Bible Study Source for Women Magazine - Issue 2

Issue 2 • Holiday 2018

B I B L E

S T U D Y

SOURCE for women

powered by ChurchSource

inside this issue:

MAKING Christmas EXCUSES HOW TO AVOID A

tired, cranky, stressed-out

Holiday

5 WAYS TO ENGAGE

different learning styles in your Bible study

plus:

12-DAY ADVENT

Bible reading plan

a

LETTER to our READERS

Our team always looks forward to fall. As pumpkin-spice everything and Christmas décor start to show up in stores and kids go back to school, neighborhood groups and churches start up their Bible studies again. We love that!

Hello, Autumn!

We know it can be challenging to find the right Bible study for your group, so we’ve packed this issue with new studies for fall, ideas for serving your community, engagement tips to get everyone participating, a Bible reading plan to kick off Advent, and a study specifically for those of us who stress ourselves out trying to do All The Things at holiday time.

If you’re enjoying our magazine, make sure you don’t miss our new monthly newsletter. We’ll provide monthly inspiration for spiritual growth, leader tips, stories, recipes, and the latest scoop on what your favorite authors are up to and working on next.

ONE THOUSAND GIFTS A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are

by Ann Voskamp

Our prayer is that no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, being part of the Bible Study Source for Women online community will help deepen your relationship with Christ and connect you with other women.

We’re glad you’re here.

Sign up for the monthly newsletter at BibleStudySourceForWomen.com Beth Murphy Director, Bible Study Source for Women Free shipping offer valid until December 30, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. ET or while supplies last. Offer valid online and by phone only. Receive free standard ground shipping on non-rush orders of $10 or more, valid within the 50 United States or to an FPO/APO address; offer does not apply to the U.S. Territories, rush orders, or expedited shipping methods, after promotions and discounts and before shipping and handling costs are applied. Shipping, gift cards, or customization of products does not qualify towards minimum purchase requirements. Offer only available to customers in the United States age 18 and older. To redeem offer, enter promo code during online checkout or provide the code to a representative during phone orders. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with any other discount offer. ChurchSource reserves the right to de-activate the promo code in the event of fraud or technical issues and limit quantities of individual items eligible for purchase with this discount. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Not valid for resale.

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“How,” Ann muses, “do you break the bondage of fear that has white-knuckle control on your life and instead embrace everyday blessings? How can you live life with a heart overflowing with delight?” Ann encourages you to take on the life-changing discipline of journaling God’s gifts—to find the good in life in all circumstances. It’s only in this expression of gratitude for the life you already have that you discover the life you’ve always wanted.

Five sessions Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $39.99 $23.99

FIND THE

perfect

BIBLE STUDY

for you and your group in 5 MINUTES or LESS!

Check out Bible Study Finder at:

B i b l e S t u d y S o u r c e Fo r Wo m e n . c o m

A SEASON OF THANKSGIVING

THE BEST YES

GIVING THANKS TO GOD

Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands

Jesus Calling Bible Studies

by Lysa TerKeurst

by Sarah Young

Do you spend a lot of time figuring out whether to say yes or no, thinking about how to manage your time, reduce stress, do your best for your family, find a little time for yourself? Learn the power of “the best yes,” the choice that shapes all other choices. Cure the disease to please, escape the guilt of disappointing others, overcome the agony of hard choices, rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your best yes.

“Praise be to God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Explore what God’s Word says about the many ways he provides for you—and why you should give thanks to him for this abundance. Even during trials, you can have an attitude of thankfulness. When you realize the depth of God’s love and the lengths to which he went to reconcile you to himself, it naturally causes you to want to praise him!

Six sessions

Twelve sessions

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Softcover $10.99 $7.69

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Making Christmas

Excuses

by KAREN EHMAN

As a young mother raising babies and toddlers, I struck up a friendship with an elderly woman in my neighborhood. A retired school teacher, it thrilled her heart to have the children on our street play in her yard. My own three kids have such fond memories of splashing in her swimming pool in the hot summers or making snowmen in her front yard during the chilly winter months. She had a warm smile, a welcoming attitude, and always made space in her life for other people.

