Women’s Ministry Resources from 20 years as a Director of Women’s Ministry. Plus a philosophy of women’s ministry.
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Blog
Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
03 What Peter Teaches About Virtue, Knowledge, and Self-Control (2 Peter 1:5–6)
In 2 Peter 1:5-11, Peter is explaining the connection between believing the gospel and pursuing a lifestyle of godliness. I argued in the previous podcast that these qualities are NOT the cause of spiritual maturity, rather they RESULT from spiritual maturity. When we come to believe the gospel, these qualities follow. In this podcast we’ll define each term in the list and discuss why Peter includes it and how it results from faith.
02 What Peter Teaches About the Marks of Genuine Faith (2 Peter 1:5–11)
To understand 2 Peter 1:5-11, we need to know that: 1)Peter is speaking to churches who are bewitched by false teachers who are encouraging them to pursue greed and sensuality; 2)Believing the gospel includes a change in lifestyle.
01 Everything You Need for Life and Godliness (2 Peter 1:1-4)
Peter wrote this letter to churches infected by false teachers to encourage them to remain true to the apostolic gospel. He encourages them to reject both the message and the lifestyle of the false teachers. He starts his case by proclaiming thatin the gospel we have everything we need to obtain Life and godliness. #witw #Biblestudy #2peter
2 Peter: How to find life
Simon Peter served as an apostle of Jesus Christ for 3 or 4 decades. As his earthly life drew to a close, Peter wrote his second letter to encourage and admonish the churches. What truths did he think were so important that he had to make sure he wrote them down before he died? Peter strongly emphasizes our future hope and the return of Christ. Our future hope is more than living forever: it concerns being freed from sin and death and sharing the holiness of God.
10 Shepherds, Sheep, and Lions (1 Peter 5)
Peter concludes his letter by returning to his main theme: Stand firm in the gospel. Peter wrote his first letter give his readers perspective. Our “big picture” –what we believe is true — changes how we think, what we say, and what we do. Peter’s primary concern is to ensure we have the right big picture. He summarizes this theme addressing the leaders of the community.
09 How to Live Now in Light of Eternity (1 Peter 4:7-19)
This section marks the beginning of the end of the letter. In conclusion, Peter returns his main theme of the letter: how you deal with fellow believers and hostile nonbelievers. His answer is in each case you need the right perspective.
Psalm 1: The Righteous and the Wicked
Psalm 1 is classified as a “wisdom” psalm. In many ways it functions as an introduction to the book of psalms.
08 What Does “Spirits in Prison” Mean in 1 Peter? (1 Peter 3:18-4:6)
1 Peter 3:18-4:6 includes one of the more difficult passages in the New Testament. However we understand this section, the context suggests that the main point should be related to patiently enduring suffering for the sake of another.
07 Who is There to Harm You? (1 Peter 3:8-17)
Peter wraps up the second major section of his letter reminding his readers that the more we embrace the truth of who Jesus is and what he did for us, the less we have to fear. The more we know where life, hope and blessing are to be found, the freer we are to let go of this world.
06 What 1 Peter 3:1–7 Teaches About Wives, Husbands, and Submission
In his 3 examples, Peter addresses people who are stuck in a binding social relationship which they cannot easily escape. His advice to all 3 situations is the same: As aliens and strangers you are called to live in a hostile unbelieving world. When possible show the unbelievers that you are a person of virtue by behaving in a submissive and respectful way. Love your oppressor so that your faith is not interpreted as rebellion and hostility, and they may see God’s grace through you.
05 What to Do When You’re Treated Unjustly (1 Peter 2:11–25)
Peter gives us the principle in 1 Peter 2:11-12 and then he applies that principle to 3 situations where someone is be treated unfairly in a binding social relationship: a citizen under an unjust government, a slave under an unjust master and a wife married to an unbelieving husband. This talk examines the first 2 examples.
04 Living Stones: How 1 Peter 2:1–10 Redefines Your Identity in Christ
Have you seen a map of the universe taken from space with a tiny insignificant pinpoint of light labeled “you are here”? In 1 Peter 2:1-10, rather than demoralize us with our insignificance, Peter inspires us with the plan of God and how we are a part of it.
03 How Hope in Christ Changes Everything (1 Peter 1:14-25)
In 1 Peter 1:14-25, Peter explains that the gospel gives us a living hope that ought change every aspect of our lives. Just as the Olympic athletes change their values, their goals, their actions, their words and their daily routines in light of their Olympic goals, so the gospel ought to change us.
Abraham’s Family Tree
This chart summarizes the Abraham’s family tree, based on what we know from Scripture.
02 Living Hope in a Broken World (1 Peter 1:1-13)
In the field of psychology, “locus of control” refers to the extent to which a person believes they can control the world around them. People with a strong internal locus of control tend to attribute the outcome of events to factors under their own control. People with a strong external locus of control attribute outcomes of events to external circumstances. But both have a perspective which influences and predicts their actions. The book of 1 Peter is about that big perspective. In a sense, Peter is writing to explain a “gospel locus of control.”
