The GT Weekend! ~ Sola Week 3

May 30, 2020 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) When the work of saving our souls, and the work of giving us the gift of faith, and the work of making a Christian to grow into a clearer image of Christ begins and ends with the triune God, there is zero way we can take credit for any part of it ourselves. We submit to Him in total surrender, offering all we are, and He does the remarkable work of building His Church in and through us as we continue to surrender and follow Him. Praise God for this amazing work!! It’s when we refuse His work in our lives that we are met with discord in our relationship with Him and when we see our own relationships struggle. Human beings make very poor saviors. Where are you working hard to maintain control and be your own savior? Where is the Lord calling you into total surrender? What holds you back from doing this?

2) What if this was just a nice journey theme to study? Suppose we only learned some interesting facts about the Church during the Reformation years? If you and I choose to read and learn and then keep on walking without being challenged, we are the ones missing out. Not just us, but the ones God has crafted for us to influence with His truth. We must know this central Sola truths. We must hold them so dear to us they begin to shape how we view God, ourselves, Scripture, the Church, our purpose, and other people. The price of walking away from these Solas without a personal reformation is just too high. Where will you begin to intentionally make a shift? Which Sola was the most challenging to you as you studied? Where are you out of balance in holding tightly to some Solas, but distancing yourself from others? What will you do to make the Solas yours?

3) We need the truths represented by these Solas to color our everyday lives. Take a few minutes this weekend to sit with your Bible and a journal and pen and think through what are the most important aspects of each Sola and how you can align your real life with these truths. Scripture alone. How does this Sola impact where you seek wisdom and whose voice you listen to with final authority? Who dictates what’s right or wise? Grace alone. Where are you tempted to bring God something in expectation of His favor being given? Is it your prayer life? Is it working hard in your relationship? We are called to follow Him, but out of a heart of love and obedience, not an attempt to win favor. Faith alone. It’s only through faith we are saved for eternity. Nothing Else. How is your faith? Is there evidence of trusting God woven into the fabric of your real, everyday life? Jesus alone. No other name can save us! Do you see Him as holding all authority? Is He the first you run toward, or your last? Where have you combined aspects of some other religions into what you believe? Is Jesus fully God and fully man? God’s glory alone. Whose glory are you living for? Yours? Your spouse? Do your kids carry a weight of performance driven expectations in order for you to feel like you’re a success? Begin asking yourself, is this for God’s glory or mine?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from John 3:5-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Prayer Journal
Father God, it’s by Your powerful Holy Spirit that we are made new and awakened to a new life. Remind me it isn’t by my flesh, or my agenda, or my purposes that Your kingdom is built and people come to know You. Remind me to listen for the rhythms of Your Spirit and to live in a constant state of submission of my will to Yours. How fast I forget to do this and begin living in my own strength and wisdom instead of Yours! Make my heart soft to hunger for Your ways over mine. Ground me in truth, teach my heart Your Word so I live it out in greater ways each day. May your revival shape my heart, transforming me more and more into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sola Day 15 My Reformation

May 29, 2020 by Kendra Kuntz Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-8
Romans 10:14-15
Psalm 119:1-16

Sola, Day 15

Last fall, I began reading a biography on Martin Luther (and friends, by “read” I mean “listen to” because I’m a single mama to three little girls and … multitasking). I read about Luther proclaiming “Sola” truths, contradicting the Roman Catholic Church, and igniting a movement that would change history.

The reformation was monumental in church history, shaping even our churches today. Likewise, we each have the opportunity to undergo our own “mini-reformation” as we study Scripture and build our lives on the Solas of biblical faith.

How do we approach our “reformations”?
We ask vital questions about each Sola and see where we stand.
We examine whether we reject or accept the teachings of Scripture.

Let’s check-in with one another.
I will be honest as I answer, and I ask you to give yourself permission for complete honesty as well. No condemnation. Let’s just recognize where our hearts still need reformation.

Sola Scriptura: By Scripture Alone
The Bible is the sole infallible source of authority and the Word of God, and shall not be added to or taken from. It was written by men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all truths we need for our spiritual lives are found in the Bible alone.

