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!
Oh yes, I feel this subtitle deep in my heart. Working in ministry and parenting a teen daughter this past year has brought me a place of great awareness of my need to abide with Him on a daily basis. I haven’t been. For the first time in about ten years I have fallen out of the habit of getting up early in the morning to soak in Gods presence and His Word. And now I feel so defeated, so depleted. I’m recommitting myself this summer to time with Him first thing in the morning. I’m taking myself back through Believing God this week and then will start Gideon next week. Thanks for the encouragement of other women seeking His heart.
The title is one that is screaming at me! I’m down with it, girl friend, and will be on my own!
My weakness, His strength. The story of our lives. All I am and all I can ever be is because of His love, grace and strength in my life. He IS.
The first thing that comes to mind is God’s response to Paul’s pleas about the thorn, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” It is in our weakness that the Lord often works the greatest in and through us.
Reminds me that He carries me through my trials of life. He is all I need!!!!!! Let go, and let God!! HE is……my everything!!!
My weakness, God’s strength
He shows his strength when I am weak. Always, without fail, when I surrender, when I am broken and in a place that I cannot possibly get up from, He is there to pull me out from whatever it is that I am in, always. That strength is a God story that is given to me to share with another (or others) at an appropriate time to give them hope and strength, to strengthen their faith just as mine has been strengthened. Giving it away has power, power for the Kingdom, power for the Light, power for Christ, power for the Holy Spirit, Power for HIM! His is all the power I need, now and forever more. So blessed He saved me, yep, even me!
Oh, I’ve tried to do things in my own strength many times. Thinking I know what’s best and just how to do it. And most of the time, my way ended up being really difficult and often times stressful! I don’t like to be considered “weak”, nor do I like to ask for help. It’s a pride thing for sure! It took me having three babies in a three and a half year period to get to the point where I finally surrendered, humbled myself and admitted to God that I can not do it all on my own and in my strength! I need Him! I NEED HIM!! My oldest just turned 4 last month. My middle child is 2 1/2 and my baby is 8 months. Am amazed every day how God works in my life. I am certainly a work in progress and I’m really looking forward to this Gideon study. It couldn’t have come at a better time!!
We named our son Gideon. In his first year of life, we discovered he was born with many weaknesses. God has been so faithful to being a reliable source of strength with each and every challenge he has faced.
My weakness–the thing that makes me come to the end of myself–is where Jesus is strong because I (finally) get out of His way! My weakness = His strength, and if I can just trust His goodness and His great love for me (Why, oh, why is that so difficult???), I won’t mind it when I’m weak. In fact, I’ll be aiming to be weak more often than not!
I love God’s oxymorons. Only in His economy is weak the new strong.
Lately, I’ve just been confronted with my own weakness over and over again. And I know it’s in my very weakness where God’s strength comes in, where His power is made perfect, but my heart could use some serious encouragement and repeated truth in that area.
My weakness God’s strength makes me think of how uch I rely on Him! In my walk and trails daily its His strength that gets me through my weakness! When my husband Jim was walking through his cancer battle it was God’s strength we relied on! When we were told this or that would happen I would say the word says by His strips he is healed! So many times my knees weaken but God’s strength held me up! I am so looking forward to walking through this study with each of you!
“My weakness, God’s strength.” When I read this title the first thing that comes to mind….Particularly in this present time of my life I am embarrassed to admit, I am battling with daily negative feelings and believing, I am weak. I am fighting everything within myself to not believe it or feel this but it is still happening. I no longer want to feel as if I have already lost my battle. I want to feel God’s embrace and surrender my fears to allow God’s strength to Win.
Can’t wait to see what God will do in my life during this study. So glad you are doing this summer study!
My weakness, God’s strength. In my life right at this moment this line seems such a contradiction. I have no strength in and of myself when consumed by my weakness. I am losing at a battle centered around food and body image right now. Eating problems are in full force and I really do feel that the enemy is throwing flaming arrows at me. I’m getting hit hard and feel like I am powerless over the compulsion that I have with food. I can’t stop the damaging behavior and I feel horrible guilt. All this arose as I celebrated 40 days of intentionally seeking God through His Word and prayer from the first moments of my day.
One thing I know not by feeling but by faith is that I will be victorious over this. I’m going to believe Him for it!
