death

Sketched IX Day 10 Peter’s Pursuit

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 10:1-43
Galatians 2:11-14
John 14:1-31

Sketched IX, Day 10

I did it again, Lord. Why can’t I seem to get this? Why do I so desperately want to follow You, only to fail miserably?

Over and over, You have loved me when I have passionately succeeded at the wrong thing. Instead of lashing out at me when I cut off that servant’s ear, You healed him and let them lead you away. All I wanted to do was serve and protect You. But that wasn’t Your plan. (John 18:10-11)

It was never part of Your plan.
It all makes more sense now. Well, most of the time.
I still think about all You spoke to us while You walked with us. You told us over and over You were showing us the Father. (John 14:1-11) You told us You would be going to the Father, but the Holy Spirit would be coming in Your place.

At the time, I subconsciously categorized Your words into my mental folder tagged, “Sure, Jesus.” That folder held Your teachings I partially understood, but weren’t urgent for me to completely figure out. You would always be with us. You were the Christ. Er, You are the Christ. I assumed You would be walking with us into victory, instead of into what felt like such a depressing defeat.

After You died and reappeared to us in your resurrected body, I understood an entirely different level of victory. You had defeated death! Not even Lazarus did that permanently.
When You ascended, You were lifted up, fulfilling Your words about going to the Father.

I miss You, Jesus.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the gift of the Holy Spirit and am so thankful for His presence. I just wish, sometimes, I could see Him. I could watch You love the unlovable and understand how I could do the same. I could sense the tone of Your words and feel the peace emanating from You.

Now I need to navigate each day without You physically beside me. I know the Holy Spirit guides me, but sometimes He’s not easy to understand.

Like when I had the vision about the sheet of unclean animals and was told to eat them. It was repeated three times and a voice told me to kill and eat. When I replied that I would not eat anything unclean, the voice responded, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.” (Acts 10:15)

Lord, that was very confusing. Yet, as soon as those men came to the gate of the house where I was staying, I knew it was the Holy Spirit telling me to go with them. When we arrived at our destination and I found myself being honored in the midst of God-fearing Gentiles, the words from the vision came back to me.

Who was I to call these people impure? If God orchestrated this meeting, He had a purpose, a clean one. A holy one.

Lord, You showed up when I began to speak. I shared of Your love for them and then You unleashed the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, You. Poured. Out.  (Acts 10:44-46)

We were all dumbfounded. I thought for sure I would never forget the lesson I’d learned over those few days. You came for anyone and everyone. Jews and Gentiles alike, You welcome us all.

Yet, here I am again, Lord. I feel the same sinking feeling I had when I began to flounder out on the waves. I so valiantly tried to serve You, and I am once again in need of rescuing. (Matthew 14:22-33)

Paul called me out. Paul, the one who previously persecuted Christians and never physically walked with You the way I did. He reminded me of the truth I preached to Cornelius on the day I thought I’d never forget.

Well, I forgot.

It became easier to add a few conditions to the truth of Your love to make it more palatable for my Jewish brothers to embrace the Gentiles. I know You never loved us with contingencies, Lord, but it felt easier for me to keep the peace.

But Paul is bolder than I. He declared the expectation of circumcision was not part of Your criteria for entry into the Kingdom. As Paul likes to remind us, we are saved by grace, through faith. How did I forget this important truth? (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Oh Lord, forgive me. Once again I ask You to catch me, helping me find my solid ground again. Help me live and love as You did, Jesus. Help me know the Father as You do.
Holy Spirit, guide and lead me on.

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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 Sketched IX Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Sketched IX Day 3 A New Work

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 5:1-11
Matthew 17:1-13
Isaiah 42:1-4
Galatians 2:18-21

Sketched IX, Day 3

It’s been nearly a week since Jesus taught us in detail about the cost of following Him, but the words still roll in my head, keeping me awake at night and popping up unbidden as we move through crowds ministering to them.

“Take up your cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

Death.
That’s all I can think about.

A cross signifies one thing, cruel death.
There is no way to escape torture when a cross is involved.
None.

Cross victims press against nail-pierced feet to slide their raw back upwards against shredded wood attempting to catch a breath as their wrists are nailed on either side, outstretched in agony. Eventually, exhaustion overtakes the condemned man and their futile exercise for oxygen is over, resulting in suffocation. It’s cruel, but it is the price to pay for those who dare break Roman law. I’ve seen it before, the crucifixion parade outside the city as thieves and murderers are led away for gruesome justice. It’s bloody and agonizing, the screams of men as naked flesh is grotesquely pierced, but it is effective in making its point: don’t run against Rome.

I shook my head again, attempting to clear the horrific scenes playing out in my mind. I just don’t understand! Why did Jesus tie these two ideas together, following Him and taking up a cross. It makes no sense! To follow, I must be alive. So, why must I also die? And not simply die, but die a cruel death.

