Getting Started This Week | Prone To Wander Week 3

This Week's Focus: 
This week, we reflect on a powerful shift in the story of Exodus. God doesn’t just rescue His people, He chooses to dwell with them.

In Exodus 25, God gives instructions for the tabernacle, a place where His presence would live among His people. Not at a distance. Not occasionally. But right in the middle of their lives.

And this happens while they are still in the wilderness.

They are not fully formed. Not fully faithful. Not finished. And yet God draws near anyway.

That’s what makes this so meaningful for us.

We often assume God’s presence comes after we’ve figured things out. But Scripture shows us something different.

God meets us in the process. In the tension. In the in-between.

Through the Resurrection of Jesus, this becomes personal. God doesn’t just dwell among His people, He makes a way to dwell within us.

This week, we will:

• See God’s desire to be present with His people
• Understand that transformation happens in His presence
• Learn to recognize that God is near, even when we feel off track

No matter how you feel coming into this week, remember this:
The journey didn’t end at deliverance. It continues in transformation. And God is still at work.

By Exodus 25, everything begins to shift.

God is no longer just leading His people, He is inviting them to build something with Him. The tabernacle becomes a physical reminder of a spiritual truth: God wants to be with His people.

But this invitation comes in the wilderness.

They are still learning.
Still inconsistent.
Still prone to wander.
And yet, God does not wait. He initiates presence in the middle of their formation.

We often think we need to get our lives together before we experience closeness with God. That distance is something we’ve earned. That presence is something we have to work our way back into.

But Scripture tells a different story.

God’s presence is not the reward for spiritual maturity, it is the place where transformation happens.

This week, we’ll see that clearly. Through every detail of the tabernacle, God is shaping His people, not just teaching them how to follow Him, but showing them what it means to live with Him.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John 1:14 NLT

Bible Project - "Temple"
This week, we’re looking at the tabernacle, the place where God chose to dwell with His people. This video helps us zoom out and see how that moment fits into the bigger story of Scripture.

• Where in my life do I feel like I’m still “in the wilderness”?
• What would it look like to practice awareness of God’s presence this week?
• What is one way I can intentionally “make space” for God daily?

If you have extra time this week, consider journaling what stands out and sharing it with your Small Group or a friend.

You don’t have to chase God down.
He’s already moving toward you.
This week, slow down and notice, because even here, God is with you.