The GT Weekend! ~ Surrender Week 3

February 11, 2023 by Carol Graft Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend! ~ Surrender Week 3

Carol Graft

February 11, 2023

bride,Character,Community,GT Weekend,Suffering

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

This Week's Journeys

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Acts 4:32-37

32 Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. 33 With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. 34 For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord, You are Holy above all we can ask or think. You are more than faithful to provide what we need, when we need it. Help me to hold fast to what is true about You and Your work despite my circumstances. Help me resist the urge to control and give way to frantic fear.

Equip me to live with one mind and one accord with fellow believers as we urge each other to trust You. Give us willing hearts to surrender in full. I pray that our everyday surrender will make us ready to live generously as Your Spirit leads us. Help us to trust you as Provider when we don’t immediately see the provision but we see the need. As we give and share with open hands, shape our hearts so we are actively living from a place of desiring to give You glory. Use our actions to draw others closer to You.
In Jesus name, Amen!

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Brenda’s Journey Study, together with Stacy’s Digging Deeper Study, beautifully remind us just what surrender looks like in real life.

Do you ever recognize yourself grasping at control, only to end up more frustrated and frantic? Comparing and contrasting true surrender with self-sufficiency helps us understand how one brings freedom and one births only anxiousness and struggle. Freedom and peace are available to each of us if we are willing to trust the Almighty God who loves us; the choice is ours.

Brenda’s examples from Scripture really highlight God’s faithful character to finish His good work in us, which provides us with strong encouragement! It’s not easy to be convicted of sin, but it is necessary to welcome the full life God desires for us. We must hold to the truths of God’s Word that He is indeed, and always will be, our Sustainer, Supplier, and Satisfier.

Full surrender to Christ won’t mean our lives will be strife-free, but it does mean we will be held in God’s hands and He will faithfully bring about His glory and our good!

JOURNAL TWO

Using the unlikely story of Hosea and Gomer, Amy paints a wonderful picture of what godly surrender in relationships look like. She first demonstrates how, not only is the biblical narrative a depiction of God and Israel, but it’s also a portrayal of God and us.

Humans are sinful creatures by nature and it’s easy for us to neglect keeping God foremost in our hearts, minds, and lives. Then Amy flips things and shows us that, like Hosea, we each long for pure relationships. We were created for rich and meaningful, healthy connections, but also like Hosea, we tend to go about things our own way.

We need to learn to surrender and trust God for our desires, not just in romance and marriage, but in friendships and co-worker partnerships as well.

Let’s choose together to surrender our ideals to God and trust He will give us better than we could possibly do on our own.

JOURNAL THREE

In yesterday’s Journey Study, Mandy transparently shared how her struggle with chronic illness, after decades of health, has reminded her to surrender in full to Jesus.

The call to surrender sounds painful and challenging as she shared her story! Have you walked similar pathways? When our life seems to be headed in a fine direction and our plans are made only to be sidelined by significant challenges, whether chronic illness or something else, our perspective changes.

Often, the temptation is to become embittered at God or angry at others, casting blame and wrapped ever tighter in pain. Thankfully, when we surrender to the Lord Jesus, as Mandy exemplified, there is still blessing and Kingdom work to accomplish.

Even if we don’t understand all of God’s reasons or have satisfactory answers to our “why” questions, we can be confident that in surrender of our hearts and lives, God will be faithful to work in and through us to accomplish His good and eternal work!

Tags :

pain,peace,relationships,surrender,unity

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Eden Day 12 The Blame Game: Digging Deeper

May 3, 2022 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 The Blame Game!

The Questions

1) Why are Adam and Eve hiding? Do they actually believe they can hide from God? (verse 8)
2) What did God ask, “Where are you?” if He already knew the answer? (verse 9)
3) Once God “found” Adam and Eve, were there consequences for their sin and hiding?

