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If Day 9 Easy Life: 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 Easy Life!

The Questions

1) Even though God had instituted sacrifices and festivals, why was He now tired of them? (verses 11-14)

2) Why does the prophet Isaiah call Israel to pursue justice and look after the vulnerable in society? (verse 17)

3) After all of Israel’s iniquities, why would God still want to settle things with them? (verse 18)

Isaiah 1:11-19

11 “What are all your sacrifices to me?” asks the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who requires this from you— this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies—I cannot stand iniquity with a festival. 14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals. They have become a burden to me; I am tired of putting up with them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. 17 Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause. 18 “Come, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.

Original Intent

1) Even though God had instituted sacrifices and festivals, why was He now tired of them? (verses 11-14)

In the Old Testament, sacrifices were offered for the atonement of unintended sin; to show devotion to God; recognition for God’s goodness; thanksgiving and fellowship; cleansing from defilement, and to make restitution. There were five sacrifices: the burnt offering, grain offering, fellowship offering, sin offering, and guilt offering. The burnt, grain, and fellowship (sometimes called peace) offerings were voluntary, while the sin and guilt offerings were compulsory. God could not allow sin because of His holiness and therefore sin must be punished. The sacrifices were a means of maintaining worship and fellowship with Him so Israelites could enjoy relationship with Yahweh. On the other hand, there were intentional sins that had no sacrifice available. Intentional sins were pre-meditated sins such as adultery or murder or even lying. Check out Proverbs 6:16-19 for a list of these sins the Lord hates. Sacrifices could not atone for deliberate sins of arrogance that insisted on their way over God’s clear path of righteousness. This highlights the seriousness of sin against God! People who sinned intentionally were at the mercy of God. While there are a few instances in Scripture (Numbers 5:5-10, Leviticus 19:20-22) where a clear intentional sin could be covered by a guilt offering, these were rare exceptions. In general, the Law did not provide for forgiveness for premeditated, intentional sin. The only available option was God’s grace. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, God removed all sins, intentional or otherwise with a sacrifice. Take King David for example. After Nathan confronted David about his sin of adultery and murder, David lamented in Psalm 51:16-17, “You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; you are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.” David’s sins were deliberate, and he knew offering a sacrifice would be futile. David knew God wanted a truly repentant heart. Even in all other sacrifices within the system God had set up for Israel, He most wanted their hearts of repentance and worship. He designed the system to provide a visual representation of the high price tag associated with sin, which is always death. (Romans 6:23)

 

2) Why does the prophet Isaiah call Israel to pursue justice and look after the vulnerable in society? (verse 17)

God explicitly commanded His people to treat the fatherless, the widow, and the foreigner justly. (Deuteronomy 24:17) God calls Himself “a father to the fatherless, and a defender of widows.” (Psalm 68:5) Widows and orphans were particularly vulnerable in ancient culture. Without the husband or father present, supporting themselves became difficult. Widows and their families became essentially homeless. Sometimes widows were even abused. (NIV Cultural Background Study Bible). Judah’s disobedience to God included neglect of the vulnerable and God, through the prophet Isaiah as His mouthpiece, implored them to once again heed God’s covenant law and do right by these members of society.

 

3) After all of Israel’s iniquities, why would God still want to settle things with them? (verse 18)

From the time God created mankind, He intended to have a relationship with him. When sin came into the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, this separated man from God. However, God immediately began work on restoring that relationship. (see Genesis 3:15)  The Lord set apart Israel to be His people (Leviticus 20:26), to be different. They were to be an example, by not engaging in the horrendous rituals and practices of the nations around them. They were to mirror God’s righteousness and holiness by living as an example of His heart and character in the world. Unfortunately, Israel sinned against the Lord repeatedly; they could not keep themselves righteous. However, God, because he loved Israel so much, sent prophets like Isaiah to speak to them in the hopes they would repent. Once they repented, He would forgive their sins and restore their relationship. Israel’s constant disobedience helps us see that, on our own strength, we absolutely cannot be holy like God. We need God to be holy for us and then offer His righteousness to us in exchange for our sin. This is why Jesus came, to do exactly this!

Everyday Application

1) Even though God had instituted sacrifices and festivals, why was He now tired of them? (verses 11-14)

The sacrifices and festivals in the Old Testament were God’s design for His chosen people, despite their sinful ways, to approach Him in worship and maintain the covenant relationship. However, the people missed the heart of God and His desire for relationship with them, which led them to performing sacrifices as mere ceremonies completed out of duty rather than from a heart broken over sin. This is why God said, “I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. (…) Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable to Me.” (verses 11-13) It is not much different today. Many people attend church out of duty, but few practice true heart surrender to the Holy Spirit in everyday life. God wants our worship to be pure, true, and from our hearts. I remember having a conversation with a close relative who told me their church had a special collection to purchase a television for their pastor. The way my relative spoke about this pastor gave the impression they actually worship him more than God. While there is nothing wrong with parishioners showing appreciation to their pastors, they must be careful not to idolize and worship them. Our loyalty lies with Jesus, not man. Jesus told us we must remain in Him because we cannot do anything without Him. (John 15:4-5) He desires our whole hearts. In similar verbiage to what Isaiah recorded in verses 11-13, Jesus cleared the temple of Jews who appeared to be worshipping God, but their hearts were actually far from God. “He (Jesus) went into the temple and began to throw out those who were selling, and He said, “It is written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!”” (Luke 19:46-47)

