made new

Terrain Day 10 Mount Of Olives

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 6:25-34
Romans 8:14-17
Matthew 21:1-5

Terrain, Day 10

Read enough of my writings, sit with me at coffee, or walk beside me as the sun sets and you will know, “this girl loves small things.”

The solitary flower in a mass of wild weeds.
The softly curled leaf, just hinting at gold while its counterparts wear green.
The single dappled spot on the underside of my daughter’s toe.

I gravitate towards the “little known and oft’ forgotten” that I might re-discover old treasure made new again. Imagine my delight when, after weeks of praying and studying the Mount of Olives, I found “it,” a tucked-away pocket of words waiting for me to discover anew. The words are easily glossed over, as I had a hundred times before, but today, the Spirit of God raised them up out of His word for me to see with fresh eyes.

“During the day, He (Jesus) was teaching in the temple, but in the evening, He would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives. Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear Him in the temple.” (Luke 21:37-38)

I have a sacred space in my house where I sit in the mornings or late at night with my Bible, journal, and pen. When I first began meeting regularly with the Lord, my spot was in my baby’s nursery where morning light flooded my pages. Then it moved to the reclining chair in my room where I could look up to find a tiny cross etched “coincidentally” in the paint above me. When the chair was retired, my space became a square on the floor beside my bed, its lowness reminding me of my need for humility and for Christ’s perfect humility towards me. With my back against the wall, I’ve sat hundreds of times weeping in grief or joy, angry at injustice, delighted with God’s beauty, or sitting silently to hear His voice. Each time, I’ve stood up, having been reminded of truth wrapped in grace. This space has been life-giving to me, not because of its physical attributes, but because of the living God who faithfully meets me.

As I read the passage in Luke, I realized for the first time that Jesus also had a sacred space He regularly visited. The Mount of Olives.

I love nature and hiking and muddy creeks, scraggly branches, jumping frogs, and hidden hollows, but sleeping overnight…outside…under the sky? No, thank you. Firm No. N to the O, No!

But this was Jesus’ spot: His place of prayer, rest, and renewal all night long.
Because Jesus was both fully human and fully God, I am confident He had favorite trails up the mountain’s side. Perhaps He took different ones depending on His mood as He processed the human emotions of the day. Did He shed tears as He walked the familiar terrain to the spot He had deemed “His” for sleeping and prayer? Did He recount aloud conversations He’d had with His disciples or the Pharisees? Perhaps His fingers graced the edges of silky flower petals as He walked, knowing every granule of pollen as only the Creator could. Surely some nights He went without sleep as He watched the moon arc across the sky He held in place. These scenes seem likely considering the divinely human nature of the Lord Jesus, but one action is absolutely certain: here the Savior, God in the flesh, communed with the Father by the Spirit’s breath.  

This is what made the Mount of Olives special for Jesus.
Did Christ have continuous connection with the Father through the Spirit while on earth?
Yes; all three Beings equally comprise the Triune God. Yet, while on earth, Jesus gave us this quiet, tucked away example of deeply intimate prayer and escape throughout the gospels.

He left the crowds midday to pray. (Luke 4:42)

He rose early, hungering for this place of deep prayer. (Mark 1:35)

He spent His nights walking the trails of Mt of Olives to be alone with the Father. (Luke 21:37-38)

On these mountain slopes, He taught the masses how to love one another and live with a kingdom mindset. (Matthew 5:1-11)

Here, He taught His disciples how to pray. (Luke 11:1-4)

Oddly enough, considering the title of our Journey Theme, it wasn’t the terrain of the mountain that drew Jesus, it was the communion He shared with Father and Spirit in quiet isolation. He delighted in being tucked away from the crowds, out on the mountain His very own breath had created, as He shared solitude with Father and Spirit in prayer.

As the sun’s rosy glow began warming the hard ground beneath Him the next morning, Jesus opened His human eyes and began His trek down the mountain. I can see the smile on His face as He walked, continuing His conversation with the Father, while approaching the temple to teach again of lasting hope found in God alone.