Why does following Him cost so much?!

The turmoil inside me continues churning, never lessening, and I grab a fistful of olive branches in my frustration as I take one more step forward up the narrow, well-worn path on the side of Mount Tabor.

“Hey! Come on, Peter!” James’ indignant voice complains behind me as the olive branch swipes his face. “What’s wrong with you lately, man?”

I glance back, ruefully apologizing for the errant branch thrashing. Does James understand? I lift my eyes forward to catch John following closely to Jesus on the path ahead; the two are conversing, and then I hear John’s laughter ripple out. I grin in spite of my war inside, as John’s laughter invites everyone into its embrace. I can’t stop myself from wondering, does John understand? I furrow my brow and increase my pace, ignoring James’ question. Chest heaving and brow sweating, I catch up to John and Jesus at Tabor’s summit. A quip about my meaty muscles weighing me down compared to John’s lean, young frame is on my lips, but it dies instantly as I follow John’s aghast gaze.

Jesus! Jesus! He’s…

Suddenly, the brilliance of light envelopes everything in sight. The radiance is utterly beyond description as Jesus’ face shines like He swallowed the sun, His ordinary garments now aglow with uncanny light. James gasps and I follow his finger, seeing the unbelievable!

Moses and Elijah are here as well! I may not have everything figured out, but as Moses representing Law and Elijah representing Prophets stand here with Jesus, it’s all becoming clear! They are all the same! Law, Prophet, and Jesus!

Bursting with my revelation, I run unhindered towards the three men bathed in light. “Jesus! Jesus!” I shout. “Lord! It’s so good for us to be here! I’ve got it figured out! We will build three tents for you all and honor you all equally!” (Matthew 17:3-4, paraphrase)

Instantly, a thick, heavy cloud overshadows all of us, striking deep fear into our hearts. Moses and Elijah vanish. Terror-stricken, James, John, and myself are rendered immovable and speechless as a voice boomed, “This is my Son, the Chosen One, listen to Him.” (Luke 9:35)

Cowering and mute, the three of us fall face down in the heart-stopping glory of Yahweh’s voice. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the cloud of glory vanished, replaced by natural Judean sunlight that makes me sweat again. Stuttering as I examine the common dirt clinging to Jesus’ feet and toenails before me, I realize I haven’t been breathing and gulp in air as Jesus reaches down to touch my shoulder. His voice, astounding in its common, ordinary sound, tenderly speaks, “Get up; don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7)

With lightning-fast clarity, Jesus’ words prompt a memory of the very first time I followed Him. He had looked at me then too, my nets bursting with an enormous catch of fish flopping everywhere. Crowds had gathered and men were agape at the plunder I’d caught, but Jesus had His eyes fixed on mine, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.” (Luke 5:10)
And so my following began.

Death.
Don’t be afraid.
Follow.

Though it would cost me everything, even my very life and all the pleasures and materials I had once loved, I was to crucify those daily, torturously even, and be left in the wake of the life of Yahweh so I could follow Him freely, without any hindrance.

He knew.
He knew of my internal battle, and He was making me new in the midst of it.
He was showing me Who He was, as God of all.

For Him, no, in Him, I will crucify my old self, and live to follow Him daily in the newness of abundant life. Jesus, the Great I Am, was worth it.
He is the Beloved Son, the Only One worthy of my life.

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Sketched IX Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Worship VII Day 3 The Wonderful Cross

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 3:1-11
Isaiah 53
John 15:6-17
Mark 15:6-37

Worship VII, Day 3

Dichotomy
Such a fancy-sounding word, simply meaning a contrast between two differing or opposing ideas. Why is this word important for today’s journey into worship? As we explore the hymn The Wonderful Cross, we uncover the incredible dichotomy of the cross of Jesus, simultaneously wonderful and horrible. Come, discover with me.

“When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain, I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.”

In Biblical times, there was nothing wonderful about a cross. It meant crucifixion, which was excruciatingly painful, while also publicizing the victim had committed a crime deserving a penalty of death.

Except Jesus committed no crime.
There was no sin to attribute to Him. (1 John 3:5)

However, human beings have sins to spare, and Jesus took every last, ugly, despicable one of them to that cross of death and shame. (Isaiah 53:5-6)
His holiness took on our sinfulness.
His righteousness was willingly offered in exchange for our unrighteousness when we embrace the cross. This place of death offers a slaying of our sin as we submit to His rule and reign! Anything we give up in this life to follow Him is a loss so we can gain eternity. (Philippians 3:7-9) Praise Him, the Prince of Glory!

“See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose, so rich a crown.” 

