By Sarah Koontz
Today, I invite you to stop and enjoy the beauty of God’s design with me.
The more time I spend studying my Bible, the more convinced I am that God strategically, specifically, and supernaturally designed us for His glory (Is 43:7).
Our loving Heavenly Father chose us to be His sons and daughters (Eph 1:5; 1 Pet 1:9)!
We are no mistake; our circumstance is not happenstance.
In Christ, we are…
- Forgiven and justified before God (Rom 8:33).
- Free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2).
- Holy and without blame before Him in love (1 Pt 1:16).
- Protected by the peace of God that passes understanding (Phil 2:5).
- Indwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Jn 4:4).
- Full of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus (Eph 1:17-18).
- Able to extinguish the flaming darts of the enemy (Eph 6:16).
- Dependant on Christ Jesus for strength in every circumstance (Phil 4:13).
- Transformed, renewed, and set apart for God’s purpose (1 Pet 1:23).
- Equipped to live godly lives (2 Pet 1:3-4).
The moment we begin to grasp how profoundly God loves us is the moment we begin to experience the life we were created to live.
But how do we grasp a love so deep, so wide (Eph 3:18)?
God has given us His Word, His Son, and His Spirit to guide us into His loving arms.
At Living by Design Ministries, we are committed to helping you learn from God’s Word, love God’s Son, and lean into God’s Spirit—so you can experience God’s beautiful design for your life!
I understand that life here on earth can be confusing, discouraging, and downright ugly. But we are not supposed to navigate the ups and downs of life on our own.
Right now, at this very moment, God is at work in my life and yours.
Even though everything around us is shifting sand and changing tides, our Savior is the same, “yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).
He actively loves us, guides us, and prepares us for what lies around the bend.
There is so much in this life that we cannot control, yet no force on earth can steal our ability to give Christ full access to our lives.
It is our responsibility to remain faithful to the call of Christ upon our lives when challenges arise.
He alone provides strength, security, joy, and peace in a world full of uncertainty, fear, sickness, and pain.
This past year was filled with unanticipated challenges and fresh opportunities for spiritual growth.
The most fulfilling development for me was that the pandemic forced the global church to experiment with new online ministry models.
I read an encouraging statistic from the Barna Group recently. Their research shows that eight in 10 churched adults (81%) say in-person worship is very important to them. Yet 63 percent believe churches should continue to leverage digital resources for discipleship—even after the pandemic is resolved.
Isolation is a significant threat to spiritual growth, and we must do what we can to cultivate a safe Christian community.
Whether we can be together in person or strengthen our connections virtually, this truth remains: we were created to grow in community.
Now more than ever, the work we do at Living by Design Ministries is vital and necessary.
We are on a mission to build a bridge between God’s people and God’s Word by providing accessible Bible study solutions for the digital age.
God has prepared this work for us, and He will equip us to continue to minister to the Church during this season of sifting (Matt 3:12).
If you are entering 2021 feeling spiritually isolated, I encourage you to take action.
Pick a free study from our collection of 12 unique On-Demand Bible Studies and invite your friends and family to go through it with you.
- Meet in person or meet online.
- Plan to connect daily or weekly.
- Infuse your conversations with Scripture.
If you step up and speak out, I am confident you will discover that you are not alone.
Others feel the same way as you do, and you have access to the digital tools you need to make a difference in this season of distance.
This past year has been difficult; I will not lie and tell you that all is well in my life and ministry.
These are challenging times, and we are worn thin from the trials and tribulations we are currently experiencing.
But God! He faithfully goes before us and generously prepares a way for us (when we can see no way)!
Isaiah 43:19 NIV says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
God is doing a new thing.
I don’t know what it is. I don’t know how it’s all going to come together. But I do know that He is actively, presently, and enduringly faithful.
God is my comfort, my shelter, my salvation. And He is at work in this crisis. He has not left us alone; He will not stop working in our midst until the hour He returns.
Find comfort, strength, and peace in Him, friend!
Draw near to the One who has promised to respond in kind (Jm 4:8).
He is the way we get through this trial; He is the rainbow on the other side of this storm.
I hope that our 2020-2021 Annual Impact Report gives you insight into who we are and an understanding of how God is using this ministry for His glory.
We consider it our supreme privilege to cultivate a community that is committed to studying the Word and living out the truth of Scripture in their everyday lives.
We pray the stories, statistics, and strategy you see in this annual impact report inspires you to join us in this important work!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:14-21
Sarah Koontz
President of Living by Design Ministries