His rhythm of sacred conversation is meant to be shared.
He freely invites us into communion with the Triune God of the Universe!
What a marvelous thought, that we should be invited as co-heirs with Christ and, by His Spirit, we are urged to call out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15-17)

Jesus spent many nights walking the terrain of the Mount of Olives and resting His head on its mounds of dirt and leaves, but the terrain of our hearts is where He most longs to meander.
He desires for us to know Him as He is.
Come, enter the conversation!


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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!

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Sketched VIII Day 3 Zacchaeus

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 22:1-4
Leviticus 6:1-7
Luke 19:1-10
Luke 15:1-7

Sketched VIII, Day 3

The crowds were thick on the day I first met Yeshua Maschiach.
Jesus, the Messiah.
I craned my neck this way and that, but I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of Him.

To be honest, I didn’t understand why we were all pressing in to see this mysterious man from Nazareth. Sure, I’d heard the murmurs whisper through the town, but the stories I’d heard…
The King we had all been waiting for…the ones the prophets foretold…a carpenter?
Well, it just didn’t seem very likely.

I tried to squeeze between two burly men in front of me, but they didn’t budge an inch. Pfft.
Exasperated, I exhaled noisily.
One of them glanced over his shoulder and down at me, and I felt ire begin to rise in my chest as he chuckled under his breath.
I crossed my arms and caught his gaze boldly, daring him to speak. He turned forward again, and the moment slipped away.

What am I even doing here? I wondered, silently. Just then, my gaze drifted across a nearby sycamore tree.
Why, I could climb up there in no time, I realized.
Swiftly, I strode to the trunk and began to climb. Higher and higher, until finally, I found a somewhat comfortable spot to rest and watch. I peered through a wide opening and scanned the people below until I spied the source of all the ruckus.

He moved with a fluid, uncommon grace that somehow felt completely out of place, while also exactly right. Dozens of people surrounded him, but He seemed…unshaken. It was almost as though He walked in a bubble. Set apart, but also fully present. I watched His face as He interacted with those closest to Him. His eyes were warm; His expression compassionate. Goosebumps rippled through my skin. This man loves. He loves each one. EVERY one. 

I sat up straight at the thought. Might it all be true? Something like fear and wild hope tangled in my chest and started up my throat. Could He really be the Messiah we’ve been waiting for? Blood rushed in my ears, and my heart skipped and thrummed at the thought.

“Zacchaeus.”
The syllables were uttered at barely more than a whisper, but everything in me came to sudden, total silence.

He was speaking to me. But, how could He even see me?
I leaned forward to peer through the opening again, but He was nowhere to be seen. He must be right below me.

“Hurry and come down here, because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”
His voice pierced through my internal dialogue and drew me with more than a command. Before my mind had even processed the words, my hands and feet propelled me from my vantage point and plopped me right at the feet of the very man everyone was desperate to see.

I stood quickly, brushed off a few stray leaves, and straightened to my full height as my gaze traveled up to meet His. His face was broad and kind, and His dark eyes warmer than I had first surmised. His mouth hinted at a curve as we stood there, inspecting one another. Surely, He couldn’t be serious. This man? Stay at MY house? 

He nodded, almost imperceptibly, and my heart swelled nearly to bursting. Joy blazed through every inch of my body, and I nearly shouted at Him. “YES, my Lord! Come to my house!” He could stay anywhere, but He chose ME. I don’t have quite the words to explain what happened inside me in that instant, but I knew I’d never be the same again. Even as the realization registered in me, murmurs of disgust and disappointment rippled through those standing all around us.

“He’s going to stay with a sinful man!” one woman hissed.
“Doesn’t he know who Zacchaeus IS?” another queried.

Tears filled my eyes. They were right. But I couldn’t allow this moment to pass. I wouldn’t.
I blinked a couple of times, then squared my shoulders and raised my eyes to meet his.

“Look, I’ll give half my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” Please, Lord. Please choose me, still.

Yeshua stepped forward and rested a rough, tanned hand on my shoulder. An expression I couldn’t quite define crossed His strong profile, and He turned and spoke to those gathered. “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

And my friends? That’s exactly what He did. I was lost. I didn’t even know I was lost until I encountered Jesus, but when He called my name, I was utterly, irrevocably changed. He could have chosen anyone. There were dozens of others present who were more righteous and less sinful. But He chose me. And when I realized Who He was, I chose Him, too. 

