surrender

If Day 7 Triune God: 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 Triune God!

The Questions

1) Why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you will live too?” (verse 19)

2) What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you?” (verse 20)

3) How does the Holy Spirit teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus taught? (verse 26)

John 14:18-26

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. 25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Original Intent

1) Why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you will live too?” (verse 19)
In John 14:19 Jesus tells His disciples, “In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too.” Jesus was referencing His resurrection and the eternal life He gives to those who accept Him as their Savior. Though His followers will die one day, each one will live forever in Heaven with Jesus because they chose to fully rely on His sacrifice on the cross to pay the debt owed for their sins. Romans 6:23 tells us the “wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Because Jesus died, but now lives again, all who trust in Him can live forever just as the original disciples are even now! This life Jesus promises, however, is not only eternal life. His followers can live an empowered life while on earth as well with new perspective and purpose. Author Matthew Henry explains, “The life of Christians is bound up in the life of Christ; as sure and as long as He lives, those that by faith are united to Him shall live also; they shall live spiritually, a divine life in communion with God. This life is hidden with Christ; if the head and root live, the members and branches live also.” Because Jesus lives, Christians are alive in Him, learning and growing in Christ, praying to Him and hearing from His Word precisely because He Lives! Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came so we could have “abundant life”. We can live this abundant life now today because of Jesus’ work on the cross to put to death our sin nature and wake us up to real life inside of His life! Let’s purpose to live fully today in surrender to His Spirit at work within us, thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice and aware of His power working in and through us.

2) What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you?” (verse 20)
Jesus’ words in John 14:20 sound a bit like a tongue twister, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.” Jesus can authoritatively say He is in the Father because God Himself is three persons, known as the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is not just the Son of God; He is God. The Bible tells us Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing, and only speaks what the Father says (John 5:19-23). Father, Son, and Spirit are separate Beings while also the exact same God. The Holy Spirit only speaks what He hears God the Father say (John 16:13-15); three Beings, but only One God. When Jesus tells the disciples, “You are in Me,” He refers to the fact that Christians are a new creation, now alive in Christ, and free to live in unity and communion with God, just as the 3 distinct Beings are 1 God. Author, James Burton Coffman, explains, “The identification of believers with Christ is revealed in this verse to be exactly the same as the identification of Christ with God. God is in Christ; Christ is in God; Christ is in Christians; and Christians are in Christ.” Christians have given God control of their lives and hearts. His Spirit dwells within them, leading them and guiding them into deeper unity with Himself. (John 14:26) When we surrender our hearts and our lives to God, we experience the love of the Father (1 John 3:1), relationship with Jesus (John 15:4-5), and freedom and guidance from the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17).

3) How does the Holy Spirit teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus taught? (verse 26)
Just before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus taught the disciples about the Father God and their relationship to the Father because of their relationship with Jesus. He explained that, though He would not always walk with them on earth, God the Father would send them a Helper to continue teaching and reminding them of the things they learned through Jesus. He told them, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26 The Holy Spirit, given to us by the Father, dwells in each Christian and empowers each one to follow the teachings of Jesus. As author David Guzik explains, “The disciples would not only see Jesus by the Spirit, they would also continue to live in Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit. Their dependence on the life of Jesus would not end when He departed; it would continue in greater measure through the Holy Spirit.” We can do the things set out in Scripture, not in our own strength, but through the help of God’s Spirit. When we try, in our own strength, to obey God and keep His commands, we end up failing. (Romans 7:18-19)  But when we are weak, God is strong (2 Corinthians 12:8), and enables us to remember and carry out the plans of the Lord. The Holy Spirit gives us power through His presence and enables us to display His fruitful work (Galatians 5:22-23) in our daily lives.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Jesus say, “Because I live, you will live too?” (verse 19)
One year, my family received a fabulous deal on all-inclusive passes to a giant theme park.  Everything was included in park tickets, hotel rooms, meals, and transportation. We went to dinner with some friends at the park, and as their eyes popped out of their heads when the pricey bill arrived, we just flashed our park pass and the meal was free! Living life with God is a lot like having that all-inclusive pass to the amusement park. Everything we need for life and godliness is accessible in Christ. (2 Peter 1:3) Jesus tells us in John 14:19, “Because I live, you will live too.” Because Jesus is alive, we have life in Him. Charles Spurgeon notes, “A man is saved because Christ died for him, he continues saved because Christ lives for him. The sole reason why the spiritual life abides is because Jesus lives.”  Jesus not only gives us abundant life on earth (1 Timothy 6:18-19), but this life also extends into eternal life in Heaven (1 John 5:11). Life with Jesus also gives us full access to the Father. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace and receive mercy in times of trouble. (Hebrews 4:16) In fact, Jesus is the only way we can get to Father God because only He lived our human life perfectly for us. Jesus tells His followers that no one comes to the Father except through Him. If we know Jesus, then we know the Father (John 14:6) We can rejoice in the full access we have to the Father through Jesus’, His Son!

2) What does Jesus mean when He says, “I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you?” (verse 20)
The Triune Godhead is made of Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit; all are co-equal as God. Jesus told His disciples, “I am in my Father, you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20) His words declared that Jesus and the Father are both different parts of the same Godhead. Jesus also promised the disciples that the Father would send them the Holy Spirit, another member of the Trinity, to teach and guide them. (John 14:26) Author, R.C. Sproul, explains, “The three persons are not distinguished by different divine attributes, for They share the same attributes. Instead, they are distinguished by Their relation one to another. We confess that the Father is unbegotten and that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father . . . We confess that the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.”  The three Persons of the Trinity are the same in Their characteristics, but differ at times in the expression of those characteristics and in the roles They play. Each Person of the Trinity is equally important and equally God. As Christians, we are blessed to have a relationship with God in three Persons, and experience the blessing of God’s Triune nature.

