creed

The GT Weekend – Creed Week 3

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The GT Weekend

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

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Journal Prompts

  1. Baptism is a beautiful symbol of our earthly bodies being put to death and resurrected through the power of Jesus. Walking forward, what impact does the power of the resurrection have in your life? How does it bring to light the power we have available to us through Jesus on this side of heaven?
  2. What part of Communion brings questions to mind? Think about your experiences with a Communion service. What emotion is evoked?
  3. There is often division and divisiveness based on denominational names and delineations. In thinking of The Church in a much broader sense, how does that shift your perception? How does it encourage you in knowing your part in The Body?

Worship In Song

Music Video: Hillsong United’s “The Creed”

Pour Out Your Heart

God the Father, You thought of everything! You gave us so many symbols of who you are and what your love for us looks like. Thank you for your provision and foresight. In baptism, Jesus, we see how close to You we can walk. Communion, Holy Spirit, gives us a new layer of interaction with you. God, The Church, your Bride, is all of us working in harmony for your glory. How amazing that you could plan such a perfect and beautiful illustration!

Lord, when questions creep up about being dunked vs. sprinkled, or drinking wine vs. grape juice, remind me to look to You for my answers. Bring to mind truth from Your Word about being at peace with everyone and being quick to listen. Give me a spirit of humility and obedience to follow my local Church in practice. Show me how to honor you with my choices!

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In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
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Journey With Us

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How were you drawn near to the Father and encouraged in your faith?
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Creed Day 14 The Table: Digging Deeper

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

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

The Passage

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Matthew 26:17-29 English Standard Version (ESV)

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The Questions

1) What is Matthew referencing when he speaks of the “first day of Unleavened Bread”?

2) Jesus says, “My time is at hand” in verse 18. What is Jesus talking about in this verse?

3) At the end of this passage, what is Jesus describing for the disciples?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is Matthew referencing when he speaks of the “first day of Unleavened Bread”?
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was instituted as a way to prepare for the Passover. Exodus 12:14-15 describes the process of cleansing the house of anything that had leaven in it. This cleansing process would lead up to the actual Passover meal that Jewish families celebrated as they recounted the Israelites Exodus from Egypt.

2) Jesus says, “My time is at hand” in verse 18. What is Jesus talking about in this verse? Throughout the Gospels, especially John, Jesus references time and specifically His time. God had a very specific plan and when Jesus says this at the beginning of this passage, He is letting His disciples know that His time has arrived. They don’t clearly see in this moment that Jesus is referencing the crucifixion.

3) At the end of this passage, what is Jesus describing for the disciples?
At the end of this passage, Jesus is foretelling of His second coming. A time when He will drink of the vine with his disciples in His Father’s Kingdom.

The Everyday Application

1) What is Matthew referencing when he speaks of the “first day of Unleavened Bread”?
There is something to be said for rituals such as the purification and remembrance that goes into the celebrating of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover. With Christians today, we are offered a remembrance in the Communion table. It serves to help us recall where we have come from, where we are destined to be eternally, and the sacrifice of the perfect lamb that made right our relationship with God, the Father.

2) Jesus says, “My time is at hand” in verse 18. What is Jesus talking about in this verse?
There were many who tried to impose timetables on Jesus and His ministry. From the beginning of time, God had a plan, a perfectly timed plan to redeem His people and that plan was set in motion from the moment Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus on so many occasions knew it wasn’t time yet but when it was, He was ready and willing. So often we try to rush God into our own timetables seeking our plan rather than His. God is faithful in His timing even in seasons of wondering, waiting, and wandering!

3) At the end of this passage, what is Jesus describing for the disciples?
As Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, he looks forward to a day where He will be reunited with His beloved disciples. Part of our celebration of the Lord’s Supper is just that, remembering the hope that Jesus’ death and resurrection bring to those who know Him and follow Him. Praise be the Lord that we do have hope for a day when we will all be united in our Father’s Kingdom!

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I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

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

The Tools!

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

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

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

The Why!

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

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

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

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

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

Creed Day 13 The Table

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 12:21-28
Matthew 26:17-29
Ephesians 5:25-33
Matthew 25:1-13

My mind tends to work like a puzzle. I hear a little bit of something over here, and I learn a little bit from over there, and I read something at the doctor’s office and suddenly… an “Aha!” moment has occurred and every piece fits into place. I typically don’t “get” things instantly. I distinctly remember sitting in a science class one day and it was as if everything I’d learned that semester was slowly being put together and all of a sudden, I could see the whole picture.
That is exactly what happened four years ago, sitting on a balcony at a camp called Windermere. Everything I’ve always known about “The Lord’s Supper” and “Communion” and “Christ and the Church”… it all just CLICKED! Today, as I begin writing, I pray that the same revelation happens for you. I pray that you will be able to understand and comprehend this precious practice we call…

Communion.

