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Fervent Day 11 Suffering Of One

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Romans 15:30-33
2 Corinthians 12:6-10
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Fervent, Day 11

I’ve never really considered myself to have suffered for Jesus.

Unfriended on social media?
Losing a real, face-to-face, personal friendship?
Labeled as the “Jesus girl” or the “church girl”?
On the receiving end of snarky comments, text messages, and emails?

Yes, to all of these.

Beaten for proclaiming Christ?
The lives of my children threatened for my refusal to renounce Jesus?
Imprisoned for relentlessly sharing the gospel?

Never, not once. Not even a hint.

Occasionally, I will remember to pray for the “persecuted church,” even pray fervently with tears and renewed vigor, but I shamefacedly admit to generally feeling fairly disconnected from “them.”

Then, one summer I read a book that marked me for life.
Some things you simply cannot un-read.

Nik Ripken, using a pseudonym to protect his identity and countless other believers whose stories he tells, shared many unforgettable accounts in his book The Insanity of God. Years later, Stoyan’s testimony continues to speak volumes to me.

Stoyan had been imprisoned for his faith, and as Nik thanked him for sharing his story, Stoyan made a remarkable statement:
“I thank God and I take great joy in knowing that I was suffering in prison in my country,
so that you, Nik, could be free to share Jesus in Kentucky.”

My heart plummeted as I read his words, and simultaneously put up defenses.
How could Stoyan consider it a trade-off for himself to be chained so that I can be free?

We aren’t connected!
Me, in midwestern United States, free to drink Starbucks, parade around Target at my leisure, share Jesus when, or if, I want, walk in my church doors whenever I please (or don’t please) and belt praise music whenever I feel (or don’t feel) the urge.
Stoyan and I are not connected.
How could we be so intertwined that I should feel a debt to him and his persecution?

A debt so heavy I should feel all the more urged to share Jesus, as if on his behalf?

My response was similar to Nik’s…
“Those words pierced my soul. I looked Stoyan straight in the eyes. ‘Oh, no!’ I protested. ‘No! You are not going to do that! You are NOT going to put that on me. That is a debt so large that I can never repay you!”

I pray Stoyan’s response will mark your heart like it has mine.

“Stoyan stared right back at me and said, ‘Son, that’s the debt of the cross!’
He leaned forward and poked me in the chest with his finger as he continued,
‘Don’t you steal my joy! I took great joy that I was suffering in my country,
so that you could be free to witness in your country.’

Then he raised his voice in a prophet-like challenge that I knew would live with me forever: ‘Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution! That is our witness to the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!””

“Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never give up in persecution.”

Sisters, I confess I have done exactly this.
I have indeed “given up” sharing the hope I and Stoyan both possess because, well, I have other things to do, you know? All the Target runs, the coffee, the groceries, the running of kids to all the places, the laundry, oh please the laundry…
Besides, what if I push someone away in my passion to share Jesus?
What if I offend someone?
What if they ask me a question I can’t answer?

When I am afraid of “awkward”. . .
I plead for the Holy Spirit to remind me of Stoyan’s call to
“never give up (my witness of Jesus) in freedom what he wouldn’t give up in persecution.”

The apostle Paul was familiar with persecution.
He was also familiar with the comforts of life.
He knew hunger, and he had lived in plenty.

He knew years of education and finery, and had also felt the cuts of whips, the weight of rocks as he was stoned, and emotional distress accompanying oppression.

His prayers on suffering in the church have little to do with being removed from it, but rather, persistence to share Jesus in suffering, together with other believers.

“… brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, (…) and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people…”
(2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, emphasis mine)

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints…” (Romans 15:30-31, emphasis mine)

Stoyan, Paul, Nik, myself, and you, dear sister Christ-follower, wherever you are living in the world, are all connected.

There is no “persecuted church” and “free church.”
We.
Are.
Church.
Together in One Body, Christ’s.

Every single believer carries the weight of the same gospel, purchased by the same blood, from the same God and Savior of us all. May we cease to be guilty of “giving up in freedom what our brothers and sisters refuse to give up in persecution.”

Stoyan is right to expect the free-by-law believers, to boldly share Jesus, precisely because he is suffering for the same gospel.

We are bound together.
All suffering together.
All preaching Christ together.
All interceding for one another together.

Unity is the heart of Paul’s laborious prayers and the thread woven through every single letter he penned. Because we are one, may we live, and preach, and suffer as one.

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Fervent Week Three! 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 Fervent!

Sketched VII Day 13 Journey Of An M

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:18-39
Job 33:29-33

Sketched VII, Day 13

I’m an M….
as the sending company prefers to call us to protect our security.

Whatever ideas you hold of those who share the precious gospel across the globe, lay them aside for a few moments. My story likely will not match up with your ideas.

If you’re tempted to quit reading, I’m asking you to pause and pray.
Pray for Ms who are walking through struggles, pray for endurance, and pray for God to faithfully bring about His glory.

The Call
My husband and I felt the call to the field while on a two-week trip to Russia and was confirmed again when we traveled to Zambia, Africa. On our second trip, a little orphaned boy ran up and told me in English, “I am a Christian now!”.
God was at work and we were excited to join Him as full-time Ms!

The Transition
God quickly brought us a buyer for our house and provided us sufficient income as we transplanted to seminary. As excited as we were to study God’s Word deeply, extended family struggles and the enjoyment of our previous ministry roles had us questioning at points, “Maybe we shouldn’t go?”.

But we remembered our call, and God continuously asked my husband in prayer time,
“Are you willing to serve Me anywhere?”.

Off To Training!
Finally, we had enough seminary hours to go to the field! We were eager to learn and tired of waiting; surely God would move us into productive ministry soon.