Are we allowing the Bible to be our main source of wisdom and authority?
Do we seek wisdom elsewhere, first and most?
Whose words dictate what is right or wise?

Many books are written by Christians, but many who claim that title believe their own version of “God” rather than the God of the Bible, or they may twist truth just a bit so it makes us feel happier. Only by deeply knowing God’s Word are we able to discern genuine Scriptural truth.

So I ask, do we place more weight on Christian books or the Bible?
I’m in the middle of a wonderful book called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.”
It’s phenomenal and I can’t recommend it enough!
But if I’m honest, some days, I’ve prioritized this book above the Bible.

How about you?
What’s your honest answer?

Sola Fide: By Faith Alone
We are saved through faith alone. We are neither covered by another’s faith, nor can we bargain our way to salvation. God will accept no bribe, because all we can offer are appearances of righteousness. The only acceptable offering to God is humble, honest faith, which is itself a gift from God.

If grace is God freely extending salvation by His hand, faith alone is our hand reaching out to touch His, accepting His gift.

Sola Fida enraged the Catholic church as it condemned their common practice of requiring penance and purchasing indulgences to reduce their punishment for sin.

Instead, Luther dared assert that even our very best efforts are sin-stained worthlessness before our utterly holy God. Only Jesus’ propitiatory death could pay the life-debt of our sins, and only our faith in Him connects us to the power of His resurrection to bring forgiveness for our sins.

So let’s do a little faith check-in, sisters.
Do you find yourself bargaining with God?

I’ve seen incredible growth in my faith over the last few years, but I’ve also been praying some big, hard, monumental prayers, and when it comes to these prayers? That faith waivers. I want to be sure my trust is in God alone, not in something feeble I try to offer Him as an exchange for what I want.

Have you ever attempted to manipulate God?

Sola Gratia: By Grace Alone
We are saved through God’s grace alone. There is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves.
Grace is God, who paid everything for our redemption, offering salvation to us for free. We cannot earn it.

Sometimes, we do “good things” because we are trying to earn God’s favor. We believe by praying a certain way, or giving a certain amount, we somehow earn the smile of God.

I most often get caught in this trap with people; I equate the number of people who like me to the amount of grace God extends. It sounds silly as I type, but I said I’d be honest.

How about you?

Solus Christus: Through Christ Alone
Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. There is no one else who can save. Jesus is fully God and fully man.

Do you believe this?

The temptation is to give some authority to our own opinion or others in the Church? What if we modify the Jesus of the Bible to make Him more appealing or more tolerant? My temptation is to make Jesus less jealous for my heart than He actually is. I will choose to turn to books, music, or mind-numbing activities before turning to Christ.

How are you tempted to water down the Jesus of the Bible?

Soli Deo Gloria: For the Glory of God Alone
The work of salvation was done by God alone, therefore He alone receives glory. Any good fruit my life bears is due entirely to Christ’s lifeblood flowing within my veins.

But is it?
Or are we focused on our own glory?

When I lead worship, write Journey studies, or prepare a meal for friends, is it for my own glory, or for Him? Sometime last year, I did a heart-check on this topic and realized just how off I was. As I shared with a friend how part of me was engaging in these activities for self-glorifying reasons, she encouraged me to keep ministering, serving, and loving while asking God to transform my heart. Let’s ask for a heart like Jesus, who was focused completely on His Father receiving all glory.

How about you?

Sisters, it’s been a challenging three weeks on this study!
Let’s be encouraged by the growth we’ve experienced, but let’s also leave here challenged to live out the truths we’ve unpacked, allowing them to continue to reform our hearts just like they did Martin Luther and the Church of old.

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Sola Day 14 But If I Don’t: Digging Deeper

May 28, 2020 by Rachel Jones Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out But If I Don’t!

