By His Grace
Jen & AJ: Bible Study & Community

Jen & AJ: Bible Study & Community

Misty Phillip sits down with Arabah Joy and Jen Evangelista, who run Sojo Academy, an online community for Christian women. They discuss Bible Study and the importance of community. We discuss the Bible methods used in Sojo Academy. At Sojo, they combine topical, chapter, Biographical, and book studies. Their goal is to teach women to dig into the Bible for themselves. We talk about the importance of community, and the life of believers. 

Key Takeaways

Context matters when studying the scriptures!

Spend a lot of time meditating on the word. Take it word by word – phrase by phrase. 

“Bible study is not a competition.” – AJ

“The goal is to encounter God.” – AJ

“Be intentional.” – Jen

“Find a book of the Bible, and just start reading it.” -Jen

“We have to be rooted and grounded in the word” – Misty

Resources

Pray App

Daily Audio Bible 

Connect with Jen & AJ

Free Quiet Time Planner: sojoacademy.com/qtplanner

Sojo Academy: sojoacademy.com

Podcast: Sojoshow.com

Jen Evangelista is married to Brad and mom to 4 pretty cool kids. She has been in ministry with her husband for over 24 years, teaching kids, college students, and women of all ages and cultures. Jen is a practicing Pediatrician. She has a passion for the local church, missions, teaching, and above all else, the Gospel. And she loves finding creative ways to dig deeper into God’s Word with other women.

Arabah Joy is married to Jackson and adoptive and biological mom to four active kids. Her 22 years in ministry include church planting, 14 years of overseas missionary service, writing, teaching, and mentoring. She especially loves sharing Bible study methods and hands-on, actionable tools so others can experience the same life-transforming power of God’s word that she has in their everyday lives

 

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus 

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus 

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus: My Biggest Takeaway from the Book of Colossians 

by Baylee Dunn

On December 30th, 1998, I entered the world under the most bizarre of circumstances. I had an anoxic stroke, losing all of the blood flow and oxygenation to my brain. This stroke resulted in a condition known as Optic Nerve Atrophy. In non-medical terms, this means that I have no peripheral vision, limited depth perception, difficulty in color perception, and a hard time with visual processing. Basically, my brain and my eyes do not like to communicate with one another. Therefore, since they are at odds, my physical vision is deeply affected. 

For a long while, I viewed this difference in my physical abilities as a hindrance, a struggle that was all too real. As a child, it took me quite a while to realize that I was created any differently than my peers. As a teenager, I concluded that I was, indeed, different than those around me in terms of my visual abilities. As a result, I spent some time angry – angry at the circumstances, angry at myself for being unable to change them, and angry at God for creating what I then perceived to be a broken thing.

Why me, Lord?” I would wonder aloud. “How am I supposed to function when I cannot see anything to the left or to the right without turning my head?”

I would question, almost daily. 

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

That is until I came across this passage of scripture, Colossians 3:2-4, which reads,

“2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” 

When I read this passage, I understood that perhaps, my physical eyesight would never have to be perfect to see and experience the glory of the Lord. I realized that what I once viewed as my greatest hindrance was actually the greatest way to inform others of the goodness of God. It is in our broken places that the Lord’s love and His light shine the brightest through us. 

Friend, I want to encourage you today to take your struggle to the Lord – whatever it may be. Lay it down at his feet. He loves you, He cares for your every need, and He is holding you close to His heart. In Him, your broken pieces are made whole and your darkness is exposed to light. The chains that are holding you down will break if you only say His name. Set your eyes on Heaven. It is truly the best view. 

Be Blessed, 

Baylee

Colossians 3:2-4

Colossians 3:2-4

Wow! Isn’t Baylee amazing? I am so grateful to have her on my team!! You will be hearing from her here regularly. She has a lot of wisdom for a young woman, and I love that I get to mentor her.

Have subscribed to the By His Grace Podcast?

By His Grace Podcast

By His Grace Podcast

For more encouragement be sure to subscribe to the By His Grace podcast. Subscribe here Check out this fun recent episode I did with my friend Stephanie Pletka on living your best life! Listen here.

The Struggle is Real: But so is God

The Struggle is Real: But so is God

If you are struggling with all that is happening in our world today friend, be sure to check out my Bible study The Struggle is Real: But so is God.

Grab a copy today at Amazon!

