Truth

The GT Weekend! ~ Worship VII 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) “He Will Hold Me Fast” has been a theme song for me through the last few months as we have experienced uncertainty surrounding stay-at-home orders, political and social unrest, and even natural disasters which have shaken our world. The reminder that Christ will hold me fast is a blessing and a comfort to my weary soul. I don’t need to strive or work harder to be safe, because the God of creation is my safety. Consider setting aside some time this week to go for a quiet walk and reflect on what God is doing in your life right now. How is He holding you fast? Listen to this song before you go, and then leave the distractions behind. As you walk, talk to God specifically about the ways you have seen Him work, the ways you have hoped in Him, and the ways you continue to trust Him. You could even write down a few Scriptures beforehand to take with you and refer to as you walk so you can pray them back to Him.

2) What a profound and stirring truth we read in this Journey! The God of the Universe stepped down from Heaven while we were yet sinners, with not one good deed to our credit, and gave His life so we could be justified to Him. We have the opportunity to be saved from a life of sin and death and utter darkness, and to be brought into true unity and love with the only wise and good God. Because of the work Jesus did, your sins can be erased. Have you accepted God’s free gift of salvation? If not, what is holding you back? Stop here and write down your objections. Then go to a Christian friend or pastor and ask them your questions. Don’t let anything hold you back from the Good New of Jesus. If you have believed, are you faithfully walking in the freedom of your calling? Are you living as a victorious child of the King? Or are you continuing to enjoy the sins of the flesh? Beloved, Jesus died so you could live as a wholly authentic human. You do not need to carry the burdens of your sins any longer. Name your burdens and lay them down at the foot of the cross. Ask the Lord to carry them far from you. Remember, His work is what makes you free!

3) Amazing Grace is a well-known and well-loved hymn, not only in the church, but also in the culture at large. Something about the reminder of God’s grace poured out on sinners, bringing light to our eyes, and helping us find our way, strikes deep in the hearts of men and women. John Newton was not a perfect man, and he was well aware of this fact. It may seem harsh to call oneself a wretch, but surely we know without Christ, we have no good thing to offer. Have you ever considered where you would be today without the amazing grace of Jesus? While it is not healthy to wallow in self-doubt and pity, it can be good to consider what God has saved us from. Consider the trajectory of your life before you knew Christ. Even if you were saved at a young age, you know your sinful tendencies. Consider how those would play out un-checked by the Spirit. Write down a possible scenario of what your life would be like, had He not intervened. Spend time thanking God and worshiping Him for His great work 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 Lamentations 3:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great it your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.”

Prayer Journal
Great and merciful God, Your abundant love for me has drawn me to my knees. You were brought low that I may have life in You. Jesus, You allowed men to treat You shamefully and brutally murder You so I may have life to the full through Your victory. I did not, nor do I, deserve Your compassion, but You have lavished it upon me continuously. Help me to never forget the depths of Your great love. I confess I have sinned against You. I have taken for granted Your precious gift of life and have chosen to go my own way. Cause me to hate my sin. Help me to take up my cross, die to myself, and follow You daily. Thank You for Your forgiveness and Your never-ending mercy. Show me how I can reflect Your goodness to the people around me. Make me aware of the needs of my community and shape my heart to value sacrificial service over pleasant comfort. May I abide in You, remembering You have prepared good works for me to do so that I may walk in them. I know following You requires discipline, and You give strength to Your servants. Thank You for Your marvelous work of transformation in my life.

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

Calling Day 11 The Lens Of Truth

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 5:6-14
Psalm 36:5-12
John 12:44-50
1 Peter 1:13-25
Revelation 6:12-17

Calling, Day 11

A dear friend gave my daughter a delightful pair of purple sunglasses a few weeks ago. She is absolutely smitten with them. Plastic jewels and gems adorn the frames, and they are larger than her last pair, so they fit her better. The tint of the lenses is rather dark, but she feels like such a big girl when she’s wearing them, she’ll insist she can see just fine, thank you very much.

