Okay Girls! Lindsee here and I have chosen our 11 winners at random! If you would all email me ([email protected]) as soon as possible, that would be so helpful so we can get your books to you SOON!
Drum roll please…
Our first 10 winners of a Gideon Workbook are: (Make sure that if you are a winner, it is the correct comment number that I have posted!)
Comment #634: Amy A.
Comment #33: Beverly
Comment #111: Amy Hanson
Comment #88: Michele
Comment #777: Sharon Seagle
Comment #56: Rina
Comment #555: Lisa Ode
Comment #1: Rebecca
Comment #245: Brandi
Comment #372: Melody
Lastly, our winner of the Gideon Leader Kit is…
Comment #475: Stephanie
We are so excited for you, girls! Can’t wait to hear from you!
Hey Girls! Comments are now closed. Be looking for the names of our 11 winners within the hour! Thanks for your enthusiastic and honest replies! We’re so excited!
Greetings, Sisters! Siesta Summer Bible Study starts one week from today! We are fired up around here! I know your questions are abounding, so this post is to fill you in on all the details to get us good and ready for next Tuesday.
First off, let’s make sure that you know what you’ll need to participate: 1 LifeWay workbook by Priscilla Shirer entitled Gideon: Your Weakness. God’s Strength.That’s all there is to it!
We’ve been getting lots of questions about whether or not Priscilla’s video portions are required in our summer Bible study. The answer is no but only because we try our hardest to keep our summer experience at the lowest possible cost. By all means, if you have access through a group or have the financial resources to get the session DVDs or downloads, do it! To experience the whole thing is optimum! If you’re in a small group, consider all pitching in and purchasing a set then watching them together week to week. You’ll be incredibly blessed by that investment. Priscilla’s gift of teaching is saturated with the Holy Spirit and beautifully infectious. I could sit under her instruction for hours. So, get the sessions if you can but they will not be required to participate in our summer study. All of our discussion will springboard from the workbook.
With that said, I do have one really FUN thing to do before we move further into the details. We have 10 Gideon workbooks and 1 leader kit to give away! All you need to do to qualify is leave a comment on this post and let us know how the subtitle hits you: “Your weakness. God’s strength.” We’ll keep comments open for 24 hours then do a random drawing of 11 people with those specific entries. Watch for a post Wednesday afternoon naming our winners!
Are y’all still with me?
OK, then, let me fill you in on some remaining details through a simple Q&A. If you’ve been in summer Bible study with us before, our approach will be very similar.
Who’s invited? YOU! (If you’re a girl over – let’s say – 16) And you can go solo or participate in a small group! As in past years, our highest hope is to facilitate fellowship and accountability into our Bible study experiences. If you can assemble a group of friends, co-workers, family members, acquaintances, fellow church members, Siestas in your town, a tennis team or a handful of neighbors, you’re likely to get the most out of the process. (If you’ve already participated in this study, think of leading a group through it this round.) If you can’t rally a face-to-face group, Skyping and Face Time can still provide a pretty legit way to experience community in different locations. We’re not looking to be legalistic. We just want FULL benefits. If you go solo, do your best to connect with a couple of girls on line. Scripture tells us to stir one another up in the faith and to call one another to love and good works and to bear one another’s burdens and pray for one another and remind one another of God’s faithfulness. Translation: we need each other!
What’s the Goal? Spending the summer together in the Word! A summer of authentic Bible study is the surest way to a summer of victory.
When do we meet? We will launch our Siesta Summer Bible Study on Tuesday, June 11, and “meet” 4 official times: Every OTHER Tuesday from June 11th until July 23rd. Yes, by all means, meet EACH week if your small group is able but we only ask that you check in here on the LPM blog every TWO weeks to participate in our format for discussion. As much as we’re able, we want to be big on help and small on demands. Summer schedules can make weekly gatherings much harder than usual but certainly keep it up if you can. You can also choose another day of the week besides Tuesday if necessary. We’ve found that it’s the most fun and carries the most momentum when we all do it on the same day but that’s not always possible for everyone. Be free!
Here’s the summer schedule:
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Launch – I’ll post our 1st Mini-Session which I will either have written or videoed. In it you will receive instructions for discussion.
