This study was originally written and published on GracefullyTruthful.com. For further studies like this, check out their website! Read His Words Before Ours!
Exodus 20:8-11 Mark 2:23-28 Matthew 12:9-14 I curled up in my chair with my coffee steaming beside me and opened my book. The title beckoned, calling to my weary soul . . . The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. My breathing slows and deepens; I need this. “Just before sunset on Friday, we finish up all our to-do lists and homework and grocery shopping and responsibilities, power down all our devices (we literally put them all in a box and stow it in a closet), and gather around the table as a family. We open a bottle of wine, light some candles, read a psalm, pray. Then we feast, and we basically don’t stop feasting for the next twenty-four hours. It’s the Comer way! And, I might add, the Jesus way. We sleep in Saturday morning. Drink coffee. Read our Bibles. Pray more. Spend time together. Talk. Laugh. In summer, we walk to the park. In winter, make a fire. Get lost in good novels on the couch. Cuddle. Nap.” As I read this paragraph in John Mark Comer’s book, I recalled some of the sweetest moments in my life … A quiet afternoon reading and drinking hot cocoa in a ski lodge … Napping on my couch as I listen to rain falling outside … Slow, meandering walks with my girls … Card games and family dinners around my uncle’s kitchen table … Sunday drives in the middle of nowhere … But for me, these times typically only happen during vacation or holidays; John Mark Comer’s family shares peace-filled days weekly! I wanted that. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) But that’s ancient history, isn’t it? Or maybe it kinda-sorta applies to us, but we keep it holy by going to church… right? To find our answer, let’s look back to Scripture. There’s a second component to this commandment: “You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.” (Exodus 20:9-11, emphasis mine) First part: Keep the day holy. Remember God. Second part: Don’t work. Rest. The Pharisees of Jesus’ human-days took the second part of this commandment to the extreme. In fact, even today, Orthodox Jews strictly prohibit 39 categories of activities on the Sabbath (or Shabbat); these include the size food can be cut into, the texture of dough that can be made, and much more. In Mark 2, Jesus abolished this legalistic mindset, reminding them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), meaning the Sabbath was created to help people, not burden them. Contrastingly, we have the majority of the Church today, gathering on Sunday (our Sabbath) to worship, then catching up or getting a head start on the busyness coming at us in the week ahead: last minute projects and homework, cleaning the house, meal prepping, laundry. We don’t actually rest. The Sabbath was never meant to be a catching-up day. John Mark Comer, and other pivotal leaders in the evangelical church are on a quest to practice the Sabbath in all its intended goodness and beauty. When planning an activity on their Sabbath (sidenote: often not a Sunday, as many are involved in full-time ministry), they ask:
I’ve been delving into the world of practicing Sabbath because the calm and stillness and remembrance of this gift are so inviting. While I could write heaps, I want to share a few points to consider, then encourage you to read, research, and practice on your own … God knew we couldn’t do it. But God loves us more than we can understand, so He gives us these commandments to lead us to His best for us. Yet we, in our rebellious sin, fight against His words, treating them as a burden, rather than a gift . . . and He knew we would. Into this tension stepped Jesus and His death and resurrection. Even THIS commandment to honor the Sabbath points to Jesus, our sinful nature, and our great need for a Redeemer. -- “Girls! It’s almost Sabbath! Help me get the dishes put away!” I call, and my three little loves rush into the kitchen to sort silverware and stack their bowls and plates. It is 5pm and almost time for our Sabbath. I’ve already deleted the social media apps from my phone, and spent the day preparing by wrapping up work. As we settle onto my bed with our nontraditional, but weekly, Shabbat meal of chicken nuggets, french fries, and broccoli, I remind the girls why we take the time to remember God and what He has done. “How have you seen God this week?” I ask my girls. One of my twins says she saw Him in the beautiful flowers she smelled. The other shares how she saw Him when she jumped in the pool and her entire head went under water. My three-year old tells me she saw Him “everywhere.” We’re still learning. We’re still practicing. But we’re taking time to breathe in deeply and worship the Lord while completely resting our weary souls. -- For further Sabbath study, check out these resources: “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer “The Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel Annie F Downs’ highlight on Sabbath
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This study was written for and published by Gracefully Truthful. For more studies like this one, visit their website! Ephesians 1:15-23
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 John 14:25-26 My Papa was a letter-writer. In his lifetime, he wrote thousands of letters to people around the world, including many to his own family members. Papa claimed a corner of their kitchen counter as his letter-writing and Bible-studying station. His worn Bible sat on top of the yellow, lined notebook paper Gamma bought in bulk for him, and his highlighters and favorite pens were within reach at all times. I was scolded many-a-time for taking his pen from his station and not bringing it back. When I left the home our family shared and headed to college, the letters started and they didn’t stop. Papa went Home to Heaven almost four years ago, yet the letters keep coming, because every once in a while, I happen across an unopened letter. Recently, as I was going through keepsake boxes at my parents’ house, I found such a letter. With a jump in my heart, I clutched it and imagined Papa writing it, his sprawling cursive shaky from Parkinson's and with the occasional German word mix-up. But I didn’t open it. Instead, I tucked it away for another day. I couldn’t bring myself to open what could be my last message from Papa, despite the words of love and wisdom most likely filling the inside. I imagine that same joy and excitement circulated when an early church received a letter from Paul. Paul did a lot of writing while imprisoned; this Journey Theme focuses on his letter to the church in Ephesus. I also imagine, unlike me, they didn’t save their letter for another time. They delved right in, unaware this personal letter was inspired by the Holy Spirit and would become part of the Bible we read today. Let’s dissect this prison prayer; for such a short prayer, it’s crammed with goodness! Paul begins by explaining how thankful he is for the Ephesians’ faith in Jesus and love for all of the saints (ie, Christians), because it evidences their participation in God’s great work in the world. He shares how he has been praying for them with thankfulness both for them and their growth. Paul prays with four main points:
Furthermore, Paul is praying for the whole, global Church (including us!) to know Him in all of the facets of His character. For example, we may know Him as Savior, but not as Father, Friend, Guide, and Sustainer. Since we are made in His image, the more intimately we know Him, the more we will understand ourselves in light of Him. How do we know God better? Through enlightenment and revelation from the Holy Spirit as He opens the eyes of our “hearts” (again, meaning spirits or souls). Second, Paul prays we’ll know the hope of God’s calling. In Greek, “church” is a combination of two words: “ek,” meaning out of, and “kaleo,” meaning to call. Church literally meant “called out.” We. Are. Called. We’ve been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light! (1 Peter 2:9) Paul is reminding the church in Ephesus, and the global Church, we have great hope because of by Whom we are called, what we are called to do, and because this world is not our final resting place. Third, Paul fervently prays we’ll know God’s riches, but get this, he’s talking about US! WE are God’s riches! Just as man’s wealth lies with his treasure, God’s wealth is found in us, His treasures. God deals with us on the basis of our future. We see throughout Scripture how He calls people what they will become, not what they are at the time (as when he called Gideon a valiant warrior while he was still cowering in fear). God’s riches lie in who we will be when we are glorified with God. Paul is reminding the Church we have great value in God’s eyes and much to bring to the Kingdom! Lastly, Paul prays we will know the great power found in God; this power was fully displayed when Jesus was resurrected from the grave. With that same power, God saved us from the grave and has breathed new life into us. Immeasurable Greatness Of His Power Toward us who believe, according to the Mighty working Of His Strength. (Ephesians 1:19) Those are some big, descriptive words right there! God is mighty! He has all power! And we have access to that power because we know Him! Paul ends this prayer by reminding us Jesus Christ, KING Jesus, has ALL power and all authority. He is the head; we are His body. So, Church (that’s us, sisters), grab onto our love-letter from God (the Bible), and flip to the letter Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (and ultimately, the Church as a whole). Allow his prayer to wash over you, understanding Paul was praying we would know the Almighty intimately, we would be filled with the hope of our calling, we would remember our value in the Kingdom, and we would grasp His great power, which we also possess through Jesus Christ! The following study was written for and published by GracefullyTruthful.com - an online Bible study for women. For more studies like this one check out the website! Read His Words Before Ours!
Romans 12:1-8 Romans 10:14-15 Psalm 119:1-16 Last fall, I began reading a biography on Martin Luther (and friends, by “read” I mean “listen to” because I’m a single mama to three little girls and … multitasking). I read about Luther proclaiming “Sola” truths, contradicting the Roman Catholic Church, and igniting a movement that would change history. The reform ation was monumental in church history, shaping even our churches today. Likewise, we each have the opportunity to undergo our own “mini-reformation” as we study Scripture and build our lives on the Solas of biblical faith. How do we approach our “reformations”? We ask vital questions about each Sola and see where we stand. We examine whether we reject or accept the teachings of Scripture. Let’s check-in with one another. I will be honest as I answer, and I ask you to give yourself permission for complete honesty as well. No condemnation. Let’s just recognize where our hearts still need reformation. Sola Scriptura: By Scripture Alone The Bible is the sole infallible source of authority and the Word of God, and shall not be added to or taken from. It was written by men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all truths we need for our spiritual lives are found in the Bible alone. Are we allowing the Bible to be our main source of wisdom and authority? Do we seek wisdom elsewhere, first and most? Whose words dictate what is right or wise? Many books are written by Christians, but many who claim that title believe their own version of “God” rather than the God of the Bible, or they may twist truth just a bit so it makes us feel happier. Only by deeply knowing God’s Word are we able to discern genuine Scriptural truth. So I ask, do we place more weight on Christian books or the Bible? I’m in the middle of a wonderful book called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.” It’s phenomenal and I can’t recommend it enough! But if I’m honest, some days, I’ve prioritized this book above the Bible. How about you? What’s your honest answer? Sola Fide: By Faith Alone We are saved through faith alone. We are neither covered by another’s faith, nor can we bargain our way to salvation. God will accept no bribe, because all we can offer are appearances of righteousness. The only acceptable offering to God is humble, honest faith, which is itself a gift from God. If grace is God freely extending salvation by His hand, faith alone is our hand reaching out to touch His, accepting His gift. Sola Fida enraged the Catholic church as it condemned their common practice of requiring penance and purchasing indulgences to reduce their punishment for sin. Instead, Luther dared assert that even our very best efforts are sin-stained worthlessness before our utterly holy God. Only Jesus’ propitiatory death could pay the life-debt of our sins, and only our faith in Him connects us to the power of His resurrection to bring forgiveness for our sins. So let’s do a little faith check-in, sisters. Do you find yourself bargaining with God? I’ve seen incredible growth in my faith over the last few years, but I’ve also been praying some big, hard, monumental prayers, and when it comes to these prayers? That faith waivers. I want to be sure my trust is in God alone, not in something feeble I try to offer Him as an exchange for what I want. Have you ever attempted to manipulate God? Sola Gratia: By Grace Alone We are saved through God’s grace alone. There is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves. Grace is God, who paid everything for our redemption, offering salvation to us for free. We cannot earn it. Sometimes, we do “good things” because we are trying to earn God’s favor. We believe by praying a certain way, or giving a certain amount, we somehow earn the smile of God. I most often get caught in this trap with people; I equate the number of people who like me to the amount of grace God extends. It sounds silly as I type, but I said I’d be honest. How about you? Solus Christus: Through Christ Alone Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. There is no one else who can save. Jesus is fully God and fully man. Do you believe this? The temptation is to give some authority to our own opinion or others in the Church? What if we modify the Jesus of the Bible to make Him more appealing or more tolerant? My temptation is to make Jesus less jealous for my heart than He actually is. I will choose to turn to books, music, or mind-numbing activities before turning to Christ. How are you tempted to water down the Jesus of the Bible? Soli Deo Gloria: For the Glory of God Alone The work of salvation was done by God alone, therefore He alone receives glory. Any good fruit my life bears is due entirely to Christ’s lifeblood flowing within my veins. But is it? Or are we focused on our own glory? When I lead worship, write Journey studies, or prepare a meal for friends, is it for my own glory, or for Him? Sometime last year, I did a heart-check on this topic and realized just how off I was. As I shared with a friend how part of me was engaging in these activities for self-glorifying reasons, she encouraged me to keep ministering, serving, and loving while asking God to transform my heart. Let’s ask for a heart like Jesus, who was focused completely on His Father receiving all glory. How about you? Sisters, it’s been a challenging three weeks on this study! Let’s be encouraged by the growth we’ve experienced, but let’s also leave here challenged to live out the truths we’ve unpacked, allowing them to continue to reform our hearts just like they did Martin Luther and the Church of old. The following writing was first published on GracefullyTruthful.com - a website full of online Bible studies for women. For further studies like this one, check out the website! Read His Words Before Ours!
