forgiveness

Worship VII Day 13 One Day

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:1-5
Romans 5:6-11
John 3:16-21
Revelation 22:6-20

Worship VII, Day 13

What a difference a day makes!

I remember the day I came face to face with the knowledge that I was hopelessly lost. Old Slew foot, the devil, had blinded my eyes to the light of Life found only in Jesus. He said, “You’re a good girl. You have nothing to worry about.” Even though my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them were all Christians,
I was still lost in the darkness of my sin.

The old evangelist preached hard that night. Was it his warning of hell and damnation or the fact that my grandfather had recently passed that got my attention? Maybe both. The Spirit of God was opening the eyes of my heart, and I was brought into His Light that day. I recognized I needed a Savior so, at an old-fashioned camp meeting, I walked the aisle and gave my heart and life to the Lord.
Oh, what a day when I came into the Light!

At the turn of the 20th century, another great evangelist, J. Wilbur Chapman, was also intently determined to preach the Gospel. Chapman served several pastorates before going into the evangelistic circuit. He preached with the legendary D. L. Moody at the 1893 World’s Fair before traveling with gospel singer, Charles Alexander. Their first campaign in Philadelphia saw 8,000 conversions followed by Boston and 7,000 recorded conversions. Chapman and Alexander continued having tent revivals all around the world for the next 10 years until his death in 1918. [Wholesomeword.org]

While Chapman will be forever known as a great evangelist, he also blessed the Church with many hymns like “Our Great Savior (Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners)”.  Perhaps he “gave the Christian world the greatest gospel content song of all time when he penned the words for “One Day.” [Truthful Words Biographies]

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises.
One day when sin was a black as can be.
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He.”

It was indeed a dark day when sin began running rampant and men turned from the living God to please themselves. Ever since that day in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), men and women have been impossibly lost in sin with no hope to save themselves. Until that one day when, at just the right time, God sent His angels to proclaim the miraculous, Jesus had come from Heaven to earth! (Luke 2:8-12) He came to the sinful and impossibly lost, born of a virgin to live fully as a man experiencing everything we experience, yet, living a sinless life because He was and is God Almighty. (1 Peter 2:20-25)

“Living He Loved me.”

How much God loves us! We are familiar with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son…” But, even better, the darkness of our sin is chased away by His glorious light! (John 3:16-21)

Not only does He love us, but He came to provide our forgiveness before we even considered asking for it or being remorseful. (Romans 5:6-11) He loved, and forgave, while we were still deep in our sin.

“Dying He Saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away.”

Yes, one day they arrested Jesus and falsely accused Him. That day, He took on our sin to pay our debt of punishment for that sin on a cruel cross.  He carried our sin upon Himself so it would no longer rule our lives. In Jesus, our sin has been removed “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12)

Our debt of sin has been erased! Gone! Forever Gone! Praise the Lord!
“He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations,
that was against us and opposed to us,
and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”
(Colossians 2:14)

“Rising, He justified freely forever”

Even greater than taking on the punishment of death we deserved, after three days in the grave, He rose again, breaking the power of sin and death. On that day, He freed us forever from the slavery of sin. In Jesus, we can be both saved from our sin’s punishment and justified before a Righteous God! Jesus moves our status from “hopelessly sinful” to “just as if I’d never sinned!”. This doesn’t come automatically because we’re alive, faith is required. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith that places our full-weight trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross to pay for our sin. Do we believe what the Bible says about Jesus? If we accept His offer of salvation in genuine faith, we will live forever with Him in Heaven one day.

“It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:23-25)

“One day He’s coming, Oh Glorious day!”

Ah! Yes! One day! One day He is coming again for us!
When Christ ascended into Heaven, the angel come down with a promise that ONE DAY, He would return just as He had left in the clouds. (Acts 1:6-11) It will be a glorious day when he comes and sets up His kingdom.

And who can enter in?
“Those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:14)

I am ready for that Glorious day!
Are you?
Have you repented of your sin and asked to be free from the slavery of sin and its punishment of death? Make today your own “One Day” that changes everything!
What a difference a day makes!

“Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

Author’s Note:
Though this hymn is over 100 years old, listen in to Casting Crowns for a remade version!

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Worship VII Day 12 Held Fast: 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 Held Fast!

The Questions

1) What is the treasure in jars of clay? (verse 7)

2) If there is hope and life in Jesus why does Paul include verses 8-9 about suffering?

3) What does it mean to focus on what is unseen? (verse 18)

2 Corinthians 4:7-8

7 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 10 We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. 14 For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. 15 Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Original Intent

1) What is the treasure in jars of clay? (verse 7)
Jars of clay or earthly, temporary jars are what Paul is referring to by “jars of clay”. However, the treasure in them surpasses the temporariness of the jar. The jars are fragile and weak, but what they hold is far from fragile, weak, or temporary! Paul is writing to believers of a treasure that will surpass all of time. He is writing of God Himself dwelling in believers as they live in relationship with Him. Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers they know the good news of Christ and salvation. These verses remind us the treasure of Jesus comes from God alone; they cannot attain it without Him. However, verse 15 also reminds them this grace and good news is not to stop with them. They are to extend it to others by sharing the good news of Christ and offering others the same relationship with the Heavenly Father they enjoy.

