The Power of Your Story: How Your Transformation Points Others to the Father (Galatians 1:11-24)

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But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. Galatians 1:15-16 NIV

Have you ever wondered if your personal story is truly worth sharing? It is easy to look back at past mistakes, unresolved pain, or seasons of struggle and think, Who would want to hear about that? Yet, as we read through Galatians 1:11–24, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the gospel message is never a product of human effort, clever logic, or self-improvement. It is the direct, miraculous work of God intervening in human lives.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul shares his own radical testimony to prove this very truth. Before encountering Christ, Paul was deeply entrenched in his traditions and zealously persecuting the early church, trying to destroy it completely. Humanly speaking, he was the last person anyone expected to embrace Jesus. But when God called him by His grace, Paul’s entire trajectory shifted. He went from attempting to dismantle the church to proclaiming the gospel across nations. When the believers in Judea heard about his transformation, they didn’t give credit to Paul’s willpower; instead, they glorified God because of him (Galatians 1:24).

That is the true heart of a testimony: it points away from our own capability and highlights God’s supernatural grace.

Your story does not need a dramatic Damascus road experience like Paul’s to carry eternal weight. Often, the most profound witness comes from the places where you once felt most broken. In my witness tract, Come Meet My Father, I reflect on how Jesus completely reshaped my heart toward my own earthly father. For a long time, I carried the weight of his absence. Yet, Christ healed my bitterness, imparted a spirit of forgiveness, and taught me to love when it felt impossible.

I even shed tears of gratitude, realizing that my father’s absence ultimately drove me directly into the arms of Jesus. What could have remained a source of lifelong pain became the exact doorway through which I met my Heavenly Father. Accepting Jesus does not just polish our outward behavior; He radically changes our heart, thoughts, actions, words, and entire perspective.

Why Sharing Your Story Matters

When you open up about your walk with God, you offer a lifeline to someone who may be quietly suffering. You might encounter someone who doubts that God can ever forgive them, heal their brokenness, or soften a hardened heart. Your story serves as living evidence that Jesus still changes lives today.

When you reflect on questions like those in Week Two of the Galatians study guide—considering what parts of your story best display God’s grace or how your journey can encourage a doubter—you begin to see your life through God’s perspective. If God asked you to design a witness tract based on your own life, what moments of grace would you highlight? You do not need a degree in theology or a perfectly rehearsed speech. You simply need a heart willing to say: This is where I was, but this is who God is, and this is what He has done for me.

A Simple Invitation to Others

Sharing your witness can be as simple as pointing people to the essential truths of the gospel:

Admit that we have all sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).
Believe that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Ask for His forgiveness and declare Jesus as Lord of your life (Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8).

When we surrender under the authority of Christ, we are made whole, set free from the bondage of sin, and adopted into God’s family.

Do not hold back the miracle God has worked in you. Whether your background reflects intense opposition like Paul’s or silent wounds of hurt and abandonment, your testimony carries the authority of God’s transforming grace. Share your story with someone and watch how God uses your journey to invite others to come and meet their Heavenly Father.

September 25, 2026 0

Galatians Bible Study

Happy Fall Y’all, as we say in Texas! Hopefully the cooler weather is around the corner, but we know what time it is–time to start back with a small group routine. Refining Ministry has provided this online platform for the past seven years! We are excited to get started with the Galatians Bible Study. Kickoff is today!

We look forward to continuing to experience the power of God’s Word by teaming together with others online every Monday night via Zoom. This is always a wonderful time with meaningful moments and lasting effects. What? That sounds very promising! We can honestly say that living out Scripture and having an accountability group truly does produce moments where the Holy Spirit works in the lives and hearts of participants. We see it week after week. I can even say the effects on my life have changed my heart, perspective, thinking, and knowledge of our Savior and LORD.

