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Questions Day 7 To Save Or To Condemn?: Digging Deeper

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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 To Save Or To Condemn?!

The Questions

1) What teaching was too hard to accept and why was it offensive to those following Jesus? (verses 60-61)

2) What poignant question does Jesus ask in response to the disciples’ saying the teaching was too hard? (verses 62)

3) What is significantly important in the exchange between Jesus and Peter in verses 66-69?

John 6:60-71

Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”

61 Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) 65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

66 From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He was referring to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray him.

Original Intent

1) What teaching was too hard to accept and why was it offensive to those following Jesus? (verses 60-61)
The author of this book, John, wrote to a largely Jewish audience with the intention of proving that the Messiah of the Old Testament was indeed Jesus Christ who walked among them and whom they had all physically seen and encountered. Backing up a few verses in John’s record (John 6:35-49, Jesus is making the connection for His Jewish-following-audience between Himself and the Old Testament account of manna coming from Heaven. (Exodus 16:3-4) Manna was given to the Jews as they wandered in the desert after being freed from Egyptian slavery. They had no food and cried out to God; He responded with giving them “bread from Heaven” to sustain them for the duration of their 40-year desert wanderings.  Now, Jesus was telling them that, in the same way, unless they took Jesus inside them spiritually, they would die spiritually just as the Jews would have died physically. Jesus was equating Himself to manna, but in a much more eternally significant way. “I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35) As you can imagine, this teaching was an entirely foreign concept to Jewish ears. In the passage about Jesus being the Bread of Life, it was clear to the original audience Jesus was claiming to be the long-awaited promised Messiah. Jesus was claiming to be God! To which, the Jews pushed against claiming they only saw Him as a man, the son of Joseph the carpenter. (John 6:42) This disruption of their worldview was simply too much to take in, so they became defensive, argumentative, territorial, and ultimately, chose to walk away from Jesus, His teachings, and the eternal life He offered. (John 6:66)

2) What poignant question does Jesus ask in response to the disciples’ saying the teaching was too hard? (verses 62)
After asking if those who were questioning Jesus were offended by His teaching, Jesus asks an interesting follow-up question, “What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?”. (verse 62) It’s important to note that Jesus was not offended that those following Him were offended. Rather, He invited them deeper into further investigation. Jesus accepted them exactly where they were at in their journey of exploring His claims as God, the promised Messiah. He did not return their offense with anger, annoyance, or by walking away in a huffy show of pretense. Instead, He asked an honest question. In essence, Jesus asked, what would it take for you to believe? Then, Jesus takes the conversation a little deeper, by giving an explanation for their own wrestling, doubts, and questions. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (verse 63) The reason they struggled with Jesus’ teachings is because they only were analyzing and sifting them through the help of their fleshly-oriented faculties.  Jesus said only the Spirit of God can open our eyes to see real life. The flesh is no help at all!  We need the Spirit of God to help us interpret the things of God!

3) What is significantly important in the exchange between Jesus and Peter in verses 66-69?
Jesus made it clear to all who were following Him that it was impossible for anyone to come to Jesus, meaning have eternal life, if that entrance was not first granted by God the Father. (verse 65) This is a similar thought to Jesus saying, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16) as well as John’s words, “we love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) As human beings born with a sin-nature, we will never, on our own, choose to love and follow Jesus, only God can initiate that relationship. Jesus stated in verse 70, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve, yet one of you is a devil.” Reading this verse about Judas’ coming choice to reject Jesus is significant when we also read Jesus’ question to the disciples in light of the other followers deserting Him in verse 67, “You don’t want to go away, too, do you?”. God the Father had granted for all of them to come to Him. In John 17:12, Jesus is speaking directly to God the Father saying of His disciples, “While I was with them, I kept them in Your name, which You have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction (Judas).”  Still, Judas rejected. Still, the other followers walked away.

Everyday Application

1) What teaching was too hard to accept and why was it offensive to those following Jesus? (verses 60-61)
Just as there were teachings that were too hard for real, everyday, honest, hard-working, good people to accept in Jesus’ day, so it is for us in the 21st century.  These Jews who pushed against Jesus, God in the flesh who stood right in front of them, were not ragamuffins of society, nor were they malicious thieves or murderers. These were religious people. In our day, these would be our neighbors, the people we trust with our kids, the people may go to church with us and sing praises to God alongside. These are the people who have well-kept lawns, give generously, and speak kindly when we interact with them. No outside appearance, however, actually matters in the end when our breaths cease on earth and eternity for our souls begins. According to Jesus, the only thing that matters is whether we have taken the whole of Jesus into who we are, surrendering everything to Him. The people Jesus was engaging with had followed Jesus for a while. Maybe they were intrigued, maybe they enjoyed His teachings and thought He was wise. Eventually though, their questioning hearts made them face the reality that there were certain beliefs they refused to give up. To them, Jesus could not possibly be God, regardless of His evidence, His word, His power, His authority, and eventually, His resurrection from the dead. What teachings of Jesus offend you? Are you willing to let that offense be present, wrestle through it, and embrace truth? Or, will you walk away?

