Mindset

Kneel Day 10 Why God?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Daniel 9:1-19
Ephesians 6:10-20
2 Corinthians 12:6-10

Kneel, Day 10

History repeats itself.
Not in the sense that the same events happen over and over, rather that we have been dealing with the consequences of sin since it first marred God’s perfect world.

Today, we’re diving into the prayers of Daniel, who was no stranger to the suffering of life. As part of the Jewish nation, Daniel joined his people as they were exiled from their homeland in Jerusalem and sent to live under the rule and the captivity of Babylon.

Daniel was acutely aware how the exile and captivity were direct consequences of Israel turning away from God to focus on the fleeting rewards the earth has to offer.
He saw suffering magnified in the oppressive rule of Babylon and yet,
he chose faith in the midst of hardship.
With God’s righteous judgment in play, Daniel pleaded to the Lord on behalf of the Jewish people for their forgiveness and reconciliation back to Him. (Daniel 9:1-19) He confesses his sins and the sins of his people. He recognizes God’s judgment upon His people as just and warranted.

Can we say the same today? How often do we wrestle with the weight of the world and ask, “Why, God?” We see the consequences of sin run amuck around us, and we find our hearts aching for something beyond this world.

The battle we experience with sin isn’t against human enemies, but against the forces of the spiritual realm. (Ephesians 6:12) In the battle for our hearts, our only hope is to focus on our merciful God, the only One able to rescue us from the turmoil.

Daniel had some pretty intense first-person experiences with God’s grace and mercy (in a fiery furnace and a lion’s den). (Daniel 3 and 6) He knew the power of the ever-present mercy of God, so he called on those attributes of God and pleaded on behalf of his people for an end to their suffering.

In his prayer, Daniel acknowledges God is righteous and just, while also merciful and gracious. He seizes this opportunity, while experiencing God’s wrath, to confess, to point to God’s greatness, and to remind himself God keeps His promises, including His promise to deliver His people.

Daniel realizes God is enough. There’s no pretense Daniel will receive all the answers, or possess the power to deliver himself or his people from judgment; instead, he recognizes God alone will provide and sustain.

Daniel shows us through his prayer what it means to be in true, intimate relationship with God:
It’s trust.
It’s a confident hope.
It’s surrendering control.
It’s remembering God is for us.

Like Daniel, I find myself currently in a season of loss and missing all that was familiar and safe. I have been asking myself, “Is Jesus enough? Is the hope I see glimmering beyond these struggles enough to sustain me through the valley? Is a relationship with Him all I need?”

God doesn’t require us to have all of the answers, and we can rest knowing we don’t need them. He simply welcomes us, right now, as we are, to trust Him for the Journey.

For our questions, the Lord provides Himself.
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God–who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly–and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

For our longing for justice, again, the Lord gives Himself.
“This is my servant [. . .] I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1-2)

For our weariness from suffering, the Lord offers Himself.
“Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed.” (Psalm 10:12)

Consistently, the Lord God invites us to lean into His mercy and compassion, remembering He alone is enough.

What are you waiting on?
What are you wrestling through?
What are your hardships?
Where are you asking, “Why, God?”

Let’s bring these struggles to the Lord. Let’s experience His grace and mercy flooding our hearts as we confess our sins and dive deeper into relationship with Him. Let’s embrace the only One who is enough. He’s already waiting for us!

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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!
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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.

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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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Alive Day 3 Mindset

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:5-9
Romans 6:12-19
Galatians 5:16-22
John 3:16-21
Psalm 146:5-8

Alive, Day 3

“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. Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 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. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 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.” (Romans 8:5-9)

If you read my Faces of Grace story, you’ll learn of my season of sin after the deaths of my father and father-in-law within months of each other. Looking back, “I’m free to do whatever I want” aptly describes my mindset. But was I really free? No.

It’s easy to think we’re in control of sin, but we’re not. In fact, we’re born as slaves to sin. God warned Cain, “[. . .] if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7) Romans 6:12 reiterates, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.” So if I am obeying something, I’m not really free, right? Romans 6 further describes sin:

  •     the body ruled by sin (verse 6)
  •     enslaved to sin (verse 6)
  •     a person who has died is freed from sin (verse 7)
  •     sin will not rule over you (verse 14)
  •     you are slaves of the one you obey—either of sin leading to death (verse 16)
  •     slaves to impurity (verse 19)

That doesn’t sound like freedom to me. To truly understand why sin equals bondage and not freedom, answer this question: how many times, after sinning, do you feel the crushing weight of guilt? I know I did in that season and frankly, every time I sin. And what about when you repeat the sin? Do you feel as if you were compelled somehow? That’s the enslavement part. Sisters, that’s not freedom. It’s actually a pathway to death, because “the wages of sin is death”.  But the good news is “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) So how do we go from death to life? Happy to share.

“Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

Mindset is defined as the established set of attitudes held by someone. So when we read this verse, we see two mindsets, “of the flesh” and “of the Spirit.” To be clear, we can’t have both.

