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The GT Weekend! ~ Sacrifice Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Sarah kicked off our final week of Sacrifice with a powerful story about forgiveness. She demonstrated how the forgiveness we receive from Jesus can lead to personal forgiveness toward others. As she walked us through the Bible, unpacking the path from animal sacrifice to the sacrifice of our Savior on our behalf, how did you personally connect to the purpose of sacrifice? Journal your thoughts and prayers on how this sacrificial thread has affected your life. Looking at Ephesians 2, which is where we find our memory verse, we can see clearly that without the sacrifice of the cross, we would be eternally lost. God’s love for us is so great that Christ paid the highest price to win us to freedom, peace, and belonging. With whom can you share this great truth? Write down their name and share your story with them, giving them a glimpse into the gospel. Check out the Journey Theme, Gospel, to help ground you understanding “the Gospel in one verse” in John 3:16.

2) One of my favorite worship songs is “Mercy Seat”, which describes how believers in Jesus have freedom to run to the mercy seat and find God’s presence, grace, and mercy. In the Old Testament, the “mercy seat” was a physical part of the Ark of the Covenant, the place where God would “meet” with His people. In the New Testament, that physical mercy seat has been replaced by the constant spiritual presence of God’s Spirit living within all who place their faith in Him. Jesus has made one sacrifice for all sin, replacing the Old Testament’s animal sacrificial system. Because of His sacrifice, we who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior have victory over sin and death as well as the constant presence of God’s Spirit within us. The mercy seat dwells in us! Write a prayer of praise and thanks for the daily ability to access the mercy seat. Journal how God’s mercy has impacted you. Choose a second person and share your journal entry with them. Invite them to either share their own story of God’s mercy or to gain access by praying to the Lord Jesus as Carol led us at the close of her Journey Study, “One Sacrifice”.

3) On home renovation shows everyone gets excited about demo day as the old is torn down to make way for something new and better. Our spiritual Demo Day is no different. To be made new and become more Christlike, the old must go. This means leaving behind our old sinful ways and surrendering our lives to God’s transformative plans. Lori encouraged us to pray a simple, but sometimes scary, prayer of surrender “God, break my heart for what breaks Yours.” Did you do it? If not, write it in your journal, pray it aloud and keep track of what God does with your prayer of faith. It’s not easy to walk the road of surrender, but we’re reminded in Paul’s letter to the Galatians that it is an important and necessary road we must walk. So let’s do that! As we conclude our Journey Into Sacrifice, do a quick review of the entire study and journal about which day impacted you most and why. How can you more effectively live out what you learned from that day? How can you sacrifice your time to bring others awareness of the greatest sacrifice ever made as Jesus gave His life on the cross?

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 Ephesians 4:20-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off, your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on, the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Prayer Journal
Lord today I pray a simple prayer, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours”. There is no way, Lord, for me to surrender my life to You in this way and not be changed. I will not be able to hold onto my old selfish, sinful ways if I am giving every part of my life over to You. Let me see and respond to others the way You do. Help me respond to situations the way You would. Transform my heart to be more like Yours. May it be so Lord for Your glory.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Sketched III, Day 7 Bathsheba: Digging Deeper

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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

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Bathsheba

2 Samuel 12:24-25 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went to her and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon.  The Lord loved him, and he sent a message through the prophet Nathan, who named him Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

The Questions

1) How did David offer comfort to Bathsheba?

2) What was the significance of Solomon’s name?

3) What was the purpose of Solomon’s second name: Jedidiah?

The Findings for Intention

1) How did David offer comfort to Bathsheba?
Following a series of one poor choice after another (2 Samuel 11-12) David spent days fasting, weeping, and crying out to God, asking that He would spare the life of his son with Bathsheba.  However, God’s mind would not be changed and the child died as a consequence of the sins committed (2 Samuel 12:13-18).  David’s mourning likely looked very different from Bathsheba’s.  He had grieved over his son the week before, and once the baby was gone, David was resolute and matter of fact about moving forward (2 Samuel 12:20-23).  He could have expected Bathsheba to do the same. Instead, David went to her.  He offered her his presence.  They shared their pain with one another.  He did not ignore her or leave her to figure out her feelings on her own.  He could have…but instead, he held her and offered her comfort through the ministry of sex, one of the many beautiful purposes for which God intended it to serve within the marriage relationship.

