Believing God Online Bible Study | Week 8

We’re near the end of Believing God by Beth Moore. In this online Bible study for Believing God, we have enjoyed fellowship through small group discussions. Many of you have emailed and messaged me about how much you have enjoyed the Believing God by Beth Moore online Bible study! Be sure to thank your small group leaders for devoting their time and their hearts to lead our groups. We have amazing leaders at the Bible Cafe.

According to Beth Moore, your personal Gilgal is where “God brings you full circle and breaks any looming cycle of failure.” This is a cycle of defeat, the cycle of fear, or a transforming experience. And for some, it feels like a personal revival. If you look back at your timeline with God, you may see where you experienced a breakthrough. Maybe you were delivered of insecurity, pride, or people’s approval. Perhaps you were raised in a Pharisee church and developed a fear of authority in religion. Maybe you encountered someone in ministry who made you feel the spirit of diminishment.

When we stand at a crossroad we visited before, we are coming full circle with God. Some women in small groups said they do not like the word “test” or being tested. It brings up negative memories for them. Yet other women like the experience of being tested and seeing their spiritual maturity. As we discussed in our small groups, you need to SEE that you have been delivered. God already knows the answer and result. And so the test is for you to measure your own spiritual growth and development.

Open your Bible and look at Exodus 20:20 NIV: “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” We say that fear includes both success and failure. If we never see success, we stop trying things. If we never experience failure, we are not taking risks and not learning from our mistakes.

For example, Beth Moore testifies that God has delivered her from insecurity, fear, defeated thinking, and practices of sin. She was tested, experiencing both success and failure until her faith matured. Maybe you had a similar experience, and how you respond now is different. You’re probably more aware of your temptations and faults as you mature in your relationship with God.

How do you feel about sharing your testimony with nonbelievers? When I am ASKED, then I share and I am ready with answers. But I do not walk into a room and start preaching or sharing an uninvited testimony. I wait for the Holy Spirit to nudge me or open the door to conversation. When I testify, I like to avoid the details (unless necessary) and generalize the testimony. My testimony must lead to God. With experience and time, we will learn what to say and what not to say.

According to Beth Moore, “We don’t walk in perfect faith for the rest of our lives. We walk in prevailing faith.” Perfect faith means we don’t need to lean on Jesus. As the Bride of Christ, we seek a faith that preserves, even when we are unsuccessful. Remember, David, Moses, and Abraham all made mistakes and yet were in a constant relationship with God. When they made a mistake or sinned, they turned to God for confession and forgiveness.

We talked about spiritual disciplines in our small groups this week. Some of these disciplines include Bible study, devotions, worship, prayer, fellowship, communion, confession, sabbath rest, giving, fasting, and disciple-making. We do these things out of love for Our Father God. It is a blessing to experience these spiritual disciplines.

Turn your Bible to Galatians 6:9 NIV: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Jesus got away from the crowds and sometimes we need that too. Find time this week for sacred rest. Read the Bible verses about the weary.

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.

Believing God Online Bible Study | Week 7

We’re almost finished with Believing God by Beth Moore, a fabulous online Bible study experience. The discussion groups have been very helpful in our understanding of Believing God. Good job everyone! May you be double blessed for your participation in Believing God Week 7 and gain wisdom through this Bible Cafe™ study.

Beth Moore states, “The middle of any challenging journey can be the most critical point.” As discussed in our Zoom group, we might feel fatigued as we wander 40  years toward our promised land. Perhaps discouragement finds us, as we wait longer than we anticipated. Even a sense of boredom can cause us to end the journey. Yet when we turn this around, we can approach the journey with excitement and seek new revelations along the way. Like a treasure hunt, we experience transformation. Our discovery and change will motivate us to continue until we reach the destination: Promised Land Living.

During the journey, it might be helpful to organize your faith adventure with God into stories to share with your children or spiritual children. Try keeping a photo journal, a written journal, or even a calendar with key markers on the way. Write down your dreams and visions. When the Holy Spirit gives you wisdom, write this down. Use your record of events as reminders of when God revealed Himself to you.

