O Happy Day, Dear Summer Siesta Bible Study Group! Hopefully you’ll grab ten or so minutes to watch the video greeting. If you have Internet access at your group gathering and can watch it together, that’s even better. I always want to put your discussion instructions in print, however, so that you don’t have to take dictation from my fast talking. REMEMBER, PLEASE DON’T RESPOND TO THIS POST UNTIL AFTER YOUR GATHERING. ALL COMMENTS ARE MEANT TO FOLLOW YOUR TUESDAY MEETINGS AS OUR (YOUR AND MY) WAY OF DISCUSSION AND INTERACTION. Thanks so much for your cooperation because this approach is a must to make the most of our Bible study blog experience. It needs organization to work effectively on such a wide scale. OK, young ladies, here goes!
1. Based on Week One, discuss what a functional god is and how an idol has functioned for you. In other words, what made it work?
The remaining three are based on Week Two:
2. Turn to p.39 of your workbook. Kelly had us read 1 Peter 2:9-12 and reminded us that we were meant to be peculiar people. Reread her words.
Now, in class today do an acrostic of the word “peculiar” based on various ways Christ has set us apart. In other words, come up with one word that begins with a “p,” then another that begins with an “e,” “c,” and so on.
3. Turn to p. 41. Recall our reading out of Genesis 21:1-6. Listen to verse 6. I especially love the New English Translation: “God has made me laugh.” Share something today with the group that God has done for you that brought you such joy or such a turnaround that it was laughable.
4. Lastly, turn to p. 49 for what I thought was one of the most powerful moments of the entire second week. Kelly said “Fear protects our idols”! How? Discuss that!
I hope that’s some good stuff for your Tuesday discussions. I am so glad we are studying together! You are one of my favorite classes EVER! Let me know (briefly so we can read them all!) how it goes! I love you so, so much. No kidding. You’ve become an important part of my life and this ministry. The whole LPM staff has gotten on board in serving you now. Study on, Siestas!
Confession time-
I did not view the video in its entirety and therefore don’t get all these great comments! I will certainly go back and view it now!
Our group really enjoyed the pound cake – which when you consider there was no chocolate involved was truly a miracle from God! It was soooo yummalicious!
We spent some time talking about what we see when we mentally picture a “Christian” and whether that image is something we can ever even accomplish being, or if the image is something we even want to be. This stemmed from talking about “identity in Christ” versus “our own identity” and how much we (okay, I) struggle with wanting to be in charge of who I am.
Certainly getting loads out of this experience – didn’t expect anything less! Thanks to all for your contributions –
Erin
Confession time-
I did not view the video in its entirety and therefore don’t get all these great comments! I will certainly go back and view it now!
Our group really enjoyed the pound cake – which when you consider there was no chocolate involved was truly a miracle from God! It was soooo yummalicious!
We spent some time talking about what we see when we mentally picture a “Christian” and whether that image is something we can ever even accomplish being, or if the image is something we even want to be. This stemmed from talking about “identity in Christ” versus “our own identity” and how much we (okay, I) struggle with wanting to be in charge of who I am.
Certainly getting loads out of this experience – didn’t expect anything less! Thanks to all for your contributions –
Erin
Amanda, Melissa, Beth: I am going solo on this study and missing my small group support – will recommend this study for us in the fall. On page 45 dealing with pain, Kelly writes “…though He brings pain, it is always for our good.” Kelly writes she hopes we don’t read this wrong. Count on me to do just that! God does not bring us pain does He? He is goodness and light through His Son. Pain to me is dark and therefore not from God. He may use our pain for our good, but He is never the source of our pain. Am I waaay off on this?
Thanks. Jamie (upstate NY)
Well, everyone has had our words to the acrostic so the only thing new to post from us is the laughter my sister and I shared when Kelly said “we bigin to look like our gods” and I said, “Then of course, since my house is one of my gods that’s why I look large and square!” Food is my main god, we spend almost every waking hour either preparing it, eating it, cleaning up from it and then shopping to buy more. To say I am focused on it is putting it mildly.
I am always on a diet and cannot even imagine enjoying pizza and pound cake while asking God to deliver me from an addiction to food. HELP! Is anyone else having the same conflict in this study?
I never put a bite of anything in my mouth in complete peace.