 

2) Why does the prophet Isaiah call Israel to pursue justice and look after the vulnerable in society? (verse 17)

True religion is about caring for the poor and helpless and living a godly life. (James 1:27) I am currently caring for my ageing mother who has dementia, as well as an autistic brother. My mother depends on me and trusts me to do what is right for her and my brother. There is no way I can take advantage of their disabilities for my gain. If I do so, I will be sinning against God, who is their Defender. (Psalm 68:5) There are times I must put my life on hold for them, but it is not about me. John 15:13-14 states, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do what I command you”. I am doing what the Lord commanded me to do by showing love to Him, my mother, and my brother, in doing what is necessary for them despite the challenges and inconveniences to me. All who claim to follow Christ have an obligation to pursue justice and care for the vulnerable around us because this is God’s heart.

 

3) After all of Israel’s iniquities, why would God still want to settle things with them? (verse 18)

The Bible tells us, “For 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”. (John 3:16) This divine love is why God wants reconciliation between us, who are sinful, and Himself, who is holy. He wants to restore the relationship broken by sin so we can be with Him in eternity and connected to Him through His Spirit in this life. Jesus became sin for us in taking on our punishment (death and separation from God) so that, in Him, we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Let us love Jesus and commit to having a true relationship with Him. It is only through Jesus we can live a purposeful life. It may not always be an easy life, but one well worth it in the end.

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

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 If Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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If Day 1 One God?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 9:2-7
Hebrews 1
Colossians 1:13-22
Daniel 7:9-14

If, Day 1

Years ago, a certain talk-show host sometimes used his show to attack the faith he’d abandoned. During one show he asked, “If God the Father is so ‘all-loving,’ why didn’t He come down and go to Calvary?” This man traded the truth he knew for a what-if question. I myself have heard it in several forms.

What if Jesus was just a prophet or a great teacher? What if Jesus wasn’t really God? Honestly, I’ve asked myself these questions. It wasn’t from unbelief, but a desire to be able to explain my faith to others.

Those questions have one answer: Jesus was fully God and fully man. Therefore God did come down, teach as only God could, and then endure the cross so we could obtain salvation and eternity in heaven with Him.

Want to know what’s good about my answer? I can back it up.

If Jesus isn’t God, then He and John the Baptist would be liars. John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) and “the Son of God” (John 1:34). Jesus said of Himself, “before Abraham was, I am,” (John 8:58), echoing God the Father’s statement in Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM.” But let’s go one step further.

If Jesus isn’t God, then God Himself would be a liar.
And let’s be clear.
God is holy.
He cannot lie. (Numbers 23:19)

When John the Baptist was baptizing Jesus, the voice of God from heaven proclaimed, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17) We know from Genesis 1 that the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) was present at creation. They work in tandem with each other. We see an example of this in John 14:16, where Jesus asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to the believers. Three persons, yet one God, working for our good and our salvation.

Salvation means God working on behalf of man to deliver us from sin and death and give us eternal life in heaven. How does Scripture support this? What a great question! I started in Isaiah 9:6, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us.” Then it lists His names, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Who is this Son who is also Mighty God?

Matthew 1:20 says this, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Look, we found Mighty God. It’s Jesus!

You might be wondering why this is important. Well, it speaks directly to several assertions people make about Jesus. Let’s review, shall we?

  •     Jesus was just a prophet or a great teacher
  •     Jesus was a great man, but not God

Colossians 1:13-22 addresses these assertions. Verse 13 reveals God has rescued us from darkness and “transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.”
Who’s the Son God loves? Jesus.
Who possesses kingdoms and has authority over everything within them? Kings.
So Jesus was clearly not just a prophet or great teacher.
He was, and is, an eternal king.

I confirmed this in Daniel 7:14, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” 

Well, what about the “great man but not God” statement? Colossians 1 says this:

  •     “He is the image of the invisible God” (verse 15)
  •     He created everything (verse 16)
  •     He is the head of the church (verse 18)
  •     God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (verse 19)

Friends, Jesus was a great man. But He was also fully God.

But not just any “god.” Jesus is the One True God. He’s the God who reconciled His people to Himself by defeating sin and death. Defeating sin requires a perfect, sinless life. In other words, a person would need to be perfectly and absolutely holy. No human fits that bill. But God, presenting Himself in human flesh could and did, in the form of Jesus. Then, He went one better. He took on all the sin of the world so we could be considered clean before God the Father. We should sit with that for a moment.

To defeat death, we’d have to die and resurrect ourselves. Humans can die, but we can’t resurrect ourselves. But Jesus’ human body died and then was alive again. He, Himself, resurrected. No smoke and mirrors. Just the power and authority of God. Thus, Jesus earned the title of Savior.

God said this about Jesus, “And let all God’s angels worship Him.”
I say, let all of us worship Jesus, our one True God. He is more than worthy!

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

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Here’s a link to all past studies in If!

