giftings

Inheritance Day 13
The God Box

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 41:8-10
Hebrews 13:1-5
Ephesians 3:14-19
John 1:9-14 

Emmanuel. God with us. Three simple words filled with infinite power, meaning and purpose.

God, our Creator, Savior, our Peace and only Rest. The First and Last, Beginning and the End.
He. Who laid the foundations of the earth and speaks boundaries to the seas.
He. Who walks the recesses of the deep and commands the morning light.
He. Who knew no sin, yet loved each of us enough to willingly accept the separation of death in order to afford us life eternal.
HE. Dwells with us…in every season.

He dwells with us…
when illness or physical difficulties cloud our physical reality.
when we lose sight of our purpose and identity.
when our children choose differently than we would hope.
when our marriage enters foreign or frightening territory.
when we face friction in our friendships or family relationships.
when we struggle to keep our footing in the natural…and spiritual realms.

I am always amazed that the moments when we find ourselves immersed in the most uncomfortable and painful places are also the moments our spiritual inheritance becomes most obvious. We would not be able to walk through adversity with love, joy, peace, or any of the other spiritual fruits without owning our spiritual birthright and claiming our inheritance in Jesus. He upholds us and we draw on the supernatural peace and strength that only Holy Spirit can give us.

But what about when things are going okay for us on the surface? What about when our seas seem steady and the tempest appears distant?

He dwells with us when…
when everyone is healthy.
when we know our purpose.
when our children are walking with Jesus.
when our marriage feels strong.
when we are comfortable.
when we feel secure in our situation and comfortable in our Christianity.

But are we supposed to be comfortable in our Christianity? If we are all being transparent here, I think we will all agree that sometimes we become so accustomed to our life rhythms and checklists that we start to trade a little of our wonder for…complacency. When our lives are humming along at a pace we desire and we feel good, we start to put God into a little Sunday-and-Wednesday God-box of our own invention. We forget that He dwells with us always. We think we can pull Him out when we “need” Him…but as things continue at the pace we like, those times become fewer and farther between. We don’t always even realize what we are doing as we begin to take credit in our lives, accepting accolades that belong to Him. Sometimes it’s because we are so busy that we don’t want to open the door to an in-depth conversation. Sometimes it’s because we are just busy or tired and it’s easier to take the credit to keep the day rolling. Sometimes it’s because we don’t want to be “that Christian” who always brings God into every conversation.

Is any of this sounding familiar?

When we are comfortable, we sometimes forget that our inheritance dictates that our lives are not about us anymore…they are about Him. Loves, don’t misunderstand me here. I’m not saying that we have to preach at every person we encounter…but we do need to recognize the opportunities He grants us to sow into the lives of others in love. Listen, there is nothing wrong with enjoying what God has given us. He literally loves us more than life. He loves to give us good gifts. But when we fail to walk with Him in our inheritance, we are turning away from His best for us and others.

He dwells with us to change our lives and empower us to change this earthly reality through our love, our actions and by bringing Kingdom encounters to others through His Holy Spirit. When we fail to acknowledge His authority and kingship in our hearts and to invite Him into every area of our lives each day, we are effectively squelching His Holy Spirit.

Father, help us to recognize the behaviors and attitudes we cultivate that take precedence in our hearts over You. You are worthy of all praise and recognition. You are God, there is no other. Forgive us for our weakness and show us how we can become better vessels for Your Holy Spirit today. We give every area of our life to You and ask You to move here.

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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 Inheritance 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 Inheritance!

The GT Weekend – Repurposed Week Three

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The GT Weekend

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

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) Amidst the heaviness of life, in the aches and pains, and darkness, when the feelings have run out, and you feel alone, it’s so easy to forget that not only have we been called to much, but we also have been equipped for much. Where do you feel your “nets” straining under the weight of life, of ministry, of relationships? Take these areas to the Lord remembering that His sustaining love will never abandon you!

2) Loving others the way Christ loves us isn’t always easy, and often it’s a pretty messy experience. And we don’t like messy! Consider the past couple of weeks and ask the Spirit to help you identify some moments where loving has been a challenge. Ask Him to reset your heart, to keep you in step with His Spirit as you move forward with a longing to love the people He puts in your path.

