John

Worship VII Day 7 Sweet By And By: 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 Sweet By And By!

The Questions

1) What is the new heaven and new earth; how did John see it? (verses 1 and 4)

2) How is the location of the holy city related to heaven? (verse 2)

3) How can we be certain of this painless future without grief? (verse 5)

Revelation 21:1-5

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. 5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Original Intent

1) What is the new heaven and new earth? (verses 1 and 4)
We should dig deeper into what John saw in his God-given vision because believers are supposed to think about the invisible realm related to our salvation. We are not physical beings only, but spiritual ones as well. (Ephesians 1:17-18) “Then I saw …” The Greek word used in verse 1 for “then” is the conjunction καί (kai). Although there are several English words that could be used here, the CSB (Christian Standard Version) uses “then” to indicate the implied progression of the passage. This is critical in understanding what John, the author, is communicating. What he has previously seen and heard in his vision from God connects to what he is now describing. Man’s days on earth have come and gone. (Revelation 20:14-15) Then, the writer describes what he sees as a new heaven and earth appearing. From creation, God’s plan was to defeat and destroy Satan and bring His redeemed people to a place of glorious and eternal existence with Him. (Romans 8:28-31) Verse 1 notes the “sea was no more”. Whether there will literally be no large sea to cause them fear, as many Jews thought it contained terrifying creatures and evil forces, what is certain is that the new earth is magnificently different after the old earth is destroyed. (2 Peter 3:10-13) Though it’s not clear what all will be there, John conveys to the reader what won’t be there, “tears, grief, crying, pain or death.”

2) How is the location of the holy city related to heaven? (verse 2)
After the re-creation of earth, heaven will no longer be in a different realm or world. When God comes down to dwell with man for good, a new kingdom will be born which can never be penetrated with evil nor can it be destroyed. As heaven meets new earth, God will reveal the kingdom of which Jesus spoke. (John 18:36) This kingdom, the New Jerusalem, is the holy city that Abraham looked toward even though he only saw it by faith and not his physical eyes. (Hebrews 11:8-10) It is not less than a real place, but it is so much more than a mere location. The New Jerusalem will be a world of magnificent and unimagined splendor. (verses 10-11) It will be the ultimate fulfillment of everything the believer has been promised by God. (2 Peter 3:8-9) It is a very real place … of another world!

3) How can we be certain of this painless future without grief? (verse 5)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) As God, the Son spoke the world into existence. As God, Jesus holds all things in His authoritative hands. (Matthew 28:18) As God, it is He who sits on the throne. (Revelation 4) As God, it is He who speaks now. This word to John is an authoritative declaration coming straight from the Lord of the universe. Here we see the rare occasion of God speaking directly from His throne. When God says “Look!” we should certainly look! This is the One who Himself is Faithful and True and the One who speaks only what is faithful and true. He is full of truth. (John 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:22-23, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 19:11-13) Everything He says is reliable. God’s promise for our future is the same as it has always been! (Isaiah 65:17-19) We know our future is certain to be exactly like He promises because He says it is true, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Everyday Application

1) What is the new heaven and new earth? (verses 1 and 4)
The Bible tells us there is a sense in which heaven came down to earth and God resided with man when Jesus physically lived on earth. (Matthew 1:22-23, Philippians 2:7-8, John 1:14) Here in Revelation we see a new, and better, joining of heaven and earth. This “place” will be the eternal dwelling of all believers. Not only will there be no more divisions of cities, states, or nations, there will also be no separation of earth from heaven! In this new place, one that will last forever, God’s original and unchanging plan will be brought to completion. In that day (Zechariah 14:9), what God has promised for eternity will be visible to us. The chief end of man will be realized, “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism) Author Randy Alcorn states that the climax of history will be the creation of the New Heaven and a New Earth, a “resurrected universe inhabited by resurrected people living with the resurrected Jesus.” The old hymn says “heaven came down and glory filled my soul.” One day, Heaven will come down permanently and the glory of God will fill the universe!

