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Sketched VIII Day 7 Lazarus: 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 Lazarus!

The Questions

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important? (verses 4-7)

Psalm 145:1-7

1 I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The Lord is great and is highly praised; His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation will declare your works to the next and will proclaim your mighty acts. 5 I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and your wondrous works. 6 They will proclaim the power of your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They will give a testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Original Intent

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)
Although David was Israel’s king, he knew Who had given him this position, and he acknowledged God as his King when he proclaimed, “I exalt you, my God the King”. (verse 1) His view of God was so high that he couldn’t stop himself from praising and blessing Him. In studying the book of Psalms, we find a lovely collection of songs where David is actively blessing God. Very quickly, we see how blessing God goes hand in hand with praising Him. For example, Psalm 34:1 reads, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” He continues by telling the people to join him in proclaiming the Lord’s greatness and exalting His name. (Psalm 34:3). In Psalm 104, the psalmist blesses God for the Creator He is. He begins and ends his psalm with, “My soul, bless the Lord!”. (Psalm 104:1; 35). Between these verses, we hear David praising God for His creation and the wonderful things He’s done. In 1 Chronicles 29:10 we read how David “blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, ‘May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.’”  He continues again with praising and exalting God’s name and His character. It’s clear that David blessed God through praises and exaltation from his heart.

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)
Since David only used this exact statement in this particular verse, I looked at some other references found in the Bible to understand its meaning in full. Interestingly, I discovered that Job proclaimed similar words. Twice he stated, “[God] does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.” (Job 5:9; 9:10) Just as David proclaimed the greatness of the Lord, so also Job says the same thing (which is incredible, since Job walked through a season of deep suffering and loss). For emphasis, Job adds that God is so great, His wonders cannot be numbered. With this statement, we’re simply told that, no matter how hard we try, we won’t be able to fully understand the greatness of our Father in heaven. This includes the plans He has for us. That’s how amazingly great He really is!

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important? (verses 4-7)
David answers this question within this same passage. He tells us to speak of the Lord’s splendor and glorious majesty, His wondrous works, and awe-inspiring acts. (Psalm 145:5-6) These acts give testimony of God’s greatness and righteousness. (Psalm 145:7) David adds, “speak of the glory of [His] kingdom… informing all people of [His] mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of [His] kingdom.” (Psalm 145:11-12) Later, David writes, “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded, and they were created. He set them in position forever and ever; he gave an order that will never pass away.” (Psalm 148:5-6) Here, he shows us why we should praise Him and bless Him… because He spoke, and everything was created, including us!

Everyday Application

1)  How can we bless God on a daily basis? (verse 2)
At first, it might sound strange to bless God when He’s mainly the One blessing us, but we can bless Him by exalting Him and praising His name. David knew this and praised His name often, daily in fact! He wrote a beautiful psalm that teaches us exactly how to praise God and thus bless Him every day. In Psalm 150, we discover we can praise the Lord

  • In His sanctuary
  • In His vastness
  • For His powerful acts
  • For His abundant greatness
  • With music and dance

David blessed the Lord despite his own feelings or his circumstances. Blessing God was anchored in God’s unchanging character. We can do the same! The Lord is always good, kind, gracious, loving, merciful, tender, gentle, and much more! For which portion of His character will you praise Him today? Let your blessing become a pattern in your everyday life!

2) What does David mean with the words ‘His greatness is unsearchable’? (verse 3)
As we already saw, David used these words to show the enormous magnitude of God’s greatness. Benson’s commentary adds some extra light to this verse by writing, “[God’s] presence is infinite, His power irresistible, His majesty awful, His sovereignty incontestable, His dominion illimitable, His glory insupportable”. In other words, God is so great, it’s impossible for us to fully understand the extent of His greatness. God is so great, He knows the very number of our hairs (Luke 12:7), He knew all of us before we were even formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). His eyes could see us when we were formless, and all our days were already written and planned in His book before a single one began. (Psalm 139:16) How great and marvelous He truly is! Take time to jot down a few things you see around you that magnificent (like, a child’s eyes, the pattern on your skin, the flight of a honeybee, or the silkiness of a flower petal), and let those remind you of the greatness of God!

