adoption

Alive Day 10 Hope Unseen

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:24-27
Hebrews 11:4-12:2
Habakkuk 2:3-4

Alive, Day 10

“Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. 

In the same way, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:24-27)

Seeing is believing. What you see is what you get. Prove it. Show me.

When we are skeptical about something, we often seek ways to confirm its truth or error. We want evidence. Even Jesus’ own disciple, Thomas, said He would believe Jesus was alive after the crucifixion only when he saw the scars. (John 20:24-29)

Our Christian walk requires faith in what we do not and cannot see right now. Furthermore, it requires hope that Jesus is Who He claimed to be and is trustworthy. We are promised eternity with God and an end to all suffering and tears. We can trust His promise!

We are not, by nature, good at waiting. We seek the quickest way to the desired result.
Waiting can be excruciating.

During our adoption journey, we were first told our child would be joining our family about a year after we started the process. It wasn’t until two years later, however, we were able to hold her for the first time, welcoming her into our family.

The wait was painful. I prayed my daughter would be safe and cared for, having no idea of her condition. I wept for her as I wondered who was there to kiss her “ouchies”or wipe away her tears. Who was making sure she didn’t go to bed hungry? I wept because I missed her, though I didn’t know I could miss a person I’d never met. I longed to be with her, to hold her in my arms and tell her I loved her.

Though the wait was painful, we had hope that someday she would be with us. Until then, we prayed, we encouraged each other through the hard times while dreaming of what life would be like when she came home.

Our waiting for Jesus is similar. Waiting isn’t easy, as we long to be with Him, to have Him hold us and to tell Him we love Him, to marvel at the beauty and tenderness of His face, and to feel His loving touch.

We are not alone in our waiting! Romans 8:26-27 show us the Spirit knows what we need and is able to communicate with the Father in ways we cannot, because we do not know how to express our longing!

How comforting to know that though we cannot see, the Father planned in advance for the Spirit to guide us!
To comfort us and to remind us of the hope we have in Him!

This world has pain, sorrow, and struggle, but in the midst of it, God is faithfully caring for us while we await the completion of His plan! He not only left the Spirit, He also gave us His Word. There, we find examples of His faithfulness, as well as the faith-filled lives of those who have gone before us reminding us He is preparing a place for us! He has planned for our rescue before He even created the earth! (Titus 1:2)

Hebrews 11 tells of faithful believers who depended on God, clinging to their hope in Him. They were willing to set aside comfort, security, and their very lives, because they considered trustworthy the One who was doing the asking.

In Habakkuk, we find God’s people in captivity in Babylon.
The prophet has inquired of God, how long?
How long will Your people have to wait for rescue? (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

God answers, “I am doing something in your days that you will not believe.” (Habakkuk 1:5) In chapter 2, He urges Israel to wait for deliverance with endurance and hope, “Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late [. . .] the righteous one will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:3-4)

As God gave His word to Habakkuk, He has given us His word concerning our eternity. We labor in this world, looking ahead to the hope He has given us through Jesus, for we are assured, “He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

How do we hold onto hope when life gets difficult?
We continue to join together with other believers, to encourage and remind each other of God’s goodness and the hope we have in Him. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

We live together as a body united in Christ,
praying for one another,
bearing each other’s burdens,
and rejoicing in the victories of other believers.
We continue to keep incorruptible hope before us, remembering from where we have come as sin-sick depraved souls, embracing the sacrifice of Jesus with grateful hearts.
In light of the Unseen Hope, we can live fully surrendered to His lordship and leadership, giving glory to the One Who has called us to Himself.

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Eve Day 2 Eve of Tomorrow: Digging Deeper

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Eve Day 2 Eve of Tomorrow: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

December 5, 2017

Adoption,Believe,Broken,church,Digging Deeper,Faith,Generous,God,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Inheritance,Jesus,Love,Pain,Peace,Purpose,Redemption,Relationship,Truth

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Eve Of Tomorrow""
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:17-25

...and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the significance of being an “heir”?

An heir in both Old and New Testament times had weighty implications. Only the firstborn son was eligible to receive the richest inheritance and the fullness of everything his father owned. The eldest would be the sole benefactor of the physical inheritance, not by merit or reputation, but simply by being born.

