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!
Sometimes, I don’t even know what my weaknesses are, just because I’m so into myself and not the things of the Lord. I’m excited to see how God is going to reveal His strength in my life during this study!
Cindy, Biloxi, MS
This title hit me hard, I am going through a huge trial with my adult children. I cannot do this, we, my husband and I cannot do this alone. We have to lean on His strength. BUT sometimes we try to face the world on our own. So, I am excited about this study because when trials come it affects everything about us!
Thank you Siesta Momma for all you arĂŞte us!
Cindy
Unfair trade and boy am I thankful!
This title has been one I have been meditating on the last few weeks as I struggle as a parent. I feel absolutely helpless and clueless sometimes! But what a promise to stand on and grip for dear life! I can’t get much weaker so I will boast about it, cause it’s all the more opportunity for God’s strength to steal the show. When I am weak, then He is strong. Bring it on!!
In the last few years, my physical weakness has been made very obvious. I am acutely aware of how fleeting life on earth can be….even when everything seems completely normal. I am also aware of God’s strength and grace in healing. As in, one day I was at home taking care if my family, the next I was considered in total cardiac failure and 1A on the transplant list and the next surgery was being postponed because me heart was, according to the Dr, inexplicably healing on its own. What the experience has also shown me is my weakness of faith and my tendency toward fear of what I cannot control. I am still trying to figure out how to get out of my own way so I can experience God’s strath in this area as well. Maybe this study would help? I pray that this study goes to whomever ness it the most.
Gosh, my weakness right now is being a patient mommy and next week summer hits me square in the face. I want them to have happy memories of us together. (And I know I’m not the only tired mom out there.) So I know God IS my strength and He will give me the supernatural strength to have patience and act with calmness when I absolutely need it the most. =)
A perfect study for me. In struggling with procrastination, clutter and mess in my home for years, I realized I never asked God to help me change these bad habits.
We are preparing to relocate to another state. Getting my house ready to sell after 17 years, was overwhelming. I have been praying as I worked hard and give Him all the glory for my success–house goes on the market tomorrow. His STRENGTH got me here. A true miracle.
Looking forward to the study. If I am a luck winner, I will lead a small group in my very clean home 🙂
My weakness = my fears. My strength = when I reach my point of surrendering my fears and God takes over. For example: This morning I was on my way to work and my car shut down. I became fearful before recognizing the blessings of the event. I was in tears knowing that I could not afford to pay for the repair and I had no ideal what the cost would be yet. I walked to my church (1 block away) and began trying to no avail to find a mechanic who would let me make payments toward the repair bill (I work part time and by the grace of God survive on $800 month). I finally said to God, you gave me this car and I need to get it repaired. I trust that you will make a way for this to happen. Minutes later my pastor approached me and said that the cost for repairing the car and the towing would be taken care of. 4 hours later the car was running again. This evening my pastor commented that he sees a person of great strength in adversity when he sees me weather the storms.
My weakness- God’s strength is hitting home today- my weaknesses are many but God’s strength can be shown through and in spite of my weakness.
“Your Weakness, God’s Strength” is a wonderful reminder that God loves it when I am weak because I will depend upon him and He will provide me the strength I need. Satan hates this because he wants us to admit defeat and just give up. No matter what we are up against we can rely on God’s strength to get us through it.
Your weakness. God’s strength.
I have recently had twin girls, in addition to my 3 year old son, and am now a stay at home mom. Prior to the twins, I worked as an ICU nurse. I am so thankful for the blessing of raising my children, but I must say it is the hardest job I have ever had. The Lord, however, sustains me ( and all my weaknesses) with His strength and gets me through each and every day. I am excited about a summer bible study! I did Priscilla’s study of Jonah, and it was amazing. Looking forward to what God has for me in this study.
Wow. I don’t know the best way I can describe how the subtitle to this study hit me, except to say, what perfect timing. I have been struggling in some areas of weakness in which I know God has been tugging on me whether or not I will trust Him and His ability to enable me to overcome them. I know I cannot do it on my own. So to me, this subtitle hits because it says only by God’s strength will we overcome our weaknesses. God’s timing and how He knows exactly what we need when we need it never ceases to amaze me. Which will I choose- His strength, or mine?
The title “Your weakness. God’s Strength” reminds me that God is going to USE my weakness. Satan is constantly beating me up and I need to remember what God will do with them. I am anxious to get into Gideon and see what God has in store for me. This has been a difficult few years spiritually.
Thank you.
As I thought, it was as if God said..my heart or yours? I need to be at his feet daily and this really got to my heart and soul.