3) How does the Holy Spirit teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus taught? (verse 26)
My church wanted to get involved in a summer camp for foster kids, so a small team went through rigorous hands-on training and learned the contents of a ginormous training manual. When we brought our first kids to camp, however, no one had time to look up the section on runaway campers as we were scampering in all directions to keep a kid from making it to the highway. Knowing what to do and putting it in action were two different things! Christians are blessed because not only does God give us a “training manual” in the form of the Bible, but He also gives us the Holy Spirit to help us live out His Word in real-time. Jesus taught that God sent the Holy Spirit to instruct us and remind us of Jesus’ teachings. (John 14:26) God revealed in Nehemiah 9:20 that His Spirit was sent to instruct us, and Scripture also tells us that God’s anointing teaches us about all things. (1 John 2:27)  We also learn in Luke 12:12 that the Holy Spirit can teach us what to say even while we are being called upon to make an answer. God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us, instructing us what to do, and even telling us what to say when needed. Referring to John 16:12-14, author R.A. Torrey asserts, “It is His (the Holy Spirit’s) work above all else to reveal Jesus Christ and to glorify Him. His whole teaching centres in Christ. From one point of view or the other, He is always bringing us to Jesus Christ.” As Christians, it is our heart’s desire to know God more and to know Him better. What a comfort to know that God sent His Holy Spirit to bring us into deeper knowledge of His Son!

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

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 If 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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Sketched IX 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) In Monday’s Journey, Paula led us to consider what it must have been like for Peter to reflect on his faith journey with Jesus and look ahead to leading the young church into a new season. Jesus did not act as Peter had expected the Promised Messiah to act, and yet… Christ was undeniably the One. Peter understood how unqualified he was to lead this young church, considering his repeated doubt and disloyalty to Jesus. And yet… Jesus had commanded Peter to feed the sheep. Sometimes God’s call on our lives looks different than we expect. Sometimes we feel unqualified for what He asks us to do. Reflect today on how you understand God’s call on your life. How has your understanding of His call for you changed? (For example, when I was younger, I thought God would call me to overseas mission work, but now I am a full-time mom of little children and actively discipling local teenagers to know God better.) Ask God for guidance and direction as you live out His current call on your life, trusting that, by faithfully following His leading, He will produce good fruit in your life.

2) When we hear stories of faithful men and women who have surrendered their lives for Jesus, we can easily believe we would do the same in their situation. We find ourselves saying we would die for Jesus, without considering what it looks like to live for Jesus. The Savior clearly said in Luke 14:25-27 that His followers must be willing to lay down their lives and take up their cross to follow Him. This means we also, as His modern-day followers, must be willing to lay aside our plans and our own will, choosing to trust His leading. While we may want to perform a grand gesture for the Lord, He often calls us to small, consistent acts of obedience. Peter and the other apostles risked death and imprisonment to share the Good News of Jesus. Are you willing to risk an awkward conversation to share the Gospel with a friend? Peter sat in a dark and stinky prison, and still chose to worship God. Are you dedicated to worship God consistently in your own home? What is one small step of obedience you can practice this week? Write down this step and share it with a friend or family member, asking them to pray for you as you trust in the Holy Spirit to empower you to obey.

3) In yesterday’s Journey Study we imagined together Peter’s thoughts as he prepared for the end of his life. As he faced down death, he considered how disciples of Jesus ought to live in this present age. He acknowledged that suffering leads to our purification, and that our hardship draws us to rely on God for strength only He can provide. Peter reflected on the importance of steadfastness and trusting God to do all He has promised. Before he died, Peter sought to strongly encourage other believers by reminding them of God’s character. As you reflect on the course of your life, what message would you want to pass on to other believers? What are the greatest lessons the Lord has taught you thus far? Write a brief letter to a fellow believer (real or imagined) outlining what God has done for you and how you have seen His great faithfulness. What are the key lessons your story has taught you about following and serving Jesus Christ, our Lord? How does your story fit in with the “sweeping drama” of God’s big story? Be sure to use Scripture to emphasize the truths you identify in your 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 2 Peter 3:15-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

 …but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…

Prayer Journal
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great mercy and love for us. Thank You for sending Your son, the long awaited, yet unexpected Messiah. Thank You for His great work on our behalf. I confess, oh Lord, that I often want to live my own way, promising myself that one day I will do something great for You, but unwilling to take small steps right now. We know that You work in unexpected and surprising ways. You tell us in Your word “the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16) and those who suffer will be blessed. I ask You to come near me today. For those who are suffering, I ask for comfort and steadfastness. For those who feel weak, I ask for Your strength to become evident in their life. For those who want to do great and mighty works for you, I ask for confidence in their small works of obedience in this moment. Let us not grow weary in following You, instead may we always look to You for our hope and assurance.

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

Sketched IX Day 14 Costly Surrender: 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 Costly Surrender!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)

2) Why is it necessary to renounce your possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)

Luke 14:25-35

25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 “Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? 35 It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)
Crucifixion was an extremely horrific type of execution. It consisted of tying or nailing the victim to a cross until he died, usually hours or even days later. Before the actual crucifixion, the victim was flogged with a leather whip woven through with iron balls and sharp sheep bones. The scourging was meant to bring the victim to a state just short of death. (Robert Gidley) In this weakened state, the criminal carried the crossbar to the execution site upon his shoulders.  If he tripped or fell, he could not use his arms to break the fall and would most likely fall on his face to the ground, bringing further shame, humiliation, and pain upon himself. Jesus’ death by crucifixion shows the length and breadth of His rescue mission in order to save us from the punishment we each deserve for our sins, death. Christ’s death was the ultimate sacrifice because He, though completely innocent of all sin, chose to take on sin’s consequence out of deep love for us. To bear our cross, we must be willing to follow His example by dying (crucifying) to our sinful selves and living for Jesus in the new life He gives freely to all who surrender themselves to Him.

