When Strivings Cease Session Six — Wanting God's Story

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. — Romans 8:28

God’s grace changes everything. Jesus is better than anything we could turn to for self-worth, identity, or satisfaction. So, lay your burdens down! ~ Ruth Chou Simons

Hi, friends! Here we are in our final week of When Strivings Cease OBS! Say it isn’t so! Have you loved this study as much as I have?

Last week we talked about how God not only cleans us up with His merciful grace, but He also empowers us to be free to do Kingdom work with and through Him. Astonishing!

My life is not best led by me. Your life is not best led by you. God sees the big picture; we don’t. We get stuck in the weeds of our daily lives, busy with the mundane and the frustrations, the every-day tasks and difficulties, the trouble people and the worries, but in the grander scope, God is calling us to see that He is penning something beautiful in and through us… by His grace. We live life forward but only truly understand it looking back through the lens of God’s amazing grace!

Grace is the believer’s only true home. ~ RCS

I am His and He is mine. Isn’t that the most beautiful truth? It all boils down to that. We’re safe! God has good things in store for us. I’m in. How about you?

I want to live solidly in Him. For Him. So that He is glorified.

Ultimately, the tapestry of our lives will be beautiful. Even the messy bits. Right now, it might not seem like God can work out whatever is going on to be beautiful, but He can! And, He will. He’s proven it over and over again. Where else would we want to be than in the center of His will and in the center of His grace?

It is by grace we are found in Him. It is by grace we are kept in Him. It is by grace that we grow to want God to write our stories more than we desire to write our own. ~ RCS

His plans are awesome. My plans, when I look back at what I’ve wanted in the past, are laughable! Have you ever done that? Looked back and realized that what you wanted and realized what a disaster it would have been? God knows better than we do.

I want to be still. In Him. He’s got us, friends. It’s His grace that holds us. Forever.

Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. — Psalm 46:10

This week in your study:

1. Watch the video for session six of When Strivings Cease on our study home page and take notes in your study guide on pages 147-150 and stick around to go through the questions afterward!
2. Grab your Bible and enjoy your personal study this week on pages 151-170.
3. Join the conversations about this week’s teaching and connect with our community in our private Facebook group.

Scriptures this Week

Romans 8:28
1 Peter 1:6
1 Peter 1:10-12
Isaiah 61:1-3
Colossians 1:24-29
Ephesians 3:21-22
Psalm 46:10

Jesus, we love You. We thank You. Thank You for Your amazing grace. Thank You for the depth of Your love for us that we only understand the skim surface of because of our limited imaginations. Help us to dive into Your grace with wild trust and with deep hope in You. We want to abandon ourselves to You wholly. We love You, Jesus! Amen.