Dear Friends,

This is week 5 of our Cover-to-Cover Girl Project through the Old Testament, and we're reading Exodus 1–13, where we meet Moses and Pharaoh and see the Israelites delivered from slavery in Egypt and set on their journey into the wilderness. Regardless of where you are in the reading, our key verse of the week is so powerful!

It’s Exodus 6:6: "Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.'"

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew God as El Shaddai, the God Almighty who makes promises. They died before they ever saw those promises fulfilled. Moses' generation was about to see something different: not just a God who promises, but Yahweh — the Promise-Keeper — actively setting captives free, splitting open the Red Sea, providing in the wilderness, present as a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. Genesis laid the foundation and Exodus is where it becomes an experience.

And that’s really my prayer for us — not just to know the names, the stories, and the verses intellectually, but to experience God in a real way, through His Word and in our own lives. The beautiful thing is that the name Jesus, in Hebrew, is Yeshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation," or "the Lord saves."

Exodus reminds us that we cannot deliver ourselves. It is Jesus with arms outstretched on the cross who sets us free. And even after we are saved, our difficult seasons in the wilderness are still part of His plan to grow us and make us perfect as Christ is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

If you are in a wilderness season, if you are weary and brokenhearted, please be encouraged that the Lord is the Promise-Keeper and He wants us to experience His love and power in the waiting. My prayer is that we will all know Him more deeply, not just know about Him.

I hope as you listen to the podcast this week — and as my dad and I talk more about Jesus in Exodus— you'll take some time with the questions below.

Love to you all,

Candace

JOIN THE COMMUNITY!

Discussion and/or Reflection Questions:

Dear Friends,

This week we're reading Genesis 37–50 and closing out the book of Genesis with the story of Joseph. If you are behind in your reading, please don’t worry! Every word of God's Word is inspired and helpful, and I truly believe the one key verse we're focusing on this week is life-changing all on its own! It is both encouraging and convicting, especially if you're struggling with bitterness or working through wrongs that have been done to you.

Our key verse is Genesis 50:20: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy and hatred. He was falsely accused, forgotten in prison, and separated from his family for years. He encountered more injustice along the way, and yet towards the end, standing before the very brothers who betrayed him with the power to punish them, Joseph says something that only makes sense through the lens of God's sovereignty: what you meant for evil, God meant for good. He didn’t say, "it worked out okay in the end.” Instead, he acknowledged that God was actively at work in the very acts done against him, redeeming them for a purpose bigger than Joseph could have seen at the time. He trusted God and rose above the betrayal.

We've talked a lot this season about God's sovereignty — that He is in control, working all things together for His glory and our good. Even in the garden and in the lives of the other messy people in the Bible. Even in our own sin and messiness, and even when others sin against us. Joseph's life is such a clear picture of this truth. It doesn't erase what his brothers did or minimize the pain of those years, but we see God’s sovereignty over his suffering.

Obviously, in the world of sports, keeping score is part of the game, but it doesn’t have to be part of our lives. There will always be challenging people in every town and in every program, and the deepest hurts can come from the ones we love the most. But keeping score leads to bitterness, so we get to depend on the Lord to help us walk forward in truth and love.

Living this out might look like naming a specific person or situation where you've been keeping score of what someone meant for evil, and asking God to show you where He might be meaning it for good — not to excuse what happened, but to loosen a negative grip on your heart. It might mean praying for the grace to forgive someone who has never apologized. And it might mean looking back at a hard season in your own story and asking where God's hand was present even when you couldn't see it at the time.

I know you will be encouraged by my dad’s personal story of overcoming suffering as he shares in our episode today!

Love to you all,

Candace

STAY CONNECTED:

Join our FANCLUB Community!

JOURNAL ALONG WITH THE PODCAST:

Old Testament Journal Guide

Dear Friends,

This week we're moving into Genesis 26–36, which goes deep into the family drama of Abraham's descendants, and we are highlighting Jacob’s wrestling match with God. Joining me again for this episode is my dad — a pastor and coach of over 55 years — who'll be sharing his own story of wrestling with God, along with his perspective on how God is sovereign and in control even when the people in these stories are out of control, scheming, running and continually failing!

Our key verse is: "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." — Genesis 28:15 (ESV)

God speaks this promise over Jacob in a dream, in the wilderness, with a stone for a pillow — right in the middle of Jacob's running. And that's the pattern of grace all throughout the Bible! God doesn't say, "Clean yourself up, and then I'll be with you." He says, "I am with you" — first.

His commitment comes before our surrender. Jacob doesn't fully surrender until he wrestles with God and walks away changed. There are three blessings that came out of Jacob's wrestling match- intimacy, injury and identity, and I share more on this in the episode today as well.

Then in chapter 33, we see the reconciliation with Esau. A painful family relationship begins to heal because Jacob has been humbled, injured, and truly blessed in his relationship with God. If you're walking through a messy family situation right now, or you're far from the people you love because of a move, hold onto this: Our Heavenly Father does not, will not, cannot leave us. He is sovereign over all of it. He has promised, and He will do it. We can wrestle in prayer with Jesus and surrender our doubts, concerns and hearts to Him.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: www.coacheswivesministry.com/join-us

FOLLOW THE PODCAST WITH THE JOURNAL: OT Journal Guide

Dear Friends,

We're in week 2 of our journey through the Old Testament, and this week we move from the beginning of everything into the beginning of a family — the family of faith. Our reading is Genesis 12–25, and we get to meet Abram (later Abraham), and learn from his messy, beautiful story of trusting God.

