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Sketched VII Day 13 Journey Of An M

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:18-39
Job 33:29-33

Sketched VII, Day 13

I’m an M….
as the sending company prefers to call us to protect our security.

Whatever ideas you hold of those who share the precious gospel across the globe, lay them aside for a few moments. My story likely will not match up with your ideas.

If you’re tempted to quit reading, I’m asking you to pause and pray.
Pray for Ms who are walking through struggles, pray for endurance, and pray for God to faithfully bring about His glory.

The Call
My husband and I felt the call to the field while on a two-week trip to Russia and was confirmed again when we traveled to Zambia, Africa. On our second trip, a little orphaned boy ran up and told me in English, “I am a Christian now!”.
God was at work and we were excited to join Him as full-time Ms!

The Transition
God quickly brought us a buyer for our house and provided us sufficient income as we transplanted to seminary. As excited as we were to study God’s Word deeply, extended family struggles and the enjoyment of our previous ministry roles had us questioning at points, “Maybe we shouldn’t go?”.

But we remembered our call, and God continuously asked my husband in prayer time,
“Are you willing to serve Me anywhere?”.

Off To Training!
Finally, we had enough seminary hours to go to the field! We were eager to learn and tired of waiting; surely God would move us into productive ministry soon.

Training was exhausting!
There was much to learn about culture, barriers, languages, security, and strategy.  Additionally, we had physical training because Americans don’t use their own two feet for transport nearly as much as the rest of the world! We pressed on, encouraged by others who were walking the same process, as well as by our home churches.

The farther into training we moved, the more concerns brewed in my head.
We attended a Spanish speaking church, but we didn’t speak Spanish yet.
Feeling connected to the church and others was difficult, as we could neither encourage nor minister in their language. Everyday, we were to practice turning ordinary conversations towards spiritual things, but try as I might, talking with strangers on the bus or in a store was so difficult for me!
I felt I was already failing as an M and we hadn’t even finished training!

Language Learning
Finally, it was time for our first field placement! We would attend a foreign language program in Columbia. At last, we would be learning our new language, be able to speak with people, and form relationships! We praised God for His goodness!

He indeed showed us His goodness!
Our mentors placed us in a great church where we were befriended and cared for. We were “adopted” by a ministry-loving family who invited us to minister with them in a village outside of Bogota, Columbia. There, we helped with the monthly children’s program by teaching kids the Bible. After only 6 months, I reached the required level of Spanish and was turned loose to work with a local company team while my husband continued classes.

I was excited and anxious because I knew my level of Spanish wouldn’t sustain a deep conversation with constructions like, “if you were to choose to follow Christ, how would your life change?” Even my ability to converse in present tense was filled with grammatical mistakes and vocabulary black holes. I would often talk “around” a word until someone had pity and gave me the actual word. This was a difficult process, but I had un-believing friends on campus who helped me.

I tried using these opportunities to turn conversations to Christ and was met with tolerance, but they really just wanted to work on the English structure assignments they needed for class.
Before long, and with several ministry ups and downs, our formal language learning was over and it was time to move to Chile!

On The Ground
In Chile, we met and connected with our teammates for our day jobs. At every turn, God continued asking my husband if we were willing to serve Him anywhere.
We were ready with our yes, even if it meant IT work (Information Technology).

Which is exactly where we landed.
Each day, we worked in an IT office and connected with local ministries in the evenings. This was the same thing we had done in the States, so I told myself we were still serving God, even though it wasn’t my passion. As a former deaf teacher, I had no experience as a help desk technician and was constantly being stretched. Helping the Ms fix technology issues was challenging!

We found a great little church, but I was hesitant to connect, as we were only there for 4 months. Within that time, we received word that my friend from Colombia had brain cancer. She died shortly after, and I grieved her loss as well as the ministry vision she’d carried for that area, as it seemed to die with her. I started asking God why and was honestly mad He had taken her, but there was no time to process as we were moving again.

In Peru, we set up house with our own furniture for the first time since beginning our M journey; we were building a home! We started looking for a church and built relationships with company coworkers. Lima was close to the ocean and my soul felt lifted by starring out at its vast beauty. I wanted to make friends, but was guarded. We were here for only one year before returning for a Stateside assignment.

Meeting local people was difficult as our work schedules conflicted with theirs. I continued working to convince myself our IT work was enough, while praying God would open “real” ministry opportunities in His time.

Stateside Assignment….
….was a flurry of activity.
My husband’s mom was undergoing chemo and we had churches and family to visit, while most of my time was spent studying a 900-page book on Mac computers to better help the Ms.

