Tag: Biblical Womanhood

Christian women, Guest Posts, Parenting

Avoiding the Creepers: Six Ways to Raise a Biblically Strong Woman

Michelle Lesley

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 
2 Timothy 3:1-7

If someone were to ask you, “What kind of person do you want to raise your daughter to be?” how would you answer? Caring? Independent? Loyal? Kind?

I’m betting none of us would answer “weak,” “burdened with sins,” “easily led astray by her passions,” or “unable to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” Yet in these last days in which we find ourselves, that’s exactly what many good-hearted Christian mothers with nothing but the best of intentions are raising their daughters to be. It’s not that they want their daughters to grow up to be spiritually weak or led astray by sin or unbiblical teaching, it’s just that they lack the skills and tools necessary for properly training their daughters in the Scriptures and godliness.

Maybe you’re one of those moms. You want to train your daughter to be a wise, godly, discerning woman, but you’re not quite sure how. Hey, we all have those areas of our lives that we need a little help with. As an older mom myself, maybe I can lend a hand.

My daughter is almost twenty, and while she’s nowhere near perfect, by the grace of God, she is a godly young lady. Looking back, there are many things my husband and I did wrong as parents. But God, in His mercy, covered our failures and saw all of us through as He taught us through His word how to raise a biblically strong woman.

6 Ways to Raise a Biblically Strong Woman

1. Set an example.

Our daughters learn by watching us. Faithfully study your Bible, pray, attend church, obey God’s word, submit to your husband, repent and ask forgiveness when you sin, and serve others and your church together.

2. Learn, and teach your daughter, good hermeneutics.

Hermeneutics is just a fancy word for rightly handling God’s word. Use a reliable Bible translation. Understand Scripture in its immediate and overall context. What was the author’s intended meaning, his audience, genre, and culture? Point your daughter to Christ as you study God’s word together.

3. Find a doctrinally sound church, join it, and attend faithfully as a family.

Study God’s word and compare everything that’s preached and taught to Scripture (in context). Does your church’s teaching line up? Then be committed to attending every single week, not just when you feel like it or when there’s nothing better to do. Instill in your daughter a love for, and a commitment to, the church.

4. Fight the fluff.

Unfortunately, many of the most popular preachers, teachers, and Christian authors (including women’s Bible study authors) teach and write things that may sound good and make us feel good, but are in direct conflict with Scripture. These are the very people Paul was speaking of in 2 Timothy 3. Teach your daughter to follow only trustworthy teachers whose theology is in line with Scripture.

5. Bring prayer and Scripture into every situation.

She can’t find her favorite doll? Kids picking on her at school? She wants to wear clothes that barely cover her? Discuss what the Bible say about these things. Pray together about them. Lead your daughter into prayer and Scripture as part of daily life, and it will teach her that God is to have authority over every aspect of our lives and that we are to obey Him in all things.

6. Teach her how to share the gospel.

If you’re not sure how to properly present the gospel to someone, learn. You can’t lead your daughter to Christ if you can’t share the gospel with her. If your daughter is already saved, make sure she knows how to share the gospel correctly. The Great Commission was the last instruction Christ gave us before leaving earth, and we are all to be about the business of carrying it out until He returns.

The 2 Timothy passage at the beginning of this article is our commission to guard our households against ungodly ways and people – even those who may falsely call themselves Christians – who might creep in and steal our daughters’ hearts and minds away from Christ. He has charged us to train them in godliness, and we must faithfully answer His call to raise wise, discerning, and biblically strong women of God.

What advice would you offer moms who want to raise
biblically strong women?

This article was originally published at Kaylene Yoder’s Blog.

And for all you boy moms, be sure to check out…

Six Ways to Raise a Godly Man

Marriage, Sunday School, Women

Godly Womanhood – Sex, Marriage, Singleness, and Divorce ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 12-8-13

Michelle Lesley

sunday school

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 – Sex, Marriage, Singleness, and Divorce
1 Corinthians 7

Background on 1 Corinthians:
Written by Paul to the church in Corinth (in southern Greece) circa A.D. 55. Aphrodite (Greek goddess of love) worship was the major religion.  Gross immorality and drunken debauchery included: fornication, adultery, homosexuality, polygamy, concubinage, prostitution, and incest. Ch. 7 was in response to a previous letter from the church to Paul asking questions about marriage/sex.

7:1-2- What is the Corinthians’ question? Why would they ask this? How did Paul answer?

v. 1- Paul is restating a quote from their letter, not giving instruction himself. Because of the extent of the sexual corruption in Corinth (most in the church had grown up in this environment and didn’t know any differently), the baby Corinthian church has a skewed, confused understanding of sex and thinks maybe Christians should stay away from it altogether (even inside marriage). Paul has to hit the “reset button” on their theology of sex and show them it is a good gift of God in its proper context.

7:2-5- Parameters for a biblical theology of sex:

1. Sex is only to take place between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (2ff)

V. 2- “Each man his own wife/woman her own husband.” V.3ff all continue to assume sex inside heterosexual marriage as evidenced by the terms “husband”/”wife”. This automatically precludes homosexuality, prostitution, adultery, fornication, etc.

2. Both husband and wife have a right to reasonably expect regular sex in their marriage (3).  (Assuming the health and capability of both.)

Notice that the husband is mentioned first- emphasizing that the husband should fulfill the wife’s sexual needs, not just his own. As in all other aspects of marriage, we serve each other unselfishly, and don’t use each other for our own gratification.

