Bible Study Source Magazine, Issue 13, Fall 2023

Issue 13 • Fall 2023

B I B L E

S T U D Y

SOURCE f r o m

inside this issue:

Finding

the Happy You Chase

WHY BE STILL?

Never Give Up on Your Loved Ones

GET BACK UP and

KEEP GOING

T H E C A L L to a

CO U N T E R - C U LT U R A L L I F E

Lori Wilhite

What Can We Learn from the Book of James?

F I N D YO U R N E X T ST U D Y :

ChurchSource.com

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a LETTER to our READERS Dear Women’s Ministry Leader, There are frosty fall leaves on the cover of this issue, and mums and pumpkins on every porch, but it’s a sunny, 80-degree day here in West Michigan as we’re writing this. Summer is trying to hang on!

Maybe you’re trying to hang on, too. Not to summer, but to your enthusiam and energy for leadership. Leading others is often thankless and exhausting. We get it. That’s why we do what we do, publishing wellresearched Bible studies from trusted teachers, to make your job leading women in Bible study a bit easier.

In these pages, let Lori Wilhite encourage you to seek true, lasting joy from Jesus instead of chasing fleeting happiness.

Let Allison Allen encourage you that the hidden things, the things you do to serve the Lord that you think no one sees—He sees, and those things matter more than you know.

Let Jess Connolly encourage you to pursue holiness and help those you serve seek out their calling just as you have run hard after your calling.

We hope these stories, teachings, and videos inspire you, encourage you, and speak to the needs of the women in your community.

Your partners in ministry, Beth and Sara

Beth Murphy, Director, HarperChristian Resources Sara Riemersma, Editor, HarperChristian Women P.S. Shout-out to our friends at the Leading and Loving It Breakthru conference! We love what Lori and Brandi do to refresh, equip, and encourage women who lead, and we’re proud to partner with them.

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Finding the Happiness is found when your unity with Christ leads you to unity with others

BY LORI WILHITE Recently, I was in Romania where I was working with Ukrainian refugees. We travelled to a sweet village snuggled right up on the southern Ukrainian border. There, we visited a small church of 35 people who had taken in five large families made up of sets of parents and their 60 biological and foster children. Parents with eight kids, nine kids, 18 kids. After visiting the homes that had been provided for these precious Ukrainian families, we all got to go to church together.

As I sat in this packed little church, now a church family of over 100, I was just overwhelmed by the beauty of the Bride of Christ, the beauty of the Church. The rows of seats were filled with people, from little Romanian grandmothers to the tiniest Ukrainian infant. Men, women and children who didn’t have a lot in common. We spoke three different languages. We came from three different countries. But we shared one faith. We couldn’t understand each other, but we could worship together.

The piano player started to play some old, familiar chords. And the pastor stood at the front and said in a big, booming voice, “In Romanian…” The voices of 35 of the most generous people I’ve ever encountered started singing in Romanian: What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer Then the pastor happily shouted, “In Ukrainian…” The voices of 74 of the most courageous people I’ve ever met started singing in Ukrainian:

Happy You Chase Oh, what peace we often forfeit Oh, what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer Then the pastor looked at us with a smile and said, “In American…” The voices of 10 of the most emotionally overwhelmed people I’ve ever been part of started singing in English: Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer That’s the unity of the church. The unity of believers. And it’s beautiful. And it’s powerful. And it’s filled with joy. True happiness is found when your unity with Christ leads you to unity with others.

Paul speaks powerfully about this unity saying. “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Phil 2:1-2 NIV).

Want to make your joy complete? Want to chase happy? Then chase unity. True happiness is found when your unity with Christ leads you to unity with others. The same love. The same spirit.

The same mind.

So, how do we achieve and practice this unity that leads to joy?

Well, Paul goes on to say, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Phil 2:3-4). Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. That word “nothing” means … nothing. Like nothing.

No one single thing. Not a thing. Selfish ambition drives us to

do things for our own advancement and our own promotion.

“Conceit” here could better be translated “empty glory.”

Here’s what Paul’s saying: Hey, church family, do nothing for your good and for your glory. That’ll be devoid of unity, and joy will be absent. Instead, do things for the glory of God and the good of others. When we have the same love, same spirit and same mind, we aren’t just looking out for ourselves. We’re also looking to the interest of others. Paul doesn’t say not to look out for yourself.

