unconditional

Beloved Day 3 Radical Love of Marriage

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Song of Solomon 1:1-11
Song of Solomon 5:2-8
Song of Solomon 8:5-14
Genesis 2:18-25
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Beloved, Day 3

Studying the Song of Solomon gave me a fuller perspective on marriage. The book describes the relationship between a man and a woman from its beginning, into marriage, and thereafter. All along, their relationship was marked by romance.

Their love was radical; it was original.
It was God’s kind of love, which is unconditional.
The couple compared the strength of their love to fire, saying many waters cannot quench it nor can rivers drown it. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)
No force, or condition, would alter their decision to love one another.

This is a picture of the marriage relationship God wants His children to enjoy.
He desires marriage relationships soaked in a deep friendship, emotional bonding, and physical pleasure; this is an enduring marriage. Though misunderstanding and disagreement arise, these cannot quench the love of a husband and wife who are committed to the perfect plan of God.

Marriage, we know, was instituted by God Himself with the command for two becoming one flesh. God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.” (Genesis 2:18) When the man saw the woman, he exclaimed, “This one at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken from man.”  Therefore, Scripture says, a husband leaves his parents to be united to his wife. Here within the mystery of radical love, God binds two into one. (Genesis 2:23-24)

God’s handiwork is marvelous! He made them two kinds, one man, one woman, but one pair with one intention. Our differences as individuals help us acknowledge we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator. (Psalm 139:14) Though two kinds, we complement each other, and our union achieves something altogether unique.
Oneness doesn’t mean sameness!
Within the context of marriage, God designed individuals to create a single bond together. We can celebrate our Maker God and His creativity on display in marriage!

Unfortunately, sometimes we fail to appreciate
the beautiful combination of our differences crafted by God,
instead elevating ourselves over our spouse.

We wish our spouses were more like us, so we could get things done our own way.
We want them to think our thoughts, follow the direction we go, and do what we want.
We forget our Maker crafted us as individuals to complement each other and fulfill His perfect plan for us in marriage, as opposed to our plan in our way! The apostle Paul told the Corinthian church regarding unity, “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?” (1 Corinthians 12:17)

If we want all things done our way,
we miss the beauty of the union.

Furthermore, it’s difficult to celebrate God’s creativity in crafting us as individuals
unless we first pursue a deep relationship with Christ.
Only in Christ, can we find our true identity and deepest delight.

We were once in darkness, following the inclinations of our sinful nature. Our Plan. Our Way. God the Father sent Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. Our faith in Christ has made us new creatures in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21); this is our new and true identity.

Finding our identity in Christ is one thing, choosing to remain in Him is another. The Lord Jesus said we must remain in Him, because without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) When we fail to remain in Him, we hold on to our old, selfish nature of sin.
This selfish nature is all about having our way, even if it is wrong.

But if we choose to remain in Christ, He fills us with His radical, sacrificial love.
This is the love that drove Him to the cross to pay for sins He did not commit.
He willingly put Himself in our place, receiving the punishment meant for us,
so we may have fullness of life in Him.

We must learn sacrificial love from Him.
According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, His love is patient and kind,
it is not jealous or boastful, proud, or rude.
It does not demand its own way, neither is it irritable nor keeps a record of wrongs.
It never gives up, never loses faith, but is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.

This is the love expected of us whose Master is the Lord Jesus.

As I was preparing to write this study, I spoke with my husband, and he said something that hurt me deeply. I almost reacted negatively, but immediately the Holy Spirit reminded me love is patient and kind, and not easily provoked. I was humbled and quickly refrained from being angry. The Bible says love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

When we surrender our control to the Holy Spirit, our pattern of thinking changes.
Radically, we begin appreciating one another as individuals. When we look at our spouse through the lens of a lovingly handcrafted being with unique gifts, talents, and insights, our appreciation for God and our spouse both broadens and deepens.

When we firmly root our identity in God,
appreciate our spouses as individuals,
and share a common aim of pursuing and honoring the Lord together,
our relationship allows radical romance to thrive in our marriages!

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Neighbor Day 1 The Neighbor Kids

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Psalm 78:1-8
Luke 10:25-37
1 John 3:16-24

Neighbor, Day 1

“We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next door neighbor,” declared G.K. Chesterton. I believe the same truth applies to our families. Often, we subconsciously think of family as an entity apart from friend, foe, or neighbor.

