Read His Words Before Ours! Luke 10:25-37 Luke 10:38-42 Psalm 46:10-11 Mark 6:30-32 “Being a mama is your most important job right now. It is your great calling and it is a wonderful calling with amazing rewards. It is alright to let other things go and focus on your little girls, it really is.” With everything in me, I wanted to protest that I knew that and I was able to do that while serving at the same time. But I couldn’t even protest, because I knew it was true. I am walking in a season of saying “no” and of letting go. This is a hard season. I’ve let go of potential job opportunities, I’ve said no to other opportunities. I’ve let go of ministries I’ve served in, and said no to serving in other capacities. For a woman who loves to say “yes” and loves to go, go, go, this season is a hard one. So, when an older, wiser mama spoke those words to me, I allowed them to wash over me and settle on my soul, and I cleared another day on my schedule. As I reread the parable of the Good Samaritan for what felt like the umpteenth time, I was stricken with a resemblance between my life and the lives of two of the characters… and not the ones I would want to resemble either. Have I been like the Priest and the Levite who were so busy traveling that they couldn’t even stop to help the beaten, dying man on the side of the road? They saw that he was physically broken, and yet they completely avoided him because they were too busy. They missed out. And so did the man. My entire life has been filled with event after appointment after assignment. I can’t help but wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed because of that full calendar. Was I too busy rushing from place to place that I missed a chance to love someone? In that same story, we read of one man, who may have been in a hurry himself, but wasn’t too busy to actually stop. This man, a Samaritan, an outcast from the elite “chosen people of God”, stopped in the middle of his travels, completely halted his plans, and loved a total stranger. Right after that parable, we read about Martha and Mary, two women who loved the Lord but showed their love in different ways. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, scampering to and fro, preparing food for Jesus, making sure His water cup was full, attending to all of His needs and serving Him. Her sister, Mary, however, sat near to Jesus, listening intently to everything He had to say. She was so enthralled with Him, that she wouldn’t miss a moment. Unsurprisingly, Martha got rather annoyed with her sister, who wasn’t helping at all. It was almost as if Mary just expected Martha to serve her!Martha was working hard for Jesus! She was busy and tired from that busyness. So she asked Him if He cared that Mary left her to serve alone. I imagine Jesus answering her in the way men often answer women- we ask a man to fix our problem and he looks at us with amusement and gives us the obvious solution to our problem. Jesus’ answer seems so obvious we almost can’t accept it. Jesus looked at Martha, His eyes slightly bewildered, but full of compassion because He knew her so well. Then He said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary…” going on to tell her it was more important for Mary to sit and spend time with Him, learning and listening, than it was for Martha to serve Him. Let’s stop there for just a moment. Jesus said it was more important for Mary to spend time with Him than it was for Martha to serve Him. Sucker punch. So many times I allow myself to believe that I need a schedule jam-packed and full of serving in order to prove my love for the Lord. That isn’t what He asks. He asks for a schedule with space enough to love. Space enough to not miss out. Space enough for sitting with Him. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
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Read His Words Before Ours! Exodus 3:1-12 1 Samuel 16:1-12 Luke 2:8-20 John 10:1-18 These are the real-life stories of four shepherds. The first was a man named Moses. He cared for his sheep while his wife cared for their children. The days of his own childhood would sometimes dance in his mind. Some days he would allow the memories to linger, and others he would quickly shoo away. He had been a prince of Egypt as a boy, after being adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, but now he was a shepherd, caring for sheep through pouring rain and sweltering days. The second was a boy named David. He was the youngest in his family, and quite a darling young man. He was fearless and strong and was learning to love the God of his people. David had defeated lions and bears, and he knew that if he relied on Yahweh, he could defeat anything. This third shepherd doesn’t have a name. While shepherding was often a lonely job, he had other shepherds for friends and companions. They didn’t notice each other’s stench or filth, and enjoyed the company after long hard days of herding sheep. They often risked their lives to save their livestock, and endured harsh weather to ensure no sheep would wander away from their herd. The fourth shepherd? We’ll talk about him more in just a moment. One day, Moses was caring for his father-in-law’s sheep. He led them to a mountain to graze, taking care to ensure each sheep was accounted for. There he saw a bush engulfed in flames, but it wasn’t