2) What poignant question does Jesus ask in response to the disciples’ saying the teaching was too hard? (verses 62)
Does it encourage you to know God isn’t offended by your questions?! Such freedom is given to explore and ask and engage with God Himself as you encounter real, honest questions about God and faith and what it means to trust Him. What questions are most pressing for you about God? In what ways do you wrestle with believing God at His word as described in Scripture? Are you willing to take Jesus up on His invitation and continue exploring? If so, are you also willing to accept the whole of the Bible as true? What evidence do you need to be convinced that Jesus is exactly who He says He is? As you study Scripture and seek insight from others who have studied and walked with God, be aware of Jesus’ insight that only the Spirit of God can open our eyes to the things of God. Pray as you read, asking Him to teach your heart and give you understanding.

3) What is significantly important in the exchange between Jesus and Peter in verses 66-69?
God the Father knew Judas would reject Him, betray His Son, Jesus, and would walk away from forgiveness, choosing to end his own life drowning in shame. But He still granted Judas the opportunity of life. This is radical love!! As Jesus walked the earth, teaching and healing and engaging in conversations, He knew full well who would come to Him and follow Him in surrender, and who would walk away and reject Him. But He still engaged and taught and loved and invited even these. Again, we see the incredible patience and love of God as He does not walk away offended by our unbelief, our doubts, or our questions. He still calls and invites and engages. If you have surrendered and given Him your whole heart and life, know that decision is final. When you surrendered, you gave up your rights to have the final say on your eternity. Jesus holds that now, and you cannot do anything to take yourself out of His hand. (John 10:27-28) You are His. You are safe forever! Do not underestimate God’s pursuant love for you! At the same time, do not be deceived into thinking you can be rescued from death and eternal separation from God by remaining indifferent towards Him and His offer of salvation. We must all make a choice to follow or walk away, there is no middle ground.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with To Save Or To Condemn?!

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!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Questions Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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!

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

Tabernacle Day 5 All Area Access

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 25:8-9
Leviticus 16
Matthew 27:50-52 
Hebrews 10:11-22

Tabernacle, Day 5

When I was fifteen, I was excited to be invited, along with my school band, to play in a special concert.  Until then, all our performances had been in our school auditorium, but now we were getting the chance to play in a proper concert hall!

Upon our arrival at the venue, we were presented with security passes to wear for the day.  Just having the passes made us feel important, but what was even more exciting was the phrase printed on them: “Performer: Access All Areas.”

We had permission to access all areas, and we certainly did!
Our breaks were spent exploring every inch of the concert hall, both front-of-house and backstage, making the most of an opportunity that was unlikely to be repeated. There was something wonderful about the sense of freedom that came from knowing we could go anywhere, and the confidence those passes gave us.

When it came to the Tabernacle for the Old Testament Hebrews however, there were no “access all area” passes.  Instead there were very strict rules about who was allowed access where and when, and even how.

The Tabernacle was the place where God resided among His people as they travelled to the Promised Land.  As they were on a journey it was portable, a bit like a tent, so that it could be carried with them, and it was created according to the instructions God gave to Moses in the book of Exodus.

For most of the Israelites, the outer court was as far as they were allowed to come.  There was only one entrance, on the east side, and there they would bring their offerings to God. Sin offerings, guilt offerings, peace offerings, burnt offerings… the book of Leviticus is full of details of the procedures the Israelites had to follow in order to approach God.  Their sin prevented direct access into the presence of a holy God.

In the outer court, animals brought for sacrifice were given to the priests to present at the altar.  The priests were men set apart for a special role as mediators between the people and God.  They were the ones to present the sacrifices, and they were the only ones permitted to go into the next area of the Tabernacle: The Holy Place.

They did so wearing a chestpiece containing twelve precious stones, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, so that as they entered the Holy Place they were symbolically carrying the people with them into God’s presence.  (Exodus 28:29) There they would burn incense and tend the lamps on the lampstand each day. Weekly, they renewed the bread of the Presence.

Beyond the Holy Place, behind a 4-foot thick curtain, was the inmost area: The Holy of Holies. Access here was extremely restricted for this section housed the very presence of Yahweh! Only the High Priest could enter, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement.  Leviticus 16 outlines the complicated procedure he had to go through when he did so.

Washing, donning sacred garments, offering sacrifices for himself, his family, and the people, burning incense, sprinkling blood on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant known as the mercy seat: all of this was necessary for the High Priest to approach God to purify himself and the people, atoning for their sins and making them right with God.

As we read this today, it can seem unnecessarily restrictive.
Why did all of this have to be done to approach God?