Much Love,
Misty

Asheritah Ciuciu: Bible & Breakfast

Asheritah Ciuciu: Bible & Breakfast

Did you know that 66% of American women want to read the Bible more than they currently do? The top reason for lower Bible engagement? They feel too busy with life’s responsibilities, which—let’s face it—is a feeling that plagues most of us. Christian women often feel overwhelmed by all of the things demanding their time, attention, and energy. Busy women feel like they are running on empty with a longing to be spiritually fed. Asheritah Ciuciu gets it. She’s been there too.  Today on By His Grace, Asheritah and I discuss the struggle for busy moms to get in the Word.

Asheritah is a bestselling author, popular blogger, and speaker with a passion for helping overwhelmed Christians find renewed joy in Jesus through creative and consistent time in God’s word. Her upcoming Moody Publishers release is a cookbook devotional titled Bible & Breakfast: 31 Mornings with Jesus—Feeding Our Bodies and Souls Together (Moody Publishers, October 2019) .

This new book challenges the stereotypes of Quiet Time by guiding readers through developing a Bible reading habit that fits right into their busy life. Asheritah provides the necessary steps of habit formation, rooted in behavior science. Because of this intentional approach, the patterns developed over the 31 days will stay with readers long after they have finished the book. Part devotional and part cookbook, Bible & Breakfast also includes 31 delicious, nutritious and beautifully photographed breakfast recipes.

Please feel free to share, tag, or tweet this episode with friends and family.

Tag me @MistyPhillip

Thank you for listening to this episode, head over to By His Grace Podcast to subscribe, while you are there we would appreciate you leaving a review. Thank you!

The Why Behind The Struggle Bible Study

The Why Behind The Struggle Bible Study

For the past three years, I have been praying, dreaming, writing, and pounding away on the keyboard. In my crack time between being a wife, and busy homeschool mom. I have spent hundreds of hours pouring my heart onto the page in coffee shops, on park benches, at my kitchen table. All in hopes that it will help those battling hard times and point them to Jesus. Because Jesus changes everything! He has radically changed my life, and if He can do it for me, then he can do it for you!

The Struggle is Real

I am sure you have heard the expression, “the struggle is real”. We use that phrase in jest to talk about having a bad hair day, and we chuckle about it, but sometimes the struggles in life are real and they are not a joking matter!

I have good news for you, friend: the struggle is real, but so is God! Click To Tweet

The Bible is filled with stories of imperfect men and women who faced all sorts of obstacles and challenges in their lives. Each of their lives was touched by the grace of a loving Father who continues to redeem all things to himself through Christ. I have heard it said that history is His-Story. It is a beautiful story of redemption from the beginning until now.

The Why Behind  – The Struggle Is Real Bible Study!

My life has been filled with many struggles and challenges, some of my own making, others as a result of living in a fallen world. Some suffering I have endured because the Lord has allowed those things to happen in my life for His good and His glory. Through it all, the Lord has taught me the importance of standing firm in my faith and walking in victory.

We all have hard things that we go through. My trials may not look like your trials because difficulties come in all shapes and sizes. But what I do know for sure is that, no matter what you are facing right now, God is there to see you through. 

You are an overcomer, and God wants you to live in victory! Click To Tweet

I did my first Bible Study in my mid-twenties and I was hooked. I fell head over heels in love with Jesus and his word. It was my life-line through the day to day struggles in my marriage, with illness, pain, grief, loss of babies and parents, raising a special needs child, and homeschooling.

Even though I was a believer, I spent many of those years living defeated because life was hard! I held on to hurt, and shame from my past, instead of casting my cares on Jesus. I went to people to try to solve my problems instead of getting flat on my face before Jesus for help. My life began to change as I poured over scripture and began claiming the promises available to me in the Bible for myself. The only thing that got me through these difficult seasons of life was to look to God and His Word for hope. In those trying times, I found biblical solutions and scriptural promises that helped me overcome.

This is why I wrote The Struggle is Real: But so is God Bible Study!

I want to help women lay claim to the promises available to them in scripture so that they can walk in the freedom of Christ in victory!

The theme of overcoming is magnificently woven throughout the Bible. God is not silent on the matter. In the Struggle is Real: But So is God, we will delve deep into the Word of God to see what scripture has to say about living a victorious life and follow the theme of overcoming throughout the Bible. We examine it in light of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and draw on the promises and the good news of scripture. We will also consult biblical commentaries, along with Greek and Hebrew word studies, to enhance our understanding. At the conclusion of each day, a section of practical application will help us apply what we’ve learned. Followed by a set of declarations to speak over yourself.