Ruth 2 Exodus 17:8-16 Hebrews 10:24-25 “Friend, I just read your blog. I’m praying for you and I’m behind you, and I’m also reminded of Moses. When the Israelites fought against Amalek, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed a hill. When Moses’ hand was raised, Israel was winning, but when his hand lowered, they began losing. When he grew too weary, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him holding up his hands. We will be here, holding up your hands as you grow weary and tired from battle. You won’t have to keep your hands raised on your own.” I sent this text to a friend, as I thought of all she walked through in the last year. I’ve watched the Church gather around her family, holding up their hands. Community. Beautiful, God-crafted, community. We see this theme throughout Scripture, beginning with God Himself. He exists in the community of the God-head: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Community . . . when God told Adam it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone. Community . . . when Noah and his family boarded the ark. Time and time again, community arises in the most unlikely circumstances. David’s closest community was the son of the man trying to murder him. Jesus’ earthly community included the man He knew would betray Him to death. And the famous matriarch, Naomi? Her community came from her Gentile daughter-in-law, Ruth. Ruth, who was new to calling Yahweh her God. Ruth, who was from a different culture, yet returned to Naomi’s homeland alongside her. Ruth, who was so much younger than her grieving mother-in-law. Yet, the unlikely Ruth, exemplifies Biblical community by holding up Naomi’s arms when she was overcome with weakness and her feelings that God had forsaken her. You see, when Naomi and her family left Bethlehem for Moab, it was only supposed to last until the famine eased. But Moab brought Naomi nothing but turmoil as she watched each member of her family die. I’ve walked through grief, like so many of us have already, and all of us will someday. While God’s original plan for this earth did not include physical death, it’s now an inescapable part of our fallen world. But death never has the final word, and despite Naomi’s heartbroken belief she’d been forsaken, God wasn’t finished with her story. After the death of her two sons, Naomi and her daughters-in-law began their return to Bethlehem. Eventually, Naomi convinced one of them to return to her Moabite family, but Ruth? She would not leave Naomi. Naomi pleaded. She pushed Ruth away. She tried to convince Ruth to abandon a hopeless life with a forsaken woman. Her pleadings fell on deaf ears; Ruth was staying. She embraced Yahweh as her God and the Ephrathites from Bethlehem as her people, just as they were Naomi’s. Community. When Naomi was weak and weary, Ruth would not abandon her, and believed, in Naomi’s stead, that God’s favor would fall on them. When they arrived in Bethlehem, Naomi announced the Almighty had made her bitter, replacing her once-full heart with overwhelming, all-encompassing, and inescapable grief Naomi was empty. Forsaken. But Ruth. Ruth wouldn’t hear of it. Ruth believed favor would come, and she continued to serve Naomi, encouraging her, caring for her, and loving her. Naomi, in her heartache and sorrow, couldn’t see that Ruth was proof she wasn’t forsaken. God had given her a daughter-in-law who was faithful, and their stories weren’t over. Death wouldn’t have the final word! The remainder of Ruth’s story overflows with the Lord’s kindly orchestrated favor and faithfulness to Naomi through Ruth. Favor. Not forsaken. As Ruth “just so happened” to gather fallen grain from the field of a man named Boaz . . . As Boaz “just so happened” to notice Ruth and show her extravagant kindness . . . As Boaz “just so happened” to have heard how Ruth left everything she knew to stay with Naomi . . . And as Boaz “just so happened” to be a family redeemer: one who, we’ll learn in the next few studies, could provide Ruth and Noami with a hope and future. Favor. Not forsaken. When Naomi felt nothing but forsaken and empty from the deep sorrow consuming her, Ruth’s faith and faithfulness carried Naomi through. Ruth held up Naomi’s arms, refusing to allow her to crumble, refusing to allow her to believe she was alone and death would have the final word. That’s community, friends! We hold each other up, speaking life and favor over one another. We walk alongside one another during the darkest of days and the hardest of times. We point one another to Jesus over and over and over. We hold up one another’s arms during battle, like Aaron and Hur and Ruth. I’ve seen true, deep community lived out in the Church. I’ve experienced it during my own battles. It is beautiful. It’s how God designed community to be lived out; as a reminder to each other we are favored, not forsaken! The following was written for and published by GracefullyTruthful.com - an online Bible study for women. For more studies like this one, check out the website! Read His Words Before Ours!
Judges 6:11-24 Isaiah 9:6-7 John 14:25-31 I recently created a little playlist called “JOY,” full of songs that make my heart bubble over when I hear them. The songs are often classics and quite simple, a mix of hymns and Elvis, JJ Heller and Ingrid Michaelson, and, believe it or not … Mr. Rogers. One of my fondest memories is sitting in the den at my grandparents’ house, watching Mr. Rogers while my Papa (who was quite like Mr. Rogers himself, but with a thick German accent and a beard) sat next to me. Hearing Mr. Rogers sing his simple yet deeply profound songs still fills me with joy. So, I added some of my favorites to my “JOY” playlist. “Peace and Quiet” is especially meaningful: “Peace and Quiet, Peace, peace, peace [ . . . ] We all want peace, We all want peace. Do you know what peace means? Peace is wonderful. It sounds like a piece of bread or a piece of paper. But it’s so much more than a piece of anything. This kind of peace is something very comfortable. When you have it, you feel inside yourself that the people you live with care about you, and you care about them, too. And what’s more, you care about yourself. Peace means you can talk with people and tell them you’re happy or sad or angry or anything, and they’ll understand, and they’ll tell you how they feel, too.” I love Mr. Roger’s simple explanation of peace, because we can all understand the feeling he describes, even though our lives aren’t always peaceful… that is, not everyone around us has cared about us. It’s amazing how significantly the presence of peace can be affected by our companions. My daughters and I recently spent the morning with friends and, as we sat in their backyard, I found myself breathing deeply as I recognized the peaceful atmosphere surrounding me. Kids were laughing, our conversation ebbed and flowed, but because I was with people of peace, I felt peace. Like Mr. Rogers said, I could feel the care of my friends embracing me, and felt my own care for them in return. In John 14, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” He’s given us His peace. In fact, Isaiah prophesied about Jesus, the Prince of Peace, hundreds of years before His birth. And even further back in history, humans recognized special peace from the Almighty. Travel back with me to our war hero, Gideon (remember, the young guy empowered by God, who conquered the Midianites against all odds?) Before Gideon conquered the Midianites, he was called into battle by none other than Yahweh Shalom. Gideon was beating wheat while hiding from the Midianites, who’d been oppressing Israel for seven years. Israel had nothing, certainly not peace. As Gideon was laboring in the hot sun, a stranger approached him and proclaimed, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” (Judges 6:12) The Lord is with you. He’s with you. Now I could talk at length about the words of affirmation and prophecy delivered when he called Gideon “valiant warrior,” but I want to focus on the first words spoken. The Lord, Yahweh, is with you. You aren’t alone. But Gideon is confused, asking the angel, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why has all of this happened?” (Judges 6:13) Gideon recognized the utter absence of peace in his community; if there was no peace, how could the Lord of peace be with them? The angel commands Gideon to prepare for battle, because the Lord was going to use him to bring justice and ultimately, peace throughout Israel. Gideon knows he’s the youngest member of an already weak family, and therefore, by any human calculation, the least likely to conquer the mighty Midianites. He’s confused and he’s scared . . . and then he realizes he’s talking with an angel of the Lord. Petrified. But the Lord reassures him, “Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.” (Judges 6:23) The Lord knew Gideon’s heart, understood his deepest fear, and addressed it directly. “Peace to you. Do not be afraid, for you will not die.” While “peace to you” was a common phrase used when coming or going, on this day, Gideon perceived it differently. Perhaps, like a puzzle finally completed, Gideon realized Yahweh Shalom was with him, and His presence was peace. Gideon commemorated this sacred moment by building an altar, calling it: “The Lord is Peace.” Yahweh Shalom. Not just, “He brings peace” or “He gives peace.” No. The Lord is peace. The Lord is our peace. Because He is with us. Remember how Isaiah declared the coming Messiah would be called the Prince of Peace? Jesus came. He was with us. He walked this earth, breathed this air, lived life within the fleshly limits of the mankind His Father created. The Prince of Peace. Yahweh Shalom. We know Jesus isn’t physically with us today, and, in John 14, when Jesus told us about the peace He’d give, He knew He’d be returning to His Father in Heaven. Therefore, He spoke to us of the Holy Spirit, who would come and dwell in every believing heart, teaching us and guiding us. God with us. Yahweh Shalom. We all long for peace, as Mr. Rogers reminded us, and peace will never be found apart from God, because... He is peace. The Prince of peace. The Giver of peace. Yahweh Shalom. This study was written for a first published by GracefullyTruthful.com - an online Bible study for women. Check out the website for more studies like this one! Read His Words Before Ours!
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 Jonah 3 Acts 8:26-40 “Through your love and through the ram, You saved the son of Abraham; Through the power of your hand, Turned the sea into dry land. To the outcast on her knees, You were the God who really sees, And by your might, You set your children free.” Amy Grant Just her name triggers an avalanche of childhood memories - from concerts, to cozy Christmases at home, to road trips with my mom, and, oddly enough, my alone time playing with Barbies, because yes, I totally named one after my favorite singer. Her voice, along with Rich Mullins’ and Michael W. Smith’s, filled the quiet and stillness of my childhood home, and has worked its way into all of my memory’s cracks and crevices. One song I remember singing along to was, “El Shaddai”. As I’ve studied Adonai, and pondered this Journey Study, the song has been echoing in my mind constantly … “El shaddai, el shaddai, El-elyon na Adonai, Age to age you’re still the same, By the power of the name.” This song was my first, and until recently, only interaction with the term Adonai. I’ve heard this name of God over the years, but never understood its meaning. As I looked up the lyrics to refresh my memory, I had the “Aha!” moment I get every time I write a Journey Study. I need the topic to be real for me, to hit home, only then am I able to share what God is revealing to me. Adonai is used throughout Scripture, not only in reference to God, but to anyone with authority as “lord” or “master.” Jews have been careful not to take the Lord’s name in vain, and often believed YHWH (Yahweh) to be so holy, they couldn’t even utter His Name aloud. In fact, Jews will still say Adonai, even if YHWH is written. Additionally, Adonai was often the name Gentiles used for God, instead of YHWH. As we read Scripture, when LORD is spelled in all caps, then the translated word is YHWH. However, if it is spelled Lord, whether referring to God or anyone else, the translated word is Adonai. And when we see “Lord of lords” in the Bible, the phrase is actually “Adonai of adonais.” Finally, in Scripture, YHWH is often used in God’s dealing with the Jews, while Adonai is used in His dealings with Gentiles. This subtle change paints a beautiful picture of God’s heart and character; as my friend, Rebecca, explains, “He wasn’t the one who changed; neither was His message of hope and redemption. Rather, simply by being called a different name, He flung wide the door for all to see He is for ALL peoples and ALL cultures.” The idea of a God for all peoples of all cultures is seen throughout the Bible. Immediately, I am reminded of the Ninevites and their story of salvation in the book of Jonah. The inhabitants of the infamous city of Nineveh were Gentiles, yet God used His prophet to declare the freedom and peace found in repenting from sin and living for the Lord. Adonai. I’m reminded, again, of when Philip shared the Gospel with the Ethiopian traveler. The Holy Spirit directed Philip to a chariot on the road, where Philip had the opportunity to present the Gospel to a man who was so excited about the Good News of Jesus, he insisted on being baptized that very moment! Adonai. Now back to my “Aha” moment … “To the outcast on her knees… You were the God that really sees.” These lines struck a chord in my heart as I imagined a myriad of encounters between God and an outcast woman in which He proved He saw her, both for who she was and who He created her to be . . . Rahab. The prostitute. Hannah. The wife who struggled with infertility. Esther. The Jewish orphan-turned-Gentile-queen. The Samaritan woman who was living in shame from failed marriages and relationships. Maria Skobtsova. The single mom who was divorced twice and eventually became a nun. Jackie Hill Perry. The woman who was a lesbian. Kendra LeeAnne. The woman who struggled with sexual sin in high school, shame throughout college, and eventually became a single mama to three girls. You. All of your story. Adonai. And we’re just the very tip of the iceberg. God is the Master. He is the Lord. He is the God who is for all people and the God who really sees. We get yet another beautiful glimpse of who He is when we read Deuteronomy 10:12-22. This whole section of Scripture gets my heart beating faster and my eyes welling with tears, but for me, the most meaningful part is in verses 17-19: “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords [read: Adonai of adonais], the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God, showing no partiality and taking no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing.” We serve a God who is for ALL PEOPLE, from orphans and widows to immigrants. He is YHWH and He is Adonai. He is MY Adonai. He is my Lord. And He is Lord for all people. The following was written for and published by GracefullyTruthful.com - an online Bible study for women. For more studies like this one, check out the website. Read His Words Before Ours!
Luke 10:25-37 Luke 9:51-53 Luke 4:14-30 “The one who showed mercy…” I read “wounded” and my heart reels. I know wounded. I know slowly retreating to care for the deep cuts and sharp blows I’ve endured. I know sprinting away from the lashes against me. I know wounds so deep they begin to look healed on the outside, but still throb and gape. I know wounded, friend. I bet you do, too. But no one knows wounded quite like our Jesus. In Luke 10, Jesus tells a fictional story about a Jewish traveler attacked by robbers and left for dead. Wounded. Two men passed by the nearly lifeless body, a priest and a Levite, both religious and both the same race as the wounded man, but they didn’t stop. They saw him, and they chose to look away. Wounded. Then a Samaritan man enters the scene. The original audience of the story possessed the context to understand this Samaritan man was wounded, too. But, like so many of us, his wounds weren’t visible. At the time Jesus told this parable, Samaritans and Jews had a long-standing rivalry, spanning hundreds of years. Due to the mixed Assyrian and Jewish genealogy of Samaritans, Jews resented Samaritans’ “impure blood line” and often treated them like trash. We know from a true story in Scripture that Jews and Samaritans never interacted with one another (John 4:9), and even Jesus wasn’t received by Samaritans when He was heading into Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51-53) We don’t know the kind of ridicule this Samaritan endured from Jews, but undoubtedly, the hatred seething from the Jewish community cut him deeply. Wounded. Yet, we see the Samaritan man, wounded by the Jews, breaking barriers of racism by caring for the physically wounded Jewish man. We’ve all been wounded. Maybe, like the Jewish man, we’ve been physically and emotionally wounded from abuse. Maybe, like the Jewish man, we’ve been spiritually wounded by “religion” and people in leadership positions who’ve told us we’re too dirty and too damaged to be worth helping. Maybe, like the Samaritan, we’ve been wounded by society, or racial and economic barriers. Or maybe we’ve been wounded by something else…. friends, family, business deals, jobs, the government. But Jesus? He was wounded by it all. He took on the sins of the world when He suffered on the cross, eventually dying from the extreme torture He endured. He was wounded physically and emotionally. He was wounded by the religion bearing the same name as His nationality, and He – who IS God – was killed by the religious people who claimed to worship God. Jesus knows wounded, friend. He knows the sharp pains piercing our hearts by betrayal. (Luke 22:3-6) He knows the hurt embedded in us when grief becomes part of our story. (John 11:32-36) He knows the rejection of people who have loved us and known us for our entire lives. (Luke 4:14-30) Jesus knows wounded. Because Jesus knew wounded so well, because He allowed Himself to be wounded beyond recognition, so badly He eventually died … We don’t have to live a wounded life. We have hope. So, what do we do about the people who hurt us? What do we do with this story about a wounded man loving another wounded man? How do we love those who have wounded us? Mercy. Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. The Samaritan had every excuse to ignore the beaten man on the side of the road. This Jewish man had spent his entire life scoffing and scorning Samaritans, believing they were a lesser people, unwanted by God. And even if he didn’t believe it, his people did. No one would’ve been surprised if the Samaritan kept walking. But mercy. Mercy isn’t just the Samaritan’s compassion, but the forgiveness he displayed toward a man he could’ve left for dead. Mercy is the forgiveness God offers to us, even though we deserve death. Mercy is hard, isn’t it? I get a knot in my stomach just thinking about loving the people who inflicted my deepest wounds. Friends, I cannot go on without emphasizing that forgiveness and even love are completely possible while still maintaining strong boundaries. Sometimes, you can love someone best by enforcing boundaries, and forgiveness does not mean boundaries must be removed or even lowered. Abusive and toxic relationships can cause some of our deepest wounds, and we can forgive abusers while still protecting ourselves. I want to be “the one who showed mercy”. (Luke 10:37) I want to live ready to show compassion and offer forgiveness to people who have wounded me. I want to love my neighbors, even the ones who have wounded me. Merciful love is going to take all of me, and all of you. It’s going to take all of our strength. But it’s worth the struggle because of Jesus, the One who showed us mercy. If He can be merciful to us, surely, with His strength, we can extend mercy to others. We, too, can be . . . the ones who show mercy. This study was written for and published by GracefullyTruthful.com - an online Bible study for women. Check out the website for more studies like this one! Read His Words Before Ours!
