We have officially reached the end of our Book Club.

We have spent the past 7 weeks reading and studying various women of the bible who found the courage necessary to fulfill their calling through a secure and blossoming relationship with God. Only through Him could they accomplish all the greatness He created them for.

So, now that we are at the end, where do we go next?

We can look to the women who grace the pages of the last two chapters of our book to show us the direction God want's us to take.

Make more disciples & spread the Good News of His Word.

We learn from Priscilla, featured in Acts, that to create more disciples, we must be willing to mentor them and show them God's way. Priscilla was on fire for God and she was creating disciples by mentoring the "younger" generation. They may not have been younger in years, but they were younger in faith.

Because that society didn't have social media, tv, or even radio, all mentoring was done in-person, face-to-face. We, as a whole, spend so much time looking at our devices that we are missing wonderful opportunities to mentor our younger generation, encouraging them to become disciples for Christ.

We can learn from her that through courage we, yes women of the world, can create disciples for Christ.

But one of the things necessary to create and mentor disciples is a fire for the Lord. We must have such love and passion that no matter what the cost, we are willing to spread His word and give others the tools necessary to do the same.

In our last chapter about Philip's four daughters, we learn from Grady that there are 4 reason's women aren't on fire for God.

1. We are too comfortable.
   
2. We are too fearful.
3. We are waiting for permission.
4. We are not embracing the Great Commission.

Are you on fire for God after reading about these courageous women of the Bible? If not, what is holding you back? Are you scared about how society will look at you or are you just comfortable in your current life and want to avoid the feelings that come with being used by God?

Whatever the reason, it's time to step outside your comfort zone and make disciples for Christ.

Here's a little secret for you...you already took the first step by following along with this study and learning from women of the Bible.

Let's have our final chat.

1. What keeps you from creating disciples for God?

2. Tell us about a spiritual mentor that you have had in your life. How did they make a difference in your life? Did they lead you to Christ or were you already a believer?

3. What barriers are keeping you from being on fire for God?

4. What is the most important thing you learned, a "take away," from this study?

We all have a past.

There are skeletons that we prefer stay locked up in our darkest closet.

We have done things we'd rather the world not know about.

But, there is One we can't hide our ugly places from: Jesus.

He knows everything about us and loves us despite all our faults and sins. Jesus knows everything we have ever done and will ever do. He knows our true heart and soul. 

A perfect example of his love towards us, despite everything, is represented in the two women we are studying for our book club this week. The Samaritan Woman and Mary Magdalene both had pasts that they would probably have liked to forget, but Jesus loved them regardless of the decision they made. He loved them without question because He knew their heart and treasured forgiveness and love above all else. 

In Chapter 12 we are introduced to the Samaritan  woman who had been married 5 times and in that culture, she was an outcast. The reason she was out in the middle of the day to gather water was to avoid the people that would ridicule her. What she never expected was to meet Jesus, a rabbi, since Jews did not come to that area. She especially didn't expect for Him to know about her 5 marriages, and live-in boyfriend, and chose to talk to her. This must have been a complete shock.

Now, Mary Magdalene's story is a little more vague. Some say she was a prostitute which cannot be proven for sure, but what we do know is that she suffered from being afflicted by demons. In Luke chapter 8 we learned that she was cured of those demons after spending time with Jesus. What brought them on, we don't know, but Jesus healed her and loved her so much, that she was the first person to see Him once He resurrected.

What both of these stories have in common is love and healing. Through Jesus' love for them, both of these women found a way to move forward, beyond what defined them in the past, and heal from all their bad choices and problems.

What I loved from this week's reading is that Grady gives us a 4 step process to find healing, just like Mary and the Samaritan woman.

1. We must look for Jesus. Turn to Him. He cares about us and will always be there for us even in our darkest days. We are all sinners and He as sent to die for us. To cleans us of those sins and offer healing and salvation.
2. Stop the blame game. We will constantly second guess what we did, could we have done things differently, what is we brought this upon ourselves. Regardless of all the blame we carry, nothing will change until we are willing to forgive ourselves.
   
