The first being that I have officially started writing a girl's bible study!
Yes, it's true. It's been a dream of mine for years and now it's finally coming to fruition. I lead a small group of girls (9-10th grade) on Monday nights, and have noticed that there really aren't that many bible studies for high school girls out there. I love the bible, I love studying it and sharing what God is showing me. I looked back on my journals Monday and saw that God's been laying this dream on my heart for years now. I wrote an outline for a bible study over a year ago, and have played with the idea since. Last Wednesday at our intern lunch one of the men from our church asked us what our passion was and how we can pursue it. It became so very clear at that moment. I expressed how I LOVE the word of God and I LOVE high school girls and have a dream to write a bible study. And looking at the situation, I see that God has given me everything I need for me to write this study- in crazy ways!
1. It's been a desire and dream for years
2. I have been working with high school girls for a while now and have a better idea of what they like, what they struggle with and how I would teach it.
3. I have a small group of girls that are totally open to being my guinea pigs!
4. The LORD brought Robin Jones Gunn into my life, my hero and the author who led me to really have a relationship with Christ through her books. She's encouraging me to write and is here to help me with it.
5. This is my job! I get to spend some of my hours in the office preparing for bible study, studying God's word...
6. When I asked Jade, one of my girls, what she would want to study in bible study, she said, "You know that girl's event you did last July about how God is our Father? That was really good- so something like that"
and that did it for me! The outline I had scribbled out included God being our Father.
Joe (the man at our lunch) asked me, "Well then why haven't you started it!? What are going to do this week to get started?"
OKAY LORD!
So I've started and it's ROCKN' MY SOCKS OFF! I decided to do it about our Identity in Christ- Who Christ is, what He's done, who we are in Him, what He calls us to and how that differs from the world. And the Lord showed me to teach it through the book of Ephesians- one of my favorites :)
On monday we had small group and I made little booklets for my girls to fill out and decorate. They filled out pages that had
-about me
-my personality
-my gifts and talents
-my passions
-my struggles
-What the world tells me i should be
-what I think God tells me i am and should be
I read them the other day and they were so precious! I almost cried- the girls were so honest and sincere. After the study, I'm going to have them go through it again and fill it now knowing who they are in Christ and what He calls them to-
I'M SO EXCITED!
I bought Kay Arthur's book "Discover the Bible for Yourself"- what an awesome tool! I feel refreshed and pumped up studying God's word- what a privilege. I learned about Ephesus today
-it was the 4th largest city in the roman empire
-when the harbor became unnavigable, the city relied on the worship of Artemis for economic survival.
-Artemis was the goddess of hunt, wild animals, fertility and childbirth.
-Ephesus dealt with magic, sorcery, idol worship and were filled with the wealthy.
-Ephesians deals with warfare and our position in Christ more than any other epistle
So I think i'll just use this blog to walk you through all the ups and downs of writing this bible study! I know i can only do it through Christ. May He be known.
In other news-
1. Our office manager cleaned out the cockroach eggs in my office phone the other day. What a gem she is! Also, cockroaches are definately a CON to living in Maui!
2. Always look over new clothes carefully. The other day I was running, and at the end of my run I was stretching a noticed a thread hanging down. I went to rip it off and realized I had the BIGGEST hole in my shorts- right in the croch! Ah yes, what an Alyssa moment...
3. I think Jena and I are going to run in the whale race next Saturday- a 5k....first step to running in a 10k :)
oh my little lyssy, that is SUCH good news! I will pray for the Lord to teach you Himself as you go through this process. I've been waiting for you to do this...and I know the Lord will definitely use Your love for, passion, and openness to His Word.
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