What to Know About This Study Guide

Its Format

This study is written with few questions per week (usually around fifteen), but they’re thought- provoking questions. It requires listening to God through his Word, being directed by open questions, and responding to what you’ve read and heard by writing down your thoughts.

Each week’s study has three parts to make it easy to split it up or do at once, depending on your preference.

See beyondordinarywomen.org for previews of other studies or information about group purchases.

Simple Doesn’t Equate To Shallow.

This study demands your involvement. Although the layout is simple, how deeply you go depends on you. As you spend time talking to God and journaling your thoughts, he may lead you to other cross-references, but he will certainly give you insights into the verses. Don’t stop with initial surface answers, but ask God to clarify and guide. The time you spend in the Scriptures with God gives him space to speak. Listen well, note your thoughts (simple journaling), share them with your small group and glean from one another’s insights.

Studying Through Three Sections A Week

If you like doing a little study at a time, each week’s lesson is set up in three parts, but feel free to go through it in any way that works best for you. If you prefer daily time in the Word, consider spending two days on each part, writing on the optional starred section the second day. You may be amazed at what you see by reading the same passage twice. If you prefer to do the entire study in one sitting, you may want to read all the passages first and then answer the questions at the end. Of course, it’s great to be in God’s Word each day, but you may have other ways of doing that. Stick to what works for your schedule.

Additional Reading And Background Information

The lessons provide background information pertinent to your understanding. Feel free to do your own research when you have interest or questions, but the group conversation will be focused on the passages studied by everyone.

*** A star identifies optional verses or suggested study for those with time and interest. The additional reading will help you wrestle with deeper insights into the passages.

Words To Live By

The verses that begin each week’s lesson are great choices for memorization.

What You Need

• A quiet place, if possible.
• A Bible that you can understand. If you don’t have one, ask your group leader for suggestions, or email us at [email protected]. Modern versions are available as downloads, through Bible apps or in print at any bookstore. (We are using the NET Bible at netbible.org, a free online Bible translation with study helps that is also available in print.)
• A notebook, laptop or tablet to record your insights and answers that can easily be taken to your group meetings. If you’re using a printed copy of this study, you can add a piece of paper after each lesson. (See “Simple Journaling” in the Appendix.)
• The commitment to listen to God and write out what you hear as you read and pray.
• Someone, or even better a group, to discuss this with you and provide support, encouragement and spiritual challenge.

Best Practices For Group Get-Togethers (For More Detail, See The Appendix & BOW Small Group Leader Videos.)

Plan a regular place, time and leader.

The leader should—

• read the section “Tips for Leaders” in the Appendix.
• watch BOW’s free, short videos: “Tips for Leading a Journaling Study” (https:// vimeo.com/album/4256789) and the series “Listening Well” (https://vimeo.com/ album/4065298). For leaders older than Millennials, watch the series “Millennials: The Good, the Bad, & the Ministry” at https://vimeo.com/album/5118401.
• start on time, not waiting for late arrivals.
• move the group along, being sensitive to God’s Spirit.
• encourage everyone to share without forcing it.
• be a great encourager.
• avoid dominating the conversation.
• keep the focus on the women, not herself and her own thoughts.
• provide time for the group to think and share from their journals.
• contact absent group members to encourage them.
• email the group weekly to remind them of the upcoming meeting, and share her excitement.

As a group—

• encourage one another.
• don’t interrupt the speaker.
• love one another.
• don’t try to fix the other members of your group or their problems by giving advice.
• pray for one another and entrust each other and your problems to God.
• be honest and vulnerable, but wise in how much detail you share personally.
• stay in touch with each other between meetings for support and encouragement.
• come prepared and on time with your study, notebook (journal) and Bible.
• share freely and honestly.

If Your Group Meets Within A Larger Group In A Church Setting

• Look for a woman gifted in teaching God’s Word to teach a short lesson after the small group discussion. Watch BOW’s short, free video “Why Use Live Teachers, not Video?” at https://vimeo.com/209323216. (For help in preparing to teach, see our collection of videos at https://beyondordinarywomen.org/bible-teaching or contact us at https://beyondordinarywomen.org/contact-alternative/.)
• Because educators say that we learn best when we focus in groups on the members’ personal study rather than the teacher’s comments, the discussion should precede the teaching time.
• The teacher may spend 15-25 minutes adding to the background of the lesson, beginning and ending within the allotted time frame. The majority of the time together should be invested in small groups.
• The teacher’s role is to clarify and extend what the group has studied, not to retell what they have discussed.

Schedule Suggestions

As you work to both connect those in your group and study the scriptures well, it’s great to begin with an introductory meeting. That means that this study will require eight weeks to complete. Look at your church or small group calendar and try to fit it into a block of weeks with no more than one break for the sake of consistency.

Each week set aside 50-60 minutes for small group and more if there’s no teacher.