Chasing Holiness

By STACEY WEEKS

We all chase something. It might be a degree or career, a husband and family, approval, or a perception of social success. We long to pursue the things that matter. We long to chase the Lord, but we are weary. What would happen if we redirected our energy toward developing the character traits and disciplines that Christ calls us to pursue? What if we sought ways to increase our endurance and strengthen our faith? What if we stopped aimlessly running and instead chased the disciplines that would earn the prize that mattered?

Chasing Holiness challenges the status quo level of Christian living accepted for far too long. It's about teaching stubborn hearts through the discipline of seeking God to remain focused on Him. It examines what it means to live by the power of God and believe Him when He calls us a daughter, chosen, holy, and redeemed. It encourages women to cultivate a lifestyle in keeping with who we really are in Christ. It's an acknowledgment that many of us long to fix our eyes on Jesus and push toward the finish line, but we don't know where to start.

Chasing Holiness is about finding out together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grace and Love Publishing
• Release date: Aug 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781738741373

Book preview

Chasing Holiness

CHASING HOLINESS

STACEY WEEKS

Grace and Love Publishing

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHASING HOLINESS

Stacey’s style of writing guides the not-yet-believer gently, informs the recent believer, and challenges the mature believer toward the desire for all Christians—holiness. Themes of doctrine, Scripture, and day-to-day life with its struggles are presented as understandable and relatable for the reader. One isn't left feeling inadequate but rather inspired to chase after holiness as a result of reading this work.

Laura Colwell

Director of Women's Ministry

Hope Bible Church, Oakville

I want every woman in our church to read and study Chasing Holiness. There is nothing easy about Stacey's words. This is a clear and necessary call to holy living. A call that is sadly absent from many pulpits and Christian books today. With honesty and transparency, Stacey shares from her own life but not in that I’ve-got-it-all-figured-out kind of way. The reader will feel the connection and be moved to enter the chase with her. The book is saturated with Scripture, moving from powerful explanations of the biblical text to application that is simple and accessible. The study questions at the end of each chapter, Bible Study group plan, and list of additional resources make this a must-have book for women who are serious about their walk with Christ.

Todd Dugard - Lead Pastor

Harvest Bible Chapel, Barrie Ontario

Foundational to Christian living is a proper knowledge of God and responding submissively and completely. This study blends biblical insight with practical reflection to help move us forward in our intimacy with Jesus.

Andrea Thom - Bible Teacher

Author of Ruth: Redeeming the Darkness

Amos: Come Awake!

Stacey Weeks accurately identifies a massively concerning issue in today's church culture. We long for Jesus… but we risk missing Him altogether. This is why this timely book is a must-read for Christian women who are hungry to grow and faithfully follow Christ. Far too many are missing not just the truth, but literally missing Him! Take Stacey's charge to heart; read, study, pray about, and share this book for "He is worthy of pursuing, so chase holiness!"

Norm Miller – Senior Pastor

Redemption Bible Chapel, London Ontario

Paul talks about running the race with endurance, but that can often feel quite ambiguous. Stacey takes you on a journey through the Word of God, helping you ask the right questions; that you might not just know the importance of holiness, but understand how to practice, pursue, and even chase holiness intentionally. I can't wait to go through this study with some of the women in my life, as we walk this path in His Spirit, and to His Glory together!

Laura Zimmerman

Director of Projects and Events

Great Commission Collective

I love this book! I value its conviction. I agree with its goal, and I wholeheartedly support its theology. In a day of hamster wheel, chaotic lives in pursuit of the temporal, the call to chase after holiness is joyfully welcomed. Actually, desperately needed. Weeks writes with clarity, sincerity and honesty that is easy to digest and then powerfully apply. Read this book, but don't rush through this book. When you truly comprehend its message, your life will see God's path, know His power, and experience His purity. It's that important.

