The GT Weekend ~ Beloved Week 2

November 28, 2020 by Erin O'Neal Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) God delights to give good gifts to His children. We know “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17) Marriage, as we saw in Monday’s Journey Study, is a delightful gift from the Lord. God’s plan for marriage was for a man and woman to delight in one another and to reflect His love to the world. Married woman, are you delighting in your husband, or are you focusing on where he is lacking? Are you trusting in God’s plan for your marriage and finding ways to show your husband that you enjoy him, or are you focusing on pleasing yourself? Write down one way you will show your husband you desire him AND one way you can grow in your desire for God. Unmarried sister, have you entrusted the Lord with your desires? Are you living each day to the glory of God, trusting that His timing is perfect? Write down any area in your life that you have believed God is holding back a good gift from you, and ask Him to reveal His heart toward you in that area.

2) In Wednesday’s Journey, we read about the beauty of intimacy between lovers. Merry listed four traits the intimate couple in Song of Solomon display for one another. They are transparent, honest, vulnerable, and purposeful. Transparency, honesty, vulnerability, and intentioned purpose can each help us grow in relationship with our spouse and with our God. These traits also require trust and courage to live out in real life because they open us up to the possibility of being hurt. To the married woman, where are you holding back in your marriage for fear of being hurt? Marriage relationships are complicated and messy when it comes to trust and vulnerability. Neither are easy. As wives, we can only be responsible for ourselves, not the actions and heart attitudes of our husbands. As far as it depends on you, list specific ways you can move deeper into vulnerability and intimacy with your spouse. Consider if there are sins on your side that may be hindering your relationship and pray through these and share with your spouse. Write down specific areas or actionable ways you can begin increasing vulnerability with your husband. Ask God to give you courage and to enable you to take steps to love your husband well. To all sisters, how are you pursuing intimacy with your Heavenly Father? Take time today to verbalize or write down ways you have been holding back from trusting the Lord; ask Him to help you seek intimacy with Him.

3) Before marriage, we can build up expectations for how married life will be, but because we live in a broken world, and we marry broken people, marriage often falls short of our grand expectations. Personally, I thought my husband would always know exactly what to say or do to make me feel better, but surprise! He can’t read my mind. Women, what are you asking from the men in your life (whether implicitly or directly) that only God can provide? Are you hoping for your husband (current or future) to make you secure with his words and actions, or to heal your broken places? Are you demanding he provide you with stability and peace in a tumultuous situation? Look to Jesus. Only Jesus can heal and provide us with true satisfaction. Confess where you have fallen short, and ask the Lord to help you find your satisfaction in Him. For wives, this frees your husband to be the man he is able to be, rather than burden him with unrealistic expectations. For single women, this allows you to find satisfaction in your current season. If God provides a husband for you, you will be setting a course for a healthy relationship, loosed from the chains of unrealistic expectations.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Proverbs 31:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Who can find a wife of noble character?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will not lack anything good.
She rewards him with good, not evil,
all the days of her life.

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. You alone can satisfy the deepest longings of my heart. You alone can heal my broken places and pursue me with perfect love. Oh that I would find my satisfaction in You! Forgive me for the idols of my heart, for my worship of lesser loves. Help me to identify and eliminate all distractions that would keep me from loving You rightly. Help me to honor my husband by following You as Lord and not asking him to do a job he was never intended to do. Show me where I have sinned against my husband, and help me to humbly seek restoration with him. I ask You to continue to bless my marriage with joy and satisfaction and desire. Thank You that Your design for marriage is good. Remind me that my marriage is a picture to a broken world of the love You have for Your church and of her desire to follow You. Finally, I pray for my sisters who are longing to be married. Help them to find their satisfaction in You. Help them to pursue a life-giving relationship with You, and to be content in every situation, trusting that Your timing and Your plans are best.

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sketched VIII Day 10 Tamar & Judah

September 4, 2020 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 38
Matthew 1:1-16
Isaiah 30:18-22

Sketched VIII, Day 10

“Judah has chosen you to marry his son, Er!”

“Papa!” my disgust was as thick as the outrage in my voice.

I’d always been too outspoken, and Mama’s quick glare reminded me I’d spoken out of turn, again.

“Tamar!” My mother clicked her tongue and added reprovingly, “Judah is one of the twelve sons of Jacob; you should be honored! Covenant promises with Yahweh surround his family.”

