Issue 8 • Summer 2020
B I B L E
S T U D Y
SOURCE for women
powered by ChurchSource
inside this issue:
Uncomplicate YO U R L I F E
COUR AGE
in CRISIS
The Hard & Beautiful Work of
MAKING WRONG THINGS RIGHT AGAIN plus:
TAKE the PRAYER CHALLENGE
&
FIGHT INSECURITY with TRUST
a
LETTER to our READERS
Dear Reader, "This is such a timely message." I can't even count how many times I've heard that phrase over the last few months, as we've worked on the final stages of editing and publishing the Bible studies in this issue. Authors work on their books for years before presenting them to publishers. We make publishing decisions years before these resources make it into your hands. It has been amazing to see how God's hand was guiding the hearts of our authors and the publishing decisions made many months ago.
You Be LET GOD'S IDENTIT
You'll find this issue packed with resources that speak God's timeless truth to our unsettled world: • God is working all things for good • You are truly free when you understand God's unconditional acceptance of you as his child • God has not given us a spirit of fear, but has equipped us with the power of his Holy Spirit to do his work in the world Friends, we hope this issue encourages you and uplifts you, pointing you to the One who is making all things new.
In Him,
Beth Murphy Director, Bible Study Source for Women P.S. We wanted to make it a little easier for you to learn more about these Bible studies and authors, so we've added QR codes throughout the magazine. Just open up your smartphone camera and point it at the QR code to go straight to the right page on our website. Bible Study Source for Women is powered by ChurchSource, a team dedicated to serving pastors and church leaders by connecting them to God-honoring resources from two of the most trusted names in publishing: Zondervan and Thomas Nelson. Free shipping offer valid until December 31, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. ET or while supplies last. Offer valid online and by phone only. Receive free standard ground shipping on non-rush orders of $10 or more, valid within the 48 continental United States or to an FPO/APO address; offer does not apply to Alaska, Hawaii, or the U.S. Territories, rush orders, or expedited shipping methods. Shipping, gift cards, or customization of products does not qualify towards minimum purchase requirements. Offer only available to customers in the United States age 18 and older. To redeem offer, enter promo code during online checkout or provide the code to a representative during phone orders. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with any other discount offer. ChurchSource reserves the right to de-activate the promo code in the event of fraud or technical issues and limit quantities of individual items eligible for purchase with this discount. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Not valid for resale.
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BY CANDACE PAYNE I avoid crying in public as often as I can. I don't know when or where I felt this importance emerge in me, but since its arrival, I settle into its demand for solitude every time. And, still. There I was. Sitting on a row of friends, authors, leaders, and spiritual giants crying the ugly cry. The fog machines on stage were rolling out a thick, holy haze, and the swell in the overly-repetitious bridge of the worship team's song was begging for my eyes to surrender their saline waterfalls. And, yes. I said, the UGLY cry. Why couldn't it have been a pretty, soft single-tear cry? Why here? Why now? And, why, for the love, couldn't I stop?!
I was wrestling with an internal question that was familiar as an old friend:
Do I belong?
Just days earlier, I had been backstage promoting a new book on a national talk show. I was sharing a fruit tray and talking casually about the weather with an idolized musical artist with whom I never would've thought I would cross paths in a million lifetimes. Now, I found myself yet again backstage, this time amongst spiritual giants of my faith, sharing yet another fruit tray. Fruit trays are apparently the thing to have in a backstage environment. As a matter of fact, the only thing I felt belonging to both places with such ease was that fruit tray. Tossing the stem to my last strawberry in the trash and heading to my reserved seat, I began to swell with a million familiar questions.
e You
Y INFORM YOURS How in the world did I get here? Why don't I feel at home with either of these places and people? What am I doing here? Do I fit in best with the secular or spiritual crowd? Wait. Do I even "fit" with either? When will I feel like I belong? Why am I still feeling like this after all these years? I mean, do I belong...anywhere? It was all too much to try to process within two worship songs, no matter how incredible the lyrics and melodies were. One of my row mates, a refined author and sought after speaker, saw the tears that were more than momentary, but seemed endless and inconsolable. She stooped down with her hand tenderly on my shoulder and asked what was wrong. I spilled every thought and question I had been holding onto for years as I breathed vigorously between tears like a toddler calming down from a tantrum. She intently listened until all the feels were felt, and all the drama soaked onto my shirt and jeans. Then, she replied with three words that would become the reason I write this article to you today:
YOU BE YOU. Until that very moment, I had assumed I had been my most authentic self for most of my life. I was as honest and an open book as any other that I admired. Yet, there was something hidden within these three words that I felt I needed to unearth. How could I be my most authentic self if I didn't know the fullness of who I was created to be? As a Christ-follower, I have often heard and fully subscribed to the idea that God knows me better than I know myself. (After all, Psalm 139 tells me that I was known by my Creator well before I was even created.) Here, in the aftermath of those three words, I was forced to reconcile a lack of sincere examination into who God says I am.
