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Alive Day 4 Mindset: 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 Mindset!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to live according to the flesh? (verse 5)

2) How can I live according to the Spirit? (verse 5)

3) Why can’t those in the flesh please God? (verse 8)

Romans 8:5-9

For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to live according to the flesh? (verse 5)
Paul describes unsaved people when he discusses those who live according to the flesh. They have their minds set on the things of sinful flesh. (Romans 8:5) The word set implies making a choice to live a certain way. When we set our minds to live according to the flesh, we choose to live in a way that gratifies our desires, heedless of others and in opposition to God’s will. Sarx, the Greek term for flesh, “describes the outlook orientated toward self, is prone to sin, is opposed to God and . . . pursues its own ends in self-sufficient, independence from God” (Preceptaustin.org) To live according to the flesh means we do what we want, even if the outcomes are eventually devastating. We live for the passion of the moment. We have no regard for anything but our own will and pleasure. This is our default nature. All people are born with this natural mindset focused on sin and self-love. John Piper describes the flesh as the “proud and unsubmissive root of depravity in every human heart which exalts itself subtly through proud, self-reliant morality, or flaunts itself blatantly through self-assertive, authority-despising immorality.” Paul cautions in verse 6 that living with our minds set on the flesh is death. “The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.” (verse 7) Living according to the flesh means to live in hostility towards God, unable to submit to His law. Trusting in God and choosing to receive His saving grace (Ephesians 2:8) moves us off the path of death and onto the way of life in God’s Spirit. (John 5:24) If you recognize yourself as being held back by this mindset of the flesh, you can live free starting now by calling on Jesus (Romans 10:13) and accepting His gift of salvation.

2) How can I live according to the Spirit? (verse 5)
Paul says if the Spirit of God lives in us, then we live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18), which means we have a mindset of life and peace. (Romans 8:5-9) The Greek word used for life in this passage, zoe, means “the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which alone belongs to God the Giver of life. This is life as God originally intended it to be lived” (Preceptaustion.org) When we live empowered by the Spirit of God, we have access to the full, abundant life of God. The word peace, from the Greek, eirene, means “to bind together that which has been separated, [for example] the believing sinner, bound together with God and His life after having been separated by sin. It is that inward harmony and tranquility that results from yielding to God.” (Precept) Living life in the Spirit brings a bond of peace from having been reconciled to God. When we live according to the Spirit, we let go of our own selfish desires and let the Holy Spirit of God empower us with life and peace. We make choices based on God’s will and strengthened by His Spirit. (Ephesians 3:16) This isn’t something we can do on our own power. Left to our own devices, we will act based on selfish motives. (Romans 7:18) When the Spirit is guiding us, equips us to choose God’s plan and follow His steps toward an abundant, peace filled life.

3) Why can’t those in the flesh please God? (verse 8)
Romans 8:8 tells us that those who are in the flesh cannot please God. There is no good deed or kind act that someone living according to the flesh can possibly do to please the Lord and earn His divine favor. William MacDonald explains, “There is nothing an unsaved person can do to please God —no good works, no religious observances, no sacrificial services, absolutely nothing. First, he must take … receive Christ by a definite act of faith. Only then can He win God’s smile of approval.” Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please God since the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Pleasing God requires us to have faith in Him, showing Him we have recognized our own inability to earn right standing and have understood how kindly He loves us by taking the punishment of sin on Himself. Because God is holy, our sin separates us from Him. (Isaiah 59:2) Those who live in the flesh are sinful, choosing their own way over God’s way. Saving faith requires us to forsake our sins and trust God’s will and His ways over our own. We can try everything in our power to please Him, but it is only by putting our faith in Him that we can be saved and brought into His presence.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to live according to the flesh? (verse 5)
I heard the news with disgust; a respected Bible teacher was discovered to be a sex-offender. There was so much heartbreak for the abused, for his family and colleagues, and his followers. Here was someone who professed to live by the Spirit of God, but actually lived a secret life in disobedience to God as he followed the desires of his flesh. The Bible tells us the temptation of the flesh can be very strong, even for those saved by God’s grace. Jesus said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40) If we don’t surrender to the Spirit of God at work within us, we will choose fleshly desires. Charles Ellicott explains that for those living by the flesh, “Their whole mental and moral activity is set upon nothing else but the gratification of these cravings of sense.” Jesus promises believers in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that “God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” Those who have been redeemed by God have the ability to withstand temptation because God helps them. God understands our weaknesses because He has been tempted in every way we have; He gives us grace to come before Him and seek His help. (Hebrews 4:15-16) When we are tempted to return to a life lived according to the flesh, God provides the grace and power we need to continue living according to His will.