2) How is the location of the holy city related to heaven? (verse 2)
There is coming a holy city, an undefiled one, that will counter the evil kingdom of Satan and his demons. The wicked have had their city (noted as Babylon in Revelation 18, but implied as encompassing the whole earth), and now God will have His city that will never again be touched by the darkness, sorrow and evil of the unrighteous kingdom. All those who have previously been transferred from spiritual darkness to God’s saving light (Colossians 1:13) will one day take their place in the new and glorious reality of the eternal kingdom of God. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have this hope. The One who died and rose again will victoriously reign over all. As citizens of the New Jerusalem, we will all joyfully bow down and worship Him, singing with the angels, “Holy, holy, holy is the One who is worthy of all our praise forever and ever!” (Revelation 4:8-11)

3) How can we be certain of this painless future without grief? (verse 5)
In three words, Jesus says so! We have it on good authority, the only final authority, that what has been promised to us as believers will surely come to pass. (Isaiah 51:11) When Jesus was charged with being a false Messiah, the high priest demanded He tell the truth before and under God. Jesus replied to him, “You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64) Jesus will return and will set up a kingdom that will be exactly as we’ve heard it will be as declared in the Scriptures He has preserved through the centuries. Vertical Worship sings this truth vibrantly in their song, “This We Know”.
You are who say You are
You’ll do what You say You’ll do
You’ll be who You’ve always been to us, Jesus

Our hope is in You alone
Our strength in Your mighty name
Our peace in the darkest day remains, Jesus

This we know: We will see the enemy run
This we know: We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing!!

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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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Hallel Day 5 Not To Us

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 115:1-8 
John 1:14-18 
1 John 1:1-4

Hallel, Day 5

Not to us, Lord, not to us,
But to your name give glory
because of your faithful love, because of your truth.
Psalm 115:1

Peter: As the new Hallel rang in my ears and the vibrations of my deep, baritone voice could be felt in my cheeks, I continued to ponder the beauty of Yahweh’s faithfulness to my ancestors.

“He led them out of Egypt, freeing them from slavery, parted the Red Seas, gave them manna and quail every day in the desert, He led them to the promised land, and He promised to send a Rescuer, a Messiah.”

My eyes glance across the table towards that promised Messiah sitting beside John, the remains of our meal still spread before us. The bitter herbs, the tears of Israel as we cried out for a Rescuer. And here He sat!

John: “His name will have all the glory! When our Messiah becomes our Rescuer, when His Kingdom is established in Jerusalem again and Rome is overthrown, all will be right. Our hero. Our Savior. All the glory to Him! All glory will be given to God!”

My thoughts pile on top of each other as if my feet were tripping over themselves. I imagine His glory and all the redemption I had pictured throughout my lifetime as we waited for the promised Messiah….but this time, the excitement isn’t quite there. It is replaced with an aching heaviness, a sorrow, a dread I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

Why am I feeling this way? Why was the air so heavy at supper? Why had Jesus spoken of His suffering before breaking bread and sharing wine with us?

Jesus: And even in this, Father, may You have all of the glory. Everything I do, everything I’ve done is to give glory to the One who loves me. You are faithful. You are truth. Be glorified in Me.

Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven
And He does whatever He pleases.
Psalm 115:2-3

Jesus: Word became flesh. I became flesh. I, the Father’s Son, co-eternal, sharing all deity with God the Father chose flesh.  My Father is on His throne in heaven and will act as He pleases, He answers to none. He holds all power and all authority.

The Rock will be struck and Living Water will be poured out.
This is the Father’s will for the salvation of Our people.

Peter: I watch Jesus as I sing and with power in my voice I sing that our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases! “But our God is here now. Jesus, who I’ve sat with, eaten with, listened to, and who has listened to me. Jesus who has embraced me; Jesus who has prayed for me.”

Idols of old were made of wood and stone, silver and gold and our forefathers were mocked, “Where is your God?” The God they couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, couldn’t touch…
He can do as He pleases.

John: As I feel the sorrow looming above, behind, and beyond I wonder, where is our God? Can He not prevent Jesus from the suffering He foretells? Can He not deliver Jesus from the death He’s spoken of so frequently? Jesus prayed Peter would have faith (Luke 22:31-34), but am I lacking in faith, too?