I gave away half of everything I owned, and I was a rich man. Half of my livestock, my riches. Half of my land, my clothing, my belongings. I returned four times what I stole from others.

I climbed a tree that day to see the man everyone claimed was the Messiah. I never expected my whole life to change in that instant. I never expected Him to pay for my sin and shame on another tree, along with everyone else’s, too. But He did. And I know He would do it all again.

For me. For you.

I am Zacchaeus.

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Worship III Day 13 Made New

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 20:11-15
Revelation 21:9-27
Philippians 4:1-9

Worship III, Day 13

I was eight years old, enthralled with having become a believer. 
Of course, as anyone who has married knows, I had no idea at the beginning, the depth of sacrifice this decision would require, but neither did I know how rich the treasure was that awaited me.

I chose Christ following a series of dreams the Lord used to point clearly to Himself as being the Only One who could eternally be my Rescuer. Jesus sealed me as His own, forever rescuing me from the wages of death because of my sin, and I was ready to follow Him in believer’s baptism.

It was a small, country church, quintessential with its white clapboard exterior, red velvet carpet, wooden pews that groaned when you sat (or wiggled), a bell tower that tolled when rung by hand at the conclusion of every service, and a rough-hewn stone baptismal pool that smelled of sulfur.

As traditional as church was, these hymns were carving a foundation of Scriptural truth into the bedrock of my heart. When I was plunged into the cold waters that Sunday, coming up gasping for breath and shivering, I requested the hymn that had been playing in my heart on repeat for weeks…. A New Name In Glory.  

I only knew the chorus, but that was enough.
There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
A sinner has come home.
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam

“It’s mine! O yes! It’s mine!” 
Jesus was mine, I was safe! Rescued from death, bound to the Savior and made new that I might run free in life everlasting. Something deep began when I gave Jesus my everything, an anchor was placed. I was His and He was mine, “never more to roam”. 

Storms were coming. I didn’t realize how many or how fierce, but the solidity of my name being written down in glory would hold firm, despite my efforts to run hard and fast away from the Lord. This holding me, binding me. This writing my name down in Glory, this was a forever vow, and it wasn’t held by my ability, only Christ’s. 

Jesus said it like this:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. 
No one will snatch them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.
No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 
 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)

Christ is both the Giver and Securer of eternal life.
Salvation begins with Jesus, is continued because of Jesus,
and is brought to completion because of Jesus.
No attempt on our behalf could even make a smudge of a difference. 

But neither is everyone automatically rescued from the deadly consequences of sin.
When we choose to trust Jesus, taking Him at His word, made clear in Scripture, that He is willing to take our sin and punishment on Himself and give us His own flawless righteousness, that’s faith.
Faith that pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith the Lord credits to us as righteousness because of Christ. (Romans 4:3-5)
Faith that allows His salvation to bind us to Himself. (Romans 5:1-2)
Faith that makes us conquerors over Sin and Death. (1 John 5:4)

Jesus says of those believers whom He has made conquerors:
The one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes,
and I will never erase his name from the Book of Life, 
but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5)

My name is written down in the Book of Life, I stake my life on it.
But I’ve also been given a New Name. 
The Name of Righteousness Himself; I am Christ’s, I wear His Name. 
Shame is not mine.
Neither is regret.
Despair, emptiness, lost, broken, wounded, scarred, these are not mine. 
Christ Is. 
I am His and He is mine. 

As believers, we have been Made New. 
We are given a new life
with a new purpose,
wearing our new name.

We are called to purposefully, intentionally love people. (Romans 13:8-12)
Love by sharing the eternal hope of Jesus!
Love because the Day is near when time will cease and Glory will begin.
The Day when the time for writing down new names will end. 

A Day when the books are opened.
“Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.” (Revelation 20:12)

A Day when the Lord’s Justice will finally set the record straight with all who have sinned against Him, which is all of us. 
Our only hope is faith in Christ.
Which is enough! 
Faith is enough, Sisters! 
But it is the only thing that counts. 

“And anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life 
was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

That Lake of Fire is eternal punishment, rightly deserved because of our sins. 
God is not un-just, payment for sin must be made on an individual level.
Which is why, out of vast love we will never understand, Jesus stood in the gap, taking the punishment on Himself for us. 

