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חֲזַק (Pronunciation: kha-ZAK) is the Hebrew word for “be bold.” Today’s episode is five ways to move forward in boldness.

For the full episode, hit play above or read through below.

Friend, if your fall is anything like mine, it's full of new routines, packed schedules, and a to-do list that is entirely too long. But here's the good news. You don't need a quiet house or an hour alone to keep Scripture in your routine. You just need a few moments and a set of earbuds. With the Dwell Bible app, you can press “play” on scripture while you're packing lunches, driving to practice, taking a walk, picking up the kids. God's Word can meet you right in the middle of real life. Read to you by authentic voices and your choice of background sounds. I have found myself listening to the Bible more than I ever have with this app. It has helped me stay rooted, even on the fullest days when I don't have a moment to sit down and read. This fall, let scripture move with you too. You can save 25% on a one year subscription or 50% on a lifetime subscription with my link dwellbible.com/workandplay. Again, that's dwellbible.com/workandplay. The link is in the show notes.

At the end of every service on Sunday, my pastor closes with the words, “Be strong, be bold. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” He says the whole thing in Hebrew, but it always starts out with חֲזַק (Pronunciation: kha-ZAK) and that word in Hebrew means “be bold.” Today, this podcast episode is a charge for us to do what we can do. There is so much out of our control in this world. I know for myself, I'm still reeling from all that has happened in our country. As I'm recording this episode, I've just finished watching the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, and it has really affected me.

Last week's episode, if you haven't listened, is three lessons from Charlie Kirk's life. This is kind of a follow up on that to just encourage you. Hey, this is the time for us to be bold and be strong and know that the Lord is with us. So I want today to be a charge to you. I want it to be an encouragement to you and I am going to give you some very practical resources and ways that you can implement these things into your life.

Alright so a quick rundown of the five ways to be bold. Number one is to spend time in the Word with the Lord daily. Number two is to study; to become a student again if there are concepts that you don't understand and you don't know how to or what you believe on a subject, you need to get you need to get busy. You need to study and learn. Number three, boldly take care of your own household. Focus on your family. Number four, get clear on the assignment that God has for you right now. Lastly, number five is to keep your eyes on eternity. I'm just going to break down each one of those today and encourage you with some of the ways that I do this or ways that I plan to do this and just give you some resources. All the links will be in the show notes.

1). Spend time with the Lord daily.

So number one, spend time with the Lord daily. If you don't have a Bible, go to Amazon and get one today. It is the best book you will ever read. I'm pretty sure most people listening to this episode probably already have a Bible, but if you don't, you’ve got to get one. If you have one and you're not regularly studying it and getting in the Word, it is time. Guys, Scripture, not only does it educate us on who God is and tell us where we fall in this grand story of God and His creation and redemption and love. It's incredible. Not only does it do that, but it gives us power. The word of God is powerful. It has literally changed my life several times over where I've read something in the Bible and it's like it has hit me square in the eyes and made me change my mind about something or change something in my heart where I've had to repent and literally change my ways. It has changed my life not just once when I chose to follow Jesus but again and again and again. It is alive, it is active, and it is real. Get in the Word every day. Study it. Listen to it if you can. Use the Dwell app.

It is an incredible thing that we have these things in our pockets all the time that now can literally read the word of God to you whenever you want. In your physical Bible, underline it, learn how to study it. If you're listening to me right now saying, “Nancy, what kind of Bible? Where? How do I learn to study it? I don't know where to start.” I'm going to give you a couple of tips of just my favorite things that I use. Okay, this is not like everyone should use it. This is just, hey, this is what I use in my quiet time in my study.

Number one, I have a Hosanna revival Bible. I love the Christian Standard Bible. I think that's what it's called. For a long time, I've also read the English Standard Version. Christian Standard Bible (CSB) or English Standard Version (ESV). Those are my two favorite translations. I recently went through this tiny book by Jen Wilkin called Women of the Word. It will teach you how to study the Bible if you don't know where to start. Last time I looked, it's like $8 on Amazon. Well worth it.

Again, the Dwell app is something that I use every day to listen to the Word, to listen to their devotions. They have all kinds of categories where they've brought different passages of Scripture together for verses to listen to in the morning, verses to listen to while you fall asleep, verses to listen to while you're cleaning. It's like anything that you can think of. It is just a way to get God's word in your mind and in your heart and it's so helpful.

So those are my recommendations. A Bible. If you don't know how to study it, Women of the Word is a great starting point. Or just going through one of Jen Wilkin’s actual studies is really great too. I did the Sermon on the Mount study last summer and it was fantastic. The Dwell app is amazing as well.

2). Study and become a student again.

Alright, number two. Study. Okay, now this comes on the heels of studying Scripture. That's number one. But I'm talking about just becoming a student of life and this is a time in our country, I think, where people want to know why we believe what we believe, and we need to be able to defend ourselves. That's something that I want to endeavor to do better. I've heard from several of you since last week's podcast that you want the same so I'm going to share a couple of resources that I am going to hopefully explore and teach my kids. Also, I just want to encourage you that when we become a student of something and when we know what we know, we are bold in that, but it takes self-discipline.