Training was exhausting!
There was much to learn about culture, barriers, languages, security, and strategy.  Additionally, we had physical training because Americans don’t use their own two feet for transport nearly as much as the rest of the world! We pressed on, encouraged by others who were walking the same process, as well as by our home churches.

The farther into training we moved, the more concerns brewed in my head.
We attended a Spanish speaking church, but we didn’t speak Spanish yet.
Feeling connected to the church and others was difficult, as we could neither encourage nor minister in their language. Everyday, we were to practice turning ordinary conversations towards spiritual things, but try as I might, talking with strangers on the bus or in a store was so difficult for me!
I felt I was already failing as an M and we hadn’t even finished training!

Language Learning
Finally, it was time for our first field placement! We would attend a foreign language program in Columbia. At last, we would be learning our new language, be able to speak with people, and form relationships! We praised God for His goodness!

He indeed showed us His goodness!
Our mentors placed us in a great church where we were befriended and cared for. We were “adopted” by a ministry-loving family who invited us to minister with them in a village outside of Bogota, Columbia. There, we helped with the monthly children’s program by teaching kids the Bible. After only 6 months, I reached the required level of Spanish and was turned loose to work with a local company team while my husband continued classes.

I was excited and anxious because I knew my level of Spanish wouldn’t sustain a deep conversation with constructions like, “if you were to choose to follow Christ, how would your life change?” Even my ability to converse in present tense was filled with grammatical mistakes and vocabulary black holes. I would often talk “around” a word until someone had pity and gave me the actual word. This was a difficult process, but I had un-believing friends on campus who helped me.

I tried using these opportunities to turn conversations to Christ and was met with tolerance, but they really just wanted to work on the English structure assignments they needed for class.
Before long, and with several ministry ups and downs, our formal language learning was over and it was time to move to Chile!

On The Ground
In Chile, we met and connected with our teammates for our day jobs. At every turn, God continued asking my husband if we were willing to serve Him anywhere.
We were ready with our yes, even if it meant IT work (Information Technology).

Which is exactly where we landed.
Each day, we worked in an IT office and connected with local ministries in the evenings. This was the same thing we had done in the States, so I told myself we were still serving God, even though it wasn’t my passion. As a former deaf teacher, I had no experience as a help desk technician and was constantly being stretched. Helping the Ms fix technology issues was challenging!

We found a great little church, but I was hesitant to connect, as we were only there for 4 months. Within that time, we received word that my friend from Colombia had brain cancer. She died shortly after, and I grieved her loss as well as the ministry vision she’d carried for that area, as it seemed to die with her. I started asking God why and was honestly mad He had taken her, but there was no time to process as we were moving again.

In Peru, we set up house with our own furniture for the first time since beginning our M journey; we were building a home! We started looking for a church and built relationships with company coworkers. Lima was close to the ocean and my soul felt lifted by starring out at its vast beauty. I wanted to make friends, but was guarded. We were here for only one year before returning for a Stateside assignment.

Meeting local people was difficult as our work schedules conflicted with theirs. I continued working to convince myself our IT work was enough, while praying God would open “real” ministry opportunities in His time.

Stateside Assignment….
….was a flurry of activity.
My husband’s mom was undergoing chemo and we had churches and family to visit, while most of my time was spent studying a 900-page book on Mac computers to better help the Ms.

Change was happening in our team as well. Our long-term career teammates had a series of family tragedies and returned home, while our short-term teammates’ time ended. Additionally, another family would retire in 9 months.

I focused on studying and gaining IT skills, but also enjoyed knitting hats for my new granddaughter. We stayed in an M house, but weren’t close to either our Nebraska home or our seminary’s church, so again, we were without friendships.

With a stinging blow, we discovered our last remaining teammates would not be returning to the field. With no one left in Peru, we packed our suitcases and moved to Chile. Someone needed to man the technology equipment.

Swirling Questions
I started spiraling into a dark place, perpetually asking God why.
Why did You take my friend who was full of light, life, and loved You?!
Why did you allow hardship for our teammates so they couldn’t return?
Why did You give us a home in Peru only to have us return to Chile?
Why?!

I was also angry at the company.  
They wouldn’t give us permanent assignments in Chile, so we were left as sojourners while our belongings were stored in Peru. At the same time, the company opened a voluntary retirement where literally thousands of years of experience left the field. With our IT jobs, we saw every resignation come through.

I became more upset with God.
Where are You?
All these co-laborers answered Your call! Now You send them home!
You’ve given me a ministry to lead, but the women only care about crafting while tolerating the reading of Your Word.
Why?!

Beautiful Community
We returned to our church in Chile and they loved on us,
supported us, and showed us community.
They cared for us.

When they asked, how are you?
They expected a story and a real answer.
How could I explain my feelings?
I was supposed to me the M, sent to them to encourage and build the church.

True community was just beginning to blossom inside of friendships when visa issues began.  Chilean passport control noticed how often we’d left and returned on tourist visas. We were only permitted one final tourist stay, which led the company to move us to England. My husband was now manager over the field technology Ms, which necessitated him living in a neutral time zone. Waking at 2 and 3AM to talk to his guys didn’t work so well.

Starting Over
With a new plan in place, we visited Peru, sold our belongings, and were off to England. I finally convinced my husband to get my little dog, and we started building a new home as God continued working on my heart.

He gave us a community of believers with a strong outreach ministry.
He allowed me to start a Bible study where over 50 women were attending and growing.
He led the pastor to connect us with Alpha, an outreach to the unchurched. From that ministry, a small group launched in our home.

We were studying and growing in community all while doing our IT work.
God had heard my cry!
I was being used and restored!

Learning His Heart
Difficulty is never over, however, and when England decided to kick out migrant workers, we were forced to leave. We were moved to the US awaiting visa approval for the Czech Republic, which would be our new home.