I began to flip through the pages of my memory with all the descriptors I could remember of my identity from scriptures studied and sermons spoken. Quickly, I had several identifiers: I am a sheep. I am a child of God. I am a part of the body of Christ. I am the Bride of Christ. I am a living stone. I am a branch connected to Christ, the Vine. And, as the list grew, I realized that these were more than descriptors for my identity. Like a switch being flipped from off to on, I saw a common thread in each one:
These were all intimate ways I belonged to God. I had forgotten that my belonging in relationship with God was way more important than in my relationships with others. Somehow, I found myself trading the approval of likes and follows for the sacrifice of God. Suddenly, tears of longing for belonging became lamenting the overlooking and undervaluing of all the ways I already did belong. All my efforts to fit in, feel at home, and belong were already fulfilled in who God says I am. "YOU BE YOU" would require more than doing and living out whatever felt pleasing or fascinating to me. It would demand a relationship with God. Instead of desperately trying to find my identity and belonging in experiences, performance, approval, likes, and follows, I began to unearth this beautiful paradigm shift: I began to see God's identity informing mine. I am a sheep because I belong to the Good Shepherd. I am a child because I belong to a Good Father. I am the Bride of Christ because I belong to an Intimate, Sacred Love. And, so on and so forth. The list I wrote that day still has many more layers to be discovered. It isn't exhaustive. However, I do know that it has aligned my heart with peace as I continue to ask this question:
Do I belong? Do you? Yes. Yes, we do. And our joy depends on knowing it. 3
Best News –
HAS NOTHING T
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DEFIANT JOY What Happens When You're Full Of It... Joy is closer than you think because God is better than you may believe! Dispel the myths that joy is frivolous, immature, or reserved for a few select “happy” people, and open your heart to receive the freedom and joy God created you to live in. This study challenges groups to get honest and real and to explore the truth in what Scripture says about joy. It also includes a personal “Joy Lab” that makes homework a new daily practice in the art of encountering the abundance God intends for each of us when we know joy. 6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min.- 1 hour)
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BELONGING
O D O W I T H U S AT A L L ! Y O U B E LO N G Because God Is Who He Says He Is by Candace Payne
Have you ever wondered why a true sense of fulfillment, abundance, freedom, joy, and connection seems elusive? With insight and exuberance, Candace walks through the five ways God names Himself in relation to us and how each name adds a layer of truth to how we belong. It has nothing to do with us, but everything to do with Him and He meets us at every turn to prove it. In this six-session video Bible study, dig deep into the characteristics of the God who claims us, considers us, names us, and loves us. Understanding who we are through who God says He is erases all the boxes we’ve put ourselves and others into and unleashes joy-filled freedom. 6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min.- 1 hour)
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Candace PAYNE
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Candace Payne is an author, speaker, and podcast host whose Facebook Live video of trying on a Chewbacca Mask became a viral sensation. Candace’s greatest joy is sharing life with her husband, two children, and ornery pugs.
BibleStudySource.com/ DefiantJoy
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Stop Seeking I N S P I R ATI O N
and Start Seeking God BY MEGAN FATE MARSHMAN
The format of our book study was simple: read the Gospel of Mark and seek Jesus alongside people with varying beliefs about Him. My husband and I invited ten churchgoing friends and asked them to bring a few friends who didn’t follow Jesus. We knew it would be a challenge. Not only were we were asking them to invite unbelieving friends, we would all need to pocket our interesting facts, favorite sermon points, and clever quotes and solely seek Jesus in His word. The study had one central aim: seek and find Jesus. We invited my neighborhood friend, Colin. Let me give you some context. People enjoy being around Colin. Was it because he would line his truck bed with a plastic tarp, fill it with water, and initiate conversations with neighbors from his driveway in his makeshift hot tub? Possibly. He came to my sister’s wedding dressed as a sailor, had a little too much to drink, and swore his way around the reception. He was the true idiom of “the life of the party.” Colin had never been invited to a book study before, and he was intrigued. After his initial interest I told him the book we would be studying would be… the Bible. “The ole bait and switch, eh?” he asked. “I don’t want to push my beliefs on you. I want to learn from you.” “I’ve heard that one before.” “I’m serious! I want to read the Bible open to whatever the Bible has to say about Jesus. I want to see Him from a new perspective. In that respect, I have much to learn from you. If this is going to work, we need some different perspectives…perspectives like yours.” On the night of the study, our living room filled up with 24 people. To my surprise, one of them was Colin. Together, we opened up the Good Book. As we started reading and making initial comments I noticed a huge problem: my Christian friends only brought more Christian friends. Everyone in the room already had a relationship with Jesus. Everyone, except Colin. I worried about how uncomfortable Colin must have felt. He had likely never read that first chapter in the book of Mark; now he was reading it surrounded by unintentional know-it-alls. Everyone made great points. Everyone connected the dots. Everyone was impressing everyone. And then Colin chimed in… “What the hell?” This jarring but apt insight was Colin’s sailor-mouth response to Jesus’ baptism in chapter 1. Jaws dropped. Someone’s Bible fell on the floor. He continued, “So the clouds just open up,
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which doesn’t make sense, and a dove comes down and, what? Sits on Jesus? And a voice comes from nowhere and this all just makes sense to you?” Most of us looked down at our feet, but a few friends took a stab at the answer to Colin’s questions. I was hesitant and unsteady. No one was getting impressed anymore. A simple answer wouldn’t suffice, and neither would a beautiful theological explanation. The night continued with questions no one but Colin had ever dared to ask… at least not out loud. Everyone was challenged in their faith because Colin took the purpose of the group seriously. We spent the night staring at the text, sitting in silence, and waiting for the next crazy thing Colin would say. Rather than impressing each other by sounding smart, we were brought back to the purpose of the group: to seek and find Jesus. And when we sought to find Him, no matter how halting our steps and stuttering our words, we were not disappointed. Verse 13 of Jeremiah 29 is one of the greatest evangelistic texts in the Old Testament. It defines an appropriate approach to God and also presents an astounding truth: God is findable. When you seek to find God, you’ll find who you’re looking for. What a beautiful promise: We must take God at His Word and not add to His equation.
