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Build Day 3 Building Plans

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 2:11-3:32
Proverbs 16:1-3
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Philippians 1:3-6

Build, Day 3

When we speak of building and relying on God, the Master Builder, throughout the building process, my mind immediately turns to parenting. As a Christian mama, my heart’s desire is to train my children in the way they should go. (Proverbs 22:6) Though I often fall short, I am daily seeking to build a legacy, attempting by God’s grace to talk with my children of God and His Word, in the hope of seeing love for God built into their hearts.

As I approach the passage from Nehemiah through which we are journeying today, I see so many nuggets of wisdom to glean and apply to my life’s work. These truths are for all of us regardless of whether you’re a parent! As Great Commission workers, we are all seeking to build God’s Kingdom!

First, I notice Nehemiah does not allow zeal or excitement to lure him into foolishly and immediately jumping head-first into construction tasks (which would be easy to do!). Instead, he surveys the area, he ponders, and he assesses before he gets to work. (Nehemiah 2:11-15) There is so much wisdom in this important first step because, as they say, “when you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

I see this as a lesson for me as a mama, too. With anything I am seeking to build and instill in my children, I first need to think about the end result, the character I hope my children possess as adults, what unique personalities and learning styles God gave to each one, and what they most need from me. Taking the time to engage in this important, preparatory step helps each of us work with victory and productivity. Nehemiah knew the same was true for him and his own divinely-inspired building project.

Next, I see the impact Nehemiah had on the community assisting him and vice versa. In Nehemiah 2:20, Nehemiah says, “The God of heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building[.]” He proclaims these words in reply to naysayers and enemies; undoubtedly, facing this kind of opposition must have made Nehemiah’s fellow workers feel ill-prepared for the task, uncertain, and perhaps even afraid. Immediately following Nehemiah’s declaration, the atmosphere shifts, and everyone diligently sets to work. (Nehemiah 3)

This is a living testimony that “two are better than one[.]” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) We need the help, support, and encouragement of Christian community to spur us on in the building tasks set before us by the Lord God. I have certainly seen this to be true as a parent!

This passage also highlights the importance of godly leadership in ensuring service to the Lord actually comes to pass in our churches and communities. Without someone going first (in this case, Nehemiah), the important work of rebuilding may have never happened. In fact, an earlier attempt to rebuild the wall had already stagnated and failed when Nehemiah entered Jerusalem! Nehemiah bore an enormous mantle of responsibility, which he carries with humility and sobriety, repeatedly turning to God both for direction and as the only One who could empower the completion of the wall.

When thinking about building-up my children, I see the wisdom of Titus 2:3-5 and God’s design for older, wiser women to come alongside younger women. We need older mamas-in-the-Spirit to guide, encourage, and edify us in our God-given tasks, just like Nehemiah’s community needed him!

Finally, as we have already seen in Nehemiah 2:20, the focus is not truly on Nehemiah; he is not the star of the show. He was an important, faithful leader, yes, but he was not the Master Builder; that title belonged to God alone. This is such good news, because it means we don’t need to rely on ourselves to get everything right, to complete a task perfectly, or to make it all come to fruition.

The same is true for us, who all too often feel as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders and as if the success of our parenting–or any other–endeavors ultimately depends on us. The Lord is the One Who constructs the blueprints, Who builds, and Who ensures His plans to fruition. Our role is to lean into Him, rely on Him, and follow Him.

May this truth be a source of great encouragement to your heart in whatever God-given building task you find yourself today!

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Alive Day 8 The Groaning

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:18-23
Romans 8:15-17
2 Corinthians 5:16-19
Genesis 3

Alive, Day 8

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly awaits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility–not willingly, but because of him who subjected it–in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we who have the Spirit as the firstfruits–we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:18-23)

As we have been journeying together through Romans 8, we recently read “Adopted” covering verses 15-17, which told us of our adoption as children of God and our inheritance as co-heirs with Christ, both in suffering and glory. In turning our focus to verses 18-23, we unpack what is meant by “sufferings.”

Today’s passage speaks to our innermost groanings experienced on a daily basis as we journey through life in a fallen world. Not only do we groan, but the whole of creation groans right along with us, not one aspect of creation remains unaffected by the fall. All of creation groans for a better life and a more eternal inheritance, because our world was never meant to be broken this way.

