Minda Seagraves – NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper: Jesus Calls Us By Name

Minda Seagraves on April 5, 2024

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

John 20:16 (NLT)

JESUS CALLS US BY NAME

I am horrible with names! Thankfully, in my line of work I can get away with calling almost everyone “Coach,” but it’s not always that easy. There are all sorts of tricks to help you remember someone’s name when you meet them for the first time. The one that works best for me is to link their name to something or someone else. I have come up with some ridiculous things to help me remember names, but usually when I’m intentional about remembering a name it sticks.

There is power in hearing our names spoken aloud. According to seen.io, “being called by our name generally makes us feel recognized and valued, uplifting our mood and self-esteem.” Having a unique name that is usually said wrong, I can attest to that mood boost when I hear my name spoken aloud correctly.

Do you know that Jesus knows your name and calls you by it? In those moments where the sunrise hits you just right or the words to a song speak to you right where you are, those are some of the ways Jesus calls us by name. Mary was weeping and searching for Jesus, and it took just one thing to bring her to the reality of his presence – her name. As we discussed on Wednesday, he spoke her name, then sent her on Holy assignment.

He is doing that for us today. He calls you by name and gives you a Kingdom assignment prepared in advance for you and you alone. He’s calling you specifically to live sent in a unique way.

We may not audibly hear Jesus speak our name but if we lean in close, we will hear him in hundreds of other ways as he speaks to us through creation, music, his Word, and his children- our brothers and sisters in Christ.

After hearing her name Mary got and followed the instructions from Jesus. He is calling you too. Calling you to lean in, to trust him, to rely on him, to seek him first, to walk in the freedom that was blood bought and paid for on the cross. He is calling you by name to live sent!

PRAY

Jesus thank you for being a personal Savior that calls us by name. Thank you that you don’t leave it up to us to figure out what you are calling us to do for your Kingdom. We are your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which you prepared for us in advance. Father, let us hear you when you call us, let us feel the nearness of your presence and be filled with your holy confidence to walk out in obedience your calling in our lives each and every day. In Jesus’ name I pray- Amen

Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.

Digging Deeper: Jesus is there in the Routine

Minda Seagraves on April 4, 2024

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.”

John 20:13 (NLT)

JESUS IS THERE IN THE ROUTINE

Have you even been in a season where you felt like you couldn’t find Jesus? We know that He is always there, omnipresent at our side, but there are times when it feels like He is nowhere to be found.

Prayers come back empty, praises fall flat, time in The Word just feels like a bunch of words. What do you do? How do you respond when you’re doing all the “right” things, looking in all the right places for Jesus, but keep coming up empty handed?

I used to think these seasons were an indication that I needed to change it up, stop my Bible-in-a-year plan and start a topical devotion. Stop journaling and start reading more theology books. That maybe my quiet time had become too routine, and I was just checking boxes. So, a fresh plan would be the answer. I was wrong!

It took a couple years of completely getting off track for me to slow down long enough and hear the Lord tell me to stop changing what was working. Yes, routine can get, well routine, and it’s easy to check a box instead of lingering in the presence of Jesus- especially if you’re like me and enjoy crossing things off your list! But what He has taught me is to not stop looking for him in the places I know he has been most visible to me.

Mary was looking for Jesus in the exact spot she last saw him. She didn’t see the empty tomb and run to the next town to find him. She stayed put and didn’t stop searching for him until he revealed himself to her.

Wherever you meet with the Lord and feel His presence best – keep going to that place. In those times that He seems to have disappeared, lean in closer and don’t stop seeking after Him until you find Him.

PRAY

Jesus thank you that even in the times you feel far away we know you are still there. That no matter what we feel we can trust you are with us. Help us to faithfully push through the seasons of searching for you and give us renewed perseverance to lean in closer to you. Let us not rely on a feeling but a knowing- a knowing that you are always with us and let that be the fire that burns within us to be desperate for more of you. Fill us to overflowing with the joy and hope that only comes from you. In Jesus’ name- Amen

Digging Deeper: Jesus Cleanses Us Completely

Minda Seagraves on April 3, 2024

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned to him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord.”

John 20:16-18 (NLT)

JESUS CLEANSES US COMPLETELY

As I was this the Lord gave me a nudge. He reminded me of how personally special Easter is to me and asked me to share it with you, because maybe you’re where I was on Easter Sunday nine years ago.

