Topic Reference Guide
Return to studies by subject rather than by calendar date. Follow a theme across the year when something has your attention.
Bible study resources
Start with what you are actually facing
Most people do not open a Bible knowing which verse they need. They open it because something is happening: a diagnosis, a decision, a fight, a loss, a question that will not leave them alone.
That is why the back of Let It Shape Your Life is a working reference section rather than an index. There are three ways in: by topic, by what you are feeling or facing, and through foundational Christian resources.
The Topic Reference Guide lets you follow a theme across the year instead of by calendar date. The situational and emotional sections begin where you are: anxious, grieving, angry, grateful, waiting, uncertain. The foundational section includes a simple prayer for accepting Jesus, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Sermon on the Mount, and additional topical Scripture helps.
Because everything is organized this way, the book keeps working long after the year is over. It becomes something you hand to a friend, open at a hospital bedside, or reach for when you do not know what to pray.
More than 365 daily studies
Find what you need, when you need it
The back of the book is not an index. It is a practical Scripture reference section built for the days when you do not know where to turn.
You do not have to know which verse to search for. Start with what you are dealing with, the question you are asking, the situation in front of you, or simply how you are feeling, and the book will guide you toward Scripture and encouragement that meet it.
When Life Is Hard
Grief, loss, illness, conflict, waiting, uncertainty. Find Scripture that speaks directly into difficult seasons.
When You're Feeling...
Begin with what you are actually feeling, whether that is anxious, angry, discouraged, grateful, or numb, and let the book point you toward Scripture.
Foundational Christian Resources
A simple prayer for accepting Jesus, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Sermon on the Mount, and additional topical Scripture helps.
Because the studies are also organized by topic, the book keeps working long after the year is over. It becomes something you hand to a friend, open at a hospital bedside, or reach for when a question will not leave you alone.
See How the Back of the Book Works
The back section lets readers approach the book three ways: by topic, by how they feel or what they are facing, or through foundational Scripture resources.
Real examples from the book.
Topic Reference Guide
Let It Shape Your Life
Looking for a study about something specific? Find the topic alphabetically below, then turn to the listed calendar date. The same Primary Topic appears directly beneath the title on each daily study page.
Abiding
January 20 — Stay Connected to the Source
Action
September 23 — Stop Waiting for Perfect Weather
Addiction
July 6 — When Something Starts Owning You
Anger
February 16 — Turn Down the Temperature
May 29 — When You're Angry at God's Mercy
Anxiety
January 31 — Hand God What Keeps You Up
June 10 — Worry Can't Add an Hour
When You're Feeling...
Feelings are real, but they do not always tell the whole story. These studies can help you bring what you feel into the light of Scripture.
Afraid
January 10 — Courage Is Moving While Afraid
March 10 — Fear Doesn't Get the Final Vote
March 11 — What Are You Magnifying?
Angry
February 16 — Turn Down the Temperature
August 2 — Anger Is Crouching at the Door
Anxious
January 31 — Hand God What Keeps You Up
June 10 — Worry Can't Add an Hour
November 6 — Pray Instead of Rehearsing the Fear
When Life Is Really Hard
A quick place to begin when you don't know where to turn
Some days you have enough energy for a deep study. Other days you simply need somewhere to begin. These references point to daily studies that speak directly to some of life's hardest moments.
When You're Grieving
Grief does not mean your faith has failed. Scripture gives sorrow room to speak.
March 14 — Grief Can Still Worship
March 17 — Jesus Wept Too
December 21 — The Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted
When You're Afraid
Courage is not pretending danger or uncertainty does not exist. It is learning where to stand while fear is present.
January 10 — Courage Is Moving While Afraid
March 11 — What Are You Magnifying?
Scriptures to Keep Close
A practical Christian reference section
Some passages become companions for a lifetime. They help us pray when words are hard to find, remember what matters when life gets noisy, and return to the center of Christian faith when we need direction.
This section gathers several of those foundational passages and reading guides in one place. Short passages are included in full. Longer sections are mapped so you can quickly find and read them in context.
The Lord's Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13
Psalm 23
Psalm 23
The Ten Commandments — A Brief Summary
Exodus 20:1-17
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