Experience

Worship IX Day 2 The Great Experience: 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 The Great Experience!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice”? How is this “true worship”? (verse 1)

2) What is the difference between being conformed and being transformed? (verse 2)

3) Why is it important to understand God’s will; is it even possible? (verse 2)

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice”? How is this “true worship”? (verse 1)
It’s important to keep a couple of things in mind as we work our way through this passage. First, the book of Romans is a letter written by the apostle Paul to house churches in Rome. Paul is teaching these new believers how to live out their daily lives following Jesus. In saying, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice”, Paul’s meaning is to “worship God with all you’ve got – head to toe”. Worshiping just one God was a relatively new thing for Roman citizens as it was common to worship many gods. (Acts 17:22-23) There are a couple of clues in the first verse that can help us dig a little deeper. The first word is “Therefore” meaning that what follows is referring back to what was already stated. Hint: Anytime you read therefore in Scripture, it should prompt you to read the previous section to pick up the author’s meaning. If we go back a few verses to Romans 11:33-36, we read a short hymn of praise where Paul is reflecting on God’s greatness. He sings in verse 33 “Oh, the depth of the riches of both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”. Paul is leading these readers to think about what they have learned about Jesus and worship Him with their entire lives. It’s also important to remember that “whole life worship” wasn’t a new idea; numerous references in the Old Testament speak of the call to all-consuming worship. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) God designed us to love and worship Him with that we’ve got!

2) What is the difference between being conformed and being transformed? (verse 2)
Let’s look at the original language and its definitions for these two words to help our outstanding. First, “conformed” in Greek is “syschematizo’‘ meaning “to fashion or shape one thing like another”. In this context, Paul chose syschematizo to convey living in such a way as “to be or act like everyone else”. The Greek word for “transformed” is “metamorphoo”, which literally means to “change forms, or undergo a complete change under the power of God in character or conduct”. This leads us right back to the idea of “whole life worship” that Paul is pressing upon his readers. These believers’ lives should look radically different than the everyday lives of Roman citizens who didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. Paul wrote a very similar instruction to the church in Ephesus, “take off your former way of life” and “be renewed in the Spirit in your minds”. (Ephesians 4:20-23) Paul is encouraging the early church in Rome to confidently know they are on the right track of following Jesus when their everyday lives didn’t match with non-believers’ lives.

3) Why is it important to understand God’s will; is it even possible? (verse 2)
Once we give our lives to Jesus, we’ve relinquished our desires to Christ. Our lives now exist in Jesus and His will for us. (Colossians 3:3) Abandoning ourselves to Christ requires denial of self and daily surrender to His will above our own. This was just as true and important for the original readers of this letter as it is for us today. Paul urges his readers to give their entire lives including body, mind, and soul, over to God. The Lord intends us to follow Him while holding nothing back but instead fully surrendering our all to Him. Paul calls this “true worship” which means that part of worshiping Jesus is trusting Him with our everything. For the original readers, knowing and understanding God’s will for their lives would have been a new concept. They didn’t grow up hearing or being taught to live by God’s will. They likely worshiped many gods and their worship was primarily centered on offering the right sacrifices to the right god at the right time. Now Paul instructs them to give themselves as an act of worship by surrendering the entirety of their common, everyday moments to the One True God. Worshiping God wholeheartedly naturally positions us to not only be discerning of God’s will for our lives, but also leads us to increasingly desire the Lord’s ways while His Spirit equips us with courage to obey Christ as Lord.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice”? How is this “true worship”? (verse 1)
Our application today is much the same as it was for the churches in Rome; we are to be “all in” for Jesus every single day. The same head-to-toe whole life worship is how we, as Jesus followers, are urged to live. There is another word in this verse we should carefully consider as we study the idea of “whole life worship”; sacrifice. We may not be as familiar with this concept today as the Romans were, so let’s return to its original language and meaning. The Greek word for sacrifice is “thusia”, primarily meaning “an offering”. Interestingly, this is the same word used to describe when Jesus “sacrificed” Himself on the cross. This way of life that Paul urges us to choose is one of complete offering, and total surrender of ourselves to Jesus. In a way when we choose to live this way, we are saying “Here is my entire life, Jesus; all my hopes, dreams, desires, successes, failures, and my physical life itself. I’m giving it all to You to do with as you please and direct.” It’s easy to see why Paul calls this “true worship”. Sacrificial living isn’t something we can, or should, do on a whim, for it takes determination, humility, and prayer to be successful. Living “all in” for Jesus will not be easy. Jesus says it Himself in Matthew 7:14, “…difficult is the road that leads to life, few will find it.” But, if we are willing, Jesus will take our meager sacrifice of whole life worship and accomplish His amazing work through us! (2 Corinthians 12:9)