Psalm 114 Luke 22:31-39 Exodus 15:1-13 When Israel came out of Egypt The house of Jacob from a people Who spoke a foreign language Psalm 114:1 Peter: I could feel the gruffness in my voice, as the chilled air lodged in my vocal chords, but still I sang … I sang with my brothers, and with Jesus as we sat together in the Upper Room, the smells from dinner still wrapped around us. “When Israel came out of Egypt,” I thought, “freedom. Freedom for my ancient fathers who were slaves for four hundred years. Freedom, only from Yahweh.” It’s what we’d been celebrating with our Passover meal, remembering the night our ancestors were freed from bondage. “Judah became his sanctuary, Israel, his dominion”… (Psalm 114:2) Peter: “Sanctuary.” I thought of the ancient tabernacle, and the temple here in Jerusalem where Jesus taught. I remembered witnessing Jesus cleanse the temple shortly after I began following Him. The temple had become a place of business instead of worship, and Jesus drove out the money changers and animals from the dwelling place of God. (John 2:13-17) Jesus: His Sanctuary, His dominion. Our will from the beginning, Abba, has been to dwell among Our beloved children, so they would not walk alone. In the Scriptures, specific building instructions were given to Our people for the tabernacle so We could dwell with them. Then the Father sent Me to live and dwell among Our people, and to fulfill the great rescue plan in motion since sin first entered this world. Soon, the Spirit will be living and dwelling among and within Our people (John 14:26)… “The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs”… (Psalm 114:3-4) Jesus: I’ve often heard my earthly father, Joseph, tell of the days when my Father freed them from slavery in Egypt before they came face to face with the Red Sea, an obstacle they could not cross on their own. They couldn’t be freed from slavery on their own. They couldn’t cross the Red Sea on their own. And now, our people cannot have access to the Father alone. They need a Savior in order to cross over Jordan into the Promised Land of life eternal. The commandments given on Mount Sinai were but an example of rules impossible to follow, laws impossible to keep, a Red Sea impossible to cross, a Jordan impossible to reach … Old laws for an old covenant, but a new covenant is coming. Peter: My eyes were fixed on Jesus, who sat with us; His eyes deep and reflective, but lost somewhere else. He was with us, yet He wasn’t. I could almost see the words we were singing penetrating His soul and I wondered what He was thinking. I thought of the Red Sea my forefathers crossed only because Yahweh parted the waters and made the earth completely dry. As the former slaves walked through the parted sea, they looked back and saw their Egyptian pursuers stopped first by fire, then by water. (Exodus 15:4) Then I thought of the Jordan River, crossed many years later by the next generation of Israelites as they finally stepped into the land promised to them by Yahweh. They already possessed the Ten Commandments, which they had not kept, and yet the Lord allowed them to cross the Jordan just as they crossed the Red Sea, with water parted before them (Joshua 3:13-17). Imagining His thoughts matched my own, I continued singing along … “Why was it, sea, that you fled? Jordan, that you turned back? Mountains, that you skipped like rams? Hills, like lambs?” (Psalm 114:5-6) Peter: I’ve sung this song my entire life, but I never fully believed these words could be true. But now, I’ve seen Jesus perform miracles upon miracles. I’ve seen creation obey His voice. (Mark 4:35-41) “The seas must have fled, the Jordan must have turned back, the mountains must have skipped because creation obeys its Creator,” my scattered thoughts come together as I sing a little more loudly, a declaration mixed into the questions asked in this psalm. “Why? Because all of creation must bow to the Creator. To Yahweh. To Jesus.” I look back at Him, with a deep stirring in my heart. This man whom I’ve called friend, who has been patient in my bluntness, gentle in my lack of faith, and who changed my name and told me to follow Him. Even still, He tells me I will deny Him, but how could I? This man to whom creation bows? My Lord? Jesus: Why? Why did the sea flea? The Jordan turn back? The mountains skip? Because nothing, nothing will stop My Father from delivering His people. Nothing will stop Him from loving His people, and certainly nothing created will stand in the way of His love. His very creations will declare His goodness and His power and His glory. “Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool, The flint into a spring.” (Psalm 114:7-8) Peter: As the melodies swirl around me, I began to tremble. I could feel myself joining with the rest of creation, who cannot help but tremble when in the presence of the Lord, and I, I was in the presence of the Lord. Jesus Christ. The Messiah. Here, before me. Whose voice I can hear rising above my own. My voice fades as I grasp the full enormity of the words I’m singing. Tremble at the presence of God. He’s here. Before me. With me. Right here, right now. Tremble. Jesus: As Abraham struck the rock and water poured out, I can feel the Father speak to me. I will be struck, and I, the Living Water, will be poured out. Out of the Rock, the Living Water flows. (Isaiah 28:16, John 4:14) We will dwell among Our people. Peter: “Jesus is here. He’s here and He is with us.” As the song ends, we allow a few moments of quiet to lapse before we begin singing the next Hallel . . . The following was a "Sketched" study written for and published by GracefullyTruthful.com. It is written by Kendra LeeAnne in the voice of Adam Kuntz - a student pastor in the Kansas City, MO area as part of a "Sketched" series on how the local Church is impacting the community. Read His Words Before Ours!
1 Timothy 1:12-20 John 12:23-28 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 I can feel my coffee cooling as time passes between us. I fix my gaze on Billy, hunched across the table from me, head hanging low and shame creeping up his neck. He has every right to be upset: his home life is a mess and his girlfriend just broke up with him. This. This moment is everything to me as a youth pastor. And yet, during my training, I never saw it coming. In high school, I developed a deep, lasting friendship with my youth pastor. He called out the best in me, challenged me, and saw something in me I’d never seen in myself. Following an abrupt change in pastoral leadership during my senior year, I volunteered to help lead a mission trip. Thus, I became the first unofficial youth ministry intern. As I served under the discipleship of my youth pastor, my faith became real. I began to long for others to experience the magnitude of God, as I had. I am most alive when I see others take steps forward in their faith, steps from death to everlasting life. It is my life’s devotion. I’m brought back to the present by Billy’s shaky sigh. He’s on the verge of speaking. I wait, allowing the silence to penetrate his soul. I’m in no rush. This moment in time is just for Billy. These moments, teetering on the cusp of breakthrough, are pivotal. My best days in student ministry have never been behind a desk, prepping for a catchy Wednesday night message. No, my best days have always been at a table shared with a kindred or hurting spirit. It took me a while to learn this. I landed a job at Living Stones Community Church before my college graduation. On my first day of work, I rolled up in my car with a backseat full of textbooks and the latest and greatest resources. With my pride-puffed chest and irremovable smile, I approached the lead pastor as he watered flowers and we began chatting. “Adam,” he remarked a few minutes later, “you’re going to find out ministry is more than just sermon prep.” My face remained attentive while I silently scoffed, “That’s what you think. People are going to be changed because of MY convicting sermons. Just you wait. Living Stones isn’t going to know what hit it.” I began spending my days preparing my sermons. I would sit and dream, praying about what God wanted me to teach my students. And yet, I was working completely alone. It was lonely, isolating, and depressing. Then, a mentor told me, “If you want to shepherd but hate sheep, you need to go home.” BOOM. It was the punch-in-the-gut conviction I needed. I couldn’t just sit behind a desk preparing sermons, or change the name of the youth group to make it sound catchier, or buy the latest youth packages available, and call my efforts "discipleship" or even "pastoring". I needed to love the students where they were, in hospitals, schools, at basketball games, and school performances. God began giving me a Gospel-ache to help other student pastors love their sheep well. Eventually, I began a Student Pastor Network in our area. Once a month, we pray for one another and share ideas. I also began getting a little dirtier with my students. I sat in their mess with them. I stopped preaching at my sheep and began loving them. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the transformation He’s worked in my heart. If I’d remained unchanged, I wouldn’t be sitting with Billy, helping him navigate hard questions and confusing times. “But, Adam?” Billy says. “All of this mess, all of the hard times and sad nights and even loneliness, it’s all worth it for one life, isn’t it? If I get to see my dad come to know Jesus because of everything I’ve been through, it’ll be worth it, right?” I understand his question; we ask our youth group, “Who is the ONE LIFE you’re praying will come to know and trust Jesus? What is your role in the process?” I wonder if Billy is also asking if he’s worth it to me. Billy joined our youth group in the midst of my chaotic personal life, and came to know Jesus when I shared the messy truth even pastors are faced with tremendous losses and life-altering, hard decisions. “Billy,” I say, “it is completely worth it. You are the one life who’s made my struggles worth the pain. My trials aren’t easier, and my messes aren’t cleaner. But God used you to remind me I have hope and purpose.” Billy’s eyes soften as truth settles over him and soothes his heart. As Billy and I wrap up our time together, I pray over him and ask if I’ll see him at FCA the next morning. I’ve learned connecting with teenagers doesn’t just look like chatting with them when they’re at church, or sharing memes during my sermons, or even trying to use their slang when interacting. The truth is, I’m going to grow more “out of touch” as I grow older, and it’s ok! I don’t need to be one of them, I need to be with them. I work hard to become a student of my students. Teenagers are charting new waters, ones many of us have never faced. They are learning to navigate the world not only in person, but digitally. These days, students are bolder with their thumbs than with their mouths, and they need help ensuring what pours from their mouths and their devices reflects what’s inside their hearts. That’s just one of my jobs as their pastor. I strive to unite all of the roles I fill behind my ultimate calling to preserve the bride of Christ. The Church is certainly not perfect, but she is beautiful, and I want to live and pastor as He leads. I pull into the church parking lot and give our lead pastor a little wave as I head back inside; he’s watering the flowers again. It’s been eight years since I began working at this church, and I’m a different man. Our pastor knows I’m heading inside to prep my message. But he also knows I came from meeting with Billy. It turns out, he was right. There is so much more to ministry than sermon prep. Read His Words Before Ours! Luke 2:8-20 Micah 5:1-6 Revelation 7:9-17 The room was dim as the sun began setting, and the smell of smoke lingered in the air from the simple meal. Anna began preparing the children for bed and their giggles filled the home. Joshua listened carefully to each squeal, able to pair the sound with the mouth it came from. His eyes were weakened from years of working in the glaring sun, but his ears were sharp. Listening to his grandchildren giggle filled his heart to overflowing. “Lydia, come along,” Anna spoke gently to her littlest, but Lydia’s chubby feet toddled towards Joshua instead. He heard her voice, “Up!”, and knew tiny arms reached towards him. He wrapped his hands around her squishy little belly, hoisting her onto his knee. “Story!”, Lydia pipped into his ear as she snuggled into his chest, feeling his beard on her head. Joshua chuckled and pulled her close, “You and your stories, Lydie. Just one before bed.” The words were invitation to the other four children, as they flew to the floor around Grandfather. Each pair of eyes transfixed on his, ready to watch the story dance in his eyes as it filled their ears. Well, children, you all know I was a shepherd for decades, just as my father and his father was. You know, King David was a shepherd, and before him, Father Abraham. Shepherding is an honor, but many forget that noble men once began as poor shepherds like me. Then one night, everything changed. The day was warmer than usual, and our stench revealed the work we’d done in the heat of the day. There were three other shepherds, Jacob – your great uncle, and Levi and Micah, our cousins. We ate and laughed our way through our late supper, and settled in for the night by the fire. The cool evening descended quickly, and soon an endless array of shining stars filled the dark sky as far as we could see. Just as our eyes grew heavy, a brilliant light flooded the sky. Micah and Jacob shouted with fear. Levi and I shielded our eyes in stunned, blinding silence as we fell to the ground. What was happening!? My heart raced as I saw the form of a man take shape in the midst of dazzling white. Mighty wings unfurled on either side of him. The light effervesced around him, filling the space between us making our firelight appear as dim shadows compared to the light swirling around us. It was as if the light itself was alive. Children, there is nothing as terrifying as seeing something huge and magnificent while being entirely unsure of it. My mind raced, “Am I dying? Is this Heaven? Is it an enemy’s attack? Is it Abraham’s ghost? Do we run? Do we shout? Defend ourselves?” Suddenly, like the blast of a trumpet mingled with gentle swirls of frolicking kindness, the powerful being spoke, “Don’t be afraid! I am heralding good news to you!” Stunned, the words flew around us like a rushing wind while our hearts were tenderly warmed and flooded with excitement. “Today, in the city of David, a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” In the space of a blink, the single angelic herald was joined by hundreds, no, thousands! The entirety of the sky’s expanse was filled with brilliant light. They were as far as we could see, yet near enough we felt the wind from beating wings. And Oh! The music! Joshua paused for a moment, closing his eyes while the children sat enraptured with anticipation. “Go! Go! Singing!” shouted Lydia, bouncing on his lap and clapping her dimpled hands together. Joshua shook his head to clear the enchantment that had taken over his mind. He smiled and looked upward, as if still seeing angels, but proceeded with deep emotion… The music was magnificent. I’ve never heard music like that before or since, but I’ll never forget their words, “Glory to God in the highest heaven! And peace on earth to people He favors!” My goose pimples had goose pimples and the tears streamed down my face, but I felt nothing but awesome glory. We were captivated in worship. As quickly as they appeared, they left, and darkness dropped heavily on our eyes as we could only hear our own quickened breathing in the astounding quiet. Only a moment passed before we realized with astonishment that we were still alone. No one from Bethlehem had run down to listen and watch… it was just us. That entire proclamation was just for us. Us. Small, poor, and humble shepherds. God had sent those angels to proclaim the birth of the Messiah to us. “Let’s go!” whispered Micah, but I was already moving to chase Levi as the sheep followed. Before we knew it, we were running as fast as we possibly could. As quickly as we moved, the questions pecked inside, “A Savior born for us? The Messiah? Was this the promised rescuer of Israel? But a Savior lying in a manger? What Lord was this humble?!” We entered Bethlehem, and kept running, the cobblestone roads cold under our bare, weathered feet, but we didn’t stop. It didn’t seem to matter that none of us knew exactly where to go, but our feet flew nonetheless in a single direction as if intentionally led. And then. We stopped. A small light cast a warm glow off of hollowed-out walls of a cave, tucked into the side of a hill. Here. Messiah was here. We called out before entering, and as we did, that same all-consuming feeling we experienced as the angels sang, powerfully surrounded us again. Our breath caught with awe as we slowly stumbled further into the stable, smelling the hay warmed by animals. Time itself seemed to stand still as our eyes paused on an image I’ll never forget. There He was, the tiny babe, just as the angel said, wrapped tightly in strips of rags and lying in a manger. We all quickly fell to our knees, the tears falling afresh. The Savior. Our Savior. Here. With Us. Children, that was nearly fifty years ago. That baby grew into a powerful man. He performed many miracles and taught His followers what it actually means to love your neighbor. Thirty- three years after that spectacular night, came another night. The darkest night. The Messiah hung lifeless on a cross innocently murdered. I wept when I heard the news… that precious baby we had worshiped… dead. But, my children, you know that’s not the end of the story!! The children shouted, “No!” all at once, the excitement and glee filling their faces and bodies as victory screamed within them. No! Because three days later, our Messiah rose from the dead! He didn’t stay dead, He conquered Death for us! My little ones, I have lived every day of my life telling of that wondrous first night, my job may have been humble shepherd, but my real job was proclaiming the Messiah’s arrival, our deliverance from sin, and our call to worship Him. I’m sharing my story with you, because one day, I won’t be alive to share it anymore. And oh! What a day that will be! On that day, I will fall on my knees and worship our Messiah again, this time forever! This Study is property of Gracefully Truthful. For more studies like this one, visit the GT website.
