Women’s Bible Study – Page 14

In Case You Missed It…

November 9, 2021November 8, 2021 Michelle Lesley

There’s a lot of great stuff going on in Christendom lately, and I didn’t want you to miss out (especially if you’re not on social media)! So, “in case you missed it”…

Several weeks ago, just for fun and encouragement, I put out the call on social media for women who are using one of my Bible studies – either individually or in a class – to send in some pictures of their study time. Here are the responses I’ve received so far:

Natasha lives in Kiev, Ukraine and is currently working on Imperishable Beauty: A Study of Biblical Womanhood. (She has also completed Living Stones: A Study of 1&2 Peter.) Natasha says: “I pray that God will help me understand and study His Word. And this is not easy since I have 4 children and three of them are under the age of 4…But God is good to me.” I’m sure many of us can relate to that!

My friend, Robin Self says, “Our ladies are LOVING studying verse by verse!” They are working through 1 & 2 Timothy: The Structure and Spirit of the Church.

Megan says: “My friend Paige and I are working through the Colossians Bible Study!! It’s been so refreshing to actually study the Bible, not someone’s book!! We have a group on Facebook¹ for people to join (WOMEN ONLY, but we’d love to have more ladies join us!) and watch any recordings if they can’t meet. We got to meet in person for the first time this morning to work through the 5th lesson! Thank you so much for what you do!”

¹Just a reminder, Facebook groups, pages, and Bible studies – even mine – are great, but they are not a biblical substitute for active, faithful membership in a local church.

Are you or your ladies’ group working through one of my studies? Send me a picture (email or social media private message), including the study’s title image, if possible, the name of the study you’re using, and a brief comment. I’d love to share it on social media and/or the blog!

Can you believe my A Word Fitly Spoken podcast partner, Amy Spreeman, and I have only spoken at one women’s conference together? We’d like to change that. If you’d like to book both Amy and me to speak at your next women’s event, please click here.

Did you know that G3 Ministries has a shiny new church finder? Check it out, and if your church isn’t listed, pass the link for the application page on to your pastor.

Don’t despair that you can’t find a church in your area or that there are so few listed. For a brand new site with an application process, this is quite a good number of churches. I’ve got it all linked up at my Searching for a new church? tab (in the blue menu bar at the top of this page), so you can keep checking back from time to time to see which new churches have been added.

If you’re looking for a new church right now and you can’t find anything near you on G3’s map, be sure to check out all the other wonderful church search engines and resources at Searching for a new church? I highly recommend the Founders and Master’s Seminary search engines.

And speaking of G3, the hits just keep on coming! You’ve loved their national conference, maybe you’re looking forward to a regional conference, and you’ve probably heard about their expository preaching workshops for pastors. But did you know they’ve added another workshop specially geared toward worship pastors?

Grab this link for G3’s first Biblical Worship Workshop, and pass it along to your pastor or worship pastor. (And you might want to tell them to hurry up and register. I’m really surprised it isn’t already at capacity.)

The singing portion of this video was recorded at my church. You can briefly see yours truly (at the 0:05 mark, near the top of your screen) in the pink glasses and black sweater. Fun stuff! :0)

Another reason I’m excited about this particular G3 workshop is that one of my own pastors, Laramie Minga, is going to be one of the instructors. He knows his stuff, and your pastor will really benefit from sitting under his teaching. (The other guys are good, too! :0)

Also, in case it wasn’t clear from my saying that this workshop is for pastors, this one is for men only, ladies, particularly men who are already pastors or who are on track to becoming pastors.

Interested in becoming a certified biblical counselor? Spring 2022 regional training events are coming to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Bardstown, Kentucky, and Moore, South Carolina, so get signed up! Find out more about training and other events at the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) website.

Church, Discernment

Throwback Thursday ~ Build the Wall and Station a Guard: A Plea for Pastors to Protect 6 Areas of the Church Vulnerable to False Doctrine

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Originally published August 5, 2016

The Great Wall of China

The Wailing Wall

The walls of Jericho

Walls. Sometimes they go up, and sometimes they come a tumblin’ down. When I was a kid it was, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Now it’s, “Elect me and I’ll build a wall between the United States and Mexico.”

There was a time in history when it was common practice for a city to have a wall built around its perimeter. Walls have historically been built for protection, to keep inhabitants safe from attacking marauders. When Israel returned to Jerusalem after Babylonian captivity, their first priority was to rebuild the altar – their focal point of worship. Next came the temple – to consecrate, or set apart, their worship. And, finally, the city wall – which protected everything, including their worship.

