Passionate

Build Day 6 Building Character

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 5
John 21:15-19
Luke 19:41-47

Build, Day 6

Leadership positions are challenging. 

When people look up to a leader for guidance and direction, the leader may be tempted to think he’s better than his followers and become full of himself. On the other hand, if a leader is intimidated by the demands of his role, he may feel incapacitated and lead others to be ineffective. As leaders, if we depend on our human effort, we are likely to fall victim to one of these unhealthy scenarios, neither of which glorify God.

Whatever position of leadership God has given us, we are His ambassadors. The earthly life of Jesus Christ is our practical example; as He ministered, He said, “I do as the Father commanded Me.” (John 14:31) Likewise, before He returned to Heaven, Jesus asked Peter, one of His disciples, three times if he loved Him. At Peter’s positive responses, Jesus commissioned, “Feed my lambs,” and again, “Shepherd my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

Jesus’ emphasis indicates what biblical leadership entails.
As leaders, we are responsible for the people and accountable to God.
God calls us to care for His people and help them become who He made them to be.

As governor over Judah, Nehemiah modeled this type of leadership. He was confronted with challenges, both without and within, yet was not found wanting. He contended with enemies who were bent on stopping Jerusalem’s wall project. While he concentrated on rebuilding, Jewish nobles and officials compounded his problem by oppressing the less privileged.

“There was a wide outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.” (Nehemiah 5:1) Their own countrymen had subjected them to poverty and slavery by lending to them with high interest and seizing their properties when they were unable to pay. Nehemiah described his response, “I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.” (Nehemiah 5:6) The unjust behavior of the Jewish nobles and officials prompted righteous anger in Nehemiah. He perceived their behaviour as contrary to God’s standard of caring for people.

Jesus acted with this righteous anger when He drove out money changers and sellers from the temple. He said they had turned His Father’s house into a den of thieves. (Matthew 21:12-13) As Jesus was passionate about doing the will of His Father, likewise Nehemiah was also passionate in keeping with God’s standard in leadership.

Nehemiah summoned the people after careful consideration. He accused the nobles and the officials of behaving reproachfully for lending to their fellow Jews with interest and seizing their properties. He asked them to stop charging interest when lending, and instructed them to return to the people their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses they had seized. (Nehemiah 5:7-11)

A quality worth emulating from Nehemiah’s leadership is not allowing emotion to be the driver. We may have good reasons for being angry with the actions of our followers, but when we are unable to control our emotions, we are likely to compound issues.

In fact, the Bible tells us Nehemiah considered the matter carefully before taking action, despite his anger. (Nehemiah 5:7) He composed himself and handled his emotions with maturity. When he rebuked the people with self-control, they became remorseful, and promised to do as he commanded. Nehemiah charged them with an oath to obey God or face His curse. Instead of becoming angry and defiant, the people praised God. (Nehemiah 5:12-13) Nehemiah’s rebuke led to willful repentance and restitution.

Like Nehemiah, as leaders, we are God’s instruments to ensure righteousness prevails where He has placed us to represent Him. In this regard, the Apostle Paul charged Timothy, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine[.]” (2 Timothy 4:2-3) We must lead those under us to God’s standard, even if doing so involves rebuke.

Nehemiah’s rebuke was effective because of the trust he’d built with his people through his genuine care for them. He loved his people and sacrificed much for them. He declined his privileges as a governor because he sympathized with their suffering, unlike his predecessors who “heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as a pound of silver.” (Nehemiah 5:15) We can be inspired by Nehemiah’s approach to leadership, sacrificing when necessary for the betterment of those we lead.

A leader has a responsibility to care for his people and hold them to God’s standard, as Nehemiah did.
He expressed his anger against the unjust deeds of the nobles and the officials when they extorted the poor.
He was self-controlled and courageous; he rebuked them with maturity leading to their repentance and restitution.
He had compassion on the people and sacrificed his privileges as a governor.

His exemplary life challenged and encouraged Jewish nobles and officials to repentance and restitution, while leading them to reach their goal. Sisters, may we be challenged to learn from and emulate Nehemiah’s Godly leadership, partnering with Him in the fulfillment of His plans for our communities!

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Fruitful Day 8 Kind Beauty

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5:22-23
Galatians 5:16-18
Romans 2:1-5
Hosea 2:14-20

Fruitful, Day 8

I have become incredibly passionate about proclaiming – and living out in my own life! – the vital importance of walking by the Spirit’s power to experience victorious Christian living.

Still, so often we forget to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leadership when we seek to grow in Christlikeness and sanctification. We have the mistaken idea that the fruit of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23), will somehow be cultivated in us and lived out when we strive for it.
This is impossible!