In the same fashion, those who are in Christ are “born again” (John 3:5-6) as being from God with a new heart and a new Spirit, the Spirit of God Himself!

Not by merit, not by our righteousness do we earn this standing, rather it is the gift of God! (Romans 6:23)

Also unique, is the singular aspect of firstborn. In ancient times, there was one beneficiary. In God’s perspective though, there are countless individual believers, yet there is one Body, one Bride, His Beloved Church. (Romans 12:5)

This inheritance is ours as the Church!

The Everyday Application

1) What is the significance of being an “heir”?

Backing up into the verses preceding this section, we see that those who choose to follow Christ, surrendering their heart to Him completely, God adopts as sons.

The sign of this “sonship”, or adoption, (Galatians 3:26) is the very Spirit of the Living God coming to dwell within that person. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the “seal” of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13), marking forever that we belong to the Lord.

The overflowing of the Spirit’s work in our lives is the fruit of righteousness that can only genuinely be attributed to the Holy Spirit’s work and not our own (Galatians 5:22-25). Having this Spirit will not only transform us, but will also both guarantee our eternal reward in glory with Christ Jesus as well as guarantee suffering in this life (John 16:33).

Even though suffering is a guarantee, how does the knowledge of being a “firstborn heir” change your perspective on the trials in your life? Think about your everyday moments today, how does the truth of who you are and all that is yours through Jesus affect your heart attitude?

The Original Intent

2) If we are heirs of God, then why do we have so much suffering?

It’s a classic question, and one no one loves to answer. The root answer is found at the very beginning of time in Genesis 3. Sin.

Before sin entered the world, everything was perfect, all was flawless. Relationships. Bodies. Plants. Animals. No disease. No sickness. No death. From the smallest insect to the magnificent human body, no detail was corrupted or broken. But Sin. 

Sin’s destruction affected everything. All relationships. All bodies, plants, animals, and everything else in creation. When difficulties come barreling at us, it’s life-giving to remember that God did not create these hardships to harm us or break us or make us weep.

His original intent was perfect beauty in all things. We cannot escape the effects of sin in our world. But God! 

Despite the impossible brokenness of our sin, God entered in. He not only suffered with us, but He suffered the eternal consequences of sin for us, that we might have an eternity free from suffering. (Ephesians 2:4-7)

The Everyday Application

2) If we are heirs of God, then why do we have so much suffering?

How do you view suffering?

The Lord knows our suffering here is not even worth comparing to the glory awaiting us. The Lord knows that our suffering here will produce eternal character in our hearts, both drawing us closer to Him as well as allowing us to comfort others and reach them with the gospel.

Take time to challenge your own view of suffering!

Look up Romans 5:1-5 and read it slowly, taking in the fullness of its meaning and the supreme weight of the coming, eternal glory awaiting those who trust in the Lord!

Suffering is not meaningless. Only a very good and sovereign God would be able to take an atrocity like suffering and mold our hearts as we walk through it in order to produce good things in us as a result!

The Original Intent

3) How does “all of creation groan”?

As mentioned above, it was not only human relationships that were broken as a result of the original sin. “All of creation” began a steady, insidious decay as a result of Adam’s poor stewardship with creation.

Adam, being charged with the care and taking of all creation (Genesis 1:28-30), had ushered it, along with all humanity (Romans 5:12), right into the consequences of sin, which is always death, destruction, and decay. (Romans 6:23)

We see other references where “creation” cries out for restoration and redemption in places like Matthew 27:51 when Jesus breathes His last, the earth quakes and rocks split. In Habakkuk 2:11, the stones were said to cry out (figuratively) because of the sin of Israel. In Job 31:38, the land (figuratively) cries out.
 
One glorious day, all will be made right. There will be “a new heaven and a new earth because the old heaven and the old earth (will pass) away.” (Revelation 21:1)

The Everyday Application

3) How does “all of creation groan”?

The very sure and certain hope of an eternal glory that will neither fade nor pass away nor ever be touched by the death, destruction, and decay of sin is an unshakeable source of comfort and stability!