Seek
God
= Find
Megan
FATE MARSHMAN Megan Fate Marshman is a teaching pastor for Willow Creek Community Church, leads the women’s ministry at Arbor Road Church, and serves as director of women’s ministries at Hume Lake Christian Camps. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two boys.
God!
The problem is we tend to add stuff to it. And adding stuff to the equation is actually subtracting. We end up settling for less. Have you ever approached God’s Word seeking something more (or less) than God? If we approach the Bible on a scavenger hunt for a surefire solution to one of our many needs, chances are we’ll be left disappointed. In reality, we need to check our equation. If you open up God’s Word seeking some inspiration for your day, don’t be surprised if you leave disappointed. Walking away inspired is possible, it’s just not promised. Ever walked into church seeking truth and walked out critiquing the pastor’s style or the worship team’s set? You may have unconsciously slipped into seeking high-level production value. Entertainment is not promised. Ever approached prayer with the nebulous aim of “feeling better” Of finding peace? Listen: prayer is more than an anxiety fix. It’s possible to truly pray and still feel anxious. Were you expecting access to warm fuzzies? Say it with me…Not promised. So, what is the promise we can count on? If you seek God, you’ll find Him. When we trust God in the present, we could gain peace or understanding. We may be gifted with hope, love, peace, joy and all the other amazing byproducts of active trust. They’re amazing byproducts but terrible as goals. If we only seek what we can get from God, we may be left dissatisfied. If we seek God and develop trust, the byproducts are wonderful. He is who He says He is and does what He promises to do. God is both the path and the goal. He is findable. Your work is to seek, His promised response is to be found. Seek God, over healing. Seek God, over His benefits. Seek God, you’ll find Him. And when He is found by you, you’ll have everything you’ll need.
MEANT FOR GOOD The Adventure of Trusting God and His Plans for You This power-packed, video-based Bible study looks at the truth that you can trust God’s plans for your life—no matter what it looks like right now. Megan unpacks Jeremiah 29:11–14 and what exactly is meant by “good” from God’s perspective. Trusting God with everything— yes, EVERYTHING—is a life of adventure you simply couldn’t plan for yourself. Six Sessions | ~27 minutes each Study Time: Moderate (30 min.-1 hour) Study Guide $15.99 $11.19 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $44.99 $26.99
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Deeply
wi
GOD'S
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THINK LIKE JESUS What Do I Believe & Why Does it Matter?
AC T LIKE JESUS How Can I Put My Faith into Action?
BE LIKE JESUS Who Am I Becoming? by Randy Frazee 8 Sessions each | ~14 min. each Study Guide $13.99 $9.79 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $42.99 $25.79
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What you believe drives everything. The way you behave. The habits your form. The character that defines you at your core. All are driven by what you believe. It’s not enough to believe something as the right answer. You must believe it as a way of life. This series of studies helps you live out the key beliefs, practices, and virtues of the Christian faith that when embraced in the mind and heart create true change in our hearts and our lives. BibleStudySource.com/ThinkActBe
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Engage
ith
WORD
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AC TS Feasting on the Abundance of God's Word
LU K E Gathering the Goodness of God's Word by Kristy Cambron 6 Sessions each | ~17 min. each Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 DVD & Study Guide $41.99 $25.19 Streaming sold separately
Journal and Bible Coming Soon (January, 2021)
VERSE MAPPING Plain and simple? Verse mapping is getting real about studying the Bible. All of it. It’s not just reading. It’s researching everything you can in a verse to learn more about Who God is, and how He wants to speak to you through His Word. In short? It’s serious study. If you’re not a seminary-trained theologian by education, don’t worry—verse mapping is for anyone with a heart to know the Word of God more. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and companion in this study; it’s not what you bring to the table that qualifies you—it’s Who. And He’s going to make sure you learn no matter where you begin. BibleStudySource.com/VerseMapping FREE SHIPPING on orders $10+! Use promo code BSS4W8
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F I G HT I N S E C U R IT Y
with trust by Jennie Lusko
Do you ever feel like an imposter? Like someone else would be better suited to live your life? Like God accidentally drew the wrong name and it turns out you aren't qualified enough, or smart enough, or strong enough or beautiful enough to do what He thought you could do? I tend to feel this way more than I’d like to admit. I’m 38, shouldn’t I feel confident by now? Shouldn’t I know how to live this life and trust God by now? I've even found myself telling God, "Surely, someone else would do a better job. I don’t know if I can handle this responsibility. This weight seems too heavy for me. God, you should send someone else because I can’t do this." A man in the Bible named Moses said these same things. When God told him to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery, He promised Moses that He would be with him and help him. It’s a huge deal when the God who created the universe speaks to you and says that He’s got your back. But instead of accepting the task with eagerness and gratitude, Moses hesitated. He began to list a litany of excuses, starting with, “Who am I that I should do this?“ (Exodus 3:11, my paraphrase). God wasn’t upset by Moses’ reluctance. In fact, He responded by encouraging the guy, “Don’t worry, Moses. I got you. Everything is going to work out just fine. You’ve got this because I’ve got this!” (v. 12, my paraphrase). Boom, done! Or at least it should’ve been done. But Moses continued on with his excuses. God is so patient. He kept seeing past Moses’ insecurity. I’d like to think if I were Moses, as unqualified as I feel at times, I’d have said, “Okay, fine, God. You’re right, I know You’re with me, I’m in!” But that’s easy to say and when you’re in the moment, not as easy to do. After all, I imagine
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leading a nation of roughly two million people out of slavery wouldn’t be the easiest thing in the world to do. It’s a massive assignment. Moses looked up at God and sighed. Then, nervously kicking the dust with his worn-out sandal, he said, “Sorry, God. You’ll just need to send someone else.” (v. 13, my paraphrase). This was where Moses went wrong and where God got mad. The Bible says His anger burned against Moses. Cringe. Bible commentator, and our friend, Pastor David Guzik, makes a great point about this exchange: “God was not angry when Moses asked, ‘Who am I?’ (Exodus 3:11). God was angry when Moses was just plain unwilling. There may be a hundred understandable reasons why Moses was unwilling, some of them making a lot of sense. Nevertheless, the basic truth was that Moses was unwilling, not unable.” This hit me hard. God can work with our insecurity. He can handle our weakness and feelings of inadequacy. But He can’t work with someone who is unwilling to trust and obey Him. He can’t work with someone who isn’t willing to put their head down and do the hard work even when it feels unnatural and impossible. You don’t have to listen to the nagging voice in your head that says you don’t deserve a place on the team at your church because of the things you’ve done. The voice that says you can’t be a leader because you aren’t old enough or wise enough. The voice that says you can’t show up and work hard because you aren’t qualified. You can wake up in the morning, you can show up to work in the week, you can show up to church on the weekend and say, “God, I'm reporting for duty.” I love that.