actually burning. Moses moved nearer to the bush, his curiosity peaked at how such a phenomenon could occur. “Moses, Moses!” A deep, steady voice came from the bush. Moses responded, “Here I am”, while stopping in his tracks to see who was calling him by name. “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place which are standing is holy ground.” David was tending his father’s sheep, oblivious to anything else that was occurring. His people had begged the Lord for a king to lead them, and He had given them Saul, but Saul had become wicked and a new king needed to take his place. As Samuel grieved Saul’s hardened heart, God said, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel?” He then commanded Samuel to visit Jesse because one of his sons was to become the next king. Jesse was David’s father, but he had many sons who were grown, strong, and capable young men. David was just a boy. Samuel paused before each of these grown men, asking the Lord if which one was to become the next king. But the Lord instructed him to pass up each of them, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Our nameless shepherd was exhausted from a long day of herding his sheep, but his job was never done. Even in the still darkness of the night, he must still guard the sheep from thieving predators. He and the other shepherds occasionally talked for a moment before letting the quietness overtake their voices, listening for any sounds that might be out of place among the common bleating of sheep. Suddenly, a great light appeared and enveloped them! It was an angel! And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were speechless and terrified! The angel began, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people! For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” They were told to look for a baby lying in a manger and then, in an instant, the sky was filled with thousands of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Now for that fourth Shepherd… This man wasn’t a traditional shepherd. It wasn’t His first career and He didn’t herd sheep. He shepherded people. Like Moses, He was adopted into a family different than His own and would fulfill His calling by saving millions of people from slavery. Like David, He seemed like the most unlikely of people; He was the son of a carpenter and born in a stable, surrounded by animals. He was not born into a royal family, but He was a great King, existing before time began! And like our Nameless Shepherd, He would protect and care for His sheep, guiding them away from death and rescuing them from the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That fourth Shepherd… He is THE Shepherd. He is MY Shepherd. He gives me rest. He restores my soul. He lets me drink the Living Water. He walks with me when I go through deep valleys and in dark shadows. He disciplines me. He guides me. He is Jesus. Like shepherds of old, Jesus laid down His life for His sheep (that’s us, guys!). He knows us. He cares for us. The motif of a shepherd is incorporated throughout the entire Bible. It is another thread woven together that proves the Bible, and every truthful story in it, has a purpose, pointing to King Jesus. The Shepherd! The GOOD Shepherd! This Bible Study first appeared on GracefullyTruthful.com and is property of Gracefully Truthful. Check out their website for more studies like this one!
Read His Words Before Ours! Exodus 20:1-21 Matthew 19:16-24 James 1:22-25 When I was still pregnant with my twin daughters, they were given a book called, “The Jesus Storybook Bible”. (If you’ve never heard of this book, go order it right now! Or you can wait until you’re done reading… but seriously. You need this in your life. Not just for your kids… but for YOU. You’ll see why…) Anyways… This “children’s” Bible had beautiful illustrations with some of my favorite current color schemes bringing the truth of these Bible stories to life in a way I’d never seen before. The author wove God’s great redemption plan through every story. For the first time in my life, as I read these stories to my babies after they were born, I saw a connection between the Tower of Babel and Christ’s birth, or the Creation story and Jesus’ death, in a way I’d never seen it before. As I read this book aloud to my, often sleeping, babies, I found myself amazed. Some may call it hormones, or maybe it was the Holy Spirit, but I never cried over a book like I cried over this children’s Bible. So, I want to share with you one of the biggest things I learned while reading this book about God’s truths. Rules can’t save us. Guys, I knew this already. But I didn’t know it. I could have told you that “rules don’t save us”. I could’ve even told you that God gave us rules to protect us and show us that we really need Him. But I truly learned this one day while I was rocking my babes. In awe, I read and reread the last few sentences of the story of The Ten Commandments: “Only one Person could keep all the rules. And many years later God would send Him – to stand in their place and be perfect for them. Because the rules couldn’t save them. Only God could save them.” How many times have we gotten stuck thinking that we need to be perfect in order to be loved by God? How many times have we thought that following the Ten Commandments, or even the “rules” that have become tradition