I whirled to face her. My family was well-accustomed to my vigorous debates, and this was one I would not lose. “You know Judah’s reputation! I don’t care a whit whether he’s Jacob’s son, that man has a wandering eye for any woman with a pulse!”

“Well, Tamar, you’re marrying Er, not Judah. That’s final!”

“Papa! No! It’s not fair!” My shrill voice drew the glances of passersby.

Papa responded with tender grace, “Tamar, I love you. You are important and precious, and Yahweh will use you for His work.” He reached out to touch my cheek. “My fiery girl, I adore you. Er has no idea what he’s in for.” He winked and took his seat to bless our meal.

I smiled at the memory. I loved Papa dearly, and he had loved me for who I was. I grieved every day he was gone, but also breathed a prayer of thanks he never had to witness the obscenity that was my marriage to Er.

Er was spiteful and addicted to many things: alcohol, women, and anger . . . but mostly, himself. Whatever Er wanted, he got, until finally, the Lord mercifully answered my pleas for safety. Er was killed by the Lord’s hand.
Truly, the Lord is a God of justice.

In accordance with the Lord’s law, Judah gave me to his next son, Onan.

“Onan.” I spat out his name like a curse. Onan was devious, passive aggressive, and manipulative. Where Er had beaten me with his fists, Onan cut my heart with his words and insidious deception. The death trap of marriage to Judah’s sons was stifling.

My only hope was to bear a child. Even one son would bring purpose to my suffering. Please, Lord, please, I whispered all day and through the watches of the night, grant your daughter redemption.

My situation felt hopeless. Onan only had sex with me for his own pleasure, pulling out at the last moment so I couldn’t conceive. Yet, I knew Yahweh saw all. I clung to my God of justice, waiting.

Mercifully, the Lord did see Onan’s treachery, and He hated it. By Yahweh’s hand, Onan was also put to death. Two dead husbands, a heart damaged enough for a lifetime, and all hope was dashed.

Still, Yahweh was and always would be just, even if I couldn’t see it. There remained Judah’s youngest son, Shelah. I would be close to the end of my child-bearing years by the time Shelah was old enough to marry, but Judah, with some semblance of honor, promised me Shelah if I returned home and waited for him.

Mama. Sweet mama. I nestled my head against her aging shoulder, wrapping my arms around her. “Tamar, my girl, I love you. You are important and precious. Yahweh will use you for His work.” Despite my pride, tears flowed down my cheeks into my mother’s silvery hair. Such faith! Lord, look upon Your daughter! Extend Your just arm!

Shelah’s coming of age came and went. Weeks turned to months as I waited, sure the Lord heard my pleas, but Judah never fulfilled his promise. Word had it, he blamed me for the deaths of his other two sons.

Angry, I cried out to the Lord. Where is your justice, Yahweh?! Have you not seen me waiting, oppressed, and broken all these years?! I have trusted You, haven’t I?!

“Tamar, Judah is heading to Timnah to shear his sheep.” My friend’s bit of information lit a match within me and hope sparked to life. My plan was devious, yes, but I was too angry to care. Yahweh had given Judah the responsibility of protecting and caring for me, yet he shirked his duties. Now was the time for action.

My heart raced as I removed my widow’s clothing, and hurried to the outskirts of Timnah where Judah would pass. Dressed as a prostitute, I was counting on old Judah to be as scandalous as always. I was not disappointed, for moments later, he asked for my services.

I would not be taken advantage of this time. “Give me your signet, your cord, and your staff from your hand as pledge of your payment.” Greedy Judah readily agreed and the deed was done. We both went on our way, Judah to shear his sheep, and me to plead with Yahweh for mercy.

Three months later, Judah’s baby was 12 weeks along.
The Lord had heard! Evidence of His justice fluttered in my womb.

Proof of His abundant kindness washed over me when I safely delivered two sons a few months later. As I held their tiny bodies close, tears streamed from my eyes. The Lord was righteous! Perez and Zerah were proof!

But when the community heard of my sons’ birth, they cried out for my death as an adulteress. As they dragged me to the place of judgement, I clenched Judah’s signet, cord, and staff, calling out for their owner to claim his items, and his sons.

The blood drained from Judah’s face as he put the fragmented pieces together.
I held my breath.

Would the Lord bring justice?

Judah stepped forward, raising a shaking voice,
“She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her my son, Shelah.”

I trembled, in shock at Judah’s confession and in awe of the Lord’s justice.
I would live and raise my boys in peace!