In reality, it was an act of grace!
God was providing a way for sinful man to be in relationship with the Holy Almighty.
When God provided Moses with instructions for the Tabernacle, he also explained its purpose:
“They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)

An unscalable chasm yawned between a holy God and sinful people,
yet God was permitting access…however limited.
He was painting a picture in their everyday lives that He wanted a relationship with His people!

Approaching Yahweh was not something to be done casually or thoughtlessly.
Animal sacrifice reminded them that sin was severe and required payment in order to have a relationship with the God of justice.

The good news is that we are no longer tied to all the rituals of animal sacrifices today because at the moment of Jesus’ death, everything changed!

“Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary,
was torn in two from top to bottom,
the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.”  (Matthew 27:51-52)

The writer of Hebrews explains the significance of this act:
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.”  (Hebrews 10:19-20 NLT)

Jesus is our great High Priest, the one who
“offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time,” (Hebrews 10:12 NLT) so regular sacrifices are no longer required.   We are simply called to accept His sacrifice on our behalf, surrendering ourselves to His rule and reign as Lord of our lives.

Through Jesus, all of us are free to approach God,
not just the chosen few.
Jesus’ sacrifice has granted us an “access all areas” pass,
right into God’s presence!

That’s an even greater privilege than a bunch of teenagers having the run of a concert hall, so let’s make the most of that today,
approaching God boldly and confidently
because of what Jesus has done!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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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Worship III, Day 14 Made New: Digging Deeper

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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 Made New!

The Questions

1) What scene is being described in this passage and who is the speaker?

2) Are there two judgements described? What is the difference?

3) What is meant by the “second death”?

Revelation 20:11-15

Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Original Intent

1) What scene is being described in this passage and who is the speaker?
John, one of Jesus’ disciples while He was on earth, is having a vision while on the island of Patmos, where he was exiled for refusing to renounce Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9) John writes down the vision the Lord God gives to Him for the purpose of encouraging the Body of Christ, the Church. When reading Revelation, despite the things that might confuse us, it’s important to remember that the purpose is encouragement for believers! (Revelation 1:3) In chapter 20, John is seeing a vision of the Final Judgement. The earth, and all of its elements, have burned away (verse 11, 2 Peter 3:10) and Time as we know it, has ended. All people, Christians and non-believers, dead and still living, are called before the throne of the Almighty Holy God of the Universe to give an account of their lives and receive their just wages for how they have lived. (Matthew 12:35-36)

2) Are there two judgements described? What is the difference? 
This scene in John’s vision is not describing two separate judgements, but rather two parts of the same judgement. All people, across all time, have been summoned by the Author of Life, the Righteous Judge, and the time for Eternal Justice has come. First, “books are opened” and then “another book was opened” (verse 12). Following verse 12 we get a fuller description of the people and an ever-increasing sense of awe for the Lord God who holds final authority.  In both verse 12 and verse 13, we see that the books are providing evidence of “works” that were done while on earth, while souls were dwelling in bodies. Humanity is judged individually based on what each person did with all the opportunities they had on earth. Works done through the power of the Holy Spirit that led to life, are righteous. Works done in human power are counted as evil. As Isaiah 64:6 reminds, “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” The “second book,” or the “Book of Life”, holds the record for everyone who has trusted in Christ and His righteousness to cleanse them from sin. The books that record the works, are the evidence of a life that has been surrendered to Christ because Christ’s righteousness will overflow into the actions, thoughts, words, and deeds of a person who has given their whole life to Jesus.

3) What is meant by the “second death”?
It’s helpful when thinking about this phrasing, to remember that our “beings” are made up of two parts: soul and body. The body is a “tent” where our soul (that which makes us “us” and encompasses our reason, emotion, abilities, etc) dwells. By definition, if there is a “second” death, there must be a “first” death, which is the separation of the body from the soul. The body dies, and the soul moves on to its destination either to Heaven or Hell. But at the Final Judgement, where all souls have been forever judged and the day of “second chances” is over, Death itself will Die for eternity. Those who have lived their lives for themselves, relying on themselves for salvation and on their own ways, will experience the “second death”, receiving eternal and irreversible separation from God in Hell, where only God’s wrath will forever be poured out on them. For those who chose Christ’s salvation while on earth, they will be welcomed into an eternity with the Savior, where the fullness of life will never again be diminished because Death and Sin have been sentenced to Death!

Everyday Application

1) What scene is being described in this passage and who is the speaker?
John, a central disciple of Jesus’ ministry, had been captured and exiled for holding fast to Christ, yet he was still using his time to encourage the Church. John would die in exile, but as long as he was alive, he would still surrender to being used by Christ for His radiant Bride. John’s example should challenge us to our core. With all the resources available to us, our time, our talents, and our financial treasure, we should be among the foremost as we too, like John, are called to encourage the Church as a whole, regardless of our circumstances. We have been made new as believers to do good works which God has planned for us to do long before we were even born! (Ephesians 2:10) Spend some time right now considering what circumstances you are allowing to prevent you from encouraging the Church? What are some practical ways you can serve those around you? How can you encourage your local church? Consider doing something this week to specifically build up and encourage your church this week!

