Here are the notes and words for the fill-in-the-blanks in our “Twelve More Women of the Bible” women’s Bible study with various teachers (via DVDs).
Key Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31
All of us could have a unique poem written about us. – Karen Ehman
Social media and the challenge of presenting a life in picture-perfect moments
Is the woman described in Proverbs 31 meant to be envied, emulated . . . or something else?
Our reactions to this woman: usually one of two things
Who is this woman . . . she is more than meets the eye
What can we learn from this woman?
- It’s about what you do and how you do it
- Identify what is unique
- Don’t let comparison boss you around
- Know your true audience
- Have healthy fear
- Remember the ruby
It is always best to be an original version of yourself than a cheap, knockoff imitation of somebody else. – Karen Ehman
Do what you can; don’t do what you can’t. – Karen Ehman
Stop comparing. Throw confetti instead, commending each woman and her uniqueness. – Karen Ehman
I need to remember I am loving and serving for an audience of One. – Karen Ehman
No one can do it all, all at once. – Karen Ehman
Homework: p. 5-15
Key Scripture: Judges 4:1-24
God is bigger than your history and more concerned with your destiny. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Meeting Deborah, a gifted and passionate leader
People are looking for leaders
We all face times when we need help
Meeting Barak, a reluctant leader (and others like him)
- Gideon
- Moses
- Jeremiah
Lessons from Deborah:
- Leaders speak grace and truth
- Leaders trust in something bigger than themselves
- Leaders look different
- Leaders must be willing
We need to stop seeing the things we are NOT and start believing in a God who IS. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
What you are born into doesn’t determine what is IN YOU. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
The greatest enemy we have is Satan, and he is called the father of lies. His tactic is to remind us of what we are NOT instead of whose we ARE. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Satan knows your name, but he calls you by your sin. God knows your sin, but he calls you by your name. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
You are a child of God, and whatever arena you are in, he wants to use you. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Our role as Christians is to lead people to Christ, so by default you’re a leader. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Homework: p. 22-30
Key Scripture: Song of Songs 1:1-17
“With one glance of your eyes you captured my heart.” Can you imagine God saying that to you? – Lisa Harper
The power of songs
Feeling less than perfect
The cost of feeling not good enough
A love story of biblical proportions:
- Solomon and the Shulamite woman
- Jesus and you (another love story)
God’s mercy is so much bigger than most of us ever give him credit for. – Lisa Harper
The Bible reveals God has a favorite tune too. His favorite song is actually a book in the Old Testament, and the formal canonical title for it is the Song of Songs. – Lisa Harper
That kind of “less than” feeling, that feeling of not being quite good enough, erodes intimacy in human relationships. But how much more so does that impede our relationship with the Lord? – Lisa Harper
This book of the Bible is all about how God loves us just the way we are. – Lisa Harper
Homework: p. 35-44
Key Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22
Even good things can get in the way of God things. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
A late-night drive in the dark
Decisions over distractions:
- Choose calling over comfort
- Choose reliance over reason
- Seek God’s approval over the opinions of others
Decisions lead to destiny
Our decisions lead us to our destiny, but only as much as we avoid the distractions that are bound to come up as we live this life. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Sometimes we can think our way out of exactly the very place that God wants us to be. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Focus on following God one decision at a time. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Focus on the One who matters most and trust that, step-by-step, God can and will lead you to the place he wants you to be. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
If we can silence the distractions, and focus only on the fact that we are called to obey – called to live lives that bring God glory – and move forward in that, I believe we will look back and see that following the call of God was the most important thing. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Homework: p. 49-56
Key Scripture: Exodus 1:15-22
Even when we live in a culture filled with fear, fear doesn’t have to reign, because God does! – Margaret Feinberg
The “what if” game . . . don’t play it!
Irrational fears and real fears
God’s people: from protection and prosperity to oppression and exploitation
Fear God and fear nothing else
The splendid beauty of resisting fear and following God
Three tactics to help you resist the attack of fear:
- Recognize the battle with fear is bigger than you
- Stay your mind on God
- Don’t fight fear alone
Practical ideas and tools for overcoming fear
Fear God, and you have nothing else to fear. – Margaret Feinberg
Whenever we allow fear to take root, we create space for worry and anxiety to set up shop in our lives. – Margaret Feinberg
Use the promises of Scripture to stay your mind on God. – Margaret Feinberg
God invites us to bring all our fears into the light, to him. By confessing, we shift the focus from the fear to the Father. – Margaret Feinberg
If we want shalom, we must pray and ask for it. – Margaret Feinberg
Homework: p. 61-69
Key Scripture: Esther 2:1-23; Esther 3:1-15; Esther 4:1-17; Esther 6:1-14; Esther 7:1-10
Storms come into every life. No one is immune to them. – Courtney Joseph
Crisis moments . . . we all face them
The story of Esther
Esther did five things:
- She prayed
- She was willing to perish
- She prepared
- She planned
- She was patient
God is in control . . . all the time
An Ephesians 3:20 moment
God knows he is your greatest need, and when you have him, you can have faith and courage in the midst of the storm. – Courtney Joseph
If God did not use people with weaknesses, he would have no one to use. – Courtney Joseph
Don’t waste an area of pain in your life. It might be the very thing God wants to use for his glory. – Courtney Joseph
Whatever you are facing today, you can rest in God’s love and care for you. Whatever trial you are in right now is meant to point you to God. – Courtney Joseph
Esther is not the hero of her story, and I am not the hero of mine. God is the hero of every story! – Courtney Joseph
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells a story of our God who is in control. – Courtney Joseph
God is in control of my life . . . the good and the bad times. – Courtney Joseph
Homework: p. 75-84
Key Scripture: Acts 18:1-3; Acts 18:18-26
All that you have belongs to God. – Karen Ehman
Don’t compare yourself to the “exciting” lives of others
Looking at life through the right or wrong lenses
The story of Priscilla, an ordinary life
Work eagerly and diligently
Be gracious and private when you correct others
See your home as a ministry center and share it for God’s glory
Open your heart to others
When we view our home through the lens of using it to bring glory to God, it can become a sacred space. – Karen Ehman
Jesus elevated women in his time, often speaking to them when no man normally would. – Karen Ehman
We can be direct while also being discreet. – Karen Ehman
Eagerly work alongside others, using both your hands and your words. – Karen Ehman
If we begin to look at our lives through the lens that God uses, we can view our seemingly ordinary lives in a clearer way, and our calling here on Earth – however mundane it may seem – begins to come into focus. – Karen Ehman
Homework: p. 90-98
Key Scripture: John 11:1-44
You can believe that God is working all things out for the good of those who believe in him, even in the middle of the mess. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Two stories of crisis . . . one small and one big
Discipleship: when we go through a time of “death”
Jesus’ shocking response to Mary and Martha
Can you heal? Are you able? Are you good?