Genesis 3:8-10

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

Original Intent

1) Why are Adam and Eve hiding? Do they actually believe they can hide from God? (verse 8)
When God created Adam, He placed him in the Garden of Eden to “work it and watch over it.” (Genesis 2:15) God gave him the entire garden but told him, “You are free to eat of any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17) The Lord knew Adam needed a “suitable partner” for himself, someone like him, so God created Eve. (Genesis 2:18) They were both designed to live in the perfect place God had created, but they needed to obey the one command God had given. However, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and disobeyed God’s command. (Genesis 3:1-6) Immediately, they had knowledge of good and evil and became aware they were naked; in flustered panic and shame, they covered themselves in fig leaves. (Genesis 3:7) Adam and Eve were fully aware of their guilt and disobedience and when they heard God and their natural response was to hide in their shame. They thought they could cover up with leaves and hide from the all-knowing God, but as we read further, we discover they couldn’t really hide.

2) What did God ask, “Where are you?” if He already knew the answer? (verse 9)
God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were in the Garden. His question isn’t about looking for them but rather the relationship between them. God’s intention was to have a relationship with those He had created in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27) This moment is the moment where mankind’s relationship with God was broken. God, in all His perfection, desired a relationship, but their choice damaged that perfect intimacy. God calls out to them, and in that moment, Adam and Eve must admit their sin and face the God who lovingly created them. After answering and coming out of hiding, God asks them to admit their wrong. (Genesis 3:11) This is the beginning of their consequences, but before those were enacted, they needed to admit to their sin.

3) Once God “found” Adam and Eve, were there consequences for their sin and hiding?
God did not seek Adam and Eve with the intention of letting them off the hook. God is a holy God and, because of His justice, was obligated to respond as such. In order for their relationship to have any chance of restoration, they must first admit their sin (Genesis 3:11-13) followed by facing the fall out of their rebellion. As the narrative of Genesis continues, God lays out the consequences of sin for each sinner. (Genesis 3:14-24) God began with the instigator, Satan, for his role in the deception of Adam and Eve. Then Adam and Eve are both given individual consequences. Ultimately, Adam and Eve were forced out of the Garden of Eden and access to the Tree of Life was revoked. This meant they would eventually face physical death, along with spiritual death, as consequences for their sin. God used the skin of an animal to clothe Adam and Eve, this was the first sacrifice of an animal and is a direct result of sin. Blood must be shed to cover sin. While this was the first instance of bloodshed, it wasn’t the last. The Old Testament provides several references to bloodshed to pay for sin like Genesis 8:20-21, Exodus 29:10-14, Leviticus 1, Leviticus 17:11, and Numbers 6:14 to name a few. All of these point forward in God’s redemption plan to the final bloodshed of Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for sin on the cross, where He would bear the punishment for us all. God promised this redemption would come, even as He gave the first consequence to Satan in Genesis 3:15. One (Jesus) would come who would crush Satan’s head, defeating death and sin forever. The rest of the story begins unfolding from this moment in the Garden to be fulfilled in Matthew 26-28 (also found in Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, and John 18-19).

Everyday Application

1) Why are Adam and Eve hiding? Do they actually believe they can hide from God? (verse 8)
Adam and Eve attempted to hide their sin and cover their shame from God when they heard Him coming. We read this and may think them foolish for even considering they could even try this tactic. We know God is all-knowing and, from our perspective, we also know they would never be successful in their clandestine escape. However, how often do you and I make the same attempt? God is still the same all-knowing God from the Garden of Eden, but when we make sinful choices and are ashamed of our thoughts or actions, we make the same attempt to hide our sin and our thoughts from God just like Adam and Eve. In reality, we will never be any more successful than they were. God still knows all, and we are incapable of hiding.

2) What did God ask, “Where are you?” if He already knew the answer? (verse 9)
God knows the sins we commit before we ever admit them. Much like He did with Adam and Eve, He invites us to come to Him (where are you?) and confess what we have done. Forgiveness cannot be received without admittance of the sin committed. Unless we face our God, we can never enjoy the sweetness of restoration. You and I are blessed to live on the other side of the cross, a process God began in the Garden of Eden as He intentionally set in motion His plan to redeem His creation and offer forgiveness and restoration to every sinner. If we live in hiding and denial we will never experience the freedom found only in Christ who gave His life to pay the price for our sin and bring us back to Himself.