What exactly is Communion?
The first communion is often known as “The Last Supper”, when Jesus and His disciples were gathered together to celebrate the Passover right before His crucifixion. In this incredible moment, Old and New Testaments collided in one epic evening.

First we go back, way back…to when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Through Moses, the Lord told the Israelites to sacrifice a perfect lamb and smear his blood on their door frame because the angel of death would soon “pass” “over” (hence, “passover”). Whoever was not covered by Lamb’s blood, their firstborn son would be dead by morning. This was the final plague that drove Pharaoh to release the Israelites into freedom. As a reminder of this freedom, “Passover” was to be celebrated every year.

Fast-forward to the night before Christ’s death… and we find Jesus celebrating the Passover with His disciples. While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it before telling His disciples, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He then took a cup and told the disciples to drink, “…for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” He was foretelling what was to come later that night.

You see, Jesus became the sacrificial lamb that both Hebrews and Egyptians had to use to cover their doorframe to save their sons. As you read in Exodus, it wasn’t just any lamb the Israelites were called to use, it was a perfect and spotless, male lamb.
Jesus is the perfect sacrificial lamb.
His blood covers us, just as the lamb’s blood covered the door frame, and we don’t have to worry about spiritual death because of His victory over death!

We celebrate and remember His sacrifice as a Church – His bride, by taking communion together. The bread is a symbol and representation of Jesus’ body. The wine (or grape juice), a symbol of His blood that was spilled. When we take Communion, it’s to remember the great sacrifice Jesus made to save us!

So what do Communion and marriage have in common?
This is the part that just gets to me. It is so incredibly amazing that the Lord put this much detail into His relationship with us and the relationship between a husband and wife! The literal definition of communion is: “the service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared.” When we take the bread and drink the wine, and remember the great sacrifice of Jesus, we are remembering that because of Him, we are His bride. There is so much about this that we could study, but for now, I’m going to point you to a study Mike Bickle has done on how the Church is Christ’s bride, for more on this.

The act of consummating our marriage (devoting ourselves to a holy relationship with our spouse), is a representation of taking communion (remembering and devoting ourselves to a relationship with Jesus). God created marriage as a physical example of what He wants His relationship with us to look like! Husbands are commanded to love their wives just as Christ loves the church!
That is why our marriages are so incredibly sacred.
Not only because we’ve taken a vow before God to choose love over our own feelings, but because marriage was designed to imitate the Lord’s great love for us.
God would never leave us.
He would never forsake us.
He chooses to love us despite the fact that we often forget to spend time with Him.
We put other things and people above Him, but He never stops loving us!

The Old Testament beautifully points towards Jesus being our Bridegroom, our heart’s true soulmate. Song of Songs poetically describes the incredible love between a groom and his bride. In Hosea, God calls a man to marry an adulterous woman to visibly depict His boundless love for us as His own bride, even though we stray often from His love.

Can only Christians take Communion?
If someone doesn’t know Jesus, if they don’t know why they even need to be covered by His blood, then there is no point in taking communion because there is nothing sacred or special about it for that person. Paul even warns Christians about taking communion without actually stopping to think about why we are taking it. So, yes, only Christ followers are invited into communion.

Author and pastor Francis Chan states that if we all just take a few moments before praying and think about who God is, His power and glory, then we can more reverently pray and approach His throne with a holy fear of the Lord.
I believe this to be the same about communion.
If we pause before communion to remember why we are taking it, then we can more reverently participate in this remembrance and celebration of the wonderful gift God has given us in His Son… the perfect, spotless Lamb.

Listen in on this incredible dramatic poem by Hosanna that portrays why we need Jesus’ blood to cover us and how vast His love is for us!

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

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

Creed Day 12 Into The Waters: Digging Deeper

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Creed Day 12 Into The Waters: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

July 25, 2017

Believe,Bold,church,Digging Deeper,Excuses,Faith,Forgiven,Freedom,Fullness,God,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Jesus,Life,Love,Peace,Power,Praise,Purpose,Relationship,Remade,Transformation,Truth

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

This DD Connects With "Into The Waters"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 3:1-21

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is John in relation to Jesus?

John was the cousin of Jesus. When recalling the lineage of Jesus one must venture through the first chapter of Luke to see that Mary, Jesus’ mother, went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant at the time.

