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Waiting Day 5 Surrendered Love Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Hosea 1:1-2
Isaiah 30:18-26
Hosea 2
Psalm 18:4-19

Waiting, Day 5

When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:
“Go and marry a woman of promiscuity,
and have children of promiscuity […]”
(Hosea 1:2)

Hosea, like any other man of his culture, had waited for a bride, working hard to prepare a home and livelihood for them and their future children. Hosea’s father would choose a bride, then they would choose to stay married, have children, and build a life together to perpetuate a new generation who would honor Yahweh.

Hosea’s plans radically shifted when he heard the voice of the Lord instructing him which bride to take. As bizarre as this was, the kind of wife the Lord had selected for Hosea was the most outlandish.

Unmarried she was.
Virgin she most definitely was not.
Gomer, daughter of Diblaim, was well-known for blatant prostitution.

As Hosea entered the school of waiting on the Lord,
lesson 101 focused on tearing down his expectations.

Hosea always had a choice.
Either he could surrender to the calling of the Lord, and humbly let go of his plans in exchange for the Lord’s, or he could walk away and say no.

And so it is with us.

Only through our surrender can God’s love story be told through us.

Either we are the author, or we give up rights to our pen.
As my friend, Sara, likes to say, “The Lord writes the best stories.”
Most often, His stories involve purposed waiting built into the storyline, as the Lord, with deep love, wrecks our plans to show us true love.

The most direct route to our total surrender is waiting.

Hosea’s waiting is inextricable from his journey with Yahweh, the One True God, as is ours. Wherever we see waiting in the timeline of our tale, we can be assured the Lord is rewriting our narrative to emblazon His love story across the pages of our days.

We generally don’t consider the Lord waiting for us, but He does.
Within our chronological timeline, He waits for us to embrace Him.
He waits for us to reject all the lesser loves of our lives.
He waits for us to seek Him, call on Him, trust Him, and love Him most and best.

“I will depart and return to My place
until they recognize their guilt and seek My face[…]”
(Hosea 5:15, emphasis mine)

“What am I going to do with you, Ephraim?
What am I going to do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist
and like the early dew that vanishes. […]
For I desire faithful love[…]”
(Hosea 6:4, 6, emphasis mine)

Waiting is the means, surrender is the goal, an unimaginable love story is the reward.

“I will take you to be my wife forever.
I will take you to be my wife in righteousness,
justice, love, and compassion.”
(Hosea 2:19)

While our waiting often seems meaningless, the sharp edges of our hearts continuously cutting us with grief and pain as we sit in the messy unknown, God’s command to Hosea came with a clear reason behind it.

“[…] for the land [the people of Israel] is committing blatant acts of promiscuity
by abandoning the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2)

Anti-surrender. Self-love. Gross promiscuity.
These were the pursuits of the people God had purposed to set His love upon.

Death, judgement, and separation would be their just reward unless Love intervened and drew hearts into total surrender. (Hosea 6:5)

God, who waits with compassion, lovingly called aside one ordinary man who would live out the love story of God for His people in brilliant colors that could not be ignored.

“[Hosea], go again; show love to a woman who is […] an adulteress,
just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods.”
(Hosea 3:1, emphasis mine) 

Gomer fled Hosea many times, refusing to surrender her promiscuity for the ravishing love of one faithful husband. In the same way, Israel rejected Yahweh on repeat. Spurning His priceless love and forgiveness, instead choosing to whore themselves after false gods and selfish lusts of their sin-wrecked hearts.

My sister, I’m leaning in to tell you a secret I’ve often kept from myself.
I am Gomer.

I, like she, have rejected the God who perfectly planned my rescue, devising a way to uncurl my fists around my lusting desires of self-love, pride, and arrogance by living out His love in brilliant colors, then dying for me, and rising again to prove His victory.

With His blood, He paid the bride-price for my soul, adopted me as His own, and gave me His robe of righteousness which I could never dare hope to earn for my filthy sin is much too weighty. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

The same God who called Hosea to live out radical love for a bride who would leave him,
parted the Heavens, emptied Himself of His rights as God of all,
to surrender Himself as payment for my sin and yours,
that our storylines might be forever re-written with the ink of radical love.

His pen does indeed write the best stories.
His waiting beckons our surrender.

“Therefore, I am going to persuade her,
lead her to the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her. […]
In that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
you will call me, “My husband,””
(Hosea 2:14, 16)

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Enough Day 4 Promised Land Lost: 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 Promised Land Lost!

The Questions

1) Why did the Israelites rebel so frequently against God? (verse 43)

2) Why did God continue to rescue and forgive His wayward people? (verse 10)

3) Why did God allow Moses and Phineas to intervene in His punishment of the people? (verse 23 and verse 30)

Psalm 106:1-48

Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.
2 Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts
or proclaim all the praise due him?
3 How happy are those who uphold justice,
who practice righteousness at all times.

