Sisters Bible Study

Power of a Praying Woman 

LESSON 8 Praying to Be Set Free From Negative Emotions

1. Praying to Be Set Free From Negative Emotions

2. Praying to Be Free of Anxiety and Anger

• Don’t let your worry affect your relationship with God
• Ill effects of worry: health, disrupt productivity, negativity affects the way you treat others, and reduces your ability to trust in God. (see Matthew 6:25-26, 31-34)
• Trust God for his help to fill your thoughts and desires
• Turn your worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray MORE! (see Philippians 4:6-7)
• Anger can be a healthy response to danger, but it can also open a door for temptation and sin.
• Anger stirs up conflict and angry people commit many sins.  (see Proverbs 29:22)
• If you are angry with someone, you are subject to sin Anger is a sin because it violates God’s command to love. (see Matthew 5:22)
• In dealing with anger, we should off God our sacrifice of total obedience and heartfelt praise.
• Anger is a dangerous emotion that when out of control, leads to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, and spiritual damage.
• Deal with anger immediately. Get rid of anger and bitterness. We want to be like God, so having received forgiveness, we will pass it on to others.
• Some anger comes when our egos are bruised, “I am hurt,” selfish anger never helps anybody.
• You can be bitter or you can be better

3. Praying to Be Content and Free From Envy

4. Praying to Be Free of Depression and Hopelessness

5. Praying to Be Free From Fear

LESSON 7 Praying For God's Protection

Proverbs 14:26-27

Whoever fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

1. Praying Daily for God’s Protection

2. Praying for God’s Comfort in Times of Trouble

3. Praying to Understanding Suffering

• We should respond to suffering with confidence, perseverance and courage. Don’t give in to bitterness and depression.
• Sometimes we suffer because of our faith in Christ OR as a result of spiritual warfare instigated by Satan to intimidate us into retreating or giving up.
• spiritual warfare – Satan
• we have free will and so do others, their poor decisions do affect us
• natural disasters and consequences
• damage to our environment chemicals etc. cause disease and ailments
• God’s discipline may occur
• there is sin in the world
• Every facet of life is rich with meaning and no experience is wasted. God uses everything for our good and His glory. He may allow bad things to happen at times, but he does not want the innocent to suffer.

4.   Praying About Caring for Our Bodies

5.  Praying After Protection Fails

• God doesn’t always protect or deliver believers from persecution and trouble.

• Hebrews 11:35-40

• Nearly two thousand years ago, an innocent man was crucified on a hill outside Jerusalem. God could have intervened and prevented this man from suffering a horrible death, but He didn’t. God allowed this tragedy to come upon the only completely righteous man who ever lived.
• Romans 5:6-22
• Romans 5:8-9  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
• Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
• Our perspective can greatly influence not only how we handle suffering but also how we come to terms with why god doesn’t always protect us from harm. (see 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, 16-18; 5:1-9 and Hebrews 12:1-3)
• How can an eternal perspective help us come to terms with why God allows bad things to happen to us?

LESSON 6 Praying to be in the Center of God’s Will

*     We live in the center of God’s will when we obey His Word.

*     Discovering God’s will is not an unsolvable mystery – it begins with prayer.

*     Thanking and praising God opens doors to experiencing Him and knowing His will.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

• Something about the way Jesus prayed pulled at the hearts of His disciples and made them yearn to pray the way He did.
• The way Jesus prayed must have been very different from how they were used to seeing the religious leaders of the day pray on street corners and in the synagogues.
• The more time we spend with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word, the more we will understand His will for our lives and seek to obey it.

John 17 tells of Jesus’ prayers – God’s glory is the revelation of His character and presence. The lives of Jesus’ disciples reveal His character and He is present to the world through them. Does your life reveal Jesus’ character and presence?

1. UNDERSTANDING GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES

God’s Will

Matthew 22:37-40; 28:18-20

·        Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind

·        Love your neighbor as yourself

·        Share the Good News with others

The relationship between eternal life and obeying God’s will

Matthew 7:21 and 1 John 2:17

·        Don’t just talk the talk, you must also WALK THE WALK

·        Who ever does the will of God, lives forever

Discerning the will of God

Romans 12:1-3

·        Do not conform to the world’s behavior and customs

·        Do not conform to the world’s values

·        We need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

·        The Holy Spirit renews, reeducates and redirects our minds.

2. LIVING IN THE CENTER OF GOD’S WILL BY OBEYING HIM

Jesus lived in the center of God’s will. What He said about the importance of obeying God’s will:

·        Matthew 12:50 when we do God’s will, we become Jesus’ Spiritual family.

·        John 8:31-32 If we follow His teachings He frees us from the slavery to sin, self deception and deception from Satan. He gives us the freedom to follow God’s will. The truth will set you free to be all that God meant you to be.

