Finding Contentment (Women of the Word Bible Study Series) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - A. Steele Sharon

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116 pages

English

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Many women--even Christians!--are dissatisfied with their lives. They are strangers to the rich, contented life that Jesus promised to His followers. Through this Women of the Word Bible study, women will discover that the secret to peace and contentment is knowing and living with Jesus Christ. Finding Contentment introduces readers to the apostle Paul's life and his letter to the Philippian church--both demonstrate the everyday joy that does not depend on circumstances but on an intimate friendship with the Lord. Eight sessions of Bible study offer such faith-building challenges as "Trust in Jesus," "Overcome Worry," "Forget the Past," and "Set Proper Priorities." Readers will get to know Paul and the challenges he faced, dig into the teachings of Scripture about inner peace, and reflect on their own struggles with living contentedly. Each session wraps up with action steps for applying to their everyday lives what readers learn from God's Word. Plus a brand-new Leader's Guide is included to facilitate vibrant small-group discussion.

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Bibles

Philosophie et théologie

Christianity

Bible

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	19 janvier 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441269201
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0240€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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© 2010 Aglow International
Published by Chosen Books 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 chosenbooks.com
Chosen Books is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Chosen edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6920-1
Previously published by Gospel Light
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible , © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Other versions used are:
KJV — King James Version . Authorized King James Version .
NIV —Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NKJV —From the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Previously published in 1998 in the Aglow Bible Study series as Keys to Contentment .
Aglow International is an interdenominational organization of Christian women and men. Our mission is to lead the lost to Jesus Christ and provide opportunity for believers to grow in their faith and minister to others. Our publications are used to help women and men find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to enhance growth in their Christian experience, and to help them recognize their roles and relationships according to Scripture. For more information about our organization, please write to Aglow International, P.O. Box 1749, Edmonds, WA 98020-1749, U.S.A., or call (425) 775-7282. For ordering or information about the Aglow studies and other resources, visit the Aglow e-store at www.aglow.org .
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
How to Start and Lead a Small Group
1. Trust in Jesus
2. Praise God and Rejoice
3. Overcome Worry
4. Renew Your Mind
5. Appropriate Christ’s Righteousness
6. Forget the Past
7. Obey God
8. Set Proper Priorities and Develop Your Ministry
Finding Contentment Leader’s Guide
FOREWORD
When the apostle Paul poured out his heart in letters to the young churches in Asia, he was responding to his apostolic call to shepherd those tender flocks. They needed encouragement in their new life in Jesus. They needed solid doctrine. They needed truth from someone who had an intimate relationship with God and with them.
Did Paul know as he was writing that these simple letters would form the bulk of the New Testament? We can be confident that the Holy Spirit did! How like God to use Paul’s relationship with these churches to cement His plan and purpose in their lives, and, generations later, in ours.
We in Aglow can relate to Paul’s desire to bond those young churches together in the faith. After 1967, when Aglow fellowships began bubbling up across the United States and in other countries, they needed encouragement. They needed to know the fullness of who they were in Christ. They needed relationship. Like Paul, our desire to reach out and nurture from far away birthed a series of Bible studies that have fed thousands since 1973 when our first study, Genesis , was published. Our studies share heart to heart, giving Christians new insights about themselves and their relationship with and in God.
In 1998, God’s generous nature provided us a rewarding new relationship with Gospel Light. Together we published our Aglow classics as well as a selection of exciting new studies. Gospel Light began as a publishing ministry much in the same way Aglow began publishing Bible studies. Henrietta Mears formed Gospel Light in response to requests from churches across America for the Sunday School materials she had written. Gospel Light remains a strong ministry-minded witness for the gospel around the world.
Our heart’s desire is that these studies will continue to kindle the minds of women and men, touch their hearts, and refresh their spirits with the light and life a loving Savior abundantly supplies.