Read His Words Before Ours! James 4:13-5:6 Proverbs 8:22-36 Jonah 1 I sat at her kitchen island, just as I’ve done dozens of times, while we chatted about everything from her husband eating her famous sugar cookies even though they were stale, to how we both need accountability to get stuff done. We laughed, we cried, and we talked about the Lord. Then, as always, she said something profound. Had it been a morsel of food, it would’ve made my jaw sore from the chewing I’ve done over it. “Don’t we all try to play God at times? When we make decisions on our own outside of Him, even minor ones, we are taking control into our own hands and trying to play God. It is a sin every time.” Mic drop. How many times have I tried to play God? How many times have I greatly impacted my life and my future because I forgot God is the sovereign One? Lots; lots and lots of times. I have thrown wisdom and God’s sovereignty to the wayside in pursuit of what my flesh and human heart felt best. I have placed my treasure in worldly values like human love, home decor, clothing, and my own vain pursuits. I’ve spent time in Scripture, studying the exact verses we just read, (up at the top, seriously, read His Words before mine!) and yet, I stubbornly refused to seek His wisdom or surrender to His sovereignty. I am guilty of trying to play God. About nine months ago, my world came crashing in. Literally nothing in my life looks the same today. Different house. Different car. Different family make-up. and the list goes on…. As the walls caved in, I told the Lord: “I’ve tried to do it without You. I’ve done things my way because I didn’t trust You, and I’m through. I’m done with that. From this moment on, You must have all control because I’ve made a mess by myself.” Has this change come easily? Nope. In fact, I struggle every single day to surrender to Him. I struggled to surrender when He told me to let go of a relationship I was clinging to with all of my might. I struggled to surrender when He told me to give my Aldi gift card to a family while they were grocery shopping. I struggled to surrender when I thought I felt I should pursue a job He told me not to pursue. I struggled to surrender when He didn’t heal my sister on this side of Heaven. Even still, I’m telling ya’ sister, my life is infinitely richer when I surrender control and pursue His wisdom over mine. On Sunday, our pastor talked a bit about Jonah, the prophet who ran in the literal opposite direction of where God was calling Him. As I thought about Jonah and his infamous journey, which God still used (because He’s sovereign) to redeem an entire city, I was reminded of my own “opposite-direction-journeys”. Many times, God has given me clear direction in His word or by His Spirit, and I’ve literally turned the opposite way, running as fast as possible. Sometimes, I’ve tripped over my own feet so quickly, it wasn’t long before I humbly returned to give God back my surrendered heart. However, there have been times where I took off running with a nice pace going before realizing I’d been running away and was now quickly drowning as a result of my prideful insistence on my own ways. Here, God has come to my rescue, pulling me from the waves just as Jesus did with Peter so many years ago. I don’t want to be Jonah. While I’m so thankful God can still redeem our disobedience when we try to “Play God”, it would be great if I never had to trip or drown to begin with. Our lives are fleeting. We are just vapors in the wind of time. How foolish of me to spend my life running from the One who loves me most! How foolish of me to trust my life to my own futile hands! Doesn’t it only make sense to trust the Almighty Father who sees and knows everything for He alone is the giver of Wisdom?! I complained to my therapist recently about how busy I’d been. I hadn’t accomplished anything I had wanted to because other things kept popping up. “Are you praying about if God actually wants you to do the things that keep ‘popping up’?”, he asked. “Um… no”, I said with an embarrassed giggle. Because DUH! Why wouldn’t I ask Him? Following God, surrendering our lives to His control and infinite wisdom is sometimes simpler than we make it out to be. It’s praying about who to spend our time on. It’s praying about where to emotionally or monetarily invest. It’s praying about when to say no to a ministry and when to say yes. Because living out His wisdom begins with the realization that He is sovereign, we are not, and His ways are better than my foolish, prideful attempts at control. I get it! It’s easy to get caught up in trying to do what looks or feels right, that we leave God out. But “playing God” never ends well. When we surrender to the loving Father, we are giving space for His wisdom to press into us and overflow onto others. Sisters, I feel like we’ve just finished eating a Thanksgiving meal in ten minutes… we’ve shoved so much into our mouths we are having a hard time chewing. So, pause, maybe re-read this Journey or the verses at the beginning (because you did that, right?!), and ask the Lord to illuminate His Wisdom just for you. Take time tomorrow to dig deeper by doing the “Digging Deeper” that follows this Journey. (and if you aren’t waking up to that in your inbox, start now!) Together, let’s choose God’s wisdom as we daily, moment-by-moment surrender to His sovereign, loving control. This study first appeared on GracefullyTruthful.com. For more studies like this one, or to read the "Digging Deeper" study that accompanies this one, visit the website!
The following is a story of how I came to know the grace Jesus gives and was first featured on GracefullyTruthful.com - an online Bible Study for women. On the website, many women's "Faces of Grace" stories are featured. To read more of those stories, click here, and to read mine... just keep reading... I remember the picture clearly. It was a little boy holding a telephone with the cord twirling up to the wall. The story that went along with that picture completely changed my life. That story said that if you ask Jesus into your heart, he will always be there. All you have to do is talk to him, just like you can talk to someone on the phone. As I read that story with my mama at our kitchen table, something inside my little five year old soul clicked. It all made sense. I made mistakes. I told lies, stuck my tongue out at my mom, called my cousin a butt head, and I needed Jesus to forgive me of my sins and come into my life to help me not make those mistakes any more! That day, with my mom’s hand in mine, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. And that was the beginning of everything. But, like everyone, I still made mistakes. I called my brother a poopy head and pantsed a girl at school. I would go to church on Sunday and sing out in my “holiest of holy” voices “I’m so glad, I’m a part, of the family of God! I’ve been washed in the fountain, Cleansed by His blood!” I would smile proudly as I raised my hand in Sunday School, “Jonah was swallowed by the giant fish because he didn’t want to go to Nineveh!” And as I grew up, learning more about Jesus and his love for us, I began asking the question that I still find myself asking some days… “Just how long is forever?” Because my preteen brain just couldn’t imagine dying and being in Heaven forever. And then there was that whole dying thing… HOW am I going to die? WHEN am I going to die? My young mind would try and bargain with the Lord, “Just let me get married and be a mommy first, PLEASE?” One night I found myself sitting on the steps going down to our basement crying tears of despair and fear, my little shoulders shook as I tried to imagine just how long forever could possibly be. And then I heard this song… “Sin has lost its power Death has lost its sting From the grave You’ve risen Victoriously!” I repeated those words again and again and mulled over the meaning in my brain. And then one day, for the first time, I could sing that song and genuinely mean that death has lost its sting. That sting of fear that came as quickly as the word “death” could slip from my mouth, was no longer there. And with that came surrender. “At the cross you, beckon me You draw me gently, to my knees I’m lost for words so lost in love I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.” Without that tinge of despair and that joy-stealing thought of death, I was free to fall more and more in love with Jesus. I began seeing Him as my healer, as a friend, as a savior, and my comfort. I began high school with a goal to show this Jesus, that I know and love, to every single student and teacher. Then came my senior year and with that, hundreds of broken promises. Things I promised I would never do came and went. I literally felt like any control I had over my life was slipping through my fingers as I desperately tried to grab onto any little piece that I could. One night, it became too much. I sat in my car in full makeup and costume from a dance performance I had just finished, and I was done. “Why, God? Why me? Why am I so alone? Why am I so lost? Why am I hurting so incredibly much?” I started my car thinking, “Surely God can’t use me alive, so maybe someone will come to know Him through my funeral.” And then, my phone rang. “Kendra, where are you? Come over and watch a movie with me!” My friend, my only Christian friend at my school, was clearly listening to the Holy Spirit that night. I still messed up a lot after that. I was still a battered and broken teenager. I would search for the Lord’s voice and try to listen, but the static and chaos around me seemed to mute out anything God was saying to me. In the months following, after sharing with my parents my deepest and darkest secrets and struggles, I began healing. Healing came in the form of many church services, counseling, an incredible roommate who wouldn’t ask questions when I needed to cry, but also held me accountable, sharing my story with others, and a four month mission trip to Kenya, Africa… “Kendra, I can tell you’re still living in the past. You’re still claiming your mistakes as your own and refusing to live in the Grace that God has brought to you. When the Lord heals, He heals 100%. Every time. And tonight, I want you to declare that healing and that grace. I want you to own it!” My team leader offered me her hand as she helped me step onto the couch in the sitting room. “Close your eyes and repeat after me.” I closed my eyes. “I am redeemed!” “I am redeemed.” “That’s not loud enough, Kendra.” I took a big breath, “I am redeemed!” “I am made new!” “I am made new! I am forgiven! I am a new creation! I am beautiful! I am not defined by my past! I am a whole person! I am healed!” As I opened my eyes, I knew that I really was a new creation, and my heart really was completely healed. That was just four years ago. So much life has happened since! I have precious twin girls who spent some time in the NICU, and a precocious toddler who keeps me on my toes. I’m glad that we don’t have the option to go back in time and change things, because I would avoid a lot of the pain and hurt that I put myself through and I can see now how God has used that for His glory. I cannot live in regret or daily dwell in the past, so I move forward, celebrating every day that the Lord chooses to use my life to impact others. He is continuing to make something beautiful out of my extremely messy life. The absolute best way I know to show Him how grateful I am for His redeeming love is to allow Him to use me in whatever capacity He possibly can. Some days that looks like serving another mama, other days it looks like silently praying for someone as I sit on my couch and watch my daughters play, and still other days it looks like purposefully pursuing a friendship with another woman. My life is a life with a purpose, because HE has a purpose for me. I will live that out every single day that I am alive, and I will declare that God is a God of third and fourth and twelfth chances! He is a God who loves us because that is His nature, and he is a God who has forgiven and redeemed me. Read His Words Before Ours! 2 Kings 4:8-17 Matthew 6:1-4 Matthew 25:42-46 Twelve years ago, I met a woman we’ll call “Marcy”. Marcy’s children and I went to the same school and attended the same church. I knew Marcy’s children better than I knew Marcy, but over the years, we served together in different ministries at church and grew closer. Marcy and her family live in a beautiful home, her husband has a solid job, and from the outside looking in, it appears that Marcy has everything she needs and even wants. That’s all pretty surface-y, but I’m guessing we can all imagine someone with Marcy’s lifestyle. However, I know something else about Marcy…. I know she and her husband live out selfless generosity. All without saying anything to anyone. The only way I could possibly know this is if I were a benefactor of their open-handed generosity… which I am. Marcy has opened her home over and over as a welcome place for discipleship, worship, blessing, celebrating, and feeding others. Including me. I’ve watched Marcy open her arms to people of all walks of life… sometimes she doesn’t remember their names, but she never forgets a face! That Marcy would literally give the shoes off of her feet to someone… and she has. My mom once told Marcy the shoes she was wearing were adorable and that I would love them. Finding out we wore the same size, she literally took her shoes off of her feet, handed them to my mom, and told her to give them to me. Marcy’s husband has used his profession to assist my parents on the mission field at no cost to them. Together they bought my entire cart full of Christmas gifts when we ran into one another at Target, where they were purchasing food to serve to parents with sick kiddos. This couple has poured themselves out to love others in countless ways as they have discipled, mentored, and given away what they had for others. Marcy told me once that nothing they own is actually theirs, it all belongs to God. The reason we’re even calling her “Marcy”, is because many of the times she has given to me, she has sworn me to secrecy. She and her husband live out Matthew 6:1-4 with extravagance! While I could go on about this couple and their generosity, they would humbly remind me that living with open hands and hearts is simply the means by which they are called to further the Kingdom. Marcy reminds me of a woman in the Bible whose name also isn’t mentioned… perhaps because her heart was so similar to Marcy’s. She wasn’t concerned about being remembered only about living generously. This nameless woman is known as the “Shunammite Woman”. Like our friend, Gaius, she isn’t well known, but from Scripture, we do know she was wealthy, married, and perhaps most importantly: she used hospitality to love others well. The benefactor of her gifts was a prophet named Elisha. Elisha and this woman somehow met when he visited her town. She insisted on feeding him. (Which I can only laugh at because I literally try to force-feed my brother every time he visits. “Are you hungry? No? Are you sure? Here, I made spaghetti last night, let me just reheat some for you. I also have salad and brownies and coffee and the lesser-known sparkling water, Bubly!”) The Shunammite Woman must’ve been a pretty decent cook, because after their first encounter, Elisha stopped by her house to eat every single time he visited. I can’t imagine the conversations that occurred, but there is no doubt that Elisha shared about the One True God, Yahweh, with this woman and her husband. Before long, the Shunammite Woman referred to Elisha as a ‘holy man of God’ and had a room built just for him on the roof of their house. They fully furnished the room and welcomed Elisha and his servant readily. Many of us have guest rooms and happily welcome visitors throughout the year, but to actually construct an entire room specifically for a guest-turned friend is radical. Elisha wasn’t family. This wasn’t a neat Airbnb designed for income off of Elisha. This was love and hospitality and generosity. After becoming aware of the work the One True God was doing through Elisha, they used what they had – a rooftop – to support God’s Kingdom work in their community, expecting nothing in return. I’ve been writing this Journey study while sitting in my church’s building watching the hustle and bustle of daily church activities occur. Just a moment ago, friends of mine who are empty-nesters, came over to chat and I asked why they were here on a Thursday morning. “Oh, we have four camp counselors staying at our house and we told them we’d come see them at camp today!” Open handed generosity. This same couple has opened up their home again and again for Kingdom work. After becoming aware of the work the One True God is doing, this couple used what they had – a home with empty rooms – to support God’s work in our community. Sisters, it doesn’t take much for us to demonstrate incredible hospitality like Marcy, the Shunammite woman, or my empty-nester friends. Each are using what they have – their homes, their love for people, and their love for the Father – to further the work God is doing. We don’t need a secure job with a steady income, just an open heart. Maybe all we have is a pull-out couch, bottomless coffee, or cold water on a hot day. God takes our willingness, our open hands, and open hearts, and He builds His Kingdom! This study first appeared on GracefullyTruthful.com and is property of Gracefully Truthful. For more studies like this one, visit the website!
