Understanding Worthy: Worthy of the Calling Bible Study Review
My blog launched in August so I’m pretty new to the whole blogging-sphere, however I did recognize the name Sarah Koontz. So when the promotion to help her launch her new bible study came passing through my Pinterest feed I jumped at the chance to be apart of her launching team for a few reasons.
First, I wanted a way to engage and connect with other bloggers to hopefully build some relationship and community.
Second, I thought it would be a great opportunity to gain experience about what all goes into launching a bible study.
But I also really enjoy the book of Ephesians. It’s one of my favorite books in the bible and I was interested to study it from someone else’s perspective.
Logistics of the study
I honestly have to say that I wasn’t expecting the level of detail and thoroughness of the study given that it is free! I didn’t think it would be shoddy or anything but Sarah is clearly passionate about this Worthy of the Calling study. The images are great and she compiled a group of incredibly talented women to provide the readers of the study with four free digital gifts throughout the 31-days.
The daily emails will also only take you about 10-15 minutes a day to complete. I greatly appreciate the understanding that we are all busy. At the same time, Sarah utilizes those minutes with great insight into the daily reading. The reading schedule is five days on with two days rest. I think that will allow for catch-up if necessary, but also a time to revisit the previous week’s emails.
Bringing relevance to today
I enjoyed Sarah’s knowledge of history and providing insight into the text. She utilized other scripture verses to ensure the reader has a solid foundation of Paul’s relationship with the Ephesians. She then used various styles of imagery to help bring the history into today’s understanding.
My favorite thing about the Worthy of the Calling study was the weaving of Paul’s teachings to the Ephesians with great imagery and relevance for my day-to-day life. Sometimes bible studies can delve so deeply into understanding the scripture verses but then struggle to connect it to our current daily life. Sarah does this beautifully!
Unexpected revelations
Here’s what I didn’t expect. I didn’t expect to be moved. That may sound harsh. I don’t mean it that way. Like I said, I’ve read Ephesians before. Many times. I just wasn’t sure what else Sarah was going to bring to the study that I hadn’t read or thought of before.
God has a great way of creating humility in a person when they start feeling proud, right?!
On day four, Sarah broke down Ephesians in a way I hadn’t noticed in previous times reading the book. “[Paul] wanted the Ephesians to understand who they were in Christ (Eph 1-3) so he could teach them how to walk with Christ (Eph 4-6).”
I’m a planner and a doer. I make lists and schedules. My days are often busy and I enjoy completing tasks. With that said, I’ve always put more stock into chapters four through six of Ephesians. Chapter four starts out with Paul giving the people a blueprint on what to do and how to live life “worthy of the calling you have received”.
After reading Sarah’s explanation of the breakdown of the chapters I started the study over.
Understanding Worthy
I’m not a very sentimental person. That requires vulnerability. I don’t really like to be vulnerable because it leaves me open for potential wounds. But that also means I don’t really leave myself open for many close relationships besides with my husband.
In going back through the first three days of the study I read slower and allowed the words to be personal to me specifically.
Sarah wrote, “Before God created the world, He knew your name and loved you with an everlasting love. Because of this, he chose you to be adopted into His family…” Cue tears.
[ctt template=”4″ link=”QoO15″ via=”yes” ]I am worthy because God says I am. And that is enough.[/ctt]
That has always been so hard for me to accept and acknowledge.
I know my deeds and acts are not what saves me. It is only grace alone, through faith, that I am saved.
But receiving God’s love simply because He has chosen me has always been harder for me to grasp. I can hang my hat on the tangible things I do and have achieved! And yet, God loves me because I am His and He created me.
Truthfully this is how I have understood the love from others in all of my relationships. They love me because… xyz abilities.
I know this to not be true for other people. I love my husband, children, friends, and family members because of who they are. But I haven’t allowed myself the same understanding.
Sarah’s Worthy of the Calling bible study is rich in insight and nuggets of truths. My copy is marked up with comments, statements underlined, starred and added exclamation marks. I could go on for a good long while of each point that spoke to me but I would like you to experience those enlightenment’s for yourself.
All I can humbly say is ‘Thank you’ to Sarah Koontz for helping me in my understanding worthy as God intended it.
I hope that this post meets you where you are and encourages you to dive deeper into God’s word and understand just how worthy you are! Again, check out the bible study at https://livingbydesign.org/worthy/
Connect with Sarah on her social media pages Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
God Bless!
Melissa
I love the book of Ephesians! Congratulations on being part of the launch team. Hope the launch goes well.