3. Tune out the negative voices. We are our own worst enemy. We have the ability to tear ourselves down and keep us living in a pit of despair. We need to stop beating up ourselves. Fill your mind with loving thoughts. Thoughts that will build up your identity, not tear it down.
   
4. Forgive! We must first forgive ourselves before we can allow someone else to forgive us. But more importantly, we must accept Jesus' forgiveness. He loves us no matter what we have done.
   

 If we follow these steps we can find healing just like these women did. But more than healing, if we look towards Jesus and seek Him, we can find love, ever-lasting, unconditional love. There is no greater gift than that.

Let's Chat...

1. Why was it so unusual for Jesus to go to Samaria and begin a conversation with a woman? What does this say to you about Jesus?

2.  Is there a painful experience in your past that you have not had the courage to face? If you are feeling lead, please share your experience with us and what you have learned from it.

3. Mary Magdalene was an unlikely candidate to be a disciple of Jesus because of her past. Are there things about your past that still haunt you and cause you to think you are disqualified from being used by God?

4. Is there anything else that stood out to you from our chapters this week???

Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mary of Bethany.

One is the perfect example of worship, while the other is the epitome of ultimate surrender.

Both of our women this week have the same name, loved Jesus with all their hearts, and display certain qualities that are necessary for an intimate relationship with God. 

"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.'" {Luke 1:30-31 NIV}

Mary was a simple teenage girl engaged to the man she loved, until she was visited by an angel to announce that she would become the mother of the Messiah. I don't know about you, but if this happened to me I would have been arguing with God and questioning "why me?" But, God knew what He was doing and knew the heart of who He had picked because Mary went along with the plan and completely surrendered herself to His plan.

Mary completely accepted her life the way God planned and lived it out fully, in His glory, to the end. Regardless of what was to come, she was willing to accept all that He was to offer.

"This is the hallmark of a surrendered life. And it is a requirement for all women who want their lives to count for God. A surrendered heart is not an option for a true disciple. We must be willing to wave a white flag over our lives and let go. We must come to a place where we can say with Mary, 'May it be done to me according to Your word.'" {J. Lee Grady}

Fulling accepting God's will for our lives is what a surrendered heart is all about. No matter what the outcome, trials, and tribulations, being completely open to all that He will bring before us is the ultimate surrender.

Mary was willing...Are you?

Now, as for our other Mary this week...

She was one of Jesus' closest friends and shows us how to truly worship. When we feel overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done in our lives, we can take a minute and find the perfect example of truly showing our love for God in Mary of Bethany.

In the Bible we learn about Mary's willingness to forego everything that needed to be done to sit at the feet of Jesus when He arrives and listen with an open heart. Most know the story of Mary and how her sister, Martha, got upset because she was running around making preparations for Jesus when all Mary was doing was sitting listening to Him.

"'Martha, Martha.' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'" {Luke 10: 41-42 NIV}

Mary has chosen what is better...

No matter what was going on in her life at that time, Mary chose to worship.

Even when her brother, Lazarus, died she worshiped Jesus despite the fact that He could have healed Lazarus and didn't.

It's hard to relate to Mary at times because our troubles seem overwhelming, but we can learn a very important lesson from her...No matter what goes on in life, we must press into Him and there we will always find our strength.

We need to make sure we are choosing what is better.

Let's Chat...

1. Different denominations have different views of Mary, mother of Jesus. What is your view of Mary?

2. Why is it so significant that Mary of Bethany sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His word? Why was this revolutionary?

3. How can we become more like the Marys we are studying this week? In what ways can we give ourselves over to surrender and worship more without feelings of fear and guilt?

Fierce- having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness.

When this word is spoken to describe a women it is usually about a women filled with strength and passion.

Whether her passion is for fashion, politics, family, motherhood, or God, she has a desire, want and even a need to fulfill that passion. There is a fire burning deep within her soul---a flame that can't be extinguished.