The baby in her stomach was John. He leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary, carrying Jesus in her stomach, entered the room.

The Everyday Application

1) Who is John in relation to Jesus?

I think it is easy for us to read genealogy verses in the Bible and shut down because it seems boring or useless information. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

In this case, we see John prophesied about, and when he comes on the scene, even in the womb, he recognizes and reacts to Jesus in ways no one else did.

The Original Intent

2) What is the intent of John’s message when he speaks of trees that do not bear fruit being cut down?

Jesus changed everything! John’s message was directed at those who claimed, “We have Abraham as our father” thinking they were “good enough” before the God.

The direct audience would have been the Israelite nation. They expected that following the religious law of the day would put them in right standing before a righteous and holy God.

John, in preparing the way for Jesus to come, began to preach a different message to the Jewish people as well as anyone who would listen outside of the Jewish realm. John’s message, inspired by the Holy Spirit, forced the Jewish nation to realize that God cared more about the spiritual condition of their heart than all of their laws.

The Everyday Application

2) What is the intent of John’s message when he speaks of trees that do not bear fruit being cut down?

It is an important message then and now. God desires those who wholeheartedly desire to be in His presence and out of complete dependence on Him live their life.

John’s message reminds us, compels us, to look beyond the everyday and seek God first so as to be right before Him. In the pruning of our life, God makes disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Original Intent

3) Why does Luke specifically mention tax col lectors and soldiers as part of the group that came to be baptized?

The Jewish people were governed by Roman rulers. The tax collectors, although Jewish, were paid by the Roman government so they were not seen in a favorable light. The reality for most tax collectors is they cheated the Jewish people out of money by taxing them beyond what they owed in order to pad their own pockets.

In the same vein, Roman soldiers were considered the same, employers of the Roman government. Jewish people didn’t want anything to do with them, but John wanted his audience to know that Jesus was for everyone.

The Everyday Application

3) Why does Luke specifically mention tax col lectors and soldiers as part of the group that came to be baptized?

Come all! Scripture does not say come some or come those who have it together. Come those who understand or come those who have it figured it out. It simply says come!

Tax collectors, soldiers, prostitutes, lepers…the outcast, unseen, and hated in the 1st century…these are just a few of the people groups that Jesus kept company with during His three-year ministry. The people He extended the grace of the gospel to were all peoples. 

Jesus tore down borders as He preached and reached with the gospel! I can come to Him, knowing full well that Jesus doesn’t need me, He wants me. He extends His gospel far and wide that all may believe and be baptized!

The Original Intent

4) Why was it important to John that people knew he was not the Messiah?

As far back as the prophets of the Old Testament, John was prophesied about as the one who would be the forerunner of Jesus. When the time came for that to happen, John was very clear in his message that he was not the Messiah. The Jewish people of the day were looking for the coming Messiah to save them.

When John began preaching and prophesying, the natural assumption would have been that he could be the Messiah. John states, “I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John was always pointing towards Christ and His divinity.

The Everyday Application

4) Why was it important to John that people knew he was not the Messiah?

God uses us to proclaim His message. Just as He used John to be the forerunner for His son, there are times we need to keep perspective that we are not God, but rather His instrument. We are His people and He desires to use us to bring others to Himself.

Our role as believers is not to be another person’s Holy Spirit but rather to walk along side, encourage, and bear the burdens of those around on His behalf. Never for a moment do we take God’s place, but rather we show His love, His light, and His grace so that others see Him more clearly.

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Creed Day 11 Journey Study

Why should we be baptized?
Can I be a believer and not be baptized?
What is the significance of being submerged in water?

I remember the first time I saw someone get baptized. It was on a Sunday night at the church I grew up in. I was young, and a tad confused as to why there was a bath tub behind all the choir chairs, but felt there was some sort of significance to it, which was made clear on this very night.
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Creed Day 11 Into The Waters

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Creed Day 11 Into The Waters

Sara Colquhoun

July 24, 2017

Adoption,Believe,church,Courage,Faith,Flawless,Forgiven,Gospel,Grace,Love,Purpose,Redemption,Relationship,Remade,Sin,Transformation,Trust,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 51:2
Luke 3:1-21
Acts 19:4-5

Why should we be baptized?
Can I be a believer and not be baptized?
What is the significance of being submerged in water?

I remember the first time I saw someone get baptized. It was on a Sunday night at the church I grew up in. I was young, and a tad confused as to why there was a bath tub behind all the choir chairs, but felt there was some sort of significance to it, which was made clear on this very night.