One afternoon during the Christmas season, we were visiting with her, enjoying steaming mugs of homemade hot cocoa. Her face brightened as she talked of Christmases past. Often her family would arrange with the local orphanage to have a child or two spend Christmas with them instead of remaining in the orphanage over the holidays. They took these children in as if they were their own, complete with presents, stockings, and sweet treats.

When I expressed my amazement at such a kind gesture she said something I have never forgotten. It was her philosophy of Christmas. She declared, “Oh honey.

Christmas is an excuse to make someone else’s life better.”

Christmas is an excuse to make someone else’s life better.

She and her husband, when he was alive, had made it a point to reach out during the holiday season and gather others in. To help financially. Or emotionally. To provide what was lacking in the lives of those all around them, whether they were people in the neighborhood or strangers in the town. Parents might need help buying presents. Individuals may need companionship if they were lonely at the holidays. Or maybe someone needed a little emotional support or physical help, getting many of the tasks done that the Christmas season brings.

Her phrase so stuck with me that I discussed it with my husband and we decided to adopt this philosophy with our own family as well. And so, we set out to use the holiday season as an excuse to help others.

Sometimes this meant undertaking a bigger project, like the time we pulled off a 12 days of Christmas surprise for a friend of ours who was facing their first Christmas as a single parent of five children. We arranged for 11 other families to join us in leaving a basket of surprises for this family each morning for the 12 days leading up to Christmas Eve. Each day when they awoke, on their front porch was a big market basket piled high with presents.

It might be gift certificates to stores, gift cards to area

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restaurants, small presents for each of the kids, or homemade goodies for them to enjoy as a family. There was also an anonymous card of encouragement with instructions to put the basket back on the porch, so it could once again be filled the next morning. How fun it was to hear this family talk about all the things they were receiving each day and to wonder out loud who in the world was behind it all.

We never did tell.

It doesn’t have to be on such a grand scale. Your family or Bible study group can learn to scatter kindness at the holidays by performing a very simple gesture. Here are six ideas that will help you and your family and group to better someone’s life at Christmastime by encouraging a worker, stranger, neighbor, or other person whom God puts in your path. Most can be done while out and about during your normal December routine.

Your Turn!

Makes someone’s day better:

L I S T E N , LO V E , R E P E AT Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World

READY? LET THE CONFETTI OF KINDNESS FLY! Gift a cashier, gas attendant, grocery bagger, bank teller, or another worker with a sweet or salty treat and a note attached thanking them for their diligent work.

Over-tip a restaurant server, barista, hair stylist, nail technician, or other such worker and attach a note thanking them for their faithful service all year long. Tell them “You’ve been tipped over!!!”

Take hot cocoa, a latte, or another delicious drink to a Salvation Army bell ringer, construction worker, crossing guard, school car pool line worker, or any other person who works outside.

Buy a gift card to a local bakery and leave it on a coworker’s desk or taped to a friend or neighbor’s door along with a note telling them your life is sweeter for knowing them.

Drop off a food gift to a shut in, elderly neighbor, or another person who may be lonely this time of year. Offer to help them with any of their holiday tasks such as wrapping presents, addressing their Christmas cards, or Christmas gift shopping.

Make the mail carrier’s day! Leave a treat or small gift in the mailbox for them along with a note of thanks for faithfully delivering the mail all year long.

Karen EHMAN Our culture is self-obsessed. But despite our near-narcissism, people are less content than ever. Why? Because we forget that joy comes from putting others first.

Doing so requires us to live alert, listening for “heart drops,” hints from those who need a helping hand or a generous dose of encouragement. Living alert will enable you to scatter love, not to selfishly shout, “Hey! Look at me!” but to humbly implore, “Will you look at Him?” Six sessions Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $38.99 $23.39

Alright. Are you ready? Grab your family or your group and go make someone’s day! It will end up making yours as well.