I am so excited about the Gideon study. I have been studying II Cor. 12: 9 this semester: God’s strength is perfected in my weakness. The Amplified version says that God’s power and strength are most effective in my weakness. Verse 10 says that I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses so that the strength and power of Christ may pitch a tent over and dwell upon me. My personal prayer in the mornings is to ask Jesus to be strong in every place I’m weak. He is always faithful to answer that prayer. I think this is a timely study for me.
Slinky or tape measure? I ask myself what’s it going to be?
“My weakness, God’s strength”
It never ceases to amaze me how many time throughout Scripture we see God using ordinary everyday people (like me), who have many weaknesses & failures, to do amazing things for Him! Moses, David, Ruth & Joseph are a few who come to mind! Whenever I begin feeling down or begin thinking God cannot use me because of my weaknesses & previous sins, I remind myself how often He uses ordinary people to accomplish His works in incredible ways!
This title hits me hard–I am quitting my full-time teaching job as we get ready to welcome 2 sibling girls we are adopting (in addition to our 3 bio girls). My weakness will definitely need HIS strength!! Oh, I am excited for this adventure and calling, but know I absolutely must fully rely on the wisdom and strength of the Lord to handle all that will come my way.
my weakness~God’s strength
2Corinthians 12:9-10 NET
9 But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me.
10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Leg and arm pain and weakness, unexplained fatigue and many other symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis. My God’s strength enables me to keep making my house a home and a place of refreshment for my family. He enables me to home educate my four children and do so much more. I truly see my weakness as His strength. I can’t do this life but in Him I can!
Truth with a capital T! My weakness is the doorway to the supernatural, unexplainable and glorious strength of my Sweet Savior! Praise His name!
A friend just sent me the following quote: “My awareness of my need for Jesus is my greatest strength. My neediness, properly handled, is a link for me to experience God’s power and presence in my life.” –unknown author
For a variety of reasons, far too lengthy to go into depth on the details, this is the message my soul most needs to hear right now. The Gideon study sounds like a “word in due season.”
Thanks for the opportunity to get my hands on this material!
When I think of the title for Priscilla’s book I think if how so often I let my weaknesses define me in a negative light rather thenetting God define me though my weakness. My weakness could be the very thing that leads someone else to a closer
Relationship with Christ or to coming to know him. God often time uses our weakness as a our strength to bring people to him or bring them closer to him. May that be true of me, allowing Christ to gain glory in my weakness!
My weakness, God’s strength.
“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God and I will praise him – my father’s God, and I will exalt him!”
I will have victory through my daily weaknesses no matter what they be; health, temptation, discouragement because God is with me!
My weakness, God’s strength – thank God for Jesus for without his strength and sacrifice, my weakness would be my doom! I am so thankful that it isn’t up to me to save myself!
Your weakness, God’s strength… What a beautiful reminder that He will meet our every need. That our biggest areas of lacking will be met with His biggest blessings. We have no reason to feel fear or shame about our weaknesses. He will provide all we need. Therefore instead and in spite of our weakness, we should simply focus on Him and give thanks and praise.
Immediately brings to mind 2Corin 12:9. Lately I have been feeling so weak, but can find joy in boasting in my weakness. I have a feeling this study was written just for me!
My weakness …. God’s Strength. The first thing I thought of was parenting. Even tho my kids are adults I still need God’s strength everyday to be the parent I need to be.
“Your weakness, Gods strength” Pierced my broken surrendered heart that my weakness was meant for His Glory. I see that with Gods strength I really can face any weakness, any ‘giant.'” Psalm 119:92 “If your law had not been my delight I would have perished in my affliction.” All my weakness has done is pushed me closer toward God reminded by Holy Spirit to remember Gods track record, keeping me humble. He clothes me garments of praise from Psalm 45: 1-15, Isaiah 61 and Col. 3:12-17 manifested through beauty He has brought back to life from ashes. When I fail He is still there saying, “You, Tanya, are not defined by anything that happened to you, Tanya, or anything you, Tanya have done.” As Beth Moore has shared in Breaking Free. He is there in my weakness making me more like His Son.
Lately I’ve been feeling powerless over my weaknesses and I’m not sure how to get out from under them. A study that reminds me that the only “cure” for this is relying on God’s strength sounds like just what I need. I look forward to doing this study.