2) If there is hope and life in Jesus why does Paul include verses 8-9 about suffering?
Paul knew the truth of these verses better than most. His life was anything but easy. He was persecuted, shipwrecked, and imprisoned for the Gospel, yet he never gave up. He kept walking the path God laid before him. “Instead of finding in this disparity reason to doubt his vocation, he saw in it an illustration of a great law of God. It served to protect the truth that salvation is of the Lord.” (Expositors Commentary) Paul is reminding the Corinthians life following Jesus wasn’t guaranteed to be easy. However, Paul doesn’t leave them in their hopelessness. He follows these verses with the reminder Christ walked through suffering and conquered death. Their journey is not hopeless because God will never leave them and because God purchased their hope and security with His own blood. They share in the victory of Jesus even in the trials and sufferings this world offers. (Romans 8:17, 1 Peter 4:13)

3) What does it mean to focus on what is unseen? (verse 18)
Paul didn’t know Jesus personally when He walked on earth, and neither did Paul’s audience. Paul has shared the message of the Gospel with them and is now writing to them. They have never seen the hope they cling to, but instead it is faith in the unseen they are living out in everyday life. What they see around them is temporary, but they are to focus on what is unseen and what is eternal.  Paul is reminding them this world is not the end, there is a promise for more. A promise of a day when Christ will return. A day the believers in Corinth thought was closer than it was, but a day that will indeed one day happen. Paul is reminding them, someday all will be made right; there is hope and life and the promise of an eternity spent with God. The struggle now will be worth it!

Everyday Application

1) What is the treasure in jars of clay? (verse 7)
We are the jars of clay. Our bodies may be temporary, weak, and fragile, but we hold the greatest treasure when we live in relationship with our Heavenly Father. I don’t know about you sisters, but the season we are living in during Covid-19 has been exhausting and hard. I have felt my humanity maybe more now than at any other point in my life. I am weak and fragile, but the good news is, I was never asked to walk this life alone! God extends this amazing treasure of relationship with Him to each of us when we choose to accept His offer of complete forgiveness for sin. He promises to live in us and we never face any aspect of life apart from His strength. As I cling to the treasure deposited inside me (2 Corinthians 5:5), the good news is that only Christ offers this unexplainable hope and joy. However, just like the Corinthian believers, I am not supposed to keep this treasure a secret. I am to share and extend the good news beyond me to a hurting world. I am to share with others the life only Jesus can offer as we walk in relationship with Him. I challenge you today to ask yourself, “Am I living a life where others see Christ living through me or am I keeping Him a secret?”

2) If there is hope and life in Jesus why does Paul include verses 8-9 about suffering?
We may understand these verses better today than we ever have before in light of a global pandemic, racial unrest, and many other worldwide struggles. If we are honest, the world around us brings affliction and persecution like never before. We look around and feel perplexed and at times struck down. Jesus never promised His followers a life of ease. Instead, in Matthew 16:24 we are told to pick up our cross and follow Him. In John 16:33 Jesus tells there will be suffering. Jesus Himself suffered worse than any of us could ever imagine, yet He did not lose hope. His suffering and sacrifice is the source of our life! Paul includes these verses to remind us following Jesus won’t always be easy. There will be tough days, weeks, and years, however, He will never abandon us! (Psalm 138:8) Instead, as we cling to Him during the hard seasons of life, it is an “opportunity for Christ to demonstrate His power and presence in and through us (NLT Study Bible).” When we walk through suffering and hard times, the work of Christ in our life is evident to the world around us. We simply have to choose to lean in and cling to Him by faith.

3) What does it mean to focus on what is unseen? (verse 18)
Like Paul, we don’t have the privilege the first disciples had. We don’t get to walk with Jesus and learn from Him as He lives and teaches. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “we walk by faith not sight.” I am reminded of what Jesus said in John 20:29, “Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe.” When we choose to put our faith in the promises we cannot see, we are blessed! We look around and see a temporary world filled with sin and suffering, but there is a promise of more. There is the promise of the eternal. When Jesus left earth, He promised to return. (Acts 1:11) This is the promise we cling to as believers. Our life now isn’t forever! We know the unseen includes life forever with God that will be without pain and suffering. It is a place where He will wipe away the tears and there will be no more mourning or pain. All of what we know will pass away (Revelation 21:4). I don’t know about you sisters, but I long for that day. We have hope in this unseen promise. I challenge you to live in light of the end of the story clinging to the promise of the perfection that lies ahead of us.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship VII 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.

Calling Day 12 The Lens Of Truth: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Lens Of Truth!

The Questions

1) Who are the disobedient mentioned in verse 6 and how are the saints to proactively stay connected?