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I T ’ S N O T S U P P O S E D T O B E T H I S W AY Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered What went wrong? Why did God let this happen?

Reality often ends up so very far from the life we long for, doesn’t it? Bible teacher Lysa TerKeurst deeply understands daily disappointments and life-altering loss. By walking through her own valley, she’s discovered that in God we can find unexpected strength as we wrestle well between our faith and feelings.

In this Bible study, Lysa offers a safe place to share your disappointments, fresh biblical insight to get you through painful situations, and life-giving perspectives for living in between Eden and eternity.

Six sessions Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Lysa TERKEURST Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She writes from her sticky farm table in North Carolina where she lives with her five kids (whom God entrusted to her even though she struggled to keep goldfish alive), three dogs, and a mouse that refuses to leave her kitchen. Her favorite things include Monday night family dinners and toasted Ezekiel Bread with guacamole on top.

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“ Disappointment A CAN SOMETIMES BE

a divine appointment

in Disguise ” LYSA TERKEURST

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ut tired, cranky, stressed-o

H A P P Y H O L I D AY S Confessions of a Former Do-It-All Mom and Pastor’s Wife

by Geri Scazzero

Do you ever find yourself trying to do All. Of. The. Things. to make sure your holidays are Instagram-worthy and Pinterest-perfect?

That was me...until I quit pretending and chose a better way.

RECIPE FOR A MELT-DOWN

OVERFUNCTIONING INVENTORY

I remember vividly the time my husband Pete invited two important guests to come to our home for lunch.

I worked extremely hard to present a perfect-looking home and exhausted myself cooking an elaborate meal.

Beginning two days ahead, I prepared homemade clam chowder, homemade bread with cheese, and a killer homemade chocolate cake. And all of this was done with a baby on my hip and a toddler tugging at my leg.

Overfunctioning is more than simply a bad habit; it is a weed whose deep roots can often be traced back through generations in your family of origin. And the thorny branches of that weed reach far out into our relationships and the way we handle things like the holidays.

Sadly, I believed that my exertions themselves meant I was caring for these people. But I was confusing caring about them with having to take care of them. I was tired, cranky, and stressed out with those around me.

“I’m sick and tired of this,” I complained. “Why doesn’t anybody help me!” I was so busy overfunctioning that I had a melt-down, not even realizing I was the cause of the people around me underfunctioning!

O’ver-func’tion (verb): to do for others what they can and should do for themselves.

You know you are crossing the line into overfunctioning when you hear yourself saying things like, “We won’t celebrate Christmas as a family unless I do it.” “I’m the only one who can do this right.” “It is just easier if I do it myself.” “I’m afraid of their reaction if I ask them to do more.”

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Check the boxes that apply to get an idea of where you fall on the continuum of mild to severe overfunctioning: I generally know the right way to do things.

I move in quickly to advise or fix things lest they fall apart.

I have difficulty allowing others to struggle with their own problems.

In the long run, it is simply easier to do things myself.

I don’t trust others to do as good a job as I can.

I often do what is asked of me, even if I am already overloaded.

I don’t like to rock the boat, so I cover for others’ shortcomings.

Other people describe me as “stable” and as always “having it together.”

I don’t like asking for help because I don’t want to be a burden.

I like to be needed.

If you checked three or more boxes, you may be overfunctioning; if you checked four to seven boxes, you probably have a moderate case of overfunctioning; if you scored eight or above, it’s time to course-correct!

CARING FOR PEOPLE VS. TAKING CARE OF THEM

I was able to be truly present with myself, with Pete, and with our guest. I thought back to Jesus’ beautiful invitation to Martha. “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one” (Luke 10:41–42). And I began to realize that this invitation was also for me.

