. Always.
And that’s exactly the Lord’s point through the message of Haggai’s prophecy.

“Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!”

We can find something “more important” than spending time with Jesus, that’s easy. We can do it at any moment of any day. The time ear-marked “Quiet Time With God” will never just fall in our lap.
But we can shift our gaze.
We can find a better rhythm.
We can choose space for our souls to be nourished.

Together, let’s “consider our ways” today. Let’s stop “building our paneled houses” and reposition the busy of our hands to remember that He, the Yahweh of Hosts, is with us.
And *that* is enough!

Today's Invitation

1) The discipline of copying down Scripture holds much treasure! Make space in your journal to write down Haggai 1. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com).

2) Choose one of these options to answer the invitation of going deeper into biblical community! 
a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
c) Leave a comment here about it.
d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group 
e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in! 

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Haggai 1

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord‘s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Haggai 2

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lordcame by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward.Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord‘s temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause 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 Pause!