2) How did the Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, move from darkness to light? (verse 7)

3) Once a person is walking in the light, what is the public evidence? (verse 9)

Ephesians 5:6-14

6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Original Intent

1) Who are the disobedient mentioned in verse 6 and how are the saints to proactively stay connected?
At the beginning of Chapter 5, Paul continues his thought from Chapter 4. He wants his reader to understand the importance of their relationships with each other and with those outside the Church. Scripture makes it clear that those who consistently walk in disobedience (those living outside of God’s grace), have intentionally rejected God’s forgiveness. (Romans 1:18-28) Forgiveness is God’s answer to the impossible state of reality for all humanity, we are insufficient to save ourselves. We see from the creation story that God created humans with a freedom that allowed them to choose obedience or disobedience. That freedom sadly exposed mankind’s unwillingness to choose rightly. Adam and Eve found themselves deceived by an empty argument from the source of all disobedience, pride. (Genesis 1-3) In the Old Testament, the Psalmist reviewed the disobedience in Israel’s history. (Psalm 78) In the New Testament, the apostles reminded the people of their rebellion against God (Acts 3, Acts 7). Had the very first man and woman refrained from approaching the one tree God had forbidden, they could have continued their sweet fellowship with their Creator. In this section of his letter, Paul encourages the saints to remain distanced from the message and lifestyle of the rebellious. This intentional choice demonstrates, and promotes, obedience to Christ over self.

2) How did the Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, move from darkness to light? (verse 7)
Note the wording in verse 8. Paul not only says the saints were once in darkness, he says they were darkness. This “darkness” is not simply a place without light. It is the condition of all men apart from Christ. (studylight.org) Every heart not regenerated by the light of Christ is utterly dark. The prophet Isaiah said that everyone stumbles in their darkness. (Isaiah 59:9-10) Light necessarily shines on the rebellious and disobedient heart, revealing the need for forgiveness. As “dearly loved children of God” (Ephesians 5:1), the believers were to walk in the love and light of Christ. The only good thing about darkness is that light is seen so clearly! The letter to the Ephesians emphasizes Paul’s desire for them to recognize God’s “goodness, righteousness and truth.” (verse 9) When light and darkness are in the same space, light wins. The recipients of Paul’s letter had come into the light only though God’s gracious revelation to them. God’s light shone in and on their dark hearts. The exposure to sinfulness produces repentance that leads to “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20)

3) Once a person is walking in the light, what is the public evidence? (verse 9)
In the original Greek, the words that speak of the previous darkness reveal a forceful impact. As darkness itself, they were “utterly sunk in ignorance of Divine things, [and] wholly lost in the evils accompanying such ignorance.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament) But God! If two words were used to be the subtitle of Ephesians, it could be these! Though the English word “but” is supplied in Ephesians 2:4 for clarity, it perfectly translates the message of Paul in the letter. Multiple times, he compares who the saints at Ephesus previously were with who they now are. The God of light has shone His mercy in the darkness since the days of Noah. (Genesis 7:23-8:1)The urgency of Paul to proclaim this message of transformation from dark to light is found in his letters to the Romans and the Corinthians. (Romans 5:6-11, 1 Corinthians 1:26-27) How glorious and radical is the light that shines in, on, and through the darkness. “The completeness of the change [from dark to light] is evidenced in that they were so possessed and penetrated by that truth, that they could be described not simply as enlightened but as themselves now light.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament) Being light is evidenced through our obedience. Paul speaks in the remaining chapter (Ephesians 6:1-23) of how we are to shine our light in marriage, family life and in the church.

Everyday Application

1) Who are the disobedient mentioned in verse 6 and how are the saints to proactively stay connected?
Genesis pronounces that human beings were “hardwired to be good creatures who live in a good world created by a good God for the purpose of expanding this goodness to the ends of the earth.” (Terry Evans, upi.org) But Satan took advantage of the atmosphere of freedom in the Garden of Eden. It is in the very same environment of suspicion and skepticism that we are led to be disobedient rebels today. Just like the people Paul was writing to, we are prone to wander away from following God wholeheartedly. Even as believers in Jesus, our human nature is still fighting within us as the enemy uses it against us often. (Romans 6:12-16) If we keep ourselves too close to those who are recklessly denying God’s judgment to come, we may find ourselves listening to, and believing, their shameful lies. It is in these situations we are tempted to succumb to a wrong way of thinking about our obedience. We begin to believe those trapped in darkness who tell us that God’s way is restrictive or unnecessary. The forbidden fruit we read about in Genesis 3 becomes more desirable. If we continue to stand too close to the tree, we are setting ourselves up for disillusionment and ultimately disobedience.

2) How did the Ephesians, to whom Paul is writing, move from darkness to light? (verse 7)
Darkness is uncomfortable, dangerous, and scary. So, why are so many people staying there? Because they have been convinced by the prince of darkness (Ephesians 2:1-2), the father of lies (John 8:43-44), that obedience to God is keeping us from something. The devil is continuing to use his stealth against humanity. He thrives in bringing confusion and chaos. (2 Corinthians 2:9-11) God is good and does good. Satan is evil and does evil. God is light and brings light. Satan is darkness and brings darkness. This is why we feast on God’s words. That is why we avoid those who desire to cause us to doubt the goodness and mercy of God. It is in the light that we see so clearly who God is and who we are! “This is the message we have heard from Him: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

3) Once a person is walking in the light, what is the public evidence? (verse 9)
The evidence that we are walking in the light is our witness. We give witness to our transformed heart and life by our words, our obedience, and our love for others. Once we have been transformed from darkness to light, we are to shine in the dark places everywhere we go. There is just something about a woman who consistently walks with Jesus through prayer and Bible study. She lights up a room like no one else can! Oh sister, I encourage you to study the Word so you deeply know Jesus, that you might become an ever-brighter reflection in this scary, dark world. The way to be the light is to wake from apathy and drudgery and celebrate the Light!
“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (John 1:6-9) It’s not Christmas yet, but let’s worship Him and share the good news:
Noel, Noel!
Come and see what God has done.
Noel, Noel!
The story of amazing love!
The light of the world, given for us.
Noel.
(Lyrics by Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman)

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

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 Calling 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.