I was walking with Jesus and doing the best I could to fully embrace my redemption, but the truth was I was completely shackled by the weight of shame from my past. I wasn’t walking in the sin that had held me captive for so long, but I still felt like I was living a lie. That if anyone really knew who I had been or the things I had done, they’d never talk to me or invite me back to “Godly” things. So I worked hard to avoid anyone from my past and focused on the future. I divided my life into two parts- Before Jesus and After Jesus, and in no way could those two world collide.

I wonder if Mary Magdalene ever felt that way. I wonder if she ever worried that she’d see someone from her “before Jesus” life and they would not believe her transformation was real. Or, if she feared anyone from her “after Jesus” life would find out the deepest, ugliest secrets from her past.

I have to believe she battled those thoughts and fears just like I did, and like so many other believers do. But that’s why this Easter message is so special to me in such a personal way that could only be delivered by Jesus.

He revealed himself first to the one with the most scandalous past. Not only that, but she was the one he charged with telling the first ever complete Gospel story! Talk about a redemption!

On Easter Sunday 2015, as I was dead smack in the middle of one of the hardest physical and emotional battles I have ever walked through, every single chain was broken as I fully understood, accepted, and embraced the forgiveness I had been given.

Just like Mary, I was not defined by my past, nor did it determine my future!

Friend, I don’t know where this finds you, but if you are like I was, struggling to break free of the weight of shame and guilt, I pray now in the mighty name of Jesus that every chain would be broken as you soak in the beauty and redemption of today’s passage!

PRAY

Jesus thank you that by your blood our sin and shame is paid in full! Father, thank you that we are forgiven and free and not defined by our past. Thank you for the cross, for bearing the weight of my punishment so that I can live a transformed live here and now as I await forever with you in Glory. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray- Amen

Digging Deeper: Turn to Jesus First

Minda Seagraves on April 2, 2024

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT)

TURN TO JESUS FIRST

Let’s be honest: when things get tough, most of us don’t seek the Lord first. I know my go-to first reaction when the hard rolls in is to freak out. I have a PhD in catastrophizing (insert faceplate emoji here). If it’s an unhappy email from a work colleague, a misunderstanding with someone in my family or abnormal test results from the doctor, the first thing my mind does is go straight to the worst-case scenario. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

Over the years, through lots of prayer and intentionality, I have gotten better at more quickly turning my thoughts to the One who will give peace and bring answers. I have given myself the grace to feel the feelings but quickly ask God what His truths are considering the circumstances. I have a routine each morning when I meet with Jesus that includes affirmations of who He says I am. When I am reminded each day that I am known, seen, loved, cherished, redeemed, held, enough, valued, wanted, called, anointed, appointed, and set apart it helps me to stand more firmly when the wind begins to blow. My mind more quickly shifts from catastrophizing to remembering – who He is, who he says I am, all he has done for me – and I trust that He’s not going to stop now. When the hard hits, let’s be intentional about locking eyes with Jesus first, or at least more quickly, because he is our strength!

PRAY

Jesus thank you that you never tire of us not seeking you first. Thank you for your patience with us when we eventually come to you weary and worn down from the troubles we are facing. You meet us right there in the middle of it, and pick us up and carry us through. Help us to seek you first. Remove in us the tendency to panic or seek resolutions from anything other than you. Set our hearts on fire for more of you Jesus! In your name I pray- Amen

Digging Deeper: Weep No More – The Tomb is Empty

Minda Seagraves on April 1, 2024

Mary was standing outside the tomb Crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.

John 20:11 (NLT)

WEEP NO MORE: THE TOMB IS EMPTY

We all have those seasons when the hits just keep coming. Wave after wave, it’s all you can do to tread water and keep breathing. Whether it’s health, finances, or relationships there are limitless things in this world that threaten to steal our joy. When I answered the call into full time vocational ministry eight years ago, I distinctly remember a conversation with my new supervisor, who told me to “hold on because the attacks from the enemy were about to get bigger.” I was fully aware of the very real impact of spiritual warfare but didn’t see how I was now somehow more susceptible to it. It didn’t take long to realize he wasn’t kidding, and the arrows flew at my family and I at a seemingly never-ending pace. From little things like my car refusing to crank for no reason, to bigger things like scary diagnoses and funding hardships, the attacks were coming non-stop.