Jesus’ cross experience was filled with pain and suffering. Can you imagine being beaten with a whip laced with metal? (Mark 15:15) Picture a crown of thorns beaten into your head. (Mark 15:17-19) Then carry a cross beam on your wounded back, only to be nailed to it, and hung to die. Every drop of blood, from His head, hands and feet flowed from joyful obedience to the Father. He could have focused on the pain of the cross. Instead, He focused on the joy of it, because He was winning our salvation.

In the face of hatred and jealousy, He expressed love.
In response to the envy of the chief priests (Mark 15:10),
His fellow Jews yelling, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:12-14),
Roman soldiers mocking Him (Mark 15:20),
and crowds scoffing as He hung on the cross for their sins (Mark 15:29-32),
He offered His life for them all.

This was pure love.

John 15:13 says, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.”
Jesus, however, went beyond this definition. Romans 5:8 says,
“while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

While they were not His friends.
While we were not His friends.
He still laid down His life, because He loves us! Does it ever bring you to tears to think about someone, anyone, loving you so much? I can scarcely handle the thought of the most holy God loving sinful me that much. Yet He does! Glory!

“Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name.” 

The chorus mentions “gathering to bless His name.” This is what we do on Sundays at church, at Bible study, in small groups, and as we pray together throughout the week. We bless Him.
When we lay our problems down so He can handle them, we bless Him.
All made possible because of the wonderful cross that brought His brutal death and our freedom.

On the day Jesus died, people gathered at the foot of His cross, but their intention was not to bless. They drew near to mock the very One who could save them. Today, in light of what Jesus finished for us, we metaphorically gather at the foot of the cross to bless the very one who did save us. (Isaiah 53:5 and Isaiah 53:11)

“Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

How do we respond to this costly, sacrificial love? In His horrific death, we find the most profoundly extravagant act of love and selflessness ever displayed.

I can think of three actions we can take in response.
First, accept the gift of salvation. Jesus paid a high price for us to spend eternity with Him. Let’s not leave His gift unaccepted and unopened.

Second, since Jesus died for us, we should die for others in sacrificial love. On a daily basis, we work toward dying to self and to our sin. Philippians 2:3 explains it best, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” In a nutshell, dying to self means:

  • Operating in humility
  • Considering others before ourselves
  • Placing others’ needs before ours

I warn you, it will feel like death. I’ve tried it!
But it’s nothing compared to the cross of Christ. So, let’s just do the thing, and live in the love of Jesus as we follow Him, okay?

Third, we can take hold of the life Jesus died to give us.
Let’s read our Bible and do what it says.
Let’s use our gifts for His glory, not ours.
Let’s press on toward the goal for the prize of following Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
We can do this in honor of the wonderful cross and our beautiful Savior!

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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 Worship VII Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Sketched VIII Day 6 Lazarus

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 11
2 Kings 4:8-37
John 12:1-11
Psalm 145:1-7
Revelation 1:1-18

Sketched VIII, Day 6

The glory of the LORD used to fill the tabernacle (2 Chronicles 5:14),
but now God’s glory walked among us in Jesus (Hebrews 1:3).

I know this because I was dead, but Jesus called me back to life. But let me not get ahead. This story is too important to rush.

My sister, Martha, invited a great Teacher to our home. My other sister, Mary, sat at His feet and soaked up His words. I also listened intently. He was different from any other teacher or Rabbi I’d ever heard. He spoke and taught with such authority; I now understand His authority came from Yahweh (John 17:1-2). I could never have dreamed of the Messiah, in our home. But there He sat, befriending us.

Sometime later, I fell ill, but my sisters were not worried. They assured me, “We’ll call Jesus. He will take care of you.”

Our ancestor David wrote, “Put your hope in the LORD, both now and forever.” (Psalm 131:3)

So we did. My sisters sent for Jesus (John 11:3), believing if anyone could save me, He could. But as we waited, I felt my life slipping away. I hoped my sisters’ faith would survive my death. At the time, I couldn’t foresee His plan, but it turns out, He was working something far greater than my immediate healing.

My sisters tell me they were in great despair, wondering why Jesus had not come right away. I grappled with the same questions as I took my last breaths, until I remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.’
This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Isaiah 55:8)

In my final moments, these words brought me peace.
On the fourth day after my death, Jesus finally arrived and made the most curious statement to Martha.

“I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” (John 11:25)

You see, around this time, Sadducees in my town were bickering with everyone, especially Jesus, about the impossibility of resurrection. (Mark 12:18-27) Yet, in blatant contradiction to their assertions, Jesus declared not only is there a resurrection, but the resurrection is Him!

I’m told He continued to surprise my sisters and their many comforters by weeping
in front of everyone, alongside them in their grief.
Imagine the Messiah
weeping
for my death.
I am still moved to tears just thinking about it.

Jesus instructed them to roll the stone away and proceeded to pray for the people watching to believe Yahweh sent Him. Then, He called me to arise.