It was a whirlwind summer of visits, work, and embassy and paperwork runs. We had a furnished house from the company on the east coast, far from family and friends.
Again, I asked why.
Finally, everything had seemed to come together in Peru.
But that was on the outside, God knew my heart.

He was wooing me to understand that service to Him, no matter how good,
was not His goal.
It would never be about what ministry looked like.
It would always be about my heart choosing to trust Him regardless of circumstances.
He is able to accomplish the work with or without me,
what He wants most is me to present with Him.

While in England, we read the story of a man who talked to God.
God cleaned up his heart, making it His home.
Then God told the man He would meet him every day in his study.
For a while, they had a great relationship and fellowshipped every morning, but slowly the man got busy and time slipped away.  One morning, he saw the Lord in his study and asked what he was doing there. “Waiting for you”, the Lord replied.

In training, it was emphasized that the most important thing we could do was abide in the Lord, but He had slipped from my first place.

God wanted me to see that He was doing the work. Period.
I could join Him, but I must wait, trust, and abide in Him, knowing all glory is His alone.

Hear This!
If you hear nothing else, take this in!
Above any work you do, service you perform, or suffering you endure, abide in Him!

You may not understand how He is working, and may not enjoy His process,
but trust His heart. He is working all things for your good and His glory!

As a second take away, remember Ms (and pastors and leaders in your local church) are people just like you who struggle with circumstances, pain, and sorrow.

They may need an invitation to be transparent!
They may be grieving, lonely, hurting, questioning, or even angry. They need your prayers as a community of Christ. Let them know they are not forgotten, and you are their friend.

Listen to their stories, even if they are long, focusing on far-away-events you may never personally experience. Through your compassionate listening, you can help them process!

His Glory
My journey as an M has been full of sweetness and sadness,
but know this: I praise God for the work He continues to do in and through me.

As a final request, join me in praying for the Czech Republic that they will come to know our God in all His goodness.  Pray the Bible study I am involved with will grow and that someday I will be able to speak Czech and share Christ in that language.
For His Glory!

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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!

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 Sketched VII Week Three! 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 VII!

The GT Weekend! ~ Shielded Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) “We are to cover our hearts with God’s righteousness”. Day in, day out, morning, noon, night. All the messy moments, the angry ones, the wounded ones, the weeping ones, the celebratory ones, and the overwhelmed ones. Every moment is exactly, perfectly, the right moment to tuck ourselves behind the breastplate of God’s righteousness. The natural response to well, everything wrong, is to fix it ourselves, or maybe hide it under a rug, or even off load it to someone else insisting it isn’t our problem. But our hearts themselves have a problem we can never solve or run from. Sin. We are each in desperate need of God’s righteousness to cover and protect our hearts. Spend some time quietly reflecting on the last few days or weeks. Consider your relationships and your own heart and ask the Spirit to open your eyes to your sin. Then ask Him to cover you with His righteousness and rejoice in that safe place of freedom!

2)  How prepared do you feel to share the gospel with someone? I know, most of us are slowly backing away right now. Or maybe you’re running! Put up the walls and change the subject because sharing the gospel? What am I supposed to say? What if I offend them? What if I push them farther from God? Or, what if I don’t know the answers to their questions? All good questions to wrestle through, and, Sister, you are not alone in those wrestlings! But, hear this! God’s armor for sharing the gospel isn’t found in a vast treasury of knowledge and seminary training. It begins with humble willingness to put on the shoes and go. What are we bringing? A sword to win every argument? No, we bring peace. Make no mistake, the God who rescued your heart is calling you to share His hope with others. In place of fear, put on shoes of peace! Who is He tenderly prompting you to invest in a little deeper in order to share peace? Connect with them this weekend!

3) Faith is all about taking God at His word, whether we can see it with our physical eyes or not. This isn’t about blindly believing whatever other people tell you about the Bible. There is solid, abundant proof for the truth claims of the Bible. Don’t be afraid to explore those! God certainly isn’t afraid of your doubts and poking questions! The Faith of God’s armor, however, is about looking into what our eyes cannot see, while our hearts are firmly anchored in the truth of Scripture, and declaring, “I am taking You at Your word, God. I trust You.” Assess your relationships and circumstances around you, taking stock of the places where you are unsure, afraid, or anxious. Carve out some time this weekend and in the days ahead to explore God’s Word and see what HE declares about you and Himself and how you can apply battle-ready faith to your everyday life!

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 Psalm 3:5-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the Lord sustains me.
I will not be afraid of thousands of people
who have taken their stand against me on every side.
Rise up, Lord!
Save me, my God!
You strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
may your blessing be on your people.

Prayer Journal
Ah, Lord, I remember the exact time in life when I memorized these verses, choosing to intentionally anchor myself in Your truth and hide myself here under the protection only You can provide. It was a messy battle all around me, and I was drowning in the waves around me. Peace was hard to come by. I was running ragged trying to sustain myself. But Your Spirit spoke over me, beckoning me away with You. You, who holds my heart, fought for me while You shielded me, protecting me with Your radiant love. You rose up, and walked with me. Salvation is yours, in every situation, Abba, and because it is Yours alone, and because I am Yours, You gave to me generously. So, I will forever sing Your praise for being my Victorious Shield and Salvation!

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Esther Day 15 A Legacy Of Celebration

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Esther 9:16-10:3
Psalm 78:1-8
Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians 2:1-9

Esther, Day 15

Mordecai went from the king’s presence clothed in royal purple and white, with a great gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen.  The city of Susa shouted and rejoiced, and the Jews celebrated with gladness, joy, and honor.  In every province and every city, wherever the king’s command and his law reached, joy and rejoicing took place among the Jews.  There was a celebration and a holiday. Esther 8:15-16 

The Jews had much to celebrate!
Imagine receiving a death sentence from a power-hungry leader for no other reason except he didn’t like your people. Imagine the fear and despair you’d feel; hopeless and helpless to save yourself or those you love.  Then you receive word of a new law to counter the first one and the leader being punished; you and your people are free!

