Beyond the Label
Growing Deeper, Reaching Further
Designed by God. Not defined by the world.
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.John 1:46
A Message from Dexter
No Labels, Designed by God continues to grow, but our purpose has not changed.
We want to create a place where people can examine their faith, understand Scripture in context, ask difficult questions, and follow Jesus with conviction and understanding.
Over the past month, we have continued building toward that goal. New articles have challenged us to think about truth, our neighbors, the generations coming behind us, and the way our faith shapes everyday life. Our Bible study resources continue to expand, and we are improving the site itself so those resources are easier to read, share, print, and use with others.
Growth is not simply about adding more content.
It is about making what we create more useful for people who genuinely want to grow.
That has become increasingly important to me because faith should be more than something we inherit without examination. The Christian life invites us to know what we believe, understand why we believe it, and then live as though it is actually true.
Walking with Jesus
The journey is underway.
We spent the opening weeks preparing to enter the Gospels carefully: asking why we have four Gospels, who Jesus is, what it means to follow Him, and how to read the Gospel accounts well.
Now the invitation becomes simple: come and see.
We are moving from preparation into the story itself, following Jesus through the Gospels and allowing His words, actions, relationships, and teaching to challenge the assumptions we may have carried for years.
The goal is not merely to finish a curriculum. It is not to collect information about Jesus or simply watch scenes from The Chosen.
The goal is to know Jesus and learn what it means to walk with Him.
If you are following online, the study resources on No Labels, Designed by God can help you walk through the journey with us even if you cannot be in the room.
Explore Walking with JesusFeatured Reflection: Before You Hit Share
Truthfulness is a Christian discipline.
Social media makes it incredibly easy to encounter something that confirms what we already believe and immediately pass it along. A headline sounds right. A quotation supports our position. A statistic makes the other side look terrible. Sometimes we share before we ever stop to ask whether it is actually true.
But Christians should never be afraid of truth, even when truth complicates an argument we agree with.
If we are careless with truth when discussing politics, culture, or current events, we cannot pretend that credibility suddenly becomes irrelevant when we begin talking about Jesus.
Before we hit share, perhaps we should slow down, read beyond the headline, check the source, look for context, and ask whether what we are repeating is true.
Sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do with a post we completely agree with is not share it.
Read Before You Hit ShareNew in the Article & Writing Center
Both of Them Are My Neighbor
What happens when someone says something so disturbing that it changes the way you see them?
The first neighbor was easy to recognize: the person whose dignity was being diminished. The harder realization came later.
The person who said it is my neighbor too.
Following Jesus means we can confront what is wrong without allowing another person’s worst moment to become the permanent label by which we define them.
Sometimes there are two neighbors in the story, and Jesus calls us to love them both.
Read the ArticleWe Raised the Generation We Complain About
Every now and then a meme makes you laugh and then makes you uncomfortable because it is right.
This article asks us to think about the way older generations sometimes criticize younger people while forgetting an uncomfortable reality: we helped raise them.
Responsibility works in both directions. Before asking, “What is wrong with this generation?” perhaps we should also ask, “What did we teach them, model for them, tolerate, prioritize, and hand down?”
This article also marks a small but important step forward for NLDG: our article system can now incorporate images and other media directly into the reading experience. The goal is not decoration. Media should help tell the story, clarify the thought, or strengthen the conversation.
Read the ArticleBuilding the Library
Ancient Writings and Biblical Context
The Ancient Writings section continues to grow.
These resources explore writings that are referenced in Scripture, preserved in other Christian traditions, or important for understanding the historical and religious world surrounding the Bible.
The purpose is not to quietly add books to the biblical canon. It is to help readers understand what these writings are, why they matter historically, where Scripture may reference them, and how Christians should approach them thoughtfully.
Recent work has expanded resources covering writings such as 1 Enoch, Jubilees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Maccabees, Ethiopian Meqabyan, the Testament of Moses, Jannes and Jambres, Jashar, the Book of the Wars of the Lord, and other named ancient records.
Explore the Resource CenterA Better Study Experience
We are also continuing work behind the scenes on how NLDG studies are used.
That includes improving navigation, cleaning up study questions, and developing better print options for leaders and participants. The goal is eventually to let someone discover a study online, use it on a phone or computer, or print a clean handout that can be carried directly into a Bible study, small group, classroom, or personal study time.
The technology should disappear into the background so Scripture and conversation can remain at the center.
Scripture for the Month
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.John 1:46
There is something beautifully simple about Philip’s response.
He did not win an argument. He did not answer every objection. He invited Nathanael to encounter Jesus for himself.
That is still our invitation.
Come and see.
Ask questions. Examine what you have been told. Open the Scriptures. Learn the context. Wrestle honestly with difficult things.
But ultimately, keep moving toward Jesus.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for every opportunity You give us to grow.
Keep us curious without making us cynical. Give us conviction without arrogance, discernment without fear, and the humility to examine even the things we have believed for a long time.
Teach us to handle Scripture carefully, truth honestly, and people graciously.
As we continue walking with Jesus, help us move beyond simply knowing things about Him. Shape our lives so that His character becomes visible in the way we speak, the way we treat our neighbors, the way we seek truth, and the way we love.
Use No Labels, Designed by God to help people ask better questions, understand Your Word more deeply, and follow Jesus faithfully.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Until Next Time
Don’t just inherit your faith. Examine it.
Know what Scripture says, understand its context, and follow Jesus with both conviction and understanding.
Designed by God. Not defined by the world.
Dexter A. GrahamNo Labels, Designed by God