I know, it sounds crazy. But if Elisha, a prophet, could receive power from God to raise the Shunamite’s son from the dead, why should we doubt the power of the Son of God to raise me? (2 Kings 4:8-37)

Through the darkness, I clearly heard Jesus, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43)

At His words, I awakened to find myself wrapped in grave clothes with strips of linen over my eyes. Despite my bindings, I moved toward His voice, longing to see His face again.

I walked into the bright light and heard Jesus’ command, “Unwrap him and let him go”.
So my life began again!

By His words, I was resurrected. The One Who is the Resurrection spoke me into life; in that moment, I became a living testimony to the glory of God: a proclamation of His power, greatness, and wondrous works. (Psalm 145:3-6)

My testimony came at a cost. Because He displayed His great power, many of the leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They also plotted against me, because my resurrected life inspired many to believe in Jesus, the Messiah (John 12:9-11)

In fact, the new life He gave me accelerated His death. Just before Passover, my sister Mary anointed His feet with expensive perfume and, to our confusion, He indicated it was for His burial. (John 12:1-7) Six days later, I realized it was the beginning of His journey to the cross.

I despised that cross at first. My testimony pointed to His glory, but in the wake of His death, my new life seemed empty and pointless.

But on the third day after He died,
His gravestone was also rolled away.
He was also resurrected.
But He needed no one to call Him out of the grave.
God Incarnate raised Himself from death to life.

He was dead, then alive forever, holding the keys to death and Hades. (Revelation 1:18)
My resurrection had been a small foreshadow of His.
Jesus was truly, “The First and the Last, and the Living One”. (Revelation 1:17)

My brokenness made whole, gave others the chance to live forever with Him. It can do the same for you if you believe in Him, the Resurrection and the Life.
My sisters, believe, and live forever!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Sketched VIII 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 Sketched VIII!

Hallel Day 15 From Death To Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 118:17-29
Psalm 24:1-10
Matthew 26:36-56
Luke 20:9-18

Hallel, Day 15

I will not die, but I will live
and proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord disciplined me severely,
but did not give me over to death.

The words came flooding like so much mockery as the events of the previous hours replayed again and again, unbidden, in my mind. These were words my lips had sung hours before in swirls of confusion beneath the dark sky of Gethsemane. It was the same garden, the same piles of rocks, the same swath of olive branches where I had sat with these brothers of mine for countless hours over the last three years.

Here, I’d heard Jesus teaching the masses.
Here, I’d heard been confronted with truth.
Here, we had learned to pray.
And mere hours go, here is where my brothers and I had fallen asleep while…….
the sobs gathered with overwhelming force in my throat, choking me, as I called to mind my failings.

I ran aimlessly through the now empty garden.
I could not hold back the screams of agony.
Falling to the ground, my fists pummeled the soft earth, and I wished for death.

Here, just hours ago, I had watched Jesus heal a soldier’s ear from Peter’s reckless sword.
Here, I had been jolted awake from Jesus’ emotion-filled plea to please, please pray with Him. But I didn’t. I just couldn’t stay awake.

My hands reached up and grabbed at nearby olive branches in self-loathing and anger, plucking new leaves into my balled-up fists.

Softly, the words came again.
I will not die, but I will live
and proclaim what the Lord has done.

Proclaim?!
I scoffed!
Proclaim what??
That Yahweh had parted the Red Sea?
So what…
That He brought us out of exile?
That was centuries ago….
None of it was relevant now.
Our Messiah is… dead.

Anger overtook me again as my fingers dug into the dirt.

Open the gates of righteousness for me;
I will enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the Lord’s gate;
the righteous will enter through it.

The melody came like whispers.
As if Jesus Himself were singing the words, and my mind easily recalled the lusty sound of His voice, fraught with emotion, as He had sung those words while leading us here last night.

This is the Lord’s gate;
the righteous will enter through it.

What did any of this mean anymore in light of all the new happenings.
In light of death….
The only understanding hitting me hard on repeat was the knowing that I was not righteous. I was not righteous. I was not righteous. Too many sins, like the dirt pressed beneath my fingernails, my sin colored everything.
I knew the truth, I was not righteous.

Not like Jesus. Certainly not like Jesus. He was innocent. Holy. Pure.
And again, the tears flowed with the blatant injustice of it all.
Holiness murdered. Messiah dead. Hope gone…..

I will give thanks to you
because you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came from the Lord;
it is wondrous in our sight.

My lungs held their air as the words seemed to wrap around me, insisting I gaze at them longer. My body trembled, but something about those words I hadn’t recognized before. I turned my head as if to hear the words sung again in Jesus’ voice. Was there a deeper message in these age-old lyrics?