It’s no rare occasion to find her twirling in the sunlight streaming through my front window, wearing those purple, sparkly sunglasses. There’s a shift in her gait when she puts them on; it’s obvious she just feels different.

Take a breath, Christian. We’re going deeper, fast.

Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians about light versus darkness is an object lesson about delivering truth in love, to say the least. (Ephesians 5:6-14) He didn’t mince words about the dangers to followers of Christ who live in the world. If anything, he underscored the arduous reality of a life surrendered to Christ. He spoke the unpopular truth that those who are disobedient to God will face His wrath. He called out the Ephesians and warned them against even partnering with those who do not obey God. Furthermore, Paul exhorted the church in Ephesus to not only remove themselves from any association with those who do not obey God, but to actually expose their deeds of darkness.

Are you squirming? I am. Talk about high challenge. Not only were the believers at Ephesus not to associate with those who do not follow God, but they were to actually expose the dark deeds of those who were enemies of the Lord.

“Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners.” (Ephesians 5:6-7)

Paul’s words were concise and deliberate. They slice through potential internal or external argument, explanation, and even current cultural caution with razor-sharp, Spirit-led acumen. His challenge left no question about the gravity of their, and our, calling.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth – testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8-11)

His words were filled with truth, but do you recognize what they aren’t filled with? Accusation, or condemnation. No, these words were delivered in love. Make no mistake; there is a high challenge here, but there is equipping and invitation here, too. Paul extended a hand to the believers at Ephesus when he called them out of popular culture and up into Kingdom culture as he reminded them Whose they were.

He’s inviting us, too.

Christian, does any part of Paul’s challenge indicate we have a call on our lives to blend in with the rest of the world, or to value what is valued by those who do not follow our Father? Further, what do you think might be one of the most effective ways the enemy intends to quiet the hands and feet and voice of Jesus on earth today? 

Might it be to keep them so occupied with the day to day things,
and the big, overwhelming cultural things,
and the general state of the world things,
and their very feelings, that they forget they are merely temporary citizens here?

Exhale.

It’s time for each of us to be honest with the God we serve.

Is it possible we have been looking at the world, and our lives, through a darkened worldly perspective? We have been going through the motions of a Christian walk, but is it merely an accompaniment to our worldly life?

Beloved, what drives you?
Are you ruled by your feelings, or by your Father?
Are you more vested in the things the world holds dear, or the things of your Father’s Kingdom?

Hard questions. Typing them wrecks me, too. But we have to ask them. Daily. And more importantly, we have to answer them.

Because this is what Paul’s words mean. 

We are called to be children of light. Just like my daughter needed to take off her sunglasses to see clearly, we are called to remove every darkened lens which affects our judgement. To test all beliefs with the discernment He gives. To speak the truth, and illuminate the dark deeds of the enemy, and to point always to our Father. We are called to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A peculiar, set-apart people. (1 Peter 2:9) This world is not our home. We reside here, for a time, as God has ordained, but this life is but a breath.
Paul’s words are true, and they are for us today. 

There is a God in heaven, and in us, if we have given our lives to Him. He will fulfill all He has said He will fulfill, and He has called us to carry His Kingdom throughout all the earth.

Christian, take off your shades and walk in the light!

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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

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

The GT Weekend ~Ten 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) Feelings of disappointment and ‘never enough’ can easily seep into our relationship with our earthly parents. Maybe they are, or were, difficult to please. Maybe you never really felt understood, or perhaps there were so many layers of conflict and communication barriers it was difficult to deeply connect. Maybe your parent has passed and you are left with loss, or perhaps even regret. Relationships are messy and complicated, even healthy ones! Even if you enjoy a rich, close connection with your parent, expectations and feelings of being “boxed in” to a previous role, can feel stifling and awkward. While it can seem natural to place these human failings and struggles onto our relationship with God, He is altogether other. Performance demands have no place. Shame is bound up. Love is unleashed in brilliant colors never before experienced! Where have you placed God in the same category as your parents? Take that to Him and ask Him to reveal His Father heart of love to you in new, vibrant ways!

