compassion

The GT Weekend! ~ Known, Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Known, Week 1

Rebecca Adams

July 15, 2023

Believe,Christ,Family,Glory,Jesus,Life,Mercy,Perfect

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

John 14:15-17

“If you love me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching us to pray to the Father, calling Him Our Father, beckoning us to share in the rich relationship You came to sacrifice Yourself so we may enjoy Your family.

Thank You, Spirit, for making the heart of the Father known to us through Jesus. Thank you for comforting our hearts with truth and Your constant presence. Thank You for being coequal to Father and Son as the very Breath of God!

Abba, Father, Your compassion is endless and Your love unfailing. I stand in speechless awe at Your unfathomable authority and lavish grace that brought me near, and the price you paid because of love that I might call You Abba. 

May I live my everyday breathing, speaking, and moving in overflow of this love You’ve poured out into my heart! In the Name above all other Names, Christ Jesus, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Jesus, God the Son, taught us to enter the sacred space of intimate prayer by uttering the unthinkable term of love, endearment, and familiarity with the Almighty God by calling out, “Abba Father.”  

In our culture, we can tend to jump to the far end of Abba by solely focusing on God as close, intimate, gentle, and tender. While these are all true and necessary for our understanding of God as Father as depicted in Scripture, we must also refuse to neglect the other, equally important aspect, of Abba.

He carries all authority over us as His children if we have committed ourselves to Him and entered into father-child relationship with Him through the sacrificial blood of Jesus. What Abba says, is what goes.

 In Hebrew tradition, the calling of “Abba” by a child meant, “Father, I will obey you.” In the context of love and safety and awe-filled respect, I will obey what you say because you are my Abba.

How does your view of God line up with these realities from Scripture? Do you find yourself leaning more to one side or another?

JOURNAL TWO

We know the Father because of the Son. (John 14:7) Christ provides the clarity about what God looks like, sounds like, and demonstrates to us “in person” how God acts. Never are the two out of sync. (John 5:19-20)

Sometimes, our view of Jesus isolates Him from the Father God. We think of Jesus as the “nice” version of God, but not as the actual “full picture” of what God looks like in the flesh. (Hebrews 1:3) Jesus is the big, giant “picture window” through Whom we begin to comprehend the very essence of God.

Get honest with your view of Jesus and pull out a blank sheet of paper. Fill it with as many descriptions of Jesus as you can imagine without any filter. Every adjective goes on the sheet.

Now, go back through and mark with a 1, 2, or 3 how much you personally fully agree with these descriptions. Can you find Scripture evidence for the ones you agree with? Go on a quest this weekend to discover how much of your view of God the Son aligns with His Word about Himself!

JOURNAL THREE

Just as the Son shows us the Father with brilliantly painted strokes of awe and beauty, so the Spirit points us repeatedly back to Jesus, back to Jesus, back to Jesus, so we can see the Father. Every teaching, every reminder, every ounce of comfort provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit of the Living God is meant to speak of Christ that we might come to know more deeply the Father, and therein, the whole of the Triune God. (John 14:16-17)

Similar to the “adjective challenge” for Jesus in prompt #2, do the same for the Spirit of God. Do the number of answers you were able to provide surprise you? Alongside those adjectives, jot down the first 3 questions that come to mind about the Spirit of God. How might you go about finding answers to those questions? Could you start this weekend with your exploration?!

Considering this is the Triune God who has come to earth in the Son for the purpose of being revealed to us through the Spirit that we might know the Father, what better use of our study could there be than to explore the Trinity?! A simple first step is prayer.

Ask the Triune God to make Himself known to you through His Word by His Spirit, then apply yourself to knowing Him more deeply! Consider exploring with the help of this easy-to-read book “Delighting In The Trinity” by Michael Reeves.
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compassion,father,love,relationship,Son,spirit,Trinity,worship
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Worship XI Day 15 Shin & Tav

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Worship XI Day 15 Shin & Tav

Marietta Taylor

June 16, 2023

Amazed,Broken,Captivating,Faith,Fellowship,Glory,God,Grace,Heart

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:161-176 
2 Timothy 3:10-17
Psalm 23
Romans 7:14-25

Faithful and dedicated servant.
A wandering sheep needing rescue, understanding, and assistance. 

Which one am I?
Both.

Though redeemed, my flesh still wins some battles. This makes me grateful for God’s Word, which is “profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 

ש Shin means to consume, destroy, eat. 

“Our God is a consuming fire.” He purifies and refines us. Therefore, He will “consume” our idols and destroy strongholds that exist in our lives. It is the truth of the Word that burns up anything that is against His will, promises and plans. 

“I rejoice over Your promise like one who finds vast treasure.” (Psalm 119:162)

We know God’s promises by reading His Word. We can claim them when we belong to Him. From my prayer journal:

Lord, You promise to strengthen, help, and uphold me. (Isaiah 41:10) You promise to keep me in perfect peace if I fix my mind on You. (Isaiah 26:3) You’ve said You will never leave nor forsake me. (Deuteronomy 31:8) I love this because, sadly, I tend to wander like a lost sheep. But You will never lose me. You said You would instruct and teach me, showing me what to do. (Psalm 32:8) I praise You Lord for loving me through these and other promises. 