·        John 14:21, 23-24 Love is more than lovely words, it is commitment and conduct. Jesus saves the deepest revelations of himself for those who love and obey him.

·        John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Love is a much more powerful and effective motivation for obedience than fear or obligation.

o       Obeying out of fear or obligation leads to resentment.

o       When you love, you obey because you want to.

3. LIVING IN THE CENTER OF GOD’S WILL BY THANKING AND PRAISING HIM

Praising God is one way we can move closer to the center of His will. Praise often begins by simply remembering and retelling His awesome works.

·        Philippians 4:4-7 To have Christ dwell in us and experience ultimate joy and peace knowing that God is in control. God’s peace will guard your heart against anxiety. (not the kind of peace found in good feelings or the absence of conflict)

o       When make prayer, praise and thanksgiving a lifestyle rather than just activities we do from time to time, we begin to see people in a new perspective. When we do God’s will it is easier to be joyful and thankful.

·        Romans 5:1-9 Perseverance. Faith, hope and love are at the heart of the Christian life. God’s love fills our lives and gives us the ability to reach out to other people.

4. LIVING IN THE CENTER OF GOD’S WILL WITH RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS

·        Proverbs 22:24-26 People tend to be like those with whom they spend a lot of time. Negative characteristics can rub off.

·        Proverbs 27:17 friends who bring their ideas together become sharper.

·        Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other. Those who are unwilling to forgive, have not become one with Christ.

·        2Thessalonians 3:6-15 Don’t associate with idle people – be responsible and work

·        2 Timothy 3:1-5 People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

5. PRAYING TO SEEK GOD’S WILL IN OUR WORK

·        Ecclesiastes 2:24 We are to take pleasure in what we’re doing now and enjoy life because it comes from God’s hand.

·        Proverbs 16:3 commit to the Lord whatever work you do and don’t commit superficially.

·        1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether you eat of drink, do it for the glory of God.

·        Colossians 3:17, 23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for God, not for human masters.

·        Philippians 2:14-15 Obey this instruction consistently in your job,  your church, and your home: Don’t argue, complain, or gossip. We are to “shine among them like stars in the sky.” We must let the world see Christ in our attitude and behavior.

 

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Lesson 5 Praying to Surrender Control of My Life to God

•      When we insist on being in control of our own lives rather than submitting to God, we become easy targets for Satan.
•      When God is in control of our lives, we experience the life and peace He intends for us.
•      For God to control our lives, He must have control of our thoughts, words and actions.

1. GOD OFTEN WORKS IN WAYS WE DON’T UNDERSTAND

• His knowledge and wisdom are far greater than ours. We are foolish to try and fit God into our mold – to make his plans and purposes fit into ours. Instead, we must strive to fit into His plans.

1.      Pray to surrender you free will to God.

2.      Pray to help us surrender our lives

·        don’t be impulsive

3.      Pray to resist enemy’s control of  your life

2. FULLY SURRENDERING EVERYTHING TO GOD

• Matthew 14:25-29 

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

• Even when we hesitate to surrender everything to God, He is willing to help us trust Him and give Him control.
• “Neverless not My will but Yours, be done” 

3. RESISTING THE ENEMY OF OUR SOULS

• Spiritual Battlefield
• If you don’t believe his lies, Satan has no control of your life.
• Luke 8:11-12  The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
• The Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18
• BELT – Truth: Satan fights with lies, and sometimes his lies sound like truth; but only believers have God’s truth, which can defeat Satan’s lies.
• BREASTPLATE – Righteousness: The devil often attacks our heart – the seat of our emotions, self worth, and trust. God’s righteousness is the breastplate that protects our heart and ensures his approval. He approves of us because he loves us and sent his Son to die for us.
• FOOTGEAR – Readiness to spread the Good News: Satan wants us to think that telling others the Good News is a worthless and hopeless task – the size of the task is too big and the negative responses are too much to handle. but the footgear God gives us is the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God – news everyone needs to hear.
• SHIELD – Faith: What we see are Satan’s attacks in the form of insults, setbacks, and temptations. But the shield of faith protects us from Satan’s flaming arrows. With God’s perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.
• HELMET – Salvation: Satan wants to make us doubt God, Jesus, and our salvation. The helmet protects our mind from doubting God’s saving work for us.
• SWORD – Word of God: The sword is the only weapon of offense in this list of armor. There are times when we need to take the offensive against Satan. When we are tempted, we need to trust in the truth of God’s Word.