In the 2 weeks that follow our first Mini-Session, you will DO WEEKS ONE AND TWO OF THE HOMEWORK ON YOUR OWN. If you’re participating in Priscilla’s weekly DVD teachings, incorporate those weekly and in addition (or instead of!!) to what we’re doing here on the blog. We will let you guys work those details out on your own.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (2nd Mini-Session/Group Instructions)
In the two weeks that follow, DO WEEKS THREE AND FOUR OF THE HOMEWORK ON YOUR OWN.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013 (3rd Mini-Session/Group Instructions)
In the two weeks that follow, DO WEEKS FIVE AND SIX OF THE HOMEWORK ON YOUR OWN.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013 (4th Mini-Session/Conclusion) – We’ll wrap it up and it will have flown by in a whirlwind.
If a graph is easier to understand than all my compulsive wordiness, here you go:
Where should you meet if you’re participating in a small group? Wherever you are most comfortable. Do what works for your group. You might meet in a different house each week so no one has to keep her house clean all summer. We’ve had some siesta groups meet in restaurants and coffee shops. Find your groove and stick to it!
So, here’s what you do:
1. Get your workbooks! Our good friends at LifeWay have promised to have plenty of them for us, but you won’t want to wait until the last minute. You can find them online on LifeWay’s web site. Here is a link where you can order the member book. And, if you’re going for the optional DVD sessions week to week, here’s where you can download the videos taught by Priscilla. They’ll be fabulous.
2. Sign up on the blog on our official Launch Day- Tuesday, June 11. For the first time, we’re going to ask that everyone participating sign up individually rather than a leader chiming in on behalf of the whole group. We think this will be less confusing and will give us a better idea of how many are participating each week just by the number of comments. We will ask a few warm-up questions that day to begin cracking open that door of community.
3. I will facilitate the study by posting a blog the 4 mornings of our meeting days. I will give you instructions on these posts for your discussion times and maybe some activities. All will connect to the previous weeks of study.
4. After your gathering, you’ll check back in by telling us something about your meeting via a comment on that same post. Don’t worry if your group can’t meet on Tuesdays. You’ll still be able to find the post and comment throughout the week.
What if…
-I want to use the discussion questions in the back of the workbook instead of the ones on Beth’s posts. Go for it!
-I really, really want to do the study but it’s not in the budget. Email us.
-I’ve already committed to doing another Bible study this summer? That’s great! Stick with it.
-I don’t want to participate but still want to be a part of the blog. We totally understand and want to see you around Siestaville this summer. Know that the Bible Study will only take up one post every other week.
We can’t wait to study the Word with you this summer!
Lord Jesus, take us somewhere we couldn’t have anticipated! Somewhere we desperately needed to go. Raise up an army of mighty warriors right here in this community!
Okay, Sisters, let’s hear your comments for the giveaway! Remember we’ll only leave it open for 24 hours!
The subtitle hits me square between the eyes! 🙂 I always try to be strong, but to understand that I am at my strongest (in God) when I’m at my weakest makes my knees quiver and my heart beat with anticipation. 🙂 I’m so looking forward to Gideon and the growth that I will surely experience through it.
Blessings!
Had it all figured out what I wanted to say in regards to God calling me despite my inadequacies but read Kristy’s post on June 4@ 4:00 & decided I hope she wins it. A Momma that has to see her baby girl in a body cast needs it more. Kristy, I will be praying your sweet daughter handles this so smoothly & God give her quick recovery.
This subtitle is so basic but so incredibly powerful!! As we mature our faith and increase our knowledge of His word, we realize that it is only when we are at our weakest that our God shows up so strong, so big, and we become stronger in Him to do His works. We never realize how big our God really is until we need Him to show up huge and save us. Praise Him that he never fails to show up in His perfect timing.
Relief, is what I think…. From the pressure to be what I am not.
My Weakness, God’s Strength
Describes me perfectly right now. We just found out our 4 year old daughter will need hip surgery this summer and spend 6 weeks in a body cast. I feel so weak! But God loves us and is going to take care of us. Leaning fully on His strength.
Kristy–((((hugs))))). My granddaughter is 3; I can only imagine what you all are going through. I’ll put your daughter on my prayer list.
