Build Day 10 Building Restoration

February 25, 2022 by Jami Stroud Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Build, Day 10

Before Nehemiah began his quest to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, his friend Ezra was on the scene to bring the Israelite community back together after years of exile in Babylon. (Ezra 7) Ezra gathered exiled Israelites from Babylon, uniting them with those already in Jerusalem to bring spiritual restoration as a community to the nation.

As Nehemiah governs God’s people in Jerusalem and works to rebuild the wall, he finds a partner in the spiritual leader, Ezra. When the wall is finally rebuilt, Ezra and Nehemiah join forces to point their people back to God. (Nehemiah 8) What a refreshing view of spiritual and governing leaders coming together for the benefit of their people and the glory of God!

For seven days, Ezra and other spiritual leaders read the Torah and taught its meaning to the people.

And the people began responding.

After years of being unable to hear God’s word and celebrate their religious holidays, the Israelites began repenting. They listened and followed instructions to build the same festival shelters their forefathers had built; they began celebrating God through feasting together, and they began worshiping the Lord with JOY.

Joy was restored.

Can you imagine, after 70 years of slavery and exile, doing anything but grumbling and throwing yourself a pity party? I don’t know about you, but I’d be attending that pity party, table for one!

But this is the power of God’s Holy Word: to build back up what has been torn down, to transform us and restore us to the beautiful, joyful creation He intended us to be.

It’s easy to read this story on the other side, thousands of years later, and quickly pinpoint where the Israelites made mistakes. Yet, we are in need of the same restoration God graciously offered them in their renewed city, for we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23-24)

Just as the Israelites were exiled from Jerusalem, so in our sin, we were exiled from a relationship with our Creator and Father.

But then God’s Word was made flesh in the form of Jesus, and a whole new era of restoration began. (John 1:1-18) Just as Ezra and Nehemiah made space for the Word of God to be heard, taught, and practiced, Jesus was God’s Word incarnate, dwelling among us, teaching us how to live and turn back to God.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus was the way for restoration.

Now, as we live on the other side of restoration, in relationship with God, we wait for the second coming of Jesus and the restoration of the world as we know it.
Don’t we see it around us?
Don’t we see it in ourselves?
We’re living in “the now and the not yet” of restoration.

So, what do we do as we wait for our final restoration?
Where do we find our joy in the meantime?

We remember the dedication of Ezra and Nehemiah and we turn to God’s Word. We seek it, and we allow others to teach us. We learn and practice what it says. We gather together as brothers and sisters in Christ and we celebrate all God has done.

Here, we find joy.
We find daily renewal and restoration.
We find hope when it seems all is lost, and we feel like we’ve endured 70 years of exile.

Will you join me in continuing to dig into God’s word? (Look at you, doing that right now!)
Will you seek understanding?
Will you do what His Word says?
Will you gather your friends and family to delight in God together?
Will you remember to find Joy?

Because you, my friend, have been Restored.

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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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Kneel Day 1 Restored Relationship

January 3, 2022 by Joyce Lomangaya Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 4
Ezra 8:21-23
Matthew 4:1-11

Kneel, Day 1

“Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me [. . .] After that, I will go to the king[.]’” (Esther 4:15-16)

Caught between the impending genocide of her people and a potentially deadly reception by the king should she speak on their behalf, Queen Esther and her uncle, Mordecai, desperately need a miracle. And so, before Esther approaches the king, they fast and pray.

Yet, prayer and fasting don’t necessitate a miracle. We don’t manipulate God when we pray; instead, we rely on His good heart for us and declare our belief in His power.

So why do we keep praying and fasting?

The ultimate purpose of prayer and fasting is the restoration of our relationship with God. Prayer is an essential part of our spiritual lives. Just as none of us are exempt from the troubles of this world, none of us are exempt from the need to connect with, and hear from, the only One who has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Though the struggles that draw us to prayer and fasting may differ, we can all embrace these practices with a desire to empty our hearts of earthly things so the Lord will pour out His Spirit and satisfy our spiritual hunger.

Throughout the Bible, God’s people pray and fast together because they are seeking God’s help and direction. In the opening vignette of our study, we met Mordecai, who, together with other Jews in the land, “fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:3) as an expression of their anguish over the order to kill every Jew. Their actions signified both their grief and their cries to the Lord to protect them from execution.

Again, we don’t manipulate God with prayer and fasting, but we allow Him to work in and around us as we surrender through humble prayer. Esther’s response to Mordecai’s plea for intervention demonstrated her belief that the will of the Lord would come to pass. Esther clearly understands that fasting will not guarantee her safety in her final words to her cousin, “I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16) Her words hold equally strong conviction to do what is right and to trust the Lord for her fate.