2) What is the difference between being conformed and being transformed? (verse 2)
Being conformed and transformed are two completely different ways of living. Let’s go back and take another look at Ephesians 4:20-32 for practical applications on how to live transformed. I love Paul’s wording here, he makes it so easy to understand and I’ve added my own paraphrase as well. “Put away (just get rid of it) lying, don’t give the devil an opportunity, don’t steal, but do honest work, watch your language, encourage and build others up. Let go (I imagine singing “let it go” from Frozen when I read these words!) of anger, bitterness, shouting and slander. Forgive others just like Jesus forgave you.” (my paraphrase) I’ll be honest enough to admit that conforming is much easier many times. Not many people today want to stand out or be different, especially when doing so makes you unpopular and, in some cases, an easy target for ridicule. Living a life transformed by Jesus however, is fueled by a strength that is not from ourselves but from His Spirit living inside us. Jesus says in John 14:18 and 26, “I will not leave you as orphans, I am coming to you” and “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit will be sent to you and will teach you everything in my name.” We are called to live transformed lives, but we are NOT called to do it on our own; we have God’s own Spirit living within us! What new ground will you confidently take in your life as you press against being conformed to the world and transformed by Christ?!

3) Why is it important to understand God’s will; is it even possible? (verse 2)
Understanding God’s will is one of those things we often make harder than God designed. From the very beginning of Genesis in the Bible, we learn that God created man to be dependent on Him. Full of pride, however, mankind chose independence over dependence and we’ve been fighting that same battle over and over again ever since the Garden of Eden. God’s will for each of us is that we live completely surrendered and fully dependent on Him while enjoying Him forever. Remember earlier when we talked about how truly worshipping God means entrusting our entire lives to Him? This means we don’t need to know or understand the details. Yes, I get how hard this is, especially for those of us who like to have a well-thought-out plan with bullet points for tracking and checking stuff off as we finish. Being really honest, I’d also like to have a backup plan, just in case, but this isn’t how God works. He gives us exactly what we need, precisely when we need it. When teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus says, “give us today our daily bread”. (Matthew 6:11) He doesn’t tell us to ask Him for everything we need for next month while showing us where and how to get it. He instructs us to simply ask, then trust Him to provide. Yes, we need to pray and seek God’s will and direction for our lives, but we can’t allow ourselves to get bogged down in needing all the details. Our primary job is to honor Him with whole life worship.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Great Experience!

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 Worship IX Week One!
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.

Worship IX Day 1 The Great Experience

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 12:1-2
Isaiah 6:1-8
Amos 5:18-27
Hebrews 13:15-16
Psalm 51

Worship IX, Day 1

“Let us praise the Lord when we feel like it.”

“True worshipers will worship the Father with great emotion.”

Neither of these statements are Biblically accurate. As I review them, they sound ridiculous. Yet, they reflect how we often approach worship. To gain a better understanding of worship pleasing to God, let’s consider what Scripture says.

“Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)
Continually means we don’t stop when times are dark or our hearts are broken. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice always.”

“But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)
The only requirement for worship I see here is “in spirit and in truth.” How many of us know sometimes truth is hard, so worship born out of truth may not feel like “the great experience?”

According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Two simple things, right? But Scripture tells us praise is sacrificial. Echoing Hebrews 13:15, Romans 12:1 instructs, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” In other words, we should use our bodies to serve and honor God in an act of complete surrender. We should be set apart for Him, dedicated to Him. After all, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.” (Psalm 145:3, ESV)

In the Bible, we learn of Samson, a man dedicated to the Lord as a Nazarite from birth. Samson was one of God’s appointed judges for the Israelites. He could have demonstrated true worship. But Samson was self-absorbed, more into pleasing himself than committed to pleasing God.