3) How can we declare God’s greatness to others and why is this important?
In today’s society, we often forget God is the One who blesses and provides for us. He gives us both common grace of our planet, air, and water, and His providential grace to all who trust Him for salvation by shaping them to become more like Jesus. How many times do we take credit for His work? God is the giver of all wisdom (Proverbs 2:6), truth (John 14:6), and strength (2 Corinthians 12:9); they come from the Lord, not ourselves. Yet, we are all guilty of not giving credit to Him, instead keeping it for ourselves. Remember the Old Testament prophet, Daniel (Daniel 2:27-28), and going farther back to Joseph (Genesis 41:15-16)? At the ruler’s request, both men were asked to interpret dreams. Interestingly, both men responded by saying, “No.” They couldn’t accomplish this feat, not on their own power, but God could reveal it to them. Before even stating the dream interpretations, they both gave credit to the One who gave them the wisdom to understand the dreams because God Himself was the giver of both the dream and the interpretation. Similarly, if we want to declare God’s greatness to others, we need to acknowledge His work and power, both in the Bible as well as in our own lives. Our testimonies of what God has done for us will boldly declare of His greatness in powerful and impactful ways to others! Only God is worthy of praise and because of our public praise, people who have yet to know God, may encounter His love and righteousness in personal ways! So, “let our mouths be filled with God’s praise and His honor all day long!” (Psalm 71:8)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Lazarus!

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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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Sketched VIII Week Two!
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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 :-))

Memorize It!

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Hallel Day 15 From Death To Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 118:17-29
Psalm 24:1-10
Matthew 26:36-56
Luke 20:9-18

Hallel, Day 15

I will not die, but I will live
and proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord disciplined me severely,
but did not give me over to death.

The words came flooding like so much mockery as the events of the previous hours replayed again and again, unbidden, in my mind. These were words my lips had sung hours before in swirls of confusion beneath the dark sky of Gethsemane. It was the same garden, the same piles of rocks, the same swath of olive branches where I had sat with these brothers of mine for countless hours over the last three years.

Here, I’d heard Jesus teaching the masses.
Here, I’d heard been confronted with truth.
Here, we had learned to pray.
And mere hours go, here is where my brothers and I had fallen asleep while…….
the sobs gathered with overwhelming force in my throat, choking me, as I called to mind my failings.

I ran aimlessly through the now empty garden.
I could not hold back the screams of agony.
Falling to the ground, my fists pummeled the soft earth, and I wished for death.

Here, just hours ago, I had watched Jesus heal a soldier’s ear from Peter’s reckless sword.
Here, I had been jolted awake from Jesus’ emotion-filled plea to please, please pray with Him. But I didn’t. I just couldn’t stay awake.

My hands reached up and grabbed at nearby olive branches in self-loathing and anger, plucking new leaves into my balled-up fists.

Softly, the words came again.
I will not die, but I will live
and proclaim what the Lord has done.

Proclaim?!
I scoffed!
Proclaim what??
That Yahweh had parted the Red Sea?
So what…
That He brought us out of exile?
That was centuries ago….
None of it was relevant now.
Our Messiah is… dead.

Anger overtook me again as my fingers dug into the dirt.

Open the gates of righteousness for me;
I will enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the Lord’s gate;
the righteous will enter through it.

The melody came like whispers.
As if Jesus Himself were singing the words, and my mind easily recalled the lusty sound of His voice, fraught with emotion, as He had sung those words while leading us here last night.

This is the Lord’s gate;
the righteous will enter through it.

What did any of this mean anymore in light of all the new happenings.
In light of death….
The only understanding hitting me hard on repeat was the knowing that I was not righteous. I was not righteous. I was not righteous. Too many sins, like the dirt pressed beneath my fingernails, my sin colored everything.
I knew the truth, I was not righteous.

Not like Jesus. Certainly not like Jesus. He was innocent. Holy. Pure.
And again, the tears flowed with the blatant injustice of it all.
Holiness murdered. Messiah dead. Hope gone…..

I will give thanks to you
because you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came from the Lord;
it is wondrous in our sight.

My lungs held their air as the words seemed to wrap around me, insisting I gaze at them longer. My body trembled, but something about those words I hadn’t recognized before. I turned my head as if to hear the words sung again in Jesus’ voice. Was there a deeper message in these age-old lyrics?

You…have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came from the Lord;

They were jagged pieces of a puzzle, but like a hazy fog gathering around me, realization was slowly creeping over me.
Salvation.
The stone the builders rejected….
This came from the Lord.