2) What was the significance of Solomon’s name?
First, God used David to offer comfort to Bathsheba through his presence.  Then God extended even more comfort to her through His forgiveness and restoration.
Before he was born, God promised David that a son would be given to him as a man of rest, that the child would live in a time of peace, that he would follow David on the throne to rule Israel, and that this son would construct the house for the Lord that David longed to build.  God declared to David that the baby would be named Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:6-10).  His very name was a play on the Hebrew word “shalom” which means “peace.”  David then shared that news with Bathsheba.  David made a promise to her that their son would follow in his footsteps as king  (1 Kings 1:11-21), before David’s older sons and rightful heirs.  Sharing this news with Bathsheba would have served as a daily reminder that God’s forgiveness would not be taken away.  The woman who had lost a son as result of poor choices had been given another who would bring peace into her life.

3) What was the purpose of Solomon’s second name: Jedidiah?
Once Solomon was born, God sent Nathan to give the boy the second name Jedidiah, or “beloved of the Lord.”  In Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary he says that this gesture by the Lord serves to show “…that those who were by nature children of wrath and disobedience should, by the covenant of grace, not only be reconciled, but made favorites.”
And the boy who grew up knowing he was beloved by God extended that same love to his mother.  The interaction recorded between Solomon and Bathsheba just after the death of David in 1 Kings 2 is a beautiful snapshot of their relationship.  As Bathsheba goes to speak with her son, the newly crowned king, he responds with incredible respect.  “The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for [his] mother,”  (1 Kings 2:14).  Can you imagine?   A woman who faced such grief and pain was allowed to see her hurt come full circle in a legacy left in the hands of this incredible young man. God gave her the comfort of knowing that His promises were true.

The Everyday Application

1) How did David offer comfort to Bathsheba?
“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, “ (2 Corinthians 1:4).
God gave us the people and relationships in our lives as a source of comfort for the trials and difficulties that will inevitably come our way.  Our simple presence is one of the most powerful offerings we can give.  Simply being there to hold someone’s hand when they cry.  To sit in silence when words don’t come.  To watch a movie and laugh.  To talk over coffee when needed.  But we are wise to allow those in need of comfort to direct what form comfort takes.  Not everyone will respond the same, or need what we ourselves might choose.  And for those of you who are married, please, don’t miss in this story the powerful ministry of sex as a means of comfort to your spouse.  It’s an often overlooked need and purpose of the most intimate time in a relationship we will ever know.  We are given the opportunity to serve our spouses at a level that none other on this earth can.

2) What was the significance of Solomon’s name?
No matter the depth of our sin or the length of our despair, we have a Father in heaven who offers us the same forgiveness and restoration He gave to both David and Bathsheba.  When we are in need of forgiveness and willing to confess our sin, He is faithful (1 John 1:9).  No.  Matter.  What.  That is how God extends peace – shalom –  into our everyday lives.  He gave His son as a pathway to our peace (Romans 5:1).  And when we are brokenhearted and in despair, needing His restoration, He gives generously to His children.  He brings life to us through Christ.  The Messiah offers us beauty, peace, comfort, healing, freedom, favor, justice, provision and so much more (Isaiah 61:1-4).  Where are you today?  Where do you need to know God’s peace and forgiveness?  Where do you need restoration?  

3) What was the purpose of Solomon’s second name: Jedidiah?
“…I will call Not my People, my People, and she who is Unloved, Beloved…” (Romans 9:25).  Through God’s re-naming and legacy of Solomon, Bathsheba experienced the truth Paul references in Romans.  The literal comma between unloved and beloved  contains the uncontainable grace and mercy of God; it’s the transformation that Matthew Henry noted:  not only reconciled, but also favored.  For years, I knew that God loved me and that my eternity was secure through Christ.  But I also lived my everyday Christian life as a second-class citizen…believing His love for me only went so far because of the greatness of my sin.  In my mind I limited His love.  But God opened my eyes to the truth, and my subsequent beloved-ness.  His love isn’t limited like the love of humans or bound by my sin or defined by my lack of understanding.  He gives His love freely to even the worst of us.  Even me.  And you.  Do you know the difference between being loved through the action of God and being the beloved in your very existence?  The comma is subtle, yet bold in its power to transform – let this truth wash over you today, beloved.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
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Join the friends at the GT Facebook Community!

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

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

Grow 2018 Day 4 The Lie Of Perfect Growth

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Welcome to “Grow”! These stories are from the hearts of regular, everyday women just like you in the GT Community. They are boldly sharing how God has grown them, met with them, strengthened them, and taught them solid truth as they have discovered anew that Jesus is our everyday Savior! Today’s story is shared from the heart of Rebecca Chartier. 