He married a Philistine woman against his father’s better judgment because it “seemed right to Samson.” (Judges 14:1-7)
He didn’t tell his parents the honey he gave them came from the carcass of a lion he killed with his bare hands because, again, it seemed right to him to hide his broken vow. (Judges 14:5-9)
He killed thirty Philistines to fulfill a bet with the Philistine men, which was dishonest. (Judges 14:10-20)
He burned up the Philistine crops, vineyards, and olive groves because he thought revenge was the way to go. (Judges 15:1-5)

When Samson fell in love with Delilah, another Philistine woman, he revealed the secret to his great strength (his long uncut hair) because in the moment, stopping her nagging was more important than honoring his vow to God. (Judges 16:1-17)

She then shared that knowledge with her people and they shaved his hair, removing the last remnant of his Nazarite vow. And the Spirit of the Lord left him without him even realizing it. (Judges 16:18-20) Samson was so caught up in what felt right to him that he failed to remain set apart for the Lord. He failed to worship by using his body to serve and honor God, because his focus was not on God.

In the same way, if we get caught up in whether we like a song or not, whether the prayer or sermon “moves” us or not, we’re missing the point and aren’t offering true worship. Instead, we’re chasing our delights versus delighting ourselves in the Lord. Samson was called to devote his life to God. Would that he was more like the prophet Isaiah, who saw a vision of the Lord on His throne with the Seraphim singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth,” recognized his sinfulness, confessed before the Lord, and then spent the rest of his life in holy service to God.

Samson’s focus on his experience and desires over honoring his Nazarite vow to God reminds me of a passage in Amos chapter 5. Speaking through Amos, God rightfully accuses the Israelites of going through the motions. Yes, they assemble and offer the mandated sacrifices, but what of their hearts’ true intent and desire?
It was toward themselves, not God.

But God is faithful. God gave Samson another chance. While in captivity, “his hair began to grow back.” In chains, Philistines mocking him during their pagan worship service, he prayed for God to give him the strength to avenge his eyes, which they had gouged out. While Samson remained focused on self to the end, God still showed His faithfulness by giving Samson the strength to topple the building. (Judges 16:25-30)

Similarly, we are called to be sacrificial in our worship of the Lord. While Samson struggled to worship God above self for most of his life, in that one moment, he was willing to lay down his life. We might not be asked to die for the Lord, but we are asked to daily die to ourselves, our comfort.

“The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.” (Psalm 51:17)

Sisters, let us offer our Great God true worship,
a heart humbled before Him
and a life surrendered to Him.

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

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Worship IX!

Ready Day 2 Trade Routes: 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 Trade Routes!

The Questions

1) Why had Timothy traveled to visit the Thessalonians? (verse 6)

2) Why was Paul in distress and affliction? (verse 7)

3) Why was Paul experiencing joy? (verse 9)

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

6 But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love. He reported that you always have good memories of us and that you long to see us, as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and affliction, we were encouraged about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God for you in return for all the joy we experience before our God because of you, 10 as we pray very earnestly night and day to see you face to face and to complete what is lacking in your faith?

Original Intent

1) Why had Timothy traveled to visit the Thessalonians? (verse 6)
Paul’s original visit to Thessalonica was cut short and he was sent away due to a riot initiated by the Jews. Check out the story in Acts 17:1-10! However, Paul did not forget about the believers in Thessalonica and, while he himself was delayed in revisiting them because of Satan’s hindrances (1 Thessalonians 2:18), he sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage” the believers. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2) Paul was concerned that the persecution would ruin the faith of the Thessalonians and they would feel overwhelmed, buying the lie that Jesus wasn’t worth the struggle. As with everywhere he went, Paul had fully invested himself while with the new believers in Thessalonica. (1 Thessalonians 2:8) He sent Timothy to ensure his (and Silas’) labors in sharing the gospel hadn’t been for naught. (1 Thessalonians 3:5)

2) Why was Paul in distress and affliction? (verse 7)
Paul had been driven out of Thessalonica during the riot of the Jews. Yet again, Paul was met with persecution for his faith, which he lived out in daily, obedient surrender to Christ. While no stranger to persecution, it still caused distress and affliction in his life. He suffered emotionally and physically in ways we may never experience, but he counted it all as significant gain because he suffered for Jesus, who is of immeasurable worth! (James 1:2-4, Philippians 3:8) Paul was no stranger to the feelings of physical and emotional distress as he was continuously confronted with persecution after his conversion to Christ. However, Paul knew every affliction that came as a result of his obedience to God was absolutely worth it if the gospel was being spread! (1 Peter 3:17-18) He wrote to the church in Philippi regarding his suffering for Jesus, “My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” (Philippians 3:10)