The person being baptized had just come out of the water, with their hands lifted above their head like they had just won a marathon, grinning ear to ear. Everyone began to cheer and shout and lift their hands towards Heaven, while the man grabbed a towel to dry off and the next person made their way down the stairs and into the tub, starting the process over again.

I had a lot of questions that night, and knew that I wanted to be baptized one day, I just wasn’t sure of the true purpose behind it.

Flash forward to my young teenage years when I’m really starting to dive into my relationship with the Lord. My youth pastor led a series about baptism and from the first week it captivated me. We talked in great lengths about the symbolism of submersion. Going under the water symbolizes dying to our old self and being buried, just as Christ was buried. As we are raised out of the water, it symbolizes being raised to walk in newness of life. We are reborn through salvation in Jesus and are clothed in His righteousness! (Galatians 3:27)

How is this different than being sprinkled as an infant? Baptism by submersion is an outward action that reflects an inward change, but an infant hasn’t made any choice to follow Jesus at that point in their life. Those who choose infant baptism generally believe one of two things. That this baptism infers salvation upon the child at that moment, or that it is done in hopes that the child will one day, after going through catechism, will own Christian beliefs as their own. 

What matters at the end of the day when it comes to baptism?
The gospel.
The Bible is incredibly clear that:
1) those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.
2) those who profess Christ are commanded to be baptized.
3) baptism, though a strong command, does not save you.

As believers, when we come to accept Christ, our next command is to be baptized. When the disciples went out to preach the Gospel, they had clear direction from Jesus on what was to be done.

In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus is speaking and states:

All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
Baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.

According to the Bible, baptism should be our first act of obedience after turning over our lives to Jesus as our Savior.

That doesn’t mean for those who accept Christ in the final moments of their lives that they will not have salvation because they aren’t baptized. But, for those of us that make the decision to follow Jesus now, we should be eager to follow Jesus’ example and be baptized as quickly as possible. If that isn’t the case, we should examine our hearts and see what could be stopping us from making this decision.

Jesus was perfect. I mean y’all, He was completely sinless, but you know what? Even He was baptized by John the Baptist, in order to fulfill the command that His Father had given.

After my youth pastor finished the sermon series on baptism I had made up my mind that I wanted to get baptized as soon as I could. I remember that day vividly, even ten years later. It was during a Sunday night service, in the balcony of the sanctuary. All the youth being baptized that night were given white robes to put on. When it was my turn, I made my way into the tub, and something shifted inside of me the moment I came out of the water. It’s a feeling I could only describe as the Holy Spirit coming over me in a different way that I had experienced before.

I’ve seen many people be baptized since this day, in fact, on one sunny day towards the end of my second trip to Africa, I was in the Red Sea in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania, when I watched my now husband be baptized. It was the most beautifully simplistic moment of my life, one that I will hold forever dear to my heart.

So today I ask you, sweet sister, have you made the choice to follow after Jesus forever? If you have, and haven’t been baptized, I encourage you to speak to someone that can help you with this next step of faith. If you have more questions about this, we’d love to chat with you! Leave us a comment or write us an e-mail. This journey study is so near and dear to our hearts, and we want this to be a safe place for you to explore biblical beliefs and how they affect our everyday lives!

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Creed Day 12
Digging Deeper

It is an important message then and now. God desires those who wholeheartedly desire to be in His presence and out of complete dependence on Him live their life. John’s message reminds us, compels us, to look beyond the everyday and seek God first so as to be right before Him. In the pruning of our life, God makes disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dig Deeper!

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Prayer is central to our ministry as believers in Jesus as we carry eachother’s burdens and intercede for one another. Our team is honored to share the work of praying alongside you!

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July 10th - July 28th, 2017 -- Journey Theme #19

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Creed Day 10 Holy Spirit

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 1:1-2
John 14:15-26
John 16:5-15
Romans 8:1-17
Acts 2:1-21

My first cognitive experience with Holy Spirit involved the well-loved children’s church hero, Gospel Bill (also known as Bill Gunter, US Marshal) and the little town of Dry Gulch…but not in the manner you might think.

The little church I grew up in (along with pretty much every other church in the late 80’s and early 90’s) loved the Christian television series put on by Willie George Ministries. The shows were kind of hokey sometimes, but the messages were solid and the heart behind them was clear. I was 9 (going on 19), and was so excited to join my private school counterparts for a week of Dry Gulch camp. The bus ride to Oklahoma was long and full of pre-teen drama, antics, annoying songs, and laughter. One bus breakdown and several long hours later, we finally arrived! We were quickly bustled off to our cabins to meet our pretty counselors and new BFF’s for the week, and we settled into the rhythms that any former summer camp-goer would recognize.