2) Rebekah shared transparently on Wednesday on how easy it is to fall into the trap of working hard to earn God’s favor. We want Him to smile on us. We want His protection, His blessing, and His favor, so we will work to do things to please Him. There is simply nothing we can do to make ourselves more winsome to God! He hand-crafted us to mirror His own image. He already delights over us, and He cannot possible love us deeper than He already does. Because He is infinitely good, kind, faithful, and true, He adamantly will not love us less. Here’s the kicker, this extravagant love of God is not limited to you or me, unbeliever or church-goer. The Lord views each and every life with the same lavish love, utterly regardless of who we are or what we have done. Who is in your life that you have been hard-hearted towards or stingy with your love? Ask the Lord to shift your perspective, instead seeing them as highly valued and adored as a fellow bearer of God’s own image. How can you begin loving them more like Jesus this week?

3) Cheated. Even saying the word riles our hearts and we begin feeling the need to take up arms against someone who wronged our right or privilege. Take cheating within the context of marriage and the hurt sinks deep very quickly. Maybe you’ve experienced what it is to walk through being cheated on, or maybe you’ve been the cheater. Circumstances are complicated, reasons and justifications abound as quickly as the hurt does, and the trail back to where the distrust began is long and usually involves more than one party in the relationship. God didn’t design us for heartbreak. His perfect intention was for us to find delight in another and sink deep into trust as both people love the other unconditionally. Maybe you find your eyeballs rolling into your head at this point because this description feels so unlikely. Remember the heart of this specific commandment is to point towards a God who will absolutely never be unfaithful and will also always love us unconditionally. Focus on investing in the only relationship that will not leave you hungry for more. What can you do to develop your relationship with God more deeply?

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 1:3-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

Prayer Journal
Father God, I love this passage of Your Word and the truths You speak of here. You have given everything I need for life and godliness simply by leaning deeper and deeper into knowing You! You are unfathomable accessible. Lord, I truly could sit and ponder this extravagant love for the rest of my days and never have plumbed its depths. Your glory and goodness have been made known to me in every moment; You are waiting to be embraced and known more fully by me. Every breath I take is an invitation to know You better! Oh Lord, how distracted I become by focusing on the fleeting things and passions I can see with my eyes or feel in my heart! I will quickly shift my gaze off of You for lesser loves. Yet, Your truth revealed here speaks wonderfully that I do not need to fall prey to these desires to chase the lesser. In You alone is my fullness found. Keep my heart here next to Yours, remind me how sweet Your truth and love are to my soul!

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

Sola Day 13 But If I Don’t

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-10
Psalm 103:15-22
John 3:1-21
John 5:19-23

Sola, Day 13

Five solas. Five convictions. Five foundational markers of our faith, each one mutually dependent upon the others and rooted in the nature of our triune God and the authority of Scripture.

But why do these five solas matter to the church today? Let’s break it down and work through this together.

Sola Scriptura: by Scripture alone.
The Word of God is His message to mankind. The Bible was transcribed by human authors, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is without error, serves as the final authority for believers, and is useful for all doctrine, correction, teaching, training and rebuking.

Sola Fide: by faith alone.
The faith of another person will not suffice for one’s individual faith. To put this more plainly, imagine there were two sisters who received the gospel. One sister accepted it, gave her life to God and found salvation through Jesus Christ in faith. The other sister rejected it and did not believe in God. If both sisters were to die on the same day and find themselves faced with Heaven or hell, the believing sister’s faith would not cover the sister who did not place her faith in Jesus and accept the gift of salvation. We are saved by faith alone, not by works, not by good standing in our local church, or by the generosity reflected in our bank statements. Faith alone; and we each must make this choice for ourselves.

Sola Gratia: by grace alone.
Sinners are saved only through the grace of God. It is solely, completely, only, the work of God. A claim that the grace of God requires any action beyond choice to place our faith in Christ Jesus to save us distorts the truth and delivers a false gospel. When we elevate the position and ability of mankind, we are taking the glory away from God.