There is a health that comes from taking care of yourself—getting the rest, help and support you need. But Paul is saying: Don’t look out only for your own interests. Also, do things for the good of others and the glory of God.

Want to make your joy complete?

Want to chase happy?

Then chase unity.

That’s not the only way to achieve unity. When we turn back to Philippians, Paul is about to paint an incredible picture of the mind of Christ. But Paul doesn’t just want us to admire this from afar; he wants us to enter in and emulate the mindset of Christ.

Let’s pick it up starting in verse 5: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:5-8 NIV). continued on page 4

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The Bible says that Jesus made Himself nothing. A more common way to translate that would be that “He emptied Himself.” Jesus didn’t empty Himself of His deity, His divine attributes or His equality with God. He was still fully God. But He did empty Himself into the form of a servant. Taking on the form of a servant. The original language Paul uses here isn’t saying that Jesus is making an exchange of His divinity for His humanity, but an adding humanity to His already existing divinity.

He humbled Himself when He gave up the privileges of Heaven to walk around on the earth.

He humbled Himself when He set aside the riches of Heaven to be born into poverty.

He humbled Himself when He didn’t just appear as a victorious warrior but as a vulnerable baby.

He humbled Himself when He didn’t rub elbows with the wealthy and powerful but chose to be friends with people the religious leaders called “notorious sinners.”

He humbled Himself when He felt hunger, thirst, weakness and weariness.

He humbled Himself when He lived in obedience to God the Father and under submission to the Holy Spirit.

He humbled Himself in the face of shame, mocking and public humiliation.

He humbled Himself when He endured an excruciatingly painful death on a cross.

PHILIPPIANS Chasing Happy

by Lori Wilhite

So, the question becomes, are we willing to humble ourselves before God and humble ourselves with others?

Humility in our relationships can show up in a variety of ways.

It’s taking the time to really listen to others even though you have lots of unchecked items on your to-do list. Humility is seeking wisdom and feedback from others so you can grow.

It’s owning your mistakes instead of running away from them and seeking forgiveness when needed. Humility is showing appreciation for others, not just for what they do, but for who they are. It’s a willingness to be vulnerable and live under submission to the Holy Spirit.

Lori WILHITE

That’s where you’ll find the happy you chase.

Watch the first session and learn more here: 4

WATCH

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LORI WILHITE serves alongside her husband, Jud, the Senior Pastor at Central Church in Las Vegas. She’s the founder of Leading and Loving It which exists to equip and encourage women in leadership to love life in ministry.

W h a t I f Yo u’ v e B e e n L o o k i n g f o r t h e Wr o n g L o v e i n A l l t h e Wr o n g P l a c e s ?

LOVE IS SOMETHING WE ALL WANT. WE CAN’T AVOID IT. BUT WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND? Bible teacher Madison Prewett Troutt breaks down the answers to your questions about love found in Jesus’ great commandment in Matthew 22. You’ll learn the simple truth that you must build your relationship with God first and that loving yourself and loving others comes after.

T H E LO V E E V E R Y B O D Y W A N T S

by Madison Prewett Troutt

Watch the first session and learn more here:

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Experience Jesus’ Presence Throughout the Old and New Testaments 30 D AY S WITH JESUS Experiencing His

When the world feels chaotic and scary, when you feel crippled by fear and anxiety, when you feel hurt by the very people you thought you could count on…

It’s tempting to wonder, “Jesus, are you here? Do you care?”

Presence Throughout Testaments

Though we may feel alone sometimes, Jesus assures us we are not.

Jesus is never absent in any of Scripture, and he’s certainly not absent in our lives, either.

by Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle

Join Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle in this Bible study that will help you make connections between the Old and New testaments, so you can understand the Bible as one complete story.

the Old and New

Lysa

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Dr. Joel

TERKEURST

MUDDAMALLE

LYSA TERKEURST is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of six New York Times bestsellers, including Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, and It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way.

DR. JOEL MUDDAMALLE (PhD in Theology) is the Director of Theology and Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries and the theologian in residence for Haven Place Ministries, a ministry of Lysa TerKeurst, that provides personalized theology and therapy retreats and smaller gatherings.

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Why Be Still

by Wendy Blight

W

hen was the last time you were still? Truly still.

My guess is, it may have been a while.

Why Be Still?

Stillness creates space to draw closer to God. Stepping away from the world. Letting God’s Word be the waves that crash over our hearts and minds ensures God’s Word, and not the world, guides us and gives us strength through our day.