It wasn’t until years later that I began to realize I could care for people without overfunctioning. I knew I had turned a corner one evening when we hosted another guest. I straightened the house, but I didn’t clean it immaculately. I served a simple, not elaborate, dessert.

I let my kids be themselves.

The lie that overfunctioning whispers in our ears is this: “You are the only thing holding everything together. If you stop, things will fall apart.” Actually, the opposite is true. The more we overfunction, the more others underfunction, making them demotivated to make changes.

After dinner, we settled down in the living room with coffee. I sat and listened as our guest poured out his heart. I remember being aware of Christ’s presence.

If one of the kids needed something, I let Pete jump up and get it. When the dishes piled up in the sink, I let them be.

If you’re like me and tend to overfunction, be intentional about noticing and identifying when you’re falling into overfunctioning. Then, practice letting go. You’ll be amazed at how you’re freed up to care for your friends and family in an emotionally healthy way this holiday season.

Geri S C A Z ZE R O T H E E M O T I O N A L LY H E A LT H Y W O M A N Eight Things You Have to Quit to Change Your Life The journey to emotional health begins by quitting. Geri quit being afraid of what others think. She quit lying. She quit denying her anger and sadness. She quit living someone else’s life. When you quit things that are damaging to your soul, you are freed up to choose other ways of being and relating that are rooted in love and lead to life. Discover the way out of inauthentic, superficial spirituality, and find genuine freedom in Christ.

Eight sessions Workbook $10.99 $7.69 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Leader Pack (DVD & Book) $36.99 $22.19

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U N W AV E R I N G Living with Defiant Joy Unwavering helps us defy the powers that threaten to destroy our souls and steal our joy. Through the practices of Bible study, discussion, journaling, reflection, worship and contemplative prayer, learn to remain unwavering in the face of numbing loneliness, the whiplash of unexpected crisis, the gripping fear that buries our dreams, the desolation of waiting, and sad endings that leave us hopeless. God means for us to have a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world.

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Six sessions

Jess CONNOLLY Jess Connolly is a gal who is in the thick of it. She is the co-owner of All Good Things Collective print shop and helped start both She Reads Truth and The Influence Network. She and her husband Nick planted Gospel Community Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina where they live with their four children, who she’s crazy about, and their dog Deacon, who she’s still on the fence about.

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Stasi ELDREDGE Stasi Eldredge spent her childhood years in Prairie Village, Kansas, and she took a partiality to her now-husband John when they were friends in high school. She has been active in theatre ministry, crisis pregnancy center ministry, women’s ministry, and children’s ministry.

Stasi loves baking, getting lost in a good novel, a powerful turn of phrase, freshly mowed grass, family traditions, the Tetons, and the grace and beauty of horses. The Eldredge family lives in Colorado.

D A N C E , S TA N D, R U N The God-Inspired Moves of a Woman on Holy Ground Like many women, Jess Connolly grasped grace but had forgotten holiness. Dance, Stand, Run charts her discovery that holiness was never meant to be a shaming reminder of what we should be doing, or rigid rule-keeping, but rather it’s the profound privilege of becoming more like Christ. That’s when we start to change the world, rather than being changed by it. Step into the movements of the abundant life: dancing in grace, standing firm in holiness, and running on mission.

Six sessions

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

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“No matter

what loss or death of dream we face,

bitterness

is always a temptation; yet the

scriptures tell us there is another path to take. �

L AU R A STO RY

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Laura STORY

Laura is a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter who started her musical career as a bass player. After almost losing her husband to a brain tumor in 2006, she wrote “Blessings” which earned her a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song in 2012.

Besides making music and writing books, Laura works at Perimeter Church in Atlanta doing music and women’s ministry. Laura’s family includes her husband, Martin, daughter, Josie, and twins Benjamin and Griffin.

WHEN GOD DOESN’T FIX IT Learning to Walk in God’s Plans Instead of Our Own It’s bad enough to have broken dreams. But it can be devastating to realize God doesn’t always fix it. Laura Story’s life was forever changed with the news that her husband had a brain tumor with incurable complications.

