fellowship

The GT Weekend! ~ Another, Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Another, Week 1

Katelyn Palmer

March 11, 2023

Blessed,Character,Christ,church,Family,Fellowship

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

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Pray His Words Back To Him!

Colossians 3:12-15

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

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

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

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

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

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

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

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

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

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

JOURNAL TWO

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

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

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

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

JOURNAL THREE

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

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

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

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

Selfless obedience can look like forgoing your desires or airing your opinion in order to promote unity among those around you, especially when with those who are weaker in faith. (Romans 14) Obedience to the Lord doesn’t always result in immediate happiness, but it will result in ultimate joy for His glory!
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Philemon Day 3 Ties That Bind

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Philemon Day 3 Ties That Bind

Rebekah Hargraves

February 15, 2023

Affectionate,church,Community,Encourage,Joy

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philemon 3-5
John 13:34-35
3 John 3-4
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Isaiah 9:6-7

I’ll never forget the day I first read Karen Ehman’s commentary on the Apostle Paul’s common “grace and peace” greeting used over and over in his epistles. (Philemon 3) What we might consider an ordinary, perhaps archaic, greeting is actually a deeper, more eye-opening message pointing to the unity Christ desired for His Church. 

Karen points out in her study that the greeting “Grace to you!” was a common Jewish greeting in Paul’s day, while “Peace to you!” was a common Gentile greeting. When Paul combined the two into one greeting, “Grace and peace to you!”, he was clearly illustrating the unity Christ brought between Jews and Gentiles. What an amazingly beautiful greeting this becomes when we better realize the extent of Paul’s meaning!

Furthermore, we see a glimpse of the heart of God Himself in Paul’s greeting. Not only does He desire unity in His Church, and not only did Christ’s death forever secure that unity (Ephesians 2:11-22), but God is a God of grace and peace. 

We receive God’s amazing grace – His unmerited favor – when we place our faith in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Isaiah refers to Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), while Paul points out that a fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). 

When Paul says, “grace and peace to you,” this greeting is a reminder of Who our God is.

In reading Paul’s letter to Philemon, we see God’s desire for unity in the Church reflected in Paul’s words. As with his other epistles, Paul’s gentle, tender, fatherly heart towards his children in the faith is evident in the opening verses of this letter. Unlike anyone I know, Paul packs immensely rich goodness into a greeting! After proclaiming grace and peace to his readers, Paul notes how he continually thanked God when he remembered these dear believers. 

Paul’s spiritual walk was marked by a strong, consistent, prioritized, ongoing prayer life. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, he exhorted believers to “pray constantly.” Paul lived out this emphasis on prayer, as evidenced throughout his New Testament letters. 

These are no begrudging, obligatory prayers!

Paul joyfully, out of love, chose to pray for Philemon every time the thought of him crossed Paul’s mind; his thankfulness for this brother flowed from the work of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s heart. So, too, should our intercessory prayers flow from the Spirit’s work in our hearts to grow our love, care, and concern for our brothers and sisters in the faith. 

Paul’s prayers of thanksgiving were centered around these believers’ well-known love for one another. This characteristic of their lives brought joy to Paul’s heart because these believers were faithfully living out Jesus’ call to love well.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Similarly, the Apostle John wrote that his greatest joy was seeing his fellow believers walking in the truth. (3 John 1:3-4) It’s not the believers’ works, their giving, or the number of souls they’ve won to Christ which brought these early Church leaders gratitude. Rather, it was the ordinary, daily living out of their true faith evidenced by their genuine love. This is the cause for Paul’s (and John’s) rejoicing!

So, let me ask – can Paul’s words be said of us? 
Are we walking in the truth and loving our fellow believers well? 

In truth, these two vital actions of the Christian life 
flow from where Paul began his letter,
a place of grace and peace 
coming from the Lord 
through us 
to others. 

If we have been showered with the grace and peace of God, we should be sharing grace and peace with our fellow believers, too. God’s grace and peace are the ties which bind us together and transform our hearts with love for one another.

I encourage you to consider how you can put these truths into practice, praying for and loving your fellow believers, leaning into active, lived-out-daily faith in your own community. 

