Monthly Archives: November 2013

Godly Womanhood – Submission ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 11-24-13

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Marriage, Sanctification, Sunday School, Women

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These are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Godly Womanhood – Submission
Ephesians 5

Background on Ephesians:

Written by: Paul in A.D. 60-62, from prison in Rome (prison epistle)

To: The church at Ephesus. See Acts 19.

5:1-21– What is the main idea of this section as summed up in verses 1-2?

5:22-23– What does it mean to submit? What does it NOT mean?

1. Greek: hupotasso. Hupo- “under”. Tasso- “Arrange in an orderly manner to a certain position.” Military term

2. Submission does not mean all women submit to all men. (v. 22)

3. Submission is not just for wives whose husbands are Christians. (1 Peter 3:1-2; 1 Corinthians 7:12-16)

4. Submission is not permission for domestic violence.

Domestic violence is serious sin on the husband’s part. Submission is something women lovingly and from a position of power CHOOSE to GIVE, just as Christ, from a position of power, chose to lay down His life for us (John 10:18). If a husband is forcing or demanding submission, it is no longer submission, it is oppression. It’s not a gift, it’s being stolen. The church has a weighty responsibility to act in DV situations, making sure women are safe and men are held accountable. God’s word in no way condones domestic violence or even suggests that women should stay in a dangerous situation. If you are in danger, let your pastor or a trusted friend know so that we can help you!

5. Submission, like a husband’s self-sacrificing love, is about dying to self (Matthew 16:24-25), turning the other cheek, and going the extra mile (Matthew 5:38-42).

5:23-32– Marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church.

1. V. 23-24- The husband signifies Christ. The wife signifies the church.

2. V. 25- Christ loved the church enough to sacrifice Himself for her.

3. V. 26-27- Christ’s desire is what’s best for the church.

4. V. 28-31- Christ nourishes and cherishes the church.

5. V. 32-33- Christian marriage shows the world the relationship between Christ and His church.

Since none of our husbands love us perfectly as Christ loves the church perfectly, there will be many times when we will need to extend grace and forgiveness.

Forgiving as Jesus Has Forgiven Us

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

To forgive as Jesus forgave, we must remember that the act of forgiveness takes place before the offender’s repentance. (Romans 5:8; 2:4)

To forgive as Jesus forgave, our mercies must be new every morning, just as His are. (Lamentations 3:21-24)

When we pray that God will make us more like Jesus, we have to remember that “He was despised and rejected by men…a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3) and that, “Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8) And, yet, He was still forgiving to those who caused the suffering.

When Jesus said, “Father forgive them” from the cross, He knew that the people who put Him there had not repented, and many never would. Most would go to their graves thinking they had done the right thing. Still, Jesus demonstrated a heart of forgiveness in the moment, and left the final accounting for their sin to His Father (Luke 23:34).

“Vengeance is mine. I will repay,” says the Lord (Romans 12:19). “To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Romans 12:20) We are to “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us].” (Matthew 5:44). Leave God to deal with his heart. We must do what God has commanded us to do, regardless of circumstances.

When people came to Christ in repentance, He didn’t hold a grudge, punish, or demand penance. He didn’t keep a mental list of the ways people had sinned against Him to bring up as ammunition at a later time (1 Corinthians 13:5) . He graciously, lovingly, and completely forgave from the heart.

Additional Resources

Amazing Love: The Story of Hosea (Also available on DVD and Instant Queue on Netflix)

Losing Weight You Weren’t Meant To Carry by Mike Leake

Christianity + Submissive Wives = Domestic Violence? by Georgia Purdom

Genesis, Wifely Submission, and Modern Wives by Georgia Purdom

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Godly Womanhood – The Fall ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 11-17-13

17 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Bible, Sin, Sunday School, Types and Shadows, Women

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These are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Godly Womanhood – The Fall
Genesis 3

3:1-6- Why did Satan approach the woman instead of the man?

1. 1 Peter 3:7

2. Eve was created after Genesis 2:16-17.

3. Women generally tend to be a little more believing about spiritual things than men.

4. Women generally have a greater appreciation for beauty.

5. Satan was playing on her God-given desire to help her husband.

3:6- What was Eve’s response to temptation?