Solus Christus: through Christ alone.
Salvation is obtained through Christ Jesus alone. There is no other name under Heaven by which we may be saved. Jesus said it best when He told his disciples He alone was the way, the truth and the life.

Soli Deo Gloria: for the glory of God alone.
We are saved not by any action or work of our own; all glory belongs to God. Paul’s words to the Ephesians are clear.

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The life we live in the body, we live for Christ, for God’s glory. It’s His work, His Spirit moving and breathing, all glory is His, and His alone. (Galatians 2:20)

So, what’s the bottom line?
Each of the five solas are completely, inextricably interwoven with the other four. If we were to add to, or take anything away from them, we would find ourselves walking in the dark and preaching a false gospel. A self gospel, rather than a saving gospel.

Friends, lean in.
We have to get this right, because this is the very foundation of what we believe. 

We are absolutely incapable of cleansing ourselves of sin. We are incapable of making the sacrifice required as payment for sin. We cannot “find our own truth” or create our own path to salvation, because we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory.

It is only possible to enter right standing with God through a faith relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. And we can take absolutely no credit for the transformative work of salvation; all glory belongs to God alone because salvation is a gift He extends to all who will receive it.

Throughout the Bible, we see countless examples of what transpired when mankind chose to add to God’s word with his own devices and intent.

David’s adultery and ensuing murder of an innocent man, fueled by his lust and desire to protect his own name and glory.

The Jewish people’s additions to the law and their religious spirits convinced them they could earn their way to right standing with God, but in fact, they missed the very Messiah God sent to save them.

Have you ever found yourself compromising when it comes to God’s Word? Can you recall a time when you found yourself softening Scriptural truth to an unbeliever . . . or a fellow believer? Or maybe even . . . yourself?

The truth is offensive.

We don’t like to believe we are sinners. We don’t like to hear we aren’t here to serve ourselves. It can feel uncomfortable to share those truths, even in love.

We’d each be lying if we said we’ve never fallen prey to the temptation to add to or “soften” the gospel message in our deep desire to avoid rejection. Do you remember that awful, sick feeling deep in your stomach?

Me, too. The feeling rushes back with nauseating clarity even as I type the words. Do you recall the result? I do. My witness was tarnished. In my need to be accepted, I traded big “T” Truth for the comforting lies of culture . . . and failed both my friend and my Savior.

Dear one, the ache of that grief hurts just as much today as it did when it was fresh. I am forgiven, but I pray I never forget the gravity of my mistake.

This is painfully uncomfortable, isn’t it? I’m with you. Same. This is a hard topic, but we must go here and hash it out. Because as a body of believers, if we don’t work through this here in our quiet places, we will venture into shaky ground out in the open, friend.

We must never allow ourselves to compromise what is true for the sake of cultural acceptance or the approval of man.

We serve an audience of One. We are called to share the reason for our hope here, in this day and age. And if we don’t have a firm grasp on what we believe and why we believe it, how can we expect to share the actual gospel message with anyone else, or even accept it for ourselves?

Father, I love and praise you. Thank You for being here with us as we wrestle through truth and recognize areas where You call us to repentance. I confess I have fallen short of delivering the truth about the gospel. Forgive me, and renew my mind and heart as You change me to be more like You. I believe the Bible is Your message to mankind, and to me, personally. I know I am a sinner, incapable of cleansing myself. I am saved through faith alone, by Your grace alone, through the saving sacrifice of Your son Jesus Christ alone, declared by Your Word alone, and for Your glory alone. My life belongs to you. Fill me with a desire to share the good news with those You send me. Everything I have is Yours alone.

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

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

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

Shielded Day 14 One Weapon: 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 One Weapon!

The Questions

1) Is Paul writing to a group of believers or individuals in these verses?

2) Who is our struggle against?

3) What is the armor of God?

Ephesians 6:10-17

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.