Sin’s effects are inescapable, suffering is a guarantee, brokenness is a fact of life, but in the face of these earthly-bound trials, we must train our hearts to remember the eternal.

Take to heart the fact that every single thing about this world will one day be completely gone, like a morning mist, and in its place will stand the immoveable, unshakeable, flawless and fully, beautifully redeemed creation, bodies, and relationship that God intended from the very beginning.

It is for this blessed hope that we wait!
(1 John 2:15-17)

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Justice Day 10 The Fatherless

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 2:5-8
James 1:26-27
Romans 8:5
Psalm 68:4-6 

There once was a woman named Esther.
She was young. She was stunning. She was an orphan.

Perhaps she is the most well-known orphan of all time; people have been reading her story for thousands of years.

But stop for a moment and imagine Esther as a little girl. Imagine a slight little girl with wavy, dark hair that wisps around her face. Smooth, olive colored skin and a little button nose. Big, dark eyes, framed by thick lashes, looking up at you, while her head bows in shyness. She blinks, and for an instant, you can see the sorrow that has settled in her spirit.

She has no mama. No one to wipe her nose when it runs or to rub her back when she wakes from a bad dream. The mama that labored this child into existence and cradled her baby face in her hands, is gone.

And this little girl has no daddy. No one to scoop her up and toss her in the air when he gets home from work. No one to playfully tease her, and remind her that she is beautiful. The daddy whose finger she once grasped with her chubby little fingers, has died.

What would you say to little Esther if you encountered her today? Would you wrap your arms around her and say, “Sweet one, you will go on to do incredible things”? Or perhaps, “Our Abba Father loves you, my dear, more than you will ever comprehend. He has great plans for you”?

Esther was adopted and raised by her cousin, Mordecai…
Who raised her
As
His
Own.

Mordecai became the daddy that scooped her up and tossed her in the air before nuzzling his nose into her neck and tickling her with his beard while whispering, “I love you, my girl.”

He became the man who would lovingly tease her and remind her that she is beautiful.

Adoption…

such a beautiful word because it reflects our relationship with Him.
We were once lost, wanderers, and slaves to our sin.
And when we decided to follow Jesus, we were adopted into the family of God…
He is our Father. We are His children.

But the Lord’s plan was never actually “adoption”.
The Lord’s original plan was no death.
His plan was for children to never feel the sorrow of not having a mama to love and snuggle them, or a daddy to care for and protect them.

But sin.

Because of sin, millions of children have never known what it is to have a father whose love reflects THE Father’s love.

It isn’t FAIR. It isn’t JUST.
But our God is a just God.

Children not knowing the love of two parents, is a great injustice.
God says that orphans will receive justice – and we, as believers who have been adopted by our Father, are expected to play our part in that beautiful, redemptive plan!

We are told to defend the weak and the fatherless.
We are expected to care for the orphans.
We, the Church, are called to be justice deliverers! We are called to look into the eyes of orphans and tell them that they are loved, and have purpose!

And we, of all people, should want to extend the gift of adoption because we know how life-changing that gift is.
We were not left as orphans.
We were adopted into the family of God.
We are not Fatherless, and we never will be.

Five years ago, I volunteered for a very special camp for children in foster care. I arrived not knowing what to expect, but excited to love on two little girls who didn’t have a mama or daddy. My life changed that week, and my eyes were opened to the heartache and hurt that comes when parents are not actively present in their children’s lives. Today, I went through some keepsake boxes and pulled out a note I received that week. Written in big, bubbly letters were the words, “Will you adopt me?” My eyes stung with fresh tears, just as they did five years ago. Those words changed me.

Two years later, my fiance drove me out for another week of camp, but he didn’t leave.
He couldn’t.
I had tried to convince him to come to camp, but he repeatedly said, “I can’t. I don’t want to get hurt. I don’t want to pour into these kids and leave drained and empty.”
(He voiced what many of us think but never have the courage to say.)
Yet, when he got to camp, he was captivated.
That week was defining for our marriage.

We began classes to become foster parents in June 2016. I was six weeks pregnant and our twins had just turned one. Almost six months later, we met our first foster son.
Six weeks after he moved into our home, he asked Jesus to be the Lord of his life.