There was rejoicing and shouting and celebrating going on in Susa!
Thanks to the courage of Esther, as she followed Mordecai’s wisdom and was covered by prayer and fasting of the Jewish people, God rescued His chosen people.  I doubt there is anyone who would look unfavorably upon them or think their celebration was too extravagant. I doubt the Jewish people themselves were concerned with how they were perceived by others.  Their death was imminent, but they had been spared!

After the Jews were saved from destruction, the holiday, Purim, was established and is still celebrated by Jews today.  The holiday is a joyous one, preceded by a day of fasting as they remember how the Jews fasted and prayed for Esther as she approached the king. The story of Esther may be read as they remember from where they have come, and from where their Help came. They rest and feast and celebrate! The celebration was a decree and was established as an official holiday so future generations would not forget the great rescue. Esther 9:27-28

Sometimes we forget how we, too, have been spared.
Ephesians 2 tells us that, as sinners, we are also dead, eternally separated from God because of our unrighteousness. We had no access to God and His holiness, and were destined to face eternity apart from Him.  But in His great mercy, God sent Jesus to rescue us so we can have a restored relationship with Him. We are made alive in Christ! Ephesians 2:1-9  That is reason to celebrate!

How can we celebrate?
One way is to share your story.

Every single Christ-follower has a story worthy of celebratory re-telling!
At one point we were all separated from God because of our sin.  Then, He, in His infinite grace, sent His only Son to take our sin upon Himself and put it to death on the cross.
Not only did He die for our sins, but He defied the enemy who thought he had won by rising from the grave, forever to live with our Father God in Heaven where He continues to fight for us.  Out of great love, He left His Holy Spirit to personally live inside each one who calls on His name. The Spirit guides into Truth and fills us with power to do the work He has called each of us to do.

He invited us into His story so we may draw others to Him as well.
As we share what He has done for us, others see His faithfulness and are drawn into a relationship with Him as well.

At the very moment we decide to follow Jesus with our whole being, our faith stories don’t end, but are only beginning! He continues the work in our hearts and lives through the Holy Spirit so we may encourage others and grow closer to Him as we journey through life.  He provides us encouragement while challenging us to lean on Him during trial so we can encourage others in their growth. I know it encourages me in difficult times to hear how God is moving in the lives of others, especially if I’m walking a path similar to another’s. As we continue to share our stories, God is glorified and we can celebrate together who He is and all He has done for us.

I’ve been convicted recently about how little I share my story of faith and growth.
Also, how infrequently I ask others about their journey.
Perhaps it’s fear of rejection or being thought too “religious”, or maybe I just don’t pay enough attention to those around me to be sensitive to what God is doing.

What if we spent some time in the mornings inviting God into our days,
thanking Him for the work He has done in our own hearts,
and asking Him to specifically show us someone who needs to hear the hope of the Gospel? What if we were intentionally open to readily sharing how God has proven Himself real in our own lives?
It may feel risky, but we have much to share with great reason to celebrate our Rescuer!
The God who created the universe invites each of us into a relationship with Him!

Who needs to hear about the hope that lives within you?
Who might God want you to share your story with so they can know Him?
Who in your life needs to be encouraged that God is still good and still at work?
Whose life will be forever changed because you chose to share?
Do your children know your own faith story so they are able to continue your legacy of faith to future generations?

The next time you hear about Esther and her reason to celebrate with her people, remember you have even more reason to declare the goodness of God!
Celebrate out loud for the world to hear!

A P.S. from Gracefully Truthful….
Maybe, you’ve never told your story to anyone before; today is a great day to start!
We want to make it easy for you to get started and we would be honored to help you share boldly through the Faces of Grace platform.
Check out the “Get Started” tips, then send in your story and begin celebrating out loud what God has done!


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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 Esther 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 Esther!

Open Day 7 The Unconventional Open: 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 The Unconventional Open!

The Questions

1) Can my faith in Christ save someone else?

2) If it’s 100% true that we must each believe in order to be saved, why did Mark record that Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic’s friends and then said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”? (Mark 2:6)

3) Why did Jesus forgive the man’s sins first instead of healing his body?

Mark 2:1-12

When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: 7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic— 11 “I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”

12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Original Intent

1) Can my faith in Christ save someone else?
The mysteries we find within Scripture, that themselves whisper of the vast mysteries bound up in the heart of God, are many. But they are recorded on purpose for us to read and study and pray over. How prayer works, and how a believer’s faith impacts another person, whether lost or saint, is one of those mysteries. We can delve into the subject and consider it from all angles until we wear ourselves out thinking it through, but at its end, we can put it to rest knowing that our mighty God is completely sovereign and utterly beyond our ability to fully understand or comprehend. There is no box we can fathom that is able to contain God. Because Scripture is wholly true, it will never contradict itself. Where a verse seems to go against other Scriptures, it simply means we have a surface understanding of that passage and need to study and pray more thoroughly. Studying the Bible and rightly applying it does not mean simply reading it and taking what we want to hear from it! A strong, steady truth repeated often from Old Testament to New is that our faith is our own. No one can save us on our behalf. We must each make the choice whether to surrender ourselves to Christ or keep trusting ourselves to save us from our sin. Either we believe, and take God at His word, or we don’t. But that belief is individualistic, every single time. (Romans 3:22, Romans 10:9-10, Genesis 15:6)