The Lord is good and just indeed! He responds to prayer and fasting! He promises if His people will seek Him, they will find Him. (2 Chronicles 7:14-15, Jeremiah 29:13) When we fast and pray, we encounter Him in a different, higher way.

This truth resonates in the continuation of Esther’s story. After seeking God’s heart through prayer and fasting, Esther enacted a careful, thoughtful plan to approach King Xerxes and plead for her people. (Esther 5) By the Lord’s grace, she found favor with the king, and she and her people were spared. Through God’s intervention, the Jews were saved and not forsaken. How beautiful is the aroma of prayer and fasting to the Lord!

Similarly, in Ezra 8:21-23, the priest Ezra led Israelites returning home from exile into prayer and fasting to seek God’s presence and protection. “So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He was receptive to our prayer.” (Ezra 8:23)

And finally, as an epitome of humility and faith before the Lord, Jesus fasted. He acknowledged God’s power and strength alone would enable Him to carry out the Father’s will. Matthew 4 describes how Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He was also tested by evil, but He overcame the temptation by the power of God dwelling within Him and relying on Scripture.

Jesus’ example demonstrates how prayer and fasting are powerful preparations for experiencing God deeply and outrageously!

From Jesus, we learn temptation and struggle may come, but if we are filled with God’s words and presence, we will overcome, just as Jesus did! Prayer and fasting are vital, as they bring us closer to God and remind us to trust Him.

From Mordecai, we learn we should not hesitate to engage in prayer and fasting.
When we see cries, pain, and injustice around us that are impossible for humans to resolve and only God can manage, we can turn to the One who is full of compassion and always capable! The Lord sees our faith, is delighted to hear from us, and is moving when we pray.

Let’s pray that the Lord will help us lead our people into prayer and fasting just as Mordecai did. Faith can rescue people when we come together!

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Enough Day 15 Promised Land Restored

April 16, 2021 by Marietta Taylor 1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Corinthians 13
Isaiah 65:17-25
Philippians 2:5-11
Revelation 21:1-8
Revelation 22

Enough, Day 15

A friend made a sign for me reading, “You are enough.” She meant to encourage me not to feel burdened to live up to anyone else’s expectations. It sounds great, but not one of us is enough on our own, least of all me.

“You are enough” sounds easy and available for our immediate gratification.
But let’s not settle for the immediacy of what we can muster up
when what God has promised is glorious.

You see, God is love. He is worthy. He is Lord.
God is enough.

Any hope we have should be placed in Him, not ourselves. He alone can satisfy our every desire, heal every broken place, give us victory, and gather us to live with Him forever. Only He can fulfill every promise.

I know I’ve made some lofty statements here. But friends, they aren’t mine. They are God’s, breathed into the hearts and minds of men, and penned on the pages of the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) Shall we explore a little?

God is love.
1 Corinthians 13 gives us a picture of biblical love, explaining love is patient. Furthermore, 2 Peter 3: 9 tells us God is patiently waiting to fulfill His remaining promises, so more people may repent and join Him in heaven. Y’all, it’s been over 2000 years since Jesus came. Patient? Check.

We also see love is kind and not self-seeking. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, taught thousands, raised the dead, forgave sins and most importantly, died on the cross to conquer sin and death! Yet, He didn’t go around announcing His miracles and acts of kindness. In fact, He usually instructed people not to speak of their interactions. (Luke 8:56 and Matthew 8:4)

1 Corinthians 13:6 says love rejoices in truth. In the New Testament, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth” over 70 times!

Clearly, God is love.

God is worthy.
There are many verses I could point to, but I’ve settled on two. First is John 1:1-5, where we learn:

God is eternal
Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit created everything.
Jesus is the light of men and cannot be overcome by darkness

Then, there’s Revelation 5. Verse 12 gives us a glimpse of the throne room of heaven when the Lamb (Jesus) takes the scroll, thousands upon thousands of angels, the living creatures, and the elders will loudly say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

In verse 13, we see “every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth on the
sea, and everything in them say,
Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

I can’t add anything to this. Quite simply and wonderfully, He is worthy!

Jesus is Lord.
God could have saved us from our sin and from death any way He wanted; He chose to send His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross.