This study, Finding Contentment by Sharon Steele, contains God’s wisdom for maintaining a satisfied heart, whatever your circumstance. I know its contents will reward you richly.
Jane Hansen Hoyt International President Aglow International
INTRODUCTION
Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Yet people today in all walks of life are dissatisfied, living in anguish with little or no peace of mind, no contentment. Even many Christians are strangers to the rich, full, satisfying life that Jesus said we could have. Although they desire a life of peace and contentment, they haven’t yet found the way to achieve it.
Paul, the author of the Epistle to the Philippians, wrote, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). As he wrote these words, the apostle was in prison for the cause of the gospel, facing an uncertain future. He realized his life could be snuffed out at any moment. At other times he’d been hungry, in need and in desperate circumstances, but he had learned to be content. What was the secret of his contentment in every situation?
As we study Philippians, we will see characteristics in Paul’s life and principles in his teachings that led to this full, rich, contented life for him.
I would encourage you to put these principles into practice in your life and see what God will do. Malachi 3:10 encourages us to test God in our giving and see Him “open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” I believe we can also test God with the principles we learn in this study. As we learn and apply them, we can expect God to pour out His blessing on us, meeting our every need. We will find contentment in Christ. We will experience the abundant life that Jesus came to give.
A N O VERVIEW OF THE S TUDY
This Bible study is divided into four sections:
1. A Closer Look at the Problem defines the problem and the goal of the lesson.
2. A Closer Look at God’s Truth gets you into God’s Word. What does God have to say about the problem? How can you begin to apply God’s Word as you work through each lesson?
3. A Closer Look at My Own Heart will help you clarify and further apply Bible truth in your own life. It will also give guidance as you work toward change.
4. Action Steps I Can Take Today is designed to help you concentrate on immediate steps of action.
W HAT Y OU W ILL N EED
• A Bible— The main Bible used in this study is the New International Version , but you can use whatever Bible translation you are used to reading.
• A Notebook— During this study you will want to keep a journal to record what God shows you personally. You may also want to journal additional thoughts or feelings that come up as you go through the lessons. Some questions may require more space than is given in this study book.
• Time to Meditate— You will be working through a lot of Scripture in these lessons. Giving the Holy Spirit time to personalize His Words to your heart will help you experience the abundance of contentment and joy that can only come from Him.
HOW TO START AND LEAD A SMALL GROUP
One key to leading a small group is to ask yourself, What would Jesus do and how would He do it? Jesus began His earthly ministry with a small group called the disciples, and the fact of His presence made wherever He was a safe place to be. Think of a small group as a safe place. It is a place that reflects God’s heart and His hands. The way in which Jesus lived and worked with His disciples is a basic small-group model that we are able to draw both direction and nurture from.
Paul exhorted us to “walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2, NKJV ). We, as His earthly reflections, are privileged to walk in His footsteps, to help bind up the brokenhearted as He did or simply to listen with a compassionate heart. Whether you use this book as a Bible study, or as a focus point for a support group, a church group or a home group, walking in love means that we “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2, NKJV ). The loving atmosphere provided by a small group can nourish, sustain and lift us up as nothing else can.
Jesus walked in love and spoke from an honest heart. In His endless well of compassion He never misplaced truth. Rather, He surrounded it with mercy. Those who left His presence felt good about themselves because Jesus used truth to point them in the right direction for their lives. When He spoke about the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, He did not deny her sin. He said, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” (Luke 7:47, NKJV ). That’s honesty without condemnation.
Jesus was a model of servant leadership (see Mark 10:43-44). One of the key skills a group leader possesses is the ability to be an encourager of the group’s members to grow spiritually. Keeping in personal contact with each member of the group, especially if one is absent, tells each one that he or she is important to the group. Other skills an effective group leader demonstrates include being a good listener, guiding the discussion, as well as guiding the group to deal with any conflicts that arise within it.
Whether you’re a veteran or brand new to small-group leadership, virtually every group you lead will be different in personality and dynamic. The constant is the presence of Jesus Christ, and when He is a