Refining Ministry is dedicated to studying the Bible book-by-book with you. God designed us for community, first with Him and then with others. Our Zoom Bible study creates space to deepen your personal relationship with God, strengthen reliance on Scripture, and walk closely with Christ. “…grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Kickoff is tonight! If you are curious about the group and the format, here is the kickoff presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1N9OnCEiasvR_9GLdpPpmbB-CvFVrJvvELlTlk4Ypjko/edit?usp=sharing

If you are interested in joining us and receiving the Galatians Workbook material, please contact us. Our email address is refiningjourney@gmail.com. We would love to have you join us.

September 7, 2026 0

Colossians: Why We Are Slowing Down Our Bible Study This Summer

…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:11-14 NIV

Welcome to our summer series! This June and July, we are doing something a little unconventional: we are hosting an online class on Monday nights covering the book of Colossians.

Yes, you read that right. We are spending several weeks on a book that is only four chapters long.

Why take so much time for such a short book? Because this summer, we are completely rejecting the rush-through mentality. Instead, we are approaching God’s Word through a Sit, Soak, and Saturate mindset.

The Danger of the Check-the-Box Quiet Time

Oftentimes, we find ourselves reading through Scripture just to check it off a list. We follow a daily reading plan, skim a quick devotional, or review notes from a Sunday sermon. While God’s Word is always inspiring in the moment, if we don’t stop to marinate in the goodness of His truth, we easily toss the Bible aside, move on to the next task on our to-do list, and walk away completely unchanged.

Ask me how I know… because this was my exact lifestyle for years.

But the Lord wants so much more for us. He wants us to embrace sanctification—the lifelong journey of becoming more and more like Jesus. He desires for us to sit with His message, soak it in, and let it prompt us into action. That is what it truly means to live under His authority.

The catch? Change takes time. We are creatures of habit, and retraining our minds to override our naturally rushed, fleshly desires doesn’t happen overnight.

Studying for Action, Verse by Verse

This summer, a group of incredible women is walking together to study Scripture differently. As we read and digest Colossians, we aren’t just looking for information—we are looking for action. We are intentionally slowing down to hear the small promptings of the Holy Spirit, taking an in-depth look at each verse, one by one.

This past week, our challenge was to find and carry out at least one action step from verses 1–14.

For some, that meant holding ourselves accountable to relying on God’s strength instead of our own self-sufficiency.
For others, it was praying daily for the fundamental spiritual needs of our families.

On Monday night, we gathered online to share how the Holy Spirit prompted us to meditate on these truths until they began to reshape our very nature.

Trading Exhaustion for Divine Fuel

Let me give you a beautiful example of how this looks in practice. Colossians 1:11 opens the door to reflect on the exact areas of your life where you feel the weakest right now:

In your parenting (When patience is wearing thin)
In your career (When burnout feels inevitable)
In your relationships (When friction causes distance)
In your health (When physical exhaustion takes over)

This verse is a direct invitation to let God’s glorious might step into those exact spaces. It’s an opportunity to pray for the unique spiritual fuel that only He can provide.

The SSS Process in Action:

SIT: Write out the verse and post it prominently where you can see it throughout the day.

SOAK: Let the goodness of the Word rest deep within your soul without rushing to the next task.

SATURATE: Allow the Lord to flood the specific area of your life that has been gnawing at your heart and robbing you of joy.

Without intentionally handing these heavy areas over to the Father, we experience a slow depletion of hope that eventually drains us completely dry. Imagine the immense strength and relief you could gain after an entire week of simply sitting, soaking, and saturating just one verse!

Moving Into the Week Ahead

Our homework for this coming week is to reread the second half of Colossians chapter one with a fresh vision. We are taking these verses and looking for potential areas where God wants to work in us and through us.

It makes me wonder: Did the Apostle Paul have this exact concept of deep meditation in mind when he penned these words centuries ago?

What About You?

Have you ever stopped to analyze your reflection time with Scripture? Do you find yourself rushing through chapters, or are you resting in them? Could the Sit, Soak, and Saturate method be exactly what your soul needs this season?

Jump right in and give it a try this week! If you do, leave us a comment below—we would absolutely love to hear how the Holy Spirit is prompting you.

Check back with us throughout the summer for updates on our journey. The Lord has amazing blessings in store for us as we intentionally marinate in His Word, verse by verse.

