Your Opinion

We'd like to ask our listeners for their opinion and thoughts regarding our current Bible study on the book of 1 John. We appreciate those who listen to our program and would love to hear from you. Will you give us some feedback on how we are doing? Is there anything we can improve upon? We desire for this ministry to be an encouragement and support for our listeners and that is why we ask. Thank you!

Today, Rebecca and Pam introduced Pam's daughter, Gloria, to join the program for several days. We pray that while you listen to her testimony you will be encouraged and challenged. Praying that the thoughts these ladies share over the next several days will be a help to you.

What are the Father's Desires?

As the study continues today in 1 John 2:16, the question is asked - what are the Father's desires? Matthew 22:37-39 tells us to love the Lord. We need to love Him with all our heart and love what He loves. Colossians 1:9-11 tells us that we need to walk worthy and please Him! Are you striving to fulfill the Father's desires or your own? We pray that the study over the next several days will be an encouragement to you as you seek to do the Father's will.

Humility, part 2

Over the last 2 weeks the ladies have discussed the manifestations of humility. Here are the remaining manifestations. Are these present in your life? 3) Focusing on Christ, 4) Biblical praying, 5) Being overwhelmed with God's grace, 6) Being thankful towards others, 7) Being gentle and patient, 8) Seeing yourself as no better than others, 9) Having an accurate view of your gifts, 10) Being a good listener, 11) Talking about others if it is good, 12) Being submissive to those in authority, 13) Preferring others over yourself, 14) Being thankful for criticism or reproof, 15) Having a teachable spirit, 16) Seeking ways to build up others, 17) Serving, 18) Quickness to admit when you are wrong, 19) Quickness in granting and asking for forgiveness, 20) Repenting of sin as a way of life, 21) Minimizing other's sins or shortcomings in comparison to your own, 22) Being genuinely glad for others, 23) Being honest about your spiritual growth, 24) Possessing close relationships.

Humility

Today the ladies continued on in our study of "pride in possessions" from 1 John 2:16 by introducing the "put on" of humility as the opposite of pride. The manifestations are taken from the book From Pride to Humility by Stuart Scott. 1) Recognizing and trusting God's character, 2) Seeing yourself as having no right to question an Almighty and Perfect God. As the ladies continue with this study over the next several days, we pray that you will ask God to help you cultivate these manifestations of humility in your life.

Pride, part 4

We welcomed Crystal to the program today and finished up the study of pride and it's manifestations. 26) Being jealous or envious, 27) Using others, 28) Being deceitful by covering up sins, 29) Using attention-getting tactics, 30) Not having close relationships. We pray that you have prayerfully asked the Lord to reveal to you any of these prideful manifestations that might be present in your life. Next time, the ladies will begin discussing the opposite of pride - humility.

Pride, part 3

Here are additional manifestations of pride that have been discussed in the last week and today: 7) perfectionism, 8) talking too much, 9) talking too much about yourself, 10) seeking independence or control, 11) being consumed with what others think, 12) being devastated by criticism, 13)being unteachable, 14) being sarcastic, 15) a lack of service, 16) a lack of compassion, 17) being defensive, 18) not admitting when you are wrong, 19) not asking for forgiveness, 20), a lack of biblical prayer, 21) resisting authority, 22) voicing opinions when not asked, 23) minimizing your own sin, 24) maximizing others' sin and 25) being impatient or irritable with others. Are there any on this list that are in your life? What have you done to change?

Pride, part 2

The ladies continued their discussion today on the topic of pride. As they discuss pride and humility over the next several weeks, they will be using the book From Pride to Humility by Stuart Scott as a guide in the discussion. They will be sharing some manifestations of pride. Here are some: 1) Complaining against God, 2) A lack of gratitude, 3) Anger 4) Seeing yourself better than others, 5) Having an inflated view of your importance, 6) Being focused on the lack of your gifts. Each day over the next several days, they will share more manifestations of pride and verses giving examples of each. We hope that as you listen you will prayerfully consider if any of these prideful manifestations are a part of your life. If you find they are, please remember that God desires for you to repent and turn away from your sin.

Pride

Over the next two weeks, Pam, Rebecca and Karen will be digging into verse 16, "pride in possessions." The ladies will be sharing a lot of verses. These verses are all listed on our online study notes, which can be found on the right side of our blog. Please use this study guide as you listen to help you follow along. Pride - a strong word to describe our desires and what we depend on. What we are proud about can be an idol. Am I a slave to my stuff? This is a good question to ponder as we begin thinking about if we have pride in our life. Please pray that God will reveal any area(s) in your life where you have pride in your possessions. Ask that God would help you to recognize these areas and then take the proper steps to repent and seek God's forgiveness.

A Personal Note

I just wanted to take this time to let our listeners know that I will be temporarily taking a break from this program. At the time of the recording of today's broadcast, I was put on bed rest due to the arrival of our 5th child. I had begun having pre-term labor and signs that I might deliver our little one early. Since this recording, our daughter was born 5 weeks pre-mature on October 1st and spent some time in the hospital after her birth. We are now home and our daughter is doing just fine. I will be taking a break from the program to care for our new baby and family. I am not sure how long I will be gone, but in the meantime you will hear some other women on the daily program who will help continue our study through 1 John. I am hoping to continue posting on the blog and updating the study notes as their study continues. Thank you for your prayers for our program. We truly desire it to be tool to help you in your spiritual growth. ~Sarah Stephens

Outward Beauty, continued....

Over the last couple of days we shared many verses regarding beauty. If you missed the program or would like the verses - the audio archives and study notes are located on the right of our blog. We discussed today some practical tips on how to be sure we are staying focused on God's beauty as well as modesty. Modesty is a difficult thing to teach to our daughters or other young women we have influence over, yet it is such an important principle to teach. We believe that the biblical principles we gave concerning beauty will help as well when discussing modesty with your daughter, granddaughter or other woman you are encouraging. What are some practical tips to help be sure you are modest? Please share your thoughts with us here by clicking on "comment" under this blog post.