The very moment, I said yes to Jesus, I was covered for eternity by His righteousness.
Those steps into the chilly waters of baptism were my first steps of a life lived out to follow Him forever.
It was the beginning of being made new.
The beginning of wearing His Name! 

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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 Worship III Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
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Sketched III, Day 6 Bathsheba

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Samuel 11:1-26
2 Samuel 12:15-25
Proverbs 31:25
James 1:12-15

Sketched III, Day 6

“Precious son, don’t cry,” I whisper, and I gently bounce and sway back and forth.
A song breaths through my lips as I hum into my little one’s ear. His fuzzy head and sweet, new-baby smell engulf my senses. So much joy, and yet, still remembrances of a deep sorrow…

He is not my firstborn.
He wasn’t the first I had labored into this world.
Will I get to hold him beyond his first week?

The road to now hadn’t been easy.
And while I try to forget, the memories flood back.…

I was a young wife – a wife.
Everything I had dreamed about was unfolding before me.
I was married to an incredible warrior. He was valiant, noble, and a hard worker.
I dreamed of our future, and prayed for his safety while at war.
Uriah. How I loved him!

It was at war, when the dreams began crumbling.I was bathing, cleansing myself from my monthly flow as is required by the Law. This was my time for purification before the Lord.

As I was finishing, royal messengers were pounding at my door.
My heart hammered furiously with anxious unknown.
You know the kind perhaps? A twisting in your gut?
They had a summons from King David, for me.

The King does not summon just anyone.
Was it Uriah?
My heart beat faster with fear, as I prepared myself for the worst.
But not this.

The King…. he had seen me bathing, enjoyed my beauty, and even though he knew I was married to one of his own warriors, who was at this moment in battle for the King himself, he had sent these men to bring me to him.

He clearly didn’t care whether I was married or not.

I knew, just as everyone else, that he was not even supposed to be here in the city.
All kings go to war at this time of year.
Why would our trusted king pull back from his responsibilities like this?

And so, I went.
Because who could refuse a king?

Just a short time later, I realized I was pregnant.
I tried to ignore the lingering “knowing”.
I just ate something that didn’t settle well, I would tell myself.
But I knew.
Deep down inside, I knew life was forming inside me.

I remember telling King David I was pregnant. I had sent a messenger with a note.
I didn’t know what he would do, or how he would respond.
But I knew that I had to do something. If my baby was born while Uriah was away, I would be a disgrace to my family; Uriah would certainly divorce me.

Weeks passed and I never heard from him.

But then news came…
Uriah, my dear husband, who fought so hard, and remained faithful to me, was dead.
His death plotted by the King as he tried to cover his own sin.
Sin brought death.

King David took me as his wife, again hoping to cover for his sin that no one would see how he had chosen his own heart’s desires over God’s.

I remember feeling my stomach grow; the baby kicking and turning.
First those movements felt of butterflies, then they began to jab just a little more until some days, my breath would catch.

Reminding me, this wee baby was part of me.
I grew to love him, even before he was born. The deep love I carried for him, steadied me.
Despite his beginnings, this little life needed me;
and I knew I needed him.
The labor was intense; I’d never felt pain so great, but then, neither had I felt such intense joy as when my eyes saw the one I already loved: my son.

But he became ill.
Though my body ached from labor, my heart’s pain for my baby was a hundred-fold more intense.
Just as I knew I was pregnant with him,
I knew I was going to lose my sweet baby.
I wrapped my arms around him and sang to him.
I whispered in his ear, “I love you, son, know that! You are mine. I am yours. You will always be part of me.”

He looked up at me, one last time.
And I knew he loved me, too.
And he was gone.

That pain is still so fresh.
That precious week I had to hold my son will never be enough;
yet I am thankful I had a week at all.  

The sharp pain dulled little by little and one day, I realized I was with child again. My emotions were a muddled mix of fear, joy, and still… sorrow.

I begged the Lord to keep this child safe: to let this child live.
“Lord, give my baby wisdom beyond measure.
Let my little one to grow to be a great leader; a warrior of warriors.
Let this baby grow to know Your love.”