It wasn’t that my job or title as a missionary made me more of a threat to the enemy, but the fact that I was now 24/7 locked in on doing what we call here at NorthStar Church – “living sent.” I was being intentional about having Gospel conversations with coaches and athletes and discipling others to do the same, just like you are doing in all the places you do your daily life!

It can be easy in these seasons to do exactly what Mary did- stand outside the tomb and weep. Weep for the difficulty, for the loss, for the sheer exhaustion of it all. But don’t stop there! If we simply stand outside the proverbial tomb of our circumstances and weep, we miss out on the hope. Yes, Mary had a very real response to the tangible circumstances, but she didn’t stop where her feelings left her. She stooped down to look inside and found an empty tomb. She didn’t know what she was seeing at first, but soon her weeping turned into rejoicing.

No matter your season of life, know and trust that Jesus wastes NOTHING. I tell my coaches and athletes all the time in the face of hardships that never has God said, “Well, I didn’t see that coming! Now what?” We serve a God who orders your steps and prepared good works for you in advance! Not only did He know what was coming but he knows the way through it and exactly how it will be worked for your good and His glory! The tomb is empty friends. Remember in the weeping to stop and look for Jesus.

PRAY

Jesus thank you for the empty tomb! Thank you for the reminder that it’s ok to weep and to feel all the feelings that come with the hard seasons – but we can’t stop there. Thank you that all our days have been ordered according to your plan and purpose for our lives, and that even in the moments we can hardly keep our head above water, you are there with us in the deep, making a way through to the other side. We love you Father and we ask you to help us to feel your nearness like never before! In Jesus’ name- Amen!

Digging Deeper: A Solid Foundation

Minda Seagraves on January 5, 2024

READY:

“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

A SOLID FOUNDATION

SET:

In 2020, when things started to reopen after the shutdown, we decided to build a house. There was so much planning and preparation that went into turning a wooded lot into a livable home. Before we could get to the fun stuff like picking out lighting, floors and paint colors, we had to decide on a floorplan and determine where we wanted the house it sit on the lot. Since we weren’t going to have a basement we decided to build a really big garage (insert all man excitement here). It was important to have plenty room for our vehicles, lawn equipment and space for a shop. Making these changes to this one space of the house that hadn’t ever crossed my mind resulted in lots of extra planning and work for the architect. Once they had the blueprint redrawn, we then had to figure out placement of the house so that we stayed within the lot lines. All in all it took nearly three months after we decided to build before we were ready to get started. As excited as I was to move on to picking out the fun stuff for the livable space it was imperative that we get the foundation right first.

In today’s passage we read what Matthew recorded from Jesus telling us about another foundation that we need to take the time to get just right. Jesus says that we would be wise to build our house (life) upon His words – that if we do so, when the wind and waves come we will be able to stand strong. He didn’t say IF they come but WHEN because we can be sure difficulties will happen. None of us want to walk through hard times but we are told repeatedly in God’s Word that while we are here on earth we will face difficulties. What we can do is prepare for them before the first sign of a breeze appears by building a firm foundation. We do that by storing up the promises of God in our hearts as we spend time each day with him in his word. Jesus gives us a warning in the person of the foolish man who builds a house on sand. If you’ve ever been to the beach or seen video of the tide going in and out you can understand why sand isn’t the best place to build a house and how it is easily knocked down.

Just like it took time to get the foundation right four our new home it takes time to build your foundation with Jesus. The wind and waves that come our way look different in different seasons so we have to spend time with him daily to make sure we are prepared for whatever is headed our way. We need not be anxious about the impending hard times because we can trust that we have a firm foundation in our good Shepherd who will not leave our side!

GO:

Where is your foundation built? On the sand of self or the Rock of Jesus?
How will you be ready for the hard when it inevitably comes your way?

WORKOUT:

James 1:22-25
Psalm 1:1–2
Matthew 7:11
Matthew 7:24-27

OVERTIME:

Jesus, thank you for being our firm foundation, the rock on which we stand. I think of the song that says “when everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad, that I put my faith in Jesus, because He’s never let me down.” Lord it’s true that even though we face seasons so difficult we aren’t sure how we will ever get through them, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will get through them because you are with us. Father, let us be like the wise man who listens to you and builds a foundation upon you and you alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Digging Deeper: Walking In Love

Minda Seagraves on January 4, 2024

READY:

“I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.”

