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Hallel Day 12 For All Peoples: 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 For All Peoples!

The Questions

1) What is the reward that is yet to come?

2) Who will receive the reward?

3) What does the water of life represent?

Revelation 22:12-17

“Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the Root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.

Original Intent

1) What is the reward that is yet to come?
Christ’s return is a guaranteed promise. Signed, sealed and soon to be delivered; Christ will indeed return. (John 14:1-3, Revelation 22:7) With His coming, Jesus says He will reward “each person” according to their works. The phrase, “My reward is with Me”, is a direct quote from Isaiah’s Old Testament prophecy stating, “See, the Lord God comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His wages are with Him, and His reward accompanies Him.” (Isaiah 40:10) Christ’s promised return incites great joy for those who have trusted Him for their salvation, placing on Him the full weight of their life. In contrast, for those who have not trusted Him fully, or those who have only “appeared” to trust Him superficially, Christ’s assured return brings dreadful fear. (Matthew 7:21-23) The reward for “work” is clearly coming, but a correct understanding of “work” is critically imperative to note. Kistemaker, a New Testament theologian, underlines the correct understanding of “work” by saying, “In Scripture there are no “works of righteousness” man can accomplish on his own, “no counting of good works to outweigh bad”. The term “reward” here in this passage has NO connection with the concept “treasure in heaven”.” There are only 2 types of “reward” spoken of here. One is the earned wages of eternal separation from a loving and holy God; these wages are earned by committing sin. The other reward is the grace-gift of eternal life which is granted to all who have trusted in Christ for their salvation. The “work” here is simply an act of faith, trusting that Jesus has accomplished our victory and rescued us from eternal condemnation. Revelation 11:18 speaks into this saying, “Your wrath has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets, to the saints, and to those who fear your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

2) Who will receive the reward?
Everyone, across all of time, will be involved in this future event. There will be no escaping the reward of Christ in that day of return, whether for eternal life or eternal judgment. There is a due wage, a reward of punishment, which will be righteously given to the wicked for their sin. They chose to trust themselves, reject the Holy God, and oppose His gift of grace. They have rightfully earned eternal separation from Him. (Hebrews 2:2, Isaiah 3:11) There is also a reward of grace, a reward of inheritance, which is the gift of eternal life, in which God, of His free grace, gives to His people freely when they choose to trust Him for their salvation. He has given them His own righteousness because they had no righteousness of their own. (Colossians 3:24, 2 Corinthians 5:21) Christ has the authority from God, as mediator to inflict vengeance on the wicked and to give eternal life to His people, both of which He will do. Because God is loving, He offers the free gift of grace to all peoples through the sacrificial work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Because God is just, He will punish all who reject life and the offer of righteousness. He will not force His gift of grace on anyone, each must choose, this choosing is the “work” that determines the reward received. Consider Paul’s words from Romans, “For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:11-12) One day, when Christ returns, all choice will be removed and all peoples will indeed acknowledge Christ as sovereign ruler with all authority, but at that point, our opportunity to choose Him of our own volition, will be gone. Judgment will be present and the reward will already have come.

3) What does the water of life represent?
Throughout Scripture, a place of barrenness and unquenchable thirst is an apt description for life apart from Christ. For the woman at the well in John 4, whom Christ encountered, she came to understand that without Jesus, the source of living water, she would always experience empty thirst. A dry and thirsty land where there is no water represents very well this world, to the one who doesn’t have the constant presence of the Savior dwelling in their hearts through the Holy Spirit. He is the fountain of life, He is the living water. He is the source of our eternal hope, having raised us from death to life, spiritually speaking, as He took away our sin and gave us His righteousness. As the Israelites would have perished without the flow of water from the rock as they wandered in the barren wilderness, so does every soul perish for eternity without Christ. In our physical world, water is commonly associated with life, without water we will quickly die! Water is mentioned many times throughout the Bible in association with life, not just temporary, but eternal! “But whoever drinks from the water I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, ,the water I give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” (John 4:14) With this living water of life, there comes a grand invitation, “COME! Let him who is thirsty (for true life), come and take the water of life freely!” (Revelation 22:17)