Today, when Christians plant a church, we start off with our focal point of worship, the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ. He is the foundation of the church, the center of our worship, our rallying point.

As the church grows, we consecrate it, setting it apart from other organizations and gatherings by buying or constructing its own special building. It’s not a store or an office or a restaurant. It’s a church. It’s where believers gather to worship, fellowship, and be trained in God’s word.

But somehow we never get around to protecting our churches from enemy attack. Indeed, it hardly ever occurs to most pastors and church members that there’s a need for a wall.

But there is. A huge need. And for some churches, it’s already too late.

Pastor, I plead with you- it’s time to build a wall around your church. A “walls of Jericho”-high wall. A chariot races on top- thick wall. And an armed guard posted at the gate. Not to keep out visitors or people who might look or act differently from your congregation- God forbid! It’s to keep out the false doctrine that’s infiltrating and attacking the Body in so many ways. And some areas of your wall are going to need extra fortification because they’re protecting these six vulnerable areas.

1. The Preaching of the Word

Pastor, the buck starts and stops with you. Are you preaching the Word? In season and out of season? Are you rightly handling God’s word? Preaching sound doctrine and rebuking those who contradict it? Declaring the whole counsel of God? Or is your focus on preaching to entertain, to keep people happy, to encourage giving, or to keep from rocking the boat? Only you can answer these questions. Strong preaching is the first step in building a strong wall to protect your church.

2. The Teaching of the Word

How much do you know about how, and what, your Sunday School, Bible study, or other small group leaders teach? Have you ever observed, evaluated, or interviewed any of your teachers? Does your church have any formal qualifications for teachers? Are they required to go through any sort of training? Who are their spiritual influencers? Which celebrity pastors and authors are they recommending to their classes?

A teacher who is listening to or reading materials by false teachers during the week is going to have her theology shaped by those false teachers, and she’s going to bring that warped theology into the classroom where it will infect the students. A teacher whose main discussion questions are, “How do you feel about this verse?” or “What does this verse mean to you?” is not handling God’s word properly and, thus, not properly training her students. Find out what’s going on in your Sunday School classrooms, and strengthen your wall by strengthening your teachers.

3. Sunday School/Small Group Curricula

Because so few teachers are properly trained, churches tend to rely heavily on the Sunday School curricula to do the actual teaching. Have you examined your curricula lately? Are the lessons anchored in copious amounts of rightly exposited Scripture or are they mainly comprised of inspirational stories and illustrations? Are the discussion questions watered down pablum or do they challenge people to think and search the Scriptures for understanding? Does the curriculum recommend supplementary materials or music from doctrinally sound, or questionable, sources? Does the curriculum recommend “homework assignments” that include unbiblical practices such as contemplative prayer or yoga? Build a solid wall with solid curricula.

4. Women’s Bible Study

This is an area of your wall which needs major fortification. In many churches, it is the primary avenue through which false teaching infiltrates the Body. Is your women’s ministry using studies or materials by a best selling author like Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Christine Caine, Joyce Meyer, Lysa TerKeurst (Proverbs 31), Jen Hatmaker, Lisa Harper, Lisa Bevere, Victoria Osteen, Jennie Allen, Rachel Held Evans, Ann Voskamp, Sheila Walsh, or anyone with “Jakes” in her name? Are they attending conferences, retreats, or simulcasts headlined by any of these people? Then the women of your church are being taught false doctrine. Your men’s Bible study curriculum also needs to be examined, but women’s Bible study is a major foothold of false doctrine.

5. Music

If your church uses KLOVE’s playlist to formulate its worship set, you’re probably importing false doctrine right into your worship service. You’ve got to vet both the lyrics (hymns don’t get a pass on this, by the way) and the artists for sound theology. When it comes to contemporary worship music, the most popular and common sources of false doctrine are Hillsong, Elevation, and Bethel/Jesus Culture. Here’s another good resource.

6. Ecumenism

Is your church partnering or fellowshipping with other local churches outside your own denomination? Are you thoroughly familiar with their beliefs and practices? Are those beliefs and practices biblical? Where do they stand on female pastors, elders, and teachers? Homosexuals as church members or leaders? Abortion? The inerrancy, infallibility, and supremacy of Scripture? Extra-biblical revelation? Signs and wonders? Works righteousness? Do they have a biblical statement of faith “on paper” but stray from it in practice? Not every organization that calls itself a Christian church actually is one by biblical standards, and we are not to partner or fellowship with those whose beliefs and practices do not line up with Scripture.