1. She stepped out of her God-assigned role.

2. She believed something that was in conflict with God’s word and acted on it.

3. She failed to fulfill her God-assigned role of helper.

4. She used her power and influence to turn her husband the wrong way.

3:6-9 What was Adam’s response to temptation?

1. Adam failed to fulfill his God-assigned role of leader.

2. Adam gave in to something that was in conflict with God’s word and acted on it. (1 Timothy 2:14)

3:10-24- What were the results of their sin?

1. Shame and guilt (10-11).

2. Blame shifting (12-13).

3. A line was drawn in the sand of redemptive history (14-15).

4. Adam and Eve personally bore the consequences of their sin (16-19, 23)

5. Adam and Eve’s sin has affected every person on earth ever since then (16-24).

6. God gives a foreshadowing of His covering of sin (21).

What lessons can we learn from this passage about being a godly woman?

An Open Letter to My Friend Andrew

15 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

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Dear Andrew-

Thank you so much for being a faithful reader here at the blog. I really appreciate that you take the time to read and respond to my articles, and I hope you’ll continue to hang around in the future.

As you have noticed, I am now approving comments before they are posted. Just wanted to let you know that, while I appreciate your faithfulness, I will not be approving any more comments, including yours, which are disrespectful or insulting. Since you’ve been here for a while, I’m sure it has not escaped your attention that I have allowed and responded to comments in which people have respectfully disagreed with, and even critiqued, things I have written.

I don’t have any problem with people disagreeing with me and desiring to have a polite conversation about it. Should you ever find yourself in that demeanor and frame of mind, I would be glad to chat. However, your current technique seems to be one of being as inflammatory as possible in hopes of drawing me into an emotionally charged argument. Sorry, but I’m not going there.

Why have I allowed your comments up until now? Because you kept coming back And every time you come back, my kind and gracious Savior, who chooses to love you despite your hatred for Him, shows Himself to you a little bit more through what you read. Every time, He gives you another chance to turn away from your anger, hurt, and disbelief, and to trust Him. And you can trust Him, Andrew. Because He is trustworthy. He proved it by giving His life for you.

I’m not going to argue with you because I can’t argue you into giving your life to Christ. This isn’t about me changing your mind. It’s about the Holy Spirit changing your heart. And, if you’ll take a step back and look at things, maybe you’ll see, like I do, that He’s already at work on you. How?

Have you ever wondered why you keep coming back here? This is a blog written by a Christian for Christians, particularly, Christian women. Why would a male who’s a staunch atheist have any interest in that? The gist of your comments is that you hate God, hate the Bible, hate Christians, and especially hate me, yet you read and comment on everything that I post. Clearly, you’re not going to change my mind, I’m not trying to change your mind, and I’m not giving you what you want by arguing with you. Yet, you keep coming back. Why do you suppose that is?

Andrew, I love you the same way Jesus does. And furthermore, I like you. You’re feisty and passionate, two things I admire in people. I addressed this open letter to you as a “friend,” and I meant that. But, as your friend, I need to tell you something:

You can hate Jesus all you want to, but that doesn’t make Him wrong.

On the day you die, you will stand in front of Him and give an account of your life, and at that point, none of your opinions or arguments will matter. All that will matter was that, in life, you realized you had offended a holy God with your sin, and humbled yourself and asked Him to forgive you, trusting in Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection to pay the penalty for your sin. That’s all that will matter.

I really hope you’ll come to that point in your life. I’ve been praying for you, my Sunday School class has been praying for you, and I would ask every Christian reading this to pray for you also. If you do get to that point and need some help or have some questions, well, you know where to find me.

Michelle

Godly Womanhood – Designed by God ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 11-10-13

10 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Creation, Sunday School, Women

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sunday schoolThese are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Godly Womanhood – Designed by God

I. God, not man, is the initiator and designer of the roles of men and women. (Genesis 2:15-22)

A. God initiated woman (18)

1. Humanity in general, and Adam, in particular, were lacking something

2. Man needed help

3. God created someone strong enough to help man: woman.

a. Jesus- a wife’s perfect example.

i. Power under control

ii. Submission to authority

iii. Proactive, not reactionary (John 10:17-18)

 B. God designed woman (19-22)

1. God’s “personal touch”

2. Woman was specially designed for the role of helper

II. God, not man, is the initiator and designer of marriage (Genesis 2:22-25)

A. Marriage was initiated by God

1. God brought Eve to Adam

2. God performed the first “wedding”

B. Because God is the initiator and designer of marriage, man is not to alter God’s plan for marriage.

1. Divorce.

2. Cohabitation

3. Same sex “marriage” 

E-BOOK SUPER SALE!!!