Outward Beauty

Our last topic for discussion under the section of "desires of the eyes" in 1 John 2:16 is outward beauty. There are many principles in Scripture regarding beauty and what is beautiful in God's sight. We asked a question today - is there a Scripture verse that tells us what to physically wear? We couldn't find any, but we know that Scripture tells us to "wear" godly qualities. We hope that through the next couple of days that we can give you some good biblical principles to help you think biblically about your outward beauty.

Discontentment, continued...

We pray that the verses we have shared concerning this topic has helped you to think biblically about contentment. If you missed any of the references we shared, you can download the free study notes from the right of this blog. Use these notes as a guide to help you follow along in our discussion or simply to have the verses and questions we ask about our study. We hope that these notes and this blog are tools that you can use to help you in your quest to know God and His Word more. We mentioned some practical helps to identify areas of discontentment today on the program. Our contentment truly comes from God alone. So ask yourself - do you get upset when you don't get what you want? True contentment comes from a right standing with God. Are you in His Word and is pleasing God your greatest desire? Contentment is a mindset and we must purpose to be content with what we have. When you pray, do you say "I want" or do you pray "if the Lord wills"? These are all tough questions to ask, but we hope that you will ask yourself these questions to see if you are truly being content. Do you have any other practical questions or thoughts we could consider about this topic?

Discontentment

The second example we are using under our discussion of "desires of the eyes" in 1 John 2:16 is Discontentment. As we begin this study, please pray that God would help you see any area in your life where you are discontent. If we were truly honest with ourselves, I think we would find that we are discontent in at least one area of our life. Today we played the "if only" game. We mentioned things that we had thought of ourselves or have heard. For example "if only I had more money, I could ...." Sometimes we think that "if only" we had something that would bring us joy. If YOU played the "if only" game yourself, what would be on your list? We need to remember that our true joy comes through knowing and believing in Christ. In the days ahead we will be sharing more thoughts on how to be content.

Raising Children, continued...

As we complete our discussion on raising children, we see that we need to love our children with a "tender" love. We have to admit, we do love our children, but we do not always show our children tender love. In Titus 2:4, it tells us that the older women are to teach the younger women to "love their children." The love in this passage means a tender, affectionate, warm and caring love. Our kind words and tender affectionate actions towards our children go a long way to show our children we love them. Finally, we see that the ultimate goal of our raising children is that they might receive and accept the gospel. That is our focus! Our love, discipline and example to them ought to be so that we can share Christ with them - that they may be saved. What a calling we have! We challenge you to remember these truths as you seek to raise your children to honor the Lord. Remember that what God has called you to do, He will equip you to fulfill. Seek the Truth from God's Word and be confident in Him alone.

Raising Children, continued...

As we further explain Carolyn Mahaney's job description of a mother, we see that a mother is to provide an authentic example to her children. This means that when I sin against my child, then I must follow the biblical steps of repentance and confession. I must ask my child to forgive me for sinning against them. This teaches them that I am not perfect! An authentic example is not a "perfect" example, but rather an example that doesn't teach hypocrisy! In our biblical training of our children, we see that training and discipline must take place. Teach your children the Bible from a very young age and remind them of the truths of God's Word whenever you can (Deut. 6:6-7). Discipline is also involved in this training process. We shared some verses today regarding biblical discipline and want to encourage you to seek God's way in this. A resource that has been a benefit to us is Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Trip. You can find this from their website: http://www.shepherdpress.com/ . For discussion here: why is it hard to be an authentic example to your children? How can you do this better?

Raising Children

As we look to be specific in our study of 1 John 2:16, the study of raising our children is one that we have chosen. Because the eyes are a gateway into the mind, then what we read or observe from others in this area affect what we think, what we believe and what we do. There are many secular views of "how to" raise children, and we want to challenge you to search out what God's will is regarding this area. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, godparent, or have any influence over children at church - you can take these biblical principles and apply them to your situation. I appreciated what Carolyn Mahaney had to say regarding a biblical view of motherhood. What follows in our discussion over the next several days has been taken from her thoughts. You can find her complete message titled "A Mother's Responsibility" here. http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1175-01-51 It is a free MP3 download and I encourage you to listen to it. Carolyn Mahaney gives this biblical "job description" of a mother. "As a mother, I am called by God to provide for my children an authentic example and biblical training with a tender love, so they might receive and accept the gospel." As we discuss this topic of raising children, we will break down the parts of her job description. First, a mother is called by God. It was God's idea in the first place. This gives encouragement to us as mothers (or grandmothers, godmothers, teachers, etc...) that what God has called us to do, He will equip us to fulfill! Children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), and yet sometimes as parents we do not see them as blessings. Sometimes we are overwhelmed with the demands of motherhood that we do not remember to see our children as blessings. But God's Word reminds us that our children are blessings! Take to heart the truth that God will give you strength to fulfill your calling as 2 Corinthians 12:9 so clearly shares - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Desires of the Eyes

1 John 2:16 goes on to say that the "desires of the eyes" are also from the world. Again in this discussion, we want to give three specific examples as they pertain to women. They are 1) Raising Children, 2) Discontentment and 3) Physical Beauty. What does the "desires of the eyes" mean in this verse? The eyes are the gateway into the mind. What we see affects what we think. Some biblical examples are Achan who saw the spoil he wasn't allowed to take, but took it anyway (Josh. 7); David, who saw Bathsheba and took her for his own and committed sin in the process (2 Sam. 11) and Eve who saw the tree was good for fruit and listened to Satan rather than God and ate of the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6). It is good that we evaluate what we see by the lens of Scripture. If it doesn't match up to God's holy standard, then we must discard it and not fall prey to Satan's temptations.

Laziness

Laziness is defined in Scripture as indolent (love of ease), slothful, sluggish, not easily aroused to activity and an unwillingness to work. If you think about it too, laziness and selfishness are closely connected. Often because I'm selfish, I'm too lazy to take care of my responsibilities. We shared many verses about laziness - what are some others? As you evaluate this in your own life, are there areas where you could be more diligent with the right motivation?