Consider whom you can thank the Lord for because of the faith and love you see in them. 

Once believers come to mind, consider writing a letter, sending a text, or making a phone call to let them know how their gospel-rich lives are filling you with thankfulness in your prayers. 

This will bring such comfort and encouragement to their hearts, and will surely be a blessing to you in the process!

 

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Philemon Day 4
Digging Deeper

That Good News Paul offered in his letter to Philemon is just as true today as the day Paul wrote it.

Having a relationship with Jesus brings us grace and peace in our lives, too. In a world rocked by hate, war, and wickedness, having the grace of God in our lives can bring us peace in any circumstance (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
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Eden Day 8 Temptation Tactics

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3:1-6
John 8:44-47
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
Matthew 4:1-11
Ephesians 6:10-18

Eden, Day 8

Scripture tells us Adam and Eve were the first people God created. He placed them in the Garden of Eden, where He provided them with everything they needed, but there was one particular tree God commanded them not to eat from. God said the tree was for the knowledge of good and evil and would bring death if they ate its fruit. Deceptive Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve and they ate from the tree. This rebellion resulted in the fall of humanity; the sweet fellowship that once existed between God and humankind came to an end. (Genesis 3)

One may ask why this ugly scenario is in the midst of such beautiful creation?
Why the deception and the disobedience?

The Bible explains, “God is love” (1 John 4:16b), and true love does not force One’s will. He gave humankind free will; we can choose to obey Him or not. Like Adam and Eve, our choices always, always have consequences, whether for life or death.

While we might blame them for choosing disobedience and wrecking, well, everything, we are guilty of the same sins. We easily fall victim to Satan’s deception in our minds and hearts. As Jesus revealed,

“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.” (Matthew 15:19)

It may not be our delight to sin against God, but we easily fall victim to temptation. As Apostle Paul said, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” (Romans 7:18-19)

At the fall of humankind, sin became inherent in humans; we inherited the nature of sin from our ancestors, Adam and Eve. The urge to sin is dominant in us, because we are naturally sinful. Though we are born again in Christ, we are still living in bodies susceptible to sin, as we live in a world temporarily ruled by Satan. (John 16:11)
We are faced with two options: do God’s will, or our will.
Though God’s Spirit lives in us, He does not control us as robots; He allows us to make our own choices.

Aware of this freedom of choice, Satan uses many temptation tactics against us. Some of his tactics include lies (John 8:44), masquerading as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), and blinding people’s minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). We saw his manipulation at work when he deceived Eve, telling her God was withholding something good from her, and her disobedience would certainly not lead to death, but to becoming God-like.

Throughout Scripture, as time passed, his tactics didn’t change. Satan manipulated and deceived men like King David, Achan, and Moses, and they each chose to sin against God.

One evening, King David was on the roof of his palace and saw a woman bathing. Satan enticed him with lust, and David committed rape, adultery, and murder. (2 Samuel 11)

In the same way, Achan, a military leader, coveted and stole the spoils of war, despite being warned against such greed. (Joshua 7:20-21) Satan enticed Achan with lust for the riches before him.

Similarly, Moses struck a rock to get water for the Israelites instead of speaking to it as God instructed. (Numbers 20:6-13) He was enticed by pride, acting as if the power to provide for the people belonged to him.

Sisters, though we may not be kings, military leaders, or deliverers for a people through the wilderness, we can also fall victim to any of those tactics. Knowing our susceptibility to sin, Apostle Paul urges us to put on the full armor of God so we can stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Likewise, Apostle Peter calls us to be sober-minded and alert because our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion seeking prey. (1 Peter 5:8) Jesus instructed us to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. (Matthew 26:41) Proverbs 4:23 exhorts us to guard our hearts above all else because they are the source of life.

Diligently studying Scripture equips us to discern the activities of Satan. Once we understand his moves, we can resist him as Apostle James instructs us, overcoming Satan’s temptation tactics as we grow closer to God:

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8)

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Anchored Day 1 Saints, Apostles, & Brothers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 1:1-3
John 17:20-26
Romans 12:1-21

Anchored, Day 1

“Quien son la iglesia?”
He was a quiet man standing before a gathered few, Bible in hand and a passion in his voice that belied his calm persona. His was a new church plant in my city and me, with my meager Spanish, had decided to join them for a Sunday. His question asked, “Who are the church?” In both English and in Spanish, the grammar is incorrect, matching a plural verb with a singular noun. But the audience responded loudly, with a veritable boldness that struck me deeply.

