Let’s dive into the Sermon on the Mount! This is the middle of one of Jesus’ most important teachings, and in it He really flips the idea of what it means to be someone who follows God. Our understanding of what makes up good behavior tends to be outwardly focused, but Jesus speaks directly to the heart behind what we do. This section can look like an extremely lofty list of morals, but Jesus has a deeper meaning intended in this teaching.

Today we’re beginning Matthew chapter 5! This week is an important one, because we’re about to dive into one of Jesus’ most important teachings. He talks all about what life in the Kingdom of God looks like, and emphasizes that it’s not just something in the far future after we die, but life to the fullest right here & now. We’re starting with Jesus’ counterintuitive, interesting intro to his sermon. Hope you enjoy!

Today we’re in Matthew chapters 3 & 4. In chapter 3 we’ll see Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit of God like a dove descending from Heaven and landing on Him, and God calling Jesus His son in an audible voice. In chapter 4 we’ll talk about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and also what His responses mean for us as we combat lies in our faith.

Welcome back to our series studying the book of Matthew. Today we’re in part 2 - studying the rest of chapter 1 and all of chapter 2. This is all about the birth of Jesus and what it meant for the fulfillment of the prophesies about the coming king, as well as what it means for us today. The big question for us to ask ourselves is - what is my response to Jesus?

Today we’re embarking on a journey - studying the book of Matthew together. We’re so excited for time spent in this book and delving into the life and ministry of Jesus. We’ll start by setting the scene with some background info & history, as well as some things to look for as we read.

This week we have Rocky Schaffer (UGA rising senior & AYA Bible study leader) and Eliza Gesse (recent UNC grad and AYA Bible study leader) talking about what they wish they knew before college. This conversation is rich and they share so much wisdom! We also shared quite a few laughs, hope you enjoy!

This week we have Sarah Margaret Branham and Bayli Soles (who are both new leaders at the University of South Carolina) talking about what they wish they knew before they went into college. These are two of the most down to earth and kind girls & their advice is awesome! Hope you enjoy

We’re wrapping up our summer in the psalms today with one of our favorite ones - Psalm 139. This psalm leans in by asking God to search and know us, and my declaring His faithful protection and nearness over us. We loved this conversation, and we think you will too!

Today we have a devotion from Katherine Bradford, a senior at Auburn and one of our As You Are Bible study leaders. She shares a story from the gospel of Luke where Jesus and the disciples get caught in a dangerous storm, and the different ways this story has reminded her to trust God this summer.

Today we’re looking at Psalm 118. This psalm, like our last one (psalm 100), was designed to be sung in a group. It was included in the collection of psalms that became known as the “Egyptian Hallel”, which were sung at certain religious festivals during the year. But this one is special because it is one of the most quoted psalms in the new testament, and it was most likely the song that Jesus sang with His disciples after the last supper, right before His death (Matt. 26:30). We’re excited to dive into this one today!

Today we have such an encouraging message from Kate Riopelle - one of our AYA Bible study leaders at the University of Georgia. Kate talks about her journey to finding joy and contentment in Christ through tough circumstances, and encourages us to pursue the Lord through everything.

Today we’re spending our time in Psalm 100 - a praise & thanksgiving psalm designed to be sung in a group. This is a great one to memorize and a great format to model your own prayer of praise after.

Today we have a devotional from AYA Alumni Carley Dudley. Carley is one of As You Are’s founding members and was a Bible study leader at UGA. She shares a super encouraging message today about God’s heart - that His boundaries for us are always out of love and protection. She reminds us that we can take a new step in trusting the Lord and His heart each day and invite Him into our mess.

Today we’re going to be in Psalm 63. This is a psalm of David, and he has once again found himself in the wilderness running for his life. But how does he respond? He seeks the Lord, praises Him, and proclaims His faithfulness and ability to deliver those who love Him. We love this psalm as a prayer for our own lives in times of need or fear.

Today we have a sweet word from Eliza Gesse - a dear AYA Alumni who just graduated from University of North Carolina. Her encouragement today is all about unmet expectations, seasons of discouragement, and what it looks like to use these times as an opportunity for refinement. This is so good, hope you enjoy!

Today we’re spending some time in Psalm 51 - a psalm of repentance written by King David after he sinned with Bathsheba. We talk a little about the history, and a little about what it looks like to incorporate repentance into our relationship with God. It’s so beautiful to see how much faith David has in the Lord’s kindness, His mercy, and His ability to cleanse him fully. This is such an encouraging episode, hope you enjoy!

Today’s devotional is from Anna Clayton Tanner, one of our Bible study leaders at University of North Carolina. Her encouragement is all about what looks like to nurture who God has made us to be - someone with a heart set on eternity and eternal things. This is such a great reminder!

This is a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving and praise written by David. He sings to the Lord, praising Him for answering his prayers for safety and protecting him, and encouraging others to praise with him and to see what God can do. This one is interesting because David is still in the wilderness when he’s writing this psalm, and his problems are far from over. But he praises the Lord whole heartedly, focusing only on that moment of provision and trusting that God has a plan. This is a great conversation, hope you enjoy!

Today we have a word of encouragement from Macy Johnson (Senior at University of Georgia and Bible study leader). She shares about a tough season where she finally embraced giving control to God and trusting that He has good things for us. Hope you enjoy, and maybe this will encourage you to look to God a little more today!

This is Week 2 in the Psalms, and we want to take a closer look at the very first Psalm. We wont be able to study all the Psalms this summer…there are 150 of them… but we hope that learning how to use them in your own prayer life will be an encouraging and uplifting place to start!