and standard in the modern Church, were the key to being given grace? Sisters… wearing dresses to church on a Sunday won’t save you. Praying before every meal won’t save you. Raising your hands during worship won’t save you. Listening to the Christian radio station won’t save you. Having a daily quiet time won’t save you. We’ve got to stop thinking that we need to follow those rules for God to keep extending His grace to us! Some of these are still great guidelines to follow to help us grow in our relationship with Him… but DOING will never equal GETTING when it comes to a grace-filled, saving relationship. Even further… following every single one of the Ten Commandments is utterly impossible for us because of sin. Go ahead, and take a look at the Laws and see how many you’ve broken. You aren’t alone, every human being falls into the category of “sinner” because we’ve all broken the Law of Holiness designed by God, who is Holy. We are doomed to Death because of our inability to perfectly fulfill the law! God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments for several reasons. Yes, He cared about their personal well-being and He didn’t want to see them hurt. He knew that they could greatly minimize the hurt in their lives by following these commandments. Just like we know that children are given rules to minimize the possibility of their getting hurt. And yes, He needed to bind His people with a common law, just like we are bound by the common laws and constitutions of our lands. But most of all… He needed to remind His children of their sinfulness. He knew that they would never be able to keep this law, and every single time they failed, they would be reminded of just how sinful they are, and just how perfect God is. James tells us that the law can be used as a mirror. Any time we start to think that we have it all together, we can just look in that mirror and realize that we have seven zits popping up, our roots are two inches long, and we haven’t plucked our eyebrows in a few weeks. We are so far from perfection. And there was only one Person who was ever able to follow every one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus. Once we choose to step into the grace that Jesus has extended to us, once we choose to fully embrace that grace, only then can the gap between “Us trying to follow The Law and miserably failing” and “The Law” be filled. Do you see it?! Do you see how the Gospel is literally woven through the Ten Commandments and every single law written after that? It is amazing and exciting! The Bible isn’t just a bunch of random stories placed together. Every single story has a purpose, and that is to point to Jesus and the redemption we can receive through Him! Hundreds of years before Jesus even walked this planet, God was weaving His plan of redemption from His heart straight to yours! This Bible Study was first published on GracefullyTruthful.com and is property of Gracefully Truthful. Check out the website for more studies like this one!
Read His Words Before Ours! Jonah 4 John 3:16-18 1 John 2:16-18 Matthew 20:1-16 “For God so loved the world…” The world. God loves the world. Not just the saints. Not just the Jews. Not just the believers. Not just the Christians. Not just the rule followers and law obey-ers. Not just the mamas who seem to have it all together. Not just the families that go to church every Sunday. Not just the women who can balance their whole lives perfectly. Not just the thankful. Not just the healthy. Not just the clean. God loves the WORLD. He loves the people overtaken with pride. He loves the Muslims. He loves the agnostics. He loves the rule breakers. He loves the mamas who get a little too angry a little too quickly. He loves the broken families. He loves the women who put on their lipstick while trying to drive a stick shift in traffic. He loves the dissatisfied. He loves the sick. He loves the dirty. God loves everyone. It doesn’t always seem fair that He has the same amount of love for the person who doesn’t even try to live a godly life as He does for those who are working daily to grow their relationship with Him. And as embarrassing as it is to admit, these thoughts cross my mind sometimes: “I’m such a better mom than her.” “I’m so much nicer than her.” “I give so much more than them.” “I present myself better than her.” “My house is so much cleaner than hers.” “My walk with God is a little shinier than hers.” I bet I’m not the only one that thinks these things… (Read: Please tell me I’m not the only one that thinks these things!) And even if I am today… I know I’m not the only one in history who has had similar thoughts. Pharisees. Adam. The Prodigal Son’s brother. James. John. The Rich Young Man in Mark and Luke. Saul. Joseph. Jacob. I mean, just to name a few. But one that stands out to me the most is this man we’re going to be talking about for a little while… Jonah. Jonah. The prophet infamously known for being swallowed by a giant fish because he refused to go where God called him to go. But, why did he refuse to go to Nineveh? He was a prophet of the Lord! Shouldn’t he WANT to go where God’s love was greatly needed? He thought the Ninevites didn’t deserve grace. They were too far gone. Too dirty. Too lost. Way too sinful. And this is where my breath catches and my eyes start to tingle with tears of guilt suddenly