The Good and Beautiful You: Discovering the Person Jesus Created You To Be

You are invited to start a journey of understanding the Good and Beautiful You! Discovering the person Jesus created you to be.

The Christian faith is not only about beliefs and practices. It is also about the kind of people that we become.  Yet some of the biggest barriers to our transformation come from our toxic self-narratives.  These narratives shape. The way we see ourselves and the way we interact with the world. God designed us with a deep longing in our souls to be wanted, loved, alive, and connected to God.  Healing our souls requires more than knowing what God thinks about us.  Our healing comes not through reason alone but through revelation. 

This course addresses the self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth and the desires of the world that only God can satisfy. 

Why do this course?

The Christian faith is not only about beliefs and practices. It is also about the kind of people that we become. Yet some of the biggest barriers to our transformation come from our toxic self-narratives, which makes it difficult - even impossible - to progress in their lives.

Yes, you can work through this book alone, however, it is intended to be used in the context of community. History has shown that working through this book with others greatly magnifies the impact.

Who is leading this course?

Wes Leake. Wes is a key leader in prayer ministry in Australia.  He has a Grad Cert in Arts in Leadership focusing on Spiritual Formation. He is focused on creating space for people to encounter God.

Wes has a background in accounting, a lecturer in entrepreneurship and is focused on applying biblical principles to the marketplace.

He is facilitating this course to help you fall in love a fresh with the God that Jesus knew. To replace the false narratives with truth.

The Practical Requirements:

You will need to purchase a copy of The Good and Beautiful You: Discovering the Person Jesus Created You to Be book by James Bryan Smith - links below. In the meantime, we provide a copy of the chapter each week as we know the book takes a while to come.  You can purchase the book here: https://amzn.to/3xHub8y

Each week you will need to read the chapter and complete the "Soul" Training exercise prior to coming to class. You will undergo the most transformation if you do this.

What Topics are covered during the course:

Week	Topic	Soul Training Exercise
1	You Have a Soul	Holy Leisure
2	You Have a Sacred Body	Move
3	You are Desired	Lectio Divina
4	You are Loved	Breath Prayer
5	You are Made for God	Worship
6	You are Forgiven	Laying Down Your Burden
7	You Have Been Made Alive	If I Were a Child
8	You Have Been Made Holy	Say Yes to God Always
9	You Have a Sacred Story	Retelling Your Sacred Stor
10	You Are Called	Listen to the Verbs
11	You Will Be Glorified	Celebration

What have previous attendees of the course said:

"God is for me.  

My narrative was based on fear and retribution of a God that if I hinted at disobedience, punishment ensured - because that's what I deserved, to feel pain and bring it upon myself.

Now something beautiful has transpired. My trust is in Him.  My sword is on my left hip, and I draw it when I am in doubt, when I fear. When I fight, it's His fight; it is the sword of the Spirit.

I barely recognise myself!!!

-Dee"

"This course I "stumbled" upon was like an uncovered gem.  God blew away the dust so I could grasp it. The interactions, wisdom, grace and mercy that were shown are just beautiful and glorious.

I would often feel exhausted after the sessions from the truths that have always been, but only discovered if you looked and listened.

I will be forever grateful to God's faithful followers and the one true God who makes all things new.

Thank you!

- Denise" 

"In Christ, you are not a worm with wings - you are a butterfly”. God has and is transforming you from your old narrative (caterpillar) to His new narrative for you (butterfly). 

Jesus said to us in Matthew 22:37-39 “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment”. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

How is that going for you? For me, I didn’t know how much I didn’t know about God, (both knowledge and experience) until I became a part of a community on Zoom led by Wes Leake that looked at aspects of God’s character. 

In the week before a session, in our own space, we went through a chapter of the book “The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows” which is part of the Apprentice Series by James Bryan Smith. In doing this we made notes about what God spoke to us and any questions we had. Also, there were exercises to complete which all assisted in my ongoing spiritual formation. 

Once a week we joined together on Zoom, in worshipping God, sitting, waiting and listening to Him and then sharing what we had been shown. We then discussed the chapter of the book and our experiences in doing the exercises. These discussion times were awesome (especially when a number of us had similar experiences). It was a safe and welcoming space, expertly led by Wes, to discuss issues and experiences. I learnt more about God than I had known before. Untrue narratives about God and myself were (and are) changed. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

- Bronwyn"

"Hi Wes, I could have come at a Testimony from many different angles and I am thankful for the analogy of the oak tree because it's going to take some time to digest all the material. Much of it isn't new to me. I'm just a slow learner.

The Good and Beautiful God is a part of my ongoing journey. Through this book, meditation, study and discussion around it, I tackled some of the false narratives that make my life difficult. James Bryan Smith unravels the mystery of the false narrative that "Productivity is the measure of a person's value". This narrative is behind "You're not good enough" and "You don't do enough". It comes at me from everywhere. Productivity is like a set of moving goalposts I can't kick a ball through. Productivity can't be quantified. It can't be accurately measured.