2) If it’s 100% true that we must each believe in order to be saved, why did Mark record that Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic’s friends and then said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”? (Mark 2:6)
I believe the answer is two-fold. First, God designed believers to live together in community, to love and act and move as one Body, with great unity. All throughout Scripture, we are commanded, not simply invited, to pray for one another, carrying each other’s everyday burdens (Galatians 6:2) as well as praying for opportunities for the Kingdom of God to advance and His gospel to be made known.  (Colossians 4:3) Prayer is an integral part of following Jesus in everyday life. He calls us to pray on behalf of those who have already believed in Him and those who have yet to trust Him at His Word. What these four men did by physically bringing their friend to Jesus’ house is a perfect picture of what every believer does when they pray for another. As we pray, we are carrying these people into the presence of God, directly into His throne room of grace and mercy where He hears and listens! (Hebrews 4:16) We do have influence on other’s engagement in the presence of God through our own faith, whether that person is a Christian or not. Second, Jesus did indeed see the faith of the four friends and so chose to call out this man and bring forgiveness to Him and eventually healing of His body. However, simply because Mark records Jesus’ noting the faith of the four, does not at all preclude that Jesus also saw the faith of the paralytic in his heart. A few verses later, Jesus makes it clear He has authority and power to know precisely what is in our hearts, whether good or evil. Naturally, Jesus saw the heart of the paralytic as well, and knew he was ready to accept Christ as His forgiver of sin and healing of His soul.  When it comes to matters of salvation, we must keep two things forefront. 1) Salvation is accessed through faith alone by grace alone and 2) God is sovereign, meaning we are not privy to all the inner workings of who is genuinely saved and who isn’t. That is for God to know and work out, not us.

3) Why did Jesus forgive the man’s sins first instead of healing his body?
First, the man’s most primary necessary healing, like each of us, was his soul. The mortal wound of his soul, caused by sin, was damning this man to an eternity separated from God. The paralytic’s restoration to God through Jesus was the most pressing healing. Second, Jesus did heal the man’s body, but for an incredibly focused purpose: glory to God and growth for the Kingdom. God does not heal for the sole happiness and health of the one being healed; His main purpose is always to draw others into Himself and we are drawn to Him by His revelation of glory.  The paralytic, though physically healed, one day died and his healed body ceased working. However, that same man, is right at this moment, dancing free in the very presence of the God whose glory was revealed on that day when his sins were forgiven! The temporary physical healing was a profound platform by which to demonstrate the pressing eminence of the eternal!

Everyday Application

1) Can my faith in Christ save someone else?
No, I cannot save anyone, no matter how much faith I have or how much it grieves me to watch them turn away from the Lord again and again. And neither can you. Paul grieved like this over his fellow Jews who, though they knew and studied every pen stroke of the Old Testament law and prophets, they missed the whole point of Jesus’ death and resurrection as the fulfillment of those very law and prophets. Paul wrote, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers…” (Romans 9:3) As much as we grieve for lost, our faith cannot save them. They must make that choice for themselves just as we had to.

2) If it’s 100% true that we must each believe in order to be saved, why did Mark record that Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic’s friends and then said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”? (Mark 2:6)
While we clearly cannot give someone else salvation, no matter how much we love them, we can and must have influence in their spiritual lives by faithfully praying for them. We are called to bring others before God’s throne, asking Him to reveal His glory to them that they too might “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.” (Romans 10:13) I hope you’re as convicted to read this as I am to write it, Sisters. Let’s be faithful Christ-followers and steadfastly bring our friends before the Lord just as these four men did for their paralyzed friend! Begin making a list of those in your sphere of influence, or even those on your street, who don’t know Jesus. Begin praying for them by name for their salvation! Ask for doors to be opened for you to share your own faith journey and what Jesus has meant to you. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to invite these people you know and love to church, or even just over for a meal as you faithfully invest in their faith journey.

3) Why did Jesus forgive the man’s sins first instead of healing his body?
We can look around our world, our churches, and even our families and our hearts break with the heavy physical suffering being experienced by all of us on varying levels. Children sick with cancer, babies who never breath outside the womb, wives who bury husbands, parents who bury children, spouses who live with abuse, aunt and uncles who watch nieces and nephews ruin their lives, and grandparents who find themselves starting over as they parent their grandchildren. The ache is grievous, the load is heavy, and oh how our hearts break in agony wishing we could remove the pain, the wound, and the hurt. But we cannot. And so, we beg the God of all to do it for us. And often times, He does! But sometimes, though He certainly could, He does not. I’ll be straight up with you, we just cannot know all the reasons behind all of our whys and why nots on earth, but we can know for absolute certainty, that when the Lord God heals, and even when He doesn’t, there is a purpose. A good purpose. A purpose that He, and He alone, will use to expand the kingdom and grow our faith if we will allow Him. What we see is temporary. What is coming is eternal. What we live out today is just a vapor. What we invest in with faith will last forever. Pray, Sisters. Pray for the Lord to bring physical healing and make His Name great in the process, but please pray that far beyond the physical, that our hearts will lean into His good Father heart, and we will remember that His eternal healing is indeed coming!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Unconventional Open!

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 Open 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.

Seeds Day 2 Unstoppable Overflow: 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 Unstoppable Overflow!

The Questions

1) If all believers have the Holy Spirit, why doesn’t everyone speak in different tongues? (verse 4)

2) Why did “some sneer and say, ‘they’re drunk on new wine’”? (verse 13)

3) What common result occurs when believers are obedient to the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:1-16

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

Original Intent

1) If all believers have the Holy Spirit, why doesn’t everyone speak in different tongues? (verse 4)
First, it’s important to note and define what “languages” mean in the original context. Verse 6 and following point out that each one in the crowd were hearing the message of the gospel in “their own language”. The languages here are not “secret prayer languages” as Paul speaks of in Corinthians, rather they are the languages of the time and culture (Parthians, Medes, Elamites, etc as noted in verses 9-11). Also, note that as the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples, represented by the visual of flaming tongues, the Flame “separated and rested on each of them”. The Lord God is a diverse God and the Holy Spirit reflects that character. There is no evidence in the remainder of Scripture that the disciples were always able to speak in countless different languages, but Scripture does not specifically say they didn’t either. The point is not the gift and ability the disciples had at this time, the focus is on the power of the Spirit who enabled them to do what they previously were completely incapable of doing. This is precisely what the Spirit does!