4 Remember me, Lord,
when you show favor to your people.
Come to me with your salvation
5 so that I may enjoy the prosperity
of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your nation,
and boast about your heritage.

6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have done wrong and have acted wickedly.
7 Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp
the significance of your wondrous works
or remember your many acts of faithful love;
instead, they rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the power of the adversary;
he redeemed them from the power of the enemy.
11 Water covered their foes;
not one of them remained.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.

13 They soon forgot his works
and would not wait for his counsel.
14 They were seized with craving in the wilderness
and tested God in the desert.
15 He gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.

16 In the camp they were envious of Moses
and of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it covered the assembly of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed throughout their assembly;
flames consumed the wicked.

19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped the cast metal image.
20 They exchanged their glory
for the image of a grass-eating ox.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
who did great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
awe-inspiring acts at the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would have destroyed them—
if Moses his chosen one
had not stood before him in the breach
to turn his wrath away from destroying them.

24 They despised the pleasant land
and did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not listen to the Lord.
26 So he raised his hand against them with an oath
that he would make them fall in the desert
27 and would disperse their descendants
among the nations,
scattering them throughout the lands.

28 They aligned themselves with Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.
29 They angered the Lord with their deeds,
and a plague broke out against them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stopped.
31 It was credited to him as righteousness
throughout all generations to come.

32 They angered the Lord at the Waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered because of them,
33 for they embittered his spirit,
and he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the Lord had commanded them
35 but mingled with the nations
and adopted their ways.
36 They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38 They shed innocent blood—
the blood of their sons and daughters
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
so the land became polluted with blood.
39 They defiled themselves by their actions
and prostituted themselves by their deeds.

40 Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against his people,
and he abhorred his own inheritance.
41 He handed them over to the nations;
those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them,
and they were subdued under their power.
43 He rescued them many times,
but they continued to rebel deliberately
and were beaten down by their iniquity.

44 When he heard their cry,
he took note of their distress,
45 remembered his covenant with them,
and relented according to the abundance
of his faithful love.
46 He caused them to be pitied
before all their captors.

47 Save us, Lord our God,
and gather us from the nations,
so that we may give thanks to your holy name
and rejoice in your praise.

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Hallelujah!

Original Intent

1) Why did the Israelites rebel so frequently against God? (verse 43)
We learn in Psalm 106:43 that God rescued the Israelites “many times, but they continued to rebel deliberately and were beaten down by their iniquity.” Throughout their history, Israel had a pattern of sin and rebellion, followed by captivity, then redemption and rescue by God. Why did they continuously put themselves in harm’s way by disobeying God and forsaking His commands? Author Matthew Henry explains, “the way of sin is down-hill: . . . One sin led to many more, and brought the judgments of God on them.”  Instead of obeying God, the Israelites chose to either ignore His warnings or blatantly rebel against Him. The Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament states, “God’s counsel was to make Israel free and glorious, but they leaned upon themselves, following their own intentions . . . wherefore they perished in their sins.” The Scriptures warn us against choosing our own way over God’s in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” Likewise, Proverbs 3:5 encourages, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.” Still, Israel repeatedly trusted her own understanding over the counsel of the Lord. As a result, they repeatedly reaped negative consequences for their sin. Christians today face the same choice Israel did in the Old Testament. Will we trust in God and obey His commands or go our own way? Because He is the same today as He was to Israel, God allows us to face the consequences of our sin, and He also extends mercy to rescue us. My prayer is that we turn to Him for redemption every time we falter.

2) Why did God continue to rescue and forgive His wayward people? (verse 10)
Psalm 106 references Israel’s repeated rebellion against God. They grumbled and complained (Psalm 106:25), ignored God (Psalm 106:13), worshipped idols (Psalm 106:19), followed after sinful nations (Psalm 106:35), and even sacrificed their children to demons (Psalm 106:37). Repeatedly, God rescued and forgave them with incredible mercy! They suffered punishment, but God’s mercy always delivered them. Why would a just and righteous God continue to forgive such a rebellious people? Psalm 106:8 declares, “He saved them for His name’s sake, to make His power known.” Charles Spurgeon asserts, “The Lord very jealously guards His own name and honour. It shall never be said of Him that He cannot or will not save His people, or that He cannot abate the haughtiness of His defiant foes. This respect unto his own honour ever leads Him to deeds of mercy.” God saves to glorify His name and demonstrate His power. He also saved them because He had made a covenant with His people. “When he heard their cry, he took note of their distress, remembered his covenant with them, and relented according to the abundance of his faithful love.” (verses 44-45) Albert Barnes says God “had made gracious promises to the patriarchs; He had promised to be the God of their posterity; He had His own great purposes to accomplish through their nation in the distant future; and on these accounts, He came and blessed them.” His great love motivated Him to provide rescue. The author of this Psalm marveled at the goodness of the Lord by exclaiming, “Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.  Who can declare the Lord’s mighty acts or proclaim all the praise due Him?”. (Psalm 106:1-2) We can rejoice along with the psalmist that God’s love and mercy endure even unto today!