2) How can I live according to the Spirit? (verse 5)
When I look up the word peace in the dictionary, I expect to find a picture of my friend, James. No matter what curveball life throws at him, he is never shaken. He was orphaned at a young age, faced racism, job instability, and cancer, to name some of his struggles. Yet, never have I seen him doubt God or waver in his faith. In fact, every encounter with him brings me peace because he is at peace with God and trusts Him in every trial he faces. James’ life displays the evidence of a life lived with God. When we live by the Spirit (Romans 8:5), the Bible promises there will be evidence of the Spirit’s fruitful life in us. We call this the fruit of the Spirit, and we read about it in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” If we are living by the Spirit’s life, people will recognize His life in us by the fruit He produces in our lives. They will notice our patience with the customer yelling at us at work or the joy we have in the midst of hard times. When people encounter the Spirit at work in us when we surrender to Him, they will notice the love and goodness of God on display in our lives. When my friend James is in the room, everyone comes to him for a hug and encouragement because they are drawn to the precious peace spilling out from his Spirit-led life. I want to be like James, sharing the fruit of the Spirit with everyone around me.

3) Why can’t those in the flesh please God? (verse 8)
I read a play where the main character felt so guilty for all of the bad things she had done in her life that she went on a mad spree, stuffing everything she owned in a Salvation Army donation box. She hoped her contribution to a good cause would undo all the bad she had done, or at least make her feel better. Sometimes we try this same tactic with God. We know the sins we commit aren’t pleasing to Him, so we try to work our way into His good graces by volunteering, donating, and sacrificing just to please Him. But it doesn’t work like this with God! Our sin is much too offensive and even our attempts at goodness are “filthy rags” in God’s perfect eyes. (Isaiah 64:6) God’s heart desires us to trust in His Son, Jesus, and allow Him to direct our lives. His ways are perfectly fitted to experiencing joy and purpose. Having faith in Him is the only way to please Him. Our works can do nothing; salvation is only by His hand, not ours. (Ephesians 2:9) He tells us in 2 Timothy 1:9 that “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” There is nothing we can do to earn His salvation. It is His free gift to us. (Ephesians 2:8) We can’t please Him unless we have forsaken our sins, coming to Him to be washed clean of our sin. (Ephesians 1:7) He has done the work; all we must do to receive this gift is repent of our sins and embrace His redeeming love. He may lead us to donate our possessions or do good things as we live out His purposes for us, but it will be our obedience prompted by our faith in Him that pleases Him.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Alive Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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

The GT Weekend! ~ Ready 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 a great gift is ours in Christ! If you have believed in the Lord, you have been forgiven of your sins and have been given grace upon grace. The call on your life as a Christian is now to share that gift with others. There is a pervasive idea in the church that evangelism and discipleship are the job of church leaders and professionals, but God has called each of us to share His gospel with those around us. This requires action and commitment. In my church, we often speak about “best next steps.” You can’t arrive at your destination without taking a first and second and seventieth step. So, what is your next best step? Is there someone in your life who needs to hear the gospel? Can you set a time daily to pray for them? Maybe you are already praying for someone. Can you set a time to meet with them in person and have a gospel-centered conversation with them? You could share your testimony and ask them to tell you where they are in their faith journey. Ask God to help you discern your next best step, write it down, and set a due date for yourself. Follow through in being generous with the gift God has given you!

