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Follow Day 7 A Time To Act: 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 A Time To Act!

The Questions

1) Why is Nehemiah in Susa and who is the remnant? (verses 1-3)

2) Why does the unbuilt wall cause Nehemiah to weep and what did he do with his grief? (verses 4 and following)

3) In 2:2 Nehemiah is clearly afraid. What does he do with his fear?

Nehemiah 1:1-2:5

The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3 They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”

4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5 I said,

Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands, 6 let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” 10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.
At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.

2 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

Original Intent

1) Why is Nehemiah in Susa and who is the remnant? (verses 1-3)
As the book of Nehemiah opens we find him in the city of Susa, one of the Persian Empire capitals. Jerusalem had been overtaken in 586 BC by the Babylonians, who were later overtaken by the Persian Empire, and many of the residents dispersed into the existing empire. With this takeover and captivity, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. This destruction included Solomon’s Temple and the city walls. However, a remnant of Israel, God’s chosen people, was left behind in Jerusalem. This remnant was extremely poor and represented a significantly small fraction of the total Jewish population that had once lived in Jerusalem. God was working behind the scenes both in Jerusalem and in Susa as He stirred hearts to serve and follow Him as only He could. He was preparing to use Nehemiah in his perfect placement in Susa for His glory and for the benefit of the remnant.

2) Why does the unbuilt wall cause Nehemiah to weep and what did he do with his grief? (verses 4 and following)
Before Nehemiah asked permission from the king to personally return to Jerusalem, there had been two other waves of Israelites who had gone home and left Susa. These Jews had restored the Temple in their time there, but not the city wall. Nehemiah receives word of this destruction and is broken by the news. He knew the city wall was vitally important because without a fortified wall, the city was defenseless against any attack. The city would have also held no value in the ancient world without a wall. A wall also meant a gate for entry. These gates served as a meeting place and a city council type place to conduct business affairs. Without a wall and gates, the prominence of the city would have been obsolete. Nehemiah is broken for his homeland, even though he had actually never lived there. Nehemiah allows himself to feel his grief, but then he moves into action. Nehemiah 1:4 tells how he fasted and prayed, acknowledging the sin of his people and asking God for favor. His action doesn’t stop there, however, this was not simply an emotional response. Nehemiah asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem with the plan to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah leads the charge to rebuild the city walls in 52 days; an absurd impossibility! What an incredible testimony of what God did through Nehemiah because he was willing to put his grief into action.

3) In 2:2 Nehemiah is clearly afraid. What does he do with his fear?
Nehemiah does not ignore his fear. Instead, he owns his fear. However, Nehemiah doesn’t get stuck in his fear. He chooses to turn to the “God of heaven” and pray. While earlier in chapter 1 Nehemiah shares his specific prayer with his audience in Nehemiah 2:5 we are not privy to what he said. His exact words are unimportant in the grand scheme of the situation. What is important however, is he took his fear to the God of the universe trusting him with what would come next in the conversation with the king. Nehemiah knew who was really in control and acknowledged that through his actions.

Everyday Application

1) Why is Nehemiah in Susa and who is the remnant? (verses 1-3)
Nehemiah had been born in exile and lived his entire life in the Persian Empire. Foreign lands were all he knew as home. He had risen to a position which placed him in direct contact with the king as the king’s cupbearer all while there was a small number of Israelites who had been allowed to stay in Jerusalem and continue living there. Nehemiah’s book opens with Nehemiah in a city in the Persian Empire hearing of what is taking place in Jerusalem with the remnant, or small number, still there. We see the stage being set for God to use Nehemiah right where he was even though he wasn’t in Jerusalem. As believers, we can be encouraged when we are surrendering our desire to control our life over to God. He will use us exactly where we are. Our circumstances, or even geographical location, may not always make sense to us, but God is able to use even these ordinary things for His glory when we allow Him to be our Lord over all.