June 14, 2026 1

Bible Study-A Slow Simmer

Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Ezekiel 3:10 NLT

The Art of the Slow Simmer:

Quality Over Quantity and Ditching the Divine Checklist

Most of us treat Bible reading like a sprint, trying to get through it so we can check the box and feel like a Good Christian. At Refining Ministry, we prefer the slow-cooker method.

Here’s how we roll:

1. The One-Chapter Challenge-Instead of racing through the whole Bible in a month, we hang out in one chapter for an entire week.

Why? Because speed-reading the Word is like inhaling a five-course meal in thirty seconds—you might get the calories, but you’ll miss the flavor (and probably get spiritual indigestion).
The Goal: Depth, not distance. Give the Word time to settle into your soul.

2. The Holy Spirit’s Highlighter-As you sit with that chapter all week, pay attention. Usually, the Holy Spirit will pull a “neon sign” move and bring one specific verse to light.

The Pivot: When that verse hits you, stop. Don’t rush to the next chapter.
The Conversation: That verse is your open door. It’s God saying, “Hey, let’s talk about this one specifically.” It becomes the anchor for your prayer and your focus.

3. Relationship vs. Ritual-If you’ve been carrying spiritual guilt because you didn’t do the daily devotional, the private reading, the 5:00 AM prayer closet, and the Greek word study—drop the baggage.

The Truth: God doesn’t want to be a task on your To-Do list; He wants to be the person you’re doing life with.
The Shift: We aren’t checking boxes; we’re walking hand-in-hand. It’s a dialogue and all about the relationship.

The Method: SIT • SOAK • SATURATE

*Phase*	*What it Looks Like*
*SIT*	Stop the hustle. Give God your undivided attention for a moment, even if it’s just five minutes of quiet.
*SOAK*	Let that one highlighted verse marinate in your mind. Think about it while you drive, fold laundry, or answer emails.
*SATURATE*	Let that verse change your flavor. When you’re saturated with a Word from God, it starts to leak out into how you treat people and how you see the world.

The Bottom Line: The LORD isn’t looking for a marathon runner; He’s looking for a friend who stays for coffee. One verse, one prayer, one conversation at a time.

March 29, 2026 0

Reframing Prayer: From Monologue to Dialogue

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV

Most of us treat prayer like a voicemail we’re leaving for a very busy person: we talk fast, hit the highlights, and hang up, hoping someone actually listens to the recording. We’ve been taught that prayer is something we do—a discipline to master or a box to check off a spiritual to-do list. But when the words run dry, and the checklist guilt sets in, prayer starts to feel less like a lifeline and more like a heavy lift.

What if we stopped trying to find the right words and started listening for them instead? The secret to a vibrant prayer life isn’t discovering a secret technique; it’s shifting the entire framework from a monologue to a dialogue. As we often say in Refining Ministry, it’s about moving past the mechanics and into the intimacy.

“It is not about mastering a technique. It’s about deepening your intimate relationship with God and finding a new level of conversing with Him.”

If you’ve ever felt “wordless,” or if your spiritual life feels more like a textbook study than a living relationship, it’s time to reframe the conversation. It’s time to Sit, Soak, and Saturate.

Here are three invitations to help you stop performing and start conversing.

1. The Invitation to Echo: The Bible is your prayer book. When you find yourself wordless or feeling like your prayers are flat, look to the authors of Scripture as your personal tutors.

How to do it: Don’t just read the words; inhabit them. Add your name.
The Echo: Let David’s raw cries in the Psalms become your cries. Let Paul’s infectious joy in his epistles become your joy.
The Result: Scripture navigates the conversation for you, providing the vocabulary for your heart’s deepest needs.

This may be the perfect avenue when you feel you cannot muster the words. Let God’s Word provide.

2. The Invitation to Converse: We often treat the Bible like a textbook to be studied rather than a conversation to be joined. Let your time in God’s Word open a door to having a conversation with Him.