Hundreds of years later, Yahweh further unfolded a plan Tamar wouldn’t know until she reached Heaven: Perez and Zerah are listed in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is faithful and just; His righteousness knows no limits. God used a woman of fierce bravery, fighting through difficult circumstances, to usher in the One who would bring justice and righteousness to all people through His death and resurrection. Never doubt, dear sister, the Lord sees, and knows, and fights for you!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VIII Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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The GT Weekend ~Ten Week 2

August 15, 2020 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

Worship Through Journaling

1) Feelings of disappointment and ‘never enough’ can easily seep into our relationship with our earthly parents. Maybe they are, or were, difficult to please. Maybe you never really felt understood, or perhaps there were so many layers of conflict and communication barriers it was difficult to deeply connect. Maybe your parent has passed and you are left with loss, or perhaps even regret. Relationships are messy and complicated, even healthy ones! Even if you enjoy a rich, close connection with your parent, expectations and feelings of being “boxed in” to a previous role, can feel stifling and awkward. While it can seem natural to place these human failings and struggles onto our relationship with God, He is altogether other. Performance demands have no place. Shame is bound up. Love is unleashed in brilliant colors never before experienced! Where have you placed God in the same category as your parents? Take that to Him and ask Him to reveal His Father heart of love to you in new, vibrant ways!

2) Rebekah shared transparently on Wednesday on how easy it is to fall into the trap of working hard to earn God’s favor. We want Him to smile on us. We want His protection, His blessing, and His favor, so we will work to do things to please Him. There is simply nothing we can do to make ourselves more winsome to God! He hand-crafted us to mirror His own image. He already delights over us, and He cannot possible love us deeper than He already does. Because He is infinitely good, kind, faithful, and true, He adamantly will not love us less. Here’s the kicker, this extravagant love of God is not limited to you or me, unbeliever or church-goer. The Lord views each and every life with the same lavish love, utterly regardless of who we are or what we have done. Who is in your life that you have been hard-hearted towards or stingy with your love? Ask the Lord to shift your perspective, instead seeing them as highly valued and adored as a fellow bearer of God’s own image. How can you begin loving them more like Jesus this week?

3) Cheated. Even saying the word riles our hearts and we begin feeling the need to take up arms against someone who wronged our right or privilege. Take cheating within the context of marriage and the hurt sinks deep very quickly. Maybe you’ve experienced what it is to walk through being cheated on, or maybe you’ve been the cheater. Circumstances are complicated, reasons and justifications abound as quickly as the hurt does, and the trail back to where the distrust began is long and usually involves more than one party in the relationship. God didn’t design us for heartbreak. His perfect intention was for us to find delight in another and sink deep into trust as both people love the other unconditionally. Maybe you find your eyeballs rolling into your head at this point because this description feels so unlikely. Remember the heart of this specific commandment is to point towards a God who will absolutely never be unfaithful and will also always love us unconditionally. Focus on investing in the only relationship that will not leave you hungry for more. What can you do to develop your relationship with God more deeply?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Peter 1:3-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

Prayer Journal
Father God, I love this passage of Your Word and the truths You speak of here. You have given everything I need for life and godliness simply by leaning deeper and deeper into knowing You! You are unfathomable accessible. Lord, I truly could sit and ponder this extravagant love for the rest of my days and never have plumbed its depths. Your glory and goodness have been made known to me in every moment; You are waiting to be embraced and known more fully by me. Every breath I take is an invitation to know You better! Oh Lord, how distracted I become by focusing on the fleeting things and passions I can see with my eyes or feel in my heart! I will quickly shift my gaze off of You for lesser loves. Yet, Your truth revealed here speaks wonderfully that I do not need to fall prey to these desires to chase the lesser. In You alone is my fullness found. Keep my heart here next to Yours, remind me how sweet Your truth and love are to my soul!

Worship Through Community

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Ten Day 10 A Love That Honors

August 14, 2020 by Marietta Taylor 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 20:1-17
1 John 4:7-21
Psalm 136
2 Peter 1:1-11
Matthew 5:13-20

Ten, Day 10

The email started with a simple question,
“Did you attend Marquette University in the early to mid 80s?”

The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Then I realized it was an old flame from college. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but thought he might be working through a twelve-step program, so I confirmed my identity.
The next email started with compliments and ended with the real question.
“I know you’re married, and so am I, but is it possible for us to talk?”