Sexual Immorality, continued...

If you have sinned in this area, we want to offer you the hope that is found in Scripture. We studied in length 1 John 1:9 the promise of God's forgiveness. If you have sinned in this area and have not sought the Lord's forgiveness, do so! He promises to forgive! Recognize your sin, repent and confess and God will truly forgive. If you have been hurt by one who has committed this sin, Scripture gives us hope in Isaiah 41:10 - He will be with you, He will strengthen you, He will help you and uphold you! Be careful to take heed the warning in Hebrews 12:15 as well to not become bitter, but take the grace of God! Many have fallen into this sin and many have been hurt because of sexual immorality. Many need help to see the truth of God's Word. How can you encourage others in this area?

Sexual Immorality, continued...

How can we stop wrong thinking so that it goes on no further? This is a tough question and yet through the hope we find in God's Word we can see that we can be in control of our thought life. Yes, even our thoughts regarding those of the opposite sex can be sinful and God says in Matthew 5:27-29 - even thinking immoral thoughts is just as sinful as actually practicing the sin. It is important we control our thoughts. Philippians 4:8 is a good reminder of the things we ought to be thinking on. A favorite verse we share often is 2 Corinthians 10:5 - to take EVERY thought captive. Yes, it's possible to do this, but it takes work. Are you willing to work hard to remain pure?

Sexual Immorality

As we begin this discussion today, we want to remind you that sex was designed by God and is a beautiful thing in the context of marriage (Gen. 2:24). We do not have to sin in this area and yet many have perverted this gift that God has given. Once again, we are blessed to see that God's Word has much to say regarding even this and we need to pay attention to God's Word. All Christian women need to take heed to to the warnings and guidelines God gives. It is our prayer that through this study you will be challenged even more to live a pure life and to give you hope if you have sinned in this area.

Slander/Gossip continued...

We know that slander and gossip come from the heart (Matthew 15:19), so what is the solution? We need to 1) Follow the example of Christ (1 Peter 2:22-23), 2) Speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), 3) Edify others (Eph. 4:29) and 4) Have a soft answer in conflict (Prov. 15:1). What are some practical guidelines to help against slander and gossip? We shared some today, but would like to hear from you.

Slander/Gossip

Slander and gossip are two words which can give us the "shivers" as we know the destructiveness of them! The word for slander is the same word that is used to describe Satan who is the "father of lies" (John 8:44). To slander is to side with Satan to oppose the cause of God! Scripture tells us that God hates a lying tongue (Prov. 6:16,19), that false teachers and the unsaved are slanderers (1 Tim. 6:3-4, Rom. 1:28-30) and that we are commanded to keep our lips from evil (Psalm 34:13). We know the truth, but why do we have such a problem with slander and gossip? Why is it that our tongue gets us into so much trouble in this area?

Anger

The blessing of God's Word is that it has much to say regarding the desires of the flesh. We are so thankful for all God has given to us - that He doesn't leave us hanging as to how to live a godly life. In Scripture we find His answers to our sinful behavior. Praise God! We hope that through sharing of verses that you will see that answers are found in His Word and that you will take advantage of seeking these answers out. Again, Scripture has much to say about anger. We've shared many verses regarding this - do you have any to add? Ask yourself - what is your trigger to anger and how can you prepare your mind to avoid getting angry?

Will you help support?

AM-1030/WCTS is the radio station that produces and broadcasts our program "Women in the Word." We would ask that you prayerfully consider making a financial donation to the radio station to help their operating costs in this coming year. We appreciate the ministry of WCTS and know that God is using it to encourage believers as well as reaching souls for Christ. September 21-25 is their annual Sharathon during which they receive pledges and support. The website for the station is http://www.wctsradio.com/. Please ask what the Lord would have you do to help this ministry. Thank you! Pam, Rebecca and Sarah

Jealousy

Second on our list of "desires of the flesh" is jealousy. Again, Scripture has much to say regarding this topic. We know that there are always more verses we could share and so we hope that you will dive into Scripture to find out more for yourself. The jealousy we are discussing is the sinful jealousy that our fallen sinful nature has. There are many consequences for jealousy. How do we combat jealousy? What are some practical guidelines?

Gluttony, continued...

As we wrap up the topic of gluttony today we discussed some practical guidelines of ways to help ourselves and others stay in control. These included: 1) Being accountable to someone, 2) Purchase healthy items, 3) Get rid of junk food if you cannot exercise self-control, 4) Keeping a journal, 5) Watching portion sizes, especially at restaurants, 6) Setting Captives Free - http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/. Do you have any other practical suggestions?

Gluttony

As we dive into the topic of gluttony we see that Scripture has much to say regarding this topic. We know that the wicked are addicted to it (Phil. 3:19), it is forbidden (Prov. 23:1-3), it leads to poverty and destruction (Prov. 23:19-21). We give many excuses for gluttony and we must see that our solution to this problem is the Biblical way. We need to keep the right perspective (1 Cor. 10:31 and exercise control (Prov. 25:16, Gal. 5:22-26). We shared many verses regarding this topic. What are some others that have helped you to think biblically regarding this topic?

Getting Specific

As we study the "desires of the flesh" in 1 John 2:16, we would like to give some specific examples of these desires as they pertain to women. Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at 6 different desires: Gluttony, Jealousy, Anger, Slander/Gossip, Sexual Immorality, and Laziness. It is our desire to look into each of these topics to gather a biblical view of them as well as give hope on how we can avoid each of these. Please study along with us. As always, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free make a comment on this post.

