Week 6; Day 5- To Live Happily Ever After

Today's Treasure: "Come and share your master's happiness!" -Matthew 25:21

In my bible study recently, we talked about being hopeful. About being ready for God's return, and our entrance into heaven.  That is our eternal hope, that one day we will live in heaven and not have any troubles, fears, sadness, sickness or anxiety, just to name a few.  Personally, I'm not one to dream, so this lesson was interesting to read through.  To think that God wants to surpass our dreams is difficult to swallow, especially if you gave up and stopped dreaming. I never thought about the differences between being blessed  and being happy, but there truly is a difference. We might not always be happy in life, but we certainly are blessed on a daily basis, even if it doesn't always appear that way.


Question 1: Read John 13:3-17. What result did Christ guarantee if His followers put into practice what He demonstrated to them?
Question 2: Can you think of a time when you sensed the fullness and favor of God but would not characterize the time as happy?

Week 6; Day 3-To Be Beautiful

Today's Treasure: "How beautiful you are my darling! Oh, how beautiful!"- Song of Songs 4:1

We live in a society that's very superficial, and where everyone feels the need to voice their opinion on everything, including people's looks, even if it's negative.  Insecurities can be a stronghold in our lives, because as Beth Moore says, they don't allow us to live freely or abundantly.  Some of us are insecure about our faces, our bodies, our hair etc., and those feelings can take a toll on our perspective about not only ourselves but life.  It's hard to feel "beautiful" if you don't think you are.  It's also challenging sometimes to believe what God has to say about us. With most things, it starts with our way of thinking.

Question 1: What is far more profound than a man and a woman coming together in marriage?
Question 2: Read Song of Songs 5:10-16. In the eyes of His beloved, which will be you, how will Christ look?

Week 6; Day 1-Ashes Instead of Honor

Today's Treasure: "Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went." -2 Samuel 13:19

The story of Tamar is a very upsetting one, however, not surprising. When it comes to women and sexuality, women are always getting oppressed or violated in some way. I'm sure the story of Tamar is one that many women can relate to. She wasn't even safe from the men in her own family. On page 129, Beth Moore asks us what we think Tamar may have been like at 40 years old. I responded that she was probably bitter and alone, but I'm sure the emotional scarring was a lot more profound than that.



Question 1: In what ways did Tamar symbolize and express her grief?
Question 2: What is your personal opinion regarding the advice Absalom gave Tamar?

Week 5; Day 5-Hearts Broken by Loss

Today's Treasure: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.'" -John 11:25

We all experience loss in different forms.  Sometimes loss comes in the shape of death, relationships ending, sacrifice of materialistic things etc,. There were two things that stood out to me during this lesson. The first is that it doesn't matter what kind of loss it, it shouldn't be compared to anyone else's, because different things will impact us in different ways.  Secondly, "Christ never allows the hearts of His own to be shattered without excellent reasons and eternal purposes." Although that is difficulty to fathom when we are experiencing the loss, it is He he who brings the healing and makes good things out of something that is bad.

Question 1: How do you think the loss of faith can turn into a form of bondage?
Question 2: Has the enemy turned any of your losses into bondage? If so, please describe.

Week 5; Day 3-Hearts Mended by Truth

Today's Treasure: "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" -Matthew 18:7

If you were victimized as a child, this is probably a difficult week of bible study.  Although I cannot relate with today's lesson, I know of adults close to me who were.  The only thing I can say for today's lesson, is that healing is a slow, but "progressive" process, if we allow ourselves to be healed by God's truth, and His truth alone. This can only occur if we allow Him to heal us.  This is why knowledge of His word, which is synonymous with truth is vital in our Christian walk.


Question 1: In your opinion how could childhood victimization eventually trap someone by enticing conduct that could ruin the person in question?
Question 2: Compare 2 Timothy 2:26. According to scripture, why does the Devil try to trap people? To...

Week 5; Day 1- Straight to the Heart

Today's Treasure: "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted."- Isaiah 61:1

Today's lesson forces us to look back and recall painful moments in our lives that we probably would like to forget. Some of us maybe have a more difficult time getting over heartbreak, than others. Regardless, we've all experiences some form of sorrow, and unfortunately at an early age, before we should. It's important to remember today's treasure because He cares about our emotional state. When I did the study, I had to tell myself that God cares about what I feel, even when the heartbreaks might be considered "minor" He is still there to bring healing. 

Question 1: Can you remember a particular time when you felt your heart break? Did you have any idea at the time God cared so much that He aimed His son straight toward your heart?

Week 4; Day 5-The Ancient of Days

Today's Treasure: "I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days, I am He."- Isaiah 43:12-13

This week you have toured the ancient ruins.  You've revisited areas of your life that desperately need to be reconstructed by God.  This day inspires you to be hopeful of change.  Beth Moore states that there is a "link" between the faithful and the unfaithful, and how that link can be you. The same way that sin affects the lives of those around us, I believe that allowing God to reconstruct ruins in our lives, will not only bless us, but those closest to us, and even future generations.

Question 1: Based on God's priority in our lives, what might be Satan's priority in the lives of people who are already Christian?
Question 2: In what ways are you allowing the next generation to see authenticity in your life?

Week 4; Day 3-The Ancient Serpent

Today's Treasure: "In order that satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." -2 Corinthians 2:11

The bible uses the word 'cunning' and 'deceiver' to describe Satan.  Although these may be appropriate descriptive words, if you are aware of his schemes, as today's treasure states, then he will not outwit you.  It's interesting to sit down and think of generational bondages that we all have, that we never truly noticed before.  Maybe we just described out families as dysfunctional etc, but in light of this bible study, it goes a lot deeper than that.  We've all complained about our mothers/fathers, whether they were absent or present in our lives, at some point or another.  Unfortunately, a lot of those behaviors that we complain about, are behaviors we exhibit as well. Although, satan is like a lion, looking for someone to devour, if we know God, and His truth, no matter how "normal" something may be in our life, or the life of our families, we can pick up on the subtleties, and look to God to break those chains in our lives, and in the lives of future generations.

Question 1:What is Satan's role in every human going astray? (Refer to Revelations 12:9)
Question 2: What behavior might you see in your life that you disliked in your parents or grandparents?

Week 4; Day 1-Touring the Ruins

Today's Treasure: " They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." -Isaiah 61:4

Welcome to the beginning of an interesting week! There were many points that stuck out to me this week. 1-That we acknowledge God as our savior, but often times we don't have Him in our life as our deliverer; 2-We often think of bondage as being strictly demonic etc, when often times our strongholds consist of other things, like generational bondages (which we don't recognize because we're so used to them) 3- It is not easy touring the ruins, because we come face to face with certain truths about ourselves that may be hard to admit.  As you tour your own ruins, remember that the point is not to continued to be weighed down by them, but rather, that you be able to experience the fullness of God in that area.

Question 1: Describe another possible scenario of generational bondage-perhaps one you've witnessed personally?

Question 2: What might be a right reason or attitude for looking back at family history, and what would be wrong reason?