Change was happening in our team as well. Our long-term career teammates had a series of family tragedies and returned home, while our short-term teammates’ time ended. Additionally, another family would retire in 9 months.

I focused on studying and gaining IT skills, but also enjoyed knitting hats for my new granddaughter. We stayed in an M house, but weren’t close to either our Nebraska home or our seminary’s church, so again, we were without friendships.

With a stinging blow, we discovered our last remaining teammates would not be returning to the field. With no one left in Peru, we packed our suitcases and moved to Chile. Someone needed to man the technology equipment.

Swirling Questions
I started spiraling into a dark place, perpetually asking God why.
Why did You take my friend who was full of light, life, and loved You?!
Why did you allow hardship for our teammates so they couldn’t return?
Why did You give us a home in Peru only to have us return to Chile?
Why?!

I was also angry at the company.  
They wouldn’t give us permanent assignments in Chile, so we were left as sojourners while our belongings were stored in Peru. At the same time, the company opened a voluntary retirement where literally thousands of years of experience left the field. With our IT jobs, we saw every resignation come through.

I became more upset with God.
Where are You?
All these co-laborers answered Your call! Now You send them home!
You’ve given me a ministry to lead, but the women only care about crafting while tolerating the reading of Your Word.
Why?!

Beautiful Community
We returned to our church in Chile and they loved on us,
supported us, and showed us community.
They cared for us.

When they asked, how are you?
They expected a story and a real answer.
How could I explain my feelings?
I was supposed to me the M, sent to them to encourage and build the church.

True community was just beginning to blossom inside of friendships when visa issues began.  Chilean passport control noticed how often we’d left and returned on tourist visas. We were only permitted one final tourist stay, which led the company to move us to England. My husband was now manager over the field technology Ms, which necessitated him living in a neutral time zone. Waking at 2 and 3AM to talk to his guys didn’t work so well.

Starting Over
With a new plan in place, we visited Peru, sold our belongings, and were off to England. I finally convinced my husband to get my little dog, and we started building a new home as God continued working on my heart.

He gave us a community of believers with a strong outreach ministry.
He allowed me to start a Bible study where over 50 women were attending and growing.
He led the pastor to connect us with Alpha, an outreach to the unchurched. From that ministry, a small group launched in our home.

We were studying and growing in community all while doing our IT work.
God had heard my cry!
I was being used and restored!

Learning His Heart
Difficulty is never over, however, and when England decided to kick out migrant workers, we were forced to leave. We were moved to the US awaiting visa approval for the Czech Republic, which would be our new home.

It was a whirlwind summer of visits, work, and embassy and paperwork runs. We had a furnished house from the company on the east coast, far from family and friends.
Again, I asked why.
Finally, everything had seemed to come together in Peru.
But that was on the outside, God knew my heart.

He was wooing me to understand that service to Him, no matter how good,
was not His goal.
It would never be about what ministry looked like.
It would always be about my heart choosing to trust Him regardless of circumstances.
He is able to accomplish the work with or without me,
what He wants most is me to present with Him.

While in England, we read the story of a man who talked to God.
God cleaned up his heart, making it His home.
Then God told the man He would meet him every day in his study.
For a while, they had a great relationship and fellowshipped every morning, but slowly the man got busy and time slipped away.  One morning, he saw the Lord in his study and asked what he was doing there. “Waiting for you”, the Lord replied.

In training, it was emphasized that the most important thing we could do was abide in the Lord, but He had slipped from my first place.

God wanted me to see that He was doing the work. Period.
I could join Him, but I must wait, trust, and abide in Him, knowing all glory is His alone.

Hear This!
If you hear nothing else, take this in!
Above any work you do, service you perform, or suffering you endure, abide in Him!

You may not understand how He is working, and may not enjoy His process,
but trust His heart. He is working all things for your good and His glory!

As a second take away, remember Ms (and pastors and leaders in your local church) are people just like you who struggle with circumstances, pain, and sorrow.

They may need an invitation to be transparent!
They may be grieving, lonely, hurting, questioning, or even angry. They need your prayers as a community of Christ. Let them know they are not forgotten, and you are their friend.

Listen to their stories, even if they are long, focusing on far-away-events you may never personally experience. Through your compassionate listening, you can help them process!

His Glory
My journey as an M has been full of sweetness and sadness,
but know this: I praise God for the work He continues to do in and through me.

As a final request, join me in praying for the Czech Republic that they will come to know our God in all His goodness.  Pray the Bible study I am involved with will grow and that someday I will be able to speak Czech and share Christ in that language.
For His Glory!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VII Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VII!

