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Eden Day 10 Invitation To Conversation

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
1 John 1:5-10
John 8:1-11

Eden, Day 10

There is power in a question.
It’s an invitation to connect.
It’s a humble initiation of a conversation.

All of these make perfect sense to me as I reflect on my use of questions in recent interactions. Asking clarifying questions helped me better understand the work project my husband had begun. Asking the daughter of a friend her thoughts drew her into the conversation and helped bridge the gap between generations. Asking for the motivation behind a friend’s decision enabled me to infuse the conversation with grace in the midst of a challenging discussion.

Questions have power and can yield powerful results.
In Genesis 3:9-13, the Lord graciously asked Adam and Eve the first questions in Scripture.
Where are you?
Who told you that you were naked?
Did you eat from that tree that I commanded you not to eat from?
What have you done?

Consider the significance of the Lord asking questions.
God, the Creator of everything, asks questions which invite and allow us to engage with Him. He initiates conversation with us through questions. Is that mind boggling to anyone else? The infinitely powerful Lord, Who was, is, and is to come, chooses to interact with us. (Revelation 1:8)

Not only does He choose to interact with us, He does so with grace and mercy.

He did not ask Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” because He did not actually know where they were. The Lord knows all things (Psalm 139:1-4), but by His ask, He provided space for them to come to Him with their defenses down.

Have you ever experienced a similar interaction? Has someone asked you a question to which you both knew the answer, but you were given an opportunity to speak non-defensively?

Tone and timing have an incredible impact in this communication. When I visualize the Lord’s interaction with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, I picture the patient calm of a parent seeking to draw her child’s attention to a glaringly obvious mistake. As in, the mom asking her toddler where the cookie went while the visible crumbs still line the child’s lips.

By asking the question instead of declaring the failure, the ownership of the decisions made rested solely on Adam and Eve. A defensive response did not arise because the Lord’s approach revealed the sin, instead of attacking it.

The Lord asked a series of questions that fleshed out the first sin on earth. He lovingly removed the shame by addressing the failure while still treating Adam and Eve with dignity. He asked them to explain their decisions, He addressed their sin, and He conveyed the consequences of those decisions.

Because of the way the Lord engaged Adam and Eve, an open door for communication remained and a framework for dealing with sin was created.

These truths apply to us as well. When we sin, we must process through it with the Lord just as Adam and Eve did in Eden. The Lord invites our conversation and lovingly prompts us with His questions.

Why?

Because He desires us to engage with Him, and be transformed into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18) as our sin is washed clean through confession and asking for His forgiveness.

“If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

Thousands of years after the first sin in Eden, when the Lord walked the earth as Jesus, His gracious invitation to conversation remained unchanged. To a woman caught in adultery and literally surrounded by predatory, self-righteous accusers, He responded with mercy, dismissing those who sought her death. (John 8:1-9)

Then, He invited her into conversation with two gentle questions.
“When Jesus stood up, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’
‘No one, Lord,’ she answered.
‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus. ‘Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.’
(John 8:10-11, emphasis mine)

Like Adam and Eve, like this woman, I know the Lord is after my heart when I sense the Holy Spirit ask me sweetly-convicting questions about my behavior, thoughts, or anything else. The sooner I confess my sin to Him, the sooner I experience restoration in our relationship. The process goes much quicker and more smoothly when I approach the Lord with lowered defenses.

Many times I have felt the Lord lift my head and invite me to talk with Him. Never once have I raised my eyes to look upon His gaze only to be turned away with condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

When you hear the Lord ask about your heart, know He is inviting you into deeper relationship with Him.

How will you answer His invitation to conversation?

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Blessed Day 4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: 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 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn!

The Questions

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?

3) How did God comfort David?

Psalm 51:6-13

Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

Original Intent

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David one day telling him a story of two men: One poor, the other rich. The rich man had many sheep, but the poor man had only one lamb. The lamb was dear to the family and loved like a pet. One day, the rich man had a visitor and he needed to serve him dinner. But rather than slaughtering one of his own sheep, he took the poor man’s sheep and served it to his guest. When King David heard this story, he was furious. Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!’” (2 Samuel 12:7-9) The whole sordid story can be found in 2 Samuel 11-12. When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David was immediately mournful and confessed his sin before God. David wasn’t repentant because he had been caught in his sin, but he realized he had sinned against God. His fellowship with God had been severed; this is what caused his great mourning.

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
David’s sin was crushing his soul during this time. He must have been relieved to be found out and his sin exposed because this is when healing of our hearts can begin. In the many months between the time when David committed these sins and his confession, he had not escaped the sense of sin, it was always before him. (verse 3) He could not escape his sinfulness. He was miserable in his sin, as a child of God should be. (Guzik) When Nathan confronted him, he became very aware of the heaviness of heart that had been there all along. He knew his body ached to have that fellowship once again with the Father. In Psalm 32:3-4, David writes, “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat.” David desired to be cleansed from his sin and his sin blotted out. He wanted to be able to rejoice in the Lord once again. (Psalm 51:7-9). Again, we see in Psalm 32, he wrote of how good it is to be forgiven. “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!”

3) How did God comfort David?
God comforted David foremost by returning His Spirit to David. His spirit was made right with God giving him the fellowship he desired once again. Though his son would die, God did not take Bathsheba away from him; indeed, their second son, Solomon, became the next king of Israel and God allowed Solomon the privilege of building the temple. God kept his promise to keep David’s family in the throne of Israel. David had a third son with Bathsheba, Nathan, who is the son in which the line of David (through Mary) would bring Jesus into the World. (Luke 3:23-38) What a comfort to have a new spirit, David was once again willing to serve God as He prescribed. David was again able to teach others about the joy of salvation and to sing of His righteousness and declare God’s praise. And ultimately, draw others to God.