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched IX Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) In Monday’s Journey, Paula led us to consider what it must have been like for Peter to reflect on his faith journey with Jesus and look ahead to leading the young church into a new season. Jesus did not act as Peter had expected the Promised Messiah to act, and yet… Christ was undeniably the One. Peter understood how unqualified he was to lead this young church, considering his repeated doubt and disloyalty to Jesus. And yet… Jesus had commanded Peter to feed the sheep. Sometimes God’s call on our lives looks different than we expect. Sometimes we feel unqualified for what He asks us to do. Reflect today on how you understand God’s call on your life. How has your understanding of His call for you changed? (For example, when I was younger, I thought God would call me to overseas mission work, but now I am a full-time mom of little children and actively discipling local teenagers to know God better.) Ask God for guidance and direction as you live out His current call on your life, trusting that, by faithfully following His leading, He will produce good fruit in your life.

2) When we hear stories of faithful men and women who have surrendered their lives for Jesus, we can easily believe we would do the same in their situation. We find ourselves saying we would die for Jesus, without considering what it looks like to live for Jesus. The Savior clearly said in Luke 14:25-27 that His followers must be willing to lay down their lives and take up their cross to follow Him. This means we also, as His modern-day followers, must be willing to lay aside our plans and our own will, choosing to trust His leading. While we may want to perform a grand gesture for the Lord, He often calls us to small, consistent acts of obedience. Peter and the other apostles risked death and imprisonment to share the Good News of Jesus. Are you willing to risk an awkward conversation to share the Gospel with a friend? Peter sat in a dark and stinky prison, and still chose to worship God. Are you dedicated to worship God consistently in your own home? What is one small step of obedience you can practice this week? Write down this step and share it with a friend or family member, asking them to pray for you as you trust in the Holy Spirit to empower you to obey.

3) In yesterday’s Journey Study we imagined together Peter’s thoughts as he prepared for the end of his life. As he faced down death, he considered how disciples of Jesus ought to live in this present age. He acknowledged that suffering leads to our purification, and that our hardship draws us to rely on God for strength only He can provide. Peter reflected on the importance of steadfastness and trusting God to do all He has promised. Before he died, Peter sought to strongly encourage other believers by reminding them of God’s character. As you reflect on the course of your life, what message would you want to pass on to other believers? What are the greatest lessons the Lord has taught you thus far? Write a brief letter to a fellow believer (real or imagined) outlining what God has done for you and how you have seen His great faithfulness. What are the key lessons your story has taught you about following and serving Jesus Christ, our Lord? How does your story fit in with the “sweeping drama” of God’s big story? Be sure to use Scripture to emphasize the truths you identify in your life.

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 2 Peter 3:15-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

 …but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…

Prayer Journal
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great mercy and love for us. Thank You for sending Your son, the long awaited, yet unexpected Messiah. Thank You for His great work on our behalf. I confess, oh Lord, that I often want to live my own way, promising myself that one day I will do something great for You, but unwilling to take small steps right now. We know that You work in unexpected and surprising ways. You tell us in Your word “the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16) and those who suffer will be blessed. I ask You to come near me today. For those who are suffering, I ask for comfort and steadfastness. For those who feel weak, I ask for Your strength to become evident in their life. For those who want to do great and mighty works for you, I ask for confidence in their small works of obedience in this moment. Let us not grow weary in following You, instead may we always look to You for our hope and assurance.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sketched IX Day 14 Costly Surrender: 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 Costly Surrender!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)

2) Why is it necessary to renounce your possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)

Luke 14:25-35

25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 “Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? 35 It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)
Crucifixion was an extremely horrific type of execution. It consisted of tying or nailing the victim to a cross until he died, usually hours or even days later. Before the actual crucifixion, the victim was flogged with a leather whip woven through with iron balls and sharp sheep bones. The scourging was meant to bring the victim to a state just short of death. (Robert Gidley) In this weakened state, the criminal carried the crossbar to the execution site upon his shoulders.  If he tripped or fell, he could not use his arms to break the fall and would most likely fall on his face to the ground, bringing further shame, humiliation, and pain upon himself. Jesus’ death by crucifixion shows the length and breadth of His rescue mission in order to save us from the punishment we each deserve for our sins, death. Christ’s death was the ultimate sacrifice because He, though completely innocent of all sin, chose to take on sin’s consequence out of deep love for us. To bear our cross, we must be willing to follow His example by dying (crucifying) to our sinful selves and living for Jesus in the new life He gives freely to all who surrender themselves to Him.

2) Why is it necessary to renounce our possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)
Before Jesus began His ministry, His cousin, John the Baptist, taught about money, possessions, and repentance. One day while baptizing by the Jordan, John told the crowd to share their clothes and food with those who didn’t have any. He instructed tax collectors to collect no more than required. He taught soldiers to not extort money and be content with their pay. (Luke 3:10-14) Jesus also told quite a few parables about the effects of accumulating wealth. For instance, the parable about the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 teaches that focusing on storing up wealth for future use is senseless. The rich fool’s focus was not on God, but on himself and his accomplishments. So with all his plans, he died that very night, unable to enjoy the fruits of his labour, leaving everything he had for someone else. In Luke 18:18-25, a young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, to which the rich ruler replied he kept from his youth. But Jesus told him he lacked one thing, which was to sell his possessions, distribute to the poor, and come follow Him. This saddened the ruler because he couldn’t bring himself to part with all his wealth. These examples demonstrate that accumulating wealth can easily deter us from serving God whole-heartedly. Jesus wanted total commitment from His disciples; commitment that would be impossible if they insisted on holding tightly to material things.