Yes, with God all things are possible. But, as with many characters in Scripture, God sometimes leaves us in crisis instead of rescuing us from crisis, to bring us closer to him and to use us in extraordinary ways.

Five sessions Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $39.99 $23.99

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Engage Everyone!

5 Ways to Reach All Learning Styles

by MARGARET FEINBERG

One of the great joys of leading and partaking in a Bible study is the Aha Moments. When you see eyes light up, a face beam with joy, a forehead nod in hearty agreement—it’s hard not to celebrate!

Yet sometimes our Bible studies can become predictable. Some participants don’t readily engage. We struggle to reach those who learn or grow in a different way than we do.

or favorite Scripture or dream on a balloon and talk about why they wrote those words. Or maybe you hand out 3x5 cards and invite participants to make a list of what they love about Jesus or their families or their community the most. Or maybe you create an activity like planting spices or sharing a meaningful photo or making bouquets together. There are endless ways to tie your activity into the lesson.

That’s one reason engaging the senses for Bible study can be such a game changer. Whether someone is an auditory, tactile, visual, or verbal learner, reviewing lessons and developing creative ways to invite participants to experience God’s truth and love can be a game changer.

2. Host a Taste Testing. Few activities are more

HERE ARE 5 QUICK WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BIBLE STUDY A FULL SENSORY EXPERIENCE: 1. Start with an experiential activity. As

you consider the lesson of the day, think of a simple activity that spurs interaction and connectivity.

Perhaps you invite participants to write their mood

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enjoyable than trying new foods or comparing different foods to each other. Perhaps you try a recipe from another part of the world or compare different types of figs. If you use toothpicks and napkins, you don’t need a lot of food to allow everyone to try a bite and talk about what they’re experiencing.

3. Play a meaningful song. The power of music to

transform, speak, reveal, and unlock hearts cannot be underestimated. Playing a song and sharing lyrics or inviting participants to share the song that breathes life into their soul, opens doors to being known and having deeper conversations.

The Bible was written in an agrarian context that opens up endless possibilities for learning from modern experts.

4. Plan an adventure. The Bible was written

in an agrarian context that opens up endless possibilities for learning from modern experts.

If you’re studying the Promised Land, invite a beekeeper to your group. If you’re talking about sheep or sheep parables, plan a visit to a shepherd (if there’s one nearby). Invite a farmer to talk to the group about planting, harvesting, and seasons. Plan a lunch celebration at a local Mediterranean restaurant. All of these can help the Scripture come alive in a fresh way.

Margaret F E I N B E R G

5. Create an artistic expression. One of the

most powerful ways to help participants express their deepest heart desires is through art. A few colored markers, paints, or clay can provide a fresh way to craft a prayer, confess a sin, or create words of affirmation.

Sprinkling a few of these creative elements throughout your Bible study will help your group grow deeper and more connected with each other and God.

TA S T E A N D S E E Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, And Fresh Food Makers The Psalmist declared, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8), so Margaret Feinberg decided to take the invitation literally. She embarked on a global culinary and spiritual adventure descending 410 feet into a salt mine, baking fresh matzo at Yale University, harvesting olives off the Croatian coast, and tasting succulent figs at a premier farm—all to discover the truth in such a simple verse. With each person she encountered, she asked, “How do you read the Scripture in light of what you do every day?” Their answers will change the way you read the Bible forever… and the way you approach every meal.

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Six sessions

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STUDY THE

WOMEN OF THE BIBLE

T W E LV E W O M E N O F T H E B I B L E

52 Bible Studies for Individuals and Groups

Life-Changing Stories for Women Today

Focus on 52 female heroes in Scripture, and you’ll discover yourself in the process. Delve deeply into the lives of women who encountered the living God. Includes an introduction to each woman, major Scripture passages, study materials, cultural backgrounds, and helpful charts as well as a complete listing of all women of the Bible, with Scripture references.