For a LONG time in my life, family was in its own, separate category. I took family for granted, treating them in ways I would not treat anyone else. Familiarity can, indeed, breed contempt, and I was caught in its trap.

Something shifted, however, when I began to view my family as humans, and even more so when I applied the Biblical definition of neighbor to my loved ones. I believe we can and should view family as our neighbors, neighbors whose relational ties grant us access to their lives to show them Good Samaritan love.

I am both a mother and an aunt: mother to three, aunt to twenty nieces and nephews. There are 23 children in my life whom God chose for me to love like my neighbors.

Apart from my three children, most of my nieces and nephews do not actually live near me. Yet, they most certainly have been placed in my proverbial path, along with many other special kids from church and my neighborhood.

As Deuteronomy instructs, we can take on the mantle of responsibility and privilege to speak of Jesus not just to the children we bore from our own bodies, but the ones our brothers’ wives and sisters bore from theirs. We point them to God’s standard of holiness, while also and always reminding them of His promise to clothe us in His robes of righteousness when we fall short of that standard. (Colossians 2:13-15)

Whether it’s our nieces, nephews, or the kids down the street, we can demonstrate unconditional love both in word and deed.

A simple way to demonstrate love is to make eye contact when they are speaking or sharing something of import with us. We can forget how children, in particular, need that very sensory-oriented connection with us. Put the phone down to look at them. If your only interaction with them is when you greet them with a hug and say goodbye with another hug, be sure to look them in the eye. Giving them our whole attention in this manner declares both their value and our love for them.

Show interest in whatever interests them. This may involve a learning curve, especially as the age gap deepens. Even with my own children, I’ve had to posture myself as a student of their interests. We can sit with them and ask questions about the sport they play, the internet game they’re into, or the books they read. We might even do a little research ahead of time to know what questions to ask.

Another simple strategy is to recognize special days in their lives. Remember birthdays with a gift, card, or even just a phone call. We can request a heads-up for sporting events, fine arts performances, and any other extracurricular activity with which our nieces and nephews might be involved. Then, we can attend, if possible, or send a note of remembrance or encouragement to them ahead of their event. Celebrate championships, or even just a goal scored at their game.

As children grow older and have access to email or social media platforms, it’s easy to follow them and comment on their posts. This communicates that though we don’t see them daily, we think about them often. God has written them on your heart.

I encourage you to press in when you know they’re going through a challenging season. During a visit to my brother’s house, two of my nieces had a tough morning and simply couldn’t make themselves go to school that day. My brother and sister-in-law had to work, but I was still home visiting.

I took the opportunity to seek my nieces out in their pain, and asked if they wanted to talk. Surprisingly, they did. Both girls opened up to me about performance anxiety and hard social dynamics at school. Though they both had shared these troubles with their parents, there is something unique about being able to share it with an adult who is NOT one’s parent.

Being an aunt or uncle is an invitation to be a confidant, if we’re willing to press into the painful moments, too.

When we allow God to frame our view of neighbor to include our family, we ask God to give us a vision for demonstrating selfless love to our particular family, with its specific interests and needs. We can trust Him to guide and empower us to love our family like our neighbors.

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

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The GT Weekend! ~ Kaleidoscope 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) Only humility born out of true, genuine, unconditional love is able to love the unlovely when they least deserve it. To not think of themselves so special and important that to love another would be beneath them is the kind of love God modeled for us. Loving like this is in our everyday life is ridiculously impossible in our own human ability. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit are we able to love with strong humility like Jesus! Prayerfully consider those people, or even types of people, you feel are beneath you to love. Don’t shy away in disgust to think you could have that kind of entitlement, we all do. Be honest, and let the Lord speak tenderly to your heart, bringing His refreshing love.

2) I have been convicted of rudeness in my life recently. As the Lord opened my eyes to it, I began seeing it everywhere in how I treated others and I saw it rubbing off in how my kids treated others as well. It wasn’t blaring or blatant, but there were consistent instances of rudeness marking our days. Just as the Lord spoke to me about my rude habits, so I began speaking to my children with the same kind and gentle, yet convicting manner, “Is that a loving choice? Were you rude or generous?”. Consider doing something similar this next week and begin observing where you might be “taking the exit of Rude”. Where, or with whom, is the Lord calling you to choose love over rude?