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)
In the biblical days, salt was not as pure as it is today. It was mixed with different forms of impurities causing it to lose its saltiness. Therefore, nothing much could be done with it. According to Zondervan, “such salt does not complete its purpose, and it lacks the resource, the saltiness, to do the job it was intended for.” (Zondervan KJV Commentary) Jesus used what was common, tasteless salt, to teach His disciples that if they chose to muddy their lives with other “lesser loves”, they are no longer suited for effective Kingdom purposes, just like flavourless salt. Every Christ follower must be willing to live for and worship God alone, continuously surrendering to His purpose for their lives.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)
The Roman execution method of crucifixion was a slow and painful process. When Jesus used this metaphor He knew exactly what He was talking about, and so did His audience. This wasn’t intended to be an emotionally encouraging pep talk. He was telling His disciples that following Him would guarantee intense persecution, even death. While many today, at least in the western hemisphere, may not experience this level of persecution, being a Christian still guarantees a cost. To truly follow Jesus means whole-life commitment and sacrifice, and living for Him does not mean automatic happiness and an easy life. I was the victim of a crime committed by a close family member. I wasted no time in reporting the matter. Other family members begged me not to take action, but I could not turn a blind eye to wrongdoing and did what I knew was right. As a result, I lost favour with family members, and my relationship with the perpetrator has been severed for almost two years. It has been really hard, but I do not regret the choice I made. We must not condone sin, no matter who commits it. Our calling as Christ-followers is to live solely for Jesus and not focus on money, possessions, or relationships that are out of alignment with God’s calling to live holy. We will experience difficulty for following God and His plan; we must be prepared and willing to endure hardship because Jesus gave everything for us. If we try to save ourselves from pain and heartache, we will not grow into maturity, thus missing out on our intended purpose in following Christ.

2) Why is it necessary to renounce our possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)
True repentance means a radical change of lifestyle especially as it relates to money and possessions. As mentioned above, I was a victim of a crime. My entire life savings was stolen from me. While I had no choice to report the crime, the Lord told me to not attempt to retrieve the money. With His guidance, I rebuilt my finances and became financially stable once more. It took time, but during that time, the Lord provided and worked out His goodness in my heart as He taught me to trust Him instead of my finances. One passage of Scripture I have seen fulfilled in my life is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you”. The whole incident of theft changed my life. I drew closer to God and He has demonstrated to me that He will take care of me once I give my life wholeheartedly to Him. By surrendering to Jesus, He proved a faithful Provider. If I had chosen to trust money instead, I would have missed out on the better thing, which will always be Jesus. Placing Jesus first in your life ahead of family, career, and wealth means building a relationship based on faith, trust, and commitment to God. Is it difficult? Yes. But this sacrifice means living a life of purpose and meaning far more valuable than money or human relationships could ever provide.

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)
Being a Christian means more than just saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ”. We are called to be doers (active followers) of the Word of God, not simply hearers only. (James 1:22)  Being a disciple means fulfilling the calling God has for you, whatever that may be. If you begin your journey of walking with Jesus, and then become distracted by other things along the way, you have lost your saltiness. There was a season when I spent a lot of time in Bible Study and sharing what I learned through writing. Distraction set in and “life” got in the way. My excuses were plentiful. I had children to raise and a career to develop, and I allowed “following God” to take a backseat. Just before the theft incident, I would have said my life was great. It was when my whole world turned upside down, God lovingly used that hardship to correct my course and bring me back to Him. I have returned to daily Bible Study and have begun writing and sharing about Jesus once again. I am fulfilling my purpose and the calling the Lord has given me. In the words of Zondervan, “Believers must determine never to be “useless Christians”, like salt that has lost its flavour. (Zondervan KJV Commentary)

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

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 Sketched IX Week Three!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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Sketched IX Day 8 Who Do You Say I Am?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 4:1-22
Luke 9:18-20
Luke 22:54-62
Matthew 16:13-20

Sketched IX, Day 8

The Sanhedrin thought they had me cornered. But this time would be different. I would set the record straight and tell of the Truth. (John 14:6)

My life has always been wrapped up in catching fish. I love it! Night after night, my brother, Andrew, and I would boat out to sea. We would cast our nets into the water, waiting for that ONE BIG CATCH.

I remember one night in particular, which should have been a great night for fishing, but as much as we tried, there was not a single fish to be caught. As the sun began to rise, we pulled to shore. Along the shore, crowds of people were coming closer. Nearby, Jesus told us to return the boat to sea. I was exhausted from fishing all night. But being Jesus’ disciple, I pushed the boat back out and hopped inside!

After teaching the people gathered on the shore for a bit, Jesus turned to us and told us to cast our nets on the other side of the boat. Of course, I had to reply, rather insistently, “Uh, Jesus, we have been out all night. We didn’t catch one single fish, and we are too tired to try again!” He just looked at us and said, “Throw out your nets!” So we did. And guess what? We pulled in so many fish there were too many to hold!