I’m not going to lie. I was tempted for a moment. But in the end, I responded, “No, it would be disrespectful to both our spouses.” And that was that.
Events easily could have taken a different path.
Because I value my relationship with God, there was no alternate ending.

Exodus 20:14 is a command straight from God,
“Do not commit adultery.”

It’s from a set of ten God gave to the Israelites through Moses. But they weren’t just rules to act like bumpers on a bowling lane. They weren’t meant to be an “am I holy?” checklist.

Because, you see, we cannot keep the commandments.
We’re not righteous enough to live a perfect life.

Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And in the Old Testament, Psalm 14:3 tells us there is not even one person who does good.

So why did God give us commandments we are doomed to break, you might ask?

Quite simply, because He loves us.
1 John 4:10 explains, “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

He wasn’t acting on a mean-spirited desire to set us up for failure. Since Adam and Eve’s first sin, He had been separated from His precious children, and He was heartbroken.

So He planned to sacrifice His very self to give us a way back into relationship with Him . . . but this way back is dependent upon our recognition of our sin, repentance, and embrace of Jesus as our Savior.

By giving us ten commandments simultaneously reflecting His holy character and highlighting our sin,
He was helping us understand our need for a Savior.

Next, let’s explore what God reveals about His character by identifying adultery as a sin.

First, He is faithful.
Avoiding adultery means to remain faithful.
And what is God, if not faithful?

Psalm 136 repeats “His faithful love endures forever” twenty-six times as it recounts God’s wondrous creation and His consistent protection of, and provision for, His people, despite their repeated disobedience, failures, and abandonment of their Creator and Rescuer.

In fact, Judges and 1 and 2 Kings tell a dismal story of the countless times the Israelites disobeyed God or chased other gods. Yet God always saved them, because of His faithfulness and in spite of their unfaithfulness.

Scripture tells us that no matter what we do, no matter what happens, God loves us.
Why?
Because “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Marriage is a covenant promise. By asking us to keep our promise to another human being, God was demonstrating that He is a promise-keeper. (See for yourself! Check out Joshua 21:45, Number 23:19, and Ezekiel 12:28)

God wants the world to know He is a faithful, loving, promise-keeping God; therefore, He instructs us to reflect His character in our relationships by abhorring adultery.

It’s important for believers to adhere to this command,
because if we won’t honor the relationship with our spouse, whom we can see and touch,
how well will we honor our relationships with God, Whom we cannot see or touch?

When we do follow His command, our marriages become a reflection of Who God is and how He wants to love the world. We become a shining light in a world dark with sexual sin and broken promises. Matthew 5:16 says when our light shines, the world sees and gives glory to God. What an honor!

Are you familiar with the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39? She was doing all she could to commit adultery. But Joseph would not oblige her.

In recounting all Potiphar had given him, Joseph asked, “So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”. (Genesis 39:9) Joseph understood that to commit sexual sin was to hurt the heart of God.

And he was right. When we honor God, and express our love for Him by following His commands, our actions speak louder than any words we could say.

So, let’s change our perspective on the commandments as a whole, and the command regarding adultery in particular. Let’s shift our focus from ourselves to leading lives that honor God, in order to share His character, His love, and His sacrifice with the world.

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Neighbor Day 15 When Unloved

May 8, 2020 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Leviticus 19:17-18
Matthew 5:33-48
Luke 10:1-16
Romans 13:8-14

Neighbor, Day 15

The Command
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Most of us have repeated the words countless times, so they roll off the tongue easily. But what does it really mean? Human nature urges us to draw the boundary line so we know what’s expected. We want to know exactly who we should consider our neighbors…and whether we consciously realize it or not, who we can exclude.

Let’s dig in a little deeper.

The Context
In this story, the title, citizenship and position of the people involved didn’t matter at all.

Jesus was showing the disciples God was not at all interested in labels that appeal to mankind; rather, His focus was heart posture. When Jesus told His disciples the parable of the good Samaritan, He didn’t hesitate to jump knee-deep into the hypocrisy of the age and point out the wrong heart motives hidden behind titles of priest and Levite.

Jesus was a master storyteller. Every word He spoke held great intention and profound revelation. He knew that because of their heritage, those listening would be predisposed to connect with the priest, or the Levite, and prejudiced against the Samaritan.

Make no mistake; His purposeful vagueness with regard to the man who was beaten and robbed was by design as well. Because it didn’t matter who he was or where he was from. Jesus was making the point that their neighbor, and ours, is anyone and everyone in need.