This world, according to verse 20, has been “subjected to futility.” The Greek word for futility is “mataiotēs,” and literally means “what is devoid of truth and appropriateness, perverseness, depravity, frailty, want of vigour.” Reverend Matthew Henry, a great author of Bible commentaries, further explained, “There is a present vanity to which the creature, by reason of the sin of man, is made subject. When man sinned, the ground was cursed for man’s sake, and with it all the creatures (especially of this lower world, where our acquaintance lies) became subject to that curse, became mutable and mortal, under the bondage of corruption.”

Never before has the reality of this groaning seemed as clear and tangible for me personally. As I write, I am a mere three weeks into my husband’s first deployment, a separation I know is a direct result of the fall. Were it not for sin, disease, and trial in this life, military deployments would be unnecessary and my kids and I would not be separated from our favorite person for the next several months. We are only three weeks in, but we’ve already experienced our own fair share of groaning.

Because of the fall and our disobedience, we experience a brokenness all around us in this life, a suffering which often feels too much to bear. In those moments, it’s vital to understand such misery is not doled out at the whim of a cruel God, but is the direct result of our sin.
Our sin is a slap in the face of God’s righteousness and His loving care towards us, His creation.
Our sin is not a mere mistake, accident, or “no big deal” we can just explain away.
Rather, it is something we must own, for it keeps us impossibly far from God – were it not for Christ.

The good news in the midst of this hard, sad reality is that Christ has secured for us a sonship, an adoption into the family of God which provides us with a rich inheritance. Just as we have been made alive in the Spirit, so, too, do our bodies anticipate the coming inheritance of life on a new earth.

The most blessed and encouraging part of this inheritance?
It is so rich and grand that it renders the sufferings of the here-and-now
as nothing in comparison!
(Romans 8:23)

Which is saying a lot, considering just how painful our sufferings can be! Yet truly, our suffering is a mere blip on the backdrop of the whole of eternity, a painful blip, yes, but nothing compared to the unimaginable joy that will be ours! (Romans 8:18)

As long as these days of deployment feel, they are nothing compared to the unending years of eternity.

As challenging as solo parenting is for me in this season, it is nothing compared to the unending joy and peace I will enjoy for eternity.

As alone as I sometimes feel right now, it is nothing compared to the unending fellowship I will have with the God of the universe and all His people for eternity.

It is true that life in this fallen world is hard.
But it is also true that hardship doesn’t get the last word.
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reveals how God sets about making all things new in our hearts when we come to Him in salvation. And this restorative aspect of God’s character? It will see its final and ultimate manifestation on that glorious day when the world-breaking curse is itself broken. (Revelation 21:1-5)

So, take heart, dear friend, in the midst of whatever hardship these words find you.
We’ll be home – for all eternity! – before we know it if we lay claim to the gift of Life that Jesus holds out to each of us right now!

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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!

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Calling Day 14 One To Another: 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 One To Another!

The Questions

1) What is the Lord’s will and how does it connect with the straight-forward commands given in these passages? (verse 17)

2) Submission feels like a command that chains us up and makes us a doormat; how does Paul want us to see it from God’s perspective?

3) What connection is Paul making in verses 28-33 between marriage and the Church?

4) Why does Paul specifically call out the roles of wives, husbands, children, and slaves?

Ephesians 5:15-6:9

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. 4 Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. 6 Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. 7 Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. 9 And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

Original Intent

1) What is the Lord’s will and how does it connect with the straight-forward commands given in these passages? (verse 17)
At a high-level view based on what we’ve already studied in Ephesians, particularly Ephesians 1:3-14 and especially verse 9, the Lord’s will is for us to know Him and understand Him not only regarding the means of salvation, but all the vast riches believers have access to through Christ. This knowing Him is the fullness of His will for a relationship with us, because through this gateway, our lives our transformed in greater and greater facets. Through knowing the Savior, His Spirit makes us new, shaping us into the image of the Son, Jesus Christ, who perfectly represents God the Father. We are drawn in deeply as a child of God. We are given new DNA, a new birth, a new life, a new purpose, and as we study His Word and learn the rhythms of the heart of God, our everyday lives take on new life and purpose. Everything is made new! Knowing the God of the universe in deep intimacy is the crown jewel of our existence; it’s what we were created for!