This week for our book club we are reading about two women who display the quality of being fierce in all it's glory. Jehosheba had a fierce protectiveness toward Joash, longing to keep him safe and keeping the line of the Messiah alive and well, and Deborah who had a fierce spirit and a close relationship with God.

Let's take a minute and talk about Jehosheba. Her story is probably less known than Deborah's but it's just as important. She kept the Messiah's lineage intact.

Jehosheba lived in a time where Athaliah was killing off all the king's sons. Jehosheba saw this and felt a huge desire to protect Joash, Athaliah's grandson. She even went as far as keeping him hidden in the same house as his grandmother, right under her nose.

Now, there is only one way that Jehosheba would have been able to hide Joash in the same house as Athaliah---God.

God saw her fierce desire to help save her nephew and keep the lineage of Jesus alive so He helped by shielding Joash from his grandmother.

Seeing as this story is short and only a couple of verses in the bible, why would it possibly be included?

"It is evidence of God's specific call on women to be fierce protector." J. Lee Grady

Jesheba was called to be a protector and God knew that she would have a flame burning bright for the job He set before her.

The other woman we are studying this week is more known but sometimes ignored because of the fact that she is a woman in a mans world.

Deborah was a judge in Israel.

Along with being a judge, she was a great prophetess. Her prophesies frequently came true, no matter how great.

Deborah prophesied that Israel's enemy, Canaan, would gather his army and attack Israel. Because she had a great relationship with God, she was able to let her commanders know that God would defeat the enemy commander, which He did of course.

There is one quality both these women possess, besides fierceness, and it's love...a love of God buring deep within each woman.

"I believe love is the secret of a women's fierceness. When you allow God's love---however painful---to so perfectly control you, and when you trade your selfish concerns for God's priorities, the compassion you feel for people---especially for those who are in danger or at risk---will drive you to rescue them. You will stop caring so much for your own safety." J. Lee Grady

I am sure there has been a time in your life where you have felt God's love so much that you completely forgot about yourself and let all your selfish desires dissipate. It might have been related to your children, family member, a complete stranger or even one of your fur-babies.

God's love is so powerful that when we let it take over, amazing things can be accomplished.
Just like Deborah and Jesheba, we can have our place in God's history set if we all His love to fill us and work through us. No matter how big or small the task, all of the require us to step outside of ourselves and see beyond our own wants and desires.

To do this, a close relationship with God is required.

Is your relationship with God as close as it could be, or could it us a little work?

Let's Chat

1. Has there ever been a time where you have had a "maternal aggression and protected someone from danger? Please share your story.

2. Why do you think some Christian women are uncomfortable when other women do courageous thing?

3. Courageous women must become strong spiritually. Why is the power of praise so important in developing your strength? What else can you do to develop your spiritual strength besides praise?

We tend to look at men as the "saviors." They are the head of the family, breadwinners, and protectors. But there have been times in God’s story that women have been the saviors. Despite all of Satan’s tries, women have played pivotal roles in making sure God’s will is done.

This week, for our book club, we are reading about two women who ultimately saved their people. One was Esther who delivered the Jewish people from Haman’s evil plans and the other is Miriam, who made sure her brother Moses was kept from certain death.

Most of you know the story of Esther. She is one of only two women to have a book of the Bible named after her. Her story is of hidden fears, retaining who she was in the face of danger, and the deliverance of her people thanks to her faithfulness to God.

Granted, most prefer to look at Esther’s story as a romance novel, but that’s not the case. The love she received from the King, and possibly felt for the King, was just the platform to bounce off of when it came to asking for a pardon for the Jewish people.

“The book of Esther is not about an ancient beauty contest, and it should not be trivialized as a romance. On the contrary, it depicts the brutality and exploitation women have faced through the centuries. It also offers hope to women by spotlighting how God used a brave Jewish girl to challenge the most sinister injustice.” J. Lee Grady pg 98

We have a tendency to overlook this book thinking it’s just a short story of love and romance, but in fact, it’s about so much more.

God was using Esther to fight the evil that was before His people.

In a book where God is never mentioned, we can see His hands over every action present. We see His guiding and prompting throughout this book--if we just pay attention.