Sketched VII Day 11 My Shaping Moments

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Timothy 1:12-20
John 12:23-28
1 Corinthians 15:35-49

Sketched VII, Day 11

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.

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VII Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VII!

Sketched VII Day 10 A Step In The Journey

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Sketched VII, Day 10

It’s been said a lot: “The first step is the hardest.” But, let’s consider step 20,000 or 100,000 or even 56,239,168. Each step can have joy, victory, challenge, disappointment, pain, or even failure. Pour your favorite cup, and I’ll share some of my missionary steps with you.

Step #5479
It’s hard to pick exactly when the Lord started leading my heart to love missions. I always enjoyed hearing about people in far away places sharing Jesus with people, but it was always in a jungle or in a hut. I am definitely not that person! Slowly, I started learning how to share my faith with others and what a difference it made in my life to have the hope of salvation. When I sang songs in church about the nations, my heart remembered all those people in far away places that had never heard his name. I thought, maybe, this was something the Lord wanted me to do.

Step #60381
But, I had this picture in my head of what it was to be a missionary, and I did not fit that picture. I was not one of those single women who could go live in a hut or the jungle or brave it all alone away from my family. I prayed and prayed for a husband that would love missions, but he never appeared. As I felt the despair creeping into my life, I found myself one night on my knees crying out to the Lord, “My life is in your hands. Please, Lord, I want to know You more.” It was a turning point in my life as I began to realize that maybe, just maybe, the Lord had a different plan than I thought.

Step #98743
“I’ve been praying about who to ask to go on this mission trip, and I would like to invite you to go.” I was shocked. I had been receiving a prayer newsletter from one of the young women in my Bible study class who had moved overseas. I had been praying for her, responding to her emails, and at times, I wondered what her life was like. I wish I had hours to explain all the reasons why saying yes to this trip was such a leap of faith, but it was my first trip to one of those far away places where no one knew Jesus. I could not speak the language, everything seemed so strange, and yet, everyone was so human. My heart broke. I wanted them to know the same Hope I knew. “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of who they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14)

Step #102765
I knew what the Lord wanted me to do, and I took that huge faith step of obedience. Looking back, it makes me smile. He knew what He was doing, although I wasn’t sure at all! I got on that plane not knowing how hard it would be, if I would like the food, if I could learn the language, if I would make new friends or if I would miss my family back in the US too much.  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) He did not ask me to live in a hut or to be some kind of missionary that I could not be. My most enjoyable days were spent talking to people about life, culture, and Jesus – it felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Step #457987
Even many years later, at times when I step on a plane to go back overseas from the US, I ask myself questions like:

Will I get over this feeling of loneliness?

Will I be able to make new friends who want to learn more about Jesus?

Will the Lord go with me?

Is this where I’m supposed to be?

And, the Lord faithfully leads one step at a time.

The hardest step is always the next one you have to take in faith. As we start this next year, what step is the Lord asking you to take? What will be your response?

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.” Psalm 37:23

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VII Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VII

Sketched Day 15 Shannon

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 7:36-50
Mark 5:24-34
Psalm 18:1-19

Sketched VI, Day 15

I used to be deeply ashamed of my past,
but I’ve learned God has used every part of my journey to shape and mold me into the woman I am today. Although there were many dark moments, I wouldn’t change them. These have become part of my testimony to the faithfulness and hope found only in God.

Growing up, I was taught to attend church on Sundays, pray at meals, ask forgiveness and then we are good. So that’s pretty much how I lived my life.  I went to church, messed up, prayed, asked forgiveness and repeat.
I checked every “good Christian” box, but I had yet to experience or know Jesus.

I was raised in a loving home with parents who were always present for dance recitals, plays, and piano concerts.  What I never realized, however, was how hurtful missing out on three little words from your daddy could be: my dad has never told me he loves me.
He has always been there for me, hugs me, and is active in my kids’ lives, but I’ve never heard those three words from him.
Their absence left a lasting impression on me.

Starting in middle school and moving into high school and college, I began believing lies that I was fat, ugly, and no good. In order to push those words behind me, I would seek male attention in any way that I could.

Then, I hit college and was on my own.
I found myself in places I shouldn’t have been,
doing things I shouldn’t have done.

I believed that, as long as I could get a guy to like me, I had worth.
During this season, I often had thoughts of suicide, but I could push those thoughts away by finding male attention. That lifestyle stuck with me until after I graduated college, came home, and met Ryan.

I slowed down my crazy lifestyle and we began dating. Not long after, Ryan and I were married, and pretty soon I was pregnant with our first daughter, Alexis.

