Yes?

Sketched VII Day 3 Following

1 Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 14:25-33
Matthew 9:9-13
Matthew 7:24-27

Sketched VII, Day 3

These are the stories of the women behind Gracefully Truthful. How God led them here, and how He has grown their hearts to know Him deeper and love others more fully, as a result of stepping out in obedience.

—-

Kendra
The message came across my screen: “Kendra, I read some of your blogs and I was wondering if you’d be interested in writing for an online women’s Bible study?”

I bounced one of my twin daughters on my hip while I set my coffee down and responded without much thought: “YES!”

I was excited for an opportunity to be creative and pour myself into something different than hanging cloth diapers and cooking dinner. Little did I know how the Lord would use this to grow me.

As Gracefully Truthful continued to form, and I began writing Journey Studies,
a shift occurred in me.
God’s Word became more precious than ever because I was studying it through a new lens of learning so I could hold out truth to others.
The more I studied, the more I knew my Jesus.

That initial text came almost four years ago, and more life and death has happened in those four years than I would’ve ever imagined. Gracefully Truthful became my community, it became the consistent “thing” keeping me rooted in God’s word when my life crumbled around me. Looking back on Journeys I’ve written, I can see the journey of my heart as I learned what it means to write with vulnerability and transparency while trusting my Savior. This story isn’t about me, and every word if it points the God who sustains me despite my brokenness.

I haven’t arrived.
I’m not preaching from a mountain that others have yet to climb.
I am standing in the middle of the valley, my hand outstretched towards other sisters, while clinging to the truth of Scripture and the life God offers there.

Wherever you are, whatever your mess, God wants the same for you as He’s shown me….to use it for His glory!

Michelle
One of the biggest reasons I have grown deeper in my relationship with the Lord is attributed to women.

Women in high school who hosted Bible Studies.
Women in college who discipled me and showed me how Scripture study was tied to knowing Jesus more intimately.

Women in small groups sharpening me, pushing me, challenging me and reproaching me.
Women who have anchored their lives in God’s Word and have been activated as Kingdom Builders as a result.

Because of other women pointing me to Scripture, and watching my own heart grow deep from study, I am convinced of the high value of every woman studying God’s Word and applying it to their everyday lives.

I have seasons where I struggle to stay connected to God closely through His Word. I desire it, but life gets busy and I give way to excuses. Being connected in ministry with Gracefully Truthful provides personal accountability for me to be in the Word, actively applying it, and intentionally reaching out to encourage other women.

Writing assignments push me to research a passage for deeper understanding or clarity on a Scripture. I love studying His Word; it becomes more precious every time I read!

Often, something I’ve read from my personal time with the Lord is exactly the passage a person I run into that day resonates with, or it fits within the context of something I’m writing about. The beauty of following Jesus is that as we step out, He already knows where He is taking us.

We are guaranteed immense peace, joy and life to the full when following Jesus.
We are also promised persecution, and often suffering comes along for the ride. I struggle in being vulnerable in this suffering while writing. Worse yet is fear running rampant in my brain. I fear I will get labeled in someone’s mind as a goody-two-shoes for writing about the Bible. It’s a regular choice to proclaim truth rather than be concerned about another’s judgement. I pray regularly that He may be made great through my tiny contributions to GT as I follow one small step after another.

Sara
Have you ever been in a season with the Lord where you have a greater desire to obey the nudges you are receiving from Him, but aren’t sure what that looks like?
A few years ago, that quite accurately described me.

I knew the Lord was telling me to use my writing ability for His glory; however, I had no idea of the outlet. A random (ha! More like the direct orchestration of the Lord) moment in my church lobby with one of the current Gracefully Truthful writers opened a sudden and unexpected door; it was a perfect invitation to obey the Lord and I became a writer for Gracefully Truthful.

As I write my Journey Studies, I find the Lord so faithfully grows me through the process. Before the words formulate in my mind, I’ve had to learn how to listen for His voice through the Word and in prayer. I have experienced the joy of the Lord changing me in order to bless other women through words crafted on the page.

I’ve also discovered the beauty of being a vessel through which the Lord can move. Two things motivate me when writing a journey study: glorifying the Lord and encouraging the reader to draw closer to Him. Becoming a writer for Gracefully Truthful was one my steps of obedience as I followed Jesus, but those steps are all over the place for me and for you! He’s calling each of us; will you follow?!

Audra
Ministry has always been a part of my life and I had long waited in anticipation of becoming a missionary and moving abroad to share the gospel with those who are different than me. As I studied Scripture, I grew to understand that living missionally takes on many different forms. I began asking God to show me what my mission would be.

