Read: Hebrews 13:20-21; Philippians 4:13 and SOAP: Hebrews 13:20-21
THE TRUTH: Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen!
Hebrews 13:20-21
Sometimes we experience something that grasps hold of us and we can’t seem to shake. We begin to believe the lie that we cannot change. We will always be a victim. We will always struggle with the addiction. Yet, God’s Word powerfully refutes these lies.
READ: Exodus 3:1-14 and 4:1-11; 1 Peter 2:9; Philippians 4:13, Ephesians 2:10;
SOAP: Exodus 4:11
THE TRUTH: The Lord said to him, “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Exodus 4:11
A lie we often believe about ourselves is that we are not enough. You are not_______ enough. Immediately, a little lie probably crept into your mind. Inadequacy, incompetency, insufficiency.
Memory/Focus Verse: For of His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16
Challenge: This week in your journals, record one way God is good to you each day.
TRUTH OR LIE? – YOU HAVE TO EARN GOD’S LOVE
Read: Ephesians 2:8; 1 John 4: 19 and SOAP: Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Ephesians 2:8 NET
What do you think? (share your answer below)
Why can’t you earn God’s love?
Why is this TRUTH freeing?
Nothing is free, right? Things like grades … wages … respect … promotions … friends … trust all have to be earned – but your relationship with God is completely different.
Welcome to Week 1 of “Truth Over Lies”. I’m so excited to get started and hope you will join me Monday through Friday for the next 6 weeks on this journey through the Scriptures – as we expose one lie a day and combat it with God’s truth. This Week we will focus on “who is speaking these lies and why.
READ: GENESIS 3:1-4; JOHN 8:44; EPHESIANS 6:11
SOAP: JOHN 8:44 AND EPHESIANS 6:11
John 8:44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
What do you think?Why is it important to know that Satan is the father of lies?
The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy- and he does it with lies or misconfigurations of God’s truths. Join me as we journey through this LOVE GOD GREATLY study and learn how to overcome the lies of the enemy with the truth of God’s Word. It’s the difference between bondage to the world and freedom in Christ.
You’ll find everything you need for the study right here M-F beginning Monday, September 13.
For blogs and a Love God Greatly Journal, you can click on the link below –
READ: PROV. 27:5-6 AND 28:23, AND EPHESIANS 4:15-16; SOAP: EPHESIANS 4:15-16
Proverbs 27:5-6 New Living Translation
An open rebuke is better than hidden love!
6 Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
Proverbs 28:23 New Living Translation
In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.
Ephesians 4:15-16 New Living Translation
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
What’s Your Take Away?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the reply box
In today’s reading, Paul encouraged the Ephesian Christians to practice truth in love – find out more from the LGG Devotional
Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 10 You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (SOAP)
And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 15 For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity 16 as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.
Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
7 You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. 8 He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. Colossians 1:3-8
Have you ever thought about the difference between a human message and God’s message?
Do you ever find yourself distracted by the actions of others – your mind caught up in their behavior and pelted with anger? Or maybe you awaken to thoughts of your past that are hurtful and bring sorrow, or shameful and evoke guilt which in turn evokes lies and/or captivity that leads you away from God instead of toward Him. Whatever your trigger point is to thoughts that disrupt your peace and unity with God – He makes it clear through His Word that our minds are to be fixed on Him. He promises in the Old Testament as well as the New that when our minds are set or fixed on Him we will know His perfect peace.
You will keep in perfect peace all trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.
Isaiah 26:3
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Paul’s instructions to the believers didn’t stop with prayers that would bring peace. Instead, he encouraged them to fix their thoughts on other things – things that would replace the “anxious” thoughts so that God’s peace would continue to guard their hearts and minds as they lived in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9
It strengthens us to take thoughts that are not beneficial or pleasing to Him captive, making them obedient to Jesus Christ – who holds the power over sin and death.
Fixing our thoughts on Him is a Spiritual discipline that takes effort and practice. It is part of the Spiritual training mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:8 that promises benefits not only in this life but in the life to come. Fixing our thoughts on Him not only fills us with His peace but as 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches, it protects us from arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. It strengthens us to take thoughts that are not beneficial or pleasing to Him captive, making them obedient to Jesus Christ – who holds the power over sin and death.