I inhaled sharply, suddenly remembering I had forgotten to breath, and my mind raced to the day Jesus had spoken those very words.
We were all gathered around Him in Jerusalem, walking around the breathtaking edifice of Herod’s Temple. He had told a strange parable, as most of them were, about the owner of a vineyard who, while out of the country, had sent a servant to gather fruit. But the tenants of the vineyard, whom the owner had left in charge, beat up the servant and sent him back empty handed. Three times the owner sent a servant, and three times the tenants abused the servants. Finally, the owner sent His own beloved Son, saying surely, the tenants will respect my son. But they didn’t. Instead they killed him. Then Jesus had quoted this portion of the Hallel, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.

Soft rain began mixing with my tears as I lifted my face to the heavens.
Christ was the cornerstone.
Christ was the rejected son, killed by the ones intended to care for the Father’s people.
Salvation.
This came from the Lord.

“There must be more to the story, Jesus”, I felt my lips move, and peace began easing my clenched muscles.
I didn’t have the answers, but, here, as before, in this Garden, I was being confronted with truth.

The Lord is God and has given us light.

Yes, Lord, You are the giver of Light.
Jesus, He is Your light of the world.
But, God, they crucified Him!
My questions still hung in the air
His answer came with power as the words to the end of the Hallel opened my heart, “Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar…”

Jesus.
The bound sacrifice.
The cross was the altar.
Death traded for life!

I still had questions to be sure, but as I rose, dropping the olive branches to the dirt by my sandaled feet, I felt washed. I felt peace.
No, I didn’t know the answers. Christ was still in the grave, but there was more to the story, I knew it would be so because God has always, always been faithful, and always would be.

Yes, He parted the Red Sea.
Yes, it still mattered.
Yes, He set us free from slavery.
Because He has always brought Life out of Death.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
You are my God; I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His faithful love endures forever!

—–
As is the case with each of our first-person narratives at Gracefully Truthful, these stories of Hallel have been imaginative creativity based in the truth of Scripture. We don’t know what the disciples’ exact actions or personal internal wrestlings were after the final Passover meal, the betrayal, the denial, the flogging, and finally the crucifixion of their Lord, Jesus Christ. But, here in the Garden, we hope you find small pieces of your own journey with Jesus, and you, like the disciples, discover He is indeed faithful and true, as He always brings Life out of Death!

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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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Focus Day 6 Listen Up

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Read His Words Before Ours!

James 3:1-12
Proverbs 4
Psalm 34:1-5
1 Samuel 21

Focus, Day 6

Abba, how would You have me manage my stress? My hours are ticking, I want to go running, I’m so annoyed that I can’t, I know I am keep people at arm’s length.
I know You’ve called my words and actions to consistently speak of Your Love…..but, Lord?
I can’t handle people!

I need space and time and running. And I have none of those.
My words are sharp to others. Critical. Passive-aggressive. Tense. Rude.
I know You’ve called me to love others, but I just can’t, Lord. I can’t.

“Listen, my daughter, accept My words.
Guard them, they are life for you.”

I will bless the Lord at all times.
His praise will always be on my lips.
I will boast in the Lord;
The humble will hear and be glad.
Proclaim the Lord’s greatness with me;
Let us exalt His Name together.

Your words from Psalm 34:1-3.
Your Words, Abba.

I think I can relate to David here, Lord. Not because I am faithfully blessing You or boasting constantly of You to others, but because of the tense insanity of David’s moments as he penned the words.
Maybe the force of his stress prompted a moment of sitting with You, like I am tonight.
Maybe as He sat, pouring out his frustration and complete inabilities and fears,
perhaps Your Spirit stirred within Him.
And there, in his frustrated anxiety, You, Spirit, reminded Him to bless the Lord at all times, as You’re reminding me.
To boast of You that others would know You.
To proclaim You and Your greatness, even in the midst of insane chaos.

Maybe, in this simple call to worship, You rearranged the too-tight, anxiety-ridden places inside David’s heart, just as You’re doing in mine tonight.

It wasn’t up to David and his skill or his political prowess to get him out of the Philistine’s land, it was up to You.

I will bless the Lord
at
all
times.

His praise will
always
be on my lips.

I will boast in the Lord.