We should praise Him continually for all His promises because “The Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions“. (Psalm 145:13)  

“I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love Your instruction.” (Psalm 119:163)

Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing makes them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

Let me share two different perspectives of Shin. 

Father God, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for me and your strength is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I repent of the sins of boasting, worrying, doubting, and deceiving. I seek Your grace and forgiveness, for without it I would surely perish. I love You and I know You delight in Your children. I pray that You will cleanse me, praising You in advance for Your mercy and grace. 

Lord, You commanded we walk before You and be blameless. I must intimately know You and be instructed in Your ways to do this. I need Your mercy and grace because it is impossible in my own strength…but Your Holy Spirit lives in me. I’ve given the throne of my heart to You. And I read, study, and follow Your Word, which allows me to grow in faith and toward blamelessness. I have no worries or anxiousness because I know You are guiding me. 

The Word is “able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15) I pray we allow God’s Word to burn up and destroy our desire for anything that doesn’t line up with His instructions for our lives. Let it purify, refine, and rescue us from our own flesh. Psalm 23:3 says, “He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.” May His Word lead us where He would have us go. 

ת Tav means mark or seal.

Seals protect and preserve. Jesus bears the seal of God. (John 6:27) When we accept the free gift of salvation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, preserved for our entry into heaven and God’s holy and glorious presence. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

While salvation is a one time event, transforming us into new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), the sanctification that happens after is a lifelong process. It is how God grows us and teaches us His ways. 

“Let my cry reach You, Lord; give me understanding according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:169)

John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” God teaches us by His Word. We gain godly wisdom and understanding by reading, studying, and following these truths.  By this, we also know we need the Lord to save us from our own sinful ways. We cry out and He answers. 

“My lips pour out praise, for You teach me Your statutes. My tongue sings about Your promise, for all Your commands are righteous.” (Psalm 119:171-172) 

I wrote this prayer in my journal:           

Lord Jesus, I praise You for setting me free from the tight clothes of this world to be dressed in Your righteousness instead. 

I don’t exactly remember the circumstances here, but my journal entry speaks to intentionally choosing something godly over something worldly. None of us has any righteousness besides the righteousness of Jesus. (Romans 3:10-12, Romans 5:19) As we continue to choose the godly way, we are sanctified all the more. From this sanctification springs our worship of the One who continues to lovingly transform us. 

“I wander like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commands.” (Psalm 119:176)

We will wander from what is right and good, because we still have a sin nature. (Romans 7:14-23) But praise God, He always knows where we are and what state we are in and He will rescue us. (Romans 7:24-25)

I was once lost. Now I am found, loved, sealed, and transformed by The One whose Spirit lives in me!

“Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

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awe,compassion,Consume,love,prayer
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Worship XI Day 15
Digging Deeper

Fear, anger, anxiety, pride, the desire for control, insistence on one’s own way, complaint, and all other forms of self that actively fight against perfectly satisfying love have been consumed and drowned out by the Lord’s ways, wisdom, and good presence.

Praise, rejoicing, adoration, peace, and delight have taken their place; there is secret joy here!
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The GT Weekend! ~ Another, Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Another, Week 1

Katelyn Palmer

March 11, 2023

Blessed,Character,Christ,church,Family,Fellowship

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
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and worshiping the Creator who
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
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Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Colossians 3:12-15

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Dear Yahweh, this week has been full of rich reminders that You are the embodiment of love and, as we are created in Your image, we too are meant to embody Your love. Please soften our hearts and tame our tongues so that we may “keep [them] from evil and [our] lips from deceitful speech”. (Psalm 34:13)

Help us humbly slow down and “give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes”. (Romans 12:17) Let Your holy peace rule our hearts, Lord, and give us the strength and wisdom to heed Your call in Colossians 3:12-15.

Above all, You instruct us to “put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity,” (Colossians 3:14) and the perfect representation of our Creator, the God of Peace. (Romans 16:20) With Your instruction on our hearts this week, please guide our steps and our thoughts, Lord, as we seek love and peace in this broken world. By Your grace and in Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Love. Our Creator, the Lord of the Heavens, the God of Peace, He is love.

He created us in love and then appointed us to lovingly care for the rest of His Creation. His commandment to love and care for one another, especially those within the Body of Christ, perfectly aligns with the commandment to care for all of creation. Understanding what that looks like practically can be difficult, but like the faithful king He is, Jesus provides the answers we seek.

In Matthew 5, Jesus commands us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and extend a gentle hand to our friends and enemies alike. (Matthew 5:43-48) A peacemaker seeks resolution with those she has grievances with, armed with a forgiving heart like Jesus. (Colossians 3:13)

As we move into a new week, we must ask ourselves if we have any idling grievances, and if so, how can we initiate conflict resolution with those with whom unity is broken. Christ urges us to seek harmony (Psalm 133, Romans 12:18–20) and use our gifts to promote the unity of the Church. (Romans 12:4-8)

When our differences begin to cloud our duty to serve Christ, we must see the Lord standing behind them and remember He is the One to whom we are truly submitting.