Original Intent

1) Is Paul writing to a group of believers or individuals in these verses?
Paul is writing a letter to the church in Ephesus. In the letter, Paul focuses on both unity in Christ and unity as believers. These verses are found in the latter section, applying to unity within the body of believers. Immediately before these verses, Paul is reminding the Ephesians of how they should live as the body of Christ. He then turns his attention to reminding them there is a constant battle going on and they need to be ready to engage in warfare. Much of the second half of Paul’s letter focuses on individual behavior and how that looks as a collective group of believers. The individual must be ready because if we aren’t ready individually the Church as a whole will not be fully armed.

2) Who is our struggle against?
Paul is extremely clear that our struggle is not against mankind. He names who the struggle is against in verse 11, the devil. He also reminds his readers our battle is against authorities, cosmic powers of the darkness, evil, and spiritual forces in the heavens. Put simply, the struggle is against Satan and his army. Expositor’s Bible Commentary reminds readers, “To Jesus Christ, it is very certain, Satan was no figure of speech; but a thinking and active being, of whose presence and influence He saw tokens everywhere in this evil world”. The enemy is real, and Paul didn’t want his audience to lose sight of that true reality.

3) What is the armor of God?
Paul specifically answers this question in verses 14-17 where he lists the armor believers in Jesus need to fight against the enemy. Believers need truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Word of God to fight. However, these things are not simply given to believers as automatic apparel. Paul instructs them to put them on, requiring action on the behalf of the believer. In these verses, Paul is encouraging the Ephesians to be on guard and always prepared for the battle coming towards them by actively employing the tools (armor) God has provided.

Everyday Application

1) Is Paul writing to a group of believers or individuals in these verses?
Paul meant this letter for a group of believers and that is true today as we apply it to our local churches. Paul’s words are meant just as much for us as a body of believers both in our unity to Christ and our unity to one another. Just as there were individual callings for his original audience, the same is true for us. Matthew Henry writes, “We have enemies to fight against, a captain to fight for, a banner to fight under, and certain rules of war by which we are to govern ourselves.”  It is both collective and individual. As you study this passage, what are some things the Holy Spirit is convicting you of as you follow Jesus as an individual who is part of a whole Body called the Church?

2) Who is our struggle against?
While we may be over 2,000 years removed from when Jesus walked on earth and when Paul wrote to the Ephesians, the truth about our enemy is no less true today than it was then. Jesus faced this struggle when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). If not even Jesus was above this very real struggle, we should not be quick to think we will be immune. While we know Jesus defeated death and the grave when He died on the cross and rose again, we also still live in a fallen world. Until the day Jesus returns and forever binds Satan in eternal separation from God, he roams the earth with the goal of defeating the Church and preventing the spread of the Gospel. Satan will use any tool at his disposal to achieve this goal. Satan wants nothing more than for us to fall back into sin and become ineffective for God’s Kingdom. While we know the end of the story and Who has the ultimate victory, we must live in the daily struggle against Satan until either Jesus returns or He calls us home.

3) What is the armor of God?
The armor of God is what we, as believers, need in order to withstand the schemes and attacks of Satan. We first must know truth, because as John 8:44 reminds us, in Satan there is no truth. Without truth, we have no hope and no firm anchor to steady ourselves against the deceitful attacks of the devil. Next, we need righteousness that comes from Jesus alone. We then need the Gospel of peace. Matthew Henry describes it this way, “the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another”.  Next, we need our shield which is found in faith. This faith is in both what Jesus has already done and what He is yet to finish. Through faith we cling to the truth of what only Jesus can do. Salvation is the next piece of armor. Salvation is both a moment in time when we accept what Jesus did for us, and a process as we grow in relationship with Him and are conformed more and more to His image. Last, is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which we find in Scripture. Jesus used God’s words when He faced Satan in the wilderness. Each of Satan’s three attacks resulted in Jesus answering with Scripture. When we have on this armor we are completely protected from the attacks Satan throws at us. It doesn’t prevent the attacks from coming, but it helps us withstand them. God knew we would face these attacks, and He lovingly made sure we would be ready for them by giving us the Holy Spirit and the tools we would need to fight.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with One Weapon!

