real life

The GT Weekend! ~ Melody, Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Melody, Week 1

Carol Graft

December 16, 2023

Adoration,Confession,Courage,Fruitfulness,Hope,Preparing

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

This Week's Journeys

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Revelation 15:1-4

Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven last plagues; for with them God’s wrath will be completed.

2 I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image, and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. 3 They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb:
Great and awe-inspiring are your works,
Lord God, the Almighty;
just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
4 Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you
because your righteous acts
have been revealed.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

My gracious and loving Lord, when I read Your Words in Revelation 15, I am overcome with the pull to worship You! I long for the day when I will be found among those who sing this song at Your throne.

I want to be found singing this song even now! I want my lips to praise You for all the great things you have done, are doing, and will do.

Let me never be ashamed to sing this song and speak Your victory to others. Prick my spirit if I should ever doubt your goodness, Lord. Others need to know of Your unfailing love, and You’ve called and equipped me to Go and Tell them! Others need to know of your grace and mercy available to them because of Your sacrifice on the cross. Show me how to speak boldly with my life and my words, Lord. Show me who to tell and give me the voice to sing Your song with my life!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Lesley does a lovely job of setting up our Journey Study theme, Melody! If you missed her intro, go read it! She not only includes historical background on women during the times of Jesus’ ministry, but how Jesus flipped cultural notions that women were of little to no importance. This idea clearly has never been true to God! Just study the narratives of Eve, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman, and many others.

Rachel reminded us on Day 2 that God has valued women from the beginning. Even though Eve doubted and listened to the wrong voice, she was still given a promise that, through her lineage, the Savior of the world would come!   

We are called to use the song of our life to point others to Jesus. It doesn’t necessarily mean we need a flashy platform, have authored books, or are leading a church ministry, even though it could be those things. Every “she” is important as they follow Jesus, and when we consider our home, neighbors, friends, and co-workers, ministry is found there! If they don’t already know Jesus, they need to be introduced! If they do know Him, then your ministry could be one of encouragement for them to be bold in sharing Jesus!

What if you started a small group study of the Bible? Pick one of GT’s Journey Themes to help guide you or just start reading Scripture together verse by verse and talking about it!

No matter your background, no matter what your present situation may look like you are deemed worthy by God. 

There is value in your voice.

JOURNAL TWO

On Wednesday and Thursday, Mary Kathryn and Lori explored the similarities between Miriam’s song and her brother, Moses’, song. I don’t recall ever being taught that connection or seeing it on my own. The depths these ladies take us to are stunning!

When we study Scripture and see words or phrases repeated, we know this teaching is something to take note of and give our attention to.

I also learned that if a similar word is repeated it magnifies and multiplies the message, intensifying its thought for the audience. I love learning from others who study Scripture!

I’m grateful for Miriam’s example of quick worship that led others to praise Him also. After the Red Sea filled back in over the Egyptian army, she championed worship in a way that’s been remembered by every generation after her. What a legacy!

Just as the Lord gave Israel victory over the Egyptians, so He rescues us from eternal death when we trust in Jesus’ work on the cross for us. We can lead a victory refrain praising God that, through Jesus, we also have victory over death, hell, and the grave!

How glorious to know this same refrain is echoed in the last book of the Bible.

God is the same God from the Old Testament to the New Testament. He is the same God of ancient Israel, ancient Jerusalem, and the New Jerusalem where all believers will one day dwell with Him and He is always worthy of our praise!

JOURNAL THREE

Christine’s journey study on Anna was convicting to me personally! I can’t imagine being widowed as a young woman just starting out, let alone in a culture that dismissed women. Whether you can personally relate to Anna’s specific loss or you come with different burdens of loss and grief, Anna’s life song can help us change the trajectory of our own legacy.

We know from Scripture, Anna chose to spend the rest of her life in the temple, devoted to prayer and fasting as her service to the Lord. Anna had no children and no one that we know of, stepped up to offer marriage and care for her. Still, her legacy of worship and declaration of Jesus has just impacted you in the reading of her story!

What a gift!

While most of us cannot spend our days in a church building or sanctuary praying continually 24/7, what we can do is be disciplined in the ways of the Lord by daily practicing being with Him. Through regular prayer and Scripture study, we will be taught by the Lord and He will ensure that our legacy isn’t wasted! 

For me, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 convicts me regularly, “Pray without ceasing.” To practice speaking with the Lord in such a regular, continuous way is a high challenge! I confess, I used to be more intentional with prayer as I went about my day.  I’m not sure just when the disconnect happened, but I my lack finds me repenting and asking the Lord to help me try again. Maybe you are in the same place; let’s start practicing more diligently together!

We can pray as we fold the laundry, as we sit in the carpool lane, as we stand in line at the grocery, or even in the elevator in our office building. We are called to pray for all the things that come to mind, pray to see God in our midst like Anna, and pray to be ready to tell others who He is just as Anna modeled.

Let’s follow Anna’s example of consistent worship, daily prayer, and then be eager to shine His light wherever we go!
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adoration,Christmas,hope,life song,real life,worship
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Mission Day 5 Living On Mission

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Mission Day 5 Living On Mission

Malinda Fugate

May 12, 2023

church,Faith,Focus,Follow,Grace,Journey

Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 28:16-20
Acts 1:1-11
Romans 10:8-15
Romans 12:1-8
1 Samuel 12:23-24

Eleven men trekked up the mountain to meet their Teacher. For three years, they had devoted themselves in discipleship to the Son of God. Now, after witnessing the miracle of His death (Matthew 27) and resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10),
they were about to receive a life-changing assignment.  

