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Therefore Day 8 Inside Out

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Therefore Day 8 Inside Out

Sara Cissell

June 5, 2024

Uncategorized

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:18-21
Isaiah 28:7-12
Galatians 5
Isaiah 12:2-6

Christian + consumption + alcohol

These three words are enough to bring up a wide gamut of opinions, deeply held convictions, and enough condemnation to split some churches. Perhaps defenses are rising and arguments are gaining speed inside you before we’ve even begun our study!

Regardless of our beliefs about alcohol consumption by Christians, every true believer would stand firmly on the foundational belief that every Christ-follower sits under the authority of Scripture. God’s Word gets the final say and defines truth, regardless of our opinion or preference. Period.

Let’s hold fast to what we do agree on as we study today’s passage on Day 8 of Journey Into Therefore, which covers chapters 4-6 of Ephesians, but don’t miss the first 3 chapters we studied in Journey Into Done!

Not enough time to read all of those studies?
Catch up where we are in Ephesians 5 by reading Day 6 and Day 7 of this week.
Studying Scripture always requires context!

Ephesians 5:18, commands us, “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled with the Spirit[.]” While the effects of alcoholism on individuals and families are devastating (Isaiah 28:7-12), and we would be wise to heed this exhortation to avoid over-imbibing, the main idea of this verse lies in the charge to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

If we’re not seeking to be filled with the Spirit, then we are probably spending our time on something that falls short, whether that happens to be alcoholic “spirits” or any number of other numbing mechanisms. 

While preparing for and praying over this Journey Study, I repeatedly sensed the Holy Spirit talking to me about my time on social media. I have used it as a numbing agent when feeling overwhelmed, and even though I follow lots of accounts glorifying the Lord, social media opens doors for comparison, discontent, shame, and a myriad of other thoughts not from the Lord. These thoughts lead me to disobey Scripture, my foundation of truth, because it directs us to think on things that are excellent, lovely, and praiseworthy. (Philippians 4:8) I may not be drinking wine, but I am looking to something other than the Lord to manage myself, my emotions, and my thought life. 

Thankfully, the Lord shares what being filled with the Spirit “looks like” and how we can lead a Spirit-filled life. Cue the rest of Ephesians, especially today’s study in verses 19-21.

While I don’t think these verses, urging believers to “[speak] to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19) are asking us to live everyday like we are in a perpetual musical, there is a command to worship continuously through our words, thoughts, and actions. 

When we settle our hearts’ gaze on the Lord, we begin to more fully grasp the beautiful hope of the gospel. Overflowing with mercy, moved by His great love for us, Jesus came to walk the earth as God made man, revealing the Father to us and ultimately sacrificing Himself to cover our sins. (John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) When He rose to life again, He defeated the power of sin and death, and now offers us the hope of eternal life and restoration! 

Faced with this overwhelming truth, how can we respond with anything less than consistent praise and abundant thanksgiving? Like the ancient prophet Isaiah, may we declare,

“Give thanks to the LORD; proclaim His name!
Make His works known among the peoples.
Declare that His name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things.”
(Isaiah 12:4-5)

When I am devoted to adoration, I find I have less time and interest in things distracting me from the Lord. My thoughts are far healthier: less negativity, judgment, shame, confusion, anger, bitterness, and hopelessness, and much more of the fruits of the Spirit. 

In worshiping the Lord, I am giving more “heart real estate” to the Holy Spirit.
What will He do with such fertile ground?
Produce fruit.

The kind of fruit I long to enjoy and share with others: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

My surrendered praise enables me to succeed far more abundantly at loving one another out of love for Christ than any social media post ever could. When my focus is on the Lord and worshiping Him with all I am, allowing His Spirit to flood me, I become much more unoffendable, gracious, and I look more like Jesus by His Spirit unleashed in me!

Christ told us to expect  trials and tribulations in life (John 16:33). While I certainly understand the allure of numbing our pain to handle life’s challenges, I also know the Lord is far more effective in helping us navigate life with His peace than anything found in a bottle or a screen.