Robbie Simmons - Lead Pastor

Author of Passion Cry

Hope Bible Church, Oakville Ontario

CONTENTS

Bible Study Group Plan

1. The Chase

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

2. Where Do We Start?

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

3. The Question of Jesus

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

4. The Word

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

5. Jesus Only

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

6. The Spirit

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

7. God’s Presence is Worth It

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

8. Fear

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

9. Chase the Things that Matter

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

10. Be Holy

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

11. Strong Women

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

12. Hold Fast and Draw Near

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

13. Responding in Worship

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

Resource Appendix and Recommended Reading

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Glorious Surrender

Fiction by Stacey Weeks

Free Bonus Story

You Can Make a Difference

Chasing Holiness

© Copyright Stacey Weeks

ISBN: 978-1-7387413-7-3

Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked as GNT are taken from the Good News Translation—Second Edition © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked NASB are from The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Scriptures marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblical, Inc.tm Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Scriptures marked NLT are from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Scriptures marked BSB are from The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, Copyright ©2016, 2018 by Bible Hub Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

For the glory of the Lord

BIBLE STUDY GROUP PLAN

Dear readers,

You may not be married to a pastor like I am or even married at all. Maybe you've struggled with fertility like me, or maybe you have half a dozen kids under the age of six. Your circumstances might be vastly different from mine, but we are both chasing holiness. Over the next several weeks, we’ll delve into what Scripture says about holiness, why we should pursue it, and how we can press on in our race.

Chasing Holiness has been formatted for ease of use in a small group setting. Small group discussions are wonderful opportunities to develop deeper friendships and learn from one another.

If you’re leading a group discussing Chasing Holiness, here is a suggested schedule to help you facilitate a discussion for a meeting:

10 minutes – welcome, announcements, meeting new members, opening prayer

40-60 minutes – discussion of general chapter impressions, discussion of end of chapter questions, and review of concepts

15 minutes – prayer requests and closing prayer.

I hope this study will bless you and those whom you lead. Please contact me through my website or [e-mail] if you or your group members would like to meet me through a video chat. I would love to virtually visit your study group!

Stacey

CHAPTER 1

THE CHASE

We all chase something. Maybe you’re chasing a career. It might be a degree that proves you’ve finally arrived. It might be a cultural perception of success. Maybe you’re pursuing a husband, chasing the future of your dreams filled with babies and love. Maybe you’re chasing validation and seeking the approval of man. You might be chasing good things, but it’s still tiring. The all-consuming chase can drain us mentally, emotionally, and physically. We long to pursue the things that matter, we long to chase the Lord, but we are weary.

I went from sprinting after toddlers to overseeing an even busier household. I rose before the sun, and I hit the ground running not stopping until long after sunset. I ran the washing machine, the dryer, and the dishwasher. I ran to the grocery store, to church, and the kids to their programs. I ran ministry events, and I ran myself to exhaustion. While managing the family, I chased my dream job of writing and a life goal of running a marathon. (I’ve completed two half-marathons to date. That makes a whole, right?) I chased magazine deadlines, editors, agents, publishers, the nice house, and prestige. I took far too long to learn that not all these goals were worthy of chasing.

Even today, I chase after the unchecked items on my to-do list like a maniac. I look ahead to the packed calendar and try to muster up the energy to not merely survive the upcoming month, but sprint through each moment as a God-given gift. Ministry demands, educational needs, relationships, deadlines, plus the usual daily housekeeping requirements equate to more than a quick 5k race. It’s a full out marathon. It might even be more than a marathon. It’s like those crazy 100k races uber-fit fanatics run in bare feet.

It seems I am always chasing something, often a little bit behind, and struggling to catch up to the crowd of admirable women that are a few miles ahead of me on the road. I can’t help but wonder if all that energy spent rushing after happiness, ease, and appearing put-together is wasted in these purposes. Maybe if that same energy was directed toward developing the character traits and disciplines Christ calls me to pursue, I’d feel less overwhelmed?

Defeated By Bread

One day, someone posted a photograph on social media of a perfectly golden and swollen to impossible heights loaf of bread that would make Martha Stewart salivate. I looked at my plastic wrapped store-bought loaf and felt beaten. My loaf wasn’t even whole grain bread. I had purchased the cheap white stuff. One click of the mouse declared me the loser in the Betty Crocker race for the title of Best Wife and Mom.