They were slightly out of breath when they reached the top of a familiar ledge and saw Him, Jesus, their Friend and Savior. Their hearts overflowed with worship, but some also doubted. The road they’d traveled had been long, full of miracles and mystery. Suddenly, each man fell silent as Jesus spoke.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

These instructions, often called The Great Commission, would direct every day of the rest of their lives. As they shared the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, more people knew God’s love and understood His powerful forgiveness and salvation. These new believers also received the same commissioning call to share this gospel message. The new disciples would then make more disciples, spreading the message far and wide, to the ends of the earth, generation after generation. 

They were given a mission. Though we didn’t walk the dusty roads of ancient Israel alongside Christ, we, too, are disciples. His words were recorded for a reason because we’ve also been assigned these instructions.

Often, we think of “missions” as traveling to a distant land to deliver sermons and meet physical needs. Intimidating visions of missionaries living far from the comforts of home persuade us to stick to something safer. Meanwhile, we regard people in vocational ministry as the disciple-makers, and we frequently join them for an event like an after-school program, outreach to the unhoused, or a supply collection for the local pregnancy center. All of these are good things, but they don’t fulfill the Lord’s Great Commission.

The key word is disciple.
Discipleship involves a great deal of time and dedication, much like being an apprentice. The disciples who walked with Jesus devoted their entire lives to serving and learning to be like Him. Deeper than students, they were also Christ’s friends. Their relationship with the Lord transformed their hearts. We are called not only to share the words of God’s story, but to create and nurture disciples, followers of Christ who dedicate their entire lives to deeply knowing Him. To do so, we are required to be disciples ourselves.

When we live out the love of Christ, God in us puts the gospel on display in remarkable ways. Demonstrating God’s Word speaks to the heart as well as the mind, a testament to His truth. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Colossae explaining discipleship as life in community. In Colossians 3:12-17, he describes compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. Teaching and worshiping together as a community are key, as are peace and gratitude. 

God gives each of His disciples unique gifts and purpose. (Ephesians 2:10 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31) The pages of the Bible are full of ordinary people living for the Lord, like Joseph, Esther, Priscilla and Aquila, or the woman at the well.

Their mission was to love their neighbors.
Their tools were the abilities and experiences God gave them. 

Similarly, we can make disciples right where God places us, with what He’s given us, when we’re filled with and empowered by His Holy Spirit, which comes through true repentance from our sin and faith in Jesus as our Savior from the deadly consequences of sin. As we tell the story of Christ’s love and salvation, we care for relationships, modeling God’s relationship with each of us. Through this, we can bring others into the Lord’s community. Our family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends are right here, and they need Jesus just like we do.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth telling them to “Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) This tells us we must ditch the notion our discipleship mission is an event or project; instead, it’s a lifestyle. Paul explained to the Romans that we are to serve God with every ounce of our being; our bodies are a living sacrifice to Him. (Romans 12:1-2) Our mission is in every moment. 

Like Jesus, our entire lives are made to emanate the love of God and the message of the Gospel when we surrender to His ways being lived out in us! We demonstrate this by consistently caring, listening, and being a friend. Praying for our neighbors is an incredible way to faithfully serve as God transforms lives. As we genuinely invest, the Lord will provide natural conversations as means of sharing the Gospel authentically. When our everyday living matches the words we share, we powerfully display the good news.

Dear friend, I invite you to live out the assignment God has given you, right where He’s placed you, with the gifts He’s given you. May you live with so much of His love that the people around you see the Lord in all you do. Pray for your community as you nurture relationships, seeing people through the eyes of Christ. We’ll watch as He moves and delight in being part of His incredible mission. 

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hope,mission,prayer,purpose,real life
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Sister, may the desire of our hearts be like Paul: that our confession of Christ would be from a sincere heart that would inspire other people to come to know God in their hearts and truly be saved!
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Steadfast Day 8 Worth It?

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Steadfast Day 8 Worth It?

Rebekah Hargraves

April 5, 2023

Alive,Awake,Future,Resurrection

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 15:29-34; 58
Matthew 16:24-27
Ephesians 2:4-10
Galatians 6:7-9
Psalm 51:10-13

I write these words a mere three days after Easter Sunday 2022. Easter egg hunts have concluded, sunrise services have been completed, and celebrations have ended. The resurrection of Jesus feels, appropriately, like a big deal every year on Easter morning. But come Monday? Easter memories begin to fade and are replaced by the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The hymns are silenced, the dresses are put away, and life resumes as normal.

But what if it didn’t? 

What if we actually lived our everyday Mondays in light of Jesus’ resurrection, which we commemorate on Easter Sunday?

Truly, this is Paul’s very desire for us as Christ-followers! 

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:32-34, “If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’ Come to your senses and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.”   

It’s helpful to read this passage in light of Paul’s concluding words in verse 58, “Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

We hear Jesus say something very similar in Matthew 16:24-27, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it. 

For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done.’”

This is the essence of what it means to live our everyday Monday in light of Resurrection Sunday – laying our lives down daily for the sake of Christ, remembering He is alive! 

It isn’t always fun, easy, or comfortable to live for Christ, to labor for the sake of the Gospel, or live in light of God’s ways and in obedience to His commands. To do so rubs against our sinful flesh and wages war with our innate desires. 