3) Why did God allow Moses and Phineas to intervene in His punishment of the people? (verse 23 and verse 30)
In Psalm 106:15 God sent a disease because the people tested Him. In verses 16-18, the people sinned again and were punished by the earth opening up to devour them and a fire that consumed them. Sometimes, though, God was swayed by the pleas of the righteous.  Verse 23 describes how God intended to pour out His wrath on the people, but Moses intervened and God relented. Another time, God sent a plague because of their sin, but Phineas intervened and the plague was removed. (verse 30) God intentionally allowed the prayers and actions of these righteous men to move Him to mercy. Author Charles Spurgeon argues, “Mighty as was the sin of Israel to provoke vengeance, prayer was mightier in turning it away.” Even when Israel’s sin set holy consequences in motion, there was still power in calling on God to save. Author John Gill suggests Moses was a type of Christ, “As Moses was a mediator between God and the people of Israel, so is Christ between God and his people.” John Gill also asserts that Phineas was a type of Christ “who, by doing righteousness, by the atoning sacrifice of himself, and by his intercession, has appeased the wrath of God. . .”  The salvation foreshadowed by Moses and Phineas would come to the world through Christ Jesus, who gave His life as a ransom for all so our sins would be forgiven and we would have direct relationship to the Father. (John 14:6) God used Moses and Phineas to demonstrate to us the importance of intercessory prayer while also pointing our hearts toward the One who would take our sins’ punishment for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), presenting us blameless to Father God if we surrender to Him.

Everyday Application

1) Why did the Israelites rebel so frequently against God? (verse 43)
Years ago a family with five boys showed up at our children’s church. They quickly gained a reputation for their creative ability to defy classroom rules and procedures. Even decades later, I whisper their last name to my husband, one of their teachers, to watch his facial expression! Our teachers redirected, gave warnings, provided think time, connected with parents, and, inevitably, followed through with consequences for unacceptable behavior. Each week the boys arrived with good intentions for following rules, yet, each week they received some kind of consequence. The Israelites in the Old Testament were similar to our lively group of boys; they started out intending to follow God, but frequently got off track. Psalm 106 summarizes Israel’s history as they escaped captivity in Egypt, wandered in the desert, entered Canaan, and endured oppression by their enemies. Every time they disobeyed God, they faced consequences, then repented and cried out to God, who rescued them. It’s not just the Israelites, or rambunctious little boys, who choose to disobey God in favor of their own selfish ways, this is the way of all humans. We know what to do, but we can’t do it for long in our own strength. (Romans 7:18) We need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us obey God and refuse sin, we simply cannot do this without Him! Romans 8:12-13 tells those who have trusted Jesus for salvation, “we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” God graciously comes to our rescue when we fall, but He also gives us the Holy Spirit to equip us to follow Him!

2) Why did God continue to rescue and forgive His wayward people? (verse 10)
It is easy to read if Israel’s repeated sin pattern in Psalm 106 and conclude their rebellion was extraordinary. God led them out of slavery in Egypt and on a journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, yet despite His faithfulness, they rebelled and disobeyed. Time after time, God blessed and rescued them, and after a brief season of repentance and piety, they passionately returned to their sin. If our own “wilderness years” deeds and thoughts were all recorded, however, the failures of Israel may seem similar to our own. I know I’ve complained about my circumstances to the Lord right in the midst of answered prayers and an outpouring of blessings. It’s so easy to focus on discomfort and selfish desires and miss the miracles God is doing. There was a time my mother was sick in the hospital for nearly 2 years. I concentrated on the longevity of her illness and the hardships on our family, nearly ignoring how God saved her from death at least twice and answered our prayers for improvement on a near daily basis. My eyes were on the Promised Land of her recovery, but I was ignoring all the blessings of the journey. We are blessed that God does not give up on us when we complain or disobey. He pours out His mercy and saves us for the sake of His name. My prayer is to recognize His provision in my everyday rhythms and accept His grace and forgiveness when I go astray.

3) Why did God allow Moses and Phineas to intervene in His punishment of the people? (verse 23 and verse 30)
For many children, there is no greater advocate than a grandparent. When I was about to get in trouble with my parents at my grandparent’s home, I always knew that running to my “Papaw” would work in my favor. I generally deserved whatever punishment my parents doled out, but my grandpa could get my sentence repealed or reduced, or, if not, he would do something that would make me forget my troubles. I always felt so important and cared for (and relieved!) when Papaw would step in and save the day. Moses and Phineas provided this type of intervention for the Israelites when God was prepared to punish them for their sin and disobedience. Psalm 106:23 tells us God would have destroyed the Israelites if Moses hadn’t pleaded for them. Author John Butler describes Phinehas, “the grandson of Aaron, who made a gallant stand for holiness in a time of degradation to stop the judgment of God upon the people. It is an outstanding example of service.” This encourages me to pray for people when all hope seems lost or when I despair for their lives or their souls. The intercession of Moses and Phineas instructs me to pray for those who are choosing sin over obedience to God or who seem stuck in destructive behaviors. When righteous people pray, God promises that those prayers have a powerful effect. (James 5:16) We are blessed that God hears those prayers for mercy and honors them; pray on! (2 Chronicles 30:9)

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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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Sola Day 9 Sola Fide: 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 Sola Fide!