Jeremiah 31:3
Psalm 46:10-11
Exodus 14:14
Isaiah 43:18-19
Romans 8:28

Grow, Day 4

Initially, when I thought about my growth this year, there were several specifics that came to mind. I didn’t write them down. I was working on another piece of writing, working a lot at my J.O.B., getting ready for Christmas…just downright busy. Then the enemy lies started in:
“You haven’t grown.
You’re no different than you were last year.
You’re even worse in some areas than last year.
Didn’t you say…??
Are you really a Christian??”

So, I put off this project.
It wasn’t a conscious decision to be a slacker. It was simply a lack of prayer on my part and lots of taunting from the enemy.

Do you ever get stuck in a rut like this?
You have a lot to do, you think you’re handling everything, and then something creeps up on you?
Not. Good.

Here we go with growth. I have grown this year. A little.
When perfection is the goal,
any growth can seem so miniscule.

Sometimes I feel defeated.
But then I remember: perfection doesn’t happen until heaven.
Any spiritual growth that happens on this side of heaven brings us closer to the Lord, molds us to be more like him, pleases him and glorifies him!
(Take THAT, Satan!!)

Early this year – February, to be exact – I began leading a ladies’ Bible study group in my home. This one step of faith has changed my life in many ways.
I have kept my home tidier.
I have been scanning important documents onto an electronic drive and shredding paper.
I have been in prayer more.
I have read and studied more.
I have opened myself to these ladies and made new friends.
And I have been blessed by them and by the studies we have gone through together.

One that was especially poignant was “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman.
This series of videos reminded me that work can be done in the church and/or in the name of God, but with a wrong heart…a heart that doesn’t truly love the Lord. It caused self-reflection and a warning to guard my heart.

Speaking of my heart, it has been a little bit broken for the past few months.
A longtime friend has become distant.
But I believe that God is taking the broken pieces and gluing them back together with new friendships that have grown this year.
He’s also leaving some spaces for me to practice contentment; He knows that I tend to move to a different apartment every year or two in an effort to be in a nicer environment. Where I am now is just fine.

Another area which the Lord is shaping is my readiness, directly affected by spending and saving. I have been recently convicted that I am not ready to help in a time of need, and I felt terrible. This reshaping of my spending habits hurts, sisters, because I can totally justify everything. Again, it goes back to contentment. (Do I really NEED a new home computer? I did spend 9 hours today trying to update…)

This year I walked the Kansas City Half Marathon with Team World Vision for the first time. The encouragement and support that I received from other walkers, World Vision organizers, family and friends was amazing! The team was a sort of community of its own right. It was a community that I had never experienced before and it changed me and allowed me to see another side of myself.

Another community that is changing my life is the Gracefully Truthful community. Sisters, I have been in Bible study, in Bible college, and leading groups, but the experience of writing something that resonates with you – and hearing you share your experiences – is altogether more beautiful.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good talk and a hug, but I can easily forget what was shared. This media is tangible to me. And through GT, I can read and cry, and read and cry, as many times as I want! (Trust me, it happens a lot.)
I have been encouraged and challenged by reading other writers’ Journeys and Digging Deeper studies too. Thank you, GT Ladies, for stepping into your calling!

And to my sister across the screen,
if you are sensing the Lord calling you to do something for Him,
don’t let the enemy bully you and make you afraid.
Go ahead and step into it!
My past year has shown me that obedience, even in small ways,
results in good, solid growth toward the goal of perfect Christ-likeness.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Grow 2018! 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 stories in Grow 2018!

Worship II Day 1 Tune My Heart

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 3:1-17
Psalm 143
1 Samuel 7

True, biblical worship is found at the crossroads of our total surrender in the face of being awestruck at the magnificent glory of God.
Our ugliness.
His glory.

Our broken.
His perfection.

And every aspect of this glorious meeting is bound up, hemmed in on all sides, overflowing into every crevice, with unstoppable, permeating, love.

When we bring our full selves.
Not just the parts we like to pretty up, but the parts that make us cringe, the parts we wish would never rear their ugly heads, we are invited into true worship.
When I bring the shame that drops my head.
The voice of “not enough” echoing inside.
My judgmental attitude.
My self-righteousness.
My passion to control.

When my eyes behold His glory, all I’ve been grasping onto no longer matters, but is swallowed up by the fire of His presence; this is worship!

Just one look into the glory of our Savior shapes our hearts, shaves off our self-serving ways, and brings us into deep, authentic worship.