Kristy I will be praying for you and your precious family this summer. When my son, who is now 38, was almost 2 years old he was in the hospital for a month and in a body cast for 6 months. He had osteomyelitis and septic arthritic hip which caused him to quit walking. When I look back on all of that I can see God’s handprint all over it, watch with eyes wide open because He will be there 🙂 In closing I want to tell you they told us he would need a hip replacement by the time he was 16 and could never play contact sports…. he is 6’5″and played football and baseball. May you find much peace,joy and laughter in the days ahead.
Miss Kristy,
I will be keeping you and your daughter in my prayers! I too have a precious 4yr old baby girl and can’t imagine the pain you and your darling must be in to have to endure the summer in a body cast. You are so right to rely on His strength & love.
“Your weakness. God’s strength.” Makes me think of 2 Corinthians 12 — I boast in my weakness that Christ’s power may rest on me. And it feels like refreshing water on a sun-scorched land. Ahhhh … Let it rain!!!
My weakness. His Strength. My weakness is this thorn in my flesh- my body is racked with the pain of RA and Fibromyalgia, but because of Christ,I can live above all the pain and just praise Him. He literally gives me strength to make it through the day. Thank you Jesus!
Your Weakness, God’s strength
brings to mind the very first verse I ever memorized with the SSMT back in 2009. It’s become my life verse and one I say out loud often.
1 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!
Looking forward to Gideon! Thanks for the giveaway too!
Kelli
The subtitle just reminds me to trust in Him and not myself. I have so much room for improvement in that area!
The paradox of God’s strength being perfected in my weakness is amazingly overwhelming. I seem to get caught in the trap of believing the lie that God has overlooked me instead of realizing that my weaknesses are designed to create reliance on Him and His strength so that I will not forget how limited I really am without Him! A leader kit would be such a blessing!!
My weaknesses are designed to create reliance on Him and His strength…thanks for that reminder Michelle!
The subtitle hits me as being the perfect study for me! Most days find me feeling so weak as a wife and mom and God’s strength is what gets me through. I’m definitely planning on doing this study and would love to win the leader kit or a book! Very intrigued to learn more about Gideon and implement new truths from the Word into my life!
My weakness. God’s strength.
Sometimes it’s hard to admit my weaknesses, even though I know I have so many. When I attempt to see my weaknesses through my eyes, I can easily get discouraged and full of doubt. But if I take a moment and think about looking at them through God’s eyes, then I know the more I’m weak, the more He’ll be strong in me and that’s a good thing!
I think this study is just what I need. I love His timing!
Can. Hardly. Wait. 🙂
My weakness makes me depend upon God’s strength. I have many areas of weakness…one is spending time in God’s Word. I pray that this study will draw me to HIS WORD.
Sigh… How does that subtitle *not* hit me right now? That’s been the subtitle for the last 3 years of my life.So many days, I wake up breathing, “Help, Lord.” There’s no avoiding awareness of my weakness, but I still have more to learn about leaning *confidently* on God’s strength.
Thank you all for facilitating the Siesta Summer Bible Study and for the giveaway.
Him or me, what’s it gonna be??
It’s so heartwarming, life-sustaining and such a joy to know that when I feel weak or helpless, I can rely on God’s strength. Can’t wait to start this.
That title describes exactly how I am trying to operate right now. Having been unemployed for seven months, I’m feeling pretty weak and am clinging to God’s strength to see me through.
Wow…..my weakness God’s strength. how much I need to rely on His strength
The subtitle reminds me to be ever grateful for all the times God works despite me. I don’t want to even think where things would be if it were all up to me. So glad that God is faithful, that He does not expect us to do it all alone. I need to trust Him more and not fret.
My weaknesses…way too many to count….God’s strength way too big to count. Praise His Name for the balance.
My weakness, God’s strength….
I am week and He is strong. It’s not the other way around. I forget sometimes.
I really want to do this but financially it isn’t in the cards. I’m hoping to still follow along as much as I can without the work book and maybe get it part way in if I can do that. But the subtitle means to me that in my brokenness and weakness god can shine. That every broken and bruised part of me that once made me hate myself can be used for god’s glory and help someone else while bringing healing to me
Brittany: I want to provide you the workbook. Contact me at [email protected] with your name; address.