While that reality  is certainly true, there is good news, friend! Yes, it is hard to live for God sometimes, but we are able to do so with hope, purpose, and joy when we remember we live for Him because He is alive! He has secured our salvation and is currently in Heaven preparing a place for us! (John 14:2) The day will come when we will die, yes, but death is not the end for us, because death was not the end for Jesus!

Therefore, on our everyday Mondays, we have the privilege and opportunity to risk everything in this life for the sake of Christ’s kingdom work. When wholly following Christ  we risk power, wealth, health, earthly prosperity, relationships, possessions, and more. 

This can be scary. 
But it’s worth it! 

Dying daily to our own wants and instead following God’s plan for our lives will yield more abundant fruit than we can ever imagine. It will result in lasting joy as we live as God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Paul encourages our hearts in Galatians 6 when he writes, “Don’t be deceived; God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

Your work for the kingdom is worth it, dear sister. 
Your sacrifices for the sake of the Gospel will bear much fruit. 

Anchor yourself in the steadfast hope of eternity you have as a result of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Live in light of that hope. 
Be immovable in your God-given purpose. 

“Come to your senses,” reject the distractions and lesser pursuits the enemy throws your way, and refuse to let Paul’s words, “[S]ome people are ignorant of God. I say this to your shame” be said of you. (1 Corinthians 15:34)

Living each day in awe of Jesus’ resurrection, share the Gospel, apply the Word, encourage those in your sphere of influence, and you will never be lacking for purpose or fruitfulness. 

It really is worth it, friend.

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Easter,everyday life,hope,Jesus,real life,resurrection
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There is nothing anyone can do to attain salvation for themselves or anyone else, past or present apart from personal repentance from sin and personal acceptance of Christ’s free gift of salvation for the forgiveness of sin. Paul was using the apparently common knowledge of this practice of baptism by proxy to highlight the actuality of resurrection for followers of Christ.
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Another Day 9 Wrapped Up In Love: Digging Deeper

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Another Day 9 Wrapped Up In Love: Digging Deeper

Dr. Leslie Umstattd

March 16, 2023

Affectionate,Christ,church,Clothed,Lord,Love

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Wrapped Up In Love"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 6:27-36

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.

31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Who is the speaker and the listener in this passage? (verse 27)

Throughout this passage we see the pronoun “he”, which signals the necessity of going back earlier in the chapter to find the initial reference to “he” and properly identify him.

We need to search backwards to Luke 6:9 where Jesus’ name is used. Luke, as the writer of this book, is providing a written record of Jesus’ teaching. The audience’s identity can be found a few verses later in Luke 6:17, where Luke records, “After coming down with them, He (Jesus) stood on a level place with a large crowd of His disciples and a great number of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.” (emphasis mine)

The crowds traveled the countryside from city and farmland and all walks of life to hear Jesus teach, see His miracles, and be healed by Him. (Luke 6:18-19) 

The Everyday Application

1) Who is the speaker and the listener in this passage? (verse 27)

Luke records for us this interaction between Jesus and a large group of followers that included His disciples. This group had gathered specifically to hear Jesus’ teaching but also to receive healing. Luke 6:19 tells us “power was coming out from Him and healing them all.”

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, which is recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament, Jesus leads, teaches, loves, heals, disciples, and rebukes. People flocked to hear Him because His message of love and freedom was radically different from the self-righteous burden the Pharisees placed on them. (Matthew 23:1-5)

Over two thousand years later, people still flock to know the identity of this Jesus. Why are you drawn to Him? Are you seeking something from Him like many in the crowd, or are you seeking Him?  

The Original Intent

2) What six commands are given by Jesus in this passage? (verses 27-29)

The first two commands are given by Jesus in verse 27, “love your enemies” and “do what is good to those who hate you”. Jesus continues teaching with two more commands in verse 28, “bless those who curse you” and “pray for those who mistreat you”. The last two commands come in verse 29, “if anyone hits you, offer the other cheek” and “if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt.”

In these particular teachings, Jesus focuses on what it looks like in real life for His followers to show true love to the people who are hard to love. Jesus pointedly calls out the ones in our lives who are ungrateful, the easily offended, those who have taken advantage of offered kindness, and even more blunt, those who hate us and could be categorized as enemies.

Jesus’ command to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves has no fine print exclusions (Matthew 22:37-39), rather He provides clarity on how to obey such a command.

The Everyday Application

2) What six commands are given by Jesus in this passage? (verses 27-29)
On a deeper level, Jesus commands those listening to go beyond just doing the checklist of right and wrong. He pushes His hearers deeper, further into self-evaluation of not simply the action but the heart behind the action.

It’s one thing to be kind to a stranger, but an entire heart shift and empowerment by the Holy Spirit within you is required to love your enemy and do kind acts to those who hate you.

In Matthew 5:43-45, we see a similar teaching moment by Jesus where He instructs His audience to go beyond loving their neighbor to loving their enemy. He calls His followers to take radical action by praying for those who harm and persecute them. Jesus desires us as His children to follow in His footsteps and extend love and prayer to those who are different from us and walk a different life path.

The Original Intent

3) Why does Jesus use the comparative analogy phrase, “even sinners do that” three times in this passage? (verses 32-34)

In this context Jesus’ teaching moves beyond the simple outward appearance of righteousness, cutting to the heart of our motives and laying all “pseudo love” appearances out in the open. 

The religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, had taken the Law of God and added many man-made laws for the people to follow. They taught that following their law was the only way to God. Following the law as a checklist of do’s and don’ts, simply the doing of right and wrong, became their center of worship rather than adoring the one true God with hearts and lives of true worship. (Matthew 23)

Jesus wants His listeners to realize that following God is an issue of the heart as much as it is the actions flowing from a heart of love. Actions can give the appearance of righteousness, but when there is no heart transformation by the Holy Spirit, these actions are empty, and the person is missing the mark and far from God. (Matthew 15:8-20) Jesus wants His listeners to understand that following Him requires going beyond just loving the loveable; following Him means loving the unlovable, giving without desire for return, and doing good even to those who are not necessarily good. 

The Everyday Application

3) Why does Jesus use the comparative analogy phrase, “even sinners do that” three times in this passage? (verses 32-34)

Being a good person who does good things does not mean you have a relationship with Jesus. There are a lot of people who give to charity, provide resources to help others, and will even loan out money without interest, but they do not know Jesus. Actions can give an appearance of a heart transformation, but Jesus is asking for more.

He calls us to live as those under the law of freedom and show mercy because mercy was shown to you. (James 2:8-12) We have freedom in Christ to love well and He has equipped us to be able to love well by placing the Holy Spirit inside of all persons who choose to trust Christ as their Savior and repent of their sins.

Although our old sin-nature may desire to only love those who are loveable, Christ transforms us into a new people who bear the fruit of His Spirit through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to all of God’s creation. (Galatians 5:22-26)

The Original Intent

4) What model does Jesus give us to follow and what is its reward? (verses 35-36)

The model Jesus provided His audience was evidenced in His own presence as God incarnate. The holy, righteous God came to earth and humbly put on flesh in order to show us what kind of God He is. In this, He demonstrated lavish mercy and graciousness, even to those who are ungrateful and spiteful in return.

In the same way, Christ calls us to follow His example by being gracious and merciful in the midst of the ungrateful and evil persons in our lives. In verse 35, Jesus says to love and do good without expecting anything in return. In verse 36, Jesus tells His listeners to be merciful just as your Father is merciful.

The reward is being children of the Most High and honoring God with everything you do. We confidently know we belong to Him as His daughters when we regularly love others genuinely and authentically through the power of His Spirit working inside of us. There is no greater reward than being called His own!

The Everyday Application

4) What model does Jesus give us to follow and what is its reward? (verses 35-36)

Jesus is our model of how to love those who are hard to love, even those who hate us, and as His followers, we are to be imitators of Him in everything we do. (Philippians 2:5-11) Jesus gives us very specific examples throughout His ministry of how we should love.

In Mark 2:13-17, He called a tax collector to follow Him and then He ate at his house with other tax collectors and sinners. (Mark 2:15) This doesn’t seem odd for us, but in Jesus’ day tax collectors were hated by the Jewish people because they worked for Rome and charged more than required in order to pad their own pockets. Jesus, being a Jewish man, culturally speaking should have hated tax collectors, yet He shared a meal and fellowshipped with not just one tax collector but a host of tax collectors and other “sinners”. The Pharisees of the day thought themselves too religious and questioned Jesus’ and His actions. (Mark 2:16) Why would Jesus do this? Jesus answered the Pharisees in verse 17, “I didn’t come to call the righteous but the sinner.”

Have dinner with your atheist neighbor. Invite your friend to coffee who has been vocal on Facebook about her political beliefs that are different from yours. Have a conversation with that family member who is hard to love. Pray diligently for that one who frustrates or hurts you. Our model was Christ laying down His life for all people, and our reward when following Him is the power to love as He loved, and an eternity spent with Him. (John 3:14-20)

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We must not underestimate the importance of this love in our testimony of faith. Jesus said, “By this [love] everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Love distinguishes us from others. Love marks us as Jesus’ followers. Love is our uniform and Christ-followers.

Just like the church in Corinth in the first century, we struggle to love one another the way Jesus commanded and modeled, because let’s be honest, some people are difficult to love. (Not you, of course.) And, often our culture (and even our churches) seem to value being right above being loving.
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Another Day 8 Wrapped Up In Love

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Another Day 8 Wrapped Up In Love

Christine Wood

March 15, 2023

Called,Captivating,church,Love

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13
John 15:12–17
Luke 6:27–36
Deuteronomy 6:4–19

“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

Jesus was being challenged by an expert in the Law, a Pharisee. This religious leader had devoted his life to learning, following, and teaching the Law God gave to Moses; the Law was a set of instructions enabling sinful people to live in relationship with a Holy God.

Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:35–40)

Jesus summed up the entirety of the Law and the Prophets with one simple word: love.
Love God and love one another. 
That’s it. 
Everything else falls under the umbrella of love. 

“[F]or the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)

This isn’t the first or the last time Jesus taught on the importance of loving one another. At the last supper, after Jesus had finished washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus provided important final instructions.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” (John 13:34)

Jesus doesn’t describe how to love one another. He doesn’t give us a list of things to do and say. He simply tells us to follow His example: as I have loved you.

Approximately 20 years later, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth. It seems they were having difficulty putting Jesus’ command to love into practice. Paul described what it meant to be a part of the body of Christ, how to use our spiritual gifts to help one another, and what loving one another looks like in everyday life.

Paul detailed specifically how to love one another. While 1 Corinthians 13 is often read at weddings and used to depict the love between a husband and wife, the chapter is actually written about the church and describes how we, as Christian brothers and sisters, should act towards one another.

Paul tells us what love is (patient, kind, rejoices in truth, always believes, hopes and endures) and what love isn’t (envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, self-seeking, angry, keeping a record of wrongs). (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) It is a detailed and challenging explanation of what it means for us to love one another.