Read His Words Before Ours! Colossians 1:7-13 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Revelation 14:6-7 Our miniature matatu (think African style of a city bus…kind of) bumped up and down and our bodies bounced with it without the constraint of seat belts. Red dust flew up behind us while some billowed through the windows, filling our nostrils with the ever-present African-dust smell. The chatter of my seven teammates filled the matatu, but I wasn’t hearing them. My senses were in the slums of Kenya, seeing, hearing, smelling, breathing my surroundings, but my heart and my head were somewhere else. I saw children playing in the streets made of dust, I saw women walking to and fro, and I heard men shouting to one another, but in my mind, the red dust of this town was replaced by red dirt of Southern Utah. Children’s laughter was replaced with the memory of the foster children’s laughter from the camp I’d worked at earlier that year. Never in my life had I experienced the pull and the weightiness of the world… and I broke. As we drove through Kenyan slums, I could literally feel my heart being torn in two, slowly ripping right down the middle. When we arrived at the preschool ministry site for the day, everything came pouring out with deep sorrow. I turned to my leader, Allison, and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m here, I know I’m here and I’m supposed to be, but I’m so broken for the people in Utah who need Jesus, and I’m aching for the foster children in Kansas City who need redemption. What is wrong with me?” “Kendra,” she told me gently, “have you ever prayed that God would break your heart for what breaks His?” I slowly nodded my head and squinted my eyes. “He’s doing that right now.” If I was weeping before (which I was), I was weeping harder now. I didn’t know God’s heart hurt so much for us, and I only had a glimpse. If we know anything, it’s that our world is shattered and broken. Spreading the healing hope of the gospel and praying for nations to know the Lord is our urgent mission until Jesus returns. Paul presses the Church to pray for God’s creation in each of his epistles by asking them to pray for other churches, for people in leadership, and for those who are still lost without hope… but, why? Why do we pour out our hearts in prayer for the hurting, hungry, desperate, lost, broken people who make up God’s creation? Because, God… “wants everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4). The Father’s heart is for His Creation. He longs for us to know His love and be rescued from our sin. Let us learn from Ezekiel 22:30, where God says He is looking for someone to stand in the gap for their nation, but found no one. We are called to stand in the gap for the nations with the hope of the gospel! Let us, who have the authority to approach the Father’s throne because of Jesus in us, pray for the nations! Can I be real for a minute? (Ok, ok, I’m always real.) Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed with how many people I need to pray for, and how many things I need to pray for, and all the brokenness and lostness and heaviness that I just don’t pray at all. I know I need to pray for the nations, for my daughters, for my friends and family, for the people in leadership positions in the Church and in my country, but I don’t always know where to start or what to pray. I’ve found the best place to begin is rooted in Scripture, following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Read His Word, and be ready to pray whenever and however the Spirit is pressing in. Pray for the nations’ leaders to be filled with wisdom and be surrounded by wise and godly advisors. Pray for their hearts and ears to listen to wise counsel. (Proverbs 11:14) Pray for leaders who don’t know Christ to have divine encounters with believers who would point them to salvation. Pray for leaders who are Christians to have steady discipleship pouring into them and that they would have strength to fight the arrows shot at them from the enemy. (Proverbs 2:1-8 and Ephesians 6:12-18) Pray for unity in the Church in each nation. As each nation writes their own laws and citizens live in ways they feel just, the Church has different struggles in each country. How the Church is being pulled in the United States is entirely different than the struggles for the Church in New Zealand or India. Pray for unity within the Church in each country, and that followers of Christ would base their standards on biblical truth and not what society dictates. (1 Corinthians 1:10) Sisters, sometimes I feel small. Sometimes I feel like my prayers and voice won’t matter. Will the Lord really hear my pleading for the underground church in North Korea? He will. He does. My prayers are pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as are yours. Ask the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His. Ask Him to burden your heart for the lost. You might be surprised who you feel burdened for, but don’t be surprised when He answers your prayer. When He does, take action and pray for the lost, the hurting, the persecuted, the Christians and the non-Christians, then take steps to bring hope to them! This Bible study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it first appeared. For more studies like this one, visit GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Luke 1:26-28 John 4:1-2 John 4:39-41 Psalm 139:13-18 Oh God, please, please, please just give me a baby sister. Please. This was the pleading of a five-year-old little girl, who continued praying this for 2 years. This was my prayer. As much as my five-year-old brain could understand, I knew my mom couldn’t physically have more children, but I also knew God was a God of miracles, which meant I could still have a little sister. So I prayed with everything in me. Oh the joy when my prayers were answered one evening two years later! My parents gathered my grandparents, brother, and I into our tiny living room, telling us we would be adopting a baby in a few months. They didn’t know whether that baby was a boy or a girl… but I knew. This baby was my answered prayer. This baby was my sister. As hot tears streamed down my tanned cheeks, I knew, at just eight-years-old, that the Lord hears. He does the impossible, far beyond what we can imagine or dream. I knew God loved me. This began my deep passion for adoption, and a softened heart towards women surprised with pregnancy. Unexpected pregnancies have been a rhythm in my family, including my precious Gamma and her beloved Harald. My Papa passed away right after they celebrated 59 years of marriage, but their marriage began unconventionally. When Gamma was 15 and smitten with a handsome, blonde, German boy, they found out they would become parents much sooner than planned. At 16, they made vows they took seriously and carried out all 59 years of their marriage. However, being pregnant in the 50s at only 15, forever marked my Gamma. So, when other family members found themselves in similar circumstances, her heart ached for the pain they endured from scoffers and judgers; which marked me. I learned at a very young age the Bible is clear: sex outside of marriage is wrong. Pregnancy is not. It is not a sin to be pregnant. Life is never a sin. Life, because of God’s great redemption, can be the result of sin, but it is not sin. Period. So, sisters, how do we go about loving the fellow mamas around us who are expecting a life they weren’t planning to receive? How do we approach the mamas who were planning their pregnancy, but became pregnant outside of marriage? Well… we love them, just like the Father loves them. Jesus was the result of an unplanned pregnancy occurring outside of marriage. Mary was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit as a young teenage girl. (Matthew 1:18) Motivated by redemption, the Father brought forth LIFE. The Spirit impressed on the hearts of wise-men to search for the King and shower Him with gifts. We love our fellow sisters, women, image-bearers, by welcoming their miracles with gifts and showering those mamas with love. The Woman at the Well was a woman living in repeated sexual sin. She’d been married five times, and while we don’t know the reason for each of those marriages, we do know she was with a man who wasn’t her husband at the time she met Jesus. While she didn’t physically bear the evidence of her sin, Jesus saw her and He knew it all. Even still, He loved, accepted, and conversed with her as He offered redemption. Through her powerful story, many came to know Him. We love our fellow hurting women by accepting them, conversing with them, and showing them grace and Jesus through our actions. God has not abandoned her or her child. If He will not cast her off, neither can we. He offers redemption and hope to her just as He has for us. Sisters, Jesus is for life. He is for all life, which includes the life of the mama with the unplanned pregnancy. He isn’t just longing for her physical life, but her spiritual life. Despite painful circumstances, shame, and brokenness, He will use all of it to draw her to Him. How incredible to be a part of that redemption! I am so thankful my sister’s birth mama chose life. The Lord used her unplanned pregnancy to answer to my prayers and show me His Love. God is the creator of life, and all life has a purpose. Let us, the Church, join together to celebrate life, celebrate redemption, and celebrate motherhood. Let’s join together to love the mamas who desperately need to experience Jesus’ loving redemption. Ready for some practical tools to love these mamas? Below is a list of ministries both international and local to Kansas City (GT headquarters) that do exactly that! All of these ministries focus on loving women with Jesus’ love while helping prepare them for their future as a birth mama, for a baby being adopted, or a single mama raising her child. If you are an expecting single mama or already a single mama, these are some awesome resources for you. Know you are Loved. You are Valued. You are Treasured. You are not the sum of your mistakes, and we would love to pray for you and love on you – so please reach out to us! Embrace Grace – A support group for women with an unplanned pregnancy where mamas are showered with love by throwing baby showers for expecting moms. There are groups all around the country and you can find a group near you! There are also support groups for those same mamas after their babes are born. Rachel’s House – This amazing organization has four locations across the Kansas City metro and is focused on educating parents on all options for their unexpected pregnancies as well as supporting families through pregnancy and adoption or parenting. The Single Mom KC – A group for soon-to-be single moms and current single moms of all ages, stages, and circumstances. They have a free boutique for moms to “shop” at as well as hosting monthly workshops to help equip mamas and give them a night out (Free childcare! Woohoo!) Bahamas Godparent Center – This community ministry offers biblical guidance, pregnancy testing, counseling, ultrasound imagery, and, most importantly, HOPE! The Life of a Single Mom – This ministry works to educate church and community leaders as well as the general public with the challenges faced by single moms. They believe no single mom should walk alone. Heartbeat International – An international ministry that helps 1,500,000 clients every year by offering resources, helping with adoptions, and overall, aiming to help women recognize life and choose life. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Exodus 16:1-20 2 Peter 3:8-13 Joel 2:12-13 “Be patient, be patient, Don’t be in such a hurry! When you get, Impatient, You only start to worry. Remember, remember, God is patient, too! And think of all the times that others Had to wait on you!” My mama is a singer; as such, my entire life has been like one big musical. The little song above was just another little ditty my mom used to sing when impatience filled the scripts of our lives. This song can be found in scenes when we were stuck in Las Vegas traffic in 100-degree weather, or when I was anxiously waiting for my cousins’ arrival to play. Now, in an entirely new act, I sing this song to my daughters. But sometimes, even as I sing, I don’t feel so patient. Sometimes I sing with gritted teeth, or after biting my cheeks to keep from saying something I shouldn’t. Sometimes, I begrudgingly sing it to my daughters with a cheery smile plastered on my face, my forced enthusiasm convincing my heart to actually be patient. Patience, I’ve learned, isn’t just “waiting for the pot roast to be done” or “for your nails to dry” (although both have definitely grown my patience massively). It also means long-suffering. Excruciating “waiting for your adult child to come to Jesus”, or even “persevering and fervently praying in the midst of turmoil and grief”. Patience looks much like waiting on the Lord and His timing. Maybe He’s called you to do something…. become a missionary, start a ministry, find a new job, adopt, or move, and then He told you to wait. Patience. Long-suffering, nail-biting, gut-wrenching patience. Because our God is gracious, never asking us to do what He would not, we find His loving patience everywhere. The Old Testament speaks often of God being slow to anger like in Exodus 34:6-7 when God reminded Moses of His patience towards stubborn Israel and her disobedience. Before saying, “Enough!” and nearly wiping out all of humanity with a flood, God literally waited over 4,000 years for hearts to repent! In Numbers 14:18, Moses recounted again how Israel was saved from utter destruction, even though she clearly deserved it, because of the Lord’s long-suffering patience. When Israel, freed from slavery in Egypt by the mighty hand of the Lord, grumbled and complained, “But, Yaweh! We’re hungry and starving and it would’ve been better for us to just be slaves!” God lavishly poured out heaps of patience and love by giving them fresh, flakey bread (manna) and quail (what a delicacy!) every single day! Through the waiting, He taught them dependency on Him, teaching them to trust His daily provision. They grumbled and complained and His response was gracious patience and provision! When David, the young boy appointed King of the Israelites was finally made King, he had an affair and then murdered that woman’s husband! The Lord’s response? Loving Patience. God had every just right to kill David, or at least remove him from the throne, for his grievous sin, but because God is lovingly patient, He sent a prophet to come alongside David, reveal his sin to him and allow David to repent! God’s patience brought loving discipline to King David, one God called “a man after God’s own heart.” From the moment sin entered this world through Eve and Adam, God’s great plan for redeeming mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christwas already set in place. For its fullness to be completed, the Lord w a i t e d with long-suffering patience. And Oh! The patience displayed by our Savior as He allowed Himself to be tortured beyond recognition then hung on a cross to die a long and excruciating death where He slowly suffocated hour by hour. His shredded back scraped the rough wood of the cross each time He raised Himself up to catch a breath. His head throbbed from the thorns piercing into His skull. He spent hours dying by the worst form of death in human history, intentionally allowing Himself to fully feel the agony, not hurrying His death sentence as He, the Author of life and death itself, could easily have done. He gave His life for you and me. Patience even in death. Astonishing. I took a nap with my daughters this afternoon, praying as I fell asleep for Lord to speak to me about a situation in my life. Instead, I heard Him talking to me about His patience in a way I’d never considered. God’s love for me is individualized. It is a passionate love uniquely for me, just as His love for you is uniquely crafted to meet you. His love cannot be measured, it looks different for every person. The love I have for my three daughters is special and intimate for each of them. Similarly, God’s love for us is just as individualized and special. God delights in you and in me and He loves having a personal relationship with us where He loves us each in our own, special way. How great His love for us that He would patiently wait millennia for us to choose to know Him intimately! His heart is for all to choose Him! (2 Peter 3:9) Love is patient. Because God is patient. Patient Love weaves together 4,000 years of events, inspiring 40 different authors to write words that all point to One Redeeming Savior. Patient Love teaches disciples, followers, curious onlookers, and malicious people about the Father and His redemption while delivering people from sin and disease and performing miraculous wonders along the way. Patient Love endures grotesque abuse, taking a guilty punishment of death, though innocent, in order to rescue beloved children who rightly deserve wrath. Patient Love rises from the dead, forever defeating Sin and Death by His victorious life! Patient Love walks with me in the most dire of circumstances when I’m being pushed, stretched, and pruned, even when it all feels out of my control. Love is patient. And God is love. