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Worship XI Day 11 Pe & Tsade

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Worship XI Day 11 Pe & Tsade

Christine Wood

June 12, 2023

Faith,Genuine,Hope,Love

Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:129-144
Matthew 16:24–27
Lamentations 3:22–33
Psalm 139

Good morning, Lord.
It’s me.

It’s early. The house is quiet as I watch the colours of the sky brighten.
Its beauty is breathtaking. 

Another new day. 
Another day to serve You, to walk with You and taste Your goodness. (Psalm 34:8) 

Another day to delight in the beauty of Your creation and enjoy the gifts which You have filled my life. (Lamentations 3:22–24)
Thank you, Lord.

“Your decrees are wondrous; 
therefore I obey them. 
The revelation of Your words brings light 
and gives understanding to the inexperienced. 
I open my mouth and pant
because I long for Your commands.”
(Psalm 119:129-131)

I don’t deserve the blessed life I live. So many struggle through childhood without faith; without knowing You. Thank you for the legacy of faith You placed before me. I am overwhelmed with gratitude; You are so kind. Your Word has been a hedge of protection around me. (Psalm 139:5) You were the light on my path long before I knew any other path existed. (Psalm 23:3)

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, 
as is your practice toward those who love your name. 
Make my steps steady through your promise; 
don’t let any sin dominate me. 
Redeem me from human oppression, 
and I will keep your precepts.”
(Psalm 119:132-134)

Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I’ve done it again. (Psalm 51:2–3) I really meant to be fully present, here in these quiet moments with You. I was going to focus. Now, here I am again. I’ve lost precious minutes scrolling, watching furniture renovations and cake decorating. I don’t even like cake decorating! 

How could I be so distracted? 

Yet, You are here inside every moment. The ones I press into, and the ones I neglect. Your presence is just as close, whether I acknowledge You or not. Whether I invite You or not. You are here (Psalm 139:5-8), and You will continue to be here every time I turn away from the world long enough to notice.

“Make your face shine on your servant,
and teach me Your statutes.
My eyes pour out streams of tears
because people do not follow Your instruction.”
(Psalm 119:135-136)

God, I feel like my heart is breaking and I am completely helpless. I can hardly bear to watch the news. How can people hurt each other so? Can’t they see that hate only makes things worse? It seems like evil is thriving, while the Godly wilt. (Ecclesiastes 7:15) Where do I go with all the pain in my heart? The unanswered prayers, the unhealed sickness, those grieving without comfort. (Psalm 13:1–2) God, are You still here?

“You are righteous, Lord, 
and Your judgments are just. 
The decrees You issue are righteous 
and altogether trustworthy.
My anger overwhelms me 
because my foes forget Your words.”
(Psalm 119:137-139) 

The world is such a cruel place for so many, and yet, there is kindness and generosity and hope amongst all the pain. . . because of You. You sneak in and bind up the brokenness while the battle rages outside. You go into dark places and shine light. (John 8:12) You stand up in storms and demand peace. (Mark 4:39) You stare into the eyes of the guilty and extend mercy. (Luke 7:48–50) You bring hope when there is only despair. (Romans 15:13) You bring life where there is only death. (John 10:10)

“Your word is completely pure, 
and your servant loves it.
I am insignificant and despised, 
but I do not forget your precepts.”
(Psalm 119:140-141)

Oh, my God, I lift my feeble prayer to You. I long to have more confidence in You, but there are still days when I forget Your power and rely on myself. I do believe; help me with my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) I know you are good. Help me to experience Your goodness. You are love, and You command me to love. God, please help me to love. (John 13:34–35)

“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, 
and Your instruction is true.
Trouble and distress have overtaken me, 
but Your commands are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous forever. 
Give me understanding, and I will live.”
(Psalm 119:142-144)

Lead me in Your ways today, Lord. Keep me from wandering, distracted, away from the path You have laid. (Psalm 16:11) May I follow You more closely (Matthew 16:24), love You more dearly (Matthew 22:37), obey You more willingly (John 14:15), and trust You more fully.
Amen.

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honesty,journal,love,praise,Real,worship
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Worship XI Day 12
Digging Deeper

I am thankful that I have scripture ready in my mind for when trouble arises. And that happens often. His Word gives light to every situation.

My husband purchased a light which he attached to my cane so that in the night when I rise, I can see where I am going. It is motion detected so that as soon as I reach out and grab my cane, the light comes on. God’s Word is like this (if we have it memorized).