I know I am a little late in posting…we have a very loose knit ‘group’, if it can be called that. And we are all on different days and because of distance (one is in Japan) we don’t meet together. It is killing me to wait for them to get through week two which was so powerful. I would love to join in with some of the forums but hate to admit that I can not figure out how to find them! :~) Even when I type the address given into my google search I don’t come up with them. Any help there would be greatly appreciated!
But I so agree with so many of the posts and am so encouraged by the acroustics!
Questions 1 and 4 go together for me. Trying to protect my daughters and feel it is my responsibility to be their protector. Fear of them being hurt of course keeps me from giving up that idol and for the most part has “worked”.
But this year as God has been working for me to see that indeed I am powerless to really protect them! He has shown me that no only was I powerless to keep them from getting serioulsy ill, I was also powerless to either make them well or even know what it was that caused what it. Their lives are totally and completely in His hands!
There are many other idols and the fear that guards them for me but they have already been mentioned by siesta’s – which is by the way – somehow comforting that I am not alone – though I surely feel it!
What a God-stop for this summer! thanks for suggesting and doing this!
mk
3. A year ago June, I spent a good amount of time in the Word preparing a presentation; I was the speaker at a mother-daughter banquet. The day after that talk was Father’s Day and my husband and I had the worst argument in our marriage that challenged much of what I had just taught: he wanted #3 and I did not. After months of being alone due to deployments and no hope for any increase in his time at home, I was weary and not at all impressed with his desire. I sincerely prayed about it for a long time and still wasn’t persuaded. Sept. 20: I hauled #s 1 & 2 to the local Food Lion and had to ask for a pregnancy test from behind the counter. It was positive, so I took another with the same results and certainly wasn’t laughing. I cried for a week. We had been teaching out of Jonah and the verse that I clung to during this pregnancy was 2:8- Those that cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. So there went my new fall wardrobe, a cute purse instead of a diaper bag, big kid undies instead of diapers… It was a struggle for me as I felt guilty that there are so many who want one/another and can’t, that I desired such petty things, that I really don’t like being pregnant… A month ago we welcomed Hannah Grace into our family- Grace partly because of that verse. Just the other night we looked up what Hannah meant and it means “favor/grace.” Isn’t that just like God to give me double portions of something I totally don’t deserve! He’s something else!
T.G.
Fear of people and what others think, fear of being rejected by Christians. I am really scared and this bible study is turning me inside out and upside down. But it’s awesome and scary. I think when it all comes down to it my fears ARE my idols, I am keeping my fears around and they are functional for me so that I don’t have to fellowship with others I am so afraid of, mainly people who do this bible study. that’s why I am going solo. It’s not you it’s me. I am getting it! Angela
I wanted to comment on the question from page 49. I am afraid of not being like others. I am scared I am not normal. This is behind my idol of materialism. I want things, not because I need them or want them, but because I have to be like everyone else. But as I have learned, we shouldn’t be normal! We are a peculiar people.
Love this study!
Kristi B.
Another wonderful time of Bible Study in Clearwater, Florida. We went through all the questions you had for us and discussed plenty. It was funny how each question started out slow but as each person opened up you couldn’t get us to stop. It was nice to know many of us were not alone on things that concerned us. The “fear” thing was big to us. I think just opening up about things was definitely a step in identifying some false gods. Here is the acrostic we came up with regarding things Jesus has done for us that make us peculiar.
P -Peace/Paid-in-full (See E below)
E -Eternal Salvation
C -Coming to take us home
U -Unconditional love
L -Living Sacrifice
I -Inseperable
A -Abundant joy
R -Redeemed
We had great laughs with the video and enjoyed the food. I loved the cake so much I am making one for my mom’s birthday tomorrow. Not to mention I want to get my money’s worth from all those extra extracts I had to buy! 🙂
Praising Jesus,
April
oh no…am going solo, still without book, and leaving town for 3 weeks so hopefully will catch up later BUT my mind won’t let go of these questions …. The idols in my life function in the exact reverse of God….just like the enemy fakes God’s truths..so do my idols…but Worse than that…i’m unable to get rid of them even WAY AFTER their initial usefulness has passed…i’m still serving them without any real usefulness..but i think that as” Love casts out Fear”..the opposite holds for my idols…Fear grows as i serve them so that soon i am Only Serving them and full of fear long after the Illusion of usefulness has disappeared..they DO NOT work anymore (they never really did) But i am still serving them and full of fear….serving God produces Love and serving my idols produces fear…fear to let go of something that isn’t even working anymore…except for the enemy i am serving instead of God.Does that make any sense to anyone? Will catch up with book when i return..until then have fun tuesdays,Siestas!