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Book, Jacob, Uncategorized

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All e-versions of “Jacob” are on sale! Get a Kindle or Nook copy for just 99 cents, or other e-version at CBD for just 79 cents! (Click the hyperlinks here, or click on the “Books” tab above.)

You can give “Jacob” as a GIFT, too! At these prices, you can get one for all the women on your Christmas list!

And don’t forget your women’s Bible study group! You don’t have to have an e-reader or tablet. “Jacob” can be downloaded to your smart phone, computer, or tablet, too. This is a much less expensive way (especially for small churches on a limited budget) to do a women’s Bible study than ordering a $15 workbook for everybody. It’s a great time to start thinking about January Bible studies!

Order your copies today– this is a limited time offer!

Godly Womanhood – Introduction ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 11-3-13

03 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Marriage, Sanctification, Sunday School, Women

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These are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Godly Womanhood – Introduction

I. Proverbs 31

A. Structure

1. Two oracles, or poems

a. v. 2-9: The Wise King

b. v. 10-31: The Excellent Wife

2. Descriptive, rather than prescriptive, passage

B. The “cast” of Proverbs 31

1. Solomon

2. King Lemuel

3. King Lemuel’s mother

4. The excellent wife/woman

C. What can we learn from this passage that God desires of women and values in them?

An excellent woman…

1. …is rare (1)

2. …is precious (1)

3. …is trusted by her husband and is trustworthy in general (3, 11)

4. …loves her husband and treats him well (12)

5. …takes the initiative and works willingly, not resentfully (13,24

6. …works diligently, and isn’t lazy (14,18,19,22, 27)

7. …puts her family’s, and others’, needs ahead of her own (15)

8. …is organized and plans ahead (16,21)

9. …tries to contribute to bettering her family’s situation (16)

10. ..is strong (17,25)

11. ..helps the needy (20)

12. ..is the “woman behind the man,” and is admired by others for her character (23)

13. ..is characterized by dignity (25)

14. ..is characterized by wisdom and kindness, and grows others in these qualities through parenting and mentoring (26)

D. Results of being a woman of excellence

1. Gratitude from husband and children (28-29)

2. The rewards of her hard work and good character (31)

3. God is pleased (30)

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (30)

“The Woman is the Neck” from My Big Fat Greek Wedding

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

As You “Like” It

01 Friday Nov 2013

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fbAre you on Facebook? If so, come hang out with us on Michelle Lesley- Author! I’ve got lots of great stuff for you every day!

Sunday I try to get some rest, but, if you’re a blog subscriber, you know I usually post the notes from my Sunday School class. Missed Sunday School that day, or looking for something to study during your quiet time? Check it out!

Monday is Missions Monday. Learn about missions work going on overseas or across the street. Find out how you and your church can get involved and how you can personally share your faith better.

Tuesday, come on over for Good News Tues and get inspired! You’ve heard the old journalism adage, “If it bleeds, it leads,”? Well on Tuesday at MLA, if it blesses, it leads. Believe it or not, there are still good news stories out there in the world. We take a look at as many as we can, plus the best news of all: the gospel!

Wednesday is the day to give us your two cents worth. On What’s Your Take? Wednseday, we could be discussing something as serious as hot button issues in the church or as silly as which fast food chain has the best hamburger. Chime in and give us your “take” on the situation!

Thursday is Theology Thursday. What does “soteriology” mean? What does the Bible say about baptism? Need more information on apologetics? We tackle a different topic every week and take a look at the biblical information and resources that are out there to help you.

Fridays are for fun! Need to blow off a little steam at the end of the week? Come play Family Feud Friday with us! No prizes, just bragging rights :0)

Saturday is a great day to putter around on line and check out some fun and interesting Miscellaneous Stuff for Your Saturday. Interesting articles that don’t really fit any of the week day themes, hilarious videos, and silly pictures. It’s a hodge-podge of goofiness and information.

Come on over and join us!