Biblical Thinking

Here is the "Biblical Thought Process for Dealing with the Flesh" that we gave today on the program. If you wish to print this - you can find a copy of this list in our online study guide located on the right of the blog. We hope that this tool will help you as you strive to think biblically. 1. Ephesians 2:3 – What is controlling me? Passions of flesh or Christ? 2. Galatians 5:16 – Am I walking by the Spirit? 3. Romans 7:18 – Who am I depending on? Myself or Christ? 4. Romans 13:14 – Make no provision for the flesh. 5. Galatians 5:17 – Whose side am I on? The flesh or Spirit? 6. Galatians 5:24 – Do I die to fleshly desires? Do I have a plan? 7. 1 John 2:16 – Do my choices reflect God or the world?

Do Not Love the World

As we dive into 1 John chapter 2, verses 15-17, we ask ourselves the question, What does it mean to love the world and the things of the world? We shared how the word "world" in this passage refers to "Satan's system for opposing the work of Christ on earth." It is loving and being involved in non-biblical pleasures and philosophies as it regards to marriage, raising children, material possessions, obedience to the laws of the land, etc... We are reminded in Acts 5:29 that we ought to obey God rather than men. Romans 12:2 then tells us to not be conformed to the world, but be transformed. As we dive into some specific examples over the next several weeks, we pray that you will be challenged by the truth of Scripture to think biblically in all areas of life.

Growing in the Lord...

We introduced the "fathers" today in our study. These are mature believers who have intimate knowledge of God and because they know God, they know the dangers of the world. These are "spiritual saints" in our life and are ones that the "young men" and "children" can go to in time of need. As mature believers, they still have room to learn and ought to not be boastful about their knowledge but be humble to continue to strive and learn. These mature believers also should invest their lives into those who are younger than them. As you seek to apply these truths to your life, ask yourself: Am I investing my life in a younger believer? Am I seeking out a more mature believer who could help me grow more like Christ?

Spiritual Growth in New Believers

As new believers are discipled, we need to understand that there may be struggles in their new walk with Christ. What are some of these struggles? Some that we talked about are doubting of salvation, putting off old habits and putting on the new, understanding Scripture and the will of God, taking criticism from others, dealing with suffering and learning discernment. If you are a new believer, we want to encourage you to seek out another older believer to help you find from Scripture the answer to these struggles. If you are an older believer, please take advantage of opportunities to train new believers. Don't just assume that they will grow with out help. It is vital that new believers have someone to point them to Scripture as they grow! What do you think? Or what are some other areas where a new believer may struggle?

Spiritual Growth

As we look to the next section of 1 John 2:12-14 we can see a picture of spiritual growth: "little children," "young men," and "fathers." This section of Scripture helps us to see that regardless of where we are at in our spiritual growth that we can take encouragement and challenges from Scripture. We have a goal to shoot for in our spiritual growth - maturity in Christ. In our churches, we have members of our body that are in different stages of their spiritual life. The older can always be teaching the younger and every Christian, regardless of their stage can learn more about Christ to be conformed to Him. Begin thinking through the term "little children" as we discuss the message to them over the next few days.

Loving Others

1 John 2:7-11 is a section of Scripture that helps us to understand the importance of loving others. We are asking YOU - What do you find to be a barrier to loving others and what Scripture can you use to combat those barriers? Sometimes loving others doesn't come easy and so it is important to understand what might be hindering you from loving others. We would love to hear from you. We pray that through these broadcasts we are helping you to apply the Word of God to your life.

Walking like Christ

1 John 2:6 says that '"whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." How do we do this? Some answers we gave today~ 1) Walk in love - Ephesians 5:2. 2) Walk as children of light (doing what is good, right and true) - Ephesians 5:8. 3) Walk in wisdom, watching carefully how you walk - Ephesians 5:15. 4) Walk worthy of your calling in God - Ephesians 4:1-3. 5) Walk in newness of life - Romans 6:4. 6) Walk in the Spirit - Galatians 5:16-24. We hope that these truths will be an encouragement to you as you seek to walk like Christ.

Am I a Liar?

1 John 2:4 says "Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Does this sound familiar? John writes in chapter 1 verse 6 this same concept about claiming fellowship but not being obedient. As little children need to be reminded of how they are to behave, so we as God's little children need to be reminded of the same truths again. So pay attention each time these "repeated" concepts occur! Out of this text, ask yourself this question - why would you be a liar if you do not keep God's commandments?

Jesus, our Righteous Advocate

We spent yesterday talking about Jesus as our Advocate. What is an advocate? It is one who pleads another's cause, who helps another by comforting him. Christ is our advocate! Hebrews 4:15-16 gives us such a comfort in that Christ is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and so we can with confidence draw near to the throne of God's grace! We pray that you will see Christ as your advocate when you are struggling with sin - what a powerful resource that you have - use it! Today we answered the question - why is Jesus Christ righteous? He is without sin! Praise God! 1 John 3:5 tells us that there is no sin in Him as well as many other verses in Scripture. Are you thankful for His righteousness? What do you do with this information that Jesus Christ is our Righteous Advocate? Are you using the resource that God has given you or are you giving in to the temptation to sin? Are you looking to the Bible for your help or are you seeking the secular advice of the world? If you have sinned are you recognizing that Christ has pleaded your cause to the Heavenly Father and has forgiven you? You can live confidently knowing that if you do sin that you have Jesus Christ, who is your righteous advocate!

1 John 2:1

John again states his purpose for his writing - "so that you may not sin." John is also giving his readers hope that they do not have to sin. We DO NOT HAVE TO SIN!!! What an encouragement to us! Yet, in the battle for godly living we know that there are times where we do sin. He continues on to tell us that if we do sin we have an advocate.... When you are faced in a difficult circumstance do you believe the truth that you do not have to sin? Or do you throw in the towel and give up and sin anyway thinking it's too hard to live godly? It's important that our minds are filled with the TRUTH that we do not have to sin. Other verses you may look up to help you in this area are Romans 6:12-14 and 1 Peter 1:13-16, Psalm 119:105. Also, it is important that our motivation to obey is right. Do you obey because of fear of consequences or because you LOVE God?