I carry many roles as wife, mom, small group leader, speaker, and author. As I’ve walked more closely with God He reveals how each of these are my mission field.  Living on mission doesn’t necessarily mean being called to a specific place, job, or people. Rather, it’s about being ready and able to testify of who God is wherever you go and whoever you’re with.

It was a few months before my wedding in Kansas City. Being from the Bahamas, I was doing most of my wedding planning online, which is how I was introduced to the ministry of Gracefully Truthful. Merry happened to be on our list for potential wedding photographers and she, obediently following the Lord’s whisper, “randomly” asked if I was a writer because she felt God put me on her heart to be the newest GT Partner.

I said yes!

But she didn’t realize I had been stalking GT and thinking how amazing it would be to write for them, but felt I wasn’t good enough.

I had never applied, but God had been working in my heart, going before me and preparing the way for me to follow.

GT’s mission lined up perfectly with my own passion to encourage and equip women to study Scripture and live out their own mission in following God. I couldn’t imagine what mission-living looked like for me, but God did. He stirred my heart with His passions then lovingly provided a place where I could communicate His heart for His daughters.

You don’t need to know all the answers and end-goals either; just follow!

Merry
I was several months pregnant with my youngest, caring for two toddlers, working part time and running a business, while also preparing to take college classes again when Rebecca reached out to me about writing for Gracefully Truthful. To be honest, absolutely nothing about writing for this ministry seemed to make sense in the natural, but unbeknownst to Rebecca, God had called me to write several years prior to that day.

When He first spoke to me about writing, I shrugged it off as crazy. But when I saw Becca’s message, the Lord brought me back to that moment in an instant.

So, I said yes.

You know, a kind of crazy thing happens when you start to say “yes” to God: He begins to give you more opportunities to say “yes”… and to keep saying it. Gracefully Truthful was one of those first “yesses” for me.

Being part of this writing team has been a stretching, challenging obedience which has forced me to examine what I believe, why I believe it, and whether or not I choose to submit every part of my mind, heart and life to God and actually live it.

Because here’s the thing: it’s all well and good to write for a women’s ministry or blog, or fill-in-your-blank, but the truth is that you can’t write the things the Lord calls you to write without actually also doing those things. You can’t sit behind a computer screen and let Holy Spirit flow through you to encourage and challenge other women to experience the fullness of God in everyday life without also actually experiencing the fullness of God in your everyday life. 

This Gracefully Truthful journey has required sacrifices of time, energy, sleep, and so much more, but it has also reaped a harvest of growth, transformation, commitment to reading and applying Scripture rightly and a passion to help women understand who they are in Christ and how to cooperate with the story He’s writing.

And in the end, if I really believe what Scripture and Holy Spirit show me to be true, how can I keep any part of myself from Him? I don’t know about you, but I want to walk out every measure of what He has for me to do here in His Kingdom. Whatever that looks like. Wherever that takes me. Whatever He requires. It’s all His and for His glory, anyway.
I’m just along for the ride.

How will you follow?
What’s your next YES of obedience?!

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

A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VII Week 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 Sketched VII!

Open Day 3 Pineapple Power

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Kings 17:8-16
Romans 5:12-21
Hebrews 11:1-40

Open, Day 3

“Did you know pineapple is the symbol for hospitality?” Someone asked my friend this over the weekend. While I found myself nodding because I did actually know that random fact, it was not until I googled the why behind it I began to realize the timeliness of that question.

Based on the articles I read (just google: pineapple hospitality), the pineapple originally became a symbol of hospitality in the 1600s in Europe. Pineapples had to be shipped from tropical locations, and this, in turn, required significant investment by those purchasing them. They became a marker of the wealth and status of that home. If someone attended a party with a pineapple present or served, they knew their host had spared no expense for their guests and the overall experience. Articles stated that people even rented pineapples for their parties to have on display in order to achieve this goal.

As time passed and methods for growing pineapples in other climates became functional, the pineapple transitioned to a true symbol of hospitality accessible to more than the elite. The 19th century marked the shift as pineapples became a literal centerpiece to Christmas celebrations.

By now you may be wondering why the pineapple question is timely or even how it is relevant to a story in the Old Testament. No, you have not randomly missed a pineapple reference in the Word; however, hospitality is truly something evidenced throughout Scripture. In fact, one such story demonstrates hospitality being shown with great cost and great obedience.
A biblical pineapple, if you will. Turn with me to 1 Kings 17.