4. ASKING GOD TO TAKE CHARGE OF OUR THOUGHTS

• Is this a thought I would choose to have?
• Fill you mind with Godly things.
• Identify the Battlefields of the mind and take steps to bring each of these areas ‘into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
• 2 Corinthians 10:5 – For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

5. GIVING GOD CONTROL OF OUR WORDS

• James 3:1-10 Taming the Tongue

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

• Lay your reactions at the cross. There is a difference between reactions and actions.
• Matthew 12:34-37 the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
• James 1:19, 26 

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

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Power of a  Praying Woman 1/21/2016

• Forgiveness is a decision not a feeling.
• Forgiveness can take time, and can have layers.
• We must forgive God too.  
• Forgiving someone doesn’t make them right, it sets YOU free. (Most people don’t even ask for forgiveness.)  
• Forgiving allows YOU to love God more!
• “Life is not fair, get over it, and move on.” Rev. Gene Mullican
• Isaiah 43:18-19     “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

 by Dorothy Law Nolte  (Read it and replace 'child' with 'person')

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.

If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.

If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.

If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.

If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.

If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.

If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.

If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.

If a child lives with sharing,
he learns about generosity.

If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.

If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.

If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.

If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind.

With what is your child living?

 

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Upcoming

What’s So Spiritual About Your Gifts? November 12 & 19

Brunch & Ornament Exchange on December 3

The Power of a Praying Woman January 7-March 17

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If interested, contact Carrie K. See me if you need her contact information.

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September 17, Thursday’s 9:30 Rooms 231 & 233 (former Youth Rooms) 
We will begin our new study next week. Encounter The Spirit by Carolyn Moore. We have books in for those who requested that we order for them, they are $15.00 and we will have them for you on Thursday.

However, if you would like one, we will be glad to order more next Thursday, or you can order one here if you prefer: http://store.seedbed.com/products/encounter-the-spirit-by-carolyn-moore

You don’t need to read anything in the guidebook before the first session, as we are to watch the first video teaching and use the week following to work through the first week’s encounter in the guidebook. The following week we will have our small group discussions and end by watching the next video.

Although, you don’t need to read anything in preparation for our first session, I thought the Introduction was very good and would provide a nice conversation starter, so here is a link to it: https://app.box.com/s/q05d9cmrd2fvp2ibzp9q8281oqbs1f47

The author, Carolyn Moore, suggests the following for this study:

• the small group guidebook 
• a Bible 
• a journal 
• a couple of pens in more than one color 
• an internet connection 
• a quiet place where you can encounter the Spirit 

We look forward to seeing everyone 9:30, Sept. 17. Remember, just because you have to miss a session or don't get to complete a week's study, still come when you can. God has blessings for each of us as we study and share His Word.

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Posted 7/21/2015
Updated Readings for Summer Stand Alone Bible Study:

6/25	Don’t Give Me What I Deserve (Purath) Romans 6:23 Luke 8:14 Luke 12:15 Philippians 2:3-8 2 Corinthians 6:3-4	The Rich Ruler and Eternal Life [eternal life] Luke 18:18-30
7/2	Bubbles! Bubbles! Toils and Troubles (Bettencourt) Matthew 26:41 Philippians 4:8 1 Corinthians 10:13 Hebrews 3:12-13 Hebrews 11:24-29	Temptation of Jesus  [temptations hardest for us to resist] Luke 4:1-13
7/9	Trojan Horse Enemies of the Church (Purath) Colossians 2:8 2 Timothy 4:1-4 2 Timothy 2:15	Abraham Pleads for Sodom [Sodom & Gomorrah - sound familiar?] Genesis 18:16-33
7/16	Caught in the Storm (Bettencourt) Matthew 14:22-33 Mark 4:35-41 Mark 4:38-40 Genesis 6-9	Jesus Walks on Water [faith and courage] Matthew 14:22-36
7/23	A Bad Cup of Coffee (Bettencourt) 1 Peter 1:16	Jesus Before Pilate [pressures and the radical claim of Christ] Matthew 27:11-26

7/30	Classic Christian Woman (Bettencourt) Romans 12:1 2 Timothy 3:15 Romans 8:14-17 Galatians 4:7 Revelations 20:12 Romans 10:13 1 Peter 1:13-16 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 John 13:34-35 Romans 12:1-2 1 Peter 2:21-23	Woman Caught in Adultery [forgiveness] John 7:53-8:11
8/6	Beat The Heat! (Bettencourt) Psalm 121:5-6 Psalm 42:1-2 Psalm 63:1 James 1:19 Ephesians 3:16 1 Corinthians 10:13	Jesus Appears to Thomas [faith] John 20:24-31
8/13	Let’s Go To The Beach! (Bettencourt) Ephesians 6:11-18 1 Peter 2:2-3 Psalm 119:140 Isaiah 41:10 Hebrews 13:8 John 3:16 Romans 12:11 1 Corinthians 10:31 John 13:34	Jacob Wrestles With God   [discovering one’s character and God’s will] Genesis 32:22-32
8/20	Secret Garden of Prayer (Bettencourt) Matthew 6:5-13	Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer [the proper attitude for prayer] Luke 11:1-16
8/27	Fragrance of Beauty (Bettencourt) Ephesians 5:2 Ephesians 4:32 Psalm 35:9 Philippians 4:11	Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman [seeing beauty in everyone, personal gratitude, debts] Luke 7:36-50
9/3	Provisions (Bettencourt) Romans 13:14 2 Corinthians 10:5 2 Samuel 11:15 2 Samuel 11:2-27 Galatians 5:21-25 Philippians 4:6-7 Proverbs 11:2 Ephesians 5:15-16	Parable of the Sower  [how people receive Jesus’ message] Matthew 13:1-23
9/10	Flutter By (Bettencourt) 2 Corinthians 5:17 1 Peter 5:8 Philippians 4:13 Matthew 17:20 1 Samuel 17:45-47	Calling the First Disciples: Simon [spiritual boat and relationship] Luke 5:1-11