3) In what ways is your life reflecting your faith? Would you consider yourself “all in” for following Jesus in your everyday? In what ways have you seen Jesus making you new, stretching you to put action to your faith? What area would you like to grow deeper in?

Worship In Song

Music Video: We Are The Body by Casting Crowns

Pour Out Your Heart

Help me to see people, Jesus, to see them the way You do. Burden my heart for the lost, for the broken, for the empty. Remind me to put down my own “stuff” long enough to make eye contact with those around me. Teach my hands to love. Teach my tongue to love. Teach my body language to reflect respect and gentleness instead of an insistence on my own way. Guide my heart to surrender fully to You that the world around me might be different as You move and breath in me. I praise You for Your love, Your new mercies, and the freedom that comes from living life inside of Your life! Thank You for being my precious Savior and never abandoning me!

Pray With Us!

In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
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Send your prayer request to prayer@gracefullytruthful.com
We are committed to praying over and walking with you!

Journey With Us

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How were you drawn near to the Father and encouraged in your faith?
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Repurposed Day 12
Called and Carried: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Called and Carried!

John 21:1-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

The Questions

1) What is the context of this passage? What events led up to this story?

2) What is the significance of Peter going fishing?

3) What was it that made John recognize Jesus?

4) What parallels to previous gospel stories do you see? What is their significance?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the context of this passage? What events led up to this story?
This is the last chapter in the Gospel of John. The disciples mentioned in verse 2 had all spent three years with Jesus learning from Him, and had just witnessed His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus had already appeared to them twice since His resurrection, so they knew He was alive.

2) What is the significance of Peter going fishing?
Peter was a fisherman before Jesus called him to be a disciple. He spent three years walking with his Rabbi, and then in one crazy week, that Rabbi was arrested, crucified, and resurrected. Peter likely didn’t know what he was supposed to do next, so he went back to what he knew—fishing—while he waited to hear from his Lord.

3) What was it that made John recognize Jesus?
Jesus told the disciples to cast the net out on the right side of the boat, even though they had been fishing all night with no success. When they followed His instructions, they caught a miraculous amount of fish. Back in Luke 5, Jesus used a miraculous catch to call Peter, James, and John as his disciples in the beginning of his ministry. Now this parallel miracle caused John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) to recognize Jesus.

4) What parallels to previous gospel stories do you see? What is their significance?
We already noticed the parallel of the miraculous catch of fish. When Peter jumped out of the boat to swim to shore to meet Jesus, it was a parallel to the time that Peter left the boat to walk on water to meet Jesus. The meal of fish and bread that Jesus shared with the disciples would have reminded them of the way He multiplied a young boy’s bread and fish to feed 5,000 people. All of these things would have brought to the disciples’ minds the ways that Jesus had worked during the course of His ministry and strengthened their understanding of who He was.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the context of this passage? What events led up to this story?
The context of this passage is that Jesus had recently been raised from the dead. The disciples’ Lord was alive! Christian, do you reflect on that? Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised to life, defeating death and making a way for you to be right with God. Praise Him!

2) What is the significance of Peter going fishing?
Sometimes, we find ourselves in a period of transition or waiting, where we are unsure of what to do next. Perhaps you feel called to missions, but God has made it clear that it’s not the right timing. Or perhaps you have finished college, but you still don’t know which job to pursue. In a similar situation, Peter chose to go fishing. He didn’t know what Christ had for him to do next, but he knew how to fish. What might Christ be calling you to do in a season of waiting? How can you glorify God in this time of transition?

3) What was it that made John recognize Jesus?
John remembered how Jesus had shown Himself in previous experiences, and it helped him recognize the resurrected Christ. In a similar way, knowing how God has acted previously, both in the Bible, as well as in your own experience, can help you recognize when He is at work in your current situations. Do you know Christ well enough to recognize when He shows up? If not, resolve to study Him more!