JOURNAL TWO

God gives us the choice to follow Him and He is clear what that entails, full surrender to His good Father heart of kind love. His ways may not make sense to us as He calls us to place others before ourselves and choose humble love over self-assertion and getting ahead. But these are the ways of a gentle Father who loves to love and commands us to do the same.

Therefore, just as we must willingly accept His invitation to salvation, we must willingly accept the responsibility that comes with carrying out a life of humble, committed love to one another. This truth should act as the foundation for all our actions.

Pause to prayerfully consider when you are most likely to fall into the temptation of elevating self over tender care for others. Bring these to the Lord and allow Him to shift your heart as you read His Word. While we live in a broken world full of things trying to undermine us, Paul’s phrasing in Romans 12:18 leaves no room for misinterpretation, “as far as it depends on you.” We are in control of our choices and we hold accountability and responsibility for every action we choose. 

Let’s choose unity for the sake of Christ’s Beloved Bride, the Church!

JOURNAL THREE

We live in a world readily promoting “me first”, “my rights”, “my truth”, and “my feelings and desires” above all else.

In contrast, those who have been redeemed by Christ, are indwelt by God’s Spirit, and are being transformed by the renewing of our minds have a stirring within us as we consider the world’s perspective. The world’s attitude runs completely counter to the Spirit of God within those who have trusted Christ as Savior.

Believers in Jesus have been blessed with the Spirit of Truth, by which the Lord God shapes us to reflect Him! (1 Corinthians 2:12-15, John 6:44). The entire New Testament tells us it’s not about me. It’s about God and in our pursuit of God, our life is meant to love them. (Matthew 22:37-39) Them refers to everyone else.

If we use Christ’s life on earth to be our example for our thoughts, actions, and attitudes then we understand we are designed to use our lives to serve others. Submission, then, is focused on the Lord and obedience to His will follows with joyful delight!

Selfless obedience can look like forgoing your desires or airing your opinion in order to promote unity among those around you, especially when with those who are weaker in faith. (Romans 14) Obedience to the Lord doesn’t always result in immediate happiness, but it will result in ultimate joy for His glory!
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Philemon Day 12 Partnership In Christ: Digging Deeper

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Philemon Day 12 Partnership In Christ: Digging Deeper

Debbie Collin

February 28, 2023

Comfort,Community,Humility,Mercy

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 "Partnership In Christ"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:1-6

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “walk worthy of the calling you have received”? (verse 1)

In verse 1, “worthy”, comes from the Greek word, “axios”, meaning “of weight, matching value, or having as much as.” To the early Christians in Ephesus, this word may have brought to mind images of the marketplace and commerce. Paul encouraged them in this verse to “weigh” their calling and to walk accordingly.

He had previously told the elders in Ephesus, “the church of God had been purchased with Christ’s own blood.” (Acts 20:28) To understand a little more about the calling Paul is writing about, we are clued in by his marker word, “therefore”, which he used to remind us to go back and read his whole thought. In the first half of Ephesians, Paul devoted three chapters to our identity in Christ by describing our blessings and salvation in Christ.

In verse 1, Paul equips his readers to understand that salvation not only changes who we are, but also changes what we do. Note that Paul never said he was a prisoner of Rome, but rather, a prisoner in the Lord. He submitted his identity and calling to Christ.

To “walk worthy” is to walk in a way reflective of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that reconciled us to a Holy God from our state as a rebellious sinner.

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “walk worthy of the calling you have received”? (verse 1)

How do you know if another person is a Christian brother or sister? Paul reminds us our identity in Christ isn’t something we wear, nor is it defined by a place we go or activity we do. Receiving salvation completely changes us into a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Paul urges us to evaluate our circumstances through the perspective of what Jesus finished for us at the cross when He took the punishment we rightly deserved upon Himself and freed us to live as now-declared-righteous sons and daughters of God if we place our faith in Him. Doesn’t our mindset change as we think about God’s mercy, kindness, and love for us?

Christ pursues reconciliation with us through His sacrifice and obedience. In light of His mercy, we worship Him by presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice together with other believers. (Romans 12:1-2) If we want unity in the church, Paul tells us it starts with an alignment of our souls to the Lord, and a right view of our relationship with Him.

