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lived

Open Day 10 Gaius Who?

August 9, 2019 by Sarah Young Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

3 John 1:1-15
Isaiah 58:6-12
Matthew 25:31-40
Luke 14:12-14
1 Peter 4:7-11

Open, Day 10

As I type, the Men’s Final Four has been set.  I am an avid sports fan, and especially love watching college basketball.  Even so, I have absolutely NO idea who won the NCAA Championship last year. Or the year before that.

As I thought about how easily we forget (or didn’t even know) the winners of major sporting events, I wondered how many would know even ONE thing about the man highlighted in today’s Journey Study.

Confession: I attended private Christian school from kindergarten to 12th grade, then graduated from a private Christian university.  I have been going to church since before I was born, and still I had to look up who Gaius was.

I hoped I wasn’t the only one drawing a blank, so I did an official Facebook poll to see who would know him.  Of my friends who responded, most suggested he was a character on a TV show or a historical Roman figure.  Those few who made a Biblical reference only VAGUELY knew about some guy Paul wrote about in one of his letters.

At first, I felt bad for poor Gaius.
He lived his life boldly for Jesus, made sacrifices, faced persecution, and endured hardships of many kinds.  He traveled with Paul (Acts 19:29; 20:4), hosted home gatherings (Romans 16:23), and welcomed traveling teachers into his home (3 John 1:1-8). He was a dear friend of the apostle John and was actually the recipient of John’s 3rd letter. In it, we discover Gaius was well respected, regarded as a faithful follower of God, and known for his deep love and genuine kindness.  Yet, here we are today, barely knowing he even existed, let alone recognize his major contributions to the early church.

In a society where we tend to live for recognition, the idea of not being known, or remembered, seems frightening. We spend our days doing all we can to make a name for ourselves, to leave a lasting legacy, ensuring that generations to come will know us.  Heaven forbid we end up forgotten like Gaius.

Recently, I heard a Casting Crowns song called ONLY JESUS. Rather than striving to win trophies and leave a mark the world remembers, the band sings of embracing a much different approach.  They suggest a more selfless mindset, “I don’t care if they remember me…Only Jesus.”

I think Gaius must have had this perspective, thousands of years before Casting Crowns wrote a song about it.

You might have heard the verse, “I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth.”  I actually have this Scripture hung in our house and pray for my girls to live for Jesus as I pass by the sign, but I had no idea John was writing these words in reference to our man Gaius!!!

In his letter to Gaius, John commends his friend for faithfully serving those who are spreading the gospel message.  Gaius doesn’t personally know these people, but because they are fellow believers and administers of the gospel, he opens his home to them.  These men have reported back to John about Gaius’ hospitality, and John is delighted to hear how ‘one of his children is walking in the truth’.

Perhaps Gaius understood firsthand how incredible a homemade meal and warm bed felt after a long day of preaching in an unfamiliar city.  In Acts 19:29, we read how Gaius was one of Paul’s traveling companions.  In the following chapters, we see how Paul and his crew had quite the trip traveling from one city to the next and sometimes back again sharing the Good News.  As they traveled, Gaius heard Paul compel other believers to support those who were making sacrifices to spread the gospel.

Gaius took those words to heart.
Having been welcomed into strangers’ homes as he traveled with Paul, Gaius later opened his door to strangers as they worked to make Jesus known.

Gaius didn’t just know the truth.
He walked in it.

What about us?

We have heard the verses about loving your neighbor, visiting those in prison, feeding the hungry, caring for the orphans and widows.

We KNOW the importance of hospitality, but are we living hospitably?!

When new neighbors move in, do we take them cookies?

When a family at church has a baby, do we bring them diapers?

When we get an email about hosting an international student for Thanksgiving,
do we set an extra plate at the table?

When we see a post on Facebook about the need for foster families, do we go to the informational meeting?

When we are handed a flyer about a women’s clinic and the opportunity to host a teen mom, do we put fresh sheets on the bed in the guest room?

When a co-worker has surgery, do we drop by with flowers?

When our kids are playing at the park, do we set our phone down and chat with moms?

Big or small, our hospitality probably won’t win us any medals or make us famous.
Books won’t be written and movies won’t be made featuring our willingness to be open. Like Gaius, people will most likely forget (or never even know) the sacrifices we make, the gifts we give, or the time and money we spend loving others.

And that’s okay.
Recognition is NOT the goal of living hospitably.

May we sing along with Casting Crowns, “I don’t care if they remember me…Only Jesus.”

May we live like Gaius, knowing that as we open our doors,
God’s love will spread and His kingdom will grow.

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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 Open Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Open!

Posted in: Genuine, God, Jesus, Kingdom, Love, Open, Paul, Truth Tagged: boldly, faithful, Gaius, hospitality, kindness, lived, Only Jesus, walked in the truth, Who?

The GT Weekend ~ Cross Week 1

April 6, 2019 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

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) Isaiah was “stirred” by God’s Spirit as he witnessed injustice and people turning away from God and worshipping idols. He was motivated to action when he experienced God’s glory in a very personal way. When was the last time you encountered God and His glory in a deeply personal manner? Describe what was special about that time. How was your perspective new because of your encounter? If you’ve never experienced God in a deep way, begin with reading Isaiah’s encounter or Abraham’s and ask God to show Himself to you!

2) The life of John the Baptist challenges us to consider how we are using the resources available to us, even the clothes we wear and the food we eat to point others to Jesus. Take the contents of a normal day in your life and empty it onto paper. Star the spaces you are already leveraging for the gospel and celebrate those in prayer, being grateful for how the Spirit is alive and working in your life! Look through the other opportunities listed and prayerfully draw a heart around 2 or 3 you feel drawn towards re-thinking how to use them to point to Christ. Make some actionable steps you can begin this weekend!

3) As you examine your life, its foundation, its structure, and its outpouring in everyday living, how often is the gospel coloring life vs self-made-enough? Judas missed the entirety of the gospel, though he saw it practically lived day in and day out by Jesus and the other 11 disciples. Instead of falling into the completed work of Jesus, Judas couldn’t let go of relying on himself. Even if you’ve trusted Jesus for salvation, it’s easy to revert back to trusting ourselves to live out our faith. Ask the Lord to specifically make you aware of those areas you are leaning on yourself, instead of Jesus!

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 Mark 14:35-36 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

And going a little farther, He (Jesus) fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Prayer Journal
I will never be able to comprehend the agony of that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus. You pled for your life, you pled for unity to be maintained between You and the Father. Your stress was so high you sweat drops of blood. You pled with Your closest friends to pray with You, but they loved sleep more. They vowed their lives for Yours, never to forsake You, but You knew they would run away.

The love You, as holy Father, Son, and Spirit, have for each of us is un-fathomable. A love that intentionally chose to stay, to follow through with the redemptive sacrifice, and be forsaken so we would never need to be….that love is beyond description. Help us see you more clearly and grasp this love a little better in these weeks leading up to Easter. Thank You for the cross, Lord!

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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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

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Posted in: Cross, God, Gospel, GT Weekend, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Salvation, Scripture Tagged: abraham, deep, Isaiah, John The Baptist, lived, love

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