When we pay attention to context, and back up to verse 16, Paul shows us exactly how these fruits will grow in our lives, “I say, then, walk by the Spirit, and you will certainly not carry out the desires of the flesh.” Walking by His Spirit is to closely abide in relationship with Him through studying His Word, prayer, and living in biblical community. As we surrender to Him, He cultivates His fruit within us, and we begin living it out.
Here’s the key: the Holy Spirit.
Apart from His work in our lives, we can produce no good fruit.

So far, we’ve studied Love, Joy, Peace, and Patience in our Journey Theme.
Today, we’re studying Kindness.
What a beautiful realization to know that if kindness is a fruit of the Spirit,
then it’s proof our God is kind.
Kindness characterizes His Spirit.

Isn’t that encouraging?
We do not serve a harsh, unfeeling, mean, rude, uncaring God.
We serve a kind One.

One of my favorite passages revealing His kindness also comes from the pen of Preacher Paul in his letter to the Romans.
“Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

I love this beautiful passage because it so clearly shows us the loving, compassionate, caring, tender kindness of God. He doesn’t beat us over the head with our sin, as if cruelty and condemnation would somehow spur us to repentance. Instead, He showers upon us His kindness, He shows us His long-lasting forbearance and patience as His tender love draws us to Him.

We see this so clearly throughout the Old Testament.
Again and again, we read of the Israelites, God’s chosen people, forsaking Him and turning to do their own thing instead. Yet repeatedly, the Lord reaches out to them, sends prophets to tell of His love, rescues them, and reveals Himself to be incredibly compassionate and patient. His love for them never ends, therefore He is kind and forgiving as He seeks to woo them back. (Hosea 2:14-20)

I have experienced this kindness of God myself when His Spirit gently and lovingly convicts me of sin, inspires repentance in my heart, then compassionately clarifies to me all is well between us and has been forgiven. Then, this fruit of kindness begins flowing outward to touch other’s lives with the kindness of God as He draws them ever closer to Him.
What a beautiful thing! 

This is one reason biblical community and church fellowship are emphasized throughout Scripture. We need each other, and we need each other’s kindness flowing from the Spirit within us. I have experienced this kindness firsthand from God’s people in countless ways, including phone calls and texts to check on me, meals delivered after I’ve had a baby, birthday and book launch parties thrown for me, prayers when I’m going through a hard season, a meal train set up in preparation for my husband’s upcoming deployment, offers to mow my yard and tend to other things around our home while my husband is away, babysitting my children so I can have some moments to myself, impromptu money showing up in my PayPal account with a note saying, “Go get yourself some coffee,” and more.

Each time I have been shown the kindness of God through the actions of His people, it has comforted my heart, brought me joy, and drawn me ever closer to the God Who inspired these Christian sisters of mine to bless me.

Never underestimate, dear reader, the impact of your Spirit-led kindness on others! It is no small thing to live out the fruit of the Spirit known as kindness.
It changes lives, friends.
It has changed mine.

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Nations Day 1 Out Of Darkness

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-7
1 Peter 2:4-10
Luke 9:23-26

Nations, Day 1

When I consider the transformation we, the people of my village, have undergone, I find reason to thank God again and again. We, who once walked in the futility of our minds, having our understanding darkened, ignorant and separated from God, have received the mercy of God. Indeed, we’ve seen God’s great love toward us. He called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Once we were not a people, but He has made us a people in Christ; a people belonging to Him. Hallelujah! (paraphrase, Ephesians 4:17-18)

Surely, God’s love is not selective, conditional, or judgemental; if it was, who would have chosen and called us to follow Christ? Like His own disciples, we have been called irrespective of our backgrounds; like His own disciples, when confronted with His love, we are also confronted with the depths of our own sinful disqualification. When Peter experienced Christ’s overwhelming love, he exclaimed, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord!” (Luke 5:8) Yet His call, and His love, remain undaunted.

By the grace of God, the gospel of salvation has penetrated all over our village, and many people are following Jesus Christ. A typical Sunday morning sees villagers of all ages rushing to various worship centres.

Women are at the forefront of God’s move in my community, following in the footsteps of Mary of Magdalene and other heroines of faith in Scripture. Their incredible zeal for the Gospel prompts some to even offer their “widow’s mite,” trusting tomorrow’s provision to God alone.

But there are some cultural issues frustrating the Christian journey among our people, and women are significantly affected. As with most Africans, witchcraft is a monster ravaging our people; every misfortune is attributed to it. Almost every death of a person below 70 years is attributed to witchcraft; likewise, any lingering or chronic illness. Most devastatingly, women and children are most often accused of being witches or secret cult members.