2) Are there two judgements described? What is the difference?
While the Book of Life holds the names of all believers who genuinely have surrendered their lives to Christ for safekeeping for all eternity, the other “books” are the proof of righteous living. Our attempt at good deeds on earth is utterly meaningless when it comes to the Final Judgement unless our name is also found written in the Book of Life. It is only Christ who can bring about truly good works in our lives, not us. If we haven’t fully given Him our hearts, then we remain damned by our own attempt to be “good enough” by doing “good things”. There is no balance and scale option when it comes to the Final Judgement, only 1 thing matters for eternity, whether or not your name is found among all of those who have also given their everything to Jesus Christ as their Lord.

3) What is meant by the “second death”?
No one likes to think about Judgement Day and the End of the World. Neither are the topics of death and dying popular ones, but remember that the purpose of John’s vision and the book of Revelation is to encourage the Church. These few verses are overflowing with Solid Hope for the believer! Christ is coming, He is Just, and the life He offers us will never be threatened again! We were created to live a full, abundant life that would never end nor would it be stained by brokenness, pain, and hurt that comes from sin and its consequences. We will finally be free to live the life we were created for!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Made New!

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!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Worship III Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

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!

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

Worship III Day 13 Made New

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Revelation 20:11-15
Revelation 21:9-27
Philippians 4:1-9

Worship III, Day 13

I was eight years old, enthralled with having become a believer. 
Of course, as anyone who has married knows, I had no idea at the beginning, the depth of sacrifice this decision would require, but neither did I know how rich the treasure was that awaited me.

I chose Christ following a series of dreams the Lord used to point clearly to Himself as being the Only One who could eternally be my Rescuer. Jesus sealed me as His own, forever rescuing me from the wages of death because of my sin, and I was ready to follow Him in believer’s baptism.

It was a small, country church, quintessential with its white clapboard exterior, red velvet carpet, wooden pews that groaned when you sat (or wiggled), a bell tower that tolled when rung by hand at the conclusion of every service, and a rough-hewn stone baptismal pool that smelled of sulfur.

As traditional as church was, these hymns were carving a foundation of Scriptural truth into the bedrock of my heart. When I was plunged into the cold waters that Sunday, coming up gasping for breath and shivering, I requested the hymn that had been playing in my heart on repeat for weeks…. A New Name In Glory.  

I only knew the chorus, but that was enough.
There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
A sinner has come home.
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam

“It’s mine! O yes! It’s mine!” 
Jesus was mine, I was safe! Rescued from death, bound to the Savior and made new that I might run free in life everlasting. Something deep began when I gave Jesus my everything, an anchor was placed. I was His and He was mine, “never more to roam”. 

Storms were coming. I didn’t realize how many or how fierce, but the solidity of my name being written down in glory would hold firm, despite my efforts to run hard and fast away from the Lord. This holding me, binding me. This writing my name down in Glory, this was a forever vow, and it wasn’t held by my ability, only Christ’s. 

Jesus said it like this:
“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. 
No one will snatch them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.
No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 
 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)

Christ is both the Giver and Securer of eternal life.
Salvation begins with Jesus, is continued because of Jesus,
and is brought to completion because of Jesus.
No attempt on our behalf could even make a smudge of a difference. 

But neither is everyone automatically rescued from the deadly consequences of sin.
When we choose to trust Jesus, taking Him at His word, made clear in Scripture, that He is willing to take our sin and punishment on Himself and give us His own flawless righteousness, that’s faith.
Faith that pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith the Lord credits to us as righteousness because of Christ. (Romans 4:3-5)
Faith that allows His salvation to bind us to Himself. (Romans 5:1-2)
Faith that makes us conquerors over Sin and Death. (1 John 5:4)

Jesus says of those believers whom He has made conquerors:
The one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes,
and I will never erase his name from the Book of Life, 
but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5)

My name is written down in the Book of Life, I stake my life on it.
But I’ve also been given a New Name. 
The Name of Righteousness Himself; I am Christ’s, I wear His Name. 
Shame is not mine.
Neither is regret.
Despair, emptiness, lost, broken, wounded, scarred, these are not mine. 
Christ Is. 
I am His and He is mine. 

As believers, we have been Made New. 
We are given a new life
with a new purpose,
wearing our new name.

We are called to purposefully, intentionally love people. (Romans 13:8-12)
Love by sharing the eternal hope of Jesus!
Love because the Day is near when time will cease and Glory will begin.
The Day when the time for writing down new names will end. 

A Day when the books are opened.
“Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.” (Revelation 20:12)

A Day when the Lord’s Justice will finally set the record straight with all who have sinned against Him, which is all of us. 
Our only hope is faith in Christ.
Which is enough! 
Faith is enough, Sisters! 
But it is the only thing that counts. 