A call to worship, a reminder of Who is sovereign.
Yahweh.
And who is not.
David. (and me)

Your Spirit carried David deeper after You reminded him to pick up worship instead of worry.
You anchored him in truth, replanting his feet off of himself and into the steadfast faithfulness of Your heart and character.

I sought the Lord
and He answered me.

Pause. Break. Cease.
B R E A T H E

Was David weeping now as Your Spirit crashed over his heart?
As you assuaged his fears?
As you pointed him towards Your heart of boundless love and towards Your ear that never wearies of listening and is always fully present to our cries?

Did David’s arms lift heavenward as his knees fell to the floor as You taught Him wisdom?
Did his voice catch as he spoke the Spirit-led refrain in jagged words, one after the other, slowly, like a steady rain, gradually bringing the cracked, dry soil of his heart back to life?
Was his face upturned as the tears ran over his beard and Your Spirit danced within him,
reshaping his heart?

I sought the Lord
and
He
answered
me.

You answered me, Lord.
You always answer me.
Every cry is heard.
Every tear is seen.
Every gaping open wound is held firm by Your hand as You heal.

Thousands of generations later, I whisper with outstretched arms, tears coursing down my cheeks, and Your Spirit bringing me back to life, moving me away from the jaws of anxious fear and hurtful interactions and into the sweet embrace of being known, seen, heard, and answered.

I sought the Lord and He answered me.

David’s outstretched hands now burst with energy, lifting higher still.
A wild grin spreads across his face, making the skin stretch where the salty trails have left their mark.
He’s been made new.
Again.

Joy floods his soul for his God has heard and answered.
Fear flees, peace rushes in.
Those who look to You, Yahweh, are radiant with joy!
Their faces will never be ashamed.

The fear that had held David hostage, clamping its fist around his throat is no longer remembered as radiant joy brings laughter instead of tears,
light to his eyes instead of terror,
and dancing to his feet.

David has stood in the very presence of Radiant Joy.
Where fear and shame once held him, David now parades with glee.

I wonder the observations others must have made following those moments he spent with You, Lord. Distant, withdrawn, snapping at others, a dark look and demeanor cloaking him, but then light flooding his countenance, peace pervading his every action, and joy fueling his words and interactions.

And such magnificent transformation is the norm for those who dwell in the presence of the Most High God!

How would You have me handle my stress, Lord?
How can I possibly love with my words and actions when anxiety and fear overtake me?
Too many ‘must accomplish’ tasks and no more time.
Annoyed at people.
Withdrawn and overwhelmed, pushing others away.

One word.
Worship.

Abba, forgive me for trusting myself instead of You.
Thank you for filling me with a peace that passes all comprehension and transforming me with undeniably radiant joy as you make me wise.
You Are My Good!

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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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Roads Day 14 True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment: 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 True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment!

The Questions

1) How can an evil spirit predict the future? Do Satanic forces know everything like God does? 

2) The girl seemed to be proclaiming truth about God, why was Paul “greatly annoyed”? 

3) What does the phrase “hope of profit” reveal? 

Acts 16:16-19

16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18 She did this for many days. Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

Original Intent

1) How can an evil spirit predict the future? Do Satanic forces know everything like God does?
It’s important to know that Satan and his demonic angels, or spirits, cannot know the future. Satan is not omniscient (all-knowing); only God is. Satan knows only what has been revealed by Christ since the beginning of Satan’s existence. Satan prowls as a lion, watching his prey, studying his prey like the commander of an army would study his opponent to know his weak points. This long-time study of human interaction and patterns allows Satan to use this information in cunning ways to make it appear that he, through his demonic forces, can “tell the future”. Examples of false prophets and deceptive prophesies that appear true, but end up being lies, are strewn all throughout Scripture. Only what comes from Christ can be absolutely trustworthy. Jesus is quoted as saying Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) 

2) The girl seemed to be proclaiming truth about God, why was Paul “greatly annoyed”?
This was not a one-time incident between Paul, Silas, Luke (the eyewitness author of Acts), and the girl who was possessed by a demon. Paul and his duo were regularly going to the place of prayer by the river to meet with believers, preach the gospel, pray, and encourage the saints. The girl, led by the demon, found them out intentionally, and followed them chanting, “These men, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” It was obvious to all on-lookers that this girl was demon-possessed, which was not an uncommon sight. Even though the message was indeed true, its messenger was from the “father of lies”. Paul wanted nothing to do with publicity from a false source. The gospel Paul was preaching and teaching of Jesus did not need “help” from a deceiving demon to proclaim. The gospel of Jesus is altogether other, full of light, life, hope, and most importantly, solid truth. This message had no place coming from the mouthpiece of a deceiver.   