2) Why is it necessary to renounce our possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)
Before Jesus began His ministry, His cousin, John the Baptist, taught about money, possessions, and repentance. One day while baptizing by the Jordan, John told the crowd to share their clothes and food with those who didn’t have any. He instructed tax collectors to collect no more than required. He taught soldiers to not extort money and be content with their pay. (Luke 3:10-14) Jesus also told quite a few parables about the effects of accumulating wealth. For instance, the parable about the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 teaches that focusing on storing up wealth for future use is senseless. The rich fool’s focus was not on God, but on himself and his accomplishments. So with all his plans, he died that very night, unable to enjoy the fruits of his labour, leaving everything he had for someone else. In Luke 18:18-25, a young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, to which the rich ruler replied he kept from his youth. But Jesus told him he lacked one thing, which was to sell his possessions, distribute to the poor, and come follow Him. This saddened the ruler because he couldn’t bring himself to part with all his wealth. These examples demonstrate that accumulating wealth can easily deter us from serving God whole-heartedly. Jesus wanted total commitment from His disciples; commitment that would be impossible if they insisted on holding tightly to material things.

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)
In the biblical days, salt was not as pure as it is today. It was mixed with different forms of impurities causing it to lose its saltiness. Therefore, nothing much could be done with it. According to Zondervan, “such salt does not complete its purpose, and it lacks the resource, the saltiness, to do the job it was intended for.” (Zondervan KJV Commentary) Jesus used what was common, tasteless salt, to teach His disciples that if they chose to muddy their lives with other “lesser loves”, they are no longer suited for effective Kingdom purposes, just like flavourless salt. Every Christ follower must be willing to live for and worship God alone, continuously surrendering to His purpose for their lives.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)
The Roman execution method of crucifixion was a slow and painful process. When Jesus used this metaphor He knew exactly what He was talking about, and so did His audience. This wasn’t intended to be an emotionally encouraging pep talk. He was telling His disciples that following Him would guarantee intense persecution, even death. While many today, at least in the western hemisphere, may not experience this level of persecution, being a Christian still guarantees a cost. To truly follow Jesus means whole-life commitment and sacrifice, and living for Him does not mean automatic happiness and an easy life. I was the victim of a crime committed by a close family member. I wasted no time in reporting the matter. Other family members begged me not to take action, but I could not turn a blind eye to wrongdoing and did what I knew was right. As a result, I lost favour with family members, and my relationship with the perpetrator has been severed for almost two years. It has been really hard, but I do not regret the choice I made. We must not condone sin, no matter who commits it. Our calling as Christ-followers is to live solely for Jesus and not focus on money, possessions, or relationships that are out of alignment with God’s calling to live holy. We will experience difficulty for following God and His plan; we must be prepared and willing to endure hardship because Jesus gave everything for us. If we try to save ourselves from pain and heartache, we will not grow into maturity, thus missing out on our intended purpose in following Christ.

2) Why is it necessary to renounce our possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)
True repentance means a radical change of lifestyle especially as it relates to money and possessions. As mentioned above, I was a victim of a crime. My entire life savings was stolen from me. While I had no choice to report the crime, the Lord told me to not attempt to retrieve the money. With His guidance, I rebuilt my finances and became financially stable once more. It took time, but during that time, the Lord provided and worked out His goodness in my heart as He taught me to trust Him instead of my finances. One passage of Scripture I have seen fulfilled in my life is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you”. The whole incident of theft changed my life. I drew closer to God and He has demonstrated to me that He will take care of me once I give my life wholeheartedly to Him. By surrendering to Jesus, He proved a faithful Provider. If I had chosen to trust money instead, I would have missed out on the better thing, which will always be Jesus. Placing Jesus first in your life ahead of family, career, and wealth means building a relationship based on faith, trust, and commitment to God. Is it difficult? Yes. But this sacrifice means living a life of purpose and meaning far more valuable than money or human relationships could ever provide.

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)
Being a Christian means more than just saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ”. We are called to be doers (active followers) of the Word of God, not simply hearers only. (James 1:22)  Being a disciple means fulfilling the calling God has for you, whatever that may be. If you begin your journey of walking with Jesus, and then become distracted by other things along the way, you have lost your saltiness. There was a season when I spent a lot of time in Bible Study and sharing what I learned through writing. Distraction set in and “life” got in the way. My excuses were plentiful. I had children to raise and a career to develop, and I allowed “following God” to take a backseat. Just before the theft incident, I would have said my life was great. It was when my whole world turned upside down, God lovingly used that hardship to correct my course and bring me back to Him. I have returned to daily Bible Study and have begun writing and sharing about Jesus once again. I am fulfilling my purpose and the calling the Lord has given me. In the words of Zondervan, “Believers must determine never to be “useless Christians”, like salt that has lost its flavour. (Zondervan KJV Commentary)

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

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 Sketched IX 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.

Sketched IX Day 13 Costly Surrender

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 5:22-42
Luke 5:1-11
Matthew 14:22-33
Luke 14:25-35
John 21:15-19

Sketched IX, Day 13

Suppose the world authority orders you, on threat of death, not to talk about Jesus; what would you do? Most believers in Jesus would answer, “I would rather obey God than men” (Acts 5:29) . . . while we’re in our comfort zone. But would our answer be the same when the reality of suffering dawns on us?