While we could not adopt our sweet boy, we had the honor and joy of watching him become adopted by THE FATHER!
He is an orphan because his parents are absent,
but he is NOT an orphan because he has a Father
who will never leave him or forsake him.

Sister, what are you doing?
What is your place in God’s incredible redemption plan for the orphans in our world?

Today, I leave you with a challenge… DO SOMETHING.
There are millions of children in this world who need the Church to rise up and declare that the Lord will deliver JUSTICE to the fatherless.
Think of the MIGHTY and POWERFUL things children will accomplish when they have someone pick them up, toss them in the air, and whisper, “I love you”.
—

Not sure where to start?
Check out Royal Family Kids Camp!

Local to Kansas City? Check out a similar camp just for kids in this area!

Want more information on adoption? Head over to Bethany Christian Services!

See how your church can help local foster families get the supplies they need by connecting with a Care Portal in your area!

Support children all around the world and in your community through the Global Orphan Project.

Learn more about what it takes to be a foster parent here: A Child’s Hope Int’l’s!

Or, if you have specific questions, you can always shoot us an email or write on the Gracefully Truthful Community’s Facebook wall to get many responses and a lot of ideas!

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Sketched II Day 4 Goliath: Digging Deeper

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

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

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Isaiah 43:1-7 English Standard Version (ESV)

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

The Questions

1) Who are “Jacob” and “Israel”, do they relate to me?

2) What “name” are they called by? What does “you are mine” mean?

3) What do the references to Egypt, Cush, and Seba mean?

4) Verses 5-7 sound pretty cool, but whose offspring are called from all over the earth? And why?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who are “Jacob” and “Israel”, do they relate to me?
Jacob refers to Abraham’s son. You know, just like the kids’ song, “Father Abraham”. Israel refers to the name God gave Jacob because He had plans to craft an entire nation from the seed of Jacob (which started with “Father Abraham”).
So, these verses are talking straight to the entire nation of Israel, whom God crafted and called and set apart to honor Him.

2) What “name” are they called by? What does “you are mine” mean?
The idea of calling Jacob and Israel “by name” shows a form of intimacy. The nation was named by God Himself and despite her sinful wanderings, God claims her as His own. Note that this passage is not talking straight to one single person.

3) What do the references to Egypt, Cush, and Seba mean?
If your ancient history recall is a little shaky, clicking on a commentary can be quite helpful to give us context. In the case of Egypt, Cush, and Seba, we learn that during Sennacherib’s invasion of Jerusalem, God came to their aid at the expense of other powerful nations (Egypt, Cush, and Seba). God’s love for His people is extreme and furious!

4) Verses 5-7 sound pretty cool, but whose offspring are called from all over the earth? And why?
Doing a little word study, can help us see that “offspring” here refers to the descendants of Israel. And checking into some commentary history helps us see that because of exile and intermarriage and other things, many people of God’s beloved nation Israel had been scattered in all directions. God was pursuing them and bringing them back to Himself; He was intent on redeeming them!

The Everyday Application

1) Who are “Jacob” and “Israel”, do they relate to me?
Here Isaiah references Jacob and Israel and behind the scenes, Abraham, but Paul in the New Testament has some mind-blowing information for us! In Romans 4:13-16 Paul makes it pretty clear that whoever believes in God through faith is also a “son of Abraham” because faith is credited as righteousness in Christ! Just as Jacob and Israel refer to an entire nation created because of faith, so can we apply what is being said here to the called out and redeemed body of believers in Jesus! That’s us as the Church, people!

2) What “name” are they called by? What does “you are mine” mean?
Jacob and Israel were created, named, and called out by God. We, as New Testament believers have been given the same gift. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 tells us that we are a new creation created in Christ Jesus and called to be set apart as His ambassadors, just as the nation of Israel was. God’s intimacy with Israel points to His own with us as His bride! 

3) What do the references to Egypt, Cush, and Seba mean?
God’s love knows no bounds and nothing can separate us from it. Romans 8:31-38 details just how great His love is for us and just like God didn’t withhold powerful nations to ransom His nation, God chose not to withhold His own Son for us to redeem us from sin. That is boundless love!