Harriet
Ooh, would love to do this study… I’ve got a crazy eight weeks in front of me, with lots of travel. I will pray to see what He says, because this could be awesome!
My weakness, God’s strength……knowing I can’t but somehow am doing it. And “it” is anything I know must be Him because there’s no way on earth it’s me.
My Weakness…His Strength
A part from Him I can do nothing…in Him my weakness disappears!
I feel so “weak” at facilitating Women’s Bible Study that I have stepped down for the fall after doing 5 in a row …. but I’m still doing Gideon with 8 ladies … His strength will be sufficiency.
If I would just recognize my weakness I could rest in His strength.
My weakness, His strength. Does breathing count? He holds my every breath in His merciful hands.
The older I get, the more “My weakness, His strength” becomes so overwhelmingly obvious. It is all about trust. Letting go and trusting Him. Not only because it’s the wise and right thing to do, but because I have tried on my own in the past and failed miserably! I also get a thrill to see God work out the impossible to abundance. My daughter is headed to a Christian college in the fall that costs more per year than I make per year, yet God has provided for her to attend with very little, if any, out-of-pocket costs to us. Yes, she has worked hard, but she has also trusted that if this was the school He wanted her to attend, He would provide the financing and the way there. Our weakness would be for her to attend the local state college branch in our town, but we chose to trust in His strength, and she is experiencing Him working personally in her life. I welcome my weakness so that others can see Him at work in my/our lives in His strength.
I always love how The Lord shows us irony in His gospel. And what is a better example of irony than His strength being made perfect in our weakness?! Praise God!
Everything I do I am suppose to do for the LORD, doesn’t that mean giving everything my all and yet I have many areas where my all is week. Although I should rejoice in my weaknesses because God can shine the brightest; I forget. Very excited to see God’s glory through this study!
My weakness, God’s Strength
It reminds me of something I heard someone once say after losing a child in a tragic accident. He said until he cried out to God saying -“I just can’t do this I’m not strong enough”. He heard The Lord reply “now your ready”. He said felt like he was trying to muster up the strength to get through when all God wanted was for him to surrender his weakness. This study excited me!!!
I’m grateful that His strength is magnified by my weakness. I’m trusting Him more these days…
My weakness is where God has opportunities to use me and reveal
Himself the most!
As a mother, I’ve been faced with my inability to be all I want to be as a parent to my children. I’ve also faced this in my ministry, where I’m recognizing I have a thought life that is ruled by insecurities. Lately, I’ve found myself fighting offenses in my heart, discouragement in my home and more. When once again I hear “your weakness, God’s strength”, I feel the Lord is going to unlock another prison door in my heart and in my mindsets. One more time, my eyes are going to be fixed on Jesus and who He is and is in my life, where I won’t keep tripping over my inability, or cowering in a corner with fear of failure. This means my focus will be fixed in the right way with clearer vision.
Your weakness. God’s strength. It has so many complex meanings to me that I don’t know where to begin. I am fairly new in the study of God’s Word, as is my young adult daughter. I have so many questions, and she has so many questions that I can not answer. I believe that the hope of understanding how God’s strength will help with all of our weaknesses is what is drawing me to this study.
I am in the weakest position of my life and am in need of a fresh display of Gods strength. The past few years have been spent coming to terms with my mothers physical and mental decline, all the while my adult children are in taxing and difficult situations. So I am sandwiched in between my mother and my daughter, stage one ovarian cancer and 2 miscarriages, my youngest moved across the country to go to school. I am at my weakest dealing with moms situation, my children in pain and a freshly emptied nest. Gods strength will be what I need to focus on this summer—when I am weak then He is strong.
I am weak, but, He is strong. Thanking God that He knows my weaknesses and He gives me strength to go on.
PTL! His strength covers my weaknesses. It’s what keeps me able to walk in obedience.
My weakness, God’s strength: this outta be GOOD! Can’t wait to see how God uses my weakness of my “Martha-ness” ….
“Your weakness. God’s strength.” When I’m at my weakest, God strengthens me. As a newbie Christian, I don’t notice yet the every day blessings and ways that God blesses me. I’m learning and growing. So, I guess you can say that I’m genuinely at MY weakest every day. I’m professing that God will give me strength to follow through and complete my very first bible study…
“My weakness, God’s strength” hits me as something I would love to see in my life right now. I tend to focus on the weakness (myself) and not on the strength (God). I need more of Him and less of me – easier said than done!