We’re born with a bent toward self. We want our way. We’re not inherently good. Romans 3:10-12 tells us there is not one righteous person, no one who seeks God, and no good person. “But Mari,” you say, “aren’t Christians good people?” Good question. Let me answer by comparing and contrasting.

Non-Christians “live according to the flesh,” or have a mindset of the flesh. Romans 8:7 tells us, “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.” So nonbelievers cannot and will not live according to the Spirit or the Word. They can’t please our Holy God. As a result they “carry out the desire of the flesh.” Galatians 5:19-21 explains the fruit of those choices: “sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,  idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.” Sobering, isn’t it?

But Christians live by a different mindset, that of the Spirit. “The mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.” Life and peace is quite different from the outcome of the mindset of the flesh. When “the Spirit of God lives in you,” the fruit we bear is very different. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Did you catch that word in the middle of the list? Goodness. We can only be righteous and display true goodness when we live by the Spirit. Though we start out with the mindset of the flesh, we can have a change in our actions, our fruit. We banish that sinful list of the flesh by overcoming sin and gaining freedom. But how?

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

We choose Jesus. When we do, the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us and, dear Sisters, enables us to live by the Spirit. (John 3:21)

“Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.”
(Psalm 146:5-6)

The Lord frees prisoners, opens the eyes of the blind, and loves the righteous.
Let us choose freedom over captivity and bondage.
I pray each of us will choose to live by the Spirit and walk in freedom!

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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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Anchored Day 8 Yoked & Equipped

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 11:28-30
Colossians 3:1-11
John 14:15-17

Anchored, Day 8

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The following words by John Mark Comer profoundly impacted me when I first heard them shared at a conference I attended in October.

God does not offer escape.
He offers equipment.

Prior to hearing those words from my balcony seat in the midst of thousands of people, I don’t think I realized how often I have prayed for His yoke to be a way of escape from the world, rather than the equipment He provides to make spiritual progress.

Stay with me and let this really sink in to your spirit for a moment: Our spiritual progress is produced by accessing and utilizing the equipment He gives in the midst of the world around us, rather than by avoiding it.

Suddenly, the thought of the yoke is no longer a way to survive scenarios on the way to our eternal destination, but a way for us to thrive in and through them.

So, how does that happen? We understand more when we dig in to a few key things.

First, what is the significance of being “yoked” anyway?
When I asked Jesus to be my personal Lord and remove my sins, I died to my old way of life and began a new one. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

Part of this newness is the Holy Spirit now dwelling within me. It is only through the help of the Holy Spirit that I live out this new life. I cannot imagine what this journey would be like without His guidance and empowerment.

It would absolutely be impossible!

He has the strength to bear the burdens of life, and since I am now yoked, or joined, to Him, He provides me the ability to obey and accomplish His good works in my life.
“I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

This “yoking” connection between me and the Spirit of God is far more efficient and successful when I am moving with Him rather than against Him. He spoke the universe into existence, so I am pretty sure that in a power struggle I will not come out on the winning end.

Okay, so what does it look like to move with Him?
How do I cooperate within the yoke? Welcome to Colossians 3: those boundary lines I mentioned a few moments ago.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
This refers to a mindset change; an intentional shift toward renewing my mind (Romans 12:2) because of the newness afforded me by the Holy Spirit.

As a Christian, I recognize that earth is not my permanent home. I know I will spend eternity in heaven and choosing to hold to a heavenly mindset provides me with an entirely new perspective on life. Hope is instilled within me, in the midst of the hardships, and an endurance to run the race is evident. Instead of looking at the world around me and seeking to see how it impacts me, I find myself looking at the world around me and seeking to see the Lord at work.

Where is He moving?
What is He doing?
How will He use this current frustration for His glory?

In order for this new mindset to be in place, Paul reminds us that the old mindsets need to go. Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed… All are thought processes which lead to actions. Actions that draw us away from the Lord.

Yokes work best when we are moving in tandem rather than fighting to go down separate paths. Not only does working together help us with the movement, it also helps us avoid the pain of learning to follow the hard way.

Paul continues to expound on more heart responses that impede growth and inflict wounds in others if they are allowed to continue:

anger,
wrath,
malice,
slander,
filthy language,
lying…

This list is a powerful one with actions that cause our “yoke” to strain as we push against it.

However, Paul’s list in Galatians 5:22-23 is even more powerful. “But the fruit of the Spirit is

love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
and self-control.”

When we move in tandem with the Holy Spirit, working within our yoke to Him,
this fruit blossoms.

He is the only One Who trades anger for joy and peace, malice for kindness, and so much more, when we choose to work with the yoke of the new life we’ve been gifted in Christ. It is through this movement of the Holy Spirit working within us that we can navigate this lifetime, not as escape artists holding out for heaven, but as co-laborers for the kingdom of heaven.

So suit up.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

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

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