4) Verses 5-7 sound pretty cool, but whose offspring are called from all over the earth? And why?
Isaiah’s reference to offspring was clearly Jewish, but in Christ, all believers become the children of God. Gentiles have been “grafted in” as Romans 11:17-26 talks about. One beautifully glorious day when Christ returns to set all things right, every believer, all of God’s offspring or children, will be gathered together. Isaiah even hints at this amazing truth word for word in 43:7, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Our hope is not dependent on surviving an earthly battle because one day, we will all be brought home!

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I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

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

The Tools!

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

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
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Borders Day 10
Desperately Wanted

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 10:13-16
James 1:27-2:9
Mark 9:36-37 

The image of Jesus with children surrounding Him is pictured on the cover of children’s Bibles and displayed in Sunday School rooms all over the country. You’re probably imagining a specific version of this picture as you read. I am, too. Jesus is in His white gown with a red sash, a light brown beard and sandals drawn on His feet. One child sits on His lap while His other arm is spread wide, welcoming the other children around Him.

This image has almost become a cliche.
“Let the little children come to me…”

I can imagine this scene so well, because I’ve been imagining it for over 20 years.
But, listen with me to hear Jesus’ tone.
Don’t read these words in the lofty “Jesus” voice we tend to give Him. Read it as if your kids are about to run on stage during church and when you go to grab them by their squirmy little arm, the pastor says, “No, no, no! Let them come up here. It’s no big deal!”

Then reread it again.
This time, read it like they’re about to run into their daddy’s office where he’s working and after you call out, “Kids, don’t go in there!” you hear, “Babe, it’s fine. They can come in!”

Reread it for a third time, this time remembering how you felt as a child.
Imagine running next door to say hello to your elderly neighbor. Your mama shouts, “Come home and stop bothering Mr. Al!” But Mr. Al responds with a hearty, “Let her come over! I have some lemon cookies to share!”

See, when Jesus said, “Let the children come to me”, He wanted His disciples and the parents to know that He not only didn’t mind the children coming, He wanted them to come! He wanted them to hear Him and learn about His Father. He wanted them to climb up on His lap as He continued doing His Father’s work. He wanted to bless them with gifts and precious memories.

These children were desperately wanted.
All children are desperately wanted by our Jesus!

But friends, not all children know just how wanted they are by the Savior.
Maybe they know their parents want them, but they don’t know Jesus does.
Or maybe they feel unwanted by so many, not realizing that Someone does want them to know Him and love Him and know they are loved by Him.

These children are everywhere.
They sit next to your daughter in class.
They play on your son’s baseball team.
They stand in front of you at the grocery store.
They go to church with you.
They walk miles to and from school every day in the heat of the African sun.
They care for their younger siblings while their parents farm in fields.
They ride on boats across treacherous waters to find safety.
They are used to fight in wars.
They are used for addictions and to cater to disgusting desires.
They are sold and exploited.
They are brought to America with their families.
They are mutilated and married off to men as old as their fathers.
They cover their entire bodies, and they wear nothing at all.
They eat until their bellies can’t fit anymore, and they eat mud cakes to quiet their aching tummies.
They sing songs loudly and learn chants, and they are sworn and scared into silence.
They come from wealthy families, and they come from the poorest of the poor.
These children live in America and they live in New Zealand and every country in between.
These children are everywhere.
And Jesus wants them.

Jesus took the children before Him into His arms, and blessed them. He gave them favor and protection. He took them into His arms, those same arms that would be spread out on a cross with nails driven into them, and He held these precious children. Because He wanted them.

Jesus wants you.

But Jesus also wants you to want these children.
He wants you to love them and serve them and bless them.

The Bible says over and over again to love and care for the orphan and the widow…
the weak, the poor, the vulnerable, and the lowest in the caste system.

Start praying about what wanting these children means for you.

It can mean deciding to work with children in foster care.
It can mean sponsoring a child overseas.
Maybe it means teaching Sunday School or even volunteering in your kids’ classrooms.
It could mean a mission trip.
It could even mean stepping outside of your political stance or your immediate emotions to give in capacities you never imagined giving.