The Original Intent

2) If we “walk worthy” of our calling, how should that be reflected in our relationships within the Body of Christ? (verses 2-3)

The “calling” in verse 1 was not just an individual call to discipleship, but also a calling to become a member of the Body of Christ. Paul intended these truths to affect every believer’s behavior in relationships, especially within the body of Christ. In verses 2-3, Paul uses several, rich Greek words to practically describe how to “keep unity in the Spirit”.

humble

tapeinophrosune

lowliness of mind that comes from living in complete dependence on the Lord instead of relying on the flesh

gentle

prautés

meekness (gentle-strength) that originates with God and operates through faith

patient

makrothumia

long-suffering, waiting a sufficient time before expressing improper anger, opposite of “short-tempered”

bearing with (one another)

anechó

endure, suffer, tolerate with mental calmness and composure, especially in difficult situations

love

agapé

unselfish, unconditional love for others, charity

make every effort

spoudazó

be diligent, exert oneself, acting to accomplish all that God assigns through faith

Paul’s urging to the “faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1) was to preserve unity and peace with nothing less than all they had received through the Spirit. He desired their relationships to be a testimony of the transforming power of the gospel message. 

The Everyday Application

2) If we “walk worthy” of our calling, how should that be reflected in our relationships within the Body of Christ? (verses 2-3)

Every day we are bombarded with messages designed to manufacture rage within us and between us. For entertainment, we can even watch other people get angry while we feel justified in our own angry moments.  Paul invites us to a completely different attitude as followers of Jesus.

We have been made ambassadors, messengers, of the reconciliation He offers, which means we are called to daily live as reflectors of God’s great act of taking our punishment upon Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:20) He has commissioned us to live lives of mercy, compassion, and distinct unity. Instead of asking us to stand firm for our rights or giving us the latest talking points, Paul tells us to be humble, patient, gentle, tolerant, and loving in verse 2.

Let’s pause and have a reality check though. Followers of Jesus can struggle with unity even in the closest of relationships. However, we can find peace together in the gospel as we learn to be more like Jesus. (1 Corinthians 4:11-13)

The Original Intent

3) How does Paul define unity in the Body of Christ? Why is this important? (verses 4-6)

Paul uses “one” seven times in verses 4-6 to describe the unifying doctrines of believers: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of All. He was writing to the city of Ephesus, which was one of the largest cities within the Roman Empire. The Ephesian church reflected the city’s diversity.

During Paul’s two-year stay in Ephesus, “all the residents of Asia [modern-day Turkey], both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.” (Acts 19:10) With all those backgrounds represented in the church, Paul knew it was important to outline the essentials that united them together.

In another letter, Paul cautioned believers to “watch out for those who cause divisions” or “create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught” and to “avoid them”. He described people who cause this kind of disunity as those who do not “serve our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Romans 16:17-18) This may sound harsh, but this wording clarifies how strongly Paul “weighted” unity within the Body of Christ and the message of the gospel unity carried.

The Everyday Application

3) How does Paul define unity in the Body of Christ? Why is this important? (verses 4-6)

Take another look at the list of essentials Paul listed in verses 4-6: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of All. Two thousand years later, those are the same essentials binding all true believers in unity today. But, how are we doing in our churches really?

Often, the things that cause division in our churches sound like “good” things. Church people have disagreements about political positions, missions giving, childcare programs, and worship music. Do any of these areas hit your heart as a sore spot? Have you found yourself advocating for a lack of unity by taking sides on non-essentials?

These verses should lead us to pray for one another, encourage one another, and respect one another in humility, gentleness, patience, and love. The speech among brothers and sisters in Christ should be radically different from what we hear and see reflected in culture around us because of our devotion to unity for the sake of our calling to the Body of Christ.

Instead of battle lines drawn with opponents, we have a body of fellowship (“koinonia”) with hope and faith to bring glory to Him.

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Philemon Day 11
Journey Study

We cannot claim to be walking with Christ if we are walking apart from each other.

As painful the offence or attitude of our offender may be, we must make deliberate effort to forgive, and pursue reconciliation. Knowing offences can be painful and humiliating, Paul says, “[Bear] with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace[.]” (Ephesians 4:2-3)
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The GT Weekend! ~ Philemon Week 2

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The GT Weekend! ~ Philemon Week 2

Katelyn Palmer

February 25, 2023

Community,Discipleship,Faith,Forgiven,Freedom

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Pray His Words Back To Him!

1 John 3:16-18

“This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him – how does God’s love reside in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, Your teachings have richly encouraged me this week! I ask You to press them into my heart so I may continue to absorb them in the days to come. You have emphasized the importance of a life led in love and obedience to Your will. Help me love like You do, Lord. (1 John 4:9-12) Guide my steps and don’t let me stumble. (Proverbs 4:12)

I know Your will is saturated in compassion, mercy, and goodness. You are not selfish. You are the very embodiment of love, so I can act with confidence as I carry out Your commands to love others. Strengthen my resolve as I stand firm with my brothers and sisters against worldly wisdom. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) Show me when my actions and my words don’t align with You, Lord.

I desire to bring You glory in the everyday patterns of my life. Let my path be straight so others can see an example of the transformative power of Your love in my brokenness. May You take all the glory so I can’t boast apart from You. (Ephesians 2:8)
In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

There is much to unpack this week! If you’ve missed any studies, catch up here! On Monday, Malinda taught that transformative faith is activated to greater degrees when we know Christ more deeply. Our reflection of Jesus’ love increases because we’ve come to know more of Jesus’ love.