Their idols are silver and gold,
Made by human hands.
They have mouths but cannot speak,
eyes but cannot see.
They have ears but cannot hear;
Noses but cannot smell.
They have hands but cannot feel,
Feet but cannot walk
Psalm 115:4-7

John: “The idols of old were nothing. Things that couldn’t hear, touch, see, or taste. They were objects created by God put together by humans also created by God. Idol worshipers used creation to create, then claimed their own creations were the creator. Senseless!

I have seen the Creator become creation by choosing flesh and becoming human. Jesus has dwelt among us and while we haven’t seen the Father, we’ve seen Jesus.

He and the Father are One.

We’ve heard Him speak, we know He has seen, He has listened and heard, smelled the sweetness after rain and aromas of delicious food, He has touched and healed.”

Peter: Judas is growing restless under these refrains and I catch his eye as I skim around the room. I breathe in deeply, confused, conflicted, but certain of the Lord and the assurance of His presence. As my eyes land on Jesus, His eyes are caught up in the beauty of the stars peeking through the small window of the Upper Room and I marvel at our Savior savoring His creation.

Jesus: The stars in all of their beauty, another symbol of a covenant entered into with Abraham. Even the stars declare my Father’s glory. All of creation points to Him, all of creation bows to Him, and His will has been that We would dwell with Our creation.

We spoke and the world came to be. (Psalm 33:6)
We saw the broken world and the flood came. (Genesis 6:5)
We heard the cries of Our people held in captivity in Egypt and we rescued them. (Exodus 3:9)
We smelled and breathed in the aromas of sacrifices being offered to us. (Genesis 8:21)
We molded and shaped each piece of creation into existence. (Psalm 139:13-16)
We walked with man in the Garden and I walk as a man into the Garden. (Genesis 3:8)

Father, You’ve spoken.
Let Your will be done.
We’ve seen the hurting world.
Let Us bring restoration upon it.
We’ve heard the cries of our beloved.
And You hear my own cries tonight from within.
We’ve smelled sacrifices for a long time.
Let this final sacrifice bring you all glory.

They cannot make a sound with their throats.
Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them. 
Psalm 115:8

Open their eyes to see Me, and trust You, Father!

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Hallel Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Cross Day 15 John The Exiled

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 14:25-33
Matthew 17:1-13
Revelation 1
Revelation 22

Cross, Day 15

The brilliancy of the setting sun against the crystal clear, glass-like waters appeared to combine both fire and water in one, breathtaking view.

Surrounding me, the ocean breeze played rhythmically with the pink, flowering blossoms of the Tamarisk tree. The familiarity of sand grains rubbing between the soles of my feet and the sandals I wore, barely grazed my recognition.
The scene before my eyes had me transfixed.

The quiet lapping of the shining water beckoned me back decades prior as an eager, know-it-all, 20-something on another beach as a fisherman.
Ah, the smell of sweat mingling with a fresh catch of fish!
Our biggest catch, actually.

But the catch had nothing on the Creator who’d brought the fish to our nets that morning.
My brother, James, and our friend, Peter, had no idea what we were embarking on that day.
We only knew we were utterly captivated by the winsome authority of the seemingly average, but clearly extraordinary, man who commanded even the fish.
Who was this?
Was He worth it?
Jesus? Yes!
So we left everything to follow Him.

I pulled my eyes from the shimmering waters and felt my gut clench and my heart ache as I couldn’t help but spot the towering temples dotting the coastline. One each for Artemis, Apollo, and Aphrodite. I felt the bile rise in my throat as I knew that even now, there were many on the island prostrating themselves there. A precious memory quickly appeared and I felt my breath catch as it always did with this particular scene.
It was only Peter, James, and myself with Jesus that day as we scaled the mountain. We arrived at the top, catching our breath and sweating profusely from exertion, curious for Jesus’ purpose in bringing us here, when suddenly everything changed.

Shining white cloud-like brilliance was all we could see emanating from Jesus Himself.
Caught off guard and confused, we watched as suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared.
Moses, the great rescuer of Israel, the champion of our history.
And Elijah, Israel’s great prophet, the one who didn’t die, but was simply carried away into glory. Highly revered, the greatest men in history stood before us with Jesus!
Peter, always impetuous, moved forward saying we should build three tents for each of them, honoring them equally.
But then, the Presence of God Almighty appeared, just as it had in the time of Moses and Elijah, and the same Voice we’d heard at Jesus’ baptism boomed around us. The Voice elevated Jesus above the others, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!”
Who was this?
Was He worth it?
Jesus? Yes!
So we fell down and worshipped Him as Lord of all.