Calling Day 5 Living Love Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
John 5:24-29

Calling, Day 5

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
(Ephesians 2:1)

This is not the way to start a love story.

Declaration of one’s death isn’t winsome or sweet, inciting feelings of depth and happiness. Unbidden, news of death reminds us of our own mortality, or experiences of walking the grievous pathways of heartbreaking, tragic loss.

A vibrant family diagnosed with two cases of brain cancer within months of each other makes me consider how fleeting and unexpected our lives are.

A fatal shooting of a 5-year-old on the news brings to mind images of my own precious 5-year-old, alive and well, but I’m haunted by “what if.”

My wonderful friend’s 2-month-old daughter is found lifeless in her crib, and my arms ache for the babe I carried inside, but never held outside my body.

death.
destruction.
fear.
impenetrable pain.
desperately alone.
death.

Here, in this setting of closed curtains and covered graveyards, Paul inhales deeply and pens to the Ephesians, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Sin feels easy, even as if it’s the only real pattern for life.

Gossip. Anger. Bitterness. Lies. Manipulation. Disrespect. Sharp words. Silent treatment. Lust. Pride. And so, the litany of our pattern for life continues gushing from us like a spring of poison.

Dead.

We have already been rendered deceased, by the very alive God, the moment we sinned.
Our sins chain us to our own cemeteries.

Dead.

In vast deception, we love our death.
We crave it.
We want more of it.

We move through our everyday completely oblivious to our own death stench, unaware of the emptiness of our actions as we chase incessantly after our lusts, our control, and our everything. (Ephesians 2:2-3)

However, a deception, no matter how hauntingly insidious, never negates the truth.

We were already dead,
and we deserved to stay there because of our illustrious love affair with sin.

But God loved us.
But God was merciful to us.
But God, intently focused on bringing dead things to life,
held
out
life
to
the
already
dead.

“But 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!”
(Ephesians 2:4-5)

In the face of our rebellion and hearts that shunned Him, the Light of Life gave of Himself in such costly, glorious magnificence, we are left with only two ridiculously simple choices.
Life or Death.

Jesus Christ, wholly God, wrapped Himself in the frailty of human flesh, submitted Himself to the vast array of human emotion and devious temptation to live for Himself; yet from His first breath of oxygen as a tiny babe to His final, ragged gasp on a criminal’s cross, He was perfect.

He did what we never could because we are chained to sin, while He was free.

He lived sinless. Wholly without a single lustful thought, one self-centered angry word, or any other hint of sin. Then, with more humility than I can possibly conceive, He lowered Himself even more and willingly placed Himself under the punishment for sin that we deserve!

In His death, He took on our sin, and suffered the consequence of being an outcast from the presence of God.

death.
destruction.
fear.
impenetrable pain.
desperately alone.
death.

Lifeless, He lay in a borrowed tomb for three days, until, at just the right time, His cold limbs grew warm, His chest rose and fell, His pulse began to beat rhythmically, and His dead eyes opened.
Death had been defeated!

And so, Paul’s ominous entrance unfolds, indeed, to the greatest love story ever told.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. (…)
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love that He had for us,
made us alive with Christ”

Alive so that, miraculously, these once-dead-hearts now beat in tandem to the heart of God. (Ephesians 2:6)
Alive so that, unfathomably, God might continue to display His vast, magnificent love towards us with all richness in the eternity stretching out before us. (Ephesians 2:7)
Alive so that, astoundingly, we can walk into a new life filled to the brim with purpose and divine intention. (Ephesians 2:10)

Awakened to life, real life.

But since we have a tendency to forget this lavish gift was either once given, daily made new, or ever extended in the first place, the apostle implores, “So, then, remember….” (Ephesians 2:11)

Remember, you who have been made new and alive, remember what it was like to be dead.
Remember the destruction, the fear, the impenetrable pain, the desperate loneliness.
Remember what it was like to walk around faking life while you were dead.

Let that remembrance embolden you to live like you’re alive!

Love one another.
Love the God who set you free.
Fight for unity in your relationships, your families, and your churches.
Honor one another before yourselves.
And share this glorious gospel goodness with others who are dead, just as you once were!
May our everyday lives be living love story testimonies of the God who brings life from death!

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

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Sketched VIII Day 11 Giver Of Sight

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 8:22-26
Psalm 27:13-14
Lamentations 3:25-26

Sketched VIII, Day 11

The sound of familiar voices woke me, but opening my eyes revealed nothing but more darkness. Even after all this time, each morning brought a renewed longing to see the faces of loved ones. I feared forgetting them.