2) Why did “some sneer and say, ‘they’re drunk on new wine’”? (verse 13)
An absolutely incredible miracle, never before witnessed, was occurring right before their eyes, yet some in the crowd of eyewitnesses outright rejected it by mocking the miracle and its validity. These mockers “wrote off” what God was doing by publicly defaming the disciples saying they were “drunk on new wine”, making it seem like the whole miracle was a mass of confusion instigated by a group of drunkards. In reality, the Spirit of the Living God was being poured out for the purpose of calling sinners, all humanity, even these mockers, into the fullness of life offered through the forgiveness and redemption of Christ.

3) What common result occurs when believers are obedient to the Holy Spirit?
In this passage we see several specific results from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit enabled the disciples to do what was previously impossible (verse 4) and what isn’t stated, is the obvious, the disciples obeyed. The Spirit does not force any believer to do anything, but each of the disciples moved and followed through on what the Spirit was leading them to do.
The people were astounded and amazed (verse 7). God’s work will always be incredible, it is our choice to either recognize His moving or discount it as a “weird phenomenon” or “coincidence.” Ask the Spirit to give you eyes to see where He is actively working!
Where God’s Spirit moves people are drawn in to Him. Sometimes this shows up as questions, seeking to know Him more. Sometimes it results in saving faith or a deeper faith, but always there is fruit. As believers, we should take great encouragement from this! Whenever we step out in obedience, the Lord will work!
Notice that the disciples were not doing anything special for the Spirit to fill them and use them. They were simply waiting, praying, and ready. May we assume those same postures as we move through each moment of our day, waiting expectantly for God to move, praying in sweet connection with Him, and ready to be obedient, even if it looks different than we expect.

Everyday Application

1) If all believers have the Holy Spirit, why doesn’t everyone speak in different tongues? (verse 4)
Sometimes when reading Scripture, we become so focused on the details we lose sight of the big picture being painted. We then try to make direct application to our lives centuries later based on details recorded in a different time and culture and directed towards a different audience. If we aren’t careful, we can do precisely that in this passage and throughout the book of Acts. Much of Acts is descriptive rather than prescriptive, meaning it tells the story of the work of the Holy Spirit in very specific ways to point to the awesome power being unleashed through Christ-followers who submit the Spirit’s leading. When reading Scripture, it’s important to ask good questions in order to arrive at good application. Some questions to ask are: What does this say about God? What does this say about people? How should I respond?
Here in Acts, we see the Holy Spirit as the one who moves, acts, and enables believers to bring about God’s glory in various ways dependent on circumstance, our willingness to be obedient, and God’s sovereign will. This description is still accurate today! While not all believers walk around speaking in numerous languages, there are hundreds of modern day accounts where missionaries have been able to speak a foreign language for the purpose of communicating the gospel, even though they did not know the language. The power of the Holy Spirit is not limited to only a set number of evidences!

2) Why did “some sneer and say, ‘they’re drunk on new wine’”? (verse 13)
When we step back to look at this scene, it seems ridiculous! How could these in the crowd that day have missed out on all God was doing, the power He was obviously displaying as He broke down language barriers by His Spirit, and the redemption He was offering to all? But they did miss out; completely, at the expense of their own eternity. We don’t know if they ever realized the truth of total forgiveness Jesus was offering, but we can take a few applications from this encounter.
First, it’s one thing to explore the claims of Christ and genuinely question the validity of His claim to be God and Savior. It’s another thing entirely to outright mock Him when given the plain opportunity to accept His gift of life and witness the demonstration of His power. The latter is nothing to play around with. Each of us are like vanishing mists, never knowing when our final breath will be; by then it will be too late to ask Jesus to rescue our souls.
Second, Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Corinthians that, though this mocking response seems outlandish, it is expected. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Again in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he writes, “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” This opposition and mockery of truth is expected, but it is also a reminder for believers to constantly be praying as Paul did for the “eyes of your hearts to be opened that you may know the hope to which He has called you.” (Ephesians 1:18)

3) What common result occurs when believers are obedient to the Holy Spirit?
Remember that in Scripture passages that are descriptive, we can look for key aspects of the big picture scene described to root us in truth for everyday living and application. Just because we have the Holy Spirit within us doesn’t mean we will constantly have the opportunity to preach a sermon like Peter did and have outstanding results of 3,000 people rescued from sin. (Acts 2:41) What we can rely on is that the Spirit will give us opportunity to share the gospel. It’s our job to be prayerful until the Lord gives that platform. We can also trust that when God provides the opportunity to share, results will occur. Those results are often unseen as we obediently sow the seed of the gospel with every opportunity we are given. Some seed will indeed fall on hard soil, like the mockers in the crowd, but even in that, the Lord is working, even if it is the work of growing our own obedience and trust in Him. It is never our job to ascertain results, only to be “ready to share the reason for the hope within us with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

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

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 Seeds Week One!
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 V Day 6 I Love To Tell The Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 96
Isaiah 55:10-11
Romans 10:13-15
Colossians 3:16-17
1 Peter 3:15-16

Worship V, Day 6

It has become a familiar scene to me…
Children entering the classroom, their faces displaying a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.  Some are open to discover what lies ahead; others are less enthusiastic.  Then there are those who are just not interested.