Space is included to record your thoughts and insights.

Six favorite Bible teachers share spiritual lessons from 12 biblical women:

52 lessons Book $16.99 $11.89

Jean

SYSWERDA

Jean is a former editor and associate publisher for Zondervan Bibles. She helped produce such bestselling Bibles as the NIV Women’s Devotional Bible. She is the author of the Women’s Devotional Guide to the Bible and coauthor of the bestselling Read With Me Bible. Jean and her husband, John, have three children and eight grandchildren. They live in Allendale, Michigan.

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• Eve: Finding Contentment in Truth • Rebekah: Breaking Free of Feminine Stereotypes • Leah: Overcoming Rejection • Hannah: Surrendering in Waiting • Abigail: Confrontation in Relationships • Gomer: Accepting Unconditional Love • Mary, Mother of Jesus: From Comfort to Courage • Mary Magdalene: From Outcast to Follower • Mary of Bethany: Putting Faith into Action • Martha: Finding Identity in Jesus • Woman at the Well: Turning Messes into Messages • Syrophoenician Woman: Approaching God with Persistence Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Teachers

LYSA T ERKEU RST ELISA MO RGA N A MENA BRO W N JO NA LYN GRA C E FINC HE R JEA NNE ST EVENS NA O MI ZA C HA RIA S SHERRY HA RNEY

men O F

THE BIBLE

T W E LV E M O R E W O M E N O F T H E B I B L E

LESS THAN PERFECT

Life-Changing Stories for Women Today

Broken Men and Women of the Bible and What We Can Learn from Them

Six of today’s best-loved authors teach spiritual lessons from 12 biblical women: • Proverbs 31 Woman: How Not to Do It All • Deborah: Fight Like a Girl • Shulamite Woman: We Had God at Hello • Ruth: Staying Focused • Puah and Shiphrah: Fight Your Fears • Esther: Letting God Control • Priscilla: A Life of Blessed Ordinary • Mary and Martha: Finding Life in Death • Bent Woman: We’ve Got God’s Attention • Woman with the Issue of Blood: Persistence Pays Off • Elizabeth: Winning the Waiting Game • Anna: Living Devoted to God Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $39.99 $23.99

Teachers

L I S A HAR P E R K A RE N E H MAN C H RY S TAL E VAN S HURST B I AN CA J UAR E Z OLTHO F F M A R GAR E T FE IN BE R G C O URTN E Y J OS E P H S H ER RY HAR N E Y

In her vibrant vignettes of 30 biblical characters, Ann Spangler gets to the heart of the matter: God always works with deeply flawed people, and he often works in spite of them. Read aloud the rich portraits to enter each character’s times and resonate with the familiarity of their situations.

Then, discuss the key takeaway points that remind us that these stories are our stories, and God still works with less-than-perfect people.

Book $18.99 $13.29

Ann

SPANGLER

Ann loves to surprise her readers by revealing a God who is far bigger and better than we might imagine.

In 2013 she was named Logos Author of the Year, an award given to an author “whose works exemplify the power of books to change lives forever.” Although she is single, she became the mother to two beautiful daughters, Katie and Luci, who were both born in mainland China.

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Favorite

OUR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS Leif ’s

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PREP one COOK TIME: N INGREDIENTS

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Makes 1 1/2

INSTRUCTION

Margaret

18

FEINBER

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iracha lapeño or S 1/2 diced ja e sauce to tast per to taste salt and pep r bagel , veggies, o rs e k c ra c , d brea e chips to serv

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Stasi ELDRED G E The entire season of Advent, my family gathers around our little Advent wreath to pray and to sing. Since our sons were little they would take turns lighting the candles and then have the privilege of choosing the three Christmas carols we would sing after praying.

Their little faces reflected in candlelight earnestly singing are moments I cherish—and we continue the tradition to this day!