The Lord told us clearly we would be hated for His name’s sake; following Him may cost our lives. (Matthew 10:22) His words are becoming reality for us now as the Jewish authority (the Sanhedrin) does not want us to preach Jesus. Despite doing everything possible to stop the spread of the news of Jesus’ resurrection, they found us preaching and people responding with believing in Him. Every day, large numbers of believers are added to the Church. (Acts 2:47)

We have been arrested and strictly warned never to preach in His name again. Our lives are on the line because of the gospel of Christ. Amidst the Sanhedrin’s threats, I told them, without hesitation, we will not obey their command and thereby defy God’s own.

Does it sound risky?
Yes!
But my relationship with Jesus has gone beyond following my will.
My will no longer counts; His will be done.
I must live for Jesus and preach His gospel of salvation while I am in this body. My journey with Him has reached a point of no return; come what may.

I decided this after undergoing a process of life transformation during my walk with Christ. After encountering Him at Lake Gennesaret, I discovered life at its best is only found in Christ. I would rather go through any kind of storm with Him than a storm-free life without Him.

Perhaps you think being with Jesus physically made following easy for me. Not at all; I stumbled and faltered as I faced painful and challenging situations. Yet, I pressed on with His help.

Let me share some of my story, so you can be encouraged and persevere!

Initially, when I started the journey, I was excited seeing Jesus performing different miracles. Not only that, we (His disciples) also healed and cast out demons in His name. Another exciting moment was at the Mount of Transfiguration, where I saw His glory when Moses and Elijah appeared to Him. In addition, He told me He would give me the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 16:19) Wow, I thought I had become a giant of faith.

But one night my faith was tested, and I discovered I was not the giant I imagined. We were in a boat at midnight, tossed by a great wind; we saw Jesus walking on water. We thought it was a ghost, but He assured us not to be afraid, that it was He. So, I asked Him to command me to come to Him. He did. At once, I stepped out onto the water and started walking, thinking of myself as the giant of the faith, Peter. Suddenly the wind became furious; fear gripped me, and I started sinking. I cried to Jesus for help and He saved me. The Lord rebuked me for doubting. I saw myself as a failure, but was comforted because Jesus did not abandon me.

When we celebrated the Passover together, He told us He would be arrested and killed, and we would all desert Him. I declared I would NEVER desert Him; I would go with Him to the point of death.  But reality dawned on me when Jesus was arrested: I found myself denying knowing my Lord for fear of my peers.

When I realized the devastating choice I’d made, I wept bitterly for mercy. Following His resurrection, Jesus graciously restored me. In my sober moment, I recalled what the Lord told us one day, regarding following Him. He said,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes and even his own life–he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)

“If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

“Yes, I understand,” I told myself; I must let go of my life by surrendering it absolutely to Christ. And after His resurrection, at our final meeting with Him, I accepted wholeheartedly His mandate.

Hearing my story, do you understand my assertion?
It’s not enough to say we would obey God while in our comfort zones?
His will must be paramount to the cost of our lives, for true surrender is worth the cost.

Take courage, Believers!
The journey of following Jesus is not by our might nor by our power, but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zechariah 4:6)! Whatever you pass through, be assured He will be there with you (Isaiah 43:2). He promises to never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5).

Because He is worthy.
Our surrender, though costly, is worth it. 

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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!

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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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Nations Day 2 Out Of Darkness: 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 Out Of Darkness!

The Questions

1) Follow, deny, and take up sound rigorous. What do they mean in real life? (verse 23)

2) What does it mean to lose one’s life? What is the cost involved? (verse 24)

3) Is being ashamed of Jesus really possible? (verse 26)

Luke 9:23-26

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.

Original Intent

1) Follow, deny, and take up sound rigorous. What do they mean in real life? (verse 23)
Jesus intended to be very clear in His statements by using the imagery of a cross as He spoke to those gathered around Him. All who wanted to follow Him must understand it involved denying one’s self and daily taking up their cross. To Jesus’ first audience, “cross” wasn’t a lovely symbol to hang around your neck or a decoration for your wall space. Rather, “cross” instantly brought to mind the cruelest form of death and torture known at the time. To “take up a cross” meant death. To take it up “daily” was altogether confusing to Jesus’ listeners as Christ Himself had not yet been crucified on a cross. However, one day, these listeners would look back after Jesus had died and been resurrected. Then they would understand a fuller picture of His words. Jesus meant for us to die to our sinful, natural selves and daily surrender to the new work of His Holy Spirit within us. “If you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) Christ wanted His listeners to understand that true disciples were committing to making a radical decision to deny themselves and then live this out daily. Jesus demonstrated this when He literally took up a physical cross in complete surrendered obedience to the Father’s will. “Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely.” (Isaiah 53:10) There was no self-focus in Jesus’ willful act of surrender, and His disciples were instructed to live out their daily surrender to Him in the same way. Bible scholar, W. Hendricksen, notes that Jesus made His clear statements to an audience of believers and non-believers. Whether His listeners chose to follow Him as disciples or not, their eternity was still at stake.