Everyday Application

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David and confronted him about his sin. And David mourned. While we may have leaders or friends we are accountable to, more deeply, we have the Holy Spirit living within every believer, guiding our actions and convicting us of sin. If we are in tune with the Spirit, we mourn when we realize we have allowed sin to creep into our lives. The Apostle Paul mourned at his inability to please God. He wrote how we all know what is right, but we don’t do it. (Romans 7:14-25) Just as David cried out in Psalm 51, so did Paul cry out his mournful repentance. We also struggle with our carnal nature in keeping God’s law. C.S. Lewis said, “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good.” (Enduring Word, Romans 7) But Praise God! “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) After we are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, guides us, and convicts us of sin. We could not follow Jesus without His power. However, we cannot experience His power without totally yielding to Him. From the moment of spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit indwells, or resides in, every Christian. But to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, we must, as an act of our wills, completely surrender our lives in obedience to Christ. (Vonette Bright, CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ)

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
The Apostle Paul shares with us in Romans 5:1-5 some of the blessings of our salvation.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God… But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 There is no greater blessing than the joy found in forgiveness. Bill Gaither wrote, “Oh the joy that floods my soul!” A new song bubbles up with joy in our heart when we are forgiven and cleansed forever. And the Victory! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood! (Bartlett). What a treasure we have in this wonderful peace… For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day, And His glory is flooding my soul!” (Cornel) What a blessing to be found in Christ. Have you found the joy of salvation? Have you mourned over your sin and repented to God?

3) God comforted David. How does God comfort us?
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. When we sin against God and hurt others, it is as if we can’t breathe. I remember times when I have hurt others, I was afraid to go to them and confess. I feared their rejection and possible retaliation. But once I confessed and received that forgiveness, I could breathe again. My fear disappeared; my heart was comforted in the restoration of fellowship and a wonderful peace overtook my spirit. While believers never need to fear that the Holy Spirit will be removed from us, He is our permanent seal, our fellowship with God through the Spirit can be estranged and broken by our sin.
Yesterday, in her Journey Study, Lori said, “on the other side of mourning are abundant blessings.” Revelation 21:4 reminds us, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.”  Our vision is clouded by the sin we allow to persist by not fully addressing it or trying to excuse it. But if we are faithful to humble ourselves (I mean true, honest to goodness, on-our-knees-humbling ourselves) before God, then He is faithful to wipe away our tears and forgive our sin (1 John 1:9).  What a comfort to be completely forgiven and filled with His Spirit. And what an even greater comfort on the day when He wipes away every tear from our eyes forever!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Blessed Are Those Who Mourn!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Here Day 2 Angels: 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 Angels!

The Questions

1) Why is Paul writing these verses to the Colossians?

2) What do these verses teach us about Jesus?

3) What does it mean that Christ reconciled everything to Himself?

Colossians 1:15-20

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation. 
For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.

Original Intent

1) Why is Paul writing these verses to the Colossians?
Paul is writing to the church at Colossae where false teaching had permeated. One of these false teachings ran counter to the authority and supremacy of Christ. Word had gotten to Paul and he is writing to them regarding that specific false teaching. Paul refutes twisted doctrinal lies with solid, anchoring truth. His goal was to edify, encourage, and correct both the leaders of the Colossian church as well as its members by teaching them truth so they could easily identify the lies about Jesus, His deity, and His authority. Paul wants the local church to not be led astray into thinking Jesus is just another ‘god’, but instead is the Redeeming God they originally trusted for total salvation.

2) What do these verses teach us about Jesus?
These verses are pregnant with Jesus’ identity, His continuous work in creation, and His work both in the process of redemption and in the church. We learn many things about Jesus in these few verses. Readers are reminded, Jesus is God in the flesh, He was present at Creation, and, as God, He has all authority. These verses also speak to who Jesus is within the heavens, that He is first and He holds it all together. Paul then reminds readers that just as Christ holds supremacy over creation, Jesus also holds headship authority over the church. Paul finishes his rich description by detailing what Jesus did on the Cross to complete redemption for mankind. These declarations are not small, they encompass every aspect of who Jesus is within the Trinity and therefore remind believers in Colossae of why Jesus deserves all honor, glory, and authority. There is none like Him; He is incomparable.

3) What does it mean that Christ reconciled everything to Himself?
In verse 20 Paul says Jesus reconciled everything to Himself, both things on earth as well as in heaven, by what He did on the Cross. These verses are the culmination for all of Paul’s claims to who Jesus is within the previous verses. Only Jesus could “make peace by shedding His blood on the Cross”. No one else in all of Creation was qualified to complete that task other than God Himself. In that one act Christ righted all wrongs that had been done since the first sin in the Garden and reconciled all of Creation to Himself. Only the infinite God could possibly pay for all of finite man’s sin at one time. If Jesus were not fully God, this would be utterly impossible!

Everyday Application

1) Why is Paul writing these verses to the Colossians?
We, like the believers in Colossae, live in a world where false teaching and false statements about who Christ is exist everywhere, both outside the church, and even inside. We too must remember exactly who He is and what He has done for us and keep that forefront in our thinking. Sometimes, when we have been believers for any length of time, we begin to take for granted the truth of the Gospel and who Jesus is as fully God. We are tempted to not give Jesus the important place He deserves in our lives and in the Church. We need to heed Paul’s words just as much as the church in Colossae did by holding up our personal belief system against the unchanging truth of Scripture. Only by studying and knowing truth will we be able to identify, and step confidently away from, deception.