You…have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came from the Lord;

They were jagged pieces of a puzzle, but like a hazy fog gathering around me, realization was slowly creeping over me.
Salvation.
The stone the builders rejected….
This came from the Lord.

I inhaled sharply, suddenly remembering I had forgotten to breath, and my mind raced to the day Jesus had spoken those very words.
We were all gathered around Him in Jerusalem, walking around the breathtaking edifice of Herod’s Temple. He had told a strange parable, as most of them were, about the owner of a vineyard who, while out of the country, had sent a servant to gather fruit. But the tenants of the vineyard, whom the owner had left in charge, beat up the servant and sent him back empty handed. Three times the owner sent a servant, and three times the tenants abused the servants. Finally, the owner sent His own beloved Son, saying surely, the tenants will respect my son. But they didn’t. Instead they killed him. Then Jesus had quoted this portion of the Hallel, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.

Soft rain began mixing with my tears as I lifted my face to the heavens.
Christ was the cornerstone.
Christ was the rejected son, killed by the ones intended to care for the Father’s people.
Salvation.
This came from the Lord.

“There must be more to the story, Jesus”, I felt my lips move, and peace began easing my clenched muscles.
I didn’t have the answers, but, here, as before, in this Garden, I was being confronted with truth.

The Lord is God and has given us light.

Yes, Lord, You are the giver of Light.
Jesus, He is Your light of the world.
But, God, they crucified Him!
My questions still hung in the air
His answer came with power as the words to the end of the Hallel opened my heart, “Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar…”

Jesus.
The bound sacrifice.
The cross was the altar.
Death traded for life!

I still had questions to be sure, but as I rose, dropping the olive branches to the dirt by my sandaled feet, I felt washed. I felt peace.
No, I didn’t know the answers. Christ was still in the grave, but there was more to the story, I knew it would be so because God has always, always been faithful, and always would be.

Yes, He parted the Red Sea.
Yes, it still mattered.
Yes, He set us free from slavery.
Because He has always brought Life out of Death.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
You are my God; I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His faithful love endures forever!

—–
As is the case with each of our first-person narratives at Gracefully Truthful, these stories of Hallel have been imaginative creativity based in the truth of Scripture. We don’t know what the disciples’ exact actions or personal internal wrestlings were after the final Passover meal, the betrayal, the denial, the flogging, and finally the crucifixion of their Lord, Jesus Christ. But, here in the Garden, we hope you find small pieces of your own journey with Jesus, and you, like the disciples, discover He is indeed faithful and true, as He always brings Life out of Death!

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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 Hallel Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Open Day 9 Casting Out Fear: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Casting Out Fear!

The Questions

1) Who is the speaker and audience in this passage of Scripture?

2) What is the context of this one verse within the chapter?

3) What kind of freedom is being described in this verse and how is it obtained?

John 8:36

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Original Intent

1) Who is the speaker and audience in this passage of Scripture?
In reading the previous verses, we know the disciple John is the author of the book and he is recounting a conversation between Jesus and “Jews who believed Him.” (verse 31) Although Jesus’ audience, made up largely of Jews, were listening and believing, they were still questioning Him. They did not fully understand who He was as the long-awaited Messiah, nor did they grasp His purposes beyond being a knowledgeable Jewish teacher.

2) What is the context of this one verse within the chapter?
Jesus is teaching in the temple and many are putting their full trust in Him by believing Him at His word that He is indeed exactly Who He claims to be, God Almighty in the flesh. (verse 30) Jesus is explaining who He is and what authority He has to teach, while, at the same time, He is teaching the truth of freedom as well as the truth of sin. Every time Jesus speaks, it is with truth and grace. He boldly preached on the reality of sin, which separates every person from the righteousness of God. Because of our sin, we are utterly and eternally incapable of being made whole in the presence of God. However, just as true is the reality of freedom found in placing our full belief and trust in Jesus Christ as the Only One who took the punishment we rightly deserved because of our sin, and magnificently, gave us righteousness in place of our sin. That is freedom!

3) What kind of freedom is being described in this verse and how is it obtained?
Jesus is specifically talking about freedom from sin. He clearly states that everyone who “practices sin is a slave to sin” (verse 34). Meaning that whoever continues in their state of sinfulness, relying only on themselves to somehow “become good” will always and forever be a slave to sin. There is no escape from the deadly grip of sin simply by trying to “become good” on our own will power. But, through the Son, there is freedom from that slavery! Jesus’ listeners would have understood His terminology, and followed His logic, but they did not see Him as God’s Son sent to take away the sins of the world and provide that freedom. Jesus was claiming to actually be God, for only God could possibly take away sin and its punishment of death. They did not understand the true freedom Jesus was offering because they could not fathom a God who became flesh, rather it was far more comfortable to keep God in a box they could manage. A box where they could be secure in their standing with a righteous God because of their Jewish lineage as Abraham’s descendants.