May we seek His face and worship our way through our days.
I know He will meet us with peace! 

Lord, You are sovereign and mighty, strong enough to carry our burdens, and graciously humble to lift them. Please help us become more like You. Holy Spirit, we surrender our hearts to You. Please fill us with Yourself and produce fruit that glorifies You. Help us serve and honor one another so we might express Your love to others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Help us drink You in, rather than drinking up anything taking our focus from You.
For Your Glory, Amen.

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Therefore, Day 9
Digging Deeper

And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
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Therefore Day 5 New Mind; New Everything: Digging Deeper

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Therefore Day 5 New Mind; New Everything: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

May 31, 2024

Accepted,Gospel,Grace,Ordinary,Perfect,Redemption,Rescue,Restored

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

This DD Connects With "New Mind; New Everything"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 12:16-21

16 Then He told them a parable: "A rich man's land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, 'What should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,' he said. 'I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I'll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”

20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared-whose will they be?'

21 That's how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) How does ignorance and hardness of heart exclude us from the life of God? (verse 18)

In Ephesians 4:18, Paul warns we can be “excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in [us] and because of the hardness of [our] hearts.“ In our ignorance, our natural, sin-nature shuts God out. We easily default to thinking that our selfish, worldly pursuits will fill our emptiness (Ecclesiastes 1:14), when in reality, only God can truly satisfies our deepest longings (John 6:35).

Curtis Vaughan explains it “is not that unregenerate minds are empty. It is that they are filled with things that lead to nothing.” Apart from Christ, we chase after futility and perpetuate our ignorance. We unknowingly, or stubbornly, run away from the only thing we really need, which is life with God.

David Guzik suggests, “Ignorance and lack of understanding of man is a heart problem. It is shown not only in a foolish denial of God, but also in his moral failures.” When we harden our hearts, we can’t hear God or acknowledge God’s power or His Truth. (Matthew 13:15)

Leon Wood explains that the ancient Greek word employed in this passage for hardness, porosis, “is used medically to denote the callus formed when a bone has been fractured and reset. Such a callus is even harder than the bone itself.” A hardened heart will embrace sin’s deceptions (Hebrews 3:12-13) and will refuse God’ offered gift of complete forgiveness of sins. (Romans 6:23)

A humble, willing, receptive heart is required to accept the Gospel message that leads us into right relationship with the Lord. God can turn our hearts toward His precepts (Psalm 119:36) and enlighten the eyes of our hearts (Ephesians 1:18) so we recognize His sovereignty and are freed to enjoy a life lived with Him. Let’s plead this for ourselves and our lost friends and relatives!

The Everyday Application

1) How does ignorance and hardness of heart exclude us from the life of God? (verse 18)

A passage in Jane Eyre reminds me of Paul’s description of the unrighteous who “are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts” (verse 18)

This moment occurs when Jane returns home to visit the deathbed of her Aunt Reed, who had treated Jane cruelly in childhood. Aunt Reed confessed something to ease her conscience before she died. Though upset by the disclosure, Jane forgave her aunt, offering to make peace with her. Even as she lay dying, Aunt Reed could not relinquish her long held dislike of and prejudice against Jane, though Jane offered her love and more kindness than her own beloved children displayed as she slipped away.

Jane’s goodness was evident in the tender care she provided, even after years of abuse, but Aunt Reed stubbornly clung to her ingrained opinions of Jane’s unworthiness, refusing to let Jane’s love soften her heart. Considering this scene in the light of hardening my own heart towards God is uncomfortable because I see more resemblance to Aunt Reed than to Jane.