The Questions
But what about those who don’t return our love?
What about those who will not love us the way we desire to be loved?

Dear friend. This may be a hard word to receive, but it’s absolutely vital that we grasp it. Those very questions are rooted in the great deception of our current age: that our faith is about us and how we feel. For the people in the back, I’ll say it again.

Our faith is not and can not ever be based on our feelings.

There never has been and never will be another human who will ever be able to fulfill in us the needs that God alone can fill.

As tempting as it may be to seek approval and fulfillment from those around us, our salvation can only ever be founded on Scripture alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone, and to the glory of God alone. This is the true gospel. The moment we begin to believe it is acceptable for our faith to be dictated by our feelings is the moment we begin to settle for a false gospel: the gospel of self.

Friends, we can not allow this to be so. The gospel message has never been about us beyond the salvation, freedom and whole heart, whole mind, whole life transformation Christ Jesus works in us when we submit ourselves to His hands.

In short, it doesn’t really matter how we feel.

Woo. Talk about counter-cultural. But the gospel has never been about fitting in or being comfortable, has it? Jesus himself assured us that to answer His call and follow Him required us to pick up our cross and die to self.

But what about those who harm us?
Jesus said to love them.

But what about those who persecute us? What about our enemies?
Jesus said to love them.

But what about when our spouse doesn’t show love or communicate the way we need? What if we have grown apart, or are simply incompatible?
Jesus said to love them.

The Call
We are each called to yield to the work of the cross as God performs the outworking of our faith, and to live and love the gospel out in every aspect of our lives. From the moment we accept the gift of salvation, we receive the impartation and installment of Holy Spirit inside us. This is something we can take absolutely no credit for, because none of it is possible in our own strength. Our part is only to submit to what He is doing and recognize all glory belongs to God alone!

However, as we go about our daily lives, there is an enemy who actively works to destroy, distort, and disengage us from the transformation Jesus desires to work in us. How does he do this? By introducing a thought pattern rooted in lies.

So what is the lie here?

You deserve to be treated the way you want to be treated.

Friend, the enemy loves to woo us with thoughts and ideas which glorify our feelings, ourselves, our needs, and our desires. He wants nothing more than to see us so completely wrapped up in ourselves and what we think and feel and need, that we miss what God has to say about anything. He’s sneaky, and a masterful liar, and Scripture tells us he prowls around like a lion, searching for anyone to devour. This lie is a prime example of how he works. He takes a tiny bit of truth, or even a big chunk of truth, and distorts it into something we want to hear.
Close enough to sound right, but just enough off course we miss the message.

The Truth
Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Do you catch the difference between the two statements, Love?
The lie is all about what serves us.
The truth is all about what serves others.

Because the Jesus we follow and submit to was a servant to all.
When we look at His life on earth, we can’t escape the fact the King of Kings chose humility and servanthood over control.
He chose righteousness over self-righteousness.
He chose holiness over being heavy-handed.

This is the truth, and cost, of our calling: we are called to love and serve all people.
Regardless of how they respond to and treat us.
No caveats; no excuses.

We are called to love!

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Esther Day 15 A Legacy Of Celebration

November 22, 2019 by Stacy Daniel Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 9:16-10:3
Psalm 78:1-8
Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians 2:1-9

Esther, Day 15

Mordecai went from the king’s presence clothed in royal purple and white, with a great gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced, and the Jews celebrated with gladness, joy, and honor. In every province and every city, wherever the king’s command and his law reached, joy and rejoicing took place among the Jews. There was a celebration and a holiday. Esther 8:15-16

The Jews had much to celebrate!
Imagine receiving a death sentence from a power-hungry leader for no other reason except he didn’t like your people. Imagine the fear and despair you’d feel; hopeless and helpless to save yourself or those you love. Then you receive word of a new law to counter the first one and the leader being punished; you and your people are free!

There was rejoicing and shouting and celebrating going on in Susa!
Thanks to the courage of Esther, as she followed Mordecai’s wisdom and was covered by prayer and fasting of the Jewish people, God rescued His chosen people. I doubt there is anyone who would look unfavorably upon them or think their celebration was too extravagant. I doubt the Jewish people themselves were concerned with how they were perceived by others. Their death was imminent, but they had been spared!