Estimating the time by the temperature in the room, I sat up and felt my surroundings, getting my bearings. My sandals sat by the bed, and I slid into them, one foot at a time.

Excited energy crackled in the air. Outside my window, I heard people walking, but I didn’t know what was happening. Everyone seemed to be heading east, chasing after someone or something.

What was going on?

My friends’ voices grew louder.
They were inside now.

“Berel, hurry! You must come with us now. Jesus is coming! He is here in town.”

I’d heard of Jesus. Stories of Him were spreading throughout Bethsaida and many claimed He was the Promised One. But I wasn’t so sure. A carpenter from Nazareth was not the Messiah I envisioned from the prophets’ description.

Besides, I wasn’t sure healing was part of my story. How many times had I prayed from the psalms, asking God’s forgiveness and for my affliction to be removed? How many times had my friends fasted on my behalf on the Day of Atonement, with no resulting change? Hope was buried somewhere deep within me, and seemed too dangerous to reach for again.

But my friends were hopeful and relentless. They pushed me toward the door as my inner monologue of doubt and questions shouted in my ears. Regardless of what I thought, my friends believed this man could heal me, and they were not going to miss this opportunity. Even if it meant dragging me down the road to the carpenter.

Resigned to their efforts, I allowed them to lead me. The day was already hot as we made our way down the dirt road and I felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead. After we’d walked about half a mile, I heard my friend Alon cry out, “There He is! It’s Him!”

His hands left mine for a moment and I sensed he was using them to plead with Jesus.

“Please, Rabbi. If You could just touch him. Please. He has been blind many years, but we know You can heal him.”

Time seemed suspended as we stood in the street. I had a feeling Jesus was looking at me assessing my need, and perhaps even my faith. Then, before I had the chance to speak or plead my case, my eyes were wet with a slimy residue. What was happening?!

I began protesting, but strong fingers pressed against my eyelids. Warmth permeated from them and when He removed His hands, I noticed something. The darkness that had been my world for years was no longer pitch black; light began filtering in. I could see shapes where before, I saw nothing.

Something I barely recognized pulled at my heart. It had been so long since I felt it, I almost pushed it back down.

It was hope.

Was this man capable of healing me? Was this the beginning? A juxtaposition of fear and possibility overtook me; I knew a crossroads of choice had come.

“Do you see anything?” (Mark 8:23)

Jesus’ question interrupted my warring thoughts. His voice was calm and centered, and I felt He already knew the answer. Although I didn’t fully understand it, I knew the question went beyond my physical sight: He was asking me to make a decision. I also knew honesty was the only way to answer Him.

“I see people; they look like trees walking around,” I said. (Mark 8:24)

I wanted to see. I tasted it and now I longed for it with everything in my being. Hope and firm belief sprang to life in my spirit, silencing doubt and fear. This Messiah could indeed heal me, fully and completely. The soft light and blurred shapes were only a fragment of what He could do. I knew it.

My body trembled as He reached out again. I could make out the shape of His hands this time. His fingers caressed my eyes again, but this time I had no doubts about His ability. As soon as He removed His hands, my belief was confirmed. Tree shapes became people. Masses devoid of detail became faces and I saw hope in everyone’s eyes.

Suddenly, my body felt lighter, as though a weight was lifted. This Jesus saved me! He was the One.

My friends jumped with excitement as they realized I was healed. I looked at the face of the man who changed my life forever. I will never forget how His eyes spoke of kindness and compassion, but there was something else. A sadness. As if He knew something I didn’t. I hoped I wasn’t a part of it.

A posture of worship overtook me, and I wanted to shout my story from the center of town. After all, if this Messiah restored my sight, what could He not do? Everyone needed to know about Him.

Jesus had other plans. He sent me home with instructions not to tell anyone about what happened. Why? I didn’t understand it, but somehow I knew I needed to listen to Him. So even when my neighbors questioned me about my healing, I remained quiet.

But my quietness could not hide the transformation inside of me. Every morning when I woke up, my renewed sight brought fresh cause for worship.

People around me witnessed the change, too. They saw hope, once buried, now resurrected.

And they went looking for this man called Jesus.

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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!

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

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

The GT Weekend ~Ten Week 2

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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!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Feelings of disappointment and ‘never enough’ can easily seep into our relationship with our earthly parents. Maybe they are, or were, difficult to please. Maybe you never really felt understood, or perhaps there were so many layers of conflict and communication barriers it was difficult to deeply connect. Maybe your parent has passed and you are left with loss, or perhaps even regret. Relationships are messy and complicated, even healthy ones! Even if you enjoy a rich, close connection with your parent, expectations and feelings of being “boxed in” to a previous role, can feel stifling and awkward. While it can seem natural to place these human failings and struggles onto our relationship with God, He is altogether other. Performance demands have no place. Shame is bound up. Love is unleashed in brilliant colors never before experienced! Where have you placed God in the same category as your parents? Take that to Him and ask Him to reveal His Father heart of love to you in new, vibrant ways!