Additionally, many women experience tough times in their marriage as the culture demands a wife owe her in-laws respect and care. Some family members go beyond their boundaries and become a “thorn in the flesh” of the woman. In most cases, the husband is handicapped to protect his wife. Even more challenging to marriages is the issue of childlessness, because marriage without children, to our people, is like an orange tree without fruit.

Poverty also places a significant burden on women, as they are the primary contributors to household income, often through menial work. Drug use adds to the poverty level, as women lose spouses, followed by homes and belongings.

However, amidst those challenges, some women are forging ahead in following Christ. These courageous sisters do not allow hardship to determine their spiritual standing; they are making a lifetime of sacrifices for the sake of Jesus. They daily live out the words of Jesus: “If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

Surely, following Jesus Christ requires self-denial, and we must not allow hardship or any inconvenience to deter us. We must be willing to sacrifice everything standing between us and Him. It is well-understood that challenges create room for our faith to grow, because the more challenges we face, the more we seek refuge in Christ. As the Scripture says, “Consider it great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3)

Unfortunately, when tough times come, some turn their backs on Him, like the seed that fell on stony places. On Sundays, they rush to church for worship, but in ignorance, turn to others beside Jesus in their suffering. To worsen their situation, they usually fall into the hands of fake pastors, who exploit the women’s pain for monetary gain.

As someone who is passionate for the gospel, my heart bleeds when I hear the perils my fellow countrywomen pass through. The biggest need I see is for a deep knowledge of God’s Word, which will only happen through sound teaching. My appeal to the global Church is to join me in prayer for God to open doors to enable us organise more teachings, and to add labourers for the work. Pray also that God will create in their hearts a strong desire for His Word, and also bless the work of their hands.

I am thankful to God for the Church in the nations, joined and knitted together in Christ despite physical distance; therefore, we share in the pain and joy of one another. How marvellous and glorious it will be when we see eachother face-to-face at the throne of Jesus!

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Follow Day 6 A Time To Act

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Nehemiah 1:1-2:5
Nehemiah 4:1-14
Nehemiah 6:15-16
Luke 10:30-37

Follow, Day 6

Life seemed to be going well for Nehemiah. As cupbearer to the Persian king, he was in a well-paid and influential position. He was highly respected, trusted enough to be privy to the king’s most important conversations, and even responsible for the king’s life. For a Jew in exile, his success was remarkable.

Yet when his brother arrives with news from Jerusalem, Nehemiah’s heart breaks.

After years of displacement, the Jewish people have finally been freed from captivity and permitted to return home, but all is not going well. Although the people are back in their land, the city walls remain in ruins and the gates have been burned to the ground. They are “in great trouble and disgrace.” (Nehemiah 1:3)

Presumably, Nehemiah’s success in Susa had led him to remain there, rather than choosing to return to Jerusalem, but the impact of his brother’s words is profound, revealing the concern Nehemiah still has for his homeland and people.

“When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.” (Nehemiah 1:4)

His prayer is passionate and heartfelt, appealing to God’s unfailing love and pleading for restoration.

Nehemiah’s compassion for the Jewish people and his grief over their situation also prompt him to act, and he asks God to grant him the king’s favour.

It is not until five months later that his opportunity comes, but it is clear the situation in Jerusalem has remained on his mind and in his heart. On this particular day, the depth of his sorrow becomes evident to the king, and as Nehemiah begins to explain the situation and request the king’s help, he demonstrates he has also thought through the details. He has a plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and he knows exactly what he will need from the king to turn his vision into reality.

It is a costly plan, one which means leaving the luxury of the palace to go on a long and arduous journey. It will involve effort and sacrifice.

Yet there seems to be no doubt in Nehemiah’s mind his passion and calling have come from God, and he knows his plan will only succeed by God’s grace. His compassion for the Jewish people and his desire for restoration mean he is willing to follow wherever God leads.

What about you? Is there a situation where you feel sorrow and compassion? A longing for justice or restoration?

Often, that’s a sign God is moving.

For me, one of those areas of compassion is women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. It breaks my heart to see the wounds inflicted on so many, and I long to point them to hope in Jesus and to see restoration. This passion has built over the years, even when I had no idea what to do with it. As with Nehemiah, it has involved seeking God, praying about each step, and waiting for the right moment.

One day, as I listened to the parable of the Good Samaritan, the familiar story struck me in a fresh way.  Just like the Samaritan, I was moved by compassion to take action, to do what I could to help the bruised and the broken, to be willing to inconvenience myself to help them to a place of healing. I knew I had to find a way.