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 Posted 5/14/2015

Week 5 Quitting the Blame Game
Personal Responsibility

Day 1 Good Discipline

Why does God allow suffering? There are three categories of suffering:

1. We suffer because we live in a fallen, sinful world. Sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden. As a result, disease, violence and the wrong choices made by others affect us because we all live together on this planet.
2. We suffer because of our obedience to God. Some trials are the result of living in a sinful world. 2 Timothy 3:12 "Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Following God's way will include some pushback, if not physical hardship.
3. Suffering can be the result of our poor choices. When we exist on a spiritual diet of magazines, TV, media, gossip, and other soul junk food, we can't blame God when we don't experience victory over sin. 

As a good father, God is willing to watch us suffer if that's what it takes to bring us back into relationship with him. He allows us to reap what we sow, in order to draw us back to him.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses says, "Think about it: just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good." v 5  Because God is just, he allows consequences.

When we are tempted to blame God for difficult or painful things in life, we must remember His character - (his great love and ultimate sacrifice of his only son) and trust his goodness, especially when we don't understand our circumstances.

Day 2 Finding a Target
The people of Judah had problems with blame. They denied worshiping idols and claimed they were innocent of wrong doing.They didn't want to take responsibility for the consequences headed their way.
Our society today has many similarities with the people of Judah. Just like them, we are not obeying God. 

Day 3 Perilous Pride
Pride is an elusive thing. It is mainly an obsession with self. We all battle the sin of pride on a daily basis and will continue to fight it until we are with Jesus in heaven. We all make decisions to serve our own interests- to work situations to our benefit. This is the core of our sin problem.

Reverse pride is when we are so down on ourselves that it becomes self-abasement. This is not humility, but pride, because it demonstrates a lack of belief in what God says about our value. God says we are wonderfully made. "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14.

The national pride demonstrated by Judah and Moab bares a stark resemblance to the American culture of today:

• trust in wealth and skill
• people deceive themselves into thinking every good thing in their lives is their own doing
• mindsets of "I deserve it" "I am powerful" "look at all I have accomplished."

We would be wise to always remember that apart from God, we can do nothing. John 15:5 Anything good we are able to accomplish originated in God who gave us the talent and resources.
God takes pride very seriously because it is a huge barrier to a close relationship with Him. We are not to boast in wisdom, power, or riches. We should only boast that we know God.

God weeps when we become self-absorbed because we are missing out on the life He designed us to live in fellowship with Him. He knows pride will lead us to emptiness, and it breaks His heart.

Day 4 Going Through the Motions

No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:29

We must ask ourselves if we've ever gone through the motions or made our own determinations about what God should or shouldn't care about. We can not blame God for our partial obedience or half-hearted attempts at following Him. We must read and study the Bible curiously and carefully, seeking to know God. Knowing Him gives us the passion to keep our devotional time, church attendance, and ministry involvement from becoming rote, empty expressions. 

None of us is immune to finding ourselves blaming God, especially when we are in pain.

Going to church, spending time in prayer and reading God's Word lead us into deeper relationship with Him.

Day 5 Rescue With Repentance
Repentance is a reorientation of one's life, that is turning away from sin and turning to God. When we get off course spiritually, we need to recalculate and go God's way. The destination is intimacy with Him.

Like a good parent, God chose to allow Judah to experience the difficulty brought upon them by their bad decisions. This helps us understand why the cross is so significant. Sin must be punished. God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the necessary payment for our sin so that we can be in relationship with God.

The people of Jeremiah's day cried out for rescue without a spirit of honesty and repentance.

God longs for us to cry out to Him for rescue; and when our struggles are a result of disobedience, He calls us to turn from our sin (repent) and walk in obedience with Him.

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Posted 5/14/2015

Digger Deeper Week 5

Royal Responsibility

E + R = O

The kings of Judah during Jeremiah’s lifetime did not understand this equation; and if we aren’t careful, will miss its meaning as well.

Events + Response = Outcome

The first variable – Events - is beyond our control. Many circumstances and events in life just happen to us and we can’t change them.

