I just wanted to jump on here and let you know of a few things… first of all our Thursday Night study group will meet this Thursday, January 12th at 6:30pm in the Lighthouse for our Introduction session on James. If you have signed up to come, please make every effort to be here this first night – the introduction teaching video sets the stage, so to speak, for how James, the actual 1/2 brother of Jesus, fits into the account of the activity of the early church. If you have never thought about how this man, James, fits into the history and story of God (and I didn’t before I did this study) you won’t want to miss out.
Also, even if you haven’t signed up, or if you are interested in just knowing a little more about the study, please come – the door is open and we invite you in!
Our Wednesday Night study group had our first session in our study of the book of Ruth last week. We shared together last week some of our thoughts about how the story of Ruth fits into the history of Israel and how would we describe what the book is about. Some interesting comments. I still am captured by how the book is just as much about Naomi, as it is about Ruth. As a matter of fact read this quote from the book, ‘The Gospel of Ruth, by Carolyn Custis James’,
‘Several factors utterly changed the book of Ruth for me… I learned that the Ruth story is told from Naomi’s point of view. The narrator writes of Naomi’s husband, her sons, her daughters-in-laws, her losses, her God, her return to Bethlehem, her people, her relative, and the land she is selling. Readers are observing events as they relate to her. We also view God through the eyes of a woman.’
Sounds intriguing doesn’t it? So, here we are at the start of a study that has so much to teach us, I can’t wait. Again, it’s not too late to come and join us on Wednesdays, we meet in an upstairs classroom in the main church building at 6:30pm.
If you have any questions about a study, you can email us at wim@fcccarthage.com
See you in bible study!
Julie
Our Wednesday and Thursday Evening groups have been studying in our first few weeks about Jesus As The good Shepherd. Our learning, however, is challenging all of us to recognize that His involvement as a shepherd is for our good because HE IS GOOD!
God Is Good… amen??? Yes, amen and amen. I’m stoked this morning – I love Jesus and I love being involved as a shepherdess over the women here at FCC.
Here’s a punch list of what we have studied so far:
- John 10:7-9 – Jesus, as the shepherd tells us that He is ‘the Gate for the sheep’ and that ‘whoever enters through me will be saved.’ Girls, it’s only through Jesus that we are saved.
- there are hidden gifts in the boundaries that are established by His Word – boundaries are ‘essential’ to our survival, meant for our good and our protection.
- we can recognize the voice of the shepherd in our lives – are we listening? do we want to hear His voice?
- shepherds are always counting. He is looking for you and out for you! Is that a comfort to you? He wants to be with you and He wants you to be with the flock!
- community is a high priority for the health of the sheep. It needs to be a high priority for us as well. It’s a blessing for us to be in community with others, again, it’s for our good.
I could keep going on and on, but one thing I want to leave you with that has made an impact on me and that’s John 10:27 ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.’
Read this verse again along with me, slowly this time , ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.’ Girls, we listen to His voice – He knows us, each of us individually and then the text says – and this part just blows me away… ‘and they follow me.’
We follow Him - Here is what that verse doesn’t say, ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they know me.’ I love the fact that so many of you want to know Him more through the study of His Word – Keep it up! But our goal in women’s bible study is to help you come to the place in your relationship with Him that you become a sold out follower of Jesus Christ and that none us stop or fall short of that by only being a learner. Let’s be followers!
See you in Bible Study!
Julie
All of our studies are off and running! The energy level in all the groups is amazing and I’m looking forward to getting back together this week. It’s not too late if you want to come and check out what’s going on in our Wednesday or Thursday groups!
See you in Bible Study!
Ok, here’s a sneak peak into the ‘Scouting the Divine’ study by Margaret Feinberg. This study will be a part of our Wednesday and Thursday PM Study Groups – Margaret Feinberg may not be familiar to some of you, she has authored several books and studies. A lot of her work has been utilized in the Threads Ministry of LifeWay. Threads is a ministry focused on young adults. Margaret has a communication style that is clear and down to earth. I’m excited about doing this study! Just a reminder, Sign-ups start this Sunday, August 7!
See you in Bible Study
Hello everyone! Just wanted to give you a heads up - Our Wednesday and Thursday Women’s Bible Study Groups will be starting very soon – actually Wednesday August 24 and Thursday August 25 are the official start up dates if you want to mark your calendars.
This Sunday, August 7 we will start sign-ups and you will be getting some information in the Sunday bulletin about what studies we will be doing.
I will be posting some information about the studies here on the Women’s page from time to time. If you have any questions about women’s bible study, you can comment below or email us at wim@fcccarthage.com.
See you in Bible Study!
Julie
Our Thursday Study groups wrapped up our Spring session last week. We are officially on break for the summer. Our groups usually come to the end of a study with a subtle sense of loss – the loss of the accountability or the loss of being together each week. Indeed, it is a bittersweet moment for all of us in some way. But, our study of His Word is not contingent upon whether we meet together on a particular night of the week or even with a particular group of people.
I would challenge you during this break to either establish or perhaps re-establish your daily time with Him. Remember: our goal isn’t to gain more information but to be transformed by His Word living in us.
Get to know the One who loved you and knew you before you were even born!
Our group has been walking through the book of Revelation and we have been reading and studying about the warnings to the churches listed for us in Chapters 2-3. So many lessons for us today!
On the first day of Week 9 in our study Beth Moore writes, ‘We, the people of His churches, carry the reputation of Christ in our cities like those holding banners in a town parade. What do our banners say about Him?’
How is your life answering that question? Our lives are meant to testify.
We only have a few weeks left, make them count.
See you in Bible Study!
In our Beloved Disciple study this week (Week eight) we find ourselves on the island of Patmos with John the Beloved. It’s been an amazing journey that we have traveled together through the experiences and writings of John. The one thing that I have kept in the forefront of my mind is that these words of John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are more than just an accounting of events but they also represent an urgent reminder about how we are to live each day.
‘Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.’ (I John 4:11-12)
See you in Bible Study!
We are at the half-way point in our Thursday Study groups – The Amazing Collection group has started workbook 6 and are studying the book of ‘Hosea’ this week and the Beloved Disciple group will be discussing week 6, ‘Life More Abundantly’ this Thursday, March 24.
In the Beloved Disciple, Beth Moore writes, ‘So often we have our own agendas about how we want to serve God. We spend untold energy and never produce lavish, God-glorifying fruit. We must be open to the power flow and the purposed work the Vine wants to accomplish.’
I hope and pray that through the study of God’s Word your life will bear much fruit – be open to the power flow and be willing to lay down your life and attach yourself to the true vine so that He is the One who gets all the glory! To Him belongs all the glory!
See you in Bible Study!
Our groups were able to meet last Thursday and are back on schedule for this week! It seemed like we were beginning all over again – thanks for being patient through all the snow cancellations and hopefully there won’t be anymore for the duration of our study.
See you in Bible Study!