Here we find the prophet Elijah, hiding by a brook after declaring to King Ahab that a severe drought had been appointed by the Lord. The Lord had told him to go to there while also commanding ravens to bring him bread and meat.
Can you imagine that?!
Ravens, literally the birds of the air, were feeding Elijah!

Elijah had obeyed in informing King Ahab of the impending lack of water, then followed the leading of the Lord to hide. In the midst of all of that, the Lord provided his needs by commanding the birds of air. Elijah stayed at this “air bnb” site ordained by the Lord until the brook dried up. At that point, Elijah heard the Lord direct him to the next point of hospitality, our pineapple centerpiece.

Enter the widow of Zaraphath.
Have you read verses 8-16? Go ahead and read those if you haven’t yet, (just click the link!) and come join us back here.

Now, put yourself in the shoes of each character for a moment.
What might it have been like to be either of these people in this interaction?
Could you have spoken with the boldness of faith of Elijah?
Could you have served with the same sacrificial humility of the widow?

I find myself wrestling with both of these questions.
Could I?
Would I?

But as I ponder the Word, the more I see the steely resolve undergirding both individuals.
You know what that resolve is?

Obedience.

A continual “yes” to trusting that what the Lord has spoken will come to pass.
What He has promised will be fulfilled.
His very character and heart are to be trusted.

Elijah is walking into this conversation with some history that cannot be denied.
Remember that word given to King Ahab just a few verses earlier?
If I were Elijah, I would have planted myself by the water, watching it flow vivaciously, and begun to second guess if I’d heard the Lord correctly.
Who knows how long I would have sat there before I began realizing it hadn’t rained in some time or, on waking in the morning my clothes were not damp with dew. Even then I may have rationalized it was just not raining in my area.
But then the brook began to dry up, the water level quickly decreasing.
The water flow no longer lulled me to sleep.
My source of water began to disappear, which could only be caused by a lack of water upstream. My faith may have started out small, but unlike the brook, my faith level continued to rise.
The Lord was faithful to His Word.

It is with this prolonged confirmation Elijah left the now dry river bed and sought out the widow. He solidly knew that just as the Lord commanded ravens to feed him, so the Lord had commanded the widow to care for him.

Now, I don’t know what the widow’s exchange with the Lord included, but at some juncture she heard the Lord direct her to care for Elijah. Her faith astounds me as well.

The woman is literally collecting sticks to create a fire on which she will cook the last of the dough in the house when she is asked for a bite to eat.
How much did logic wage war with faith in her heart?

Was this her pineapple of hospitality?
Counting the cost of speeding up the starvation process in order to serve a perfect stranger?

As the Lord repeatedly demonstrates throughout Scripture, He delighted in multiplying what was needed.

Both Elijah and the widow received the reward of their faith and were sustained throughout the drought. The Lord ordained Elijah to be the mouthpiece declaring both the beginning and end of the drought.

What would have happened if the widow had declined her role in this story?

Hospitality may not always be convenient or comfortable, but, my dear sister, I pray that when you sense the nudge of the Lord to open your arms, your table, and your heart,
you count the cost and obey with all you’ve got.
The Lord rewards such faith, and that is sweeter than any pineapple!

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 Open 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 Open!

Seeds Day 4 Will You Say Yes?: Digging Deeper

2 Comments

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 Will You Say Yes?!

The Questions

1) Who was the author and who was the audience?

2) What does a “heart of stone” indicate?

3) How does keeping rules differ from obeying them?

Ezekiel 11:19-20

19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Original Intent

1) Who was the author and who was the audience?
Ezekiel (meaning “God will strengthen” or “God will harden”) was a prophet-priest whose father was named Buzi (Ezekiel 1:3). His ministry was within the nation of Judah during its time of Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. The entire Israelite nation was the audience for Ezekiel’s prophecies though he proclaimed them specifically to captive Judah. The majority of the prophecies from God concerned His coming judgment of the nation.
This passage actually lies in the middle of the judgment prophecies. God, speaking through Ezekiel, tells the Israelites that after His judgment of them there would come a time when He would make such a radical change within them to bring about right obedience. The new heart He would give them would be tender towards and faithful to Him. This heart would be an entirely new creation; a heart of flesh and not stone. (Ezekiel 11:19)

2) What does a “heart of stone” indicate?
God through Ezekiel described the Israelite nation as having a heart of stone. This describes their spiritual condition: sinful, rebellious, prideful, and unwilling to be malleable and change. They had chosen idolatry and worship of false gods over dedication to the One True God. They were blind to the damage they had done, the havoc it was wreaking all around them and the quickly coming judgment. A stony, hard heart is selfish! As long as their tiny little world is twirling in perfect harmony to meet their needs, they do not care what wreckage lies in their wake. In the Israelites’ case, they had wrecked the most precious relationship of all, the one with their Creator.