“And anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life 
was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

That Lake of Fire is eternal punishment, rightly deserved because of our sins. 
God is not un-just, payment for sin must be made on an individual level.
Which is why, out of vast love we will never understand, Jesus stood in the gap, taking the punishment on Himself for us. 

The very moment, I said yes to Jesus, I was covered for eternity by His righteousness.
Those steps into the chilly waters of baptism were my first steps of a life lived out to follow Him forever.
It was the beginning of being made new.
The beginning of wearing His Name! 

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Shepherd Day 10 In the Presence of My Enemies

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 23:5
2 Samuel 22
1 Samuel 21:1-9
Mark 6:30-44 

Shepherd, Day 10

As an extrovert, nothing sounds better after a long and difficult week than a dinner party surrounded by dear friends. I look around the table at my friends laughing and swapping stories, and I forget about the “enemies” I’m facing:
stress from work, family drama, unexpected expenses, and all of the other weights of life. God has prepared a table for me and my heart overflows.  David knew all about enemies, but in a very different way than me.
He had a long list of people chasing after him, including the king and his own son! He faced many hardships in his life, but he always sought refuge in the Lord and praised Him for his success (2 Samuel 22).

Before David was a great warrior, he was a shepherd.
He knew how to take care of his sheep.
He kept them from danger, he provided food and water for them, and he made sure they found rest. It’s no surprise that when David was in danger, when he needed food and water, and when he needed rest, he called upon the Lord as his Good Shepherd.

David knew that God would provide his every need.
After learning of the king’s plot to kill him, David fled and sought out a priest. The priest provided holy bread for sustenance and the sword of Goliath for protection for David on his way (1 Samuel 21:1-9). In the face of his enemies, God provided just what David needed.  

During Jesus’ ministry, He lived out David’s comparison of God to a Good Shepherd. He provided for people in all kinds of ways.
Like a shepherd, Jesus protected the disciples when they were in danger (Mark 4:35-41),
He made sure they found rest (Mark 6:31),
and He ultimately sacrificed His own life for all people.  

One of my favorite examples of Jesus as a shepherd was when He fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Mark says,
“when He went ashore, He saw a large crowd and had compassion  on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)
Jesus and His disciples were in pursuit of rest, but the crowds found them anyway. Instead of brushing them off and sending them along their way, He had compassion on them.
He saw their need.

He saw that they were looking for someone to care for them.
First, He fed their souls with his teaching.
Then he met their physical need with fishes and loaves.
Jesus prepared a table for the people that day. 
Like David’s cup that overflowed, baskets were literally overflowing with extra food!  

What I love about Psalm 23:5, and each of these stories, is how they demonstrate that God not only prepares a table for us, but He does it in the presence of our enemies.
David’s psalm doesn’t say that we won’t have enemies.
He doesn’t say that God will make our enemies disappear.
And he doesn’t say that facing our enemies won’t be hard.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

Even when life is hard, even when things are confusing,
even when it feels like nothing is going right,
God provides.
God is not just a shepherd, but a Good Shepherd.
Do you trust that He is truly good and will provide, even in the presence of difficulty?  

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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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Grow 2018 Day 2 Thankfulness & Nearness

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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 Shannon Vicker.

As 2017 comes to a close and I reflect back on the year, my walk with the Lord, and all He has taught me, I see distinct areas that God has grown me this year.

Grow, Day 2

Just over 3 years ago I began on a journey of publically thanking God for something each and every day. My inspiration came through watching two dear friends make this choice.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I had read these verses before, but never truly put them into practice in my life until 3 years ago. I slowly began a journey that God has used to grow and teach me through.
God has grown my thankful heart abundantly this year,
and that thankfulness has also been tested.

This journey has opened my eyes to ways that God is at work that I missed before.
It has shaped who I am and how I see the world.
I have learned that in the best of circumstances, and the worst, there is always something to be thankful for if I will simply open my eyes look.

Before this year I do not know that I truly understood “giving thanks in all circumstances”.
This year has definitely had moments of heartbreak, sorrow, and extremely difficult times. Through each of these moments I have chosen to look for ways to express thankfulness in all circumstances.

I have learned that thankfulness is seen in big moments.
Like when a little boy fighting cancer I have been praying for is finally released from the hospital and able to go home.
I have learned that thankfulness is seen in the small everyday moments
that sometimes seem mundane.
As I walk with Jesus and draw near to Him, I am able to see circumstances through His eyes not my fleshly eyes, and my thankful heart grows.

The idea of drawing near to Jesus is the other area of my life God has grown me in this year.
I have discovered thankfulness and nearness go hand in hand.
In the difficult moments of my year, I had the choice to make whether I would attempt to go it alone or draw near to Jesus.

