Beacon People

You have come to this series of pathFinder for a reason. The first step is to just have a desire and a longing to live for more. God loves a heart that longs for more purpose in His kingdom on earth. So already just the recognition of your desire causes Him to draw near to you. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." As you embark on this journey, be assured that He will hear your prayers and grant the desires that you have for His will on earth.

Visit our website for more pathFinder resources, including the companion book and videos. Contact us for more information on pathFinder small groups and coaching.

Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates from Beacon People - @beaconpeople

We are now pleased to offer the audios for pathFinder: A Journey Towards Purpose by Anna Nash, on the Beacon People Podcast! We will release one new audio each week this summer. This interactive study is full of inspiring content and engaging activities that draw us into kingdom living through the discovery process as we engage with God personally through His Word and through prayer. The companion book for these audios is found on our website for purchase.

This episode is a repost from the Meet Me in Isaiah Podcast, hosted by Marnie Clark, a coach and podcast producer for Beacon People. May is Mental Health Awareness month and we are so thrilled to welcome ⁠Beverly Ward, MA, EdS, LPC⁠, owner of ⁠Still Waters Counseling⁠, to our show today. Beverly felt God was leading her to expand her practice, but asked Him for further confirmation. He faithfully answered her prayer through the words of Isaiah 40:1. Listen to her testimony of God's faithfulness and provision and be encouraged!

For your own study:

Isaiah 40:1

Psalm 23

John 4:3-10

Isaiah 30:21

⁠A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23⁠ by Phillip Keller

Follow ⁠@stillwaterscounselingcenter⁠

Follow @beaconpeople

Follow ⁠@meetmeinisaiah

Subscribe to the Meet Me in Isaiah Podcast

Come to our next Beacon People gathering!

Kristi Merritt serves Beacon People in many ways, but is most known for being a joyful connector of people and opportunities. Listen as Kristi talks with Beacon People's founder, Anna Nash, about God's faithfulness to connect her to Beacon People and then later answer her prayer for the right job in His perfect timing.

Resources for.your own study:

Waiting on God by Andrew Murray

Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

Anna's Connecting with God podcast series: ⁠https://annanash.net/podcast⁠ 

pathFinder study: ⁠https://beaconpeople.org/pathfinder⁠

Steve Cuss, Anxiety Speaker & Coach: ⁠https://www.stevecusswords.com/about

Psalm 139:13-14, "wonderfully complex:"

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it."

Ephesians 3:14-20, Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth:

"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources hHe will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

Connect with Kristi: ⁠[email protected]⁠ 

Follow us on Instagram: @beaconpeople

Join us this summer for Coffee and Connection - June 15th in Birmingham at the Workshop. A special thank you to Katherine Thrower for allowing Beacon People to use this beautiful facility for our events! Click here for more information on this and other events.

Especially for those of us who consider ourselves task-oriented, summer schedules may feel like a threat to the joyful work God has given us. Although thankful for additional time with family and friends, we may feel disconnected from our work, which can lead to confusion and anxiety. The very best way to remain connected to our calling this summer is to stay connected with our Purpose Giver. Listen as Anna Nash shares the importance of staying connected with God this summer and Marnie Clark shares some practical applications from her own life.

How do we know that God is our Purpose Giver? 

All we do at Beacon People stems from the belief that God is our Purpose Giver! 

Ephesians 2:10 says – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

So…it’s all about Him anyway.

“But as for me, how good it is to be near to God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.”

Psalm 73:28

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.’” Jeremiah 17:5-8 

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians 3:1,2

Questions to consider:

·       How does spending time with God on a regular basis affect your attitude and outlook?

·       How do you feel when you are working for yourself and your own agenda, rather than working for God and His agenda? 

·       What are some practical ways you can stay connected to God this summer?

Listen to the "Connecting with God" series on the Anna Nash Podcast to learn how others like to spend time with God.

purpose

A calling is "a strong urge toward a particular way of life or career; a vocation." As believers in the Word of God we believe that God gives the urge, the desire. He creates each of us with very specific yet unique purposes. Many days finding yourself in the zone of your calling gives an exhilaration like no other. But then there are the days when nothing goes as planned, causing emotions of fear, anxiety, and frustration, to name just a few. Is there a way to stay constant, solid, immovable and anchored every when many circumstances around you are swirling? Listen to this encouraging message from Anna Nash at our Beacon Circle gathering in Birmingham, Alabama.

Thank you to Workshop for hosting our live Beacon Circles! You can follow them for updates on Instagram: @workshoplocal

Follow Beacon People on Instagram: @beaconpeople

Follow Anna Nash on Instagram: @anna.nash

In God’s kingdom work, whatever that is, there are highs and lows beyond measure. One day all seems right with the world, and possibly within hours, something comes crashing down, shattering ideas, dreams, plans, and fruitfulness. Is there a way to stay calm, confident, and content when threatening circumstances surface? Is there a secret to relying on God when life doesn’t go as planned? Anna Nash shares an encouraging message for you as you pursue God's calling for your life. Connect with us on our website or join the Beacon People Community group on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram for updates and encouragement.

For your own study:

Proverbs 3:5,6

Isaiah 55:8,9

Colossians 1:6-7

I John 3:1

Romans 8:28

 Hope. It’s a word we all want to experience in every area of life. When asked the question, “What are you hoping for in 2023 in regards to your life, calling and purpose?” what would you say? It seems that the culture we live in continues to bring about challenges at every turn. Even today you could probably list a few things that are holding you up or getting in the way of what you desire. 

For your own study:  

Ephesians 3:20  

Hebrews 11:1  

Psalm 37:4,5  

Proverbs 16:1  

John 10:9.10  

Ephesians 1:11  

Luke 12:32  

To learn more about Beacon People, visit beaconpeople.org.

Don't miss your life - it's right in front of you! In this episode, Sophie Hudson (Boo Mama!), author and co-host of The Big Boo Cast, talks with Anna about her journey to discovering she is a creative. If you follow Boo Mama, then you know you will be entertained and encouraged! To hear more of Sophie's story, listen to episode #152 on the StoryTellers Live podcast.

For your own study:

Psalm 73:28

Ephesians 3:14-19

Do you feel you lack the gifts or desire for the God work has given you? Then you will surely be encouraged by this conversation with Anna Nash and her life-long friend, Peggy Barker Townes! To her surprise, God called Peggy to the role of Executive Director of the Briarwood Ballet, founded by her mother, Barbara Barker. God faithfully confirmed His Word to her, giving her the courage to step out into a calling that she feels exposes her weaknesses, rather than displays her strengths. 

For your own study: 

Isaiah 40:30-31 

Ephesians 2:10 

Hebrews 11:8 

Isaiah 42:16 

Psalm 16:5,6 

Hebrews 4:12