The Unknown

As we have been reviewing the story of the life of Moses, specifically his infancy and childhood, we have been reminded of many wonderful truths: God is in control at all times, He has a plan, and His ways are perfect. Have you ever experienced something that you did not understand at the time, only to realize later the situation was preparing you for something in the future?  We shared some testimony in our life regarding this and praise God for His work in our lives. What about you? What could you share with us?

Pharaoh's Daughter

In Acts 7, we get to read Stephen's speech given to high priest in response to accusations against him that he was blaspheming against God.  In his speech, he reminds the high priest of the history of Israel. In this history, he speaks of Moses and mentions Pharaoh's daughter. We would like to take some time to discuss this story, to be reminded that God can use even a pagan woman to fulfill His plan in the lives of His children. So join us in this discussion and tell us how you see God working through this woman to carry out His plans.

Real Life~Real Answers

Idols of the Heart

Bonnie calls you just sobbing, “It was negative, again!!!” You quickly realize she is talking about the results of the pregnancy test you knew she was excited to take.  You sigh and quickly pray that God would give you the right words to comfort your friend. Bonnie and her husband have been trying to have a baby for quite some time. Bonnie so desperately wants a baby. She stares at the other young women in church who have children and can’t wait until she can have a child of her own. When you talk with her, ALL she talks about is getting pregnant. She has ideas for names, for the nursery, how to raise the child. She even has started picking up maternity clothes and things for the baby. Her husband is supportive but is growing weary of the constant emotion involved. Bonnie is your best friend and you are grieved to see her so disappointed every month.

*As Bonnie’s friend, how should you answer this desperate phone call?

*What is unbiblical about Bonnie’s thinking?

*What must Bonnie focus on more than having a baby?

Taking Care of Widows

How do you take care of widows in your church? Why is it important?
Scripture makes it clear that widows are to be cared for by the church. 1 Timothy 5:3ff tells believers that they are to "Honor widows who are truly widows."  James 1:27 also tells us that true religion includes taking care of widows. Christ condemned those who "devoured widows" (Mark 12:40). How can the church practically care for the widows in their church? We gave a few ideas today:  cleaning, cooking, shopping, errands, calling them, praying for them, financial help....... The list could go on. We hope this discussion has been a help to you as you  consider how you can do your part to honor the widows in your church.

Am I TOO Busy?

The apostles in Acts 6:1-7 delegated the problem that had risen in the church to seven men who could take care of the issue. Certainly the apostles would have been able to handle it on their own; however, they realized that they could not take time away from their primary responsibility of prayer and the preaching of God's Word.

How do you keep the correct priorities in your life when life gets busy? How do you delegate responsibilities? Why is it hard to delegate? Have you ever evaluated your life to decide whether or not everything that you are involved in should be a part of your life?

These are good questions that we hope you'll take time to consider and pray over.

Real Life~Real Answers

Hope in God's Word

Evelyn has had a difficult few years. Difficult and strenuous pregnancies left her very tired to care for her husband and home. Then she found out her husband wants a divorce – He’s found another woman who he wants to be with and has already defiled the marriage relationship by sinfully acting upon his feelings for this other woman. Stunned and angry, she agrees to the divorce. A year later she is raising her 3 children alone and her mother passes away. Evelyn is in despair and feels no one at church can really understand what she is going through. She has tried to read her Bible because she has been told that God’s Word can help, but she isn’t finding any answers.

*What are some things Evelyn might be missing in her walk with God?

*If Evelyn is your friend, how can you “be there” for her to encourage her from God’s Word through these difficult days?

*What are some practical ways the church can rally behind Evelyn to encourage her with her physical needs (caring for children, working full time, time to rest, ect…)?

Biblical Problem Solving

In Acts 6:1-7, we encounter a problem in the early church. What we are about to read in this passage is an beautiful example about how a problem in the church can be handled in a biblical, God-honoring way.

The Problem: Widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.  The Hellenistic Jews (not native to Jerusalem) raised the concern as it was their widows who were being neglected.

The Solution: The Apostles took charge of the situation and suggested a plan that pleased the congregation. Seven men with impeccable qualifications were chosen to handle the situation surrounding the directly.

The Result: The Word of God increased and the number of disciples were multiplied (vs. 7).

As we take this section of Scripture and meditate on it's truths, let us consider how God wants us to handle conflict. What a blessing that we have an example of how to handle problems within the church.

How Am I Doing Sharing the Gospel?

As we encounter the women in Acts 5:12-16, we see that they were involved with other believers in bringing people to be able to hear the Gospel as well as meet their physical needs. Their example causes us to consider how we are doing in sharing the Gospel on a day to day basis? Do we see people as Christ does - in need of salvation? Do we consider how God might use us to meet a physical need? What do you do when someone approaches you in the parking lot of a grocery store with a "story" about their need for food and/or money? In all interaction with people in our community and work place, we ought to be a light that shines the truth of the Gospel to those who need to hear it.  May the women's example in this passage cause you to consider your testimony for Christ.