The Questions

1) What part do I play in my salvation?

2) How can I be raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven?

3) How can I be alive in Christ and dead in trespasses?

Ephesians 2:1-10

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Original Intent

1) What part do I play in my salvation?
Paul states in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we “are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” The word grace is “from the Latin gratia meaning favor, charm or thanks. Gratia, in turn, is derived from gratus meaning free, ready, quick, willing, prompt” (Preceptaustin.org.)  Author Kenneth Wuest tells us the pagan Greeks used the term grace to refer to “a favor done by one Greek to another out of the pure generosity of his heart, and with no hope of reward.”  God saves us by His grace, which is His free favor, unmerited by us. He uses our faith, but as author David Guzik explains, we can think of faith as a water hose and grace as the water: “The water is the important part, but it is communicated through the hose. The hose does not quench your thirst; the water does. But the hose brings water to the place you can benefit from it.”  We can do nothing to save ourselves; salvation is a free gift from God we didn’t earn and couldn’t deserve because of our sin. All we have to do is reach out in faith to accept God’s salvation by repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus (Mark 1:15) Through His grace, God built a bridge to bring us out of sin and into relationship with Him, and all we have to do is accept and believe, even this act of faith is a gift God gives to us. There is truly nothing no action we can take that is about us and our own strength. We must each choose to use the gift of faith appropriately trusting the Savior, and receive His gift of grace.

2) How can I be raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven?
Ephesians 2:6 tells us Christ “also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word for “raised up with” is sungeiro, which literally means “raised up together” (Preceptaustin.org)  The suggestion here is that Christians experience a “spiritual resurrection that follows our crucifixion with Christ and our entombment with Christ” (Preceptaustin.org.)  Author Albert Barnes explains by saying, “We become dead to the world in virtue of His death; we become alive unto God in virtue of His resurrection. On earth, we are exalted to honor, peace, and hope, in virtue of his resurrection; in heaven we shall share His, glory and partake of His triumphs.”  When we accept Christ as our Savior, we become united to Him (I Corinthians 6:17), by which, our flesh dies in His death and our new life begins with His resurrection.  As one with Him, we are seated with Him in Christ in heavenly places.  Author Mark Dunagan suggests, “to live in the ‘heavenly places’, is to have your mind set on the spiritual realm (Colossians 3:1), and to live like an eternal reality exists.”  To be raised up and seated with Him in Christ, then, is to become united with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection because of the free gift of salvation He offers to everyone.

3) How can I be alive in Christ and dead in trespasses?
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-5, “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that He had for us made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” The word for trespasses comes from the Greek word Paraptoma, which basically means falling so as to lose one’s footing. It conveys the idea of a false step and often is translated a transgression, [from Latin trans– across + gradi = to step] which means we have crossed a line, challenging God’s boundaries” (Preceptaustin.org) The Greek word for “made us alive,” suzoopoieo, means “to cause to live with Christ or to give life with Christ. . . To an extent this verb could be seen as somewhat synonymous with ‘saved’, but it can also have the meaning of keeping alive or preserving life” (Preceptaustin.org) What Paul declares here is that even when we were spiritually dead in our sins, God loved us. He didn’t clean us up first or wait for us to change.  He loved us when we were dead in our trespasses.  Charles Spurgeon explains that God’s love “does not depend upon what we are; it flows from His own heart. It is not love of something good in us; it is love of us because of everything good in Him.”  We are richly blessed by God’s great mercy and love that we do not deserve and cannot earn.

Everyday Application

1) What part do I play in my salvation?
I gave my heart to Jesus as a little girl over 40 years ago.  At the time, I understood Jesus loved me and died on a cross to forgive me of my sins.  I didn’t confront the concept of God’s grace until I got older and needed God’s rescue from situation after situation.  I was never in big trouble, but I constantly found myself making mistakes, falling short, and feeling unworthy.  I finally figured out that God’s grace was there precisely because I couldn’t be perfect on my own.  J.I. Packer writes, “The grace of God is love freely shown towards guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and who had no reason to expect anything but severity.”  When I realized I couldn’t be good enough on my own, I clearly saw my need for the interjection of God’s grace. I am unable to please Him on my own, but in His grace, He offered a sacrifice to cover all of my “not enoughs”, and then gave me His Holy Spirit to powerfully live inside me, equipping me to love and follow Him. What was impossible before, was now possible because of God, His grace, and His Spirit! I could stop trying to follow Him in my own strength and instead rely on His Holy Spirit to power my everyday interactions. It is a lesson I am still learning, but one that makes my life less about my abilities, and more about His purposes.