Finally rememberd to post about our meeting… 7 of us gathered and snacked late into the evening here in GA. We delayed this week until Thrusday night. We’re all still pretty amazed by where this journey is finding and taking us.
As I read many comments here I keep hearing many things of loss, losing control and the idols that are keeping me and you back. But I think it goes much deeper and maybe Kelly will mention that deeper problem in weeks to come.
Something I learned from a minister that for me made things clearer and simpler. He said there are roots that have to be removed. Not anger, not fear, not hate or control because those are only branches.
The root of bitterness
The root of moral impurity
the root of temporal value
from those roots spring the other things: hate, fear, control, sexual preversions, fame, money issues, more and more.
maybe something to ponder on.
We had a great meeting, and loved the acrostic. Here is what we came up with.
Praise the Lord!
Energized
Called
Ugly situations
Love
Invisible and Invincible
Aliens
Ransomed
I won’t go into our reasons for chosing each word, but after we looked at it I realized it said this:
We Praise the Lord because we are Energized and Called to go into Ugly situations with Love, where we are Invisible (God gets the glory) and Invincible, because we are Aliens who have been Ransomed.
We just thought that was kind of cool.
Michelle and group in Mattawan, Michigan.
This is to Jamie who wrote about pain. Does God bring pain. No, but I believe we have the pain buried that He brings up in our face. A strange scripture:
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].
The other day, I missplaced my keys and I was beside myself with anger and very destructive emotionally. Something I struggle with feeling like a complete idiot to not remember something like that. I said to myself, “you can’t ask God where those keys are if you are angry with Him!” Then, quieting myself down I finally admitted to Him I was an idiot and didn’t know where the keys were”, I then walked right over to the bowl that I keep my jewerly in (of all places) Then, I went on the internet and saw a video of cardboard testimonies and what miracles God did for people. I wept because what my heart was longing for is His unconditional love, and how I need that love in spite of my bout of horrible display of anger, in spite of my accusations to Him, He still moved on my heart to love. All to say that I believe He allows the pain to surface but not to afflict us like the enemy, I believe. We (I) have enough pain in our (my) lives because of what I believe…lies.
my mind does not stop!!!! Even our belief system can become an idol (yikes now that is scary!)when we aren’t building on the Foundation of God Alone, His love for us and our personal relationship with HIM…that’s the “sinking sand” of the song for sure….Jesus gave us one commandment alone…along with Everything we need to live it out…Anthing but God has the potential to become an idol and the enemy is so happy to oblige! Enough enough! Praise Him for these studies and for being the Best Study Partner!
1. Who or what actually operates as our god. Whatever we put “in front” of God. What makes it work? Our love for it.
2. Peaceful
Encourager
Companion
Upward
Loveable
Iron
Appreciative
Repentive
3. He caused a man to give me a whole “flat” of my favorite strawberries in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot one day – for no reason – He just loves me!
4. Discuss that!
If our idol is food then the fear of getting fat or thin will rule over us. We have to rid ourselves of the fear and then maybe we can tear down the idol. The verses on pg 50 are all about how fear has no place in our lives and no need to fear anything but God. In every verse sited here it says over and over Do not fear – Trust God – fear not – and in Psalms 112:7 it says do not even fear bad news – why?? BECAUSE GOD IS LORD OVER ALL THINGS even bad news! So according to this day – we read in every scripture here that we can trust God with all things, big and little, we just have to have the courage to actually trust Him to do what He says He will do!
Be Blessed and live in fear of only HIM – and TRUST HIM
Eufaula, AL Girls
The Siestas in Park City are loving the study and our eyes are being opened to our idols and the bondage that we are in. We laughed and shed tears together this week – I’m excited to see the work God does in us this summer. We cheated a little on the acrostic, choosing phrases instead of individual words, but this is what we came up with.
P – Priesthood of Royalty
E – Engaged in War
C – Called out of Darkness
U – Upheld
L – Light shining on us
I – Identity in Him
A – Abstaining from sinful desires
R – Royalty of God
Hi Beth-
Just wanted to share our group of 5 are really loving this study. We have a few where this is their first women study.
Patience
Everlasting Life
Chosen
Useful
Love
Identity
Abandom
Reformers
We had some great discussion about how idols are just not meeting our needs and we truely just need Christ as our one and only. We had one young lady share about the tranqiul peace that only comes from our Heavenly Father and right now in her life that is what she is leaning on.