3) Why was Paul experiencing joy? (verse 9)
Timothy brought back an encouraging report to Paul that far exceeded his expectations. The believers in Thessalonica were persevering and flourishing both in their faith and love for one another. This caused great joy in Paul and he publicly thanked God for His work in the lives of the Thessalonians. Paul knew this good work was not to be attributed to him and quickly placed credit where credit was due. Paul was witnessing in the testimony of the Thessalonians what he himself had experienced to be true in his own life of persecution. The more believers surrender to the work of God in their lives, the more God advances the gospel and finishes His work in and through their outpouring of faith and gratitude. Even in the midst of significant hardship, there was still reason to offer thanksgiving, and Paul did exactly this. Paul was also joyful that the Thessalonians had not forgotten him (verse 6), which emphasizes the love all believers share because of the love of God at work within them!

Everyday Application

1) Why had Timothy traveled to visit the Thessalonians? (verse 6)
Paul had been forced away from Thessalonica before he had finished the work he planned to do there. He was concerned the work of discipling new believers, and helping them grow into mature Christ-followers, would fall apart. He was concerned the Gospel would not flourish or take root in his absence. There are times in our own lives where we share the Gospel with people and don’t have the opportunity to stay and watch it grow. If we travel to a mission field away from home, we will likely need to return home before we can witness the growth and change happening in the hearts of those with whom we shared Jesus. People may briefly be placed in our lives for a short season and then they are no longer part of our everyday life for us to see the Good News take root in their lives. Whatever the case, there will be times where we will obediently plant seeds we may never have the opportunity to see grow. While Paul had the ability to send Timothy to follow up on the Thessalonians, we may not have that same privilege. However, we can take comfort that it is God’s job is to grow the seeds we plant; He will send the right people into the lives of those we share with at just the right time in order to encourage and strengthen them. Conversely, we may be the people fulfilling this specific role after someone else has planted seeds in obedience. Whatever the task, and whoever is around us, our command to share Jesus and invest well never changes! We never know where someone is in their faith journey, but it is always our job to work as God is calling us in the lives of those He places around us. While we are obedient to His call, He will be faithful to accomplish His mission!

2) Why was Paul in distress and affliction? (verse 7)
Paul was no stranger to significant struggle. We see him confronted with it time and again throughout his ministry. However, Paul was willing to accept distress and affliction if it meant the Gospel was advanced. (Philippians 1:12-13) He lived a life exemplifying what it looked like to continuously surrender to Christ no matter the earthly consequences. Paul never allowed affliction to prevent him from sharing the reason for his faith, which is a lesson we all need to learn and put into practice! Persecution, distress, and affliction will come our way if we are committed to following obediently after Jesus. However, it is our choice whether we will be silenced by these struggles or, whether we, like Paul, will choose to share the Gospel regardless of our circumstances. Paul always had a response to the hope he had in the midst of all kinds of persecution. (1 Peter 3:15) The question we must ask ourselves is, do we?

3) Why was Paul experiencing joy? (verse 9)
The genuine joy Paul abundantly experienced resulted from the fruit of the Thessalonians’ actively growing faith in God. While not all was perfect in Thessalonica, the believers there had not abandoned their faith and instead they were maturing in it, despite living in the midst of conflict and persecution. In the same way, our authentic joy comes from knowing God and seeing Him move regardless of the circumstances around us. Joy also flows out of actively engaging in shared biblical community. The Thessalonian believers had not forgotten Paul, just as he had not forgotten them; this shared unity and delight in being mutually invested in one another brought deep, satisfying joy. We cannot live this life alone and the joy Paul and the Thessalonian believers felt speaks to the sense of community we all long for, to be known and loved, both by fellow believers in Jesus and by God Himself. What a delight to know God gives these as gifts to share between all believers and Himself!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Trade Routes!

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 Ready Week One!
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.