4) What parallels to previous gospel stories do you see? What is their significance?
God doesn’t do anything by coincidence. When Jesus called His disciples with a miraculous catch of fish, God knew that a similar catch would help them recognize Jesus later. When biblical stories parallel each other, it is not by accident. God has been orchestrating everything since the beginning of time to tell one, big story about the redemption of His people through Jesus Christ. Praise God for His sovereignty and his Providence!

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I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Repurposed Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Repurposed!

Repurposed Day 11
Called and Carried

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 21:1-14
Romans 12:1-2
Colossians 3:23-24  

“I am here to work hard for His Kingdom,” she said, as sunbeams seeped through the porch roof and onto her face.

I stopped and let her simple, yet powerful, words resonate in my soul. I looked around at my surroundings, the simple church with the tin roof sat in the distance, and mountains surrounded the little house we were staying in. I could hear the cooks speaking in their mother tongue through the screen door and the smell of the cooking cabbage wafted out towards us.

“I am here to work hard for His Kingdom.”

I thought of the many times that I haven’t worked hard for his Kingdom, times I only gave 50% and only tried enough to make me look good. Here was a woman, just recently married, who had given up everything in the United States to move to Kenya with her husband. They came with one broad goal: to teach Africans about Jesus. And they committed to doing so, even when it was incredibly hard. I watched her fight through sickness and exhaustion to bring the Good News to anyone she could.

She and her husband had been given the gift of teaching, so they taught. One day, we loaded up in an old Range Rover to venture on a journey that was over an hour away. We drove up a steep mountain, through some rough terrain, and picked up a few women who were carrying water to their homes before stopping at a hut to let me out to meet a family that I was told to visit with and pray for. She and her husband continued on the road to a little church where over 30 women were waiting for them. When my visit ended, two hours later, I was taken to the church, where I watched her teach these women about Jesus. The women listened intently, several shushing and rocking babies as they learned. She spoke first, then the translator would speak, and this lasted for over four hours.

Yet, she didn’t stop.

I truly believe that if this woman’s feet started bleeding while she spoke, she would continue to speak and share Jesus’ love. She would work hard for His Kingdom, even when it was incredibly difficult.

I would venture to say that standing in front of those thirty women for over six hours, wasn’t necessarily fun. Her voice was probably tired by the time she got done speaking, and her legs were probably sore from hours of standing and pacing the stage.

But the Lord had given her the gift of teaching. And so she taught. Even when it wasn’t fun. Even when it was incredibly difficult.

I don’t remember if there were any women who came to know the Lord when she was done. But I am sure that there have been times that she hasn’t gotten to see immediate results from her hard work. But she has always persisted. Even when she could’ve been discouraged.

Jesus called her to it. And He will carry her through it.

In John 21:11, we read about Jesus providing fish for his disciples after they spent the entire night trying to catch fish.

Imagine this: You are exhausted. You just stayed up the entire night casting out a net and pulling it back in, just trying to catch some fish. Your arms ache from the constant motion of throwing and pulling the net through the water. Your eyes are starting to feel a bit sandy and dry while they fight the soreness that comes with being open for too long. The sun begins to rise in the distance, and you can see the steam coming off the lake, while the sun reflects onto the waters. The sight is beautiful and seems to give you just enough energy to start heading towards shore. When, suddenly, you see a man in the distance waving his arms and yelling, “Did you catch anything?” A slight frustration sets in, as you look around at your very empty boat, and your stomach rumbles a reply before you can. You muster up enough energy to yell back, “No!” He waves and yells back, “Throw the nets on the right side of the boat! You’ll find some!” You look at your friends, with a slight look of exasperation, but figure that you might as well try. With a heave and a ho, you toss the net to the right of the boat and begin to pull it back in, simply to prove to this man that his idea is pretty worthless. But to your surprise, the net doesn’t just pull back in! It is heavy with fish! You and all of your friends run to the edge of the boat and begin bringing in the net full of fish, pulling with all of your might. The exhaustion is gone and adrenaline has set in. It is in that very moment you realize… that man on the shore… that’s Jesus!

