10 K E Y S T O

C U LT I VAT I N G

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Hi, I'm Lara!

I’m not an expert on faith, or trained in

professional ministry, or a Bible scholar.
I’m just a girl who has been radically
changed in the last few years.

Maybe you have no idea where to

even begin with faith, and it all feels
overwhelming.

Maybe you’ve been at this faith thing

for years, but you feel like something is
missing.

Or maybe things are great, and you just

want to keep the momentum going.

Wherever you are, I hope this little guide

helps you to grow what matters—no
perfection required.

With joy,

W W W.L A R A C A S E Y.C O M
WAT C H M Y L I V E FA I T H B A S I C S W E B I N A R F O R F R E E

My faith story, Bible basics, and simple ways to get into the Word

F R EE R ES OU R C E S I mention in the live class:

DOWNLOAD READ
the first chapter of my marriage story
Make It Happen on Unveiled Wife

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 Gospel means “good news.”
It means knowing for sure where your life is going.
Knowing for sure you are enough.
Knowing for sure you are loved.
Knowing what real contentment is.
Knowing for sure that the best is yet to come.
And having peace that passes understanding.

N O T B E C A U S E Y O U A R E P E R F E C T, B U T
BECAUSE GOD IS.

Grace transforms our mess into rich growing ground.

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Little by little, good things grow:

marriages, babies, plants, and our faith.

How do you get faith?

“ S O FA I T H C O M E S F R O M H E A R I N G , A N D H E A R I N G
T H R O U G H T H E W O R D O F C H R I S T. ”
R O M A N S 10:17

Every Word of God you plant is a tiny seed that grows into
something marvelous as you continue to nurture it. Little by
little, good things grow over time, not all at once.

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It’s not about spending a certain amount of time with

God every day, it’s about the direction of our hearts. It’s
about Whose we are, and if we are God’s then our faith
will move from our heads and hearts to our hands.

G O D G R O W S U S , N O T A C H E C K L I S T.

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If you’ve never done it before, talking to God can feel weird. At

first you may feel like you are having a conversation with the air
or talking to yourself. It can even feel like an awkward first date.
Am I saying the right things? Does He like me? What is He thinking
right now? The more time you and God spend together, though,
whether you share many words or just a few, the closer you grow.

S I M P L E , H O N E S T P R AY E R C H A N G E S T H I N G S .

God designed simple nutrients to grow plants—sun, light,

water—and simple prayers can sprout our faith in big ways, too.

T R Y T H I S T O S TA R T: God, show me the way to cultivate

fresh, true faith in You. Amen.

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The Bible isn’t a Magic 8 ball that tells our fortune, and lets us pick out the
words we want to hear. When we jump around and take verses out of context,
we miss the big picture—the beautiful story of God’s love. Read the Bible in
context to get the big story. And use a great Bible translation like the ESV or
NIV. Here are some truths about the Bible:

Your word is a lamp for my
feet, a light on my path.
P S A L M 119:105
As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless; he
shields all who take refuge in
him. P S A L M 18:30
The unfolding of your
words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple.
P S A L M 119:130
Whoever believes in me, as
Scripture has said, rivers of
living water will flow from
within them.
J O H N 7:38
‘For the word of God is alive
and powerful. It is sharper
than the sharpest two-edged
sword, cutting between soul
and spirit, between joint
and marrow. It exposes our
innermost thoughts and
desires.’
H E B R E W S 4:12
All Scripture is breathed out
by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man
of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
2 T I M O T H Y 3:16-17
Jesus said, “If you hold to my
teaching, you are really my
disciples. Then you will know
the truth, and the truth will
set you free.” J O H N 8:31-32
If you remain in me and my
words remain in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will
be done for you. J O H N 15:7
P R I N T T H E S E verses
as scripture cards! Click
here to download the
printable PDF.

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One thing that has helped me get into the Bible is the simple act
of writing the Word. You can try it yourself with your own journal,
a scrap of paper, or get one of the Write the Word journals that I
created for this purpose. Try starting with Matthew 6:25-27.