How did silence become a treasured part of my walk with God? Anxiety.

A few years ago, anxiety took me down. During the worst of my anxiety, enclosed spaces felt like the walls were closing in on me. Groups and crowds brought on full blown panic attacks.

My solution? Never leave my house.

I didn’t want to eat. I couldn’t sleep. I obsessed over my anxiety. I never gave my body time to refocus and recalibrate because I didn’t know how. It’s here I discovered “being still,” and it became my lifeline.

We find God’s words “be still” in Psalm 46:10, written by a priest serving during King David’s reign to encourage the Israelites as they faced daily battles with the unbelieving nations surrounding them.

The psalmist wrote these words, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (NIV) He knew God’s people needed to remember WHO God was.

That He was their Refuge, Strength, ever-present help, and the Most High God who reigns and rules over all the earth.

The same command to “be still” is raphah in Hebrew. It means to relax, release, withdraw.

But notice, God didn’t end with the words “be still.” He instructed the people to be still “and know.” That word “know” is yada (yuh DA) in Hebrew. In this context, it means to cease striving, surrender.

Release. Surrender.

There’s purpose in our stillness. It’s active. We “be still” to ascertain a deeper understanding of who God is. To grasp His

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majesty, holiness, power, presence and ultimate control over this universe and our lives.

Stillness creates the space we need to step into God’s nearness.

Practically, what does this look like? “Be still” time provides set-apart time to listen for God’s voice. Learn about Him. Praise Him. Hide His Word in our hearts so we can know and understand Him more deeply.

It takes baby steps. So, how do we “be still” with God?

STEP ONE - JUST DO IT!

Begin with prayer. Invite God in. “Father, meet me here today.

Calm my soul. Still my heart. Open my eyes and heart to hear your still small voice.”

Be intentional. Set apart time each day (even if it’s short) to quiet your heart before God, focusing only on Him.

STEP TWO - SET APART A TIME AND PLACE

Start small. Commit to one or a few minutes and then add more time each week or two as you feel ready.

Some days it may feel like a battle. You may spend more time pushing out the invading thoughts trying to steal your peace then focusing on God. Other days, God will reveal truths and promises to you. Remind you of His character. Calm your fears. Soothe your soul. Be encouraged. The more you practice and train your brain, the invading thought days fade further away.

I promise. Your “be still” time will produce only the very best fruit!

STEP THREE - MAKE A PLAN

Ways to spend your “be still” time: Sit alone with nature. Soak up God’s magnificence and creative genius. Lift your eyes. Take in the vastness of the heavens. Enjoy the beauty in your yard and your city. In each space. Listen, watch, marvel and REST in Him.

God laid on my heart to immerse myself in His Word. I spent the last part of my evenings alone, reading passages that provided visuals of God’s glory and majesty. I called these my sacred pauses with Jesus. I’m sharing a few psalms here: 8, 19, 139, 147.

Praise God using His names or His attributes. Names like Jehovah Rapha (God our Healer), Elohim (God our Creator).

Or focus on God’s attributes like His goodness, faithfulness, holiness.

Choose a verse or passage of Scripture and memorize it, meditating on it each day in your “be still” time.

When it’s hard to focus, don’t give up. Take those thoughts captive and return to God’s names, attributes and wonders.

STEP FOUR - LISTEN AND JOURNAL

Take time to listen in the stillness, really listen. In my “be still” time, God sometimes lays a name on my heart to pray for or to take action...send a text or give her a call.

It was incredible how making myself available opened my heart and mind to be the voice of Jesus to minister to a friend in their hard place. THAT is a precious gift and draws us, and the person we connect with, closer to God. Record how God met you in your “be still” time. Because I saw God at work, I found myself wanting to record what God was doing. And still do. Especially on those days I clearly hear from God. Be alert for the enemy who will work hard to distract you.

He knows stillness enables you to step outside your mental battle and fix your eyes on the One and only One who is able to rescue and redirect your heart and mind.

And, remember, there are no rules! It’s just you and Your Father in heaven intimately connecting in the sweetness of your nearness with Him. Only the very best fruit will come from sitting at the feet of Your Abba Father. Today, may you hear these words from You Abba Father, “Sweet daughter, be still. Be still and know. Be still and know that I am God. Come and meet with me. I’m waiting.”