2) Why does the unbuilt wall cause Nehemiah to weep and what did he do with his grief? (verses 4 and following)
Jerusalem is in ruins, no longer a place of prominence in the ancient world. While the Temple has been rebuilt much of the city wall remained in shambles. The city was no longer the place of prominence it had once been and if left unrepaired likely would have become a city to never be heard about again. Nehemiah is broken by the news of his home. He chooses to feel his grief and mourn but he does not stay there. Instead, he chooses to move forward, using his position, to lead the way for change. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, a servant for the king, but that allowed him to be in audience of the king. He sees the opportunity he has and after spending time in fasting and prayer asks God to “give him success”. Nehemiah allowed himself to be used by God even as a servant. We too can be used by God regardless of where we are, what we do, or the grief we may be walking in. God used 1 man to change Jerusalem for the better and God can use us exactly where we are. We don’t have to be pastors to make a Kingdom impact we simply have to be willing to be used and leave the rest up to God. Nehemiah led a charge to rebuild an entire city wall in 52 days… a feat which seems impossible! This willingness to step into action shows us that while we need to feel our grief and take time to mourn we cannot stay there. We too must choose to step into action and God can do what seems impossible through our lives as well. The question we must ask ourselves is are we willing?

3) In 2:2 Nehemiah is clearly afraid. What does he do with his fear?
When standing before the king being given the opportunity to speak, Nehemiah was afraid. I imagine if faced with the same situation, I too would be afraid. In Nehemiah’s days you didn’t speak boldly to the king. Nehemiah could have chosen to become stuck in his fear, but instead he chooses to turn to the God of heaven. In that split moment we see Nehemiah acknowledge his weakness and turn it over to the One who is ultimately in control. Sisters, I don’t know about you but for me this year has been filled with fear, disappointment, frustration, and so many other emotions. We have lost loved ones, been asked to stay home, watched people suffer physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually and there are moments everything has felt completely overwhelming. At times, I have been tempted to give in to the fleshly emotions but these verses in Nehemiah remind me my God is bigger than my emotions. I can choose, just as Nehemiah did, to turn them over to God trusting that He knows what is best and is in control. When I do I find the same boldness Nehemiah found as he addressed the king. I urge you in those moments to make the same choice as Nehemiah and trust the God of the heavens. He is trustworthy!

The book of Nehemiah shows us the kind of significant impact one individual can have on a nation. Nehemiah served in secular offices, using his position to bring back to the Jews order, stability, and proper focus on God.

God uses all manner of people in all manner of places doing all manner of work. Do you feel you must be “in ministry” in order to serve God? Be encouraged; He is not limited by your vocation. In fact, God has placed you where you are for a purpose. Have this attitude about your work: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father”

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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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

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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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Incorruptible Day 5 Eternally Trustworthy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Incorruptible, Day 5

1 Peter 1:10-12
1 Peter 2:6-10
2 Peter 1:16-21

Eve
Genesis 3
I’ve never felt so alone, so ashamed.
So guilty.
It’s like I can feel a sickness spreading through me, through everything around me
It’s ugly.
I shudder.
It’s dark, and terrifying, like nothing I’ve ever experienced; immeasurably different than all I’ve known before this moment.
This moment when I broke the heart of God and became separate from Him.
I feel the vacancy of His holiness and cold seeps in along with shame, fear, and regret.
I was lied to and anger kindled, another new emotion. The husband I’d only adored before, I suddenly want to push against and prove to him how wrong he is.
The world is breaking, even the colors around me are fading fast, as if creation itself is groaning for the loss of flawless holiness.
The Lord God is coming, I hear Him walking towards me and I know the His righteous justice must curse my sin. I deserve banishment.
But hope?
The Lord is giving hope?
The serpent’s offspring and mine, there will be this ongoing dissension between us, but from my offspring, one day, Hope will rise and the head of this serpent will be crushed.
His lies will be defeated forever.
Grace!
For this hope I will wait!

David
Psalm 118
I’ve waited so long, Yahweh!
I was just a youth when You first made it known I would be your anointed king.
All those incredibly dark years as I ran for my life from Saul, so unsure of where You were leading…. I hang my head, admitting I even wondered if You were still leading me at all.
I felt so abandoned.

So many years, God.
None of the circumstances fit what You had told me when Samuel anointed me as King.
I lost my best friend, the nation seemed lost, Your promises appeared to have failed.
My feet sank, my heart sank, those were dark days.

And now, oh Lord God, the works You have done, the mighty intention of Your hand!
I stand here at the pinnacle of Your promise as the fullness of Israel comes under my hand! Abba, my heart trembles at Your goodness and my eyes flood.
You are so good!
Your faithful loves endures forever!