2) “More of You Lord, more of You.” As we consider what it means to “live ready,” we are reminded of the truth that today is all we have. We may have great plans and dreams of how we will serve God in the future (one day when I’m married, one day when I have children, one day when my children are not so little, one day when my children don’t have so many activities…). However, the truth is we only have today to be truly faithful. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. How are you stewarding your time today? How are you practicing faithfulness in your current season? Write down two practices you are practicing that serve you well in your faithful walk and helping you to grow in your relationship with the Lord. Then write down two practices that are not serving you well (distracting you from your goals, or inhibiting your relationship with God). Ask the Lord to grant you strength and courage to leave behind behaviors that are inhibiting your faithful walk. Remember our actions don’t save us, but for those who love God, our salvation allows and enables us to walk faithfully.

3) We live with the expectant hope that Christ could return at any moment. No one knows the day or the hour, so we must live faithfully as we wait, trusting His timing is perfect. As we wait, we may be tempted to put our hope in many different things the world offers, but our only true hope is in Jesus. If we truly believe He is our only hope, we ought to be excited to share this hope with others! Meeting physical needs is important, but if we neglect the souls of our neighbors, are we truly living out what we believe? What are some ways you are tempted to put your hope in something other than the Lord? Write down the things that fight for your hope. Then write down two or three practical ways you can share your true hope with others. Do you know your neighbors? Do you have coworkers who are far from God? Maybe start by having a conversation with them. Season your words with the joy and hope you have in Christ. You don’t have to preach at them, but intentionally keep the work God is doing at the forefront of your heart and tongue.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Thessalonians 3:11-13 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you. And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you. May He make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Amen.

Prayer Journal
Come, Lord Jesus, come. We anxiously await Your return as we live in this broken world. We know that You alone are our only hope. You alone can satisfy our needs. You alone can take the broken parts of our lives and redeem them to Your glory. Let us live ready in light of our steadfast hope in You. May the desire of our hearts be to share Your goodness with everyone around us. May our lives be so overflowing with the joy only You can give that we cannot help but speak of You to those around us. Lord, I confess I often hesitate to speak Your name to my neighbors and friends. I am unsure of my own abilities and concerned for my own reputation. Help me trust in Your ability to strengthen me. Help me to care more for Your reputation than my own. Help me to be ready to speak Your truth day after 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

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

Open day 2 Unlikely Reach: 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 Unlikely Reach!

The Questions

1) How can I live at peace with everyone?

2) Why should I bless my enemy?

3) How can I pursue hospitality?

Romans 12:13-20

 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him
something to drink.
For in so doing you will be
heaping fiery coals on his head.

Original Intent

1) How can I live at peace with everyone?
The Bible contains many references to living a life of peace in both the Old and New Testaments.  The apostle Paul recognized peace as an essential element of the life and message of Jesus, who Himself is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)  Proverbs 12:20 tells us to “promote peace”, and Psalm 34:14 encourages us to “seek peace and pursue it”.  Hebrews 12:14 also admonishes Christians to make every effort to live in peace with one another and be holy. Peace is imperative to Father God.  Author John Piper points out that “God is a peace-loving God, and a peacemaking God. The whole history of redemption, climaxing in the death and resurrection of Jesus, is God’s strategy to bring about a just and lasting peace between rebel man and himself, and then between man and his fellow man.”  God encourages us to be at peace with others because it reflects the peace of a loving relationship between God and his children.  One reason He wants us to extend peace to others is because in so doing, we extend God’s love to others.

2) Why should I bless my enemy?
When the apostle Paul wrote in Romans12:14 for us to bless and not curse those who persecute us, he was echoing a common message from the Old Testament that we are to love and not hate our enemies.  The book of Proverbs tells us in 20:22, “Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the Lord, and he will rescue you.” In Romans 12:20, Paul even referenced Proverbs 25:21-22, “ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” The editors of the Messianic Bible Project suggest the reference of heaping burning coals on your enemy’s head is “a metaphor for providing a fire for his basic survival needs.” (free.messianicbible.com.) Paul reminded His readers that, even though our human nature wants to get revenge on our enemies, the Lord would have us treat them kindly instead, loving them, and providing for them. God wants us to do more than just not repay evil for evil; He wants us to do the unexpected and love our enemies.