This is a great study, thanks for sharing it with us!
Nicole, Meredith, Amy, Sarah, & Sharon in Blue Springs, MO
((((HtBEaDaNMA))))
thank you for caring anoynmous
To Judy in NC….
I, too, deal with food addictions and have found it ironic that in a study about idols, food is such a big part of it. Not bad. Just ironic. It certainly keeps my biggest functional idol in the forefront of my mind!
Our group in Asheville has grown from 6 to at least 15!! We are so excited to be learning how to recognize and face our idols. Sometimes the toughest thing is accepting that we all have idols. p=purified, e=eternal life, c=chosen, u=unblemished, l=likeminded w/ Christ, i=included by Christ, a=anointed, r=royalty and redeemed.
Have a great 2 weeks!
Denise
Asheville, NC
I am just loving this study. My co-worker/friend and I are meeting together. It is nice to do something like this with someone that I work with. We both discussed working harder on having Christ’s love radiate through us in our work place. We had a great discussion which lead to much laughter and some tears. Thank you Beth for taking time to organize a wonderful summer study.
Angel
God has made me laugh! A year and a half ago, I was in a severe depression. I was sure that He had turned His back on me…at the time it seemed “normal thinking”. My son & daughter-in-law came over to share their news with us, they were expecting again after they had lost their first baby! At that moment, I laughed, for the first time in a long time!! It was the start of the road back to a right relationship with Him! Then, this past Wed., I got to meet the little man that God used to make me laugh again! He is so precious!! God is SO GOOD!!! I want to honor only Him, serve only Him, and praise only Him!!
Thank you for this study. I have supplmented many idols during my life instead of acknowledging my fear. My fear is that I will continue to go through the rest of my life with the attitude “If this wouldn’t have happened, then I could have done this” (Making excuses and feeling justified in making them) in all areas of my life, but especially in my relationship with God and Jesus. Looking forward to the upcoming weeks!
WOW! The Circle of Grace Girls in Huntsville, AL are having a blast with this study. We are taking Kelly’s directions to heart as we “pray together, cry together, and definitely laugh together as we do whatever ittakes to make room in our lives for God.” Thank you Beth, everyone at LPM, and Kelly for your time, devotion, words of wisdom, guidance and support throughout this journey! We Love You!!
Purpose
Empowered
Complete
United
Loved
Infused
Atoned
Redeemed
The idols revealed thus far have been eye opening and have us soul searching and on our knees. Thank you! Thank you!
I know I’m checking in rather late, we’re the group that meets on Wednesday evenings and we had SEVERE weather that caused us to postpone until Thursday, then with the 4th…
Anyway, I ended up making 2 pound cakes. I surrendered the first one to my family on Wednesday during the storm in order to avoid hearing them lament that I only make something good when I’m taking it somewhere else and made another one the next day. It was so good! 🙂
Our small group time was worth the wait. We had an awesome time of sharing and were all so struck by how fear and other strongholds have fiercely protected our idols. This study is turing out to be way more than we had bargained for and we are so thankful!
Rather than going solo, a friend and I were able to get together and talk about weeks 1 and 2. The most powerful thing that we talked about was identifying our idols by pinpointing our fears. Seriously, if I get nothing else out of the study, it would be worth it just for that. For the past year I’ve been working so hard to gain freedom from some prevalent fears. Identifying their purpose has gone a long way into gaining some freedom.
It was especially great because my friend and I talked about things that we wouldn’t normally talk about. We went deeper in our friendship. Awesome.
Powerful
Encouragers
Courageous
Unified
Laborers
Industrious
Accepting / Adopted / Authentic
Real
Dear Beth,
The girls and I; JoJo and Heidi, met tonight and this study is hitting home for all of us. God is so good and His timing is perfect! We sit out on my back porch with a cup of coffee and a cool breeze here in Littleton, Colorado.
We are:
Precious Princesses
Encouragers
Chosen
Unified
Loved
Invincible
Adopted
Royal
We want to memorize another verse; not content with memorizing just one for the summer so we are going to work on Deut. 7:6…can’t get enough of the WORD!