3) What does the phrase “hope of profit” reveal? 
“When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.” (Acts 16:19) This display of anger boils down to 2 things, control and worship. Satan had given them the false idea that they were in control and were planning their own wonderful destiny by making large amounts of money through their scheme. No doubt they were self-assured, confident, and adept at knowing how and when to best promote their “propaganda”, the slave girl and her false demonic prophesies. When it was stripped of them, their indignant response was anger because their plans had been foiled, their false sense of control had been seized from their hands. Their source of power wasn’t solid and unshakeable, it was only found in their ability to manipulate and attempt to control something outside themselves for their own gain. The focus of their worship was not the unchanging God of the Universe, it was money, power, and self-gratification. If these men had been intent on worshipping the One True God, they wouldn’t have time or desire to worship lesser things.

Everyday Application

1) How can an evil spirit predict the future? Do Satanic forces know everything like God does?
Satan’s craft of choice is deception; he will stop at nothing to lure us into his lies. He is called the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) for good reason. Not because he is all-powerful like God, but because he hungrily seeks to rule this world with his limited dominion and turn every human heart, along with all of creation, away from the God who loves us, and towards anything else. Satan’s success is our demise as we are deceived into worshipping things, people, and desires that will absolutely never satisfy like the One who crafted our hearts for perfect union with Him. With all of this deception swirling around us from the “father of lies”, how can we possibly know whether we are being tricked, or where our hearts are worshipping something other than the God of the Bible? Scripture is the solid answer. The whole of Scripture is effective for teaching us how to live, and how to differentiate between truth and lies. From various belief systems, to cultural messages, and even good things we do, Scripture helps us understand our heart’s worship and which lies we are believing. Truth is available; it’s solid, sure, and life-giving, and worth seeking out!  

2) The girl seemed to be proclaiming truth about God, why was Paul “greatly annoyed”?
We too, like Paul, should be “greatly annoyed” when truth becomes jaded because of the source from which it comes. Whether it’s religious beliefs that use Christian language, a preacher who distorts truth, or leaders who use the Bible to make falsehoods appear “true and biblical”, all of it should feel like a punch to the gut. We, as believers, are called to act boldly, to love deeply, and not shy away from firmly taking a stand for truth and its ultimate Source, the Almighty God. Respectfully and lovingly? Absolutely! But we cannot hold loosely to truth so as not to offend someone. Sisters, share the full truth of the gospel with love and grace! Eternity is at stake. Speaking truth isn’t about winning a religious argument, it’s about saving friends, family, and those around us for eternity as we point each one to the solid hope we have in Christ! This Journey Theme, Roads, has tackled 9 religions and given us practical tools, equipping us to have good conversations with others. Use these tools, dig into Scripture, and hold firm to truth, Sister, hold firm! 

3) What does the phrase “hope of profit” reveal? 
When we hold firmly to truth, circumstances no longer hold us captive because we are personally in a living relationship with the Author of Life. Our very lives are held in His mighty hands. The men in this story worshipped themselves, and were held captive by Satan and his lies. They had been deceived into thinking they really did have power and and control in life, but they didn’t. Satan was simply using them to further his own twisted purposes of leading people astray and far away from the glorious truth and hope of Jesus Christ. These men were “owned” by a slave owner, just as they were “owning” this slave girl. And so are we, all of humanity is under the rule and reign of Sin and Satan. It is only through the offer of salvation by grace alone through faith alone by Jesus, fully God, fully man, sacrificially offering Himself on our behalf that we can be freed from the Slave Master Sin! In this incident in Scripture, when Satan lost to the power of Jesus Christ, these men lost too. Not So With Jesus! Sister, is God the Son yours?! For all who call on the Name of Jesus Christ, salvation belongs to them. Not a Jesus who is only “a” god. Not a Jesus who was created. Not a Jesus who holds no standard of right, wrong, or justice, but the Jesus of the Bible. It is only through this Christ, and this Christ alone, that our victory is forever won!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with True Hope In An Age Of Enlightenment!

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 :-))

Memorize It!

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