2) What does it mean to lose one’s life? What is the cost involved? (verse 24)
No one listening to Jesus that day was interested in “losing their life”, just as much as none of us reading this today would like to sign up to “lose”. This is exactly why Jesus chose such extreme language to communicate the all-important decision of following Him. He insisted that if anyone truly wants to save their life and win, they must surrender it to Him. Only by trying to hold onto their lives and their way would they actually end up losing everything. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus told a story of a man who felt he was truly “winning at life” by piling up his material goods and pleasurable experiences. This man felt he had a long life ahead to enjoy everything, but God came to him and said, “You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20) The man’s selfish way of living life cost him everything in the end, even his eternity with God. Jesus pointed His listening audience toward real, lasting hope when He said, “but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” (verse 24, emphasis mine) The process of losing our life to Christ is costly and painful as our fleshly, sinful desires are crucified. But as the Lord refines us, and teaches us to love Him first and most, we find ourselves whole, healed, and truly free! In surrender, we will ultimately experience great joy for His peace is greater than any sinful thing we give up. The sweetness of living life with the Holy Spirit working within us far outweighs any sin we think is better than Him.

3) Is being ashamed of Jesus really possible? (verse 26)
For a time during Jesus’ earthly ministry, it was popular to follow Him. He drew large crowds, everyone knew Him, and His miracles were known far and wide across the region. Everyone was talking about this miracle working prophet. But, Jesus’ mission wasn’t focused on fame and popularity. He regularly preached difficult messages and confronted people in their sin, offering them a chance to come into the Light, to be known and loved, and walk in newness of a surrendered life. Following Jesus when it was popular was easy. Following Him when He claimed to be God Himself and was facing death was quite another. Even Jesus’ disciples all fled from Him, and Peter denied Him, when crucifixion became imminent. (Matthew 26:56, Luke 22:54-62) When Jesus spoke of being “ashamed” of Him, He intended His audience to understand that if they were to continue in their choice not to follow Him, this equaled being ashamed of Him and His teachings of truth. To not follow Him means to be ashamed of Him. It is to be so proud of one’s ownership of their life that they refuse to live in surrender to Him or His words. At His return, Christ will justly condemn and reject those who rejected Him. The importance of how we respond to Jesus’ call to follow Him cannot be underestimated! Will we choose to live for ourselves on our own strength, or will we daily choose His ways and His path? Our world is very topsy-turvy, and many consider it easier to rebuff Jesus and His message so as to continue living for self. In denying ourselves and following Jesus, we will be rejecting the pattern of this world, which means we can expect ostracism, conflict and social dishonor. Yet, we remain confident that Christ will not be ashamed, or reject, us in the end because we have chosen to surrender to Him.

Everyday Application

1) Follow, deny, and take up sound rigorous. What do they mean in real life? (verse 23)
To follow means to attach ourselves to Jesus as His disciple, it requires denying our sin nature and remembering it has been crucified with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) We are to live continually crucified of all sinful patterns of life that do not harmonize with God and His ways of love. (2 Corinthians 10:5-6) Living lives of surrendered following and self-denial as we take up the cross of Jesus, means that, regardless of what we encounter, we are to trust Christ and His ways over our own. We are to choose His commands for life as we worship Him for His great gift of salvation to us. (Ephesians 4:32-5:2) Crucifying our old nature with Christ means surrendering our bent to rely on ourselves, our abilities, and our logic. It’s the attitude of “I can do this, and I don’t need anyone”. Boy, oh boy, does this ever hit home in my own life! God is gracious by letting me fail on my own, then bringing me back to the reality that I can only follow Him when I surrender my ways to His. It’s impossible to follow Jesus without the power of Christ at work in me! We are to give ourselves away for the gospel! I pray my legacy for my children, grandchildren, and others would be my surrender to Christ so He could amplify His strength in my life. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Jesus is worth surrendering everything for! In surrender to a loving God, we don’t need to fear for His perfect love will never leave us! (1 John 4:18, Matthew 28:20)

2) What does it mean to lose one’s life? What is the cost involved? (verse 24)
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He had a slogan, if you will, “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” This was the theme of the messages He preached as He ventured from city to city. The crux of His message then is just as important for us now. Jesus is not interested in “casual Christians”. Only those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus in full are genuine. Of course, because we still love our old sin nature, and we forget that Jesus died for us, even true Christians still sin. But Christ stands ready to forgive! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Even this returning to Jesus in humble repentance isn’t possible without His Spirit at work within those who have given themselves to Christ. True followers are marked by God’s Spirit at work in them as they surrender daily to His will. Living for ourselves, following our agendas and desires, refusing to deny our sin nature, and choosing not to lovingly serve others through Christ’s power is to live in opposition to God. None who follow this pattern of life can claim to also follow Jesus. “If we say, “We have fellowship with Him (God),” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” (1 John 1:6) We must not miss the seriousness of this distinction! Living separate from God is dangerous! If we die in our sinful state, we will earn eternity apart from God; this equals pain, brokenness, and shattering loss for ALL eternity! The cost of surrender may feel high and painful, but the price tag that comes with an eternity separated from Him isn’t even worth comparing!

3) Is being ashamed of Jesus really possible? (verse 26)
When we choose not to be ashamed of Jesus by surrendering our lives to Him, we are free to anchor our lives in steadfast truth. We no longer need to be carried away by every wind of doctrine or whim of peer pressure around us. As we continue living daily in surrender to God’s Spirit within us, the Lord leads us to give our lives away for Him. One mark of knowing we do indeed belong to Jesus and haven’t rejected Him is the desire to boldly tell others of the forgiveness found in Christ. Sharing about God’s redemption in our lives can be scary, but when we consider that someone’s life for eternity hangs in the balance, we can choose to courageously explain how Jesus gave Himself for all people. Remember, Jesus taught this passage to an audience of both followers and those who didn’t believe. The consequence for choosing to be “ashamed” of God’s gracious gift of salvation is an eternity separated from Him! Jesus wanted all people to know this truth, which is why He has commissioned His followers to go and tell His good news! How often in our daily lives do we shrug off Jesus by avoiding telling someone about Him because we are afraid or unsure? His forgiveness and grace are available to us when we don’t take every opportunity given to us to share the hope of Jesus, but these missed chances should strongly encourage us to share Hope all the more often with others! The Lord is intentional in giving us opportunities to share about Him with others. Pray fervently for who the Lord wants you to share the Gospel with! Be of good courage, God is building His kingdom through His followers! Praise God for His desire that all people come to Him! (2 Peter 3:9)