2) How can I be raised up and seated with Christ in Heaven?
When I buy a new gadget or download a new app, I am just interested in the main function of the thing.  I want it to do what I bought it to do, and I don’t care much about the other aspects.  My husband or my kids might look it over and tell me about all the nifty extras, but I don’t pay much attention.  I just want the basics, plain and simple.  Sometimes I have this attitude about my salvation, strangely enough. I know God saved me and I am going to Heaven, which is amazing!  But I don’t think about everything this free gift of salvation entails.  It really is the gift that keeps on giving! Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:6-7 that Christ “also raised us up with Him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”  Paul is telling us we share in the death and resurrection of Jesus and all the benefits that represents.  Author, Heather Holleman, describes her realization of the fullness available to us through salvation and in being seated with Christ.  She writes that “no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I have full access to God’s love, power, peace, hope, and provision. . . Rather than search for a different seat or one that we think is better, when we’re walking with Christ, we can instead relax and enjoy the life we’re living.”  Life with Christ means we have constant access to the grace, power, love and provision of God! God graciously saves us and then lavishes His love on us by giving us the rights and privileges of children and heirs of the King.

3) How can I be alive in Christ and dead in trespasses?
Ephesians 2:4-5 tells us “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” What does it mean to be dead in my trespasses? John Piper suggests, “we are not dead in the sense that we can’t sin. We are dead in the sense that we cannot see or feel the glory of Christ. We are spiritually dead. We are unresponsive to God and Christ and this word.”  It amazes me that God loved me in this state! It is so unlike the love I have for others, even my closest family. When my husband or kids are unresponsive to me, I don’t feel love for them, and I usually don’t choose to act in a loving way towards them.  But God, in His extreme mercy and unfathomable grace, chose to love me while I was still a sinner. He made me alive with Christ before I ever loved Him. David Guzik points out that God “did not wait until we were lovable. He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, providing nothing lovable to Him.” God took our sins on Himself and became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) before we ever loved Him or even showed a sign of turning to Him.  We have life in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22) through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  We are made alive, though dead in our sins, through His merciful love. We are saved by His amazing grace!

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

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 Sola 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!

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Sketched V Day 1 Saul, The Pharisee

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 3:4-6
Acts 8:1-2
Acts 9:1-2
Ezekiel 36:22-29

Sketched V, Day 1

Any man would be a fool not to envy me.

I am a Hebrew, through and through. Born in Tarsus, I was raised in Jerusalem.
I cut my teeth on the Law, and was educated in the way of our fathers at the hand of the famous Rabbi Gamaliel.
I am of the tribe of Benjamin, and my lineage is untainted by Gentile blood.
I hold the Roman citizenship so many covet by birthright.
I am truly blessed by God.

My righteousness is perfect.

I am also a Pharisee, set apart, tasked and privileged to discern and uphold the Law as it applies to our people. My zeal and passion for the Way are unmatched.

Scores of so-called “Christians” will rot in prison by my hand, men and women alike.
As well they should!
Anyone who would dare challenge our holy tradition, or our God, deserves to die.
Who do they think they are?
They think that a man has come to fulfill the Law? They are out of their minds!
Clearly, God does not stand for such outrage.
Why else would he deliver so many of them into my hands?

I uphold the inspired word of God, the Torah, in addition to the rich, important traditions our people have developed over generations. I adhere to and help enforce all 600 of our laws strictly, just as I adhere to and enforce our important traditions. Our traditions and our laws work together to pave the way to righteousness.

I lead by example, and I expect nothing less than what I myself give: perfection.
All one must do is follow the rules, like I do. It isn’t impossible. I do it every single day!
And I can thank myself for my own holiness. And God, of course…but mostly, me.
I mean, sure, He laid out the Law for us, so there’s that, but all the work I’ve put in, the way I restrain myself from all evil, that is my work alone. I have made myself a good person.

I am the one who toes the line and makes sure to keep in step with the holy traditions we have implemented.
I am the one who upholds God’s laws.
It is I who pursue and punish these Christians who fail to value our Way.

Just today, a man, a Christian named Stephen was stoned by my counterparts.
I wholeheartedly approved when they laid their garments at my feet.
I wouldn’t want any blasphemer’s blood staining my robe, either!

Although, I can’t seem to shake the look in his eyes during those final moments…
So clear. So focused. So…forgiving.
It was enough to give me pause.
For a moment, I felt like what they were doing, what we are doing, might be wrong, somehow.

But it couldn’t be.
I’m, we’re, merely upholding our Way, exactly as I, we’ve, been taught. This is the Way.
Everything I’ve ever known has been preparing me for this time, this moment.
My mission is to scrub the earth of these infidels who would challenge our, God’s, Way.
And I will succeed!