threatening to spill over. How many times have I been Jonah? How many times have I looked at someone and refused to show them love because I thought they were too far gone? They were too dirty, too lost, and way too sinful for me to even consider offering them the grace that God gives freely to ALL? Sisters, if my answer is even “just one time”, that’s one time too many. And, unfortunately, my answer is way more than one. My prejudice-ness, pride, judgment, and self-entitlement clouds my perception of others and their need for grace, while also radically fogging other’s viewpoint of God’s character of pursuit of His children. We all have our own ideas of what “too far gone” looks like. For Jonah, it was the Ninevites. For some, it might be murderers, child abusers, prostitutes, politicians, dictators. For me, sometimes it looks like another woman who is struggling to find her place in this world. And realizing that ugliness in me, breaks my heart. I can’t believe that I could ever limit the love that I show someone based on my perception of them. Until I remember how dirty and lost and sinful I am too. Jesus saved me, despite all of it, and in the sight of the Lord, I am absolutely no better than anyone else. Love can be so messy. It can be so dirty. But if Jesus can love the entire world… the abuser and the victim, the prostitute and the pimp, the dictator and the citizens, you and me… then surely I can love the people that can seem the hardest to love. Let us learn from the sad life of a man who would rather die than watch the Lord extend grace to people he deemed unworthy. Because we are all unworthy. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful where it was first published. For more studies like this one, visit GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Luke 1:46-55 Luke 1:67-79 Isaiah 9:6-7 Mary and Yosuf had be traveling for many days on their way to be counted in the official census as decreed by Caesar Augustus. The sun burned hot on Mary’s body, while she alternated walking and riding their donkey. She had been having contractions for several days now, and she could feel her baby settling lower and lower. “Please, Yahweh, keep Yeshua inside for just a few days longer,” she continually whispered under her breath. She and Yosuf laughed together and enjoyed their journey, she was afraid to mention that she felt the baby was going to be born soon, but he could tell without her saying. He saw her quietly grab her stomach and breathe slowly through contractions. Every time, he nudged their donkey to move a little faster. Anticipation. It filled the space between them and the silent moments of travel. Yosuf was anxious to hold the son Yahweh was giving to him. His heart leapt as he imagined teaching him carpentry and watching him learn many things. His thoughts lingered on how to care for Mary during birth and where they would stay when they arrived in Bethlehem. A small fear began to bubble up in Mary, as she imagined giving birth, but she would pray and peace would soothe that fear. She imagined nursing and snuggling her baby boy and she knew she already loved him. Mary quietly hummed the song she’d been singing throughout her pregnancy: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, For He has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. Savior. Oh how they needed a Savior! They needed one to come and save them from persecution, to take on the government and reclaim the throne for the Jews. And here was Mary, about to give birth to the One that would do this! But Jesus was coming for so much more! He came to redeem the world as it was. A world that was stuck in following the laws of their forefathers. A world that was stuck in tradition, repetition, and mundane days. A world full of death, destruction, and disease. A world that believed that it all began and ended with being a Jew. Mary, Yosuf, Elizabeth, and Zechariah were the only ones who knew that Mary would be giving birth to the Messiah, the Savior of the World, but many were waiting in anticipation for the Messiah to come! Mary and Yosuf were anxious to see the Lord’s promises to them be fulfilled, they were curious about how the world would change once Yeshua was born, and they wondered what the future held for their son. The future… where Jesus would teach, heal, serve, and save. Where Jesus would ultimately die a horrific death on a cross, in order to redeem the world. The world as it was 2,000 years ago, and the world as it is today. Oh how we need a Savior! This world is stuck in trying to love better than our forefathers, without actually knowing the source of that love. This world is stuck in tradition, repetition, days that we try to fill with excitement by seeking worldly pleasures instead of the Lord. This world is full of death, disasters, destruction, and disease, that take place because of sin. WE NEED A SAVIOR. WE NEED A REDEEMER. But we need Him for so much more. We need Him so we can dwell with God as was His plan all along! We need Him to make all things right, restore the broken world, and deliver us from evil. The next day, Mary delivered Love into the world. And now, through love, Jesus has delivered us from the world. He came. He’s here now. And with the same anticipation Mary and Yosuf felt the day before he was born, We await His return. Jesus came. Jesus come! This study first appeared on GracefullyTruthful.com and is property of Gracefully Truthful. For more studies like this one, check out the website!