It is easy to think that if I am reading my Bible,
praying, and spending time with Him,
I am drawing near to Him,
but that isn’t always true.

I have learned that drawing near to Jesus is so much bigger!
Drawing near to Jesus is a choice I make in both good times and bad.
Drawing near to Jesus is pursuing deeper intimacy with Him regardless of what my current life circumstances look like.
Yes, it is reading my Bible and praying,
but it is also sitting in silence and letting Him speak to my heart.
It is storing His words in my heart,
so when the devastating and heart-breaking happens,
the Holy Spirit can stir up truth in my heart.

There are times where I delve deep into the Word of God and savor each word.
There are other times where I stare at the pages,
but the words blur together,
concentration is in short supply,
and tears form in my eyes.
I have learned there is nearness to God found in both.

One major event in my life this year that illustrates this came on October 1.
I am from Las Vegas and I have family and dear friends who are first responders there. The events that unfolded on October 1st and the days following, and how I chose to respond,
are a perfect example of how God has grown me this year.

Those days were mixed with tears, sadness, pride for a city I call home, confusion, thankfulness, and so much more. As I walked through those days, I drew near to God in silent, quiet moments where I didn’t know what to say or to do other than sit in silence with Him and let the Holy Spirit minister to my hurting soul. It was in those moments that God stirred up a simple Scripture in my heart and guided me to look at what came next.

“Jesus wept.”

Two simple, yet impactful words. In this verse, Jesus is weeping because His friend, Lazarus, is dead. Then the Holy Spirit whispered to my soul “what happens next”.
I went back to that passage in Scripture and was reminded that immediately following His tears, Jesus went back to the work His Father had called Him to.

In those moments where I chose to draw near to Jesus,
He worked in me reminding me I have a role to play;
a role that happens as I draw near to Him and grow in Him.
I saw God’s hand and activity all over the city I call home,
and there was a great deal to be thankful for.

As I look back at 2017, I see many other situations where God has drawn me near to Him and poured into my soul as I have chosen to draw near Him and,
out of that nearness,
thankfulness and gratitude abundantly overflow!

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Eve Day 12 Eve Of Judgment: 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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Luke 23:26-43 English Standard Version (ESV)

26 As they led him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd of people followed him, including women who were mourning and lamenting him.28 But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. 29 Look, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the women without children, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others—criminals—were also led away to be executed with him. 33 When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.

35 The people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing: “He saved others; let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him. They came offering him sour wine 37 and said, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

38 An inscription was above him: This Is the King of the Jews.

39 Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Questions

1) Why did Jesus address His mourners and tell them not to weep for Him?

2) Jesus asked the Father to forgive His crucifiers, did they become forgiven of their sins because Jesus prayed for them?

3) Verses 40-43 don’t sound like the typical “Sinner’s Prayer” to receive salvation, did the thief genuinely becoming a “Christian”?

The Findings for Intention

1) Why did Jesus address His mourners and tell them not to weep for Him?
Jesus was extremely well known and had acquired a huge following of people. Wherever Jesus went, crowds in the thousands followed Him, and His walk from Jerusalem to His waiting death at the hill of Golgotha was no different. Filled with pity, sadness, and heartbroken compassion for the man who had healed so many, the people wept. But Jesus, barely able to even carry the weight of the cross beam, pauses to engage His followers again.  He urges them to pray for themselves and loved ones because destruction was coming. Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, but more severely, destruction of their souls without trusting in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus for their sins.

2) Jesus asked the Father to forgive His crucifiers, did they become forgiven of their sins because Jesus prayed for them?
It was Jesus’ entire mission to suffer, die, and be resurrected in order to forgive sins. The prophecy in Isaiah 53 was coming true here where it is said that the coming Messiah would intercede for transgressors. Jesus wasn’t proclaiming to individuals “Go, your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:50), rather, He is interceding for them that there might be a way made for them to be forgiven. These who were literally murdering the Lord, were the ones whom Jesus was begging God, the judge of all, for mercy for.

3) Verses 40-43 don’t sound like the typical “Sinner’s Prayer” to receive salvation, did the thief genuinely becoming a “Christian”?
Saying a special prayer does not “save” you or make you a “Christian” any more so than being prayed over by a pastor or priest, coming to the front of the church, attending a class, being baptized, doing good deeds, or taking communion. There’s only one thing that saves: faith alone in Christ alone, which is exactly what the thief on the cross exhibited. (Ephesians 2:8) He feared God (as in, stood in respectful awe of Him, recognizing that He was God of all), He saw Jesus as being perfect without sin and able to save, and He recognized that Jesus had authority over life and death with an eternal kingdom that could only be seen through eyes of faith. The thief’s confession of faith is what saved him, to which Jesus responded with all assurance, “Today you will be with me in Paradise!” (Luke 23:43)

The Everyday Application

1) Why did Jesus address His mourners and tell them not to weep for Him?
It was a work only He could do, die in the place of sinners, perfect as He was. If His mourners could see with eyes of insight to His freeing work done on their behalf, they would indeed have taken Jesus’ words to heart. They needn’t pray for Him or weep on His behalf. Rather it was for themselves, their children, and the souls of all those around them who are without hope save for trusting in the perfect work of Christ on the cross to rescue them from sin’s consequence of Death that they should pray and weep. How are our own souls burdened for others’ salvation? When was the last time you wept and prayed over those who are destined for an eternity apart from Christ unless they ask Him to be their Savior? Pray for the Spirit to shape your heart like His in this!

