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!
“Your weakness. God’s strength.” I can’t think of a time when this hasn’t applied in my life. Right now I am struggling to figure out where I fit in many places and where I can best serve. I know I can’t do it on my own — I need God’s strength to overcome my weakness and my hesitation! Can’t wait to start!
God must be very strong…because I feel so very weak!
His strength sustains me, for without Him I
could not continue; I am that weak!
My Weakness. God’s Strength.
Hits me in my marriage right now. My husband and I have been through the same issues and on the same hamster wheel of disappointment for the whole 10 years of our marriage. I’m done. I’m ready to walk away. THAT is proof of my weakness. I need Gods strength through this time.
Boy! God is always on time! This is just what I need. I certainly weak and need God’s strength, especially now! Also, I am hearing the same thing from so many women.
My weakness can be used to glorify God.
This is the second time I’ve come across this topic today. It doesn’t surprise me that I needed the reminder. I try to hide my weaknesses rather than let God work through them. This sounds like an awesome study!
I grew up in a home where it was emphasized that to look to God and depend on Him showed weakness, and we were to rely on our own strength. Having been a follower of Jesus for many years, I still find myself slipping back into this thinking every now and then…sigh…I am really looking forward to this study, and to become weak on purpose in order to experience His strength.
“Your weakness, God’s strength” hits me because I don’t have to be afraid of my failings, I don’t have to be strong. Weakness in my life is special, because it means I have to allow God to move in my life and do things that I cannot do. It makes me dependent on God and opens the door for Him to do some amazing things!
My weak spots are the the places where God’s strength can be mightily shown….if I let Him.
Macon, GA
My Weakness. God’s strength.
So many times God seems to work through me in ministry when I am weak. Twice now I have had full blown laryngitis when I spoke at out of town ministry events. In my utter weakness, He is strong and accomplishes His purposes…no matter what.
Dear Beth,
Your sweet heart of generosity blesses me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I need God’s strength..recieved some news in the last two weeks that has shaken me to the core. Dear Jesus, pick the winners of these most beautiful gifts and may their lives be tremendously blessed. In your precious name. Amen.
Hi all! The first time I saw that title it hit me right in the gut. I get so down on myself for my weaknesses. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if God could use those or lift them up so they’re not a reason to get down, but a reason to praise?” I’m tired of getting down about weakness. It’s time to let Him take over.
Hits me in the stomach. I seem to have it switched a lot of the time. Living in my strength , as if He is weak. Have to battle my fear and pride so I can see His strength instead of my weakness.
“Your weakness. God’s strength.”
This is my Life Verse! Philippians 4:13- “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (NLT)
Wow! Do I need to hear this now! Would be a huge blessing to win!
Thank you for doing this study!
The subtitle seems so impossible right now, but I am very excited to learn and apply these truths to my life.
Your weakness, God’s strength: God’s thinking is so opposite ours. He values/uses what we would prefer to discard/ignore. I think He does this to keep us humble and show that He is in control and wants the glory.
I was so excited when I saw the title of this study because I don’t feel like I am very strong in so many areas of my life. But the great news is I don’t have to be because in my weakness He is strong. I want to learn how to make God my strength!’
I have LOTS of weaknesses. How God could ever use them is beyond me. Describes me perfectly also @ this time of my life. I’m also feeling “Stuck”..so I may do that study too. 🙂
Every morning I wake up, I know it is only through His strength that I can make it through the day. I know that I am not strong enough to face the daily battles of the enemy with Him!
My weakness, in uncertain times and circumstances, help me depend on His strength. He is my Rock. He is constantly faithful, even when I fail.
I love this subtitle because it reminds me that when I’m weak, He is strong. Also, if I let Him, He will use me in my weakness.
Many times throughout the day I’m confronted with my weaknesses. But His strength carries me through. Every.single.time.
I lead a Summer Bible Study every year so this would be awesome! My weakness- God’s Strength- this is the reality of a life lived on this Earth- He is my endurance!
I am so eager to dive into this… 3 weeks ago I returned to work after having my second baby girl. I work as the children’s pastor at my church. About a week after I returned, I learned that 3 of my 5 team members would be transitioning out (one to a summer internship, one moving, and one deciding to stay home with kiddos). I have never felt so inadequate or powerless. Not to mention adjusting to life as a Mommy of 2. I am physically and me tally spent at the end of each day. My time with Jesus is my full sustenance, and I am trusting That He is doing something new and fresh! (Isaiah 43:19)
Exactly where I am at right now…feeling so weak and inadequate that the only thing I can do is rely on God’s strength to get me through. Seems to be a theme in my life. Can’t wait for the Bible study to dig deeper!!
“Your weakness, God’s strength” hits me in so many ways. The closer I get to Jesus the more I realize how weak I am and how much I need God’s power. Looking forward to the study! Would love to win the workbook or leader kit! Thanks for the chance and for your ministry!
Our strong and awesome God has brought me through many trials lately, and through each one, He has reminded me just how weak I am, and just how strong He is! My natural instinct is to solve all my problems myself. To help other’s solve their problems, too. The Lord has patiently, and lovingly, shown me my weaknesses in these areas, and that HE is indeed the only One Who is able! I know that He has led me to respond to this request in order to obtain this study as a gift from LPM. He is going to do mighty things through the lives He will touch during this study. I am praying that one of those lives will be mine. Blessings, jd
I struggle with feeling weak battling various trials in my life. Would love to do this study to be reminded of God’s amazing strength!!