Everyday Application

1) What is the reward that is yet to come?
The entire chapter of Revelation 22 is phenomenal! It is the end of the Bible, and is a beautiful summation of what God has been drawing us to throughout His Word.  Having run the race of following Christ in this world for Jesus, our great reward is coming in His hand! We, who have placed our faith in Jesus, may eat of the tree of life and enter into the Holy City, the New Jerusalem! Not because we have worked hard at righteousness on our own, but because Christ has completed our work and given us His Own Righteousness in place of our sinfulness. However, there is not only one reward because there are two groups of people. Of all peoples, we are either inside the gates of the Holy City because our names are in the Book of Life as a result of trusting Christ (Revelation 3:5) OR we are outside the gates of the Holy City never to enter in, but to be in Hell for all eternity and separated from God, the author of life and love. (Matthew 18:5-9, Matthew 25:31-46) This is a very clear statement of the only two possible places we will spend in eternity, either Heaven or Hell. Christ is coming soon (verse 12), His reward is with Him to repay us whether we have chosen to trust Him or trust ourselves. He holds all authority, existing for all eternity as the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. (Matthew 28:18, Revelation 22:13) Because it is true that “salvation exists in no other name” (Acts 4:12), our opportunity to choose Christ now, at this moment, is the single most important decision we will ever make. In 10,000 years from now, Christians will still be rejoicing in knowing the eternal God of love in deeper ways. Those who rejected Him now will continue in their unfathomable suffering as they live out eternity under the full wrath of God. Where is your reward?!

2) Who will receive the reward?
Verse 14 is very descriptive and straight forward as to who the rewards are designated for, “Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter into the Holy City by the gates”. Those who have followed Jesus, those who are All in for Christ no matter the cost and whose names are written in the Book of Life, finally after running the race on earth, will find their eternal home is heaven. This is their great reward! To be with Christ! The second group of people are those who chose not to follow Christ, rejecting the offer of life and righteousness. These folks are described as being OUTSIDE the city gates, and their sinfulness and immorality is clearly described (verse 15). These sins once characterized those who have trusted Jesus for salvation too. (Ephesians 5:8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) The only thing separating one group from the other is the precious blood of Jesus who covers all sin when we ask Him to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, 1 Peter 1:18-19) All forms of wickedness and unrighteous persons will be shut out of heaven forever. There is no middle ground! This should be a wake-up call for all of us. We’re talking about eternity, forever and ever! What side are we on? Where will we freely choose to live eternally? If we’ve already trusted Christ for our own salvation, I urge you my sister, to share this living hope with all gentles, respect, and urgency with those around you! (1 Peter 3:15)

3) What does the water of life represent?
Jesus has freely offered this living water to all peoples, and given many warnings so all would know that now is the time to choose to accept that gift of life for themselves. When Jesus calls out, “Come!”, His offer is extended to all who thirst. The promises and the rich inheritance of the freedom found only in Christ is offered to all! We all experience thirst, and dry emptiness in this life. Loss, hurt, illness, and many others, but with the living water of Christ flooding our hearts through His presence by His Holy Spirit, we are made alive, we are sustained and upheld. We are carried and preserved, and will one day, see our redemption face to face in the lovely countenance of Christ Himself as He brings His reward to us! Jesus calls us to come and freely take of the living water so we may abundantly live while serving here on earth in HIS name as we await the coming day of Christ’s magnificent and most glorious return. If we can just picture in our mind the absolute beauty of God’s restoration of Eden as depicted in the first five verses of Revelation 22, that alone should be a huge catalyst in pulling us nearer to the Father and increasing our thirst for Christ, and Christ alone! The more we drink of Him through feasting on His word in Scripture, the more we are rooted ever more firmly in truth, and encouraged to boldly share this hope of life with all those around us, calling aloud, “Come!”. The account of Revelation assures us God is in control. History is moving toward the consummation of His purposes. His plan is unfolding according to His schedule. Christ will return and win the final battle against evil and injustice. He will reign in victory forever! Believers will be rescued and live forever in the sweet presence of God. I’m in! How about you?!

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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!

Digging Deeper Community

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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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Chase Day 5 Chasing Entitlement

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Jonah 4
John 3:16-18
1 John 2:16-18
Matthew 20:1-16

“For God so loved the world…”

The world.

God loves the world.

Not just the saints.
Not just the Jews.
Not just the believers.
Not just the Christians.
Not just the rule followers and law obey-ers.
Not just the mamas who seem to have it all together.
Not just the families that go to church every Sunday.
Not just the women who can balance their whole lives perfectly.
Not just the thankful.
Not just the healthy.
Not just the clean.
God loves the WORLD.