The Questions

1) What does it mean that whatever is “born of the flesh is flesh, but whatever is born of the spirit is spirit?” (verse 6)

2) How can Jesus be lifted up like Moses’s snake in the wilderness? (verse 14)

3) How does anyone who lives by the truth come to the light? (verse 21)

John 3:1-21

There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.” ³Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴“How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” ⁵Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. ⁸The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ⁹“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. ¹⁰“Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹“Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man. ¹⁴“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Original Intent

1) What does it mean that whatever is “born of the flesh is flesh, but whatever is born of the spirit is spirit?” (verse 6)
In John 3:6, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus, a Jewish leader who studied the law, and had come under the cover of nightfall to ask Jesus questions about eternity and salvation. Jesus tells him, “Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The Greek term for flesh is sárks, meaning “of human origin or empowerment”. The term is “generally negative, referring to making decisions (actions) according to self.” (Biblehub.com) The flesh here does not only refer to physical humanity, but also references the unclean nature of humanity. As author John Gill explains, flesh refers to, ”the nature of man; not merely as weak and frail, but as unclean and corrupt, through sin.” So, to be born of the flesh means to be born sinful. The Greek word for spirit is pneúma, which means “spirit, wind, or breath. The Hebrew (Old Testament) counterpart rûach has the same range of meaning. To be born of the spirit is to be saved from sin. According to author William McDonald, “A spiritual birth takes place when a person trusts in the Lord Jesus. When a person is born again through the Spirit, he receives a new nature, and is made fit for the kingdom of God.” Jesus describes to Nicodemus a person’s need to be born again, saved out of sin and into God’s kingdom by God’s great grace and amazing love.

2) How can Jesus be lifted up like Moses’s snake in the wilderness? (verse 14)
In John 3:14-15, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Jesus is referencing an incident in the Old Testament when the Israelites sinned by complaining against and criticizing God and He sent poisonous snakes among them. They cried out for help, and Moses, under God’s direction, made a bronze snake that he lifted up and told the people to look upon to be saved from the snake bites. Just as Moses lifted up the snake to save the people, Jesus declares that He must be lifted up to give people eternal life. Author David Guzik points out how the bronze serpent represents “sin judged. In the same way Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us on the cross, and our sin was judged in Him. A bronze serpent was a picture of sin judged and dealt with.” Jesus was pointing to His coming crucifixion, where His body would be lifted up on the cross as He died to forgive the sins of the world. Though the term “lifted up” surely means the crucifixion of Christ, R.C. Sproul notes “the same Greek verb can refer to the exaltation of a person, and in John’s gospel, the crucifixion is tied closely to our Savior’s exaltation. For Jesus to be lifted up is for Him to die for sin, but that death cannot be separated from the resurrection . . .” Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent to save the people of God in the Old Testament, God lifted up His Son, Jesus, on the cross to save us all from sin and shame. He also raised Him from the dead, declaring His victory over death, Hell and the grave forever!

3) How does anyone who lives by the truth come to the light? (verse 21)
In John 3:20-21, Jesus declares, “everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” The Greek word for truth, alétheia, means “truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straight-forwardness” The idea of truth here is the Truth of Christ. Jesus has been telling Nicodemus in the preceding verses that people must be born again through the gift of God’s Son. If people accept the truth of God’s grace and forgiveness, they will be saved. Jesus explains that living by the truth of the Savior brings one into the light, where one’s works can be seen as being done for God with the help of God. John Piper explains that “whoever goes on doing what is true (acting in accord with the light) will always come to the light and not run away from it. And the reason he will come, is so it will be clear that this ongoing behavior—his doing what is true—has been the work of God, not himself.” When we live for Jesus and accept the grace and help of God, we will do works that are good and true because He is working and moving in us. We will be glad to be in the light because we have nothing to shame or condemn us.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean that whatever is “born of the flesh is flesh, but whatever is born of the spirit is spirit?” (verse 6)
The phrase “haters gonna’ hate” has been in our vocabulary for years now. It is in songs, memes, speeches, tv shows…anywhere pop culture makes an appearance. It reminds me of something I heard once in a sermon. The pastor asked why we would be surprised when sinners act like sinners? In other words, “sinners gonna’ sin.” That is the message Jesus is sharing with Nicodemus in John 3:6, when He says, “whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Humans are born into sin. They are born to sinful parents and inherit a sinful nature. Because we are sinful, we sin daily. It is only God who has the power to make us clean. When we trust in Him and accept His forgiveness of sin through His sacrifice for us on the cross, we are born again of the Spirit. Author Don Stewart explains that “the new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit, who places the believer in a right relationship with God. It is a work of God, not of man.” There is nothing we can do to save ourselves or cleanse ourselves, it is only the grace of God that can save us from sin. When we trust in Him and let Him be in control of our lives, we are no longer slaves to sin. We become children of God!

