Pause V Day 11 Preparation

November 8, 2021 by Marietta Taylor 1 Comment

Pause V, Day 11

Servant.
That’s not the role the Israelites expected their long-awaited Messiah to play.
Conqueror, sure, but definitely not a servant.
Yet this was the role and purpose of Jesus.

Jesus showed us how to serve when He washed the feet of His disciples. This was usually a task for the household servants. Imagine Jesus kneeling before you, washing and drying your feet. If anything, this is the posture the disciples should have had to Him.

The heartbeat of His intention was to gently show us how to humbly serve others. He was preparing His disciples, and us, for the same servanthood He exhibited.
We may not wash physical feet, but there are plenty of opportunities to serve.

“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.” (John 13:15)

Not surprisingly, Jesus was also preparing us for something that would help us live out the role of servant. There is no way we could do it on our own.

In John 14:6, Jesus spoke one of my favorite verses, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” This is important because it sets the stage for identifying the coming “Helper”.

For the disciples, after Jesus fulfilled His earthly ministry, He would return to the Father, Who would then send the Counselor, or Holy Spirit, to indwell His people. The Spirit, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son, would teach them what to do in everyday life and remind them of Jesus’ instructions.

For us, when we accept Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. He then teaches us of God, reminds us of truth, and transforms us into the people God intends us to be as we mirror His love. He is the gift Who empowers us to live as servants of the Most High God.

Today's Invitation

1) Read John 13 and 14, then circle back and re-read verses John 14:15-31 a few times through.
Answer these 3 questions in your journal from verses 15-31:

a) What do these verses tell me about God and His character?
b) What do these verses tell me about others and the world around me?
c) What do these verses tell me about me and my heart?

2) Close your time by praying for these truths to take root in your heart and for the Holy Spirit to remind you and teach you more about these things today. Be sure to write out any questions you have as you read! If you’d like to send your questions to us, we’d love to study with you!

3) Memorize John 17:23

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John 13

Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. 4 So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. 5 Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

8 “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said.

Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

10 “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you?

13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.

16 “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

18 “I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats my bread has raised his heel against me. 19 I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am he. 20 Truly I tell you, whoever receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives him who sent me.”

21 When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one he was speaking about. 23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”

28 None of those reclining at the table knew why He said this to him. 29 Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night.

31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so now I tell you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’

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

36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to him, “where are you going?”

Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.”

37 “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly I tell you, a rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times.

John 14

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”

5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip?
The one who has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.

12 “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me.
Because I live, you will live too.

20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.
21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.
And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.
I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.
My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.

28 You have heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’
If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father,
because the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. 30 I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me. 31 On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me.

“Get up; let’s leave this place.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

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 Pause V 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 Pause V!

Terrain Day 8 Bethlehem & Nazareth

August 11, 2021 by Brenda Earley Leave a Comment

Terrain Day 8 Bethlehem & Nazareth

Brenda Earley

August 11, 2021

Birth,Equipped,God,Jesus,Journey,Life,Purpose,Worship

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 2:4-11
John 7:40-52
John 6:22-35
John 15:1-11
Jeremiah 33:14-16

Come journey with me as we navigate the rough terrain Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born! (Luke 2:1-7) Are you ready to unpack the wonderful nuggets God is going to share with us? Let’s go!

Imagine the hot, humid climate of Israel.
You’ll need plenty of water on this trip. (Here’s where being a camel would be great, haha!)
Feel the sun on your back.
The sizzle of the water as it touches your lips, and the refreshing relief it brings!
You’ll also need to pack bread and oil for your meals.
Just take the clothes on your back, traveling light is a necessity in these parts.
I think that’s everything on my travel list. Wait, the donkey . . . ok, check!

The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem is roughly 90 miles (144 km) southwest. OK, this doesn’t sound too bad if traveled by car, but during Biblical times, it was tiresome. We may not know exactly how arduous the journey was, but we know it was surely uncomfortable for Mary, who neared the end of her pregnancy. Nothing could have equipped them for this rough, downhill, and very windy terrain.

