Gideon: Your Weakness. God’s Strength (PTBS – 1)

A Phone Tree Bible Study Series

Gideon: Your Weakness. God’s Strength.

Week 1: Introduction

Summary: Weakness is typically not viewed as being something that is necessarily helpful. In fact, it tends to be looked upon quite negatively. In today’s day and age, if people perceive that you are weak in any way, then they may consider you to be lacking, ineffectual, or fearful. But what if weakness could be viewed from a more godly perspective. What if weakness could actually be looked upon as a gift?

From Priscilla to Us:

“…your weakness is actually a gift – a key of sorts that unlocks and unleashes His [God’s] power in your life.”

This Week’s Assignment:

1) Review Judges 6-8 and Hebrews 11. Write down the following: the characteristics of Gideon, the directives of God, the challenges faced by God’s servant, the indications of God’s strength and how faith was demonstrated in the life of Gideon.

2) Read the lesson material from Week 1 in your member book. (Week 1, Day 3 – God’s Story, My Story – will be featured in next week’s post.)

3) Sit down in a quiet place and pray to God. Tell Him where you are as you start this study series. Make sure that you confess your weaknesses and then ask Him for His strength.

“GOD CAN USE YOUR WEAKNESS.” – P. Shirer

 

The Sunday Bible Study Series: Restless (Week 2/8)

RESTLESS – Because You Were Made for More by Jennie Allen

Week 2: God’s Story

Your life means something. It is important to God. You may not fully understand the significance of it in this season, but God has a plan and it requires that you be a part of it. His plan requires that your life be used in totality for His glory. If you are wondering what that looks like, what that means, or what that entails, then Week 2’s lesson will be perfect for you.

Goals for the Week:

1) Identify what you have come to believe about your life related to God’s purpose. (Ask yourself how your story connects with His glory.)

2) In your study journal, write down John 17 (The Voice).

3) Memorize John 17:22-23.

4) Complete a word search study on glory/glory of God.

Taking Action:

This week’s challenge will be to complete the following tasks:

– Review Hebrews 11. Email yourself and a friend the faith walk messages that you find associated with each of the listed “heroes of faith.”

– If you have the study video or access to the video, please watch the session entitled God’s Story.

From Jennie:

“Something deep down inside us is made to live for a story bigger than ourselves – the story of the one who made us. Any other version of this story will consistently feel shallow and empty. ”

(SG, p. 33)

Rekindling Your Faith in 3 Steps

Can faith grow cold?

Can belief and confidence in the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen get stale?

Is it possible to waver when it comes to spiritual apprehension?

The answer to each of the questions listed above is yes. Y-E-S! Yes, faith can indeed grow cold. Yes, belief and confidence can get stale. And yes, it is possible to waver when it comes to spiritual apprehension or understanding. How does it happen? I briefly touched on that last week in How to Disable Your Faith in 10 Steps. This week, however, I wanted to approach faith from another angle.

When your faith grows cold, formal, stiff, rehearsed, or lukewarm, there is still hope. When it gets stale or when it no longer has the freshness or newness that it once had, there is still hope. When it is lacking and shaky, there is still hope. Your faith can be rekindled.

Rekindling Your Faith in 3 Steps:

1) Fear God and keep His commandments. (Read Ecclesiastes 12:13.)

2) Experience and live out the triumphs of faith through sacrifice, submission, and servitude. (Read Hebrews 11.)

3) Love and allow it and Him to rule your life. (Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.)

Get Ready for Gideon…

Get ready for Gideon, a new bible study by Priscilla Shirer.

Set to make its debut in May 2013, Gideon is an inspired message that will teach you about the strength of God and how it and He can work in your life.

To learn more about what is sure to be an incredible study, go to the Going Beyond Ministries web page.

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Spiritual Life Fitness Challenge:

1) Read Judges 6-8 and Hebrews 11. Write down the following: the characteristics of Gideon, the directives of God, the challenges faced by God’s servant, the indications of God’s strength and how faith was demonstrated in the life of Gideon.

2) Compare and contrast your life as it relates to Gideon. Keep a record of your observations. Pray to God regarding the aforementioned.

Scripture Focus: Meditate on Psalm 102:12.