He loves the people overtaken with pride.
He loves the Muslims.
He loves the agnostics.
He loves the rule breakers.
He loves the mamas who get a little too angry a little too quickly.
He loves the broken families.
He loves the women who put on their lipstick while trying to drive a stick shift in traffic.
He loves the dissatisfied.
He loves the sick.
He loves the dirty.
God loves everyone.

It doesn’t always seem fair that He has the same amount of love for the person who doesn’t even try to live a godly life as He does for those who are working daily to grow their relationship with Him.

And as embarrassing as it is to admit, these thoughts cross my mind sometimes:
“I’m such a better mom than her.”
“I’m so much nicer than her.”
“I give so much more than them.”
“I present myself better than her.”
“My house is so much cleaner than hers.”
“My walk with God is a little shinier than hers.”

I bet I’m not the only one that thinks these things… (Read: Please tell me I’m not the only one that thinks these things!)

And even if I am today… I know I’m not the only one in history who has had similar thoughts.
Pharisees.
Adam.
The Prodigal Son’s brother.
James.
John.
The Rich Young Man in Mark and Luke.
Saul.
Joseph.
Jacob.
I mean, just to name a few.

But one that stands out to me the most is this man we’re going to be talking about for a little while… Jonah.

Jonah. The prophet infamously known for being swallowed by a giant fish because he refused to go where God called him to go. But, why did he refuse to go to Nineveh? He was a prophet of the Lord! Shouldn’t he WANT to go where God’s love was greatly needed?

He thought the Ninevites didn’t deserve grace.

They were too far gone. Too dirty. Too lost.
Way too sinful.

And this is where my breath catches and my eyes start to tingle with tears of guilt suddenly threatening to spill over.

How many times have I been Jonah?

How many times have I looked at someone and refused to show them love because I thought they were too far gone? They were too dirty, too lost, and way too sinful for me to even consider offering them the grace that God gives freely to ALL? Sisters, if my answer is even “just one time”, that’s one time too many. And, unfortunately, my answer is way more than one.

My prejudice-ness, pride, judgment, and self-entitlement clouds my perception of others and their need for grace, while also radically fogging other’s viewpoint of God’s character of pursuit of His children.

We all have our own ideas of what “too far gone” looks like.
For Jonah, it was the Ninevites.
For some, it might be murderers, child abusers, prostitutes, politicians, dictators.
For me, sometimes it looks like another woman who is struggling to find her place in this world. And realizing that ugliness in me, breaks my heart.

I can’t believe that I could ever limit the love that I show someone based on my perception of them. Until I remember how dirty and lost and sinful I am too.
Jesus saved me, despite all of it, and in the sight of the Lord,
I am absolutely no better than anyone else.

Love can be so messy.
It can be so dirty.
But if Jesus can love the entire world… the abuser and the victim, the prostitute and the pimp, the dictator and the citizens, you and me…
then surely I can love the people that can seem the hardest to love.

Let us learn from the sad life of a man who would rather die than watch the Lord extend grace to people he deemed unworthy.
Because we are all unworthy.

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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 Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Palette Day 10 Breaking The Silence

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 17:26
Romans 10:12-13
Malachi 2:10 

Jessica and I have been friends for the better part of six years and my life has been forever changed because of her joy, wisdom, and laughter. I can talk to her when I have tough questions about race that I don’t understand; she’s patient with me, and shares her heart as I listen. I’ve been silent for too long, for fear of saying the wrong thing. So for today’s Journey, we’ve got a Q & A dialogue between the two of us, breaking the silence.

1. Were there any instances growing up where you felt you were treated differently or unfairly because of the color of your skin?
Growing up I went to predominantly Caucasian schools, so to me, it was normal to be a “minority.” I grew up in California so racism wasn’t something that I even thought about until I moved to the south and began traveling overseas. Once I moved, color was instantly shoved in my face. I felt like I constantly had to make an effort to have at least one black friend to ensure I wasn’t offending anyone. When I was closer to a white girl than a black girl, my skin color was automatically questioned. When I acted a certain way, or liked certain things that weren’t deemed “black,” I was instantly a white girl. I was told my white friends were more “black” than me. I was presumably a good dancer because of the color of my skin (don’t get me wrong, your girl CAN get down), or not ghetto enough because I didn’t smoke or choose rap music as my favorite.
I didn’t fit the mold of a stereotypical black person, so people told me I wasn’t.