3) Once God “found” Adam and Eve, were there consequences for their sin and hiding?
Adam and Eve chose sin and could not escape the consequences for their rejection of God, but we are also affected today as we continue reaping the fallout of their sin which infected us all. We are each born sinful and continue sinning, bringing separation between us and God. (Romans 3:23) Remembering that God is just, all sin carries a price tag of offense against a Holy God and the debt must be paid. (Romans 6:23) This price is death and the payment requires bloodshed. (Hebrews 9:22) Expositor’s Bible Commentary says, “To us life is cheap and death familiar, but Adam recognised death as the punishment of sin. Death was to early man a sign of God’s anger. And he had to learn that sin could be covered not by a bunch of leaves snatched from a bush as he passed by and that would grow again next year, but only by pain and blood. From the first sin to the last, the track of the sinner is marked with blood.” The good news is God began His plan of redemption for us from the deadly clutches of sin in the very beginning of Genesis and came to fulfillment in Jesus. Christ shed His perfect blood as payment for our sin and when we personally choose to accept His sacrifice, His blood covers us our own personal sin. When we accept Him in total surrender of ourselves, we receive forgiveness for every sin, past, present, and future, and our relationship with the Holy God is restored forever. This is such good news!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
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3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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The GT Weekend! Awaken Week 1

January 12, 2019 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

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) Vulnerable transparency is at the core of Gracefully Truthful. If we can’t be honest with ourselves, how could we possibly be honest before the Lord God who knows us intimately? But honesty costs us something precious, our pride. We all have those places we’d rather stay in control of, even if they are failing miserably. What’s yours? What if you turned that ache into a prayer for mercy to your Maker?

2) Go back and read Day 3, Awakening The Desperate, and make a list of areas in your own life where you feel you are reaching the “Land of Desperate”. What would it look like to surrender those places into the hands of the One who seeks after your heart? After making your list, sit in a quiet place and hold open your hands, praying as you release those areas to the Lord and spend some time dwelling on Psalm 16.

3) Do you ever struggle with feeling like your prayers don’t matter? Do you catch yourself wondering if God even listens or cares about the details of your life? These are temptations in disguise, subtly shifting our perspective from the truth of God and His character to feeling sorry for ourselves. The practiced discipline of steadfastly choosing to worship despite how we feel is something to grow up into as we become more like Christ. Choose a visual reminder (maybe draw on your mirror with a marker or use our lockscreen for your phone) to help you remember to steadfastly choose to worship the Lord this weekend.

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 Psalm 16:7-8 back to the Lord and let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Prayer Journal
Ah Lord, how sweet it is to sit here in Your presence! Lord, the places of my heart that hold shadows of fear, doubt, anxiety, and pain…Jesus, You know them well. Give me Your treasured counsel, instruct my heart in these lonely places, teaching me trust and depend on You alone. Help me turn to Your voice instead of the taunting voices of my own insecurities.

I know with my eyes focused on You and the safe refuge of Your shelter, my life will not be shaken despite the circumstances that may swirl around me, ever shifting. Teach me to anchor my heart here with You, Lord. How I love Your Word and Your presence! I bless Your Name for your goodness towards me. Awaken me with Your love!

Worship Through Community

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Roads Day 15 The Road Home

September 28, 2018 by Merry Ohler Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 14:1-7
Matthew 7:13-14
Jeremiah 14:14-16
2 Timothy 4:3-4

Roads, Day 15

“God, HELP me! Why can’t I HEAR You?!”
Angry tears filled my eyes and I swallowed hard, slamming towels into the washing machine so quickly they tangled into a big wad. Shrieks reached my ears as I wrestled with the laundry, and in my frustration, I slammed my little toe into the dryer as I turned to shush my two oldest so they wouldn’t wake their sleeping little brother.

I’d be lying if I said an unpleasant word didn’t hiss across my lips. (Sorry, but it’s truth…and I’ll bet if you are being honest, you might be able to relate.)

“You aren’t listening, Love. Your attention is divided.”
His gentle nudge in my spirit sparked fresh tears. He was right.

It had been a long day week year. The temperature outside was frigid, and with three little ones under four, I could count on one hand the number of days when every person in our little tribe had been healthy… in over two months.
I loved being a wife and mama, but between those two most important roles, the demands of my growing business, various ministry commitments, a part time job, and maintaining family relationships, I found myself incapable of focusing on a single task (or person) for even a few minutes. I couldn’t give 100% to anyone or anything.