The second variable – Response - rests fully in our hands. Will we remain humble? Will we seek God’s help? Will we trust in what we can’t see? Will we blame others for our problems or accept harsh realities with faith in a loving God?

The E and the R together define the Outcome in our lives. In the lives of the kings of Judah we mostly see “what not to do” in Response.

The circumstances in these kings’ lives were no walk in the park. They blamed everyone but themselves, tried to manipulate solutions and responded with pride and the fear of the people. Their outcomes tell us that maybe we should try something else.

We can learn from the kings in Jeremiah’s time. We need to take personal responsibility for our responses. It is the only variable we can control. We can choose humility, obedience to God, open ears, and a soft heart.

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Posted 5/8/2015

Week 4 STAYING SPIRITUALLY SENSITIVE

Heart Issues

Day 1: Heart Evaluation

• A heart surgeon must discover the source of a problem such as blockages, circuitry issues etc. We too must identify the cause of our heartaches so that we can fully surrender our hearts to God, The Great Physician so that he can perform “spiritual heart surgery.”
• Focusing on other’s heart issues distracts us from dealing with our own heart symptoms. When we spend our emotional energy allowing God to evaluate the sin in our hearts first, we usually find that we see others and their situations differently. By being aware of our own sins and expending our energy on our own repentance, we can view others with more grace and less judgment. God offers us new hearts, but we must first surrender our sinful ones to Him. 

Day 2: Behavior Modification vs. Heart Change

• God wants us to be honest about the hardness in our hearts—with Him and with others—so that He can create newness there.”
• Movies and video games that contain graphic violence and explicit sex are examples of things that can harden our hearts, or desensitize us.
• When someone hurts us, it is the nature of our deceitful hearts to want to hurt back, whether overtly or covertly. To retaliate, we might judge, gossip, ignore, or build up high walls that say “keep out” to those who have hurt us. Even if the other person has 90 percent to confess and we have only 10 percent, we can share that 10 percent and humbly ask for forgiveness.
• Blame is epidemic in our culture. It’s much easier to pass the buck or create excuses to validate bad decisions. God says it’s better to just own it. No excuses. No blaming. Just say, “I thought/said/did this, and I am sorry.”
• We have to hand over the pride and power in our hearts, yielding them to God. Changing our hearts doesn’t mean deciding to change our actions in our own strength. If we try that, will fail every time. We have to come to God in our weakness and surrender because we are at the end of ourselves. That’s when God’s power works best.

Day 3: Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

• Sometimes our trials are not physical experiences, such as birthing a child, but are emotional, mental, and spiritual labors. Such trials are able to birth great intimacy with Christ, but the process can be excruciating.
• Why do we bring God our broken hearts only after we’ve tried everything else to fix them? We call a friend or sister.
• We try to manage and manipulate the circumstances. We numb ourselves with a quick fix- food, shopping, television. God wants us to be careful to bring our hurting hearts to Him.
• Israel faced tough circumstances: invasions, poverty, and deportation. Instead of turning to God, they tried idol worship, political negotiations, and anything else they could think of. They lacked faith in His power to really do something.
• God can use our trials to purify us – if we will yield to the process. Trials teach us patience and help us grow to be the kind of people God wants. Who we really are inside comes out when the “hot water” of life scalds us. 

Day 4 Guard Your Heart

• Our society has forgotten how to blush. We have to be careful about what we allow to influence our hearts. Many have lost their shock factor in foul language, gossip, disrespect, reckless speech or angry words.
• God longs for us to keep our hearts soft so that we are grieved when inappropriate behaviors are considered acceptable. He asks us to guard what we allow to flow both in and out of our hearts.

Day 5: With All Your Heart

• We often put more time and intentionality into planning our next vacation or our children’s’ birthday parties… then we do intensely pursuing God with our whole hearts.
• While offering God our leftovers, we wonder why we often seem to be losing the spiritual battle against sin and the enemy in our lives. We need to pursue God wholeheartedly.
• When difficulty and struggle come, clinging to what we cannot see and having faith to obey God’s counterculture message is tougher than it sounds. It’s easier to trust in tangible things such as people, money and human effort.
• God offers us hope and healing as we surrender our broken hearts to Him. God calls us to trust Him and to dare to hope in Him even with the most fragile of hearts.
• Heart Cautions:

1.      Be careful to evaluate your own heart.

2.      Be careful not to confuse behavior modification with heart change.

3.      Be careful to bring your hurting heart to God.

4.      Be careful to guard your heart.

5.      Be careful to seek God wholeheartedly.

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Posted 5/7/2015
Digging Deeper Week 4 Highlights
Somewhere Along the Road 
See AbingdonWomen.com/Jeremiah for the full article.