3) How can I pursue hospitality?
The word hospitality comes from the Greek word philonexia, which literally means “love of strangers or a friend of strangers and thus one who entertains strangers or demonstrates hospitality or kindness to strangers.” (Barclay, William.)   As the NIV Woman’s Study Bible points out, “For the people of the Bible, hospitality was not merely a matter of good manners but a necessity in the harsh desert regions.”  For early Christians, pursuing hospitality was more than having a family from church over for a meal, though it certainly was that as well.  It also included showing kindness to strangers and opening their homes to travelers and passersby in need of shelter and nourishment.  Paul, the author of the letter to the Romans, encouraged the Christ followers in Rome to share their homes and lives with strangers because it provided a good opportunity to share the Gospel, which Paul called the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes….” (Romans 1:16) Paul viewed hospitality as a means of sharing the love of Jesus with those living in the community and those passing through the community.

Everyday Application

1) How can I live at peace with everyone?
There really is no way to live at peace with everyone, because some people just don’t want to make peace. The apostle Paul acknowledged this fact when he said, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)  By saying, “if possible,” he alluded to the reality that sometimes it is not possible to live at peace with some people.  His use of the phrase “as far as it depends on you” also recognizes that peace is a two-way street and you can only do your part.  But we, as believers, are expected to do exactly that. We are called to live in harmony with others, making every effort to do so as much as possible within our ability.  Peace lived out looks like not instigating fights, including mild fits of road rage and exasperation with rude, selfish people in the check-out line. We can live at peace by seeking out reconciliation and humbling ourselves rather than striving to be proved right, or arrogantly keep insisting we are right.  Of course, this isn’t something we can do without Divine help, but God graciously enables us to follow this exhortation as He gives us power through His Spirit.  He tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.” In Philippians 4:7 He promises, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  His peace is already dwelling with us, and He will enable us to extend this same supernatural peace to others, even those we are in conflict with. I’m so grateful the Holy Spirit empowers us to do our part to live at peace with those around us!

2) Why should I bless my enemy
One day a friend of mine, who is a black man, and his family were out to dinner when a couple at a nearby table started making racist remarks about them.  My friend called the waitress over, but instead of complaining or asking for her intervention in some way, he asked if he could have their ticket so he could pay for their meal.  That is what I think of when I read the admonition of Romans 12:14 to bless those who persecute you and not curse them.  It is so easy and natural to come back at someone with equal malice when they say or do mean things, but it pleases the Lord when we intentionally choose love instead.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:43-44 to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.  He goes on to say we do this to be like our Heavenly Father. Jesus asks a challenging question, “If you love only those who love you, what reward will you have?” (Matthew 5:46) Loving those who already love us well costs us nothing and doesn’t reflect Christ’s love. When we love the unlovely, those who reject and mock us, then we are loving like the God who sacrificed everything for us while we were His enemies. (Romans 5:8) When I remember His mercy and forgiveness to me, it is a little easier to love those I consider unlovable.

3) How can I pursue hospitality?
I know a few women who have what I would call the gift of hospitality.  They can make any room feel spacious, make any meal seem special, and make perfect strangers feel at ease as soon as they meet.  I am not one of those women!  But I can pursue hospitality even though I am not the hostess with the most-est.  I pursue hospitality by helping the mom with the screaming baby at the grocery store while she struggles with the grocery cart.  I pursue hospitality when I take the time to talk to the neighbors walking past my house.  Anytime I extend kindness to strangers or Christian friends, I am cultivating hospitality. When I extend myself in small, loving ways, it encourages me to open my heart and home in larger ways as well.  I like the way author Jen Schmidt describes hospitality in her book Just Open the Door: “Extending hospitality is about freely giving of ourselves while granting others the freedom to be themselves. Shifting our focus from us to them removes all unnecessary expectations.”  When I think of hospitality as another way of sharing the love of Jesus, it seems less daunting and more like a natural rhythm of life.

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Open Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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

Ignite Day 9 Torches Of Truth: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

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

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

The Questions

1) What does Paul mean when he says he is “not be ashamed of the Gospel”?

2) Why is salvation first for the Jew and then for the Gentile?

3) What does it mean that the “righteous will live by faith”?