“Your weakness. God’s strength.”
When I am COMPLETELY down and out, drained, tired, exhausted, just down-down-down (you get the picture) I know at that point I am completely out of control and God is in TOTAL CONTROL! I use to despair feeling low at hard points in my life and although I don’t like them I have come to acknowledge that those low points take me out of the equation. I can no longer control, manipulate, fix, do or be anything to anybody. That is my point of surrender and SO MANY TIMES I have sat back and watched God work and workout situations, people & just everything in ways I never could have. I LOVE HIM! My weakest points are the areas God works out His strength and teaches me HIM!a
As I have grown older–both in years and in the Spirit, I recognize that I am weak. When I was younger I thought that I was supposed to always be strong. What a heavy burden that was! I now know that I can rest in the knowledge that God is my strength. I don’t have to always be the strong one. It’s not my job. God has strength enough for us all.
I respond to the subtitle, “Are you kindling me?”
Gods strength in my weakness is never more evident than in my journey of mothering two young kids! End of story.
I’m waiting on some strength! Got that weakness part down so well right now. Just waiting. And waiting. For some strength!
It’s so counter to what we think and how our culture operates, to think that our weakness gives God the chance to display His strength. Wanting to remember that every time I feel weak!
The sub-title reminds me that God wants me to depend on His strength and to Trust Him in all things.
My church family is hurting right now, and God’s power is our hope. I look forward to seeing God work when all seems lost. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
I’m in the midst of the whole newborn sleep deprivation thing…and that coupled with a very active 3 year old sometimes makes me feel like I’m not doing anything in ANY area of life well right now (I know, it’s just a season).
The title of this series just helps me remember that even when I’m so tired that I could cry, God CARES. When I lean on Him, he’ll give me the strength that I need.
I used to feel strong, more than equipped and ready to take on the world…didn’t sound wrong at all to feel this way. After years of reality checks and circumstances that have brought afloat so much of me I had not idea was ‘in there’, I now more than ever understand that yes, I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but I wouldn’t now dare to do anything on my own strength anymore. I simply do not want to go there. I want his strength, and only his. Should I win these bible studies, it would definitely be an opportunity to do this study relying wholly in His strength. Thanks for letting me share. Ana.
Your weakness. God’s strength.
God has really been teaching me lately to see my weaknesses (oh, there are so many) as blessings and even as my friends in a funny sort of way instead of despising them. I’ve lived in bondage to perfectionism when He wanted me to be boasting about those weaknesses all along and relying completely on His showing Himself strong! Oh, the ugly sin of self-reliance – why would I want to rely on myself anyway when He is my EVERYTHING! So thankful for His patience!
“Your weakness, God’s strength” – isn’t that the key to every breath?!! “Apart from God, I can do nothing”, and even my perceived “strengths” are only mild little possibilities that, if not teamed up with God’s purpose and plan for my life, are only going to crumble with nothing of lasting value. One of my favourite parts about the whole story of Gideon happens early on, when the angel of the Lord says to Gideon, “Go in the strength you have .. for I am sending you” (Judges 6:14) – It doesn’t matter that my strength may be only weakness …. if offered to God, the potential is powerful!! SO excited to delve into this study with all the strength I have!!!!
God’s theme for me this summer is to rely totally on His strength and surrender to Him. I think this Bible study will be totally appropriate for that, right? LOL! I cannot do life this summer and Fall without His strength! Thanks!! Jill
The idea that God can use my weakness is astounding to me!
“Your weakness. God’s strength.”
My weakness, God’s strength.
His power made perfect in weakness…When I was young, I thought about St. Paul’s sufferings and thought, how glorious to suffer for Christ. Now that I’m older and have experienced the physical kind of suffering that interferes with the ability to be strong spiritually, I realize how amazing Paul’s faith was. How completely impossible on the natural level. If I can just rest in Christ and be humble, being aware that He actually will work with my weaknesses for His *glory*, maybe I can get to that place. It’s the humility that’s hard–but it only seems hard–actually living humility makes everything so smooth, the few times I can grasp this–because I’m not concentrating on *me* and how I look, but on Him. But it’s so hard to let go of the self-image, the trying to be in control and attractive and not clumsy. Physical pain really helps–because I can’t be humble all on my own–I hate it, but as my aunt just told me today, “St. Paul said pain builds character….sigh”! So if it’s all for His glory–not my glory–His glory–that’s the hard part, overcoming pride–then I can be truly at peace and happy.
I’m really looking forward to the series–haven’t read much about Gideon!
