The Living by Design Blog
The Bible is packed with the spiritual nourishment your soul craves. Our aim is to provide resources to help you break it down into bite-sized pieces that are easy to digest. Articles on the Living by Design Blog are packed with heart-focused content, practical solutions for real life, and Bible-based training. Since launching this blog in 2014, we’ve featured more than 100 guest contributors. If you’d like to submit an article for consideration, please review our submission guidelines.
By Trisha Sheffield Prayer can feel difficult sometimes—knowing how and when to do it or what and how to say it. We can find comfort in knowing we aren’t alone with our uncertainties and questions. Even Jesus’ disciples asked Him how to pray and He provides a direct answer—what we
Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries For many years, I mistakenly believed grace is a New Testament—or New Covenant—concept. In my mind, it was almost as if Jesus’ death and resurrection unleashed God’s grace on mankind for the very first time. How very wrong I was!
By Haley Hobson When we hear the word “bitter,” what’s the first biblical reference that comes to mind? Some of us may recall the widow Naomi in the book of Ruth, who said, “‘Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,’…‘for the Almighty has made me very bitter’” (Ru 1:20). We
By Danny Barnhill Like so many Saturday mornings before, Lexi and I stumbled into the kitchen searching for our cereal bowls. My 4-year-old grandniece—whom I affectionately call Sugarbear—knew early spring days bring a special treat. After gobbling up our cereal, we heard the call of barn swallows. “Uncle Danny, can
By Hadassah Treu Do you have a thorn in the flesh—a perpetual struggle, weakness, or wound without healing? Whatever it is, as a follower of Christ, this is a thorn in the flesh—a source of constant pressure and pain. You want to be freed from it, but it seems like
Article by: Sarah Koontz Is there a person in your life whom you esteem as a scholar in God’s School? Someone who seems to have unique access to God, supreme wisdom in every circumstance, and an uncanny ability to weave God’s truth into each conversation? I know several of these
By Kristen West If churches awarded frequent flyer miles for every time folks attended, I’d have unlimited free air travel for the rest of my natural days! I have spent my life in church and experienced a variety of roles—attendee, member, volunteer, and staff member. As a result, I’ve learned
By Sarah Frazer The food was set out, the house was cleaned, and the kids were in the basement with my husband. No one is going to show up, I said to myself. Those thoughts kept coming as I prepared to host my very first Bible study. I had invited
by Maureen Miller “How did you maintain joy during your season of waiting, you know, for children?” My hurting, unsaved friend’s question hung in the air. Had I walked in joy? Many times I fled from God, trying to hide instead. Finding joy, especially during dark days, took time. And
Are you looking for a simple way to invite Christ into your Christmas? We have created a FREE Advent Reading Plan that takes just 15-minutes per day, 5-days per week to complete. As you walk through this 4-week plan, you will be invited to slow down, remember, anticipate, and rejoice
Are you familiar with the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive?” If you know, off the top of your head, where that quote originated from, you are doing better than me! I was surprised to discover that this familiar saying is quoted by the Apostle Paul
By Jill Miller Near my kitchen’s glass doors, I placed a few feeders in a tree for birds that like to eat while perched. Since some birds prefer feeding off the ground, I always make sure to spread some feed on the patio. On this patio, I’ve observed two very
By Donna Bucher For several years now, my fear surrounding my prodigal son and daughter remains unhindered. Part of a yet unanswered prayer, admitting my apprehension for their welfare feels like a lack of faith. With each passing year, fear regarding their whereabouts or well-being etches deeper in my heart.
By Leigh DeLozier We all have days when we feel overlooked or unseen. The world rushes by, and we can’t help but wonder if people really hear us or understand our perspectives. Those are the days when I remind myself of Hagar. Because no matter how unnoticed and unheard Hagar
By Rosann Coulon It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done––but I did it. I completed a 21-day Daniel Fast for the first time. Choosing to abstain from meat, dairy, and sugar was difficult, but it increased my faith in ways I never expected. After a season of
By Nancy Manassero I trudged into the kitchen, bleary-eyed, whining to my husband. “I don’t wanna go to work! I’m so tired, and I just want a day off!” He held me and whispered sweet words of encouragement. He knew my work as a nurse demanded all my concentration and
By Joanna Eccles I used to date Jesus every Wednesday. I’d get dressed up and take my Bible to a coffee house to spend time with the Lord. My journey to know Jesus brought me to the book of John. If you want to know Jesus, you’ll find His heart by searching
Saint Augustine described Paul’s conversion as “the violent capture of a rebel will.” Before God could use Paul for His purposes, He had to humble and reshape the man into His image. When Jesus Christ showed up in Paul’s life and called Him to a new way of living, Paul
By Kelly Basham While browsing an outdoor clearance event at a local antique store, a set of metal serving trays caught my attention. The trays had pictures of elegantly dressed ladies sitting down for tea. The price tag read, “$2.00 for the pair.” I was surprised by the price and
By Erinn Karpovck A book with blank pages. I sometimes wonder if that’s my story. But if God is the perfect Author of life, this simply can’t be true. When I was 29, my husband left. He filed for divorce, and I was thrust into the starting line of singleness
By Sarah Koontz When I was fourteen, the enemy planted a lie in my heart that grew undetected for nearly two decades. One day after school, I sat in the wing-backed chair in the corner of my mother’s home office. I remember it like it was yesterday. My mom was
By Margaret Kemp Acceptance by the world isn’t automatic. You have to earn it, and—spoiler alert—the world grades on a curve. I was five years old when I came face-to-face with this unpleasant reality. I’d just started school, and a classmate invited me to her birthday party. I stared wide-eyed
By Amanda Bridle I recently confessed to a friend that I was in a dark place. Something I felt God called me to wasn’t going as I expected. In fact, if you looked at the results of my efforts from a worldly perspective, you might even categorize it as a
Luke 6:45 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.“ Out of the good treasure of the
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At Living by Design Ministries, we believe God’s Word is the only source of absolute truth in a world that praises tolerance and ambiguity. That is why we strive to deliver biblically accurate, relatable, story-driven content to our readers each week.
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