2) Submission feels like a command that chains us up and makes us a doormat; how does Paul want us to see it from God’s perspective?
In a society where women actually didn’t carry value and were often viewed as being property owned by men, Jesus radically turns their worldview upside down. To the original audience, it was impossible to read these words and get the idea Jesus didn’t value women. In fact, He elevated them! They were partners together in marriage with men. Wives were to submit to their husbands’ leadership, as husbands were called to love and honor wives as their own bodies! (Ephesians 5:25, 28) Husbands were called out to stop viewing women as property, but as partners having equal value as men. In this context, a woman’s passion should be valued just as highly as a man’s passion. A wife’s voice was to receive the same value as a husband’s voice. Co-equal. Co-valued. Yet still, like two beautiful dancers, there can not be two leaders. In a stalemate, one must submit to the other’s lead or the dance ceases to be beautiful and the two, intended to act and love and live as one cohesive unit, split up and walk away in opposition. This is not God’s heart because it isn’t how God operates within Himself. Jesus only spoke what the Father told Him to say. (John 12:49-50) The Spirit only moved between Father and Son in blessed unity. (John 15:26-27) There was never discord, only mutual love and submission. As we hold onto this view of God, we can more clearly understand how God lovingly designed wives to submit to their husbands and husbands to love their wives. Marriage is intended as a beautiful dance of mutual love and submission!

3) What connection is Paul making in verses 28-33 between marriage and the Church?
God designed marriage for many purposes, but one of the most important was to illustrate, like a breathtaking painting, the relationship between God and the Church, His chosen Bride. Verse 25 is power-packed with breathless, ardent, unconditional love from a God whose love for us will literally take an eternity for us to comprehend. Read these words slowly, pausing after each word for amplified understanding, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her…” Each. Word. Slowly. God chose people to be His own priceless inheritance. He has chosen us to be included in His Bride, the Church. Oh, how He loves each of us as individuals and as a whole as we join together with other believers to make up the Bride! (verse 30) He loved her (the Church) so lavishly, He gave Himself entirely up for her. This is unfathomable! Marriage was always intended to be the public, on-live-display reflection of what it looks like for God to love His people. As husbands sacrificially love their wives, the wife responds with trust, honor, and a love that follows whole-heartedly. Christ sacrificed Himself for every believer as individuals, which composes the whole of His Bride, the Church. Because of this incredible demonstration of radical love, the Church responds by following Him, honoring His sacrifice, and, in turn, radically loving Jesus and all those around us.

4) Why does Paul specifically call out the roles of wives, husbands, children, and slaves?
It’s important not to follow our natural tendency and section off these roles as teachings separate from the main emphasis of the text as a whole. These role distinctions are meant to each be woven in connection with the thick, life-giving cord of living out the calling of following Jesus holistically. Spouses, children, slaves, whatever your role in life, heed this imperative calling from the Lord Jesus Christ, “walk worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1) We have each been called to love the Lord and one another, so let’s walk it out! “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) Live it out with humility and utmost love for one another, regardless of your role in family relationships or in societal rank. “From Him (Christ), the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.” (Ephesians 4:16) Just as each one has a role in life, so do each of us have a role in the Body of Christ. We are called to live it out by “walking in love, as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Ephesians 5:2) Whether we answer to mama, sister, daughter, friend, wife, boss, or coworker, each role is uniquely and critically woven to our highest calling, “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8) and “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