From the beginning of our faith journey, God transformed our very identities as a result of faith. When we surrender ourselves to Him, and trust He died to save us and is exactly the God He claimed to be in Scripture, He makes us utterly new. As we walk in this faith and lean deeper into knowing Him through prayer and studying Scripture, His love transforms us and stirs others up to deeply know the God we’ve come to love. (Philemon 1:6)

Reflecting God’s glory requires action in allowing our love for Him to overflow as love toward others. Loving actions bring life to our words! (1 John 3:18) We’re also warned to consider those whose actions reveal deceitful tongues. (Romans 16:18; Titus 1:16) Lastly, our motivation is key! 1 John 4:7 reminds us to “love one another, because love is from God” and Paul teaches we have nothing without love. (1 Corinthians 13:3) When loving others inevitably becomes difficult, remind yourself, “we love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) 

JOURNAL TWO

Philemon is a short, but exceptionally rich book. In our everyday lives it may be hard to relate to Philemon’s struggle of forgiving a slave for some unspoken crime, but what about a friend who betrayed us, a partner who deceived us, or a boss who abused our work ethic?

Paul explains that salvation allows God to provide us with a new identity AND a new purpose, one where love, mercy, and compassion color our days. (Philemon 1:11) Through the gift of salvation, we are brought into Jesus’ beloved flock. Once, we may have wandered a barren hillside with overgrown coats, but now we have a home with the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who uses our coats (faith and purpose) to keep others warm, feed the hungry with our milk, and encourages us to grow His flock. Like sheep, we are likely to be unaware of the ways God is using us, but we can rest assured of His love (Titus 2:14) and His good purposes for us (Ephesians 2:10).

As we obey Him and learn to love Him more, we bring glory to Him and shower loving, gracious compassion on our fellow brothers and sisters. (1 John 5:2-3)

JOURNAL THREE

Shame, regret, failure. We’ve all wrestled with these feelings in life. Regardless of its source, as it varies for each of us, the heavy weight of these chains has been felt by us all. Onesimus thought he would find the freedom he longed for by escaping captivity from physical slavery. Pastor Paul exemplified, while living under house arrest with his own physical limitations, true freedom isn’t found in your circumstance, but in Christ and His love.

Isn’t it much easier to think we can free ourselves from the pain we feel by manipulating our circumstance rather than surrendering ourselves to Christ and allowing Him to redefine our perspectives?

Pause to consider what set of current life circumstances would you readily trade so you could be free from painful feelings or hardship like Onesimus? In the middle of pain, it’s so hard to see anything good, but the Lord will faithfully use our difficult situations to remind us that He alone is the chain-breaker for our souls.

Even if our circumstances don’t change, we have access to true freedom in Christ because we can “roam the heart of God” as Rebecca wrote yesterday.
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Pause VI Day 8 Joyful Longing

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Pause VI Day 8 Joyful Longing

Melodye Reeves

January 11, 2023

Affectionate,Beloved,church,Community

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 2:19-30

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. 20 For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; 21 all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. 23 Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.

 25 But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need— 26 since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. 29 Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.

Read More Of His Words

We’re halfway through our journey, but what a letter this is! Imagine reading these words and paragraphs from Paul and processing what he was sharing. If you need to refresh and catch up, do that now. (Philippians 1:1-2:18)

After his greeting and prayer, Paul had given a sort of missionary report in Philippians 1:12-29.  “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel…”.

He then breaks away from that thought to encourage the believers to imitate the life of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t seem like just a marginal thought. It was essential to the rest of the ‘report’ he had begun. The recipients of the letter must understand how important it was to love each other well.

After his spontaneous hymn of praise to Jesus in Philippians 2;6-11, Paul continues his report. The concern of the Philippians for Paul’s well-being is obvious because they’ve sent people to minister to him. Maybe they were a bit discouraged that their beloved missionary was in prison, even fearful he could potentially receive a death sentence.

Paul informs them he is well, even thriving in the joy of the Lord. Mostly, he wants to spotlight the two people he’s sending back their way. As he describes them, it seems as though he’s describing the very characteristics he’s mentioned in his previous appeal to the Philippian believers. Do you remember the words of Paul in the earlier verses in the chapter? Does this verse sound familiar?

“For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 2:20)

What a joy for Paul to not only encourage them to be like Jesus, but to also send them two people who will show them how! Don’t you love these guys he’s sending? I can only imagine Paul’s selfless longing for the believers at Philippi to be strengthened by Timothy and Epaphroditus. I can see why Paul prayed what he did in Philippians 1:9-11.

And what about the attitude of Epaphroditus?! He wasn’t grieving his own illness but was concerned that the Philippians were burdened when they found out he was sick.
Sweet sister, as you pause on this passage today, let this scene really sink into your heart.

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down every word of Philippians 2:19-30  today.
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 biblia.com.) As you write, consider the heart posture of Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus. Ask the Holy Spirit to humble your heart as you pour over His Words.