CHALLENGE: Put “be still” time into practice for one week.

Focus on God’s names and attributes. Or, choose a verse or passage to memorize and/or meditate on throughout your

REST FOR YOUR SOUL A Bible Study on Solitude, Silence, & Prayer

by Wendy Blight

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Wendy BLIGHT WENDY BLIGHT is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries' First 5 Writing Team and serves as the Proverbs 31 On-Line Bible Study Small Group Ministry Training and Development Coordinator.

week. Journal what you experience.

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Who Are You, Really?

by Margaret Feinberg

M

y friend Ethan recently attended a week-long retreat in which every attendee received the same instruction. During the entire time together, no one was permitted to tell their occupation or where they lived with each other.

“For the first two days it was so awkward,” Ethan said. “We tend to identify ourselves by our occupations and geography. When those were removed, we stared at each other and struggled to connect. No one knew what to say to each other.”

Ethan said he didn’t realize until he engaged in this simple exercise how much of his life was tied to what he produced for work and where he lived.

If you were placed in the same situation, how would you describe yourself?

I realized that in my own life, I too tend to turn to descriptions that are tied to productivity and place.

Maybe, like me, you have go-to phrases. Perhaps you’re a parent or grandparent of __ or spouse of __ or daughter of __ or son of __. Or you’re an employee of__, or owner of __, or you are part of __. Or maybe you’re from __, or grew up in __, or currently live in __.

Once you strip away professions and responsibilities and locations, who are you, really?

That’s why the opening of the book of James is so powerful. James begins by identifying himself with something that’s outside his day job or geography. He reveals himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1).

James introduces himself as a servant or slave of God and

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Jesus Christ. In the process, he identifies himself as one who is in service to God and service to others. James models the servanthood of a beautiful life from the get-go. He knows who he is, whose he is, and who he is called to be. Only then does he identify those he is writing to: “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (1:1). He writes to Jewish believers in the diaspora (those dispersed) outside Israel as well as us today.

So the question remains: Once you strip away professions and responsibilities and locations, who are you, really?

In what ways are you a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ?

In what ways are you still struggling to believe that what you do matters?

No matter where you find yourself today, James is a trusted guide.

Now, sometimes when people talk about faith, what you hear can seem ambiguous or confusing or feel like pie-in-the-sky ideas.

You may think, “Wow! That’s a great teaching—but I have no idea what to do next.”

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re going to fall in love with the Epistle of James. This is theology expressed in the most practical terms. The writing overflows with doable and down-to-earth teaching on what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus every day.

Now this James is not the same James who was one of the twelve disciples. Most scholars believe this James is the half-brother of Jesus. He writes to the church at a time when it—not unlike today—is struggling with polarization, judgmentalism, busyness, preferential treatment, and a driving desire for success and status.

Yet these were never meant to be the markers of the church or believers. James takes his faith seriously and challenges us to do the same. He writes so that we will live out our faith and become mature believers. To accomplish his purpose, he laces his letter with all kinds of golden treasures of wisdom, much like the book of Proverbs.

• The teaching on endurance calls us to stand strong in the face of adversity (James 1:2-4).

• The instruction to help widows and orphans in their distress has awakened Jesus-followers to care for those who have suffered great loss (1:27).

• The call to pay attention to our words confirms that some things are better left unsaid (3:9-10).

• The directive to ask elders to anoint and pray illuminates us to the power of prayer (5:13-15).

I encourage you to join me as we jump into the power-packed pages of James that challenge us to practice deeds over creeds, acts over practiced passivity, and to experience every day as a passionate follower of Jesus Christ.

JAMES What You Do Matters

by Margaret Feinberg

Watch the first session and learn more here:

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Margaret FEINBERG MARGARET FEINBERG speaks at churches and leading conferences around the world. She’s host of the popular podcast The Joycast, and her books and Bible studies, including Taste and See and Revelation, have sold more than one million copies.

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Live Out God’s Commission for Your Life Do you long to live an abundant life and join in what God is doing in the world, but you’re not sure what that looks like in your day-to-day life?

Join Bible teacher Jess Connolly in an exploration of the character of God, how His holiness is the root of all grace, and how experiencing and understanding that you cannot affect either—you cannot alter God’s holiness nor diminish His grace—means you have the freedom to dance exactly as and where you are!

