Women's Bible Study - September 13th, 2023

In one paragraph

Deborah opened by connecting the theme of the worship time, rooting in Christ, to a larger question: what does it actually look like to stay anchored in truth when the world around us is pulling in every direction? She traced a three-part pattern that Christians have followed for centuries, and worked through each step with scripture, personal story, and plain talk about what is happening in...

Read together

1. John 18:35 Pilate asks Jesus what he has done, unable to understand why his own people handed him over
2. John 18:37 Jesus says the reason he was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth
3. John 1:17 we received the law from Moses but God gave us truth and love through Jesus
4. John 8 Jesus tells those in the temple they are truly his disciples if they remain faithful to his teachings, and the truth will set them free
5. 2 Timothy 3 Paul warns Timothy of difficult times in the last days, describing people who love themselves and money, scoff at God, and love pleasure more than God
6. Romans 12 Paul tells believers to stop copying the customs of this world and let God transform them by changing the way they think

Talk about it

1. Deborah described Dallas Willard's one-word description of Jesus as 'relaxed,' and connected that to the idea that we can relax in God's divine control. What do you tend to reach for as your own defense instead of trusting God, and what would it look like practically to let Him be that defense?
2. Deborah shared that a decade of chasing the American dream left her miserable and empty, and that returning to the Lord started with a phone call and a neighbor named Brenda. Who or what has God used in your life to call you back to truth, and how did you respond at the time?
3. Deborah said that every sin starts with believing a lie, and that wrong beliefs lead to wrong actions and eventually to bondage. Can you think of a time when a lie you believed led you somewhere you did not want to go? What truth from God eventually replaced it?
4. Deborah pointed to Paul's warning in 2 Timothy 3 about difficult times in the last days and said he was talking about the church, not just the outside world. Which of the characteristics Paul listed do you see creeping into your own life or church community, and what does it look like to purge those out?
5. Deborah closed by saying God is calling each of us to be salt and light right where we are, and that we do not need a platform for that. What is one specific situation in your neighborhood, workplace or family where you feel God might be nudging you to speak truth with love?