2) Rebekah shared transparently on Wednesday on how easy it is to fall into the trap of working hard to earn God’s favor. We want Him to smile on us. We want His protection, His blessing, and His favor, so we will work to do things to please Him. There is simply nothing we can do to make ourselves more winsome to God! He hand-crafted us to mirror His own image. He already delights over us, and He cannot possible love us deeper than He already does. Because He is infinitely good, kind, faithful, and true, He adamantly will not love us less. Here’s the kicker, this extravagant love of God is not limited to you or me, unbeliever or church-goer. The Lord views each and every life with the same lavish love, utterly regardless of who we are or what we have done. Who is in your life that you have been hard-hearted towards or stingy with your love? Ask the Lord to shift your perspective, instead seeing them as highly valued and adored as a fellow bearer of God’s own image. How can you begin loving them more like Jesus this week?

3) Cheated. Even saying the word riles our hearts and we begin feeling the need to take up arms against someone who wronged our right or privilege. Take cheating within the context of marriage and the hurt sinks deep very quickly. Maybe you’ve experienced what it is to walk through being cheated on, or maybe you’ve been the cheater. Circumstances are complicated, reasons and justifications abound as quickly as the hurt does, and the trail back to where the distrust began is long and usually involves more than one party in the relationship. God didn’t design us for heartbreak. His perfect intention was for us to find delight in another and sink deep into trust as both people love the other unconditionally. Maybe you find your eyeballs rolling into your head at this point because this description feels so unlikely. Remember the heart of this specific commandment is to point towards a God who will absolutely never be unfaithful and will also always love us unconditionally. Focus on investing in the only relationship that will not leave you hungry for more. What can you do to develop your relationship with God more deeply?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Peter 1:3-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

Prayer Journal
Father God, I love this passage of Your Word and the truths You speak of here. You have given everything I need for life and godliness simply by leaning deeper and deeper into knowing You! You are unfathomable accessible. Lord, I truly could sit and ponder this extravagant love for the rest of my days and never have plumbed its depths. Your glory and goodness have been made known to me in every moment; You are waiting to be embraced and known more fully by me. Every breath I take is an invitation to know You better! Oh Lord, how distracted I become by focusing on the fleeting things and passions I can see with my eyes or feel in my heart! I will quickly shift my gaze off of You for lesser loves. Yet, Your truth revealed here speaks wonderfully that I do not need to fall prey to these desires to chase the lesser. In You alone is my fullness found. Keep my heart here next to Yours, remind me how sweet Your truth and love are to my soul!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sola Day 14 But If I Don’t: 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 But If I Don’t!

The Questions

1) What does it mean that whatever is “born of the flesh is flesh, but whatever is born of the spirit is spirit?” (verse 6)

2) How can Jesus be lifted up like Moses’s snake in the wilderness? (verse 14) 

3) How does anyone who lives by the truth come to the light? (verse 21)

John 3:1-21

There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus. 10 “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man. 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Original Intent

1) What does it mean that whatever is “born of the flesh is flesh, but whatever is born of the spirit is spirit?” (verse 6)
In John 3:6, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus, a Jewish leader who studied the law, and had come under the cover of nightfall to ask Jesus questions about eternity and salvation. Jesus tells him, “Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The Greek term for flesh is sárks, meaning “of human origin or empowerment”. The term is “generally negative, referring to making decisions (actions) according to self.” (Biblehub.com) The flesh here does not only refer to physical humanity, but also references the unclean nature of humanity.  As author John Gill explains, flesh refers to, ”the nature of man; not merely as weak and frail, but as unclean and corrupt, through sin.”  So, to be born of the flesh means to be born sinful. The Greek word for spirit is pneúma, which means “spirit, wind, or breath.  The Hebrew (Old Testament) counterpart rûach has the same range of meaning. To be born of the spirit is to be saved from sin.  According to author William McDonald, “A spiritual birth takes place when a person trusts in the Lord Jesus. When a person is born again through the Spirit, he receives a new nature, and is made fit for the kingdom of God.”  Jesus describes to Nicodemus a person’s need to be born again, saved out of sin and into God’s kingdom by God’s great grace and amazing love.

2) How can Jesus be lifted up like Moses’s snake in the wilderness? (verse 14)
In John 3:14-15, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”  Jesus is referencing an incident in the Old Testament when the Israelites sinned by complaining against and criticizing God and He sent poisonous snakes among them.  They cried out for help, and Moses, under God’s direction, made a bronze snake that he lifted up and told the people to look upon to be saved from the snake bites.  Just as Moses lifted up the snake to save the people, Jesus declares that He must be lifted up to give people eternal life.  Author David Guzik points out how the bronze serpent represents “sin judged. In the same way Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us on the cross, and our sin was judged in Him.  A bronze serpent was a picture of sin judged and dealt with.”  Jesus was pointing to His coming crucifixion, where His body would be lifted up on the cross as He died to forgive the sins of the world. Though the term “lifted up” surely means the crucifixion of Christ, R.C. Sproul notes “the same Greek verb can refer to the exaltation of a person, and in John’s gospel, the crucifixion is tied closely to our Savior’s exaltation. For Jesus to be lifted up is for Him to die for sin, but that death cannot be separated from the resurrection . . .”  Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent to save the people of God in the Old Testament, God lifted up His Son, Jesus, on the cross to save us all from sin and shame.  He also raised Him from the dead, declaring His victory over death, Hell and the grave forever!