2. As an African-American living in the south, what are some of the biggest differences you see in our culture today?
Honestly, I think one of the biggest differences is that most African Americans from my generation are more worried about their life than they’ve ever been. They worry about their kids, family, and friends who are African American more now, than they did growing up. I’ve travelled to over twenty-five countries and I fear more for my life living in the south than I did traveling the world. Driving by a police officer I pray I don’t get pulled over, and if I do, that I’m met with a nice officer. If I see an African American pulled over, I say a prayer for them, hoping that they make it home to their family. I’ve grown accustomed to being met with racism, where I’ve grown up expecting kindness.

3. You’re currently the nanny for twin Caucasian two year olds. Tell me what it’s like and any adversity you face as an African American taking care of them.
I’ve been watching kids since I was eleven, and I’d say over 90% of the kids I’ve babysat for have been Caucasian so taking the job as the twins’ nanny was normal to me. I started when they were just three months, so when they got bigger and the weather got nice, we ventured outside and everyone marveled over the twins. I honestly don’t think they even noticed the color of my skin.

I do remember one day when we were out for lunch; as the twins have a double stroller, navigating through doors can be a task. We were leaving Moe’s and this nice Caucasian lady held the door open. As we were walking away she looked at me and said, “Congratulations!” I stopped and paused for a second, confused. I then stuttered and said ‘thanks’ with an awkward smile on my face.

She thought the twins were mine.  She had a clear view of them, and me. While I was confused in the moment, walking back to their house, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. In my head I thought, this is how it should be. When people see a lady with kids who aren’t the same color, instead of assuming they’re “the help,” they assume she’s the mother. I think it’s a beautiful and a hopeful picture of the future. The worst thing I’ve encountered have been questioning looks that I either ignore, or meet with a smile and tell the twins to say hi to them.

4. How can we, as a church body, better support each other’s differences? I know many people, including myself, fear saying the wrong thing so we stay silent.
To be honest, one of the biggest things is acknowledgement. You may not understand, or be able to relate, but saying something is better than saying nothing. Saying the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ doesn’t mean we’re saying yours don’t, we simply want you to know we matter too. Acknowledge that we want you to stand with us, and value us as an important part of your congregation, especially when it is a predominately Caucasian church.

We see what you share, post, and comment on social media platforms, especially when it contradicts conversations we’ve had face to face.
We want to feel safe and united with the congregation, and by you acknowledging that things take place in the world that affect us differently because of the color of our skin, it helps begin to bridge the gap of understanding. Acknowledge that when you’re silent as racism occurs, it says you don’t care, and while you may not understand, sympathy goes a long way. Ultimately, it’s time to stop using ‘I don’t understand’ as an excuse, and allow these injustices to break your heart like they do the Lord’s.

When President Trump was elected, my pastor sent a group text to all the African Americans in our church. I’ll never forget his kindness, as it was such an example of loving those different than you. The end of his text read: “I’m so honored to be your pastor. I want you to know that I need your voice in my life, and when something matters to you, it matters to me. If I can serve you in any way, just let me know.” This is what it’s about.

I’m so grateful for my friend, Jessica. My life has been uniquely blessed by her.
Link arms with us by giving voice to reality, and bridging a gap that feels unsafe in so many ways.
Together, let’s break the silence!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Palette Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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The GT Weekend – Justice Week 3

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The GT Weekend

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

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

1) There are so many sub-groups of people that are easy to separate from our daily life and become ignored. Choose one group and commit to praying for them this week.
Ex. Pray for orphans globally that they would feel Father’s love and value of them this week.

2) When we study Scripture and see all these people to love and all these places to be intentional, it can feel overwhelming. But making it about what I need to do completely misses the heart of the Gospel. Ask the Lord to give you “the peace of God that transcends all understanding, to guard your heart and mind’ (Philippians 4:7) as you process social injustice through the lens of Scripture.

3) Peter gives us the charge of being hospitable to all, to use our gifts to serve each other (1Peter 4:9-10). These last few weeks, we’ve looked at the marginalized people in our world. Who do you feel God is calling you to host?