Gospel of John Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Gospel of John.
01 From Fisherman to Apostle: How Peter Learned to Follow Jesus as Lord
An introduction to the letter of 1 Peter and a look at Peter’s calling from Luke 5.
Small Group Welcome Survey Example
Learning some basic information when new small groups start can save misunderstanding later. Asking participants to answer a few basic questions the first day can help leaders structure the time to better meet the needs of a group. Here’s an example “Small Group Welcome” survey.
02 Philemon: How to Be a Hero (Philemon 1:12-25)
The Epistle to Philemon is a private letter written by the Apostle Paul. Along with the letter, Paul returning Onesimus, a slave who ran away from Philemon. This letter appeals to Philemon to take the right action and free Onesimus, but it speaks volumes to us today about how to live our daily lives.
Small Group Ground Rules Sample
When starting new small groups, it’s helpful to establish expectations up front with a clear set of ground rules. Here’s a sample we’ve developed over 25 years of ministry.
01 Philemon: How to Be a Hero, Part 1
The Epistle to Philemon is a private letter written by the Apostle Paul. Along with the letter, Paul returning Onesimus, a slave who ran away from Philemon. This letter appeals to Philemon to take the right action and free Onesimus, but it speaks volumes to us today about how to live our daily lives.
Philemon: How to be a Hero
While philosophers often use this letter to talk about the evils of slavery and sometimes condemn Paul for not taking a strong stance against it, I think this letter has much more to say to us as individual believers about how we should live our daily lives.
Ecclesiastes: The spiritual basis for your life plan
At my financial planning firm, we like to challenge our clients to answer the question: What is the money for? The answer that most disappoints me is: “I’m not going to live that long.” That is not a life plan; it is a death plan. If you feel that way, then the book of Ecclesiastes is for you.
04 Death Is Defeated: The Insane Hope of the Gospel
The “so what” of being justified by faith is now we have a reason to boast. Paul explains the 3 things we boast about in Romans 5:1-11. The first is hope.
Ministry Preparation Checklist
July is the time to start preparing for your fall Bible study. Are you overwhelmed by the details or don’t know where to start? Assuming your study starts in September, here’s my summer ministry preparation checklist.
Ezra-Nehemiah Chronology
Chronology of the post exile: Ezra-Nehemiah
03 What Is Saving Faith? (Most People Get This Wrong)
Saving faith is the permanent, ongoing trust in God that one day He will free me completely from all the consequences and effects of sin because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Saving faith itself is a gift from God and it involves 4 things.
02 How to Be Declared ‘Not Guilty’ Before a Holy God
There are 2 consequences to our sin: 1) We experience death and futility. 2) Our rebellion is wrong and we now owe a debt to justice that must be paid. Justification is the payment of that debt.
Gospel of Mark Bible Study Resources
Everything you need to kick start your study of the Gospel of Mark: maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study.
01 The One Problem No One Escapes (Even You)
Understanding the gospel means we must understand the problem that the gospel solves. While the word gospel means “good news,” understanding the gospel begins with bad news: death.
What Is the Gospel? A 4-Part Series Everyone Needs
A friend once asked me if I was on an airplane that was about to crash and had only a couple minutes to use my cell phone to call my family, what would I say? What would I tell them if I knew this would be our last conversation on earth? At first my mind when blank, but then the answer seemed obvious: Hang on to your faith. But to understand why saving faith is that important, you have to really understand the gospel.
Gospel of Matthew Bible Study Resources
Everything you need to kick start your study of the Gospel of Matthew: maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study.
24 Paul’s Roman Yearbook (Romans 16)
Compare Romans 16, Paul’s conclusion of his letter to the Christians in Rome, to a high school yearbook. During the high school years, we are supposed to learn skills, knowledge, and an approach to life that will get us launched into adulthood. The book of Romans also records truths that should be foundational building blocks for life, the essentials upon which we ought to build our lives. The high school yearbook is the history of the events, ideas, and accomplishments that took place during the year, but it also contains a collection of handwritten names, greetings, memories, and thoughts about life. We find at the end of the book of Romans some very personal words, too.
Women’s Ministry Evaluation Sample
It’s always helpful to get feedback from your students at the end of a Bible study year. But evaluations can be a problem. If they are too short, your leaders don’t gain any useful information. If they are too long, few students will not fill them out. Here’s an example we’ve used at Wednesday in the Word that seems to find the right balance.
23 Paul’s Reflections (Romans 15:14-33)
Paul closes Romans as he began, with a personal word about himself and the church in Rome. Reflecting on his life so far and where God will take him next, Paul discusses two themes: 1) the situation of church at Rome, and 2) the future of his ministry. As you study Romans 15, you might want to compare what Paul says to your own church and ministry.