Eventually, I completed a mentor training course with Journey to Heal Ministries and launched the programme in my church. Like Nehemiah before the king, I was terrified. It is difficult to raise a topic no one wants to talk about yet, I couldn’t let go of the call to “speak up for those who have no voice.” (Proverbs 31:8)

And like Nehemiah, I experienced God’s favour. I was able to begin mentoring someone straight away and I witnessed God’s healing power. Others came forward to offer help and support in various ways, and I saw God at work in ways I would never have imagined . . .

. . . And then COVID . . .

As I write, it has been six months since lockdown restrictions paused our work, and it may be several more months before it can resume.

In some ways, it’s comforting to recognise Nehemiah faced challenges, too. In his case, the difficulties came not from a global pandemic, but from people who opposed the rebuilding.  As soon as the work began, so did the mocking and reviling, and it continued throughout the rebuilding process.

Yet Nehemiah persevered. Despite facing ridicule, mocking, and even death threats, he was determined to keep looking to God and he encouraged the people to do the same. (Nehemiah 4:14)

He kept taking the next small step of obedience and,
one brick at a time, the wall was built.

What a day that must have been when, after 52 days of hard work (not to mention the months of prayer and preparation), the wall was finally finished!

Following God brings no guarantee of an easy life or a straightforward path, but Nehemiah’s story encourages us to keep seeking God for the next step, to follow where He leads, and to trust He will bring to completion the work He has begun.

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Beloved Day 2 Unveiled Faces: 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 Unveiled Faces!

The Questions

1) What is the meaning of using fruits, flowers, and animals to describe this man and wife love relationship? 

2) What is the purpose of the warning to the young women of Jerusalem? (verse 7)

3) How does Scripture connect a human marriage to a relationship between God and us?

Song of Solomon 2:1-17

Woman
I am a wildflower of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

Man
2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.

Woman
3 Like an apricot tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall,
and he looked on me with love.
5 Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,
for I am lovesick.
6 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.
7 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.
8 Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:

Man
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs;
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
14 My dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.


Woman
15 Catch the foxes for us—
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom.
16 My love is mine and I am his;
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the divided mountains.

Original Intent

1) What is the meaning of using fruits, flowers, and animals to describe this man and wife love relationship?
Song of Songs suggests it is the greatest of all songs and found within its pages are lyrical poetry arranged as dialogue between a woman and her lover. While scholars maintain that the love story makes allegorical connections between God and His love for mankind, Song of Solomon is also, undeniably, a sensuous book reveling in God’s good gifts of intimacy within marriage. To properly understand this poetic song, we must remember to set our minds on the then-current time and culture. The Shulamite Bride compares herself to a wildflower of Sharon and a lily of the valley, both of which were common. The “Sharon” was a fertile plain between Mount Carmel and Joppa along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea producing beautiful wildflowers in abundance. Likewise, the lily was plentiful in Palestine. By saying of herself, “I am a wildflower of Sharon, a lily of the valleys”, she is not speaking in arrogance, but rather that, while she is beautiful, she is also common. (verse 1) Solomon picks up on her imagery of flowers, but responds by pronouncing, “Like a lily among thorns, so is my darling among the young women.” (verse 2) He sets her apart from all other young women, describing everyone else as “thorns” in comparison. The Lover extols her beauty for she was not at all common in his eyes. In similar fashion, the woman uses the imagery of an apricot tree to depict her lover. “Like an apricot tree among the trees of the forest, so is my love among the young men.” Where every other man is simply a tree in the forest, her man is completely unique to her. Apricot trees are generally 30-45 feet tall, quite strong, and bear sweet fruit. Thus, the Shulamite woman describes her man as tall and strong while bearing a sweetness about him. He provides shade (protection) and his love is described as a banner (generally signifying complete peace and victory) over his lovely young woman. (verses 3-4) The comparison of lovers to gazelles, does, or stags throughout the song are symbolic of grace, beauty, strength, and speed. (verses 7-9) The man refers to the young woman as his dove inferring her to be beautiful and soft, waiting to be called out of singleness and virginity by her husband lover and into marriage.