2) Jesus asked the Father to forgive His crucifiers, did they become forgiven of their sins because Jesus prayed for them?
It was my sin that held my Savior there on that cross. My wretchedness. My shame and guilt. Mine, yours, and the sins of the world. No one is exempt from the plague of sin and its consequence of death and separation from life and relationship with the fullness of God. But Love. Perfect, pursuant love is found in the death of Jesus who was sent by the God who loved us enough, despite our sin, to send Jesus to be our sacrifice (1 John 4:10). Jesus is our way of forgiveness! Without Him, we would forever be dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1)!

3) Verses 40-43 don’t sound like the typical “Sinner’s Prayer” to receive salvation, did the thief genuinely becoming a “Christian”?
The sinner knew both himself, as a sinful man, and the perfection of Jesus as Savior, and surrendered himself fully to the power of Christ for the safekeeping of his soul for eternity. Answering these two questions for ourselves is the hinge point for our own salvation. Who do you believe yourself to be? A good person? One who tries hard to do the right thing? A sinner? On its heels, who do you say Jesus is? A good man? A prophet? The Son of God? These two questions are the most important ones you’ll ever wrestle with because on these hang your eternal destination after death. If you know that Jesus is your salvation, take confidence in His reply to the thief and know that you are His!

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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
Eve Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion. 
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

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

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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

The Why!

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

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

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

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

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Eve Day 3 Eve Of The Unknown

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3:14-15
Genesis 4
Proverbs 4:23
1 John 3:11-16
Hebrews 11:4 

Family drama.
Relationship tension.
Anxiety over simply seeing other people we call “family”.
Churning stomachs and an instant “high alert” feeling when certain numbers flash across our phones.
Quite likely, you’re already seeing a face or two in your mind.

Whether you’ve lived with relational wounding or watched family drama unfold,
the brokenness tears at our insides,
cutting our hearts,
or sometimes making us callous.
Regardless of how we handle the tension, we have this in common,
we ache for healing. We long for redemption. We beg for wholeness.

There were two brothers, the first 2 little boys ever to be born into the world. They grew up in a time period so close to the perfection of the Garden, they could almost taste its sweetness. They’d undoubtedly heard their parents speak with hushed, awe-filled tones as they shared their memories of what it had been like to walk with God in the cool of the evening in Eden.
No fear. No shame. No disappointment.
No. Broken. Relationships.
But sin is sin no matter how far away from the Garden you are.
Whether its BC 1 or 2017 AD, the effects of sin are just as ugly.
Sin brings death.

That tightness between you and your spouse because of the ugly words you exchanged?
Sin’s death eating away at your relationship.

The sadness you feel as you watch a sibling or niece or nephew make destructive choices?
Sin’s deadly consequence.

The pain and anger that shreds your heart as you watch your son or daughter choose a path of destruction for themselves and those around them when you know they were made for so much more?
Sin’s wretchedness rearing its ugly head again.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, describes the cycle of sin like this: “But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.”

Those two little boys with Adam and Eve for parents?
They each had desires, one for good and one for evil.
Cain’s longings were wrapped up in himself; in his inflated view of his own self-importance, Cain worshipped himself. Abel, on the other hand, had chosen his Master, and it was the Lord God. It was Cain’s evil desire to be his own god that gave birth to sin.

As the time for sacrifice and worship came around, Cain resisted.
Give his best? Give his first-fruits?
His desire for himself flared as his indignation grew.
His offense at offering his best to the Lord was growing, and the Lord God knew it.
Yahweh, who plainly sees the hearts of man, would not accept a sacrifice where the heart was not first given to Him.

Luke records Jesus as saying, “No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Luke 6:13)
Cain could not serve both himself and the Lord.
And neither can we.

We read the story of Cain and Abel and we see the sin of Cain murdering his brother,
but Cain’s sin came long before then.
It happened in his heart.

“Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin,
and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.”
For Abel, Cain’s sin brought physical death.
Cain refused to stop the sin that was growing inside his heart.
His sin gave birth to death.
Death for his brother and death of his relationship with his parents.
Adam and Eve didn’t lose one son the day Abel died, they lost two.

Alone again, Adam and Eve sat broken in the deadly wave of sin’s consequence.
Not far from the intimacy and wholeness of the Garden, but with no way back.