Jesus said, “Peter, today you will catch fish in your nets, but one day you will catch people for Me!” My mouth dropped open. I didn’t understand what He meant, but looking back, I see so clearly. (Luke 5:10-11, paraphrased)

See, I was an ordinary man, like you. Doubt came easy. Fear, even easier. Passion drove me. Let me explain. One night, the winds were fierce and the waters were overtaking the boat. I, with the others, noticed something out on the water. What is that? A ghost? But suddenly, I knew Who it was! “Jesus, My Lord, if it is you, bid me to come.”

As I stepped onto the treacherous waters, “Come” was the only word I heard. I kept my eyes focused on Him, until I was slipping onto the water. How is this possible? For one brief second, I was walking on water.

The next second, the wind howled and tore against me, the roar of the waves was deafening, and I took my eyes from Jesus . . . “Uh, Jesus help me!” Instantly beside me, Jesus lifted me out of the water and we climbed into the boat. The others began worshipping, “Truly You are the Son of God!” The other disciples knew Who He was. But, did I? (Matthew 14:28-33)

Another time?

“Come, follow Me” were the first words I heard Jesus speak to me. And, on that very day, I became His disciple. Each day, talking and walking with Jesus, I was developing a relationship like no other! I was quickly learning He was exactly Who He claimed! Day after day, I watched as He healed, loved, and shared with others about His Father.

One day, He asked the other disciples, “Who are others saying I am?”.
Without hesitation, everyone began speaking.
“Elijah.”
“A prophet.”
“John the Baptist.”

“But Who do you say I am?” He asked with quiet insistence.
I didn’t hold back for a minute. “Oh, Jesus, You are the Messiah.”

Another question?

“Aren’t you a disciple of the One they call the Messiah?”
I quickly hid beneath my cloak. “You must have mistaken me for someone else.”
Three times, I was asked. And three times, I denied My Lord.
I, who once walked on water, heard teachings to the multitudes, witnessed countless miracles, healings, and the-never-ending-catches-of-fish, I could not even speak His name.
I was one of three disciples to pray with Him in the garden. How could I have done this? Deny the Messiah?

This moment? 

So, I understood the confusion of my inquisitors at this moment. Upon acknowledging their accusations, I saw the elders, rulers, and scribes converse. They seemed to be bewildered as I faced them with the Spirit’s courage and spoke of the very One I denied so many years ago.

“You ask me, by what power? In what name? Until my last breath, I will proclaim Jesus as the One True God. With boldness, I say this man was healed by Jesus, and in His Name.” (Acts 4:7)

One of the Sanhedrin turned to face me. “Um, Peter, well, we do not understand how an uneducated man could say these things to us. We’re going to let you go, but we order you not to speak in His Name again.”

Me? Not speak in Jesus’ Name?
I, who after years spent by His side, knew Jesus as both a man and as my Savior, my Lord?
I, who quickly learned I was loved and forgiven by the One Who carried my sins to the cross?
I, who was called and chosen by The Messiah to carry the Good News across the nations? (Luke 9:20)
I should remain silent? Impossible.

I knew Who He was because I had been truly touched by Jesus! I will remain immovable and unshakeable, just like the name Jesus gave me, the rock upon whom He would build His church. (Matthew 16:18)

But, my sweet friends, how would you answer this question? If I, Peter, a disciple and follower of the Messiah, who also had a deep relationship with Jesus, could truthfully answer this question, can you? Without hesitation, who do you say He is?

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Sketched IX 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 Sketched IX!

Sketched IX Day 6 Heart Healer

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 3:1-26
Isaiah 53:3-6
Luke 7:1-10
Luke 22:47-51

Sketched 9, Day 6

I noticed him straight away by the Beautiful Gate. It’s strange; I must have walked past him many times before, but as John and I approached the Temple, just in time for the afternoon prayer service, my attention was immediately drawn to the man.

He had been lame since birth, and he was over forty years old. Unable to earn a living any other way, his only hope was to beg for money from those visiting the Temple. I felt a pang of compassion as I saw him being carried there by friends and seated in his position by the gate.

“Please give me some money!”

As we got closer, he called out, his eyes lowered to the ground. Although he was not addressing his words particularly to us, and although we had no money, something made us stop, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. We had become familiar with the Holy Spirit’s work in recent days. On the day of Pentecost, God had filled us with His Spirit and empowered us as He promised He would. Where once we had been weak and fearful, now we were bold as we shared about Jesus, and miraculous signs and wonders were now regular occurrences.

I stood and gazed at the man, and my heart went out to him.

“Look at us,” I said. He raised his head eagerly, and I could see the hope in his eyes, the expectation that we were going to fulfil his request for money. But there was also something deeper, a glimmer of faith. Maybe the reason he sat outside the Temple each day wasn’t only because of the gathered crowds. Maybe his desperation had drawn him to the place of worship. I admired his hope and faith persisting after so many years.

I had no money, but I had something better to offer. I thought of all the times I had witnessed Jesus’ healing power as He cured the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and even raised the dead. His authority was so great He had healed a centurion’s servant without even visiting the man, just by saying the word from a distance. His desire was always to heal.

Even not so long ago, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus’ enemies came to arrest Him, He healed one of them! In my panicked attempt to defend Jesus, I had cut off a man’s ear, but Jesus simply told me to put my sword away, picked up the man’s ear, and restored it.

Now God had sent the Holy Spirit to fill us with the same power.
I knew what I had to do.