God offers us great hope when we surrender our hearts to Him and enjoy the fellowship He created us to have. He doesn’t ask us to walk our spiritual heart journeys alone, though. He places other people in our lives as examples and partners as we pursue God together.

 
Jeremiah's journey with God looked more like a marathon than a sprint. It required endurance, training, and other people cheering him on for him to make it to the finish line.
Aspects of Jeremiah's journey:

• He studied the writings of the prophets who went before him. We, too, need to consider those who have traveled the path we are now walking on. God wants us to seek out encouragement and wisdom too.
• He looked around to find someone who was running beside him. he found a friend in his scribe, Baruch. They worked closely together and had to hid together while facing arrest for going against the king to get God's messages to the people. We, too, need to find others who are following God at a similar pace. When life gets tough, a godly friend can stand with us through difficult times.
•  He left a model for those who would follow. After the majority of his race was run, he was taken against his will to Egypt where he ultimately died. Daniel read Jeremiah's words to help him understand God's timeline of captivity. Jesus saw the fulfillment of some of Jeremiah's specific prophecies lived out in regard to Herod and Judas. As we study and read about Jeremiah's life, we can learn from his failures and faith.

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Posted 5/1/2015

Digging Deeper Week 3 Highlights

Cultural Cues

Economic Crisis

 

• Judah suffered economically during all the years that Jeremiah prophesied. Judah’s money troubles correlated to their rebellion against God. Though Babylon was God’s instrument, God orchestrated the defeat.
• Although no military invasion has rendered our nation a vassal nation, we still face an impending economic crisis. Many believe this financial instability also stems from a lack of caution and obedience to God’s messages. We have lived beyond our means and now are paying “tribute” in the form of interest to other nations.

Political Globalization

• The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar was the center of the world at that time. As the Assyrian and Egyptian powers weakened, Babylon sought to conquer and unite and empire through force. Nebuchadnezzar’s lust for expansion and world dominance led to a vast kingdom that was a new world order in his day.
• Judah tried to form alliances with Egypt and surrounding nations in the hopes of looking to collec5tive power to overcome their fiscal enemies. God called His people to trust in Him instead of other nations for help, but they refused to listen.
• Judah looked to other nations for peace and ended up in exile. We need to pray that our nation will learn from their mistakes and trust fully in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies as we pray for out leaders, exercise our right to vote, and stay informed about what is going on in our country. May we be cautious not to view God through our politics but, instead, to understand our government through the lens of God’s Word.

Social Materialism

• Judah fell into obscurity and poverty in the days of Jeremiah.
• God’s chosen people looked for security and fulfillment in the things they could touch, taste and feel. Their affection for the idols of their neighboring countries, lack of contentment, and desire for money evidences itself throughout Jeremiah’s writings.
• American culture parallels the social materialism of Judah’s day.
• Today, socially, many people define themselves based on their salary, neighborhood, car, and vacations. Those with less money often grasp for an appearance of wealth, using debt to maintain their outward status.
• In Jeremiah’s day, people looked to define themselves by what they owned. The same thing happens today as we look to material goods to fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts.

Religious Pluralism

• The descendants of Abraham deviated from their religious neighbors with their monotheist belief in only one God.
• A revival took place during King Josiah’s reign. Workers found lost portions of the Book of Deuteronomy during Temple repairs that revealed how far the people had strayed from God’s commands.
• The people forgot the days when they dared not participate in the idolatry and polytheism of their neighbors.  They began to see worship of only one God as outdated, narrow-minded, and laughable in the face of modern enlightenment by surrounding nations.
• America’s tolerance of every religious from and practice has tended in recent years to embrace all faiths except those that claim ultimate truth. Movies, music, and especially reality television mock the narrow-mindedness of Christ-following.
• In many ways religious freedom and tolerance have seemed to cross the threshold into a kind of “mandatory pluralism” in our society.
• Traditional Christians believe that Jesus is not one of many ways to know God; He is the way.
• The American church has experienced some small revival movements just as in the time of Josiah, yet a widespread repentance form our culture’s moral decay hasn’t taken root. The American church trends away from the teachings of sin and repentance in favor of messages about peace and abundant life, rather than rightly balancing the two.
• Our religious climate resonates greatly with the days of Jeremiah:

Then the Lord said, “Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires.’”

• Amidst the religious pluralism of our culture, we need to remember the truths of the Bible and live out our faith in obedience.

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Posted 4/29/2015
Week Three

Opening Our Ears

Listening

Day One: Called to Listen

The Hebrew word translated into English as hearken, hear, or listen is shama, which means “to hear with attention or interest.” Shema or Shama occurs over one thousand times in the Old Testament.

Shema is the central prayer in the Jewish prayerbook and is often the first section of Scripture that a Jewish child learns.The Shema is the central prayer perhaps because the people realized the consequences of their closed ears and wanted to be careful not to repeat their mistakes.