3) How does keeping rules differ from obeying them?
Sometimes another translation helps to enlighten the meaning of Scripture. The NAS (New American Standard) puts verse 20 this way, “they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” But even then, the meaning can be vague and we aren’t sure of the differences in words. This is where a word study of the original language plays a key role. Plug the verse reference into studylight.org and click “Strong’s interlinear Bible” to see the verse in its original language. Scroll over each word to see the Greek or Hebrew correlation.
“Statutes” is defined as a prescribed limit; this would be similar to guardrails on the highway in our modern day. To go beyond the guardrails spells disaster, damage, and even death; the same is true for God’s statutes.
“Ordinance” carries the idea of a judgement declaration, or the ruling outcome of a judicial case. Because the Lord God is perfectly righteous and just, all of His rulings are flawless and perfect. When He enacts a ruling, we can be assured it is the very best, the most perfect rule that is possible.
To sum up, the original language points us to a reality where God’s design for life, His paths, His judgement calls on how to live life are the absolute best. No one can improve upon them. But neither can we actually live them out. His ways are perfect and ours are sin-wreaked. How could we possibly hope to live out our lives in the way God has perfectly designed? This is exactly Ezekiel’s emphasis.

Everyday Application

1) Who was the author and who was the audience?
While most prophets only proclaimed verbally the messages they had received from God, Ezekiel employed a variety of techniques. He even put on some street performances (Ezekiel 4:1 – 5:4) to demonstrate the judgment God would surely bring if the people did not turn from their sinful ways and acknowledge Him.
If you’ve spent any time involved in children’s ministry or teen/young adult ministry, you know that some creativity is needed in order to reach these groups. Mere words do not seem to reach through to their hearts; they need visual aids. (Moms, can I get an amen?) Perhaps Ezekiel was the most forward-thinking prophet of the Bible! His methods did finally reach the people…after seeing with their own eyes the prophecies being fulfilled. So have faith, sisters, your kingdom work is making a difference, even if you can’t tell yet. Continue to serve in the capacity that the Lord has called you; He will bless the work and He will bless you for your obedience.

 2) What does a “heart of stone” indicate?
A “heart of stone” or a “hard heart” cannot comprehend the ways of the Lord because it has chosen self over Christ. After Pharaoh persisted in stopping his ears against the Lord, continuously choosing himself over the Lord, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even farther than Pharaoh himself had already done. (Exodus 9:12) Despite Pharaoh’s hard heart, God still used his idolatry of self to display God’s glory through the redemption of the Israelites from slavery. Scripture warns us not to harden our hearts and be aware of those times when we are actively pushing against God. In fact, Proverbs 28:14 states, “Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Dear ones, I know life is messy and difficult and hurtful, but we are to focus on Jesus, not the world around us. By giving our attention and our devotion to the Lover of our souls, He will ensure we are not destroyed and will bring us deep life in the process!

 3) How does keeping rules differ from obeying them?
God said Israel’s heart was stone cold, dead, to God’s life-giving ways because all they sought after was themselves. The Lord declared that, as Israel is punished for her rebellion, God would indeed bring her back to Himself. There would be a day when He would remove Israel’s heart of stone and give her a heart of flesh, a heart filled with God’s desires to walk in God’s ways.
This prophecy for Israel was fulfilled as their time of exile ended and they returned back to God and His ways for a short time. This prophecy foreshadowed a time when the Holy Spirit would dwell within the heart of every believer, making them new and transforming their hearts. One day, the prophecy will be fulfilled in its fullest sense as every believer will dwell personally with God for all eternity and we will sin no more!
Are there any among us who can say that we have always obeyed God – or our parents, for that matter? That old sinful nature gets in the way all of the time, doesn’t it? How wonderful it is that Our Heavenly Father is compassionate toward us just as He was to Israel! He continually chastens us (gently) to remind us of our waywardness and guides us back into right relationship with Himself.
Dear sisters, let us pray that we would be aware of the condition of our hearts. If hardness starts to set in, let’s allow the Lord to replace it with tenderness. If we find ourselves disobeying, let’s repent of it and ask God’s forgiveness and His help to obey. And, like Merry, let’s choose obedience even before we know exactly what the Lord asks of us…because we know He is Good!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Will You Say Yes?!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

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

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Seeds Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

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

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

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

Study Tools

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

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

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

Memorize It!