2) How can Jesus be lifted up like Moses’s snake in the wilderness? (verse 14)
Sometimes I wonder if my neighbors know me by the same kind of kooky names I use to refer to them; monikers that describe what I know about them since I don’t know their names. Before I met the woman up the street, my kids referred to her as the “crazy dog lady” because of the doting way she would care for her little schnauzer. Or there is a woman on my block we call the American Ninja Warrior because of her intense exercise routine. My name around the neighborhood is probably “Bed Head” since I just roll out of bed to walk the dogs! But I want my neighbors to know me for more than my untamed hair. I want them to know me by my love and kindness. I want them to see Jesus when they see me. In John 3:14-15, Jesus declares that“just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Moses lifted up a bronze snake so that those poisoned by snakes could be healed, and in the same way Jesus was lifted up on the cross to save people from the poison of sin in their lives. I want to share that truth about Jesus’ sacrifice with my family and my neighbors. Charles Spurgeon recommends, “We should imitate Moses, whose business it was to set the brazen serpent upon a pole. It is your business and mine to lift up the gospel of Christ Jesus, so that all may see it.” I purpose to lift Jesus high in my neighborhood and to all those I have connection with. I may become the “crazy church lady” to some, but I hope all will see the love of God when they see me.

3) How does anyone who lives by the truth come to the light? (verse 21)
How cute are the videos of little kids caught in the act of some misdeed, like stealing cookies, where they lie to their parents with the sweetest, most innocent faces covered in chocolate evidence? Or they have written their names in permanent ink on the wall, marker still in hand, but they have no idea whose graffiti that is over their bed. It is so stinkin’ cute, but it reminds me of what is going on in John 3:20-21, when Jesus says, “everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” When we do wrong, we want to hide it from the light, much like those kiddos in the videos I mentioned. We don’t want our cheating, lying, betraying, or other sin to be exposed. When we know Jesus, though, we come to live by the truth, and then we do not need to fear the light of exposure because the Holy Spirit is working in us, making us more like Jesus. Since God is working in us and through us, we come to the light willingly and humbly, knowing that anything good we have or do is because of Him. In fact, we want to share our story of God’s grace and mercy in our lives with others so they can know freedom in God and the joy of living in the light.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Sola Day 13 But If I Don’t

May 27, 2020 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-10
Psalm 103:15-22
John 3:1-21
John 5:19-23

Sola, Day 13

Five solas. Five convictions. Five foundational markers of our faith, each one mutually dependent upon the others and rooted in the nature of our triune God and the authority of Scripture.

But why do these five solas matter to the church today? Let’s break it down and work through this together.

Sola Scriptura: by Scripture alone.
The Word of God is His message to mankind. The Bible was transcribed by human authors, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is without error, serves as the final authority for believers, and is useful for all doctrine, correction, teaching, training and rebuking.

Sola Fide: by faith alone.
The faith of another person will not suffice for one’s individual faith. To put this more plainly, imagine there were two sisters who received the gospel. One sister accepted it, gave her life to God and found salvation through Jesus Christ in faith. The other sister rejected it and did not believe in God. If both sisters were to die on the same day and find themselves faced with Heaven or hell, the believing sister’s faith would not cover the sister who did not place her faith in Jesus and accept the gift of salvation. We are saved by faith alone, not by works, not by good standing in our local church, or by the generosity reflected in our bank statements. Faith alone; and we each must make this choice for ourselves.