“Nosotros!”
Us.
We are.

No questioning. No pause while the pastor explained what he meant. No exhortation to let the believers gathered there realize they had an identity as Christ’s Body as a whole called Church linking all believers across all culture, tribes, languages, and time through the precious blood of Christ. Simply an immediate response: Nosotros! Us! We are!

To read Scripture is to hear the heartbeat of the triune God as His Spirit breathed out His inspiration to every human author. God, eternally existing in three persons, perpetually delights in beautiful community within Himself. God, the fullness of Him as Father, Son, and Spirit, longs for us to enjoy that same community between fellow believers and with Himself.

Not only is our harmonious unity as believers the very desire of God, He also created our hearts to long for it as well. It’s why we want followers on Instagram and likes on Facebook, while also aching for people to really, truly know us, love us, and walk with us. Relationships, deep, meaningful ones, are important because God designed us for them.

This clear need for genuine community is vividly depicted throughout the pages of Scripture from Eden to Revelation, but Paul’s letters hearken back to this theme of unity within the church again and again on repeat. As Paul opens Colossians, this grand book describing deep mysteries of the triune godhead and the centrality of Christ in all things, he humbly begins in familiar, but fundamental territory: the familial unity of all believers.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father. (Colossians 1:1-3)

Paul, an apostle by Christ.
Christ, the very author and original eternal participant of community, willed that Paul would become an apostle to build His kingdom and participate in the riches of biblical community known as Church.

Enter Timothy, our brother.
Not named for his role in the church as pastor, or for his age, or by his abilities, but by his identity as a brother in the sacred fellowship of Church.

Breathtakingly, on this stage of the greatest apostle and his coworker for the gospel, suddenly all believers are welcomed to join them.
Saints and faithful brothers in Christ.

Yes, this letter was originally penned to a fairly small town house church in Colossae, but it also carried instruction to have it read at other churches, broadening the scope of “saints and brothers in Colossae” to include all believers.

All believers.
Saints every one.
Brothers and sisters, each of them.
Each partaking of the other for the mutual benefit of all; Church. (Romans 12:5)

“Quien son la iglesia?”
Who ARE the Church?!

“Nosotros!”
We are!

Paul knew his recipients weren’t blood relatives of Timothy.
He didn’t declare them saints because they had all been baptized or taken communion, followed the ten commandments, or sold their belongings to give to the poor.
The believers were saints and brothers in Christ.

As we dive into this extraordinary letter, we will encounter incredible truths to shape our everyday life, but we must keep it all in the framework of unity within the Body of Christ. The church in Colossae was just a small gathering of believers Paul had only “heard about” from Epaphrus, another pastor Paul had likely trained and discipled from his time in Ephesus (Acts 19:8-10). There were other churches, seemingly more important ones, bigger ones in larger cities Paul had written to also, but this letter to the Colossians was preserved and accepted into the whole of Scripture.

Its truths are deep and applicable to us today.
As we gaze into these mysterious beauties, we must hold up the lens by which it was intended to be seen through, unity within the Church.

“Quien son la iglesia?”
Who ARE the Church?!

“Nosotros!”
We are!

Don’t miss out on Church, Sister!

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Screenshot Day 1 From Religion To Relationship

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 9:9-17
Matthew 5:17-20
Isaiah 1:11-20
Galatians 3:21-29

Screenshot, Day 1

Jesus constantly pushed the boundaries and did things that were socially unacceptable for ‘good’ people to do. He didn’t follow the rules.  He didn’t do what was expected.

Jesus spent time with people I wouldn’t approve of.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable with the people Jesus hung around.
I wouldn’t want my daughter dating the people that Jesus spent time with.

The people I would approve of, the religious ones who followed the law and the traditions of the church, were the ones Jesus rebuked.

This challenges me!