3. Sex is a gift that both spouses should give generously, and as an act of love and service, to one another (4).

This is the other side of the coin to #2. There should be a healthy and mutually agreeable balance, but we are not to be stingy in responding to requests for sex. Sex shouldn’t be dependent on the whims of “mood”. God gave us our bodies to serve in all aspects of our marriages, including sex.

Think about it: there are a lot of times we don’t especially feel like doing the dishes, cleaning up after the kids, etc., but we do it anyway and with a good attitude. What does it say to our husbands when they see us doing all those things because they’re important, but constantly turning down sex because we’re “not in the mood”? What if he constantly wasn’t “in the mood” to say “I love you,” or listen to you when you need to talk?

Notice that the wife is mentioned first here for emphasis as this can be an area more in need of improvement for women than men.

4. Do not deprive one another (5).

Sex, as in #3, is a gift we freely and lovingly give to one another. It is not a weapon, a reward, a bribe, or a bargaining chip. Would we use food as a reward, bribe, weapon, etc? Any break in normal sexual activity must be by mutual agreement, and even then only for a short time for SPIRITUAL PURPOSES. (Again, assuming the health of both. This particular verse doesn’t address the incapacitation of a spouse.)

5. A godly sex life inside of marriage is a safeguard against temptation to sexual immorality (2, 5-9).

Yes, there is sexual temptation even in the best of marriages, but how much more would there be without a godly sexual relationship in marriage? We are not just serving a physical need, but also a spiritual one- helping each other avoid temptation.

Being single is a good gift of God, and there are advantages to it (later in chapter), but if the temptation to immorality is too great, it is better to get married and have that sexual outlet in place.

7:10-11- We are not to desire and seek out divorce. Related passages: Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-9, Genesis 2:24, Malachi 2:16

“Not, I but the Lord” Paul is reiterating what God has already spoken. Repentance and reconciliation is God’s desire, not divorce.

7:12-14, 16- What if one spouse isn’t saved? Related passage: 1 Peter 3:1-2

“I, not the Lord”: New revelation. God had not previously spoken on this. New Corinthian believers were confused and thought perhaps they should divorce unsaved spouses to marry saved ones. Just as 1 Pet. 3 says, spouses and children can be won to Christ through the testimony/behavior of the saved spouse.

“Made holy” doesn’t equal “vicariously saved.” It means God will be working in lost spouse’s/children’s lives toward salvation through the testimony of the saved spouse. They will also benefit from the blessings that go along with being married to someone who is saved (having a spouse who is faithful, kind, forgiving, etc.) and constant exposure to the gospel.

7:15- God does not hold divorce against a Christian (as sin) in this situation.

There are only two instances for “biblical divorce”: Infidelity (see Matthew passages above) and an unbelieving spouse leaving. In this situation, it is not the Christian seeking divorce, but the lost spouse. The Christian is a victim of divorce, not the initiator. The Christian spouse should be living in obedience to the Lord and doing everything he/she can to keep the marriage together, but notice: “God has called you to peace” Every situation is different, but a point comes when continuing to fight for the marriage can violate the peace God calls you to, and you have to let go and leave things in God’s hands.

7:17-24- God saves people “where they’re at” for a reason.

God knows the situation/time of your life you’re in when He saves you. One reason for this is so that people in your life (spouse, co-workers, friends, etc.) can see the results of Christ saving you, which can open the door for you to share the gospel with them. God doesn’t save you just to save you- He saves you to save the people around you. One of those people could be your lost spouse.

Unless your hobbies/job/friends are inherently sinful (you’re a hit man who likes to hang out with dope dealers at the strip club), you don’t necessarily have to dump everything in your life when you get saved. You don’t have to quit your job to become a missionary or dump all your old friends and replace them with church friends. You could be how God saves them.

7:6-9, 25-40- Singleness and marriage are both good gifts given to different people for God’s sovereign purposes.

Marriage is a good gift for protecting from temptation and for raising Godly children. Singleness has the wonderful advantage of allowing one to concentrate more time on prayer, study, and ministry.

Additional Resources:

What Are Biblical Grounds for Divorce? from GotQuestions.org

The Best Thing Out There on Singleness from CBMW

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

Fireproof (movie)

Sunday School, Women

Godly Womanhood – Submission (Continued and Review) ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 12-1-13

Michelle Lesley

sunday school

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 (Continued and Review)
Colossians 3:12-21

I didn’t feel like we got enough chance for discussion during last week’s lesson, so this week we studied Colossians 3:12-21, which neatly summarizes the passage we studied last week: Ephesians 5:22ff.

3:12-17– This passage addresses Christian character and behavior on a more “macro” level. In the church, at work, in society, wherever we go, we are to exhibit compassion, patience, humility, etc.

3:18-21– This passage addresses Christian character at the microcosm level: the family. We are to show the same kindness, love, forgiveness, etc. at home, in the way that God prescribes, that we show to others outside our home. We are to be genuine, the same person at home as we are at work, the store, etc.

Submission to our husbands is “fitting in the Lord.” We don’t submit because of any wonderful quality our husbands possess, who they are, whether or not they treat us like queens, or whether or not they deserve it. We submit out of obedience to the Lord, because we love Him. We offer submission as an offering to the Lord, as “living sacrifices”. (Romans 12:1)

I added one item under “Forgiving as Jesus Has Forgiven Us”:

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.

Bible, Sin, Sunday School, Types and Shadows, Women

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

Michelle Lesley

sunday school

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?

Creation, Sunday School, Women

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

Michelle Lesley

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”