These words I sing, they are born of Your good Spirit, God. I praise You!
I praise You for who You are, for all You have done, for all You will do.
“I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me and become my Salvation!”

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone!
I was rejected, Mighty God. Rejected by Saul, rejected by my own nation, but You alone are the Lord who takes the rejected and builds something new, something foundational!

Yet, I know my life is fleeting.
I can only rule so long before my hands become feeble and still.
This nation, this people.
Your people, Yahweh, we need an eternal Rescue.
Save us, Yahweh!
It is in You, I put my hope!

Micah
Micah 1, 5
It’s no secret people of great power hate me; I’m not the bearer of good news.
No one likes the prophet who prophesies doom, gloom, and destruction, especially when everything appears up and to the right.

I see the wealth of Judah, the way they rely on the work of their hands, and the way those same hands carve images for their knees to bow to.

The twisting agony of my heart in seeing my nation spurn and reject, as if spitting upon the Holy One, is matched only by my plea to Yahweh for their deliverance.

I literally wail at their putrid idolatry as they’ve turned away from You, the One God who has loved, protected, and shepherded them. Our wound is surely incurable, for You Lord are bringing Your right justice upon us. We will be desolated as a nation, defeated, and exiled.
And rightly so, our sin is vast beyond counting.

Oh, but Lord, have mercy on these, my people!

Hope.
I’ve heard Your voice, Yahweh, You declare that Hope will come.
A deliverer from Bethlehem.
One who will restore us from captivity.
One who break the bonds of slavery.
One who will once again shepherd us in safety and strength by the Name of the Lord.
For this Hope I wait!

Peter
Concerning this salvation, the prophets,
who prophesied about the grace that would come to you,
searched and carefully investigated. (1 Peter 1:10)

For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths
when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;
instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16)

I have lived with Hope.
I have walked beside Him.
Hope is not an arbitrary, distant, abstract, cosmic, wishful thinking concept.
Hope is alive for eternity.
Hope is Jesus Christ, dead, resurrected, and sitting at the right hand of the throne of God!

Since God first spoke creation into existence, He designed for Hope to rescue us, to deliver us, to bring us back to Himself. This plan of redemption is woven into every strand of history, waiting for just the right time to be revealed.

It is time!
Revelation is here!
The mystery has been made known!

Christ
is the offspring of Eve who would crush Satan’s head, killing Death and Lies.
Christ
is the cornerstone, rejected by men, but now the foundation of Hope for eternity.
Christ
is the prophesied coming Messiah, the great Deliverer and mighty Rescuer.
Christ
was born in Bethlehem, born to die, born to rise, born to make us who had been “not a people”, His own people; to draw near those who “had not received mercy” that we as His people might “receive mercy.”

Hope.
Living Hope.
He is here and His message of hope is eternally trustworthy!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Incorruptible Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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The GT Weekend! Tabernacle 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) In studying the specifics of the tabernacle of the Old Testament, and how clearly it points to Jesus fulfilling the requirements once and for all, we see that God is all about the details. Nothing He does is careless or without intention. We can rest in His character being unchanging, and know He is working in our lives; in the big things and in the small. Where have you seen Him at work today?

2) What lies are you hearing from the Devil about your lack of gifts to bring to the Body? How can you get plugged in locally to use your God given gifts to bring Him glory? Not sure what your gifting is? Find a friend and read through 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.  What do you feel strongest in? Pray for the Holy Spirit to use you in every situation, whether it matches your gifting or not, to further the Kingdom of God!

3) When you’ve read through the Bible, which parts were easiest to read? Which places felt boring or longwinded? How has the study of Old Testimony prophesies, and the fulfillment Jesus brought, strengthened your commitment to studying the Word more deeply? Share with us in a comment below or email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com .

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 139:13-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

13For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
17 God, how precious your thoughts are
to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;
when I wake up, I am still with you.

Prayer Journal
Lord, as I look at the chaos that surrounds me in our world, even in my life, I struggle to see Your order. I see families torn apart, children exploited, and the wealth gap increasing. All of that lacks Your perfect order, and I’m quick to question where You are in all this mess. Remind me Lord that this wasn’t Your design. Man chose this back in the Garden of Eden and has been choosing “self” over You ever since. Show me how and where You are working in the details of our world, Lord God. Rain down Your Presence over us as we look for Your actions in our lives. Let us recognize You quickly and put feet to whatever it is You’re asking us to do!