D A N C E , S TA N D, R U N

Also Available:

The God-Inspired Move

YOU ARE THE GIRL FOR THE JOB

of a Woman on Holy Ground

by Jess Connolly

By the end of this study, you will know what it is to dance in grace and stand on holy ground and your goal will be to share the glory that is Jesus Christ with as many people as you can—because you CAN. Get real honest about some big, fundamental questions, like: • Who is God? • Who am I in relation to Him? • What is my purpose here on earth?

• God is holy. What does that mean?

Watch the first session and learn more here:

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Jess CONNOLLY JESS CONNOLLY and her husband, Nick, live in Charleston, South Carolina, where they’ve planted Bright City Church. Her books and Bible studies include Dance, Stand, Run; and You Are the Girl for the Job.

DAN C E , S TA N D , R U N : S E S S I O N 1 T A K E AWA Y S God is holy.

Revelation 15:4a says “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name?

For you alone are holy.” (NIV)

God is intent on being in relationship with us.

Romans 8:38-39 says “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)

We are holy because He says so.

2 Timothy 1:9 says, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” (NIV)

God will help us live out the mission He calls us to.

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” (NIV)

We already belong in the kingdom.

Philippians 3:20-21 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (NIV)

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GET BACK UP AND KEEP GOING. NO. MATTER. WHAT. DEVELOPING GRIT THAT WON’ T QUIT

by Bianca Juárez Olthoff

G

rit and perseverance help us keep our faith and behave according to God’s call when we feel stuck, when we are waiting, and when we are in the heat of battle. Paul, our model of grit and resilience, knew the feeling of being stuck (for crying out loud, he was in prison in Rome), and he knew how to persevere under persecution (see Acts 14). Through Paul’s behavior in each of these situations, we can learn the importance of behaving with grit—with healthy habits based on God’s purpose for our lives.

One way to begin building grit is to write a declaration for your life. Your declaration is a reminder of who you are, what you are called to, and who you’re choosing to be. It is a statement of what you are declaring over your life. You can write a new declaration every year or so to remind yourself of what you’re called to in each changing season. Don’t worry about making it pretty, perfect, or poetic. Just write what your soul needs to hear. When you feel like quitting, you can come back to this declaration as a reminder of what you are called to do.

Let’s walk through writing a declaration together. I will give you the flow I use, and you can create your own from there.

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1. Start with a visual image or a metaphor that resonates with you—for example, running, gardening, war, flying, creating.

2. Once you have a metaphor in mind, list your desires.

It might be a large social issue like fighting human trafficking, or a more personal one like breaking the stronghold of anxiety.

3. Craft words around your desires—for example, “I want to develop self-control because my desires drive me.”

4. Next, list Bible verses for your particular situation (simply search “Bible verses about [enter your topic]”). You’ll be surprised at how many amazing Scriptures are available for your declaration. Let God’s Word remind you of His truth.

Then, make a written commitment about what you promise to do.

5. Now, spend some time with the pieces you have assembled to create your declaration statement for whatever you are facing in this season of your life.

Remember, writing a declaration isn’t about positive thinking, but about biblical optimism and truth from God’s Word. Your declaration will remind you of who you are, what you are called to, and who you’re choosing to be.

6. Read it often, tweak it as necessary to reflect your call to obey God, and choose to apply God’s call to your life through how you think and behave. This is how grit is developed and this grit will serve you well in every circumstance as you choose to live by faith.

So what about you? What is God calling YOU to declare over your life in this season of walking with Jesus? Are you ready for transformation? All it takes is an open mind, willing heart, and commitment to not give up.

GRIT DON’T QUIT Get Back Up and Keep Going: Learning from Paul’s Example

by Bianca Juárez Olthoff

Watch the first session and learn more here:

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Bianca JUÁREZ OLTHOFF BIANCA JUÁREZ OLTHOFF is a Bible-teaching, word-slanging MexiRican who is passionate about raising up a generation of people passionate about Jesus Christ.

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Storms from Building a Resilient Life Bible Study by Rebekah Lyons Every generation faces storms. Since the forbidden fruit was eaten and sin came crashing into paradise, the storms of our common humanity rage.

Along with the reality of cosmic brokenness, we also experience joy, we see beauty, and we have seasons of indescribable delight. Life is a mixed bag and we rarely know what is just around the corner.

This generation has been no exception. A new virus made its way around the world and things changed in ways no one was prepared for. The country of Ukraine was invaded and images of war hit devices carried in the pockets and purses of people all over the globe. Gas prices boomed.