But I believe, with all of my heart, that Jesus wants us to look at the children in our lives and say, “Hey! It’s ok! Come over and sit with me. I want you.”

And then teach them about the One who wants them more than He wanted His own 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 Borders Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Prodigal Day 6
Below The Birthright

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 15:17-24
Galatians 2:15-21
Romans 8:12-17attachment-1-30

As I begin typing, my mind keeps wandering to everything on my “to-do list” so I can avoid this transparency. But, with a deep breath, and a convicted spirit, I tell you this:

I have lived a life full of legalism.
I have lived a life where the world is black and white.
I either pleased God or angered Him.

Sitting with my counselor several years ago, I explained that I could almost see the Lord frowning at me throughout different points in my life, as He found Himself, once again, disappointed by my mistakes. Because of this mental imagine, I lived a life trying to make a frowning God smile with approval for me. I would belt my little heart out singing on a Sunday morning and listen intently to the pastor speak. Some weeks I felt especially holy and would even take notes during the sermon.

There are exact moments in my memory where I recall stopping and thinking, “Ah! I’m really making God happy now!” One day, I explained the power of grace in the most clear and convicting message to another friend, and I knew, I just knew, that I had earned another jewel for my heavenly crown. Another time a woman asked me how much she owed me for babysitting her little loves and with a heart full of pride I smiled and said, “You don’t owe me a thing. I just want to minister to you today.” I really did want to minister to families like hers. I really did want my friends to understand grace. But sometimes I got too caught up trying to please the Lord instead of living out the things He had placed in my heart.

This only led to a complete crash when I found myself living a life of secrecy in my late teens. I attempted to outweigh the Lord’s certain displeasure, by serving and praying even more.
I was doing something so many of us find ourselves doing: I was living below my birthright – the birthright that I gained when I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life. The birthright that promised that because of Jesus, I had an unshakeable inheritance in Heaven. Before I could make the Lord even more upset with me, I decided I should just end it all. I hit the lowest place of my life.

Looking back now, I can see that my life has been a lot like our “Prodigal Son”. Sure, I’ve made some big mistakes, wandered away from my Father, and found my way home again, but I’ve also been caught in the trap of legalism. The Prodigal and I both lived below our birthright.

One day, when that wayward son finally became more desperate than he could bear, he thought to himself, “My father’s servants have more food than I do. They don’t wonder where their next meal will come from, and they at least have beds to sleep on. I will go to my father and tell him that I am no longer worthy to be called his son and ask him to treat me as one of his hired servants.”

No. Longer. Worthy.

That was exactly how I felt. I felt I wasn’t worthy of the Lord’s grace. I wasn’t worthy of His forgiveness. I wasn’t worthy of His compassion. And I certainly wasn’t worthy to represent His Kingdom anymore.

The shame-wrecked boy, though having never lost his place as redeemed son, felt he had completely lost his worth. He was so caught up in his sin, his emotional despair, and lies about who he wasn’t, that he didn’t feel like his father would even want him to be his son anymore!

As a mama myself, it’s utterly unfathomable to imagine one of my daughters begging to be my housecleaner because they don’t deserve to be my daughter anymore. In youth ministry, I’ve seen kids make mistakes. I’ve seen parents weep in agony over their children. I’ve never seen a parent disown a child, but even so, we live in a fallen world and I know parents make awful mistakes. I know some of you have been disowned. But Jesus tells us this story so we can know that He will never abandon, never turn us away, and never disinherit us.
It’s against His nature as the perfect Father.

The Prodigal Son found himself
so caught up in legalism,
so overtaken by disappointing his father,
that he lost sight of the truth.
He was his father’s son. And nothing could strip that title, that birthright, away from him.

I am my Father’s daughter.
You, friend, are your Father’s daughter.
Nothing, absolutely nothing can take that away from you.

Our Father will do anything for us (He already has), and He will always, beyond a shadow of a doubt, love us deeper than we can comprehend.

There is freedom
when we embrace the truth of our birthright, which is 100% gained when we decide to follow Jesus.
Peace, grace, and joy await us when we aren’t living a life caught up in appeasing a God who already paid the debt we owe.