Everyday Application

1) Who is the speaker and audience in this passage of Scripture?
Scripture is the inspired word of God and although there is a specific context within which it was written, the message of the Bible is still active and living for us today (Hebrews 4:12). We are the audience just as much as the Jewish audience John was writing to over 2000 years ago. Jesus speaks to us today through His Word. How do you view Scripture? Is it strange and archaic to you? Do you find it boring or is it precious? Do your daily actions genuinely reflect your belief? Which claims of Christ do you struggle to fully embrace? Is He just a good teacher or is He the Lord of all? We must all wrestle with these questions, just as Jesus’ listeners did in the first century. Our answers reveal much about our hearts!

2) What is the context of this one verse within the chapter?
Freedom in Christ comes through knowing Him intimately, trusting Him as Lord of your life, and recognizing His authority. In other words, doing exactly what those in verse 30 were doing, “believing Him” and fully taking Him at His word. Jesus is exactly Who He says He is! Jesus is speaking powerful truth to His audience and there is a moment farther in the passage where His audience simply can no longer handle the truth. Angry, because Jesus’ truth makes them extremely uncomfortable as they come face to face with their own sin, His hearers actually pick up stones to throw at Him. (verse 59) What He was saying was so foreign to them, so outrageously unthinkable, it was considered blasphemous. How could Jesus possibly be the Almighty God, having authority to both call out sin and claim to offer freedom from it through Himself?!
Freedom isn’t free; it cost Jesus His life, but our freedom comes through submission, total surrender, to Him. We can’t earn this freedom and neither do we deserve freedom from our sin, but God, being rich in His mercy, provided it to us at the cost of His Son’s life. That is love!

3) What kind of freedom is being described in this verse and how is it obtained?
Throughout history, there have been wars in the name of freedom. A desire to break free from the tyranny of a government or a break from an ideology has caused uprising for the sake of freedom. The freedom Jesus speaks of is infinitely more than an ideal or moralistic teaching because this freedom is eternal, not earthly. My favorite passage in all of Scripture is Romans 8. It starts with the verse, “there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ…” (Romans 8:1). Freedom from sin is freedom from the wrath of God that we rightly deserve because of our sinfulness before Him. All it takes is one small sin to render us separated and fallen below the standard of flawless, perfect righteousness that He as God exists eternally as. The freedom Jesus offers results in a breaking of all bondage from Sin and Death; no longer are we under that slavery, we are not bound to obey Sin. Rather, we are free to live in the light of Him who created us, free to dance in the love Christ lavishes upon us. That freedom is only accessed in Him through knowing, believing, trusting, submitting, and surrendering to who Jesus is as fully divine and fully human, able to take our punishment in our place. “My chains are gone I’ve been set free.”

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Casting Out Fear!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Open Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Kaleidoscope Day 9 A Quick Trip to Isolation: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out A Quick Trip to Isolation!

The Questions

1) What end is Peter referring to and why does it call for action now?

2) Why are “alert” and “sober-minded” tied together?

3) What is meant by “love covers a multitude of sins”?

1 Peter 4:7-8

The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Original Intent

1) What end is Peter referring to and why does it call for action now?
Peter, as well as the other apostles, had a pressing, imminent urging of the Lord’s returning to renew all things, which meant the end of all things in creation as we know it would pass away forever. They did not know the patient timing of the Lord would extend generations into the future that many would come to repentance and enter into a right relationship with the Lord. (2 Peter 3:9) But truly, it didn’t matter; they didn’t need to know when the “end of all things” would come, just that it would. Deeper than their current lives ending, the end of “everyone’s” life would end, and with it all opportunities to choose Christ and all opportunity to love another. This perspective is the reason for urgency in Peter’s letter. He writes to remind his brothers and sisters, some of whom were suffering intense persecution for the name of Christ, that an end would indeed come. Because of that future reality, believers were called to live rightly in the now.

2) Why are “alert” and “sober-minded” tied together?
Because the time is so short, Peter calls for clarity within the believer. He specifically calls out the mind, but the intention is for the wholeness of a person which also includes body and spirit. Peter urges his readers to be aware of the vanishing breath of life, and be alert for the ways the Lord is moving around them. The only way to be “alert” is to also be “sober-minded” and the only way to be sober minded in the manner Peter intended is by focusing intently on the relationship between God and self. Peter calls for prayer because by focusing intently on speaking with the Lord and listening to His Spirit speak, we will be prepared to live well in these last days.

