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biblical

Pause Day 3 Gathering

October 25, 2017 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

It’s no secret that we LOVE community at Gracefully Truthful. 
But, true biblical community goes far beyond catching up with some girlfriends, pulling out the quilting needles, or making a playdate for kids and mamas.

Biblical community is about authentic, rich, transparency. 
It’s friendship that is consistent, that doesn’t close its eyes when life gets ugly, will answer the phone at 2am, will grab your groceries for you, and sit with you when the tears are too heavy to hold inside.
Biblical community doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s much too precious to simply toss trite “Bible answers” out there when the reality of life needs deep comfort instead of pat one-liners.
God designed us for community and purposed for us to flourish deeply when we engage in it.
Biblical community is a grace gift!

Wednesdays during “Pause“, we are focusing on this gift, and challenging each of us to go one step deeper than where we are today when it comes to entering into this community.  Every Christ-follower has been invited to engage in the intricacies of biblical community. Even though it can be scary to be transparent, every step we take towards authenticity is one step closer to living in the abundance Christ has called us into!

Be all in, Sisters! 

Today's Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of Psalm 142 today. And as you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

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

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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Psalm 142

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
    with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
    I tell my trouble before him.

3 When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

5 I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 143

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.[a]
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted in: Brave, Broken, church, Clothed, Community, Design, Life, Love, Made New, Peace, Relationship, Welcome Tagged: biblical, Community, generous, growth, pause, relationships, scripture, share

Passionate Day 2
Last Words: Digging Deeper

March 28, 2017 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Passionate Day 2
Last Words: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

March 28, 2017

Character,Faith,God,Gospel,Hope,Jesus,Power,Praise,Prophecy,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 "Last Words"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 41

Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?” 6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.

8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out[e] on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who wrote this psalm and why is that significant?

This psalm is attributed to King David and is significant because David was used by God as a “type” of Christ. This means that God used David’s life to foreshadow Christ’s coming in many ways as well as to use David as an example of what Christ would be like.

Because of this, we look carefully at Davidic psalms to see how they point forward towards Jesus’s time on earth and even beyond to His return!

The Everyday Application

1) Who wrote this psalm and why is that significant?

Though the Bible was written over a span of 1,500 years and composed by 40 different authors in different time periods, it is still amazingly singular in theme and purpose and is incredibly accurate. Approximately 2,500 prophecies appear in the Bible, of which about 2,000 have been fulfilled 100% accurately, while the remaining 500 are considered still to be futuristic from current day.

When we consider these astounding facts, it’s no wonder that God would be able to use David to showcase His future glory!

The Original Intent

2) What is the overarching theme of this psalm?

Nearly every psalm showcases the character of God from different perspectives and this one does exactly that by illuminating God’s eternal, all-powerful victory.

The Lord is shown to be victorious and hold all power over trouble, sickness, death, enemies, and even sin itself.

The Everyday Application

2) What is the overarching theme of this psalm?

In just 13 verses we see God’s living character in a way that we are desperate for in our regular, everyday lives.

How do these truths impact your day, your relationships, responsibilities, and weaknesses?

Our God is not one who is far away, watching us struggle from a distance! His power is here and available to us as we cast ourselves upon Him!

The Original Intent

3) In what ways does this psalm foreshadow Christ?

Prophetic Scripture refers directly to a future event. Foreshadowing, on the other hand, is where a current event “mirrors” or “points forward” to an event that has similar wording and meaning in the future, and usually will have a much fuller significance in the future as well.

In the case of this psalm, the poor were originally exactly that, the financially poor. David saw God did not disregard them, even though society had made them obscure.

In the New Testament, we see the “poor” as being those who are stuck in their sin with no hope of ransom without Jesus Christ. “The Lord protects them and keeps them alive” is a reference to salvation, as He rescues us from “the will of enemies (Satan)”. (see also verses 11-12)

The Everyday Application

3) In what ways does this psalm foreshadow Christ?

If you haven’t been a Bible student for long, you can still easily study and learn to recognize prophecies from the Old Testament without much difficulty. Remember that any time you study God’s Word a little deeper, you will be rewarded!

To look for prophecies, you can first look at the various cross-references that are referred to in a passage to see where else they point in Scripture. Another excellent resource is studylight.org where you can enter your verse, click “study tools”, and then read a few commentaries. (we recommend John Gill’s Exposition and Matthew Henry’s Complete)

The Original Intent

4) Are there any prophecies in this psalm?

Yes! Verses 8-10 are ripe with prophecies! “A deadly thing is poured out on him, he will not rise again from where he lies” is what the Enemy says over Jesus. The deadly thing being our sin poured out on Jesus at the cross. Satan’s lie is that Jesus wouldn’t be able to “rise again.”

Verse 9 refers to Jesus at the Last Supper where he shares bread with Judas who would betray him to the Romans. 

Verses 10-13 ring with triumph as Jesus entrusts Himself to the Father to raise Him up and claim eternal victory over sin and death!

The Everyday Application

4) Are there any prophecies in this psalm?

The Old Testament is so incredibly rich with deep treasures to seek out as they shine beautifully onto New Testament truths. Often our understanding of things we thought we fully understood about the Bible or Jesus take new depth as we learn new insights about the character of God!

Take time to dig a little deeper next time you pick up your Bible. Remember that it isn’t an old, dusty book, its truths are living and active and ready to be applied to your everyday life!

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Posted in: Character, Faith, God, Gospel, Hope, Jesus, Power, Praise, Prophecy, Truth Tagged: biblical, cross, foundation, fullness, gospel, Jesus, life, prophecy, psalms, salvation, study, Truth

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14