Esther Day 9 Tears That Move God’s Heart: 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 Tears That Move God’s Heart!

The Questions

1) What does Mordecai’s decision to not go past the King’s Gate tell us? (verses 1-2)

2) What is revealed by Esther’s response in verse 4 and how was her growth encouraged?

3) How does the “one law” in verse 11 give a mini-description of the gospel?

Esther 4:1-11

When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly. 2 He went only as far as the King’s Gate, since the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate. 3 There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict came. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so that he would take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. 5 Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who attended her, and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King’s Gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews.

8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people. 9 Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther.

10 Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, 11 “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty— unless the king extends the gold scepter, allowing that person to live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last thirty days.”

Original Intent

1) What does Mordecai’s decision to not go past the King’s Gate tell us? (verses 1-2)
In a word? Honor. In another word? Respect. In yet another word? Faith. Mordecai had just been placed on death row. Outside of divine intervention, there was no hope for Mordecai’s life to be spared. Mordecai was not a weak, fearful man. He had stood firm in his decision to refuse to bow to anyone other than God. Neither was his position at the palace one of unimportance. Mordecai had prestige, a certain amount of power, faith, and strength of character. With the right amount of anger, which would most certainly be brought about by this scenario, Mordecai would have had enough courage and fortitude to storm the palace on a suicide mission to take out Haman or even the king. His life would soon be over anyways. But he didn’t. This small recorded detail telling us that Mordecai, “went only as far as the King’s Gate, since the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate”, speaks volumes of his character and the depth of his faith. He was distraught, overcome with grief, and quite likely justifiable anger, but he was not without wise courses of action, respectful decisions, and faith that God would indeed bring about redemption, even if he didn’t see what it would look like.

2) What is revealed by Esther’s response in verse 4 and how was her growth encouraged?
Mordecai hears of Haman’s plan, and in humility, prostrates himself before God with weeping, fasting, and prayer. Esther hears of Haman’s humbling actions, and her distress motivates her to cover his rent garments and silence his tears.  Maybe it was all the time she’d spent being “treated with beauty”, covering blemishes that were skin deep while hiding the identity of her Jewish heritage. Maybe she was embarrassed by her uncle’s intentional humiliation. Maybe she supposed he had gone mad. Whatever it was, Mordecai’s vulnerable display of human weakness cast upon the strength of the Almighty disconcerted Esther at her core. Her first response wasn’t to ask investigative questions, but rather to cover up her discomfort. She would rather close her eyes, and put the whole scene to rest. When Mordecai refused to shove the issue under the rug, only then did she ask. Notice again Mordecai’s honor and respect? He could have told Hathach with angry exasperation exactly why he was rejecting Esther’s offer of clothing, but he didn’t. He respected Esther enough to let her ask her own questions. When Esther did ask questions, Mordecai answered with complete facts, giving explicit details Haman’s plan of destruction. (Esther 4:7-8) He urged her to go to the King with all the details he’d shared, and that’s where she pushed back hard, giving a lengthy reply. (Esther 4:10-11) It was suicide to go to the king. Mordecai responded back with wisdom, poking holes in the way she viewed the situation, because she herself was already on death row! Mordecai never once pressured her by telling her what she must do. Rather, he respectfully presented the facts, conversed with her based on their relationship, gave her wise, godly options, then valued her by letting her make her own decision. He refused to manipulate her, and instead honored her, even though he clearly felt there was a right decision to be made.

3) How does the “one law” in verse 11 give a mini-description of the gospel?
We read the scene of Esther going before King Ahasuerus and, because we know the end of the story, it’s easy to gloss over the life-threatening situation. From the lowest slave to the highest ranking official in the king’s province, everyone knew it was suicide to enter the king’s inner court without being summoned. It was a literal death wish. No questions asked, no opportunity to speak your mind, just execution for daring to enter into the king’s presence. There was only one, very slight exception. The king himself could save your life, if He wanted. One brief extension of his scepter, and life would be spared, at least for that moment. Making the dire situation even more ominous, the king hadn’t summoned his queen in over 30 days. As was his trajectory with Vashti, his previous queen, he became bored, and annoyed, easily. If he was in a sour mood, there was nothing we have seen in his character to make him favorably disposed towards Queen Esther’s unbidden approach to his Highness. But God. God had already given Esther favor with everyone within her sphere of influence from the time she entered the king’s beauty pageant, and it continued resting on her throughout her time in the palace.

