Quarterly Newsletter | Living by Design Ministries

Hello, Friend—

In his book, Failure: the Back Door to Success, Erwin W Lutzer wrote, “There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. It takes time to be holy.”

Time. Everything takes time. So much time!

It’s discouraging to recognize how far we are from where we want to be. We are tempted to give up because it seems we’ll never achieve holiness anyway.

I am a person who thrives on patterns and predictability. I balk at change and get upset when things don’t go as planned.

I want to be soft and flexible in God’s hand, but I sometimes feel like I will break under the pressure.

Jesus Christ embraced diversions, deviations, and digressions with grace and stamina.

How did He do it?

As God in human flesh, Jesus recognized that the work of the Creator often confounds the creation (Is 55:8-9).

The secret of sanctification is submission to God’s sovereignty.

God regularly uses apparent distractions for His glory and our good (Rm 8:28).

I am living in a season of uncertainty; I do not know what tomorrow will bring. But I hold fast to the fact that God holds all my unknowns in His hands.

I rest in the truth of Psalm 139:16 HCSB, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.”

The beautiful thing about the Christian life is that we do not need to know what God is doing; we simply need to trust that He is good.

Our faith grows fastest when we faithfully follow Him into the unknown (Jer 29:11).

"Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace, and our work as His disciples is to disciple others’ lives until they are totally yielded to God. One life totally devoted to God is of more value to Him than one hundred lives which have been simply awakened by His Spirit." -Oswald Chambers

Sarah Koontz
President, Living by Design Ministries

P.S. If you have any questions or want more information on any topics discussed in this quarterly update, please don't hesitate to contact our team at info@livingbydesign.org.

You are doing a wonderful service; thank you!! I did the study on Ephesians, and I know I will have to do it again. I am also grateful the Holy Spirit directed me to your website. God bless. -Natalie

Thank you for all that you do in sharing God's Word and the love of Christ through the gospel. -Anonymous

I'm so thankful for your materials and for the care you take in designing them for women. - Carmen

Sarah, what a beautiful story and beautiful life! It makes me cry with the wonder of Who God is and what He will do in the life of the courageous willing to follow obediently. Thank you for listening to God's calling! -Bonnie

I have participated in a couple of your studies. I am impressed by your heart. You have a sincere desire to teach God's Word with accuracy and with humility. I am happy to support your ministry so more women will be able to benefit from the work that you and your team do. -Marietta

Your story matters! If our organization has positively impacted your life, give back by sharing your testimonial with us. This is a powerful way to offer social proof that Living by Design Ministries is making a difference and help others see the value of what we provide.

✔ Pray for our Fall Bible Study Preparations: Sarah Koontz is working closely with our Pastoral Council and other support team members to finalize our fall Bible study. Ask God to give them endurance, wisdom, and clarity as they seek to rightly divide the Word of Truth. We invite our community to cover this upcoming study on the life and legacy of the Apostle Paul in prayer. Specifically, we ask you to pray the following Scriptures over all who choose to participate: Colossians 1:19-20 & 3:16, Romans 8:1-2, and Titus 2:11-12.

✔ Pray for our Content Team: We are beyond grateful for our team of freelancers who are now assisting with the editing, graphic design, and formatting of our guest writer content at Living by Design. Over the summer months, we ask you to lift up Jana, Neely, and Jenny as they prepare our fall guest writer content. Ask God to bless the work of their hands and give them the time and energy they need to complete this project with excellence.

✔ Pray for our Community: Every summer, we take a six-week break from social media, SOULfood Saturday e-mails, and blog posts. Please pray for the members of our community who depend on our resources for their spiritual nourishment. Ask God to fill in all the gaps in their lives and meet them personally over the summer months. During this time, we have many people who are continuing to work their way through our free Bible studies. Pray that all our e-mails would arrive in their inbox without complications and that our studies would uplift and encourage them to draw near to God.

✔ Pray for the Koontz Family: To every single person who intercedes on behalf of this ministry and prays regularly for the Koontz family, we want to say thank you for your spiritual covering. Please pray for God's direction, protection, and presence to fill our home and order our lives. We ask especially for prayer for our daughters Anya and Nadia. Ask God to protect them from attacks of the enemy, to draw their hearts close to His heart, and to fill their lives with His love.