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Acts 16:11-34 Hebrews 6:9-11 Philippians 1:12-20 My mama turned to me and asked me if it would all be worth it, if my story touched just one soul? I grew up praying for missionaries in my extended family and my church. These missionaries spread around the globe from South America to Africa to Russia, and we prayed for them daily. I wonder now as an adult…. would they still choose to leave their country, leave their family and material possessions, and face trials and persecution if it meant that just one soul was reconciled with God? I believe all of them would answer “Yes”. I imagine their “yes” is sometimes said through gritted teeth, eyes heavy with exhaustion, and determination tightening their body from head to foot, regardless of how they might emotionally feel And sometimes their yes flowed from a heart that danced victoriously. Their “yes” didn’t come without heartbreak, heartache, or sorrow. Neither did it come without blessings, laughter, and joy. But their yes was worth it when someone said their own “yes” to Jesus. Following the example of believers like Paul, Silas, the other twelve apostles, and the many men and women who gave up their lives for the sake of the gospel, three men said yes to Jesus, giving up everything to follow wherever He led. Adoniram Judson and Samuel J Mills were two of the first missionaries sent out from the United States, while Hudson Taylor, a contemporary, was one of the most influential missionaries to China. Adoniram Judson and Samuel J Mills were among the very first class at the very first evangelical seminary in the United States, Andover Theological Seminary in 1810. Together, they helped create the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Adoniram, and his young, new wife, Ann, headed to Burma. Shortly before they left, Ann wrote this to a friend: “I feel willing and expect, if nothing in providence prevents, to spend my days in this world in heathen lands. Yes… I have about come to the determination to give up all my comforts and enjoyments here, sacrifice my affection to relatives and friends, and go where God, in His providence, shall see fit to place me. My determinations are not hasty, or formed without viewing the dangers, trials, and hardships attendant on a missionary life. (…) Now my mind is settled and composed, and is willing to leave the event with God." While the Judsons were in Burma, Samuel Mills was forming several missionary and benevolent organizations in the United States while also carrying the gospel to Mississippi and New York City. In 1818, Samuel spent time in West Africa, locating a site for the repatriation of freed African-American slaves. On his return, Samuel died on the ship. His life seems short by our standards, but it was rich, and the fire in his spirit for spreading the Gospel ignited the flames of countless hearts. The Lord does not count our success by years or tasks completed, but only by our willing obedience to His heart of love! Like Paul in the Bible and countless other Christ-followers through the ages, Adoniram also spent time in prison, but persecution and suffering did not deter him from obediently pressing into the Lord’s calling on his life. He opened a girls’ school, translated the Bible and other Christian books into Burmese, and faithfully kept following Jesus in His everyday life. Ann passionately worked beside him, using her love for Jesus and writing to encourage American women to pray fervently. She specifically asked women to pray for the rescue of child brides, the end of female infanticide, and other struggles for Burmese women. The Lord used Ann’s gift of writing in one final act before He called her home: helping to release her husband from his 21 months prison sentence by writing about the horrid condition of the prison in which he was contained. Ann & Adoniram were normal, everyday people who chose, again and again and again, to love Jesus more than the comforts of life for the sake of even just one. After Ann’s death, Adoniram also buried his second wife and three of their precious, tiny children before marrying his third wife. Like Ann, his second wife, Sarah, willingly held open her hands and life to the Lord. She used her skills as a linguist to continue spreading the Gospel to the Burmese by translating books, hymns, and tracts as well as the New Testament. Sarah fervently worked alongside her missionary-husband, while enduring the pain of losing her children. Her heart was not withheld from sorrow, she knew suffering well, but she knew Jesus was worth it, even for the sake of just one. Adoniram’s met his third wife, Emily, when he enlisted her writing abilities to write about the life of Sarah. Unbeknownst to him, Emily had read many stories about Ann. As a result, she too felt the call to live missionally in Burma. After they married, she joined him in what would be Adoniram’s final job before entering Heaven: completing an enlarged edition of the Burmese dictionary to ease translation of the Bible. Just three years after Adoniram’s death, another well-known Christ-follower made his way to a foreign land with one goal: spreading the Gospel. As a baby, Hudson’s mother, on urgings from the Holy Spirit, had prayed he would be used in China. China! Her prayer was answered when he encountered the Holy Spirit one evening, and spent the next several years studying medicine, learning Mandarin, and growing his relationship with the Lord in preparation to move to China in 1853. After marrying Maria Dryer, the daughter of Chinese missionaries, Hudson Taylor became incredibly ill and returned to England in 1961. His return did not dampen his fervor, no! He spent his time translating the Bible into Chinese, studying to become a midwife, and recruiting more missionaries! Adoniram Judson Ann Judson Sarah Judson Emily Judson Samuel J Mills Hudson Taylor Maria Dryer Seven individuals who chose the “just one” over their own comfort. Seven individuals who counted the cost of following Jesus, and said yes. Seven individuals who changed the world for countless souls. Will you say yes for the sake of just one?! This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! John 6:64-71 Acts 1:16-20 Matthew 27:3-10 Isaiah 59:1-3 I did everything I was supposed to do. I followed Him. I witnessed miracles. I performed miracles. I preached about Him. I cast out demons. My hands grip the rough trunk of the olive tree, my mouth tastes of the natural fibers of the rope as I climb. The taste of bile still lingers in my mouth, and my stomach turns as I feel the hot acid rising into my throat again. My head pounds and sweat drips down my back. I’m not sure if the pounding headache is from weeping or rage. “Follow Me”, He said, and I did. I left everything for Him! For what? For riddles and jokes? I left my life to follow a man who scoffed at my lack of faith? Who demanded worship and said He was God? I gave up everything for Him? My grunt, as I climb another branch, turns into a deep growl and then into a shout. I hate You! You demanded I leave everything behind – my family, my friends, even the extra clothes I owned to further Your name – all for what? Nothing. I walked hundreds – no – thousands of miles, my feet bloodied, blistered and filthy, for You to have Your feet washed by a prostitute? While I sat and watched, my feet throbbing with each beat of my pounding heart. And then, Your feet were washed again? By another woman? You told me to give up everything, and yet You allowed two women to waste their expensive perfume just to wash your feet. The other disciples watched in awe, just the sight of their faces, gawking over the exhibition, made me sick. I look down below, the ground is further away, but not far enough. I can’t climb too high, or the branches will be too thin. My breathing is getting faster by the moment and my thoughts escape with a shout every so often. I pause to catch my breath, wipe my sweaty palms on my thighs, and look out over the land. The scenes of the days before flash before my eyes in fragments. I tried. I really tried. I tried to make sense of the nonsense sermons He kept preaching. I tried to answer His question correctly and ask questions to make me seem important and intellectual. I thought if I acted the part well enough, I could eventually become everything He wanted me to be. I wasn’t an idiot, like Peter, speaking before I thought, or trying to walk on water when it was impossible. I left everything for Him. And then I left Him. And now, I have nothing. That nothingness is exactly why I continue to climb. I take the rope from my mouth for a moment and spit out loose hairs, willing moisture for my mouth, but I’m parched, physically and spiritually. No matter how hard I tried to follow His rules and obey His commands, there was always something missing. Surely, I wasn’t the only one faking it. There’s no way every other disciple felt the joy and light Jesus spoke of. Balderdash. A bunch of blind sheep following a smooth-talker, and I allowed myself to get caught in it. Yet… How did He perform those miracles? The crazed man who was set free from all those demons? The blind made to see? The lame made to walk? The woman healed just by touching the hem of His clothes? And Lazarus. We were all there for Lazarus. …Maybe he wasn’t actually dead. Maybe. But Jesus certainly is. Jesus. I reach for the next limb, but my hand misses because the tree is moving so violently. I can’t tell if the tree shaking, or if my vision is construed. I can feel my body shaking, almost convulsing, uncontrollably. My head swirls as dizziness overtakes me and my vision grows dark. I hate Him. I hate who He made me to be. But I cannot deny His innocence. I know He loves me. Just a few days ago, He knelt and washed my feet. My feet hit the warm water in the bowl just as He began dipping His hands in. He first took my right foot in His hands, taking care to have a gentler touch as He scrubbed close to my blisters. He rubbed one hand on the top of my foot, while the other held the bottom. He then reached for my left foot, washing with the same care. He looked up at me, and our eyes met. His held His familiar knowing, like He always knew exactly what I was thinking. But this time I saw pain, sorrow, and even love. How can one’s eyes hold so much? I looked around at the other men in and considered their friendship and our camaraderie. There had been many moments of confusion and frustration over our here-year journey, but there had been laughter, jokes, and even pranks as well. Inside jokes were our favorite; just a certain gesture or word would spark heaves of laughter. Friendship grew across tables, on land, in boats, and in strangers’ homes. But I had already lost it all. There was no undoing what I’d already done. 30 pieces of silver. The price of a slave. That’s what I had deemed Him worth. I finally reach the perfect spot. I sit tall, gazing at the landscape before me. I work to find even a moment of peace, but there is no peace to be had. The pain in His eyes when I kissed His cheek. I shouldn’t have looked at His face, but I couldn’t help it. I imagined his cries as each spike was driven into His skin, ripping out chunks of His flesh. I’d seen my share of Roman crucifixions. It took little imagination to see Christ’s blood splatter on the ground, pouring from His open wounds. Inside my head, I could not drown out the mob taunting and jeering, their anger so heavy it was palpable. I shook my head to rid myself of the scenes that would not leave me. I had done everything I was supposed to do. One more image insistently took form before me: Thirty pieces of silver. I tried to give it back! I threw it at the priests begging them to take it, begging to hand over my iniquity. But they refused! I have nothing. No family. No friends. No Savior. My hands have finished tying the knots and I carefully slip the loop over my neck. I tighten it until I can scarcely breathe. I take one final, labored breath through the constraints of the rope, and let my body fall. Sisters, Judas thought he was doing everything right. He literally followed Jesus everywhere. He performed miracles and spread Jesus’ Name. Yet, Scripture says Judas did not have a saving faith. He was so caught in the “doing”, he completely missed Jesus’ entire mission: Save. Judas died by hanging himself after attempting to return the money he’d earned for betraying Jesus. We can only imagine the grief Jesus felt knowing a man Jesus considered one of His best friends, had betrayed Him. But that wasn’t Judas’ only mistake. No, his next mistake was believing he wasn’t worth saving. He believed the lie that he was too far gone for even God to save. Jesus didn’t just die for you and me, He died for Judas, too. Judas couldn’t believe it. He never believed the truth that God saw him as worth dying for. Oh, beloved sisters, no one is too far gone. Not Judas. Not you. Not me. This Bible Study first appeared on Gracefully Truthful and is property of Gracefully Truthful. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! John 3:16-21 1 John 4:7-19 Psalm 86:10-17 This last Christmas, I spent a lot of time talking about the meaning of the holiday with my three girls. They learned all about John the Baptist (actually, they call him John the Bathroom, please don’t ask me why because I really have no idea!) and his miraculous birth. They learned about the angel, Gabriel, telling Mary about her impending pregnancy. They sang Happy Birthday to Jesus over and over again, and I really think they grasped the holiness of that precious day as much three toddlers under three can. But for me, Christmas continues to become more intimate and cherished as my relationship with Jesus deepens. Throughout the entire season, I kept reflecting on the fact that God gave His one and only Son, first as a baby into this human world, and then to death. I’ve heard my dad preach quite a few messages, but the one forever imprinted on my heart is titled, “It’s Christmas, but Easter’s coming”. He taught about the importance of celebrating Jesus’ birth, but the reason His birth is so incredible is because just 33 years later, God gave that same baby over to death. Then showed His infinite power by bringing Him back to life three days later. Sisters, if you ever question your value… If you ever doubt how loved you are by God… Stop and remember this: God, the Creator of the world, became what He created (human), for you. Though He was flawless, wholly perfect, and innocent of all wrong, He took the punishment of sin, which is death, upon Himself because He loves you. God stopped at nothing, not even death, to bring us salvation. Nothing would separate us from His love. Nothing would stop Him from extending the opportunity for eternal life to all of us. If you don’t know me, I’m a sing-songy person. I have a song for every moment. You want a song about brushing teeth? I’ve got a few to offer. How about a song about driving in the car or studying for a test? I’ve got songs for those, too. Songs about God giving His Son for you and I? Hundreds. But as I prayed over, studied for, and thought about this Journey Study for the last eight weeks, only one song kept coming to mind: “How Great Thou Art”. And when I think of God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in Pause. Right there. When we stop to think about the fact that God stopped at nothing for us, I think the magnitude of that thought should cause our breaths to catch a bit. Maybe your heart beats a little faster? Maybe not yet? Then, stop and think of this: Are you a mama or an auntie? Is there a precious little one in your life? Imagine taking your sweet little one into your arms. Set them on your lap and wrap your arms around them. Feel their soft, squishy cheeks against yours; feel their sticky little fingers in your hand. Sense the weight of them leaning against you; breath in the smell of their hair. Focus on the depth of love you have for this wee one and the great life you know they are capable of leading. Think of the incredible moments you’ve had with them, the moments making your heart swell with pride or tender delight. The moments that marked the preciousness of your relationship together. Now, imagine that child on their deathbed. Imagine them lying in a hospital bed, barely breathing, their skin pale and their face expressionless. Don’t stay here long, but stop and realize the pain you’re feeling. Notice how you’re sick to your stomach and your heart literally hurts. Maybe your breathing grows heavier or your eyes begin to sting. Maybe you don’t have to imagine this pain at all, because you’ve lived it. Imagine you could stop this child from experiencing any pain, sickness, or rejection if you wanted to, but you choose not to. Hold onto the weight of that feeling and linger there. Now we’ve glimpsed, ever so slightly, the heart of Father God. We’ve caught a taste of the pain He felt watching Jesus suffer on earth. When Jesus had a stomach bug or a horrible cold, when He was teased by fellow playmates as a child, and rejected by His own hometown, His own people (Luke 4:16-30) as an adult. Father God watched and ached as Jesus was betrayed by one of His best friends (Luke 22:47-53), beaten so severely He didn’t even look human, denied by another best friend as He walked through the valley of death (Mark 14:66-72), and then nailed to a cross to slowly suffocate and die. The pain He experienced as a Father is incomprehensible. But God still gave His one and only Son. God knew the pain He would experience as Father. He knew the pain His Son would experience as the agony of sin pressed upon Him. But that didn’t hold Him back. Nothing, neither the pain in His own Father heart nor the pain Jesus, as God the Son, would experience, was going to stop the triune godhead from demonstrating His great love for the world or executing His master plan of redemption. That’s how important you are. That’s how loved you are. And when I think of God, His Son not sparing Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing He bled and died, to take away my sins Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Sisters? Easter is coming! This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. Visit GracefullyTruthful.com for most studies like this one!