Everyday Application

1) What does Mordecai’s decision to not go past the King’s Gate tell us? (verses 1-2)
Having the ability to choose a wise response, while respecting and honoring boundaries when you are angry, hurt, sad, offended, and grieved doesn’t come naturally. Choosing a wise response in the midst of oppressive circumstances is a discipline that grows over time as we submit our will to God’s, trusting His heart over our own. Mordecai acted with a clear head and a clear conscience as he chose to honor and respect the very authority that was putting him to death. How many of us can say that?! Relationships get messy quickly, and whether it’s a working relationship between coworkers, a parent-child relationship, a friend-to-friend relationship, or one between husband and wife, there will undoubtedly be times we feel offended, hurt, and disrespected. How we respond is always our choice. One person’s poor decision does not give us a blank check to treat them with the justice we deem most fitting. (Romans 12:17) When we choose honor and respect (note this doesn’t mean agreeance), we are carrying the gospel to the other person. We are removing ourselves as the authority on justice, and leaving room for God to fight our battles. (Romans 12:18-21) Surely, none of us would blame Mordecai for acting rashly, or would we? Who knows what domino effect would be set in motion had he stormed the King’s Gate with indignant bitterness instead of respecting the governing boundary. I know I need to keep practicing this discipline in my relationships; it’s a good thing that opportunities are always abounding!

2) What is revealed by Esther’s response in verse 4 and how was her growth encouraged?
What is so precious to me about this exchange between orphan-turned-queen Esther and Uncle Mordecai, who was very much like a father to her is the beauty of true, biblical community. We are all on a faith journey. Some of us are pushing hard against religion of all kinds, let alone Christianity. Some are curious onlookers, wondering what it is that makes Christianity different from the rest. Others are thrilled with the new life of Christ, having just crossed the line of faith for themselves. Other journeys have long-walked with the Savior, but have experienced various highs and lows along the way. Wherever we are, biblical community can help us grow deeper and go farther than we would alone. The Christian life was never intended to be lived out alone; even Jesus surrounded Himself with a community of brothers He did everything with. Based solely on what we read in Esther’s story in this passage, I have little doubt that had Mordecai not been part of Esther’s community, the end of the story would have been vastly different. As much as we celebrate Esther’s heroism in this portion of Jewish history, we cannot celebrate her without also celebrating Mordecai and the role of biblical community in her life. We have these same opportunities to sharpen others around us, encouraging them by pointing them towards wisdom, speaking the truth in brave love, respecting them, walking alongside them, and giving them the space to make their own decisions. Who can you love well this week?

3) How does the “one law” in verse 11 give a mini-description of the gospel?
This throne room experience for Esther is the same for each of us, when we view it through the lens of our own relationship with God. God, in His righteous holiness is entirely set apart from all sin, like the king in his throne room. He cannot abide even the smallest hint of sin in His presence. To enter the presence of God with our sin-wrecked selves is impossible. In fact, it’s so impossible that we are condemned to Death simply by default because of our sin nature. Did you catch that? We are all on death row with a sentence of eternal separation from the Author of life and love. But, like Esther’s throne room scenario, we too have one, single ray of hope at life. What’s infinitely better in our case is that God, the King, has already guaranteed to extend His scepter towards us! When He chose to Die our death for us, He paid the penalty required by our sin, and with His resurrection, He flung open the door to the throne room of His presence. We are free to go in, to have access, to dance in freedom, to leave the chains of our sin behind, to sit and dwell with Him forever and enjoy His glorious presence! Also like Esther, just because the hope of life is extended towards us, doesn’t mean we are automatically in the throne room of God. Christ’s offer of redemption is on the table, the choice of accepting Him is ours to make. Do you have access? If so, are you living out the truth of that reality? If not, I applaud you for your honesty and ask, what holds you back from saying yes to Jesus offer of redemption and new life? Wherever you are on this journey of faith, there are people praying for you!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Sketched Day 15 Shannon

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 7:36-50
Mark 5:24-34
Psalm 18:1-19

Sketched VI, Day 15

I used to be deeply ashamed of my past,
but I’ve learned God has used every part of my journey to shape and mold me into the woman I am today. Although there were many dark moments, I wouldn’t change them. These have become part of my testimony to the faithfulness and hope found only in God.