I was tapped out. Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually.

And truth? I was pretty angry with myself…and maybe at God a little, too.
I couldn’t understand why He seemed so silent through everything.
I was reading my Bible.
I spent time in prayer and worship.
But, for a while now, He had seemed… uncharacteristically quiet.

Having experienced the loss of our first daughter and His supernatural peace and comfort through that time a few years prior, I was frustrated that such seemingly trivial issues affected me like this. …and that He wasn’t showing up as I expected.

His soft correction was on point.
I had been so busy juggling ALL OF THE THINGS,
that nothing and no one was getting the best, or even most, of me.

Have you been there, Sister? Are you there?
So overwhelmed that you just… can’t?

And here’s the million dollar question, Love.
Looking past all of that, are you still 100% committed to following Christ?
Through the mundane as well as the mountains?

A while back, a friend and I were somewhat casually discussing faith and eternity.
As our discourse turned to another religious perspective that was outside biblical salvation by grace through faith, my friend asserted,
“Well, whatever makes them happy.
As long as it isn’t hurting anyone, what’s the harm, right?”

Stunned, I said nothing, and as she changed topics, the moment was lost.

What’s the harm, right?
Her words still echo in my mind.
How I wish I had spoken truth in love to her at that moment.

I wish I’d told her the harm has eternal ramifications.
I wish I’d  told her the harm is that, as Christ followers, we know there is only one road which assures salvation for eternity.
There is only one road holding the hope of a future which far outshines our sin-stained past. There is only one road offering us healing and forgiveness, righteousness, and adoption into God’s family.

One narrow road, and His name is Jesus.

Not our own righteousness,
nor how we think we should act or be,
nor any other thing, but JESUS.

Are we willing to receive some challenge today, Loves?

This is not a popular truth to tell in this day and age.
We live in a world where “live and let live,” and “do whatever makes you happy” rules.
Comfort is king.
While we are encouraged to “speak our truth,” those who shout this mantra the loudest,
are often the first to hush us when THE Truth is what we speak.

Just like my own failure to speak truth in the moment Holy Spirit provided with my friend, many of us fail to give 100% to the people He has placed in our circles.

Look, I get it.
Living our beliefs out there for the world to see in real life is HARD.
It’s much, much easier to stay in our little Sunday bubble and post faith-influenced social media status updates once or twice a week and never actually get in the dirt to love the people He has tasked us to love.

But…what about that mimics the Christ we profess to believe in, love and follow?

As followers of Christ and daughters of God…
We know we are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
We know this world is not our home.
But we also know we are tasked to bring His Kingdom here… which includes sharing the truth in love with whomever God places in our path.
These opportunities to share are the most important part
of our journey as we travel the road Home. (read: Heaven)

No, not preaching on every corner or issuing condemnation and judgement.
It isn’t a “one and done” kind of deal.
Rather, we are challenged to actively love others, continually and invitationally.  

Invite them into our lives and homes and hearts.
Invite them into our community and demonstrate Christ’s love in word, action and deed.
Build real relationships so when Holy Spirit prompts us to speak the truth in love,
we can do it with grace.

When we commit to giving our whole attention and focus to whatever He hands us, we free ourselves to be obedient and experience His fullness.
Even in the mountains and the mundane.
THIS is our purpose, our calling, and our joy!
To live out this Gospel as we travel the road Home!

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Prayer Day 3 What’s In A Name?

July 11, 2018 by Sara Cissell Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 3:1-22
Exodus 20:1-20
Matthew 6:9-13
Job 38:1-42:6

Prayer, Day 3

Hello. It’s nice to meet you. My name is ___________.
How many times have you experienced some variation of this conversation?

How many times have you walked away from an introduction and panicked when you couldn’t remember that person’s name?
Why is that a cringe worthy scenario to be in?

Names are significant.

Names create identity.
From birth we have carried our names.
Parents-to-be ponder names and inscribe them on birth certificates.
Sometimes those names have been chosen for years, while others are game-day decisions after holding that precious bundle in their arms for the first time.