After the Jews were saved from destruction, the holiday, Purim, was established and is still celebrated by Jews today. The holiday is a joyous one, preceded by a day of fasting as they remember how the Jews fasted and prayed for Esther as she approached the king. The story of Esther may be read as they remember from where they have come, and from where their Help came. They rest and feast and celebrate! The celebration was a decree and was established as an official holiday so future generations would not forget the great rescue. Esther 9:27-28

Sometimes we forget how we, too, have been spared.
Ephesians 2 tells us that, as sinners, we are also dead, eternally separated from God because of our unrighteousness. We had no access to God and His holiness, and were destined to face eternity apart from Him. But in His great mercy, God sent Jesus to rescue us so we can have a restored relationship with Him. We are made alive in Christ! Ephesians 2:1-9 That is reason to celebrate!

How can we celebrate?
One way is to share your story.

Every single Christ-follower has a story worthy of celebratory re-telling!
At one point we were all separated from God because of our sin. Then, He, in His infinite grace, sent His only Son to take our sin upon Himself and put it to death on the cross.
Not only did He die for our sins, but He defied the enemy who thought he had won by rising from the grave, forever to live with our Father God in Heaven where He continues to fight for us. Out of great love, He left His Holy Spirit to personally live inside each one who calls on His name. The Spirit guides into Truth and fills us with power to do the work He has called each of us to do.

He invited us into His story so we may draw others to Him as well.
As we share what He has done for us, others see His faithfulness and are drawn into a relationship with Him as well.

At the very moment we decide to follow Jesus with our whole being, our faith stories don’t end, but are only beginning! He continues the work in our hearts and lives through the Holy Spirit so we may encourage others and grow closer to Him as we journey through life. He provides us encouragement while challenging us to lean on Him during trial so we can encourage others in their growth. I know it encourages me in difficult times to hear how God is moving in the lives of others, especially if I’m walking a path similar to another’s. As we continue to share our stories, God is glorified and we can celebrate together who He is and all He has done for us.

I’ve been convicted recently about how little I share my story of faith and growth.
Also, how infrequently I ask others about their journey.
Perhaps it’s fear of rejection or being thought too “religious”, or maybe I just don’t pay enough attention to those around me to be sensitive to what God is doing.

What if we spent some time in the mornings inviting God into our days,
thanking Him for the work He has done in our own hearts,
and asking Him to specifically show us someone who needs to hear the hope of the Gospel? What if we were intentionally open to readily sharing how God has proven Himself real in our own lives?
It may feel risky, but we have much to share with great reason to celebrate our Rescuer!
The God who created the universe invites each of us into a relationship with Him!

Who needs to hear about the hope that lives within you?
Who might God want you to share your story with so they can know Him?
Who in your life needs to be encouraged that God is still good and still at work?
Whose life will be forever changed because you chose to share?
Do your children know your own faith story so they are able to continue your legacy of faith to future generations?

The next time you hear about Esther and her reason to celebrate with her people, remember you have even more reason to declare the goodness of God!
Celebrate out loud for the world to hear!

A P.S. from Gracefully Truthful….
Maybe, you’ve never told your story to anyone before; today is a great day to start!
We want to make it easy for you to get started and we would be honored to help you share boldly through the Faces of Grace platform.
Check out the “Get Started” tips, then send in your story and begin celebrating out loud what God has done!

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Sketched VI Day 2 Rhonda: Digging Deeper

October 1, 2019 by Shannon Vicker Leave a Comment

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 Rhonda!

The Questions

1) What does comfort mean in these verses?

2) Why is affliction for salvation? (verse 6)

3) In light of these verses how should suffering and comfort be viewed?

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

Original Intent

1) What does comfort mean in these verses?
Paul is writing to prepare the Corinthians for the life of a believer, a life in which there will be suffering. Jesus suffered up to the point of death on the cross, Paul suffered in his life as you traveled around teaching and preaching, and he knew suffering was expected for every genuine Christ-follower. If we look ahead to 2 Corinthians 4:8-11, Paul discusses how believers will be persecuted. However, there is also the promise of comfort that overflows. Matthew Henry describes it this way, “In the world they had trouble, but in Christ they had peace. The apostles met with many tribulations, but they found comfort in them all: their sufferings (which are called the sufferings of Christ because Christ sympathized with his members when suffering for His sake) did abound, but their consolation by Christ did abound also.” They were never alone and they had the peace of Christ, this was their comfort.