When in the dark of a trial, all we need to do is reach out and His Word lights our way! What practical things do you find in the Word of God?
Dig Deeper!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XI Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship XI Week 1

Carol Graft

June 3, 2023

Adoration,Comfort,Daughter,Fruitfulness,Hope,Worship

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Psalm 37:23-24

A person’s steps are established by the LORD, and he takes pleasure in His way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD supports him with His hand.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord, I delight in knowing Your hand is on my life!
Even when I was trapped in muck and mire of struggle, grief, or even the mundane, Your hand has always been upon me! Looking back, I know I haven’t always recognized Your loving kindness toward me or the constancy of Your presence, yet You have remained steadfast.
I praise You for Your faithfulness!

I confess how easily I turn to doubting questions, dismay, or even anger and perplexity when my current situation doesn’t line up with how I view Your plans for me should be according to me. Help me hold fast to the truth that You are always good, kind, and loving. Teach my heart to respond in faith when I anchor into this truth.

In every season, whether waiting, hard, thrilling, or peaceable, You have known my pathways before time began and Your steadfast loving goodness guides me, giving me cause for genuine worship.

In every step I’ve taken, whether stumbling and falling, running and rebelling, or skipping with delightful obedience, You have been constantly present. You have always held me fast, always been ready to teach my heart Your ways. You never leave or forsake Your own; I’m so very grateful, Lord! Bless Your Holy Name!

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Sometimes reading the Bible can feel tedious and we aren’t sure what to do with its words. If you feel this way about Psalm 119, visit Deborah’s Journey Study from Monday as she walks us through each line and provides practical application and solid heart-motivation.

The Lord’s instruction is for each of us, offering to stabilize our path with perfect wisdom. The obedience and willingness to follow is on us!

How have you struggled in reading Scripture in the past? What heart-motivations do you sense when you think about reading your Bible? Take time to journal these out and bring them to the Lord in curiosity of where He will lead you!

Then take a quick read of Alef & Bet with Merry as she helps us unpack some of the rich depths of Psalm 119:1-16 and helps us understand the original culture and audience. The more we know the Lord, the more we love Him, and the more we hunger for His ways!

How have you seen this truth play out in your own spiritual journey? Looking for personal encouragement on heeding Scripture?

Deborah’s testimony reminds us of the value of steadfast following of Christ while rejecting the temptations to sin!

Wondering how to increase your delight in the Lord? Begin with prayer, worship, and regular reading of God’s Word!

JOURNAL TWO

Sarah provided us a treasured peek into her personal time with the Lord in what she shared with us on Wednesday’s “Gimel & Dalet” from Psalm 119:17-32. If you haven’t read these 16 verses, do it now!

While you read, write down a few words that stick out as curious. What is interesting about those? Have you ever experienced those “fear of falling” moments Rachel described in her Digging Deeper Study on Thursday?

She encourages us to trust the Lord’s wise ways because His faithfulness will never leave us flailing and abandoned; He is always available to steady us.

When have You experienced the faithful hands of the God who never abandons? When have you wished for something more stable and secure? What does it mean for your heart to know the Lord’s steadfast ways and kind voice are always present for you?  

Sarah shared transparently of her rebellion against God and her confession of sin that brought her near to Him again. She returned boldly because she knew the deep truth that she was always welcome because God is perpetually gracious and forgiving.

Think of one instance when you experienced grace and forgiveness. Verbally give God praise for His love for you!

These women journaled their prayers of joy, confession, and worship; let’s follow their example and practice doing the same!

JOURNAL THREE

It’s hard to write your testimony, but it’s a joy to share of what the Lord has done to bring His Light into your darkness! The more we practice sharing, and declaring God’s work in our lives, the easier it becomes!

An easy way to start sharing is by writing your story. Share it with us by joining our Faces of Grace women who boldly tell of God’s work in their lives! Reading another’s story of transformation by Jesus can greatly encourage us as we see how pieces of our story connect with hers. Flee the temptation to discount your hard places, thinking others are “farther ahead” than you because their story is different. Rejoice in what the Lord is doing in you!

Repentance from sin, finding the freedom of forgiveness, and growing in our knowledge of Jesus’ love radically makes us new as Amy’s story so beautifully reminds us. Turn to Psalm 119:33-56 and pick up your pen to journal your experiences in either walking with the Lord and delighting in Him or your longing for something richer and deeper.

Digging Deeper, Stacy guides us in exploring the heart motives and easy applications for worship and prayer we can make from He, Vav, & Zayin starting right now! Take 10 minutes and sit with the Faithful One whose commands for life are overflowing with love and freedom; far away from cold and legalistic, He longs for you to truly know Him!
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Pause VI Day 1 Sanctified Saint

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Pause VI Day 1 Sanctified Saint

Melodye Reeves

January 2, 2023

Accepted,Believe,Confession,Jesus

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:1-6

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus: To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.Read More Of His Words

Do you consider yourself a saint? Some people who think they are shouldn’t be so sure, and others who think they aren’t should reconsider!  