Names communicate intimacy.
Nicknames, pet names, and family names convey the close relationship people have with one another. For instance, the person who says only his or her mother could get away with calling them that name or the office environment where names are shortened to informal nicknames among the staff members both acknowledge the connections names create. Terms of endearment in dating and married couples highlight the relationships between those individuals.

Names carry value and power.
Take a look at the fashion parading past you everyday.
How many brand names do you see?
Do dollar signs and quality levels come to mind when seeing those?
What about the influential people around the world?
Does a quote by Abraham Lincoln have a more significant impact than one from your third-grade teacher?

For Romeo and Juliet, names set boundary lines they dared to cross. The entire tragedy balanced precariously on the importance of a name. Throughout that work, Shakespeare highlighted the various important aspects of a name. He knew the value of a name and wrote a play demonstrating it that is still studied today.

Shakespeare, however, was not the first person to weave names into the very fiber of a masterpiece. The Lord had the Word written down far before Shakespeare even received his own name, and throughout Scripture, God emphasizes the use of names.

In Genesis, He directed Adam to name all the animals.
Can you imagine a world with no names for any of the creatures?
Throughout the following chapters, the Lord changes Abram’s, Sarai’s, and Jacob’s names to more accurately communicate their identities and the promises He had for them.

In Exodus, Moses asks the question, “Who shall I say sent me?”
In other words, Moses was asking Who it was with enough power to engulf a bush in flames yet not consume it. He wanted the name of the individual with enough strength to take on the Egyptian empire. What name held enough confidence in its person to empower Moses to step out in faith?

The Lord’s answer was “I AM.”

If I were Moses, I think I would have wanted a name with a little more street credibility or shudder factor in the Egyptian throne room.
However, the Lord did not pigeonhole Himself into any category.
He provided the all-encompassing answer, and highlighted various aspects of His identity through the names expressed throughout the Word.

El Roi: The God who sees
Jehovah Shalom: God is my peace
El Shaddai: God Almighty

So many more names are found throughout Scripture that highlight God’s character and identity.
He is the great “I AM” and He is worthy of all reverence.

While this is a realization I wish I would come to on my own far more often than I do, the Lord has graciously and astutely set some parameters regarding His name.

In the Old Testament, the Lord literally carved in stone His expectation regarding His name as part of the Ten Commandments.
“You shall not misuse the NAME of the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:7)

In the New Testament, it is nestled in the Lord’s Prayer.
Both the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer are well known enough
that I sometimes fail to grasp the significance of their words.

“Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God.”
When was the last time you heard Jesus’ name used as a cuss word?
This is the first thought that comes to mind as a misuse, but it is not the last.
Are there ways we can misrepresent our thoughts as His, or pray for what we want using His name as the reason we should receive it?
Questions like these cause me to slow down and reflect on the status of my heart before Him.

“Our Father in heaven, Your NAME be honored as holy.”
Hallowed be thy name is the New King James version of this verse and one that many would quickly recognize as the start of the Lord’s Prayer.
What does it mean to honor His name as holy?
Through Christ paying the price for our sins, He made a way for us to interact with God the Father directly. It is a privilege I pray I do not take lightly.
Do I approach Him with respect, dignity, humble submission, and genuine love?
Do I acknowledge His thoughts are above mine?
Every now and then I read the last few chapters of Job and quickly remember
just how holy the Lord is.

Slow down with me, Sisters.
Think on the holiness of the Name of the Lord God.
Come before Him, longing to know Him better through His character and identity, then gloriously find your own identity within His!

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Chase Day 7 Chasing Anger: Digging Deeper

January 16, 2018 by Multiple Authors Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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James 1:19-21 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, ²⁰for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. ²¹Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

The Questions

1) How are listening, speaking, and anger related?

2) Is human anger different from God’s anger?

3) What produces the righteousness of God?

The Findings for Intention

1) How are listening, speaking, and anger related?
Cross references are incredibly helpful tools for students of the Bible. Others have already done all the hard work to connect the same word or same usage of that word to other similar usages/phrases in the Bible. The cross-references for “anger” in verse 21 lead us to several passages; consider this one from Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 or here from Proverbs 4:23-27. Both of these references (and many more) teach that our outward actions, words, and emotions are rooted directly to our hearts. How we listen and how we speak, are barometers for the condition of our hearts. Jesus talks about this in Luke 6:45 saying, “…out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” The book of James as a whole is about training in the disciplines of godly living that honors God with our whole life. One of these is the discipline of the tongue. To safeguard against anger, James teaches us to train our tongue as well as our ears. Slow. Slow. Slow. Slow to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger will do much for our training in godliness. See also James 3:1-12 for more on this disciplined training!