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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 Prodigal 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 Prodigal!

Prodigal Day 2
The Story Teller: Digging Deeper

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

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

The Passage

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I John 3:1-10 English Standard Version (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

The Questions

1) What do the references to “children of God” and “God’s children now” imply?

2) What exactly “will we be” when Christ appears?

3) Am I still a child of God even if I still sin?

4) Is there evidence for truly belonging to God?

The Findings for Intention

1) What do the references to “children of God” and “God’s children now” imply?
The apostle John is reminding his audience of their true identity as being fully adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God. Believers in Jesus no longer belong to the Enemy Satan, but it’s easy to forget or lose sight of who we really are in Christ because we are still living in the world, which is ruled by Satan. John wants to remind his readers of the vastly deep love God has lavished on us by extending sonship, literally heirs with Christ Himself, to our estranged hearts. He reminds us that we are adoringly adopted by a perfect Father. The “now” refers to that moment when our hearts step across the line of faith and choose Jesus for our salvation, making Him Lord and Leader of our lives as we acknowledge how desperately lost in our sin we are without Him. This identity isn’t a one-time moment, but an ongoing one. Christ’s salvation completely changes us and moves us from owned by Satan to owned and set free by the Almighty Father God.

2) What exactly “will we be” when Christ appears?
John says that we will be like God. Not that we will “be” God or know everything that God knows, but that one day our transformation that began at the moment we trusted fully in Jesus for salvation, will be 100% complete. We will have “grown up” to sincerely love like Jesus, which is at the heart of being made new in Christ. We will be completely blameless, fully righteous and without any hint of sin. We will love like God first loved us!

3) Am I still a child of God even if I still sin?
Jesus came to abolish sin and sin’s grip on us forever, which is exactly what happens in our hearts when we give them over to Christ in total surrender. We are a new creation, we have a new heart, we are no longer slaves to sin, meaning that we have no obligation to follow through on sinful desires. Rather, we have the full power of God living inside of us, which gives us the ability to choose love over sin. BUT, we still live here in the world, which is ruled by our archenemy Satan Himself and we can forget our true identity. Sometimes because we lose sight of Whose we are, we fall into sin, but that doesn’t negate our adoption. John’s point is not that we will never sin if we are really adopted, but that our hearts will long for loving like Jesus instead of lusting after sin’s desires.

4) Is there evidence for truly belonging to God?
Yes! Verses 9-10 make it clear that the evidence of belonging to God is found in our hearts, in our actions, in how we live out our lives. John points us back to Jesus’ words that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The greatest evidence of a new life surrendered to Jesus is a life of love. Not just loving those who love us, but loving the unlovable, loving others enough to share Christ, loving sacrificially the way the Father has loved us!

The Everyday Application

1) What do the references to “children of God” and “God’s children now” imply?
Being adopted by God carries significant weight of identity for us. Consider that today, in the middle of your laundry, your child’s rebellion, your relationship conflicts, your heartache, your loss, your heavy burden, you are God’s. You are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. You have access to the Father’s throne. You do not walk alone. You do not journey without hope. You have zero obligations to react sinfully, to act with selfishness, to grieve without hope, to stay empty. You have the same power that raised Christ from the dead alive and working inside of you. Will you surrender to the truth of who you are or will you lean into the lie of who you were?

2) What exactly “will we be” when Christ appears?
We aren’t perfect yet, obviously! But we are being continuously transformed! It can be too easy to make a list of all the ways we still fall short of honoring God, all the things we should do to manufacture Christ-likeness in our day-to-day, but we are called to shift our focus from where we are to where we are going. Like both of the sons in the prodigal story, we need to be reminded that it’s God’s responsibility to transform us. We cannot work hard enough to please Him. The most that we can do is fall into His arms and hold tightly onto His love and how He sees us….as His beloved child, whom He will one day fully transform into being exactly the person of perfect love He designed and intentioned for us to be. It’s His work, not ours. His glory, not ours. His love, not ours.