Really—give it a try right now, and see if the act of writing the
Word, in your own messy handwriting, doesn’t change you.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.

When you write the Word, you are helping to plant God in your
heart. Little by little, word by word, your faith will grow.

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CU LT I VAT E FRE S H FAITH

a simpler way to journal with the Bible

C UP.CU
S HO LT I VAT E W H AT M AT T E TERS.COM
LTIVATEWHATMAT R S .C O M
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I asked Ari what he would say to people who are new to faith, and
he immediately answered, "Spend time with faithful people."
We were created for community. Something that sparked our
marriage transformation was that we joined a small group. It
was awkward at first, and it was life-changing. Singing with my
brothers and sister on Sunday morning is so life-giving, but even
better are the conversations that happen in the lobby, in line for
the bathroom, when I go to pick Grace up from Bible class, and
in our home, around the dinner table, and outside the church
building. Fellowship with other believers is essential. Be around
people who are traveling the path you want to travel.

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Jesus said, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask
whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.” - John 15:7

So, pray God’s words.

For instance, Colossians 3:12-13 tells us:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint
against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven
you, so you also must forgive.

H E R E ’ S H O W T O T U R N I T I N T O A S I M P L E P R AY E R :
God, help us have compassionate hearts, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience. Help us to forgive each other as you have
forgiven us. Amen.

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Don’t be afraid of the “big” words—they are the most life-giving. For
example, the word “repent” scared the daylights out of me for so long.
It felt too big to understand. But, turns out it’s really pretty simple.

R E P E N T means to realize you’ve done wrong, and turn away from it.
What compels us to repent isn’t thinking about how bad we’ve been,
though, it’s learning about how good God is.

Get to know the big words, and you’ll get to know God’s good heart.

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What are you paying the most attention to, and what
is it making you become?

"YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME, WHEN

Y O U S E E K M E W I T H A L L Y O U R H E A R T."
J E R E M I A H 29:13

What are you really seeking?

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Faith is about knowing and loving God, not

having all the perfect stuff or systems. Don’t let
systems override the simplicity of faith.

Choose relationship over routine. When in

doubt, get on your knees and open the Word.
Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Keep it simple.

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 HOW TO
Y O U R FA I T H

B R E A K U P T H E H A R D G R O U N D, letting God redeem

your dirt and turn your mess into your message.

P L A N T G O O D S E E D S of the Word in your life.

T R U S T that God will help you grow what matters.

and tend to those seeds, L I T T L E B Y L I T T L E .

NO PERFECTION REQUIRED.

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 The best things in life aren’t things, or status, or
popularity, or approval, or whatever it is that has been
holding you back from cultivating simple fresh faith.

“ T H E K I N G D O M O F H E AV E N I S L I K E
T R E A S U R E H I D D E N I N A F I E L D. W H E N A
M A N F O U N D I T, H E H I D I T A G A I N , A N D
THEN IN HIS JOY WENT AND SOLD ALL HE
H A D A N D B O U G H T T H AT F I E L D ”
M AT T H E W 13:44

You will never regret what you give up to get Him.

Lean into your doubts. Doubts help us seek and find

truth and build our faith. Doubts help guide us to
total security and confidence. Doubts are good.

Seek truth and wisdom from the Bible, not all the
other things that try to distract us.

Live out the truth. Cultivate what matters.

W W W.L A R A C A S E Y.C O M
 S I M P L E FA I T H
RESOURCES
Get my simple list of faith resources, favorite
books, and a free Cultivating Faith live class at

L A R A C A S E Y.C O M / C U LT I VAT E FA I T H

W W W.L A R A C A S E Y.C O M
 Thank you so much for joining me! I hope
this live webinar, my messy story, and
these simple tools have encouraged you.

L I T T L E B Y L I T T L E , C U LT I VAT E Y O U R FA I T H .

Y O U R L I T T L E S T E P S W I L L A D D U P.

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