Ruined For Him,
Joni
Oh, I made some what of a kind of long post and I guess it didn’t take its not up 🙁 oh well.I am still hear doing the study don’t want to really take the time to re write it,thanks,marina
To, anonymous from Kyrgystan
Oh sister my eyes were brought to tears reading your response, being a missioinary I fully understand. Know that my group of co-missionaries will be praying for you. If you can contact me please do. I would love to stay in touch!! For you Zeph. 3:17
The Study is amazing! We are being, moved, and stretched. The Lord knew what he was doing when he had me jump on this blog one day, so that 7 missionaries in Mexico would grow ever closer to HiM!
Beth, you are riot, you absoulely crack me up, Now my family knows there is someone crazier than me!!
Tracie from Mexico!!
Someone way up at the top of this wanted to know how you find us on Lifeway.com, Lifeway Community.
Once you get there, go to the Women’s section, then Life section then look for No Other Gods discussion.
We’ll let you know what you do after that.
I know some are going solo and wanted a place to meet, and I dont have time to read this whole thing to see when was the last time we mentioned this.
Anyway, we are there and open for business………!
We met last week since the my dear teens are visting grandparents this week.
This study is really hitting my dailing living
Thank You Lord for the grace and mercy You are giving
I want no idols in my heart
Smash them Lord, tear them totally apart
I only want You reigning in my heart
I only want You reigning in my heart
Hi Beth,
Our group met for the first time 2 weeks ago…and listen this will make your hair stand up…first of all, when we all got together, we simply laid our real selves out on the table (some of us realizing we aren’t the perfect christian Proverb 31 ladies… but because we really want something from this study, decided we would just be real and honest…)
There are five of us…never met each other before…just got on the blog and started a little group. Three of us lived in East Texas in the same little town at the same time…2 of them are sister in laws..dealing with the loss of a husband and brother…three of the five are battling with the one thing that keeps them from serving God fully…smoking…two others with crippling fear…and if that doesn’t raise your eyebrows…the third girl from East Texas had also lost her husband…in a robbery…and the other two East Texas girls remembered it from when they lived there…there were way too many more things to mention that we all had in common, but i can promise you this…none of us…NONE of us is lost to the fact that God is moving in our lives by joining us together…UNBELIEVEABLE.
We are expecting some great things from Him through this study…
Thank you for starting this – we will Forever be changed by it…
EmmaB – Anonymous Delilah was the one who asked about the solos in the Lifeway Forums…
go to: http://fourms.lifeway.com (Just Copy and Paste this in your browser window)
Once there – you find a menu of forums available. We are in the “Women” section, and in the women section we are in the “Life” section. You must register to post in the forums, but it is simple and quick. Just click on the “login/join” link in the top right hand corner of the forum box.
Our Discussion Thread is “Discussion Thread: No Other Gods Bible Study”
We’d love to have you join us there. We are discussing the homework and praying for one another there throughout the two weeks. Pop in and see what we are up too… I think most who are posting right now are ending week three’s homework… Blessings.
This has been a great connection for my mom, sister, and I who are in different states and countries! We are each making the meals separately so we feel connected with the rest of you!
We listed our idols: materialism, things that bring personal comfort, and things that boost our self-esteem.
Peculiar:
Purchased (Rev. 5:9)
Equipped (Heb. 13:21)
Cleansed (Ps. 51:7)
Useful (2 Tim. 2:21)
Likeness (2 Cor. 3:18)
Inheritance (Heb. 9:15)
Accepted (Rom. 15:7)
Reconciled (Rom. 5:10)
P-raying
E-nergizes
C-hrist’s
I-unconditional
L-ove
I-nstantly
A-available
R-ejoice
Our fears: Not being able to keep children protected in a public school: Just as “some trust in chariots and some in horses†Ps. 20:7, so I was trusting in the Christian school to keep them safe; Worried about not being accepted as special and successful if not able to have nice things; Fearing the future and possibly losing the comfort of “retirement” years and all the idols I’ve been stacking up in waiting.
Beth – the questions for this week were FANTASTIC! Thanks for your devotion to leading this study with so much creativity and fun!
We are a week behind — schedule changes — but I wanted to share our acrostic of PECULIAR that we came up with today:
Pleasant & positive attitude toward other people
Elevated above the flood of sinful choices
Choosing to not be overwhelmed by life and let God be in control
Unveiled faces – becoming more Christlike
Leaving the room with the fragrance of Jesus
I must decrease, HE must increase
Allow ourselves to let things go & not get irritated
Reflect God’s love, grace & mercy
Obviously I’m a little behind, but thanks for the post and the encouragement. This study is really touching me. I’ve discovered I’m afraid of God’s discipline. I have a great fear of Him taking things/people from me because I know He has a lesson to teach me that I can’t seem to learn. I know it’s irrational and a misunderstanding of His love for me, but I have come to expect only difficulty in life. Just realizing this has been a big help, and I hope that God continues to speak to me and open my eyes. Thanks.