They’ve heard they will be learning about the Bible and they’ve already formed their impression that it’s dull, boring, and old-fashioned. Definitely not for them.

The best bit is seeing that perception change!

As we tell the stories and the children participate through music and drama, using props, and trying on costumes, the Bible comes alive.
It seems the children do too.

The sullen begin to smile; the disinterested become engaged; the children who thought it wasn’t for them are desperate to participate.

I love to tell the story
because the transformation is beautiful to witness!

Where I live in Scotland, it’s a huge privilege to be able to teach Christian beliefs along with other faiths. With my job, it’s an even greater privilege to go into schools and lead a series of lessons covering an overview of the story of the Bible.

Although I must have done this around forty times, it never grows old.

“I love to tell the story;
’tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet.”

It’s an amazing story!
And in telling it to others, I never fail to be impacted myself.

It truly is a story that “satisfies my longings as nothing else can do”.
It’s a story of truth, which we desperately need to be reminded of in a world of lies.

It’s a story people need to hear!
In Scotland, evangelical Christians make up less than 2% of the population.  Most children are unfamiliar with any Bible stories. Many have no idea what Scripture is.
It’s a joy to introduce them to the God of the Bible and witness their response as they hear it for the first time.

“I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God’s own Holy Word.”

We all have a responsibility to share this story because so many people, like the children I work with, have never heard.  Paul reminds us in Romans 10:13-15 that people can only be saved if they believe,
they can only believe if they hear,
and they can only hear if someone tells them.

That’s us!

You may not have the same opportunities I do in schools, but the Good News of Jesus is a message we are all called to share. Throughout the Bible, it is clear that our knowledge of God is not something we are to keep to ourselves.
We are called to tell the story of God’s love and saving grace!

“Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
proclaim his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his wondrous works among all peoples.”  (Psalm 96:2-3)

How do we do it?

You may feel inadequate for the task.  I certainly do.
Despite the fact I find it easy to stand and share the story of Jesus with a captive audience of nine and ten year-olds, I find it much harder in friendships with peers or in family relationships.  I worry I won’t explain it well, or that they’ll ask difficult questions, or they won’t want to listen…

At the same time, I want to tell the story
because I know they need to hear it.

If you identify with this feeling, our Scriptures today provide encouragement and advice.

First of all, be ready.
“If someone asks about your hope as a believer,
always be ready to explain it.”  (1 Peter 3:15 NLT)

It can be hard to come up with the right words when we’re put on the spot, so take some time to think about it in advance.

  • What does faith in Jesus mean to you?
  • What difference has knowing Him made in your life?
  • How would you explain the Good News about Jesus clearly to someone who has never heard it?

You don’t have to prepare a speech, but thinking about it in advance will mean you’re more ready to explain when God provides the opportunity.  Another way to prepare is to pray for wisdom to recognise these opportunities, and the courage to speak up.

Secondly, it’s about our words and our lives.
Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you,”  (Colossians 3:16)
He continues to encourage the believers to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  (Colossians 3:17)

While our words are important, our actions also play a part in expressing God’s love and grace to others.  Often, it’s our actions and attitudes that cause people to notice something different about us and could lead to opportunities for spiritual conversations.

Finally, we have the encouragement from Isaiah that as God’s Word goes out,
it always accomplishes His purpose.
However faltering our words, when we are willing to boldly tell God’s story, He will use our frailty to impact others and draw others to Him by His strength!

So, step up, and tell that story!

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

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

The GT Weekend! – Dwell Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

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

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) A deep prayer life is something all believers would love to have, even if we have a hard time understanding what it is or feel daunted in how to get there. Be honest with yourself and God and journal out your doubts, fears, and questions about prayer. The best way to begin developing a deeper prayer life, is simply to begin. Write out prayers, speak your prayers out loud, read Scripture and pray it out loud or silently. Wait for the Lord and He will faithfully reveal Himself to you! 

2) What have been your struggles with having a regular quiet time? What defenses do you naturally put up? What challenges regularly threaten your time with God? Make a list of 3-5 items that make it difficult for you to consistently engage with God’s Word then think through how you can overcome those. Perhaps it’s finding a specific spot or time, perhaps it’s finding a reading plan to help you navigate the Bible, or just setting a timer on your phone to remind you that the next few minutes are set aside for God Time. Share your plans in the comments and encourage another sister!

3) Together over the past 3 weeks, we have dug deep into what it looks like to practically dwell with God in regular, everyday life.  We’ve been equipped with new tools to help us engage in meaningful ways with the Creator through Scripture study and prayer. But all of that, as wonderful and important as it is, will neither transform us nor the world around us if we do not put into practice what we’ve learned. The gospel is meant to change the world, one heart at a time. Consider how you have grown lately and what you’ve learned about God. Pray and ask for ways you can creatively share what you taken in and steward it out

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   Psalm 91:1-2  back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Prayer Journal
Father, I’m humbled by Your extravagant love for me. The fact that You would pursue me relentlessly to save me from my own sin and go far beyond that to want a daily relationship with me is beyond my understanding! As I get busy, Lord, please call me back to Yourself. Remind me of Your intentional love for me. Grow my faith as you show me Yourself through Scripture.  
It’s easy for me to think that if I miss time with You, You become angry and annoyed with me, wanting to punish me with silence and refusal of Your presence. Lord, how false this is! Ground me in your truth and remind me of Your grace that always welcomes me!

Worship Through Community

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

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

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Chase Day 12 Stewarding Grace: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out Stewarding Grace!

Matthew 25:14-30 Christian Standard Version (CSB)

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

22 “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’

23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.

28 “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Questions

1) What is the context of this story?

2) Are the “talents” salvation? Does this parable teach that someone can lose their salvation?