Since Ryan’s story is similar to mine, neither one of us had ever been taught how to live our lives for Jesus and our marriage suffered.
We argued a lot, and I sank back into my familiar dark thoughts and self-hatred.

Being pregnant, we decided it was time to find a church.
Because that’s what we do: we go to church on Sundays.

We visited Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Liberty, MO and began attending. For quite a while we sat in the back, stayed quiet, and the familiar cycle continued.
Then I started working in the church nursery, because I love babies and
things started to change.

The lady I worked with took me under her wing and started teaching me about who Jesus really is.  We made decisions to follow Jesus and Ryan and I were baptized together.
“Normal” was changing and old cycles were breaking!
The beginnings of new life were taking root in us, but we had much growing to do.

One Sunday, I found a community group for Law Enforcement Officers.  Being a law enforcement family, I immediately thought we needed to go.  Later, I realized it was God nudging me, but at the time, it was my own brilliant plan. I dragged Ryan to the group.

Initially, we were two of the quietest introverts anyone had ever met.
We arrived at the home of Steve and Robin Wright, who are now dear friends and missionaries in Ecuador.  They greeted us, welcomed us, and for the first six months we sat in the corner and didn’t say a word.

We eventually started coming out of our shells, and it was undoubtedly the community I found within that group of genuine Christ-followers that encouraged me to grow in Jesus as He has shaped me into the person I am today.

Robin also struggled with self-worth and identity in Christ, and she drew on her experiences to teach me how to love myself as Jesus loves me.  She taught me how to live every day for Jesus, and how to recognize the source of my pain, truly forgive, and put it behind me.  Steve did the same for Ryan and our marriage prospered.

The Wrights also introduced us into the student ministry at church.  I went from saying, “I hate middle schoolers,” to becoming a middle school small group leader and eventually high school group leader. Today, I’m discipling and leading young women, teaching them how to love themselves and let go of believing dark thoughts and lies in their own minds.

Because of the struggles in my own journey,
I understand their hurt.

Because God met me in my pain and rescued me,
I can share of the comfort and hope I’ve found.

Through the student ministry, Ryan and I took our first mission trip to Haiti together where God opened our hearts to adoption.  We have since taken many more mission trips and adopted our son, Mason, from China in June of 2017.

Although I’ve made many mistakes throughout my life and experienced some dark times,
I know God was with me every step of the way.
Because of Jesus’ transformation, I know how to love myself the way Jesus loves me,
and I am freed to help other girls to do the same.
Only because I’ve experienced Christ’s love is this new life of love and ministry possible!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

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

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI

Sketched Day 13 Laura

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 1:9-13
Galatians 3:23-4:7
Psalm 27:7-14
Psalm 138:7-8

Sketched VI, Day 13

My life is a reflection of the grace of God.
I can’t look at any season I’ve walked through when Jesus hasn’t been faithful to provide.
It may not look like how I wanted, but He is faithful.

I was born to a mother who was addicted to drugs; I was a drug baby.
Those who knew my mother said if I were to think of any terrible action, my mother had done worse to get her hands on drugs. It was common for her to make drug deals in front of my sister and I, and prostitute in front of us.  I’m sure there was more, but it was never told to me – maybe to protect my mind – but I think I get the picture without any more stories.

My parents were foster parents when they welcomed my sister and I, which already gives you a glimpse of their hearts and lives, as they cared for children who weren’t their own. Later in life, I asked my mother why she’d never had her own kids. She told me about giving birth to a stillborn baby, which affected her more than anyone wanted to admit. She said she never wanted to experience that pain again.

So, my parents adopted both my sister and I, along with my brother who was born from another family. We lived in California, close to my biological family and siblings. We would visit often, usually weekly. I loved knowing my grandparents, it was like knowing I came from somewhere.

I remember one night packing up and leaving our home. We didn’t say goodbye to anyone, we just left. Our neighbor, who we were best friends with, saw us moving and came over to say goodbye. Later in life, that same neighbor told me she thinks my parents were trying to protect us from my siblings and biological mother in California. They saw the hurt and destruction the relationships were causing with my biological siblings being so close to my mom. My parents didn’t want to that environment for us too.

I remember being embarrassed telling people I was adopted when I entered elementary school. My cousin, Racheal, however, was so proud to know me and told EVERYONE we were related and I was adopted.
But for me, I always hated people knowing this part of my story.