The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious.” The word is most used in Scripture in its plural form: saints. The saints were those set apart in the kingdom of God by God’s grace and for God’s glory. All believers are saints, transformed by Christ and committed to living a holy life. Paul told those gathered as the church in Rome to welcome a sister in Christ in a manner that was “worthy of the saints.” (Romans 16:1-2)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:2)

All those who have trusted in the finished work of Christ (His sinless life, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection) have received the eternal grace and peace of God. We are saints.
But we are also being sanctified (shaped to be like Christ) as we await the return of Jesus and our eternal heavenly home.

Paul was thankful he was in a community of saints. Even though they were distant from one another, there was a unity because of their partnership in Christ; they had all been called to share the good news and the hope of the gospel. (Philippians 1:5) He had an assurance of God’s work in their lives. They were saints together.

So don’t fret. Being a saint isn’t about a life of perfection. It’s about a life of confession and completion. (Romans 10:9-10) Our sainthood is solely dependent on the work of God to save us and to sanctify us.

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Saints … (yes, I am referring to you who have trusted in Christ), let’s pause and consider the weight of that truth.

Grab your Bible, a journal and pen, and open your heart to bask in the presence of the Almighty!

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Read Philippians 1:1-6, then circle back and re-read verses 1-3 a few times through.
Answer these 3 questions in your journal from verses 1-3:

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!

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The GT Weekend ~ Calling 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) What is your “why” as a follower of Christ? As we consider the magnitude of our eternal blessing of eternity in the presence of God, everything else in life seems to fade in comparison. When we grasp the depth of this truth, we ought to be stirred to invite others to share in the blessing with us regardless of any struggles we may experience as we share. When you read this study, did a name jump to your mind of someone you want to share Christ with? Maybe you have a friend who is far from God or someone who has drifted away from your church body in the last few months, realizing she doesn’t really miss the Lord. Maybe there is a college student you know who is struggling to reconcile her faith and her doubt. Set up a time to get together with this friend with the express purpose of sharing your faith and how God is working in your life. Commit to pray through Ephesians 3:14-21 for your friend every day leading up to your appointment. If you are struggling to come up with a name, have a conversation with God in your journal about what would keep you from setting this kind of appointment and ask Him to send someone into your life with whom you could share the gospel.

2) In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of their call. Those who have been called to follow Jesus have the honor, privilege, and responsibility to live focused on God, becoming the people He wants them to be. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we can learn and grow in our faith so we can walk in a worthy manner. In Galatians 5:19-23, we see two lists of behavior patterns and character traits to help us visualize and grasp what our way of living ought (and ought not) look like. Take some time to read these two lists again. Did any traits from the first list stand out to you as ways you have been living and need to change? Honestly evaluate your life before the Lord and write down the specific ways you have been living outside of a manner worthy of your calling. Repent of those things, and ask God to help you walk in a new way. As you look at the second list, consider how you have grown in your walk. Name a specific fruit of the Spirit God has developed in you. Write down a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the work He has done in your life.

3) The book of Ephesians talks frequently about living in unity with the body of Christ. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become a part of a new family, the family of God. With this new family comes a new set of expectations and a new way of living. This new way of living can only be authentic when it comes from the Holy Spirit working in our lives, changing us from the inside out. We can try to force outward actions, but true change can only come from imitating Christ and allowing Him to change our inner selves. Where in your life have you been forcing an outward change without submitting your heart attitudes to the Lord? Take some time to write a prayer asking God to reveal the heart attitudes you are holding onto that need His redemptive work. As you see those attitudes in your life, confess them and ask for His changing power in your life. Take part in your spiritual family by telling a trusted friend what you are struggling with and asking her to pray with you for true and lasting life change.

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 Ephesians 3:20-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
You, oh Lord, are able to change lives. You have come down from Your holy hill and made a way for Your people to be united to You and be one in You. You have given Your children great gifts and blessed us with a new way of living. Help me, merciful Father, when I fall short. Search me and reveal the ways I am trying to fix myself or make myself better without relying on Your power and transforming work. Help me to leave behind my old way of life, my fleshly desires, and my sinful tendencies. Make my heart soft to the spiritual fruit You are growing in my life. Help me to live my life so others see Your changing work. Thank You for the many ways you have already changed me. Thank You for setting me free from my old ways of life and for bringing renewal to my relationships. You have shown up for me in ways I could never have imagined. Give me courage to speak your truth to those around me, so they may also experience the life-changing work You do every day.