Supply chain issues seemed to impact the availability of almost everything. Inflation became a common word and reality.

BUILDING A RESILIENT LIFE

The list could go on and on but you have lived these realities. These are the sort of things that live in the consciousness of our generation and they can ignite fear, worry, anxiety, and depression.

You may have found yourself asking: Why do I feel so fragile?

Should I give up or stay the course?

Will I recover passion and meaning?

Can I become resilient against the never-ending storms of life?

How do I know you’re asking these questions? Because I’m asking them, too. If we are going to press forward with resilient hearts and stability in the storms, there are God-given guidelines to help us along. My prayer is that this study will help us discover some meaningful and helpful answers to these questions. No matter what comes our way, there is hope in Jesus and strength to hang in there and press through.

by Rebekah Lyons

Watch the first session and learn more here:

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Rebekah LYONS REBEKAH LYONS is a national speaker, host of the Rhythms for Life podcast, and bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal, You Are Free, and Freefall to Fly.

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Where You Look, You Will Go from Don’t Look Back Bible Study by Christine Caine My husband, Nick, surprised me on my 50th birthday with a Vespa. To enjoy the gift, I had to take a motorcycle safety riding course and pass a written exam.

“Keep your eyes straight ahead,” the safety instructor said. “Let your peripheral vision do the work. Remember that where you look, you will go! I don’t want to see you looking back. Eyes forward!”

Thanks to the instructor’s help, I passed the test and earned my license, but one phrase from the instructor resounded in my head: Where you look, you will go.

This is not just true when riding a bike, but it’s true all throughout our lives. I couldn’t help but think …

Where my mind goes, I will go.

Where my emotions go, I will go.

Where my spiritual focus goes, I will go.

But sometimes, like Lot’s wife, we’re tempted to look back (Genesis 19:26). Now that didn’t go well for her, and it rarely goes well for us. What’s more, looking back doesn’t enable us to go back, and more times than not, it just leaves us stuck. In a place. In a space. In a memory. In a habit. In a mindset. Maybe you’re feeling a little stuck in life now.

Join me for this Bible study, where we’re going to explore the places where it’s easy to become stuck in life and the tools that we need to start moving forward again into the plans, purposes, and promises of God. I can’t wait to make this journey with you.

D O N ‘ T LO O K B A C K

by Christine Caine

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Christine CAINE CHRISTINE CAINE is a speaker, activist, and bestselling author. Her Bible studies include Unashamed, Undaunted, and Unexpected.

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Never Give Up on Your Loved Ones

by Hosanna Wong From the How (Not) to Save the World Bible Study

W

hen I was 18 years old, my dad got cancer and passed away. My little brother, Elijah, was 12 and Elijah shut down emotionally. Though we lost the same person, we didn't have the same experience. We didn’t react the same way, but I didn’t understand. And I ministered at Elijah so wrong. I spoke at him aggressively telling him it’s not okay to be sad. God doesn’t want you to be sad, have more faith. God’s going to use this for your testimony. I realized when I would call Elijah, he wouldn’t want to talk about any of the things I wanted to talk about. He didn’t want to talk about our dad or God. All he wanted to talk about were superhero comic books.

It took me some time to realize that I had been so mad at Elijah for not seeing the world the way I saw the world. And I was just fighting to be right. But fighting to be right is the perfect plan of how not to save the world. It's how not to help those in our lives, who are really hurting. It's how not to show the love of Jesus.

I realized Elijah was not stepping into my world. So I stepped into his. I became obsessed with these comic books. I would drive into my hometown of San Francisco and we’d look through thrift stores for vintage comic books together. When Marvel started coming out with all these movies, I'd drive into town, we wear our Marvel shirts, get a big popcorn and watch the latest film on the big screen. I was able to connect with Elijah through stepping into his world and starting to see it the way he saw it and eventually speak to him where he really was.

What is our role, if we know we are not the savior, but we want to partner with God to show his love to those around us? The Bible

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gives us an interesting name. Ambassadors. Second Corinthians 5:20 says this, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God.’ ” (CSB) Now in the modern world, many times ambassadors have to be bilingual. They have to be fluent in two languages. They have to know the language of the kingdom, the nation, the king, or queen they’re representing, and they have to know the language of the kingdom, the nation, the people they are to communicate this message to. The other nation may have a totally different language and a totally different cultural lens of the world. They may have gone through different wars. And if the ambassadors only know one of the languages, then often this important message will be lost in translation.