Growing up, I was taught to attend church on Sundays, pray at meals, ask forgiveness and then we are good. So that’s pretty much how I lived my life.  I went to church, messed up, prayed, asked forgiveness and repeat.
I checked every “good Christian” box, but I had yet to experience or know Jesus.

I was raised in a loving home with parents who were always present for dance recitals, plays, and piano concerts.  What I never realized, however, was how hurtful missing out on three little words from your daddy could be: my dad has never told me he loves me.
He has always been there for me, hugs me, and is active in my kids’ lives, but I’ve never heard those three words from him.
Their absence left a lasting impression on me.

Starting in middle school and moving into high school and college, I began believing lies that I was fat, ugly, and no good. In order to push those words behind me, I would seek male attention in any way that I could.

Then, I hit college and was on my own.
I found myself in places I shouldn’t have been,
doing things I shouldn’t have done.

I believed that, as long as I could get a guy to like me, I had worth.
During this season, I often had thoughts of suicide, but I could push those thoughts away by finding male attention. That lifestyle stuck with me until after I graduated college, came home, and met Ryan.

I slowed down my crazy lifestyle and we began dating. Not long after, Ryan and I were married, and pretty soon I was pregnant with our first daughter, Alexis.

Since Ryan’s story is similar to mine, neither one of us had ever been taught how to live our lives for Jesus and our marriage suffered.
We argued a lot, and I sank back into my familiar dark thoughts and self-hatred.

Being pregnant, we decided it was time to find a church.
Because that’s what we do: we go to church on Sundays.

We visited Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Liberty, MO and began attending. For quite a while we sat in the back, stayed quiet, and the familiar cycle continued.
Then I started working in the church nursery, because I love babies and
things started to change.

The lady I worked with took me under her wing and started teaching me about who Jesus really is.  We made decisions to follow Jesus and Ryan and I were baptized together.
“Normal” was changing and old cycles were breaking!
The beginnings of new life were taking root in us, but we had much growing to do.

One Sunday, I found a community group for Law Enforcement Officers.  Being a law enforcement family, I immediately thought we needed to go.  Later, I realized it was God nudging me, but at the time, it was my own brilliant plan. I dragged Ryan to the group.

Initially, we were two of the quietest introverts anyone had ever met.
We arrived at the home of Steve and Robin Wright, who are now dear friends and missionaries in Ecuador.  They greeted us, welcomed us, and for the first six months we sat in the corner and didn’t say a word.

We eventually started coming out of our shells, and it was undoubtedly the community I found within that group of genuine Christ-followers that encouraged me to grow in Jesus as He has shaped me into the person I am today.

Robin also struggled with self-worth and identity in Christ, and she drew on her experiences to teach me how to love myself as Jesus loves me.  She taught me how to live every day for Jesus, and how to recognize the source of my pain, truly forgive, and put it behind me.  Steve did the same for Ryan and our marriage prospered.

The Wrights also introduced us into the student ministry at church.  I went from saying, “I hate middle schoolers,” to becoming a middle school small group leader and eventually high school group leader. Today, I’m discipling and leading young women, teaching them how to love themselves and let go of believing dark thoughts and lies in their own minds.

Because of the struggles in my own journey,
I understand their hurt.

Because God met me in my pain and rescued me,
I can share of the comfort and hope I’ve found.

Through the student ministry, Ryan and I took our first mission trip to Haiti together where God opened our hearts to adoption.  We have since taken many more mission trips and adopted our son, Mason, from China in June of 2017.

Although I’ve made many mistakes throughout my life and experienced some dark times,
I know God was with me every step of the way.
Because of Jesus’ transformation, I know how to love myself the way Jesus loves me,
and I am freed to help other girls to do the same.
Only because I’ve experienced Christ’s love is this new life of love and ministry possible!

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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 VI Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Open Day 1 Unlikely Reach

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 14:12-14
Matthew 25:34-40
Romans 12:13-20
Isaiah 58:6-12

Open, Day 1

As a child, I loved the story of Zacchaeus, and as an adult I am still intrigued by this short man who had an amazing experience with Jesus.

