What is the Shepherd's Leap? Reintroducing the 5 Leaps Series (Part 3)

“When he is leading us to relocate, it’s always for him to plant his people and reveal his heart to a fresh harvest.” ~Rachel G. Scott"

In the third episode of this series, I'm talking about the Shepherd's Leap. Join me as we discuss what the Shepherd’s leap is, how you will know if that’s the leap God is calling you to make, and five practical steps to making this leap.

Now, let's dive into to the podcast episode.

Rachel's Bio

Rachel G. Scott is a devoted wife, mother, and Ohio native. She is also the author of the upcoming book, Taking the 5 Leaps, which releases March 2024. As founder of the I Can’t Come Down Movement, speaker, and podcast host, she desires to inspire believers to walk in their purpose and assignment as they boldly take leaps of faith. Discover more at RachelGScott.Com.

Stay Connected:

Website| https://rachelgscott.com/

Rachel’s | Instagram

Rachel’s | Facebook

Guest Conversations with fellow Shepherd Leapers:

SE7E88 Kayla Cornish

SE6E74 Pam Fields

SE5E79 Sam Sprunger

SE5E57 Clint Hatton

SE4E41 Brandi Morris

SE1E4 Carla Hayden

Transcript

[TRANSCRIPT]

0:00:00 - (Rachel G. Scott): For what? If God is nudging you to move from where you currently live to a new place? Well, my friend, that is what we would call the Shepherd's Leap. And today we're going to talk all about it. You ready? Let's get started.

0:00:15 - (B): You are listening to the Taking the Leap podcast with me, your host, Rachel G. Scott. This podcast is dedicated to hiring you to take bold leaps of faith as we hear the powerful stories of both men and women from different industries and walks of life who obey God and.

0:00:34 - (Rachel G. Scott): Took risks in exchange for heaven's reward.

0:00:37 - (B): As you listen, my hope is that their stories will give you the confidence you need to trust God as he leads you into your next leap.

0:00:48 - (Rachel G. Scott): Welcome back to the podcast, and thank you so much for joining me for another episode where we are reintroducing the Five Leaps. So we're moving right along through the leaps. And for the second leap, we're going to talk about the Shepherd's leap. Now, I don't want you to think that I'm sharing the leaps in this order because they have to be done this way. There's no specific sequence. These need to be done.

0:01:11 - (Rachel G. Scott): Honestly, I'm just sharing them like this because this is the order I wrote them in and they're taking the five Leaps book that's coming out. So I decided to keep it consistent. Okay, so now let's hop into what the Shepherd's leap is, how you will know if that's the leap God is calling you to make, and some practical steps to making this leap. So what does it mean to take the Shepherd's leap? So the Shepherd's Leap is the person who is being called to relocate into a new place. It could be a new street, city, state, or country.

0:01:41 - (Rachel G. Scott): It may be for a new job or to relocate with a current job that you have to support a church or a ministry, or even to go into full time missions. The list could go on and on, but ultimately it is because God is calling you into new territory for his glory. This leap comes from the story of Abraham, and I want to take a moment to read and explain a few things to you. This is going to be like a mini Bible study lesson. So get rEady. Okay, so, Genesis twelve and one says, the Lord has said to Abram, go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land. I will show you if you continue reading.

0:02:22 - (Rachel G. Scott): God begins to share all the ways he's going to bless Abram when he leaves the land he is in. But I want you to jump down to verses four and five. So Abram went as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan.

0:02:52 - (Rachel G. Scott): And they arrived there. One of the first things I want to point out to you about this leap is that Abram set out for the land of Canaan. Now, remember, verse one said, go to the land where I will show you. So how did he know where to go? In verse five? He knew because in the previous chapter, chapter eleven, verse 31 through 32, we see that Abram's father, Tara, had packed up his family to head to Canaan.

0:03:22 - (Rachel G. Scott): But it says he stopped in Haran and settled. He wasn't supposed to stay in Haran. He was supposed to pass through. Now, that's a whole other podcast episode, and may or may not be something I talk about in detail in the taking the five Leaps book. Just shameless plug telling you a little something in the background. Nonetheless, when we combine reading these verses, it's clear that Abraham ultimately set out for the land that his father was originally taking them to.

0:03:53 - (Rachel G. Scott): Now back to the big question. Why would God say, go to the land that I will show you? Because within that land, which was Canaan, he was going to show him the specific territory he was giving him. Here's the thing. When God is leading us to relocate, it's always for him to plant his people and reveal his heart to a fresh harvest. I'm going to say that one more time. It is always for him to plant his people and reveal his heart to a fresh harvest.

0:04:25 - (Rachel G. Scott): Okay, now let's talk about the elephant in the room. I always say that the elephant can't fit in the room with me because one of us has to go, and it's not going to be me. So here it is. One of the many misconceptions about this passage of Scripture is that it is saying, just go, take a risk and God will give you the details later. But that doesn't line up with how Abraham's leap was done. Abraham knew where he was headed and had provisions when he went.

0:04:53 - (Rachel G. Scott): Remember, Genesis twelve, four through five tells us that he took all the possessions that he had accumulated. So let me pause and say this real quick. If you have already taken any leap and you're feeling bothered or a bit concerned because you feel you didn't have all your ducks in a row, per se, or you put the cart before the horse, which is what my mentor would always tell me I did. It's okay. I've done it ten times over. And honestly, that's what my book should have been written on because I could go and tell the story.

0:05:25 - (Rachel G. Scott): However, here is what I want you to know. God is a God of provision and post vision and he is great at course correction. My best friend would tell me this all the time. He's got you covered on both ends because he knows your heart to please him, even if you moved ahead of him. And God will in fact lead some people into the unknown and he may have done that with you. When he does, though, you will know and it will come with a peace, even if it's uncomfortable.

0:05:57 - (Rachel G. Scott): It'll also come with clear evidence of his provision and direction along the way afterwards. So just remember, God will always course correct. Okay, so now let's talk about some very practical things you can do to prepare if you're being called to make the Shepherd's Leap. I've added several guest episodes to the show notes and each of these guests give some very encouraging tips about their shepherd's leap. So be sure to take a listen to that and check it out.

0:06:25 - (Rachel G. Scott): All right, so here are five things you can do after you have prayed and confirmed that this is what God is leading you into. Next. Number one, take inventory. Begin to list out items that you have or that you can sell or give away. Okay, consider writing out your financial needs. List out what you need to do to clean up your credit so that you can get the home that you want, how much money you need to bring in if you need to do anything specific when it comes to your job and get any information from them. If you're going into a new job, write out what connections and resources you need, such as a realtor or to connect with a rental company.

0:07:04 - (Rachel G. Scott): But also list out what you want in the new place you're moving into. What do you want the new home to have? What do you want the school to look like? What do you want the neighborhood to be like? Here? We are not locking God into our list, but we're simply making our request. Number two, do your research. I love to look into Facebook groups that have families in it. So look up Facebook groups and the city that you're looking to move into. Enjoy and ask questions.

0:07:35 - (Rachel G. Scott): Ask about trusted places, realtors, schools. Ask about the area itself. Now listen, not everyone is called to an easy living arrangement. Some are called to bringing restoration to the rough areas and neighborhoods. So research how.