Worship In Song

Music Video: Tim Hughes’ “We Must Go”

Pour Out Your Heart

With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the
Lord, saying “Lord, have mercy.”

For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and
for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the
destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who
remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and
degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Defend us, deliver us, and in thy compassion protect us, O
Lord, by thy grace.
Lord, have mercy.

-The Common Book of Prayer

https://www.bcponline.org/HE/pop.html

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In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
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Justice Day 11 Beyond My Walls

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Isaiah 30:18
Psalm 146
Psalm 147

It’s something I take entirely for granted.
Clean water.
In my house, there are 21 outlets for fresh water.
Twenty-One!
In many third world countries, there are zero.
Even traveling outside of a home or village to get to water, it’s contaminated and disease ridden,
meaning that literally millions of people have no access to clean water whatsoever.

My church has proudly taken a stand to help fill the gap, standing up for those suffering without this most basic necessity of life. They run for clean water by partnering with Team World Vision, where just $50 changes 1 life with clean water access.
For the amount of a nice dinner out, 1 life can be forever changed.

The fact that people, usually women, spend their days walking about 4 miles one-way to collect dirty water for their families, and then carry it home again, is a social injustice worth fighting against. One, that together, we can make a huge difference in.
It’s practical, it’s tangible, and it’s life changing!

We hashtag #firstworldproblems and snicker a little, knowing full-well the incredible advantage we have in the country we live in.

My daughter has every athletic bone in her body, she is speedy, determined, and does backflips like nobody’s business. She ended up on a soccer team with another girl her age, Addy. Addy is 8 years old, in the 3rd grade, and is training to run a half-marathon in October.
For Real!
What’s more, she’s raised a mind-blowing $10,000 for clean water in Africa so that little girls like her can grow up healthy because they have access to something my 2-year-old can turn on and off without even thinking about it.
Clean. Water.

Access to clean water saves lives.
While access to the Living Water of salvation through Jesus Christ saves souls for eternity.
We must not divorce these two!
We are called to share the fullness of the gospel and intertwine it with loving others in the nitty gritty real stuff of everyday life from digging wells, fighting for equal rights, supporting abortion clinics, and passing out food to those less fortunate.

Drink in Psalm 146 and joyously celebrate our God of Justice:
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
….who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry,
The Lord sets prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
He watches over the foreigner,
He upholds the widow and the fatherless.

This is our God, Ladies!
A God of freedom for all.
A God who stoops low to love well.
A God who fights for the oppressed.
A God of justice.
A God who never ignores people,
never side-steps issues to sweep them under the rug,
and never is blind to injustice,
but is a righteous Defender of the weak!

Looking at this list of those the Lord loves to defend, who do you know who fits these categories?
Who do you see that is
oppressed,
hungry,
in prison,
handicapped,
weighed down,
is a foreigner,
a widow,
or an orphan?

Yes, sister, we are called to share the gospel.
We are called to ministry in the church body.
We are called to encourage the saints (our fellow Christians).
But sharing the fullness of the gospel,
extends far beyond
words we say,
prayers we pray,
or classes we teach at church.
We are called beyond the safe walls of our homes, and churches, and carpool lines, and grocery aisles.
We are called to outside of us.

Plead with the Lord, this Maker of all, who cares so deeply and intimately about His creation,
to break your heart over what breaks His own.
Beg the Spirit to peel away the blinders on your eyes and truly see beyond yourself to the least of these.
Those you don’t like,
those you feel defensive against or look down upon,
those who clearly need the gospel as much as we do.
Then, fueled by the love of a Father who gave to you, choose to give yourself away for another.

Help Addy raise money for wells in Africa.
Adopt a family in need.
Partner with your local women’s clinic to help save unborn lives.
Go inner city and look under bridges and behind old warehouses for the souls who feel like they’ve been abandoned by humanity and God.
Find Them.
See Them.
LOVE THEM LIKE JESUS!
Love them like the God of Justice!

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

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Freedom Day 13 Freedom Fuels Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5
Colossians 3:12-17
1 Corinthians 13:4-13

“Man, it’s so hot in here.” 

I mumbled the words under my breath as we made our way from a tiny hut in the middle of the bush in Uganda to the clinic in town for my last malaria treatment. The African heat was on fire that day, and since I was already running a fever, it felt as if it was at least 120 degrees inside the pick-up truck. We had about ten or so minutes left in our commute when the truck started to make an all too familiar noise.