3) What is meant by “love covers a multitude of sins”?
The interesting thing to note before this phrase is how the command to “maintain constant love”, or fervent, passionate love, is specifically called out “for one another”. Peter was writing to all believers in his letter. He was writing to the Church at large, the global Body of Christ-followers. The love Christians are to have for one another is to be intense, passionate, and something we should intentionally “stir up” as we engage with other Christians. Paul says in Romans, “Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Again, “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters; outdo one another in showing honor.” The author of Hebrews adds, “let us watch out for one another to stir up love and good works….all the more as you see the day approaching.” The idea is constant and pressing, love intentionally because we only have the right now to love like this on earth. Of course, we are to love all people, even our enemies, but a special love for brothers and sisters in Christ should be given special attention. Because of this brotherly bond of love, we can forgive offenses easier. When forgiveness is couched in the blend of love and a desire for unity, “covering sin” is a natural outcome.

Everyday Application

1) What end is Peter referring to and why does it call for action now?
In the span of eternity, our lives are a vanishing mist. (James 4:14) One only needs to take a cursory glance through our social media feeds to be reminded of the brevity of our quickly disappearing lives. The “end of all things” is indeed near, generations nearer than it was at the time of Peter’s writing. Peter urges, we have no time to waste on selfishness and all manner of lusts and passions that are self-absorbing. We are called to love and love we must, because the day is near! We are called to think rightly about the Lord and spend our days communing with Him in sweet fellowship as He fills us up to love others. There is no better way to live in the now. (Romans 13:8-14) Looking for a life with no regrets? It’s rooted here, in a deeply abiding relationship with the Lord of All which overflows onto others as we love with the love the Father has given to us. Spend time intentionally wrapping your mind around the idea that “the end of all things is near”, and live your days with that pressing perspective. Not in a panicked frenzy, but by breathing in every moment in depth of relationship with the Father and loving others.

2) Why are “alert” and “sober-minded” tied together?
If I begin thinking about “seize the day” or “live every moment like it’s your last”, I feel the panic rise inside. Am I making every day count? What did I waste? What opportunity did I throw away? But the Lord does not call us into this mindset, He calls us to Himself. He is the anchor and He intends us to discover how to correctly perceive our circumstances and learn how to love in the last days when our mind is stayed on Him. Don’t get caught up in thinking a “prayer-life” is for old, stodgy Christians from centuries long past. Instead, consider your own communication with God. As I was reading the Psalms a few weeks ago, the psalmist spoke of praising God seven times a day. (Psalm 119:164) Surely, I praise Him more than that and I decided to mark a tally on my wrist every time I praised God that day. I was shocked I only made it to five! Be alert, be aware of the movement of God in your life and in the world around you, and lean in to the only solid foundation available, a deep and intimate relationship with Him!

3) What is meant by “love covers a multitude of sins”?
How well do you love with the minutes in your day? This is the focus of Peter’s letter, and its practical description is provided by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. How we love is to be a glorious reflection of how Christ loves us! It was God’s love for us that sent His Son to die in our place. It was God’s love for us that sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every heart that proclaimed Christ as Lord. It is God’s love for us that forgives again and again, covering over every offense and every sin, large and small. This is how we are to love; this is how we are to spend our days, however many we have. Be alert, be grounded in your relationship with Jesus Christ, speak with the Savior constantly, and love the Church. By loving well, we steer clear of all the little “off-ramps” like rudeness that lead us into sin and isolation.
Love for the Day is near!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with A Quick Trip to Isolation!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Kaleidoscope Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Gospel Day 14 Will Not Perish: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Will Not Perish!

The Questions

1) Who is “all” in verse 23?

2) How are we justified?

3) What did Jesus’ death on the cross show?

Romans 3:23-26

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Original Intent

1) Who is “all” in verse 23?
In the original language, the word all is defined as “each, every, all, the whole, all things, some of all types.” (www.studylight.org- Thayers Dictionary) When Paul used this word, he was intending for no exceptions. No human being is exempt regardless of social status, age, background, race, merit, or nationality.

2) How are we justified?
As verse 24 states, we are justified, or made right, by His grace through the redemption found in Christ Jesus. That grace only comes because Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross taking the penalty for all sin when He shed his blood, surrendered His life, and resurrected on the third day. This action made all humanity right before God, but in faith we must accept that justification and grace.

3) What did Jesus’ death on the Cross show?
In verse 25, Paul explains how Jesus’ death displayed God’s righteousness because He had to make right the sin of the world. God is a perfect and holy God and His Son, Jesus, was a perfect and holy sacrifice. God was the justifier.

Everyday Application

1) Who is “all” in verse 23?
The gospel is for everyone because everyone bears the weight of sin in their life. When Eve took a bite of the fruit and sin entered the world, the entirety of creation was subjected to death and humanity was covered in sin. All have sinned and fallen short of what God desires, but the good news is God provided for ALL to come back to Him. He is a righteous God who because of His great love for His creation, provided the way back. Not all believe in Him, but the gift of eternal life is offered to all. If Jesus offers His gift to all, how can we hold back?