2) What do these verses teach us about Jesus?
These verses are the complete preeminence of the Savior showing readers His full superiority over all things. This anchoring truths remind us of the deity of Jesus, and we must cling to this! These verses are the complete defense against deceptions that depict Jesus as simply a good person or a prophet. He is none but the Son of God, who is head of all, fully equal with God the Father, and who gave Himself to die for us, that by believing in Him, we will be completely redeemed. May this truth never become old to us, and may we not be easily pulled away from the magnitude of truth held within Paul’s words the Colossians. May we cling tightly to the full truth of who Christ is, refusing to believe any watered-down version of His identity!

3) What does it mean that Christ reconciled everything to Himself?
From before the first sin in the Garden of Eden, God knew Adam and Eve would choose to love their sin over their Creator, and God had a plan to bring them back to perfect relationship with Him because of His great love for them. His plan is solely anchored in the Person of Jesus, who was there at Creation, is today, and will forever be. (Hebrews 13:8) Christ chose to be born as a baby in the manger, coming into the world He created in physical form, for the distinct purpose of taking our rightly deserved punishment of death and separation from God by His own death on the Cross, paying the price we could never pay on our own. He redeemed His Creation. However, that does not mean that through His death we all automatically receive this Redemption. We must accept what Jesus did for ourselves, every heart must choose to trust His complete work on our behalf by placing our faith in Him; only then are we reconciled back to perfect relationship with Him. While the gift of salvation is for all, we must choose to accept it and surrender to Christ and His lordship.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Worship VI Day 2 Is He Worthy?: 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 Is He Worthy?!

The Questions

1) Who is worthy and what makes Him worthy?

2) In these verses, why is Jesus referred to as both the Lamb and the Lion?

3) What does the song in verses 9-10 mean?

Revelation 5:1-10

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”

Original Intent

1) Who is worthy and what makes Him worthy?
In Revelation, John writes in words what God visually showed him regarding His coming kingdom. In these verses, there is a scroll no one is worthy to open except One. John uses language that would have made clear sense to those reading his words to describe the One who is worthy. In describing Him as “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “The Root of David”, the reader would have known John was describing Jesus. Expositor’s Bible Commentary tells us these descriptions were taken partly from the law and partly from the prophets, therefore anyone with knowledge of the Old Testament would have known exactly who John was referring to as the long ago promised Messiah. Verse 9 leaves no questions as to why He is worthy. He is worthy because “He was slain, and with His blood He purchased for God, persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” He is worthy because of who He is as God the Son and what He has done by sacrificing Himself in our place!

2) In these verses, why is Jesus referred to as both the Lamb and the Lion?Scripture refers to Jesus as both a lamb and a lion. As a lion, we see Jesus in all His authority and power. While, as a lamb, we see the Servant who gave Himself up to death on the cross, a punishment He did not deserve, yet He took it on willingly like an innocent lamb.  The original readers would have been familiar with verses such as Isaiah 53:7 where Isaiah tells of the Lamb who would be led silently to slaughter. They would have also quickly called to mind the promise of the Messiah coming from the tribe of Judah and the line of David. In Genesis 49:9 we first see Judah referred to as a lion and John uses this same description of a lion in Revelation 10:3 to tie the two together in fullness. This connection shows readers that Jesus came to earth originally to serve and save creation as a lamb; when He returns He will return with all authority as the lion King He is.

3) What does the song in verses 9-10 mean?
This is a picture of what is to come in Heaven. Jesus came and shed His blood for all people, not only the Israelites. God gave John a glimpse into who is in Heaven and it went far, far beyond God’s chosen people during the Old Testament. Matthew Henry says, “Christ has redeemed His people from the bondage of sin, guilt, and Satan, redeemed them to God, setting them at liberty to serve Him and to enjoy Him.” Jesus came for all people, and all people will gather together in Heaven. Salvation is not only for the Israelites, but instead for anyone on earth willing to accept Jesus.

Everyday Application

1) Who is worthy and what makes Him worthy?
Only Jesus is worthy because of who He is and what He has done. There exists none other who holds His qualifications. Jesus is the innocent Lamb who was slain for the forgiveness of our sins and for reconciliation between the Father and His children. He alone is worthy because He is God the Son! We shouldn’t quickly forget that while Jesus chose to come as a man, live on earth, and die for our sins although He never sinned, Revelation paints a much fuller picture of Jesus. When He rose again and ascended to the Father, He took back up all the rights He had set aside when He came to earth. He alone is worthy! He paid it all when we never could. Often, I think we, as believers, take for granted the sacrifice of Jesus. Revelation, and the picture God gave to John of what is still yet to come, wouldn’t matter to us if it weren’t for Jesus. He redeemed creation and made the way for our forgiveness and all that is still yet to come!

2) In these verses, why is Jesus referred to as both the Lamb and the Lion?
What an absolutely contradicting picture to call someone both a lion and a lamb! When we hear the word lamb we often think about a small, easily harmed animal unable to defend itself. While the word lion conjures up a strong, fierce animal clearly able to defend itself, holding its own against any enemy. To think of Jesus in both ways creates some struggle within us if we are honest. However, He is both the Lamb that was slain for our sins and the Lamb who humbled Himself and went to the cross on His own accord. He who shed His blood for us was put to death although He was innocent. On the other hand, in Revelation we see an image of a warrior who is coming back in all His glory as a fierce lion-like Victor who has already won the war!