Within an instant the car shut down.

We had run out of gas.

Again.

Up until this point, I had never been in a car that has run out of gas. I’m one of those ‘if it shows it’s got half a tank left then we should immediately get more gas’ kind of people. So imagine the look on my face when the driver got out of the truck and told me to wait there, as he was going to walk and get more gas.

Um, okay.

I put my feet up and allowed the soft breeze to cool me off as I reflected on my situation. Why do so many people here never fill up their car all the way? How can they be okay with running on empty? I know I’m not a mechanic, but I do know that running on little fuel on a consistent basis, does more harm than good. Why not give the tank a good fill-up?

My questions quickly turned from being about a car to being about my spirit.
Do I walk around like I’m half empty with my gas gauge quickly approaching the red zone?

Yes

Am I seeking the Creator regularly to make sure I’m fueled up and ready to love beyond my borders as the Holy Spirit works in my life?

No

When we’re given gifts that require us to do some work, but throw them aside simply because we’re not willing to do it, we’re doing a disservice to ourselves and those around us.

I’m so guilty of this– making it about how I feel, and my own comfort level, rather than denying self, releasing control, and allowing the Spirit to move in my life.

I forget way too often that we were freed to love.
When Christ died for our sins on the cross, He left behind the Holy Spirit who lives inside each believer and fuels this freedom.

Paul describes this freedom to love so beautifully in Galatians 5:14-15. He makes a clear cut understanding between how we should respond in the spirit vs how we should respond in the flesh.

For you were called to FREEDOM, brothers.
Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity
for the flesh,
But through love
serve one another.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

A few months ago, I received word that one of my best friend’s husband had passed away. His time here on this earth was cut short too soon as he suffered from a long time mental disorder, resulting in taking his own life. Upon hearing the news, I knew what I needed to do. I hopped in my car and drove the four hours to be by her side. The entire drive to her parents’ house I prayed. I asked the Lord to give me the words to say, and not to say. I asked Him to give me insight as I navigated through one of the toughest seasons our friendship would endure. I asked Him to comfort not only my friend, but their children as well, as they had just lost their daddy.

I could not love my friend and her family fully, through my flesh.
I needed the Spirit to guide everything that I did, as through the flesh I was an absolute mess and losing energy quickly. I couldn’t stop crying, I couldn’t think straight, so with a deep breath I prayed, switched my mindset and moved forward to be there for her.

The circumstances weren’t going to change just by me showing up and being there for her, but it did help her know that she was loved and not alone. We sat on the guest bedroom bed, just the two of us, for an hour and just laid there and cried, talked, and prayed.

Choosing to surrender our selfish view of love, based on what we should get from the relationship, to a Spirit-fueled love frees us to love like Christ!
And when we love radically, filled up with Jesus’ love, the weight of performing and worrying about what you will get out of the relationship, falls from our shoulders.

So, take a breath, dear sister.
Allow the Holy Spirit to fuel His love inside of you.
Be there for someone today that needs it.
Send a text, or write a letter, to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Call your mom and say I love you, just because.

Take a walk, and see if the Lord puts someone in your path that you need to share the Gospel with.
Unleash the freedom of a Spirit-fueled love!

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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 Freedom Week Three! 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 Freedom!

Borders Day 1
Look Up

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 4:12-22
Luke 5:1-11
Matthew 16:25-28

Connection.
Relationship.
Eye to eye.
The sense of being right there “with” you.
Seen. Recognized. Known.

It’s the small things in Scripture that deserve so much of our attention.
Small things like the time when authors record that Jesus lifted up His eyes.
Small things that tell us much about our Lord, His intentions, motivations, and priorities.

Throughout the New Testament, God interjects Himself into the everyday happenings of life as Jesus raises His eyes to see beyond.
He sees much, He is aware, and He moves in.

It’s never once recorded that Jesus looked up only to turn away.
Jesus looks, and then He acts, fueled with a compassionate heart.

But no life, lived for itself, even catches a glimpse of abundance.
No life spent on self-focus will ever find that satisfaction that Christ talks about.
Jesus calls us to quite literally look up and move in as we walk through our everyday lives.

At the grocery store.
At the coffee shop.
At the playground.
In the pickup line at school.
At church.
At the restaurant.
In the neighborhood.
At the gym.