Read His Words Before Ours! Genesis 4:4-24 Revelation 21:1-8 Romans 8:18-25 Adam and Eve… They knew no guilt. They felt no shame. And because they were perfect, they got to walk and talk with the Lord in a perfectly, beautiful garden that He created just for them. They knew what it was to have a perfect relationship with God, there was nothing separating them, there was nothing between them. They were flawless. Their relationship was something extraordinary. Oh I long for that! And I should, because that’s how it was meant to be. We were created to be in community with God… Adam and Eve strolled through their home, enjoying the beauty of the flowers while they watched small creatures running through the woods. All was good. All was peaceful. They joyfully laughed as they played with the chipmunks, and stopped to eat some delicious fruit. The juice ran down their arms while they slowly ate the fruit, savoring each bite while thanksgiving spilled from their hearts. There was no over eating. No bickering. Adam didn’t wonder how he would provide for his family. Eve didn’t have to worry about finding a balance of eating healthy, being a good wife, and exercising. There were no bills. There was no chaos. There was no illness. There were no messes. But one day, God knew it would be the last. It would be the last time He could walk with His children the way He did. It would be the last time He wouldn’t have to watch His children suffer. Everything was about to change. God treasured these “lasts” with His precious creation. He lingered a little longer on their final walk through the garden. He savored their praise and worship without shame or guilt standing between them. Tomorrow would come and sin would enter the world. Tomorrow, God’s great redemption plan would begin. Tomorrow would start the countdown until God would walk the earth again, the next time as a human who would eventually die to cover the sin that was about to occur, and all other sin that would take place after the first. Tomorrow. But today, the eve of Tomorrow, God relished in the fact that all was good, all was perfect, all was as it was always supposed to be. While mountains of hurt, millions of deaths, and an abundance of sin would occur, He knew that… One day, all will be right again with no sin to stand in the way of our relationship with the Lord. We will walk with Him. We will talk with Him. He will see us, and because of redemption, grace, and Jesus, He will see perfection in us. We each have had our own Eve. The Eve of The Day We Found Jesus. The Eve of the day that sin will no longer separate us from the Lord. The Eve of the day that we recognize that we, like Adam and Eve, have sinned and that sin keeps us from a precious relationship with God. The Eve of the day that we choose to give our lives to Jesus, to allow Him to cover our sin. And thanks to Jesus, thanks to God’s great redemption plan, thanks to His never ending love for us, we are able to walk with Him and talk with Him, just as Adam and Eve did on the Eve of when sin entered the world. 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! Psalm 42 John 4:7-15 Psalm 84:1-7 I try so hard to keep my busyness at bay. I practice saying “No” to many things and try keep my projects to a minimum… but slowly the chaos has crept back in. This time it has disguised itself as buying a home, moving, never ending doctor appointments, and mostly, motherhood. And, for me, excuses always piggyback busyness. “Too tired.” “Too busy.” “Too much else to do.” “Too late.” And before I know it, I’m thirsty. Yes, thirsty. My throat is dry. My voice is raspy. The smallest flicker will light me ablaze. I’m panting. As the deer panteth for the water So my soul longeth after You With hot tears I remember why I am thirsty. It is so simple, and yet I make it seem so complicated. Like when I’m working on a project and need a drink of something cool and refreshing. I could stop at any point and go get a drink, but I don’t. I keep working while the thought of my parched mouth consumes me. How silly is that? The answer is literally steps away! My soul is spiritually parched and I need a cool, refreshing drink. The answer is simple and satisfying, just moments away, but I don’t solve my problem. You alone are my heart’s desire And I long to worship Thee I long for a drink. I long to be filled. I long to sit and worship my King. My heart’s desire truly is to sit and worship Him. To just be. To press pause on the busyness. To let go of the chaos. But my actions prove different priorities. You alone are my strength my shield To you alone may my spirit yield If He is my only source for my strength, no wonder I am weak. If He shields me from the things the world tries to throw at me, no wonder I’ve felt hit and bruised. And for Him my spirit now yields, my world slows, my busyness stops. You’re my friend and You are my brother Even though you are a King I love you more than any other So much more than anything My King. My Great, Almighty King who has the power to breathe life and is the Lord of all things, you are also my friend. My unchanging, never failing, friend. The friend who has the ability to grab my face, point it upwards, and say, “Child, you’ve