So what does this mean for you and me today? If we want to be Christ ambassadors, we will need to learn two things.

One, we need to learn the words and ways of those around us.

We might know how to explain theology to other Christ followers and may know super spiritual words, and might be able to quote bullet points to an amazing sermon. But if we don’t know how our friends see the world or understand where our family members are coming from, then we won’t be able to share the hope of Jesus in a way they will understand. We want to give God's answers to their questions, but some of us don't even know the questions they are asking. Do you know why your neighbors struggle with

the idea of church and how they’ve been hurt in the past? Do you know why your family member that you see every Thanksgiving doesn’t want to share about their life or doesn’t feel comfortable or doesn’t feel welcomed? Do you know what your baby brother's favorite superhero is? These are all things you discover when you have real conversations. When you listen, when you are in a consistent, real relationship with people, you will learn their words and ways and how they see the world, the questions they actually have.

HOW (NOT) T O S AV E T H E WORLD The Truth about Revealing God’s Love to the

And second, we need to know the words and ways of God.

People Right

For some of us, we know the questions people in our lives are asking, but we don’t know God’s answers to their questions. Some of us have friends far from God and friends close to God. We’re kind of like a good hang for everybody. But when our friends ask us about battling with fear or struggling with knowing who they are or wondering how to start praying, some of us don’t have answers because we only know one language. We want to know the words and ways of God. And we will learn that when we ourselves are actually in God’s Word, reading it and knowing it. When we’re surrounding ourselves with other Christ followers who are also learning with us and learning what God is saying.

When we come to church to hear more about God. And when we have the discipline in our lives of reading God’s Word and talking about his words with other believers, we will get better at learning the language of God.

by Hosanna Wong

Next to You

We want to know both. We want to know people, those real questions, and God’s real answers, The call for us to be ambassadors is a call to become bilingual, to continuously learn, to be fluent in the language and lens of people and the language and lens of God, to be good listeners of people and good learners of God’s Word, so we can accurately and effectively communicate a very important message that the people in our lives need to hear.

Watch the first session and learn more here:

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Hosanna WONG HOSANNA WONG is an international speaker, best-selling author and spoken word artist helping everyday people know Jesus for real. Hosanna currently travels and speaks year-round and serves on teaching teams at churches throughout the United States. She and her husband, Guy serve together in various ministries equipping people with tools to share the gospel of Jesus in today's world.

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THE CALL to PURSUE a DEEPLY COUNTER-CULTURAL LIFE from the Hidden Bible Study by Allison Allen

F

or a quarter of a century, my family and I had traveled the long distance from our home to gather at the blustery barrier islands off the east coast of North Carolina, lovingly known as the Outer Banks. Dotted by towns with inscrutable names like Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, the Outer Banks had always been a bastion of refuge for my family and me. For years, we had walked the bends of hidden beaches, our feet instinctively knowing where the mercurial Atlantic waters were likely to break, and how far we were from the sturdiness of the Bodie Lighthouse.

There was a particular year, however, when we found ourselves at the Outer Banks unsure how many steps we were from sturdy.

Our metaphoric sails had been shot through; Our family had been through a storm of life circumstance and we felt anchorless in a squalling sea. During those desperate days, every feeling was sharp, hitting us like glass shards born up on a sudden frigid gust.

But on we walked, hoping for healing with every, next footfall.

The last day of our time at the beach, my husband and I combed the sandy contours one last time. As I walked, I suddenly pulled back to avoid injuring my toes on what I thought was a recently deceased brown puffer fish. Peering at it, I said to my husband, “That’s a shell! A whole shell!” His disbelief matched mine, as we bent over, wide-eyed, to scoop up the sea’s gift.

On its face, our incredulity might seem dramatic. After all, shells are a common enough sight on a beach. But not this beach. Not whole shells. The wild waters of this part of the Atlantic are known to smash shells into shatters and shards. The only complete shells I have found on my beach-combing expeditions have been tiny. But this was a different specimen altogether.

Aside from being a whole whelk shell, another unusual attribute

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struck me: its color. The whorls of this whelk were lovely and dark: streaks of black, grey, and yellow seemed brushed upon its curling contours. Usually shells like the one I was staring at are stark white, but this specimen looked like a midnight sky rounded out by a perfect band of stars. In all my years, I’d never seen anything like it.