So I'm going to leave the link to two resources that are completely free. One of the links is a free online course for the Constitution by Hillsdale College. Anyone can take it. The second one is Turning Point USA has made their homeschool curriculum free. I just added four things to my cart today between $50 and $65 each. My total cart price was $225. I put in the code “education” and they're all free. They're making all of these resources available for free right now in honor of Charlie Kirk. I have no idea how long that will last, but I highly encourage you to just go visit it today and get all of those things because educating ourselves is so important. And guess what? When we know what we believe and why we believe it, we are that much more bold.

3). Boldly take care of your own household. Focus on your family.

Number three, boldly take care of your own family. Steward your household. Get it in order. Disciple your kids. Hug your babies. Love your husband. Take stock of what is important. 1 Thessalonians 4 says, “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you in how to live in order to please God, as in fact, you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands just as we told you so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone.”

Guys, this is Scripture. To love the Lord with all that you are, to love your neighbor as yourself and then make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. Work hard. Tend to your own home and your own household. Raise warriors in the family of God and boldly tend to your family. Guys, the world is spinning out of control. It is devastating what we see all around us. But guess what? We have control in our homes. We have the ability to love our families and take care of them. That is what God has called us to do. So be bold in doing that. If there's anything you need to make right or anything that you need to learn, or if you need to start going to conferences on parenting or marriage or get counseling or whatever it is, do the thing. Do it. Don't put it off anymore. Be bold in tending to and loving your own family.

4). Get clear on the assignment God has for you right now.

Number four, get clear on the assignment that God has for you right now. I have a whole podcast episode on differentiating between your calling and your assignment. It's one of the first podcast episodes I ever released. Friend, I think we get this confused so much in the church. You can listen to the whole episode if you want, but our calling in life is to Jesus. Our calling is to follow Him to the very last of our days. Our calling is to love Him with all that we are and love others. Our calling is to Jesus, period. Our assignments in life are the different jobs and seasons and tasks that the Lord gives us. Those assignments change as seasons change in our life. I think sometimes we can get confused and say, well, I'm called to this thing or to be this thing for all of my life. But when that's tied to a career, that can cause some serious confusion. I just want to encourage you, go back to neutral. Take the gear shifter, go back to neutral in your life and ask the Lord, “Am I carrying out the assignment that you have for me right now in this season? What is the most important thing?”

When you get clear that your calling is to Jesus and to be faithful to Him and when you get clear on what your assignment is right now in your life, boldness comes easy. You know what? Death and funerals and what we've been experiencing this last week and a half, it helps us get clear on a few of those things. It helps us see what is the most important thing in our life. For me right now, hands down, it is my marriage and my family. It is my kids. No one else can be a mom to them. It is speaking for truth and loving Jesus and getting to know Him more every single day. So I just encourage you to get clear on the assignment that God has for you right now.

5) Keep your eyes on eternity.

Lastly, keep your eyes on eternity. James 4.14 says, “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring; what your life will be. For you are like vapors that appear for a little while; then vanish.” Friend, knowing our days are like vapors; our days are fleeting. I don't know about you, but it helps me get clear on what I need to be bold about in my life. It helps me know my days are short. It helps me understand the time is now. If I keep waiting for one day, it might never come. One day is never promised to any of us. Keep your eyes on eternity. Every day, live for the Kingdom of God in your day-to-day life. Invite Jesus in to everything that you do and say. Keep your eyes set on eternity and that will bring the boldness you desire.

We get so caught up in work, in our to-do lists, and play and what we love to do. All of that is good. All of it is good. They are good gifts from the Lord. But I just want to encourage you to remember that our days are short and we're not promised tomorrow. So give yourself entirely to the Lord. Be bold. Be strong. Know that the Lord is with you wherever you go in your work and in your play. Take hold of life and live it to the full. But this is not the time to shrink back, friend. This is not the time to be lazy. This is the time to step up and speak truth for the Kingdom of God. Spend time with the Lord daily. Become a student and study again. Boldly take care of your own household. Get clear on the assignment that God has for you and keep your eyes on eternity.

Thanks for listening to episode 287 of Work and Play with Nancy Ray. Everything I've mentioned today can be found in the show notes at nancyray.com/podcast/287 and you can find me at nancyray.com or follow me @nancyray on Instagram.

I'm going to close with words from Charlie Kirk. He said,

“Find yourself back to church that will reorient your life and do what the church tells you to do, right? Find a woman, marry her, provide. Have more kids than you can afford. That's my advice for young men. Don't play the victim. Even though you legitimately can play the victim card on everything we've said, the mindset of a victim is parasitic to your soul.”

I'm going close with that Hebrew word one more time. חֲזַק (Pronunciation: kha-ZAK). Be bold.

Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you next time.

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