I was almost afraid to grow close to this new baby.
I was afraid to dream for a future with this little one.
My pregnancy crept along, but almost too soon, it was time.
When that time came, instead of fear, gracefully, I felt peace.
Throughout labor, peace consumed me, a peace I had not felt in several years.
Peace came with this baby.
Solomon.
—

Bathsheba is a well-known wife of King David, but the process by which she became his wife is ear-marked by David’s moral failure. Whether Bathsheba was a willing partner or not, Scripture doesn’t clearly say, but what the Bible does focus on is David’s own path of sin. Sin that started in his heart as he lusted after a woman who was not his wife.

And sisters, sin always gives birth to death.
This can mean death in relationships, death in advancements, or even physical death, like when David killed Uriah.

James 1:14-15
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then desire, when it has conceived gives birth to sin,
and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

But Bathsheba’s story highlights God’s gracious redemption!

God redeemed Bathsheba and David’s loss as she birthed the future king of Israel, who also authored part of the Bible: Solomon. She was the Queen Mother, having wise influence on Solomon’s decisions, and helping Solomon become King, which brought peace from chaos as King David neared his death. And amazingly enough… God even used her in the lineage of Jesus!

Heartache marked her life, but God’s redemption overshadowed her grief as she became a woman of valor!

Whatever our sin, whatever our circumstances, the God of redemption sees us, knows us, and loves us deeply. Let’s give Him our stories and let Him be our Redeemer!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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 Sketched III 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 Sketched III!

Grow 2018 Day 4 The Lie Of Perfect Growth

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Welcome to “Grow”! These stories are from the hearts of regular, everyday women just like you in the GT Community. They are boldly sharing how God has grown them, met with them, strengthened them, and taught them solid truth as they have discovered anew that Jesus is our everyday Savior! Today’s story is shared from the heart of Rebecca Chartier. 

Jeremiah 31:3
Psalm 46:10-11
Exodus 14:14
Isaiah 43:18-19
Romans 8:28

Grow, Day 4

Initially, when I thought about my growth this year, there were several specifics that came to mind. I didn’t write them down. I was working on another piece of writing, working a lot at my J.O.B., getting ready for Christmas…just downright busy. Then the enemy lies started in:
“You haven’t grown.
You’re no different than you were last year.
You’re even worse in some areas than last year.
Didn’t you say…??
Are you really a Christian??”

So, I put off this project.
It wasn’t a conscious decision to be a slacker. It was simply a lack of prayer on my part and lots of taunting from the enemy.

Do you ever get stuck in a rut like this?
You have a lot to do, you think you’re handling everything, and then something creeps up on you?
Not. Good.

Here we go with growth. I have grown this year. A little.
When perfection is the goal,
any growth can seem so miniscule.

Sometimes I feel defeated.
But then I remember: perfection doesn’t happen until heaven.
Any spiritual growth that happens on this side of heaven brings us closer to the Lord, molds us to be more like him, pleases him and glorifies him!
(Take THAT, Satan!!)

Early this year – February, to be exact – I began leading a ladies’ Bible study group in my home. This one step of faith has changed my life in many ways.
I have kept my home tidier.
I have been scanning important documents onto an electronic drive and shredding paper.
I have been in prayer more.
I have read and studied more.
I have opened myself to these ladies and made new friends.
And I have been blessed by them and by the studies we have gone through together.

One that was especially poignant was “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman.
This series of videos reminded me that work can be done in the church and/or in the name of God, but with a wrong heart…a heart that doesn’t truly love the Lord. It caused self-reflection and a warning to guard my heart.

Speaking of my heart, it has been a little bit broken for the past few months.
A longtime friend has become distant.
But I believe that God is taking the broken pieces and gluing them back together with new friendships that have grown this year.
He’s also leaving some spaces for me to practice contentment; He knows that I tend to move to a different apartment every year or two in an effort to be in a nicer environment. Where I am now is just fine.

Another area which the Lord is shaping is my readiness, directly affected by spending and saving. I have been recently convicted that I am not ready to help in a time of need, and I felt terrible. This reshaping of my spending habits hurts, sisters, because I can totally justify everything. Again, it goes back to contentment. (Do I really NEED a new home computer? I did spend 9 hours today trying to update…)

This year I walked the Kansas City Half Marathon with Team World Vision for the first time. The encouragement and support that I received from other walkers, World Vision organizers, family and friends was amazing! The team was a sort of community of its own right. It was a community that I had never experienced before and it changed me and allowed me to see another side of myself.

