New Bible Studies for 2012

2012 BLOG BIBLE STUDY

January 12th - February 23rd
Thursday's Blog Style
www.dswomensbbs.wordpress.com

This study encourages participants to fully engage in the abundant life God has waiting for those who will allow Him to take the lead in daily living. One in a Million is an opportunity for you to experience your deliverance from strongholds, to conquer your wilderness living, and to claim your God-given inheritance.

MONDAY EVENINGS
January 9th - February 6th
7:00 - 8:30 PM

He Speaks to Me

Do you want to develop a more intimate prayer life? Even more, do you want to hear from God in practical ways? Let Priscilla Shirer prepare you by giving you a deeper
understanding of the Holy Spirit. Based on the life of Samuel, who first heard God’s voice while still a small boy, and packed with practical examples from Priscilla’s own life. He Speaks to Me speaks directly to the need to develop a richer prayer life and deeper, more intimate relationship with God, and to learn how to comfortably share their experience of God with others.

TUESDAY EVENINGS

January 10th - March 6th
7:00 - 8:30 PM

BRAVE ~ Honest Questions Women Ask

This Bible study for women looks at the heart of what women are thinking and feeling. Angela speaks to participants about deep feelings that all women have at one time or another. She looks boldly at some of the fears and struggles of being a woman, and she helps us see how we can be brave in the face of those challenges. It takes a brave woman to ask these questions and dig into these topics alongside other believers. We've all got insecurities, flaws, and struggles that we're afraid to address. But if we can be brave enough to raise the questions, God will answer us. You've got questions. God's got answers. Be brave. Ask. Why can't I get it together? Am I as invisible as I feel? What am I so afraid of?

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS

January 11th - February 28th
9:30 - 11:00 AM

James: Mercy Triumphs

James, Jesus' own brother, started out as a skeptic. See how one glimpse of the resurrected Savior turned an unbeliever into a disciple. Bible scholars compare James to the prophet Amos. In other ways, James more closely resembles the Book of Proverbs than any other New Testament book. Topics in this study include: joy, hardship, faith, reversal of fortunes for rich and poor, wisdom, gifts from above, single-mindedness, the dangers of the tongue, humility, and prayer.

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS

January 11th - March 28th
9:15 - 11:00 AM

New Group Mom's R & R

The Power of a Positive Mom

If you are a mother, you may not look in the mirror everyday and see yourself as having a great influence on the world, but you do! No one has a greater impact on the home than a mother, and that impact can be defeatingly negative or powerfully positive. This book will help ensure that your impact is positive. In the pages of this insightful and inspiring book, you will learn seven, simple principles for shaping your family for good -- principles that work for stay-at-home and working moms alike. As you read this captivating book, you will see how your attitude and actions can fill the lives of those you care about the most with love and encouragement. Become the mom you've always wanted to be. You might even surpass your own dreams.

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS

January 11th - Febuary 28th
6:30 - 8:00 PM

One in a Million
This study encourages participants to fully engage in the abundant life God has waiting for those who will allow Him to take the lead in daily living. One in a Million is an opportunity for you to experience your deliverance from strongholds, to conquer your wilderness living, and to claim your God-given inheritance.

THURSDAY MORNINGS

January 12th - March 1st
9:30 - 11:00 AM

When Wallflowers Dance

When Wallflowers Dance is a fresh challenge to women who have lived hesitant, cautious lives but long to break free and dance! Using both Scripture and story, Angela Thomas addresses the attributes of "becoming" and the freedom we have in Christ to keep developing the characteristics that reflect our God-given longings.

SATURDAY MORNINGS

January 7th - February 25th
8:30 - 9:45 AM

Me, Myself & Lies: A Thought Closet Makeover
This women's Bible study will encourage us to clean out the junk in our minds and replace hidden negative thoughts with positive truths from God's word. Words are powerful. Especially the words women speak to themselves. All too often, what they say to themselves when they lie in bed at night or look in the mirror in the morning is not even close to the words God wants them to speak to their souls. According to Rothschild, what we think about often has a ripple effect on nearly every area of our lives.

SEED 6 Bible Verses

Here is the Scripture for the week. You have been given 10 passages per week. Follow the Five P's of Hearing God Through the Bible.

Psalm 23:1-6
Isaiah 43:1-2
Daniel 3:20-25
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Isaiah 55:8-13
Genesis 45:4-8
Colossians 3:1-2
Philippians 4:8
Philippians 4:11-13
Genesis 28:12, 16-19

Extra SEEDS
Deuteronomy 8:15-16
Nahum 1:7
Colossians 3:2
Jeremiah 29:11
Romans 11:33
Romans 8:28-30
Ephesians 1:11
Genesis 39:20-21
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Romans 5:3-5
1 Peter 1:6-7
2 Corinthians 1:3-6
2 Corinthians 4:8
Habbakuk 3:17-19
Esther 4:14
Philippians 1:12-14

SEED 6 ~ Glory

"On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was dark." John 20:1

Perspectives

3:48am

That was the time when God spoke.