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 Shielded 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.

The GT Weekend! ~ Treasure 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) “God wove holy work into our design as an act of love toward humanity.” That’s a pretty bold statement from our friend, Tawnya. In what ways do your views of your work contradict, or agree, or land somewhere in the middle of that statement? If God truly did create, and give, work as an act of love towards us, how might that reshape how we go about our work, regardless of what it is, where it is, or how we are reimbursed for that work? What specific steps can begin taking to “take back” a biblical view of the work God has lovingly given you?

2) As important as our work is in the grander view of building God’s Kingdom, whether we are doing dishes, inviting a neighbor for tea, or bringing together business deals, the enemy is always lurking around us, ready to tempt us to tie our identity to our work. It’s such an easy trap to fall into! When we succeed at our job, we feel we have won. Conversely, when we feel we have failed, the weight falls heavy on our hearts, affecting everything else. Learning to lean wholly on the truth of who God says we are, regardless of what we accomplish with our hands, will radically rewrite how we view ourselves and our work!

3) God not only fills us with life-giving purpose by calling us into eternal kingdom work, He also intentionally designed what we do here to echo into eternity. What we do with our time, our talent, and our treasure while we live on this temporal earth will matter in eternity. Because of this reality, the apostle Paul urges us to “run so you may obtain it (the prize)! (1 Corinthians 9:24) Run the race of your faith with purpose, intentionality, and with your eyes focused on the eternal, not the temporal. Only what’s done for Christ, through His power and by His love, will have forever impact!

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 1 Corinthians 9:22-24 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable.

Prayer Journal
“I do it all for the sake of the gospel…”. Lord, I read those words by Paul, and Your Spirit washes over me with new awareness of the work You have called me into. All things, for all people, whatever I’m doing, all for the gospel to be proclaimed, understood, and received by the same mighty Spirit Who empowers me to work at all. I’m humbled, Lord, and in awe of Your Work! You work in me, You fuel me to do Kingdom Work, You call me into purpose, and elevate everything I set my hands to as being potentially used to build Your eternal kingdom. Incredible grace, Lord! May I run this race well with each job ahead of me. From sweeping the floor, potty-training, meal planning, errand-running, or patience in my relationships…this is the work You’ve purposefully given me. Establish it with Your hands!

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

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Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Open Day 7 The Unconventional Open: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Unconventional Open!

The Questions

1) Can my faith in Christ save someone else?

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

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

Mark 2:1-12

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

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

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

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

Original Intent

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

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

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

Everyday Application

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

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

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

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

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

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

This is Open Week Two!
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Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Ignite 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) The Christian beliefs that have shaped the Church today are first and foremost anchored heavily in Scripture, but they were also bravely fought for by brothers and sisters down through the ages who loved the Savior, honored God’s Word supremely, and therefore, refused to give ground to lies over truth. When we believe a lie, it changes the landscape of our lives. Perhaps imperceptibly at first, but over time, the lies we believe grow, quickly taking ground in our hearts. Where are you and I believing lies over truth? There is only one way to know: search the truths of Scripture and pray for the Spirit to convict your heart as you seek His. Do this with me, Sister!

2) As you read through Paula’s Journey from Wednesday, you may notice that many of the “new ideas” brought about by the brave believers in the Middle Ages are commonplace to us in our everyday. We can thank the steadfast Christ-followers of this era for holding so tight and fast to Scripture, believing the message of God to be for more than rituals and mindless Latin expressions. The Spirit of God prompted them to push the envelope on what was common in “religion”, what was “the way we do it” in church life, and we still feel the rippling effects of what the Lord did through them. What would it look like for you to re-evaluate your regular, everyday faith journey and even how you view church, and held it up to the Scriptures? Where is God inviting you to carry His torch of truth?