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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The GT Weekend ~ Blessed 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) Hungry and happy. Lord, teach me, please, to long for this state of being. Keep before my eyes how little I know, and have experienced with You, compared to all You are and all You have for me. Keep my heart hungry to feast upon You with insatiable longing. Turn my eyes from lesser loves; let me love them less and less until they no longer pull me in with their lucrative cravings. Make space this weekend to slow down to a place of complete stillness. Maybe a dark closet. Maybe a walk outside with no other distractions. Or maybe it’s just closing the bathroom door on yourself and b r e a t h i n g. In and out, slowing yourself, and praying, asking the Spirit to create a deep craving hunger inside you for Him. Beg Him to show you His glory and speak truth over you. Be hungry and happy.

2) The mercy Jesus spoke of in the beatitudes goes much deeper than loving compassion for someone or their situation. His mercy moves in to another’s circumstance, holds their hand, weeps while they weep, grieves while they grieve, and sits beside them in their suffering. The sweetest gift is given to those who are merciful to others, they are shown mercy. Tears fill my eyes just thinking of the vast kindness offered to us by our Savior in this! As we live out His merciful love to others, our God promises to show us the beauty of His deep mercy to us. Who is the Lord leading you to be merciful towards? Don’t close your box in and only consider those who you naturally love; where is the Father stretching you to be merciful? Know that, as you do, the Lord will shower His mercy upon you!

3) When I was a younger student of the Bible, I would read many passages with similar ideas to this one from Psalm 24:3-5, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord…stand in His holy place? Only those with clean hands and a pure heart…who has no deceit…He will receive blessings from the Lord and…salvation.” I would leave God’s Word feeling sick to my stomach, because I knew I could never be “one of those” who ascended the mountain to be with the Lord. No deceit? A pure heart? Clean hands? Shame would flood me with sharp realization of how deeply I was stained with my own sin. BUT GOOD NEWS! Jesus came to take ALL my sin and shame and do the miraculous, DECLARE ME RIGHTEOUS! Because of Jesus, I can ascend to be with the Lord. I have clean hands. I have a pure heart, because of Jesus Christ, my Mighty Rescuer! What sin and shame have you been carrying for far too long? Turn to the One who died to free you and elevate you with His righteousness when you humbly admit your need for a Savior!

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 Isaiah 29:14-16 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Therefore, I will again confound these people
with wonder after wonder.
The wisdom of their wise will vanish,
and the perception of their perceptive will be hidden.
15 Woe to those who go to great lengths
to hide their plans from the Lord.
They do their works in the dark,
and say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”
16 You have turned things around,
as if the potter were the same as the clay.
How can what is made say about its maker,
“He didn’t make me”?
How can what is formed
say about the one who formed it,
“He doesn’t understand what he’s doing”?

Prayer Journal
Lord God, let me not be found mocking your gift of lavish grace and love. What an indescribable gift to be given. Genuine, true, constant, intimate relationship with You, the Living God! And not a single work I could do to either earn it or keep it; only You have that mighty strength. Yet, Lord, I take this unsurpassed kindness, and I still choose to serve myself, withhold mercy to others, and choose my ways over yours. I still struggle trusting You. I still find myself doubting Your goodness. Spirit, remind me how You lovingly take me as I am, bind me up in Your love, and remake me to love and live in a way that brilliantly reflects Your own glory. Oh, Lord, I’m in awe of Your ways and Your working!

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

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

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The GT Weekend! ~ Relentless 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) “If the Lord is for us, then why has all of this happened to us?!” Gideon’s question hits all of us. If we are willing to be honest, then you know as well as I do, I’ve pleaded with the Lord over this query. I’m challenging you and me to be bold before the Lord and write out what our fill-in-the-blanks are for this question in relation to our own lives. “If the Lord is for me, why did my friend commit suicide? Why is my marriage so difficult? Why am I so weary?” Pray these to the Lord from a place of transparency and seek His solace and His answers over your own. Connect with a trusted, believing, friend in the next few days and share your thoughts, asking her to pray with you.

2)  Amy shared on Wednesday of times she had questioned God’s love for her, run from Him in anger, and have failed to follow Him. Take some time to write down, even if it’s on your phone’s notes, times when you have done the same. There is something powerful that happens in our hearts when we verbalize reality. As you take steps to be transparent with yourself, pray over these and bring them to the Lord. Tell Him honestly what you have questioned, why you were (or are) angry, and why you have run. Pray. Seek His Word, studying it as you pray for His Spirit to free you and show you His relentless love!