A digital clock glowed on the screen at the front of the plane. A map displayed the continents and oceans we were flying over. A miniature airplane and a red line charted our progress across the world. We were somewhere between London and Johannesburg—that’s all I knew for sure. I was excited about getting to Africa to see this land I’d only known in pictures. Yet, still thousands of miles away, I was already enjoying myself.

Living in a house filled with the excitement of small children, ringing phones, dinner dishes, and an unending to-do list, I was captivated by the stillness and uninterrupted silence this flight provided. When my husband first told me we’d probably spend 20 hours in the air, I was pleased and thankful for a long block of time with no demands, interruptions, or loud noises. Hours into our trip, I was relishing every moment.

I heard no noises but the occasional clacking of the flight attendants’ heels in the aisle. Jerry had just downed his last cup of hot tea and was not nestled under the thin, airline-issued blanket.The sun had long taken its leave from the western sky, offering a golden sealed invitation to rest for those aboard the massive bird. The night sky looked like a thick velvety blanket with tiny sequins glistening in starlight glory.

I knew I should sleep to prepare my body for the time change, but I couldn’t. I was enjoying these moments too much. The silence was too engaging and offered me a unique opportunity to fully embrace every peaceful second. So I kept my eyes open and relished the experience. How glad I am that I did .. . because at 3:48am, God spoke.

I looked out the window at the darkened heavens. The deep, dark abyss of the galaxies beckoned me to commune with Him. I talked. I worshiped. I listened. I listened and then . . . He spoke. Not audibly but obviously.

At 3:47am we entered a tuft of clouds as the pilot ascended to a different altitude. For only a few seconds we were lost in the blanket of billowing whiteness. When the plane burst out the other side, I was blinded. The sun, unseen and unknown moments before, became fully exposed. The wings of the spacious sky carried the brilliance of each robust ray of light, delivering each color of the spectrum to the oval windows of every row. The sun was shining with blinding opulence.

My hands leapt to cover my eyes. I had no choice but turn and look away. My gaze into the plane lasted long enough to notice many passengers were just as shocked by the bright light as I. They were turning over, putting on sleeping masks, and closing their window shades. I watched, for a while, everyone adjusting. And that’s when I saw . . . the clock . . . 3:48am.

Everyone was taken aback by the stark light. I had my eyes shaded by the palm of my hand. We were smack dab in the presence of the dazzling and vivid robust sun, and yet it was 3:48 in the morning.

How could it be 3 o’clock in the morning? Hours so close to midnight never looked like this before. I’d heard of the artic dwellers experiencing this phenomenon but never thought I’d see the wee hours like this. I was completely floored by the appearance of 3:48am from this vantage point.

I guess how you see midnight hours all depends on the perspective from which you take them in.

Perspectives

What’s yours regarding your husband? your children? your mother? your job? your house? today? tomorrow? I admit that entire seasons of my life have carried the typical darkness the 3am time frame normally depicts.

From my vantage point, singlehood was too long, then marriage too hard, and children too much work. From this angle, ministry is laborious and the details of life too meticulous and demanding. Isn’t that what the cloud cover of discontentment always does? Looking at life from this angle always seems to lend itself to the darkest possible version.

So we sit in the dark, thinking that life will get brighter when circumstances change. We are completely unaware that the glorious beauty of God’s plan and purposes are displayed even when . . . especially when . . . darkness is on the flip side.

So what can we say to . . .
The woman whose husband has revealed his affair
The husband who’s loving an alcoholic wife
The parent whose child was lost in an accident
The worker whose inbox just received a pink slip
The newlywed whose doctor says pregnancy is impossible
The teenager who’s not wanted in the clique
The woman who births a special needs child\
The friend that just found out she’s been betrayed in the worst possible way

Why did God—how could God—have allowed it? Really, no rational answer exists. We’ll most likely never fully understand. So until we see Him face to face, we must turn our perspective to take in the best possible view of these opaque days, to see them from God’s vantage point, and to relish His work in the wee hours.

Mary knew about the dark. That’s what is was when she arrived at the tomb on the first day of the week (John 20:1). From her perspective, she could imagine no horror worse than the one she beheld. She saw insult piled on top of injury. Before her lay an empty tomb. The stone had been rolled away, and the broken body of her Lord was gone. She wept in anguish and longed for that which it seemed she could not have. But then she heard her name, “Mary.” Her name only rolled off the tongue in that way from One person. So “she turned around.”

Hear that again. She turned around ... She turned … around.

Her newly focused gaze brought her face to face with the brilliance and the beauty of the risen Christ. What had just been empty was made full with one small but deliberate movement. A simple change of perspective changed her life.

This day I ask you to turn around—to turn your face away from the empty. I ask you to turn to the full, away from the dark and to the blinding light. I pray that God calls your name with such sweetness and authority in the midst of the darkness that you will not be able to help but see His face in your circumstances. A decision to change your perspective, my friend, can change your whole life.

May we be lifted by the wings of the Spirit through the clouds of contempt and complacency so that our eyes behold the greatest of this day and the rest of our lives. AMEN

Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: John 1:14-17

1. What circumstances in your life have made it difficult to detect that God's presence is with you?
2. How close does someone have to get to your life before he or she sees God?
3. How can you make it a practice to look for God in the regular, everyday rhythm of your life?
4. In what specific way has God changed your perspective about something you feel strongly about?