The Cycle: God speaks through the Scripture. Breathe in His truth and exhale your prayer based on the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
Turn the Verse into a Response:
- Does it touch a wound? Turn it into a petition for healing.
- Does it show God’s glory? Turn it into an act of worship.
- Does it call for action? Ask for the strength to bring it to fruition.

Remember, the subject matter does not have to be only about you. Think about your friends, family, acquaintances, and the world itself. The realm is broad. Let the Bible direct your thoughts and prayer topics.

3. The Invitation to Focus: Let the Word define the topic. Scripture acts as a diagnostic tool, bringing to the surface what needs to be discussed with the Father. It prevents “squirrely” or distracted prayers by giving you a clear anchor.

When the Word reveals…	Turn your prayer toward…
Heavy Weights	Health, finances, or relationship struggles.
Recurring Sin	Confession and the power to “shake it.”
God’s Promises	Bold requests and spiritual battles.
His Character	Thankfulness and intentional adoration.

One of the primary habits we carry out through Refining Ministry is studying one chapter a week. Then, as we study the chapter in-depth throughout the week, the Holy Spirit usually brings one verse to light. It is this verse that directs our focus and opens the door to a conversation with God. We let this verse deepen our spiritual walk and become a part of our daily lives before rushing to the next chapter.

Christians often feel guilty for not doing all things every day: reading the daily devotional, having private Bible reading, spending time in prayer, etc. God doesn’t expect us to check all the boxes every day. He doesn’t want to be a checklist-He wants to be in a relationship with you. Walking hand in hand, doing life together.

SIT-SOAK-SATURATE your life one verse and one prayer at a time.

March 27, 2026 0

The “staring contest” with your Bible ends today. 📖☕️

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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 ESV

You know the feeling. You’ve carved out the time. You’ve got your favorite pen ready. You open to a random Psalm or maybe that one book in the Old Testament you haven’t touched in years…

And then you just stare.

Five minutes pass. You read a few verses, but your mind is already drifting to your grocery list or that email you forgot to send. You feel a twinge of guilt, sigh, and close the Book—feeling more disconnected than when you started.

Here’s the truth: You don’t have a “lack of faith” problem. You have a “lack of framework” problem.

I have been there. Just me, my Bible, and a blank notebook…I felt lost. I desired the “deep stuff.” I wanted so badly to hear God’s voice. But instead, I found myself reading the same paragraph three times because I couldn’t seem to get anything out of it.

Interacting with God’s Word is a skill that isn’t readily taught. Why? I have asked myself the same question. I have invested in many books, studies, articles, blogs, etc., trying to find the perfect method. What I have discovered is you don’t really need more words to read–you need tools to help you interact with God’s Word.

The Lord wants us to move past the ink on the page and into a personalized approach that connects with Him. It can be as simple as determining what and how you highlight text that gets you beyond the print. You see, much like a carpenter who needs the right equipment for the project, you need a Bible study framework that gives you confidence for a lifetime to carry out the purpose God has assigned you, and enhances your interaction with His Voice-the Bible.

I wrote Beyond Scripture Typography for this exact reason.

I wanted to create something that wasn’t just a “read-along,” but a “how-to.” It’s a 10-week guide designed to take the guesswork out of your daily walk. It covers:

Bible study tips that actually give your reading a purpose.
A personalized approach (because your walk with God shouldn’t look exactly like mine).
Hands-on experience so you aren’t just watching me study—you’re doing it yourself.

BONUS: You don’t have to do this alone. There is a small group aspect-the main areas are separated into a10-week approach with thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, making group discussion easy. There are even blog postings for every chapter in the book on this blog platform.

Are there 2-3 women in your life who want more depth in their personal Bible study? Invite them to join you.

Here is a blog posting over Chapter 2 you can view and share with others: https://refiningjourney.video.blog/2024/02/05/book-study-beyond-scriptural-typography-chapter-two/

You don’t need a seminary degree to have a deep, vibrant, and exciting relationship with the Word. You just need personalized tools to go beyond the typography. I can’t wait to hear how your “staring contests” turn into “encounters.”

BOOK LINK

February 7, 2026 0