As we looked back this week in our timelines, we saw God’s presence in your life. My timeline felt exciting, like a Father-child relationship based on love. Knowing God is my King, I can look at my journey from the view of His Princess. In the timeline, I found several unexpected treasures and gifts of discovery. Most importantly, I saw a presence that never leaves via the Holy Spirit. For this reason, my worship is authentic and beautiful as I rejoice in the goodness of God.

In the Bible, God commanded memorial stones so the children and grandchildren would remember His faithfulness. What “memory stones” remind you of your history with God? I like to look at specific Bible verses, which I call my life verses. In these verses, I remember the strength of God and allowing wisdom (not fear) to lead me. My Bible study workbooks are also memorial stones, with 100 completed Bible Cafe studies I can see my spiritual transformation and personal growth. My prayer journal is a reminder of small group discussions and answered prayers.

Look at your social media memories. Does your social media history tell a story about God’s presence in your life? Is it primarily faith-based or fear-based content? When I look at my memories I see myself pivot from fear to faith. My timeline became encouraging, positive, and authentic. A reminder of my spiritual growth and transformation.

How do you remember the things that God has said to you personally? I encourage you to record them like a scribe. When God speaks, write it down. As you listen and discern, talk about your experience with women of faith in Bible Cafe small groups. With your friends, pray over God’s word and seek revelation. Each day ask “What does Jesus want me to know for today?” And write down your answer.

This week you looked back at your history with God. Did you have any spiritual teachers when you were a child? Maybe a grandmother read her Bible aloud to you. Perhaps she prayed over you and your siblings. Or maybe a grandfather shared his story of God’s faithfulness? If you grew up Catholic, you probably had nuns, priests, and schoolteachers help you in your faith. A few women in our Zoom group mentioned godmothers and the great impact they had in early faith development.

One of my mentors was a spiritual father, a missionary, and an older man who helped me as my ministry advisor. When I made a mistake, he corrected me. If I felt confused, he led me to my Bible. When I was discouraged, he prayed. Another spiritual mentor is my pastor, who encouraged me to develop the Womens Bible Cafe. And my first Bible study, where the Bible became alive and living Word, helped me to Know Jesus.

My prayer for today is that many women will experience God and know Jesus by reading their Bible. May His love and Word reside in their hearts and minds. May they experience a personal revival of faith!

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.

Believing God Online Bible Study | Week 6

Welcome back to our womens online Bible study for Believing God Week 6 by Beth Moore. During our study about Believing God, we gathered in online small groups via Facebook and Bible Cafe™ University. It’s a great place to study, connect, and grow.

Beth Moore reads her daily Bible aloud and gets the Word into her mouth. What might be a benefit of speaking the Word of God instead of just reading it? In our small group discussion this week, we explored the idea of the atmosphere and audience. Who is listening? Maybe you have small kids in the house and they are enjoying your voice as you read aloud. Perhaps you are caretaking for an elderly parent and they appreciate the spoken Word. It’s a beautiful thing when we read the Word and others are hearing it too.

According to Beth Moore, “The primary reason God’s Word can have such an effect on a Believer’s daily life is its vital association with the Holy Spirit.” If you are not reading God’s Word, then you are reading the worldview opinions. Be mindful about saturating yourself in what is GOOD. You will speak like the world or you will speak like the heart of Jesus. Your choi

Open your Bible and read Proverbs 18:21 NIV: The tongue has the power of life and death. How can we use our words to give life? Jennifer in our online small group used the analogy of when you have a good boss versus a bad boss. One who lifts you up at work and does well or one who nags and says you do horrible things all the time. Which “boss” are you speaking over yourself?

When you look at the word “Curse” the obvious though are those words we tell our children not to speak. But go deeper with me. What is a curse, actually? When we tell our children they have no future or will not get into college or never find a wife, we are cursing them! If we gossip about our friends, we are cusing them. Look at your word habits and change them. Learn to speak life.