The Word is Our Guide

God has given us the lives of the men and women of both the Old and New Testaments to serve as examples of how we should live. The Bible is the inspired word of God, and it is a beautiful love letter from the Lord to his children. Through the promises of scripture, we have everything we need to overcome any problem, challenge, or stressful situation we face in our lives. 

We see this clearly illustrated in 2 Peter:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-5 English Standard Version, emphasis added)

Claiming Biblical Promises

There are great promises for those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When we believe in Him, God gives us His divine power through Christ. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the grave! By knowing Him, by spending time reading, studying, and memorizing His word, and through prayer to Him, we have everything we need to live in victory. Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord, it is my prayer that He uses this study to draw you closer to Him.

Join me for a further in-depth study on biblical promises for overcomers in

The Struggle is Real: But so is God Bible Study.

Now is the time to know what God says about you and how you can live a victorious life. Discover faith and integrity are the character qualities that are yours as an overcomer. Each in-depth study has thought-provoking questions to journal, so you will be able to see your personal growth.

The Struggle Is Real, But So Is God is a 6-week journey through the Bible that will:

Equip you with empowering wisdom.

Help you grow spiritually by claiming God’s promises as your own.

Teach you how to declare scripture over yourself to strengthen your inner being.

Show you how to conquer challenges by activating God’s Word in your life. 

Grab your copy of The Struggle Is Real: But So is God Bible Study. Perfect for a summer or fall Bible Study. For personal study or with a small group.

Much Love,

 

 

 

Misty Phillip

Summer Update, a Podcast, and a Look Ahead

Summer Update, a Podcast, and a Look Ahead

Hey friends,

I can’t believe it is almost fall! This summer was a whirlwind for me. How about you?

I spent a tremendous amount of time working on my book, Bible Study, and Podcast. We are putting the final touches on the By His Grace Podcast and will be launching very soon!

Here are some highlights from my last few weeks of summer.

At the end of July, I attended the She Speaks Conference hosted by Proverbs 31 in Charlotte, NC. While there I recorded podcast interviews, participated in writing, speaking, and leadership training sessions, and met with publishing industry experts. One of the highlights of my trip was gathering with several of the A Wife Like Me Contributors.

She Speaks 2018 – A Wife Like Me Contributors

I decided to take a few weeks off from the blog to spend with my family and soak in the last bit of summer and prepare for our upcoming homeschool year.

Phillip Boys

 

Peter and Misty Phillip

My youngest son is a Junior in Highschool, and I know my time with him at home is fleeting. He plays Varsity Football, and in Texas football is a big deal. We started five days a week practice in brutally hot weather, and are looking forward to an exciting season.

Tomball Christian Warriors

Masterminds meetings continued at my house. The Hangry Woman, Mila Buckley joined us at my farm table for my monthly mastermind group meeting where we talked about all things Instagram. Mila is a food blogger and influencer who has an amazing Instagram feed.

August Mastermind Meeting

And speaking of Instagram in my absence on the blog, I have been dabbling in some micro-blogging on Instagram. One of my posts caught the attention of an Austrailian Podcaster Anne Marie Cross, aka the “Podcasting Queen,” and she asked me to be a guest on the Ambitious Entrepreneur Network Podcast where we talked about deep wounds and deep grace. We recorded it on Facebook live.

If you missed it, you could listen to the Ambitious Entrepreneur Network Podcast Interview here.
https://ambitiousentrepreneurnetwork.com/ep-205-where-there-are-deep-wounds-there-is-deep-grace/

I am excited to be teaching The Struggle is Real, But so is God Bible Study for a connection group in the Biblical-Literacy Life Group for Champion Forest Baptist Church on Wednesday mornings this fall starting on September 12th, and will offer it again to the church at large on Friday mornings in the spring. If you are in the Houston area, I would love for you to join us. For more information email [email protected].

A look ahead…

This fall I am excited to announce I will be on the launch team for several books and a writing program and have several speaking engagements in the Houston area.

7 Deadly Friendships: How to Heal When Painful Relationships Eat Away at Your Joy by Mary DeMuth
Release Date: October 1, 2018

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay: Moving Forward One Day at a Time by Sheila Walsh
Release Date: October 2, 2018

Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith aka “The Nester.”
Release Date: October 23, 2018

Guideposts Writing Course

Stay tuned for more details on all the happenings at Misty Phillip. Be sure to sign up for email updates, so you don’t miss a thing!

Misty Phillip

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