3) What does the song in verses 9-10 mean?
Matthew Henry says, “But when the elect of God were made slaves by sin and Satan, in every nation of the world, Christ not only purchased their liberty for them, but the highest honour and preferment, made them kings and priests —kings, to rule over their own spirits, and to overcome the world, and the evil one; and he has made them priests, given them access to himself, and liberty to offer up spiritual sacrifices, and they shall reign on the earth; they shall with him judge the world at the great day.” Stop and think about that. We were redeemed from the hold of Satan, purchased by the very blood of Jesus and God chooses to not only see us as redeemed but to make us priests. What an incredible honor! Yes, we are to serve God as a result of our salvation, but we are given something greater than we could have ever earned. The best part is this gift of salvation is it is for everyone. It’s not just for the Israelites in the Old Testament, or the upper class, or the socially moral, but for all people from every tribe and language people and nation. This reality should excite and challenge us! There will be diversity beyond anything we could imagine when we are together in Heaven. This should also remind us of our job to share the good news of Jesus with everyone and not just those like us. Do we find ourselves staying within our circles of comfort, unconsciously keeping those who are different from us, far from us? All deserve to hear, and while none of us deserve the gift Jesus is giving, we are all offered it and called to extend it. Our job is to continue to share the truth of the Gospel with everyone, not only those we deem worthy. Jesus deems us all worthy of His gift of love and grace even in the midst of our sin and shame! Who will you intentionally share love with?!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Is He Worthy?!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Focus Day 7 Listen Up: 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 Listen Up!

The Questions

1) What does verse 2 and its discussion of stumbling tell us of the Christian life?

2) According to this passage, why is controlling the tongue so important?

3) What is James’ main point in giving the multiple illustrations in verses 9-12?

James 3:1-12

Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.3 Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

Original Intent

1) What does verse 2 and its discussion of stumbling tell us of the Christian life?
James doesn’t sugar-coat any of his words, quickly cutting to the core of the matter. Within the space of a few words, God revealed through James’ pen how we are all, without exception, incapable of being flawless and perfect. “We all stumble in many ways”, James says, and with that, he effectively describes the human condition affecting each of us called sin. Sin, being anything that does not align with God’s perfect standard of righteousness, breaks our relationship with God, separating us from real life, causing a rift that is impossible to mend because we simply keep on “stumbling in many ways”. No ability to ever please God, no hope of ever becoming “good enough” to attain right standing before Him, we simply die in our sin, eternally cut off from the God of all life and love and goodness. Right? Exactly right. If it were not for the grace of God who refused to allow eternal separation from Him to be the period for our lives. Instead, He gave Himself to take on our consequence of Death for our Sin, though He never once committed sin. In this flawless sacrifice of atonement, He died our death and defeated Sin forever. So, He extends His offering of redemption to all mankind, all of us who stumble in our sin, all of us who will never be enough, all of us. What must we do to be reconciled to such a loving God? Simply take Him at His word that yes we are sinners, yes He is the Holy God, and yes, we gladly accept His gift of eternal safety by surrendering ourselves to His rule and reign in our life instead of our own.

2) According to this passage, why is controlling the tongue so important?
James gives several reasons as to why submitting to God’s Spirit as He teaches us how to control the tongue is of critical importance. 1) If the tongue can be controlled, it exhibits how that person has long been practicing submitting to God’s direction and will have also learned to control other aspects of his or her life because of the Holy Spirit’s wise counsel. (verse 2) 2) While an uncontrolled tongue exhibits unrighteousness, arrogance, and pride, a controlled tongue that submits to Jesus before self, will reflect the righteous, beautiful, holy things of God. (verses 6 and 8) 3) But perhaps the most crucial reason for why taming the tongue is important is found at the close of this passage, “With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way!” (verses 9-10)

3) What is James’ main point in giving the multiple illustrations in verses 9-12?
The tongue is like a gauge for our hearts yielding to the control of the Savior versus ourselves. If we say we are believing Christ-followers, and have fully surrendered to Jesus, then our everyday manner of speaking should reflect that heart-choice. Just as Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24), and John says we cannot love God and hate our brother (1 John 4:20), so James says we cannot praise God and curse others who are made in God’s image (James 3:9). Either we are one or the other, but we cannot be both. There is nothing God honoring about praising Him with lips that turn around and gossip, cut down, manipulate, and react in anger. Nothing. James has already spoken of the journey in following Jesus, alluding to how we aren’t “instantly” sanctified and made perfect like Christ, rather it’s a shaping process. These verses are not meant to shame the believer, because in Christ, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Instead, James’ intention is to encourage the lover of God to walk with integrity and allow that love to overwhelm even the small and seemingly insignificant tongue. James emphatically argues how this “little” tongue is exceptionally powerful, and can either be used for righteousness or for evil, depending on which Master we choose to submit it to, the Lord or the enemy.

Everyday Application

1) What does verse 2 and its discussion of stumbling tell us of the Christian life?
James continues with, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body”. While his opening words define human reality because of sin, this phrase offers hope. It is possible to not stumble, possible to grow up and mature and not only be able to effectively control their tongue, but thereby, also have attained the ability to control the rest of the body as well. What this means for the one who has decided to trust God at His word, choosing to follow Jesus instead of him or herself, is that there is a progression in becoming more like Christ. From the moment we say yes to Jesus, the journey begins that will continue until we reach our eternal reward in Heaven where we will be made completely whole. This journey is the process of God’s Spirit making us new and shaping our hearts to be like His own and it is a process. A long process! While we will never reach “perfection” on earth (because of sin), we can grow up and become mature in Christ. (Ephesians 4:15) Do you see your short-temper, your angry words, the ways you don’t love like you know Jesus does? Do you long to be a better reflection of Christ? Keep seeking Him! He IS making you new! Resist the urge to compare your journey to another’s. God is the author of each heart and He knows exactly how to grow us individually. Trust Him, stop trying so hard to do better and be better on your own. Leave these burdens at the feet of Christ, and trust that He will keep making you new as you keep following Him in obedience.