How quickly though this delight fades.
Frustration in a relationship pops up.
Our “still to do list”.
Reminders of financial tension.
Monotony of everyday.
Something that didn’t go as planned.
And we have all but forgotten the precious, life-giving bliss of falling on the grace of the Savior’s sturdy love.

My heart needs constant reminding.
Constant training.
Tuning.
Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise

Tune my heart, oh Christ, the glorious giver of every delightful blessing!
Train my soul to find full satisfaction in Yourself!
Let me never settle for lesser things!
Your good grace, Your abounding love, Your mercies
are unending!

They beckon me, these mercies.
Inviting me.
Whispering to my heart, “Come away, Beloved, find the source of life, here in the glory of My indescribable presence!

Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of God’s unchanging love.

Fixed upon it.
Fixed.

What I learn in those sweet moments of unadulterated glorious transformative encounters with the Holy Most High sturdies my feet when distractions come again. When I am utterly transfixed on the radical gift of love from the Almighty God, while keeping in my sight my own hopeless depravity and inability to be my own rescuer, the chaotic waves of circumstance and relationship no longer matter in the way they did before the encounter.

Encountering Christ Jesus changes everything.
And the more we lean into that transformation, the sweeter our lives become because our worship is increasingly more authentic.

The more our hearts are trained to find delight in time spent with the God of the Universe – oh think of the glory of that! – the more we see the world through the lens of His peace and deep, dramatic love!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

“Ebenezer” was first setup as a reminder stone to Israel. They had wandered from God and sinned, but had heeded His call of repentance. They had turned back to Him and found great delight. They offered sacrifices, repented, and God renewed their hearts!
Then the chaos ensued, as it always does, right?!
Their enemies, the Philistines, were hot on their trail and, finding them all gathered in one location, set out to destroy them.

But God would have none of that.
God showed up, displaying His power, and brought Israel, His chosen ones, resounding victory in the face of what could have been deadly defeat.

Israel responded with worship.
They set up a stone, an Ebenezer, as a reminder of what the Lord had done for them that day. How He had fought for them, despite the dire circumstances.

And so it is for us.
When we draw near to meet with Him, despite our daily, pressing “must-do’s”, when we find our solace in the place of His renewal instead of leaping headlong into our schedule, He will fight for us.
And when He does, dear one, make your own Ebenezer.

Write it down, post it on Facebook, tell a friend.
“My God just showed up for me! He brought me peace, He delivered me, He held my tongue when that conversation got heated. He adjusted my attitude when I was overwhelmed.”

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

HE IS MY RESCUER!
In life, in relationships, in finances, in the face of fear, illness, and deep discouragement.
This Lord who rescued me from the fires of eternal separation from Him because of my sin, continues to defeat my enemies and Oh, How I Worship Him!

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Tune my heart, Lord Jesus.
Oh yes, I am prone to wander.
Prone to leave you, my God whom I love.
Train my heart to come to you,
often,
daily,
moment by moment,
and find you as my solid, sweet changeless Victory!

Need some ideas on how to start having that daily time with Jesus?
Check out our Journey Theme, Pause.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Worship II 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 Worship II!

Battle Day 14 Fought For: Digging Deeper

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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

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Fought For!

1 John 3:16-18 English Standard Version (ESV)

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

The Questions

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?
The example John gives for being the ultimate proof of love is “he”, referring directly to Jesus, laid down His literal, physical life for the opportunity to offer salvation to all mankind across all of time. John is contrasting this act of love to the what the previous verses were discussing (11-15). Verse 14 boldly states, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” John is telling his audience that the proof of our hearts being made new by Jesus is our overflowing heart of love towards others. If we do not love, we are still “abiding in death” and have not been given a new heart.

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?
Taking a look at studylight.org for a closer look at the verb “close”, we see that it is a very intentional choice on the part of the person doing the action. “Closing the heart” isn’t going to happen on accident or because we aren’t paying enough attention. To close our heart is to become decidedly callous. The writer of Deuteronomy gives a similar warning, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, …you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.”