3) How does anyone who lives by the truth come to the light? (verse 21)
In John 3:20-21, Jesus declares, “everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.  But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”  The Greek word for truth, alétheia, means “truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straight-forwardness” The idea of truth here is the Truth of Christ.  Jesus has been telling Nicodemus in the preceding verses that people must be born again through the gift of God’s Son. If people accept the truth of God’s grace and forgiveness, they will be saved. Jesus explains that living by the truth of the Savior brings one into the light, where one’s works can be seen as being done for God with the help of God.  John Piper explains that “whoever goes on doing what is true (acting in accord with the light) will always come to the light and not run away from it. And the reason he will come, is so it will be clear that this ongoing behavior—his doing what is true—has been the work of God, not himself.”  When we live for Jesus and accept the grace and help of God, we will do works that are good and true because He is working and moving in us.  We will be glad to be in the light because we have nothing to shame or condemn us.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean that whatever is “born of the flesh is flesh, but whatever is born of the spirit is spirit?” (verse 6)
The phrase “haters gonna’ hate” has been in our vocabulary for years now.  It is in songs, memes, speeches, tv shows…anywhere pop culture makes an appearance. It reminds me of something I heard once in a sermon.  The pastor asked why we would be surprised when sinners act like sinners?  In other words, “sinners gonna’ sin.”  That is the message Jesus is sharing with Nicodemus in John 3:6, when He says, “whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Humans are born into sin.  They are born to sinful parents and inherit a sinful nature. Because we are sinful, we sin daily. It is only God who has the power to make us clean. When we trust in Him and accept His forgiveness of sin through His sacrifice for us on the cross, we are born again of the Spirit. Author Don Stewart explains that “the new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit, who places the believer in a right relationship with God. It is a work of God, not of man.”  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves or cleanse ourselves, it is only the grace of God that can save us from sin.  When we trust in Him and let Him be in control of our lives, we are no longer slaves to sin.  We become children of God!

2) How can Jesus be lifted up like Moses’s snake in the wilderness? (verse 14)
Sometimes I wonder if my neighbors know me by the same kind of kooky names I use to refer to them; monikers that describe what I know about them since I don’t know their names. Before I met the woman up the street, my kids referred to her as the “crazy dog lady” because of the doting way she would care for her little schnauzer.  Or there is a woman on my block we call the American Ninja Warrior because of her intense exercise routine.  My name around the neighborhood is probably “Bed Head” since I just roll out of bed to walk the dogs!  But I want my neighbors to know me for more than my untamed hair.  I want them to know me by my love and kindness.  I want them to see Jesus when they see me.  In John 3:14-15, Jesus declares that “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,  so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”  Moses lifted up a bronze snake so that those poisoned by snakes could be healed, and in the same way Jesus was lifted up on the cross to save people from the poison of sin in their lives.  I want to share that truth about Jesus’ sacrifice with my family and my neighbors.  Charles Spurgeon recommends, “We should imitate Moses, whose business it was to set the brazen serpent upon a pole.  It is your business and mine to lift up the gospel of Christ Jesus, so that all may see it.”  I purpose to lift Jesus high in my neighborhood and to all those I have connection with.  I may become the “crazy church lady” to some, but I hope all will see the love of God when they see me.

3) How does anyone who lives by the truth come to the light? (verse 21)
How cute are the videos of little kids caught in the act of some misdeed, like stealing cookies, where they lie to their parents with the sweetest, most innocent faces covered in chocolate evidence?  Or they have written their names in permanent ink on the wall, marker still in hand, but they have no idea whose graffiti that is over their bed.  It is so stinkin’ cute, but it reminds me of what is going on in John 3:20-21, when Jesus says, “everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.  But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”  When we do wrong, we want to hide it from the light, much like those kiddos in the videos I mentioned. We don’t want our cheating, lying, betraying, or other sin to be exposed.  When we know Jesus, though, we come to live by the truth, and then we do not need to fear the light of exposure because the Holy Spirit is working in us, making us more like Jesus. Since God is working in us and through us, we come to the light willingly and humbly, knowing that anything good we have or do is because of Him.  In fact, we want to share our story of God’s grace and mercy in our lives with others so they can know freedom in God and the joy of living in the light.

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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!

Digging Deeper Community

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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 11 Soli Deo Gloria

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 115:1-3
1 Corinthians 10:31-32
Ephesians 3:1-21
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Sola, Day 11

I can only imagine the atmosphere in the room as George Frideric Handel finished his masterpiece, “Messiah.” Did the last note resonate in the room, slowly reverberating into silence? Was there a hushed reverence filling the space?

Whatever the moment was like, something caused Handel to pick up his writing utensil and inscribe S.D.G. on the page in front of him.

Soli Deo Gloria.

These three Latin words translated into English mean “to God alone the glory.” Handel wrote the music for “Messiah” in 1741. Literal centuries later, people still flock to venues to hear his work played in person.

Not only has his work endured through the years, but it was also written with remarkable speed. Handel wrote the music in 24 days. My last month has been quite busy, but I don’t anticipate any of my activities will be recognized by the masses hundreds of years later.