2) According to this passage, why is controlling the tongue so important?
What we choose to do with our tongue boils down to integrity and Who we have decided to follow and surrender to. If we choose to serve ourselves, then we will continue setting the forests of our relationships ablaze with our anger, our lashing words, our self-righteous talk, and our gossip, caring nothing for anyone but ourselves. We have no hope of escape from this, not truly. Or we can choose to serve and surrender to Christ, and our words will gradually be shaped by the Spirit of God living within us as He changes our hearts and the habits of our tongue to reflect His righteousness. What we cannot do is both. This is living a lie, spreading the poison of evil sin recklessly around us every time we open our mouths. Our own lips will condemn us as we claim to “love God” while also cutting down our children, mocking our spouse, backstabbing our friends, and openly slaying others with our words. The choice is ours, who will we surrender our tongues to? Self or the Savior?

3) What is James’ main point in giving the multiple illustrations in verses 9-12?James paints a pretty vivid picture with his imagery describing the power of the tongue. While we are meant to be convicted of ways we aren’t honoring God with our speech, we are also encouraged because James evidences two clear realities. 1) On our own, it is absolutely impossible to tame the tongue (James 3:8). 2) With God’s power, we can use our tongue for good, for righteous praise, and honorable speech. The difference lies in our power source and in our willingness to submit to the Spirit’s leading, even if we’ve already claimed Jesus as Lord and crossed the line of faith. Living in obedience to the Spirit with our tongue means honoring others with our speech, refusing to gossip, encouraging all who can hear, and regularly allowing praise to flow from our hearts and pass over our tongue and through our lips. As James paints with striking depiction, it is a difficult choice, but we can choose to allow God to reign and rule our tongues instead of ourselves! Choose this day whom you will serve!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Listen Up!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Captivating Day 15 Life For Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 61:1-3
Luke 9:23-24
Acts 16:6-10

Captivating, Day 15

As I sat down to write this Journey Study, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
Within an instant, I was taken back to twelve-year-old Sara (who actually went by Lizzie, but that’s another story for another day), sitting in the church sanctuary pew, tears streaming down her face. I was a wreck!
My church’s mission team was heading to Jamaica for a week and was in the process of presenting a slideshow detailing how they would minister on the trip.

I sat captivated by the testimonies, the preaching, the song and dance, and envisioned myself walking the roads and sharing the gospel.
The longer I watched, the more tears I shed.

My mom leaned over and asked me what was wrong, as I was clearly engulfed in emotion.
Four words mumbled from my mouth through silent sobs.
I need to go.

 I had known about missionaries, and mission trips my entire life, but I’d always viewed it as something to do when I got ‘older’, whatever that meant.
It wasn’t until my sister gave us all hugs and said, ‘see you later’ I realized missions wasn’t intended for just some believers,
It was intended for every believer.

As mom and I talked, I couldn’t help but wonder why the emotion, and why the longing? It brought questions up in my heart, and I knew I needed to find answers. By the end of the night, we decided if I still felt the same way next summer, then I could sign up for my first mission trip.

Over the course of the next few months, I felt I heard the word ‘missions’ more than ever.
It’s beautiful the way the Spirit works to create a hunger within us, isn’t it?!
When you are increasingly sensitive to His leading, and really pressing into Him, He reveals His direction ever more consistently and clearly in our lives. From guest speakers, to videos, to Scripture, I felt drawn to missions more and more.

When the next summer rolled around, I had signed up for not one, but two trips. I was heading to El Salvador, and a couple weeks later, to Jamaica. It didn’t matter that it was summer and I was supposed to spend my days at the pool, what mattered to me was going. What mattered was obeying what God had told me to do.

The trip to El Salvador was overwhelming. To see how the world lives beyond my sphere was eye opening, especially as I wasn’t much older than most of those we interacted with.
I had spent one night on our trip praying and praying about what God wanted me to do with my life when I heard His voice for the first time.

I’ve called you to this, my daughter. To proclaim the Good News. To be a missionary.

I knew then, my life was forever changed.
This was why I was engulfed in emotion.
This was why the Spirit had been speaking to me for the last year.
He was preparing me to listen and obey.

The theme of the week in El Salvador was Vida por Vida, which means Life for Life.
Jesus gave His life,
So we can live our lives,
To tell others about Him.

This is the Gospel lived out!

If I wouldn’t have laid my own desires down, I would’ve missed what God created me to do. To make disciples, to teach them the Good News.

Following Him in obedience will always involve sacrifice.
But it will always be worth it!

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

We were all created to go.
It could be within the walls of your home, in the checkout aisle, across the street to neighbors, or going to the 10/40 window, but the mission is the same.
To ensure every person on earth has heard the name of Jesus.

If you’ve never been on a mission trip before, I encourage you to pray about it, then follow through and sign up for one. It’s incredible to see the Lord working beyond your everyday borders.

Will it cost you?
Yes
Will it be worth it?
Beyond measure, friends, beyond measure, as you give your life for another life.

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 Captivating Week Three! 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 Captivating!