That’s a lot of vetting to do for a pastor who’s probably already overwhelmed and stretched thin. May I make a suggestion? Don’t try to do it alone. After all, those cities with protective walls hired soldiers to guard the gates. Is there an associate pastor who could take on vetting curricula and fellow churches and conference speakers? Is there a mature, discerning layman or woman you trust who would be willing to lend a hand with researching your music or women’s Bible study books? Do you have a “master teacher” capable of training your Sunday School and small group teachers? Ask your people for help. Use the able. Train the willing. Get that wall built to shut out false doctrine, and station your armed guards at the gates to check out everything that comes in.

The enemy is out there, dear pastor. Let’s make sure that’s where he stays.

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 16

November 3, 2021November 2, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,

Read Judges 20

Questions to Consider

1. Go back to lesson 3 (link above) and review your answer to the first part of question 5, Israel’s pattern of sin and repentance in 2:16-23. How does today’s passage fit this pattern? How does today’s passage fit the theme verse of Judges (21:25), “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”?

2. Chapter 20 is a continuation of the story that began in chapter 19. Briefly review lesson 15 (link above) to refresh your memory.

3. Read 1-6. What does it mean that the men of Israel assembled “to the Lord”? (1) Why had the Levite dismembered his concubine and sent her body parts to each of the tribes of Israel?

No doubt what the men of Gibeah did to the concubine was heinous (5), but how did they have access to her in the first place? (Notice the Levite leaves out that part of the story.) What has the Levite’s sin of using his concubine – someone vulnerable and weaker than himself, someone he should have been protecting – as a piece of expendable property to protect himself led to? Trace this story back to its roots: explain how this entire story would have turned out differently if the Levite had played the man and defended and protected the concubine. Go even further back: would this story have even taken place if the Levite had followed God’s plan for marriage and was the husband of one wife instead of committing adultery with the concubine? How does this demonstrate the principle that sin begets sin?

Contrast the way the Levite treated this woman with a) the way God loves and values women and b) the way God wants men, especially husbands, to treat, love, and value women / their wives.

4. Read 8-17. Consider all the evil and sin we’ve seen one or more of God’s people commit in the book of Judges thus far. Has it been mostly “vertical” (directly against God) sin or mostly “horizontal” (directly against other people) sin? Which is worse? We’ve reached the climax of the book of Judges. Israel at long last sees the depravity of sin and is moved to action. What sin finally moves them – their own vertical sin of idolatry or someone else’s horizontal sin against the concubine, the Levite, and the community? Why is it easier to see and rightly respond to someone else’s sin rather than our own sin? Why do we often see horizontal sin as worse than vertical sin? How did the Israelites not see that their outrage and grief over the men of Gibeah’s sin was nothing compared to God’s outrage and grief over their sin of idolatry? How is it God’s grace to us to show us our sin against Him by letting us see one person’s sin against another?

Did Israel immediately go in and destroy the whole tribe of Benjamin? What was Israel’s initial demand? (13a) What was Benjamin’s response? (13b) What happened – how did things escalate – as a result of Benjamin’s covering for the men of Gibeah’s sin, refusing to hold the men accountable, and refusing to deal with sin in the camp in a biblical way? How does this compare to church discipline situations today? What effect does it have on a church when sin in the camp is ignored, covered up, and not dealt with in a biblical way? In what ways do we often put practical concerns ahead of doing things God’s way in situations like these?

5. Read 18-28. How many times did Israel inquire of the Lord in this passage? Compare their first (18), second (23), and third (26-28) inquiries. Why and how did each inquiry intensify? Were they demonstrating a worldly sorrow or a godly sorrow over their sin? Does this scenario remind you of this passage? How?

Verse 18 is the first place we’ve seen God present (see question 4 in lesson 15, link above) with His people in quite a long time. What has been standing between Israel and God, and what is the first thing He deals with when He “shows up”? Explain why sin is always the first thing that has to be dealt with and biblically resolved in any church’s or individual’s relationship with God.

Consider what happens to Israel in 18-28 in light of what Hebrews 12:5-11 says about discipline. How did God apply painful discipline to Israel in 18-28? Were they “trained by it,” and did this discipline “yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness” for them?

