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.
A Guest Post by Jennifer Bryant “Look, Daddy! I can do this all by myself!” I remember the first time Dad let go of my bicycle and I peddled without a wobbling crash to the floor. I sailed down our street so smooth. So fast. So free! As a young
Article by Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries As a lifelong Christian, I have always wondered about theology. What does the term mean? What is the purpose of theology? Why don’t I know the answers to these questions? One significant disadvantage of beginning your faith journey as a
A Guest Post by Natalia Drumm Are you ready for the confession of a Bible study teacher? I don’t always get warm and fuzzy feelings when I sit down to study Scripture. As a matter of fact, for many years, and through many seasons, I kept my Bible tucked away
A Guest Blog by Bethany McIlrath Seven years into our marriage, my husband and I have lived in four different states. We’ve been a part of five churches in that time, and had plenty of in-between, “church-seeking seasons” too. With so many seasons of transition, participation in Bible study has
This interactive challenge is packed with tips and resources to help you successfully commit to a Bible study routine, courageously invite others to join you for the journey, and actively seek to unite your heart with other Christians. Sign Up For the Free Challenge Article by Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries I’m
A Guest Blog by Sarah E. Frazer We began last spring with excitement as we planted our little garden. We had grand plans for the anticipated harvest of green beans, peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes, squash, and even broccoli. But by the end of the summer, our garden was completely overrun. Unfortunately,
Article by Sarah Koontz, Founder ofLiving by Design Ministries Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Jesus’ life and ministry on earth was happening today? I do not believe it would be an error to hypothesize that Jesus’ earthly ministry, and the subsequent work of the Apostles,
A Guest Blog by Becky Meyerson “You will never be able to outrun the rested.” This statement from the pulpit one Sunday landed right in my heart. That is what I was longing for! To run in life and pursue the purposes of God with energy. But at the moment—I
A Guest Blog by Niki Hardy If you knew me, you’d probably think that by now that I’d be a dab hand at trusting God. But believe me—I’m not. I still find it as difficult as squeezing into my tumble-dried skinny jeans. The last fifteen years have taken me through
So many of you are new to our community, and I want everyone to know that the girl who writes Bible studies for Living by Design Ministries is a major work-in-progress. Aren’t we all? I love how God transforms us into the image of Christ one small step at a
A Guest Blog by Cailin Davis My parents divorced when I was just three years old. Although I was too young to understand the gravity of such an event, my immature heart still felt the pain of their brokenness and the fear of my powerlessness to put them back together
I remember hearing the phrase, “Motherhood is just one long guilt trip”. I did not yet know how true that would be for me as I embarked on the first years of parenting as a working mom. While I felt a sense of peace when I made the decision to
A Guest Blog by Shauna Letellier There we sat at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota—the explanation for our visit requiring a lot of words that spell check doesn’t recognize. Suffice it to say, we had a scare. Our schedule was filled with hours of waiting and intermittent appointments and
A Guest Blog by Michele Morin “Nine chapters, one hundred fifty two pages—how hard can this be?” I thought as I loaded a well-known Christian classic onto my Kindle. Slogging through chapter two, reality began to set in. I had always been an avid reader but felt a need to
A Guest Post by Natalia Drumm She stood on the outskirts of the room, her black hoodie tucked up around her head. Black smudged eyeliner hiding her eyes as her dirty sneakers kicked the floor around her feet. I stood back in the lobby and watched the interactions of the
A few months ago, I started my graduate studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. I am taking things slow and steady, just one online course this spring, an intensive this summer, and another online course in the fall. It is my hope and intention to share as much of this journey
A Guest Blog by Gleniece Lytle I am a list-making woman. A woman who simply loves to schedule things. A woman who needs to know ahead of time what she is doing on any given day—and with confidence jots down the best way to go about it. I love the
A Guest Post by Jennifer Bryant “Look, I’ll eat the broccoli, then you eat the broccoli! Okay?” My chubby-cheeked little man watched in curious anticipation as I steered the forkful of veggies to my mouth. Is she gonna do it? He couldn’t talk at the time, so his inner monologue
A Guest Blog by Elita Friesen I was eleven weeks pregnant when the bleeding started. Not again, I prayed.Please, God.Not a fourth miscarriage. For the next several months, my husband and I were in and out of emergency rooms and doctor’s offices as they tried to explain the complications threatening
Our free RescYOUed Bible Study study is now available on-demand. Now is the time to join the thousands of people who are already learning and growing through this online Bible study. RescYOUed is a Bible study exploring the many ways God rescues His people from physical, emotional, and spiritual bondage.
Registration is now open for our RescYOUed Bible Study! Our free RescYOUed Bible Study will take you on a journey through Scripture in search of God’s great rescue plan for you and me. If you’ve ever doubted God’s ability (or desire) to rescue you from physical, emotional, or spiritual bondage, we
A Guest Blog by Glenda Gordon I’ve always been a WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) kind of girl, preferring to wear comfortable clothes and no make-up. I see myself as more down-to-earth than pretentious. Though it seems clear on the outside I know who I am, I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll be
When we made the decision to become a 501(c)3 non-profit ministry so we could continue to offer our online Bible studies free of charge, we knew we were taking a big risk. Would people see the value of what we are trying to accomplish and join us in the work?
A Guest Blog by Kristin Phalen At first, I wasn’t sure I heard God correctly. I felt the Lord impressing something upon my heart. I knew He wanted me to step out of my comfort zone and learn to lean on Him. But I wasn’t expecting this. “You want me
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