3) “Love is not easily angered.”  If all you did this weekend was dwell on these words from the Lord, it would be a weekend well spent. It’s easy to jump into anger, isn’t it? And we almost always feel justified when we do. The next time you feel the urge to become angry, or annoyed, slow down and consider why you feel your rights have been infringed upon. Ask yourself how you are honoring and loving the other person, and the Lord, by becoming angry. Make an “easily angered” journal, noting what kind of events spark your anger. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you His power to choose love over anger.

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 13:3 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing

Prayer Journal
Lord God, it’s difficult for me to grasp the magnitude of Your un-ending, un-conditional love for me and all of humanity. I struggle loving the people within the four walls of my home sacrificially! I want to love better than I do. I’m not saying this with a self-pity, “I love horribly” attitude, but as genuinely and authentically as I can muster, “I want to love others better.” Remind me that “good deeds” piled end-to-end will never be anything but dust in the wind if love is not my motivator. Teach me to love like You love me. Teach my hands, my eyes, my tongue, Oh Lord my Tongue! Teach me to love that the world might see You!

Worship Through Community

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Prodigal Day 5 Not By Your Strength

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 15:20-32
Matthew 11:28-30
Revelation 22:17
Psalm 139:1-12attachment-1-27

I was just five years old when I found my life verse. It was an accident, really. I opened up my Bible one evening to read a Bible verse to my family:
“Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

“Mama! This is Chuckie’s verse!” I exclaimed, thinking only of my cousin in that very moment. He and I were two peas in a pod; we were peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump would say. Born just a month apart, we shared everything from birthday parties to the same kindergarten teacher. My little cousin had endured more than the average five year old. Due to his parents’ divorce, he was shuffled back and forth between a working mom, a working dad, and my house, where we would spend most of our time playing together while having cloud-watching picnics and climbing trees. These verses were for him. He had a rough life, but if he came to Jesus, then Jesus would give him rest. This verse has been special to me ever since, and I have remembered it time and time again as I endured my own heavy burdens.

The Bible is speckled with “come to Jesus” verses, and many songs have been written with the same theme. Every single Sunday for many years, my little Baptist church would stand and sing:
Just as I am without one plea
But that Thou blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Many Sundays I would watch people walk down one of the aisles to the pastor standing at the front, as they would come to Jesus, sometimes for the first time, and sometimes for the first time in a long time. Each knowing that it was no longer their own strength that brought them home, but it was the welcome of a God who loved them despite their wanderings.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, we read about both sons “coming” home. The first comes home after a season of destruction and poor decisions. He comes home after hitting rock bottom. The second comes home after a long and tiring day of working in the fields. He comes home after his tasks for the day are complete.

As they both come home seeking rest – of the spirit for one son and of the body for the other – neither of them make it into the house alone.

The first son comes home full of shame and guilt. He is dirty, he is spent, he is ashamed, he is alone. He comes home clothed in humility, seeking the forgiveness of his father. He doesn’t make it very far before his father
comes
to
him.

He doesn’t just come. He runs.

He sees his wandering son’s return, and he runs to him to embrace him and rejoice in his coming home.

The second son comes home full of aches and exhaustion. He is marked with dirt, his bones need rest, his self-sufficiency has made him arrogant, his pride has fed into anger. He also is alone. He comes home with the air of a man who just worked hard for his father. He doesn’t make it very far before he stops.

He hears music. He smells delicious food. There is a celebration going on inside and it has nothing to do with him. He stands there, flabbergasted and angry when he hears the celebration is in honor of his brother. But he doesn’t stand there long before his father
comes
to
him.

I once was in the shoes of the first son. Maybe you have been, too. Rock bottom… filing for bankruptcy, signing divorce papers, walking into the soup kitchen or food pantry, staring at the negative sign on the bank statement, looking at a positive on the results of a test… the depths of despair.

And with that despair, I found myself returning to the Father. I found myself coming home. But I didn’t have to go all the way, because my Father was already waiting for me. His welcome was already waiting as my own strength was waning. 

I have also been in the shoes of the second son. Maybe you’ve found yourself with those same feelings, as well. Frustrated, because you have just given every last penny you had to the Lord, but you see your friend’s family being blessed abundantly in their finances. Annoyed, because you have served Sunday after Sunday in the nursery with no recognition and there is a new lady at church who is already on the worship team, with her face ten times bigger than life on the screen above everyone’s head. Angry, because you have worked hard for the Lord and you are exhausted and worn and weary, but you feel completely lost and forgotten.

