Siesta Summer Bible Study (Weeks 5 and 6) from LPV on Vimeo.
The summer has flown by! It’s already time for our SSBS wrap up! Listen, if you can make heads or tails out of this video, you are brilliant and PATIENT! As you’ll see, I had to take you on the road with me but at least I hope it tells you that you are loved around here at LPM and never forgotten.
Let me share two things before you read the interactives. The first one is a reminder: your comments to this post are meant to follow your last gathering. The second one is something you won’t want to miss: please look at the post right before this one and take the opportunity to thank Jennifer Rothschild for her ministry to you and, if she’s like me, she’ll delight in hearing something very specific you believe God said to you through the journey. Let’s shower her with some really big SIESTA LOVE!
Here are your four interactives for your gatherings today:
First two from Week Five:
1. See pages 102-103. Book freak that I am, I loved the way Jennifer started the week with English author Huxley’s comparison of our memories to private collections of literature. Lock in on the graphic of the books on the shelf on p.103. Each person share the words they wrote on the first and last book.
2. See pages 112-113 where Jennifer talks about the unattractiveness of complaining. You might say, it’s like living our lives with rollers in our hair. Jennifer drew a very insightful connection between a complaining spirit and a sense of entitlement. In your gatherings, talk about what you think the term “entitlement” means and offer a few examples of it.
Second set from Week Six:
3. See p.126. As we wrap up our series, I want you guys to share your answers (even if you didn’t write them down) to Jennifer’s first questions: What’s the most significant thing you recognized about your self-talk so far? In other words, I’m asking you to share the biggest revelation you received through the study about your thought closet.
BTW, I loved Jennifer’s creativity in the interactive on p.130 about the colors in our closets. I like questions that really make me think and imagine. These are the kinds of question some of our personality types and learning styles love and others roll their eyes about. If you are the kind that loved it and you came up with a pretty creative color, share it! If you’re the kind that rolled your eyes, roll them one more moment while your sister shares. I love you both.
4. See the bottom of p.136. What is the most frequent song you’re singing right now to your soul to help you persevere and keep hope alive? I almost overlooked this exercise because we shared a post not too long ago concerning the songs that stir up our love for Jesus. This one’s a little different though. Jennifer is asking specifically about songs that stir us up to perseverance. Songs that make us essentially say, “March on, my soul, be strong!” What’s yours presently?
Siestas, I have loved EVERY MINUTE of this study! Thank you so much for participating! Be sure and start looking right away for the Bible study you’re going to do this Fall. We’ve got to plan for faithfulness and, to do that, we’ve got to stay in God’s Word! I will ask you late in August what you’re planning to do in September for Bible study so try to make up your mind by that time. Remember, accountability is KEY!!!
What a great study!! It REALLY got into my business but that only means one thing—my business REALLY needed getting into!! I love that about God—He doesn’t let us stay nominal Christians if we desire more of Him—He blesses extravagantly beyond what we can ask or think (Eph. 3:20-21). I attended Deeper Still and all the messages of the weekend impacted me greatly! Thank you, Beth, for the last video and taking it “on the roadâ€â€”it was a special touch for me to re-live a bit of the weekend from behind the scenes as my group and I finished up the study.
Some topics of discussion:
1) Good exercise to bring up memories and focus on how God wants to redeem even those. He can truly turn mourning into joy and ashes into beauty. When we let destructive memories hold such power over us we are letting the enemy keep us from growing spiritually and being effective witnesses for what Christ can do in our lives. God can rebuild and repair whatever is broken within us—turning us into “oaks of righteousness – a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.†(Psalm 1:3)
2) To us, entitlement meant “expect—even if undeservedâ€. Our group agreed griping, grumbling, and complaining show an ungrateful attitude and it is not pleasing to the Lord (as we learn by the Israelite’s example–I Cor. 10:1-11). We need to learn to be content whether we have much or little as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11.
3) One of the biggest revelations to the group was the realization of how much negative thinking and false assumptions affected actions–speaking hope to our soul is so important—God wants us to know we can be secure in Him. He is our Rock and Anchor of our soul!
4) One song I am presently singing to my soul is “Victory in Jesus†– Travis’ arrangement on his new CD is awesome! I wanted to share a story from our group that incorporates the themes of the last lessons: Song–Stand still–March on. My friend’s daughter who did the study with us is in a high school marching band. She has been in band camp for the last two weeks in preparation for the upcoming football season. Her mom was describing how band camp works to me: the band first learns all their moves standing in place….then after much practice, they take what they have learned and march on doing the set routine to the music. I thought what a great illustration of what we are to do—learn the Word as we stand firm in the faith…then take God’s truth out with us as we march into the world, singing truth to our souls as we go!
This study has blessed our group beyond words! Thanks for recommending doing it this summer!
Johnnie, Christy, and Victoria
Wake Forest, NC
I'm solo from Michigan
1. On the first and last book I have written my first year of teaching and attending a marriage conference.
2. Entitlement means to me thinking that I deserve something better (whether I do or not) and not being grateful for what I have
3.The most significant thing I recognized about my self-talk so far was that I control it and can make it positive or negative. Thinking about what the Bible says also helps me to stay on track.