That week’s focus was all about Holy Spirit (or “Holy Ghost” as they called Him.) Our chapels, cabin meetings, prayer focuses, projects… Everything all revolved around Him. I knew something of Holy Spirit from sermons and classes at church, but He had never really felt real to me up to that point. One day, I remember hearing the speaker talk about praying in the Spirit and how we don’t always know what is going on, but that we must take notice, listen to Him and respond to His lead every time He is working in us. I don’t really remember the exact words or even any Scripture references the speaker gave, but later that afternoon, I felt an overwhelming urge to pray. I didn’t know why or for whom I was praying, but the urgency left me breathless and weeping. It felt as though I were pleading for someone’s very life. The other girls who were in my cabin at the moment were understandably worried and called for our counselors. The gravity of whatever was happening was apparent, and soon all present joined me in prayer for some time. Eventually, I felt a vivid sense of release from Holy Spirit, and we resumed our schedule for the day.

A day or so later, I learned that during the hour my cabin mates and I were urgently praying, my dad had been in a head on car collision in another state. The tiny Toyota he was driving at the time was completely demolished. One glance at that crushed little car would convince anyone that he shouldn’t have survived. He suffered nearly a dozen broken bones, including a broken neck, but God spared him.

The incredible reality and gravity of that experience left me with no doubt about Holy Spirit’s presence, power and purpose in our lives, but He is not always the easiest to describe. As we explore our Creed, let’s examine our own understanding and expectation of who Holy Spirit is, what He does and what He can do.

So who is Holy Spirit? What does He do, exactly?
He is fully God. He is Triune, three in one, with Father and Son, Jesus.
He is our Comforter. He quiets us when our lives seem tumultuous and we feel tossed about.
He is our Truthsayer. He opens our hearts and spirits to understand the Word.
He is our Teacher. He reveals all things to us.
He is our Memory-keeper. He reminds us of Jesus’ words and God’s promises.
He is our Convicter. He alone sparks conviction in the hearts of men and women.
He is the Spirit of Adoption. Through Him we become children of God and co-heirs with Christ.
He is our Freedom. He breaks us free from the desires of the flesh.
He guides us in all truth.
He speaks to us on God’s authority.
He glorifies Jesus in all He does.
He enables us to set our minds on life and peace.
He lives in us.
He shoulders our weakness and is our strength.
He intercedes for us when we don’t know how or what to pray.
He brings forth good fruit in our lives.

Does He live in every person?
No. We are not born with Holy Spirit inside us. When we confess our sinful nature, acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior, and repent of our sins, Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside us. This is the only way a person can receive Him. He is far more than an internal compass between right and wrong, although He does convict us when we sin.

What about children who accept Christ? Does He dwell in them, too?Yes, absolutely! The full and complete Holy Spirit indwells every single Christian, regardless of age, race, gender or any other factor. Every person in whom He dwells has access to all of Him. The 8 year old little boy in the pew next to you who accepted Christ yesterday has every bit as much of Holy Spirit in Him as the octogenarian who has given her life to Jesus every day for the past 80+ years. This forgiveness and adoption of each one, fully and completely, is the miracle of salvation.

If He is part of the Triune God, why is Holy Spirit basically nonexistent until the New Testament?
The short answer is…well, He isn’t. In fact, He is present from the very start.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2, NLT, emphasis mine)

Before the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, Holy Spirit functioned in a completely different manner than He does now. Prior to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, Holy Spirit did not dwell within every believer. He would rest on certain individuals for a time, in order to bring about a specific purpose… but His indwelt Presence was not automatic for every person.
This is why the riveting picture we see painted in Acts is vitally important to our creed.

Until that moment in time, Holy Spirit’s personal Presence was far more the exception than the rule.
When He came like a rushing wind on the disciples at Antioch, He obliterated every preconception we had about Him.

Just as the King of Kings chose to come as a baby, confusing all who expected a warrior King, Holy Spirit chose to break the “mold” we had seen demonstrated throughout history. Rather than resting on a select few, He chose to become equally accessible to each and every one of us, both then and now.

If we have accepted Christ, the same Holy Spirit whose power:

flooded the upper room full of believers and gave them a miraculous ability to speak other languages,
produced tongues of fire suspended over their heads in midair,
defeated the grave and brought Jesus back to life

DWELLS IN US.

You and me, friend. And His power NEVER diminishes.

Okay, so what does that mean for me? How does/can His presence within me affect my daily life?
Well, that means that when we surrender our hearts, minds and lives to Holy Spirit’s sovereignty (He is part of the Godhead, three-in-one, remember?), we are releasing our grip on our lives and allowing Holy Spirit to move through us as He desires.