P – Peacemakers
E – Encouragers
C – Chosen priesthood
U – Uncommon grace
L – Love
I – Integrity
A – Abundant Life
R – Renewed
We’re meeting one week behind every body due to travel schedules, so I’m not sure if anyone is still reading and updating these! Our six ladies gathered for delicious pizza and pound cake and some rich fellowship. Most of us have known each other for years but it’s amazing how conversation based on God’s word can open doors for new insight and new opportunities for encouragement. What a blessing!
This couple of siestas in Texas is a little late to the party… okay – a week late. We met and did the first week of homework before you even posted this. The second week just took us both some time.
Oh how mightily the Lord is working in both our lives. We are both being made aware of false gods/idols that we have been attached to for decades and never really realized it.
We also found that the Lord has spoken to us both about an issue of prayer.
My family and I leave to go on vacation this w/e and my m-i-l is going with us. I shared with my siesta how I have recently thought about and pictured having a God conversation with her (our assurance of her salvation has been a matter of prayer for many years). My siesta told me… she recently pictured the same thing. WE TOTALLY BELIEVE that it will happen. That God will open the door and the conversation that needs to happen will happen. I ask that if you think about it, among the many other things going on, that you pray for the Holy Spirit to just totally take over. Because of myself, I’ll say the wrong thing.
That was way too long… but our meeting tonight was just so GOD! Love HIM! and you too!
Women of the Word in Newport News met a week later due to vacations…reviewed the verse…picked it apart to get a better understanding…loved the flip flop version!Fear? Motivation? – can’t that come from God too! How to know?
I am a little bit behind on the study but will be caught up for the next online chat with Beth. My bible study group is in South Carolina but I’m in Germany visiting family for part of the summer. As I wrapped up week two this morning and began to reflect on how fear is the guard over our idols I was just overwhelmed by the truth behind that and so glad that God is continuing to show up in my life and show me what is true amidst the lies that we so often believe.. as human beings and as women. Here is what I journaled this morning for the question about how does fear protect our idols…
As I read Kelly’s example of her fear of abandonment and how the real idol behind that is the security she finds in people, a light went on for me- my fear of rejection is the exact same! I really don’t know where it comes from, if it has been rooted in some childhood experience.. but the fear is there in my life even now. Which means I also have the idol of finding significance and value in human relationships. This is so huge for me right now in a specific relationship situation… I know that God has been trying to teach me something about not putting people above Him. It’s a lesson a keep learning and I am realizing sooner than I used to that I have allowed a pattern to develop in my life.. that I have ignored red flags for the sake of being wanted and needed by someone else. I am so glad God is showing this to me and that He is teaching to me to be aware more and more. I don’t want to allow fear to guard my idols anymore.. they have no place in my life and have definitely worn out their welcome!
Thanks for letting me share!
In Him,
Sarah<><
Hi Siestas- I am doing this study solo but another siesta and I are discussing via email and that has made it much better.
Discuss what a functional god is and how an idol has functioned for you. In other words, what made it work? For me, people’s opinions of me have served as a functional God because I have let their opinion of me function as my god by allowing what they think to be more important than what God thinks or would have me do. I have actually let people’s opinion of what a “fine Christian” I was reinforce the idea that even when I was wrong that I was right based on what they thought. Now how foolish is that??
P riest P owerful
E ffective E verlasting
C alled/Chosen C hosen
U nique U nique
L iving Stones L oved
I ntegrity I ntegrity
A nointed A wesome
R oyalty R edeemed
Share something today with the group that God has done for you that brought you such joy or such a turnaround that it was laughable.
Through all the turmoils of going through Hugh’s ( my husband) becoming paralyzed and being in the hospital with him, our church had a split. We came home from months of being away to find our once vibrant, alive church, dead and dying, only a handful (15) of people left and those were very content to sit on a pew and not grow in the Word or in their spiritual maturity. I believe God left me here for a period of time so that I would fully appreciate being in the church we are in now. I have come to think of it as my own personal Canaan- where I can reap of God’s blessings as much as I am willing to receive. This makes me laugh because God can make something so wonderful out of things we think are so hopeless.