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

The GT Weekend! Worship III, 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) Reflect for a moment on the death of Jesus. Read back through the account of Jesus’ crucifixion in Matthew 27. What does the cross mean to you? What emotion is stirred up while you read? Who in your life needs to hear the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

2) Write out Ephesians 6:13-15 and post it in a prominent place. Examine the different pieces of protection God offers you to put on. How can you actively choose to wear these defenses in the battle against the devil? Which ones are easier to pick up? Which ones are more difficult?

3) If you are a follower of Jesus, you have access to the power of Jesus displayed in His death and resurrection. Why do you think it’s so easy to ignore that power? Why do we skip calling on the name of Jesus when we’re tempted in sin? Or when we need boldness to share His Truth with someone? If you have yet to surrender your life to Christ, reach out to us with your questions at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com .

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 Ephesians 1:7-14 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.
In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Prayer Journal
Dear Father, as I sit and reflect on Your good gift of life through Your son Jesus, I’m in tears Lord. That You would make that sacrifice for me is unbelievable. Thank You for Your continual pursuit of me and of all Your created people. Lord, Your perfect provision of redeemed life coupled with the gift of the Holy Spirit, is the physical representation of Your love.

Let me listen closely to what You are saying and where You are leading. I need help walking with You. Father, I often want to run ahead and pretend I know what I’m doing apart from You. Draw me near to Your precious side, Lord!

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

The GT Weekend! Misunderstood 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) How are you at sitting still before the Father? It’s tempting to be busy doing good things in His name. But if we do good works separate from being steeped in His presence, we’re wasting our time. Where can you adjust your schedule this week to spend more time at the feet of Jesus?

2) Life is often tumultuous and unpredictable. Where have you experienced loss and needed hope? Share your interactions with the death of a loved one or loss of a relationship. Ask the Lord to pour out healing or bring restoration to your life. Wait on Him as He is faithful to breathe a soothing balm over your loss and hope found in His Name.

3) When you hear lies people believe about Scripture being brought to light, how do you feel? How do reconcile these commonly held beliefs with truth from the Word? We highlight using www.studylight.org to study the meaning of Scripture. Try it out and tell us what you found at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com.

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 130:5-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

5 I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

Prayer Journal
Lord Jesus, you know me better than anyone. You know that my love language is acts of service, You created me that way! As I battle against myself to balance the desire to serve with spending time with You, let me wait on You! I choose to put my hope in Your word as I wait. I need Your redemption to flow in my life; bring me close to Your heart, Lord.

As I think back over the loss of our son, I have so many questions. The biggest one I come back to is, “did shoveling the snow that day cause his death?” Lord, as I rethink these questions, I wait on You for comfort. I know there are many questions this side of Heaven that I will never have answered. Pour out your grace to cover those questions until I am before You and reunited with my sweet boy.

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

Woven Day 2 Threads Of Love: Digging Deeper

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

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

The Passage

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Journey Study?
Check out Threads Of Love!

1 Peter 1:10-12, Christian Standard Version (CSB)

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

The Questions

1) Who were the “prophets who prophesied” and what is the “grace”?

2) What predictions are being referenced and who is the “He” doing the predicting?

3) What are the things angels long to look at?

The Findings for Intention

1) Who were the “prophets who prophesied” and what is the “grace”?
After the 400 year period of slavery in Egypt, the Hebrew people were set free as God used His servant Moses to lead the people out of Egypt towards the Promised Land. At Mt. Sinai where they received the Ten Commandments as the legal outline of their covenant relationship, God became their King and Israel officially became a theocracy (nation governed by God). As they moved into the Promised Land and chose to walk away from God, the Lord raised up judges who upheld God’s truth and reminded the people to follow after Him. When the period of the judges ended, the period of prophets became the main way for Israel to hear from the Lord. The role of a prophet was to deliver a specific word from the Lord to His people. Most often, the Lord used the voice of the prophet to call His people into repentance and bring them back into a right relationship with Him. A prophet would foretell of coming destruction or prosperity depending on how the people chose to respond to the Lord’s invitation to turn their hearts back to Him. Intertwined through many prophetic words is the common thread of a coming Messiah, a Redeemer, a King who would rule them with love and justice and be their ultimate Savior. The “grace” Peter refers to is the “salvation of your souls” (verse 9). This salvation, prophesied about hundreds of years before Peter’s lifetime was brought to fruition in the saving grace offered in Jesus Christ as He took the punishment for our sin.