2) Choose one of these options to live boldly with authentic honesty in biblical community. As we grow deeper in God’s Word, the Lord designed us to share and grow with others walking alongside us.

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 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 your Timothy.

3) Memorize Philippians 3:13-14

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Pause VI, Day 7

The Philippians had been a receptive church, eager to do what was right and acceptable before God. Paul wrote to encourage them to think even more sacrificially and selflessly, applying the humility of Christ to their relationships specifically within the family of God. Paul had gone to great lengths to remind them of Who they were to emulate.
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Pause VI Day 2 Fruitfulness Of Partnership

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Pause VI Day 2 Fruitfulness Of Partnership

Melodye Reeves

January 3, 2023

Heart,Joy,Love,Pause

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:7-11

Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Read More Of His Words

All fruit springs from some sort of seed. Without that seed, fruit would be impossible. Once planted and properly cared for, the seed matures into fruit.

“Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you …” (Philippians 1:7)

At the beginning of his letter to the believers at Philippi, Paul rehearses the evidence (fruit) he’d seen of gospel grace (seed) that had been planted in their hearts and lives. Paul’s deep affection and appreciation for them is seen by the joy he expresses that is in his heart as he thought about them. His feelings were not misplaced. They were typical feelings that anyone would have toward partners who have demonstrated such loyalty and faithfulness.

“… because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:7)

Can you sense his heart’s overflowing thankfulness? What a beautiful phrase: partners with me in grace. That’s the most wonderful kind of partnership, isn’t it? I hope you have some partners in grace that walk alongside you in the gospel. We all need those who are with us in this journey of life. Scripture has included many instructions regarding our partnership with “one another.” We are to love, serve, honor, be devoted, encourage, pray for, and live in harmony with each other.

“For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:8)

The beauty of this kind of partnership is we can partner in grace even from a distance. Paul’s friends did this by living out their faith where they were. Just knowing they were in Philippi serving God and loving others encouraged and strengthened Paul from afar. He missed his friends deeply. He felt the sting and weight of the distance, but he also knew he was not alone in the shared gospel work. He had people in Philippi who were bearing fruit from the seed of the gospel that had been planted.

Paul and his partners found nourishment from the very same tree.

John 15:1-8 tells us Jesus is the source of good fruit; all who are in Jesus are partnered with Him by His grace.

Today's Pause Challenge

1)  Pull out your Bible and read the prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 fully through 3 times. 

2)  Each time, write down everything that pops out at you, noting Paul’s deepest desire, especially for those in Philippi.

3) Pay special attention to what is not mentioned. Consider what this may mean about what’s most important to pray for other.

4) Think about five people you care deeply about (a believer who is family or friend). Write their names in your journal. Pray these verses fervently for them.

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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

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The GT Weekend! ~ Whole Week 2

Katelyn Palmer

July 2, 2022

Broken,Character,Christ,Community,GT Weekend,Hope,Humility,Jesus,Scripture,Truth,Unity

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

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Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Psalm 103:1-6

“My soul, bless the LORD, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits. He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. He redeems your life from the Pit; he crowns you with Faithful love and compassion. He satisfies you with good things; your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, You have told us we are not of this world (John 15:19) and neither is Your Kingdom of this world (John 18:36), yet we are to remain here, shining as lights in the darkness until Your return. (Philippians 2:15)

Please keep my thoughts centered on Your Kingdom, Lord, especially when the darkness seems overwhelming. Use me to reflect Your light so others may be drawn to You and a little more darkness is squeezed out of the broken places. Guide my quiet time with You, still my mind and heart so I may hear Your whispers, God.

Yahweh, you are the Shepherd (Psalm 23), the Teacher (Psalm 25:5), and the Lord of Armies (Psalm 46:7). You quench the thirst of my soul like a glass of ice water in the desert (John 4:14). I ache to be close to You, to feel Your love and warmth in my soul. Equip me to reflect this love to Your creation and renew my strength to push forward each morning against the rulers of this world in Your power. (Ephesians 6:12)

I pray for opportunities in this coming week to lift up someone who is low in spirit and point them back to You, Father. I move as You command; in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE 
As Christ-followers, we must hold to truth when it seems hatred is around every corner and division on every billboard. Scripture reminds that our fight is not temporal but spiritual. (Ephesians 6:12)

Of course, we battle our flesh daily, but a spiritual enemy uses our physical world to attack our spiritual livelihood. The enemy’s tactics have remained the same since time began: lying, deception, misinformation, distortion, and misinterpretations of God’s truth. 

How do we fight against that? First, we educate ourselves on the enemy’s battle plans, like deception through social media or the division rising up around us. (1 Peter 5:8) We must study Scripture to understand and identify truth, praying for guidance and wisdom. We can stay informed on world events through multiple sources and strain our responses through the safeguard of Scripture. Second, we engage. We must start a dialogue with those inside and outside our circle with open minds and soft hearts about the brokenness of our world with a willingness to take action. Third, we seek community. God designed us to seek support from our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds. God did not promise us a life free of storms;
He promised to be present with us through them. (Isaiah 43:2)
JOURNAL TWO
It’s easy to acknowledge that we live in a damaged world and that humanity is flawed, but what happens when the finger is pointed at us?