But… If I am being honest.. I know the truth.
Truth I’ll never admit to a soul, barely even myself.
Truth that haunts me.

This weight of perfection, it looms heavy in my chest these days.
Day in and day out, I wonder if this will be the day when I will fail and my humanity will rear its ugly head and I will slip up. There are so many rules, so many laws. Sometimes fear grips me because if ever my heart were known by anyone, they would see that though outwardly I am flawless, my heart is empty and cold.
And truthfully, even the outer deeds …

Make me weary.

And as much as I try to forget, my mind keeps returning to that stoning I witnessed.
That man… Stephen. I’ll never forget that moment. That man. Those eyes.
That feeling of blood on my hands….
What if God saw him as innocent?

The thought makes my insides shudder and I shut it out.
As that first stone was hurled toward him, Stephen’s eyes caught mine, and in that instant time stood still.

I still can’t shake the sense that he saw right through me. Through my titles and education. Through my citizenship, and bloodline, and associations. Through the facade I have almost managed to convince myself is real.

The others, they were so angry. They picked up their stones with religious fervor and righteous anger, I know, but in that moment it felt… Wrong.

He saw through everything. And he…forgave?

Yes, he forgave.
What if there’s something I am missing for all the things I do right?

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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 V 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 V!

Prayer Day 8 Forgive Us

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:12-14
Matthew 9:1-8
Psalm 32:1-7
Exodus 34:6-8
Ephesians 4:31-5:2 

Prayer, Day 8

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) 

There are some concepts that are easily grasped, and there are others that are difficult and may take quite a bit of additional effort to adopt.
In my humble opinion, forgiveness is at the top of the list.

A friend of mine asked a very important question regarding this concept,
“Why do some people find it hard to forgive?”
Well, forgiveness isn’t always straightforward friends; it is as nuanced as the individuals involved on either side. Forgiveness takes effort and intention, often meaning that the end result may simply take time.
Maybe if we let ourselves off the hook by thinking of forgiveness as a journey,
rather than a destination to be reached,
we can release some of the difficultly associated with it. 

Our central verse is at the heart of a teachable moment Jesus is having with the disciples who have just asked him how they should pray. The prayer ends with Jesus’ plea for forgiveness of debts, but not just forgiveness on its own.
It is coupled with,
and dependent upon,
the action of the pray-er.

“And forgive us of our debts,” Jesus says,
“as we have also forgiven our debtors.”

Jesus has instructed His disciples to
1.) forgive others
2.) then ask God for our forgiveness
3.) repeat as necessary.

Forgiveness is one of the bookends of the model prayer,
which places it at a high importance for how we should model our lives.
Why exactly would Jesus end the prayer with forgiveness rather than begin with it? Maybe He wanted it to be the last thing they heard.
Maybe it held the greatest weight.  

Forgiveness is mentioned in various forms (forgive, forgiven, forgiveness, forgiving) in the Bible many times (at least 150 times).
Why?
Because forgiveness is at the root of restoration and healing.

A man who came to Jesus for physical healing, found himself hearing that his sins had been forgiven (Matthew 9:2).
A woman caught in the act of adultery and brought before Jesus, realized she had been restored, when He told her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11, ESV).
Jesus Himself embodied and represented to us the ultimate act of forgiveness in our restoration at Calvary, when He pleaded with His Father to “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. (Luke 23:34) 

Forgiveness is also about relationship.
Peter needed some clarity on this also. In Matthew 18:21 (NIV), he asks Jesus how many times he must forgive someone (most translations say brother or sister) who has sinned against him. He throws out what he probably feels is an acceptable number: Seven. Jesus counters back and astonishes all within earshot, that he would need to multiply that number times 70 (verse 22).
Why?
Because we shouldn’t be able to keep count of the times we are called to forgive others, unless we are willing to have God do the same for us. 

Forgiveness is the work of a lifetime, and it frees us from emotional bondage. Sometimes it is immediate, and sometimes years pass before we can admit to ourselves, and to others, that we have forgiven them. I must raise my hand and admit that I am still struggling with how this practically looks and feels in my life. This rings especially true in areas of great vulnerability for me such as friendships and family relationships.
I have given myself grace, because that’s what God does for me. 

Just as Jesus calls us to forgive others before we ask forgiveness for ourselves, He reminds us that we are only able to forgive because we have been forgiven much. Our sinful nature places us precariously in the line of righteous judgement, but God through the blood of our advocate Jesus Christ, extends forgiveness to us.
How can we not do the same for others?

We would be no better than the wicked servant Jesus describes in
Matthew 18:23-35.
The man was forgiven much more than he could repay,
but refused to offer that same forgiveness to his brother, who owed him little. 

Sisters, I do not in any way want to trivialize the hurt we encounter along life’s journey.
I want you to know God doesn’t either.

In fact, Psalm 56:8 lets us know how important our pain is to Him.
He keeps track of our sorrow,
He collects our tears in a bottle and records them in a book.
What a loving God! 