Nazareth, which means “the branch,” is just that, a branch, or fork, in the road, a secluded town perched on a hill, located in lower Galilee. It was said to be a “backwards town,” forgotten among other cities. Joseph and his espoused wife, Mary, were to be taxed and needed to travel from their hometown, Nazareth, to their ancestor’s city, Bethlehem, the city of David, or “the Bread.” (John 7:42)

In Bethlehem, this hill country-city located south of Jerusalem, the Messiah was prophesied to be born. (Micah 5:2) At the time of the census, an overcrowded city held no room at any type of suitable lodging. So, our couple resorted to a tucked-in-the-hills cave away from the harshness of the climate. This shelter in the rock, home to farm animals, would have been terribly noisy and odorous. Why would the Messiah be born here? Mary must have pondered so much that night.

“Bethlehem Morning, is more than just a memory
For the Child that was born
there
Has come to set us free”
(Bethlehem Morning by Sandi Patty)

After the birth of Jesus, shepherds came from the fields to worship this babe in a feeding trough. (Luke 2:8-20) Then, Joseph and Mary fled with baby Jesus into Egypt to escape the king’s jealous decree of death to all baby boys (Matthew 2:13-18), where wise men eventually came to worship as well. (Matthew 2:1-12) Once the threat was neutralized, Joseph was told by an angel to return to their hometown of Nazareth. (Matthew 2:19-23) Another tiresome journey, this time with a busy little boy!

While Jesus grew up in Nazareth, He would later be rejected by His own people. (Mark 6:1-6, Psalm 118:22) But from this town, Jesus’ ministry began. God’s plan for His Son was to be fulfilled even from the lowliest of places. From this forgotten branch, the Bread of Life rose up!

You see, the All-Sustaining One born in Bethlehem, “the bread,” was the Bread of Life:
“‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. ‘No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty.’” (John 6:35)

Though rejected by His own Nazarene people, He grew in connection to those who trusted Him (John 1:11-13) as the All-Encompassing One (the True Vine) from Nazareth, “the branch”:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5)

Today, He is our All-Sufficient One:
“And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

How many of us feel like there are many forgotten places in our lives? Or, maybe, we feel forgotten? It’s been a tough, arduous journey just to arrive here in our lives. The past haunts us. The past reminds us. Our present life and our future life do not look like what we want.

Believe me, I understand. For so many years, I felt forsaken by friends and family as a result of abuse I endured. I was ashamed of letting myself believe marriage would solve all the problems in my abusive relationship. But the abuse continued, and I needed to conceal the problems to protect myself. Yet in these lonely times, God was showing me His love and care. You see, abuse doesn’t need to define your lifestyle either. You can reach out for help! It’s one hug away from hope! Restoration is just a prayer away! God became the Bread of Life to me, wrapped me in His love, and sustained me until He fulfilled His plan and purpose for me. And He can do the same for you!

Oh sweet friends, remember God takes those forgotten places, those forks in the road, and makes our paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6) We can rest assured our forgotten places will become what God has intended for His purpose and His glory!

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“‘For I know the plans I have for you’–this is the Lord’s declaration– ‘plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Tags :

Bethlehem,Fulfilled,glory,Joseph,Mary,Messiah,Nazareth,plan,Rough,Terrain,water

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We often read the Bible and criticize the Israelites. But aren’t we often guilty of the same things we fault them for? I can raise my hand here because sometimes I seek the gift more than the Giver. I anticipate the treasure from God more than the treasure that is God. There is even false doctrine that is centered on this very concept. It has fooled many people into the same thinking the Israelites had. But unlike them, we should be like the Psalmist who praises God and thanks Him for who He is, thereby pleasing God.

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Terrain Day 7 The Jordan River: Digging Deeper

August 10, 2021 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

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 Jordan River!