2) What is the purpose of the warning to the young women of Jerusalem? (verse 7)
Within historical context, we don’t know exactly who the “young women of Jerusalem” were first intended to be viewed as. Maybe they were equivalent to our modern day “Bridesmaids” who helped the bride prepare for her wedding day. Maybe, because Song of Solomon is a song, they are representative of a chorus, and the entire song was meant to be sung over the course of several days leading up to a wedding. What most scholars agree on is they were a group of some kind, probably unmarried, intending to represent a community around the couple, either singularly to the Beloved Bride or to both husband and wife. In verse 7, the Beloved Bride gives a warning to these “young women of Jerusalem”, “Do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.” The description of the woman’s intimacy with the man in previous verses is so enticing the Bride feels she must charge the young women of Jerusalem to not jump into a passionate relationship prematurely. Intimacy is definitely wonderful and definitely worth the wait, but foregoing the commitment of a marriage relationship just to experience physical intimacy, misses the real depth of love and sex entirely. The woman’s senses are heightened and stirred by the man’s presence and affirmation of love for her. She finds herself feasting on it all, and feeling “lovesick”. (verses 5-6) She hungers for more of his nearness, and his offering of love only intensifies her desires. She began with a desire for his kisses and then longed for his embrace. (verses 4-6) Her passionate experience with her Lover urges her to give this charge to wait for “the appropriate time” to the unmarried women around her. She knows that intimate love, both physical and emotional, should have its own rhythm and proper progression. TOO Fast TOO soon spoils it all. Theologian, D Garret, adds his insights by saying, “For a woman to awaken love before it pleases is to deprive herself of the full experience of romance and sexuality…”.

3) How does Scripture connect a human marriage to a relationship between God and us?
In Exodus 34:15 (KJV), Israel is being warned not to “whore after their gods.” By describing idolatry with the language of prostitution and sexual immorality, Moses uses the sacredness of marriage as a metaphor to mirror the holiness of God’s covenant relationship with His people, Israel. Again, in the biography of the Old Testament prophet, Hosea, God commands Hosea to marry a prostitute, Gomer, who continually leaves him to return to prostitution. In Hosea’s life, God was giving Israel a visual, real-life picture of what it is to abandon Him as their God. (read more about this story in our Journey Theme, Bride!) In the New Testament, Paul applies the metaphor of marriage to the relationship between Christ and the Church of believers. “This mystery (of marriage) is profound, and I am saying it refers to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:32) In Matthew 9:15, Jesus describes Himself as a Bridegroom and was recognized as such by John the Baptist. (John 3:29-30) After we understand the original context of the Song of Solomon, we can, by looking at the whole of Scripture, see how some of Solomon’s descriptions could describe the relationship between Christ and the Church. Where the apricot tree was the Beloved’s description of her Lover (verses 3-4), Christ is our ultimate strength and protection, totally unique and unlike any other for no one else can rescue us from our sin. “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) As the Lover and Beloved care for each other, finding delight in each other in all things, so does God care and tenderly love each of us who call upon His Name for rescue from sin’s consequence. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:6-7) The Beloved and Lover celebrate their physical oneness. This picture mirrors how Christ-followers are to find spiritual oneness with God as His people. “They will be my people, and I will be their God.” (Jeremiah 32:38)

Everyday Application

1) What is the meaning of using fruits, flowers, and animals to describe this man and wife love relationship?
Celebrating our spouse as unique and special runs hard against our culture’s screaming voice. Pornography runs rampant, sex slaves are common in many cities, and the cut throat game of comparison is widespread across marketing, media, and even within our own hearts. How shockingly refreshing it is when one spouse brags on their marriage partner as being one-of-a-kind-wonderful?! In fact, when a husband or wife chooses to intentionally celebrate their spouse, they are fostering this kind of celebratory language to be shared between them. When they take it a step further, and celebrate their spouse to someone else, this encourages other marriage partners to step up their game when it comes to praising the attributes of their beloved one. While celebrating your spouse sounds simple, it can be difficult, especially if you’re walking through a difficult season in your marriage (as all of us have/are/will!). This challenge isn’t meant for us to close a blind eye to abusers within marriage, while amplifying “good things” to excuse abuse. Rather, this model from Song of Solomon is intended to give us a tool to speak life and unconditional love over our husbands. Where will you begin?! If you aren’t married, this challenge extends to you too! Consider this celebration as a tool to initiate flourishing in each of your relationships. Take the challenge to celebrate and begin to think highly, and uniquely, of others, speaking out loud these things to them and about them! Maybe you won’t use fruits, flowers, and animals in your descriptions, but, who knows, maybe you will! Leading like a lion or having hair that feels like silk are both encouraging and celebratory in our culture.

