Women's Bible Study - September 20th, 2023

In one paragraph

Deborah taught from John 15 and the story of Mary and Martha, pressing into the question of why so many people who say they follow Jesus don't seem to change. She argued that real transformation comes not from a one-time decision but from daily habits, the spiritual disciplines, that close the gap between us and Christ. The sermon was part of an ongoing study on being rooted in Jesus. Deborah...

Read together

1. Romans 8:38-39 nothing shall separate us from the love of God, not death nor life nor angels nor demons
2. Colossians 1:20 Christ's blood has brought us near to the Father
3. Matthew 7:13-14 enter through the narrow gate, wide is the road that leads to destruction, narrow is the road that leads to life
4. Romans 12 cutting off the ways of this world
5. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 if you don't work, you don't eat
6. Luke 10:38-42 Martha distracted by dinner while Mary sat at Jesus's feet; one thing matters and Mary has found it
7. John 15:4-11 remain in me and I will remain in you, apart from me you can do nothing, you will be filled with joy
8. Psalm 40 David stuck in muck and mire, the Lord lifted him out of the slimy pit and set his feet on a rock
9. Psalm 23 scripture worth memorizing, turned to many times in life
10. 1 Corinthians 13 memorized before parents' visit to practice patience and kindness
11. Psalm 16 David declares God is his Lord, his inheritance, always beside him, will not leave him in the grave

Talk about it

1. Deborah said that the narrow gate in Matthew 7 is not about your eternal destiny but about the entrance to a new way of living after you follow Jesus. What does that distinction mean to you personally, and how does it change the way you think about discipleship?
2. Deborah drew a parallel between the German church staying silent in the 1930s and the American church today. Where do you feel the tension between staying quiet to avoid conflict and speaking up about things that matter, and how do you navigate that in your own life?
3. Deborah said Mary chose to sit at Jesus's feet not because she was irresponsible but because she had already tasted how good he was and wanted more. Have there been moments in your own life when you tasted something real in your relationship with Jesus that made you hungry for more? What brought that about?
4. Deborah described spiritual disciplines as practices that close the gap between you and Jesus, and she shared how memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 before her parents' visit changed how she responded to her father. Which of the spiritual disciplines on the handout feels most out of reach for you right now, and what is one small thing you could do this week to move toward it?
5. Deborah said we are what we love, and we love what we do, meaning our everyday habits are quietly forming the person we are becoming. When you take an honest inventory of how you spent your time and energy this past week, what does that inventory tell you about what you actually love?