Lord of all, I reflected.
“King of the Jews” was the inscription above Jesus’ head as they crucified Him.
Pilate meant it as mockery, writing it in 3 different languages for every onlooker to understand this self-proclaimed “King” was stripped naked and dying a criminal’s death.
Ha, some King.

Yes, Pilate, some extraordinary King.
King of All
The King who gave His life as a ransom for many.
The King who died in the Sinner’s place.
The God who sacrificed Himself for His enemies that we might have relationship with Him.

Oh God, my God!
And I bowed my head and wept for this lavish love poured upon me, so undeserved!
As if the act of God Almighty becoming flesh to live among us and sacrifice Himself for us were not gift enough, He then gave His Spirit to live and move and breath within us, making our own souls His very temple.

Jesus told us countless times that following Him came with a significant price.
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate
his own father
and mother
and wife
and children
and brothers
and sisters,
yes, and even his own life,
he cannot be My disciple. 
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)

We are called to a sacrificial life.
A life where everything is placed secondary to Christ.
Is He worth it?
Absolutely.

Is it painful and difficult?
Absolutely.

The persecution in Ephesus where I led the church was intensifying. I knew it was only a matter of time before Domitian, the Roman ruler 13 years after Nero, would take more extreme measures to get rid of me. So here on Patmos I’ve been exiled.

Exile.
I scuffed my shoes, making the grainy sands fly towards the water, the shining orb of the sun appearing to be swallowed by the sea.
What can I do for you here, my King?
I’ve lived for You, followed You, been persecuted for You, and now I’m being silenced.

My Word shall never pass away, John.
My Word is trustworthy and true.

In the blink of an eye, the Spirit pressed in upon me, an angel appeared, and a voice filled with thunderous authority, yet still so keenly familiar, surrounded me with its trumpet-like sound declaring, “Write what you see….”

Jesus.

Majesty robed in unspeakable glory, a Warrior surrounded with brilliant light, dazzling as it had that long-ago day on the mountain.
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.
I died, and behold I am alive forevermore,
and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
Write therefore the things that you have seen and will see.” (Revelation 1:17-19)

Jesus.
Coming King.

The scenes came quickly now, the words flowed like the roar of many waters from my Lord’s mouth.

The Lord had a letter for seven churches in Asia minor, all of which I was familiar with.
But oh, Church, there is more!
I saw the throne room of our Most High God!
I heard the angels declaring in continuous, renewed awe,
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!”
I witnessed worship like I’d never dreamed possible and the beauty of it held me breathless.

I heard a song calling every tongue, every nation, and every tribe to the throne of the Almighty. I heard all creation declare our Jesus worthy.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!

I saw tribulation, I saw persecution, I saw famine, and darkness, and sword,
yet I beheld the Lamb who overcomes!
I saw the saints made clean by His precious blood.
I saw no more hunger, pain, thirst, death, or even sadness for God Himself wiped away every tear.
I saw the prayers of the saints lifting upward to the Almighty and I saw His pleasure over His Bride as we prayed.
I saw the wrath of God poured out on sinful humanity.
I saw the Savior’s atoning blood.

And as He summoned His Bride, the Church,
I heard the voice of a great multitude,
like the roar of many waters,
like the sound of mighty peals of thunder crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns!” (Revelation 19:6)

Oh Church!
He is coming again!
His glory is magnificent beyond measure!
All authority belongs to Him.
Church, Your Groom is coming!

Who is this God?
He is the Alpha, the Omega.
The Beginning and the End.

Is He worth it?
Yes, Church, Yes, He alone is worthy!

Give Him your all, brothers and sisters, He Is Coming Soon!

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Worship Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Tabernacle Day 14 Heart Work: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Heart work!

The Questions

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

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

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

1 John 1:1-10

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

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

Original Intent

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

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

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

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

Everyday Application

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

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

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

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

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Tabernacle Week Three!
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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 :-))

Memorize It!

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