Oh y’all, it’s so hard to list everything Jess Connolly does in one little paragraph. Jess is a teacher, writer, entrepreneur, wife, mother of four, and church planter. One of her greatest joys is gathering with women and being as honest as possible with them about how good God is and how much He loves them.
She writes online at jessconnolly.com, is the founder of the All Good Things Collective, and pastors Gospel Community Church with her husband, Nick. She helped co-found She Reads Truth and The Influence Network, and co-wrote Wild and Free with sweet Hayley Morgan. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her family, and she loves coffee, color, and the local church. Her new book, Dance Stand Run is out next week!
I can’t wait for you to meet Jess.
Here’s the interview on Dear Daughters Episode 37.
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SHOW NOTES
- Jess and her husband’s church, Gospel Community Church
- All Good Things Collective ~ Jess’s business that sells the loveliest Scripture prints. I love this one.
- If you’re busy and want to delegate grocery shopping too ~ Instacart is keeping me sane. I haven’t tried Blue Apron but hear great things!
- Jess’s newest book, Dance Stand Run (… and isn’t her cover so lovely?)
- The rise of fundamentalism came about after the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, when the Church saw how beautiful culture was becoming and they freaked out a little bit vs. the grace revolution
- My church: Austin Christian Fellowship
- Life purpose ~ Matthew 28.19-20
- Jess’s interview on the podcast in Season 1.
- Jess’s current favorite ~ Acai bowls. Jess makes hers with acai packets from Trader Joe’s, and Austin people can grab one at Blenders & Bowls
- Safe People by Henry Cloud
- Jess’s Netflix favorites ~ West Wing, Gilmore Girls, and Lost.
- Jess + Nick’s (hopefully!) podcast, To Become More: Laughing Through the Two Hardest Parts of Your Life – Marriage and Mission.
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THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
We should dance in grace, stand our holy ground, and run on mission. ~ Jess Connolly
We’re all experts on grace and holiness and mission if we’re in Christ. ~ Jess Connolly
Jess talked about how her rhythm of drinking had started rattling the idea of whether God was the best thing. Are there any rhythms in your life that challenge whether or not Jesus is the best thing?
If I’m working from rest and taking all I need from God before I ever give out to anyone else, I don’t collapse at the end of the day. ~ Jess Connolly
Sometimes people want you to tell them what to do because it’s slow and difficult to ask God and wait on His answer. ~ Susie Davis
It’s important for us to ask ourselves why we’re doing things and then give ourselves a little side-eye like, “Really?” ~ Jess Connolly
When you’re willing to ask yourself hard questions, the Holy Spirit can talk. ~ Susie Davis
Fluidity is the thing that keeps you healthy whether in your church or in your own individual life or in your family life. ~ Susie Davis
Holiness gets such a bad rap because we’re always talking about the negative side of it rather than all these positive sides of what we can do as holy women of God. Not even what we’re supposed to do or what we should do, but what we get to do. ~ Jess Connolly
We want constraint and we want boundaries, but we forget that so much of holiness is about what we get to do and what we’re empowered to do. ~ Jess Connolly
Three things we GET to do as holy women of God: Pray, Read the Word, and Speak Life.
When I’ve communed with God, I don’t immediately go to my mirror and think about how big my butt looks. When I have spent time with the Lord, I am so at ease. I’m so much more expectant. I don’t struggle with comparison as much. I want good for other people. ~ Jess Connolly
What can’t you do after you’ve talked to the Lord? What area can you really not feel freedom and victory and at least hope in after talking to Him? ~ Jess Connolly
I think there’s this prevalent fear in Christian culture that we’re not going to do it right… but what if we just miss out on the abundance He has here? What if we just miss out on the heaven-on-earth piece? ~ Jess Connolly
CONNECT WITH JESS
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… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)