About us

HaveYouNotRead is a personal blog created by Sarah Gaines, born out of a deep love for God’s Word and a desire to share personal insights from the Bible and the love of Jesus Christ.

My mission is simple: to inspire and uplift others by boldly living a life with Christ and spreading the Gospel wherever I can. I’m not on Twitter/X or Threads—writing has always been my thing, and I’ve always wanted a blog. So... here I am!

Why HaveYouNotRead?

You might be wondering why I chose the name HaveYouNotRead. Well, if you know me, you know—I stay encouraging people to get into the Word! Why? Because God’s Word is alive, powerful, and it does a deep inner work in us.

Another reason? In the Gospels, you’ll read about how, after His baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, where He was tempted by the enemy. And every time He was tempted, Jesus didn’t argue—He responded with the Word of God.

That right there shows us that the Word is our sword against evil. So, if you’re going through it, or need direction, healing, peace—get in your Bible, boo!

Here is some Bible to back it up now.

The Whole Armor of God

^{10 "}Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV

And always remember—everyone’s journey looks different. There may be things I share that you don’t fully agree with, and that’s okay. One thing I’ve really grabbed hold of is something Jackie Hill Perry once preached about: “Be a Berean.”

In the book of Acts, Paul gave the Bereans their flowers—because they didn’t just take his words at face value. They listened, but then they tested what he said against the Scriptures.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
— Acts 17:11 (NIV)

That verse reminds us that we're not just called to listen—we’re called to study, test, and dig into the Word for ourselves. The Bible isn’t just a collection of stories—it’s our standard, our guide, and our truth.

So, as you read this blog, don’t just take my word for it. Open your Bible. Ask questions. Seek truth.

Let’s all be Bereans—hungry for the truth, grounded in Scripture, and led by the Spirit.