Jesus’s ministry was just beginning and He’d already earned a reputation as healer and preacher. Wherever He went, crowds followed Him. He performed his first miracle in Cana, just about 9 miles from His hometown in Nazareth, where He turned water into wine, but He was much less popular when He claimed to be the Messiah in Nazareth’s synagogue. Wildly unpopular, Jesus was thrown out with the intention of killing Him, but He escaped the angry mob.

Jesus left Nazareth, traveling the 90 some miles to Capernaum where He would spend the majority of His ministry. About 90 minutes in a car for us, but by foot…it was probably a week of solid walking. Scripture doesn’t record His travel, but I wonder what encounters He had along the way. Did Jesus spend time talking with other travelers, carefully turning the conversation to spiritual matters? Did He see sick? Perhaps He healed them. Perhaps He spent evenings teaching the Torah around fire pits, feeding hungry souls.

Whatever happened on that trip, Jesus was read to engage when He arrived in Capernaum.
And I bet you He was excited!
We find such satisfied delight in doing what we were made for, I have no doubt the same was true for Christ.
Jesus was walking the sandy shores of Galilee that day, crowds hungering for truth, and as He spied the fishing boats of Peter, James, and John, His heart probably started beating faster. He was doing the work He had planned from the beginning of time. He was calling people to Himself, to restore the relationship between humanity and God,
and He was going to use ordinary people to do it.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he (Jesus) looked up to see two brothers, Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. (Matthew 4:18)

Just two guys. Doing what they had been doing their entire lives. Fishing was in their blood.
Except that night had been one of “those nights”.
They had pulled an all-nighter with absolutely nothing to show for it. Exhausted and frustrated, they were washing their nets as Jesus and the crowd came along.

Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he (Jesus) asked him to put out a little bit from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. (Luke 5:3)

The Lord of Creation, crafter of all the fish in the seas, Ruler of time and space, stepped into Simon’s boat and invited him to partner with Him to teach people.

He finished speaking, the crowd was dissipating, and Jesus turns to Simon, “Put into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

So interesting here, are Jesus’s last words…. “for a catch.”
He knew exactly what was waiting for Simon.
But the words were missed on the fisherman, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
Simon expected nothing; he was just respectfully satisfying the Teacher.
But oh Jesus! He had so much more!

Out they went to the deep with the sun no doubt high in the sky by now, sweat glistening on their brows, perhaps a little weary tension hung in the air as they rowed.
But it vanished instantly as the nets they dropped caught such a large number that their own boat began to sink as well as their partner’s who had come to help.
Fish flapping everywhere, men straining at breaking nets, boats literally sinking, intense shouting to manage the fish, and Simon fell to his knees, “Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” he wept.

Jesus had looked up, capturing Simon and his fellow fisherman with His divine lordship, enticing them with the raw beauty of His majesty wrapped in loving-kindness.
And Simon’s response was worship as he recognized who he was in the light of holiness.

“Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men”,
Jesus spoke with clarity in the middle of Simon Peter’s chaos.

Christ’s ministry on earth began with His eyes that lifted up so He could see who was in front of Him. Then Jesus went all in, out to the deep, into emptiness, bringing life, bringing abundance, then calling Simon Peter to more.

Where will you go?
What will you do?
With eyes lifted up?

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

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The GT Weekend – Flourishing Week 3

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The GT Weekend

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

Journal With Us!

Journal Prompts

  1. We all know spending time with our Creator, Savior, and Guide is of utmost importance, yet it’s the easiest thing to get cut from our day. Take a moment and really process why you skip spending time with Father. Laziness? Pride? Fear? Shame? Priority?
  2. Praise takes practice! Learning to respond to difficult circumstances with praise takes time and discipline. Click here  Flourishing Wk 3 printable2 to print our reminder and post it in a visible location for you to be reminded of the discipline of gratefulness this week!
  3. How is your family being intentional in investing in others? Share in the comments below or email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com to tell us about it!

Worship In Song

Music Video: Spontaneous Worship’s “Yes And Amen”

Pour Out Your Heart

O God, who hast made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and didst send thy blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after thee and find thee; bring the nations into thy fold; pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of thy kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out thine arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of thy saving embrace: So clothe us in thy Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know thee to the knowledge and love of thee; for the honor of thy Name. Amen.
~The Book of Common Prayer

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In everything, with praise and thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God!
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Send your prayer request to prayer@gracefullytruthful.com
We are committed to praying over and walking with you!