The Promise of Forgiveness

1 John 1:9 is such a comforting verse to us as believers. It gives us the promise that God will forgive and cleanse us from our sin when we confess our sin to Him. He does this because He is faithful and just! We all know that we struggle with sin daily and what a blessing to know that God has PROMISED forgiveness to us when we sin - but we must confess that sin to Him. Why then would we not confess our sin? Pride? Embarrassment? How has the truth of this verse encouraged you in your walk with the Lord?

The Blessing of Walking in the Light

1 John 1:7 says "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." What are the blessings of walking in the light? 1) Fellowship with one another - the sweetness of walking together with other believers is truly a blessing! 2) Deliverance from sin - Christ living and abiding in me! 3) Cleansing from sin - the promise of forgiveness from our sin! Let these blessings be an encouragement to you today!

Am I Living a Lie?

How do I know if I am living a lie? 1 John 1:6 says that those who claim to have fellowship with God but yet live in darkness are living lie. So ask yourself, are you living in darkness, but claiming fellowship with God? Titus 1:16 gives us an example of a church who was doing this - "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." Does my worship on Sunday match my actions and attitudes Monday through Saturday?

God is Light

This section introduces us to light and darkness - walking in truth or in sin. All of us need to deal with sin, and these verses help us to know what to do when we do sin. We are all guilty before God of our sin - what a blessing to know how to deal with it! When we see the truth that God is light it gives us peace to know that there is no sin in Him. It affects how we see God - we can trust Him with what He has given us. We need the Light to show us the Truth. Psalm 119:105 says that "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." How does this truth encourage you today?

Our Testimony of Christ

In 1 John 1:1-4 John is testifying the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. Does your life testify this? If you are a believer, do you are actions show that you are a believer of Christ? What affect do your actions and words have on your claim to be a Christian? Do you love others as Christ loves them? Do you serve Him with gladness or do you complain about the ministry God has you in? During the week, do others know that you are a Christian? Do you proclaim with your mouth the Truth of God? These are questions that we should honestly answer as we evaluate if our life is a testimony of Jesus Christ.

1 John - An overview

Today we begin our study on the book of 1 John. As we start this book study, we pray that you will study along with us. John wants to give his readers confidence that they know the TRUE God despite what false teachers were telling them. We pray that you will have that same confidence as we study. Notes for chapter 1 are on the right of our blog, so feel free to print them and study along with us. As always, ask questions or make comments about what we are studying. Thanks for listening!

1 Corinthians 13 - What did you learn?

As we finish our study of 1 Corinthians 13, we shared with you the things we learned through our time of studying this chapter. We'd like to now hear from you. What is this passage saying to you in your season of life? Maybe you are single, married, younger, older, with young children or with grown children. How did this passage help you in your relationships? What have you learned or been challenged with?

The Knowledge of God

1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us that God knows us fully. We tried today to answer the question: "The fact that God knows me fully now should cause me to....." We all agreed that we ought to humble ourselves before Him knowing He knows all about me. I can't hide my sin; I need to confess my sin right away! It should cause me to love Him more, to serve Him more, to trust Him more.... How would you answer this question?

1 Corinthians 13:11

A summary of verses 8-11: Verse 8 – Gifts are temporary, but love is eternal. Verse 9 and 10 – Gifts are partial, but love is complete. Verse 11- Gifts are elementary, but love is mature. As we look at verse 11 we see that Paul is describing how as a child we are immature in our thoughts and speech. As we grow, we put away those childish things. So it is in our spiritual growth. Ephesians 4:15 says that we are to "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." As we grow spiritually and we will see that showing love to others is more important than loving ourselves. What are your thoughts on this verse? How do we put away childish ways spiritually as we grow?

1 Corinthians 13:10

This verse says "...but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." We know that when Christ returns we will be complete. Until then, what should I do? What should my focus be each day? Am I seeking to live godly each day until the Lord returns? Am I sharing Christ with others? Sometimes we get bogged down with the "here and now." How can I direct my heart and mind to have the right focus?

Love Never Ends...

As we move on to the final section of 1 Corinthians 13, we see the permanence of love. Verse 8 tells us that love never ends. The gifts in the Corinthian church will pass away and will not last forever, and Paul is telling them that love will last forever! As you seek to practically apply this truth to your life ask yourselves these questions: 1) What if my main goal was to be successful at love above all things? 2) How would that impact my life and others lives?

Review of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Verses 4-7 of 1 Corinthians 13 is jammed packed full of truths. We've tried our best to help you to practically apply these verses to your life. As we reflect on what we've learned, we'd like to ask you - what have you learned? How can you apply these principles of love to difficult relationships in life?

Love Endures All Things

What does "love endures all things" mean? It is the idea that love is patient, enduring, long-suffering through trials, circumstances that are tough. It is the idea of enduring through hatred, loss, or loneliness. Why should we endure? Hebrews 10:36 gives us an answer: "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." We endure as we look forward to God's promises. James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." As you begin to think about the endurance God wants you to have, we hope you'll mediated on these verses to help you see that you can endure through difficult times through God's strength. We're going to talk about how we can endure in our relationships, so be thinking of some practical ways concerning this. Will you share your thoughts with us? We hope you'll tune in tomorrow!

Love Hopes All Things

David is an example of one who showed His hope - Psalm 42:11. He gives the answer to his discouragement: Hope in God. There are many other verses in Psalms where David shares his heart of hope and trust in God. What great example to us as we ought to trust and hope in God for His promises. Abraham also had hope in God's promise that he should be the father of many nations- Romans 4:18. How can "hoping all things" affect your relationship with your husband? Children? Church family? Extended family and friends? How can "hoping all things" affect you?

Love Bears All Things

Bearing all things....what does this mean? The idea is that we seek to protect the sinner from ridicule or harm as a result of their sin. It doesn't mean that we condone the sin that another commits, rather it means that we don't expose or broadcast their sin to others. Since love bears all things, love does not gossip about others failures. 1 Peter 4:8 says “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” What about you? Do you gossip about others when they sin or do you seek to bear with them?