We must not underestimate the importance of this love in our testimony of faith. Jesus said, “By this [love] everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)
Love distinguishes us from others.
Love marks us as Jesus’ followers.
Love is our uniform and Christ-followers.

Just like the church in Corinth in the first century, we struggle to love one another the way Jesus commanded and modeled, because let’s be honest, some people are difficult to love. (Not you, of course.) And, often our culture (and even our churches) seem to value being right above being loving.

I don’t know whether it is because of the prevalence of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, or the challenging global circumstances, but it feels like every little issue the world faces has become a wall to divide us or a soapbox to stand on. We feel obligated to ‘cancel’ anyone we disagree with. We stand on moral high ground and either passionately protest or quietly withdraw to protect ourselves from all the evil people on the other side of the dividing line. We are at war, and the weapon of choice is hate.

Jesus teaches us to “Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27–28)

Pause and read that verse again.

The command to love one another is not reserved for people who are easy to love, such as those who share our worldview and belief system.
It’s not just for people like us.

Jesus didn’t put any qualifiers on who can be saved when they put their trust in Him for the forgiveness of their sins. Everyone qualifies for repentance and forgiveness, even the thief on the cross. Jesus loves all. Jesus died for all. And we are commanded to love all.

One of my favorite prayers is the one Paul prayed for the church in 1 Thessalonians 3:12.

“And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone[.]”

The only way we can come close to following Jesus’ command to love one another is by prayerfully asking God to increase our love until it overflows. 

May Christ’s love run through us into our family dinners, workstations, and hair salons. 

May His love overflow into the school pick-up line, the grocery check-out, and after-church conversations. 

May His love be abundant in our Facebook shares, our email replies, and our Instagram comments. 

May the world see Christ’s love in us as we engage those of different faiths, different political views, different backgrounds and opinions.

May Jesus’ love overflow to our enemies through us.
May we put on His love like a uniform distinguishing us as disciples of Jesus.

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Have dinner with your neighbor who is an atheist. Invite your friend to coffee who has been vocal on Facebook about her political beliefs that are different from yours. Have a conversation with that family member who is hard to love. Our model was Christ laying down His life for all people, and our reward when following Him is power to love as he loved and an eternity spent with him. (John 3:14-20)
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Another Day 4 Willing Responsibility: Digging Deeper

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Another Day 4 Willing Responsibility: Digging Deeper

Multiple Authors

March 9, 2023

Captivating,Character,Christ,Clothed,Faith,Family,Fellowship

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Willing Responsibility"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 3:12-17

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What did Paul mean by “bearing with one another”? (verse 13)

Paul’s letter to the Colossians was written as an encouraging exhortation and was delivered in response to reports of false teaching which had infiltrated the church in Colossae. These errant teachings were fostering a number of errors while sowing discord among believers in Jesus. 

While Paul had not personally visited the church at Colossae, he labored over the fruit growing there and was compelled to respond to false teaching and affirm the deity of Jesus Christ. Because these known Christ-followers were Paul’s family in Christ! Just prior to this passage in Colossians 3:5-11, Paul exhorted the believers at Colossae to turn from their old ways, listing a number of behaviors that were consistent with their old way of living before repenting of their sin and surrendering to Jesus. 

Next, Paul encouraged Christians in the Colossian church to “put on” the markings of their new life in Christ. The primary signs Paul listed as identifiers of their new lives included compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love. Paul wrote that these attributes were all unto a purpose: bearing with one another, forgiving one another, and achieving harmony. 

Paul wrote specifically to Christians in this epistle, and this passage held special regard to their personal interactions with one another in God’s family. He wasn’t writing about their response to unbelievers, or to relationships external to the fellowship of believers. Paul wrote specifically about human relationships between individual believers within the local church setting, and the crux of his exhortation to the Colossians in this passage is direct: be patient with each other. 

The Everyday Application

1) What did Paul mean by “bearing with one another”? (verse 13)

The “bearing with one another” Paul had penned while under the Holy Spirit’s breath (2 Timothy 3:16), is only possible when a believer is surrendered to the work of the Spirit’s leading within them. It’s simply impossible to achieve this divine work under human powers and motivation.

When I consider the “how” of living everyday life under this teaching, I think of an action that is often difficult for me, slowing with humility. Often, my agendas and lists that must be accomplished cause me to rush faster and faster, making it easy to overlook the many ways I could instead choose to slow down and bear another’s burden alongside them instead of rushing ahead of them, or even tooling around behind them.

I think of the things I’d rather overlook or are unimportant to me but are critical to my fellow brother or sister. My child struggling to tie their shoes, my friend who continually battles issues irrelevant to me, the neighbor who could use a meal. “Bearing with” means slowing down to place another’s needs and challenges on the same level as my own. I could choose to zip around their need, justifying that it’s not mine to worry about, or I could remember that, as brothers and sisters in Jesus, we are “each part of the other.” (Romans 12:5)

Whatever challenges, hurts, brings joy, or causes celebration for another Christ-follower should cause the same responses within me if I’m truly “bearing with” them. A chilled, callous, or critical response to my brother or sister should send warning flags to my soul, reminding me to return again to the Spirit’s work in me to soften my heart with a genuine desire to slow down and “bear with” my fellow ones in the Family of God.

The Original Intent

2) Why was Paul exhorting and instructing the believers in Colossae in this way? 