I see the times I have ignorantly clung to dark, or even harmless, things that kept me from God, all the while hardening my heart to His invitation to release them and follow Him. (Romans 6:12-14) As Liz Curtis Higgs explains, “My inclination is to tuck such [sins] into the deep recesses of a drawer. Just in case I need them later. Just in case I miss them.” God graciously offers to take those sinful hindrances from us and replace them with His loving care. (1 Peter 5:7)

It is an amazing offer, to give up what can never fulfill us (Ecclesiastes 1:8), instead, taking hold of the One who can satisfy all our longings! (Psalm 145:16)

The Original Intent

2) How do we take off the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires? (verse 22)

Paul urges his readers “to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires.” (verse 22) David Guzik suggests, “This has the same idea of putting off or putting on a set of clothes. The idea is to change into a different kind of conduct.”

Paul wants us to change out of our old ways of thinking, acting and believing. One way to change out of the old self is by neglecting it, allowing it to shrivel up and die for lack of attention by no longer feeding its cravings or fulfilling its desires. (Romans 13:14) This may mean no longer frequenting places or hanging out with people who pull you toward sinful thoughts, actions, or attitudes. To abandon our former godless way of life requires us to dismantle and destroy those things which are unhealthy and don’t honor God. (Galatians 5:24)

Paul does not suggest we do this in our own strength, but with the help of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:2) Andrew Murray asserts, “If you are willing to come entirely away out of self, and to allow Jesus Christ to become your life within you, inspiring all your thinking, feeling, acting, in things temporal and spiritual, He is ready to undertake the charge . . . He asks but one thing: Come away out of self and its life, abide in Christ and the Christ life, and Christ will be your life. The power of His holy presence will cast out the old life.”

God instructs us to be done with the former, lesser things that have kept us from Him, and then He graciously offers His Holy Spirit to empower the choices He asks us to make as He leads us by His Spirit into a life that sets us free to dance in love and righteous living!

The Everyday Application

2) How do we take off the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires? (verse 22)

My Dad has a radical salvation story similar to the apostle Paul’s. (Acts 9:1-9) One minute he wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and the next minute, he was on his knees, repenting and accepting Jesus as His Savior!

While his conversion was dramatic, he still needed to learn to “take off [his] former way of life, the old self […] corrupted by deceitful desires.” (verse 22) He recounts how his first prayer after his salvation contained curse words, and how one of his first visits to adult Sunday School class raised quite a few eyebrows as he shared some decidedly un-Biblical opinions about marriage and relationships.

Each time his old way of thinking and behaving clashed with what he was learning in the Bible, he had to make a choice: keep doing things the old way or leave the old way behind. Eventually, his vocabulary changed from prolific cussing to never cursing. He sought out mentors who helped him change his outlook on marriage and the role of a husband. And because most of his spiritual input had been from secular music lyrics, he got rid of his record collection (even the Beatles albums!) and did not listen to anything but Christian music for a decade as he let go of his unrighteous practices and made way for God to renew his mind. (Titus 3:5)

This challenging practice is vital for new Christians, but it is not limited to those who recently professed faith. All Christians experience times of reverting back to old habits or unrighteous practices. (Galatians 5:1) In those times of temptation from past desires and habit, this verse can remind us to slough off those corrupted ways and striving forward toward a life like Christ’s. (1 Peter 1:14-15)

The Original Intent

3) How do we put on the new self that is created according to God’s likeness? (verse 24)

The Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” (verse 24) Paul isn’t just suggesting we only follow the example of Jesus on occasion, but that we take on His character and His image, actually becoming like Christ in everyday life and all our relationships.

David Guzik explains, “Jesus isn’t merely added to our old life; the old life dies and He becomes our new life.” When we put on the new self, we start to look and act like Jesus. Our speech becomes like His, full of love and kindness. (Isaiah 50:4) Our faith becomes like His, strong and unwavering. (Mark 11:22-24)

We should try to be like Jesus in every way, but we also must allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, conforming us to His image; this is His job! (Colossians 3:10) Liz Curtis Higgs notes, “When we are in Christ, and He is in us, we are transformed. God doesn’t just clean us up, fix us up, straighten us up. He recreates us in the image of His Son. He starts from scratch. He makes us new.”