While the religious leaders were always close by, the disciples Jesus called to follow Him were not the religious elite. They were a motley crew of misfits and rejects (I mean that in the most loving and respectful way possible) who other Rabbis hadn’t wanted to take on as students, or who did not qualify for a good religious education.

When Jesus taught the crowds and performed miracles, it wasn’t the good religious people who were at the front of the line, deserving the focus of the Messiah. It was the oppressed, marginalized, outcaste and rejected of society. Jesus interacted with women and children, the sick and disabled, tax collectors and prostitutes. Sinners.

God gave his people the law to show them his character and holiness, to show them how to have a relationship with the living God, to give them a way to live in tabernacle with the Almighty God.
But they missed the point.

They took the law as a set of rules and set up more rules around the rules.
They invented ‘religion’.

Religion made them feel good about themselves.
They could tick their boxes and make their sacrifices and fulfil their requirements.
They became proud and judgmental, and their hearts became hard.

Then Jesus came along and challenged everything they knew as right and good. He said,
“But go and learn what this means:
‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
For I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.” Matthew 9:12-13 (NIV)

Jesus went on to explain, you can’t mix the old way of thinking with the new.
You can’t follow the law for salvation, you must have faith in a Savior.
Religion must give way to relationship.

The law was to show us that we cannot rely on ourselves for salvation.
The law shows us we need a Savior.
The law brings us to Jesus.

Our human propensity to develop formulas, follow and obey rules is persistent.
Obeying rules makes us feel good about ourselves.
It also makes us proud and judgmental,
just like the religious leaders who heckled Jesus.

It makes our hearts hard and callous.
We need to hear Jesus’ message loud and clear today,
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice!”

We can’t mix and match the old way with the new. In one short parable Jesus teaches: if you use new cloth to patch an old tear, you make the tear worse. If you put new wine into old wineskins, the wineskins will be ruined, and the wine will be wasted.

We have a couple of thousand years of church tradition to follow. There are many wonderful examples of faith and spiritual discipline, but we can easily turn tradition into formulas to follow and rules to obey.
Jesus calls us into a dynamic, innovative, exciting adventure instead!

I’m a rule follower.
I think I would have been a good Pharisee.
I like knowing what to do and what not to do.
I like knowing where I stand and what the consequences will be.
I have been driving for 30 years, and I have never received a parking or speeding fine.
True story. I find comfort in the rules.

This makes me a terrible passenger!
I can’t cope. I’m constantly distracted, looking to see if we are speeding, changing lanes without indicating, or sneaking through an orange light.
I am filled with anxiety. The road rules have my full attention.

I miss out on appreciating the beautiful scenery.
It’s difficult for me to engage in a good conversation.
I miss out, because I’m focused on the wrong thing.

I’ve been a Christian all of my life and have grown up in church each Sunday. I know what a ‘proper’ service is like, how many hymns should be sung, and how long a good sermon should last. While I’m busy critiquing the service, I miss out.
I notice the drums are too loud…..while missing the words of adoration I should be singing to my King.
I notice someone’s skirt is too short….. while missing out on the look of hurt in their eyes. I’m focused on religion instead of relationship.
I’m holding on to old wineskins, while claiming to want new wine.

Jesus’ ministry shows us what God is like.
He spent time with people who were lost and loved them.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry and loved the lonely.
He wasn’t interested in following the Pharisee’s rules.
Instead, Jesus focused on relationships.
He loved people.

This is a constant challenge for me, and I hope it is an encouragement for you.
Let’s reject the striving for approval, which makes us proud and judgmental.
Together, let’s enjoy an intimate relationship with our loving Savior and nurture a heart that loves one another.

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Tabernacle Day 14 Heart Work: 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!

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The Questions

1) Who is the “we” in this passage?  
 
2) What is John describing in verses 1-4?  

3) What comparison does John make in verses 5-10?

4) What do we learn about our choices in this passage?

