First Corinthians - Women's Bible Study Participant Book


Book Description

Relationships are messy. We're all different and imperfect, and we can struggle to get along--especially with those who disagree with us. Often we find ourselves divided--even as Christians. How can we work out our differences and disagreements with humility and grace, always showing the love of Christ, while still remaining true to what we believe? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth about this very thing. The cultural backdrop of Corinth was even more overtly sinful than our culture today, yet Paul boldly encouraged the Corinthian Christians not to ridicule one another or outsiders but to work together to show the love of Christ. In this six-week study we will explore Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to learn how we as Christians are to deal with differences and divisions--whether in the workplace, neighborhood, school, home, social media community, or church. We'll discover that the answer is living and sharing the radical love of Jesus Christ, and we'll unpack what this means and how we can live it out day by day. The Participant Book includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-30 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).




Numbers - Women's Bible Study Leader Guide


Book Description

Something in us aches for more—more hope, more joy, more freedom. All around us people are dancing to the steps of bigger, better, and faster, and we can easily join in without even realizing it. Before long complaining and comparing accompany our desire for more, yet we’re not any closer to filling the ache inside. God offers us another way. In this study of the Book of Numbers, we’ll find a group of people that wandered in the desert for forty years, unable to enter the Promised Land because of their complaining, grumbling, and lack of faith. The New Testament tells us that their story was written to warn us (1 Corinthians 10:6) so that we would not make the same mistakes and suffer the same consequences. God sent his only Son to die to buy our freedom from the sin that leads to discontentment, and we find our own promised land of peace and contentment in the life he gives us. By exploring Numbers we can come to identify the reasons for our complaining, learn contentment while being authentic about the difficulties of life, accept short-term hardship in light of the greater good of God’s ultimate deliverance, recognize the relationship between complaining and worry, and discover how to realign with God’s character and promises. Together we will learn contentment as we discover more of our incredible God who truly is more than enough. Only God can fill that ache inside and help us focus on his provision and purpose in the midst of life’s joys and pains. The Leader Guide, to be used along with the study's workbook and DVD, contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and more—plus leader helps for facilitating a group. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).




First Corinthians - Women's Bible Study Leader Guide


Book Description

Relationships are messy. We're all different and imperfect, and we can struggle to get along--especially with those who disagree with us. Often we find ourselves divided--even as Christians. How can we work out our differences and disagreements with humility and grace, always showing the love of Christ, while still remaining true to what we believe? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth about this very thing. The cultural backdrop of Corinth was even more overtly sinful than our culture today, yet Paul boldly encouraged the Corinthian Christians not to ridicule one another or outsiders but to work together to show the love of Christ. In this six-week study we will explore Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to learn how we as Christians are to deal with differences and divisions--whether in the workplace, neighborhood, school, home, social media community, or church. We'll discover that the answer is living and sharing the radical love of Jesus Christ, and we'll unpack what this means and how we can live it out day by day. The Leader Guide, to be used along with the study's workbook and DVD, contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and more—plus leader helps for facilitating a group. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 25-30 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).




Acts - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook


Book Description

Learn to awaken to God’s Spirit today and every day by studying the Book of Acts with Melissa Spoelstra. Whether it’s because of distractions, busyness, or a case of the blahs, we can experience a drift toward indifference in our spiritual lives. We have a need for an ongoing spiritual awakening if we want to become more aware of God’s presence and activity in our everyday lives. In Acts: Awakening to God in Everyday Life, a six-week study of the Book of Acts by Melissa Spoelstra, you will journey with the first followers of Jesus and witness the birth and growth of the early church through spiritual awakening to the power of God’s Spirit, message, freedom, grace, mission, and direction. From their experiences you will learn postures that will help you attune your own spiritual heart to experience God’s presence, hear God’s voice, and see God at work all around. This study offers a fresh encounter with God to prepare you to: - Face daily battles - Be able to discern the messages of our culture - Be ready to share God’s love with others always Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, and video sessions with six 20 to 25-minute segments featuring Melissa Spoelstra (with closed captioning).