Love Rejoices with the Truth

What is the truth? We know from Scripture that it is Jesus and His Word! John 14:6 says, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Do we rejoice in the truth? Do we rejoice when our husband makes a godly choice, when our children are kind, or when another woman in church is having victory over sin? So often, we are quick to criticize when someone else sins, but do we encourage when they are living godly? How do we search out the truth?

Biblical Confrontation

Our discussion today continues regarding biblical confrontation. How does God want us to confront another when there is sin in their life? What verses can we go to? What are some steps we can follow as we seek to biblically confront another? 1) Evaluate your life first - Matthew 7:1-3 tells us that before we confront others, we must look at our own life. Is there sin I need to repent of before I go to another who has sinned? If so, I need to confess and repent before talking to another. 2) Motive check - What is my motive for confronting? Galatians 6:1 tells us that we ought to confront others in a spirit of gentleness to restore them. 3) Follow the Biblical pattern - Matthew 18:15ff gives us a pattern of how to confront. It begins with going to the person alone. 4) Speak the truth in love - Ephesians 4:14-16, 25 tells us how when we go to another person it ought to be with love in order to edify each other. What are your thoughts? We hope you will share your thoughts with us on this difficult topic. It's hard to confront isn't it? We pray that this will be an encouragement to you to follow through with confronting biblically.

Love does not Rejoice at Wrongdoing, part 2

Am I glad when others fall into sin? Am I glad when another woman's child sins and causes embarrassment to her? Rather than rejoicing in others failures, we ought to reflect on Ephesians 3:17-19 that we be "rooted and grounded in love." Do you love God so much that you would be willing to confront the evil of the devil? What hinders you from confronting sin? Galatians 6:1 tells us that we ought to seek to restore others with gentleness. Join us tomorrow as we discuss confrontation further.

Love does not Rejoice at Wrongdoing

Rejoicing in sin is wrong first of all because sin grieves our Holy God. When we rejoice in sin, we are rejoicing in something that offends and grieves our heavenly Father. This should not be so! Do you rejoice in sin? Are you in the Word to recognize sin and turn away from it? This is just the beginning of our discussion about how love does not rejoice at wrongdoing. Join us tomorrow as we continue!

Love is not Irritable

Do you get irritated and upset when things don't go your way? As you think about this question, be honest with yourself. Do you feel you have the "right" for certain things in your life? Maybe those "rights" might be time to yourself, a clean house, a hobby, shopping, a vehicle, job, etc.... When you stop and think about it, we really deserve an eternity without God. Yet, God sent His Son to save us from eternal condemnation. If you have accepted this free gift of salvation, then you have all you need! Perhaps it would help to write down the areas in your life that you get upset at. Pray through this list, confessing the areas of selfishness and asking God to help you to not focus on yourself.

Love is not Rude

When you are rude you are showing that you do not care enough for those around you to act politely. Rudeness can come across in our attitude, actions and our words. Yet as verse 5 tells us, Christlike love is not rude. How can we combat being rude? It can start by thinking of others before yourself as Philippians 2:4 says, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." What are other ways to combat this? How do we teach our children, grandchildren, church family to be polite and not selfish?

Love is not Arrogant

Arrogance in our hearts often comes out as rudeness in our behavior. Proverbs 8:13 tells us that God hates pride and arrogance. This can be a hard area to identify in our lives. How can we tell if we are arrogant in our own lives; in our children's lives; in our homes; in our church? What does arrogance look like? A few things that could show up as arrogance in our lives: 1) boasting about accomplishments or gifts, 2) the money we make or possessions we have, 3) boasting about our body (diet, exercise, clothing), 4) being super-mom. How do we combat an arrogant attitude? Keep God in mind and realize that He is the provider of all things.

Love does not Boast

As we discussed today in our program, 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that love does not envy or boast. When we boast we are seeking to make other jealous of what we have or our accomplishments. Christlike love does not do this. When we look at the example of Christ in Philippians 2:6-8 we see that Christ was humble. As we seek to pattern our life after Christ, we ought to be humble rather than boasting. What are other ways to fight against boasting? Reflect on your life - do you envy or boast? If so, recognize that as sin, repent and put on contentment and humility as Christlike characteristics. We pray that you'll be challenged by this study as we ask some tough questions; questions we hope will help you determine if you are not loving as God would have you to love.

Love does not Envy

Envy. Jealousy. Covetousness. These words are very descriptive of the sin of not being content with what we have. We all face the temptation of being jealous when someone else receives a blessing - whether it's a vacation, new car, marriage, a child, etc... Love does not envy. If we are truly desiring to show Christ's love to others, we will not be envious of others. Rather we will rejoice with others (Romans 12:15). Why is it so tempting to be envious and how can we battle against this sin?

Love is Kind

Patience and kindness are linked together here in verse 4. As we are patient with others, we also show kindness. Kindness is an action and is shown when we serve others. Why is kindness so critical in our homes? What are practical ways to show kindness to your husband, children, women in the church, neighbors, extended family? How do you encourage others to be kind?

Love is Patient

Verse 4 tells us that "love is patient." How can I be patient? We believe that it starts with being in the Word, spending time in prayer and then actively choosing to be patient in difficult situations. Perhaps memorize a verse that will be helpful to you to remind you of patience. Prepare! There are many relationships where you can practice patience: with your husband, with your children, with other family members, with your job, with other women at church. How can you practice patience in these relationships? If you are truly striving to show love to others, patience will be a part of your love.

1 Corinthians 13:3

Again this verse points to the heart motivation of why do I do what I do? The example in this verse is giving away ALL I have to others. Yet if this is done with out love, it means nothing! Even if I give my life for Christ, if it is done without love, I gain nothing. These first 3 verses really point to the heart motivation of service and sacrifice. So ask yourself why do you serve? Why do you sacrifice? Is your heart motivation to show Christ's love?