2) What is the purpose of the warning to the young women of Jerusalem? (verse 7)
True Love is worth waiting for! Oftentimes, in our culture, waiting to fulfill one’s sexual desires until marriage is an antiquated notion. Mainstream media encourages us to indulge in our sexual desires anytime we please. What the world doesn’t tell us, but God’s Word makes clear, is that “following our hearts” instead of God’s perfect plan only leads to pain and heartache. (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 3:5-6) During my “young woman years”, I carried a strong conviction to never give myself (body or heart) away to any man until marriage. God gave me strength to hold fast to this conviction. When I met the man I would marry, and we began sharing emotionally, it became very difficult to keep myself pure. My mom warned, “It only takes one a passionate kiss to let go of your senses and go too far.” There were moments in our pre-marriage we came very close to not waiting as we shared passionate kisses, but we made it by HIS grace and strength and our marriage consummated in HIS time. Now, forty years of marriage have passed, and we rejoice in God’s love which has held us fast to Him despite struggles along the way. Everyone’s sexual history is different, but God’s grace is the same for each of us! Human love will always fail us, but redemptively, God allows even our broken relationships to continually point us to the ONE whose love will never falter and whose love will never let us down. There is no fear in the perfect love of God! (1 John 4:18) Whatever your sexual past, or present, looks like, confidently know that the Lord of all Love is waiting, not with condemnation, but with a wide welcoming embrace of love and forgiveness. I count my marriage struggles as JOY in spite of the scars of fallen human love because, through these, the Lord has brought us closer to the cross, both individually and as husband and wife. True Love is worth waiting for! Never give in, never give up, be patient in fervent prayer, and F. R. O. G. (Fully Relying On God)!

3) How does Scripture connect a human marriage to a relationship between God and us?
The Shulamite woman likens her Lover to an apple tree among the trees of the forest. He is strong and sturdy, and his shade covers and protects her from the scorching rays of the sun. In the same way, Jesus, our perfect bridegroom, shelters us with the power of His unfailing love. We are wrecked with our own sin, condemned to die and be eternally separated from the beauty and love of God. Christ, the perfect Love, took our place by suffering our due consequence for our sin when He died on the cross. He became separated from the glory of God the Father as He took on our consequence, though He was sinless. (Matthew 27:46) Three days later, He proved His victory over sin and death by coming back to life and later ascending through the clouds to sit at the right hand of God the Father. (Ephesians 1:20-21) Once we choose to fully trust Christ’s work on the cross for us, we become His and He becomes ours. He guards and protects our souls for eternity because He, the all-powerful God, loves us perfectly. (John 10:28)  As women, most of us spend our lives searching for our “perfect Lover” from teenage years until we find Mr. Right, our knight in shining armor. Ultimately, our hearts are designed to discover that only the Lord God can satisfy us completely. Whether we end up married or single, Christ must remain the fullness of our delight. When we shift our eyes to any lesser love, elevating him over God, we will find heartache, disappointment, and dissatisfaction. If we marry, husband and wife are designed to move forward together with many goals, but the highest being Christ. If we are single, the same is true as we move through life with many hopes and dreams, but our highest being Christ. He alone is to hold the position of pre-eminence. (Colossians 1:15-20) There will be rough roads all along the way for both single and married women, but the love of our great God never falters or abandons!

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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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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched VIII Week 1

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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) When justice seems to have vanished. When anger, hurt, betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of being utterly alone sweep over you. When you are there, you can relate to Hagar. Her story is one of the greatest outcast narratives in the Bible, and the glorious encounter she experienced with the Lord Himself is all the more beautiful because of her place of defeat. He met her in the desert places of her heart with an oasis of love, tender care, and deep knowing that embraced her brokenness and hurt in a way no one else could. Where do you recognize parts of your story intersecting with Hagar’s? What part of the Lord’s encounter with her do you long for in your own life? Take this to God in prayer, share it with a trusted, believing friend, and trust the Lord sees and knows you and your scenario as deeply as He did for Hagar!

2) What Zacchaeus lacked in stature and integrity, he compensated for in passionate pursuit. He was hungry, and He knew it. He had heard of Jesus and He wanted more. Life wasn’t fulfilling despite his best attempts to satisfy his palate for wealth and prosperity. Jesus, however, already knew Zach’s story. He already knew every detail, every sin, and every lonely place in Zacchaeus’ heart. He was wooing Zacchaeus’ heart long before Zacchaeus climbed that Sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of the Lord. It’s easy for us to think we are the ones who need to chase Jesus, capture His attention, and be close to Him. But this isn’t the heart of God revealed in Scripture. He is already near to each of us. Perhaps you’ve been running and you’re feeling wearied by the chase. Take to heart that Christ Jesus already knows your story and loves you!

3) Yesterday, Carol led us beautifully into one woman’s story of responding to Jesus’ majesty, kindness, and gentle love. Being near Him carried a cost for this woman as she was outcast of all outcasts. Simply being present near Him carried the risk of being shoved aside and trampled. This woman went farther still though, she dared to touch His skin and wipe His feet with a love she had first felt extended to her through His divine grace. There at the feet of Jesus, the woman gave her gift that had cost her everything, yet she left full, whole, and satisfied for an eternity to come. Emptying everything had resulted in all-surpassing fullness. Forgiven. Shameless. Whole. Don’t let the idea of surrendering to the God who loves you completely keep you from experiencing the abundance He offers to all who come to Him.

