Notes from this week's podcast: Transformed Tuesday with Sara Denney

Jo: I've watched how God has gripped your heart -- not just to grip your heart, to fall more in love with Him, but how you've been so obedient to the Word that's been poured into you, the Word that God's spoken to you but also to take that Word and order your home. 

The home is so out of order. I truly believe that God is trying to fix it and it's by getting the home back in order because that's the foundation of everything. 

Sara: I've been passionate about our one and our family, being a wife. This is a huge part of my heart. This is my main ministry the Lord has called me to. Going through God of Order Discipleship Class was so meaningful to me and has made a huge impact on our family. There are a lot of different ways that it has transformed our family and has helped us just turn towards the Lord. Before this class, I had some things in practice, but it showed me the order and the why behind what I was doing. 

Jo: Tell us what that means -- the why and the order. 

Sara: Just inviting the Lord in. When I think back to taking the God of Order Discipleship Class, thinking through so many things -- loving my husband, loving our children, hospitality, keeping our home tidy -- all those things were happening, but going through this discipleship class taught me to invite in the Lord, invite the Holy Spirit's presence in and it helped to teach me to remember why I'm doing what I'm doing. 

Jo: That is so important to ask the why -- looking to the Word, then that gives us the motivation to do it in the righteous manner. 

Sara: Thinking about all the things out there... For example: social media. It can show you all these different ways to make your home lovely, what you should do, or what you should order, but when you focus in on what the Lord has called you to do then you find your identity in that and you find your rhythm in that then you can rest in knowing. 

When you are fulfilling that then you can rest that you are doing the right thing. 

Figuring out the why behind the what -- bringing glory to the Lord, what we're doing as a family, having rhythms in practice so that it opens up the opportunity to invite in the Holy Spirit in to our home, to trust in the Lord and it's not pretty everyday. But we know how to get back on track. 

(1) Our table in our kitchen. You talked about keeping the table tidy so that it's a space open, ready for a family meal because that meal time is so important. One of my favorite things, when you taught us from Exodus about the family table being a space for an altar in the home. An altar, in the Bible, was a place of sacrifice, giving worship to the Lord. 

Jo: You said, "It's your heart's desire to have that" because that's God's heart for you to have that. God wants more to happen around that table -- the fellowship, connecting with God as the centerpiece. You took the idea to your husband. Why was that important for you do that first? 

Sara: Davis is the head of our home and he is the one who ultimately is shepherding our family and as his wife, we work together, and I always want us to be on the same page together and this was important to me but I also wanted it to be important for him too. 

Jo: I love the way you said that you invite the Holy Spirit in. How does that look in your home?

Sara: Well, I think about my children. They're going out into this world every day. It's so important to me for our home to be a refuge. I want our children to feel safe, to feel loved and cared for. I want them to walk in the door after a hard day and know that it is a place they are loved and taken care of there, and that it's a safe place. And to make that happen. I think it's so important to intentionally sit down and pray and ask for the Holy Spirit's presence to come in. Sometimes that might look like praying or walking around the home asking for God's help. I know that I can't do this on my own. I know that Davis can't. Through the years and seasons, I've seen His faithfulness. I know it's through His presence in our home and His help. We can't do it alone. 

Jo: When you say "make your home a refuge," each home, each family is different. But if God intends for that to be our refuge, and your home is full of chaos, find one place, one area that you could begin to, by the power of the Holy Spirit, breathe in a sense of peace and calmness by incorporating one thing. And then you can expand it. And that's part of getting our home in order. Many times I think it starts spiritually with prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit.

Sara: Also around our table...Our family devotion time is Tuesday morning breakfast every week. My husband does a short devotion -- maybe it's going over the memory verse that we have for the month (with our church) or it might be something that the Lord has been teaching him. Whatever he does, it's something to read Scripture with the family.

Jo: You found what worked for your family.

Ask: What is it that we can do in our home that would minister to the Lord? Because when we minister to Him, it's amazing that His presence is with us and then He begins to minister to all those who have gathered around, whatever that looks like.

Sara: Just to be intentional to find what works -- it's not always perfect.

Jo: Again, it's about the heart.

In this God of Order Discipleship, it's all about the first institution that God talked to us about in Genesis: the home -- how He established the garden to be that home, a safe place, to have fellowship with Him. Get in God's Word, lean into Him, and let Him begin to blow the breath of the living God into our homes to bring that calmness, that peace, that He could point where to start.

Sara: When that is your heart and things do get chaotic, the Lord helps you bring it back. The Lord wants peace and freedom.

Jo: The red flag: when you see chaos or disorder or don't have peace, it's time to stop, pause.

Sara: Ask the Lord to help. Also, start praising Him and thanking Him, thinking through the truths of the Lord on my life. 

Jo: So often (getting the home in order) can start by stopping and getting our eyes off of the physical clutter, off someone else's home, and getting our eyes on God. That's where order starts -- from Heaven down to earth. When I looked up and saw the suffering Savior, I had nothing to complain about. What a privilege to do all this!

Go right back to the Word.

Sometimes we think we're the only one. Everyone of us has a need because God wants us to need Him. And that is the goodness of God. See the need and thank God for that because it's drawing you to Him. 

Sara: He loves us. He cares about us. He listens. 

Jo: And, He knows the perfect thing to do. Having that home in order is leaning into Him and trusting Him for every square inch of your home -- spiritually and physically.

It's all about that love relationship with God, falling in love with God -- loving Him with all your heart, soul, and strength.

Sara: (1) Thank you, Jo, for encouraging me and other women -- learning how to please our King. (2) If you haven't taken the time to participate in any of the discipleship classes at His Vessel, check it out and see what's available. Be intentional in carving out space in your schedule to participate.  

www.hisvessel.org/programs OR www.hisvessel.org/bhv-discipleship 

Jo: God is calling us, even to a season of time. 

Scripture for further encouragement: Proverbs 3:5-6, John 14:1