The false teachings Paul referenced in his letter to the Colossians were tinged with both Greek and Jewish beliefs, which indicates the Colossian church was likely filled with a mixture of both Greek and Jewish believers. Having never visited the church at Colossae, his friend and fellow co-laborer in the gospel, Epaphras, kept him abreast of what was happening; through him, Paul heard about the false teaching. 

This was a church of new believers who had put their faith in Jesus Christ and were actively experiencing the mystery and miraculous work of sanctification. Paul’s encouragement to “take off” their old ways and “put on” their new life in Christ is evidence they were growing in their walk and needed continued discipling and teaching. Although Paul was not personally acquainted with them, he held spiritual authority as an apostle and sent this epistle to further disciple them in the way of Jesus Christ. 

The Everyday Application

2) Why was Paul exhorting and instructing the believers in Colossae in this way?

The Colossian church was filled with people who had put their faith in Jesus Christ, and who were learning how to walk His way. Just like any believer, they were growing, learning and being changed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and just like any believer, they were imperfect.

False teaching had infiltrated the church and was undoubtedly stirring up plenty of opportunity for disagreements and disunity. Paul recognized the need for spiritual guidance, encouragement and exhortation, and with Timothy, he wrote to the Colossians. He expressed the importance of the call to be patient with each other and allow their new lives in Christ to transform the way the believers interacted with one another.

We need this same encouragement, don’t we? There is no shortage of issues believers disagree over; from denomination to denomination, yes, but also from one believer to the next. It’s easy to talk about essential beliefs, but many times we are quick to distance ourselves from believers whose nonessential beliefs do not match our own. Paul’s words in Colossians are for us today.

We are called to “put on” the clothing of life in Christ, and to operate with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love and peace in our interactions and relationships with others in the body of Christ. 

The Original Intent

3) What did Paul mean by “admonishing one another in all wisdom”? How  does this instruction correspond with the encouragement to bear with one another? (verse 16)

The Greek word for “admonishing” in this verse could also be translated as “warn, rebuke, advise or instruct.” The Greek word used for “wisdom” might also be translated as “insight, learnedness or skill”.

Paul prefaced his exhortation by directing the Colossians to “let the word of Christ dwell in them richly”. Paul emphasized it was only by being immersed in Scripture that they would be able to wisely instruct one another. Paul called the Colossian believers to be patient with one another, and to live together in harmony by the power and love of Jesus Christ, being taught by His Word.

Paul intended them to live their lives drenched in the word of Christ and His Gospel message, sharpening one another in Christ through the wisdom He gave.

Paul laid out for us a clear picture of healthy, godly accountability in the context of the local church. There was no “top down” structure outlined here, just hand-in-hand and alongside one another. Paul didn’t write about one or a few believers holding all the rest accountable to some manmade standard. Nor did he write about believers doing whatever they wished, holding fast to their old way of life and continuing in sin.

Instead, Paul painted a beautiful picture. A call for every believer to deliberately operate in what might be called a high challenge sweet spot. Every believer intentionally steeped in the word of Christ. Every believer turning from sin and instead operating in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace and thankfulness. Every believer choosing to live in vulnerability and be held accountable to the word of Christ by other believers. Every believer holding one another in the local body accountable to the word of Christ in return. Every believer, together.

The Everyday Application

3) What did Paul mean by “admonishing one another in all wisdom”? How  does this instruction correspond with the encouragement to bear with one another? (verse 16)

The Greek word for “admonish”, which most commonly is understood to be “caution, warn, or exhort” is intentionally rooted in another Greek word meaning “gentle bolstering”. When these two definitions converge, we likely end up with an understanding much different than the imagery we first conjured up when hearing “admonish”.

Perhaps you drew pictures of a shaking finger, a hand slap, shaming, condescending tone, or punishment.

But imagine feeling flustered in cooking. Attempt after attempt ends you with burnt meals, dirty piles of dishes, and frustration. Enter a seasoned “mama chef” who chats with you in your kitchen, encourages you as you add your flavors, dices the vegetables alongside you with ease, gently correcting your knife position as she tells stories, and listens to your woes with a tender heart. The meal is savored, the cleanup is shared, and you gained more culinary skills in an hour of “gentle, bolstering exhortation” than you had learned in the last 18 months.

This is the beautiful pairing of Christ’s call to admonish one another in all wisdom while also bearing with one another. In the heart of God, these two commands fit together like perfectly fitted puzzle pieces, revealing deeper layers of God’s extravagant love.

When we live like this, we reflect the beauty of “one another love” that strengthens unity and builds a family! Spend time praying right now and ask the Lord who He intends you to admonish and bear with this week!

*This Digging Deeper Study was co-authored by Merry Ohler and Rebecca Adams

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This life in Christ is not for the faint of heart.

We are utterly incapable of fulfilling this call in our own strength, but we are now in Christ if we have repented of our sins and accepted His gift of salvation and forgiveness! Thank God! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Through Him, we are able to respond in obedience.
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Surrender Day 1 Come & See

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Surrender Day 1 Come & See

Carol Graft

January 23, 2023

Discipleship,Faith,Follow,Journey,Obedience

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:29-30
John 1:35-50
John 4:28-30
Isaiah 55:1-5

If someone issued an invitation by simply saying, “Come and see,” would you be excited? Anxious? Not budging until you have all the details? Or a mix of reactions?

In John 1:35-50, several men are called to come and see Jesus.
Andrew and his brother Peter, Philip, and Nathanael are all invited.

