Therefore Day 5 New Mind; New Everything

May 31, 2024 by Christine Wood Leave a Comment

Therefore Day 5 New Mind; New Everything

Christine Wood

May 31, 2024

Alive,Called,Discipleship,Faith,Kingdom,Obedience

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:17–24
Galatians 5:19–25
John 13:34–35
Psalm 40:1-8

There are several gyms near where I live.

Often, when I’m sitting in a local café trying to menu-plan, I find myself watching the beautiful people walk past. They’re on their way to or from their exercise classes, wearing designer sneakers and color-coordinated leisure wear.

While I’m not particularly interested in sneakers or leisure wear, I do find myself envying their muscular physiques. They have toned arms, flat stomachs, and seemingly no body fat. They’re lean, strong, and beautiful.

I wish I had the body of an athlete. Sigh.

While I want the body of an athlete, sadly I’m not willing to live the lifestyle of an athlete.
I want the outcome without the sacrifice.

Ephesians 4:17–24 reminds us that, when we come to know Christ, we put on our new selves, created to be in God’s likeness in righteousness and purity. I want to look like Jesus, but sometimes I don’t want to live the lifestyle of Jesus. I want the outcome without the sacrifice.

Nevertheless, we are called to put our old identity and way of living aside so we can put on our new selves. Did you catch that? We take off the old to make room for the new. We can’t have a mismatched combination of both. How often, though, do we reach for our righteousness when we go to church, yet slide back into old habits of selfishness or pride when we step away from the church door? (Is it just me?)

To look like Jesus, we must daily live the lifestyle of Jesus.
Looking like Jesus is designed to encompass every part of our lives.

The Bible is clear that we cannot truly call ourselves Christ-followers without changing how we live. Ephesians 4:22 calls us to “Take off your former way of life.” Romans 13:14 says to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ”. Galatians 5:24 tells us to “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.” Those are strong words!

What does this actually look like in our everyday lives?

Well, it begins in our minds. Second Corinthians 10:5 reminds us we must “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” The reason we must start here is because Jesus showed us “the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” (Matthew 12:34) Everything begins in our minds and hearts.

When we have started with our minds, we are then able to reject sinful patterns and attitudes. Colossians 3:8–9 provides a list including anger, slander, and filthy language. Galatians 5:19–21 adds in sexual immorality, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, and anything similar.

I read a list like that and, at first, think I’m off the hook. Those are some big, top-shelf sins. I’m fine; I’m not like that.

But then, I read more carefully.

I don’t think of myself as guilty of sexual immorality, but what about some of the books I’ve read or shows I’ve watched? I find myself in conversations motivated by jealousy, anger, or selfishness.
Our world celebrates dissension and factions, and I’ve gotten caught up choosing a side and joining in the fray. While I feel justified (and even holy) in my outrage, this is not a characteristic crafted for a Christ-follower.

Eating junk food and lazing on the couch will never achieve an athlete’s body. Neither will selfishness, jealousy, and anger ever lead to a Christ-like life.

Thankfully, Scripture also makes it clear what the lifestyle of Jesus does actually look like. When the world gets loud and I find myself getting sucked in, two passages shine a light on the right path.

The first is Galatians 5:22–24. Right after the list of things we must remove, comes a list of what to put on! Someone who submits to the Spirit’s power will exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This is what the lifestyle of Jesus looks like in our everyday lives.

The second passage I find helpful is John 13:34–35 where Jesus told His disciples (you and me!), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When in doubt, do what is loving. The lifestyle of Jesus is love.

May we commit to living the lifestyle of Jesus. May we reject jealousy, anger, selfishness, and sexual immorality (and any other sin we struggle with), and put on love.

This is hard work. It is a life of sacrifice. But it is oh so worth the outcome Jesus promises.
“I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)

The truth the enemy doesn’t advertise is that sin leads to death, without exception.

Only Jesus can give us abundant life.

The sacrifice is worth the outcome.