Perhaps it was because my parents were older or a different ethnicity than me.
Or maybe adoption gave off the idea of being unwanted.
Regardless of how I felt about adoption, my parents loved me unconditionally.
Isn’t that strange for someone to love you SO well and SO deeply without being a biological parent?!

In middle school, we took our annual trip to California to visit friends and family where I had the opportunity to meet my biological aunts and uncles.
I had never met them, and I was so excited to meet people who were like me!
Maybe we had the same eye color, or nose, or the texture of our hair was the same. There was something about being adopted; for me, I just wanted to know who I was.

My aunts looked just like me, especially my aunt Vera.
When I met her, I felt like I had a connection with someone who looked like me. I asked my mom if we could move closer to them so I could know them better.
It crushed her, because she had spent the last 14 years of her life caring for us and raising us. To her, I seemed willing to throw that love away on someone I didn’t even know. While my aunt and I are still very close to this day, I think the idea of my mom losing someone she loved – again –  was terrifying.

The deep love the Lord has for us is much like this.
When I gave my life to Jesus at church camp in the summer of 2007, I began understanding His love. I began to take in the truth of the Lord having a plan for me and being for me, not against me.
Jesus had rescued me from a drugged-out woman who told my parents she never wanted me. He was there in the moments of abandonment as a child, comforting me through my earthly father’s love. That’s how good He is, that’s how good His plan is!

The Lord has taught me so much of His grace and what adoption looks like through His eyes. He is our Adopted Father!
I don’t think I really got this picture until I was in my twenties as I began realizing how much my parents sacrificed for our family; all for love.

There is something so sweet about adoption and the way it correlates with Scripture and God’s love for us.
When Jesus adopts us into His family,
He doesn’t give up on us when we do something wrong.
He doesn’t shame us when we fall short.

MY parents would NEVER do that to me, because they loved me like Jesus.
I partied in high school and they never once told me I was rejected from their family.
They chose love.
The same unconditional love our Father gives us surpasses anything I will ever experience.

I was abandoned. I was rejected, but I have been beautifully accepted, loved, and adopted. I know what it’s like to be loved, wanted, valued, heard, and a daughter to someone who said yes to you first!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI!

Sketched VI Day 11 Marsha

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 22:34-39
John 7:53-8:11
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Sketched VI, Day 11

Pastor John E. Brown read Matthew 22:34-39 to the congregation from the church stage.  A part of verse 39 reverberated in my head as the Spirit prompted my heart with His Word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Yeah, Lord. I know.
I’m supposed to love others.
I do Lord.
You know I do.
In fact, I’m the ultimate people-pleaser.
I seem to live my life for others.
I give and give.
To everyone.
It exhausts me.
Lord, I try to fulfill this verse to the best of my ability.

“No, you do not.”
I felt, rather than heard, His response.

No, I do not? What more can I do? I protested in my continued inward dialogue with the Lord. I’ve knocked myself out for people.

“The last part of the verse you’re forgetting,”

Love your neighbor as yourself.
I pulled out my Bible and reread the verse.
As yourself, I repeated.
The download came upon me with force.
It’s equal! 

Loving neighbors = Loving yourself.

My engineering background came forward. If it’s equal, then one end of the sentence is equal to the opposite end of the sentence.  It’s also equal, in reverse.

Loving yourself = Loving neighbors.

Oh my! This put a whole new slant on the verse.
I’m to love myself as much as I love others?
Give love to myself? No—that’s not me.
The Lord’s right —I’ve never before fully understood that simple verse. I thought it was only about the amount of love that should be bestowed on others.  This was a life-changing difference, especially for this people-pleaser.

I have not equated loving myself with loving my neighbor. Others were more important, isn’t that what the Bible teaches? I have spent a lot of time learning to love others, especially the ones who are really hard to love. However, I had never felt it important to learn to love myself. More often, I struggled with self-condemnation.

And this was the Lord’s purpose in speaking to me through His Word that day.
Yes, He intends us to love others with as much care and concern as we love ourselves. But we are also called to love and accept and care for ourselves just as He loves us. Jesus isn’t pointing us solely towards self-focus or others-focus, but a dual “both-and” dynamic.

I pondered this for a while and wondered at what the Bible says about self-condemnation.
Especially for those who have been forgiven by Christ,
but still fight a daily battle to actually live in that freedom of being forgiven.

For me, the voices of shame and guilt and “should have” swirl around me on a regular basis, and are quick to speak condemnation over me, even though I’ve already been forgiven.

John 7:53-8:11 is the story of the woman caught in adultery: …the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”  

Jesus’ reply was amazing, especially for that era. In verse 8:7 He said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Verses 9-11 tell how those who heard dispersed, the more mature first, then the less mature, until only Jesus remained with the woman.