2) How are we justified?
God provided a way for all to come to Him, but we must choose to walk that path. When we make the decision to follow Him and commit our way to Him, we are covered “just as if” our sin did not stand between us as sinners and the holy God. We are justified before Him, our debt is paid in full, and there is nothing that can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:38-39) The judge, God, dismisses the case because the evidence against us was vanquished when Christ, the perfect sacrifice, was crucified 2000 years ago in our place and resurrected three days later, forever conquering Death for all who believe. He conquered sin once and for all.  Living in this reality daily transforms our lives as we seek to live in the truth of our new identity in Christ—no longer a slave to sin, but set free in His grace and love!

3) What did Jesus’ death on the Cross show?
The beauty of the gospel is it reveals so many aspects of God’s character. One characteristic being God’s righteousness. There is a need for a debt to be paid and He is the collector of that debt, but the beauty part is how He provided the payment. It is our debt, yet God, in giving His Son, provided the payment in full. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ showed God’s willingness, another characteristic, to sacrifice His own son so His creation could be reconciled to Him. In viewing the cross and Christ’s sacrifice, we see God’s pursuit and love for reconciliation between Himself and His creation: and it is beautiful!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Will Not Perish!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Gospel Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Gospel Day 13 Will Not Perish

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 3:16-21
1 Peter 2:21-25
Romans 3:23-26

Gospel, Day 13

While in community with other believers,
the question was posed,
“Why Did Jesus Die?”.

The simple answer is He died because He loves us.
He loved us so much He chose death on a cross (Romans 5:8) that we would not be eternally separated from Him.
The crazy part?
We are entirely, altogether, 100% undeserving.

Because we all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
The penalty for falling short of perfect holiness (sin) is death. Not earthly death, as we all will die at one time or another, but more significantly eternal separation from the Father.

“For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23

As we discussed this, someone told a story about a man by the name of Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest in Auschwitz, Germany, where a complex of concentration and extermination camps were built and operated by Nazis. Maximilian saved a man’s life by choosing to take his place. You see, the officers in the concentration camps needed to take ten men to a starvation chamber, because the prisoners were to be slowly and systematically starved to death. Franciszek Gajowniczek was one they had chosen, and he cried out saying his wife and children would never see him again.

When Kolbe heard him, he volunteered to take his place so Gajowniczek would live to see his family again. The officers agreed and took Maximilian to the starvation chamber instead of Franciszek. After fourteen days, Kolbe, one of four men still alive, was given a lethal injection.

This story took place in 1941, and to this day, Maximilian Kolbe’s name has been an example of ultimate sacrifice for another person.

After hearing this gut-wrenching story of Maximilian’s loving heart who would lay down his life for another, someone in our study challenged us by asking, “Why is it that the death of Maximilian causes a bigger emotional response for us than Jesus’ death on the cross?”

Honestly, I am not really sure why I minimize what Jesus did on the cross.
Maybe it’s because I can’t fully comprehend it.
Maybe it’s because I doubt it really includes me.
What about you?

Whatever it is, I believe anyone who claims the name of Christ can agree that:
We should be go directly to Hell for our sin.
Yet we won’t because of Jesus.
“Will not perish” is for us.

We should be forever separated from the gracious, good kindness of a loving Father.
Yet we aren’t because of Jesus.
“Will not perish” is for us.

We should never know the joy of belonging to the Body of Christ.
Yet we do because of Jesus.
“Will not perish” is for us.

We should never feel free to dance in boundless love.
Yet we can because of Jesus.
“Will not perish” is for us.

We should never feel accepted and free from condemnation and guilt.
Yet we are because of Jesus.
“Will not perish” is for us.

As believers in Christ, “will not perish” breaks every chain and washes us with a love we’ve never experienced because our Death has DIED.

What Jesus did on the cross was a manifestation of victory.
A victory He gave to us.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.”
(1 Peter 2:24)

By His wounds we are healed!
Furthermore, we are new creations!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is ja new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
 1 Corinthians 5:17

The old has been wiped away and we are now declared righteous before Him.
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:21

The sinless lamb of God took on our sin.
He took our place.
Owned our punishment.
Jesus is our “Maximilian”, but infinitely greater as He declares us spotless where Sin once stained and where we were once orphans, He calls us His sons and daughters.
“and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:18

All because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.
We “will not perish” is available to all!

Sisters, in full transparency,
I struggle daily with embracing the truth that I am part of God’s family.
I struggle with accepting He loves me enough to die for me.
I struggle to fully accept the reality that I have been made new because of His sacrifice for me.
But my struggle to hold onto truth, doesn’t change the truth.

As I’ve written this Journey and explored the question of “Why Jesus Died” has grown my belief to trust what God says. I pray His truth anchors you deeply as He is teaching me!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Gospel 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 Gospel!