Answer a few of the questions by posting a comment

SEED 5 Bible Verses

Here is the Scripture for the week. You have been given 10 passages per week. Follow the Five P's of Hearing God Through the Bible.

Proverbs 22:3-5
2 Timothy 2:22-26
Psalm 1:1-3
2 Samuel 11:1-4
Genesis 19:15-17,26
Jeremiah 6:16
1 Peter 5:6-9
Romans 6:12-13
1 Peter 2:9-12
Genesis 39:7-12

Extra SEEDS
Psalm 110:30
Job 28:28
Psalm 34:14
Psalm 119:101
1 Corinthians 6:18
2 Corinthians 6:17
1 Timothy 6:11
2 Timothy 2:22

SEEDS ~ FIVE

"Sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."Genesis 4:7

Leashes Break and Dogs Bite

The morning was crisp and cool - perfect for a bike ride. I jumped out of bed around 7am, dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and jogging pants, and bolted out the back door. I had 30 minutes to be alone and ease into the day before my house became alive with the chatter of little ones. Anxious to get some exercise and spend a few valued moments talking with the Lord, I headed down the normal route through my old neighborhood, a collage of brick homes, sidewalks, and mature trees.

Nothing new about the path that day. I passed the same houses and the same driverless cars warming up for their owners on the tree-lined streets. When I rounded the final corner to head down the last stretch of road, I fully expected to see the man who had become a familiar fixture during my bike rides. Same time and same place, I’d pass this gentleman walking his two beautiful dogs; one black and one brown.

We’d grown used to our interchange, and each of us always did what was necessary. When I saw them, I’d immediately cross the street, and he’d stop to wait for me to pass. They owner would wind the leash tightly around his hand and pull back to restrain the black dog. For some reason, that one didn’t like me—or anyone else for that matter. Any person or object, living or inanimate, was subject to his cruel tantrums. While the gentle brown one didn’t seem to notice me or care, the black one became vicious at the sight of me. He’d lunge in my direction and snarl with an open mouth full of sharp teeth.

I wasn’t afraid. I’d grown used to this and appreciated my neighbor for being so trustworthy and polite in restraining that wild beast. Every day the same drill: I passed by while the dog barked in hopes of making an attack. I was sure this morning would be no different.

On this day the pleasantries between my neighbor and me were the same: the smile, the wave, the “good morning.” I began to cross the street to take my usual place on the other side while he pulled back on his livid dog. I didn’t glance back at them until I was on the opposite sidewalk, and when I did, I saw a sight I wasn’t prepared for. The crazed animal had lunged at me with so much force that his leash snapped, breaking the base. The dog was loose and racing feverishly across the street in my direction.

I began screaming at the top of my lungs as terror gripped my heart. I tried to speed up, but he was almost on my side of the road before I’d even realized he was coming. My feet kept pumping the pedals, but for some reason, I became strangely paralyzed. My right foot slipped off the worn rubber pad, and the bike tilted as I tried to hold steady. I swerved violently and came crashing down on the sidewalk just in time to come face to face with the dog that had rushed at me despite his owner’s frantic calls.

In an instant he lunged into my thigh, tearing through my jogging pants and taking out a small piece of flesh. He continued barking and terrorizing me for only a few more seconds before my neighbor finally made it across the road, tackling his dog to the ground. It seemed like an eternity had passed. Bike in hand, I limped the rest of the way home.

Shouldn’t I have known that at some point something like this was bound to happen? Leashes break, and dogs like this one eventually bite. How long could I pass by this animal and not expect to get into some trouble? Why did it take a frightening exchange and a hurtful bite to get me to realize that being this close to danger isn’t worth it? I should have chosen a new path long before this day ever arrived.

Why do I . . . why do we play with fire?

Do we really think the flimsy restraints and leashes we’ve put in place will keep holding up?

Nothing is new under the sun because Joseph learned this lesson long ago. He had a normal routine just like me. “Day after day” (Gen. 39:10) he found himself in the same place at the same time participating in the same activity - overseeing his employer’s personal wealth and fortune. From the early morning hours until the ones late in the day, his charge was to manage everything Potiphar owned. Joseph was trusted and had access to everything that Potiphar held dear.

Yet soon a dog starting barking, and it couldn't be ignored. Potiphar’s wife lusted for Joseph and began to request that he look after more than just her husband’s wealth. He saw the danger but did not act appropriately until it was too late. With the barking dog still in sight on the next sidewalk - yet with good and honest intentions each day - he played with fire. Day after day he refused to compromise while hoping the leash would hold fast. Yet the dog barked, showing its sharp teeth more and more. (See Gen. 39:7-8) Then one morning the leash broke.

“Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside...Then she spoke to him with these words, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” (Gen. 39:11-13,17-18)

With one swift lie, Potiphar’s wife took a huge bite out of Joseph’s reputation and his future. He was fired from his job and sentenced to a stint behind bars.

If only he’d run sooner. How his life would have been different had he chosen to walk down a different path!