Everyday Application

1) What is the Lord’s will and how does it connect with the straight-forward commands given in these passages? (verse 17)
Often, Christians want an “easy answer” button to the specifics of their life choices, so we concoct a mysterious pursuit of “finding the will of God”. Which job opportunity? Which spouse? Do we adopt a child? Which house should we buy? We are tempted to elevate this “finding God’s will” in specificity far above focusing on the relationship we have with God in our ordinary day-to-day lives. He intends for us to follow Him one small step at a time. He will make the specifics clear to us, but first and foremost we are to seek His face, know Him deeply, and study His Word to understand who this God is we follow. It’s in the unpacking, not the pursuing, of the God who is right here with us. He is not far off and we are left trying to chase after Him. Our pursuit should not be a mysterious “God’s will”, but rather God Himself! As we seek Him, we will find not only the most precious jewel of all, the fullness of God, but we will slowly, over time, find that we are being faithfully, gently, graciously, being led step by step in small and big decisions. Follow Him by studying Him, then allow that knowing of Him to color everything else. When we know Him, we want to be like Him. This means we won’t choose to live foolishly like the world. We won’t make rash decisions, because our God is not rash. We won’t enable others because God calls out our own sin with His gracious truth. We won’t speak with rudeness, because God is not rude to us. When it comes to major life-decisions like where to move, which job to take, and who to marry, the Lord will faithfully lead us through those decisions, just as He has faithfully led us before. However, if we don’t make a habit of knowing Him, of choosing His will (which is to know Him), then the big decisions will continue to be a wrestling match of uncertainty. What God wants most is not our decision to move to city A instead of city B, it’s to know Him. If we refuse to prioritize this “will of God”, nothing else will fit.

2) Submission feels like a command that chains us up and makes us a doormat; how does Paul want us to see it from God’s perspective?
There are many passages in Scripture that have tragically been manipulated to assert someone’s twisted perception of reality and justify their own sinful actions. Sadly, this beautiful passage in Ephesians 5 has been used to press women down, especially regarding their role in marriage. Even in Christian marriages where the husband genuinely loves the Lord, these verses on submission are often taken out of context to assert the wife has no voice or value. Sisters, let’s be so clear here, this is not the heart of God! Jesus stopped everything on a busy day of ministry to call out an outcast woman, elevate her, value her, heal her, and esteem her by publicly declaring her His Daughter. (Mark 5:25-34) As we read these verses in Ephesians, it is imperative we study through the correct lens of lavish love God has for women and all people regardless of race, gender, or role in life! (Galatians 3:27-28) Each human being was created on purpose by the handiwork of God. (Jeremiah 1:5) Each was made in His image. (Genesis 1:27) He knit together every bone and marrow, every patch of skin, and artfully crafted every hue of eye color. (Psalm 139:13-16) There are no “cookie cutter molds” in God’s craftsmanship; He intimately loves every person as an individual with the exact same value and worth. It is simply not in His character to show favoritism. (Ephesians 6:9)

3) What connection is Paul making in verses 28-33 between marriage and the Church?
A husband is meant to love his wife so deeply and unconditionally that there are no boundaries on his faithful, sacrificial love for her. He is to forever be willing to sacrifice himself for her because he loves her. She, in turn, is to respond to this love by trusting her husband and following his lead, respecting and honoring him as the God-ordained leader in her home. This colors how wives speak to their husbands, spend their money, raise their children, have disagreements with him, and even sleep with their husbands. Radical love is intended to foster trust and respect because this is the picture of how Jesus loves us and designed us for deep, intimate relationship with Him! I know what you might be thinking… ‘If I had a husband who loved me like that, it would be easy for me to respect him and follow him. But I don’t.’ I know, Sister, I know. God, however, does not call us to lovingly submit to our husbands only when we are in a phenomenal marriage and all our needs are being met. He calls us to live out love and gentleness and respectful submission even when we aren’t being loved the way we were created to receive love. God is not a selfish God. When we do not follow Him, when we love ourselves and our ways better than His, He does not withhold His love from us. He continues to be present, offer love, tenderness, and forgiveness! We cannot love our husbands like this on our own! Even in great marriages, this kind of love requires supernatural help! When we fix our eyes on knowing God first and foremost, investing daily and intentionally into our relationship with Him, we will be given the strength and ability to love and honor our husbands. Whether it’s a marriage relationship or your relationship with Christ, honor the Lord by loving Jesus first and most. This always translates to loving others sacrificially and unconditionally just as we are loved by God Himself!