I recently read an article about Kim Kardashian studying to become a lawyer. In it, she quoted Abraham Lincoln when he said, "If you are resolutely determined to make a lawyer out of yourself, the thing is more than half done already. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing." It's so true. You’ve got to decide what voice you are going to listen to. The voice that says, “You’re too old for that dream, you’re too young for that calling, you’re too weak to walk that road,” or the voice of God that says, “I’ve called you to this, you’ve got this!” Isn’t the mentality of Moses so much easier to choose than that of Abraham Lincoln? How often do we find ourselves wanting to run in the opposite direction or hide? For me, the idea that unwillingness is actually disobedience changes everything. Whether or not I feel worthy or qualified or able, I want to say yes to God. I want to be in such a place of trusting Him that I am willing to do what He has asked me to do, whether it makes sense to me or not.
Jennie LUSKO JENNIE LUSKO serves alongside her husband, Levi, leading Fresh Life Church in Montana, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming. They have five incredible children: Alivia, Daisy, Clover, Lennox, and Lenya, who is in heaven.
"unwillingness
is actually disobedience"
I pray the same thing for you. That in the middle of how you might feel, you would remember that all God is looking for is a willing heart. He doesn’t need you to have it all together, He just wants you to join Him and remember that He has it all together. If God’s got a job for us, He is going to give us the strength to do it, even if we feel we can’t.
You’ve got what it takes! God doesn’t tell us to feel strong and courageous, He tells us to be strong and courageous! This is a game changer. We often don’t feel strong or worthy or qualified, so we sit back and wait for those feelings to come before we step out in faith and obey God. Choose to be strong, in God's strength. Choose to be obedient. Choose to say "yes" to God.
T H E F I G H T T O F LO U R I S H Engaging in the Struggle to Cultivate the Life You Were Born to Live Just like some plants need darkness to grow, many of us grow stronger in our faith in the dark and difficult times. Jennie offers biblical hope in your struggles through personal and vulnerable examples of God not only helping her survive the darkness but thrive in it. Fighting and flourishing are meant to blend together, wherever you are. 6 Sessions | ~13 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour) Study Guide $15.99 $11.19 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $44.99 $26.99
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BIBLE STUDIES THAT HELP YOU O BibleStudySource.com/Overcome
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WHEN GOD DOESN'T FIX IT
UNINVITED
Learning to Walk in God's Plan Instead of Our Own
Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out & Lonely
Laura examines the twists and turns that took place not only in her own life but also in the lives of many of the heroes of the faith. She reveals how God used crises in the lives of people in the Bible to bring them closer to him and set them on the path he wanted them to take. She also shows how God used each of these individuals in spite of their flaws and brokenness.
Rejection is a tough emotion to deal with. It has an ability to poison relationships from the inside out, including our relationship with God. Lysa reminds us we are destined for a love that can never be diminished, tarnished, shaken, or taken—a love that does not reject or uninvite. With Jesus you are forever safe, accepted, held, completely loved and always invited in.
5 Sessions | ~12 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour)
6 Sessions | ~18 min. each Study Time: Minimal (less than 30 min.)
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Laura
STORY
Laura Story is an award-winning songwriter. She has a master’s of theological studies and a doctorate in worship studies, and serves as a worship leader at Perimeter Church in Atlanta. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mother of four.
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Lysa
TERKEURST
Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She writes from her sticky farm table and lives with her family in North Carolina.
OVERCOME, PERSEVERE, & HEAL
RHY THMS OF RENEWAL
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MESS
Trading Stress & Anxiety for a Life of Peace & Purpose
Strength for This Beautiful Broken Life
Daily struggles with anxiety and stress make it difficult to receive God's peace. Trade your anxiety for the vibrant life you were meant to live through four profound rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create. Rhythms of Renewal is your guide to daily rescue and a way forward into the peace your soul longs for.
The trials we face in this life can feel overwhelming. Life often seems broken—shattered into a million pieces—and at times we may wonder if our mess is “too big” for God. Sheila shows how spiritual disciplines can help us break free from this cycle of despair and experience newfound joy as a child of God—fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted.