Because Jesus was obedient to do the Father’s will,
“God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth —
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

And when we reach the end times, written on the robe and thigh of Jesus will be His name “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

Speaking of the end times, did you realize they bring fulfillment of an early promise God made to Abraham? God promised Abraham would be the father of many nations, but He also promised actual land. However, because God’s perspective is eternal, there is an even greater land we’ve been promised! Revelation 21:1-8 tells us of the “land” where God will dwell for the rest of eternity with “those written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

In this New Heaven and New Earth, we find:

Past things will be forgotten (Isaiah 65:17)
There will be delight and rejoicing (Isaiah 65:18)
God will be glad in us (Isaiah 65:19)
There will be no weeping or crying (Isaiah 65:19)
We will enjoy our lives (Isaiah 65:22)

Gather us to live with Him forever? Check.
Abraham never saw the extent of the land he was promised, but his offspring did. Now we can wait expectantly with the hope of God’s eternal Promised Land.

Friends, I hope you feel the same longing as Abraham. While we wait on the God who is enough, let’s get to know Him better. Let’s share Him with others, so they, too, will be in the Lamb’s book of life.

This world we live in is hard, but it’s not our real home. Can we agree to live in anticipation of the glorious day when everything is restored and we are eternally and blamelessly in the presence of our holy God? Let it be so.

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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.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
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Our Current Study Theme!

This is Reveal Week One!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VI Week 2

December 7, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

1) Do a little self-examination by pulling out a sheet of paper and writing “worship” at the top. Next, write down as many words come to you in the span of 120 seconds. There are no wrong answers; write everything! As you look back over your words, circle the ones that fall into alignment with how Jesus defines authentic worshippers in John 4:23-24. Those who worship in spirit (with the whole of their being, heart, soul, mind, and strength) and in truth (all the Bible says about who God is and who we are). Which ones reflect a method of worship? Challenge yourself to think about other methods of worshipping in spirit and truth. Which descriptions did you write that reflect a more narrow view of worship dependent on a specific song, feeling, or environment? Ask the Lord to keep shaping your heart to worship Him in spirit and truth!

2) In what ways do you relate to Marietta’s description of believers being pruned back, then crushed, and pressed in order to reap a harvest? Where have you experienced something similar where the Lord “cut back” or “cut off” areas in your life in the pruning process? What has been your heart response to the Holy Spirit as He has done this hard work in our hearts to make us more like Christ? As you reflect on the Holy Spirit’s work in you, consider what an excellent testimony He is building in you! Your hardship will be redeemed for rich good! Every time the Spirit prunes, crushes, and presses our hearts, it is an opportunity for God’s glory to be on display in our lives. Like Marietta encourages, let’s choose to praise God for this gift, even in the middle of the pruning, crushing, and pressing! Start practicing praise today!!

3) “Walking around these walls, I thought by now they’d fall”, are the opening lyrics Leslie explored in her Journey Study yesterday. I know I can raise my hand that, YES, I have asked the same question. Sometimes, I’ve asked in pleading, quiet prayers. At other times, I’ve bent over screaming in an open field, begging an answer to this lament. “I thought You would have healed.” “I thought you would have restored.” “I thought I would have seen redemption.” All of these prayers end in one frustrated statement, “by now”. How we wish the Lord would work on our timeframe and, if we’re honest, for our own glory. The long waiting between difficulty and restoration is full of tears and brokenness as we learn, oh so slowly, to trust the Savior over ourselves. What wall are you waiting to fall? How are you drawing near to the Lord as you wait for His redemption?

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 John 4:23-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Prayer Journal
You are worthy of my worship, Lord God, whether my circumstances are up and to the right or I feel I am drowning under the weight of the world. You are worthy when I’m angry, when I’m hurt, and when I’ve been abandoned. You are worthy of my full, entire life worship when my hands can’t even find the strength to be upraised and when the tears in my throat drown out all other song. Still, You are worthy, my Savior, my King, the Lord of Lords. You are worthy simply because you ARE. Teach my heart to dwell on You and Your unchanging character when praising feels impossible. Teach me to love YOU, not what I want You to do for me or my circumstances. Grow my faith, Lord. Teach my life to worship You in fullness, in spirit, and in truth of who You are!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Pause 3, Day 9 Eternal Confidence

October 31, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

Pause 3, Day 9

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.

Today's Invitation

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!

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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Hebrews 10:19-39

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

26 For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who has said,
Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,
and again,
The Lord will judge his people.

31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. 34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.

37 For yet in a very little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 But my righteous one will live by faith;
and if he draws back,
I have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1.Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with an invitation to get away with the Savior. Each one is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

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

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

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

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause 3 Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause 3!