Lord Jesus,
I want my life to look like You; make me hungry for righteousness. Remind me each day that the outcome of looking like Jesus is worth the sacrifice of my sinful nature. Fill me with kindness and compassion, forgiveness and love, that the world may know that I am Your disciple.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Tags :

life,redeemed,renewed,whole

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Digging Deeper

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)

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Reveal Day 4 Heartache’s Hope: Digging Deeper

December 10, 2020 by Shannon Vicker Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Heartache’s Hope!

The Questions

1) Who has been anointed and sent in these verses?

2) What needs rebuilding, restored and renewed in verse 4?

3) Who is Isaiah addressing in these verses?

Isaiah 61:1-4

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

Original Intent

1) Who has been anointed and sent in these verses?
There is speculation on who the speaker of these verses could be, but what is clear is their connection to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 6:1-8 paints the remarkable picture of Isaiah’s calling. He was willing to go and speak as the Lord’s mouthpiece to His people, Israel. God had anointed Isaiah to go and do the work of the Lord because Isaiah was willing. In the first half of Isaiah the prophet foretells the judgment to come against Israel, but this section of Isaiah provides flourishing hope. The prophecy proclaims a time yet to come when Israel would be taken captive by Babylon, but then delivered from their captivity. However, Isaiah’s good news does not end there; He is also telling of a time when Jesus would walk on earth and forever release God’s people as captives through His sacrifice on the cross as He would take the penalty of our sin on Himself. Centuries later, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s words in Luke 4:18-19 proclaiming that the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words had finally transpired. Regardless of whether the speaker is actually Isaiah, the hope-filled message declaring a coming Rescuer is certain. There is a promise of a future blessing for God’s people, and Jesus adds a new layer of promise to these verses when He comes in fullness as God and man.

2) What needs rebuilding, restored and renewed in verse 4?
Isaiah prophesied of the coming destruction of both the Northern and Southern Kingdom of Israel. The Assyrians would take Israel, the Northern Kingdom, captive in 722 BC and Babylon would conquer Judah, the Southern Kingdom, in 586 BC. Jerusalem would be destroyed, and God’s people would be dispersed. However, captivity and destruction were not the final destiny of God’s people. God had no intention of abandoning His promise to Abraham generations before, but instead uses the destruction and captivity to usher in a time of spiritual renew for His people. Isaiah tells of a time when Israel would be restored to glory both as a city and as His people. They would no longer be a place of ruin and destruction but a thriving people chosen for His purpose. Nehemiah tells the story of a portion of this rebuilding as he leads the re-building of Israel’s wall and the city begins to be reestablished. Later, the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell of the ultimate restoration when Jesus is born through the promised bloodline of Judah and King David.

3) Who is Isaiah addressing in these verses?
Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom. He prophesied the punishment coming to Judah because of their sinful rebellion against God. The entire book, not just this section, is a call for Judah to return to God as His people while also telling of the coming Messiah through His people just as He had long ago promised to Abraham. These verses continue to be aimed at this audience who, yet again, strayed from their True Love, Yahweh, and would face destruction so God could lovingly regain their attention. God would use their redemption to continue moving history towards His ultimate purpose of redeeming all of Creation.

Everyday Application

1) Who has been anointed and sent in these verses?
Isaiah’s calling and anointing in Isaiah 6 has always been amazing to me. God gave him a vision and Isaiah was immediately willing to go and proclaim God’s words. God uses Isaiah to proclaim judgment Israel would soon face, but the promise of redemption was also included. Isaiah’s glimpse into the coming salvation of all people through the person of Jesus, the anointing of our Savior is astounding! We have the blessing of living on the side of history after both of these events, Israel’s captivity and Jesus’ coming to earth. Jesus fulfilled God’s promise through Isaiah to “set the captives free”, and it is now our calling to proclaim the same good news Isaiah so willingly declared. While the redemption work of Jesus was completed on the cross, there is still work to be done until He returns. Will we echo Isaiah’s words with a willing heart, “Here am I. Send me!”? (Isaiah 6:8)