2) Why is affliction for salvation? (verse 6)
I can imagine the Corinthians read verse 6 and thought Paul had absolutely lost his mind. How could their salvation benefit from their affliction? However, God in His divine plan knew His creation and exactly what they would need. He also knew what lie ahead for them with false teachers and the temptation to fall away from truth. God knew as they leaned into Him there would be comfort and a deepened relationship. Expositor’s Bible Commentary says, “All that helps men to endure to the end, helps them to salvation. All that tends to break the spirit and to sink men in despondency, or hurry them into impatience or fear, leads in the opposite direction.”
It also links this suffering and comfort to salvation of others. It says, “If I am afflicted, it is in the interest of your comfort: when you look at me, and see how I bear myself in the sufferings of Christ, you will be encouraged to become imitators of me, even as I am of Him.” The God who specializes in redemption uses painful trials for His glory and expansion of His kingdom. In Philippians 1:12-18, Paul explains how even his imprisonment lead to increased boldness in other believers! Why might this be? Because the cost of following Jesus is always worth it, and the God who loves us, will always redeem evil for good; we can take great comfort in that truth!

3) In light of these verses how should suffering and comfort be viewed?
Paul informs the Corinthians they should know suffering will come, but it comes with the promise of comfort. He also tells them they will be able to comfort others through the same comfort they received. It is an abnormal picture of suffering and comfort and one which doesn’t make sense from a worldly perspective. However, the Corinthians need to look beyond a worldly perspective and to an eternal perspective where God is going to use their suffering and the comfort God provided to love His people and call those who don’t know Him into the fullness of salvation.

Everyday Application

1) What does comfort mean in these verses?
When we place our faith in Jesus we will join with Christ in suffering for Him as we surrender our life to Him, but we will also join with Christ in the peace only He can offer. The life Jesus calls us to is guaranteed to include difficulty (John 16:33), but His peace is equally guaranteed. This is the comfort Paul is referring to. Comfort doesn’t mean God is going to take away suffering, but He will provide others to walk with us through it. God will give us strength only He can provide. He will place other believers in our lives to walk with us, encourage us, and love us through our struggles, and we always have the hope found only in Jesus. That is the comfort promised to us in our suffering. How have you been comforted lately? How have you extended comfort to others as part of the comfort of Christ?

2) Why is affliction for salvation? (verse 6)
We read that statement as believers and it seems confusing. However, when our life seems to be going according to the plan we think it should and it feels as if everything is perfect, there is a huge temptation to think we can do it all alone. There isn’t as much dependence on God. However, when we are in times of suffering or affliction, we lean into God in a much different way. Our relationship with Him is deepened in ways it never could be aside from affliction. We begin to look more like Jesus as we rely on Him and not on ourselves. Without affliction, we may begin to think we don’t need Jesus when in all reality Jesus is the source of everything we truly need. God also uses how we walk through affliction and suffering to draw others into relationship with Himself. Unbelievers watch how believers walk through trials and the testimony they provide draws others closer to a relationship with Jesus (or prayerfully into relationship with Jesus). Jesus promises affliction when He calls believers to take up their cross in Matthew 16:24 and immediately following in Matthew 16:25, Jesus promises that those who do will gain their life. That is salvation. As Expositor’s Bible Commentary states, “The great service that a true comforter does is to put the strength and courage into us which enable us to take up our cross, however sharp and heavy, and to bear it to the last step and the last breath.” The choice is ours… will we lean into affliction and suffering or try our best to avoid it?

3) In light of these verses how should suffering and comfort be viewed?
Scripture never makes the promise that with Jesus in our lives we will be free of suffering and believers can live a completely comfortable, perfect life. Quite the contrary, Scripture tells us we should be prepared to suffer just as Christ suffered. If the Son of God, the Word of Life, wasn’t exempt from suffering, neither are we. However, we do not suffer alone. Instead, Scripture offers the hope provided in Christ and the promise of His comfort. While in the midst of suffering, it is difficult to see how it will ever be beneficial. Often times, it isn’t until we are on the other side of that suffering we can see how God is using it for His glory. It doesn’t make it easy, but it does give us a hope to cling to. Our suffering will never be in vain!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with Rhonda!

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 VI Week One!
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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!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Seeds Day 15 Outside The Lines

May 24, 2019 by Rebecca 4 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 10:9-33
Acts 10:34-43
Acts 10:44-48
Romans 5:1-11

Seeds, Day 15

Parenting is all about navigating new territory on a continually shifting landscape.
Parenting teens is that description to the nth degree.
Nothing ever stays the same. (well, rarely every)
The moment you feel you have it figured out, everything is new. Throw in vocabulary that also changes by the day, making you feel like you’ve walked into a new culture by the minute, and parenting feels like a whirlwind.