5 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time:: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour)
6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time:: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour)
Study Guide $14.99 $10.49 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $43.99 $26.39
Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 DVD & Study Guide $41.99 $25.19 Streaming sold separately
Rebekah LYONS
Rebekah Lyons is a national speaker, host of the Rhythms for Life podcast, and bestselling author. Alongside her husband, Gabe, Rebekah finds joy in raising four children, two of whom have Down syndrome.
Sheila
WALSH
Sheila Walsh is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and bestselling author with more than five million books sold. She is cohost of Life Today. Sheila lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son.
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Uncomplicate YO U R L I F E by Lisa Whittle
In the heart of all humans lives the desire to be fully, truly free. I well remember standing in my packed closet, staring at all my clothes, feeling like my shopping addiction owned me. It is a humbling feeling to be a Bible teacher with harmful secret habits, no matter how harmless it might seem to someone else. The irony of so many seemingly harmless things we call guilty pleasures, vices or even, favorite pastimes/hobbies, is how they wind up not being the friend they’ve claimed to be: offering comfort, they’ve thrown us in silent shackles. Even though it sounds ludicrous that anyone would willingly choose confinement over freedom, far too often we are enslaved by prisons we have chosen. I had long been aware that my shopping was my go-to source for fun. It was a social activity for me—something to connect me with girlfriends—something to do when I had some mad money to spend. It wasn’t something that put us into debt, so it was even less of a glaring problem. Style is personal to me, an art form, an expression of my personality, and, I could even reason: an appreciation for beautiful things. Turns out, we are good at justifying what suits us. The problem was, it was also something that became a necessary reprieve from any kind of momentary pain. A rejection email came through? Better go to Target. Didn’t like what I saw in the mirror? Let’s head over to the online sale at Nordstrom Rack. Swiping that debit card became a substitute savior I grew to lean on, love, and know as well as I knew even myself. It is no wonder, then, that when God began to speak to me about it, I didn’t eagerly respond. Questions, unwelcome in
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the still of the night right before sleep, accosted me—is Jesus not enough? I'd get this gnawing feeling of conviction that followed the high of a quick purchase I knew I didn’t need or even really want once I got out of the store. After awhile, I began to hate every shirt in my closet. It wasn’t because I actually hated the shirts. I hated how they were hindering me. My prayer life had been suffering. My connection with God felt stale. Guilt had been haunting me. The quick fix was getting less effective. Things were getting complicated, in and out of my closet. I wasn’t 100% sure that my shopping was coming between me and God. But there was only one way to find out. Laying something down often tells the truest tale—you learn what you have come to depend upon when you agree (temporarily or forever) to let it go. "If clothes are coming between God and me, it sure would be dumb," I thought to myself. I grew to despise them. To trade vibrant relationship with the God of the universe—someone I desperately needed to help me in my life—for some more sweaters and belts and pillows for my house suddenly seemed like a horrible trade-off. I would lay down my shopping for a year and see how much more of God I could get.
I got a lot. And I got something else: freedom. Far more than a closet uncluttering, my life become clean and uncomplicated in a brand new way. It’s been more than 5 years since that shopping fast, and my life has never been the same.
Please don’t misunderstand. The struggle, then and now, is real—to keep Jesus in his first-place position, which is where He has to be in order for shopping to not be where I turn, first. The struggle to keep my numbing and deflection tactics to keep life at bay is real. But what is also real is the help of God. Oh, it is so very real. It is so very strong, so very sure, so very powerful and so very enough. It is also lasting, in a way shopping never was or is.
"Far more than a closet uncluttering, my life become clean & uncomplicated in a brand new way."
Psalm 142:5 is a verse I often return to, when other substitute saviors (my phone, social media, even relationships) threaten to push their way in: “Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.’ ”
David spoke of what he knew. He had lived the other way and it proved futile. And do we not know, too? Have we not wandered? Have we not settled? Have we not said, this will do for now? And has it not been enough in the end? You don’t have to answer that. I already know, because me, too. Jesus is the only solution. We can keep turning to our nonsolutions, but they will always fall short, and we will be left needing another shirt, another like or follow, another show to binge, another drink. Personally, I am weary of things that don’t work. This side of heaven we will struggle, yes, but we do not do so without the help and promise of God: to be strong on our behalf, to draw near to us in our time of need, to be enough and more for our every pain, sorrow, stress and self-inflicted complication. Putting Jesus over even that thing He gave us the free will to choose hands us back the abundant life we once gave up.
Complete freedom.
Lisa WHITTLE Lisa Whittle is sought-after speaker and Bible teacher. A pastor’s daughter and longtime ministry leader in issues relevant to the church, Lisa is the founder of Ministry Strong and the popular Jesus over Everything podcast. She and her husband live in North Carolina with their three mostly grown children.
JESUS OVER EVERYTHING Uncomplicating the Daily Struggle to Put Jesus First Do you long to know what a truly transformed life really feels like? Every reference to transformation and a healthy spiritual life in Scripture is dependent on putting God first. Lisa challenges us to put Jesus over everything, in everyday application and see what really happens. Because only when He is first do we know what a truly transformed life feels like. 6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour) Study Guide $14.99 $10.49 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $43.99 $26.39
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Discover the Bible IN A NEW LIGHT
As women, we often grapple with society’s absurd expectations. We deal with feelings of being underqualified and insignificant, often, because we view the voices of others as more important than our own. Sometimes we’re left to wonder if anyone sees us for who we are, uniquely and unequivocally ourselves. But know this: God sees you. He sees you even when you’re hiding from the world’s uneasy gaze. He sees past the unhelpful labels that are put on us by others. He sees us when we’re dealing with heartbreak and loss. God doesn’t ask for perfection. He asks for trust in the experience that it is to know him. Through this series, that explores the messy, complicated lives of women in the Bible, you’ll learn how God used their stories and their lives for something greater. We can be a model for God’s story by embracing each other and ourselves for being who we were meant to be.