Father, my mind is sometimes a battleground and I plead for You, in Your mighty, omnipotent, omniscient power, to guard it. Block all thoughts that invoke unrighteous anger and bitterness toward others, and protect me even from the righteous anger that arises so that it does not take my thoughts captive and distract me from Your voice, Your guidance, and Your presence. Keep me from judgmental thoughts and the critical words they provoke. Guard me from fearful thoughts or thoughts of the past that provoke shame and regret, and all other erroneous thoughts that do not bring You glory and ultimately hinder a right relationship with You, diminishing the light of Your presence in me, which is meant to be evident in my life – both in the deeds that I do and the words that I speak.
Instead, as Paul wrote to the Colossians, help me to make allowance for other’s faults and to forgive anyone who offends me, help me to remember You have forgiven me and set me forever free from the past. I pray that You would empty my mind of what doesn’t belong and instead – fill it with and fix it on things that are true and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Whatever is excellent or worthy of praise, Father, help me to think on these things. 💜🙏 In Jesus’ Name – amen! ❣️
Let the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You oh Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
Make allowance for each others faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:1-7
Eve knew the truth of what God had said and until that day she had obeyed and enjoyed the ‘rich and satisfying life’, God had given them. But she ALLOWED the doubt/lie that the serpent planted to taint and change her perception – of what we can only imagine was fruit she had seen many times before. Her changed perception changed her action. She chose desire over obedience and her altered action affected Adam (and every other human since), and they knew not only good, as before, but now also evil – and sadly the shame that came with it – shame that made them hide from God. Shame that altered their lives forever. And, shame that can still taunt us when we choose to live in sin.
Father, help us to be self-controlled and alert, aware that the enemy is looking for someone to devour. Help us to not get distracted by the things that are pleasing to the eye or more desirable than obeying you. When he comes to us with doubts and lies help us stand firm and resist him – for Your Word says that “if we resist the devil he will flee from us”.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
Christ came to GIVE us a rich and satisfying life, a life of freedom from the effects of sin– this is a stark contrast to the enemy’s purpose to TAKE our life and freedom away from us! We must learn to stand firm in the TRUTHS that we know.
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Galatians 5:1
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble. 2 For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 3 when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. (Selah) 4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, the special, holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God lives within it, it cannot be moved. God rescues it at the break of dawn.6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. God gives a shout, the earth dissolves. 7 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Selah) 8 Come, Witness the exploits of the Lord, who brings devastation to the earth. 9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth. He shatters the bow and breaks the spear; he burnsthe shields with fire. 10 He says,“Stop your striving and recognize that I am God. I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!” 11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob is our stronghold! (Selah)
Psalm 46
How appropriately timed is this passage for the current events and conditions of our nation? An unprecedented time of great proportions – with the ongoing pandemic and its ensuing rivalries and the unprecedented political unrest – both amid the growing social unrest of riots and killings. When I read today’s passage I couldn’t help but think of Mordecai’s words, “For such a time as this”, in the book of Esther.
Embattled in a seemingly, unending pandemic that continues to claim lives and somehow disrupt unity – and the political and social unrest that disrupts peace it seems fitting to be reminded to “Stop striving”. I find it good and comforting to be reminded – “For such a time as this”, to recognize that HE IS GOD! He declared, “I WILL BE EXALTED over the nations! I WILL BE EXALTED over the earth!” If I believe this declaration, and I do – should I not also live in peace KNOWING that He truly is my helper in these unprecedented times of trouble? Should I not rest in the TRUTH that The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on my side and the God of Jacob is my stronghold? Should I not rise up with the Psalmist and say – “For this reason I do not fear because my God WILL BE EXALTED?” He wins, and He alone will bring peace in His perfect timing over this pandemic and racism and brutality and political unrest! For He is God!
“For such a time as this” – in the midst of the turmoil of our day let us remember to take comfort and strength and find courage and joy in knowing that He is on our side! He is our stronghold!
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. It was tempting for the nation of Israel to align with foreign powers, and God reminds them that ultimately He is exalted! God wins, and He will bring peace. During Isaiah’s time, Judah looked for help from the Egyptians, even though God warned against it. Judah did not need Egyptian might; they needed reliance on the Lord: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).
When we are still and surrendered to God, we find peace even when the earth gives way, the mountains fall (verse 2), or the nations go into an uproar and kingdoms fall (verse 6). When life gets overwhelming and busyness takes precedence, remember Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Run to Him, lay down your weapons and fall into His arms. Acknowledge that He is God and that He is exalted in the earth. Be still and know that He is God.
Me From the Inside Out 