1 Corinthians 13:1

Verse 1 shares with us how important our heart's motivation is. What is your motivation for serving in the church? For caring for your family? Is it love? Is it to show Christ's love to others or is it to gain popularity or be praised? The challenge today is to evaluate your motives behind your service to the body of Christ and to your family. Pray the Lord will reveal any area of service that is done for the wrong motivation and then repent and seek to serve with the right motivation ~ love.

Our Example/Our Motive

As we begin to study the "love chapter," we find that we need to check our motives. Why am I doing what I'm doing? What is motivating me to care for my family, serve in the church nursery, volunteer for church projects, etc....? We find in Scripture that Christ is our supreme example in everything. How can you check if Christ-like love is your motive? Ask yourself these questions-Are you thinking of yourself when serving or others? Are you willing to sacrifice for others? Do you desire praise for your service? Please join us next week as we begin discussing verse 1.

1 Corinthians 13 - The Beginning

As we begin to study 1 Corinthians 13, we challenge you to read the passage daily. Pray that God will show you how you can truly be loving as defined in this chapter. The link to the notes are on the right side of this blog. Currently the notes are not complete as we are still recording on this chapter. Please check back at a later date to find the complete set of notes.

What Did You Learn?

As we finished up our study of Titus 2:1-5 today, we took the opportunity to share what we learned through this study. We'd like to ask you - what did you learn? What did God challenge you with as you studied with us?

Making a Biblical Appeal

~Making a Biblical Appeal~

We like Martha Peace's approach to making a Biblical appeal as defined in her book The Excellent Wife. Here are some principles taken from her book.

1) "A biblical appeal is a request or plea to a person in authority for the purpose of asking them to reconsider or reevaluate a command..." Daniel 1:8 says that Daniel "purposed in his heart...therefore he requested..."

2) "When a wife believes she has a better or wiser idea, as her husband's helper, she should be ready to give her husband the benefit of her wise counsel and advice. A wise husband should always be ready to receive it." Proverbs 1:5 says "...a man of understanding will attain wise counsel."

3) "The appeal should be done for the purpose of achieving the husband's objective or desire (as long as the end that the husband has in mind is not a violation of God's Word).

4) "The motive of the wife must not be manipulative. She should not use the appeal simply to get her own way." Our motive must be for the sake of honoring our heavenly Father.

5) "The appeal should be made in a respectful manner and with a spirit of submission...with a kind and gentle voice." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describe love. It is patient, kind, not rude....

6) "The appeal should be done at the proper time...not rushed... or angry."

7) "An appeal should be made only once....frequent or repeated appeals may give the appearance that a wife is nagging, contentious, and manipulative."

8) A biblical appeal may sound something like this: "Honey, I am committed to doing whatever you decide; would you consider ________ as an alternative?"

9) "Unless the husband is sinning or asking his wife or others to sin, after an appeal is made, the wife must assume that his final decision is God's will for her at the moment-even if she must suffer for the sake of righteousness. " 1 Peter 3:17 says, "For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong."

We hope these principles help you as you seek to honor God by submitting to your husband.

Please give us your feedback!

Periodically, we would like to ask our listeners for some feedback regarding the radio broadcasts. As a listener, do you have any suggestions for our program? Do we speak clearly? Give enough biblical references? Are the questions we pose on the program practical? Please let us know how we can improve and how we can encourage you better. Thank you!

Submitting to My Husband, part 2

~Practical ways to submit~

1) Money - You can submit by honoring his wishes when it comes to money. It's more than just the actual spending money on needs, but the heart behind the spending the money. If you have not already, spend some time talking to your husband about the finances and agree on the boundaries of spending. Pray for your husband as he leads the family in this area.

2) Children - Trusting God to help you and your husband to decide when and how many children to have. The motivation is important; discuss why you want what you want. Is the motivation God-honoring?

~When you disagree~

If you disagree with your husband, there are some biblical guidelines that you should follow to biblically appeal to your husband's decision. Come back next week as we continue discussing this topic!

Submitting to My Husband

"Submit to my husband? What? Do I really have to? But he doesn't know what he's doing! I know my choice is better!" These are perhaps thoughts that every woman has thought of. Submission is truly a difficult subject to discuss as we are selfish in nature and want our own way. Yet it is a biblical principle that we ought to follow. We desire to share with you the joy that it is to be a wife who submits willingly to her husband. We pray that through this time of discussion of what it means to submit to your husband that you will allow God to work in your heart. We pray God will reveal to you where change may be necessary in your life regarding this topic. Here are a few key thoughts from today's discussion: 1) The wife is equal to her husband in her value to God - Genesis 1:27 says that man and woman were created in His image. 2) The wife's role is to be the helper to her husband; she is ranked underneath him in order of authority of the marriage - Genesis 2:18. 3) The wife is to submit to her own husband "as to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:22). We can be joyful in our submission when we see that we are really submitting to Christ. The one exception is if your husband asks you to sin, you should choose to obey God rather than sinning (Acts 5:29). We pray the Lord will work in you to be a wife who will glorify God, even in the area of submission.

Kindness

Proverbs 31:25 says "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." There are many other verses that talk about the importance of kindness. In our passage, the older women are told to teach the younger women to be kind. The primary hindrance to showing kindness is our own selfishness. When we are concerned about our own desires, we will find it difficult to be concerned about others. There are so many practical ways to show kindness, yet we need to train ourselves to be aware of other's needs. If you are to teach the younger to be kind, you must first be kind! How can you teach the younger to be kind?