His encounter is recorded in the Gospel of Luke 19:1-10. We don’t know a lot about Zacchaeus, but he is an interesting character, the kind that is fun to cast in the Sunday School play or Jesus movie.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Actually, he was the Chief Tax Collector. He was wealthy and powerful, but hated among his own people, the Jews. Zacchaeus was a traitor of his own nationality, working for the Roman Empire who had overthrown and occupied the country. Zacchaeus not only collected taxes from his Jewish countrymen, but he also exploited and stole from them.

Zacchaeus was wealthy, not because he was a skilful businessman, but because he was a criminal. His people hated him. He didn’t have friends outside of his team of tax collecting crooks.

But there was something in Zacchaeus that drew him to find out more about Jesus. Being a short man, he climbed a tree along the way of Jesus’ travel plans so he could get a good look at Jesus. Perhaps there was something in Zacchaeus’ heart that was soft to the Spirit of God; something drawing him to seek a deeper meaning to life than wealth.

No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. The Father is not willing that any should perish (Matthew 18:14). Even Zacchaeus, a man who was hard and powerful and rich, felt the need in his soul to explore a Saviour.

When Jesus passed by the tree that Zacchaeus was hiding in, He stopped, noticed him, and invited Himself over for a shared meal. Jesus showed acceptance and grace to Zacchaeus. He wasn’t deterred by Zacchaeus’ reputation, his criminal activity or the aghast reactions of the good people he was with. Jesus opened His schedule and His heart to Zacchaeus.

I don’t know what was spoken about over dinner. I don’t know if Jesus spoke directly to the elephant in the room and challenged Zacchaeus about his exploitation. I don’t know if there was a deep theological or apologetic debate. Nothing is recorded. But I imagine not. I imagine Zacchaeus’ heart was transformed by the love and acceptance he experienced in the company of Jesus.

Zacchaeus’ life was completely transformed by his encounter with Jesus. Zacchaeus made a public declaration, announcing his change and promising to bring restitution for the wrongs he’d committed. Zacchaeus lost his wealth that day, and gained a personal relationship with Jesus.

Jesus made his intentions very clear. “For the son of Man has come to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10

This challenges me!
I grew up a pastor’s kid in a loving Christian family, and have raised my kids in a similar way. The guests at our dinner table were most likely to be missionaries and deacons, not ‘sinners’. The people I am friends with, the ones I am comfortable to share my life and my home with, are people who have similar beliefs to me.

How can I be like Jesus and live an open life?
How can I demonstrate generous hospitality?

Just as Zacchaeus was drawn to discover more of Jesus, there are people in our communities who are living in dark circumstances, are hurting and lost. It may appear on the surface they are far from God, but He is at work in our broken world, drawing all men to himself!

Jesus noticed Zacchaeus.
Who can you notice today? A mum in the school pick up line looking sad or distressed? The server in the grocery store with red, swollen eyes?
Who is looking for a touch from Jesus that we can notice?

Jesus opened up His life to the sinners no one else wanted to spend time with.

Jesus opened his calendar for Zacchaeus.
Like me, are you too busy for sinners?
Do you have time in your day-to-day to spend with people who are far from God?
Often, I don’t.
I’m too busy at church! I’m running Bible studies and attending prayer meetings. The precious spare time I do have, I save for family and friends, not difficult people.

Jesus opened his heart to sinners.
The gospel stories tell over and over of Jesus’ compassion for the crowds, loving people who were lost and hurting.

Why did Zacchaeus change his life?
Was it because Jesus preached to him or because Jesus loved him?
Genuinely loved him.
All of him.

Jesus shared a meal with Zacchaeus. I love how He just invited himself over.
“I’m coming to your house today!” (Luke 19:5)
Who can you open your home to? A neighbour? Your children’s school friends and their families? This takes courage! But it is a powerful picture of acceptance, of love in action.

We can expect some opposition and raised eyebrows from the religious establishment when we begin to live open lives, when we open our hearts, calendar, and homes to those far from God. But it’s exciting to contemplate the way Jesus can completely transform someone’s life as we share Jesus’ love with open hearts and hands.

Who will you open your calendar, your heart, and your home to?
Who will you invite to experience the love of Jesus in your home as you offer generous hospitality?

I’m going to go and knock on my neighbour’s door.
I think Saturday evening just opened up.

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

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Open!