got to slow your life down.” The friend who doesn’t demand my time, but longs for it. The friend who deserves all of my worship, but doesn’t stop loving me when I fail to give it. I know I love Him, but I don’t always show Him. “Lord, I love You. I love you so much more than anything.” I want you more than gold or silver Only You can satisfy You alone are the real joy giver And the apple of my eye I want Him more than I want a pretty home. I want Him more than I want my walls to be gray or my kids to eat food made from scratch (the things I typically busy myself with). Those things feel nice, it feels incredible to walk into a home that I love, but they can’t replace God. Hustle and bustle will never quench my thirst. Even quiet moments won’t satisfy if He isn’t part of them. God, and only God, gives joy. Sometimes He gives it through my sweet children, through peaceful mornings with my family, or when laughter fills our house. But the joy is there because of the Almighty. He is the giver of joy. He is the giver of love. He is the giver of living water. So, I sit, and allow myself to drink. Long, deep gulps of the living water. But while doing so, I am reminded that I need to be drinking daily, or I will find myself where I was just before – thirsty and faint. You alone are my heart’s desire And I long to worship Thee. This Bible Study is property of Gracefully Truthful, where it was also first published. For more studies like this one, visit GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 Matthew 5:2-12 Psalm 56:8-11 “Why do you want to go on this trip?” she asked over the phone, while I paced back and forth, my bare feet hitting the edge of the grass before returning to the cool cement. “Well, I feel like my life is pretty comfortable. And I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.” I responded with words I’ve heard dozens of times from other believers. Maybe you’ve found yourself in the same boat I found myself at times. You’re comfortable. You have got it made. You have a great home, you love your job, you attend church every single Sunday and spend time with your community group on the days in between. Sure, sometimes momming is hard, or you have a rough week at work. Money can be tight but it always works out. But really, life is great. It is smooth sailing. You’ve worked hard and now you’ve arrived. Your life has almost plateaued. It is almost… Stagnant. And, friend, stagnant is dangerous. Think about this: You have a vivacious niece who is five years old. She’s not in kindergarten yet, her mama makes all of her meals and she fills her days with playdates and pretend. She comes to you one day and says, “Auntie. I love being five. I’m going to be five forever. I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to do anything else except be five!” “Well, sweet girl,” you say, “being five is fun! You get tucked into bed every night, you only have a few chores, you don’t have to go to work like mommy and daddy do. But there are so many fun things that come when you turn six! And every time you grow up a little more, even more special and exciting things get to happen! You will make so many new friends and visit so many new places. You might get married one day, you might become a teacher, you will do so many amazing and fun things that you can’t do if you stay five forever!” I feel like this is what the Lord says to us! “Oh child, I know it is amazing being right where you are. You have a beautiful home and a stable career. I love that you come to worship Me every week. But there are so many amazing things that will happen as you grow closer to Me.” God wants us to find our comfort in HIM instead of our belongings! He wants for us to learn that our comfort doesn’t come from how much money we have, our career, our health, our relationships with other people. Our comfort needs to come from Christ alone. Here’s the deal: sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives that are uncomfortable because He wants us to learn that HE is comfort. Sometimes we just need a little wake up call when our lives are so free and easy that we aren’t growing closer to Him anymore because we aren’t relying on Him! We are depending on things and praising God when our things don’t fail us. We need to depend on HIM and praise God because He never fails us! Our little wake up calls can come in the form of a health scare or a job loss. Or it can come in the form of a fellow sister in Christ who has walked in your shoes, struggled like you are, and can still testify of God’s pursuant love! He wants you to find comfort in Him so you can grow as trials come your way! He wants you to GROW and experience His fullness and all of the beautiful things that He has in store for you! Things you will never experience if you keep placing your comfort in everything and anything but our Father. Oh friend, we can be too comfortable. We can become stagnant. And stagnant is dangerous because it means there’s no growth. Do something today that makes you completely uncomfortable. Something that leaves you relying on God instead of your smartphone, your credit card, or your own ability. You may just discover a new level of comfort in the arms of your Savior! This Bible Study first appeared on Gracefully Truthful and is property to Gracefully Truthful. For further studies like this one, check out Gracefully Truthful!