3) What is the overall point of this story?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the context of this story?
This is the most critical question to ask when we begin thinking about any portion of Scripture, but especially when it is difficult to understand. Without first considering the original context, audience, and author’s purpose, we can walk away with a very twisted misunderstanding and application of Scripture. This parable is only recorded in Matthew’s gospel, though undoubtedly all of his disciples heard it. Why? Matthew wrote his gospel to reach the Jews, God’s chosen people, the people of Promise. This parable was originally intended for Jewish ears. Jews who believed the law would save them and that lineage was the requirement for the inheritance of salvation. The language of this parable (sower, seeds, gather) also ties back to one of Jesus’ previous parables about the sower and the seed, that Matthew also records in the context of an entire chapter with 7 parables all focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. This parable of “talents” shows up in Matthew’s gospel in the middle of a series of parables about the urgent, pending return of the Lord Jesus Christ and ties back to this crucial parable about the gospel; this is key!

2) Are the “talents” salvation? Does this parable teach that someone can lose their salvation?
Given contextual audience and that the purpose of the story was to teach people about the return of the Lord and the glorious Kingdom to come, it is quite a stretch to say that the “talents” are “salvation”. Additionally, as we studied last week, it’s important to let the clear passages of Scripture help us interpret the unclear ones. In the case of the question of “losing salvation”, the rest of Scripture’s teachings on the permanence of salvation are innumerable and very clear, which necessitates us to dismiss this as a possibility and look for a more “plain” meaning. The text describes the talents as being the Master’s possessions. Historically, just one talent would have exceeded 6 months’ worth of wages. This was priceless, unheard of, and a vast sum of money, something that one of his servants could never have earned on their own. Keeping in mind the context of the parables teaching about the kingdom of Heaven, it’s quite likely that the “talent” refers to the gospel itself. The richness of the gospel is beyond comprehension and in no way is it something humans could ever hope to own of our own accord.

3) What is the overall point of this story?
The thrust of the story centers around the talents, what the servants chose to do with those talents, and then the outcome of that investment. The talents were given “in trust” to the servants and the Master gave them expecting a return on His investment. To the Jewish audience, the “talent” may well have symbolized their Jewish heritage. They had indeed been given great wealth by being the chosen people of Israel. The challenging question in Christ’s teaching was this, “what have you done with what you’ve been given?” Had the Jews used their influence and political and religious status to declare the majesty of God? Were they using their rich heritage as a tool to point others to the fulfilled promise that the Messiah had indeed arrived? How were they stewarding what they had been entrusted with? As it ends, 2 servants wisely took what the Master had given them and stewarded their gifts to the best of their abilities, they were celebrated and welcomed into the promised reward of eternal life with the King. The third servant, however, did nothing with his gift except bury it and ignore that it existed at all. He squandered the time he had been allowed to steward his talent and as a result, no place was given to him in the Master’s paradise.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the context of this story?
When Jesus finished telling the parable of the sower at the beginning of His earthly ministry, His disciples had questions about why Jesus taught in parables. Jesus response sheds light on the parable of the talents with similar language; “The secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”(Matthew 13:11-12) At the end of the parable of the talents, the servants who had taken the gospel/talent/priceless gift and scattered it, sowing it, and sharing it, were given more. They were given abundance, and “more than enough” as they were welcomed to share in their Master’s happiness. To the servant who had been given the gospel, but chose to ignore it and continue living as if it didn’t even exist, “what he had was taken away from him.” The gospel has been extended to all of us in varying degrees of understanding. Paul teaches that even creation shouts of God’s attributes so much so that no one has an excuse of ignorance. (Romans 1:20) What will you do with your investment, my sweet sister?! Will you scatter and sow and gather? Or dig and hide and ignore, living as if it doesn’t matter?

2) Are the “talents” salvation? Does this parable teach that someone can lose their salvation?
Remembering that this parable was first told to a Jewish audience, keep in mind that, to the Jews, the mere fact that they could trace their lineage back to their patriarch Father Abraham was enough to bring them safely into eternity with a rich reward. When Jesus came, He challenged their thinking to the core; as Paul points out in Ephesians, it is through faith alone, and not by works that salvation is given. Their heritage could not save them, their good works could not save them, only faith. Faith that even Abraham displayed. Being offered the opportunity for the gospel (being handed a “talent/priceless treasure” in the story) is not the same thing as owning it, taking responsibility for it, and allowing the richness of that gift transform us from the inside out. There is nothing we can hold onto that will earn us salvation or give us “good standing” with the Holy One. Only faith alone, through grace alone. How are you stewarding the gift of the gospel you’ve been given? Have you welcomed it, choosing to hold unswervingly to the freeing truth that Jesus Christ is the only One who can rescue us from the death sentence of our sin and bring us safely into an eternal reward?

3) What is the overall point of this story?
The pearl of great price, the farmer’s seed, the wheat, the mustard seed, the yeast, the hidden treasure, the net, and the “talent” all point to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ, perfect and holy God in the flesh, sent to take on Himself the fullness of our sin, choosing to endure our consequence of death and separation from God on Himself that we may have His righteousness instead. This gospel, it’s available to you, it’s held out. The question the Lord asks of each of us is “what will you done with what you’ve been given?”. Will you steward your gift to make much of Jesus? Will you own this gospel as your own? Will you scatter, sow, and gather, investing it richly into the lives of those around you?! Make no mistake, the Master will indeed return, and because He has invited us into stewarding His grace, He expects a return! Not as a harsh taskmaster, but as One delighting as a bridegroom anticipating the consummation of a long-awaited relationship! He’s waiting for the fullness of time, Beloved, what will you do with the time you have left?!

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

The Tools!

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

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

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

The Why!

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

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

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

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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See all past studies in Chase!