“I don’t have silver or gold,” I began, and the man’s face instantly fell. “But what I do have, I give you,” I continued. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

He looked at me in confusion, so I reached out my hand, and as I helped him to his feet, his ankles were instantly healed and strengthened!

His eyes were wide as he began walking, hardly daring to believe it was true. At first his steps were small and tentative, but then they became bigger and more confident. Before long he was leaping and shouting praise to God, unable to contain his joy and exuberance.

As we entered the Temple, he came with us, praising God all the way, and clinging to us. Unsurprisingly, a crowd gathered to learn the cause of the commotion, and I could hear their incredulous conversations.

“Isn’t that the beggar who sits by the gate?”
“It can’t be – you know he can’t walk.”
“But it looks like him… It is… It must be…”

As the truth sank in, they were completely astounded!

They surrounded John and me, and I knew I had to set the record straight. It was an amazing opportunity to tell the people about the source of this awesome power.

Addressing the crowd, I explained the man had not been healed in our power, but by Jesus’ power and by faith in His name.

They knew about Jesus. Many of them had been there that awful day as He stood before Pilate. Many of them had shouted for Jesus to be put to death and for Barabbas to be freed. (Mark 15:6-15)

Yet, I felt no bitterness towards them. Jesus’ death had been part of God’s plan, and God had shown His power by raising Jesus from the dead. Their sin, all of our sin, had been the very reason Jesus came. His command to “love your enemies” came to mind (Matthew 5:44), and I longed for them to understand how they were just as much in need of healing as the man who was now able to walk for the first time. They did not need healing of the body, but healing of the heart. This was exactly what Jesus’ death had made possible, if only they would accept it.

“Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19-20)

The physical healing of the man pointed toward a deeper, spiritual healing each one of us needed, a healing available to all because of Jesus’ sacrifice and victory.

The fire in my belly, a longing for each wounded heart to meet its Healer, burned ever stronger. Where would He lead us next?

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Sketched IX 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 Sketched IX!

Ready Day 13 Gathered Together

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Thessalonians 2
Psalm 18
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Ready, Day 13

There’s nothing quite like having something taken away to make you realize how much you love that something. The idea of gathering together feels different for all of us around the globe in the wake of Covid-19.

Most churches closed their physical doors for a time. When they did re-open, masks and social distancing made us all acutely aware that gathering together had significantly changed. My dear friend in Scotland cannot even sing aloud with her church when they finally do gather in person.

The early church multiplied quickly, spreading across provinces and countries like wildfire. Jesus had come as God in the flesh to point our sin-wrecked hearts back to Him (Romans 5:6-11), He ascended to rule and reign with Father God at His right hand (Romans 8:34), and now He was building His other-worldly kingdom through His beloved ones, those who called out to Him as Savior. (Acts 2:41-47)

The work was the Lord’s.
The people were His.
The Church was His Beautiful Bride, His very great reward.

As precious as the early church was, they faced struggle, persecution, loss, and distance just like we do today.

Because Christ’s Church spans oceans, deserts, forests, rivers, and plains, it can be hard to remember we are all integrally connected to one another.

The sister in Nigeria who faces a government in disarray and ruled by those bent on destroying Christians is as much a part of me as the skin that covers my bones.

The brother in India who spends his days entering villages closed to the gospel in order to have even one conversation with a person of peace willing to hear about Jesus is as deeply intertwined with me as my lungs that inhale and exhale.

We are the Body of Christ, His Church.

My best friend and her family live as far around the world as possible without beginning to return the other direction. While we grieve our distance, knowing I can’t watch her kids for a date night and she can’t sit on my couch eating late night ice cream, the Spirit of God binds us together in such sweet intimacy, it’s almost like we share the same air.

The Holy Spirit reminds one of us to pray specifically, fervently, for the other, and the Lord brings us together. My heart yearns for her physical arms and for flesh and blood fingers to wipe away tears, but in the Spirit of the God in whom we share, we are gathered together.

It’s with this gut-level yearning Paul draws the members of the Thessalonian church into his embracing words of encouragement. Though aching for their physical closeness, Paul intimately whispers of the richest of all secrets.

Soon, brothers and sisters, soon, we will all be gathered together with Jesus Christ Himself!
Soon, we will stand face to face with one another, every tribe, every nation, every race, and every language gathered together.

We will be one and that gathering will be flooded with the magnificent glory of the Lord Jesus. We will touch hands, hug shoulders, laugh and dance in freedom, and oh, we will worship, how we will worship as One Gloriously Beautiful Bride of Christ!

Soon, but not yet.

It’s not a secret thing, this gathering together with our Lord Jesus; all who draw breath will know, unmistakably, our King has indeed finally come to bring His people home.

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the archangel’s voice,
and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are still alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we will always be with the Lord.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Satan will be allowed to wreck his havoc in the now, tormenting souls and deceiving them into thinking they have it all, but they have nothing.

“He (Satan) opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. (…) working every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders to serving the lie (…) with wicked deception among those who are perishing.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4, 9-10)

Those who believe Satan’s lies will perish because “they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

In light of our coming reality of gathering in person,
Paul urges us to lean in to God’s Kingdom work.

Who do you know who “refuses to love the truth and so be saved?”
Are you actively praying for them and for an opportunity to share truth with them?