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HAGAR
RAHAB
NAOMI
In the Face of Rejection, God Says I'm Significant
Don’t Judge Me, God Says I’m Qualified
When I Feel Worthless, God Says I'm Enough
Hagar learns through hurt and rejection that what is unresolved is not unseen by God. Through her story, you will learn how to respond when life doesn’t affirm you, but God does.
Through Rahab’s story, you will learn how to shed unhelpful labels and fears, and instead revel in God’s unconditional love and acceptance of you—just as you are.
Naomi traveled from comfort and security to despair and bitterness; from hopeless drifting to faithful obedience; from loss to redemption in one short lifetime.
4 Sessions each | ~20 min. each Study Time:: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour) Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD & Study Guide $41.99 $25.19 | Streaming sold separately
Kasey VAN NORMAN Kasey Van Norman is a licensed counselor who teaches and writes about the love that redeemed her from past abuse, addiction, infidelity, and the fear of a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.
Jada EDWARDS
Nicole JOHNSON
Jada Edwards is an experienced Bible teacher equipping women with practical, biblical truth. She is the Women’s Pastor and Director of Creative Services for One Community Church in Plano, TX.
Nicole Johnson is one of the most sought-after creative communicators in America today. Her unique ability to blend humor with compassion creates a sense of community with her audience.
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COUR AGEOUS
in CRISIS BY JADA EDWARDS
How do you respond to crisis? Do you run in, or run away? Crisis is defined as any unexpected situation that arises which requires immediate response and its outcome will have significant, lasting impact. There are several variables that determine how we respond, but I have found our personalities and motivations are pretty good indicators of our response. Some of you are problem solvers and you see crisis as a problem to be solved. Consistency kind of bores you and you need a good fire to run into every now and then or you’ll lose your mind. If you really have it bad, you may even be the kind of person that goes around creating unnecessary crisis. It may sound illogical, but we all have a tendency to do things to make ourselves feel “alive” or energized. Others of you value safety and consistency. You see crisis as chaos, and therefore something to be neutralized or avoided all together. You love routine and order. You prefer that things and people stay in their place. Not to mention the frenetic pace of life during crisis that just isn’t good for the well-being of your soul. You prefer a steady, predictable pace. If you really are crisis-averse, you may even remind others that God is a “God of order” (insert mic drop here). And then of course there are the hybrids. The same person that runs headfirst into one type of crisis, may dodge another. We are all different and complex and that’s wonderful, but our differences can become shelters that keep us from stepping into uncomfortable situations. Situations that don’t positively resonate with our own personal past experiences, and situations that don’t align with our personality strengths. We are all made in God’s image so this is not a matter of right or wrong but one of fight, flight, or faith.
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IN THE MIDST OF THE MOST UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS
WE CAN FIND BOTH GRATITUDE & GROWTH
Why does our response to crisis matter? You don’t have to look far to find some degree of urgency in your life. It seems that some kind of crisis is always happening. There are matters in our families and homes, in our workplace, in our ministry areas and most certainly in our culture. There are health crises, financial crises, relationship crises and faith crises. (Help my unbelief Lord!) Understanding who you are and how you respond to crisis can give you insight into how you view God.
often not an indication of punishment, but a push for growth. It’s important to keep this in mind because we respond differently and see God inaccurately when we think he’s always out to punish us. When you encounter crisis, pray and see God’s hand in leading you there. Of course there are consequences for decisions, but even then, as believers we have the Spirit of God with us in the crisis—even if he didn’t lead us there. Praise God for grace!
By the way, Jesus was pretty great at dealing with crisis. One of my most-referenced passages of Scripture is the story of Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4. He’s just been baptized by John the Baptist and commissioned by the Father, so he’s feeling pretty confident. But he is also at the end of a 40-day fast so he’s hungry. It’s interesting that the Bible tells us that the Spirit is the one who led him into this “crisis” which was an encounter with Satan. Even more interesting—and very applicable to our daily lives—is how he responded to the crisis. Not with a long dissertation. Not with antagonizing. Not with retreat. Quite simply, he presented the Word of God for every temptation Satan offered.
HERE’S WHAT JESUS DID: LET THE WORD OF GOD LEAD HIM THROUGH THE CRISIS.
Can you picture this? Jesus was fully human so the hunger was real. He was alone with no one to consult and with no one to witness this exchange. He is also fully God, so he could have waxed eloquently or called down angels to destroy Satan. He probably could have blinked, or thought a single thought and the enemy would have vanished—the crisis would have been resolved. But he didn’t. He gave us a perfect, timeless example of how to handle crisis.