The most effective way to attack oppression, hatred, and evil, is by looking inwardly first. Zechariah reminds us to have compassionate hearts for others (Zechariah 7:9-10), and Jesus taught us to love one another as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) Isaiah calls for us to repent of our sin, be cleansed, and learn what it looks like to do right in order to stand against injustice. (Isaiah 1:17) 

All of these Scriptures appeal to Christ’s Church, that’s us! Imagine if the whole of believers around the globe actively lived out these verses in our everyday relationships. What peace and pushing back of oppression would result! Conquering hate and bringing unity to our communities must start at home. We must also pray fervently for leadership in our churches and our world. (1Timothy 2:1-4) Where we have the privilege to elect government officials, do so by searching the Scriptures and using your vote to elect righteous leadership. Have conversations, not debates, about what righteous leadership looks like that protects people, lifts oppression, and promotes justice. (Jeremiah 22:2-3, Proverbs 31:4-5; 8-9, Matthew 20:26-28).

It is our duty as Christ-followers to lead and pray with zealous love as God has commanded us to in order to reflect His light in the darkest places.
JOURNAL THREE
Have you ever heard the saying “practice what you preach?” Better yet, have you ever met anyone who could do it? I can think of one person who practiced everything He preached, and the world was quite literally saved in the process. Jesus.

He experienced sorrow, oppression, discrimination, and hatred, as well as taught about it in the synagogues, in boats, in fields and in city centers. Jesus illustrated how to suffer silently with purpose (Mark 15:3-5), but also how to boldly call out sin. (Matthew 21:12-13) He showed us how to lift up the lowly (Luke 8:43-48) and stand firm against the enemy, both spiritual and worldly. (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 23:1-7) More than all of that, Jesus showed us how to bring our brokenness to God in humble submission. (Mark 14:33-36)

In His submission, Jesus was renewed in His mission for God’s glory, for it is in tribulation where we develop endurance; endurance produces proven character, which produces hope. (Romans 5:1-11)

I challenge each of us as we face adversity in the next minute or the next week to rejoice at the opportunity God has allowed to further shape us into the image of His Son that we might proclaim Him all the more! (Romans 8:29)
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Whole Day 9 Identifying The Oppression: Digging Deeper

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Whole Day 9 Identifying The Oppression: Digging Deeper

Shannon Vicker

June 30, 2022

Deep,God,Humility,Justice,Love,Righteousness,Scripture,Shepherd

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 "Identifying The Oppression"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 22:3-5

3 This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor. Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses—they, their officers, and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself—this is the Lord’s declaration—that this house will become a ruin.’”
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?

Context matters significantly when studying Scripture and it keeps us “in bounds” for making follow-in right application to our lives. Studying a whole passage by considering its surroundings keeps us tied tightly to Scripture, allowing truth to shape our understanding instead of our own biases. Asking questions like who, what, why, and when helps broaden and deepen our understanding of any passage.

In order to know who Jeremiah is addressing in this passage, we must look backwards just a couple of sentences to Jeremiah 22:1-2 where we read of God sending Jeremiah to speak to the king of Judah. This king would have been a descendant of King David and sat on David’s same throne. Jeremiah was a prophet, speaking as God’s mouthpiece to God’s people; in this instance his message was directed to the reigning king of Judah.

The message also extended beyond the king of Judah to the Israelites under his rule as they were directives on what it looked like to “be” God’s people. These words were spoken to the king so he would model God’s justice and all of Judah would also walk in the Lord’s ways.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is Jeremiah addressing in these verses as he relays the Lord’s message?

Jeremiah’s message to Judah’s king on how to live in a way that reflected God’s righteousness and justice is ancient to us in the 21st century. Still, its meaning and significant implications are just as relevant to God’s people today as they were in ages past. The Word of the Lord is always relevant, enduring for eternity! (1 Peter 1:25)

God’s message through Jeremiah carries meaning for believers today where they live out being Christ’s Body in every culture in every nation and city around the world. Everywhere oppression and injustice exist, Jeremiah’s words still carry the authority of the Lord God. We are not exempt simply because we live in 2022.

How will we live out the rest of today differently because of Jeremiah’s relevant message? How will we shift the direction of our lives tomorrow? Not sure? Commit to reading just these brief verses every morning and praying for the Lord to convict and shape you as you take in His living and active words. (Hebrews 4:12)

The Original Intent

2) What does verse 3 mean?

Jeremiah began by telling the king he must administer justice and righteousness; the burden of wisely leading and shepherding God’s people fell to Judah’s king. This administration aligned not only with God’s heart, but also mirrored how King David had led God’s people. (2 Samuel 8:15)

Judah’s kings had drifted far from the pattern of righteous justice modeled by King David, and Jeremiah’s message was a clarion call to return to the ways of the Lord which He had manifested in David’s kingship. Jeremiah then instructs all Israelites to actively come to the aid of the vulnerable. In specifically calling out resident aliens, fatherless, and widows, the Lord was shining a spotlight on the weakest, neediest group of people of Judah. Israelites knew exactly how they were to treat resident aliens as God had addressed this issue centuries prior during the time of Moses in Exodus 22:21-22. 