There are some events and people that may seem beyond forgiveness,
yet forgiveness isn’t just for them, it’s also (often to a great degree) for us.

I can tell you what un-forgiveness is like.
It’s a prison of your own making.
Work toward forgiveness daily, being mindful of how you have been forgiven,
and renew your commitment to forgive even if it hurts – actually as often as it hurts.
We’re in this together! 

Forgiveness is still working in and through me seventy times seven.
What about you? 

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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 Prayer 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 Prayer!

Bride Day 14 Snapshots & Love Notes: 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 Snapshots & Love Notes!

The Questions

1) What is the book of Hosea about?

2) When was Israel a child? What time period is this talking about?

3) Who is Ephraim and when did God teach him to walk?

4) How is it that Ephraim didn’t know that God had healed him?

Hosea 11:1-4

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. The more they called them, the more they departed from Me. They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them in My arms, but they never knew that I healed them. I led them with human cords, with ropes of love. To them I was like one who eases the yoke from their jaws; I bent down to give them food.

Original Intent

1) What is the book of Hosea about?
In the book of Hosea, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute. He does, and she bears three children: two sons and a daughter. God uses Hosea’s relationship with his wife, Gomer, to teach the nation of Israel about themselves and about Himself. Throughout the book, Gomer cares little about Hosea and much about herself. She even leaves him and finds another man. However, Hosea pursues her and continually brings her back to himself. This is a beautiful picture of God and His people, Israel. Over and over they turned to idolatry, and over and over, God cared enough about them to pursue them and bring them back to Himself.

2) When was Israel a child? What time period is this talking about?
Israel began with the patriarch Abraham. In Genesis 12, God called him out of the land of Ur and asked him to go to a country that He would show him, and thus, Israel began. Throughout the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the Israelites were babies or children, so to speak. They were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. During this time, God was molding them and shaping them into a people after His heart. When they were children in slavery, God called them out of Egypt. He called them as a father would call a son. 

3) Who is Ephraim and when did God teach him to walk?
Ephraim was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It was after God released them from slavery in Egypt that He taught them to walk in the wilderness. They spent forty years wandering around the desert, and all the while, God watched over them. He protected them. He provided for them. He proved Himself to them over and over in numerous ways. He provided manna for food. He provided protection from other armies. He never left them and led them by cloud during the day and by fire at night. During this period, He was teaching them to depend on Him, to trust Him. He was proving His deep, deep love for them.

4) How is it that Ephraim didn’t know that God had healed him?
Despite God’s pursuit of Israel (the Northern Kingdom whom Hosea was writing to), the Israelites continued to chase after other gods, just as they did after He led them out of slavery in Egypt. The Northern Kingdom ended up right back in captivity to the Assyrians in 722BC, were scattered, and never heard from again. God had rescued them from slavery, led them through the wilderness to the Promised Land, and still, they failed to recognize all He had done for them. Throughout their journey, they looked to themselves and their own efforts. They became prideful and believed they had actually gotten themselves to the Promised Land. They forgot all God had done for them. Makes me wonder if they ever really “grew up”!

Everyday Application

1) What is the book of Hosea about?
Over and over, we fail God. We sin. We miss the mark. We can be so selfish and run after things of this world. If we’re really honest with ourselves, we know that we, too, have played the harlot when it comes to what or who we allow to be lord of our hearts. Maybe for you shopping is your idol. Maybe vanity is your thing. Could it be your husband or your children? Whatever it is, it’s a substitute for God. Yet God, in His infinite love for us, continues to chase after us despite ourselves.

2) When was Israel a child? What time period is this talking about?
I want you to think of yourself as Israel. There was a time when you were a mere child. Maybe you knew about God when you were growing up, maybe you didn’t. Even if you didn’t, God was using this time in your life to shape you and to draw you to Himself. Maybe you didn’t accept Christ until you were an adult, but according to God’s word, before that, you were a child, spiritually speaking. We were all slaves to sin at some point in our lives. It was during this time that God called us out of slavery to be His daughters.

3) Who is Ephraim and when did God teach him to walk?
Many times, after we accept Christ, we find ourselves in the wilderness wandering around, wondering where God is and why He led us here. It is during these times of trials and tribulations that God is teaching us to walk, but we certainly can’t do it on our own. If we tried, we would fall flat on our face! He is teaching us to lean on Him, to trust Him. When we don’t know where our next meal will come from, He will provide. When we’re scared about the enemies surrounding us, He will protect us. When we feel lonely, He is there!! He is using the wilderness to teach us to walk tall in His love.