Captivating Day 8 Longing To Be Loved

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1:26-28
John 4:1-2
John 4:39-41
Psalm 139:13-18

Captivating, Day 8

Oh God, please, please, please just give me a baby sister. Please.

This was the pleading of a five-year-old little girl, who continued praying this for 2 years.
This was my prayer.

As much as my five-year-old brain could understand, I knew my mom couldn’t physically have more children, but I also knew God was a God of miracles, which meant I could still have a little sister. So I prayed with everything in me.

Oh the joy when my prayers were answered one evening two years later! My parents gathered my grandparents, brother, and I into our tiny living room, telling us we would be adopting a baby in a few months. They didn’t know whether that baby was a boy or a girl… but I knew. This baby was my answered prayer. This baby was my sister.

As hot tears streamed down my tanned cheeks, I knew, at just eight-years-old, that the Lord hears. He does the impossible, far beyond what we can imagine or dream.
I knew God loved me.

This began my deep passion for adoption, and a softened heart towards women surprised with pregnancy.

Unexpected pregnancies have been a rhythm in my family, including my precious Gamma and her beloved Harald. My Papa passed away right after they celebrated 59 years of marriage, but their marriage began unconventionally. When Gamma was 15 and smitten with a handsome, blonde, German boy, they found out they would become parents much sooner than planned. At 16, they made vows they took seriously and carried out all 59 years of their marriage. However, being pregnant in the 50s at only 15, forever marked my Gamma. So, when other family members found themselves in similar circumstances, her heart ached for the pain they endured from scoffers and judgers; which marked me.
I learned at a very young age the Bible is clear: sex outside of marriage is wrong. Pregnancy is not.

It is not a sin to be pregnant.
Life is never a sin.
Life, because of God’s great redemption, can be the result of sin, but it is not sin.
Period.

So, sisters, how do we go about loving the fellow mamas around us who are expecting a life they weren’t planning to receive? How do we approach the mamas who were planning their pregnancy, but became pregnant outside of marriage?

Well… we love them,
just like the Father loves them.

Jesus, was the result of an unplanned pregnancy occurring outside of marriage. Mary was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit as a young teenage girl. (Matthew 1:18)  Motivated by redemption, the Father brought forth LIFE. The Spirit impressed on the hearts of wise-men to search for the King and shower Him with gifts.

We love our fellow sisters, women, image-bearers, by welcoming their miracles with gifts and showering those mamas with love.

The Woman at the Well, was a woman living in repeated sexual sin. She’d been married five times, and while we don’t know the reason for each of those marriages, we do know she was with a man who wasn’t her husband at the time she met Jesus. While she didn’t physically bear the evidence of her sin, Jesus saw her and He knew it all. Even still, He loved, accepted, and conversed with her as He offered redemption.
Through her powerful story, many came to know Him.

We love our fellow hurting women by accepting them, conversing with them, and showing them grace and Jesus through our actions. God has not abandoned her or her child. If He will not cast her off, neither can we. He offers redemption and hope to her just as He has for us.

Sisters, Jesus is for life.
He is for all life, which includes the life of the mama with the unplanned pregnancy.
He isn’t just longing for her physical life, but her spiritual life. Despite painful circumstances, shame, and brokenness, He will use all of it to draw her to Him.
How incredible to be a part of that redemption!

I am so incredibly thankful my sister’s birth mama chose life.
The Lord used her unplanned pregnancy to answer to my prayers and show me His Love.
God is the creator of life, and all life has a purpose.
Let us, the Church, join together to celebrate life, celebrate redemption, and celebrate motherhood.
Let’s join together to love the mamas who desperately need to experience Jesus’ loving redemption.

Ready for some practical tools to love these mamas?
Below is a list of ministries both international and local to Kansas City (GT headquarters) that do exactly that!
All of these ministries focus on loving women with Jesus’ love while helping prepare them for their future as a birth mama, for a baby being adopted, or a single mama raising her child.

If you are an expecting single mama or already a single mama, these are some awesome resources for you.
Know you are Loved.
You are Valued.
You are Treasured.
You are not the sum of your mistakes,
and we would love to pray for you and love on you – so please reach out to us!

Embrace Grace – A support group for women with an unplanned pregnancy where mamas are showered with love by throwing baby showers for expecting moms. There are groups all around the country and you can find a group near you! There are also support groups for those same mamas after their babes are born.

Rachel’s House – This amazing organization has four locations across the Kansas City metro and is focused on educating parents on all options for their unexpected pregnancies as well as supporting families through pregnancy and adoption or parenting.

The Single Mom KC – A group for soon-to-be single moms and current single moms of all ages, stages, and circumstances. They have a free boutique for moms to “shop” at as well as hosting monthly workshops to help equip mamas and give them a night out (Free childcare! Woohoo!)

Bahamas Godparent Center – This community ministry offers biblical guidance, pregnancy testing, counseling, ultrasound imagery, and, most importantly, HOPE!

The Life of a Single Mom – This ministry works to educate church and community leaders as well as the general public with the challenges faced by single moms. They believe no single mom should walk alone.

Heartbeat International – An international ministry that helps 1,500,000 clients every year by offering resources, helping with adoptions, and overall, aiming to help women recognize life and choose life.

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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 Captivating 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 Captivating!

Kaleidoscope Day 14 Enduring: 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 Enduring!

The Questions

1) What do I do if I don’t feel like loving someone?

 2) Why is love so important to God?

3) How can love endure all things?