Leashes break, and dogs bite. You can only walk down a road so close to that ferocious beast for so long before you are shocked by the position you find yourself in. Don’t play with fire whatever you fire may be - the flirtatious glances, the Internet site, the seductive temptation. It will not be too long before you wish you’d changed the path you traveled down. Your distance from danger may seem appropriate now, but if you can still see the dog and hear the intimidating growl, you are too close for comfort. Sin is crouching at the door, eager to engage you. So, turn away and go down a different road.

Make no mistake about it. Leashes will break, and the dogs like this one will bite.

Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: Romans 7:13 - 8:13

1. What is your normal way of responding when you "fall in a hole"?
2. Why do you think we sometimes stay in the hole longer than necessary? What makes getting out of the hole so difficult?
3. If you can share, what pitfalls or holes do you find yourself falling into repeatedly?
4. How do you relate to Paul's statements in Romans 7:15-17,25; 8:11?
5. What part does the Lord play in getting you out of your hole? What part do you play?

Answer a few of the questions by posting a comment

SEED 4 Bible Verses

Here is the Scripture for the week. You have been given 10 passages per week. Follow the Five P's of Hearing God Through the Bible.

1 Samuel 17:23-26
Isaiah 50:7-9
Zechariah 4:6-7
1 Peter 4:10-11
Judges 6:12-16
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Jeremiah 1:6-9
Matthew 25:14-29

Extra SEEDS
Proverbs 28:1
Philippians 4:13
Isaiah 40:29
Matthew 25:14-30
1 Corinthians 3:9-15
Luke 19:11
Romans 8:31
Ephesians 1:16-20
Psalm 22:23
Luke 19:13
Ephesians 6:10
2 Corinthians 13:4

SEED 4 ~ Armor

“For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the forces of evil in the heavens.” -Ephesians 6:12

Stage Fright

The tiny hairs on the nape of my neck stood at attention. My cold and clammy palms twitched rhythmically. My chest felt burdened as if it might suffocate under the pressure of the mound of escalating, odious emotion. I’d seen this side of myself before. It had appeared on several other occasions when Fear had shown up at the door and barged his way in. He’d curled up beside me,along with his twin brother Intimidation who’d slipped in almost unnoticed. He put his feet up on the coffee table beside my teaching notes.

He stared at them.

I stared at him.

Then his eyes caught mine long enough for him to see
behind their glassy surface and deep into the depths of my heart. The smirk curling at the end of his crooked jaw made me look away, ashamed.

Now he knew for sure he’d gotten to me, just like he did the last time.

As if on cue, Fear took off his coat and sauntered across the room to hang it on the hook in the corner. He kicked off his shoes and then cracked his knuckles like a pianist limbering up for a masterful musical rendition. He grabbed my hand and intertwining my fingers into his, he whispered, “We’re here to stay a while.”

I hung my head. I couldn’t believe they were here. Again. Like the pushy guests they are, Fear and Intimidation had invited themselves over. I felt violated; yet as always, I was too upset to realize the power I had to send them away.

That was the way this saga always played out for me, and their intrusions were getting worse. These visitors didn’t show up on rare occasion anymore, like in-laws popping over for a surprise visit during the holidays. They’d moved in, carrying all the baggage that guests like these always do.

This time, as I sat there, slowly sinking into an oversized sofa tucked in a dimly lit green room just off stage, they refused to realize that they’d long worn out their welcome.

Some have called this stage fright. I call it sheer terror.

I had prepared a message to deliver to the 2,000+ women who had gathered, and I could hear the group roar with laughter and applause as they prepared to receive me. This was a great group, sitting on the edge of their seats ready to hear from God. Yet I was nothing short of terrified to walk out on the platform. My stomach churned like the old ice cream maker my momma would pull out on hot summer days. My legs wobbled, and my breath became shallow. The knot in my throat was so tightly strung I thought it’d take a clever magician to unravel it.

I was sure that my normally booming voice would never reach clarity once I stepped in front of these precious women. To be honest, I didn’t know for sure that I wouldn’t make a run for it once that solitary beam of the spot light illumined my presence in the otherwise blackened auditorium.

(Note to self: Check for the nearest exits.)

I saw a survey somewhere that said people feared public speaking more than death itself, I laughed the first time I read it. I couldn't fathom the notion of someone volunteering for the guillotine just to avoid facing a spotlight and a crowd. Now, somehow, I was fully convinced. I’d opt for the noose.

This event marked a series of similar instances over the course of six months during which I endured the most grueling battle against fear I have faced in my life. At this point, I’d been a speaker for almost a decade, and yet someway, somehow, fear had begun to grip me with an unfamiliar intensity.

At first I thought I’d just get over it, but then time passed and I realized that this mountain was both too high and too steep for even the most skilled climber to scale. I called a mentor for direction. He wisely informed me that this kind of fear (the kind that refuses to leave) was not a mere emotion to deal with but a spiritual stronghold to demolish. Unless I fought for my freedom, I’d find the bondage would only continue.