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?
This is an important question to ask when studying the Bible as it helps us tie the pieces of Scripture together to make accurate interpretations and solid understanding for God’s big picture of redemption. The tiny, italicized letters in your Bible are cross-references that help you do exactly that! Look them up and you’ll find a world of treasure as you study! For this specific section, one cross-references point us to Ezekiel 33:31. This verse is actually the Lord telling the prophet that people will seem eager to listen to the truth of his warnings about their sinful ways, but they will do nothing about it. They look in the mirror of God’s Word, but they walk away entirely unchanged. (James 1:24-25)

The Everyday Application

1) What is the “by this” referring to in verse 16?
The Bible doesn’t leave us wondering whether we are genuinely saved or not. The entire 3 books of 1, 2, and 3rd John are devoted to “that you may know” statements about saving faith. These few verses are just one such example of “marks of an authentic believer”. John urges his audience to step back and gauge their level of love. Is it sacrificial? Does your love display others over self? Is your heart motivated to love deeper and deeper and better and better and better or are you content staying at your current “level of love”? Is your love full of expectations that others must meet in order for you to be happy with them? What happens when you’re disappointed in a relationship is an excellent gauge for your level of love, as well as considering who you are willing to love (and who you aren’t).

2) What is meant by “closes his heart” in verse 17?
You’ve seen the images of flooding in Houston or wildfires in Montana, but your heart no longer aches for the people there. You are becoming callous and desensitized to loving others. We practice keeping our hearts “soft” by putting actions to match our words or thoughts. Sending money to aid relief workers, praying for specific people, or extending an invitation to coffee to that person you feel the Spirit nudging you to share His love with. Choose to act instead of becoming too fascinated with what seems more pressing at that moment. Choose love.

3) Where else in Scripture do we see similar phrasing to “let us not love in word or talk” and what significance does that have?
What was last Sunday’s sermon about? What did you read or learn about the last time you read your Bible? What was your big take-away from your last gathering as a small study group of believers? It’s harder to answer these than we’d like to admit, isn’t it? If we need to concentrate pretty hard to even recall what truths Pastor spoke over us just a few days ago, are we really allowing truth to transform us or are we simply adding to our knowledge of God? To genuinely love others better, we must take in solid truth and put feet and hands to our new understanding. Repeat God’s word over and over, write down your sermon take-aways, decide what your next action step will be and ask a friend to hold you accountable to doing it. Don’t just look at God’s Word, be radically transformed by it!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

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

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

Battle Day 4 Sole Satisfier: Digging Deeper

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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

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Sole Satisfier!

1 Peter 2:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV)

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The Questions

1) What is the motivation for “putting away”?

2) What is “pure spiritual milk”?

3) In what way are we “living stones” and what is God “building”?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the motivation for “putting away”?
Marker words in Scripture like “so” and “therefore” should be waving flags for us to stop reading, go back, and get a broader context for our understanding so that we correctly understand the meaning and purpose of the passage. In this instance, Peter has been talking about the power of the gospel being unleashed in the life of a believer, reminding us that we have been raised to life and are no longer slaves to Sin. Because of this new life and the power of the Spirit flowing inside us, Peter calls us to put away the lifestyle of Sin. Malice, deceit, and hypocrisy are clothes that no longer fit a remade creation of Christ, so stop putting them on!

2) What is “pure spiritual milk”?
The author of Hebrews uses similar phrasing when referring to our spiritual condition by using “milk” vs “solid food”. By looking at a cross-reference for Hebrews 5:11-14, we get a broader perspective on the meaning of this phrasing. “Spiritual milk” is the simple gospel, the basic foundations of the Christian faith and the character of God.

3) In what way are we “living stones” and what is God “building”?
To our Western culture, stones are what we find by the riverbed and our context generally ends there. But to the original hearers of Peter’s letter, stones were for building magnificent structures with, where the extremely obvious case in point was Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. The temple was cut using the finest of stones and its beauty and resplendence was apparent to everyone in the Roman world. Then-current-day believers would be tempted to wish for a physical building, for power, and display of importance in the social and political spheres around them. Peter reminds them here that they, as Christ followers, are the “living stones” and God was building them together as His Church to display an everlasting glory that would shine into eternity!

The Everyday Application

1) What is the motivation for “putting away”?
There’s no escaping that fact that relationships are full of conflict, but we absolutely have a choice in how we respond to that conflict. Instead of grabbing the weapons of Sin and Death (namely: deception, malice, hatred, anger, and so forth), as Christ-followers, we have a new “wardrobe” to choose from. The garments of Christ are love, mercy, gentleness, self-control, patience, goodness, and the like. In the next verse, Peter notes how we “grow up” in our salvation. Putting these clothes on doesn’t come naturally, but with practice and growth, and the under-girding of the Holy Spirit’s power, we can fight against the enemy when it comes to conflict in our relationships!

