Thursday, November 20, 2014

Bible Studies

This year is the year for studying my Bible.  I think I may need a new Bible with some helpful hints as to how to more effectively study the Bible, but until I have the money for a new one, my old Women's Devotional Bible will have to do, and it's all God's word, so I should ask Him for help with the things I don't understand. 

So, this year without even realizing it, I had signed up for 4 Bible studies.  Yes, you heard me right four.  That seems like a lot to me.  I'm not the kind of person to over commit myself, but somehow things just snuck up on me and I had a hard time saying no. 

The Story
Our church is doing a church wide study called The Story.  This is a storybook form of the Bible.  I'm liking that the pastor is preaching on a different chapter from the book and relating it directly back to the Bible.  I also like that I might get through my Bible in a year.  That is fun to me.  So our small group is studying this as well.  We meet every other Sunday night and discuss the chapters that the pastor preached on for the week.  Tom and I joined this small group two years ago, and have met some great people.



Monday Night Women's Bible Study
This is the Bible study girls that I've been with the longest like close to 8 or 9 years.  We meet more regularly during the summer as most of us are teachers, but during the school year we only meet once a month.  This school year we are going through the book Seven by Jenn Hatmaker.  It is very convicting and make me think about how rich our American culture really is.  I also have been led to stop and think about how blessed I am with what I have even though it seems like I don't have much, it is still more than most, and I need to really say a prayer of thanks to God for allowing me to have so many blessings.


BSF - Bible Study Fellowship
I started attending this Bible study the first year I started staying home with Jaycee.  I have thoroughly loved studying the Bible in this way.  Every year there is a different focus.  My first year we went through the entire book of Genesis.  I'm telling you that I learned more from that one year than I've learned in all my 36 years of life about those stories.  Last year we studied Matthew.  I have a new appreciation for the disciples.  They really left everything to follow Christ!!!  This year we are studying the Life of Moses.  We are about halfway through this study, but I am gaining new insight to his life and what the Israelites went through and how God was preparing them to be blessed.

I also love that this study is one I can bring my kids with me and they are learning the same lesson as I am, just on their level.  Even Miles who is skiddish around new people has a good time learning new songs and touching the Bible.  This will be the last year I can take Jaycee with me, but I know she is learning new things each week.


Apples of Gold
This study is one that I was asked to do by a sweet older lady in my church.  It is kind of like a discipleship program based from the verses Titus 2:3-5 "Train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husband, that the word of God may not be discredited."

I am greatly enjoying this study.  It is a 10 week commitment every Thursday night, and it has been a little crazy at times since I've needed to find sitters for my kids until Tom's softball season was over, but I gain so much wisdom and insight from those older ladies, not to mention that they serve us a full meal with appetizers and desserts that are AMAZING!!!  I always leave with a renewed mentality as to how to be a better wife and mom to my family and an appreciation that living in this world is plain hard sometimes, but when God is the center of my household, I can trust that he is going to take care of us through good and hard times.


So, while I didn't plan to be that busy this fall, I'm glad for what God is teaching me and I'm making new friends and meeting new people which is great interaction for me since I'm home with kids all day.  It's nice to touch base with other moms who are in the same stage of life as me where I can connect with them.  What are some Bible studies that you are a part of or have done in the past?


the Ehrlich's

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