I prepared for war and went to the battlefield in spiritual armor. Scripture became my offensive weapon to fight against the enemy of my soul for territory he was trying to desperately to win. The lies that were paralyzing me had to be replaced by God’s truth. I literally spoke God’s Word to myself until I changed my own mind.

I was tired of Fear and Intimidation ringing my doorbell at all hours of the day or night and leaving their footprints across my floor. The more I struggled, the more I realized they were on assignment from an enemy who’s always been working to keep me from my God-given destiny. The enemy wanted the guillotine for God’s destiny for my life.

And he wants the same for you.

He seeks to get you so comfortable keeping house with his two favorite intruders that you’ll be too busy keeping up with them to notice what they’re keeping from you. Without recognizing the demonic strategy, many of us shrink back in despair and allow Fear and Intimidation to have their way with us.

Before we know it, we have abandoned our calling and traded in the abundant life for a mundane one.

It’s time to send these unwanted guests packing. They may still knock, but we can refuse to let them in. No more stage fright for us. We’re walking onto the center stage of God’s will — smack dab in the middle of God’s purpose.

This doesn’t mean we won’t have butterflies anymore. It does mean now they’ll at least fly in formation. We’ve got new guests to entertain. The Competence and Adequacy that come directly from God’s Spirit (2 Cor. 3:5-6) are ready to make our
acquaintance. No more excuses, and no more fear. I’m ready for God’s best. You too? Then quit standing back there looking for the nearest exit. Get moving! The stage of God’s plan is divinely lit just for you, and a crowd of people need what you’re offering.

Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

1. Sometimes we live as if the enemy doesn't exist. In what areas of your life have you let down your guard?
2. In what ways have you noticed the enemy trying to thwart your progress lately?
3. What do you think he is trying to keep you from accomplishing?
4. Consider the armor of God passage (Eph 6) and contemplate how each piece can be used practically in the life of a believer.

Answer a few of the questions by posting a comment

SEEDS Bible Study

Hope you are enjoying your Bible study.

We are taking this week off.

What is one thing that has meant the most to you in the last 3 weeks?

What is God trying to show you? Are you listening?

Have a great week.
Next Wednesday we will be looking at ARMOR

Blessings

SEED 3 Bible Verses

Here is the Scripture for the week. You have been given 10 passages per week. Follow the Five P's of Hearing God Through the Bible.

Philippians 2:5-9
Matthew 20:25-28
Joshua 1:7-8
Matthew 8:5-10
1 Peter 2:18-20
Matthew 26:38-39
John 19:10-11
1 Peter 2:13-17
Hebrews 13:17
2 Kings 5:9-14

Extra SEEDS
God has the ultimate authority.
Proverbs 21:1
Job 23:13
Job 42:2
Psalm 135:6
Isaiah 14:27
Isaiah 45:9
1 Corinthians 11:3
Daniel 2:21

Husband and wives
Ephesians 5:22,25,28,33
Colossians 3:18-19
1 Peter 3:7
Ephesians 5:25-29

Children and parents
Joshua 24:15
Ephesians 6:4
Genesis 18:19
Ephesians 6:2-3
Deuteronomy 5:16
John 5:19
Ephesians 5:21
Ephesians 1:22-23
1 Corinthians 16:15-16

Jesus’ example
John 13:4-15

SEED 3 ~ Control

"[Jesus] did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage." Philippians 2:6

Fully Surrendered
Two thousand pounds.

That’s how much he weighs. He’s a well-kept, massive
animal with a gorgeous coat that glistens like soft sequins when touched by the sunlight. Accented by a long, jet-black mane, he draws the admiration of many. Every step reveals sinewy muscle that flexes with each move of his chestnut-colored body. The biggest of all the horses in the stable, he is indeed a sight to behold.

When he comes out into the open arena, it’s common to hear someone catch his or her breath. He’s immense, tall, and wide. His name is Goliath.

When my brother Anthony first laid eyes on him, he had to have him. A horse lover since he was a youngster, Anthony could only stare at this colossal creature and hope that he’d be able to take him home. After a bit of negotiation, he found that he could.

And he did.

When his prized animal stepped out of the trailer onto the new grounds that he’d now call home, my brother led him directly to the round pen. It’s a small patch of bare ground about 60 feet in diameter outlined by a three-board wooden fence. Compared to the wide, open spaces where the horses run loose, it’s tiny. It has to be because this pen is for training.

As beautiful as this horse was, he’d be useless, not to mention dangerous, unless he knew, understood, and complied with the pecking order in his new environment. In fact, his gargantuan size made this even more important. He could easily muscle his way out of any circumstance he wanted to (it’s clear when you’re standing next to him who has the upper hand), so a sense of compliance and a willingness to yield to his trainer was paramount.

I watched while Anthony trained. He stood in the center of the pen as the horse circled him, running around and around the edges of the ring. Finally, Anthony yelled “Whoa! Whoa!” The gallop slowed to a canter, then to a trot, and finally a walk. When cued, Goliath stopped abruptly, and Anthony worked to get him to turn his attention to the center of the ring and walk directly to his outstretched hand. He didn’t get it at first . . . or second or third.