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

This is Nations Week One!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

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Word Day 15 Follow Me

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 21:15-23
John 8:1-29
John 8:30-59
Matthew 4:12-22

Word, Day 15

It’s an invitation as ancient as the beginning of time, gathering intensity and fervency as it rolls through the ages. Ever so gradually, the curtains have been drawn back by the hand of the Ancient of Days, allowing more light to slowly color the invitation with ever-deepening hues of brilliancy and splendor.

Follow Me.

True. In the arena of life, many sit in the audience, blithely conversing with their neighbor, caught up in the distractions of circumstance, utterly oblivious to the array of color and exuding joy sweeping around them.

What of these theatre seats?
What of the lighting?
Can you believe this horrible service?
Look at her! How did she get in here?

Some are gathered in pools of their own tears, awash in a grief so deep and terrifying, onlookers feign ignorance, blocking out pleas for compassion.

Some, shifting in dark shadows, lie in wait to attack the innocent, hell-bent on satisfying their own lustful desires of all kinds.

Still, the invitation awaits acceptance for all who listen.
Follow Me.

A lush garden. Perfect paradise sweeping across every butterfly antenna, every snail’s slime, every particle of rich dirt, and every blade of grass. Light cascades across each drop of dew and breezes frolic among the bushes laden with glistening fruit.

Follow Me. The Spirit breathes as delight and laughter embrace hearts and lift them to the Father who loves them. And delight they do in Abba, in each other, in the stunning creation around them. The invitation holds steady, winsomely inviting them ever deeper into knowing God in richer, more resplendent ways.

An aging, childless man walks through his ordinary days, at first unaware of the seeping light, gathering momentum in the space of his everyday life. The holy invitation is coming for him. The fruit of his labors and that of his father, and his father before him, are everywhere. Sheep and goats far too numerous to count. The richest of foods at his disposal. Servants at the ready, listening for his every beck and call. Success is his, as evidenced by his respect at the city gate and position of influence. The invitation brightens in the call of whole-life surrender, Follow Me.

The stench of urine and wet fleece surrounds him on the crags of mountains and the sparse grasses of the rocky terrain beneath his calloused shepherd feet. He’s been hiding here for decades since he murdered a man in an act of zealous justice. He found shelter in the barrenness as he attempted to outrun the flames of his past. It was fine here, at least moderately so, living with the tentacles of his past strangling his heart in unending days of blistering sun and smothering silence.

Until the moment the grand invitation opened his 80-year-old eyes to see the brilliance drawing him in. The heat from the fiery proposal scorched his soul, burning away the past in the blaze of a holy encounter with the Living God. What once was dead, what once was scarred, what once lay in ashes, now suddenly quickened to life by the wooing invitation. Follow Me.

None who followed were ever the same.
Each journey became an astonishing beacon of the life into which the follower was welcomed.

Ordinary lives drawn into Light ablaze with vitality, now turned extraordinary.
Mundane lives actively awash with Life, now flooded with purpose.
The victim and the offender, the broken and the angry, the calloused and the crying, all.
All swept up into the un-ending luminosity of the incredible invitation.

To all
the Spirit’s voice crashes like so much water cascading over falls, Follow Me.

Come away and walk in the purpose for which you have been crafted.
Discover the thrill of joy rushing beneath the current of your everyday lives.
Available, this sweeping joy is oh, so available.

The cost is surrender.
The reward is the richest of joys and satisfying delights that escalate with ever-increasing hues of rapture as we know Christ more and follow Him closer.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, through whom stands the invitation to return to the sacred garden space of delight with God the Father.

He saw our shadowed selves, lying in wait for another’s demise.
He saw the shards of brokenness tattering our existence.
He knew full well it was our fault we sat in the theatre of life, insisting on our own twisted fascination with upholstery and self-service while the glory of the Almighty shimmered before us.
He knew we would turn away with mockery and disinterest.
He knew our sin-nature would make us love our sin more than the Savior.

Still, He came.
Intending to give His life as the necessary sacrifice to span the too-wide chasm between us and a loving God, gulfed by our own sin-loving-selves.
He came, knowing it would cost His total surrender,
but recognizing the reward would be calling us His own daughters and sons.

The cost would be surrender.
The reward would be unending delight and satisfaction in calling us His own.

Follow Me.
Are you in?

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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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Word Day 11 Do As I Do

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 13:1-17
John 13:34-35
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

Word, Day 11

“Do as I say, not as I do!”
Have you heard this statement from someone in authority?
Are you drawn to respect them, or do you have another reaction?

As a leader oversees employees, volunteers, or children, it is easier to see the mistakes of others and call them out, rather than coming alongside to model growth. It’s easier to list the rules and expect compliance rather than walk with another to demonstrate, correct, and encourage.

Jesus didn’t choose easy leadership.

Though He was fully God, He didn’t use His authority to demand His followers to go where He was unwilling. In John 13, Jesus postures Himself as a servant, washing His disciples’ feet. His death was imminent, yet He gathered them to observe Passover, serve them, and give instructions on carrying out the will of the Father by serving one another.