6. Read 29-48. Revisit the second part of question 4. What did Benjamin lose – practically / temporally and spiritually – by covering for the men of Gibeah’s sin, refusing to hold the men accountable, and refusing to deal with sin in the camp in a biblical way? Who actually defeated Benjamin? (35)

7. What did this chapter teach you about sin, sinners, and the nature and character of God?

Homework

Think about the most outrageous sin someone has committed against you or that you’ve seen committed against another person. Now compare that sin, and your grief and outrage over it to your own sin against God. How is it God’s grace to us to show us our sin against Him by letting us see or experience one person’s sin against another? How is our sin against God exponentially worse than one person’s sin against another? List three ways this should inform how you think about your own sin against God, and three ways this should inform how you think about others’ sin against you. Is there any way you’ve been sinning against God that you need to repent of? Is there anyone you need to forgive for sinning against you?

Suggested Memory Verse

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 15

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,

Read Judges 19

Questions to Consider

2. Read 19:1. (You may wish to briefly review lesson 14 for these questions, link above.) Which “days” does “in those days” refer to? What is a concubine? What is the position of the man in this verse? Why is it significant to the theme of Judges that this man was a Levite? Where else have we recently seen a Levite as a central character in a story in Judges?

Notice the repetition (see lesson 14, link above) of the phrase and the concept “when there was no king in Israel”. Who is traditionally considered the author of Judges (see lesson 1, link above)? How does this phrase explain to the author’s contemporaries a) that the events in Judges took place prior to the monarchy (the period of the kings of Israel – Saul, David, etc.) they were currently living in, b) that the anarchy of Judges necessitated the monarchy, and c) the contrast between the anarchy during the time of Judges and the law and order during the monarchy? For us as readers, how does this phrase and concept lay the groundwork, and introduce us to the need for the monarchy?

3. Read 19:2-30. Compare and contrast the genuine hospitality of the Levite’s father-in-law (3-9) with the hypocritical hospitality of the old man (20-21, 22-24) with the anti-hospitality of the worthless fellows (22,25). In what ways does this display of various degrees of hospitality inform your view of what Christian hospitality should look like in your life? Which man/men best points us to the way God welcomes us strangers in? Why?

How does the concubine’s unfaithfulness, and the husband going to bring her back, paint a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness and God as Redeemer? How does it point us to our own sin and straying and God sending Christ to pursue us, redeem us, and restore us to Himself? Continuing this line of thought, how does the fact that the unfaithful woman in this story is a concubine impact or reflect on the fact that the church – Believers – are the bride of Christ? What is the difference in status, rights, and privileges between a concubine and a wife as it relates to our standing in Christ?

How does this passage move from the Levite (recall from lesson 14, link above, the duties of the Levites) being a picture of God as Redeemer of His Bride in 1-21 to a picture of what God would never do to His Bride in 22-30?

How are the actions of the Levite, the old man, and the worthless fellows in 22-30 reflective of the theme of Judges and the opening concept of this chapter “there was no king in Israel”?

God reveals throughout Scripture a special love, care, and compassion for the most vulnerable, such as women and children, widows and orphans, the sojourner, and the poor. He teaches us that the strong are to protect and provide for the weak. Explain how the Levite’s (especially as a “man of God”) (25), the old man’s (24), and the worthless fellows’ (22,25) behavior toward a sojourner (22) and women (24,25) demonstrates just how far their hearts were from the heart of God. Did they protect and provide for these vulnerable people, or did they sacrifice the vulnerable to protect and provide for themselves?

Think about how “there was no king in Israel” allowed for the behavior of these men, and how there was, functionally, “no King of Kings in Israel,” which led to the heart attitude of these men (which resulted in their behavior). How does what we believe inform what we do?

What are some modern day examples – inside and outside the visible church – of the strong sacrificing the weak and vulnerable to protect or provide for themselves, and how does this demonstrate just how far the heart of the “strong” is from the heart of God? How would these passages apply? How does what we believe inform what we do?

What do you think was the Levite’s purpose in dismembering and disseminating his concubine? (29-30) (Check your answer in lesson 16 next week, or peek ahead to chapter 20.)

4. In most passages of Scripture, God is present with His people. He’s giving a command, speaking through a prophet, the passage describes His thoughts and actions, etc. We’ve even seen God present in this way in previous passages in Judges. Where is God in Judges 19? Do you feel the weight of His absence in this passage? Are the false beliefs and sinful actions we see in this passage the cause or the result of God taking a step back from these people?

5. Think about the motif of light versus darkness in the Bible. How does the depth of sin and darkness in today’s passage starkly contrast the brilliance of the light of Christ?