The sad fact is there are so many Esthers out there in the world today who are ignoring their Godly calling and choosing to remain in the flesh.

True, following God is not easy. It wasn’t for Esther either. Out of fear, she had to hide who she truly was and perform actions that would have gone against her beliefs, all to be made queen. God knew exactly what He was asking of her though, and knew that she was the right woman for the job. She was to be the one to save the Jews.

As for the other woman we are studying this week…she was merely a child when she became the savior of her bother. Her boldness and unwavering courage helped to ensure that Moses would be kept safe from harm in a world where death was a certainty for him. As a result, he went on to deliver his people from the Pharaoh.

When Miriam saw the Pharaoh’s daughter scoop him up out of the water she rushed over and said: “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” This was not the action of a scared and shy child. She was filled with courage and strength to be able to approach royalty and confront her to make sure her brother was taken care of.

This is not the end of her story as, later in life, we see her as a “Prophetess.” Her gifts from God have matured and allowed her to spread God’s message with better authority. The boldness and courage she had as a child has been used to help her hear God more clearly and convey His message to the people of Israel.
But, as any earthly human, Miriam is not without her faults and spoke against Moses. But, like a loving father, God disciplined her with a very public display of leprosy. She was only human but got a little full of herself and God showed her that He was in charge. When much is given, much is required.

These two women, Esther and Miriam, used their God-given gifts to make sure they delivered the Jewish people from death. Two different situations, two different scenarios, but one community---God’s loved and favored people.

Both of these women were put into circumstances that would help save God’s loved people. They probably never imagined they would make such an impact on history or that they would be used for such a glorious task. But yet, God made sure they were equipped with everything they needed to accomplish the task set before them.

This week, I pray that we can study through these women’s lives and see some of them in ourselves. We all have the ability to be great as long as we just find our strength from God. He will provide us with everything we need.

Let’s Chat

1. Many like to look at Esther’s story as one of romance and love, but please share your thoughts. Do you see her story as something more, and if so, why should we keep from looking at it as a romance novel?

2. Mordecai and Esther were partners in their struggle against the wicked plans of Haman. How does this reveal God’s plan for men and women?

3. Can you think of a women in leadership you admire? What qualities does she possess that makes her a great leader?

God's blessings are ours for the taking—if we are just willing to be believe Him.

This week in our book club we are reading about Achsah and Hannah. These two women have very different stories, but they both have one underlying theme...faithfulness.

Achsah was the daughter of Caleb, one of God's most faithful followers. She was pledged to be married to a champion. Her father wanted nothing less than that for his daughter. The right champion came along and they eventually got married, but when it came time for her inheritance, she not only got what was rightfully hers, she ended up with so much more by just asking for it and believing.

As for Hannah, she was already married, but what she was lacking was a child.  She had faith that one day she would become a mother. She was not longing to bring a child into this world just for the sake of having a little one to cuddle and love, she had an urgent feeling that she was called to raise a more faithful generation, and believed that one day God would make that calling come true.

These two women, as do a lot of the women in the bible, have a strong belief that God will answer their prayers and bestow great blessings upon them. We can have the same faithfulness, but we tend to believe otherwise.

The question is...why? We do we think we are not worthy of God's great blessings?

Whether the answer is past relationships with our fathers or the way the current day church views a woman's place, we have accepted the false idea that God only wants to bestow His glorious blessings upon men.

Through the chapters of this book so far, we have been shown that God LOVES lavishing His children with blessings. We have been shown examples of this not just in our chapters this week, but in previous chapters.

Grady gives us a 3-step process of walking in faith and finding our belief in God's promises.

1. First we need to get rid of all the negative voices and doubt.

2. We must welcome those who God sends to us.

3. Lastly, we must hold out for our promise.

What is the promise God has for you? What blessing are you holding out for?

Let's chat about this week's chapters...

1. How long have you been willing to believe that God will fulfill His promise to you? Have you ever given up on that promise?