Neither the disciples, nor us, have the power naturally to obey this, or any command given by Jesus, on our own. It is only when we belong to Him by surrendering control of our life, through humbly submitting by faith (Hebrews 11:6) to His perfect authority, that we are given divine power through the Holy Spirit to obey Him.

Without complete submission to Him,
we are only playing a part without any heart change.

Jesus submitted to the Father with obedient surrender.
Just as He modeled, so are we to follow.

As the triune Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, while also One Being. The very existence of the triune God is actively lived out with mutual submission to One Another out of shared respect and love just as they have always done for eternity past, and will continue for eternity future.

God does not choose easy leadership. He perfectly models, and humbly walks beside us, teaching us to live and love like Him.

“By this everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

Love.
Our greatest command from Jesus.
His greatest example to us.

Jesus modeled the love we are to have for others;
none were considered too “damaged” for His perfect love.

The truest test of a disciple of Jesus is how we love.

Today, it’s often difficult to see love in action, especially if we focus on the media’s newsfeed. With sin and brokenness ruling our world, the selfless love modeled by Jesus doesn’t take the spotlight.

Therefore it takes courage…..
To stand against the norm and love like Jesus.
To defend the bullied or mistreated.
To serve both the arrogant and the diseased.
To sacrificially love those society has rejected.

This kind of love….
requires a boldness only available through the power of the God
who gave Himself entirely for us.
When we love like Jesus, we risk ridicule or even bodily harm.
Loving like Jesus isn’t easy.

Jesus’ love alive within us….
Offers kind words to those who are hateful or mistreat us.
Sacrifices time, puts on humility, and sees those who need a smile and gentle touch.
Courageously expands our circles to include those different from us.
This is how Jesus loves us.

Just this morning, I broke down weeping as I read of disunity and brokenness in our culture. It all felt like too much! Overwhelming! How much we need humble, self-sacrificing love to bring genuine healing! This broken world and its hurting relationships are clearly not what God intended as He so carefully created every detail from nothing. (Genesis 1)

Sometimes I feel Jesus’ command to love others, in good and bad times, is a crushing weight! To reach out and love those who have hurt or blatantly oppose me feels impossible! Through tears, I shared with my husband that sometimes I want to quit, step outside this command to love and raise my white flag in defeat.

But Jesus!
Jesus washed the feet of Judas,
fully knowing those feet would soon rush to betray Him!

He faced the cross in our place to save us!
Us, the outcast, the hurting, the unclean, and rejected.
He stretched Himself out to pay for every sin past, present, and future,
even as He became unclean and rejected.

As Jesus suffered cruel torture, He reached out with perfect love to rescue souls condemned to an eternity apart from Him.

Magnificent Love!
But not devoid of truth.

His love was not a permissive “you do you” kind of love. He loved the world enough to declare the truth of the Gospel that all are separated from Him because of sin, and only can return to God through Christ’s sacrifice to pay for sin.
Likewise, He calls us to love others with this truth.

Paul invites us to, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
I want to echo this invitation.
I want to, yet I hesitate.

Such an invitation is risky.
It requires humility, transparency, and vulnerability.

It would be more comfortable, easier, to hand over some verses and say, “just do what the Bible says”. But that isn’t loving like Jesus.

Instead, I’m called to die to my own comfort and let others see Jesus actually living through me!

I can’t do it alone.
I must be willing to both live in constant communication with God through His Word and prayer, and actively engage in biblical community, surrounding myself with others who will share Jesus’ truth in love alongside me. Jesus’ sacrificial love, alive in me, requires me to meet others where they are, demonstrating Jesus’ love in everyday life.

Like Paul, I must be willing to live a life worth imitating
as I do as Jesus has done for me.

Will you join me?!

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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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Word Day 6 How’s Your Worship?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 4:23-24
John 4:32-42
Galatians 5:16-26
Psalm 103

Word, Day 6

Put the praise music on. Turn up the Christian playlist.
Raise your hands in church. Sway to the rhythm.
Close your eyes.

Worship. Adoration. Emotion.
Is it? Is this worship?

Cease the lashing with your tongue and voice.
Yank out the bitterness.
Pull up the cynicism and critical heart.
Tear down that wall of self-protection and distrust.
Throw out the pornography and lusts of your eyes.
Break down the idols you love to serve.
Your jealousy, your tendency to stir up chaos as you self-love, the way you chase yourself, the little groups of ladies you gossip with, that clique you form to keep others out, the disdain in your eyes, get rid of it all. Trash, it’s trash. (Galatians 5:19-20, my paraphrase)

“I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21)

Oh yes, that list is full of worship. Worship of ourselves as ruler, insisting all others bow to our power. No room for any other to take up residency with us, let alone instead of us.

Worship cannot be about us.
It cannot be about what we do, what we bring, what we say, or the songs we choose.
It cannot be what we have made it, so what is it?

Jesus speaks over us, His voice insistent, strong, and full of truth,
willing our hearts to listen and hear His Word.

“But an hour is coming, and is now here…” (John 4:23)
It’s present. The time is now. No more waiting. We are not free to pretend we’ll get around to true worship “later,” when we have more time. We cannot claim ignorance. The hour is here.

“… when the true worshipers…” (John 4:23)
The line of distinction is a real thing. There is an actual judgment call the Lord God is righteous to make. True worshippers vs everyone else. Faith vs Fake.

“… will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23)
Here’s the identifier for the true and the faithful worshippers. It’s found in Spirit and Truth.
What is flesh cannot beget what is Spirit. Only Spirit births what is spirit.

There are no true worshippers who are not born of Spirit. None. Zero. Zilch.
Sure, we can fake it, follow the motions, lift our hands, close our eyes, and sway to the rhythm, fooling our neighbor and ourselves.