2) What predictions are being referenced and who is the “He” doing the predicting?
The prediction, or prophesy, here is directly limited to “the suffering of Christ and subsequent glories”. Prophets spoke many prophecies from the Lord, but they were not all necessarily pointing towards the coming Messiah. Prophecies like Isaiah 53, Psalm 22:1-3, and Micah 5:1-4 are specific to the suffering of Christ and the glory that would come as a result of His suffering, which is the salvation of our souls! It’s interesting to note that the “He” who is speaking the predictions/prophecies to the prophet is the “Spirit of Christ”, who is the Holy Spirit. This isn’t a human guess or a desperate hope that a Rescuer is coming or a vague stretch of an astrologer’s theoretical estimation. This prophecy would come true because its origin is from the Godhead who holds all of life together, in Him all life exists, and He Himself has existed before time even began. There is no guesswork involved here, only solid truth.

3) What are the things angels long to look at?
That which was hidden, or partially revealed in the time of the ancient prophets, had become revealed and made known during the time of Peter’s writing. He is referring specifically to the mystery of the gospel and the salvation of souls. In the Old Testament, those who followed and trusted God were granted righteousness in Him, but the prophets spoke “forward” of a coming Redeemer, a Promised One, who would bring a fuller understanding of salvation. That process was revealed in Jesus as He sacrificially took our consequence for sin upon Himself, giving us His righteousness in exchange for our sin. This mysterious process of righteousness being transferred to an undeserving sinful being is so incredibly glorious that even angels who are with God Himself long to understand it, to study it, and to marvel at its beauty.

The Everyday Application

1) Who were the “prophets who prophesied” and what is the “grace”?
It’s comforting to know that all throughout history, the Lord has been steadily weaving His story of redemption on every page. Even more comforting is the fact that His voice has always been inviting us in to partake of His grace. His consistent words of a coming Redeemer through the voice of the prophets remind us that the very same grace that offers “salvation of our souls” is available to us today in the 21st century. The message of the Lord has not changed from the first day until now. Grace is still available in your everyday, in your moments of desperate need, and He will still faithfully point you to the solidity that is His salvation!

2) What predictions are being referenced and who is the “He” doing the predicting?
My Sister, pause for a moment and mull over this question, “Where do you need solid hope?” Where are you aching for something to anchor you? A relationship that is spinning out of control, the everyday chaos that threatens to undo you, the little voices that demand your attention, a lonely heart that longs for intimate friendship? Go slow and let your heart feel that need, that longing, that ache. Then sink the roots of your heart deep into the steadfast solidity of a timeless, ageless, all-seeing, all-knowing God who, though all powerful and far above our state of fallen humanity, loves us deeply right in the middle of our everyday lives. This God is trustworthy. This God is faithful. This God will never abandon. Hold tightly to truth today!

3) What are the things angels long to look at?
How curious are you about the gospel of Jesus Christ? How precious is it to you? How deeply rooted are its truths in your heart? The invitation to preach the gospel to ourselves daily, marveling at its beauty, and searching out its deep intricacies should beckon to us with an ever-deepening desire. If angels long to look into the precious gift of the gospel that they might know the Almighty God better, how much more so should we the very recipients of such a treasure! Take some time in the next few weeks to study the gospel, to own its truths more intimately, and to seek passionately to know the One who chases our hearts that He might grant us this very great gift of salvation! Check out the Journey Theme, Freedom, as a great place to explore this precious Gospel!

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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
Woven Week One!
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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Woven Day 1 Threads Of Love

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 1:10-12
Luke 24:44-49
Psalm 2

Woven, Day 1

The Bible is such a diverse book. Have you ever attempted to just sit down and read it like you would any other book? I mean, crazy, right? Creation is good and interesting in the beginning and the rest of Genesis has a lot of neat stories, but even those have some pretty….weird….things going on.