We often find ourselves distracted and stubborn like the people of Jeremiah’s day. God is calling us to open our ears and be willing to hear.

The more we listen, the more we will understand. We must listen to God, or the consequences will be worse than for Israel.

Day Two: Reading with Curiosity

 “God wants us to use the brain He has given us to question, discuss, & work through the things we don’t understand.” He doesn’t want us to be mindless robots, but to be receptive to his molding.

He is the potter and we are the clay. The clay doesn’t get to choose what kind of vessel it turns out to be. It has to trust the potter’s best judgment.

 “The Hebrew word used for the potter in these verses is Yatsar. Strong’s Concordance defines it, ‘to form, fashion, frame’.”

God is the potter. He chooses what gifts and talents to give us, what family to place us in, and what circumstances to allow us to go through to develop our strength. However, we control the consistency of our clay. “God sometimes takes us through the fire to strengthen us for use in His kingdom.”

He never gives up on us, he offers unconditional love.

Nothing is too difficult for Him. He loved Israel, but punished their wrong behavior.

The best antidote for pride is to focus on the greatness of God.

Day Three: Cling Like Underwear

“God wants our relationship with Him to be tight, or personal. God wants us to be in constant, daily contact with Him.”

 

The Hebrew word for “cling” is dabaq, which means ‘to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.’

God used the illustration of the loincloth, or belt, to speak of His desire for intimacy with us.

Jeremiah 13:1-11 speaks of the sin of pride. Proud people may look important, but God says their pride makes them good for nothing, completely useless. Pride rots our hearts until we lose our usefulness to God.

The sin that kept the people of Jeremiah's day from enjoying intimacy with God was Pride. “They shifted their focus from God and His Word to more tangible things they could taste and touch. For them, these tangible things were idols.” 

“Are we listening to the voice of God or the voices of our culture?”

We all make time for what we really want to do. In our pride, we often rather do what feels good in the moment than make choices that will lead to a close relationship with God. When we do choose to heed His word, we are blessed beyond measure. His love washes over us as He encourages, advises and shows us His great love for us.

Day Four: The Right Voices

Jeremiah spoke against false prophets more than any other Old Testament writer.

How can we know that we are following the right leaders, listening to the right voices, and walking in God’s truth in all the areas of our lives?

We don’t want to be like the people of Judah.  Instead of listening to God, they chose to listen to “others” with a more popular message, such as the religious priests and prophets. They called for tolerance, freedom of expression (idolatry) and permissiveness. Sound familiar?

Three insights God has for us in the Book of Jeremiah related to discerning which voices we should pay careful attention to.

1.  Consider the moral character of the messenger.
2. When determining the validity of a message, look at the personal integrity of the person/spokesperson. When listening to the voices of politicians, ministers, or people on TV, we need to evaluate their lives and see if they are in line with what we know about God and His character. (A good tree produces good fruit while a bad tree produces bad fruit. Matthew 7:17)Jesus said that false prophets are disguised as harmless sheep, while underneath they are really vicious wolves. He called us to look at what others say and how they act. We need to be careful that our judgments don’t lead us to gossip, shame or self-righteousness. Our judgments should cause us to make sure that the people to whom we are listening and being taught by, are “walking the walk.”Evaluate the message to see if it lines up with God’s Word. 
3. Ask the right questions.
   We need to understand as we read God’s Word. We must ask the Holy Spirit to give us spiritual wisdom so that we can understand and apply His word in our daily lives.
   
   When we read or watch any resource such as a blog, book or video etc., we need to ask questions like these:
   • What is being presented?
   • Does it line up with the whole of Scripture?
   • What is the historical and cultural context?
   • What interpretations do biblical scholars/commentaries offer?
   • What does it tell about God’s heart and character?
   • Where does this message need specific or general application in my life? 

Day Five: Keep Asking

God welcomes our asking. Asking means dialogue.

 “We should never stuff our doubts. Doubts are real. Everyone has them. What is most important is what we do with them.”

God’s phone number is 3-3-3 (Jeremiah 33:3). 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Jeremiah approaches God with confidence as he asks specific questions. He voices his frustrations over things that don’t make sense to him. He admits his own faults and asks God to correct him when he is wrong.

ACTS method of prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

 “We see the consistency of asking, listening, and knowing God in prayer. Ask, ask, and ask. Listen, listen and listen some more!”

Luke 11:8 talks about “shameless persistence.” We need to persistently ask but we must examine our motives. “Why do we want what we’re asking for? Is it for our own pleasure? Will it truly benefit us in the long run?”

God wants us to ask, but we must learn to listen for His answers and trust that He is working for our good even when He doesn’t give us what we request. Sometimes we do get what we ask for but not right away. We must have faith in God’s timing also.

James 4:2-3 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because  your motives are all wrong – you want only what will give  you pleasure.