I'm also excited to share that my dad- a pastor and a coach for over 55 years, will be joining us again on our upcoming episodes! He is passionate about every believer being able to read and understand the Bible for themselves, and to know Jesus more deeply- which is the heart of this Cover-to-Cover Project!!

Our key verse this week is Genesis 15:6:

"And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness." — Genesis 15:6 (ESV)

Hebrews 11, sometimes known as "The Hall of Fame of Faith" lists name after name — Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah — and every single entry starts the same way: "By faith..." Not by performance. Not by getting it right. By faith. By simply taking God at His Word, again and again, even when things didn’t make sense. Although performance is the language of athletics, the gospel says our standing with God was never going to come from performance because Jesus performed perfectly in our place, and what gets counted to us is His righteousness, received the same way Abraham received it: by faith, not by works, "so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Love to you all,

Candace

Dear Friends, 

In this episode we're kicking off the Old Testament together! This week’s reading is Genesis 1–11, but please don’t get stuck in the schedule! Enjoy your time with Jesus as you read along, and you will rediscover the stories of Creation, The Fall, Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel and more! Our key verse is Genesis 3:15 — the promise many Bible teachers call the “first gospel,” the moment God announces, right in the wreckage of the fall, that a Rescuer is coming. However, just a few verses before in Genesis 3:9, God asked Adam the very first question in the Bible- “Where are you?”, followed by a few other questions as well.

He wasn't asking because He didn't know where Adam was hiding. He was inviting confession. He was saying, I don't want this separation. I don't want there to be shame between us. I don't want you to hide from me. I want you. That love, that desire for closeness, is exactly what leads into the promise of Genesis 3:15.

“…I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring— he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” — Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

Because of this victory, we can have an intimate relationship with the Lord...

“No fig leaf outfits, you don't have to fix yourself up — just be honest. Where are you? Confess sin, tell Him your lies, share your heart, and hear His heart for you as you read the Word.”

I hope you can listen in on this episode and even spend some time thinking through the questions below!

Love to you all,

Candace

Dear Friends,

Today we are kicking off another season of Created for the Season! In this episode, I get to introduce you to a special guest to help us get ready for the Covergirl Project through the Old Testament, and our guest is actually my dad, Tom Irby. For over 55 years he has been a pastor and a coach- basketball and tennis, and he has instilled his love of sports and of God’s Word into our family. I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters, and I know we are all grateful for the sacrifices our parents have made over the years. My dad came from a dark and broken home, but when the Lord saved him as a young adult there was no turning back. I consider him to be a theological genius, so I asked him to come on the podcast and answer a few questions for us.

For example:

Even if you are not doing The Covergirl Project, my prayer is that you will be encouraged through the wisdom in today’s episode! I hope you will join me!

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

Dear Friend,

Last week we wrapped up our Covergirl Project for the New Testament, and in this episode we just have a few important announcements as we go into summer! No matter how old your kids are, your phase of life or where you live, summers usually have a different rhythm and we want to continue to grow in our relationship with the Lord and with each other over the coming months!

Love to you all,

Candace

STAY CONNECTED:

Join our FANCLUB Community!

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING FOR COACHES' WIVES (kick-off May 31st!)

Register for Strength & Conditioning!

SUMMER GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:

Sporty Covergirl NT Journal Guide

Classy Covergirl NT Journal Guide

Praying the Psalms Journal Guide

Standing Firm Journal Guide

Created for the Season podcast is designed to provide biblical perspective

and practical tools for coaches' wives and their families.

Dear Friend,

Today we are covering the second half of Revelation which completes our Covergirl Project of the New Testament! As we said last week, Revelation can be intimidating, but we are keeping the high view! We are not getting bogged down with what we don’t understand, but just seeking to know Jesus more deeply as we look forward to eternity with Him and remember that this eternal perspective impacts everything about our daily lives.

It has been a joy to journey through the New Testament with you, and I pray that you will be so encouraged by this conversation!

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” -Revelation 21:4-5a

Love to you all,

Candace

Join our Community!

Sporty Covergirl NT Journal Guide

Classy Covergirl NT Journal Guide

Created for the Season podcast is designed to provide biblical perspective

and practical tools for coaches' wives and their families.

Dear Friend,

Today we are covering the first half of Revelation, the final book in our New Testament Covergirl Project! We have Darlene Johnson with us again, and if you missed our conversations through Matthew and Romans, make sure to go back and listen in! Darlene has been a Bible teacher for many years, part of CWM since the beginning, a recently retired coach’s wife after 40 years of football at both the college and pro levels, and most importantly, she loves Jesus and she loves His Word.

In this episode, we just wanted to encourage you to read with the goal of knowing Jesus more deeply, so we are going to focus on some of the many names of Jesus found in this book. There are a lot of images and symbols too, and no one can get it all reading one time through! So just imagine that you are about to walk through an art gallery full of amazing paintings, and portraits and artifacts, and you can take it all in, walk straight through, then go back later to focus on one masterpiece at a time! I pray that you will be encouraged by our conversation, and remember that we have this book of Revelation because Jesus loves us and wants to prepare us for eternity with Him!

“...Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” - Revelation 7:10

Love to you all,

Candace

The Bible Project Link: Revelation (part 1)

Dear Friend,

In this episode we are covering 1st, 2nd and 3rd John and Jude! I’m excited to have Cindy Wild with us again as we approach the very end of the New Testament!

There are several recurring themes that run throughout these letters that are so applicable for us today. My prayer is that this conversation will encourage you to know Jesus more deeply, and that we will all be reminded to live this life with urgency in light of eternity!

“Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” - 1 John 5:21

Love to you all,

Candace