The Questions

1) Why did Jesus go to John at the Jordan? (verse 13)

2) What is the significance of John being the one to baptize Jesus? (verse 15)

3) How were the “heavens suddenly opened” and the Spirt of God seen? (verse 16)

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized. 16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”.

Original Intent

1) Why did Jesus go to John at the Jordan River? (verse 13)
Although many translations add the word “river” for clarification, the Christian Standard Bible stays with original Greek text which does not include the word. Since the readers would be very familiar with the Jordan River, the clarification would only be necessary for those (like many of us) who have never lived in the area. All four gospels include the event of Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan River (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1) This significance should not be lost on the Bible student. Westerners ought to read passages that contain references to locations with eager minds to see beyond what is familiar to our western eyes. Verse 13 makes it clear that Jesus intentionally came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John was intentionally baptizing people at the Jordan River. Throughout Jewish history, the Jordan became a symbolic place of God’s miraculous power and His covenantal promise to save His people. (Joshua 4:1-7, 2 Kings 2;11-14) John would have been well aware of the history and location of the events on the Jordan River. Yet Jesus did not go up from dry ground. He went up from the water. Jesus’ baptism was a demonstration that essentially Jesus conquered the Jordan and fulfilled God’s promise! Others were baptized that day, but Jesus’ baptism opened heaven! (Luke 3:21-23) Commentator Barnes says, “The expression ‘cometh’ [King James Version] implies that the act was voluntary on his part; that he went for that purpose and for no other. He left the part of Galilee – Nazareth – where He had lived for nearly 30 years, and went to the vicinity of the Jordan, where John was baptizing the people in great numbers, that He might be set apart to his work.” (Studylight.org)

2) What is the significance of John baptizing Jesus? (verse 15)
In chapter 3, the Bible writer Matthew introduced us to a man who would become a captivating character in the New Testament. John was the cousin of Jesus (Luke 1:36) who was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth. We read about His significant birth in Luke 1:5-25. John would become a great witness of Jesus’ coming to earth by telling others about His life and death. His ministry was promised by God through the prophets in Isaiah 40:1-3 and Malachi 3:1. When John’s father Zacharias was told about his divine purpose, he likely recalled the prophet Elijah who spoke the message of God passionately. It was a message that set Elijah against the established religious, political, and social power structures of his day. Would his son be this kind of prophet? (Luke 1:15-17) And let’s remember that Zacharias himself was the religious establishment! (Luke 1:5) John was set apart from his beginning. (Luke 1:14-15), and he developed a following with his powerful preaching. When he baptized Jesus, he began to recognize (John 1:29-34) that the One coming was far greater than he would ever be. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11) When John identified Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:29-33), he was also introducing His divine nature (The Deity of Christ) to the Jewish leaders and the crowds that gathered. It had been 400 years since God had spoken to His people collectively. (blueletterbible.org) Now, here at the Jordan River that held such rich history, John brought a message from God to the people, “He has not forgotten you.”

3) How were the “heavens suddenly opened” and the Spirt of God seen? (verse 16)
Although Matthew, the writer of this book, offers a good description of the event, most of us have no frame of reference for this kind of experience. I have heard the expression “the skies opened up” when someone wanted to communicate that a sudden downpour of rain occurred, but it isn’t a phrase I use or hear often. For most, the connection between heaven and earth is shrouded in mystery. The people in Jesus’ day were no different. Based on the reactions of the disciples and the crowds to spectacular incidents, most of them were not accustomed to dramatic experiences. (Matthew 9:32-33, 12:22-23, 15:29-31) Those familiar with the Old Testament are aware that the work of the Holy Spirit was different in the New Testament than it had been in the Old. At the time of Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit of God had not yet come to stay in the way He would after Jesus returned to Heaven. (John 16:7-14) The Spirit’s coming upon Jesus in a manner that was observable by those nearby is similar to the coming of the Spirit upon the disciples in Acts 2:1-4. The apostle John wrote that John (the baptizer) knew this sign was evidence of God’s presence and blessing on Jesus. (John 1:31-32) Though present-day images often picture a visible dove, likely it was the appearance of something dove-like swooping down around Jesus. “The dove suggests to Jesus’ purity, meekness, innocence. It was not majestic like the eagle or fierce like the hawk or flamboyant like the cardinal. It was simple, common, innocent; the kind of bird poor people could offer for a sacrifice. So when God anoints Jesus with the Spirit in the form of a dove, He directs Him to use His power in meekness and tenderness and love.” The prophet spoke about this in Isaiah 42:1-4 and Jesus declared Himself the fulfillment in Luke 4:17-21. (John Piper, Christianity Today)