HERE’S WHAT JESUS KNEW: LET THE SPIRIT OF GOD LEAD HIM TO THE CRISIS. He didn’t have to wonder if this crisis was a consequence of his sin and some form of punishment. The Spirit led him there. He knew he was in good standing with God the Father. Likewise, we can’t assume that every crisis we encounter is some form of payback from the sin we committed in 1984. Crisis is
It’s so tempting to want to consult our friends or use our best self-derived strategy to navigate the crisis of the days. We call, we text, we scroll through social media looking for answers. Every single answer is in God’s Word. He has all the comfort, encouragement, and conviction we’ll ever need for every situation we may encounter. Know this, Satan will never ask a question that God doesn’t already have answer for. We don’t have to add to God’s truth, and we certainly should never dilute it. It’s the key to navigating the craziness of this life and it’s perfect just the way it is. When our delight is in God’s Word (Psalm 1:2), we are prepared for every crisis regardless of our personalities or our past experiences.
So why does it matter how we respond to crisis? 1. It matters because our response shows our dependence on God’s presence — that we trust He is present with us and His Spirit is leading the way. 2. It matters because our response shows our diet of God’s Word — that it is our absolute source of truth and provides calm in the midst of every chaos. My hope is that every Christ-follower would not only expect crisis to come, but expect to be able to thrive in it. We can find both gratitude and growth in the midst of the most unexpected situations.
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LIBERATING FREEDOM is found in CHRIST'S ACCEPTANCE
God loved you so much that he created a plan that you could never have achieved on your own. And when you don’t get that, you find yourself subject to the bondage that you were in before you even knew Jesus. What you’ll see as Jada Edwards walks you through Galatians is Paul giving a very passionate and urgent assurance, helping you understand that once you place faith in Jesus, you are transformed. You are made new. You are forever a part of the family of God. You are fully accepted, and you are free. 20
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G A L AT I A N S Accepted and Free by Jada Edwards Six Sessions | ~27 minutes each Study Time: Substantial (an hour or more) Study Guide $15.99 $11.19 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $44.99 $26.99
Jada EDWARDS Jada Edwards is an experienced Bible teacher, author, and speaker who has committed her life to equipping women of all ages with practical, biblical truth. Alongside her husband, Conway Edwards, the Senior Pastor, she serves as the Women’s Pastor and Director of Creative Services at One Community Church in Plano, Texas. She and her husband have a son, Joah, and a daughter, Chloe.
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The Hard & Beautiful Work
OF MAKING WRONG THINGS RIGHT AGAIN by Danielle Strickland Sometimes I wonder what the real problem is. I know the presenting problem is often a constant and subtle feeling that I don’t really belong, or that I don’t deserve things, or shouldn’t want things, or well, pretty consistent thoughts that I’m not worth it in general. The promotion, the applause, the recognition all end up haunting me and turning up the volume of the dissonance in the foundations of my life that resonate with a big booming question—is this a mistake? Apparently most women have this accompanying dialogue. Research also starts to make sense out of this internal (and sometimes external) dialogue so many women struggle with in their own life. Girls' self-confidence drops an average of 30% between ages 8 and 14.1 The reason? Well, there are many. But consider what puberty itself does to every girls sense of self, followed by the dynamics of high school and then the harsh and present realities of a dominant culture that continues to objectify and harass women. I know it sounds intense—but it’s true. Another frightening statistic is that one in three girls will be sexually abused in her lifetime according to the most recent stats.2 The felt reality of those statistics mean that it’s almost ‘normal’ for girls to feel disempowered. But that’s only half the story.
How can there be so many women who are able and willing to lead and so few places for them to do so? How can there be so many male leaders who want women to lead and can’t find them? Rather than dismiss one group as the problem, I think it’s a deeper truth to understand disconnection itself as the problem.
How have we become so disconnected from each other? There is something fundamentally broken at the heart of how women and men connect. And it’s been like that for a very long time. Think back to the story we are so familiar with from the very start of the Bible (Genesis 3). When humanity severed their connection to God the next thing that broke was their relationship with each other! That’s a deep wound.
"There is a way women and men can heal the divide and work together to transform the future."
A church I know who was looking to transform the way they do ministry and empower EVERYONE to lead said it was hard for them to get women to come to the leadership
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table. Yet, I’ve been a witness to so many incredibly gifted, capable, educated, equipped women who want to lead and just can’t seem to get a seat at the table.
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Much of our current culture’s conversation around this very topic is rooted in fear. The ‘#metoo’ movement saw over 19 million women publicly express their story of harassment and abuse in a little over a month and it seemed hardly anyone was spared. Leaders, businessmen, hollywood tycoons, fathers, churches, husbands, non-profit champions, governments, systems and structures—so many people implicated and the pain so overwhelming. What do we do?
1 Shipman/Kay/Riley, “How Puberty Kills Girls' Confidence,” The Atlantic, September 20, 2018 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov, May 1, 2020
The temptation is to allow fear to lead us. And that would be such a terrible mistake. Fear is a tyrannical oppressor who will seek to silence, separate and pit us against each other. If we are motivated by fear—what we do or don’t do will become a tool for even more oppression.
Danielle
But there is another option—a Divine one. It’s how Paul the apostle describes the Good News of Jesus to the Corinthian church (a church that knew all about divisions and fear). He describes it as the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) and this is such good news to our current context.
STRICKLAND
There is a way women and men can heal the divide and work together to transform the future. It's the way of Jesus.
Danielle Strickland is an author, speaker, trainer, and global social justice advocate. She has established justice departments for the Salvation Army and is host of DJStrickland Podcast. Danielle is married to Stephen and lives in Toronto, Canada, with their three sons.