2. Do you have any past thought processes that have made it hard to believe in God's promise of wondrous blessings?

3. How would you define prosperity? Is it only material possessions for you, or does it mean more?

4. Please share your thoughts about our chapters this week and what stood out to you the most.

If you have not already joined our private Facebook group, please click here to do so.

{Written by Bethany}

Different women, different backgrounds, one common thread—courage.

For one, it's the courage to move forward and forget the past, for the other women we are studying this week, it's the courage to go against tradition and stand up for what they believe is right.

For the next week we will be focusing on the 5 Daughters of Zelophehad and Ruth. Very different women from completely different backgrounds, but they all had to find their inner strength to accomplish what they set out to.

Now, most of us have heard of Ruth and I will get to her a little later, but no many talk about the 5 sisters. There is a reason for that...If you don't pay attention, you will miss their story entirely.  They are only talked about 5 places in the bible; Numbers 26:33, Number 27:1, Number 36:11, Joshua 17:3, & 1 Chronicles 7:15.

These 5 women lived in a time where an inheritance was only guaranteed to the sons of the family, so when their father died, they were left with nothing.

Tradition didn't stop them from asking for what they thought was right.

"They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, 'Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father's name disappear form his can because he had no sons? Give us property among our father's relatives.'" [Numbers 27:2-4]

Back in that time son's were the ones that received an inheritance, not daughters. It must have taken an enormous amount of courage to walk up to the leaders of the tribes and ask for their father's land. But in a time where women were meek and mild, the daughters dared to step outside tradition and ask for what they felt was rightfully their.

"The bible does not paint Zelophehad's daughters as rebels. They did not come to Moses with a vindictive spirit or an angry tone. They were not burning bras, carrying protest signs or screaming obscenities." J. Lee Grady

I think the spirit and motives behind the daughter's request is what causes God to respond to Moses in this way; "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them." [Numbers 27:7]

The daughters knew the law and they came to Moses and the elders with an open heart and humble, simply asking for land to make a life upon. But, the laws of those times said otherwise. These 5 sister's courage, in essence, rewrote the laws, because God went on and gave a laid out plan for the path of an inheritance if their are no sons.

Thanks to the courage these 5 women possessed, they paved the road for future women to be recognized after the passing of a beloved father or husband.

Now Ruth, the other woman we are studying this week, didn't re-write the law, but she needed just as much courage to fulfill her God-given path. She was required to give up everything she new, everything she was, to move forward and find a life with her mother-in-law.

Ruth was a Moabite. Israelites HATED Moabites. They didn't follow the God of Israel and lived a much different life. She was also a widow and childless, which in those times, was an abomination. She had no value.

But Ruth faced a decision. She could return home and go back to the life she lived before, or she could cast aside all that she was, stay with Naomi, and start from scratch. Ruth found the courage to go walk the road less traveled.

What took the most courage is what Grady says right here, "Many people choose to follow Christ, but not everyone is willing to take up his or her cross and forsake all."  Ruth gave up EVERYTHING to follow God. This must have been the hardest decision in her life considering she was not the most qualified candidate to receive God's grace, but she, in fact, did, and was rewarded greatly for her courage.

What I loved about these women that we are studying this week, is that none of them were guaranteed a positive outcome. They took the amazing leap of faith, dug deep, and required more of their lives. They would not settle for less.

There will be times where we might need to go against the "norm" or step outside of our comfort zones and these women will be great reminders of when we put our faith in God, find our strength and courage through His power, we can accomplish amazing things...even re-write laws.

If you want to chat more, please feel free to join our private Facebook group where we post discussion questions beyond hat is listed below.

[Let's Chat]

1. The 5 Daughters of Zelophehad went against their societal norms and asked for their rightful inheritance. What current day women has done the same and been an inspiration for you?

2. Women are sometimes discouraged from taking initiative. Has there ever been a time in your life where this has happened to you?

3. Have you ever faced a time in your life where you had to let go of everything, like Ruth, to receive God's blessings?

4. Share one thing that stood out to you in our reading for this week.

[Written by Bethany]

He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. ~Matthew 17:6

As Christians we are entrusted with an extreme amount of responsibility: The responsibility to keep the faith—through thick and thin, then to nurture it and watch it grow.