Wendy BLIG H T My Favorite Christmas Tradition happens on Christmas Eve. We begin our celebration at our Christmas Eve Service. We then head to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. After dinner, we get in our PJs, read the Christmas story, and end the evening opening one gift and watching Elf. Though our kids are now in their early twenties, this tradition lives on...and I’m so thankful.

Lynn COWEL L While the rest of the country may be experiencing the beginnings of a white Christmas, it is quite possible we could still be wearing shorts in Charlotte. So right after Thanksgiving, our family loves to head to the Appalachian Mountains to hunt down the perfect Christmas tree.

Whether it is full and round or a bit like Charlie Brown’s, the family time of looking for the one is what we love the most. Hauling it home, bundled on top of our car, feels like it is finally time to begin the season.

Kristy C A M BRO N When I was young, our Christmas morning focused on Jesus before exchanging gifts, fixing a holiday breakfast, or even turning on the coffee pot. Instead, we sat as a family and my Dad read Luke Chapter 2 aloud. I still can’t look at those words without hearing his voice in my memory, and imagining the twinkle of Christmas lights all around. Now we follow the same tradition with our own children, making memories and a focus on Christ that we hope they’ll hold on to for generations of Christmas mornings to come.

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Lynn COWELL Lynn Cowell is a part of the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaking team, speaking to pre-teens, teens, multi-generational, and women’s conferences and retreats on a regular basis. Lynn and her husband, Greg, of 30 years, are the parents of three young adults: Zak, Mariah, and Madi. The Cowells reside in North Carolina where they enjoy hiking in the mountains, wearing well-worn sweatshirts, and eating anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter.

LIVE FULL WALK FREE Set Apart in a Sin-Soaked World Cindy Bultema explores Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and shows how believers today can navigate in a wayward and confused culture. She reveals how Paul wrote to the Corinthians— the “Sin City” of its day—to help them cultivate holy lives not by their own strength but through the power of Christ. Touching on themes of identity, unity, purpose, and purity, this study will equip you to live for God in a sin-soaked world.

Six Sessions Book $14.99 $10.49 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Leader Pack (DVD & Book) $39.99 $23.99

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MAKE YOUR MOVE Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures Leave behind all the unnecessary insecurity this world induces and find confidence in God alone. Delve into six stories in the Bible of notso-well-known women who found themselves needing confidence to make their move, and who uncover the faith to get it. Out of her own desire to get all that God has for her and slamming up against life’s obstacles in getting there, Lynn shares her own journey of finding unshakable confidence in our unshakable God. Six Sessions

Book $14.99 $10.49 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Book) $43.99 $26.39

Cindy BULTEMA Once upon a time, Cindy Bultema was a broken woman who nearly lost her life to the bondage of addiction. Jesus gave her new life, hope, peace, joy—even a brand-new reputation. Now, Cindy is Executive Director of GEMS Girls’ Clubs, she coaches writers and speakers, and she’s a seminar expert for Grief Share. Cindy lives in West Michigan with her husband and four children. She loves all things sparkly, and believes that being real is the only way to live.

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Advent

READING PLAN

by KRISTY CAMBRON

DAY 1: The Name of Jesus, Luke 1:30-31 DAY 2: The Birth of Jesus, Luke 2:11-12 DAY 3: The Grace of Jesus, Luke 2:40 DAY 4: The Prayers of Jesus, Luke 6:12-13 DAY 5: The Stories of Jesus, Luke 8:10 DAY 6: The Peace of Jesus, Luke 10:5-6 DAY 7: The Wisdom of Jesus, Luke 12:24 DAY 8: The Hope of Jesus, Luke 13:18-19 DAY 9: The Joy of Jesus, Luke 15:7 DAY 10: The Covenant of Jesus, Luke 22:19-20 DAY 11: The Promise of Jesus, Luke 23:42-43

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DAY 12: The Resurrection of Jesus, Luke 24:6-7

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