John 15:9-10 (MSG)

WALKING IN LOVE

SET:

So much of God’s word feels like a warm hug, but there is something about today’s passage that makes me feel the tangible love of Jesus wrapped tightly around me. Words have the capability of painting vivid pictures and The Message translation of John 15:10 does just that.

This week we have unpacked obeying God – both the how to and the why. We have discussed the importance of seeking His will for our lives and explored the courage it sometimes takes to answer in obedience. Today’s look at obedience comes from a different angle than most of us probably ever think to explore.

It should be no surprise that John, the self-proclaimed “disciple whom Jesus loved” approached the topic of obedience through the lens of love. We obey the Father because we love him and we love him because he first loved us! The original word used here for love is “agapao” which implies being loved dearly or beloved. It’s not an “I love tacos” kind of love John is talking about, but a deep fondness and commitment. We are promised that when we obey our loving Father we will be as close as possible to the feeling and security of that love. We get to experience a love that feels as warm, safe, and cozy as being home when we choose to walk each day out no obedience.

Yes, we have the reassurance that He goes with us, and yes we know that He blesses our path when we walk where He leads us; but we also have the comfort in knowing as we take each wobbly step with Jesus in obedience we are walking deeper into our love relationship with Him! You will never feel the love of Jesus more than when you are walking in obedience with Him!

GO:

Can you think of a time that you felt the tangible love of Jesus?
How does knowing love and obedience are linked change the way you think about doing what God asks of you?

WORKOUT:

James 1:22-25
Psalm 1:1–2
Matthew 7:11
Matthew 7:24-27

OVERTIME:

Jesus, thank you for loving us with a deep unending love that is bigger than anything we can fathom! We ask you to meet us wherever we are today in this very moment and let us feel your loving arms wrapping around us as we willingly submit to your best for our life. Give us the patience to wait for you to guide each step we take and the wisdom to not get ahead of you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Digging Deeper: Trust Your Training

Minda Seagraves on January 3, 2024

READY:

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Joshua 1:7-8 (ESV)

TRUST YOUR TRAINING

SET:

“Coach said.” I would argue that those are the two most important words in all of sports. It’s why athletes at all levels do everything they do in competition. It’s why they run zone instead of man, why they run the ball instead of passing it, why they go for two instead of kicking the extra point. At practice it’s why athletes will push their bodies harder than when they do drills at home. It’s why they watch film instead of bingeing something on Netflix. More often than not what coach says needs to be done is not enjoyable or pleasant, but good athletes will do it anyway because they know there is purpose in the pain. The instruction from a coach is always purposed in getting better, both for the athlete individually and for the team. The goal of competition is to win, and we don’t win while sitting idle doing the easy stuff.

We have the greatest coach of all! In the above passage God is coaching us up on how to win at life here on earth. We are told to be careful to follow His instruction, not even veering off from it a little bit in any direction. Just like running line drills at practice, staying on the narrow road God calls us to is not always easy; but the more we do it the stronger we become. That strength looks like better clarity in the next step God is calling you to take, and a peace that surpasses understanding when we are in the middle of hard times. We can know what play God is calling us to run by studying His playbook- the Bible! We are instructed to meditate on it day and night and not let our mouths cease from sharing what it says with others. The only way we can obey Him is to know what he is saying, and the only way we are able to know what He says is by spending time with Him in his Word. It takes discipline to stick to training of any kind but as Christians we have the biggest reason to trust the training from the best coach of all time!

GO:

How are you turning to the right and left of what God is telling you to do?

How can you take steps to follow in closer obedience?

WORKOUT:

James 1:22-25
Psalm 1:1–2
Matthew 7:11
John 15:10–14

OVERTIME:

Jesus, thank you that you don’t leave us to figure it out on our own, but instead give us clear directions on how to obey your best plan for our lives. Thank you for your grace as we tend to drift off from that plan, for meeting us where we are and lovingly and gently guiding us back to the path you have purposed for us. Thank you for never growing tired of doing this! Help us Lord to have ears to hear your directions every moment of every day and to have the discipline, courage and boldness to take each step of obedience as we walk along the path you have called us to. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Digging Deeper: Confident Obedience

Minda Seagraves on January 2, 2024

READY:

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.