4) Why does Paul specifically call out the roles of wives, husbands, children, and slaves?
The specific roles in chapters 5 and 6 are not additional, new concepts, but rather they are a pinnacle demonstration of all Paul has been teaching regarding what it looks like to live out Jesus’ calling in real life. These truths Paul wrote of are not mere doctrines to study or pious words to memorize, but they are the very fabric of the life we are to live in Jesus! No true Christ-follower is exempt from this high calling, regardless of their role in life! Paul didn’t call out these specific roles so we would isolate them from the rest of his teachings, but would view them, and every role, through the stunningly beautiful lens of submission, love, respect, and honor for others. When the whole Body of Christ, every single believer, follows this pattern of living, we truly are exhibiting what it means to live a life worthy of the calling we have received in Jesus! Imagine the difference it would make if you took this high calling seriously and began thinking through your everyday actions through the lens of loving submission, charged with the aim of honoring others before yourself? How would meal times feel different around the table as you encouraged others? How would your relationship with your spouse deepen as you intentionally chose to lay aside the weapon of offense and instead pick up the grace gifts of humility and tender love? What transformations might happen as you choose loving respect and submission at the workplace instead of gossip and self-promotion? Live out this rich love Christ has called us to as we love one another!

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Catch up with One To Another!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Ten Day 6 Family On Purpose

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:12
Genesis 1:1-2:3
Leviticus 19:9-37
Ephesians 6:2-3

Ten, Day 6

Dread knotted in my stomach.

I had done it.
I was sure my parents would not only find out, but also be disappointed.

I had chosen to do what my foolish little girl brain wanted, instead of listening to my parents’ request. I didn’t honor them with my choice, and guilt mixed with remorse was coming on hot and heavy.

I was probably 10 years old when I decided to sneak into the garage refrigerator after dinner one night. It was the spare fridge, the one Mom used when preparing for company.

I took a spoon to my favorite dessert, Éclair Cake, and thought I could get away with helping myself to a few more bites. Somehow though, when I was putting it away, the pan flipped upside down. Even with the lid on, the dessert was ruined. There was no way to keep my secret now. Mom would undoubtedly realize a little snitch had been to her dessert.

You see, Mom and Dad had some rules. There were four of us kids at home. Left to our own devices, we could create lots of chaos. Therefore, the ‘rents had some parameters for us to live within, which allowed our house to have order, stability, and certainty. In their parental wisdom, they demonstrated their love for us by maintaining boundaries.

The Lord our God also has rules and parameters for us, His children.

As we journey through the Ten Commandments, we first see a list of rules. However, if we look a bit closer, we realize what seems to be a list of dos and don’ts is actually a reflection of God’s character. 

“Honor your father and mother so you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

God created the world in a specific order. (Genesis 1:1-2:3) He put in different systems to maintain this order. (Genesis 1:26-30) The Levitical law shows us God doesn’t act on a whim, but has a plan and a purpose for even the smallest part of our lives. (Leviticus 19:9-37)

Returning to Exodus, we see the family unit has order and purpose.
And we learn our God is a God of order and purpose.

Nothing Creator God does is wasted. His actions were purposeful in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in our lives now. He holds the systems of this world in His mighty hand and works things together for our good.

Life often seems chaotic and confusing. Bad things happen, loved ones become terminally ill, senseless murder continues. Our finances crumble, our children don’t make wise choices, we need to retire before we had planned. Where is order and purpose?

David, the Psalmist, wrestled with similar troubles. He wrote, “Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck.” (Psalm 69:1)

Yet, by Psalm 71, David was able to declare, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you because you have redeemed me.”

David recognized God was using the overwhelming parts of his life to draw him near. God was redeeming the mountains of challenges David had climbed throughout his life by giving them beautiful purpose. 

Where have you felt the flood waters rising?
When have you experienced the Loving Father’s redemption?

Just as a loving parent has rules in place for the good of their children, God gives us parameters to guide us. When we honor our earthly parents, we honor our Heavenly Father. He loves us perfectly and completely; He knows what we need and how we may stumble. Honoring our parents is a command we can take hold of, trusting the Lord is creating order and fulfilling purpose.