3) Luther boldly nailed a document to the door of his local church body because he cared more about following Jesus and holding tight to the truth of Scripture than he did his own comfort or popularity. What if we all, as Christ-followers, truly loved the Church as a whole and each of our brothers and sisters in Jesus with that kind of love? A love that called out truth, but did it with grace. Who do you know who needs you to come alongside, offering truth and grace? Where do you need it? Write “truth and grace” in a place you will see it often this weekend as a reminder of how desperately we all need them both, then commit to living it!

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 1 John 1:6-7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Prayer Journal
Spirit! How deeply I need Your conviction! How often I need Your reminder to cling to truth and apply Your teaching in my everyday life! Convict my oft’ wandering heart of my sin, let me see it plainly. Fill my heart so abundantly with Your overwhelming love for others that I literally ache with pain to see another walking in darkness.
Give me boldness, like all those brothers and sisters who have gone before me, to love with grace and truth. Here in the precious place where Your blood covers our sin, Jesus, is sweet unity with one another and You. Lead Your Bride here, Abba Father! Bind us together in Your strong Name!

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

Seeds Day 5 Charged Up

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Galatians 5:16-18
Acts 1:6-11
Acts 3:1-16
Acts 4:13-32

Seeds, Day 5

For a long time I wrongly believed that in order to have the fruits of the Spirit flow from my life, I had to purpose in my heart to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, and all the rest. I thought my possessing Christ-like character required my first pulling myself up by my proverbial bootstraps and mustering up within myself the ability to live as the Spirit would have me live.

I blindly bought the lie that I just needed to try harder to be a “better version of myself”. This foray into legalism unfortunately lasted several years.

The lie that it “all depended upon me” doing better
never got me anywhere.

I’m sure you can imagine just how long my attempt to be a “better” person lasted! Within minutes of my feet hitting the floor on any given day, my dedication to be a more patient or loving person flew out the window as I lost my temper or allowed selfishness to reign supreme in my heart.

What I didn’t understand at the time, but am so passionate about sharing with women now, is this truth: The fruit of the Spirit is exactly that…a fruit of the Spirit, not of self.

While Galatians 5:22-23 outlines the characteristics of the fruit, we need to back up, pay close attention to context, and first read Galatians 5:16-18:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ….But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

If we want the fruits of the Spirit to be made manifest in our daily lives, we first must be walking by the Spirit (which we learn to do by reading the Word, praying, and listening for His voice). That is the prerequisite for those fruits becoming a natural part of our character. As we walk by the Spirit, who already resides in every believer, the manifestations of the Spirit will naturally rise to the surface in our lives.
No striving required!

The early church understood this reality.
Jesus had told them in Acts 1:8 they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.“

In Acts 3, Peter specifically testified to the reality of his power source after he healed a lame beggar by saying, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?”

Peter wasn’t attempting to perform great signs and wonders in his own strength.
Far from it!
He was operating from the power of the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ.

In Acts 4 we see what this kind of ministry was doing to the governing authorities of the time – they were getting angry!
They soon commanded the apostles to cease their healing ministries and refrain from proclaiming the name of Christ. In verses 29-31 the believers banded together and prayed, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants
to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders
are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, they continued to speak the word of God with boldness!

How would your life look different if you began to grasp the depth of power available within you as a temple of the Holy Spirit?
Would you cease your striving?
Would you proclaim truth with boldness?
Would you be more loving, patient, and kind?
Would you wake up with a sense of expectant readiness and excitement for all the Lord will accomplish in the day ahead?
Would you walk forward in joy, peace, and unwavering belief?

All of this and more can be said of every believer as we intentionally walk by the Spirit in everyday life. Don’t buy into the lie of the self-help gospel (which is no gospel at all!) that teaches you to rely on yourself and muster through.
That plan will neither succeed nor bear fruit.

What will bear much fruit is purposing to operate from the power of the Holy Spirit within our hearts every moment of every day, relying on His help, not self, to bring life and bear lasting fruit.

If that isn’t exciting, I don’t know what is!

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

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