2) Is human anger different from God’s anger?
So Much Yes! James makes a clear distinction here to help us see the difference. Man’s anger doesn’t bring about the righteousness of God, and the opposite is true as well. God’s anger does bring about His righteousness. When we become angry and let it spew unbridled from our tongue, and when, because of anger, we stop listening, only jumping in to defend ourselves, we will never bring about God’s righteousness in our relationships. Instead, relationships are broken and we recklessly hurt others with our words (Proverbs 12:18). God’s anger is a righteous anger over sin in the lives of His beloved children. His anger is purposeful with a heart of love behind it, a love that is pursuing a relationship of intimacy with us. Our anger? It rarely comes from a heart of love for the other person. Though, sometimes our anger can indeed have pure motives, but Paul warns us, “In your anger, do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26)

3) What produces the righteousness of God?
In verse 21, we see “therefore”, which should be read “in light of” or “because our anger doesn’t produce God’s righteousness, and we are called to holy, righteous living, combat that anger with these”: “put away all filthiness, all rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word.” That “word” is the freeing gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that we were helpless to create righteousness on our own, Jesus became righteousness for us on our behalf! (2 Corinthians 5:21) None of this discipline training is possible without this full-hearted embrace of the freeing gospel! But James is quick to insist, “be doers of the word and not just hearers only.” Embrace the word of the free gospel, but link arms with “Faith” and “Obedience” and follow closely as you train in godliness.

The Everyday Application

1) How are listening, speaking, and anger related?
In our culture, we spend a lot of time disciplining our bodies and training them to excel at the best with food and fitness. Have you ever considered what it would look like to train and discipline our hearts? After all, it’s only our souls that will last into eternity, not our bodies. Consider beginning some heart-training for godliness in the arena of your ears, your tongue, and the anger inside. Ask the Holy Spirit for His help to grow you and to help you reach for grace instead of anger. When we listen, let’s be intentional and slow down to really hear (not distracted hearing). When we choose to speak, let’s choose our words carefully and slowly. When in doubt, give the benefit of the doubt! Don’t think the worst of the other person, instead, extend grace and ask for clarification. It’s hard! Don’t be discouraged, training and discipline is hard work with great reward! When in doubt, give the benefit of the doubt! Don’t think the worst of the other person, instead, extend grace and ask for clarification.

2) Is human anger different from God’s anger?
When we’re speaking with non-believers, we want to share His love. Our words and actions need to be in alignment to do that effectively. The listener will not receive our words well if we are shouting at them about how wrong they are or even how much they annoy us; they will only walk out of our lives. Keeping our anger in check allows for even more conversation with our sisters to transpire. Reflecting on God’s holy anger over our sin can be a source of encouragement to be broken over the sin in our life instead of turning a blind eye to that sin.

3) What produces the righteousness of God?
If we put our faith in the King of Kings, the Mighty One, the Prince of Peace, our lives will be changed forever. The Holy Spirit is in the business of transforming lives by leading us into things that sharpen us and let us reflect the Son even better. After experiencing that initial transformation, we have begun to produce the righteousness of God in our lives. As that takes root and begins to bear fruit, our faith is deepened and God’s righteousness is on display even brighter. It throws us into a beautiful cycle, for His glory on display for the world to see!

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*Written by Michelle Promise and Rebecca Adams

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
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!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Chase Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion.
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources. Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

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. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? 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 :-))

The Why!

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.

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.
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Chase Day 5 Chasing Entitlement

January 12, 2018 by Kendra Kuntz Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

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

“For God so loved the world…”

The world.

God loves the world.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He thought the Ninevites didn’t deserve grace.

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

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

How many times have I been Jonah?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Pause Day 3 Gathering

October 25, 2017 by Rebecca Adams 2 Comments

It’s no secret that we LOVE community at Gracefully Truthful.
But, true biblical community goes far beyond catching up with some girlfriends, pulling out the quilting needles, or making a playdate for kids and mamas.