What was it like for them, that day before Abel was murdered?
Was there growing tension in their tent, as they ate their meals, as they spoke?
Was the broken palpable, and yet they had no idea how to bring about healing?
Could they see their son choosing himself over Yahweh?
Were their hearts heavy with unspoken grief?

Adam and Eve had no way of knowing that night would be their last with both sons.
But God Did.
He held them all.
He loved them all.
Just as He had offered a way for healing in the Garden, He still offered Himself then.

Before Cain killed Abel, the Lord knew what was going to happen and He beckoned to Cain, “If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
Grace. Hope. Healing held out.
“Do what is right, won’t you be accepted?”
“You must rule over it.”

We can’t see the depth and breadth and width of the consequences of our sin.
We can’t see the death awaiting us or those around us.
But the Lord does.

And He holds out a better way.
He holds out the gift of His Son.
Knowing full well that we are powerless over the pull of sin,
He offers Himself in our place
because He alone holds victory over the Death of Sin.

For your relational brokenness.
For all your unknowns awaiting you.
Choose Jesus, Sister.
Choose Life.
Choose the life that wins over death!
Choose what Cain did not, but could have.
Choose the life that heals, redeems, and restores what was lost in that Garden so long ago!
Choose Jesus, and live confidently, even amidst the unknown of tomorrow!

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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 15 Faithful Rescuer

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Daniel 3:8-30
Matthew 14:22-33
Romans 8:31-39

It was a freakish storm seemingly coming out of nowhere. What was once a beautiful sunny day, suddenly grew pitch black with fast moving clouds that covered the area within just a few minutes. Pattering drops soon became sheets of cold rain accompanied by loud claps of thunder, whistling wind, and brilliant lightning bolts flashing through the now dark sky.

I was about 10 years old at a Christian summer camp.
A full week of games, sports, water activities, and awkward moments with people I barely knew. Unlike most people at camp, I didn’t have any friends with me. I was new in my faith, lacked self-confidence, and had a million misconceptions about the God of the Bible. I was wrapped up in performance-driven love, but that sudden summer storm has re-played itself in my mind’s eye countless times since, becoming a solid anchor that shaped my view of God.

I was on a trail hike with other campers when the storm hit, and, like every other pre-teen girl, I ran as fast as I could towards the cabins, screaming all the way.
But everyone passed me up and I was left running alone.
Everything was so dark.
The heavy, chilling rain bit into my skin and eyes as I ran.
I screamed for everyone to wait, but no one heard, or cared.
And then my foot found an enormous black hole, and my leg was swallowed with cold mud.
I was stuck and terrified with no one to hear or see me.
Lightening was everywhere and to my freaked-out-10-year-old-self, I was pretty sure I was going to die there in that mud hole. Alone and forgotten, despite my screams.
Dramatic, I know.
But real to me, nonetheless.
Suddenly, I saw a tall figure emerge from the wooded area far ahead of me. Tall and running towards me, a counselor grabbed me from the mud, hefted me to his shoulder, and carried me to the cabin.
In that one moment, the storm no longer mattered to me.
The torrents and flashes could continue their barrage all day, it didn’t matter.
I was safe.
I was valuable.
I was worth rescuing.

I have no other memory of that counselor, no idea what songs we sang that week, and I don’t remember one spiritual conversation, but the image of being rescued has bound me to my view of God ever since.

The prophet Jonah, just thrown overboard in a tumultuous sea and rescued by an unlikely, swimming hero, prays, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress.”
Safe. Valuable. Worth rescuing.
God knew where Jonah would be drowning, knew where to send the hungry sea creature, and then directed that nautical giant to Ninevah’s shores where God wanted Jonah to go.

The disciple Peter, bravado turning to fear when the storms threatened to overtake him as he walked on the water towards the Savior,
“…and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
Safe. Valuable. Worth rescuing.
Jesus knew He held all authority over the wind and waves.
Jesus knew He alone could rescue Peter, not just from physically drowning, but from living a life without fear.

Three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace for their refusal to bow down and worship a golden statue. Their declaration?
“…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.”
Safe. Valuable. Worth rescuing.

Thunderstorms are special for me.
I love their magnificent display of my Creator’s power, the scent of the raw earth, and the
reminder that my God is a rescuing God.
He is “for me and not against me.”

I don’t know what your battles look like.
I do know that I’ve had plenty of them, as I’m sure have you.
And with every passing storm, I’ve learned a bit more about the God who holds all authority over it.

God’s response to Jonah’s distress call?
“….and He answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and (He) heard my voice.”

How did Jesus respond to Peter’s faithless fear?
“Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him.”

God’s answer to the three men in the furnace?
“But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

This battle of yours?
It has nothing on your Rescuer!
Trust the heart of the God who wrapped Himself in flesh to save you from the sinking mud hole of your sin that you might have life to the fullest.

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Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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 Battle Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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