For one full hour I stood on the outside of the round pen with my foot perched up on one of the wooden slats, elbows out, chin in my hand, resting on the top one, as they rhythmically went through this routine.

“It’s critical,” Anthony yelled over to me. “If we don’t get this right, neither one of use will enjoy each other’s company. If he doesn’t learn to corral his strength, then he’ll be too dangerous to ride. Learning to yield is paramount.”

Corralling our strength.
This exercise wasn’t about stripping him of power but about teaching him to control it and yield to legitimate authority.

Yielding to authority.

These are hard notions to comprehend. Our human nature seems to demand the opposite. We yearn to use every bit of our potential whenever and however we choose.

We’ve grown to feel that this is our right: to assert
ourselves at our own bidding. “Why else would we have been given the strength and potential that we have?” we reason to ourselves. And yet the One with all power in the palm of His hand seemed to live differently:

Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being (see Phil. 2:6-7).

Can you imagine how much Jesus “weighed” - with all that influence, power, authority, majesty, honor, wisdom, and heavenly supremacy at His disposal? Yet the most powerful man of all gave up the right to utilize and flaunt that authority. He chose rather to submit to the will of His Father and to demonstrate His care to those He loved. He chose not to take full opportunity of the power that was rightfully His nor to override the authority of His Father’s will. He did so in order that He might display to us a principle He knew full well would be a difficult yet necessary code for us to live by.

If He could willingly choose to submit to the will of His Father, which He knew would even include the most gruesome of all deaths, shouldn’t we?

Every man and every women
Every married couple and every single
Every employee and every boss
Every child and every parent
Every citizen and every government authority
Every congregant and every shepherd

No power worth flaunting and no authority worth usurping will give any of us the amount of satisfaction and enjoyment that comes from aligning with the divine design established by God before the foundation of the world. “It’s critical,” the Spirit whispers underneath the rebellious protests of the ever-changing cultural tide, “learning to yield is paramount.”

Into the round pen of God’s Word we go. Sure it seems a bit narrow compared to the wide, open spaces our culture stretches out before us to roam in. Yet the One who purchased us stands in the center. He calls men and women, young and old alike. No matter our power or strength or position, we can only experience freedom in His presence.

See His arm outstretched.

Hear His voice saying, “Come.”

He’ll teach us to have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had (Phil. 2:5-7) so we might reap the full enjoyment and benefit of lives well ordered and fully surrendered.

Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1-3

1. What feelings do the words submission and control conjure up for you?
2. What are some areas where you feel a compulsion to control when you are supposed to yield?
3. The need to control is often rooted in fear. What fears cause you to desire control?
4. Why do we so often fight being under the control or authority of someone?
5. In what relationships do you need to relax and let someone else lead?
6. What may happen (good or bad) if you let someone else lead? What may happen (good or bad) if you refuse to let someone else lead?
7. How do you need to relinquish control of your relationship to God so He can steer instead of you?

Answer a few of the questions by posting a comment

SEED 2 Bible Verses

Here is the Scripture for the week. You have been given 10 passages per week. Follow the Five P's of Hearing God Through the Bible.

Exodus 4:10-13
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
Isaiah 50:4-5
Judges 6:14-16
1 Kings 17:8-16
2 Peter 1:2-3
Psalm 84:11-12
Matthew 14:15-20
Philippians 4:19
Haggai 2:3-5,9

Extra SEEDS
Jeremiah 1:9
Matthew 10:19
Mark 13:11
Luke 12:12
Job 12:13
Proverbs 2:6
1 Kings 4:29
Philippians 2:13-14
Psalm 84:11
2 Chronicles 13:14-18

SEED 2 ~ Enough

"And the LORD said to Gideon, 'I will deliver you with the 300.'"
Judges 7:7

The 300
In the mid-fifth century before Christ a tiny Greek army led by King Leonidas and 300Spartan warriors fought an invading Persian army estimated between 80,000 and 290,000men. In a slender canyon at the battle of Thermopylae the Greeks held the huge Persian force at bay for seven days until they were betrayed by a Greek traitor.

Centuries later the idea of so few soldiers holding their own against a vast, military kingdom captured the attention of Hollywood. The result was a multi-million dollar visual extravaganza that had moviegoers glued to the screen.

We’re captivated when someone does the seemingly impossible. We love it when the underdog comes out on top. When we learn of their stories, we somehow take on a bit of their strength and own some of their courage. We grid ourselves in their armor, take up their bow, and suddenly feel that a bit of their victory has become our own.

King Leonidas wasn’t the first leader of 300. The other 300 were the originals. Hollywood hasn’t come knocking for their story. Maybe we have a bit more trouble visualizing it, but the account is brilliantly recorded in the Book of Judges.

Gideon, the commander-in-chief, led a vast army of Israelites. Their ranks initially numbered more than 30,000 and were chomping at the bit to slay the Midianites. Then God dwindled Gideon’s army down—not once, but twice.

God didn’t pare the army down by a small amount. This reduction in force numbered in the thousands. First God cut the army from more than thirty thousand to ten thousand. Then from ten thousand the army dropped to just a few hundred—three to
be exact.