2) What is “pure spiritual milk”?
Those who are taking in the spiritual milk are not wrong! If you are seeking and exploring the claims of Christ, let the sweetness of the gospel capture your heart and draw you in. Read His Word, meet with other believers, get to know this God who is pursuing and redeeming you….but don’t stop there! We were not saved from eternal separation from God to stay in one place, rather we were intended to grow and become more like Jesus. Keep Journeying with Christ! Eating the “solid meat”, doesn’t mean going beyond the gospel and the heart of God, rather it means going deeper into it. Don’t be satisfied with simple answers or explanations or “feel-good” sermons. Push the boundaries of your comfort zone and hunger for more of God and more of His righteousness! Paul warns here by his words “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good”, that if you aren’t growing and longing for more of Jesus, then carefully consider whether you have genuinely given your heart to Him or whether you are deceiving yourself.

3) In what way are we “living stones” and what is God “building”?
Political sway, social importance, and the desire for power are temptations we face in our modern day world, just like the ancient Christians. Even if it’s simply power of our own home, control in our relationships, approval on social media, or being noticed by others we have elevated to a higher standard. Take courage and find rest in knowing that Jesus sees you, and your fellow sisters and brothers in Christ, as being far more valuable and long-lasting than fleeting popularity. The work God is doing in and through a heart fully surrendered to Him will last for eternity and have impact in the present day. Trust Him for your foundation today; let Him build and shape you for His purposes!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

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

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

Freedom Day 4 The Compelling Gospel: Digging Deeper

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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

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out The Compelling Gospel!

Galatians 1:11-24 English Standard Version (ESV)

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

The Questions

1) Why is it significant that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus, and not from any man?

2) What does Paul’s radical transformation say about the gospel?

3) Where are Arabia, Damascus, Syria, and Cilicia?  Why was it important where Paul was after his conversion?

4) What reaction did Paul’s conversion cause in the Judean believers?

The Findings for Intention

1) Why is it significant that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus, and not from any man?
Paul wrote Galatians to combat heresies that were sneaking into the church.  He was making a case that the gospel he preached was the only true gospel, and that any other gospel was false.  In this time, before the Word of God was written down and available to all believers, it was important for a teacher to prove his credibility, so that his testimony about the gospel could be seen as coming from Jesus himself.

2) What does Paul’s radical transformation say about the gospel?
There is no doubt that Paul’s former life was completely hostile to Christ, and that his life after his conversion was spent working and suffering for Christ’s sake.  It is just as stark a transformation as if an ISIS soldier were to convert to Christianity and begin winning people to Christ.  This transformation is one of the proofs that the gospel is true.  Paul turned his back on his former way of life and stepped into a life of hardship and suffering that eventually cost him his life, all for the sake of Jesus Christ.

3) Where are Arabia, Damascus, Syria, and Cilicia?  Why was it important where Paul was after his conversion?
Arabia refers to the Arabian Peninsula, east of Israel.  Damascus is a city in Syria, north of Israel, and Cilicia is the southern part of what is now Turkey.  The point of Paul mentioning that he spent time in these places is that he was not in Jerusalem, being taught by the apostles.  Rather, he was receiving his calling directly from Christ.

4) What reaction did Paul’s conversion cause in the Judean believers?
Verses 23 and 24 show that the believers in Judea glorified God because of what they heard about Paul. This shows that they knew Paul’s change was due to the work of Christ in his life.

The Everyday Application

1) Why is it significant that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus, and not from any man?
The early church did not have the New Testament, so they had to rely on the authority of the apostles to prove what was true and what was false doctrine.  We, on the other hand, are blessed with the written Word of God.  False teachers abound today, just as they did in Paul’s time.  Do you know the Bible well enough to recognize false teaching when you hear it?

2) What does Paul’s radical transformation say about the gospel?
The gospel is powerful, and no one is beyond Christ’s reach!  Is there a Saul-like person you know, someone who is hostile to the gospel and seems like the least likely person to give their life to Christ?  Don’t give up, but pray for them!  God can save anyone.

3) Where are Arabia, Damascus, Syria, and Cilicia?  Why was it important where Paul was after his conversion?
God orchestrated the events of Paul’s life so that, when he needed to prove his authority, even the places he had lived were a testimony.  God is always working in our lives, and we may not immediately know why He has us in a certain place, doing a certain thing.  But we can rest in His sovereignty and believe that He is doing a work in us.

