• Biblical Parables of Separation • Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 — Wheat & Tares: God allows both to grow together until the harvest; angels separate at the end. • Matthew 25:31–46 — Sheep & Goats: a final separation based on how people lived out their faith. • Luke 22:31–32 — Peter is “sifted like wheat” (testing/refining). • Key Truths • Final judgment belongs to God alone, at the end of the age. • Right now, we may be experiencing sifting — exposing false teaching, testing faith, refining the church. • God’s patience allows time for repentance, but truth always gets revealed. • What This Looks Like Today • Divide between sound doctrine vs. watered-down gospel. • Families and churches wrestling with whether faith is political or deeply spiritual. • A refining of leaders, churches, and individuals — true fruit becomes visible. • How to Respond Faithfully • 🙏 Pray for wisdom and discernment. • 📖 Stay rooted in Scripture. • 🍎 Look for fruit, not just words (Matthew 7:15–20). • 💬 Speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). • 🤝 Pursue unity where possible, separate where necessary. • ❤️ Serve and love others — actions reveal Kingdom values (Matthew 25). • 🏡 Protect and disciple your family spiritually. • Reminder • Not every disagreement is eternal separation. • Be careful not to play the judge — trust God with final judgment. • Our role: faithfulness, truth, love, and endurance.

🪞 Opening Thought We all hit moments where prayer feels hard. The words don’t come. Our hearts feel numb. Or honestly—we just don’t want to.The good news? God knows that too. He doesn’t condemn us for the struggle—He invites us closer. 📖 Key Scriptures - Romans 8:26 – “The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” - Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” - James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” 💡 Practical Steps 1. Pray HonestlyTell God exactly how you feel: “God, I don’t feel like praying today.”Honesty is still prayer. 2. Pray SmallOne sentence is enough.Example: “Jesus, I need You.” 3. Pray with ScriptureOpen Psalms or the Lord’s Prayer and pray the words that are already written. 4. Pray with Others’ VoicesListen to a recorded prayer or let someone else’s words carry you. 5. Pray with Worship 🎶Turn on a worship song and start singing along.Let the lyrics become your prayer when you have none of your own.✨ Song Suggestions: 6. Pray with SilenceJust sit in His presence. Sometimes prayer is listening, not speaking. 🌿 Reflection Question for Skool Comments - Have you ever had a season where prayer felt hard? - What helped you through it? ✨ Wrap Up Prayer isn’t about performance—it’s about relationship. Even when you don’t feel like praying, showing up with even the smallest whisper—or even a song—keeps your heart connected to Him.

Read: Ephesians 6:14, Isaiah 59:12–21 The second piece of armor that Paul brings to light is the breastplate of righteousness. During this time, Roman soldiers wore a breastplate as an essential piece of armor, which protected the chest and vital organs, so this would have been another familiar piece of armor for Paul’s audience. This piece of armor was typically made of iron or bronze. Many pieces of metal overlapped to connect the front to the back, while round pieces served to protect the shoulders. The breastplate usually hung from the shoulders and rested on the hips. The overlapping pieces allowed for mobility and flexibility, so a soldier was not walking around like a tin man during battle. This important piece of armor provided defense for the heart and lungs of a soldier. If the enemy lunged with a sword, the breastplate could protect the vital organs from being punctured, which could save the soldier’s life. Righteousness brings significant defense against the attacks of the evil one. We read in Ephesians 6:14 that we are to wear it “like armor on your chest.” It serves as our breastplate, our shield. Proverbs 11:4–6 assures us of its protection: “Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death. The righteousness of the blameless clears his path, but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness. The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires.” To be righteous means being in perfect standing with God, blameless, and walking in obedience. Scripture affirms, “Happy are those...who practice righteousness at all times” (Psalm 106:3). However, this does not mean we will always feel happy by the world’s definition of the term, for we still face trials of many kinds, even as we walk with the Lord. Yet as we trust Him and walk in His ways, the Lord blesses us — He strengthens us and gives us grace upon grace through every season. Our happiness must be founded in Christ alone, and in there we find true joy in what He did for us on the cross so that we could receive His righteousness.

Yesterday was one of those days where everything felt like a gift. At the shop, it wasn’t just a workday—it felt like a day out with friends. Customers came through steadily, some new and some familiar, and I found myself laughing, visiting, and enjoying the kind of flow that doesn’t always happen in retail. Even though I had piles of things waiting for me behind the counter, I chose to leave them and soak in the conversations. I wanted the shop to feel like an “off day” for me too—a day to shop, connect, and be present in the joy of community. But before the day was over, I got some hard news. The kind of news that drops on you suddenly and drains your spirit. I felt depleted, like the air had been pulled out of the room. No more than twenty minutes later, my phone buzzed with a message from my friend Linde: “Come to church at 6—we have a guest speaker.” I didn’t know the details, but in that moment, I just whispered, “Thank You, God, for providing a place to go that supports my mental and emotional health.” So I said yes. When I arrived, I realized the guest was an evangelical preacher, visiting to bring a word of healing and prophecy. I had no idea God was about to speak so directly into my life. That night, he spoke over me with images that have been circling in my heart since: • He saw me surrounded by books, being studious and hungry to learn. • He saw a staircase—step by step, always guided by God. • He saw someone on an IV who was prayed over and healed. Each of these visions hit me in ways I’m still processing. The staircase especially pulled at my heart. When the loft stairs in my shop were first built, I remember climbing them for the very first time. As I reached the top and looked out over the space, it was like I was seeing its beauty for the very first time. Tears welled up and I cried out in gratitude, “God, You gave me this place.” That moment has always been an altar of thanksgiving for me—and hearing the preacher speak of a staircase felt like God reminding me again: “I did give you this. Keep climbing with Me, step by step.”

✨ In this Bible study, I’m answering questions from my perception of truth. Right now, these are my thoughts, feelings, and opinions as I continue to relearn and rediscover what the Bible really says. 📖 The beauty of God’s Word is that there are so many truths to uncover, and sometimes it takes community and honest conversation to help us grow in understanding. 🙏 I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Together, through prayer, study, and fellowship, we can draw closer to what God’s truth really is.