By including this group of people in His message, the Lord emphasized how far Judah had strayed from His instructions and was calling them back to what they already knew. He reminded them to carry out righteous justice with the essential component of humility as Israel herself had once lived as resident aliens in Egypt.

Next, the Lord reminds Israel to protect the fatherless and widows, another group of often overlooked and neglected people which God had also addressed in Deuteronomy 14:29 during Moses’ leadership. God had commanded Israelites to diligently care for and give special attention to the widow and orphan.

These weren’t new commands, but they were instructions Israel had long ago disregarded and set aside. God’s deep compassion is revealed by his firm call to the king and his subjects of their duty to care for the vulnerable, ensuring that all were protected and given care.

The Everyday Application

2) What does verse 3 mean?

Just as Jeremiah’s message to administer righteous justice is relevant to us today as Christ-followers, so also are the carefully selected recipients of this protective care. Jeremiah specifically called out the weak and vulnerable in Judah, and we must consider who these groups of people are within our own cultures and cities. Here is where we are to begin our work of administering righteous justice.

It should not come as a surprise to us that these same groups are among the most vulnerable in our modern time as well. Single moms, orphans, and immigrants are among the neediest and vulnerable of our world and should be the first ones the church humbly runs toward to protect and love. Regardless of our location on the globe, I’m confident we each know someone who fits one of these categories. Our call is to refuse to exploit them or ignore reality when they are exploited or overlooked. We must not puff ourselves up and think less of them because of society’s label.

Christ calls us, just as He did to Judah’s king, to love and care for those who cannot care for themselves, for in so doing we are loving and caring for Christ. (Matthew 25:35-40) 

All over the world, people are displaced from their homes, children grow up without parents, and widows struggle in many cultures to provide for themselves. Our call toward each of these is to extend justice, act righteously, and love them with the humility of Christ. (Micah 6:8, James 1:27) When we actively live out this kind of love, we are reflecting Christ’s humble, generous sacrifice when He gave His life for us.

Living with justice for the oppressed is one way we live out of the overflow of Christ’s love for us.

The Original Intent

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?

Jeremiah’s message was a warning of God’s coming judgment against Judah’s king and the Israelites if they chose, again, to disobey God’s command and reject His ways of justice. They would be found in ruin. Sin’s rule would continue oppressing them while they continued oppressing the weak and vulnerable, even if it was simply by ignoring that a problem existed. Sin’s gravitational pull would continue increasing until eventually they would lose everything.

This was not a quiet, casual command that was really more of an optional activity, this was a matter of life and death.

Jeremiah continued to describe their ruin in verses 6-9. If they chose to ignore the Lord’s command, Judah (and Jerusalem) would soon lie in ruins. A direct result of their choice to place something else, anything else, before the Lord would be their fall. Judah, and therefore Jerusalem, would cease to be an amazing nation and city and would be turned over to an enemy.

Graciously, God, through Jeremiah, not only provided the Israelites a choice, but He also provided a clear call to return. Life and death were in their hands, and their choice carried significant, wide-sweeping consequences.

The Everyday Application

3) What house will come to ruin in verse 5?

Just as Judah was unable to prosper if they did not heed the Lord’s call we will never prosper as the Church if we do not heed His same call to leave our sinful patterns and embrace His ways of living righteously. The Global Church is the hands and feet of God, intended to actively show love to those often seen as the least lovable, most-likely outcast, and exceptionally vulnerable. When we do not choose to take on His mission in our everyday lives as believers, our lives end up in ruin, wasted and ineffective for the Kingdom. We allow sin and conflict to gradually take the place of love in our lives and it poisons everything. (James 1:14-15)

We can never live up to our calling in Christ if we allow sin and disobedience to fester instead of humbly pouring out the love Christ has demonstrated to us. (Romans 5:8)

If I am honest with myself, I can think of people I interact with daily who fall into these categories of unlovable, outcast, and vulnerable. I must ask myself if I am heeding the call of the Lord toward each of these individuals. I challenge each of us to think carefully about those we interact with regularly, and those around us who need to be seen and loved by us; are we pouring out the same love Christ has lavished on us? (1 John 3:1)

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Whole Day 8
Journey Study

The snarls of a sinister enemy snaked through the goodness of Eden, deviously plotting the downfall of the Almighty who had cast him from His glorious presence. How the enemy loved himself. How he loathed the Almighty.

Humanity would pay the price of the enemy’s sickening self-love by carrying his pride in their hearts, grooming it, making it their own, then calling it righteousness by justifying their selfish pride to the Almighty. Perfectly mimicking the enemy’s craft which had earned him ejection from The Presence.
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