It is a great bible study to endorse! Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
This sounds amazing! I’m always looking for devotionals that are more than 5 minutes each day because I tend to not take them seriously when they take up so little time. I’ll have to look into this one! Thanks!
It really is great. Thorough and detail oriented. You can feels Sarah’s passion for God’s word through her daily email. I hope you enjoy it! God bless!
This sounds amazing! I’ve always wanted to do an online bible study. Glad I found this on day one
It really is a great bible study! I hope you enjoy it and find your relationship with God deepen! Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
Thanks for sharing. I am not familiar with Sarah, so I will have to check her site out 🙂 Isn’t it so cool to find new hidden truths everytime you study a passage? God is like that – multi-faceted, layer upon layer. So good!
Sarah write with passion and knowledge of God’s love! It is cool indeed to continue to keep learning, growing, and developing in our relationship and knowledge of God! Thank you for reading and commenting! I hope you enjoy the bible study if you sign up! God bless!
I am also part of this launch team 🙂 Sarah has a real gift for uncovering the gold in her studies!
I signed up for the real study because I enjoy her writing so much!
I did, too! I wanted to get to experience day by day at the same time it is available to everyone else. I hope you find more little nuggets in the next 31-days! God bless!
Melissa, this. This is why I wrote the study. This is why I’m giving it away for free. This is why….everything!
God’s Word changes us, but in order for us to be changed by it, we’ve really got to dive beneath the surface.
We’ve got to be open to learning what He has to teach us and willing to do the hard work of reprogramming our thinking to align with His truth.
Thank you for supporting the launch of this study, but more than that, thank you for taking full advantage of this opportunity to draw nearer to God, to see yourself more clearly, to allow His beautiful truth to transform your heart.
Keep blogging, sweetie! You’ve got so much insight to share. So much hope to offer. It’s a long and lonely road sometimes. Please know, I’m always here if you need a shoulder to cry on (or a high five from someone who gets it). Hugs!
Thank you, Sarah! You’re right, it is so much about reprogramming our thoughts from the faulty truths of our past wounds to God’s truth that never changes. This study has been such a blessing and I’m so honored to have to get to be a part of the launch! God bless!
I hope the launch goes very well!! This looks amazing and so informative. I can sense the passion just by this preview.
It really is such a great study and opportunity to deepen your relationship with God! I would highly recommend taking advantage of the study. Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
Praise God – blessings to you on this project – SO many will be blessed!
Thank you! Sarah did an amazing job and I’m excited to get to be a part of it! God bless!
Don’t you love it when you find something that takes you deeper than you were before. I can’t tell you how many times I expected littl it nothing from a study and then ingot a lot out out of it.
I find that happening with writing posts as well. I come up with topics that I think would be helpful to others and find myself growing in ways I hadn’t expected along the way! Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
Ephesians is one of my favorite books. It sounds like this would be a great study to use to delve into it deeper.
It really is a great study! I love that it doesn’t take long but at the same time has some amazing insights to help you grow in your understanding and faith. Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
Hi Melissa, I enjoyed serving on Sarah’s launch team too. She did a great job, and I plan to post a review on my blog next week. Blessings to you!
It has been a great experience. I look forward to reading your review next week! God bless!
So glad to hear that you are part of Sarah’s launch team. She is truly a gifted writer and amazing blogger.
Thank you for the review .
It was enjoyable to be a part of! God bless!
Melissa, I completely agree with you, I love how the study felt so applicable to my life today. Sarah created Worthy of the Calling in a way I could relate to, and I know this is why I received so much from reading Ephesians through the lens of this study.
It is a joy to be a part of something that is can be so powerful for people’s pursuit to know and understand God’s love better! Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
Hey Girlfriend! I was so happy to be linked up next to you on the #rara linkup! That’s because I’m on Sarah’s launch team, too! Woot! Woot! I love the explanation you’ve given about the entire premise of her study. What a blessing you are the her launch. You’re a sweet, sweet sister and I pray that the Lord blesses you in your blogging journey.
Thank you for such kind words! This blogging journey is certainly a step out in faith! Thank you for reading and again for you loving words. God bless!
Melissa, Isn’t it overwhelming to be called a daughter of the Most High? I’m glad that you are my sister and so willing to let the Lord mold you into what He has planned for you. He has works for you that He created before the foundation of the world, and they are beyond what you could imagine. I look forward to watching you flourish in the Lord. Karen
Being molded by our Lord is a continual process! I’m always amazed at how He helps me heal old wounds and then brings to light other areas of my life that I may not have recognized needed attention. His love is indeed overwhelming! Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!