Read His Words Before Ours! Galatians 1:11-24 Acts 9:1-19 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 I watched a movie the other night about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. It was a hard movie to watch, mainly because all I could think about was the evil that humans are capable of. We, humans, can do so much good, but we can cause so much pain and so much hurt. I began to question God, “How could there be so many people with so much hate in their heart? How do we ever stop this?” I thought of how cold and hard the hearts of terrorists must be and I began to get a little scared. But God quickly reminded me that He can change even the hardest of hearts. He loved Osama Bin Laden. Woah. Jesus died for Osama Bin Laden and he needed Jesus just as much as we need Jesus. The next day, I watched with the rest of America as a young American man came home after being detained in North Korea for over a year. I read comment after comment about how terrible Kim Jong-un is and the wretched conditions in North Korea. My heart grew increasingly heavy and I began to wonder, once again, what hope there could be in a man like Kim Jong-un ever coming to know the Lord. The Lord quietly spoke to me, “Remember, Kendra? I can soften the hardest of hearts.” And peace flooded into my spirit. It is so easy to doubt that the Lord really can change hard hearts. We imagine people with horrible and vile intentions, or those addicted to different substances for years upon years. I think of cruel dictators, terrorists, people in the human trafficking ring, and parents who abuse their children… but God can change the most broken people, and He has changed incredibly broken people. Paul was born as Saul and was a Jewish man, born in the large city of Tarsus, who studied the Old Testament profusely and cared deeply about upholding Jewish traditions. He was a Pharisee. He was an angry and bitter Pharisee. He hated that other Jews were choosing to follow Jesus, leaving behind treasured traditions, sacred scripture, and Jewish law. He hated that these Jews-turned-Christians were mingling with Gentiles (non-Jews) and were practicing idolatry with these new friends. It wasn’t right! It wasn’t fair! Saul had devoted himself to two things: his trade of tent-making, and his religion. These people were walking away from Jewish traditions for some “lowly man” whom they claimed God favored enough to raise from the dead?! Preposterous! The hatred Saul held in his heart for these traitors, led him to become one of the loudest voices in encouraging the persecution of the Christian Church. He spent his days traveling from town to town declaring that disobedient members of the synagogues should be disciplined through ostracism or flogging or imprisonment or death. It would take something huge to change his heart of stone. But something huge did happen. God called Saul, changed his name to Paul, and used other believers to minister to and disciple Paul. In Galatians 1:11-24, Paul quickly shares his testimony… he once was a man who persecuted Christians, but because of God’s great grace, Paul was now preaching to Christians. The Good News of Jesus Christ was so compelling that he was transformed from persecutor to preacher. Paul was transformed! See, God has transformed the hearts of people who are stuck in their religion and traditions. The gospel is transforming. It is powerful! The Good News that Jesus died to cover our sins, redeem us and now He LIVES, is POWERFUL! The gospel changes people. It melts the hardest of hearts and the coldest of souls. And if we have seen the gospel change Paul’s life, if we have seen how the Truth was so compelling, Paul HAD to share the Good News, shouldn’t we want to share, too? Shouldn’t we long for people to know the gospel so they can be transformed, just like Paul was… just as we have been? Pray with me. Pray for the people in your life who feel like they will never change. Pray for the people who shut you down every time you ask them to go to church with you, or who comment negatively on any social media post about Jesus. Pray with me for those who are so stuck in their religion and traditions that they refuse to believe that all they need is Jesus. And pray with me for the people who we often refuse to believe could ever change… dictators, political leaders, terrorists… the people a lot of us forget to pray for. We should never stop praying for people who don’t know Jesus because the Gospel is so compelling that we must pray and we must tell others about Jesus. Just as Paul did. Because the Gospel is so compelling, people will be changed and they will be saved! Just as Paul was. This Bible Study is property to Gracefully Truthful, where it was first published. For more studies like this one, check out GracefullyTruthful.com!