When we meet Andrew, he is a follower of John the Baptist. We don’t know if Andrew was intentionally looking for the Messiah of whom John prophesied, but when Andrew encounters Jesus, he realizes He is Messiah. Upon his encounter, Andrew quickly found his brother, Simon (later called Peter) and encouraged him to come and see the Messiah. 

Philip and Nathanael are called next, and their different personalities are displayed in their responses. Upon hearing Jesus’ invitation, “Follow me,” Philip seems to join without hesitation. (John 1:43) Nathanael, upon hearing Jesus came from Nazareth, is skeptical. “Come and see,” Philip insists, and Nathanael complies. (John 1:46) When he meets Jesus face-to-face, Jesus shows Nathanael he is truly seen and known, and Nathanael declares, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” (John 1:44-50)

Each man had his own reason to follow Christ. None of them knew what would be in store for them. They simply followed, not knowing what lay ahead.

Come and see, Jesus invited them.

So they came with Jesus, surrendering their lives, families, and livelihoods. 

And they began to see miracles, such as the multiplying of the loaves and fishes. (Matthew 14:13-21,  Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:12-17, and John 6:1-14) 

Everyone present was astounded at the miracle. Truly, from three fish and two loaves of bread (in those days a “loaf” was probably not much larger circumferentially than a tortilla), Christ multiplied baskets upon baskets of leftover food. Definitely a miracle!

But were those present just as astounded by Jesus?

Jesus wanted His followers to see past the miracle of the food. He wanted them to understand that abundant life wasn’t found in a barley loaf and dried fish. Rather, abundant life was found in Him, the Bread of Life, the Living Water. (John 6:35-40; John 4:7-26)

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.’
‘What can we do to perform the works of God?’ they asked.
Jesus replied, ‘This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.’”
(John 6:26-29)

Jesus’ words to His followers echo the prophet Isaiah’s call, who prophesied about Jesus generations earlier, “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat!” (Isaiah 55:1)

Jesus’ followers needed to hunger for more than paltry fish and crumbs. 

He wanted them to hunger and thirst for Him.

This invitation to abundance is for you as well, dear sister.

As when He called Andrew and Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael, Jesus’ invitation to us includes an underlying caveat: total surrender.  

The call to come and see
doesn’t explain every detail,
doesn’t assure safety,
doesn’t put us in control of plans or the future.

To follow Jesus means completely surrendering ourselves to Him and His plans for our lives. 

Surrender and spiritual thirst are also found in John 4:28-30 where Jesus intentionally engages in conversation with a Samaritan woman. This time it isn’t Jesus who extends a come and see invitation, but the Samaritan woman. After encountering the Messiah, who knows everything about her as an outcast and loves her anyway, she ran back to her village saying, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29)  

She risked everything to tell her people. She knew surrendering to Jesus was worth risking public ridicule to communicate truth. Speaking to Jesus, she discovered her worth again. She surrendered her past, her guilt and shame because of Jesus.
Her invitation started the first recorded revival in Scripture.

Those whom Jesus called then, with their faults, dark pasts, and sinful ways, weren’t very different from those He calls today. Yet, they surrendered everything to follow Christ.

What have you already surrendered for Jesus?
What is He calling you to surrender more deeply today?

What has Jesus shown you with His invitation to come and see? 

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The God who foreknew us before we were born also perfectly knows every aspect of our current and future circumstances. In the verse prior, Paul described believers as people who are called according to God’s purpose. Our calling goes way back to “before”; God foreknew all those who are now, and will be, brothers and sisters in Christ. “He chose us in Him (Christ), before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him.” (Ephesians 1:4)
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Pause VI Day 4 Gifted With Suffering

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Pause VI Day 4 Gifted With Suffering

Melodye Reeves

January 5, 2023

Faith,Relationship,Sacrifice,Transformation

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:21-30

21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.

 

27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. 29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Read More Of His Words

“For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

These words are the inspiration for many tattoos, plaques, journal covers, and bookmarks you might find in the life of a person of faith. But for Paul, this wasn’t simply a motto or mantra. It was a conviction; his filter and foundation for every word and action!

Living as Christ meant Paul preached the good news everywhere he went. His message was constant: Jesus Christ crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Living as Christ meant Paul imitated His example. Paul explained that if he was to inspire others, it was to be exclusively in the ways he himself was imitating Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:33-11:1)

Living as Christ meant Paul wanted to know Christ better than he knew anyone else. He wanted to comprehend the depths of Christ’s suffering (Philippians 3:10) and the length and width of Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Living as Christ meant Paul viewed everything else in light of Christ. Because of this, nothing could compare to knowing Christ. (Philippians 3:4-8)

Living as Christ meant Paul knew there was a greater blessing in store for those who sacrificed much and suffered well. He knew what Christ knew about eternal life and the life to come. (Mark 10:29-30)

Living as Christ meant Paul’s life was centered on Christ. Even when he recognized his own weakness and humanity, Paul turned to Christ’s perfection and salvation. (Romans 7:18-25)

Even in prison, Paul drank deeply from the well of Christ’s love. He did not view his suffering as a liability, Paul realized it was a gift of grace.
His suffering indicated he was becoming more and more like Christ.

“For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.” (Philippians 1:29-30)

Just as the Philippians share grace with Paul, they also share in persecution.
Friend, we have been granted suffering as a part of joining Jesus in His journey to glory. Whether we live or die, we have reason to rejoice for Christ is our joy!