“…from the beginning God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:14-15)

Would you consider yourself a “lover of truth”
that you might be “gathered together” when Jesus returns in glory?
What are the evidences of your claim?

God has a purposeful call on our lives to trust Him,
to be sanctified (made more like Him by the Holy Spirit) by Him,
to tell others about His Hope,
and to trust that, regardless of struggle and distance now,
one day, He will gather us all HOME!

Let’s be Ready for His Return!

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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

Ready Day 9 Living Ready: 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 Living Ready!

The Questions

1) What does “God’s will, your sanctification” mean in verse 3?

2) Of all the sins that he could speak of, why does Paul cite sexual sin as the way to have holy lives?

3) Why is loving others so important in living a godly life?

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Additionally, then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received instruction from us on how you should live and please God–as you are doing–do this even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality,4 that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor,5 not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God.6 This means one must not transgress against and take advantage of a brother or sister in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.7 For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. 8 Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more,11 to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,12 so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.

Original Intent

1) What does “God’s will, your sanctification” mean in verse 3?
God’s desire, His will, for us is more than just forgiveness of sin so we can be restored to a right relationship with Him. He wants to restore us to flawless His image, completely unmarked by sinful desires. God created us in His image. (Genesis 1:27) While that was ruined by the fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3), God still instructed us to “be holy as He is holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16); God’s will is to perfectly restore His image in each of us and He offers this to all who have trusted Him for salvation from the condemnation of sin. (Colossians 3:9-10) Sanctification is a big, confusing word. It can also be translated as “holiness” or “set apart.” Thus, God’s will for us is to live holy lives. When we live holy lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more like Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18) His Holy Spirit enables us to “participate in the divine nature” of God. (2 Peter 1:3-4) Peter urges us in the following verses to do our part in coordination with God’s Spirit working inside every believer, “make every effort to add to your faith (…) godliness with brotherly (…) love”. (2 Peter 1:5-9) Again, Peter urges us, “make every effort to confirm your calling and election.” (2 Peter 1:10-11) When we participate in His work, we are READY to enter His Kingdom. “For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.” (2 Peter 1:11)

2) Of all the sins he could speak of, why does Paul cite sexual sin as the way to have holy lives?
The church in Thessalonica was amid an amoral society. The ancient writer, Demosthenes, described the view of sex in the ancient Roman Empire like this, “We keep prostitutes for pleasure; we keep mistresses for the day to day needs of the body; we keep wives for the faithful guardianship of our homes.” (Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4) Sexual sin was rampant and grossly distorted God’s design! Paul exhorted the church because they were called to live set apart lives. He encouraged them to live more and more like children of God, taking on the image of Christ as the Holy Spirit shaped it in them. His will was for believers to live different lives from unbelievers, so their good works would be seen and draw all men to glorify God and receive salvation also. (Matthew 5:16) God, through His Holy Spirit, is directing us to work for His good purpose. In his book, “Holiness”, J. C. Ryle stated, “if we are not obeying Him and living more like Him, we are not shining lights. And if not, perhaps we have not truly given our lives to God in the first place. Certainly, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.” (Philippians 2:12-15)

3) Why is loving others so important in living a godly life?
Love is the cornerstone to holy living. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6, “Love the Lord and love your neighbor.” (Matthew 22:37-40) It all boils down to LOVE. All the law rests upon loving God and loving others. In his letter, the disciple John encouraged us to love each other. This kind of divine, selfless love proves we are born of God because we are becoming like Him. (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-8) He even said, if we aren’t loving each other, we don’t know God! (1 John 4:8) If we struggle with this, we may need to consider whether we genuinely love Christ. J.C. Ryle wrote, “Let it never be said that we cannot know whether a Christian really loves Christ.” He continues, if not “perhaps you have no sense of debt to Him”. The only way to genuinely love Christ and realize our indebtedness to Him is to study the Bible fervently. Learn the attributes of Kingdom living in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Get a grasp on our sinfulness in Romans 1 and 2. Additionally, pray. Plead with God earnestly, asking for His light and understanding. Seek Him with all your heart, soul, and mind until you see your need of Him. “To see your need of Christ and the debt to Christ is the first step toward loving Him.” (J. C. Ryle)

Everyday Application

1) What does “God’s will, your sanctification” mean in verse 3?
We receive many graces when we are saved from the consequence of our sin, which is eternal death and separation from God. The first of these is justification, which is the forgiveness of all our personal sin past, present, and future. I like to explain it this way, God’s grace makes me “Just as if I’d never sinned”. (Romans 5:9-18) But grace does not stop there! The next thing God gives is new life! We call this regeneration. Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains regeneration as a change of heart (Titus 3:4-8); becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17); a renewal of the mind (Romans 12:1-2). This is nothing man does on our own strength, but rather it is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Thirdly, God adopts us as His child! (John 1:12-13) We are His heirs! Finally, we are given the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to live more and more like Jesus. As we grow in Him, this holiness (sanctification) becomes the doing and living of our salvation. Dr. David Jeremiah says, “it is the proof of our faith… the example of our faith… and the action of our faith.” (Crosswalk)