And in that frustration, annoyance, or anger, I have found myself coming home. Burdened with pride, but finding I didn’t have to go all the way, because my Father was already waiting for me then, too. His welcome was already waiting. 

You see, the Father knows us. He knows the most detailed and intimate parts of our thoughts. He knew exactly what would happen before we would come to Him with all of our brokenness, so He could give us rest.
And He knew exactly how hard we would work to serve Him and see His Kingdom come. And He knows that we will be tired, and we will be worn, and we will need rest.

So, He comes to us.
Ready to offer our burdened spirits rest.
Ready to give our weary bodies rest.
He comes regardless of our effort.
Regardless of our goodness.
Regardless of the stench of our sin.

But, only after we’ve realized that we want to come to Him.
He waits until we are ready to come home,
and then He shows us that He came a long time ago.

So, wherever you find yourself, whether you are just now hitting the depths of despair, or whether you are in the middle of a season of hard work… know that whenever you are ready to come to the Father, He will know, and He will already be waiting for you.

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

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Sketched Day 2
Jezebel: 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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Deuteronomy 7:6-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. 11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today. 12 “And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers.

The Questions

1) Who initiated the relationship between Israel and God?

2) According to this passage, what are some reasons that the Israelites should obey God’s commandments?

3) How do we interpret the negative side of this passage in verse 10-11?

4) Where does this passage fit into the whole story of the Bible?

The Findings for Intention

1) This passage makes it clear that God was the one who chose Israel to be His people. The Israelites had done nothing to deserve this treasured status—it was only because of His love.

2) Going verse by verse, we see that the Israelites should obey God because they were holy (which means, set apart) and that they were chosen and treasured by God. They were his possession. They were undeserving, yet loved. They should obey Him because He was keeping His oath with their forefathers, and because He brought them out of slavery in Egypt. They should obey Him because He is God! He is faithful and His love is steadfast.

3) We prefer to think about God’s faithfulness only in its positive terms, but the truth is that God is always faithful, or true to Himself. He is constant and unchanging, and He keeps His promises. Therefore, when God promises blessing to those who faithfully serve Him, we can be sure He will bless us, but when He promises punishment to those who reject Him, we can be sure that He will punish them. He is holy, and He cannot allow for sin to go unchecked—just as a good judge would not let a criminal go free.

4) The whole Bible is one big story of how God is redeeming His people through His Son, Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy was written long before Christ came, just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. It was Moses reminding them of the law they had been given, and urging them to follow God’s commands. In those days, the Israelites were living under the Abrahamic covenant, which promised them blessing if they obeyed God’s commands. Here, Moses is reminding them of the faithfulness of their God, and that He rewards people with the reward they deserve—whether good or bad.

The Everyday Application

1) This calling of Israel to be God’s people was undeserved—just as our calling to be a child of God is undeserved. We are entirely broken and wholly separated from a righteous God because of our sin….which we can not remove! No one deserves the lavish love of grace given through Jesus, but unfathomably, He offers Himself to us. Praise God, who gives us so much undeserved grace!

2) The reasons that should have motivated Israel to follow God were things that were true about them, regardless of their behavior. God had chosen them and loved them, they were holy to Him, they were His possession. These things are true of Christians, as well. Sisters, let’s see God’s grace as the motivation to be He calls us to be — holy! We are too deeply loved to walk away and strive for anything less than loving others the way we have been loved!

3) It’s a sobering truth that punishment awaits those who reject God’s offer of total pardon through the sacrifice of His perfect Son, Jesus. The reality is that none of us can even hope to be good enough for God, we would need to be perfect in every thought, every action, every motivation. Utterly Impossible! If you have not yet trusted in Christ’s death and resurrection for your salvation, do not delay! And if you are already secure in Christ, let this truth motivate you to care about your lost friends and neighbors and to share Christ with them. May your compassion for their hearts and souls outweigh any fears you may have in sharing real, eternal hope!

4) Although the Old Testament prescribed rules by which Israel was to honor God, it was the faith behind their actions that saved them — just as it is faith in Christ, apart from works, that saves us today. Praise God that He is faithful to forgive us, and that we don’t have to earn our salvation!

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

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Sketched!