Jesus then asked, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, ”I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on, sin no more.”

None of us are without sin, except Jesus, and Jesus did not condemn the woman. Likewise, neither are we to condemn others who sin. The beauty of the gospel is that the perfectly sin-less One took our condemnation and punishment on Himself that we might be free.

These are truths we all need, but there was one more person at the scene who hasn’t been mentioned.
The woman.
What about the woman herself?
Do you think she found it easy to drop her own condemnation? 

I’m not so sure I would have just dropped my own guilt.
I’m more likely to have beaten myself up over and over.
Can we forgive and love ourselves, as easily as we forgive and love others?
Yet, we are commanded to do just that in Matthew 22:39!

Jesus, above every other example, poured Himself out for others.
Listening. Healing. Preaching. Becoming weary for another.
And yet, He still cared for Himself, His needs, and His private relationship with God the Father.

Does God intend for me to meet my own needs for peace and downtime?
As much as I try to be uplifting to others, I am to allow refreshment for myself?
As much as I make time for others, does accepting God’s grace over me mean making space for myself?

YES!
We are called to rest, care for ourselves, and cease harsh condemnation of ourselves.
Love yourself as you love others.

With this revelation, my faith journey took a new direction.
For the first time, I understood why I shouldn’t be a people-pleaser,
neither a pleaser of myself, nor a pleaser of others.

Instead, not trying to please men, but God (1 Thessalonians 2:4),
I should be a God-pleaser.
If we obediently offer Christ’s grace to others and ourselves,
both parties will be well cared for.
What a wonderful God to love us so well!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI!

Sketched VI Day 10 Denise

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 John 1:5-10
Luke 7:41-50
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Jeremiah 33:1-3

Sketched VI, Day 10

I sat there, on the seat while the pastor and my sister sat next to me and prayed over me. She was speaking in tongues, but what I heard from her were all my sins…one by one being laid at the cross to be cleansed and my soul renewed!! 

I was raised believing in God but not really practicing any faith. I had the opportunity to attend church as a child but lost the will to attend or even know God in my teen years. I was distracted in a world of sin and bad choices. I barely graduated high school, dabbled in drugs and alcohol, and had friends that, looking back now, I shouldn’t have called friends. I always knew God was there, but I didn’t seek Him out. Instead, I chased friends, parties, and selfishness.

When I was 20, I found myself pregnant out of wedlock and living far away from family. I was in a relationship with the father, but I was bound and determined not to get married just because I was pregnant. It was a hard season.

I worked in fast food, he worked in clothing. We lived in a TINY 1 bedroom apartment that was roach-infested and I witnessed child abuse across the courtyard. When my daughter was 3 weeks old my mother sent me the money for the marriage license and we wed. I thought it was the right thing to do for my daughter and for us. When she was 8 weeks old, I wasn’t working and he quit his job, which sent us home to my folks in Kansas City. He found a job and we moved into a 2-bedroom apartment. I soon found a job as well, and we attempted to do life.

Having my daughter, that sweet innocent gift, is what changed my mindset.
I knew I couldn’t do this on my own anymore. My husband was immature and we fought constantly. I was almost ready to leave when I found out I was pregnant with our second child. A Son. I tried to stick it out, surviving until our son was 18 months, before I moved out and embarked on the journey of being a single mom with two very tiny children.

Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos right before I left, was that morning I went to church with my sister and she prayed over me.

I am NOT a morning person…but I woke up early that day and phoned her.
“What time is church?”

She gave me the time, but said I could go to a later service if I wanted.
“No, I will be there.”

I hustled, got the kids ready, and ran out the door to church. I put the kids in the nursery classes and sat through that sermon. I cannot tell you what he taught on. The message itself didn’t pierce my heart…but God did.

I struggled to hold back tears through the entire service.
I was a mess!
I knew my marriage was ending and I knew I needed God!
At the end of the service when they invited anyone who needed prayer to come forward, I grabbed my sister’s hand and walked to the front. I couldn’t speak, but I wept.

My sister said, “I think she wants to accept Christ.” I could only nod.
The pastor began praying over and for me and my sister was speaking in tongues by my side. But, I heard and understood the words – it was not an inaudible language.
It was the Spirit speaking, and I heard every sin I’d ever committed spoken before God.
My sister didn’t hear that, the pastor didn’t hear it, but I did.

And with each sin spoken at His feet, my heart and soul became clean,
and the burden I had been carrying started to lift.