True narratives are foundational and unshakable and yet difficult to accept because they are so contrary to what is in my face and ears every day. True narratives like this one "You are valuable because God has made you and desires - above everything else - to have a relationship with you".

God's economy is different to ours. It's one of grace and not earning. It's one of sitting at Jesus' feet and then working alongside Him. He is not a master with a whip. He is a co-worker. He is the vine and I am a branch. When His life is able to flow through me, the fruit of true value is produced.

Thanks, Wes for investing in me. God bless, Julie"

"Dear Wes

Thank you for creating a safe place for us all to explore a deeper, personal and real relationship with God. In this safe place, I was enabled to be vulnerable and open to sharing what God is doing in my life. In this atmosphere of learning to listen to what God is saying to us personally, we have learned to exchange concepts that are not truly aligned with the truth of Who God is, thus who we are, too the real narrative of Who God is, and who we are as his true children. What a privilege we have to be God's children. Jesus Christ the firstborn AND only begotten Son of God. WE co-heirs WITH Christ. Listening to how God is moving in each of our lives, brings a richness of learning to be able to apply this to our own lives. It is very affirming to hear another's testimony that is similar to your own. God moves and speaks through us corporately. Through this experience, I believe I am better equipped to listen to and to share what God is saying to me personally and also to encourage others to do so. Wes, I do believe, this way of listening can be used in praying with others whether it be with family, friends, workmates, corporations etc. Wish I had known this when I was in the workforce. I could have been so much more effective in having God's perspective and instruction regarding individuals, groups, communities, neighbourhoods, and personal choices. In this listening and application, God gives us strategies and practical application in our relationships with others, family., employment, business, finances,  projects, housing, Church growth.... .... endless possibilities. But it first starts with personal application and dedication to walk in it and use the strategies and "exercises."Wes, thank you and God bless you for your obedience and yielded-ness to being led by The Holy Spirit.

Mary"

"Starting the course, I knew God loved me individually & profoundly, as He does absolutely everyone. But I was in pain emotionally.  I understood that my love for Him is evidenced in the way I love everyone on earth - especially those I mix with frequently -  as well as in the generosity with which I forgive everyone who hurts me, even if it’s over and over. 

This is a very great blessing all around, but it doesn’t empty the Emotional and psychological Pain Bank into which others & my own learned thinking & behaviour patterns have made regular deposits. 

Love is tender. Jesus’-Father’s- Holy Spirit’s love is tender. The group’s & your love are tender.  Maybe Christ’s tenderness grew in each of us throughout the open & vulnerable exchanges with you & each other on questions & practical moderations of life patterns the book asked of us. 

The variety & comprehensiveness of the chapters, bit by bit, washed away the pain.  It’s not as easy as it was for me or others to make deposits in the Pain Bank of my life.  I want to more consciously avoid unnecessary & unhelpful contributions to others’ lives.  Humbling when I fail, which I unintentionally do. 

Through the book, the author’s familiarity with God’s eternal tenderness towards those who seek Him, we’ve encountered Jesus, our true selves, others & each other at a deeper level.

Thank you, Wes.

Lorée"  

"This is how God used the course to change me:

This course has been a confirmation for me and knowing that God's care and love is not just about praying or singing to Him all day long. He also cares about my individual physical being. He cares about body parts, emotional being, mental and physical being and the not “doing” moment in my life. This course has transformed My perspective about Him that He is not just for others but also for myself. For real and for good. 

I would recommend this course if you are really seeking to grow deep with Him. Forget about what you know and used to know. Come with expectations and be real with God. God always have new ways to let you see Him and think like His ways if you would just give Him yourself and time.

Shieny"

"Dear Wes

Re The good and beautiful God course.

In the book, we studied a lot of narratives about God and compared them to the narratives that Jesus spoke about His Father.
Many of the narratives that we learn do not give us an accurate account of who God really is and what He does.
The course made me take an account of my life - where I am and what direction I need to head for.
We did exercises each week which were very helpful and ones that I would like to incorporate into my everyday life.

Wes was a real encouragement to us as he led the course.  He gave everyone opportunities to speak, enabling us all to feel comfortable about participating in the conversations.

Although we can always hear from God on our own, when we listen and share what we learn in community, it broadens our perspective tremendously.

The Good and Beautiful God is a very positive book and the course was a very powerful and positive experience.

Kind regards

Sue"

The practical details for this course:

Date: 14 April 2024 - and each Sunday night following for 10 weeks

Time:  7 pm to 8:30 pm Queensland time - Each session will go for 1.5 hours.

On Zoom:  here is the link:  https://zoom.us/j/96553755733

Investment:  $97/person plus purchasing "The Good and Beautiful You Book". The first session is open to all for free.

Prior to the night, I strongly encourage you to download and read the introduction and the first chapter that can be downloaded here:

The Good and Beautiful You - Chapter 1

Are you not sure whether the course is for you or not? Register for the first night for free and then you can make your decision.

Need a payment plan or scholarship to attend the course? Register for the course and use the code "paymentplan" you will then be contacted to make the appropriate arrangements.

For more information email Wes at wesleyl@businessblessings.com.au or phone: 0457288872