Sometimes that looks like paying for a stranger’s coffee when prompted. Sometimes that looks like denying ourselves something we want in favor of giving where He nudges. Sometimes that looks like swallowing our doubt or fear and boldly sharing the word of knowledge He impresses on our hearts. Sometimes that looks like praying in the Spirit for reasons unknown. And sometimes, that looks like walking in our identity, accepting the authority He gives us and healing hurt and broken people in His Name.

As we reflect over our Creed and what we believe about Holy Spirit today, perhaps we should also examine how we are walking out the identity we have in Him. Are we declaring His sovereignty in our lives and hearts each day and owning the authority He gives us, or are we choosing to ignore His leading when we start to feel uncomfortable?

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Creed Day 9 The Sinless Carpenter: Digging Deeper

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Creed Day 9 The Sinless Carpenter: Digging Deeper

Brie Brown

July 20, 2017

Beauty,Believe,Digging Deeper,Excuses,Faith,Fullness,God,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Jesus,Life,Love,Meaning,Power,Praise,Sacrifice,Safe,Security,Time

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 "The Sinless Carpenter"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:15-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What does it mean that Christ was firstborn?  Does it mean He was created?

The idea that Christ was created, and that this verse, and others like it, speak of Christ in physical terms, is a heresy that has deceived many for thousands of years.

What Paul is getting at with the term “firstborn” is the rights and privileges of a firstborn son.  Christ has the right to rule, and He is set to inherit the whole earth. He is the firstborn of all creation, meaning He has all authority over it.

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean that Christ was firstborn?  Does it mean He was created?

Praise God that He is firstborn from the dead! He was resurrected, which is a promise to believers that one day we will also be resurrected when Christ returns.

Praise Him that He holds all authority over creation, including the minute details of your everyday. 

That’s a God you can safely trust!

The Original Intent

2) What in this passage points to Christ’s deity?

Verse 16 says, “by Christ all things were created” while verse 17 says Christ “holds all things together”. Verse 19 says that all the fullness of God dwelled in Him. 

All of these point to the fact that Christ was indeed fully God.

The Everyday Application

2) What in this passage points to Christ’s deity?

Verse 16 tells us Christ is the image of the invisible God. He is the flesh-and-blood picture of what God the Father is like.

I’m so thankful God put His Son on earth to show us who He is.  

Lord, when I read about Jesus, let me see You in Him! Remind me again of the truth that You are not a “hands-off God”, but you’re intimately involved in my everyday moments!

The Original Intent

3) What in this passage points to Christ’s humanity?

Verse 22 speaks of Christ’s body of flesh, which He chose to “put on” when He came to earth.  Verse 20 speaks of His blood, and verses 18, 20, and 22 speak of his death.

Only a human could have flesh, shed blood, and die a physical death.

The Everyday Application

3) What in this passage points to Christ’s humanity?

The beauty of God’s plan is amazing. He knew only a human could die for humanity’s sins, but only God could live a perfect life and be the perfect sacrifice. 

Therefore, He planned to send His Son, as God, to be the God-man, fully God and fully human, to accomplish His purpose of paying for our sins and reconciling us to Himself.

The Original Intent

4) What is the point of this passage?  What does Paul want us to see about Christ?

Verse 18 gives us a clue to the point of this passage, “that in everything He might be preeminent.” 

Paul describes the deity of Christ, how He created and sustains the world, how everything was created for Him. (verse 16) He points out how Christ’s death has accomplished reconciliation with God and made peace. He also states that Christ is the head of the church. 

All of these amazing things about Christ show us how worthy He is of our praise, devotion, and focus.

The Everyday Application

4) What is the point of this passage?  What does Paul want us to see about Christ?

Paul was making his case to the Colossians that Christ was, and is, preeminent in all things. 

Do you recognize His preeminence in your life? 

Do your priorities display Christ is first, above all things for you? 

Do you recognize He holds all things together, not you? 

What do you need to rearrange to put Christ’s preeminence on display in your life?

