Nartarsha Wisewould — Nartarsha concludes our series with a look at Consecration. In a world that often values outward appearance, success, and performance, Jesus calls us to a different standard.

God is looking for a people who are consecrated (set apart) from the world to Himself. To be set apart requires an internal/heart posture rather than being like the Pharisees, who did all the right external practices, but their hearts were far from God. When we consecrate ourselves to God and His will, we can hear when He comes near (Ex 19:10)

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Sarah Hudson — This week Sarah shares on Confession. Confession is vital to a life of spiritual health and freedom. Confession is more than just owning up to wrongdoing—it’s aligning oneself with God’s truth, agreeing with His perspective, and embracing the process of healing and forgiveness.

First, however, we need to acknowledge the cultural and theological shifts that have led to the neglect of confession, especially in a culture of entitlement and cheap grace.

The biblical exploration of sin highlights that it’s not just a legalistic concept but a diagnosis of the human condition—our failure to love God and others fully. It presents the guilt and wounds inflicted by sin, emphasizing that the impact of others' sin on us can be as damaging as our sin.

Confession is positioned as the means by which we heal from sin — forgiveness restores our relationship with God, while confession to others brings healing within the community.

We are invited to practice confession as a form of spiritual exercise, encouraging us as individuals to reflect on our own wounds and sins, seek healing through God’s grace, and understand that it is through confession and forgiveness that true restoration occurs.

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Dave McHugh — If we are to be—at the core of who we are—undivided and single-minded in our devotion and affection to God, then a healthy dose of conviction is needed.

The Holy Spirit doesn't convict believers of the sin of unbelief. He convicts—illuminates, and convinces of the truth— the believers' righteousness in Christ.

But, here is the reality—when we are convicted of our righteousness in Christ, the gap between righteousness and unrighteousness is exposed. God cares so much about our wholeness and sanctification—He cares so much about the purity of our heart—that the Holy Spirit reminds us —convicts us—of who we truly are. In doing so, the gap between righteousness and unrighteousness is exposed. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is not a pronouncement of guilt, it is a declaration—a convincing and an illumination—of our true identity.

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Matt Romano — What if the greatest challenge to our walk with God isn’t about what we know—but what we love? Matt explores Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Being pure in heart isn’t about perfection but about having an undivided heart—one that is fully aligned with God’s desires.

We are all being formed by something. The culture around us is not neutral; it’s shaping our affections, desires, and ultimately, the people we are becoming.

The question isn’t whether we worship—it’s what we worship. The good news is there is a call to recalibrate—to realign our hearts with God, so that we don’t just see Him—we begin to reflect Him. Because in the end, the pure in heart don’t just see more clearly—they see God in everything.

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Christy McHugh — This week Christy introduces our series. Purity of heart is to will one thing. This one thing is one of the most complex things we will seek in our lifetime.

There are many barriers to willing one thing, but Kierkegaard’s warnings 200 years ago are just as relevant, as we struggle with delusion, corruption and distraction. Yet, if we don't engage with the pursuit of one thing, God’s will, God’s desires, we live a life of a divided heart - with chaos and fragmentation. The solution is not simple, but it is deeply freeing, if purity of heart is to will one thing. The one thing is God’s desires.

So purity of heart is to order our desires under Gods ordering of desires. This is an ordering of our internal worlds (our heart) in line with God’s desires, ways, will, longings. And they shall see him. As we seek to order our will, our desires under his, our eyes are opened to the majesty, beauty, awe, revelation of who God is. Not just a seeing physically with our eyes, but our hearts know him, our beings know him - we see him more clearly. With our desires ordered, we have spiritual eyes to see who God is and what God is doing.

Resources — Study Guide