Read His Words Before Ours! Colossians 1:24-2:3 Colossians 2:4-23 Ephesians 4:11-14 Hebrews 5:12-14 When we moved into our house, autumn was upon us, and many of the plants had started to fade away. The entire year following, I was delighted and surprised by multiple green sprouts appearing in my little bed at the front of our house. Fortunately, my Gamma had come to visit for several months and was able to teach me about the daisies, hostas, and roses blooming before my eyes. The roses thrilled me the most, and while they weren’t the large yellow roses my Papa and Gamma had always had in their garden, they were still a beautiful, bright pink. My Gamma gently warned me that when I cut flowers, I needed to cut them at an angle right above the growth bud, so the stem would continue to grow and produce more flowers. I hadn’t been as cautious about that before, resulting in an awkwardly shaped rose bush on the side of my house. I was reminded of this pruning process, but the necessity of pruning when I read this post on Instagram: “You will go through seasons of pruning, when God removes you from good things – friendships, privilege, ministry platforms, money, sustenance, hope, even your reputation. Pruning is always very painful and very difficult, although you may have a clear conscience and know that it comes from God, and that there are promises of a better and more fruitful future. It usually results in being very much alone. Most people will shy away from you when you experience pain. David in scripture was blessed to have one friend who stood solidly with him through God’s pruning and he eventually walked into a season of abundance.” My roses needed to be pruned – correctly – in order to continue growing and produce more roses than they otherwise would. Another word for pruning: sanctification. And ooftah does sanctification hurt sometimes. But is it worth it? Oh yes, dear Sisters, it totally is. Because sanctification means that I look more like Jesus and am being used for my intended purpose of bringing glory to Him. Sanctification means I’m growing. Paul talks about both the pain that comes with sanctification, as well as its inestimable value. He actually rejoices because of his suffering (and let me tell you, sanctification happens most during suffering). Paul understands that through this growing, pruning, and maturing process He is being prepared to take new ground for the Kingdom! Paul speaks of proclaiming Jesus’ name and building strong disciples so we may all be fully mature in Christ. This kind of maturity isn’t about physical age, rather it’s characterized by the natural growth that comes from intentional willingness to be consistently discipled by the Holy Spirit. By regularly dwelling with the Lord through Scripture intake, prayer, and living authentically in biblical community, the Spirit strengthens our “inner being” to love Christ and be shaped to mirror Him more and more. Speaking of this maturing, Paul says, “So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.” (Colossians 2:6-7) Saying yes to Jesus is only the beginning. Surrendering your heart and receiving “Christ Jesus as Lord” will save you for eternity, but if you stop here, you’ve chosen to live far below your birthright in Jesus. Paul urges, “continue to live in Him..” Become rooted, built up, and established in the faith. Don’t Stop Now! Say yes to Jesus, and keep saying yes as He prunes your heart and life! The “steadying” growth Jesus cultivates in a heart committed to Him, makes you keenly aware of truth verses a lie. And, Sister, the world is full of deception and ‘empty deceit’. (Colossians 2:8) Paul ached for the Church. He ached for believers to not be stuck drinking milk, but eating solid food. He ached for believers to grow deep and become rooted that they would be able to distinguish between truth and heresy. Heresy ran rampant in the Colossian church, and it does in our culture today, too. The only way we will know the difference between what is solid and a deceptive mirage is by renewing our mind through Scripture. We must be…. Regular. Consistent. Intentional. Disciplined. Mature in Christ. As you encounter suffering, hold fast to the faith because Jesus is worth it. Give yourself fully to spiritual disciplines, watch the Spirit grow you deeply. Stand firm for truth, and lead others well as you love with grace. The second half of this beautiful post continues: “I bless you with the pruning of the Lord. As painful as they are, they are for the best. They come from a wise Father. I bless you with pruning that brings redemption. I bless you with deep, solid, life-giving friendships when you are going through a season of God’s pruning you. I bless you with friendships that are designed, crafted, nurtured, and given to you by your Father, even at the same time that He is taking away other friendships that you have deemed important and necessary to your life. Although you may be severely pruned, I bless you with at least one friend who maintains covenant relationship with you in your darkest hour and is able to encourage you, strengthen you, and focus your attention on God’s promises.” This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. Visit GracefullyTruthful.com for more studies like this one!
Read His Words Before Ours! Psalm 6 Psalm 13:1-6 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 One of the beautiful things about Gracefully Truthful is the vulnerability required to write each Journey studies. From the beginning, we have strived for authenticity, as our desire has been for other women to know we are walking the reality of the Journeys we write. Rarely do I write from distant experience, I write what the Lord is revealing in my heart moment by moment. It is messy, I cry many tears as I write, and I trust that the Lord will somehow use my scattered words to bring Him glory. With that transparency I tell you, sisters, I am walking through an incredibly dark valley. My future is uncertain. My dreams are shattered. My heart is broken. In the midst of this valley, the Psalms has brought comfort, putting into words prayers I haven’t known how to pray. I’ve spent days sitting in one Psalm drawing as much truth and comfort from it as I can hold before moving onto the next. It is beautiful to see how the Bible has so many dimensions! The same verses I clung to as a little girl learning the Lord is my shepherd, are the same verses God used to makes me lie down in green pastures. Today, those same verses remind me I will never walk alone. The Bible never changes. But I change. Because of that, the Bible will always be relevant. God spoke through Psalm 6, meeting me exactly where I am. But His word is ready to meet each of us in every circumstance because His Spirit makes it come alive! Women trying to conceive can pray these words back to the Lord. Mamas grieving loss can read these words as the Spirit ministers directly to their souls. Soldiers may feel as if this psalm was written just for them, finding solace in His rescue. God’s Word is relatable, bringing us life! His Word is for each of us! “Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking; my whole being is shaken with terror. And you, Lord—how long?” Psalm 6:2-3 My heart echoes amen and amen. And countless hearts down through the centuries do the same. Our beings shake. Be gracious, Lord! And Lord?! How Long?? The older I get, the more I realize how incredibly messy life is. Even in the beautiful seasons, there will always be trials to face. Every single person reading this page has faced a trial of some kind, so we can all draw comfort from His Word. “Save me for the sake of your steadfast love!” Psalm 6:4 Oh sisters, how weak I have felt in this valley! How deeply I’ve begged, “Save me for the sake of your steadfast love!” I’ve never experienced the shaking of my bones quite like I have lately. Often, I find myself crying out to God, “How long? How long will this season last? Surely this valley can’t be any deeper?” Are you weary from your groaning? Is your pillow drenched every night? Do you wait until your kids are in bed, then let the tears flow? Do you hold them in for as many days as you can, until they just burst while you’re driving? Me, too. Take comfort in this, Dear One, the Lord sees every single tear that falls. He catches those tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8); He knows the source of those tears. He knows the heartache, the grief, the loss, the suffering, the anger, the disappointment. Are your eyes swollen from grief? Does your head throb from the overwhelming thoughts running through it? Does your body ache from exhaustion as you long to sleep just one night without the interruption of horrible dreams or racing thoughts? Does your jaw hurt because of the constant clenching? Me, too. He sees. He knows each thought, each dream, and your aching body. (Matthew 11:28-29) He longs to give you rest. As I sat in my counseling session sharing with my therapist the anger I was feeling, he explained that my grief will come like the tide, sometimes it will roll in and come further up on the shore before descending back down, but like the tide, it will surely come. The beauty of grieving, he explained, is that I am able to understand even more deeply the devastation caused by sin, and therefore, grasp the need for a Savior even more than I ever have before. But I do not have to walk through grief alone. As I enter into a new phase of grief I can bring it to the Lord, transparently asking Him to walk with me. The Lord has heard the sound of my weeping! He hasn’t turned a deaf ear to my pain. He hasn’t blocked out my mourning or allowed it to become like white noise mixing with the sounds of weeping across the globe. He has heard each individual cry. Yours. Mine. Your neighbor’s. Your child’s. The hungry child in Honduras. The mourning father in Guam. Each and every wail is heard by the Lord. And the Lord accepts my prayer. Not only has He heard. He listens. He accepts. I look forward to the day I can write a Journey like this from the other side. But I’m not there yet, and I won’t be for a while. So, I sit in the peace that is offered in Psalm 6 and throughout the rest of Scripture. The Lord knows my pain. He knows my tears. He knows exactly how long this season will last. And He will walk with me every step of the way. This Bible study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Philippians 2:5-11 John 1:14-18 Revelation 5:13 Jesus deserves our worship. He deserves our praise. As I worshipped God just last Sunday, He revealed Himself to me in new and intimate ways. He called me to offer something I wasn’t sure I could offer. But when I did, it led to an encounter with God I’ve never quite experienced before. As I worshiped in song, I sang because I knew the reality of all He’s done for me before. I sang because I know what He will do for me in the future. I sang because I have walked through dark valleys, and I know He has never left my side. Jesus paid it all for me, and because of that, I owe Him my everything. But what if I wasn’t feeling those things? What if I’m walking through a valley and I feel incredibly alone? What if I can’t remember what He’s done for me in the past? Does He still deserve my worship even then? Yes. EVEN THEN Jesus deserves our worship and our praise. EVEN WHEN we are in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death…. EVEN IF He doesn’t answer our prayers like we want…. He still deserves my worship. Why? Why worship God when we don’t feel like it? Paul shares why Jesus not only deserves our worship, but will one day receive everyone’s worship. Philippians 2:6-11 is a hymn written, not necessarily by Paul, but reiterated by him as it was circulated and sung throughout the early church. Imagine yourself there with me. A small house, packed with 15-20 bodies. Jews and Gentiles, slave and free, women, men, and children. All declaring the beauty of Christ together as one body! Voices raise, a simple, repetitive tune takes shape, and truth is preached as hearts are knit together by the incredible beauty of the Lord Jesus! “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.” He didn’t need equality with God, because Jesus IS God. He was God in the beginning and He is God even now. The divinity has always been His. “Instead, he emptied himself By assuming the form of a servant, Taking on the likeness of humanity.” Jesus willingly emptied Himself of His exalted position and laid aside His divine privileges to become a human being. A human! And while we are created in His image, we are completely incomparable to God. The humility and love it took to lower Himself from dwelling as God to dwelling with humanity is utterly incomprehensible. Jesus didn’t just become a human, He came as a servant. The Lord came down to serve those which ought to be serving Him. “And when he had come as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient To the point of death – Even to death on a cross.” Jesus Christ, who IS God, humbled Himself enough to become man, then humbled Himself even more to become obedient to all that was required of Him. Though Jesus retained His divinity even as He walked this earth, He didn’t rely on His divine powers to save Him, make His load easier, or remove Himself from the grip of death. No, He WILLINGLY died. Jesus didn’t die quickly. He didn’t quietly pass away in His sleep. He died a death reserved for foreigners and slaves, a death that was torturous and degrading. As God of all, He never had to die, but He chose it. “For this reason God highly exalted Him And gave Him the name That is above every name, So that at the name of Jesus Every knee will bow -” Because of Jesus’ great humility, His obedience, and His choosing to die sacrificially, God exalted His name above all names. Salvation is found in His name alone! His Name holds all authority for all eternity. “In heaven and on earth And under the earth And every tongue will confess That Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the Father.” When time has ended, and the final battle between God and His archenemy Satan has been won, every knee will bow. Every angel, every woman, every child, every man, every demon, all will declare that Jesus Christ is the Lord! Not all will be saved for eternity, that window will have passed, but all will recognize His rule and reign as King of Kings! All will sing His praises! And all of this ultimately brings God glory! So, my dear sisters, why do we worship even when we don’t feel like it? EVEN WHEN we doubt God’s goodness? We worship because Jesus is Lord. We worship Him EVEN THEN because we will all bow before Him one day, whether we choose to give our lives to Him now or not. Let your worship be rooted in the truth of Christ’s character, not your fleeting feelings. Because the One you worship is LORD of all! If this Sunday you don’t feel like you can worship Him because of the valley He has walked with you through, or because of the way He has provided for you, worship Him simply because HE IS GOD. He deserves our praise EVEN WHEN. This Bible study is property of Gracefully Truthful and was first published there as well. For more studies like this one, visit GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! 