Real Life~Real Answers

Leading With Criticism from Others

You've been given the task of heading up a specific ladies' ministry.  You've been a member of your church for five years, and there are many faithful ladies who have been serving in your church for many years...some up to 20 or more.  You accept the leadership of the ministry, and announce you are making a few changes, which you believe would make the events you are planning, more appealing to more ladies.  One lady who has been with the church for many years, becomes very upset about the changes and makes her opposition known.  You've already run it by the pastors, and several other ladies and they all approve and agree with you on the change. 

*What do you do in response of this lady’s opposition?  Do you keep things as they are?  After all, this lady has been a faithful member and servant of the Lord for many years, and this is a real bone of contention for her.

Believing Women

Acts 5:12-16 begins a section of Scripture where we see the marvelous hand of God working in the early church. There were many signs and wonders being done and more than ever before, believers (men and women!) were coming to salvation through Christ.  The Holy Spirit empowered these apostles and as a result, the Christians in Jerusalem were held in high regard, many came to know Christ and were healed of their illnesses. A marvelous picture of how when we are faithful to do what God has called us to do that God will bless, in His time, in His way and for His glory. How easy it would have been for the apostles to take credit for all that was happening, but they didn't. They knew that it would be through God alone that they would be able to perform such miracles. These events were even an answer to prayer (see chapter 4:29-30).  It is important to see that just as men were privileged to know Christ, women were as well. Luke mentions that women were part of this church in many instances and what a blessing it is to know that God holds women with equal value despite society which often considers men as superior.  What a blessing that the Gospel is for all!

Giving in Church

How do we view our giving at our local church? What is our heart attitude and what should our attitude be? With what is God concerned? These are fabulous questions to consider as we talk about giving in our church. Initially, we think of giving by financial means. Yet, we can also give to our church in time, energy, and our talents. The negative example with Ananias and Sapphira shows how what appears to be a good gift to the church can be sinful. So it is with our giving in our churches. If we are not giving with a pure heart out of motivation to glorify God, we might as well not give at all. All we do ought to be for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31) and in giving of our financial means, time, energy or talents we ought to give generously and faithful as God has lead.

Real Life~Real Answers

Modeling Forgiveness

Stephanie looked at her co-worker Lacy and told her how she couldn’t believe how forgiving Lacy was being to the boss who had treated her so wrongly. “How can you not take this situation to management and get your boss fired!” said Stephanie. Lacy was thrilled to finally have this opportunity to share Christ’s forgiveness with Stephanie.  Lacy shared how she believed God would judge her boss in His time. Lacy went on to say that God had forgiven her of many sins and she wanted to show God’s forgiveness to her boss. She moved on to share exactly how God had forgiven her, through the sacrifice of God’s Son, Christ on the cross. The conversation ended quickly as their break was over, but Stephanie had a lot more questions she was sure to ask Lacy.

*How was Lacy was ready to “give an answer” about her faith?

*What could Lacy do to follow up with Stephanie about their conversation?

*It’s not always easy to share Christ in the workplace. What are some ways in which you can show God’s love to your co-workers?

Just Too Busy: Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical

Joanne Kraft

Product Details

1. Paperback: 192 pages

1. Publisher: Beacon Hill Press

1. Language: English

1. Date of reading: May 2, 2012

Point: Joanne Kraft shows how detrimental overly-busy lives can be, and what her family did to be pro-active in that area.

Path:  Kraft explains what most of our lives look like. Busy, overworked, etc. She uses her own life and family as an example of where she was and what they did to change their situation. As a family, they had a whole year that they did not participate in extracurricular activities and they had one family field trip every month. She goes on to explain what her family members thought and even some roadblocks along the way.

Agreement: This book is a very accurate representation of our society and culture as a whole. I liked the idea of stepping back and evaluating all of our areas of involvement. I appreciated her dealing with the fact that many of the activities or possessions in life are not a “right” or a “need” but a desire. I also appreciated her emphasis on not living our lives based upon what other people think, but doing what you need to do in your life for God’s glory.

Disagreement: I would have liked to see more of a Gospel-centered focus in the book. Christ was mentioned, but it seems as though the main reasons given to slow life down and not attend all of the nonessential events were to enjoy your children before they move away rather than the glorification of Christ. I also would have appreciated a section in which the book really dealt with the heart of busyness. There were a couple of brief references to things that sounded slightly like psychology, but as always we need to read with discernment.

Personal App: I need to ask myself if I am too busy doing a lot of things that do not have eternal value. Also, what are my motivations for being involved in the areas in which I am?

Stars: 4 out of 5

I would recommend it.

A Wife's Choice

Was Sapphira correctly submitting to her husband in this situation?  We all agreed that she wasn't correctly submitting to him. For a more thorough explanation on biblical submission, we recommend The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. In her book she takes time to correctly explain a biblical view of submission and does address how a wife should respond when her husband asks her to sin (chapter 14).  A wife can love her Heavenly Father so much that she can be bold and strong to tell her husband no if he asks her to sin. She is never forced to sin, but can trust that God will provide a way for her to escape if she is put into a situation (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Sapphira certainly had the choice to honor God and did not have to choose to be a part of his deceitful plan. What about you? Do you make excuses about why you sin?  Have hope that as you immerse your mind in God's Word, the Spirit will help lead you to make godly choices that honor God!