Sola Gratia: by grace alone.
Sinners are saved only through the grace of God. It is solely, completely, only, the work of God. A claim that the grace of God requires any action beyond choice to place our faith in Christ Jesus to save us distorts the truth and delivers a false gospel. When we elevate the position and ability of mankind, we are taking the glory away from God.

Solus Christus: through Christ alone.
Salvation is obtained through Christ Jesus alone. There is no other name under Heaven by which we may be saved. Jesus said it best when He told his disciples He alone was the way, the truth and the life.

Soli Deo Gloria: for the glory of God alone.
We are saved not by any action or work of our own; all glory belongs to God. Paul’s words to the Ephesians are clear.

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The life we live in the body, we live for Christ, for God’s glory. It’s His work, His Spirit moving and breathing, all glory is His, and His alone. (Galatians 2:20)

So, what’s the bottom line?
Each of the five solas are completely, inextricably interwoven with the other four. If we were to add to, or take anything away from them, we would find ourselves walking in the dark and preaching a false gospel. A self gospel, rather than a saving gospel.

Friends, lean in.
We have to get this right, because this is the very foundation of what we believe.

We are absolutely incapable of cleansing ourselves of sin. We are incapable of making the sacrifice required as payment for sin. We cannot “find our own truth” or create our own path to salvation, because we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory.

It is only possible to enter right standing with God through a faith relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. And we can take absolutely no credit for the transformative work of salvation; all glory belongs to God alone because salvation is a gift He extends to all who will receive it.

Throughout the Bible, we see countless examples of what transpired when mankind chose to add to God’s word with his own devices and intent.

David’s adultery and ensuing murder of an innocent man, fueled by his lust and desire to protect his own name and glory.

The Jewish people’s additions to the law and their religious spirits convinced them they could earn their way to right standing with God, but in fact, they missed the very Messiah God sent to save them.

Have you ever found yourself compromising when it comes to God’s Word? Can you recall a time when you found yourself softening Scriptural truth to an unbeliever . . . or a fellow believer? Or maybe even . . . yourself?

The truth is offensive.

We don’t like to believe we are sinners. We don’t like to hear we aren’t here to serve ourselves. It can feel uncomfortable to share those truths, even in love.

We’d each be lying if we said we’ve never fallen prey to the temptation to add to or “soften” the gospel message in our deep desire to avoid rejection. Do you remember that awful, sick feeling deep in your stomach?

Me, too. The feeling rushes back with nauseating clarity even as I type the words. Do you recall the result? I do. My witness was tarnished. In my need to be accepted, I traded big “T” Truth for the comforting lies of culture . . . and failed both my friend and my Savior.

Dear one, the ache of that grief hurts just as much today as it did when it was fresh. I am forgiven, but I pray I never forget the gravity of my mistake.

This is painfully uncomfortable, isn’t it? I’m with you. Same. This is a hard topic, but we must go here and hash it out. Because as a body of believers, if we don’t work through this here in our quiet places, we will venture into shaky ground out in the open, friend.

We must never allow ourselves to compromise what is true for the sake of cultural acceptance or the approval of man.

We serve an audience of One. We are called to share the reason for our hope here, in this day and age. And if we don’t have a firm grasp on what we believe and why we believe it, how can we expect to share the actual gospel message with anyone else, or even accept it for ourselves?

Father, I love and praise you. Thank You for being here with us as we wrestle through truth and recognize areas where You call us to repentance. I confess I have fallen short of delivering the truth about the gospel. Forgive me, and renew my mind and heart as You change me to be more like You. I believe the Bible is Your message to mankind, and to me, personally. I know I am a sinner, incapable of cleansing myself. I am saved through faith alone, by Your grace alone, through the saving sacrifice of Your son Jesus Christ alone, declared by Your Word alone, and for Your glory alone. My life belongs to you. Fill me with a desire to share the good news with those You send me. Everything I have is Yours alone.

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