I mean, Cain gets this strange mark on him.
Noah gets drunk and naked. (yeah, maybe you didn’t read that far, did you?)
A dreamy staircase to Heaven appears out of nowhere while Jacob uses a rock for a pillow.
Sibling rivalry is a huge deal…. Esau’s hot-temper makes you wonder how Jacob even managed to stay alive at all.
Sure, the Exodus story is pretty amazing.
All the plagues and the Ten Commandments (and a vision of Charlton Heston dances in my head nearly every time I read it.)
But then, the reading plan plows into Leviticus, and *cringe*, Numbers….and it all seems to blur together as we find ourselves asking, “Why? And do we care about Elishama and Ammihud?”
(because, really, if we were honest, we would probably say, “No. No, I don’t care.”)

The Why is valid.
And there are solid reasons.
Reasons strong enough to make me want to devote my life to studying the Bible.
But the real kicker is here: what if the Bible wasn’t written “to” us?

Before you say I’m crazy…
Consider: what if the Bible is hard to understand because, while it was indeed written “for” us, its story is neither “to” us or “about” us in many ways.
Ancient civilizations.
Buried cities, some of which we haven’t even uncovered yet today.
Bones that have long since turned back to dust.
These were the Bible’s original recipients.

And if we are going to read their documents and their letters and then make current-day application from them, it only makes sense that we should first step into their shoes.
If we can see what the stories and letters and biographies meant to them, in their culture, we can make good application to our lives from this very living and active word of God!

That’s exactly what good students of the Bible do, and what we work hard to do here at Gracefully Truthful with every Journey Study we write and every Digging Deeper Study we dive into. As students of God’s Word, we’ve learned to ask good questions:
What does this say about God?
What did it say to its first audience?
What does this say about people in general?
And lastly, how can I live differently because of what I’ve learned?

This Word of God, these precious words written and down and sovereignly preserved are Life Giving.
Written so, so, long ago, yet because they are the true words of the Almighty Living God, inspired by the His Own Mighty Spirit, they hold life for NOW.

As we journey into Woven, we are inviting you to travel with us.

To put on new study glasses with us.
To learn how to ask good questions, make good applications, and sisters?
Fall more in love with the God who has chased after our hearts since the beginning of time!

We are confident that as you walk with us, you’ll discover with brilliantly colored brushstrokes, how deep and wide and passionate is this love of God for us.
Beloved, the Almighty God has pursued us from the beginning of time,
and we have been invited in to so much more.

So, come away with us, and see the Lord’s big picture.
Be willing to see the Bible as a single, cohesive, dramatic story of truly incredible love.
Get ready to be swept off your feet as you gaze into the majesty of an all-powerful, yet very good father from the first word to the last.

All these stories, all their words, all those endless names in Numbers, the crazy rules in Leviticus, the flood waters that destroyed all but 8 people on the face of the earth, yes, even God’s wrath and His anger unleashed, right alongside God’s prophecies of peace and coming hope, all are threads of the same masterpiece.
One Story.
One Redemption.
One God and Father of us all who gave His all to be our Great Rescuer.

Love.
Woven.
From the beginning of time,
knitted tightly along into your everyday,
sewn steadily on until the Day of Christ’s Return,
and on into glorious eternity.
Love.
Woven.
By the hands of the Master Weaver.

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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 Woven 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 Woven!

Creed Day 5 Perfectly Pure

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 119:41-48
2 Timothy 3:10-17
1 John 1

Mr. Nilius was my high school music director and he also taught Bible my junior year. Aside from my English teacher, whom I was mostly terrified of, but secretly admired his adherence to strict grammar, Mr. Nilius was my favorite. In lieu of my own emotionally abusive and in many ways absent father, I allowed Mr. Nilius access to speak into my life as a father figure (likely unbeknownst to him).
In one particular Bible class, Mr. Nilius challenged us to think critically of our own beliefs. What did we believe, why, and could our “why” really be supported with our answers.

My faith was largely a piggy-back off of what I’d learned at home at this point, and I’d never been allowed the privilege of truly questioning it.
My parents were simply right.
About everything.
Mr. Nilius suggested that for every answer we could give for our “whys”, we respond to ourselves with “well, how do you know that’s true?”