I’m at a place in my life that is more than I thought I could bear, but in my weakness,
God had been able to show me how strong he can be. What peace
that brings knowing it’s in these moments we can see how
mightily He works. So looking forward to this Bible study.
My weakness God’s strength
My first thought honestly is what weakness? I can do this all on my own. Which I try quite often, but usually in my attempts that bring me to my knees and I see everyday how weak I really am without Him. And that only with Him can I truly find my strength.
I am weak. I’ve always known this intellectually but like never before I feel it! Just returning from a God ordained, Holy Spirit led trip to South Africa. I’m on day 2 on my return to the states and I feel a barrage of emotions. In all honestly it’s a wierd moment to step back into our culture. It’s not bad it’s just so starkly different. It was such a privilege given by God to get to go and humbled to a point of weakness on my return!
It’s in my weakness that God’s strength is most evident.
My weakness, God’s strength…yes and amen. Thanks to my great man for taking the 4 kids one night a week out and about, I am offering up my home and have invited the neighborhood mamas to join me in this study…So, NOT my comfort level, but when you feel the nudge, you gotta budge right?! I was encouraged because one of the mamas on my street whose kids we play with often said shes coming and has never done a bible study before…I pray the Lord captures her heart through this study.
The subtitle “your weakness. Gods strength “. What a remainder. We often think we have to just get it together first – then go to Him with it. When all along if we listened, HE would gives us the strength needed.
Shew……I daily see the weakness in me! If it were not for the strength of God, I could not begin to take the first step out of bed each day! This statement excites and empowers me with the hope that I don’t have to be strong always, that it is only when I realize my own weakness can I truly begin to know the fullness of His strength!!! Thank you Lord…you are my STRENGTH!!!
When I’m given a task that seems like it should have been given to someone else, it was. It was given to HIM! And all He needs me to do is follow.
My weakness. God’s strength.
He is always there to stand in the gap for us if we are willing to step aside and let Him. Judges 6:12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Love this passage. Confirms: We don’t have to fight the battle alone.
He is my strenght! I am nothing without my Lord.
My weakness, God’s strength… As I’m learning to trust in Him more, He continually puts me in situations where I feel so inadequate and must trust Him for the wisdom I need, and He always comes through-without fail! It increases my faith each time and feels like I’m building spiritual faith muscles. I am humbled by His love. God is so good!
Love to you,
Denise
Your Weakness, God’s Strength — gives me SUCH hope! After years and years of trying to be strong, I am finally realizing that it is in my weakness that God can work.
my weakness, God’s Strength. In the mist of seasons where we are searching after God in the mist of the unknown we are clueless but forced to trust God for the next unknown step, making him our strength in the mist of our weakness. When we lean into him trusting him beyond our understanding our weakness can be transformed into his strength that is ours because of Christ.
God’s strength is what I rely on each day…some days I just need to remember who is in control!!
Your weakness, God’s strength.
MY weakness, God’s strength. Let’s just say that I have been blessed with many opportunities for God to show me my need for Him and His incredible faithfulness!
God is so good.
Being strong and able is ingrained in our physical natures. Discovering that our weakness is exactly where God can come in and help us yields amazing and unexpected freedom and hope.
Still, I find the wall of “self” resurrected. It comes down only through hearing the still small voice of Holy Spirit. We need to hear that voice.
So many of us find ourselves carrying burdens bigger than we can manage, but we carry on, with a smile, fearing that we will let down ourselves and those who depend on us. I am hoping this message will reach into hearts and channel God’s provision of strength to those who hear, and those they touch.
I saw first-hand how my weakness is God’s strength 3 1/2 years ago. My husband and I had to make the decision to remove our 4 year old daughter from a ventilator and watch her slip into the presence of Jesus. Left to my own power, I don’t think I could’ve done it- God showed yet again that only he is powerful enough to provide comfort, peace, and healing that is otherwise unexplainable.
I am weak, but HE is strong!
I really want to win the giveaway for my ladies’ bible study group. We have been so blessed to have gone through two of Beth Moore’s studies together. We are looking to do something and this just hits home. We are such a diverse group of young and seasoned women. Going through different things…we all struggle with finding our way…thankfully we can rely on the Lord’s strength and not our own. I just know our group of ladies could all benefit from this study! Thanks for the opportunity!
My weakness. His strength. Only God’s economy allows for an exchange of Him taking my brokeness and giving me His wholeness. Beauty for ashes, amazing grace!