2) Of all the sins he could speak of, why does Paul cite sexual sin as the way to have holy lives?
Much like Thessalonica, sexual immorality is rampant today, even within the church. Sexual passion is a wonderful, God-given gift, but God designed it to be enjoyed only within the bounds of marriage. (Hebrews 13:4) The desire of the flesh is likely the strongest desire we have and is incredibly hard to resist. Even King David, a man after God’s own heart, failed to resist sexual desires. (2 Samuel 11:1-5) It must be fought on two sides, body and soul. We must take care to “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:20-23) to keep our desires at bay. We can only remain pure through our humble search of God’s Word (Psalm 119:9-11), hiding it deep in our hearts. [Bishop Kastor, The Philokalia, Vol. 1] It takes diligence on our part along with constant submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Anne Graham Lotz stated in her book, Jesus in Me, “While you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you, the cooperation of your full surrender, obedience and faith is required to activate it.” It takes self-control and humble constant repentance to quench the fires of the flesh. But be encouraged, with His Power, we CAN resist and flee temptation! (1 Corinthians 10:13) We CAN live holy lives. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

3) Why is loving others so important in living a godly life?
Today, we hear it said that we cannot love others unless we love ourselves. This idea would essentially be saying Jesus gave us a third commandment (actually, loving ourselves would become the second commandment.) God has instructed us to put others before ourselves (Philippians 2:2-4). Scripture tell us many times to love others without saying anything about loving ourselves. (1 Corinthians 16:14, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 3:11, 18) (Doug Britton, Marriage and Family Therapist) Loving others is not always easy. There was a time in my life when there was a person whom I did not want to love. Until a preacher said, “Ask God to make you willing, to be willing to love her.” I put it to the test. God gave me several tasks to complete including giving her gifts and praying for her. Before I knew it, I loved her dearly. God’s love is not like ours, and to love like Him, we must be willing to surrender our dingy definition for the divine pathways of God’s love to be manifest in us. C.S. Lewis confirmed this idea in Mere Christianity, “Do not waste time bothering whether you love your neighbor, act as if you did. As soon as you do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

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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

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

This is Ready Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Nations Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) On Monday, Laurie shared a beautiful analogy from Scripture about her work on mission in God’s kingdom akin to being poured out as the best perfume to Christ. Think about the ways you have been impacted in beautiful ways by those who, because of their love for Jesus, have loved you well. Be specific. Bring up their faces in your mind and write down their names in a note on your phone. There are many needs around us in our everyday lives whether it’s an empty pantry, kids’ transportation, dirty diapers to change, never ending errands, or long lists of “to do’s”. As you think through the ways you “pour out perfume” in your regular life rhythms, ask yourself if you are willing to make space for what or who the Lord wants you to pour into, at the expense of something or someone on your list. Return to the names on your phone of those who impacted you and decide to send them a thank you note for how they showed Jesus’ love to you. Then prayerfully, and humbly, bring your to do list to the Lord, asking Him to show you the most lovely way to pour out perfume to Him by loving others!

2) What were your experiences with church growing up? In what ways have those perceptions shifted over time? Rather than give a casual response, sit with the question for a few minutes, letting it simmer in your heart. Write down scenes or descriptive words you associated with God or church as you were younger; attach some ages that were pivotal in your formation. As you clarify your thoughts on paper, it becomes easier to see how we think differently from our current vantage point. What are some stark contrasts you notice? Janna shared yesterday how Church is defined as God’s people, but it’s often reduced to an experience. Share out loud your responses to this statement and why you feel this way. Consider how your everyday life choices reflect what you genuinely believe about Christ’s Church and the believer’s role. Ask the Lord to stretch your current view of His Bride, the Church, and expand it over time, teaching your heart to love and engage ever more deeply!

3) Make some space for special worship and prayer this weekend by planning just 15 minutes of time alone. Mark it on your calendar and do whatever necessary to keep this space set apart as sacred between you and God. Prepare your heart by thinking ahead to this time with Him, asking Him to make your heart ready to engage with His Spirit. When you’re ready, find a quiet place inside or outside, silence your phone, and open your Bible to Revelation 7:9-12. Read it several times through, slowly. I repeat, slowly, because we tend to rush things, don’t we? What words or phrases stick out to you? Bring those to the Lord, asking Him to stir your heart and speak to You through His Word. After soaking in His Words, close your eyes and let yourself imagine the scene described in these four verses. What do you see? What do you hear? What is radically different than your everyday life experience today? Consider your answer to this last question as you think through the prayer of Jesus, “Let Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, emphasis mine) How can you actively take what the Lord has been speaking with you about into actionable steps in your everyday life?

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 Revelation 7:9-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

“After this, I looked and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language which no one could number, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the Throne, and to the Lamb!’”

Prayer Journal
Father, I confess my view of You and Your work around the world is much too small. I fall into my regular daily chaos or monotony, and because I don’t see it, I forget that Your work continues. Lord God, please keep prying my hands off myself, lift my gaze to see beyond my borders, and be reminded that I have an important role to play in Your Body, the Church. Give me opportunities to explore how believers are spreading the gospel in other countries and right here in my own city. Stir me in deeper ways to actively participate in the work You are already doing around me. Prod me to seek out people who are different than me, expand my horizons so I can love others better. Give me a kingdom perspective that spans all nations, peoples, and languages, then show me how You have created me to participate in building Your kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music