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

Seeds Day 3 Will You Say Yes?

Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 2:42-47
Acts 4:32-37
Ezekiel 11:19-20
Matthew 5:14-16

Seeds, Day 3

The autumn sky was pitch dark outside my window, but I read my Bible by the light of the lamp as I sipped my coffee. As I turned the page, a question nudged my spirit.

Will you say yes?

I set my coffee cup down on the table beside me. “Yes to what?” I wondered aloud. “What are You asking me to do?” I waited, listening intently, but my question was met with silence so I turned my attention back to the Scriptures I had been reading. My children began to stir, and soon my once quiet time was peppered with squeals and laughter as our morning began with gusto.

A few days passed, but in the middle of the mundane, His quiet question pressed into my spirit again.

Will you say yes?

I took a breath. So this is going to be one of THOSE kinds of conversations, huh? I thought. Okay, I’ll bite. “I don’t understand, Father,” I responded. “I don’t know what You’re asking. How can I give you an answer when I don’t even know what You’re asking me to do?”

Silence again. Go figure, I thought ruefully.

Another week or so went by before He pressed again, as I scrubbed pots and pans in my kitchen sink.

Will you say yes?

Conviction split through my spirit as understanding washed over me. He wasn’t asking me to do something in that very moment. He was asking if I would be obedient when He called on me.

Tears filled my eyes and repentance flooded my heart. Yes, Father. Of course, I will. Forgive me for putting my desire for knowledge and control above your authority. Yes. I will say yes, whatever it is You ask of me.

Have you ever been there, friend? Faced with the realization that your devotion to God was not as deep or all-encompassing as you had thought? Me too.

I think part of the issue is that we don’t understand what it means to really be devoted to something or someone. A quick Google search tells us the word devote is defined as giving all or a large portion of one’s time or resources to something.

Acts 2 tells us the early believers were devoted to four things:

  • the Apostles’ teaching (what we now know as Scripture)
  • to fellowship
  • to the breaking of bread
  • to prayer

Can we say the same, Loves?

If we are forced to take a hard look at our lives and where we consistently choose to invest our most valuable resources, can we truthfully say we give all or a large portion of our time or resources to studying the Word? To fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ? To eating meals together in our homes – with others who are not a part of our nuclear family? To prayer?

Or are we devoted to:

  • our favorite TV show?
  • our social media?
  • our relationships?
  • our career?
  • our self?

Will you receive a little more truth in grace from me today, friend? Do you think maybe one of the reasons the church in America is not seeing the exponential growth we see happening in other countries is because we don’t have our priorities and life rhythms in the right place?

What do you think it would it look like if we made a shift, right now, today?

What would it look like if instead of carving out fifteen minutes during our morning routine, we suddenly, passionately craved studying the Word day and night?
What would happen if we didn’t naturally have that desire, but we prayed and asked God to cultivate it in us?

What would it look like if we began to spend the majority of our time investing in the relationships of our families, yes, but also our other brothers and sisters in Christ? What if we began to open our homes and schedules, and began to pour into those who’ve been adopted into God’s family with us?

What would it look like if we began to share our meals and tables and hearts with others? If we began to organically introduce others to Christ, not through posts on social media or t-shirts with faith-filled sayings, but through the way we actually live and love as representatives of Christ on earth?

What would it look like if we became a people devoted to prayer, to dialoguing with the Trinity without ceasing?

Do you feel that, Love? If you have a personal relationship with Christ, that stirring is the Holy Spirit inside of you. As daughters of God and followers of Jesus, we were made to live this way. Anything less is not His best for us or those around us, and His Spirit within us cries out for more.

If you don’t yet have a personal relationship with Christ, that stirring is from Jesus, calling you to Himself. He longs to fill you and soothe your ragged edges. To replace your world-weariness with peace and your life with purpose. To replace your isolation with belonging.

He’s asking every one of us a question today, Loves. What will you say?

Father, we love You and praise you. Thank you for loving us enough to correct us. Thank You for providing a way for us to be with You always. Foster in us a hunger for Your Word, for time spent in Your presence, for fellowship with other believers. Show us when we are feeding habits that do not align with Your heart for us, and help us to recognize ways we can shift our lifestyles to model those who first followed You. We need a change in our country, in our world. We know that you are the only One Who can bring restoration and healing, and we are all in. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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 Seeds 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 Seeds!