I would love to say, “I never struggled again and I was perfect from that day on!”
Yeah, that would be a lie.

But, I did have Christ within me, helping me, slowly and gently leading me.
He loved me even when I messed up.
He loved me even when church was not on my radar.
He loved me when I was unlovable. 

Since that day of finding Jesus, so many years ago, I got remarried and had another son and now, I even have three precious grandchildren.

I could tell so many stories from that day to now, but the bottom line is that God alone
is my strength, my Redeemer, my solid ground, and my safe place.
He is there when we ask.

He will show up if you ask Him to show you He is real.
He will!

Simply call, and then watch; He will answer!
I pray you feel His presence today through my story.
I pray He touches you in a new way and that you too are changed by His relentless love!

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

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI

Sketched VI Day 8 Danielle

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 8:1-11
Ephesians 4:17-32
Zechariah 8:1-23

Sketched VI, Day 8

I grew up in the Kansas City, KS, metro area and was raised by my mom and stepdad as my mom and biological father had divorced when I was three.  My dad suffered from substance abuse and depression, and was physically and emotionally abusive, and also adulterous. However, once my mom remarried, my home life was safe, Christ-centered, very strict and structured.

My sister and I were enrolled in a Christian school during our elementary years. I made very close friends, had wonderful Sunday school teachers at church, where we attended weekly, and my parents lovingly taught us about Christ and our need for a Savior.

I gave my heart to Jesus when I was five years old. I still remember reading the prayer of salvation with my mom and little sister, found within a small paper booklet, and was so excited to have Jesus living in my heart! I have fond memories and was very happy for most of my early childhood days.

Around 12 years old, my stress level increased.
I started attending public school and lost contact with my biological father all together. Up until that time he had been fairly regular with our bi-weekly visits. I also became overly aware of how different I was growing up in an upper middle class, basically all-white community as a bi-racial youth. With all of these personal stressors spinning uncontrollably inside, I became highly anxious and easily worked up, all of which I took out on my parents.

In high school, I hung out with “popular kids” and dated older guys. I played club soccer year-around in addition to four years of varsity, and traveled for college showcases.
My need for perfectionism, approval, and obsessive tendencies began here.

Although I was very busy, I still made time to party, drink alcohol, and sneak out and smoke. My grades were excellent and I excelled at my sport, so my parents had no idea of my “weekend self”.  I was committed to this double life.

But the shame and guilt I carried as I walked into church each week eventually led me to stop attending youth group and push away my wonderful, God-loving friends.
I no longer fit in. 

My collegiate years were much the same with a hyper-focus on getting all A’s, while also intent on being the best party and sorority girl.
This was what I was good at, being the “fun friend.”
My double life was in high-gear and I made no attempt to refocus my life on Christ as Sundays were spent recovering from the weekend.
In my freshman year of college, I began dating my now-husband, Ben. After college, Ben was drafted and my double-life habits continued.
I was the best at my job, but also the best party girl.

With Ben gone, I was too lonely and full of shame every weekend, laying around feeling sick from partying, to face the truth.
I needed Christ, or I would never be happy.
Ever.

Which I knew!
Believe me, those parents who raised me in the church would constantly remind me, pray for me, and beg God to change my hardened heart.

Fast forward.

Ben and I married, and years later I became pregnant with Hart, my oldest.
Having a son completely broke me, bringing me to my knees.
I wanted my child to know Christ and be raised in a house full of His love like I had been.

For years, I had slammed the door on the Holy Spirit.
I screamed at myself to make better decisions, to get back into church, to repent.
At last, I turned back.
And I was restored! 
Finally.

My first Bible study was with my mom over phone and email, as we still lived states apart.
I began PRAYING to be more loving to my spouse and to crave reading God’s Word.

Slowly through the work of God’s renewing Holy Spirit, I began climbing out of the body I was had been living in, and hating. I was morphing into the woman He always wanted me to be; Christ was making me new! I was connected with Him, deeply loved, and learning to find my worth in God instead of my own performance.

God wonderfully took the YEARS I’d wasted living in sin and completely washed them away.  He freed me from the shame of my lifestyle, the guilt of my decisions, and the sense that I could never go back to Christ because I was too far from Him.
He freed me fearing of what people (“friends”) would think about me for changing core aspects of me. I realize now He will use the rest of my life to keep remaking me and influencing others for His glory!

My life is an on-going, amazing testimony of His gracious hand.
Although I wasted much, the best is yet to come! 

When jealousy pops up for those who have been in communion with Christ or serving Him since their youth, I’m reminded that God wastes nothing, even when I wasted much while chasing worthless idols and focusing on myself.