Another community that is changing my life is the Gracefully Truthful community. Sisters, I have been in Bible study, in Bible college, and leading groups, but the experience of writing something that resonates with you – and hearing you share your experiences – is altogether more beautiful.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good talk and a hug, but I can easily forget what was shared. This media is tangible to me. And through GT, I can read and cry, and read and cry, as many times as I want! (Trust me, it happens a lot.)
I have been encouraged and challenged by reading other writers’ Journeys and Digging Deeper studies too. Thank you, GT Ladies, for stepping into your calling!

And to my sister across the screen,
if you are sensing the Lord calling you to do something for Him,
don’t let the enemy bully you and make you afraid.
Go ahead and step into it!
My past year has shown me that obedience, even in small ways,
results in good, solid growth toward the goal of perfect Christ-likeness.

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Can we pray for you?
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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 Grow 2018! 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 stories in Grow 2018!

Battle Day 14 Fought For: Digging Deeper

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

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

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Fought For!

1 John 3:16-18 English Standard Version (ESV)

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

The Questions

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?
The example John gives for being the ultimate proof of love is “he”, referring directly to Jesus, laid down His literal, physical life for the opportunity to offer salvation to all mankind across all of time. John is contrasting this act of love to the what the previous verses were discussing (11-15). Verse 14 boldly states, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” John is telling his audience that the proof of our hearts being made new by Jesus is our overflowing heart of love towards others. If we do not love, we are still “abiding in death” and have not been given a new heart.

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?
Taking a look at studylight.org for a closer look at the verb “close”, we see that it is a very intentional choice on the part of the person doing the action. “Closing the heart” isn’t going to happen on accident or because we aren’t paying enough attention. To close our heart is to become decidedly callous. The writer of Deuteronomy gives a similar warning, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, …you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.”

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?
This is an important question to ask when studying the Bible as it helps us tie the pieces of Scripture together to make accurate interpretations and solid understanding for God’s big picture of redemption. The tiny, italicized letters in your Bible are cross-references that help you do exactly that! Look them up and you’ll find a world of treasure as you study! For this specific section, one cross-references point us to Ezekiel 33:31. This verse is actually the Lord telling the prophet that people will seem eager to listen to the truth of his warnings about their sinful ways, but they will do nothing about it. They look in the mirror of God’s Word, but they walk away entirely unchanged. (James 1:24-25)

The Everyday Application

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?
The Bible doesn’t leave us wondering whether we are genuinely saved or not. The entire 3 books of 1, 2, and 3rd John are devoted to “that you may know” statements about saving faith. These few verses are just one such example of “marks of an authentic believer”. John urges his audience to step back and gauge their level of love. Is it sacrificial? Does your love display others over self? Is your heart motivated to love deeper and deeper and better and better and better or are you content staying at your current “level of love”? Is your love full of expectations that others must meet in order for you to be happy with them? What happens when you’re disappointed in a relationship is an excellent gauge for your level of love, as well as considering who you are willing to love (and who you aren’t).

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?
You’ve seen the images of flooding in Houston or wildfires in Montana, but your heart no longer aches for the people there. You are becoming callous and desensitized to loving others. We practice keeping our hearts “soft” by putting actions to match our words or thoughts. Sending money to aid relief workers, praying for specific people, or extending an invitation to coffee to that person you feel the Spirit nudging you to share His love with. Choose to act instead of becoming too fascinated with what seems more pressing at that moment. Choose love.

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?
What was last Sunday’s sermon about? What did you read or learn about the last time you read your Bible? What was your big take-away from your last gathering as a small study group of believers? It’s harder to answer these than we’d like to admit, isn’t it? If we need to concentrate pretty hard to even recall what truths Pastor spoke over us just a few days ago, are we really allowing truth to transform us or are we simply adding to our knowledge of God? To genuinely love others better, we must take in solid truth and put feet and hands to our new understanding. Repeat God’s word over and over, write down your sermon take-aways, decide what your next action step will be and ask a friend to hold you accountable to doing it. Don’t just look at God’s Word, be radically transformed by it!

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

I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

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

The Tools!