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Flourishing Day 1
The Goal of Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Timothy 1
1 Corinthians 13
Colossians 1:3-12
Romans 13:8-10  

Life in Christ begins and ends with love.
In studying Jesus’s ministry, we learn that He operated from a place of love, from start to finish.
He came to earth as a man because of love (John 3:16).
As He walked among us, He explained there is no greater commandment than love, first for God, and then for those around us (Matt 22: 37-9).
This God-man translated His words to action when He chose to die in our place, because He loves us too much to face eternity without us (John 15:13).
And finally, having proved that love is stronger than death, His final instructions to His disciples were that they should do the same: share the overwhelming, incomprehensible love of God with a waiting world, thereby discipling disciple-makers (Matt 28:19-20).

Jesus loved.

With all of Himself.
With everything He was.
Holding nothing back.
And because of that, His legacy continues to transform lives,
thousands of years after His death and ascension.

As we dig into 1 Timothy 1, we see that He asks us to do the same.
The goal, Paul writes, of all that he has passed on to Timothy is love.​

Paul isn’t simply sharing knowledge to help Timothy gain status, to ensure his pupil can debate wittily, and therefore reflect well on his teacher. No, Paul’s desire for Timothy, and God’s desire for us, goes much deeper.
He longs for us to lead our daily lives driven by love,
developing within ourselves a pure heart,
a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
This allows us to do His work in a way that builds His kingdom!

Let’s take a moment to talk status.
In 1 Timothy 1, Paul warns Timothy against his siren song and ours, pride.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul describes the incredible accomplishments we can achieve, even seemingly for the kingdom . . . and how they leave no impact on a world that is dying with the infection of sin, unless they are carried out with love.

Again in Colossians 1, Paul asserts that it is our overflow of the Father’s love that gives meaning to our lives, and our life’s work. In Romans 13, he reiterates Jesus’s emphasis on the two greatest commandments: love God, and love people.
In doing so, we bring about both fulfillment of the Law, and its transcendence!

But what about us, today?
We can fill our newsfeeds with beautifully edited pics and tales of our seeming perfection. We can drop self-aggrandizing references to our accomplishments into snippets of conversation.
We can blog about our acts of service until our fingers fall off.
We can spend a lifetime building our status.

A world that is longing for authenticity, for transformation,
for hope, redemption, grace, and everything that His love brings,
will see through our hypocritical status in about two seconds.

Or.
We can love.
We can choose to devote ourselves to quietly, humbly,
intimately soaking in and returning His love.

Digging into His word consistently to learn of its depths and its callings.
Accessing its unparalleled power in the place of prayer.
Rejoicing in its sweet ability to change our hearts as we worship.
Having fulfilled the first commandment to love God with our everything, we can then approach the second commandment from the overflow of that love and love others well!

You see, dear friend, I don’t believe He’s asking us to be the
Facebook-perfect,
Instagram-perfect,
blog.com-perfect,
ANYTHING-perfect Christ follower.

He’s asking us to be the person in the coffee shop who sees the hurt radiating out of the patron at the next table, feels His gentle nudge, and speaks His words of comfort to His precious child.

He’s asking us to be a listening, compassionate friend to the coworker who’s slogging through brokenness, and then offer to pray with her, right there in that moment,
putting her in touch with the God who can restore wholeness.

He’s asking us to be the mom in the school pick up line who understands oh-so-well the parenting struggle of the mom next to us and isn’t afraid to admit it. The mom who can be real about her shortcomings, and about her faith in a God who’s got them covered.

He’s asking us to love.
Wherever and with whomever He has put us.
With our words and our actions and our whole lives.
With our everything.

That kind of love, His kind of love, is meaningful.
It leaves a legacy.
It transforms lives and changes the world . . .
one small, quiet, authentic, obedient act of love at a time.

Father, thank You for Your incomprehensible, tender, unending love for me. Help me to love You with my everything, to be steadfastly devoted to pursuing Your heart. And then open my eyes to those around me who need a touch of Your love today. Awaken my spirit to a holy awareness of Your calling and guiding, and awaken my heart to obedience and courage to act in love as I see You lead. In Your name I pray, amen.

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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 Flourishing 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 Flourishing!