3)  We all like winning, don’t we? Reaching the goal, checking off that list, knowing we hit the target square on, we crave that win! Kendra reminded us yesterday that God always wins, meaning that His purposes cannot be thwarted and what He intends to accomplish, He will do. What would it look like if we abandoned our ideas of winning, and instead picked up the Lord’s? What if He became our source for strength and we shifted our eyes to see His win instead of our own? What radical difference might it make if we knew that whenever we aligned ourselves with His ways over ours, we would be assured His victory in His way and in His time?

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 Lamentations 3:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love
we do not perish,
for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion,
therefore I will put my hope in him.”

Prayer Journal
Because of Your love….I am here tonight to praise You, I held my babies tight today, I slept peacefully last night, I saw the sun this morning, and breathed in Your new morning mercies. Because of Your love, gracious, good Father! Your love is better than life itself! (Psalm 63:3) Teach me, on repeat, to view my days and moments and relationships and circumstances through the lens of “because of Your love” just like the psalmist wrote. Teach my lips to sing it, my hands to love with Your love, and my eyes to see with Your love. You alone are my portion, Oh God; how great is Your faithfulness!

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

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Pause 2 Day 8 Imperishable Beauty

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Pause 2, Day 8

Where’s your beauty, girl?!  
What did your reflection say this morning? 
Did you look her in the eye as you applied your makeup?  
Did your eyes wander to those parts you don’t love when you got ready for your shower?  
I know mine did.  
 
Our society has determined what beauty is, but we don’t have to agree.  
 
Today’s passage in 1 Peter is overflowing with much to say about beauty.  
Imperishable Beauty.  
 
Beauty that isn’t found in a cream, or an outfit, or tan lines, but inside our hearts.  
Pull out your journal with me, Sister!  
It’s time for a makeover!

Today's Invitation

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of 1 Peter 3 today. And as you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to answer the invitation of going deeper into biblical community!
a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
c) Leave a comment here about it.
d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group 
e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in! 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Connect with our community on Facebook!

Join the GT Community on Facebook!

1 Peter 3

In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by the way their wives live 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives. 3 Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, 4 but rather what is inside the heart —the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also adorned themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.
7 Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
8 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For the one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit,
11 and let him turn away from evil
and do what is good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it,
12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.
Undeserved Suffering
13 Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 16 Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people – were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. 

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 2 Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause 2!

Pause 2, Day 3 Treasures Of Wisdom

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Pause 2, Day 3

For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you,
for those in Laodicea,
and for all who have not seen me in person.
I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love…
Colossians 2:1-2

This is Paul’s heart, spilled over onto parchment with ink to his brothers and sisters at the church in Colosse and the surrounding areas.
His heart breaks for them, even those he hasn’t met.
Why?
Because he knows Jesus.

Jesus, His treasured riches of wisdom, love, and grace, are boundless.
And Paul’s heart struggles laboriously in love that those who read his words might know the Savior as he does.

Community is the life-breath of the early church, its pulse beating steadily all throughout Scripture and into our churches today as we span the globe for the gospel.
Sisters, let Paul’s burdened heart burden you today as you read his Spirit-breathed words in Colossians 2.
Lean in to your biblical community and ask the Lord to give your heart a weighty burden for others that they too might know and experience the treasured wisdom of Jesus Christ!

Today's Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of Colossians 2 today. And as you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to answer the invitation of going deeper into biblical community! 
a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
c) Leave a comment here about it.
d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group 
e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in! 

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

Join the GT Community on Facebook!

Colossians 2

For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.

6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 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.15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.

16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

20 If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge 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 2 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 Pause 2!

Pause 2, Day 2 Hope Grown Fruit

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Pause 2, Day 2

Hope. 
None of us can live without it.  
The hope we have as believers in Jesus isn’t “blind faith” or random events strung together that we hope will work out in the end.  
 
The hope Jesus brings is bound up in His character as God the Son, co-equal and eternally existing with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  
But don’t take our word for it…..take His!

Today's Challenge

1) Pull out your Bible and read Colossians 1 fully through 3 times. 

2) Each time, write down everything that pops out at you, makes you curious, or wonder “why?”. When you’re finished, go back through and you’ll be amazed at the new things the Spirit is leading you into knowing about Him!

3) Pay special attention to the fruit, the produce, or the results of hope. 

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

Join the GT Community on Facebook!

Colossians 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother:
2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace. 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
16 For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.
17 He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.
19 For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds expressed in your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him— 23 if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church. 25 I have become its servant, according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge 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 2 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 Pause 2!