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

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

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

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

Creed Day 3 Sanctification & Glorification

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:1-17
Hebrews 12:3-29
Proverbs 3:11-12 

Most summers, our deck sports several pots of green, growing plants, much to the annoyance of my husband who insists that decks are for grills and hammocks. Period. It also *might* annoy him that I don’t exactly water them like, all the time, some of them *might* be more brown than green, and, at the end of the season some pots *might* stay there all winter with brown sticks poking through the snow. Possibly. In theory.

But I digress…
This summer as tiny pepper shoots were reaching for the sky, my 5 year old family comedian began spontaneously laughing while studying the small green sprigs. When I asked him what was so funny, he said he was just thinking about a big green pepper growing off that little sprout and tipping over the whole plant. We laughed together at imaginary picture, but the plant analogy stuck with me. That “comic-strip-episode” in my son’s mind would never happen because the Creator designed for the plant to be mature enough to bear fruit at each stage until finally, both plant and fruit are fully ripe.

Turns out, this plant analogy was something Jesus was pretty fond of as well. Perhaps He had giggled at the same thought when he was 5.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  John 15:1-2

This, my sisters, is sanctification.
Unlike justification and salvation, which are a one and done deal when we cross the line of faith, sanctification lasts our entire life….and it’s a whole lot like a plant.

When someone says yes to Jesus’ offer of salvation, we are made new from the inside out. Our green tip has just sprouted through the dark soil.
We look different, we’ve been re-born, but we certainly don’t have any blossoms, let alone fruit; pretty much all we’re capable of doing is consuming nutrients and growing.

Last week my son asked if there was an un-forgivable sin. Some of his friends were saying that if he did such and such, God wouldn’t forgive him and he would be condemned to hell. Perhaps this question has haunted you in some fashion as well.

As we talked it through, I reminded him that the Bible teaches that there’s only one thing we could do to keep us from enjoying eternal life with God and that is to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit”, meaning that we ignore the Spirit calling us to salvation through Jesus, instead insisting that we can save ourselves. How do we know for sure that we’ve given Jesus our hearts and aren’t blaspheming the Holy Spirit?

Sanctification shows up.

We can see growth in our lives.
Others can see that we’ve been remade.
Eventually blossoms bloom on our lengthening stems, giving way to miniature fruit that, over time, with the right nutrition system, yields solid, beautiful, rich, adult fruit.

Wait — What fruit?

Look no further than Galatians (psst…which happens to be the book we are studying after Creed! Sign up here!)
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

The thing about this spiritual fruit is that we can’t manufacture it on our own.
We can’t motivate ourselves to be more loving or patient.
For it to grow, we must listen to the leading of the Spirit, and “keep in step with the Spirit” as He grows that fruit in us.
To insist on attempting to produce our own fruit is to push against the work of the Spirit!

I want bigger fruit, better yield, more maturity and depth…how do I get it?

Oh giiirrrll…
Discipline.

It’s not glitzy, or charming.
It doesn’t smell like coffee in the morning,
or wrap around us like jasmine scented Jacuzzi water…
It’s discipline.
It’s messy.
It’s painful.
IT’S SO GOOD!

Two years ago I ran my first-ever full marathon. At most, before training, I’d run 4 miles, and here I was signing up for 26.2.
Sure, there were dreamy runs where I loved nearly every second of it, but most of my training runs were gritty, at times bloody, definitely sweaty, and the tears.
Oh. The. Tears.
I remember one particularly horrible run in the middle of July. I was supposed to run 10 or something and I was dead, like beyond dead, after 3.
I was crying while I was half-walking, half-limping, and all-complaining.
I called my husband begging him to rescue me.
But the man refused!
He said it was these runs that were doing the hard work of building up my ability to run all 26.2 miles.
I literally loathed his words. But I finished.
And, looking back, he was right. That run was a turning point in my training and I was able to accomplish much greater feats because I endured it.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time.”
No. Joke.
“but in the end, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness”
Yes, in the end.
That pain is so precious because it yielded so much.

Sanctification is God being a “vinedresser” to our hearts.
It’s the very loving Father disciplining our hearts, not by punishment, but through training, to cut away the sin and pride inside, making us more like Jesus Christ.

Until the end…
The end is when Glorification takes over.
Sanctification finishes its work and we become “glorified”, made flawlessly perfect with new bodies and hearts that move perfectly in rhythm with the Spirit.