Sometimes we don’t work hard for His Kingdom. Sometimes, we only give 50%. We know we are called to do something, and we begin trying hard, but we get tired and weary. Our eyes begin to feel a little dry and we start to lose focus. But I am here to tell you… if Jesus calls you to something, He will give you the strength to pull you through! Jesus called His disciples to cast their nets onto the other side. And when they did, He gave them and their nets the strength to pull all the way through.

Working hard for His Kingdom by living out the gifts He has given us, isn’t always going to be easy or fun. Sometimes, we aren’t even going to feel passionate about it. But we are called to work hard for Him… no matter how we feel, no matter the results we are or are not seeing, no matter the discouragement. If we do that, He WILL give us the strength to pull through and complete the task he has given us.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed
into Repurposed 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 Repurposed!

Repurposed Day 3
My Dear Timothy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Jeremiah 3:11-15
II Timothy 1:3-11
II Timothy 4:1-5 

…grace be with you.

The weary man laid his quill down and carefully stretched the papyrus taut to avoid smudges. He stood slowly and stretched, groaning silently as his muscles protested the movement. He walked to the window and turned toward the sun. Warmth spilled over his lined and weathered face. The hint of a smile played across his lips as he stroked his now-gray beard. He rested his forehead against the stone and closed his eyes; heart and mind lost on a dusty road to Damascus, many years and miles away.

The Apostle Paul.
Can you picture him there, penning wisdom and challenge to young Timothy?

Once known for his murderous hatred toward followers of Christ, he is perhaps one of the more widely recognized characters depicted in the New Testament after Jesus himself. Paul’s shocking conversion and subsequent activation as an apostle portray irrefutable evidence of Holy Spirit’s power to completely repurpose and rewire man for the purposes of God.

In his final days, Paul faced adversity that would cause complete and utter despair in most people:
He was imprisoned.
His ministry was ending.
He found himself completely alone.
His friends, fearful of persecution, had deserted him.

Paul knew that his death was fast approaching…but rather than spend his days mourning the loss of the temporal, he instead devoted precious time to encouraging his spiritual son, Timothy, in the work of the eternal. As he reflected over the mountains and valleys he had traversed throughout his own life and ministry, Paul was compelled to reach out to Timothy.  He delivered wisdom, instruction and sound teaching to the young leader.  As we study the book of II Timothy, we find that Paul emphasized several themes that shed some light on the gravity of pastoral gifts.

We could spend months in Paul’s letters and still have much material to cover, but II Timothy 4:1-5 speaks volumes about the weight associated with pastoral gifts of the Spirit.  We read his caution to Timothy that he must preach the Word, never faltering in sharing that which is God-breathed.  Paul makes it clear that there will be those who seek only to hear whatever will make them feel good.  His wisdom is just as relevant today as it was then.

Our pastors face incredible pressure in the public eye as they devote their lives to instructing us in the Word.  They are tasked with correcting us when we are wrong, encouraging us in what is right and challenging us to answer God’s call in our own lives.  In order to fulfill their calling, we see from Paul’s writings that they must be prepared to preach the Word at all times.  By default, this means they must also know the Word.  As followers of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, we are designed to yearn for God’s truth in our lives.  Our very being cries out for the knowledge of the holy.  His word gives us that infusion of life and wisdom that we need.  Our pastors not only deliver wisdom from His word, but they also help us understand how to apply His instruction in our daily lives.

A look at any news station or trending topic on Facebook makes it clear that people are seeking those who will teach whatever they want to hear.  People are desperate for meaning, for purpose.  Each of us longs for validation, and without the discernment of the indwelling Holy Spirit, many are attracted to the various “spiritual” options that abound…never recognizing the deceit and false security they bring.  Pastors are called to deliver godly instruction in the midst of all the lies and confusion…instruction that requires obedience rather than issuing blind approval.

Read through II Timothy this week.  Examine the truth Paul wrote to Timothy at the end of his life, and recognize the weight of the calling our pastors, elders and church leaders bear.  They need our encouragement and prayer support, now as much as ever.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Repurposed Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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