4) How is it that Ephraim didn’t know that God had healed him?
As an adult, it is so easy for me to look back and see all my parents did for me! How hard they worked to provide for me and take care of me. They care so much about me! And yet, sometimes I fail to remember how God has called me out of bondage to sin, how He has provided His very Son to pay the price for that sin, and how He has never left me alone on this road to the Promised Land of eternity. I easily fall back into old patterns of trying to do things on my own, forgetting that He taught me how to walk. Somehow, I think I can work myself to the Promised Land if I’m just “good enough.” When I do this, I fail to recognize that God has healed me. He has given me everything in Christ Jesus that I need to grow up. When I recognize that Jesus plus nothing equals everything, then I recognize the fact that I am healed! I am grown, and I’m on my way to the Promised Land, hand in hand with the Love of my life!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Snapshots & Love Notes!

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 Bride 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.

Passionate Day 5
You Will Be With Me

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Passionate Day 5
You Will Be With Me

Rebecca Adams

March 31, 2017

Accepted,Adoption,Believe,Broken,Clothed,Faith,Forgiven,Fullness,Generous,God,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Jesus,Lost,Love,Redemption,Relationship,Sin,Trust

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 23:32-43
Revelation 2:7
Revelation 21:7

“Mommy!! Mommy!! Mommy!!” Loud shrieks mixed with dramatic wailing erupted the relative silence of my morning. I waited, knowing there would be a follow up voice. Sure enough, “It was not me!” followed by a series of pounding steps to see who could get to me first and tell their side of the story.

Indignation ran high as each party loudly pointed out how they were right and the other was wrong. The problem was that both had sinned. Both had hurt the other. As I quietly listened and calmly walked them each through what they had done to contribute to the conflict, one child pulled away and one drew near. One wept for his sin while one withdrew in anger.
The one who wept, curled in my lap, clearly sorry for being hurtful. We chatted about what happened and then we turned to tickling games and throw-your-head-back laughter.

“You love him more than me”, came a muffled, angry voice.

“That’s definitely not true, but you know that”, I replied. “You are choosing to step outside of our relationship and hold on to being hurt, rather than ask forgiveness. If you want to come and laugh with me, I’m not stopping you, I’d love to play with you!”

Silence.
Swallowing pride.

“I’m….sorry…..for……(it was costing all they had)…hurting you.”
Then sheepishly peeking from behind the pillow, a wide grin appeared. 
Tickles and laughter and we were all giggling as we moved on with our day.

Forgiveness is potently powerful when unleashed in a life.
But it’s a choice. Both to give and receive.

Jesus hung between two men as he stood in the gap for mankind on the cross, making atonement for our sin, choosing our punishment so we could accept His righteousness.
Both men had the opportunity to claim Jesus as Lord.

One scorned Him, jeering and mocking Him for claiming Lordship, claiming to be God.
One drew near. “Remember me, Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom.”
He acknowledged Jesus as Lord of all, recognized himself as a sinner, and threw himself upon the grace of Jesus literally being poured out in front of him.

The sun was hot and the air heavy as the weight of their own bodies sucked the breath from their lungs as they hung suspended above the earth. Their blood glistened in the sunlight. Throats parched, bodies dying, but Life was still being offered in the midst of death.

“Today you will be with me in Paradise”, Jesus declared over the thief turned saint, for in that moment he was entirely redeemed from the life of sin he had led. He didn’t have time to be baptized, didn’t have time to grow in wisdom and knowledge of God, no ability to memorize the Torah, yet, Jesus promised Him life!
His wasn’t a foxhole-save-me-I’m-dying plea. How can you tell?
He shared the reality of Jesus with his neighbor.

The other man, his was a belief with no substance, calling out with mocking sarcasm, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But his heart held no transformative faith.

The man who asked for life, the man who saw Jesus as He truly was, God, the perfect Lamb, the flawless sacrifice, didn’t stay silent at his neighbor’s mockery, rather he turned the remarks into an opportunity to point to truth. “Don’t you fear God?! We are being punished rightly, but this man has done nothing wrong.”  

Forgiveness frees us.
Faith fuels us.

One man held onto his anger, used mockery as his defense, pretending he had ground to stand on when he had nothing. He withdrew from Life, and sank eternally into Death.

But the other man drew near and exchanged Death for Life. He was freed from his sins, knowing they had been paid in full, and that faith fueled him to share the truth with the one neighbor he had left in the world.

And what of you? Which thief will you be?
Will you come near in humble awareness of your sin or pull far away, clinging to self-righteousness as if it could save you?
Will you dance in freedom and welcomed into Paradise, or be weighted down in pride and descend into Death?
And if you’ve chosen Jesus, dear one, who are you telling?
Is your faith fueling you to point others to the Truth of the Gospel?

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Passionate Day 5
Digging Deeper

How often do you feel like a conqueror in your everyday life? This morning as I’m writing this, I’ve already comforted several “owies” from my kids, fought hard for a quiet time to meet with my Jesus, taught school, and cleaned up so many messes that should have already been picked up. So much is out of my control…pretty much everything really. But the chaotic demands of life do not dictate my status as conqueror. Because of Jesus’s love for me and inside me I am declared victorious from beginning to end of each and every day.
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