Romans 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Original Intent

1) What does Paul mean when he says he is “not be ashamed of the Gospel”?
Paul begins these verses with a bold declaration and sets the stage for the entire letter. Paul writes this to a Roman audience, who are mainly Gentiles. The gospel Paul believes is one where the God-man was put to death as a criminal, taking the punishment we deserve for sin, and was exalted as Savior after rising from His own grave. The entire gospel hinges on the truth of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul’s gospel is one that was ridiculed and laughed at. Paul had many reasons to be ashamed from a worldly perspective, yet he’s not. Paul knew the truth of the Gospel. He knew Jesus, what He had done, and the salvation His sacrifice offers. Matthew Henry states in his commentary, “Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, how mean and contemptible it may appear to a carnal eye; for the power of God works by it the salvation of all that believe; it shows us the way of salvation, and is the great charter by which salvation is conveyed and made over to us.” As a result, Paul lived a life completely unashamed of his Savior and the Lord’s message of hope, no matter what came his way. Expositor’s Bible Commentary notes, “Thus with a pointed fitness he tells himself and his friends, just here, that he is “not ashamed of the Gospel.” For I am not ashamed; I am ready even for Rome, for this terrible Rome. I have a message which, though Rome looks as if she must despise it, I know is not to be despised.” Paul chose to live his life completely for Jesus because he truly understood the gift offered through Him

2) Why is salvation first for the Jew and then for the Gentile?
Paul makes a point of stating how the gospel is “first” for the Jew and “then” for the Gentile. God originally established a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15). Through this covenant, the Jewish people became God’s people. Jesus descended through the line of Abraham and was born of a Jewish woman and into a Jewish family. God remained faithful to the promise made to Abraham even though His people constantly showed unfaithfulness in return. They were the people to whom God had promised a Savior. However, once their Savior came, many didn’t recognize Him. They thought their Savior would be a world rule and overthrow the oppression of the Romans against the Jews. Instead, Jesus came to set all human beings free by His willingness to take our punishment for our sin, effectively paying the price for our freedom. Salvation through Jesus did indeed come “first” for the Jews, they were the people God had chosen through history to be His chosen ones, the special people through whom would descend the Savior. But this Savior was for all. Jesus had come not just for the Jew, but for all mankind. In this verse, Paul places both Jews and Gentiles on the same playing field. He points out all are fallen, all are in need of saving, and all can be rescued by placing their faith solely in Christ. Jesus came for both!

3) What does it mean that the “righteous will live by faith”?
No one other than God alone is righteous. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned. There is not a human that has lived who blamelessly risen to the standard of God’s flawless, holy, righteousness, except Jesus. The gospel we find in the Bible clearly shows how unrighteous we are and how righteous God is. However, the choice Jesus made on Calvary to take on Himself the punishment for sin, which is death even though He was perfect and deserved no consequences, allows for forgiveness and righteousness for all mankind. Paul shares the avenue by which this righteousness becomes available… it is through faith in Christ and nothing else. Only by claiming Christ’s righteousness as our own, which He offers freely as a gift to us, taking our sin and shame for us, are we made alive for eternity.

Everyday Application

1) What does Paul mean when he says he is “not be ashamed of the Gospel”?
Paul lived his life completely sold out for the Gospel. No matter what the cost, he repeatedly chose Jesus. For Paul, living a life not ashamed meant persecution by flogging, being stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned, yet he never stopped sharing the Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-26). Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and his life changed forever. Once he encountered the Living God, he spent his life living for that Savior. Whether it was traveling on mission to share the Gospel or writing letters from prison, Paul never became ashamed. We can learn from this example. Often times as believers we allow our fear and insecurity to take control and in those moments, we convey a shame of the precious gospel. The opposite should be true of the life of a believer. Like Paul, we should live unashamed of the gospel of Jesus. We should trust God and lean into Him in those moments of fear and insecurity, choosing to boldly share the truth of the gospel just as Paul did.  The gospel we believe in is living and active and truer than anything else. God calls us to live a life that is unashamed of the Gospel, no matter the consequences, just as Paul exemplified.