He was leading us to test our beliefs that we might discover on our own, and know and hold onto, exactly what was true and solid for life.
Could our beliefs hold up under the fire of criticism?

As a child I’d often wondered, but never voiced,
“What if all this Bible stuff wasn’t true?
Suppose there really wasn’t a God or a way to Heaven?
Maybe there wasn’t even Heaven at all.”

They were all valid questions, and as I grew older I realized that they deserved to be answered.
I deserved to know the truth.

One friend challenged me to consider that if God wasn’t big enough to handle my questions, my poking, and prodding, then He really wasn’t big enough to save me or be worthy of my trust.

As I began the process of testing my faith, my biggest question surfaced to the top,
“Is the Bible true?”
If I was going to build my life and base my future on one set of beliefs, I had to know if the Bible really was true and solid enough to support life and the eternal destination of my soul.
Fear pricked my heart and made my stomach churn as I considered what might happen if I studied this whole “Bible thing” and discovered it was bogus. What then? But as sick as that possibility made me, I had to know.

The Bible itself claims to be “inerrant”, meaning fully without error.
A pretty significant boast.
The Bible claims to be perfect, true, trustworthy for salvation, for godliness, for everything we need to be wise, and holding supreme value in correction and training in righteousness.

But I had a problem with that.

The grammar was off, in a lot of places. It clearly wasn’t perfect. (hey, I love English)
There were so many translations, and sometimes the different word choices made for different conclusions.
Sometimes the stories didn’t line up. Matthew would tell of a supposed “eyewitness account”, but Mark’s “eyewitness account” had different details.
Who to believe?
More importantly, how could this book be reliable for anything?
Let alone eternal salvation.

The more facts I discovered, the more my skepticism dissipated. Turns out that my questions had solid answers.
Grammar and Syntax – The grammar was off exactly because I was reading it in English, whereas it was originally written in Hebrew and Greek.

Accuracy – Archeologists have proven that the Bible is the most accurate historical document in existence.

Authorship – There is significantly more evidence to support the authentic authorship of the Bible than there exists evidence that Shakespeare wrote his plays, yet no one questions that.

Preservation – The Bible has been translated since the time of the New Testament when the first five books of the Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew), were translated to Greek. Paul himself, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, told Timothy that the Word of God he studied from was perfectly reliable. The document Timothy studied from was itself a translation! God preserves His Word through translations in order to extract His intended meaning that all languages might know Him.

Uniformity – The Bible was written by 40 different authors across a span of 1,500 years, yet there is one, main recurring theme that exists from the opening line to the very last word: the redemption of mankind. Only a single author could produce that kind of continuity, and only One author is timeless…the Lord God.

Reliability  – Eyewitness accounts are given significant weight both in Biblical times and today, even just 2 or 3 eyewitnesses make a huge difference in the reliability of a story’s authenticity. In the case of Christ’s post-resurrection appearances, there were over 400 eyewitnesses who saw and interacted with Jesus Christ after His death and resurrection. And the fact that a few story details don’t match other accounts is actually a voice proving the reliability of the Bible. These minor differences weren’t “edited out” to make “identical” re-tellings of the same story, but were left in because they were recounted from different people with different perspectives. The Bible is about authenticity, even when it comes to varying perspectives on events!

Inspiration – Scripture is God-breathed according to 2 Timothy 3:16, meaning that God alone is the ultimate author. Yes, humans wrote it down as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but every letter has the handiwork of the Father crafted into it. It is preserved by His hand, fueled by His Spirit, and because it is authored by the Almighty, its message is wholly reliable.

We hold the Bible, I hold the Bible, to be fully without error (inerrant) in its original language, which is why translations are so important. (Here’s our recommended translation list!)

Precious sister on the other side of this screen, this Word of God is for you!
His story is for you!
His redemption is for you!
He wants you to know Him, to love Him, to see Him for who He is.
And His Word is the means to accomplishing all of that!

Here’s the thing, if the Bible isn’t 100% true, we are wasting our time reading it,
let alone studying it.
But if it is true….
Then it demands our full attention,
our voracious study of it,
and our all-consuming appetite for its message.  

For a little more on the doctrine of Inerrancy, we recommend checking out the girls at Thinking and Theology. Read their post on how the Bible is Better Than Google!

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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 Creed Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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