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 Luke 19:8-10 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Prayer Journal
True repentance always brings about life change. Father, the more I follow You, the more I see how there are highs and lows in the genuine following of my everyday life. Sometimes, I feel so close to You, while there are entire seasons where I wonder if You have forgotten me. Lord, teach me in all seasons to hold unswervingly to the truth that You are always fully present, always taking me deeper with You, and always making me new. Teach my heart to dwell in a state of humble repentance towards Your Spirit, so I am ready to keep following You.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sola Day 3 The Ordinary Man

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-10
Matthew 19:16-26
Genesis 2:18-2

Sola, Day 3

An avid storyteller and musician.
A man passionate about marriage, family, and hospitality.
A sinner desperately aware of the futility of a lifetime’s efforts to produce his own righteousness . . .
. . . and a redeemed child of the King, dedicated to sharing the freedom and forgiveness he received from his Father.

Martin Luther lived in the 16th century, heading the Protestant movement across Europe. He is most famously known for presenting 95 theses to Roman Catholic leaders in 1517, igniting a larger “reformation” of the church. And yet, even in light of this great impact, Luther’s journey is still simple and relatable . . . the journey of an ordinary man.

As a young man, caught in the midst of an intense storm and facing death, Luther cried out to the Lord to save him. Motivated by such a powerful encounter with his living God, Luther decided to join a monastic community and commit his life to God. He awoke early, praying without ceasing, fasting, and reflecting.

Yet, despite his best efforts to uphold the rituals of monastic life, he was plagued by heavy despair. Luther was deeply disturbed by the realization his life of religious pursuit was not earning him righteousness. Instead, he harbored deepening self-hatred born of his unrelenting and unsuccessful war against his flesh.

Have you walked the same road, dear friend?
Have you tried to force yourself to do better, to be better, holier, more righteous?
And when you inevitably fail, have you redoubled your doomed efforts as you begin to hate every bit of who you are?

Then you know.

Separated from the Father’s forgiveness and grace, hopelessness descends in a black, suffocating fog.

During this time, Luther earned a teaching position at the University of Wittenberg. Delving deeply into the Scriptures, Luther was gripped by the books of Psalms and Romans. He was faced with the reality of Jesus Christ, and the truth that His blood covers all of our sins, giving us freedom in obedience.

Luther realized salvation comes through no religious ritual, or any other
source, outside of Jesus himself.
Forgiveness, salvation, and righteousness,
Found in Christ alone.
Through faith alone.
By grace alone.
Revealed through the Spirit-inspired Word of God alone.
To the glory of God alone.

As the light of understanding dawned in his heart, Luther exclaimed, “At last meditating day and night, by the mercy of God, I [. . .] began to understand that the righteousness of God is that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith […] Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through the gates that had been flung open.”

Can you feel it, friend? 

Lost in hopelessness, weighed down to a breaking point by the impossible burden of perfection, wounded again, and again, and again by the accuser (or your own thoughts) . . . Suddenly, three words reverberate through the fog around you.

“It is finished.”

The clamor of self-flagellating accusations is silenced by a deafening CRACK as the shackles binding you to the crushing weight of your sin and failed righteousness break and fall away.

As the swirling mist begins to lighten, you are able to make out Someone approaching. He crouches before your crumpled self, wrapping a scarred hand around your own. “My child,” He says with gentle authority, “you are free. I carried your sin burden to My cross, and I left it behind in My empty tomb. My righteousness is now your own. Accept My grace and walk in faith.” This was Luther encountering the freedom found in Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, in Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

Longing for his fellow believers to experience the same transformation unto freedom, Luther clearly outlined his newfound understanding of salvation in the publication of the 95 Theses. His theses spread across Europe, calling the church to eliminate practices distorting the New Testament’s teaching on the truth of salvation in Christ. Eyes everywhere were opened to the authority, power, and sovereignty of Christ and His role as head of the church.

Yet, despite his fame, Luther remained a simple man devoted to his family. With his wife, Katharina, and their six children, he shared his passion for music, story, and the grace and joy found in following Christ.

In fact, Martin and Katie Luther were influential in changing cultural perspectives on marriage and family. Fighting prevailing views of marriage as a distraction from the holy, Luther argued for the sacred nature of a God-centered marriage, explaining: “There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage” (Robinson, 2017).

The Luthers’ approach to family portrayed it as an important, God-given gift, shaping us to be more like Christ. Their home was warm, lively, and full of joy.