Imagine how Gideon’s eyes widened with surprise. Picture the beads of sweat forming on his brow. Hear his loud heartbeat quicken and pound in his chest. Imagine his nerves teetering on the emotional edge. Envision the barrage of questions swimming around in his head. Yet Gideon went to war with these remaining 300 because in the end, these forces were like no other grouping of soldiers.

This was God’s 300.

With this small yet divinely ordained group, Gideon forged ahead and claimed a victory. Who know so much could be accomplished with so little?

Are you running on empty?
Are you tired? Have your circumstances diminished your resources? Are you looking at what remains and wondering how you have any chance of doing so much with so little? Hear the words of our Lord to you, valiant warrior: “I will deliver you with the 300.”

Your 300 seem so few, don’t they? What you have seems so little, especially when you face such obstacles and must climb mountainous circumstances.

Here’s the secret: You’re better off with God’s 300 than your own 30,000 because His deliverance is only guaranteed to come through His supply. Bigger isn’t always better. More is vastly overrated. Believe it or not, you have exactly what you need in time, gifts, talents, provision, and spiritual resources. In fact, He has graciously “granted to [you] everything pertaining to life and godliness”
(2 Peter 1:3)

Everything.

So, onward soldier. It’s the 300.

It’s God’s 300.

And it’s enough.

Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: Psalm 84; Philippians 4

1. How many times a week do you worry about having enough?
2. What has your concern kept you from participating in?
3. What influencers in your life prompt you to feel unsatisfied and to want more than what God provides for you?
4. What is on your wish list with God that He has not chosen to give you right now? Consider this in light of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
5. Read God’s promise in Psalm 84:11. What about your life makes this easy or difficult to believe?
6. Why do you think we are all prone to worry? What practical steps can we take to more effectively obey Matthew 6:25-34?
7. In what ways does God supply all your needs (Phil. 4:19)? How does trust enter into this equation?
8. Paul didn’t say God would supply all of my wants. How do you see the difference between wants and needs?

Answer a few of the questions by posting a comment

SEED 1 Bible Verses

Here is the Scripture for the week. You have been given 10 passages per week. Follow the Five P's of Hearing God Through the Bible.

Matthew 6:1-4
John 7:3-5,8-9
Exodus 1:16-17,20-21
Matthew 23:11-12
Isaiah 49:2-4
John 17:4
Matthew 25:34-40
1 Corinthians 15:58
1 Samuel 16:7
Luke 12:2-3

Extra SEEDS
Matthew 6:5-6,17-18
Galatians 4:11;6:9-10
Colossians 3:17
2 Thessalonians 3:13
Hebrews 6:10; 12:2; 13:16
Job 34:21
Psalms 11:4; 33:13-15; 38:9; 44:21; 139:1-3
Proverbs 5:21; 15:3; 24:12
Isaiah 45:3
Jeremiah 32:19
1 Corinthians 4:5

SEED 1 ~ Forgotten

“Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
-Matthew 6:4

The Secret Seer
Only 8am and I already felt exhausted. I rolled over on my soft pillow and squinted— by eyes trying to focus on the bright sun-split sky that peeked through the slivers in the shades. Was it morning already?
I groaned and covered my face with a blanket. I felt spent. Energy totally depleted. Felt like I’d gotten in bed only moments ago.

Hmmmmm. I had.

The evening before we’d tucked the boys into their beds at their normal bedtimes. Everyone had fallen asleep soundly. I jumped into bed shortly after in hopes of a full night of rest. But that wouldn’t be. Jude, who was one year old at the time, awoke shortly after midnight. He belted out a scream that could have waked the neighborhood. I raced in to check on him but quickly found that there was nothing wrong. He was just . . .up.

Surely a few moments of rocking would put him at ease and back to sleep.

I rocked. I sang. I swayed. I patted. I purred. I rubbed. I paced.

Those moments turned to half-hours. Half hours turned into full ones, four to be exact. These were hours I didn’t care to visit. You know them, the wee ones—dark, quiet, still, lonely. I paced the floor, trying to keep the others from waking. Those were isolating, lonesome moments. No one patted me on the back for encouragement. No one cheered me on to the finish. No one
observed and applauded my faithful mothering.

Just me and him in the unseen, unnoticed midnight hours. We finally tumbled into bed together at 4am - baby tucked in the crook of my elbow.

Eventually, he dozed . . . eventually.

Unnoticed giving. Giving in secret. Expending extra time, extra energy, extra resources, extra emotional concern—essentially everything with little notice from others. It can all seem so unappreciated sometimes, can’t it? So unnoticed. So undervalued.

Yes, I know. It might have seemed so that forlorn night if God’s Spirit hadn’t had something to say about it.“Priscilla, I’m the Secret Seer,” He whispered just as I began to doze off. “The unnoticed gifts you give are in My full view, and I take pleasure in dispensing reward.”

What’s the secret gift you’ve been giving away?
Maybe you’ve not paced the floor in the wee hours with a wee one lately, but you’ve been giving, haven’t you? That final detail you made certain was finished, the financial gift you slid under the door, the prayer you lifted up for another, the want you sacrificed to meet someone else’s need. You’ve been the unnamed, secret
soldier who’s marched in and left footprints of love on the landscape of someone’s life.