1 Corinthians 13:7

 [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Original Intent

1) What do I do if I don’t feel like loving someone?
When Paul described love in 1 Corinthians 13, he used the Greek work agape. Agape love, according to Biblical commentator David Guzik, is a ”sacrificial, giving, absorbing, love. The word has little to do with emotion; it has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another.” At the time of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the church was struggling with spiritual immaturity, immorality, divisions and false teachings. Christ’s heart desire is for His Bride, the Church to live in sweet unity with one another for this is how Jesus loves. Paul wrote to provide clear instruction on how the Corinthian church could love like Jesus.  In chapter 13, Paul described the love of God, emphasizing the unselfish actions of love rather than the emotions. Author John Piper shares how Paul was “applying love to the Corinthians’ situation and using it as the criterion for why some of their attitudes and behaviors are unacceptable.” Paul was telling the believers in Corinth that Christ-followers become like Jesus when they choose to show love even when they don’t feel like showing love. (Biblica.com)

2) Why is love so important to God?
The Bible tells us love is vitally important to God; it’s the very essence of who He is. When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40.) To Jesus, loving God and loving the people God loves is imperative. Because God is love (1 John 4:16), His followers are known by their love (John 13:34-35), which is God’s love flowing through them onto others! The way we come to God is by recognizing His love for us. (Romans 5:8) One way we introduce Jesus to others is by sharing His love with them (1 John 4:11). We love God by loving others, and loving others demonstrates to God our love for Him!

3) How can love endure all things?
The Greek term for endure, hupomeno, means to “remain or abide under . . . not simply with stoical resignation, but with a vibrant hope” (PreceptAustin.org). Love has the ability to endure all things because God’s love is rooted in hope. Psalm 118:1 tells us how God’s love endures forever. According to author Debbie Hannah Skinner, that phrase appears over 40 times in Scripture. God encourages us through the repetition of this specific truth that His love empowers us to endure all things because His love will never stop enduring all things.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39) so nothing can ever keep us from the hope and strength God gives us to endure any hardship. Love shows up when things seem bleak and hangs in when things are hard.  God promises He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Forever enduring love is God’s kind of love demonstrated for eternity and this is the love He enables us to extend to others through His Spirit’s equipping power.

Everyday Application

1) What do I do if I don’t feel like loving someone?
I am a born romantic, so I am drawn to stories that pull at the heart strings, lyrical poetry, and sentimental ballads.  All of these are lovely, but they are not love.  They represent only one aspect of love, the feeling kind.  Real love, the love discussed in 1 Corinthians 13, moves far beyond a feeling into action (1 John 3:18).  Love is a decision every believer has the power to make because the Spirit of God, who is love, dwells within them. God Himself is love (1 John 4:8) and He calls and empowers me to love others even when I don’t have feelings of love.  Author Ted Cunningham says, “We can only give love when our hearts are full of God’s love.”  I can choose to love my spouse and children even when they make me angry, disappoint me, or hurt my feelings because God’s love is alive inside me (1 John 4:7).   My actions can show I love them when my heart does not feel it.  There is an old song by the artist Don Francisco with a line that goes, “Love is not a feeling/It’s an act of your will.”   When I choose to love like Jesus, in and through His power, and am not ruled by my emotions, my loved ones experience Christ’s love! We are called to love with the love of Jesus, and that means a love powered by God, not emotions.

2) Why is love so important to God?
Love is so important to God because without it, we no longer reflect Him and His essence. The moment we stop loving others as Jesus does, we stop imitating Christ. Through love, God made Himself known to us, and it is through this same conduit Christ calls others to Himself as we love them! His love began our relationship with Him; He loved us first and drew us to Him (1 John 4:10).  The Bible warns if we don’t love, we have not known or truly experienced God, because God is love.  Everyone who lives a life of love knows God and has been born of God (1 John 4:7-8).  Love is who God is; it is His DNA. To love Him and accept His love is how we know Him. He designed His love to overflow from us to those who don’t know Him so they can experience His love (John 15:12) through us. The Bible teaches us to “put on” patience, kindness, humility, gentleness and forgiveness, and that Jesus’ love will bind all these virtues together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:12-14) as we live out our calling to love others. Struggling with loving others like Jesus? The solution is to know and experience the essence of love in fuller ways! Study Scripture, communicate with the Lord God, and begin exploring the Being of Love in deeper ways!

3) How can love endure all things?
Being a teacher and a mom has taught me the virtue of being flexible.  The better able I am to adjust my expectations to the reality of my situation, the less stressed out I am in the situation.  But there often comes a point where I say, “Enough!”. I feel like I can’t handle one more disobedient student or one more whiny complaint from my offspring.  I am all sweetness and delight until I reach that point, and then, suddenly, I am anything but sweet.  In those moments, I am showing how far my love can go in my own strength, without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and it isn’t very far.  For me to endure all things, I must be operating in the love of Christ and not my own inadequate version.  I Thessalonians 3:5 tells us God leads our hearts into God’s love and Christ’s endurance.  When I am relying on God’s love, a love that gives sacrificially, I am able to respond in love rather than react in frustration.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

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

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Ignite Day 12 Lives Ablaze: 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 Lives Ablaze!

The Questions

1) How is this hymn divided up and how can its structure influence my own declaration of praise?

2) What is the source of this outpouring of praise?

3) What are the main goals of this hymn?

Isaiah 12:1-6

On that day you will say:
“I will give thanks to you, Lord,
although you were angry with me.
Your anger has turned away,
and you have comforted me.
2 Indeed, God is my salvation;
I will trust him and not be afraid,
for the Lord, the Lord himself,
is my strength and my song.
He has become my salvation.”
3 You will joyfully draw water
from the springs of salvation,
4 and on that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim his name!
Make his works known among the peoples.
Declare that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things.
Let this be known throughout the earth.
6 Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel is among you
in his greatness.”