We can take steps to become more like Jesus every day by living like Jesus lived, but we don’t need to try on our own strength alone. God not only shows us how to live rightly by pointing us to the life of His Son (Philippians 2:5), but He also empowers us to live that life through the gift of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). His abundant grace supplies all our needs!

The Everyday Application

3) How do we put on the new self that is created according to God’s likeness? (verse 24)

It amazed me that when the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2022, players and coaches had already donned championship gear for the post-game interview immediately following the football game.

Their victory was minutes old, but they already had hats and shirts declaring their new status as Super Bowl victors. Loyal fans immediately formed lines out the door at sporting goods’ stores, impatient to obtain new garb declaring their team as the best of the best. They had a new, elite title, and they wanted everyone to know.

Paul urges Christians to do something similar when they come to faith in Christ, telling them to “put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth”. (verse 24) Paul wanted Christians to put on the new self to exemplify a victorious life in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Now that they were Christians, Paul wanted the church to put on the life of Christ (Romans 13:14) so they would authentically represent Jesus to everyone they met. Becoming a Christian represents a radical change in the believer, who God calls a “new creation”. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

John Piper suggests, “In the school of grace, God creates the new person—and that includes all the new attitudes and emotions and practices that we are supposed to put on.” Christians can be just as excited and enthusiastic as a Super Bowl team in their championship gear when we put on the new self, because it represents the new, purifying work Jesus is faithful to complete in each believer who has surrendered their sinful selves in exchange for freedom that comes from complete forgiveness from God! (Philippians 1:6)

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Therefore, Day 5
Journey Study

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts.

They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
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May 27 - June 14, 2024 - Journey Theme #133

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched XII, Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched XII, Week 3

Carol Graft

May 4, 2024

Faith,Fellowship,Forgiven,Freedom,Grace

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

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Pray His Words Back To Him!

1 Peter 1:3-7

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Lord, what a great encouragement Your Word is to me! At every moment, day or night, You are ready to feed, comfort, teach, sustain, counsel, restore, and satisfy my soul with Your Word by Your Spirit! These Sketched stories remind me to praise You for the lavish gift of redemption You have extended to me and all people. Daily, Your mercy and grace are for me and are offered to all who call on Your Name.

I praise You for giving all who trust You for salvation a place with You in Eternity where Sin and Death will have lost forever!

While we live out our redemption stories in the sin-wrecked earthly kingdom of this world, You remain our ever-present Living Hope. (1 Peter 1:3) You have not given us a dead faith based on wishful thinking or upon a little “g” god whose bones decay in the ground.

You are the Holy One, the great I AM, Ruler of our surrendered hearts and lives in this world and the one to come. We may feel left out, exiled here, but we can look forward to one day gathering around your throne in Eternal Victory. An exile no more.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Have you ever felt excluded? Perhaps even exiled? With care and skill, Rebekah brings the Ethiopian eunuch’s story to life with deep connections to our own lives. Especially if we can say “I’ve been there” to being the outcast.

While Rebekah captured the eunuch’s cry to belong and understand, Debbie pointed to his relentless pursuit for truth as he asked good questions. The Ethiopian modeled for us what it looks like to grow deeper in faith, whether it’s our first time exploring Jesus or the thousandth.

For me, I’ve never been exiled from a country, but I have felt left out many times. Sometimes because of my beliefs, sometimes I’ve been overlooked or misunderstood. Regardless of the reason, you’ve probably experienced something similar, perhaps even in church among fellow believers.

The eunuch’s story brings encouragement! As lonely as the sense of exclusion can feel, the one truth Christ-followers can cling to is that we are Home with the Lord. We are daughters (and sons) of the King!

After the Ethiopian was baptized and forgiven, he still returned home and still remained an exile, but his purpose had changed because his worship was on the risen Jesus! How can you practically adopt the Ethiopian’s model when you feel excluded?
JOURNAL TWO

Slow to think, quick to speak, and full of zealous love for the ones he loved most, Peter epitomized going “all in”. If you have one of these zealous people in your life, you are blessed! They are eager to see needs and fill them, they make plans and “go for it”, bringing you along for the ride, and, when it gets risky, they sacrifice themselves to save you. If you are this kind of person, I want to say thank you for bringing fun and spontaneity to the world!