2) Why is salvation first for the Jew and then for the Gentile?
God entered into a covenant with Abraham in Genesis. This covenant promised Abraham that a people would come from his lineage, a chosen people, called out by the Almighty to proclaim Himself to the world. These descendent would be uncountable. God kept His promise and the Jews were God’s people. However, because Jesus came not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, Abraham’s lineage continues even farther to include all who call on the name of Jesus for salvation. Just as the disciples turned their attention to the Jew and Gentiles world, obeying Jesus’ commandment to share the gospel and make disciples of all nations, so are we called to do the same.  No language, nation, people group, or race should be beyond our willingness to share. Since Jesus came for all peoples, we can rest assured we share just as much in the promise of the Gospel as the Jews, while also having just as much responsibility to extend this gospel to all that Paul and the first disciples did. God loves all of us just as much as He does the Jews and we are all equally as desperate for a Savior as they are. Who can you extend this amazing hope of the gospel to?!

3) What does it mean that the “righteous will live by faith”?
I am not righteous on my own merit, no one is. Since Adam and Even sinned (Genesis 3), people have continued to be born sinners with a sinful nature. Sin is not something we simply do, it is who we are. We are corrupted sinners. Our nature is dead to righteousness and holiness. Although we are unrighteous, God is always righteous and just. His justice requires payment for my sins. Thankfully, Jesus came and took my punishment upon Himself, even though I am underserving of it. Romans 6:23 tells of the gift of Jesus, which is eternal life. Did you catch that… it is a gift, freely given. However, for my unrighteousness to be forgiven and for me to receive this gift, I must place my faith in Jesus. John 14:6 assures us there is no other way. Matthew Henry explains this verse by saying, “While God is a just and holy God, and we are guilty sinners, it is necessary we should have a righteousness wherein to appear before him; and, blessed be God, there is such a righteousness brought in by Messiah the prince and revealed in the gospel; a righteousness, that is, a gracious method of reconciliation and acceptance, notwithstanding the guilt of our sins.” We must accept Jesus and all He has done for us. Only through that faith does Christ give us righteousness. My faith (and yours) in Jesus makes me right with God nothing else. We then live righteous by faith. The question is, are we walking in that truth?

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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!

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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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Seeds Day 8 Stepping Into Identity

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 7:54-60
Psalm 56:1-13
Ephesians 2:1-10

Seeds, Day 8

Have you ever seen one of those fundraisers where people pay a few dollars to take a sledgehammer and pound on a car destined for a junkyard? Strangely enough, this picture came to mind as I prayed about what to write. Ironically, that image has become a precious “trophy” in my mind.

Before you seriously begin to question how my brain is wired, let me take you back to one of the hardest seasons of my life.
(Feel free to question my wiring after that.) 😉

My senior year of college was a season of the sledgehammer in my life. After years of being an achiever, I suddenly found myself being told I did not measure up. In hindsight, I can see how so many different elements were in play:
lies of the enemy,
the reality of sinful people interacting (myself included),
and hard life lessons in general.

Regardless of the cocktail that led to the darkness of that year, I finished it battered in a way I had never experienced before. The majority of the hits centered around my identity.

Career
You will not succeed as a teacher.

Future
You’re graduating and have no set plans.

Home
Your family is in one state. You went to school in another. Uncertainty about where to live.

Relationship
You do not have a spouse or significant other.

I didn’t realize how so many of my identity markers were being removed in that season until I went to the wedding of a couple from my larger friend circle. At the time, my brother was dating a girl with my same first name. At the wedding, everyone began asking them when they would be getting married too. They all asked as though it were a foregone conclusion they would be the next couple to marry, and I suddenly faced the potential of no longer even having my name as part of my uniqueness. There would be another woman, in my family, with the same name.

Every major identity marker I could think of to distinguish myself to a new person felt like it had been pulled from my fingers. I remember telling my brother that very statement with tears streaming down my face. His response is forever imprinted on my mind and heart for I sensed both the love of the Lord and His reminder in his words. My brother replied that maybe, just maybe, the Lord had intentionally brought me to that place to prove that my identity is found in Him alone.