4) What reaction did Paul’s conversion cause in the Judean believers?
When you see a life transformed by the gospel, do you give credit where credit is due?  Do you compliment the person on their changed life, as if it was their power that accomplished it, or do you give glory to God?  Likewise, when God transforms a part of your life and people take notice, are you careful to give glory to God, and not take credit that belongs to Him?

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

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

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

Sketched II Day 15 Lydia

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Sketched II Day 15 Lydia

Multiple Authors

July 7, 2017

Accepted,Beauty,Brave,Character,Clothed,Community,Design,Faith,Forgiven,Freedom,Fullness,God,Gospel,Grace,Hope,Jesus,Made New,Power,Praise,Purpose,Redemption,Sketched

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:11-40
Romans 10:10-17
Nahum 1:15

I’m from Thyatira, a Roman city, but today I’m here in Philippi on business.
Yes, I’ve heard it all before…a “woman” doing “business”.

Well, that may be all good for you to hold on to your standards, but my life hasn’t “fit the mold” all that well. Like most girls, I was married young, but tragically, my husband passed away, even before I bore him any children. My “life mold” was broken before I’d begun. Widows are pretty much right next to dirt in my culture, especially ones without children or family to support us. I wouldn’t allow myself to become another beggar on the streets, eking out an existence for the rest of my life. I feel it in my gut; I was made for more.

Begging would have been easy, but if I wanted more, I knew I needed to work hard, which for me, is something I’ve always excelled at. I hate jobs left undone. Dying clothing purple is a select trade, because it’s so hard! Collecting the snails needed for the purple dye is one thing, but boiling them is quite another. Oh the horrid smell!! It’s so bad that, with several purple dealers along the coastline, the whole area reeks like dead snails!

The work is exhausting and perpetual; I’m constantly on the go, stuck in a never-ending cycle of tired! But it’s worth it; at least I’m not living on the streets. On the contrary, my purple clothing business has flourished and now I can even afford a few servants to help me. Even so, managing a business and putting up with the disdain of other women around me leaves me breathless in every aspect of life.

Though I’ve worked hard my whole life for success and acceptance and even survival, I’ve never felt quite good enough. Religion is a pretty big deal around here. People are always coming and going from the seaports, and new religious trends are as fashionable as the cloth I dye. I’m not a Jew, but I have friends who are Jews, they introduced me to their God, Yahweh. There are a lot of rules to be a follower of Yahweh, but it seemed like a worthy endeavor. I feel so lonely, despite my busyness. My Jewish friends have always been kind to me, however, so, I join them for worship, hoping to fill up my emptiness. They call me a “God fearer”, because I want to follow Yahweh, whose chosen people seem so gentle, and different, yet the stigma of being a Gentile, an “outsider” is something I still carry with me. I wonder how Yahweh really sees me? Does all my hard work even faze Him?

It’s the Sabbath today actually, and I’m walking towards the river to meet up with my Jewish friends. It’s been such a long week, my fingers are stained purple, my spirit is rumpled, I’m worried about a few business deals coming up, I am so tired. My body, yes, but my heart more so.

As I sit down to pray, I begin crying out to God. I work so hard, and pour so much out.
But for what?? I feel forsaken. Like I have been left behind.
That’s when I look up to see a couple of men, new faces I haven’t seen in my dealings. They seem like they have something to say. I lean in, inching closer to catch their words. They’re talking of a Savior, a man named Jesus. He lived close by not long ago, performing miracles, and showing what it means to truly love others. Apparently, He WAS Love itself. People from all over traveled to see Him. He was grace and truth and forgiveness. What is this? He was God? Yahweh in the flesh? He came to us, walking our streets, feeling our pain, only to be crucified at the hands of the Romans? But wait! He rose from the grave 3 days later, on the first day of the week. All to wash our sins away, debt free!

I can’t believe what I’m hearing! How could someone possibly love me that much? The best part? These men here, Paul and Silas, and I think the younger one is called Timothy, told me that even though I am a Gentile, all are accepted because of Jesus!  

My heart is skipping inside me; my hard work doesn’t have to earn me a spot of acceptance after all! This beautiful feeling, these words of truth, I can’t deny them! I find myself asking to be baptized, right now in this water!

This isn’t the kind of news you keep to yourself. I have to share! I must get it out!

That day changed my life forever, but not just mine. I told everyone in my household, and by the power of the Lord, they all came to Christ as well. I invited Paul and his men to stay in my home as they continued preaching.

Those feelings of being made for more? Turns out they weren’t about selling purple cloth after all, they were God’s whispers for me to help others see His grace and baptized like I have!