{Let’s talk for a moment about parents who are harming their children. Make no mistake: honoring our parents does not mean submitting to abuse. If you are currently being abused at home, you can reach out here (nationally) or here (locally in KCMO). We, the collective church, support you, even if your abusers are Christians. Even if they’re involved in ministry. Even if they’re pastoring your church. God is not asking you to stay in harm’s way.}

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

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Screenshot Day 6 It’s Not Fair

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 19:23-20:16
Jonah 3:1-4:4
Luke 15:20-32
Ephesians 2:1-10 

Screenshot, Day6

“It’s Not Fair!”
Anyone who has been around children for any length of time is probably very familiar with that phrase.  There is little more that is absolutely certain to frustrate a child than perceived injustice, whether it’s because someone else receives a slice of cake slightly bigger than theirs, or gets to spend a few minutes longer on a favourite activity, or simply because they have the sense that someone else is being favoured. 

As we grow up, we probably become less concerned about such meticulous fairness in small matters, but the sense of justice, and the desire to see people treated fairly, remain. 

In the parable we are studying today, that sense of justice certainly kicks in for the workers who were hired early in the day to tend the vineyards.
How can it be right that after toiling and labouring all day, others who had worked for only one hour, received the same reward?!   

It’s just not fair!
I can sympathise with the workers’ indignation.
Maybe you can too. 

So, what are we to make of this parable?  What is Jesus teaching us about the Kingdom of Heaven? Is God really being likened to an unfair landowner? 

The first thing to note is that, far from being unfair, the landowner actually pays the first workers exactly what he promised.  They agree to work for one denarius (the typical daily wage) and that is what they receive.  When the subsequent workers are hired, the landowner mentions no specific wage, but promises to pay “whatever is right.” (Matthew 20:4) 

The issue is not the landowner’s injustice to the first workers,
but his radical generosity to those who were hired later! 

“Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?  Take what’s yours and go.  I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’”  (Matthew 20:13-15) 

To understand what this parable is truly all about, it’s helpful to look at the context. 
In Matthew 19, we meet a rich man who comes to Jesus seeking eternal life, but turns away after being told to sell all his possessions. 

Jesus’ disciples witness this interaction, and Peter’s response is to point out the contrast between the rich man, who is unwilling to surrender his possessions, and the disciples, who have given up their whole way of life to follow Jesus: “See, we have left everything and followed you. So, what will there be for us?”  (Matthew 19:27) 

Jesus assures Peter that anyone who has given up anything for His sake will receive far, far more in return, but He also points out that “many who are first will be last, and the last first,” (Matthew 19:30). He then tells the parable of the vineyard workers. 

As He often does, Jesus turns the world’s way of thinking on its head.
Worldly wisdom teaches that we should be rewarded according to our actions.
Those who, like Peter and the other disciples, have worked hard for the Kingdom, deserve a greater reward, but Jesus teaches that it’s all about grace. 

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; 
it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9) 

That sort of radical generosity can be hard to take.
It’s often more comfortable to feel we have worked hard to earn something than it is to accept a free gift. 

It can be even harder when we see that grace extended to others,
who seem to us,
less deserving.

We see it in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son as the wayward brother is welcomed home instead of being treated as an outcast; his hard-working brother becomes infuriated.
Again, this jealous arrogance rears its head in the reaction of Jonah to the people of Nineveh being spared. Jonah wanted grace aplenty for himself, but none for others he deemed un-worthy. 

It’s easy to fall into owning a similar attitude,
thinking we deserve more because we have worked hard for God,
or tried to live a good life.
It’s the feeling that, somehow, God owes us something for our devotion to Him.
It can feel unfair. 

But do we really want fair?
Fair is being left “dead in our trespasses.”  (Ephesians 2:1)
Fair is remaining “children under wrath.”  (Ephesians 2:3)
If we want the payment our deeds deserve: this is fair! 

I’m grateful salvation doesn’t depend on God treating us fairly,
but on His radical grace and generosity in sending Jesus to die for us. 

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”  (Ephesians 2:4-5) 

Grace levels the playing field.
We all stand before God as equals, sinners.
He invites all to be saved, undeservingly, by grace.
He deeply loves each of us, and calls into His work.
Not in order to earn His favour or gain a reward,
but out of gratitude for the amazing grace He extends to all! 

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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 Screenshot 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 Screenshot!

Prayer Day 4 What’s In A Name: 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 What’s In A Name!

The Questions

1) What is important about calling God “Our Father”? 