The faster I run and the harder I strive for perfection, the more exhausted I become. In my weariness, I am tempted to look for the quickest and easiest solution. I am tempted to take shortcuts that will direct me down paths that seem easy but cannot satisfy. I should be training myself to go the distance in this Christian life and run the race in such a way that I gain the prize, but the idea of adding one more thing to my day—regardless of how holy it sounds—feels impossible (1 Cor 9:24-27).

There is an abundance of advice on how and where to find relief from our exhaustion. Advice comes from inside and outside the church, and it can swing from extreme to extreme. Counsel says this steep uphill incline is an unavoidable fact of adulthood, and I should embrace the pace of my beautiful, messy life. Counsel says to slow my pace to a crawl, and discard all things extra, and adopt a minimalist attitude. Counsel says avoid both extremes, walk comfortably, and lower the treadmill incline to a gentle slope. As helpful as time management tips, organizational aids, and self-help advice can be, if the foundation of my life is built upon my strength and ability to manage the pace and ascent, I will never get off the treadmill.

I’m learning that the solution is not found in treating the symptoms of a packed calendar, by de-cluttering a messy house, boycotting social media, or finding a laundry schedule that keeps the family in clean underwear (although those things might be helpful). The solution is found only after exposing the root of the problem and viewing it through the lens of Scripture. I was a woman beaten down by the pace of life because I was focusing on and prioritizing the wrong things. I needed to find the right thing. I needed to find the One meant to overwhelm me in the best possible way. I identify as a Christian, a child of God, a follower of Jesus, and I needed to train for this race of faith that I was already running.

I couldn’t remember the last time the goodness of God, the awesomeness of His unchanging character, the fact that He intervened in my life and saved me, the way He set my feet on solid ground, made me lie down in green pastures, and led me beside quiet waters overwhelmed me.

But I could remember the last time the magnitude of my responsibilities left me limping instead of running. I bet you can, too. Was it last month? Last week? Yesterday?

Now, can you answer this: When was the last time you were overwhelmed by the goodness of your God?

I had to consider that maybe, just maybe, when I nudged the One meant to be central and foundational from His proper place every other circumstance rushed in to fill the void. When God is shoved into the background, circumstances take the forefront, but the opposite is true as well.

When God stays in the forefront, where He belongs, circumstances remain behind Him. When we dwell on God’s unchanging character and believe Jesus paid it all, it impacts how we perceive a situation. When we rely on the power and strength of the Holy Spirit, fill our mind with the unchanging truths of God’s Word, and filter our trials through Scripture it impacts our emotions. When we do all of these things, it affects how we respond to and treat the people around us.

I set out on a journey to not just slow down, but I set out on a mission to increase my endurance and strengthen my body and mind in such a way that I would cross the finish line. I decided to stop aimlessly running. Instead, I would chase the disciplines that would earn me the prize. I would train myself for godliness (1 Tm 4:8), and righteousness (2 Tm 3:16). I would train my powers of discernment through constant practice, and do my best to present myself to the Lord as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of God (Heb 5:11-14, 2 Tm 2:15). I believed without a doubt that I could not do this on my own. This was not a pull-up-your-boot-straps and get-to-work kind of project. This had to come from the hand of God.

This mission required sacrifice, commitment, resoluteness, and most importantly, dependence. I don’t have ten quick tricks to teach you or some clever inspirational quote to motivate you. This type of change, this type of radical 180-degree turn from self-centeredness and self-dependence only comes from the Lord. The first thing this plan required of me was repentance. I confessed my lack of desire for God, confessed it as sin, and invited the power of the Holy Spirit to start a revival in me. I wrote this prayer inside the cover of my prayer journal, and I prayed it every day.

As the deer pants for water, so my soul should long for you, but I confess that it doesn’t. I want to thirst for You. I want to hunger for You. But I cannot stir up this desire in myself. My flesh is weak and selfish.

Lord, would You work in me? Would You make me more thirsty? Would You, Lord, increase my hunger? Let nothing else satisfy me, and increase my restlessness until I find my rest in You.

I want to want You more. I will be still. I know that You are God. I believe this is a prayer that You delight in answering. Would You grant me fresh strength and desire to chase after You with a heart of humility? I do not deserve You, Lord, so I joyfully merge with the saints to run this race for Your glory.

I prayed this until God stirred a desire in me to know Him more. I prayed this until the Holy Spirit convicted me of cutting