4. I like tobymac's song "Made to Love" and group1crew's song "Live out Loud". They help me to persevere.
Beth, I am so sorry that I have waited so late to comment on behalf of my group. I thought we might be able to get together for the last one since we missed the 3rd meeting too, but I was unsuccesful. Anyway, I want to go ahead and comment for myself…
#1 I couldn't think right off about specific memories to write on the books, but I totally understood the concept of taking a memory that haunts you and seeing which benefit of God matches it and attach that benefit to it, instead of the prior meaning. My example: Growing up with an unbelieving family. For the longest time I had such bitterness over that, till God showed me that it was part of His plan…and His plan is way better than if I had had what I wanted to begin with!
#2
This one totally got to me. I have been grumbling and complaining over my current circumstance (not feeling led to pursue any job OR go back to school and just staying at home right now! ugh!). It totally hit me how self focused I am. I have lost peace, joy and contentment as a result of my choice to "go with" the feeling of frustration over this time. I wrote a prayer out to the side of my paper begging God to clean me out and teach me to praise Him EVEN WHEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT…boy do I wish I could just get that and do it!
#4 Actually, day 1 of week 6 was very much a breakthrough for me. The one thing I have recognized in this study is that my self talk comes from whatever "wave" of feeling I have and instead of checking it to the truth, I just accept the thought as truth. How arrogant have I been?! I realize that the feelings of hopelessness have led me to think hopeless thoughts, which then leads to more hopeless feelings…..UGH!!!
I am in so much danger spiritually right now, Beth, and I can't thank you enough for introducing this study to me. If nothing else, this study has been a huge red flag to me about things that seriously need to get dealt with.
#4
My songs:
come thy fount of every blessing
while I'm waiting, by John Waller
wait and see, He's not finished with me yet, by Brandon Heath?
Thanks again Beth for doing this study with me. This thing has kicked my tail…but I think I actually needed it 😉
Love you!
Katie Taylor, AL
We all agreed that entitlement was believing I deserve something based on my status or my merit. When it comes right down to it, we do not deserve a thing from the Lord.
We all saw the need to identify what is in our thought closet, categorize it as good, evil, unnecessary, and to daily clean out what should not be there by staying in the Word and asking for the Lord's help.
Our songs right now:
Lydia: "Mighty To Save" by Laura Story
Hannah: "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin
Becky: "Blessed be the Lord" by Matt Redman
We all enjoyed the study and its timing in our lives!
Becky, Hannah, and Lydia
Choctaw, OK
Dear Beth,
Well we had our last siesta get together over my, myself and lies.
Beth I cannot tell you how God is moving in our women. I am so praising Him. He can move mountains.
Thanks so much for being faithful in facilitating this bible study.
We already have the next one planned and are going to be starting a month.
We serve an AWESOME GOD!
We love you like crazy!
Lyn NH
I have realized that there's a long, strategically successful history to my self-talk. The enemy has been very successful to lead me into a place that takes a good deal of work to get "out of". It reminds me of a scene from Lord of the Rings when Frodo Baggins finds himself lured into Shelob's (a giant spider) lair. He gets drawn in further and further, webs growing thicker along the way. When he finally realizes that he's in great danger, he's in way too far. I feel as though over my lifetime, Satan has woven many webs and laid many traps like these to ensare me. However, back to Frodo, he had been given a light from Galadriel to use in the darkest of places, plus he had his sword, Sting, and with the use of both of those, he fought his way out of those webs and out of Shelob's lair. So, now that the blindfold has been taken off and I can see, I am holding up the Light and swinging my Sword and relying on God's power to overcome.
This study has been exactly what I needed. God is good!
The Wagnolias have finally met and finished the course. We have gotten closer and have learned a lot from this study. Thank you for setting it all up. We love your videos, especially the one on the run. Love the curlers!
We have just adored this study. 3/4 of us met last night for the final time at Panera. The closet colors was the most interesting discussion. Our individual personalities showed through even in HOW we did that exercise. i love my Siestas.
The best part of this is that 3 of us are moms of special needs kids (and we homschool.) there has been no way for ..say..the last 8 years to be effectively in a Bible study. But this was good because it was just 4 times. And now we are on a roll and going to MAKE it work somehow. (pray for that please..mom's of special needs kids NEED to be in community and it is very difficult to do that.) You have given us permission to do it our way- yet still make it happen. I think our next study will use the Captivating book by the Eldridges. It is in the same 'theme' as the thought closet.
God bless you guys!
I'm so sad, I bought the work book and had the best of intentions but got a full time job and have sort of dropped out of life for a while… I'm still gonna do it, and I still love you all and think of you every day. Please pray for me, it's very different being in the work force again after 15 years. I have some funny stories, so far me and Jesus are laughing and crying and He's helping me get my footing. Beth, I miss you so much!
Judy
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that this study really made me dig deep into my thought closet and realized what alot of cleaning I had to do! I could not finish the study as my car was vandalized halfway through the study and my bag was stolen which had my Bible, MM&I workbork, and my prayer journal. Thank you for facilitating the summer study again!
Kathryn of Glendale
i know this is so late, but terry and i JUST FINISHED the study tonight! we had to postpone and postpone finishing because i was out of town so much this month, but i wanted to check in and say we DID finish. and God used it so much in our lives! thanks!
We did it! We met four times and found babysitters for our kiddos. Praise the Lord! It has been such a blessing for us young moms to have time to think about our thought closets and to build a closer relationship with God and eachother. Thank you for putting this Siesta Summer Bible Study together.