“Let the weak say I am strong”. I am weak and I am also experiencing God’s strength in my life. Excited to continue learning and becoming stronger in Him.
My weakness, His strength – I prove this to be true every single day. Sometimes as I mess up and other times when I seek His will before I attempt something on my own.
Even when my weakness seems overwhelming, God’s strength is abundant, overflowing and always available. Praise Him!
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Truly the LORD shines brightest in me when I am living in the understanding that I am nothing without HIM… Thank you for the opportunity… Christina – KY
Right now I am tackling one of the biggest weaknesses of my entire life…something I have struggled with for many years. The only thing I can see in this is God’s strength. He is the source of each daily victory, and right now as much as I’m frustrated, weary, and scared that I won’t beat this I can only rely on His strength to get me though. And that gives me so much hope!
This reminds me of our sermon on Sunday about how we need to worship. My weakness is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His strength to me and to others.
That when I feel weak, that’s when God is at His strongest in me. He’s guiding me and I’m leaning on Him.
The subtitle seems to resonate with me with regard to my 3 very young children. They are my greatest joy, but sometimes my weakness too. I get so frustrated with them at times and I feel so weak as a mother. But then I am reminded that I am not free from sin, just as they are not free from sin — only Jesus can cover it all through His mighty strength. I have been given grace through God’s strength and it is grace that I need to give. Can’t wait to do this study!!!!
In fear and dread I raised my head
Earthly man has kept me low,
But the Heavenly Father knows it is not so.
To bring my pain, my fear and sorrow
God’s strength keeps me going until tomorrow.
Look to His word and I have found
A heavenly love that does abound.
His strength for me surpasses all man’s angst
Something for which I do give thanks!
My weakness proves His strength. God has shown this to me very literally over the last 3 years. God allowed me to experience neurological problems that debilitated me for over two years. Ironically, God taught me about His strength and His joy through my great weakness. It is all about God and His glory, not what I am able to do on my own. Thank The Lord!!!
The words from an old “Secret” commercial have stayed in my head for decades. “Never let them see you sweat”. My mantra I must say. I want people to see God’s strength but I don’t want them to see my weakness. If they know I’m weak what will they say? How will they treat me? Afraid of showing weakness.
God is meeting me where I am…every day I have his strength at my disposal. I need to take hold of it and let him perfect my weakness.
When I’m stripped of my own strength I rely on my God and His glorious power MORE than when I’m feeling fine. I need to rely on Him in good times….and cherish Him each and every day. Oh how I look forward to the study of Gideon to find more of Him and less of me.
That’s the phrase I never seem to handle well. I forget that in God’s hands a weakness is not the same thing as a vulnerability–it’s not dangerous to expose your weak areas to him. God delights in filling those “less than” places with himself. Astounding.
My weakness. God’s strength. This reminded me of my pride and the need to admit my weaknesses in order to fully embrace and tap into God’s strength and not try to take care of everything myself.
The subtitle hits me with when I am at my weakest God gives me all his strength. I know when I submit to His will he does things beyond my imagination. I just read Psalm 28:1 yesterday.
To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Fits right in with the subtitle doesn’t it.
Mary Ann, Woodbury, MN
I feel as Paul … when I am weak, then I am strong. God’s power made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10). It is only through my weakness others can truly know God is at work!
I found out in November of2011 that I had peritoneal cancer. Before that, I thought I had my act so together! I had a good paying job that I enjoyed, taught a women’s bible study class every week, prepared 100 boxes every week for our churches food ministry and was WMU director! I couldn’t ask for anything more, or so I thought. Then, cancer! Really?!? Why? I was told that I had 18 months to live. Let me tell you, I was at the lowest point in my life. After my surgery, while in the hospital, I spent a lot of time in prayer asking God what I was supposed to be learning from this time? I believe He told me that He needed me to realize that He is all I need, but, apparently the only way that was going to happen was if He took away everything that I thought I had accomplished on my own and made me rely on Him and only Him! Fortunately for me, I was very receptive to what He had to say! To make a long story shorter( if its not already to late for that), from December 2011 to March 2013 I had surgery, a coronary ambellism, fractured my skull, have done chemo for the entire time and had a frozen shoulder! And through it all I have never once doubted that my God is bigger than any circumstance I may face! And in the words of Chris Tomlin: and if our God if for us, then who can stand against us? I stand boldly every day and proclaim: No one, that’s who! And as a footnote, since March, God has given me back a better life than the life that I had before I got sick. I am back to work, I went to a LPL event in Eugene, and now I want to start up my bible study group again. And I have always done every bible study that I have lead one my own beforehand, so this would be the perfect study to get back on track with!
My weakness, God’s strength is so humbling to me. It reminds me to depend on Him in every situation. To remove myself out of the situation and to let His will be done. God show me your glory and power. This study of Gideon could not have come at a better time. Our church has dwindled in size to about 100 faithful members. We are excited about our new Pastor and how God will use the few members that are left in a mighty way. We really could use the leader kit to jump start our women’s ministry.
I feel so inadequate to teach others, and yet, God has brought other women into my life that have asked for my teaching and support. God has turned my inadequacy into something He can use, because I know it’s not me. It’s all Him!