With a strong sense of justice, Peter was also the one who fought hard to protect what he believed was right. The problem was that his view of “right” didn’t always align with Jesus’ definition.

The Lord used Cornelius’ faith the challenge Peter’s and help Peter think beyond his pre-conceived box of “right”. Jesus planted Peter as the Rock on which He would build His church (Matthew 16:18) because Jesus knew that, while Peter was zealous, he’d also learned humility in his time with Jesus.

As you consider where you zealously love people and fight for justice, ask the Spirit to confront you as He did with Peter. Where might our own definitions and values need to be broadened, or tightened, to better align with truth as God defines it?
*Written by Rebecca Adams
JOURNAL THREE

I’ve always loved the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. What would everyone have wondered as they watched the scene unfold? A high priest who lost his ability to speak for his unbelief, and his elderly wife who cannot bear children, suddenly pregnant. The shock that surely rippled in their community!

Perhaps some had wondered, before the miraculous pregnancy, “What sin have they committed to bring on the disgrace of not having a son?”  Ugh. Casting judgment is ugly and harsh, and brought shame and a sense of worthlessness upon the couple who were shouldering their own grief.

With engaging narrative, Katelyn shows how Zechariah and Elizabeth clung to Jehovah and His promises. How do you sustain your faith when it hits a rocky patch? Practice turning to Scripture to be reminded of God’s faithful character!

Being reminded to return to God and anchor our hearts with Him instead of our anxieties or circumstance is exactly where Melodye led us in her Digging Deeper Study. She even included some worship songs to guide our hearts!

As I read this study, the Spirit brought two Scriptures to mind. “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) “He is before all things and by Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

Which one resonates with you more? How do these passages challenge and encourage you?!
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Sketched XII, Day 13 Power & Prestige To Full Surrender

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Sketched XII, Day 13 Power & Prestige To Full Surrender

Meribeth Schierbeek

May 1, 2024

Adoption,Bold,Enemies,Enough,Faith,Help,Lord

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 10
Matthew 16:24-28
Romans 2:1-16
Exodus 34:4-9

Hello! I am Peter; you may know me as the impulsive disciple who is often gently yet firmly humbled by my Savior and friend, Jesus. (Mark 8:31-33; John 13:1-11) Today, I want to tell you how I learned God shows no partiality (as I often do), but instead looks for people ready to surrender their lives to His leadership. Unsurprisingly, I learned this the hard way. 

My personality is quick to speak and act as I am zealously passionate about the people I love and desire to protect. But God is teaching me He is above all things, and HE is the one Who protects His people. My role is to follow Him, teaching His followers to follow Him more closely. (John 21:15-19)

This lesson became very clear to me through divinely-appointed interactions with a fellow Christ-follower named Cornelius. (Acts 10)

Cornelius was a Roman centurion. More than his military title, I recall him as “a devout man [who] feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God.” (Acts 10:2) 

Cornelius’ Story
One afternoon, I experienced a vision of an angel of God who appeared to me, calling me by name. I was terrified! Yet I managed to stammer a few words, asking, “What is it, Lord?” (Acts 10:3-4)

The angel told me God had witnessed and remembered my prayers and acts of charity, and instructed me to send for a man named Peter, who was living in Joppa. (Acts 10:5-6)

Recognizing the absolute authority in the Lord’s command, I didn’t hesitate to send two servants and a devout soldier to Joppa, inviting Peter to my home. (Acts 10:7-8) And then I waited, curious to see how the Lord would continue to lead me.

Peter’s Story
Hunger rumbling in my stomach interrupted my midday prayers, and as I prepared a meal, I fell into a trance. In a bizarre scene, a great sheet descended from heaven, containing all kinds of unclean animals. (Leviticus 11) 

I was dumbfounded to hear a voice instruct, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” (Acts 10:13-14) “No, Lord!” I protested. “For I have never eaten anything impure or ritually unclean.” This interaction was repeated two more times, and then the sheet was taken up into heaven.  