2) What does it look like for us to “honor” God’s name? 

3) What does it mean for God’s name to remain “holy”? 

Matthew 6:5-9

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. 

9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy…” 

Original Intent

1) What is important about calling God “Our Father”?
When Jesus decided to teach about prayer to the people who were listening to Him on the mountainside (Matthew 5:1), His first lesson was on structuring their prayers (beginning in verse 9).  Jesus first focused on how to address the most holy God:  as FATHER.  Jesus’ simple, uncomplicated model for prayer begins with acknowledging to whom we pray.  Of all the names and titles given to God throughout the ages that Jesus could have emphasized, He focused on the one that reiterated the relationship God has with His people.  He reminded those listening that God is their perfect Father.  In fact, in verses 5-8, Jesus refers to praying to the “Father” 3 times.  While it is not wrong to pray to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, for they are the other 2 persons of the One Triune God, Jesus establishes and models for us the normative practice of praying to God, the Father.  Jesus’ instruction was to come before God with that kind of intimacy and knowledge – like a child approaching his or her father to have a personal conversation.  

2) What does it look like for us to “honor” God’s name?
Jesus’ instruction continues to highlight the father-child relationship as He further instructs that God’s name is to be honored.  There is a correlation here to the Ten Commandments in which God’s people receive the instruction to “honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12); Jesus reiterates a concept that would have been familiar to those listening.  Not only are we to honor God because of His relationship to us as Father, but also in how we pray – not to be seen by others (verse 5) or in the number of words we use (verse 7).  These two instructions from Jesus emphasized to His disciples that their prayers were to be focused on God, rather than their own actions. 

3) What does it mean for God’s name to remain “holy”?
Jesus understood that there were many names that were treated as important by the people He was teaching – leaders, priests, idols, and so many more.  As a result, He instructs the people listening to treat one name alone as holy, their Father in heaven.  In a world full of options and idols, Jesus distinguishes the name of God as the only one deserving special significance.

Everyday Application

1) What is important about calling God “Our Father”?
As mentioned before, Jesus’ instruction to address God as “Father” when we pray echoes Exodus 20:12 from the Ten Commandments where we are called to honor our earthly fathers and mothers.  His instruction is a confirmation of the  relationship we have with Him.  We must be sure that we do not allow that relationship to be defined or distorted in any way by our earthly fathers;  no matter how good or bad our experiences may be, GOD IS MORE.  Do you ever struggle to relate to God as your Father?  If so, why would  you say that is a challenge for you?  What truth do you need to remember to help you better relate to God as your Father?  If you are comfortable relating to God as your father, how does that impact your relationship with Him?   

2) What does it look like for us to “honor” God’s name?
No matter what activity we undertake, we are called to represent God well.  This includes when we pray, whether in private or public.  When you pray in private, do you give God the honor He deserves?  How do you do that?  Or are you ever guilty of treating Him like a magic bullet just when you need help?  Or of approaching Him flippantly?  Or with a demanding attitude?  What about when you pray publicly?  Are your thoughts ever dominated by what others may think of your words?  In those moments, are you more concerned about your own reputation more than you are with voicing a prayer that honors His name?  Do you ever find yourself concerned with getting the approval of others when you pray in a corporate setting – wanting to be seen as “wise” or “spiritual” by those listening?   Consider your motives carefully and whether or not you are honoring Him in all your prayers. When you pray, take time to offer praise to God before petitioning Him for your own needs, creating space to remind you to Whom you pray.  

3) What does it mean for God’s name to remain “holy”?
“Holy, holy, holy…” (Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8) is a phrase reserved for God alone.  There are other references, of course, that refer to people and actions as holy.  But the use of the three repetitions together is solely referencing the Almighty God showing that He is the only One worthy of that kind of praise. He is wholly different and set apart (which is the meaning of “holy”) from any other being in the universe.  In order to keep God in His rightful place in our hearts, attitudes, minds, and actions, we must be sure that we don’t allow anything to have priority over Him.  Our idols may not look the same, but we all struggle with them in one way or another.  Where do you find yourself challenged to keep God in His rightful place in your life?  What pulls for your attention above 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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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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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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 Borders Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Borders!