What astounds and humbles me about Handel and the details of writing the “Messiah” masterpiece is that Handel intentionally chose to give the Lord the glory. While odds were incredibly high Handel had no idea how his artistry would impact the world, in the completion of his work, he focused his eyes upward rather than inward.

To God alone the glory. Soli Deo Gloria.

I may never accomplish anything even remotely rivaling the work of Handel, but I would be amiss in thinking my own renown is ever the purpose for my actions. My glory, or the perceived impact of my actions, is not to be my focus.

Martin Luther also sought to challenge the mindset of striving for personal glory by arguing the cross of Christ is of the utmost importance.

1 Corinthians 2:2 sums up the mindset we are called to in Christ.
“For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.” (Amplified Bible)

Luther argued embracing the cross of Christ, rather than attempting to appropriate some of Christ’s glory for ourselves, is key to living a life truly pointing to Jesus. When we lose sight of the cross and the crucifixion of Christ, we lose sight of the reality of our Christian walk.

Christ crucified is the forgiveness of our sins,
the demonstration of His sacrificial love,
the invitation to surrender to His Lordship,
and the challenge to become more like Him.

To Him be all the glory.

If I live with the mindset of riding on the coattails of His glory in my life, I miss out on truly knowing Him, and we, as a church, lose that which makes us salt and light in today’s world.

So what does this look like in our day-to-day life?

I encourage you to consider how your own endeavors, be they monumental or mundane, can communicate the forgiveness, the sacrificial love, and the surrender and transformation made possible through the cross of Christ.

How can your own endeavors, be they monumental or mundane, be carried out to the glory of God alone?

And what does it look like in my life?

As I sit here with my laptop nestled on my lap, my coffee cup sitting on the table nearby, and raindrops tapping on the window behind me, I think it looks like thanking Him for His goodness and faithfulness in allowing me the opportunity to write.

It is praying before my fingers touch the keyboard, asking for His wisdom and direction in crafting the message. It is in writing the words and releasing them to Him for His use, however He desires.

It looks like delighting in the little ways the Lord has shown His presence in my day-to-day life: a hot cup of coffee and a refreshing spring rain. It is serving my family with a sacrificial love and modeling a life of looking to Him. It is finding my value and identity in who the Lord says I am and being obedient to His leading in my life.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what Handel felt as those last notes filled the air. An awareness He was made for such a time as this, and regardless of who would hear his music in the future, the One for whom it was truly written had already heard the melody dance through the vaults of heaven.

To God alone the glory. 

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The GT Weekend! ~ Neighbor 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!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Oh wounded. We hear the word and we feel the ache of our own wounds. We likely don’t need to reach too far back to feel a wound we’ve endured from another. Or, maybe, we call to mind the shame of knowing how we’ve wounded another. This life is fraught with wounds. Kendra brings on our attention to the main character of our Journey Theme, the Samaritan who was a good neighbor to the one who lay wounded and dying on the road. The physical wounded man was overlooked by the religious ones, but there was another wounded man in this story, the Samaritan neighbor. Samaritans lived with mockery and racial slurs constantly attacking them. Yet, he chose love over bitterness. Does that hit you, Sister? It does me. We are not called to only love those who love us back, but those who have wounded us. Who is that for you? How will you love them this week? Maybe it starts with simply a prayer over them. Will you begin?

2) Forgiveness. An easy word for our lips to form, a difficult task for our hearts to live out with authenticity. Whether the offense is a mountain formed over years, or a sharp word spoken just a few hours ago. May I speak from my own life experience for a moment? I’ve realized I just don’t have the ability to forgive. I love myself too much. I like revenge. I like payback that is equal to or greater than what I was served. One pastor helped my heart along significantly by giving me freedom to admit I couldn’t forgive offenses, but Christ in me, He can. When I humble myself before the Lord, when I remember how big of a sinner I am and how much I have been forgiven, Christ fills me with His power to forgive. Who is Lord calling you to forgive through His power?

3) I don’t know about you, but I’m guessing that, like me, you know what it feels like to have unmet expectations by those you love. Frustration springs up quickly for me when I find myself breathing in the air of unmet expectations. I love them, they love me, so why would they not do X or Y or P, L, Q for that matter?! Choosing to pick up love instead of offense is always a choice we have in our relationships. Love is what the Samaritan chose, when he had every reason to keep walking past the man on the road. Though our reasons may be fully justified as to why we should be offended, let’s decide together to pick up the gift of love instead! Oh Lord, help us to love well this week!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Luke 7:41-43 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Prayer Journal
Remind me, oh Lord, of my sin. Not with waves of guilt or condemnation, but to keep before me how rich Your immeasurable mercies of forgiveness are that have been given to me. Clear my eyesight so I can see Your holiness more plainly. Sweep my heart clean of any thoughts of what is owed me because of my own righteousness and flood me with Your love. Cast out fear of judgement and greedy stinginess of pride, and give me anew, every single moment, a greater awareness of Your vast love and deep forgiveness. Let me pour that over those around me with as much gentleness, care, and love that You extend to me. Teach me to love like You, Lord Jesus!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music