I carried the shell back to our beach house, cradled in my hands like a piece of sea glass.

We showed our gift from the sea around like a hidden treasure and everyone had a similar reaction to the whelk shell’s whole state, as well as its unusual color. I soon discovered the reason through some internet sleuthing—the technicalities and chemical compounds were a bit lost on me, but not the revelation that this singular seashell had likely been buried for centuries, possibly even millennia, drawing into itself the elements that would turn it so dark and distinguished. Its stunning striations were due to years of hidden-ness.

Later that day, Jetta, my mother-in-law said, “You know, the shell is you.” After swallowing back the tears that had become my food during that season, I knew we had not been forgotten. I knew God saw us, AND I knew that the shell was an invitation—to the glorious beauty of the hidden life.

This shell was beautiful because it had been hidden.

This shell was whole because it had been hidden.

This shell was useful because it had been hidden.

Over the following days, questions began to swirl around me like an Atlantic current:

In a world that equates being seen with significance, and excellence with exposure, what does it mean to choose a life “hidden in God in Christ” as Colossians says? What rare beauties and bounties are to be found in being concealed and covered

by Jesus? Have I settled for a counterfeit sense of identity and significance, by running after the world’s definition of what it means to matter? What if the hidden-in-God life is a more secure life? Even after walking with Jesus for 35 years, why do I so often run from the holy hidden-ness He offers me and run after the world’s visibility?

What if the hidden-in-God life is a more secure life?

I hope you’ll join me in this study to keep combing the beach with me, hunting for those hidden treasures of Scripture—the call to pursue a deeply counter-cultural life, and the song of Jesus, who, as a fulfillment of the great Isaiah prophecy did not “cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.” Let’s follow Jesus who slipped through the crowds, who told people to tell no one who He was, who spent 27 years in unseen preparation, who came from a no-name, back-water town, who pursued not an earthly throne, but came for the thorns that would encircle his beautiful, humble brow.

Let’s run after this Jesus who invites us to walk the earth consumed with the fame, notoriety and visibility of the King and the Kingdom, and not ourselves. I wonder what would happen if we allowed the Lord to minister this truth to our hearts: That when we are known and seen by the Lord, it doesn’t matter whether we are ever seen by the world.

HIDDEN Finding Delight in Your Life with Christ

by Allison Allen

Watch the first session and learn more here:

Allison ALLEN

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ALLISON ALLEN loves weaving Biblical teaching and narrative together in unexpected ways, and is over the moon to teach at conferences and retreats around the country.

Saddleback Church, Women of Joy, Mariner's Church, and Campus Crusade‘s National Women's Conference are just a few of the wonderful places she has been.

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E N CO U N T E R A

DEEPER EXPERIENCE

OF GOD’S GOODNESS AND LOVE P R AY I N G T H E N A M E S O F G O D FOR 52 WEEKS

by Ann Spangler Names in the ancient world did more than simply distinguish one person from another. They often conveyed the essential nature and character of a person. This is especially true when it comes to the names and titles of God recorded in the Bible.

Trusted Bible teacher Ann Spangler has done the heavy lifting for you, creating a unique Bible study that guides you through a year-long exploration of the most important of God’s names and titles as they are revealed in the Bible. It also teaches you how to pray with specific focus on each of the names of God. Each week’s study includes: • The name in English as well as its original language • A key passage from The Names of God Bible • Context to help you understand the name • Questions for reflection • Guidance to help you pray the name of God for that week • Space to write your own prayers

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N e w f ro m J E N N I E A L L E N Coming February 2023

U N TA N G L E Y O U R E M O T I O N S

by Jennie Allen What do we do when we can’t interrupt a feeling?

When we are sad day after day with no real reason why?

When we are consumed with anger toward someone who wronged

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us as a child?

When we are anxious about what will happen as our career hangs in the balance?

When we are withdrawn after an argument with our spouse?

In this Bible study, join Jennie in taking a closer look at individual moments when Jesus and Father God and the Spirit all felt emotions.

Because we were created by a God who feels, let's learn from Him … what is His response to sadness, anger, fear, or joy? Seeing God emote

Jennie ALLEN JENNIE ALLEN is the founder and visionary of IF:Gathering as well as bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head, Find Your People, Nothing to Prove and many more books and bible studies.

throughout Scripture will give us a new path forward.

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