Monthly Archives

August 2018

Cultivate Truth

Embraced VLOG: Week 8

Cultivate Truth: 100 Days in the Word

What an incredible summer it’s been. The best ones always end with a little unpacking and we’ve gathered plenty of truth to process through these past eight weeks. We know that joining us has been an investment of your time, but together we’ve cultivated the habit of studying God’s word and that’s one we’ll never regret. Thank you for joining us and making this a summer marked by truth!

Closing out our summer series is Melody Workman, our Cultivate Lead, with encouragement to take what we’ve learned and live it. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the details about our Fall Cultivate study and how you can join us as we continue to grow spiritually wise in a community of kindness.


Hey Friends,

I’m still in denial that summer is coming to a close. Pretty soon, we’ll be back to the hustle and bustle of the fall routine: class, school, work, carpool and practice. When we’re back to the grind, somehow life starts to feel more mundane, less exciting and definitely more exhausting. What most of us aren’t thinking about during these ordinary moments is our legacy. In fact, we don’t talk much about someone’s legacy until they die. But legacy has nothing to do with how we die, and everything to do with how we live. So my question for you today is:

How are you living?

The truth is, we are building our legacy during those seemingly uneventful moments of our everyday lives so how we are living them really matters. As we wrap up this summer series, I want to look at a passage of scripture that will challenge us to live our best lives – for real. Not the filtered lives we put on Instagram for everyone to see—but our genuine, authentic lives in pursuit of the One who gave His life for us.

I am so grateful you have come along for this journey of spending time in God’s Word each day. My prayer is that you will continue to cultivate this daily discipline so that you will become a woman marked by His kindness and known for His love. There is no greater legacy.

With love,

Melody



Let’s Dig Deeper:

As we wrap up our series, answer the following questions on your own or discuss them with a friend and/or your community group:

  1. Whose legacy has really impacted your life? How?
  2. How would you answer the question, “How are you living?”
  3. Read Romans 12:1-2 in The Message translation. What does your “everyday, ordinary life” look like right now?
  4. What would it look like for you to truly place your life before God as an offering? What are some ways you can practically do that?
  5. Continue to read through Romans 12. Paul’s instructions on how to live are pretty challenging. Which ones are the hardest for you and why?
  6. How can you look for God in the mundane? What are some ways you can experience His presence in the midst of your ordinary life?
  7. Spend a few minutes praying together (or by yourself) about how you can live your best life. How you can you be a woman marked by the love and kindness of Jesus as you go through your normal, everyday routines?

You’ve “embraced” the habit of cultivating God’s word through daily reading in Lysa TerKeurst’s devotional. That doesn’t need to end with this summer series. We encourage you to continue what you’ve started and even make the time to share what you’re learning with others. See you in the fall!


Melody Workman hails from New Jersey, but she was born for the West Coast – the closer to the beach, the better – add tacos and chocolate covered strawberries and she’s in heaven! Along with being the Cultivate Lead and a Worship Leader, Melody is wife to Adam Workman, Executive Discipleship Pastor at Sandals Church, and mom to their three children: Elijah, Mehretab and Addi. She’s a fiercely loyal wife, mom and friend – mess with her people and you mess with her! With that same passion, Melody believes that a tribe of women in love with Jesus and confident in who he has created them to be are an unstoppable force in this world. As a resounding voice for exceptional kindness, she desires to see more women experience spiritual growth by connecting in community, and she’s committed to making Cultivate a place where every woman feels welcomed, safe and loved.


If you live in or around the San Bernardino area and our mountain communities – we can’t wait to meet you! Join us at Sandals Church San Bernardino for an evening of food, worship, truth and exceptional kindness. Come learn about Cultivate Women and our exciting plans to Cultivate LOVE at your campus this fall. Save the date and invite friends to join you!

Friday, Aug. 17 – 6:00pm | 3701 N Sierra Way, SB 92404 | Childcare will be provided.

 

 


You’re invited to experience Cultivate Women and our vision of spiritual growth in a community of kindness. This year, we’re thrilled to include our always popular Cultivate Marketplace with your Cultivate Conference registration. We’re curating a special selection of vendors to bring you the best and most beautiful items to browse, including NEW Cultivate merchandise. When you join us, not only will you experience food, friends, worship and teaching from Tammy Brown, Melody Workman and our special guest speaker, best selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa TerKeurst, but you’ll get to shop too! Don’t miss this incredible weekend! Register today at cultivate.sc/conference

September 21 & 22 | Sandals Church Hunter Park | 150 Palmyrita Ave, Riverside 92507

Cultivate Truth

Embraced VLOG: Week 7

 

Cultivate Truth: 100 Days in the Word

With only two weeks left in our series, take a few minutes to reflect on what you’ve experienced these past two months. How has cultivating truth in your life changed you? Our lives can be busy and full and the habit of daily being in God’s word can be a challenge for all of us. We hope you’ve seen the difference it makes and that you’ll continue the commitment to your personal soul care. Together, we can thank God for not only changing us, but growing us deeper into relationship with Him.

This week, we welcome Becca Boganwright to share how we can engage with Jesus and experience the fullness of His love.


Hi Friends!

Especially during the summer time, it can be easy to constantly look for ways to “escape” the chaos, stress, or even mundane things in our everyday lives. While there is something to be said for taking a much needed break, the things we do to escape are often short lived and never produce a lasting sense of fulfillment.

Escaping leaves us empty, but engaging with Jesus fills us.

To engage with Jesus is to experience how wide and how deep His love for us really is. How do we not just know His love but experience His love? Especially in times when we feel lonely, unseen or insecure? One of the ways we can engage with Jesus and experience His deep love for us is by going back to those moments of difficulty and searching for Jesus in our most painful places.

If you choose to engage with Him and search for Him, I know you will find Him.

With love,

Becca



Let’s Dig Deeper:

This week, read Days 43-48 of Embraced. Answer the following questions on your own or discuss them with a friend and/or your community group:

  1. What types of “escape behaviors” ultimately leave you feeling empty? Why is this?
  2. Slowly read through Ephesians 3:16-19. What is the difference between knowing Jesus loves you and experiencing His love for you?
  3. What are some personal barriers you might have that keep you from experiencing how deep God’s love for you is?
  4. Take some time to remember an experience when you felt lonely, unseen or insecure. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and imagine being in that place. Now, reflect on what you’ve just read about how much Jesus loves you and turn that memory into a prayer, asking Jesus to reveal Himself to you. How do you experience Jesus in this place?

 

Becca Boganwright has been leading worship at Sandals Church for over a decade and has the immense privilege of being one of the Cultivate teachers. She is wife to Andrew, the Marriage and Men’s Ministry Pastor at Sandals, and is mother to Kingston (12), and Nobel (11). Not only is she passionate about Jesus, music, family and education, but she’s also a middle school science teacher—which means she’s got just a little crazy in her—and she LOVES it.

 


You’re invited to experience Cultivate Women and our vision of spiritual growth in a community of kindness. This year, we’re thrilled to include our always popular Cultivate Marketplace with your Cultivate Conference registration. We’re curating a special selection of vendors to bring you the best and most beautiful items to browse, including NEW Cultivate merchandise. When you join us, not only will you experience food, friends, worship and teaching from Tammy Brown, Melody Workman and our special guest speaker, best selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa TerKeurst, but you’ll get to shop too! Don’t miss this incredible weekend! Register today at cultivate.sc/conference

September 21 & 22 | Sandals Church Hunter Park | 150 Palmyrita Ave, Riverside 92507