3) Am I still a child of God even if I still sin?
Knowing that we are adopted as children of the Father God, means that when we do choose sin over love, we have ready access to forgiveness. Dropping down to verses 20 and 21, John reminds us that when our hearts condemn us (or when we become aware of our sin), we have confidence before God who truly knows the identity of our hearts. Ever feel like you’ve messed up so much that God won’t take you back? Or maybe that you’ve walked away for too long and now God is mad at you? Stop holding onto the lie that we aren’t fully adopted and already forgiven and made righteous; we are infinitely loved and can never be removed from adoption status. Instead, take your cue from the prodigal son and run home!

4) Is there evidence for truly belonging to God?
Take deep, satisfying comfort in knowing that we can fully know we are adopted! And it looks like Jesus-Love. These aren’t just “good deeds”, kind words, or random acts of kindness. It’s a transformative, sacrificial love like Christ’s. It’s something we can’t manufacture on our own based on emotion or feelings of kindness for others. It’s much deeper and rooted in knowing our true identity as belonging to Christ. It loves deeply because we have been deeply loved. It’s a lifestyle love and one that you can progressively see increasing in proportion to how closely you are following Jesus. The more we focus on giving our everything to Christ, the more He changes us to love like Him!

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I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

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

The Tools!

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

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Prodigal!

Brave Day 10
Brave Prayers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hebrews 4
Matthew 7:7-11
1 John 5:14-15
Ephesians 3:20-21 attachment-1-13

At the time of this writing, we are saying goodbye to our son. Our foster son. He’s been in our home for about four months. Though we are sad to see him go, I believe that, as the next chapter unfolds for him, it will be an amazing story of God’s grace and faithfulness. (We became foster parents several years ago and most of the stories don’t leave us with the happy-ending feeling. I’m so thankful this one has!) Through the years of fostering, I’ve witnessed an interesting dynamic that I couldn’t have fully understood if I hadn’t seen it firsthand. Most foster children have a great deal of insecurity about asking for something. When they first come into our home, they have little assurance about their position in our family. Almost none of them walk in assuming we’ll joyfully meet their needs. Low expectations have become their default.

In our family, our children made requests. In fact, they typically ask for things from us with confidence – even when they had been misbehaving – because they’ve learned that for us to withhold what they needed went against our character as loving parents. Because of their life experiences, fosters do not have much trust that they will have their needs met, and often don’t ask for what they need. When they do ask, it’s with hesitation and fear that their request will be criticized or rejected completely.

I’m sad to admit that this scenario is much like my prayer life.
I approach God with low expectations.
But walking on eggshells to the throne of grace is not what God desires.
Being on my best behavior for an entire day is not a prerequisite for coming to God in confidence.
I am accepted and loved because of the Father heart of God.

But too often we approach praying as if we are foster children. We sheepishly tiptoe into God’s presence and mumble our requests, almost certain we aren’t going to receive an answer. The writer of Hebrews reminded the people to have confidence in God’s provision because He would never abandon them. (Hebrews 13:5-6) When we enter the Throne Room of the Father’s amazing grace, we don’t need to pray as if we are His foster children. As those who have been baptized into Christ’s life, we are adopted! (Galatians 3).
He has invited us into His family and we have all the benefits of being one of His own!

Approaching God with boldness doesn’t mean we come to Him arrogantly. Jesus taught the disciples that prayer starts with acknowledging the greatness of the Father and our desperate need for Him. Our prayer posture should always be one of humble boldness. (Don’t you love the scripture’s paradox!) James tells us “if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand.” I have a good, good Father who desires to give me good things.

If I am a child of the One who really hears and wants to answer me,
why do I continue to pray wimpy prayers, half believing and half doubting?
It must be because I lack confidence in Who He is.
Our God is not a temporary foster dad.
It’s our spiritual birthright to pray with confidence in our God’s ability to intervene in any situation. He desires for us to pray with boldness and courage, not because we have it all together, but because He holds it all together!

One definition of bold is: beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.
We are the daughters of a limitless God
who “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work within us.”
Praying brave prayers demonstrates that we have faith in a gracious and generous Father.
THAT’s the kind of praying I want to practice!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

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 Brave Week Two!
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 Brave!