Turn your Bible to James 3:2 NIV: We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. Taming the tongue is a sign of Christian maturity. It’s how we recognize wisdom and self-control. Maybe our words are beautiful to God? Try a few and see how they make you feel. Talk with gentleness, patience, and kindness.

Now turn to James 3:10 NIV Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Why should we not praise and curse from the same mouth? This is a form of testing. You might think about when you were a child, touched a hot stove, and never touched it again. The same testing and learning happen when we speak life-or-death words. If we make a mistake, we experience a consequence and will not repeat that. We learn from mistakes but do not pick up the identity of shame. Our words reveal the roots inside our hearts. These may be roots of the flesh and world or roots of the Holy Spirit.

Praying out loud strengthens our thoughts and transforms our hearts. Learn to hear the Word of God. Jesus gave us many examples of praying to His Father. When Jesus prayed aloud, angels listened, satan and demons ran away, and people were strengthened, delivered, and healed.

According to Beth Moore, using Scripture in prayer “transfers the burden to God’s Word rather than my ability to pray correctly or adequately.” There are great benefits to praying God’s Word!

Imagine your love language is “words of affirmation.” What affirming words would you say about yourself today? A few women struggled with this question, then after thinking about it more…were very blessed! Write down your answer.

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.

Believing God Online Bible Study | Week 5

We are studying Believing God Week 5 by Beth Moore. At the Bible Cafe™, we are enjoying our study of Believing God. So far, this has been a fantastic summer study! My favorite memory is meeting in Zoom groups and talking about our Christian faith. What a blessing for all!

In our study books this week, we explored Hebresw 11, often called the Hereos of Faith or Hall of Faith. If you had lunch with one of the Hebrew 11 heroes of faith, which person would you choose and why? I would find Enoch fascinating as a lunch companion. I’d be curious about his prophecies yet he was not listed as of the 66 books of the Bible. And of course, I want to know about his rapture experience where he is taken into Heaven without a physical death. Do tell!

Open your Bible and Read Philippians 4:13 NKJV: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Many people in the Bible demonstrate this. Think about Saul who is converted to Paul. Or Mary, the mother of Jesus. These are some amazing stories on the power of Christ. All the apostles in the early church needed the power of Christ to establish His church. Like the apostles, our faith should be at the forefront of what we do, and not our feelings.

What is the opposite of this verse? If we are not doing all things through Christ’s strength…then we rely on the strength of humans, politicians, influences, educators, scientists, and people. That is limited strength and subject to lies or failures. The worldview is never a solid foundation for strength, hope, or peace.

What is something you could accomplish only by faith? As we talked about this in our Bible Cafe™ University Zoom group, several women shared personal stories. Mighty Moms raised their special kids with the strength of Christ. Courageous women battled cancer, multiple sclerosis, and chronic illness by faith, not fear. Godly women stayed married when the storms got rough and they wanted to jump ship. What an amazing group of women -sharing their hardships and victories in online small groups.

Something else we talked about this week: If we sense we have failed at a task God has given us, how can we move forward by faith rather than lingering in the past? We agreed to learn from our mistakes and grow in wisdom. But not to pick up shame or regret. We remind ourselves of this verse: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV)

Turn your Bible to Romans 5:8 NIV: But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How do you feel about this gift of grace? Write that down in your journal and give thanks to the Lord. Be blessed.

According to Beth Moore, “Through Christ, you can absolutely, unequivocally do anything God places before you and that includes getting the enemy off your Promised Land.”

Now Read Ephesians 1:3 NIV: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. What are these spiritual blessings? If you look at the entire chapter in context, you see your blessings. Write them down and carry these in your heart. Pass them to your children and grandchildren.

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Christine Abraham writes for the Bible Cafe™ community. Learn about living by the Fruit of the Spirit as you enjoy her online Bible studies. Join Christine at the Bible Cafe™ University for weekly Bible teaching.