I hope you all had a good night and were able to work through Day 3.
How are you feeling about the study so far? Are you overwhelmed at all?
I was speaking to a dear friend about this study the other day. This is her first bible study, ever. So, I feel honored that she chose to do her first one with me! As I mentioned on Day 1, the only thing that qualifies me to lead this study is the fact that I am saved. Nothing more. She shared with me that she felt overwhelmed with the study. She wants to make sure that she does it right and completes each question and reads each line. She was speaking right to my heart! I feel the same way! I want to lead this study so perfectly that each of you walk away on FIRE!! But, guess what. God, is not asking for me or my friend to be perfect. He is asking that we show up and do our best. God can do a whole lot with our best! Much more than we can. So, I encourage all of us to show up for this study and give it our best, what ever that may be in each of our seasons. Let us begin with prayer.
Lord, I thank you for blessing me beyond my dreams. Thank you for my family that makes me feel whole. Thank you for caring so much about me that you would have a relationship with me. Lord, I ask for an open heart and a willing spirit as I go through this study. I ask that I take the lessons away from this that you want me to take. Lord, I ask that the ladies participating are so blessed by this study that they move forward and share what they have learned from you. I pray these things in your sweet name, Jesus. Amen
Let's show up and do our best!
Day 3- God's Story, My Story
Here is a message that is so straight forward and simple.
The main message of the entire Bible is God's redemption of humanity!
God has a rescue plan for us. It goes in a four part cycle.1. Rejection of God's way
2. Decline of God's people3. Consequences allowed by God's hand4. Restored relationship to God's presence
There are 3 cycles of redemption seen in the scriptures:
Redemption Cycle #1. From Adam to Noah during the antediluvian (pre-flood)
Redemption Cycle #2. Post flood to the time of Daniel and Ezra
Redemptive Cycle #3. Rebuilding the temple under the leadership of Ezra to the conception of the church
I, (our names here) am a part of the grand story of redemption seen in the Bible.
How amazing is that thought? We are a part of the redemption story! God is not done with us!
If you had to choose a stage in the cycle to define our community right now, which stage would it be? What adjectives would you use to describe your own community right now?
I feel like our community is in the "decline of God's people" stage. God is not the center of our community any longer. He is rarely the center of our individual lives.
Adjectives- immoral, cruel, self serving, etc.
What are some of the signs that reveal God's mercy for our culture today?
I think the fact that we still have the beauty of daily blessings of health, family, love. What do you think?
What does Judges 2:18 reveal about the heart of God for his people, even when they're suffering the rightful consequences of their sin?
God has compassion and love for His people.
Today's lesson ends with talking about our individual roles in God's divine redemption of us. Many of us are in the role of mother, wife, friend. I feel similarly to Priscilla about my role as mother to my children. I truly feel like God gave them to me and me to them. I take my role of momma very seriously. I make a ton of mistakes but at the end of the day I am a better person because I know there are little eyes watching my every move. It is my job to be the very best momma I can be and to teach them about the Lord in all aspects of their lives. Not just on Sunday.
I would love to hear about the role God has given you in his redemption story.
I leave you with this. Where ever you are at in life, what ever season you are in. Stop right now and pray to God thanking Him for His redemption of us. Thank Him for your role in the story. Ask for His guidance in your role.
Ladies, God chose us! We must choose Him every day! Show up and do the best you can for Him. That is what He asks of us. He is our Father. Let us honor Him in all that we do. We are accountable to Him.
I love you ladies! See you tomorrow!
~Randi
As I was reading the question, "If you had to choose a stage in the cycle to define your community right now, what would it be?", I immediately thought about our church community. I think that the church as a whole, not just ours, in ways has rejected God's ways by allowing world views to creep in and influence our lives. I was talking with a friend the other day about how people are so busy with other things, with life. We are often giving God second or third place (or perhaps even further down the line). We have seen a decline in the church by people moving away from church attendance and church service. I think that we are seeing the consequences of this in problems that we see in the families, marriages, finances, and even health of church members. Our lives look no different that those of the world. Just as knowing God and serving Him made a difference in the lives of the men and women of the Bible, knowing Him and serving Him should make a difference in our lives today. Why would people want what we have when it looks on the outside no different than what they have? It all boils down to obeying our God and seeking Him and His way. I liked Priscilla's statement, "Through each stage of Israel's experience, God invaded the human experience with His restoring, preserving activity." I love that word invaded. God wants to invade our lives, our world. I don't know about you all, but I put my circle on the floor the first day, and I am praying, "Let it begin in me." Together we can make a difference. As Priscilla said, "God will empower us to complete His work, multiplying our simple efforts to achieve maximum results." If one person like Gideon could made such a difference in the lives of a whole nation of people, imagine what a difference our little Bible Study group could make, and it all could begin in that circle. Barbara
ReplyDeleteVery well said Barbara and I agree with what you said 100%!!!
Deleteone is speaking right to my heart!! I find it very disheartening what is being considered "acceptable" in society these days... I feel like the past generation that had children before ours..I believe that generation was at Rejection of God's way... They raised their children in an ungodly way didn't teach them right from wrong.. They never faced consequences for their actions.. The list goes on and on.. But, I think it lead to today's society which is I believe Decline of God's people.
ReplyDeleteI feel I am personally at stage 4 Restored relationship to God's presence.. I think in my 20's and even early 30's I went through the first 3 cycles for many personal reasons.
But, the beautiful thing is I, Christina Kiddy am a part of the grand story of redemption seen in the Bible...
Ladies, I feel so comforted knowing that I live in a world where I do have sisters that are willing for God to start with them! I want Him to start with me, too. I agree that we do blend in with our society way too much. Lets encourage each other to be the "Light of the World" I had a friend that was one of those people that when she met someone new, they always said there was just something different about her. They couldn't put their finger on it. If they spent any time with her they figured out that it was her love for the Lord and her willingness to be different for Him. I pray that in a society that praises going with the flow and marching to your own drum, that my family and I will have the courage to march to the beat of Gods drum. I want people to wonder what is so different about us. I thank you so much for reading and commenting on this blog. My prayer is that it opens eyes and hearts for the Lord! I pray that ladies can relate to His words in their own lives. Just because the generations before us may not have taught their families Gods ways does not mean that we must wallow in that. Let us change our Legacy! -Randi
ReplyDeleteWell said Randi and totally agree about changing our legacy!!! What's done in past generations is done and all we can do know is to pray for those lost souls!! I have told you this before but you my friend are one of those people!!! The kind of person you described your friend as... It's you to!! :)
Delete* do now sorry phone acting up wont let me edit or fix.
I had more to say but have to post in bits... Another question was: What are some of the signs that reveal God's mercy for our culture today?? I agree with you on this to about our daily blessings of health, family and love. But recently I feel his mercy on our communities as well.. I think a law just passed here in Tx where we can start using the word Christmas again in our public schools. It's a baby step but, it's a step in the right direction..
ReplyDeleteAnd the cheerleaders in a Tx town.. They were painting scriptures on their banners and a group of people did not like this... Well guess who won!! God won bc they were able to continue writing scriptures on their banners... I really believe God's mercy is upon us and raising back up again!!! AMEN to that!!
Just like the Israelites needed Joshua's speech to remind them of what God had done in order to unite them to serve and obey God, stories like these "cheer" us on. When you look at the news, it is so easy to see the enemy winning on different battlefields in our country, but we need to be reminded that He is still God and He still moves in our lives and in situations like you mentioned. Our God is indeed greater! Barbara
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