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Sin, which ruined all humanity across all time, came through one man, one act of disobedience. That’s pretty powerful! If sin from Adam destroyed humanity so thoroughly, Paul asks the rhetorical question “how much more will those who are of Christ….reign in life?!” Adam was human, but wrecked us.
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Creed Day 8 The Sinless Carpenter

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Creed Day 8 The Sinless Carpenter

Sara Colquhoun

July 19, 2017

Faith,Fear,Freedom,Generous,God,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Jesus,Life,Love,Power,Purpose,Relationship,Sacrifice,Transformation,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 18:2
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:18-23

Who Is Jesus?
Growing up around the church I was very familiar with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but the way the three related and worked together brought forth a sense of confusion to me. I knew the basic facts:

  1. Jesus was God
  2. Jesus died on the cross for our sins
  3. Jesus would come back again to take Christians to Heaven

I like to refer to that as the ‘flannel board’ Sunday school version that many of us were taught as children. But that only begins to scratch the surface of who Jesus really is and why God sent Him to Earth.

Jesus was 100% God, and no one who knew Him on earth would say He ever thought of Himself as just a “good man”. Jesus’s own claim to be God is what landed Him before Pilot with the sentence of crucifixion.

While Jesus had all rights and authorities of being God, having existed before time began as He in fact “was before all things, and by Him all things were made. Without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Jesus was also 100% human. I asked my mom a few months ago about how Jesus grew up. Do you think that He had to do chores? Did he have a bedtime? What about when he was a baby? Did he cry a lot?

My mom responded with a light-hearted laugh, “Of course He did chores, had a bedtime, and cried. He was human after all.”

I tend to forget that Jesus grew up just like you and I did. He had parents, and siblings, and one day a job as a carpenter. Can you only imagine how beautifully perfect His farmhouse tables would’ve been?

You see, Jesus only had 3 ½ years of actual ministry recorded in Scripture. We jump quickly from birth to ministry, with roughly 30 years in between, catching just tiny glimpses of who Jesus was as a child. We do know that as he got older, around the age of 12, he stayed behind in Jerusalem one year after the Passover, and when his parents returned they found him in the Temple, asking questions and giving His own answers, while those around Him stood amazed at His knowledge, understanding, and authority.

This was no ordinary man, this was God Almighty with skin on.

Jesus is the relatable God, the God who feels our feelings, weeps our tears, smells of our sweat, and aches with our physical weariness. He likely had a sunburn, got sick, lost His voice while teaching, and was exhausted from a long day. Jesus is the close-up, hold your hand, hug your shoulders, flesh, blood, teeth, freckles, and hair image of the invisible God.

Jesus is the picture of the God we cannot see.

How is He able to offer eternal life for every human being across all time?
Adam gave birth to death for all humanity. His seed was corrupt and he could only have children that belonged to and inherited death. Death had corrupted his soul just as if it were his DNA, and now all humanity would suffer the effects of sin, which is death and separation from God. As Paul says, “In Adam we all die…”

But Jesus Christ has the seed of eternal life, won through his resurrection from the dead, whereby defeating Death itself. Add in the fact that Christ’s seed is flawless because of His perfectly righteous life in the flesh. Jesus lived perfectly where Adam (and each of us) could only possibly sin. Christ can only give birth to life as no death is in Him.

Sin, which ruined all humanity across all time, came through one man, one act of disobedience. That’s pretty powerful!

If sin from Adam destroyed humanity so thoroughly, Paul asks the rhetorical question “how much more will those who are of Christ….reign in life?!”

Adam was human, but wrecked us.

Jesus is God of all, and by offering His righteousness, saves all who ask Him to be their Savior. His selflessness, in being without one ounce of sin, to die for each and every single one of us, sinners, has allowed those who choose to follow Him to not experience death, but only life.

Can we just stop there for a second?

There is no death as a follower of Jesus!

What is Jesus doing right now?
Seeing as though there is no death as a follower of Jesus, there is only life, when Jesus was raised to life and went back to Heaven His work didn’t stop there. He is actively fighting for us, while sitting, and sometimes standing, at the right hand of The Father.

Look at how Paul describes Stephen’s stoning in Acts 7:54-57 . Paul invites us into the moment where the Heavens are open and Jesus is standing there, advocating on our behalf. It wasn’t but moments later that Stephen closed his eyes on this Earth, and was welcomed into Heaven the next.

Jesus is actively waiting to return to bring the rest of His bride home; it’s our mission here on Earth to be ready for that moment. To be actively spending time with Him, getting to know Him, and being watchful to the things He shows us.

It excites me to know that though Jesus doesn’t know when His return will be (only God the Father knows), He is using us to draw broken hearts back to Himself. He will continue pursuing us until we meet face-to-face one day and He comes to take His people home!