Genesis 22:17-17 (ESV)

CONFIDENT OBEDIENCE

SET:

I am 110% NOT an athlete. So, eight years ago, when I felt the Lord calling me into full-time ministry as a missionary to coaches and athletes, I was very confused. What in the world did I have to offer this community of people I had no common thread with? It took about three months in fervent prayer for me to fully grasp what the Lord was asking me to do, and even then I was very fuzzy on what answering this call to ministry would look like. The one thing, really the only thing, that was crystal clear was that He had given me a clear path to step my foot on. I had no idea what the next step would look like after I took that first one, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I had to take that first step.

In today’s passage I believe Abraham can relate to that feeling of answering a clear call without fully understanding what comes next. God is clear that he will bless Abraham and even lists out what those blessing will look like, as a direct result of Abraham’s obedience. It would be easy to get lost in the weeds here and think that Abraham’s actions led to a blessing. We know that’s not true because scripture tells us that we cannot earn God’s blessings; they are given to us as gifts, just as parents give gifts to their children. What God is telling Abraham is that these blessings are what he can expect as he steps out into the great unknown of walking where God calls Him. God promised to be with him as he went deep into uncharted waters.

And He does the same for us! When I answered God’s call in 2015 I had no audible assurance from God of the blessings that were waiting for me, but there have been so many over the last eight years that I cannot even begin to count them all! I can honestly say that I have walked my calling as a missionary out in totally blind faith, trusting Jesus for everything I need and the directions on how to get there.

No matter where or what Jesus is calling you to, you can take that first fuzzy step in complete confidence that His blessings will follow as you continue on the path that was planned for you before you drew your first breath!

GO:

What is God calling you to do that feels unclear or out of your comfort zone?
How can you take steps in obedience to that calling?

WORKOUT:

- Joshua 1:7-8
- Psalm 1:1–2
- Matthew 7:11
- John 15:10–14

OVERTIME:

Jesus, thank you for the callings you place on our lives. Thank you for the opportunity to see your loving provision as we respond in obedience to your direction. Sometimes you ask us to do hard and scary things, but we know those are the times we will grow even closer to you as we learn moment by moment to be completely and totally reliant on you for everything. We ask that you would give us confidence and clarity as we answer your call on our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Digging Deeper: New Beginnings

Minda Seagraves on January 1, 2024

READY:

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.  Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.

James 1:22-25 (MSG)

NEW BEGINNINGS

SET:

Happy New Year!

I love the possibility that comes with new beginnings. I’m one of those outliers that love Mondays because of the potential of a fresh start I see in the week ahead; so, naturally I love the start of a new year for the same reasons. According to Google, 37% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, with 87% of them saying they are very likely to keep it through the year. As you would probably guess most of the top resolutions revolve around finances and wellness. Whether you’re a fan of Mondays and New Year’s resolutions or not, I think we can all benefit from establishing habits that will set us up for success. Without question setting goals for bettering your health and finances are a great idea, but may I suggest that there is one far better?

In the scripture above James gives us a pretty clear action plan. Other translations tell us to not just listen to the word but to be doers of the word. I love directness of The Message translation above: “Act on what you hear.” What if we made this our true north for 2024? What would it look like to wake up every day and be intentional about acting on what we read in our quiet time with Jesus?

We don’t have to guess because James tells us in verse 24 what we can expect. He says that if we catch even a small glance from the corner of our eye of what God is teaching us and act on it, those actions will be affirmed! How beautiful is that? We don’t have to get the whole picture to get it right. God only wants our attention and obedience. He will fill in the gaps we leave as we walk in the way He calls us, the best we know how. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a goal I want to commit to for 2024!

GO:

How can you make time with Jesus every day a priority this year?
How can you plan to make the shift from hearing the word to doing the word?

WORKOUT:

Deuteronomy 6:4–9
Psalm 1:1–2
Matthew 7:24–27
John 15:10–14

OVERTIME:

Jesus, thank you for the fresh start of a new year! Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you each morning. Thank you that we don’t have to guess what your will is for our lives, that you promise to direct our decisions each day if we will meet with you asking for wisdom and guidance. Thank you for being a patient Father and not expecting us to grasp the whole picture, but allowing us to walk in your blessings because of our pure intentions in obedience to our understanding of Your call on our lives. Give us an abundance of discernment each day and help us to be intentional about acting on every single thing you lovingly direct us to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.