2) What needs rebuilding, restored and renewed in verse 4?
Jerusalem is in ruins from Babylon captivity and is no longer a place of prominence. The city, and the hearts of the people, are desperately in need of restoration to the One to Whom they belong. While Jesus was the fulfillment of the restoration for Israel, God’s plan did not end there. Jesus came to redeem and restore every human heart’s broken relationship with the God of the Universe because of our sinful choices. When our faith is in Jesus, and we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we are restored, and made righteous, in His sight. However, even this is not the end! There is still a coming renewal promised in the return of Jesus. He will come again in all His glory to rebuild, restore, and renew humanity. He will establish His Kingdom in the perfection it was intended to be from the beginning. Isaiah’s prophecy is a multi-layered-prophecy. Just as it has been fulfilled in part, we can trust the ultimate fulfillment is indeed coming. The destruction we see in our current world is not forever. There is the promise of a day when “every tear will be wiped away and death will be no more… and everything will be new” (Revelation 21:4-5); what a glorious day that will be!

3) Who is Isaiah addressing in these verses?
While Isaiah’s prophecy was originally addressed to the people of Judah, his message is just as important and relevant for us today. We are a people who, time and again, choose to live for ourselves instead of for Him. No matter how long I walk with Jesus, my heart is prone to stray. I am never immune to thinking I can do it on my own, and I need redemption just as much as ancient Israel did. Thankfully, God doesn’t leave me, or any of us, on our own or stuck forever in our sin without providing a way out. He offers each of us eternal redemption and forgiveness through Jesus and gifted us His Holy Spirit to empower us to walk this journey of life as beacons of Jesus’ hope for others. There will be consequences when we go astray, but Jesus always offers redemption and grace when we choose to trust Him.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Heartache’s Hope!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Pause 3, Day 9 Eternal Confidence

October 31, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Pause III ~ Day Nine

His Words Before Ours

Hebrews 10:19-39

Because of the gracious sacrifice of Jesus as He offered His blood to cover our sins,
we are free to access the Holiest One!

Christ’s righteousness becomes our own as we surrender our sin and our self over to the One who lovingly crafted us, designing our hearts for a sweet relationship with Him.

The sweetest delight happens as we draw near in the intimacy of this tender relationship between adoring father and beloved child, we are made new.

Hearts renewed.
Lives restored.
Relationships made whole.
Hope given.

As we sit with the God of the Universe, choosing to be still and commune with Him through prayer and study of His Word, His love renews us with a radiance that cannot help but spill over into every other aspect of life. Nothing in the life of the believer is out of reach from the love of the Majestic King when we sit still with Him, looking intently upon His glory.

We cannot remove ourselves from His constant presence.
We cannot anger Him enough to cause Him to hurl us from His tender grasp of love.
We cannot disappoint Him and bring Him to turn away the gift of His open arms.
Rather, in eternal confidence, we are always welcome, forever loved, and hope is endlessly offered.

Meditate & Reflect

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down Hebrews 10:19-25 after you read through all of today’s passage in Hebrews 10:19-39. As you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!ue?

2) Choose one of these options to radiate Jesus’ love to others as you hold tightly to the anchoring truth of the eternal confidence we have only through Christ!

a) Pitch in to do something extra at church. Whether it’s helping with cleanup, opening doors, trimming weeds, or offering to help in a child’s classroom, step up to loving deeper by serving in a new way.

b) October is Pastor Appreciation Month and a note of genuine kindness goes a long way in showing love and giving encouragement. Consider sending your pastor an email or card!

c) Check out some local ministries in your area and make plans to serve with them for an afternoon. Maybe it’s organizing school donations, serving soup, or stuffing backpacks for kids. Even better, get some friends to join you!

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

e) Strike up a conversation with a random stranger. It may move to spiritual topics, it may not, but showing love to those outside our immediate circles always begins with a simple conversation. “What have you been doing today?” “Do you live nearby?” “Where do you go to church?” “What are your favorite local restaurants?” “I love your top! Where did you get it?” These open-ended questions work well!