Everyday Application

1) Why did Jesus go to John at the Jordan River? (verse 13)
When I traveled to Israel several years ago, we took a boat across the Sea of Galilee. I remember our guide telling us the body of water wasn’t nearly as massive as some we had likely seen in America. Still, the Sea of Galilee was famous for followers of Jesus because of the Man of Galilee, and not the sea itself! Although the Jordan is dwarfed by the Nile River in many ways, it served the people in Israel much like the Nile has done for Egypt. The Jordan River not only was an important source of water, but it also carried great spiritual significance in biblical times. Though I had been baptized in a church by my preacher-daddy many years before, I stepped into the Jordan River a couple of years ago and was immersed again by my daddy as a demonstration of my salvation. My first baptism had no saving power, and the Jordan’s waters have no mystical power to cleanse us differently. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change, but it is an action displaying obedience to Christ. The day I went down into the water of the Jordan River, I wanted to remember and rehearse what God declared about Jesus at the Jordan thousands of years ago, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

2) What is the significance of John baptizing Jesus? (verse 15)
To most of us in the West with little knowledge of what a middle Eastern prophet might look like, John seems a different kind of man, but he wore the garb of other prophets. (Zechariah 13:3) John’s uniqueness was in the message he carried for it broke the silence and resonated with many. The Bible timeline reveals that 400 years had passed since God had communicated with His people. John was chosen by God as a witness to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It was he who saw and heard God’s approval and acknowledgment of the Son. “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17) Additionally, Jesus’ coming to John showed God’s approval of John’s ministry of baptism. John likely etched this moment in his soul, as it would no doubt be critical in the future as others would doubt John’s authority. Even he would need the reminder in his moment of wondering and doubt. Had he been misled by proclaiming Jesus as Messiah? (Matthew 11:2-3) But John’s moment of crisis did not define him. Jesus spoke to the people of how He thought of John, “A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet … I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared.” (Matthew 11:9) In his humility, John made much of Jesus at the Jordan River. In a glorious reality, it’s Jesus who makes places and people significant! Like John, when we make much of Jesus, it is to our pleasure and reward. Pastor John Piper said, “there is no tension between finding our significance in making much of God and being as happy as we can be.”

3) How were the “heavens suddenly opened” and the Spirt of God seen? (verse 16)
At the Jordan River, God the Father proclaimed His love for, and pleasure with, Jesus Christ, His Son. The sky appeared to open as the Spirit descended upon Jesus and the Father honored Him before the watching world. Psalm 19 is a declaration to this God, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands.” When we look at the night sky and thousands of glowing stars, we marvel at the Creator’s handiwork. It is as if creation itself speaks to us the wonders of our Maker. When Jesus came to the Jordan, the heavens declared God’s glory in a new and wonderful way. In Jesus, God came to us and we “observed His glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed, ‘This was the one … [who] ranks ahead of me because He existed before me.’) Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from His fullness!!” (John 1:14-18) There’s an old spiritual song about the Jordan, “Jesus will be waiting, He’s gonna’ help me to cross.” (Jordan River Lyrics) The amazing truth is that our Savior God is going to do much more than help us across. He HIMSELF opened the heavens to us. He is the river, the bridge, and the promised land of Heaven. Diving into the waters of grace gives us assurance of a glorious future! (Revelation 7:11-17)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with The Jordan River!

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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