Homework

Who established the system of judges over Israel? Was the system of judges successful (i.e. Israel flourished in her faith in God, her economy, victory over her enemies, agricultural bounty, etc.)? Whose fault was it that the system of judges failed and needed to be replaced? Think of some other systems and scenarios throughout the Bible that God set up as good, but were ruined by man’s sin. (Hint to get you started.) Does the failure of these systems mean that God was a failure or that He did not foresee what would happen when He established these systems? How do you know this? How do all of these failed systems point to the one system that has not failed and will not fail? What is that system and why will it not fail? How does the infallibility of this system help us understand that those who are genuinely saved cannot lose their salvation?

Suggested Memory Verse

Judges Bible Study

Judges ~ Lesson 14

October 20, 2021October 19, 2021 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,

Read Judges 17-18

Questions to Consider

2. Read chapter 17. Was this the same Micah who wrote the book of Micah? How do you know?

Remember the old “What’s wrong with this picture?” puzzles? This chapter seems like the Bible version of that. How many sins can you spot in this passage? Which of the Ten Commandments are being broken?

Is it possible to dedicate something to the Lord and simultaneously dedicate that thing to idolatry? (17:3) To worship the one true God via idol worship? How is this an example of syncretism? Explain why “syncretism” is just a fancy word for “idolatry”. How does syncretism violate the first two Commandments?

Explain the syncretism taking place in 17:7-13. Imagine you’re Micah’s godly, doctrinally sound friend and he says 17:13 to you. How would you correct his false theology from Scripture? (Challenge yourself: First try correcting him using any applicable Old or New Testament Scripture. Then try correcting him using only the Old Testament Scriptures/events/teachings he would have had access to or should have known (Genesis 1 – Judges 16).)

Why do you think 17:6 was inserted into this story?

3. Read 18:1-6. How is the purpose of 18:1 different from the purpose of 17:6 in today’s passage?

Carefully examine the interaction between the Levite and the men from Dan in 18:3-6. Generally speaking, what were the duties of the Levites? Was this Levite doing his job as Scripture commanded? Did the men from Dan know this? (18:3) What should they have done to the Levite (and Micah, for that matter)? What did they do instead (18:5)?

Explain how enlisting the priest of an idol to inquire of the Lord was also an example of syncretism. How does this compare to professing Christians of today who consult false teachers for a “word of knowledge” or “prophecy” over their lives, attend “churches” headed up by false teachers, “worship” God using music created by heretics, etc.?

4. Read 18:7-31. Examine and summarize the actions and beliefs of the men of Dan throughout chapter 18.

What did they do in 18:5?
What did they believe in 18:6, 10?
What did they believe in 18:14-20 and what did they do 18:14-20 as a result of that belief?

Explain how idolatry and unbiblical theology led the men of Dan, and lead us, to sinful actions. How does what we believe about God impact what we do?

Do you think the men of Dan and the Levite were consciously, proactively, and objectively choosing to do wrong (idolatry), or do you think they were deceived and spiritually blind, thinking that their syncretism was good and pleasing to the Lord? Perhaps a mix of both? Ultimately, does it matter? Either way, they were sinning, right? How does this apply to professing Christians today who think they are actually worshiping the one true God, the God of the Bible, through false and unbiblical “Christian” systems like Catholicism, Mormonism, Word of Faith (prosperity gospel), and New Apostolic Reformation?

Really let Micah’s statement in 18:24 sink in. Compare it to these verses. What was Micah’s heart, hope and faith set on? Who were Asaph’s and Peter’s heart, hope, and faith set on?

5. Notice how idolatry not only permeates, but bookends (17:3-4, 18:30-31) today’s passage. How did the idolatry snowball from one woman purposing to make a household idol to an entire tribe of Israel worshiping that idol? Think about this in terms of how your own personal sin and unbiblical beliefs can impact not only you, but your family, friends, church, workplace, and community.

6. If Micah, the Levite, and the men of Dan had been committed to God and His Word, in what ways would this story be different?

7. In most passages of Scripture, God is present with His people. He’s giving a command, speaking through a prophet, the passage describes His thoughts and actions, etc. We’ve even seen God present in this way in previous passages in Judges. Where is God in Judges 17-18? Do you feel the weight of His absence in this passage? Are the false beliefs and sinful actions we see in this passage the cause or the result of God taking a step back from these people?

Homework

Can you think of any modern day examples of syncretism? What about churches offering yoga or “Christian yoga” classes? Churches that participate in Kwanzaa? Churches that use music from heretical sources? Christians who consult psychics, use horoscopes, or practice mindfulness? Think about the way you worship God and walk out your Christianity, both at church and as an individual. Is there any way in which you’re syncretizing Christianity and another religion, or Christianity and worldly methods?