Original Intent

1) How is this hymn divided up and how can its structure influence my own declaration of praise?
It is quite common for hymns, prophesies, and other passages of Scripture to have an intentional rhythmic structure. Knowing what marks to look for help us slow down and take apart Scripture piece by piece in order to better understand it. Particularly, repeated phrases or calls to action are big flags to take note of and study in parallel. Here, on the heals of a prophesy declaring destruction as a consequence for sin followed by the promise of healing, redemption, and restoration, Isaiah calls the nation to a coming day (verse 1) when they will sing praise to the Lord. Each section of the praise hymn begins with the phrase, “On that day you will say”. This is a clear call to action that Isaiah repeats for emphasis, and between the 2 “verses” of the song, a pivotal chorus stands out as both anchor and hinge-point. Go ahead and look at the passage for yourself and see if you can find the “verses” and “chorus” of the song!

2) What is the source of this outpouring of praise?
The anchor of the hymn is found sandwiched between the 2 stanzas of the praise song in verse 3 with the intention of drawing attention to the reason the people are singing. Their reason? The joyful salvation of the Rescuing Savior! He allowed them to see how their sin separated them from the Lord, and then provided the healing by saving them Himself. If you go back into chapter 11 before this passage, you’ll read of the “root of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1) on whom the Holy Spirit rests (Isaiah 11:2-3), by whom justice is delivered (Isaiah 11:4), whose character is both righteous and faithful (Isaiah 11:5), and by whom such peace will prevail that the lion will lay down with the lamb (Isaiah 11:6). This prophecy speaks of only One with such greatness, the Lord Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man, to come one day as a Mighty Rescuer for mankind by laying down His life for sinners like you and I. The salvation that would one day be provided by Jesus, the coming “root of Jesse” through King David, is the anchoring source of the hymn of praise in Isaiah 12.

3) What are the main goals of this hymn?
The overarching thrust of the hymn is to bring praise to the Lord. Praise for His mercy in showing Israel her sin that she might repent. Praise for His gracious forgiveness as He drew her near and forgave. Praise for His salvation that eternally provides deep-seated joy, peace, and comfort that surpass all understanding. Praise for His comfort and constant supply of strength through His presence. The Lord alone deserves such praise and the goal of the hymn is to declare exactly this! As we pay particular attention to verses 4-6, we find the singers declaring this praise not only to the Lord, but to the nations. This song glorifies God, but it does it through the telling of their own salvation to all around them. “Make His work known among the peoples!” (verse 4) “Let this be known throughout the earth!” (verse 5) “Cry out and sing, Zion!”. (verse 6) The song that brings the most glory to God is the story of transformative salvation!

Everyday Application

1) How is this hymn divided up and how can its structure influence my own declaration of praise?
The first section of the song, in verses 1-2, focuses on the personal nature of their story. The Lord had brought punishment because of their sin, He had opened their eyes to see how they had walked away from Him, but He did not leave them there. The people praise the Lord because His discipline brought repentance and now He has drawn near, bringing comfort, strength, and peace without fear.
The second section, found in verses 4-6, focuses on telling that story of redemption and restoration to the ends of the earth. They praise God for His character, His mighty rescue, and the dwelling of the Lord with them.
The anchoring chorus in verse 3 sings of the pure joy found in the salvation of the Lord, which feeds the praise in both the beginning and end sections of the song.
When we praise the Lord and declare His goodness by sharing our faith stories with others, we can use this same model. Our goal should be to first and foremost, bring the Lord praise for Who He is and what He has done, but our secondary goal should be to draw others in that they too can see how good the Lord is!

2) What is the source of this outpouring of praise?
The “one day” Isaiah prophesied about where all would come and praise the Lord for His rescuing salvation did indeed finally come on the day Jesus laid down His life as an atoning sacrifice on our behalf. We, separated from a right relationship with the Lord because of our sin, were drawn near through the loving redemption of the cross where Christ took our punishment of death upon Himself, giving us His life as He once and for all swallowed up Death with His Life! This is the anchor of every believer’s story and song; it is the hinge-point of our faith, and the source of our joy because we who once were lost have now been found. Once we were dead in our sin, hopeless and alone, (Ephesians 2:1) but now we are alive and made free (Ephesians 2:5) as we are hidden in the eternal life of Christ! (Colossians 3:3) This prophesy from Isaiah gives us reason to sing today because of our Rescuer’s death and resurrection hundreds of years ago, but it also points even farther ahead to another “one day”. One day, Jesus will return and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. (Philippians 2:10-11) One day His return will signal the perfect union between the Lord God and His Bride, the Church, which includes every believer. For the Christ follower, regardless of circumstances, these two anchors of past salvation and coming redemption, will always give us reason to sing!

3) What are the main goals of this hymn?
Sister across the screen from me, I don’t know your day-to-day. I can’t count your losses, see your tears, or feel the aching heaviness you carry, but I do know I can relate. Days of delight or days of weariness or days of pain so intense it consumes us…I haven’t walked in every shoe, but I’ve walked these days in mine. Regardless of the scene playing out around me, I have always found one constant…. the saving redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. Always. Never changing. The Lord who never leaves, who never casts me off, who never mocks or shames, and who has rescued me from an eternity stuck and separated from Him because of my sin is worthy of all my praise. So sing, I will. Through tears, through heartache, through loss, or in joy, I will declare the goodness of my Lord. Because singing this song is anchored in a truth that will never change. He Is Worthy! Sing it out, girl, sing it out!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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