The real pain Mary and Martha felt
Jesus is the resurrection . . . in all things
Where am I experiencing a kind of death?
You can worship God because he is good, he is able, and he can bring back to life that which is dead. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
He is God, but he is not a genie who we rub and caress to obtain our wanton wishes. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
The cost of discipleship is that it will cost you everything. But most importantly, it will solidify and strengthen your faith. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
To be a disciple of Christ, you may not know the WHY, but you know the WHO. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
When you lay down that thing that is bitter or that thing you want in a posture of worship at the feet of Jesus, something changes. – Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Homework: p. 103-110
Key Scripture: Luke 13:10-17
Jesus never considers us to be an interruption or a bother. We are always a delight to him. – Lisa Harper
When tragedy strikes
A humorous interruption
A serious interruption to Jesus’ final synagogue sermon
Jesus confronts the religious leaders
The culture of the day and how surprising this encounter really was
Jesus, an example of how to respond to “interruptions”
God is watching you . . . what do you think he feels as he looks at you?
Jesus beckons you closer. You do not have to be bent by anything or anyone anymore. – Lisa Harper
People who are more concerned about religiosity than they are about relationship with Jesus tend to be occupied with rules instead of liberty. – Lisa Harper
Some people know Jesus as their Savior but not as their Liberator. – Lisa Harper
God wants all of us to stand up to our full spiritual height. Not to just be saved from our sins but to actually live the abundant, exuberant life. – Lisa Harper
If you will turn toward Jesus, he will never say, “Hang on a minute, this isn’t a very convenient time for me.” Instead, he will always beckon you closer. – Lisa Harper
Our past does not impede our glorious future. If you are a child of the Most High King, if you have put your hope in Jesus, stand up, stand up, stand up! – Lisa Harper
Homework: p. 115-123
Key Scripture: Luke 8:43-48
God can be trusted. He is worth pursuing. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Problems . . . we all face them
Persistence . . . we all need it
- Natural persistence
- Supernatural persistence
- Personal persistence
Proclamation (the point of persistence)
How can you connect your situation with your Savior?
When I am tempted to give up, I remember the lives of those close to me, many of whom have experienced the glory of God shining brightest in their life in the darkest of times. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
It is often in the midst of our choice to hope in God that God shows up and moves in our circumstances. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Be willing to do what you can with what you have. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Our persistence matters. There’s always more available when we pursue Jesus. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
The woman with the issue of blood was persistent in the natural, but what got her healing was her persistence in the supernatural. – Chrystal Evans Hurst
Homework: p. 129-137
Key Scripture: Luke 1:1-45
Waiting isn’t meant to be passive but to actively stretch us to grow deeper in our relationship with God. – Margaret Feinberg
Waiting is part of life
God is worth the wait
The story of Elizabeth
God is worth the wait because God is worthy of the wait
Don’t miss the One worth waiting for
God is working in the wait
Place the weight of the wait on God
Don’t wait alone
You can get so focused on what you’re waiting on that you miss the One worth waiting for. – Margaret Feinberg
The best measure of how far your focus is off Christ is how hard you’re working to stay in control. – Margaret Feinberg
God is worth the wait because he is worthy of the wait. – Margaret Feinberg
Most likely, the work that God is doing in your season of waiting is bigger than you. And it’s not just about you. – Margaret Feinberg
God does not call us to wait alone but rather to wait on him alone. – Margaret Feinberg
Relinquish control to Christ. Trust in the WHO even if you can’t see the WHY or the HOW. – Margaret Feinberg
Homework: p. 143-152
Key Scripture: Luke 2:36-38
Anything less than God himself will leave our souls hungry. – Courtney Joseph
A walk on the seashore with two different agendas
God’s desire for us to slow down and connect with him
The example of Anna . . . a woman who made daily space to draw near to God
The value of worship (showing up) as we await the return of Jesus
The power of fasting (the challenges) as we await the return of Jesus
The joy of prayer (routines help us) as we await the return of Jesus
The value of reading the words of the Bible as we await the return of Jesus
We are all different, but we can all still learn from Anna’s example.
If we don’t slow down to be in God’s Word and in prayer, we will miss the voice of God in our lives. – Courtney Joseph
Sometimes the only way to quench our spiritual hunger for God is to fast from physical food. – Courtney Joseph
Be devoted to God right where God has placed you. – Courtney Joseph
God never forgets his own. He is faithful to his children. He is answering our prayers. We must never stop praying. – Courtney Joseph
Create routines of worship, Bible reading, prayer, and fasting. It will sustain you through life’s ups and downs. – Courtney Joseph
Homework: Put into practice what we’ve learned!