Like….
Skirrrt those nasty pickles, but the fries are dope.
That dude’s party was lit, but I was so salty when no one liked my dessert.
There ya’ go, that’s the tea sis!
But I’ll stop now before ya’ll think I’m cringy. 🙂

One constant (at least mostly) for my oldest son has been his affinity for “good” music. While our definitions of “good” are pretty different most days, it’s a conversation we can have any time, any day. My son is a deep thinker, always looking at things from a unique perspective, which pairs well with my theological core as I love to slow down and think through the roots and implications of a small part connected to a bigger picture. He and I have spent countless conversations listening to lyrics, hitting pause, and then poking at the words for what they really mean instead of just drinking them in.
“Mom, I have a new song for you.”
“What about these words, Mom, what do you think he is thinking?”

Sometimes, he’s surprised that a favorite song of his actually has a meaning he didn’t expect, and sometimes, I’m surprised (and encouraged) by the songs he chooses to share.

Today was one of those surprises.
For me.

It was another daily drive to gymnastics, and another playlist. A couple of songs, a couple of thoughts, and then one he hadn’t shared before played, arresting my attention from the first note to the last.

I met Craig at a church called Redeeming Grace
It’s like he understood my “I don’t want to be here” face
I felt out of place and I smelled like beer
But he just shook my hand, said “I’m glad you’re here”
He says, “we’ll all be judged”
But he was never judgmental.

As Walker Hayes crooned on and the images he painted came to life in my mind, all I could see were all the “Craigs” I knew, all the times I’d seen my husband be “Craig”, how my own heart beat passionately to be “Craig”, and how Jesus calls each and every believer to be Craig.

I still ain’t figured out church yet
But Craig, I get
Nah he can’t walk on water, turn the Napa Valley red
But he just might be tight with a man that did
Now he’s not the light of the world
But I wish that mine was bright as his
Yeah, he just might be tight with a man that is.

Girls, Craig gets it!
He knows the truth of Jesus, he has been transformed and renewed by the deepest of graces found in the forgiving, sacrificial blood of Jesus spilled on his behalf.
Craig is indeed “tight with the man” who is The Redeemer.
And he knows redemption is meant for all.

Jesus is the Rescuer
for teenage boys who think they get it all, but are struggling to find themselves.

Jesus is the Rescuer
for teenage girls who change their friend groups like they change their clothes, wondering what they were made for.

Jesus is the Rescuer
for the one sitting on the edge of his bed, pills in hand, feeling he’s worthless and without value.

Jesus is the Rescue for….
the tattoo artist whose fingers smell like drugs,
the girl who vapes at the park so her parents won’t find out,
the husband who can’t stop looking at porn or justifying his glances,
the woman at the gym who goes home to a husband who “owns” her,
the mom who hides her food addiction, wondering if she will always feel shallow and ugly,
the guy who cusses loud and shamelessly as he makes your coffee,
the girl who writes this Journey with tears gathering because she knows
she’s just like all of them.

See, Jesus came to push us outside of our pretty little lines.
He gives us the permanent marker of His love, grace, and truth, and says, “go to all, exclude none.”

Go Outside The Lines

Peter had been redeemed years earlier.
He thought he had this Jesus-life pretty figured out. He’d learned first-hand what it looked like to live out love as he literally walked beside Jesus. He watched His Savior be crucified, and was breathless when he realized the tomb was now empty and Death was defeated. The Holy Spirit had indwelt him and given him powerful boldness to reach thousands with the gospel.
He knew all of that, but The Redeemer intended more.

The Lord gave Peter a vision, commanding him,
“Do not call common what God has made clean.” (Acts 10:15)
In essence, “Stop pushing others away and automatically excluding them from My redemption because of your predetermined judgment lines.

Sisters, let’s decide to live out our days asking, “what if we colored outside the lines?”.
Like Craig.
Like Peter.
Like Jesus, who died for us while we kept on loving our sin more than the Savior.

We don’t walk on water, but because we are tight with the One who did,
we can love beyond our lines!

“Did you like that one, Mom? I picked it just for you.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I liked that one, and I’m not even salty we listened to your music all the way here.”
“Salty?!”, with eyebrows raised. “Wow, Mom…well played!”.

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Seeds Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Seeds!