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Posted 4/23/2015  
Digger Deeper 
The Queen of Heaven 

• In Jeremiah’s time all the surrounding nations had numerous gods. Polytheistic religions are flexible and readily accept foreign gods, either as new gods or through identification with existing gods. 
• When looking at the queen of Heaven, the women of Judah could have taken her from the Canaanite Astarte (the evening star goddess of sex and war), the goddess daughter Astarte of the Egyptian sun god, Ra, who was a warrior god, or the Assyrian/Bablonian goddess Ishtar who ruled over, sexuality, and war. 
•  Egypt held Judah as a vassal nation during Jeremiah’s ministry. The Babylonians came in, taking people and treasures and eventually destroying Jerusalem. Women might have seen the Babylonian’s power and thought their gods to be of great power because of their military success. 
• Idols of love and power also tempt us today as we fight our culture to give God first place in our lives. Everywhere we turn we hear messages declaring that we must go to great lengths to look good. The women of Judah lived during a time of financial crises much as we do, but they baked special cakes, burned incense, and poured out wine in hopes of finding love and control. 
• We also use resources to buy pricey cosmetics, expensive gym memberships, new clothes, Botox, and even plastic surgery in order to draw the attention of others. Looking good is not wrong, but we all know when we’ve crossed the line into an obsession. 
• The Queen of Heaven was goddess of love and also a goddess of war. The Judean women bought into the lie that she possessed the power to give them victory. We face many battles ourselves. Our desire for control leads to many fears and anxieties and becomes idolatry when things must always go our way with our husbands, children, jobs, friendships, and even ministries. Power drugs us to desire more. Though we are not baking cakes or pouring out drinks as the women of Judah did, we worship Astarte or Ishtar every time we set beauty, sex, and power above God in our hearts 

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Retreat
Posted 4/8/15

The One Day Retreat for Sisters Bible Study has been set up for May 28 from 9:30 to 2:00 at Ann's lovely place. She will have the chapel open and a room for our lunch as well. Plan to bring your lunch, there is a fridge if someone needs it. Judy is going to provide drinks for us all:)

Ann suggested that we wear good walking shoes (tennis shoes are great).  She said to remind you that they are in the country with a good hill down to the pond (it's very difficult to walk up that hill in flip flops and we don't want anyone to fall).  You may also want to bring a lawn or bag chair to sit in and a wide brim hat or sun visor.

We will be using a retreat kit from Cokesbury called the Garden Getaway Where Women Walk With God. "This garden-themed retreat, focused on building friendships and studying God's amazing word. This will be an event that will refresh and reconnect women with God and each other.Women will make new friends and draw closer to old friends through fun, relational activities.Women will grow closer to God through Bible study and through sharing with each other.

This is not an independent study, it makes use of a leader, and small participant guides that includes all the Bible passages, places for journaling, discussion guides, self-directed experiences, music and more.

Please let Judy know by May 14 if you plan to attend:)

 

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Jeremiah, Week One
 posted 4/7/2015

Sisters' Bible Study at St. John's United Methodist Church, is beginning a new book by Melissa Spolestra, Jeremiah - Daring To Hope in an Unstable World. We will begin on Thursday, April 16. The book is designed so that we read the first week's study before we watch the video on that day.

The author describes three options for study described in more detail on pages 7-8 in the workbook. The "Digging Deeper" articles mentioned are available online at AbingdonWomen.com/Jeremiah, They  offer deeper historical connection and context.

Questions to Ponder as You Begin
What is one thing you are looking forward to in this study?
What is one thing  you already know about Jeremiah?

Week 1 Memory Verse
"When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies."
~Jeremiah 15:16 (The New Living Translation)

Below are highlights from the Digger Deeper article. 

The prophets are divided into categories based on when their ministry occurred.

The Standard Preexilic Prophets

Preexilic means being or occurring prior to the exile of the Jews in Babylonia 597–538 B.C. These prophets are referred to as standard because their messages contain similar themes of disobedience, judgment, and hope.

The Non-standard Preexilic Prophets

Address foreign nations instead of Israel and Judah.

The Postexilic Prophets

These prophets delivered their messages after the Jews returned to Jerusalem following the Babylonian/Persian exile.

Etymology of the word prophet: The Greek word was used in the old Testament for Hebrew nabj "soothsayer." Early Latin writers translated Greek prophetes with Latin vates.

"The prophet’s words usually included three elements:

Past Sin – The prophet specifically named the sins of the nation.

Present Responsibility – The prophet issued a call to repentance and described the consequences of continuing in sin.

Future Hope – The prophet gave the hope of blessing for those who turned from sin and back to the Lord.

The messages of the prophets related to the people of their own times and circumstances and also echoed far into the future, with many messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament."

For the essence of the prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus. ~Revelation 19:10b