But if our hearts are not re-birthed from the Spirit of the Living God,
Jesus is abundantly clear,
we are not true worshippers.

Is there a prerequisite for worship?
Yes!

Full surrender to the One who died for us, taking our punishment for sin upon Himself. He, who is blameless and righteous, willingly and humbly took upon Himself our long list of hideous sins that we might be whole, forgiven, and free to worship Him in Spirit.

Birthed by His Spirit,
sealed by His Spirit,
taught by His Spirit,
we who once were dead in our sin, are now awakened to
worship Him because of the Spirit alive within us who cries out, “Abba, Father!” (Galatians 4:6)

The One God, in whom no deceit is found (1 Peter 2:22), births worshippers who offer their surrender in truth. There is no place for lies here in the sacred space of holy adoration.

Emotion? Passion? Tears? Rhythm? Hands in the air? Prostrate on the ground?
These are not the identifiers of true worship, my precious sister.
These are not required by our God.

When we base the litmus test of true worship on the level of our emotional connection or the language of our bodies, we have removed ourselves from the realm of true worship.
We have added performance stipulations Christ never intended.

Angry? Celebrating? Hurt? Happy? Alone? Joyful? Afraid? Peaceful?
Truth, bring the truth of your real, honest, heart condition. Fling the masks far from you, burn them in the blaze of sacrificial offering. Offer the fullness of your honesty with your sacrifice of praise, realizing anew the beauty of the gospel. Here in this place of true worship, we bring our mess, confident we will be forgiven and set free in ever-deepening ways because of the very truth of the Christ Whom we worship.

Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. (John 4:23)
His Spirit draws us in, nearer to His consuming fire, closer so we can breathe in the familiar scent of the One our hearts blessedly call Father.

Home.
Here we are home, welcomed in the embrace of Abba.
Here we are made whole.
Here we are treasured children and beloved daughters.
Here we are known.
Here we lay down ourselves for the kindest, gentlest Daddy who holds our hands, our hearts, and our lives.

Here, we slip blissfully into true worship.

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

Amen and Amen. May our hearts ever resound with this truth as our lives are set ablaze with the evidence of our offering of true worship born of Spirit and declared with truth.

How’s your worship?

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Word Day 3 Follow And Remove

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 2:13-25
John 12:23-26
Luke 9:59-62
1 John 2:15-17
Matthew 11:28-30

Word, Day 3

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein has always been one of my favorite books. The childhood story of a boy befriending a tree and growing old with the tree has always captured my attention. When the boy is little, he enjoys swinging from her branches, eating her apples, and sitting in her shade.

As he grows older, the boy doesn’t visit the tree as often, but when he does, he often comes with grown up problems like needing money and a home. To help the boy, the tree gives her apples, her branches, her leaves, and her trunk until she is nothing left but a stump. When the boy is very old, he again visits the tree, but he is tired from the weary weight of the world. The tree is happy to give the boy one last gift, a place to sit and rest on her stump.

The Tree demonstrates sacrifice and a joyful pouring out of yourself that runs deeply contradictory to our individualistic, self-serving culture.

For me, this story vividly demonstrates the glorious gospel.
Jesus, “who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity.  And when He had come as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even to death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)

This kind of emptying of ourselves isn’t something we’re comfortable with.
We see the cost, and we run the other way, gripping tightly to what we value in the world, unwilling to make the kind of sacrifice that asks us to let it go.

Yet, time and time again, when Jesus calls us to follow Him, He asks us to leave behind people and comforts we hold closely.

Following Jesus is not comfortable; it is costly.
It requires whole life surrender.

It’s not that Jesus is greedy, doesn’t value our relationships, or the lives we have built around us. He cares deeply about us, our common everyday moments, even the hairs on our head, but He knows that only when every part of our lives are surrendered to Him, can live truly full lives. When it comes to following Him and doing the work He has crafted for us, we must hold loosely to the fading things of this world lest they become idols standing in the way of true obedience to the One True God.

In John 2, we read the story of Jesus clearing the temple of the market merchants and money changers. What a clear physical and visual message Jesus was sending! He came to change the world for each and every person starting with removing our idols. As Jesus overturned the tables, He made a clear statement about people who claimed to worship God mixing up the worship of Him with worshiping the things of this world. Making idols of money and earthly possessions have no place in the Kingdom of God. Emptying the temple of the idols of commercialism and money cleared the way for Jesus to do real ministry that was meaningful and personal.

We cannot follow Him,
if we will not remove our idols.

When Jesus asked the men in Luke 9 to follow him, they hesitated, pulled back by their earthly duties. Jesus firmly challenged them to focus instead on the eternal importance of spreading the word about God’s Kingdom.

The things of this earth will fall away and fade,
but the kingdom of God will remain forever.

Like the man Jesus encountered and the Giving Tree, we are called to give up the things culture insists are all-important, the comforts we crave, and the idols we bow down to.

When we find ourselves as a stump,
stripped of our self-righteous pride,
and finding all comfort in Christ…

When we have allowed Jesus to make our lives a place for weary souls,
weighed down by the heaviness of the world,
to find rest in Jesus…

We will live our fullest life in Jesus alone
as He works through us to build His Kingdom.

It’s not easy.
It’s not comfortable.
It’s not going to be popular.
But that which we gain is more valuable than anything else we could possibly imagine.

What is Jesus calling you to remove in order to follow Him more fully?
Will you join me in praying for the strength and courage to
follow Jesus and remove the world’s allures from our lives?

Let’s stand together, friends, as we follow our Savior in whole-life surrender!

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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 Word Week One! 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 Word!