I was so perplexed! While I was pondering the meaning of this strange vision, men sent by Cornelius arrived and related the equally strange tale of his vision. The messengers invited me to return with them, and, guided by the Spirit, I agreed. (Acts 10:17-23)

So, the very next day I traveled to Cornelius, who had gathered his community to meet with me, as well. Though Cornelius fell down to worship me as I entered his home, I quickly pulled him to his feet, assuring him I was simply a man, just like him.  

A Jew and a Gentile, simple men with a simple story and a great God.  

As we began to share our experiences, God’s message became clear. Cornelius, a Gentile, found favor with and glorified God! Until my vision, I would have scoffed at such an unthinkable idea, but now, God’s words reverberated through my mind:

“What God has made clean, do not call impure.” (Acts 10:15)

Amazed, I replied, “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who [approaches him with reverential awe] and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34-35)

Do we truly understand this?  

I am Peter, a Jew, the rock upon whom Christ will build His church; 
I am fully surrendered, through faith, to Jesus Christ. (Matthew 16:18)

Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile, is also rescued, commissioned, and surrendered, through faith, to Jesus Christ.

We are both called to eschew pride of our respective positions, instead surrendering in loving humility to Christ, just as He surrendered to the Father. (John 14:31)

Meribeth’s Story
A cardboard testimony from the author

Like Peter, I too was devout, committed to doing the right things at the right time. 

I came to truly know my sin and my Savior through another woman sharing her testimony of the mind-boggling forgiveness she experienced in God.  She was in awe, something I wanted as well. As I heard her story, the Lord revealed to me how I was trying to save myself by “doing all the right things,” rather than coming to Him in full acknowledgement of my struggles, with a heart of gratitude, awe, and worship.

I had always thought God was partial to the ones who “did all the right things”; instead, God began to teach me He shows NO partiality, but desires ALL to worship and glorify Him!

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Sketched XII, Day 14
Digging Deeper

Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse.

For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.

Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.

 Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you despise the riches of
His kindness, restraint,
and patience,
not recognizing that God’s kindness
is intended to lead you to repentance?
Dig Deeper!

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April 15 - May 3, 2024 - Journey Theme #131

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sacrifice Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Sacrifice Week 3

Marietta Taylor

April 16, 2022

Forgiven,Gospel,Grace,GT Weekend,Mercy,Peace,Sacrifice,Sin

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

His Words Before Ours

Ephesians 4:20-24

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.
Read More Of His Words

Reflective Prayer

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.
Pray Scripture

Worship Through Song

Reflection One

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.
Monday & Tuesday

Reflection Two

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”.
Wednesday & Thursday

Reflection Three

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?
2-for-1 Friday

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Sketched III, Day 7 Bathsheba: Digging Deeper

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Sketched III, Day 7 Bathsheba: Digging Deeper

Randi Overby

February 27, 2018

Dignity,Faith,Forgiven,Grace,Healing,Hope,Love,Marriage,Pain,Peace,Redemption,Relationship,Sin,Sketched

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

This DD Connects With "Bathsheba"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Samuel 12:24-25

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.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

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.

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.

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.

The Original Intent

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.

The Everyday Application

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) 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?  

The Original Intent

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.”

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

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 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.

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Recent Journeys

Sketched III, Day 6
Journey Study

“Precious son, don’t cry,” I whisper, and I gently bounce and sway back and forth.

A song breaths through my lips as I hum into my little one’s ear. His fuzzy head and sweet, new-baby smell engulf my senses. So much joy, and yet, still remembrances of a deep sorrow…

He is not my firstborn.
He wasn’t the first I had labored into this world.
Will I get to hold him beyond his first week?

The road to now hadn’t been easy. And while I try to forget, the memories flood back.…
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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.

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

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!

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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.

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

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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

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Journey Study?
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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!

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