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The beauty of God’s plan is amazing. He knew that only a human could die for our sins, but that only God could live a perfect life and be the perfect sacrifice. Therefore, He planned to send His son to be the God-man, fully God and fully human, to accomplish His purpose of paying for our sins and reconciling us to Himself.
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Creed Day 6 Our Father God

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 6:1-8
Genesis 9:8-17
John 3:35-36
Proverbs 1:7
Deuteronomy 10:12

Creed, Day 6

There are some things in this world… and not in this world… that leave me baffled.
One of these is the Trinity.
One Being is actually three persons and He is everywhere, He knows every person, He created the entire world then sent His Son – who is also God – and then sent the Holy Spirit – who is God as well… MIND. BLOWN.

And confused.

I’ve heard many examples of the Trinity, like:
“I’m Kendra. I’m a daughter, a wife, and a mother. I’m three different things, but I’m still Kendra.”
Another: “This is an apple. It has a peel, flesh, and a core, but all of it is an apple.”

But God can’t be paraphrased like that. The nature of God, His personality, all of Him just can’t be explained in one little sentence, or summed up in a few Journey Studies.
BUT beauty is found in seeking His face, not thinking we can understand it all.

And so we begin….
God the Father, show us Yourself, overwhelm us with Your glory!

Why does God seem so angry in the Old Testament?
The Tower of Babel, Noah’s Ark, the story of Lot’s wife, the Israelites’ wandering and in the desert, all seem to showcase God’s anger.
At times, I have a hard time believing that the angry God in the Old Testament is the same loving God in the New Testament.

God’s anger swells with the story of the flood. Only a few hundred years after people even came into existence, and we’re screwing things up already. People were wickedly corrupt. There was death, sin and darkness. And God wiped everything out, leaving only Noah and his family to survive. He displayed His power, His sadness, His anger….and His redemption.

When God flooded the earth. He was angry! He was angry that people, His beloved children, were believing the lies that happiness could come from anywhere but Him. He was rightfully angry.

The flood visibly proclaimed that Death would not win, redemption would.
God saved Noah’s family, who loved Him faithfully.
Just as He will save for eternity those who love Him faithfully today.
The Flood depicts God the Father’s authority over humanity, our souls, and all creation, and points, not towards anger, but relentless love.

In the New Testament, God made a way for that righteous anger to be poured out onto Jesus that we might instead receive the gift of Jesus’ righteousness rather than the consequences for our own sin, which is the rightful wrath of a just God. The wrath and anger of God has been covered by Jesus for anyone who chooses to follow Him.

We talk about God being a “Good Father” – what makes God so good?
Throughout the whole Bible we see God continuously displaying His goodness. We see His goodness as a display of His protective love, even as His wrath is a display of His jealous love for us.

Think about how we would describe a good father.

According to Askmen.com a good father is “a pillar of strength, support and discipline. His work is endless and, oftentimes, thankless…”
It also states that he teaches his children to appreciate things, spends time with his children, leads them, challenges them, teaches them, and protects them.

Those traits that we expect of our fathers are wonderful, but never met perfectly.
Our earthly fathers will always fail.
Maybe you’ve experienced that more than others,
which makes it hard for you to see God as a good father.

Where man has failed miserably, God has fulfilled perfectly!
He is our strength. Isaiah 41:10
He disciplines us and teaches us. Hebrews 12:5-11
His work is endless. Romans 8:28
He teaches us to give thanks for all things. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
He longs to spend time with us and He leads us. Psalm 23:1-2
He is our defender. Proverbs 23:11

God is a good, good Father. He is the best Father.

What do people mean when they say they fear God?
The fear of the Lord can mean two totally different things depending on whether you follow Christ or not. The fear of the Lord for people who don’t know Jesus, is the fear of death, eternal judgement, and hell. The fear of the Lord for those who are Christ followers means reverence and awe at His glory.

God the Father is not scary, but He is powerful. This is one of my favorite quotes from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe:

“Is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr Beaver sternly. Certainly not. I tell you he is King of the wood and the son of the great emperor-beyond-the-sea. Don’t you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great lion.”

“ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake” said Mrs Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe?
‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

What an incredible image C. S. Lewis is able to give us of the fear of the Lord!
He is great.
He is powerful.
He is mighty.

He turned a woman into a pillar of salt because she would not set her heart fully on the Lord.
He flooded the entire world to prove He was serious about sin.
He killed the firstborn son of every Egyptian, in order to save the Israelites from slavery.
He can strike down whomever He chooses, whenever He chooses.

But He is good.

To stand in humble awe of the Lord, puts us in the perfect position to grow in wisdom as we seek his face. Proverbs 9:10

God the Father is righteously angry and very good.
He’s ferocious and mighty and we should live our lives in awe of our mighty Creator who was and is and is to come.

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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 Creed 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 Creed!