The Luther family continued to put feet to their faith as they often welcomed others into their home, housing orphans and ministry leaders. Their gift of hospitality was clear and rooted in their love for the Father.

The true peak of Luther’s life wasn’t the Theses, nor his lifelong public ministry. Rather, he most treasured the moments spent in quiet communion with the Father, listening to His voice and experiencing His love. Martin would often wake before sunrise and sit with the Prince of Peace, even through the intensity of depression and sickness. In the face of trials, he gained strength and endurance in Christ alone.

As Luther’s life testifies, our Father’s love is steadfast and transforms our hearts and lives, from our most intimate interactions with those closest to us to our most public efforts to share the forgiveness, grace, and hope we find in God alone.

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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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Ignite Day 10 Fueling The Fire

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:11-16
1 Corinthians 1:10
Matthew 7:1-5

Ignite, Day 10

The Protestant Reformation was a movement toward Western Christianity in the 16th century. Many credit the Reformation to a document called the 95 Theses written by Martin Luther in 1517, even though there were several years separating the two events. Luther, under the Holy Spirit’s conviction through Scripture, could not abide the incongruences growing between what he knew to be true in Scripture and what he saw happening the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, the 95 Theses was birthed by a man who anchored himself firmly on the absolute truth of Scripture. He called out unbiblical practices in the Catholic Church such as selling indulgences for the purpose of absolving sin. The questions Martin Luther raised snowballed when others also questioned Catholic practices for themselves. As a result, Church as we know it today began growing like wildfire as the living and active Word of God was unleashed!

Martin Luther, born in 1483 in Germany, became not only a professor of theology, but also a monk, composer, and priest. In 1507, he was ordained into priesthood.

During his first 10 years as a priest he began questioning several Catholic teachings and practices the more he read and studied what Scripture taught.

The two main beliefs anchoring Luther’s Theses were first, the absolute authority of the Bible and second, salvation is a gift of grace with not a hint of human works attached.
Both were hot spots for Luther, but they were commonly accepted in the Catholic church.

Luther was first and foremost, a passionate follower of Jesus. As with every person who sincerely crosses the line of faith and surrenders to Christ as their Savior from sin, the more deeply you follow Jesus, the more precious His Word becomes.
This was the case for Luther. He did not set out to change the world, but the Lord used him to fuel a fire the Holy Spirit Himself had ignited through conviction and the living, active Word of God!

Because Martin loved the Lord, he loved the Church as well, seeing her as the Bride of Christ. This love fueled his adamant, biblical stance against the Church promoting and practicing falsehood. Bound by his love for the Lord, Luther would not, could not remain silent.

Some (like me!) might picture Luther, full of fiercity, storming up to the church, nailing his famous Theses in an angry way. Perhaps you see a societal giant, angrily accusing the church of sin, attacking the Catholic church while inciting others to follow him as he formed a new church. But after researching more about the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther, I see a different story.

Martin Luther was a man calling out sin in his local church body. His intent was not personal attacks, hot-headed anger, or breaking away for the purpose of doing church his way. Luther was a man of love. Love for the Savior, the Scriptures, and the Church. In fact, he loved her enough to ache longingly for her to be whole, healthy, and a stronger body, built solidly on the foundation of truth.

The 95 Theses is written in a questioning style not littered with accusation, but instead questioned from a scholarly perspective.
I see a man trying to live out the passage in Ephesians 4:11-16,
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Have you ever been in a church, or with a group of fellow believers, and notice them doing something either sinful or not glorifying to God?

What was your response?

Like me, many people stay silent when witnessing sinful practices within the Body of Christ. I have been there many times and, instead of having a loving conversation with my brothers or sisters, I shy away.

Why do I shy away?
Transparently, because I’m think of Matthew 7:3-5:
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

I then get reflective and ask myself if I want my brothers or sisters to call out my sin.
My immediate response is, “Heck no, I want people to think I’m perfect or near perfect at least. I’ll call my own stuff out when I’m ready.”
This is sin.

Ladies, Satan knows Scripture and he knows how to twist it!
These words from Jesus are meant to bring unity within the Body, weeding out arrogant hearts who think our way is best. This was not Luther’s intent as he penned and posted his theses!

As believers, it should be our desire to foster safe relationships within the Body where we lovingly call out sin in one another so that we can grow together and be built up. (1 Peter 2:4-6)

I know I’ve grown during difficult moments of hearing the truth about my actions,
this was Luther’s heart for the church!

Sisters, let’s challenge each other to live in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, to call out sin with truth and grace, to love Jesus foremost, and hold high the supreme truth of Scripture in our everyday lives!

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