The fear of not being “sucessful” or not being “christian” keeps you(me) in a cycle of worship/idolizing the ideas of what others think instead of Breaking Free to the knowledge that it is only God’s opinion that matters. We give in to the pressure of what we think others will think because we are afraid. It is a never-ending cycle unless we break the fear and submit to God’s authority over our own fears and wishes.
Can someone explain what we are doing? This is my first time on the blog in several months (how DO you find the time?!!!) But I would love to join in. We are just finishing the Psalms of Ascents at church and I’m ready for a new Beth Moore study? Thanks!
Update from Canby, Oregon:
God is blessing us with His presence and convictions on this study! Wonderful fun, transparency, authenticity and work of the Holy Spirit in the members lives. Praising Him for His work, being sincere with all involved about what these idols have really been for us.
This week we discussed how fear and distrust of the Lord go hand in hand. It is all about perspective. Are we looking at the landscape of the circumstances, or are we sitting at the banquet table with the Father in the presence of our enemies as He annoints us? Can our cup really overflow inspite of our circumstances? YES IT CAN!!!!
Looking forward to next week!
Love to you all! No one will probably read this as my post is so late, but keep going girls. The fruit is worth all the pruning, watering, risk, and weeding! Total Surrender is the call. Total Surrender. I picture myself climbing up one of those alters described in the old testament. Saying, “Here I am Lord, back for another day… Do with me as you will, I will say yes to you. Your love is worth every tear, drop of sweat, and burn!” Most of the time it doesn’t even feel like that, but when it does… OH HURT SO GOOD!!!!
Anybody want to go for a good workout at the gym?
Love you all,
Jina
Beth, My co-worker and I enjoyed meeting together and discussing our study. What a wonderful time to spend with someone you work with. thank you for hosting this study.
Angel
People’s
Earthly
Crazy
Unashamed
Love of the Lord
Instilled
As
Reality
Well, I’m a little slow to catch on here. I knew about this summer Bible study and wanted to take part, but I’m just now getting back to the LPM blog to find that it’s half-over! I’m going to follow along on my own, unless I can find a group to join by email.
I’m currently doing Breaking Free (facilitating it for a group of 60 women this summer at our little 300-member church!!!) I agree with another blogger who wrote in to say that this study seems to connect well with Breaking Free.
I was thinking that my answer about an idol in my life would be my attention to things that bring me comfort, but it seemed a little too vague to be an idol. Half of the blog answers have had something to do with the same thing, so I guess it’s not so vague. I spend an inordinate amount of time pursuing things that comfort me, when I know these things will only be a brief solution to a deeper need of God in my daily life.
Beth, you are a hoot! I, too, love shopping at Sam Moon’s (the original one or the one at Frisco?) My 3YO granddaughter, Dana, loves to shop there, too. She will be quick to tell you that her favorite pink sparkly star necklace is from Sam Moon.
Bless you for all you do.
Okay – I know, I know – We are late. But better late than never?!
1.) We decided we make it work for us. Our fears, desires, and just general craziness.
2.)
P – Persevere Luke 8:15
E – Eager Titus 2-11-15
C – Called Romans 1:6
U – Understood Romans 2:12
L – Laughter Gen 21:1-6 and Psalm 126
I – Imitators Eph 5:1
A – Accept Romans 15:7
R – Rebirth Tit 3:5
3.) Meeting and marrying the spouse we have because we all had different visions of our ‘perfect’ spouse besides what God sent us.
4.) Long discussions that welded some great thoughts and meanings for each person involved.
Thanks for the questions. They sure do help us dig deeper. This is a great study and I will be recommending it to MANY others.
Blessings
Kelli in Colorado
Beth, Sorry, we are behind because our books came in late…..our group of five from Koinonia Kaffe has turned into 2 sometimes 3….
this is a great study!!
P Prudent
E Encouraging
C Compassionate
U Unified
L Love
I Integrity
A Accountable
R Righteous
It was exciting to see all the similarities….did you notice all the Redeemed for r???? Of course, we had righteous…….
We will be trying to catch up….
HEY! from LOUAVUL!!!
Just attended the conference at Southeast (my home church)…it was awesome. And now I have discovered this blog and Bible Study…wish I had known about it before…but hey…I know now!
This Bible Study by Kelly looks great… can’t wait to do it.
and Beth… I never knew you CARED so much 🙂 thanks for the helpful hints… especially in the kitchen…ha! I hate that place:)