Sketched VI Day 8 Danielle

October 9, 2019 by Guest Writer Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:1-11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Zechariah 8:1-23

Sketched VI, Day 8

I grew up in the Kansas City, KS, metro area and was raised by my mom and stepdad as my mom and biological father had divorced when I was three. My dad suffered from substance abuse and depression, and was physically and emotionally abusive, and also adulterous. However, once my mom remarried, my home life was safe, Christ-centered, very strict and structured.

My sister and I were enrolled in a Christian school during our elementary years. I made very close friends, had wonderful Sunday school teachers at church, where we attended weekly, and my parents lovingly taught us about Christ and our need for a Savior.

I gave my heart to Jesus when I was five years old. I still remember reading the prayer of salvation with my mom and little sister, found within a small paper booklet, and was so excited to have Jesus living in my heart! I have fond memories and was very happy for most of my early childhood days.

Around 12 years old, my stress level increased.
I started attending public school and lost contact with my biological father all together. Up until that time he had been fairly regular with our bi-weekly visits. I also became overly aware of how different I was growing up in an upper middle class, basically all-white community as a bi-racial youth. With all of these personal stressors spinning uncontrollably inside, I became highly anxious and easily worked up, all of which I took out on my parents.

In high school, I hung out with “popular kids” and dated older guys. I played club soccer year-around in addition to four years of varsity, and traveled for college showcases.
My need for perfectionism, approval, and obsessive tendencies began here.

Although I was very busy, I still made time to party, drink alcohol, and sneak out and smoke. My grades were excellent and I excelled at my sport, so my parents had no idea of my “weekend self”. I was committed to this double life.

But the shame and guilt I carried as I walked into church each week eventually led me to stop attending youth group and push away my wonderful, God-loving friends.
I no longer fit in.

My collegiate years were much the same with a hyper-focus on getting all A’s, while also intent on being the best party and sorority girl.
This was what I was good at, being the “fun friend.”
My double life was in high-gear and I made no attempt to refocus my life on Christ as Sundays were spent recovering from the weekend.
In my freshman year of college, I began dating my now-husband, Ben. After college, Ben was drafted and my double-life habits continued.
I was the best at my job, but also the best party girl.

With Ben gone, I was too lonely and full of shame every weekend, laying around feeling sick from partying, to face the truth.
I needed Christ, or I would never be happy.
Ever.

Which I knew!
Believe me, those parents who raised me in the church would constantly remind me, pray for me, and beg God to change my hardened heart.

Fast forward.

Ben and I married, and years later I became pregnant with Hart, my oldest.
Having a son completely broke me, bringing me to my knees.
I wanted my child to know Christ and be raised in a house full of His love like I had been.

For years, I had slammed the door on the Holy Spirit.
I screamed at myself to make better decisions, to get back into church, to repent.
At last, I turned back.
And I was restored!
Finally.

My first Bible study was with my mom over phone and email, as we still lived states apart.
I began PRAYING to be more loving to my spouse and to crave reading God’s Word.

Slowly through the work of God’s renewing Holy Spirit, I began climbing out of the body I was had been living in, and hating. I was morphing into the woman He always wanted me to be; Christ was making me new! I was connected with Him, deeply loved, and learning to find my worth in God instead of my own performance.

God wonderfully took the YEARS I’d wasted living in sin and completely washed them away. He freed me from the shame of my lifestyle, the guilt of my decisions, and the sense that I could never go back to Christ because I was too far from Him.
He freed me fearing of what people (“friends”) would think about me for changing core aspects of me. I realize now He will use the rest of my life to keep remaking me and influencing others for His glory!

My life is an on-going, amazing testimony of His gracious hand.
Although I wasted much, the best is yet to come!

When jealousy pops up for those who have been in communion with Christ or serving Him since their youth, I’m reminded that God wastes nothing, even when I wasted much while chasing worthless idols and focusing on myself.

My decision to follow Christ has blessed every part of my life; it is made all the sweeter as I enjoy His pleasures in stark contrast to the darkness I thought would satisfy me.
Through fellowshipping with other believers, Ben and I have been baptized and blessed with a wonderful support system.

God used the hardest valleys to make me stronger and grow my faith. I know God has had His hands on every part of my very imperfect story.

You know that person who FINALLY finds Christ as an adult?
That person who is on fire and can’t fully even explain it most times?
That’s me!
I can’t wait to see what else Jesus has in store for this restored, remade sinner!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Two! 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 Sketched VI!