Today's Pause Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down Philippians 1:29-30 after you read the full passage of today’s reading in Philippians 1:21-30. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to walk into more with Jesus as you make the intentional choice to grow with perseverance and determination!

 a) Write an encouraging note to someone you know is going through a season of suffering.

b) Consider simple ways you can demonstrate a life of holiness in the routine, lived intentionally for God’s glory.

c) Prayer walking is a simple way to begin shifting the eyes of your heart to truly see others. Walk around your neighborhood, some city streets, the aisles of your grocery store, or intentionally sit at a local coffee shop and pray, pray, pray. Pray for the people around you, pray for hearts to turn towards Jesus, pray for your own heart to be ready to share the full gospel if given the chance. Don’t worry about seeing results, that’s God’s job!            

d) Strike up a conversation with someone you know is going through the deep waters. Ask them questions about their season of life and their relationship with Jesus. Listen for cues of hurt and doubt and fear. Ask if you can pray with them right there.

3) Share the exciting, bold ways you are growing deep today with the rest of the GT Community! Our Facebook community page is always open! Or snap a photo and tag us on Instagram @gracefully_truthful

4) Memorize Philippians 1:20-21

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Journey Into Pause VI!

Prayer and faith have always been connected. Faith expresses itself through prayer. Answered prayer is the key that unlocks a life of growing faith.

Paul has just finished wording his prayer for the believers in Philippi. It seems that praying for them stirred his faith to rejoice and remind them his “imprisonment is because I am in Christ.” He didn’t want them to be sad for him but wanted them to know the gospel was spreading because of his chains.
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Jan 2 - Jan 20, 2023 - Journey Theme #112

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Follow Day 5 Where We See A Mess

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 3:1-14
Exodus 4:1-20
Acts 4:7-13
 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

Follow, Day 5

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘For as heaven is higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Who but God would invite an ex- murderer to lead an entire nation? Humans use the past to judge the present, but God sees beyond the past. Regardless of our history, He longs to make us radically new and use us to build His kingdom.

Consider Moses, who grew up in the palace of the Egyptian pharaoh knowing he was a Hebrew. One day, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, and, after carefully ensuring no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian. Still, Pharaoh learned of Moses’ crime and sought to kill him, so Moses fled to Midian. Welcomed into the family of Jethro, a Midian priest, Moses planned to live out his days in the wilderness as an isolated shepherd caring for mangy sheep.

Like Moses, there was a time in my college life when I felt like running away. My boyfriend spent the night with another student in his home, and someone told the school authority I was the student. I was innocent, but unable to convince school leadership. My punishment was a warning; a repeat would earn my dismissal.

I was devastated. In time, bolstered by God’s merciful strength, I ended the relationship. God gave me a new beginning altogether: since then, I have been following Him, and am now in His service.

Similarly, Moses was in desperate need of a new beginning. Moses was content with a shepherd’s life in the bush; one day God appeared to him in a literal bush bursting with fire. God called Moses to Egypt to bring His people out from slavery and into a land of freedom and plenty, a land of promise.

Dismayed, Moses gave God a slew of excuses:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11)
What if they ask Your name? ( Exodus 3:13-15)
“What if they don’t believe me?” (Exodus 4:1)
I am not eloquent (Exodus 4:10); send someone else (Exodus 4:13).

Looking through the lens of his past, Moses saw himself as unfit for the work God was calling him to do. But despite his resistance, God was not deterred. He promised to be with Moses, and commissioned Moses’ brother, Aaron, as his spokesman. God also understood the physical fear hiding behind Moses’ excuses, and assured him those who sought to kill him were dead.

We cannot mess up God’s plan for us, even if we push against Him!
He refuses to give up on us because He looks not at our mess, but our potential in Him.

As Moses’ heart turned toward trusting obedience to God, he encountered God in a personal and powerful way. He received instruction and clear direction from God for his next steps. When he met resistance in Pharaoh, he sought God who faithfully met and guided him. Soon, the naïve and fearful man became a threat to Pharaoh and all of Egypt, until Pharaoh released the Israelites.

Sometimes, our past failures threaten to hold us back from following God. The past upsets us, and we lose confidence. Like Moses, we easily conclude we cannot be useful to God. Moses didn’t have an organized plan, talent, or the confidence of a leader, but God still invited him to follow. It was not about Moses, but about God. He chooses the foolish, the weak, and the despised to shame the wise and the mighty, so we boast in Him alone. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Regardless of our past, God forgives completely, and equips us by His power for His service as we choose to follow His way. We see this truth in the lives of the apostles. Some were mere fishermen; one was even a tax collector, considered by the Jews as the most sinful; yet Jesus called each of them to follow Him. When the Pharisees grumbled about Jesus dining with sinners, Jesus replied His call was precisely for sinners such as them. (Mark 2:15-17)

Consider the Apostle Paul, a persecutor of the Church; yet God called him out of slavery and empowered him with the Holy Spirit to follow Him in freedom. As a result, Paul became a great preacher of the gospel. His Spirit-inspired writings continue to guide our lives today, comprising a large part of the New Testament.

Hear Paul’s own testimony, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–and I am the worst of them.’”
(1 Timothy 1:15)

Moses’ story, the first 12 apostles, Paul, and even my own life, join together to declare in wondrous chorus . . .
Where we see a mess,
God sees an opportunity for transformation.

God simply requires hearts willing to accept His invitation to follow Him, one step after the other.

Sisters, let us turn our eyes from our pasts to the One who holds our tomorrows and whisper, “Yes.”

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