Blessings,
Donna
My weakness. God’s strengh
“I can’t ,Lord”
” I know you can’t, Martha,… but I can!”
” By your power, Lord”
Waiting for the study to start. Can not wait.
I love this conundrum about our God – It would make sense to us that He would take the strengths He’s given each of use and super-size them for His Kingdom’s work and purposes. BUT… because His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways, He does immeasurably more and uses our weaknesses and works through those – in order that the world will see Him and not us. I look forward to seeing how Priscilla digs this our and presents it!!
What a glorious paradox! To think that shod would choose to reveal Hus strength through my weakness!
Judith, Orillia, Canada
My weakness, God’s strength !
This gives me hope when I feel hopeless, courage in the face of fear. It is so hard for me to admit to weakness, this verse has taught me to admit my weakness,so my Father can come and help his daughter.
Oops.. can’t spell….should be strength
Lisa Curtis
Oh my, 1 Corinthians 12:9 is one of my SSMT 2013 verses. This title brought me to my knees as I am praying for a personal revival this year.
I have been praying for a clear decision on facilitating a study this summer. Since I am doing the memory verses I just couldn’t decide, my weakness, God’s strength. I think he is telling me here I can do it!
The subtitle is FOR ME! There is just no other way to say it! I need God’s strength right now to help me with accomplishing some very important things. I need to learn to rely on Him instead of my own (b/c that’s obviously not working!).
Excited about this study! 🙂
My greatest spiritual growth has happened when I’ve
been at my weakest and asked God to take the lead. It’s
Not always the easiest thing to do but the end result is so
Much better than I could ever have imagined.
“Your weakness. God’s strength.” This really sums up our lives. It is all about God and not about us. God works through our weakness. Until we realize we are weak and need God, He can’t work when we are handling things our way. Our pride and stubbornness get in the way of what God is trying to do.
MY WEAKNESS GODS STRENGTH! I HAVE SO MANY WEAKNESS THAT ITS ONLY THROUGH GODS STRENGTH THAT I CAN EVEN RISE EACH DAY! I SO WANT TO GIVE ALL MY WEAKNESS TO CHRIST AND GET ALL THE STRENGTH HE GIVES. SO EXCITED ABOUT A NEW STUDY!
My weakness, God’s strength! Kind of sums up my whole testimony. So excited God chooses to use the weak (me)to show off His strength, and bringing glory to His name. So excited to be studying this summer with yall!
I could use some strength-and I have plenty weakness to trade for it.
When I am week God is my strength
This statement is so true but hard for me to do. I steer clear of my weaknesses but need to lean into them and let Gods power flow. By using us in our weak areas God’s glory shines as we know it was only possible through Him. So excited to start this study with Beth and my dearest sisters in Christ.
At times its maddening when that reality hits me and usually makes me smile and somewhat shake my head-I say something that strays so far from my fleshly knee-jerk reaction and instead say something edifying and loving. When everything in me is exhausted and feels like its a last straw…my prayers to Him for strength, that my words would be His, my actions His…He comes through EVERY-TIME!! I look back knowing that I know that I know…that HAD to be His strength in my fleshly weakness! Praising Him!!
“Your weakness, God’s strength.” This statement makes me wonder . I wonder how God uses our weakness,to show His strength.
God doesn’t just call the qualified. He qualifies the called!
I am very weak right now because of something I’m going through in my marriage. I’m praying for God’s strength to get me through this due to something my husband has done. I cannot do it myself. I don’t believe in divorce. I feel this study may assist in my healing. I’m attending counseling with my pastor. Please pray for God’s strength and healing for me and my marriage. Thank you.
This REALLY hits home for me! 5 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with some serious endometrial cancer. That began the most amazing journey of Grace. I gave the medical stuff to God knowing only He could handle it. I prayed that He would do what He knew was best. If He healed me right there, I would forever give Him the praise for it. If He called me home, well I would praise Him face to face.but if He took me through treatment or surgery, He had to hold me because I was such a wimp. You got it, treatments & surgery it was. I wanted His Peace and His Joy and He gave it In such abundance my own mother thought I didn’t understand. And when that truly amazing journey was over… Well, radiation treatment leaves scarring. The amazed doctor who said I had a 10% chance of surviving but later said faith made that a 90% chance said even the radiation scars were healing and he had never see it before. So,yeah, my weakness was totally HIS STRENGTH.
To me this means that no matter my weakness, God is my strength in everything in life as long as I go to Him in prayer and follow in the path He shows me. I am a weak human capable of making errors, but if I turn to Him for help with my weaknesses, he will strengthen me!