Working at Home

Genesis 2:18 says that God made the woman to be the "helper" for the man. God has designed a wife's role as her husband's helper. Working at home is one of those ways that a wife can be the helper to her husband. It's important for us to look at the kind of home we are making for our husband. Are we doing things in the home that make him happy? Maybe he prefers the dishes are always cleaned and put away, but you'd rather focus on the laundry. It's important to talk with your husband about what he would like done so you know how to focus your day. Then the question of "should I work outside the home?" comes up. We ought to ask ourselves some tough questions before making this decision. Carolyn Mahaney in her book, Feminine Appeal, writes " But whenever we contemplate opportunities outside of the home, we must first consider the consequences they might have on our families. We must also evaluate our motives. We should ask ourselves questions such as: 1) What are the reasons for considering this opportunity? Are they selfish or God-honoring? 2) Will pursuing this venture glorify God and honor the gospel? 3) Will it enhance and enrich the lives of my family? 4) Does this endeavor hinder my role as the caretaker of my family?" The answers to these questions will help you see if working outside the home is something the Lord would have you do. We'd like to hear from you. If you have any other Scripture or principles concerning this topic, please click on the comment link under this post and share your thoughts with us!

Purity

Being pure involves our thoughts, actions and communication to others. We ought to guard what we allow to influence our life. So ask yourself why do you do what you do? Why do you watch certain TV shows? Read magazines? Watch certain movies? Are those things pure according to God's Word? Do they follow the pattern of Philippians 4:8? "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (ESV) Be careful to guard your heart and purify your mind with God's Word. Being pure also applies to your sexual purity. Ephesians 5:1-4 is a great passage to study on the subject of purity. We pray God will help you as you seek to be pure in your thoughts, actions and words.

Self-Control

Self-control can only happen when we are Spirit-controlled. (Galatians 5:16-25) There are many areas of life that are affected when we lack self-control: eating habits, physical exercise, time, money, hobbies, communication, emotions, etc... What are some practical tips on staying self-controlled? How do you overcome the "desires of the flesh"?

Loving My Children, part 2

Another aspect of loving our children involves spending time with them. What are some hindrances to spending quality time with your children? How can you overcome those hindrances?

Loving My Children

Psalm 127:3-5b says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!" Children are a blessing from our Lord and as we seek to love them biblically how can we show love to them? We also talked today about biblically disciplining our children. Proverbs 13:24 says, "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." How can we lovingly and diligently discipline our children to bring honor and glory to God? What is the goal of biblical discipline? Sometimes it is hard to continue in biblical discipline; how might you encourage a mother who is struggling in this area?

A Challenge

Communication with your husband takes work. Often we neglect to communicate because we are busy with other things such as care of the children, ministry activities, or housework. Yet, in order to grow in your relationship with your husband, you must communicate! Here's a challenge: Plan a date with your husband in the next 2 weeks (get a sitter for the kids!!). Then on your date ask your husband how you can be a better wife for him. Ask for his honest feedback and assure him you won't get angry at his response! Pray that God would help you to be open to what your husband says to you and to not make any excuses! Then come back here (if you want) and let us know how that went.

Loving My Husband

Our discussion today revolved around the practical ways that you can show love to your husband. You might be tempted to think that doing the laundry, picking up after him, or cooking his meals shows your love. Yet as we talked today, we see there are many other ways to show your love to him. What do you think?

Addictions

Romans 6:17-18 says, "But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." (ESV) What are you a slave to? God's Word tells us that because we have been set free from sin, we become slaves of righteousness. Are you a slave of righteousness? If we have an addiction to something we know that God's truth will set us free. John 8:31-32 says "..."If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (ESV). The key is abiding in God's word. How can we help someone who is searching for freedom from an addiction?

The Tongue

James 3:8-10 says "but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,these things ought not to be so." (ESV) We talked today about how to control our tongue; to avoid slander. Why is it so hard to avoid gossip? How can I avoid gossip?

Modesty

Today we touched on some practical ways to be sure you are be modest in your dress. Because you're modest doesn't mean you can't have style! So please share YOUR tips on how you can stay modest while being in style! On a personal note, I find it VERY difficult to find swimwear for summertime fun! Do biblical principles of of modesty apply even in our choice of a swim suit? I believe they do. We want to hear your thoughts on this, so please share!

Being Reverent

What does behaving reverently look like? As we discussed in our program today, we must have an awareness that God is dwelling inside me. It is acting according to the Truth of what I know about God. Can we be reverent in our daily chores? Washing dishes, changing diapers, caring for the elderly? Of course! How does behaving reverently affect our attitude, daily chores, our dress? Please share your answers! What other areas of life does reverent behavior affect?

Being Loving and Steadfast

Today we wrapped up Titus 2:2, discussing love and steadfastness. We want to ask you - what are some practical ways that you show love to others or teach children to love others? In order to persevere in our faith it all starts in God's Word. What are some of your favorite verses you use to help you as you strive to be steadfast? We pray you have a wonderful weekend as you serve the Lord.

How Do You Teach?

A question we posed today on our program was "How can I can teach other women to have sound doctrine?" In what ways do you find it effective to teach other women to have sound doctrine? We want to hear from you, so please share how God has used you to teach other women or how another woman has taught you!

The Beginning

Welcome to the first broadcast week of Women in the Word! Pam, Sarah and I began recording in August 2008, although the process actually began in February of 2008. My husband, Jeff challenged me to pray about and consider a radio ministry after a conversation with Kimball Cummings, the WCTS station manager, when he shared his burden for more ladies content on the radio station. My first thought was "there is no way!" God has shown me over the years if I will trust Him, submit to Him, and follow Jeff's leading then God can be glorified. You can actually hear the fear in our voices as you listen this week. We have learned so much about the radio recording process with Kimball's patient help, about each other (what sweet sisters God has provided!) and about our loving Lord's sustaining strength as we have sought to study and then share what God is teaching us through His Word. Our burden for the broadcast is to encourage ladies first to go to God's Word as their source for all of life and then to take the next step and actually incorporate or apply all of God's principles found in His Word. We started with the Titus 2 passage because we long for women to reach out and strengthen one another as God tells us to teach other women how to love others. We would like to ask you to pray for this ministry. We are asking the Lord to use His Word to challenge the hearts and lives of those who hear the broadcast to truly be Women in the Word. Rebecca, Romans 11:36