My weakness, God’s strength pierces my heart in ways one cannot imagine. I’m facing some possible prison time in the coming months for sin that bound me for years. I feel more free than I have ever felt! God has forgiven me of my sin and I now must just face the consequences. I know that whatever is ahead is God’s plan for my life and I will serve my time gladly knowing that he will use it for his glory! Thank you for doing this! You have no idea what it means to me!
IN HIS HANDS,
Jessie
My weakness. God’s strength. That about sums up my life as a music minister’s wife & homeschooling mom of a teenager & a kindergartener! I feel so old & tired! I need some refreshment! Winning this would be a blessing!
“Your weakness, Gods strength”
I feel like those words totally describe my life in this season. Everyday lately I have constantly been made aware of just how weak & vulnerable I am. As an 18 year old female in law school competing with 23 year old (and older) classmates, I am constantly asking for His strength. As a human trafficking abolitionists I am very often reminded that I need His strength not to get incredibly overwhelmed with all the “bad.”
Also, in my relationship with Christ I am also very aware of how much I fail Him daily! I am so weak & constantly need to be filledup by Him!
It sounds like the tittle of my life. On my own I could do nothing, with Him, who could stop me?.
In some areas of my life I readily admit my weaknesses but in other areas I don’t want people to know that weak and I try to keep those weaknesses hidden. For example I have no problems admitting I have food issues but on the hand I don’t want people to know how weak I as a mom. Make sense to anyone but me? Regardless I want HIS stength to be made know through my weaknesses. Looking forward to this study!
1 Corinthians 12:9 is one of my Scripture Memory verses, and it has reminded every time I say my verses, that His Strength is truly sufficient for me!
I was able to attend the taping of Priscilla’s video taping and watch her simulcast, I can hardly wait to get started on the study!
So happy to be doing this study along with Siestas!
Weakness is a new word for me that I am trying out in my new situation. My husband and I lost our jobs on the same day in May of 2012 and now we are in the process of losing our home. But God has really convicted me that no one will follow Jesus if I am whiney or always complaining so my attitude has to change. No matter what this world throws at me, I know that I can be a weak, shining example for Him!
Your weakness – God’s strength. Well that hits me because I have led 14 Bible studies in my home. (12 of Beth’s and 2 of Priscilla’s ) We do two a year and every time my nervous can just about get the best of me. It is something I can not seem to get over, I like that weakness just makes me lean harder on my sweet Lord. At times I can hardly believe me He would allow me the precious honor of leading a awesome group of ladies in His word.
Oh, I love Him so!!
Well, I’m just a hot mess with some friends who are also a bunch of hot messes & we love Jesus & we want as much of Him as He will graciously give us! We’ve been kicking around ideas for a bible study and none have panned out. The tears in my eyes as I read Beth’s post are telling me this could be just the one we’ve been hoping for! I haven’t been proactive in organizing because I just feel way under-qualified to lead. Hmmm…My Weakness His Strength. Ok, now I’m really crying!!!
I want to walk in that truth- saturated into my being! I often let my weaknesses drag me down and I want to walk in the sure knowledge that He will show forth His strength.
Gideon….. Lord, let the Freedom bells Ring!!!! Engrave in my heart with the gravity of truth you have been trying to impress upon me for years! God, you have heard my cries, now cut the chains erase the lies in my head from the enemy and CALL ME UP AND OUT OF THIS PIT! So excited for the FREEDOM I AM EXPECTING IN THIS STUDY! Thank you God for extending your hands in advance! CAN NOT WAIT!!!
The subtitle is my mantra, if you will. As I go through my day walking to Him and with Him I have a constant discussion with Him. I try to understand the source of my weaknesses (fears) and open myself up to be filled with his Grace and strength. Although I don’t know that I’ll ever completely give up every fragment of fear I have, my goal is to FIRST look up instead of out. I have a HUNGER and THIRST to immerse myself in his word. This summer study is a perfect time to encourage ‘connection’ to scripture when sometimes the hustle and bustle of the kids out of school and all other summer social activities take precedence. I need a project 🙂 I’m looking forward to this study and how it will ignite me by the end of the summer.