Women's Bible Study - September 14th, 2022

In one paragraph

This was a women's Bible study session taught by Deborah at First Baptist Jackson. She built on the previous week's framework that what we believe about God shapes the condition of our lives, then took the group into Exodus 3 to look at what God revealed about himself to Moses and why it matters for how we live now. Deborah opened by returning to the formula introduced the week before: adversity...

Read together

1. Exodus 3 Key verse source about God seeing and hearing the misery of the Israelites in Egypt
2. Exodus 3 (specific verse with the Lord's words about misery of people in Egypt) Quoted directly: God hears, sees, cares and wants to rescue His people from Egypt
3. Romans 6:23 Paul's statement that sin brings death but the gift of God brings eternal life
4. Exodus 3 (Moses and the burning bush exchange) God tells Moses 'I am who I am' and to tell the Israelites 'I am has sent me to you'
5. Psalm 92 Quoted to establish God's eternal nature: before the mountains were born, from beginning to end, God is God
6. John 5:26 Amplified version quoted to show God and Jesus are self-existent, having life in themselves
7. Genesis 1:1-2 Referenced to show the Spirit hovering over the waters at creation, supporting God's non-material pre-existence
8. Matthew 1 (angel appearing to Joseph) Angel tells Joseph to name the child Jesus because He will save His people, connecting to Yahweh saves
9. John 8:58 Jesus says 'Before Abraham, I am' in the temple, leading people to pick up stones
10. Exodus 32 The people ask Aaron to make gods while Moses is on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments
11. Exodus 34 (Lord passing before Moses declaring His name) God declares Himself compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, quick to forgive

Talk about it

1. Deborah described the formula 'A plus B equals C,' where what we believe about our problems matters more than the problems themselves. What is a belief about God that you have found yourself returning to in a hard season, and how has it affected how you handled what you were going through?
2. Deborah shared the Cherokee story of two wolves and said the evil wolf represents the false self, the lies the enemy whispers, while the good wolf represents the Holy Spirit of truth. What are some of the false narratives you find yourself feeding, even without meaning to, and what has helped you stop?
3. Deborah talked about Moses asking God, 'Who am I for this task?' and said God did not give Moses a self-esteem lesson. Instead God simply said, 'I am that I am will be with you.' When have you felt unqualified for something God was asking of you, and what difference did it make to focus on who God is rather than who you are?
4. Deborah pointed out that God revealed the name Yahweh, the eternal and self-existent one, as both a declaration and an invitation to Moses and the Israelites. What does it mean to you personally that God chose to share His name, and how does that change the way you think about your relationship with Him?
5. Deborah described Moses asking to see God's glory after already experiencing so much of His faithfulness, and she prayed that each woman would ask for a glimpse of God's glory in the coming week. What does asking to see God's glory look like in your everyday life, and what has stopped you from asking for more of Him?