And I don’t mean some pie-in-the-sky, fairy-dust solution. What I mean by the "way of Jesus" is the hard and beautiful work of making wrong things right again. The work of forgiveness (letting go of past hurts) and repentance (being sorry and willing to make things right again) and transformed relationships (doing things differently and together). When we become infused with the love of God we start to see how Jesus is turning our wounds into healing, our past into learning, our future into hope, our relationships into collaboration, our diversity into celebration, and our differences into mutuality— making our reconciliation the best collaboration for transformation the world has yet to see. And the world is so desperately hungry for help on this one. I’ve never been more hopeful at the possibility of a shared future because I know we are not people motivated by or stuck in fear. We are the children of God. We are the redeemed. We are the brave ones, who, with God’s presence and invitation can confront our fears and transform our reality with perfect love. We receive that love through Jesus and then we become that love with Jesus so that we can love this world into the wild, beautiful, fruitful, peaceful place it was always created to be. I pray that this hope of the Gospel unleashes the church to be a light on a stand, a city on a hill for the world to witness the possibilities of hope in a cynical time. But most of all I pray it makes a way for our children to live a future God has always dreamed for them—a reconciled future of collaboration for a transformed world.
BETTER TOGETHER
How Women and Men Can Heal the Divide and Work Together to Transform the Future
Can you imagine a future where women and men are better together? This study is a beacon of hope in this challenging storm. Understand how oppression works—whether it relates to gender, race, socioeconomic status, or religion—and how to overcome it. Let Danielle inspire you to believe that change is possible and equip you with ideas and strategies that will compel you to action. 6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour) Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $41.99 $25.19
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“It’s not selfish for you to want to be who God created you to be,
and
it's not selfish for you to do what God created you to do.” GA RY TH O M A S When to Walk Away
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CHERISH
W H E N T O W A L K AW AY
The One Word That Changes Everything for Your Marriage
Finding Freedom from Toxic People
Cherishing can have a powerful effect on marriage. Learning to truly cherish each other turns marriage from an obligation into a delight. It lifts marriage above a commitment to a precious priority. Cherish is the melody that makes a marriage sing.
Sometimes the best course of action for us to take with some relationships is to walk away . . . or let the other person walk away. In the Gospels, we read that when Jesus spoke a hard truth, sometimes the other person chose to walk away. Other times, the person asked Jesus to leave–and he complied. There were also times when people begged Jesus to stay, but he walked away so he could remain completely focused on the mission God had for him.
6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour) Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 DVD & Study Guide $36.99 $22.19 Streaming sold separately
6 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study Time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour) Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 Streaming + DVD & Study Guide $41.99 $25.19
Gary THOMAS
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Gary Thomas is a writer in residence at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and an adjunct faculty member teaching on spiritual formation at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and Houston Theological Seminary in Houston, Texas. He is the author of 19 books. BibleStudySource.com/GaryThomas
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DEEPENING YOUR PR AYER B Y C H R Y S T A L E VA N S H U R S T A few years ago, I decided to put together a 28-Day Prayer Challenge on Instagram. I’d been feeling guilty about my lack of consistent and fervent prayer, so I figured I’d commit to providing twenty-eight days’ worth of prayer prompts to hold me accountable to pray and to encourage others to do the same. I did it because one day at a time seemed doable. While I knew the basic format for prayer, as Jesus modeled in Matthew 6 (what we commonly call The Lord’s Prayer), I made up the content, one day at a time, throughout the challenge. As I paused to think about what I needed to talk to God about, I shared those thoughts with others and encouraged them to do the same.
I honestly didn’t think I’d finish. I was afraid I’d fall off the wagon and fail myself and everyone doing it with me. But I didn’t. I finished the challenge and invigorated my prayer life by doing so. Praying intentionally—bit by bit, day by day—made the idea of regular, consistent prayer much less formidable. The 28-Day Prayer Journey is born of that challenge and is written with the same goal in mind. I want you to commit to prayer, but I also want you to view this commitment as doable.
Chrystal E VANS HU R ST Chrystal Evans Hurst is the bestselling author of She’s Still There and coauthor of Kingdom Woman with her father, Dr. Tony Evans. She reaches millions of women each year speaking at conferences, sharing on her blog and podcast, writing for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and teaching and leading women in her home church. Chrystal is a mother of five and grateful to share her life with her husband, Jessie. 26
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And if you skip a day (or a few days), that’s okay! Lord knows I have done the same. But don’t give up. Pick up where you left off. Ignore the day of the week if you have to and just pray. Keep going. Perfection is not required. Simply show up to talk to God knowing that He wants to talk to you. As you pray, I will gently lead you through each tenet so that you can understand and think deeply about it. Then, slowly but surely, we’ll put it all together. After making this twenty-eight-day journey twice, I know one thing for sure: slow and steady wins the race. This method will help you form new habits if you’ll commit to it, little by little, one day at a time, for the next four weeks.
My prayer is that God will become more real to you than ever before as you spend time abiding with Him. It’s possible. How do I know? Because it’s happened for me.
This Bible study teaches the basic tenets of prayer:
P r a y
PRAISE & THANKSGIVING
(offering gratitude to God)
REPENT
(seeking forgiveness from God)
ASK
(presenting your requests to God)
YIELD
(surrendering to God)
T H E 28 - D AY P R AY E R J O U R N E Y Enjoying Deeper Conversations With God
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Chrystal walks through four postures of personal prayer called out in Scripture, looking at why a practice of prayer is worth the effort, how to cultivate a heart of gratitude, what repentance offers us, how to ask boldly and humbly, and what it means to surrender to God. Join Chrystal and experience a true prayer journey that will forever increase and change your conversations with God, little by little, one day at a time!
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