The Names of God - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook


Book Description

Know God better through a study of His names. Today’s culture and others’ views, even those of other Christians, can present a distorted view of God. Some suggest God exudes qualities He does not possess such as being unloving or apathetic toward His creation. In a world where we find people creating God in their own image, studying God’s names can remind us that we are created in His. In fact, one of the best ways to know God’s true character and grow closer to Him is to study His names. In The Names of God, Melissa Spoelstra leads women on an exploration of the many names of our triune God—from El and Elohim to Yahweh and its many combinations to names such as Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit...and many others. As women study the names of God, their ideas about God will become more grounded in what His names tell them, and thus more personal, allowing a greater trust in Him to share the details of their lives. Whether having walked with God for many years or just starting out in a relationship with Him, by the end of this study women will not only know more about God but will know Him better—because through the discovery of God’s names, they will discover Him! Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning), and a boxed Leader Kit containing one of each component. This Bible Study Includes: - A six-week study of the names of God. - Inspires women to have a more personal and trusting relationship with God. - DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments. - Strong, solid Bible study from popular Bible teacher and speaker Melissa Spoelstra.







Elijah - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook


Book Description

Go the distance in the life of faith. Life is like a rollercoaster. One day it seems that everything in life is good, and the next day it can feel like everything is falling apart. Then there are those in between days when we’re coasting along without much thought to the highs or lows. The prophet Elijah experienced this rollercoaster ride as well. One moment he was hiding out in the wilderness during a famine, being fed by the ravens, and the next he was on the mountaintop where God showed up in a powerful way with fire and then rain. Even Elijah grew weary of all the ups and downs, telling God, “I have had enough” (1 Kings 19:4). He needed spiritual stamina in order to keep on going and fulfill all the plans God had for his life. We do too! In this six-week study grounded in 1 and 2 Kings, we will examine the life of the prophet Elijah, an ordinary man who did extraordinary things for God in the midst of the highs and lows of life. We’ll learn some of the spiritual stamina secrets that helped him to hold on and persevere in faith, including practical habits related to making decisions, caring for the soul, accepting his circumstances, mentoring, and finishing well—which was his ultimate legacy. Whether we’re currently in a mountaintop season where we’re experiencing God’s power and blessing, a valley season where we feel like running away, or somewhere in between, Elijah’s life will inspire us to go the distance in the life of faith. Best of all, his story will challenge us but not shame us, because we’ll discover that Elijah was just as human as we are. He doubted and struggled just as we do, but ultimately, he chose to believe God. As we study his life, we will grow in faith and develop spiritual stamina that will help us not only to survive but actually thrive in every season. Bible Study Features: Examine the life of the prophet Elijah. Learn practical disciplines that give us spiritual stamina for every season in life. Grow in faith and be inspired by an ordinary man who did extraordinary things for God. Be enabled to not just survive but thrive in the midst of the ups and downs of life. The participant workbook, to be used along with the study's DVD, includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six sessions of about 25 minutes each, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components). A companion Prayer Devotional is also available.




Men and Women in the Church


Book Description

"This is the first book I will recommend to those who want to study what the Scriptures teach about the roles of men and women both in marriage and the church. . . I was amazed at how much wisdom is packed into this short book. Everything in the book is helpful, but the practical application section alone is worth the price of the book." — Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary A Biblical Primer on Men and Women in the Church There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable—they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences. Men and women—in marriage especially, but in the rest of life as well—complement one another. And this biblical truth has enduring, cosmic significance. From start to finish, the biblical storyline—and the design of creation itself—depends upon the distinction between male and female. Men and Women in the Church is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially ministry in the church.




30 Days of Prayer for Spiritual Stamina


Book Description

Life is like a roller coaster, and we need spiritual stamina or “staying power” in order to stay true to our faith and calling through all the ups and downs. Prayer is essential for developing spiritual stamina, and this prayer guide is intended to help you strengthen your prayer life and faith through a thirty-day prayer challenge. Within these pages you will find prayer exercises offering instruction in a variety of prayer methods and approaches, including praying in silence, praying out loud, journaling your prayers, and drawing/coloring as you pray. Designed to be used as a devotional companion to Melissa's Elijah Bible study or a separate prayer guide, these prayers will strengthen your faith and increase your spiritual stamina as you draw near to God. The Elijah Bible study components, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, Leader Guide, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).




1 Corinthians


Book Description

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) Reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" highlight the gospel of grace throughout each book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) "Theological Soundings" identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on each and every page of the Bible. Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church contains one of the most quoted chapters in all of the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13. In this accessible study, pastor and author Jay Thomas helps readers see that this epistle is about more than love and marriage. At the heart of 1 Corinthians is the reality that the good news of Jesus Christ saves, changes, and unites God's people.