We were on the third floor balcony of a hotel and I distinctly remembering wanting to throw something off the edge when I heard those words, but I also felt all fight leave as well. This was truth spoken in love, and it became the foundation for such a grand adventure.

Large amounts of healing were still needed as I moved through that season, and I remember thinking my body and emotions had taken a beating (think fundraiser car with sledgehammer dents). However, I also recognized that my spirit and walk with the Lord had never been more alive.

The beating had left its marks, but I arose undefeated
for the Lord had carried me through it all.

In Scripture, Stephen demonstrated this reality long before my college experience, and His beating led to a literal death. His source of strength, however, shone through for the glory of the Lord. In Acts 6:8, Stephen is described as being full of grace and power evidenced through signs and wonders. He knew who he was in the Lord and he knew the Lord intimately. This was no mere acquaintance for whom he put his life on the line. Stephen’s source of strength resided deep within him and fortified his actions and faith.

So, my dear sister, while we may not walk the path of Stephen with the same level of physical persecution, we do face a daily choice to live from a similar place of identity and confidence.

What does that look like in your daily life?
What verses are imbedded in your heart and spirit that anchor your identity in Him?

Do you know that you are:
Fearfully and wonderfully made? (Psalm 139)
Called by name? (Isaiah 43:1-3)
An overcomer? (I John 5:4-5)
Forgiven? (1 John 1:9)
Seen? (Genesis 16:1-14)
Chosen? (John 15:16)

I am forever grateful for the season of having my identity deconstructed,
for it challenged me to build on the foundation of Christ alone.
I still need to remind myself of this truth and rest on the promises of who I am found in the Word, but I live with a confidence that, regardless of the battles faced,
the Lord is faithful and true. Christ in me results in victory.

Live, dear sister.
Live as Stephen did.
Live in the fullness of Christ and who He created you to be.
Step into your identity in Him.
For that is truly living.

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

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The GT Weekend! – Roads Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Hope is something none of us can live without. Total lack of it is the cause of death for victims of suicide all across the world. Though many of us reading this aren’t necessarily suicidal, we all struggle with losing hope in some form. What would it look like to take the hope of the gospel, offered through Jesus Christ in the middle of your seemingly hopeless situation? Journal some areas you are feeling hopeless, then take the truth of Jesus to those areas, laying everything before the Lord. Ask Him to bring you solid, certain hope! 

2) There seem to be so many different belief systems around us and it can feel overwhelming trying to understand them all. Which is why having a solid foundation of knowing truth is a critical first step to engaging someone else. Challenge yourself to write down 4 or 5 main core beliefs you hold about the state of the human heart, God, eternity, and salvation. Why do you believe those? Are you worried those aren’t strong enough to support genuine criticisms? Why or why not? Be willing to dig around and investigate, it will always be worth it!

3) The road home; it sounds so inviting doesn’t it? Jesus is constantly pursuing each of us, calling us homeward, to rest with Him in intimate, deep relationship. As we’ve studied these 9 religions, only one road will bring us home, the way of the Lord Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man, sacrificial Lamb, and perfect mediator between us and God. As believers in Jesus, this gives us great confidence as we look towards eternity! But this good news is not meant to be bottled up. Begin praying intentionally, every day this week, about who the Spirit of God is leading you to engage in spiritual conversations with that they too, might find the road home!

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 2:1-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus Christ, I praise You, O King, for having mercy on sinners like me. Sinners who have marred Your holiness, sought after my own gain, and worshipped other gods before You. How deep and wide is Your gracious forgiveness! Turn my heart to ever sink into the truths of Your Word as Your Spirit reminds me constantly of the Gospel.  
I know this gospel isn’t just a lavish gift for me, You have intentionally called me out to share it. Jesus, I confess I become easily overwhelmed when it comes to sharing my faith. I worry about not having the right answers, offending someone, or turning them away from You. I confess my lack of faith to You now, Abba. Teach my heart to trust Your word and Your way and Your Spirit. Give me opportunities to share Your hope, break my heart for the eternity of others that I might fully love them with grace and truth by sharing about You! 
For Your Glory, my King, Amen. 

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music