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

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Sketched VI Day 10 Denise

October 11, 2019 by Guest Writer 2 Comments

Sketched VI Day 10 Denise

Guest Writer

October 11, 2019

Cross,Gift,God,Holy Spirit,Relentless,Sin,Sketched,Strength

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 John 1:5-10
Luke 7:41-50
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Jeremiah 33:1-3

I sat there, on the seat while the pastor and my sister sat next to me and prayed over me. She was speaking in tongues, but what I heard from her were all my sins…one by one being laid at the cross to be cleansed and my soul renewed!!

I was raised believing in God but not really practicing any faith. I had the opportunity to attend church as a child but lost the will to attend or even know God in my teen years. I was distracted in a world of sin and bad choices. I barely graduated high school, dabbled in drugs and alcohol, and had friends that, looking back now, I shouldn’t have called friends. I always knew God was there, but I didn’t seek Him out. Instead, I chased friends, parties, and selfishness.

When I was 20, I found myself pregnant out of wedlock and living far away from family. I was in a relationship with the father, but I was bound and determined not to get married just because I was pregnant. It was a hard season.

I worked in fast food, he worked in clothing. We lived in a TINY 1 bedroom apartment that was roach-infested and I witnessed child abuse across the courtyard. When my daughter was 3 weeks old my mother sent me the money for the marriage license and we wed. I thought it was the right thing to do for my daughter and for us. When she was 8 weeks old, I wasn’t working and he quit his job, which sent us home to my folks in Kansas City. He found a job and we moved into a 2-bedroom apartment. I soon found a job as well, and we attempted to do life.

Having my daughter, that sweet innocent gift, is what changed my mindset.
I knew I couldn’t do this on my own anymore. My husband was immature and we fought constantly. I was almost ready to leave when I found out I was pregnant with our second child. A Son. I tried to stick it out, surviving until our son was 18 months, before I moved out and embarked on the journey of being a single mom with two very tiny children.

Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos right before I left, was that morning I went to church with my sister and she prayed over me.

I am NOT a morning person…but I woke up early that day and phoned her.
“What time is church?”

She gave me the time, but said I could go to a later service if I wanted.
“No, I will be there.”

I hustled, got the kids ready, and ran out the door to church. I put the kids in the nursery classes and sat through that sermon. I cannot tell you what he taught on. The message itself didn’t pierce my heart…but God did.

I struggled to hold back tears through the entire service.
I was a mess!
I knew my marriage was ending and I knew I needed God!
At the end of the service when they invited anyone who needed prayer to come forward, I grabbed my sister’s hand and walked to the front. I couldn’t speak, but I wept.

My sister said, “I think she wants to accept Christ.” I could only nod.
The pastor began praying over and for me and my sister was speaking in tongues by my side. But, I heard and understood the words – it was not an inaudible language.
It was the Spirit speaking, and I heard every sin I’d ever committed spoken before God.
My sister didn’t hear that, the pastor didn’t hear it, but I did.

And with each sin spoken at His feet, my heart and soul became clean,
and the burden I had been carrying started to lift.

I would love to say, “I never struggled again and I was perfect from that day on!”
Yeah, that would be a lie.

But, I did have Christ within me, helping me, slowly and gently leading me.
He loved me even when I messed up.
He loved me even when church was not on my radar.
He loved me when I was unlovable.

Since that day of finding Jesus, so many years ago, I got remarried and had another son and now, I even have three precious grandchildren.

I could tell so many stories from that day to now, but the bottom line is that God alone
is my strength, my Redeemer, my solid ground, and my safe place.
He is there when we ask.

He will show up if you ask Him to show you He is real.
He will!

Simply call, and then watch; He will answer!
I pray you feel His presence today through my story.
I pray He touches you in a new way and that you too are changed by His relentless love!

A Note About Sketched

In Sketched themes, we imaginatively step into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally.

We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters viewed God, themselves, and the world around them.

Perhaps we will find parts of our story reflected in theirs!

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cleansed,Denise,God did,Innocent,redeemer,renewed,selfishness,sweet