Read His Words Before Ours! Exodus 12:21-28 Matthew 26:17-29 Ephesians 5:25-33 Matthew 25:1-13 My mind tends to work like a puzzle. I hear a little bit of something over here, and I learn a little bit from over there, and I read something at the doctor’s office and suddenly… an “Aha!” moment has occurred and every piece fits into place. I typically don’t “get” things instantly. I distinctly remember sitting in a science class one day and it was as if everything I’d learned that semester was slowly being put together and all of a sudden, I could see the whole picture. That is exactly what happened four years ago, sitting on a balcony at a camp called Windermere. Everything I’ve always known about “The Lord’s Supper” and “Communion” and “Christ and the Church”… it all just CLICKED! Today, as I begin writing, I pray that the same revelation happens for you. I pray that you will be able to understand and comprehend this precious practice we call… Communion. What exactly is Communion? The first communion is often known as “The Last Supper”, when Jesus and His disciples were gathered together to celebrate the Passover right before His crucifixion. In this incredible moment, Old and New Testaments collided in one epic evening. First we go back, way back…to when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Through Moses, the Lord told the Israelites to sacrifice a perfect lamb and smear his blood on their door frame because the angel of death would soon “pass” “over” (hence, “passover”). Whoever was not covered by Lamb’s blood, their firstborn son would be dead by morning. This was the final plague that drove Pharaoh to release the Israelites into freedom. As a reminder of this freedom, “Passover” was to be celebrated every year. Fast-forward to the night before Christ’s death… and we find Jesus celebrating the Passover with His disciples. While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it before telling His disciples, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He then took a cup and told the disciples to drink, “…for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” He was foretelling what was to come later that night. You see, Jesus became the sacrificial lamb that both Hebrews and Egyptians had to use to cover their doorframe to save their sons. As you read in Exodus, it wasn’t just any lamb the Israelites were called to use, it was a perfect and spotless, male lamb. Jesus is the perfect sacrificial lamb. His blood covers us, just as the lamb’s blood covered the door frame, and we don’t have to worry about spiritual death because of His victory over death! We celebrate and remember His sacrifice as a Church – His bride, by taking communion together. The bread is a symbol and representation of Jesus’ body. The wine (or grape juice), a symbol of His blood that was spilled. When we take Communion, it’s to remember the great sacrifice Jesus made to save us! So what do Communion and marriage have in common? This is the part that just gets to me. It is so incredibly amazing that the Lord put this much detail into His relationship with us and the relationship between a husband and wife! The literal definition of communion is: “the service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared.” When we take the bread and drink the wine, and remember the great sacrifice of Jesus, we are remembering that because of Him, we are His bride. There is so much about this that we could study, but for now, I’m going to point you to a study Mike Bickle has done on how the Church is Christ’s bride, for more on this. The act of consummating our marriage (devoting ourselves to a holy relationship with our spouse), is a representation of taking communion (remembering and devoting ourselves to a relationship with Jesus). God created marriage as a physical example of what He wants His relationship with us to look like! Husbands are commanded to love their wives just as Christ loves the church! That is why our marriages are so incredibly sacred. Not only because we’ve taken a vow before God to choose love over our own feelings, but because marriage was designed to imitate the Lord’s great love for us. God would never leave us. He would never forsake us. He chooses to love us despite the fact that we often forget to spend time with Him. We put other things and people above Him, but He never stops loving us! The Old Testament beautifully points towards Jesus being our Bridegroom, our heart’s true soulmate. Song of Songs poetically describes the incredible love between a groom and his bride. In Hosea, God calls a man to marry an adulterous woman to visibly depict His boundless love for us as His own bride, even though we stray often from His love. Can only Christians take Communion? If someone doesn’t know Jesus, if they don’t know why they even need to be covered by His blood, then there is no point in taking communion because there is nothing sacred or special about it for that person. Paul even warns Christians about taking communion without actually stopping to think about why we are taking it. So, yes, only Christ followers are invited into communion. Author and pastor Francis Chan states that if we all just take a few moments before praying and think about who God is, His power and glory, then we can more reverently pray and approach His throne with a holy fear of the Lord. I believe this to be the same about communion. If we pause before communion to remember why we are taking it, then we can more reverently participate in this remembrance and celebration of the wonderful gift God has given us in His Son… the perfect, spotless Lamb. This Bible Study first appeared on Gracefully Truthful and is property of Gracefully Truthful. 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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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