In Matthew, Jesus talked about having faith as small as a mustard seed. Mustard seeds are extremely small, but they can grow into something so grand. The same principle applies to our faith. If we have even an ounce of faith, our faith can grow and grow and grow, until there is nothing we can't do.

We can even move mountains.

We can be resurrected.

We can have a prosperous life, if we choose, as long as we stay in God's presence and constantly work towards an ever-growing faith.

"When you are connected to Him, everything changes. Your barrenness is transformed into fruitfulness and your emptiness is filled with hope." J. Lee Grady

This week is the first week of our study through Fearless Daughters of the Bible by J. Lee Grady and our study chapters are Introduction & Chapter 1: Sarah, the Mother of our Faith.

If anyone had a reason to live outside of faith, it would have been Sarah. She had been barren for years and had no reason to believe God when He promised to make her the mother of nations.

Back in a time where your "job" as a woman was to continue the family lineage, Sarah couldn't do that. She was infertile and couldn't give her husband, Abraham, any children. So, when God said she would become a mother, it was literally unbelievable.

But, what I love about this chapter in our reading is that Grady reminds us that women are so much more than just bearers of children. We are a very integral part of God's plan for redemption and salvation.

"When you read the Bible it is obvious that God often anoints women to be initiators. He did not create women just to follow the guys around. In fact, when He decided to send His only begotten Son into the world, He looked for a woman." J.Lee Grady

The church has a tendency to place women on the back burner and focus on the leadership of men, but Sarah was the one chosen to become the mother of our faith.  Yes, we were sent to be helpers, but to God, we are so much more. Sarah was just the beginning of a long line of women whom God used for His purpose.

As we travel through the week and learn more about the mother of our faith, I would like for us to remember one thing—God uses the most unlikely. God might be calling you to a place that you feel you don't fit, but God called a barren woman to become the mother of our faith!

Let's Chat! Feel free to answer 1 or all of the following questions, or just share your thoughts about our chapters this week.

1. When was a time where you knew God was leading you, but you felt completely unqualified?

2. Sarah is the mother of our faith. Do you have a woman in your life who is a spiritual mother to you?

3. Sarah stepped outside of her comfort zone to follow God's lead. When was a time in your life where you have done the same?

If you want to join in our private Facebook group for further discussion feel free to join here.

Written by Bethany.

I {Bethany} have an exciting announcement for you all today. I get the great pleasure to announce what the next book for the Deliberate Women Book Club is. I know you have been waiting impatiently to see what we will study through next.

So without further ado…

Fearless Daughters of the Bible by J. Lee Grady

Here is a quick overview of the book from back cover.

Looking into the lives of 22 mold-breaking women of the Bible, bestselling author and women's advocate J. Lee Grady shows that God enables His daughters for amazing—even impossible—exploits. Lee also reveals the empowering, often overlooked gifts God gives each of His daughters—gifts like wisdom, fruitfulness, boldness and leadership. When women accept and use these gifts, they can live the fearless and beautiful lives of purpose God has ordained for them.

What I love about this book, and makes it so interesting to me, is that it’s written by a man. Not what you would expect. A book for women, about women, written by a man. But, trust me—It’s oh so good!

Now, for the details…

We are starting the study on July 29, 2015. The reading plan will be 2 chapters per week with the study lasting 8 weeks.

There is a private Facebook group where questions will be posted to discuss your thoughts about the week’s chapters and you can get that link by filling out the sign-up form!

You might be asking—What do I need for the study? All you will need is a copy of the book, your bible, and your favorite journal.

Come join us for a wonderful study, fellowship, friendship, and of course, honoring our calling to be deliberate women of God.

To join—Sign Up Here!

COMING SOON!
Join the ladies of Deliberate Women as we sink their teeth into some amazing books! 

Let's spend some time together this summer getting to know some incredible authors and discuss the themes of their books!

Coming soon...

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