My decision to follow Christ has blessed every part of my life; it is made all the sweeter as I enjoy His pleasures in stark contrast to the darkness I thought would satisfy me.
Through fellowshipping with other believers, Ben and I have been baptized and blessed with a wonderful support system.

God used the hardest valleys to make me stronger and grow my faith. I know God has had His hands on every part of my very imperfect story.

You know that person who FINALLY finds Christ as an adult?
That person who is on fire and can’t fully even explain it most times?
That’s me!
I can’t wait to see what else Jesus has in store for this restored, remade sinner!

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI!

Sketched VI Day 6 Cassidy

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Thessalonians 1:2-7
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Sketched VI, Day 6

I used to think my story was boring.
Just your typical, “I grew up in a Christian home, found Jesus, was baptized, and went on my merry way all before I entered second-grade,” kind of story.
Those things are true, but I’ve learned how the Lord uses every story–sensational or otherwise–to show His redeeming power. 

When I was six, my parents divorced. People often ask if I remember my parents when they were married, and the short answer is no.
I do, however, remember feeling confused.

How could you stop loving someone?
How could my mom file for divorce? 

A daddy’s girl at heart, I quickly jumped on board with whatever Dad had to say about my mom. His bitterness, blame, and judgement clouded how I saw my mom. As both of my parents remarried, I initially didn’t think my mom deserved to get remarried. In my mind, Mom was the enemy of my story, the reason nothing was as it was supposed to be.

Quite frankly, there wasn’t much spiritual fruit in my life when both parents got remarried. New siblings were born, I moved across town, and changed churches. Even though I wasn’t a fan of these changes, I can now see that God knew exactly what He was doing. 

After my first year in a new youth group, I attended summer camp. One of the evening sessions ended with a time of response. As the band played Come as You Are, leaders coached us through a time of reflection:
When had I felt like God abandoned me?
Easy.
There was no way He had been in the midst of my parents’ divorce. 

But, in those moments of honesty, God spoke into my brokenness.
“I was with you and I love you.”

Cue the tears. I came to God in the messy form of my teenage self.
He met me and redeemed my story.

That same week I forgave my mom in a prayer room and symbolically washed away the bitterness inside me. She wasn’t the enemy. The brokenness of a sinful world was to blame. God called me to forgiveness, and bitterness had become exhausting.

I really believe God redeemed my sinfulness at seven years old, but the Lord used those moments at camp to draw me back, renew our relationship, and awaken me to real life.
Church became the body of believers with whom I craved community.
Community group became the place where I dug into the Word and asked hard questions.
I began taking active steps of obedience toward Christ as He called out to me.

Several years later, in the same room at camp, after an incredible time of worshipping God, I sat down for another evening session. Even today, I can show you the page of notes where I quickly wrote the speaker’s arresting question:
“After a time of worship like that,
why are you not going where God has called you?”

I didn’t have to wait long for my answer.
From way out in left field, the Holy Spirit clearly called me to vocational ministry.
I told my friends and leaders, and headed home determined to chase this call.

And then I came down from the mountaintop experience.
I loved the teaching internship I’d started that fall.
Maybe I could minister to kids as a public school teacher.
I made plans to study elementary education, was accepted into a school, and even placed a housing deposit for the dorms.

God is a God of peace, and He gives peace when we walk in His call. Ephesians 6:23 says, “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith,
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I never had peace about pursuing education.
Just eight months before beginning classes, a family friend asked about my college plans. My lack of peace brought immediate tears and the Holy Spirit immediately convicted me for my lack of obedience in pursuing His calling over mine.

I went home and told my parents I needed to attend the undergrad program at our local seminary. There were a lot of questions, but peace set in quickly as I applied and scheduled a tour.

Here I sit, preparing for another year of school, on staff at my local church, and serving in many ways at church beyond my work roles.
Walking into ministry was, and still is, a scary pursuit for me.
I desire security.

Vocational ministry doesn’t provide monetary security.
There is no guarantee I will find “success” or that I’ll see the fruit of the seeds the Lord sows through me.

What I am guaranteed through seminary training is intense spiritual growth and preparation to walk confidently on the path He has laid out for me.
Deuteronomy 31:8 reminds us He goes before us and will not leave or forsake us.
I cling daily to this truth!

God uses our seemingly boring stories to display His glory and redemption.
He redeemed divorce and the bitterness that ensued
into a story of hope.
He redeemed my stubborn resistance to a scary ministry calling
into a story of His guidance and provision.

“So we set our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

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

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched VI Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched VI!