1 Peter 1:13-16 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Romans 12:1-2 Ever since writing for Gracefully Truthful, I’ve been continually amazed how the Lord perfectly aligns Journey Studies I write alongside my spiritual journey with Him. We choose our Journey assignments months prior to writing, and even longer before they ever go live on the website. And still…. the Lord always leads me to write specific Journey Studies He knows in advance He will use to transform my heart. This journey through 1 Peter has proven, yet again, God’s incredible timing and His miraculous voice through Scripture. As Partners at GT, we committed to read through 1 Peter many times before we even began writing. Two weeks ago (which was months ago as you read my words today), I sat down to read and the tears began flowing as I fixated on the first chapter detailing birth into a living hope. What I didn’t know when I chose this Journey was when it came time to write, I’d be swinging from days of great hope to days that left me utterly hopeless. Hopelessness has been hanging heavy here, Sisters. But as I sat weeping with His Word, His Spirit breathed, and I was reminded of LIVING hope that is mine in Christ Jesus! Hope that is moving and breathing and actively working because of Jesus! Our trials will result in “praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ!” (1 Peter 1:7) And because of that hope, sisters, that massive, freeing, and life-giving hope, we land at 1 Peter 1:13… Therefore One powerful word; don’t miss it! Therefore means that “hope” doesn’t stop at “initial salvation”. Yes, our salvation is certain and sure and these Scriptures that proclaim this glorious gospel are fully reliable because they are the very words of God that will not pass away. (1 Peter 1:25) Yes! Hope is found here! But “therefore” means it doesn’t stop there. Therefore. Because of. For that reason. Consequently. It Continues… Because our hope is so assuredly solid, we are called to prepare our minds for action, and take an active role in this living hope! Our salvation, grounded in hope, is meant to catapult us forward into living with hope as our inner minds shift. At salvation, we surrender all we know of ourselves to all we know of the Savior, trusting Him not only to save us from Sin and Death, but to save us for the fullness of life. That radical transformation where we begin moving into life, comes as a result of an inner shift. A moving away from conformity to the ways of the world, and a moving into surrendered transformation as the Spirit remakes us into the image of Christ Jesus. Transformed into holy. Just as He is holy. Un-Fathom-Able! We can never earn holiness, Sisters. It’s no secret you and I would never, ever reach the perfection of the Almighty God by our own effort. One little lie, one little lustful thought, and we are sinners. We are justified and made eternally righteous once we choose to make Jesus the Lord of our lives. We grow in our like-Jesus-ness through daily surrender as we keep our eyes fixed on eternal hope. This is sanctification through the work of the Spirit. If Jesus is ours and we claim His incorruptible inheritance waiting for us in Heaven, then we are called to conform to this gospel, and His holiness, leaving the ways of the world in the dust. That means the TV shows we watch. The movies we go to. The people we spend most of our time with. The places we hang out. The way we think. The way we conduct ourselves at work. Everything about us should be different because of the therefore. Because of certain hope in the trustworthiness of the Savior. Our relationships should look different. The way we dress should look different. Our marriages should look different. Our language should be different. Not different because we’re trying so hard to look like Jesus. Different because when we chose Jesus, an inner shift happened, hope grew, we were made new. We long to look like Him more than we long to look like that cute mom we adore on social media. OOFTAH. For me, that’s a hard pill to swallow because I idolize, yes, idolize, other mamas. Her hair is perfect, her kids look so put together, her house is clean, she’s so talented, AND she loves Jesus?! For a long time, I wanted to look more like her than I wanted to look like Jesus (sometimes I still do). I focused on transforming myself to become more like her instead of my King. Maybe that’s you too? Hope, Sisters. Inner Shift. Eyes on holy. When we say yes to Jesus, the radical inner shift begins. I was about five when I asked Jesus to become my King; that’s when my inner shift began. Small, yes, but it was there. My focus changed from inward to upward, and I became passionate about others meeting Jesus! Hope grew the fruit of a transformed life. Hope of salvation is not the end. It’s the therefore that doesn’t stop there. If He gave His life for me to live forever, surely, I can give my life to serve and love Him. We have incorruptible hope. It’s solid enough to anchor my everyday life and transform my heart toward holy! This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For other Bible studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Romans 8:26-27 1 Samuel 1:10-19 Psalm 51:1-10 Daniel 6 “Why must people kneel down to pray? If I really wanted to pray I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d go out into a great big field all alone or in the deep, deep woods, and I’d look up into the sky – up -up – up into that lovely blue sky that looks as if there was no end to its blueness, and then I’d just feel a prayer.” ~Anne Shirley I’ve been reliving my childhood fancies lately; escaping into the ever-magical, imaginative world of Anne Shirley. After a difficult upbringing by incredibly strict grandparents, author Lucy Maud Montgomery married a Reverend and wrote many books, including my all-time favorite, Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery’s bold theological statements often pointed out how reverence and worship aren’t what we tend to make it. Since re-reading Anne’s quote about feeling a prayer, I’ve done just that many times over. My life feels a little as if it’s spinning out of control right now. I’ve tried to paint a perfect picture of my life for the outside world to see, but inside, a tornado rages.. Many days, I feel like I can’t even think what to pray. So, I’ve closed my eyes, imagined myself in a massive field, and just felt my prayers. I’ve felt the glory and wonder of God and what He has created. I’ve felt the loneliness and instability that quakes my soul. I’ve felt the insecurities and I’ve felt the joy. And I’ve felt myself releasing it all and giving it to Him. All without saying a word. How is that even possible? Because God knows. He knows my every thought and every feeling. He knows me. The Spirit Himself prays for me. (Romans 8:26) In this blessed assurance, I’m free to saturate my chaos with intimate moments of communion with my Savior, while He calms my storms and brings peace. I feel the tornado slowing. The tension is leaving. Because of prayer. Not perfect, holy, well-thought through words. But connection, groanings I lack words for, shared to the ear of God through the Spirit who dwells within me. Centuries ago, Christians practiced the discipline of prayer through “Daily Offices”. Believers marked off specific times throughout the day, generally the third, sixth, ninth, and bedtime hours, dedicating them to prayer. At each interval, they put aside their daily tasks to spend time saturating themselves with the Lord. Prayers of praise. Prayers of worship. Prayers of joy. Prayers of need. Prayers of longing. Prayers for others. Prayers for themselves. Prayers of confession. Prayers of angst. Intimacy and relationship. What if we prayed like Hannah? She bitterly wept before the Lord, thinking her prayer, unable to even audibly speak! She was heartbroken with infertility. She poured out her soul to the Lord, all of her deep anguish and grief. The vulnerability! What if we surrendered our deep anguish and grief all throughout the day? Suppose we told Him our ache for a lost brother, or the way our arms feel empty for the child we’ve never held, or how our soul feels crushed from the weight of a seemingly hopeless marriage? Enter into that intimacy with the Lord, Sisters. Hearts are changed here. What if we prayed like David? King David had an affair with a married woman, yet with the deep convictions of his heart, he cried out to God to wash him of his iniquity and cleanse him of sin. In prayer, David begged the Lord to restore the joy he’d once known. The repentance! What if we recognized our great sins and ugly failures, confessing them to the Lord multiple times a day? Would we become more aware of our pride, quickly confessing and running from it? Would our hearts begin to grieve as we recognized and confessed our lust again? Enter into that intimacy of giving the Lord your sins, Sister. Hearts are changed here. What if we prayed like Mary? With the news of her pregnancy, and the coming Messiah, Mary worshipped! Perhaps she knelt to sang. Maybe she danced, rejoicing loudly while exclaiming the fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise! She celebrated her worship! The delight! Sisters, imagine if we were to take intentional time to thank God, celebrate Him, and declare His name throughout the day! EVEN IF we don’t feel like it. EVEN IF we have difficulty believing what we say. Imagine how the thanksgiving we surrender will grow in our hearts, overflowing onto others, and shifting our perspective as we praise the Lord throughout the day. Enter into that joyful intimacy with the Lord, Sister. Hearts are changed here! What if we prayed like Daniel? Nothing could stop Daniel from praying throughout the day. Not distractions. Not hunger. Not inconvenience. Not even the LAW or the threat of his LIFE. Daniel met the Lord three times, everyday, windows open to the world, unashamed of his God. The integrity! What if we said no to distractions having priority over prayer? What if we paused our lives several times a day to approach the throne of God. Even WITH kids screaming in the background. Even WITH a messy house just beyond our closed eyes. Even WITH a meeting that will last all day. What if we kept the conversation going on road trips, on business trips, in the grocery store, in the car. Oh, let’s go there, Sister! Enter into that precious intimacy with the Lord. Hearts are changed here. Yours and those around you! I want that in the middle of my messy chaos. Join me in my Prayer Challenge: Choose 3 times a day for your phone alarm to go off. I’m doing it right now setting it for 9 AM, Noon, and 3 PM. When those timers go off, we pray. Even if all we can muster is our deepest feelings, a groan, or a cry. Let’s specifically, intentionally, prayerfully, enter into deeper intimacy with our King. Watch out, Sisters. Our hearts and lives are about to change! This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was originally posted. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! John 21:15-19 Mark 14:66-72 John 1:35-42 “Simon, do you love me with a love that is selfless, pure, and passionate? Do you love Me most?” My eyes lifted from my hands, meeting Jesus’ gaze. His question lingered, as the juice from the fish dripped down my forearms, my heart pounding. I couldn’t stop the scene playing out in my mind’s eye as I recalled the darkest moment in my life… _ “Aren’t you one of His disciples?” she asked as I walked into courtyard where Jesus was. I quickly shook my head, “I’m not!” But guilt consumed me. I am. I am His disciple. But I didn’t want to die. “Aren’t you one of His disciples?” I was asked again. “No!” I insisted. “But I saw you in the garden with Jesus,” another said. “No, you didn’t! I do not know this Man!” The rooster crowed. Just as He’d said it would. I had denied my Lord three times. _ “Lord, You know I love you as a friend and brother,” I respond quickly, my focus returning. Yet, my heart would not be stilled. How could I say I love Him selflessly? How could I say I love Him most? I denied Him when He needed me most. But Jesus continued, “Feed my lambs, Simon.” His words brought a new scene to mind. It was winter, and we were listening to Jesus as we walked the grand colonnade of Solomon’s temple. His words, as always, had arrested my wandering attention. _ “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers… The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:1-10) _ Feed His lambs? But He is the Good Shepherd. Besides, I’m a fisherman. What does this mean? I still can’t look Him in the eyes. He knows me, He knows I denied Him three times, He knows I turned my back on Him. How could He even ask if I love Him? Jesus was speaking again, insistently, “Simon, Son of John, do you love me with a love so strong you will put Myself before you? Do you love me with a love so passionate, you would protect My truth and build others up with it?" My heart flew to another impossible invitation by the Lord as we’d stood by the Sea of Galilee. It was my fishing boat, my empty nets, and His winsome offer… _ “Hello, Peter. Would you do me a favor and let me get in your boat?”, Jesus asked. I noticed the crowd of people behind him, moving closer and closer to Him. His only other option would have been to stand in the sea. “Yes! Of course. I haven’t caught any fish anyways; my boat is empty.” He asked me to row out, then He stood and began speaking to the people. I tried to listen as He talked, but I’d been awake all night fishing, exhaustion was setting in. Suddenly, He had my full attention as He’d turned His gaze on me, “Put your net out to catch some fish.” I was embarrassed; I’d caught nothing after an entire night’s worth of work, but who was I to say no? “I’ve been fishing all night and caught nothing, but I’ll try it again for you,” I shrugged and tossed the nets overboard. After a moment, my nets began to tug and tear! Fish flooded my nets! I whistled to our boating partners, and with all of our might, we pulled loads of fish into our boats. There were so many we began sinking! A miracle! I’d been wondering how I would make money today and this Miracle Worker brought in enough fish to cover my wages for days! It was then I knew, I knew He was Lord! I fell to my knees, fully aware of my unworthiness and utter sinfulness; I’d begged Him to leave. How could He even associate with me? “Do not be afraid! From now on, you will be catching men.” I caught those fish that day, but I gave them to another local fisherman. Instead, I chose to follow Jesus… this man who was Lord. The same one I later denied… _ “Jesus, You know I love you as my friend.” I dug deep for a response to His incessant questioning, my sorrow continuing to burn hot in my belly. I loved Him with everything in me. But how could I convey it? Before I could attempt a better response, He instructed. “Tend my sheep.” Or was it an invitation? Either way, He knew exactly the story His words would bring to mind. _ “Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost? And on finding it, he lays it on his shoulder, rejoicing.” Jesus would leave ninety-nine sheep just to go after one. He would do that for me, for anyone. He loved the wealthy and the poor, the Jews and the Gentiles, the adulteress and the leper. He was more than Jesus Christ to me, He was my Lord, and my friend. _ Jesus saw my eyes return to His, my fish breakfast long since forgotten. “Simon,” He questioned slowly for the third time. “Do you love me as your friend and as your brother?” This time it was different. This time, He knew the answer, and my heart was shattered. What’s more, I knew the answer. I knew I just simply loved Him, and that was enough. Wherever He took me, whatever it cost, whatever the task, I loved Him. “Lord, You know me; You know everything. You know I love You.” Again, He invited and commanded, “Feed My sheep.” “Simon, the cost of following Me is your full surrender. You may lose physical freedom, but you will truly be free. FOLLOW ME.” Our eyes locked and I knew the depth of this invitation. I was forgiven. He trusted me with His sheep. I was to make fishers of men, continuing to extend the invitation I’d been given. Why would I say yes? I loved Him. He loved me. _ Simon Peter’s life is one of transformation and sanctification that we get to watch transform through the pages of Scripture. From the quick and wordy fisherman who was called by Jesus, to the wise and heroic martyr and was an essential piece of the founding of the Church, Peter shows us that even when we fall, even when we deny Jesus, He isn’t finished with us. God’s plan for us is deep and wide. We can accomplish His purposes because of His unconditional love. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For studies like this one, visit GracefullyTruthful.com!
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Kendra LeeAnneFrom Bible studies to blogs, articles to musings of the heart, Kendra's writings are unbarred and raw - exactly how she speaks. Categories
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