Justification happens when we cross the line of faith.
Sanctification happens in the middle.
Glorification happens when we cross the line into eternity and see our Savior face to face.

Train hard, my sisters, much awaits us!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

The GT Weekend – Sketched Week Two

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The GT Weekend

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

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) Abram’s faith was tested over and over. It developed a deep knowledge that God was faithful. When you are feeling tested, is it easy to recognize God as faithful through that situation? Are you ready to go deeper with the Lord?

2) How do you approach God after recognizing sin in your life? Is it with a fear of needing to fix yourself first? Or of repentance knowing He will accept you?

3) Where do you need to surrender? Comment below or email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com so we can be lifting you up as you turn it over to the Lord.

Worship In Song

Music Video: Curtain’s “Only One”

Pour Out Your Heart

Lord, I praise you for being faithful. Forgive me of the times when I look to myself to fix my sin-filled heart. For the times when I don’t seek Your face because I feel like I need to right myself before I can step into Your presence. Let me just come to You and allow You to cleanse me with Your perfect grace. Change my attitude as I call you ‘My Husband’ and not ‘My Baal’. Renew my covenant with You.

Father God, show me where I need to surrender. Holy Spirit, move strongly in my life that I might see what I’m holding on to and trying to do in my own power. I give You my whole life; change me, mold me and grow me into the daughter You’d have me to be.

Pray With Us!

In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
Click here to comment and pray with the GT Community!
Want to connect with a GT Partner?
Send your prayer request to prayer@gracefullytruthful.com
We are committed to praying over and walking with you!

Journey With Us

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What were your thoughts from the GT Weekend?
How were you drawn near to the Father and encouraged in your faith?
Share with the community and encourage other women!

Sketched Day 9
Abram: Digging Deeper

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

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

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Abram!

Genesis 12:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV)

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan.

The Questions

1) What was the country Abram left? Where was the land of Canaan?

2) What was the purpose to God making Abram a great nation?

3) How would all the families of the earth be blessed through Abram?

The Findings for Intention

1) If you look back just two verses to 11:31, we see that Abram, with his father Terah, had settled in the city of Haran. Haran was in northern Mesopotamia (modern-day Turkey). Verse 5 says they were going to the land of Caanan, which is on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea (modern-day Lebanon, Israel, and parts of Jordan and Syria). The distance from one land to the other was great without modern-day transportation, we can assume that Abram’s move was to be permanent.

2) In verse 2, God says that he will bless Abram so that “he will be a blessing.” There was a divine purpose behind God choosing Abram—it was not simply for Abram’s own benefit. God had chosen Abram to be a blessing from God, not just for Abram to use his “blessing” on himself.

3) God goes on to promise in verse 3 that all the families of the earth would be blessed through Abram. This is the beginning of God’s story of redemption that the whole Bible tells. Check out Galatians 3:8: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’” God justified the Gentiles (who, not being Jewish, were not Abram’s physical offspring) through faith, and this was the fulfillment of the blessing promised to Abram. Who is the object of this faith? Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abram who brought redemption to all nations on earth.

The Everyday Application

1) God called Abram out of the land he was in, promising to make him a great nation. It took faith for Abram to leave his land and his family, which were usually the means that a person found blessing. God’s call on Abram required faith, and Abram responded in faith. Praise God for this huge example of faith! Our modern day “land” we are in can look like many comfortable things like our neighborhood, a job, or even our churches. What we often miss is that God hasn’t called us to be comfortable, but to follow Him wherever He’s calling. Has He been whispering to you to step out of your “homeland”?

2) God’s promise to Abram had the purpose of blessing others. Am I using the blessing of Christ in order to bless others? Or am I keeping it to myself? Living with open-handed generosity is something that God Himself set the precedence for and calls us to live likewise. It’s not about one area of life, but everything. Our time, our talent, and our treasure. How has God blessed you and in what ways is He calling you to live generously?

3) Lord, praise you for the big story of the Bible, for the plan you had to redeem your people from sin and for how you sent your Son to pay for our sins. Praise you for having it all figured out from the beginning, and for continuing to work out Your story in my life!

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

I Can Do That!

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

The Community!

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

The Tools!

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

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

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

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