Biblical community is about authentic, rich, transparency.
It’s friendship that is consistent, that doesn’t close its eyes when life gets ugly, will answer the phone at 2am, will grab your groceries for you, and sit with you when the tears are too heavy to hold inside.
Biblical community doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s much too precious to simply toss trite “Bible answers” out there when the reality of life needs deep comfort instead of pat one-liners.
God designed us for community and purposed for us to flourish deeply when we engage in it.
Biblical community is a grace gift!

Wednesdays during “Pause“, we are focusing on this gift, and challenging each of us to go one step deeper than where we are today when it comes to entering into this community. Every Christ-follower has been invited to engage in the intricacies of biblical community. Even though it can be scary to be transparent, every step we take towards authenticity is one step closer to living in the abundance Christ has called us into!

Be all in, Sisters!

Today's Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of Psalm 142 today. And 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 answer the invitation of going deeper into biblical community!
a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
c) Leave a comment here about it.
d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group
e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in!

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Psalm 142

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
²I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.

³When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
⁶Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
⁷Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 143

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    give ear to my pleas for mercy!
    In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
²Enter not into judgment with your servant,
    for no one living is righteous before you.

³For the enemy has pursued my soul;
    he has crushed my life to the ground;
    he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
⁴Therefore my spirit faints within me;
    my heart within me is appalled.

⁵I remember the days of old;
    I meditate on all that you have done;
    I ponder the work of your hands.
⁶I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.^[a]
¹⁰Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

¹¹For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
¹²And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 3 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Palette Day 7 All The Colors: Digging Deeper

October 10, 2017 by Dr. Leslie Umstattd Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
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Matthew 28:16-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Questions

1) Why are some doubting? What has happened previously to make them doubt or believe?

2) What commands are given to the disciples in this passage?

3) In whose power, do we go? And how long do we have that power?

The Findings for Intention

1) Why are some doubting? What has happened previously to make them doubt or believe?
In reading all of chapter twenty-eight, the scene is set for this passage that falls at the end of the chapter. Jesus has just been resurrected and there are those who simply cannot, or choose not to believe, His resurrection. The chief priest pays the soldiers to say that Jesus’ disciples have stolen His body rather than affirm the resurrection. (28:13)

2) What commands are given to the disciples in this passage?
Throughout this passage, Jesus gives four commands. He tells them to GO, MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE THEM, and TEACH THEM MY WORD.

3) In whose power, do we go? And how long do we have that power?
Jesus is very clear the power is from God the Father, through the Spirit, and He will be with us until the end of the age.

The Everyday Application

1) Why are some doubting? What has happened previously to make them doubt or believe?
The evidence of Jesus’ resurrection was right in front of them in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no reason to doubt. I read a passage like this and I think how could they not see? It is only a mirrored reflection of my own disbelief at times. God clearly works in my life, clearly moves, and clearly shows me who He is, yet I still question just as they did. It is in these moments that God gently nudges me closer to Him. He shows me my own heart of disbelief to push me and convict me of my desperate need for Him.

2) What commands are given to the disciples in this passage?
GO, MAKE DISCIPLES, BAPTIZE THEM, and TEACH MY WORD. It could not be simpler than that. This passage iterates the simplicity of the gospel. God desires His people to teach others about Him. He desires us to move beyond our borders, our personal boundaries, to places unknown, places of discomfort, and sometimes places that we simply just don’t want to go. It doesn’t mean you leave this country or even this city. What it does mean is that you have eyes that see as Jesus sees paired with a heart’s desire to tell others about Him.

3) In whose power, do we go? And how long do we have that power?
As we go, we do not go alone. “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” This is the promise we have from our Savior. He doesn’t leave us, He empowers us! He doesn’t expect us to go of our volition but rather as His power transforms us, we move forward out of worship for Him. This power is not fleeting, but rather eternal. It does not run out or fade away, rather it grows in us, drawing us closer to Him. In that strength, we begin to look and act a whole lot more like Him. We love because He first loved us!

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I Can Do That!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Palette Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

The Why!

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.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Palette!