Have you wondered if it’s worth it when you walk away and not one say’s “Thank you”? Have you questioned the energy it required when you come back home feeling a bit spent? Have you wanted to take it back when those invested hours seemed to yield little dividends?

I have good news for you, weary secret giver: There is a Secret Seer. Oh yes, Someone sees, and He is not a mere human whose accolades would dissipate as easily as the curling smoke that appears at the meeting of warm breath with cold air. This one gives grand, vast, and eternal gifts.

Take courage, secret soldier. He saw the good deed, the extended hand, the opened heart, the generous act that you thought had gone unnoted and unobserved.

That which you’ve depleted He will return - pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

In fact, it seems that knowing gifts like these are offered to secret givers should not only cause us to rest easy in what we’ve already done but to look for opportunities to do it again and again. Knowing the Secret Seer prompts us to give undercover. To share unnamed. To offer without notice.

Secret servants seem to have a special place in the heart of the Servant Savior.

If you feel unnoticed, unappreciated, and overlooked, just lift up your eyes, and your gaze will fall on the eyes of the Holy One. He is watching every opportunity you’ve grasped, every gift you’ve offered, every undisclosed detail you’ve set straight. He has taken note and promises a reward - one that surpasses mere human attention and applause - the only reward worth receiving anyway.

Discussion Questions:
Background Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:4-8

1. What kind of circumstances cause you to feel forgotten?
2. How do you react when you feel overlooked?
3. Where else in Scripture do you see the Lord showing that He cares for the “forgotten”?
4. What are some practical ways God’s care has encouraged you when you feel like a fifth sparrow?
5. Dig more into the context of Luke 12. In what personal ways do verses 20-30 speak to you about worry?
6. In what way have you overlooked someone lately? How can you be careful to cause this person to feel valued going forward?
7. You are valuable, but how do you show other people around you that they are valuable too?

Answer a few of the questions by posting a comment

The Five P's

1. Position Yourself to Hear from God
Engage in solitude and silence, and approach the text with anticipation, expecting God to speak to you.

2. Pore Over the Passage and Paraphrase the Major Points
Don’t just skim the passage. Take your time and meditate on it. Read the passage a few times, emphasizing different words in the verse each time. If a certain word or phrase speaks to you, don’t ignore it. Stop and consider why it is meaningful. This is how the Spirit speaks. He connects Scripture to the details of our lives.

If the passage allows, put yourself in the Scripture and see yourself in the story. If one verse seems to resonate with you, don’t worry about finishing the rest—just stay in the passage, and let the Spirit speak to you. As you meditate on Scripture, consider the context. What takes place both before and after the passage?

After you meditated on the verse(s), use the space given to paraphrase each verse. In just one or two simple sentences, summarize what is happening. These questions might help you to get the most out of each verse selection as you pore over the passage:

*Who are the major participants?
*What are they doing? Saying?
*Where are they going?

3. Pull Out the Spiritual Principles
Close your Bible and look at your paraphrases. For each one spiritualize the major point. What is God teaching? What is He revealing about Himself? Is there a command to be followed? Is there a promise to be regarded? Write them down.

4. Pose the Question
Turn each spiritual principle that you listed above into a personally directed question. Ask yourself questions that will help you come to these conclusions:

*Am I living in a way that coincides with the message of this verse?
*Is anything in my life contradicting this passage?
*What do I need to do to bring my life in line with this verse?

As you sit in God’s presence with these questions, record what you begin to hear the Spirit encouraging you, convicting you, challenging you, or inspiring you to do.

5. Plan Obedience and Pin Down a Date
Determine the steps you can take to immediately begin responding to what God has said to you, and put them into practice immediately. If obedience requires you to do something specific, record a date and time you will follow through. Let someone else know about your plan so you can be held accountable.

Are YOU ready? Let’s Go

Welcome!

So glad you are joining us this summer for our SEEDS Bible study.

Jesus told about a sower who planted a seed that yielded a hundred-fold harvest. The SEED in His story is the Word of GOd. Living and powerful. Capable of producing an astounding harvest in your life.

SEED is a unique Bible study experience for those who long to dive deeply into the Scriptures. Join us as we learn six distinct spiritual principles. As God's spirit shines the searchlight of conviction, comfort, and challenge on the reality of your circumstances, you will hear His voice in an intimate and pracitical way. You'll walk away from this study with a revitalized relationship with the Lord and renewed interest for His Word.

Join us each Wednesday as we will update the study for the week. You will be joining a group of women meeting in at Divine Shepherd in Omaha, NE. We look forward to hearing what you have to share on these studies.

So, you may be asking how you participate on online study?
Similar to a church small group, we'll ask questions about the current lesson. Please post a comment and answer or ask another question. We'll also accept any prayer requests and support you in your study. We learn from one another, so every question and comment is helpful. Please participate in the discussions.

To start us off, let's introduce ourselves.
Please tell us your name, where you are from and what you would like to take away from this summer Bible study?

I look forward to "meeting" you
Blessings on your journey with us this summer
Kami