God’s plans are much bigger than my own. I’m not just a woman who sells purple cloth.
I am strong because of Christ’s powerful redemption!
I am a warrior for the Lord.
I am beautiful and valued, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Forever I praise your name, Yahweh! Take my numbered days, and do with them what You wish. Bring glory to Your name. Use me!

Lydia’s life was busy and full, but she was still empty without redemption. Like Lydia’s purple dye, let Jesus’s love bleed into all areas of your life.
God has no interest at all in having part of you.
He wants all of you!

*Written by Parker Overby and Rebecca Adams

Tags :
Christ,gospel,grace,Jesus,power,redemption,remade,salvation,sketched,story
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Sketched II Day 15
Digging Deeper

Paul was a missionary, who was called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and was always looking for opportunities to do just that. Many times, we only evangelize the people who find their way to us, but Paul’s example here shows him seeking out places where people might be ready to hear the gospel. How can you follow Paul’s example?
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Sketched II Day 4 Goliath: Digging Deeper

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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

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Goliath!

Isaiah 43:1-7 English Standard Version (ESV)

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

The Questions

1) Who are “Jacob” and “Israel”, do they relate to me?

2) What “name” are they called by? What does “you are mine” mean?

3) What do the references to Egypt, Cush, and Seba mean?

4) Verses 5-7 sound pretty cool, but whose offspring are called from all over the earth? And why?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who are “Jacob” and “Israel”, do they relate to me?
Jacob refers to Abraham’s son. You know, just like the kids’ song, “Father Abraham”. Israel refers to the name God gave Jacob because He had plans to craft an entire nation from the seed of Jacob (which started with “Father Abraham”).
So, these verses are talking straight to the entire nation of Israel, whom God crafted and called and set apart to honor Him.

2) What “name” are they called by? What does “you are mine” mean?
The idea of calling Jacob and Israel “by name” shows a form of intimacy. The nation was named by God Himself and despite her sinful wanderings, God claims her as His own. Note that this passage is not talking straight to one single person.

3) What do the references to Egypt, Cush, and Seba mean?
If your ancient history recall is a little shaky, clicking on a commentary can be quite helpful to give us context. In the case of Egypt, Cush, and Seba, we learn that during Sennacherib’s invasion of Jerusalem, God came to their aid at the expense of other powerful nations (Egypt, Cush, and Seba). God’s love for His people is extreme and furious!

4) Verses 5-7 sound pretty cool, but whose offspring are called from all over the earth? And why?
Doing a little word study, can help us see that “offspring” here refers to the descendants of Israel. And checking into some commentary history helps us see that because of exile and intermarriage and other things, many people of God’s beloved nation Israel had been scattered in all directions. God was pursuing them and bringing them back to Himself; He was intent on redeeming them!

The Everyday Application

1) Who are “Jacob” and “Israel”, do they relate to me?
Here Isaiah references Jacob and Israel and behind the scenes, Abraham, but Paul in the New Testament has some mind-blowing information for us! In Romans 4:13-16 Paul makes it pretty clear that whoever believes in God through faith is also a “son of Abraham” because faith is credited as righteousness in Christ! Just as Jacob and Israel refer to an entire nation created because of faith, so can we apply what is being said here to the called out and redeemed body of believers in Jesus! That’s us as the Church, people!

2) What “name” are they called by? What does “you are mine” mean?
Jacob and Israel were created, named, and called out by God. We, as New Testament believers have been given the same gift. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 tells us that we are a new creation created in Christ Jesus and called to be set apart as His ambassadors, just as the nation of Israel was. God’s intimacy with Israel points to His own with us as His bride! 

3) What do the references to Egypt, Cush, and Seba mean?
God’s love knows no bounds and nothing can separate us from it. Romans 8:31-38 details just how great His love is for us and just like God didn’t withhold powerful nations to ransom His nation, God chose not to withhold His own Son for us to redeem us from sin. That is boundless love!

4) Verses 5-7 sound pretty cool, but whose offspring are called from all over the earth? And why?
Isaiah’s reference to offspring was clearly Jewish, but in Christ, all believers become the children of God. Gentiles have been “grafted in” as Romans 11:17-26 talks about. One beautifully glorious day when Christ returns to set all things right, every believer, all of God’s offspring or children, will be gathered together. Isaiah even hints at this amazing truth word for word in 43:7, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Our hope is not dependent on surviving an earthly battle because one day, we will all be brought home!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

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
Sketched II Week One!
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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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Sketched II!