1 John 1:1-10

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

Original Intent

1) Who is the “we” in this passage?
From this passage alone, we do not get any indication about who the exact recipients of this letter were or where they were located. Based on the contents of the letter, we know that John is speaking to believers that he knows very well because of the way he addresses them. (1 John 2:1) We also know there are issues of false teaching from within the Christian community plaguing this congregation. (1 John 2:18-19) 

2) What is John describing in verses 1-4?
John is telling his readers he has had first hand knowledge of Jesus. He saw Him, he touched Him, and he is now testifying about what he experienced. He is an eye witness of the life of Jesus and now professes these real-life truths so that others may come to know Him and fellowship in the body. (1 John 1:3) 

3) What comparison does John make in verses 5-10?
John uses the comparison of light and dark. This is a similar analogy he makes in the Gospel of John. In his comparison, God is light and the opposite of light is darkness, which is separation from God or that which stands in opposition to God.  

4) What do we learn about our choices in this passage?
John makes it very clear to the reader we have choice in the matter of light and dark. He says we choose to walk in the light or we choose to walk in the dark. If we choose light, “we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” If we choose darkness, we have no truth in us and we are liars. This is, according to John, the most simple form of the gospel, we either follow in light or we walk in darkness.  

Everyday Application

1) Who is the “we” in this passage? 
The exact audience of this passage is not known but as we read this today, the words of John are still just as true, therefore, John’s words serve as a wake-up call for all believers. When we witness and experience God’s greatness and walk in His light, we have fellowship with one another and put Him on display. The “we” in this passage could be defined as every person who aligns themselves with Christ.  

2) What is John describing in verses 1-4? 
John says in sharing His life-experience with Christ, his joy is made complete by watching others share in the same faith. We may not have seen Christ on this Earth, but we see His power every day and have opportunities to testify about the eternal life found in Him. John told his story, which is exactly what God is asking of us, to tell our story- His story- in our life. If you are interested in sharing that story of His transformation, consider encouraging other women by writing it out and letting God use it to reach others! Contact Dee at facesofgrace@gracefullytruthful.com for more info!  

3) What comparison does John make in verses 5-10?
We recognize light and dark. It is obvious when we walk into a dark house or a dark room just how overwhelming that darkness can be. Darkness plays tricks on our mind about what and who is in the room. When we can’t see the “truth” of the room, navigating through it is extremely difficult. One flip of a switch and the room illuminates, the truth of the what and who is in the room becomes obvious. John uses this light and dark illustration to make clear how God illuminates the dark spots of our heart; where God is, darkness cannot exist. When we confess our darkness before Him, the light floods just as if a switch had been flipped. “I once was blind, but now I see.” God’s truth, His light, His forgiveness, all bring fellowship and restoration to the hurting, dark spots of our life.  

4) What do we learn about our choices in this passage?
As a believer, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we must daily choose light. The shame of an un-righteous past, the brokenness of relationships, or the lure of addiction are no match for the power of God in our life. There is no darkness and no sin so great that God’s light cannot overcome. Choosing to put the darkness of our life before Him once and for all allow us to be transformed a little bit more into His perfect, beautiful likeness as we are refined by His truth. Darkness is pervasive, it is also a liar. It comes from the Father of Lies who stands in opposition to God and wants darkness to stay. Yet, God is faithful, even in our darkness, to be a beacon of light leading us into eternal relationship with Him.  

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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The GT Weekend – Remade Week 3

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The GT Weekend

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

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) There’s no one right way to be a follower of Jesus. We aren’t cookies cut out of the same mold in our expression of love back to Him. How does this change your view of the “rules” or legalistic tendencies of humans?

2) Write out the following and post it somewhere you will see it easily.

God told us to do two things. Love Him and love others.
If we are doing those two things, then we are living in His will!

3) Are you struggling to move forward in anything? Turn it over to the Lord and be blown away by the place He leads you into next!

Worship In Song

Music Video: Elevation Worship’s “Resurrecting”

Pour Out Your Heart

Father, I sin against You often, yet You take me back into Your presence. I turn back to me leading the way instead of listening for Your gentle whisper. Forgive me Father, take that from me and renew my mind.

Lord, You are in the business of restoration and redemption; not condemnation and separation. Draw me closer to You, let me not be fearful of stepping in your presence before I try to fix all the broken things in my life.
Let me be remade by Your Spirit.

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