Treasure Bible Study Guide / Winter 2019-2020

Merry Christmas!

From the Staff and Board of

www.wnac.org

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Treasure ISSN# 8960038) Volume 9 • Number 2

Passing the Faith Along

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-chief Elizabeth Hodges Managing editor / Circulation Phyllis York

WNAC Board Diana Bryant, Florida Janie Campbell, Arkansas Pam Hackett, South Carolina Amy Johnson, Indiana Jonda Patton, Kentucky Sarah Sargent, Ohio Tracy Payne, Oklahoma LeeAnn Wilfong, Missouri Khristi Shores, Oklahoma

Contributors Sandy Atwood, Tennessee Sarah Sargent, Ohio Elizabeth Hodges, Tennessee Khristi Shores, Oklahoma Amanda Kilgore, Tennessee Debe Taylor, Arkansas

Studies December Faithfulness...even

in my finances?

January Live Out Loud February Passing The Faith Along 29

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TREASURE (ISSN# 8960038) is produced and printed quarterly by Women Nationally Active for Christ of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc. 5233 Mount View Road, Antioch, TN 37013-2306. Copyright privileges reserved. 2020 Member of the Evangelical Press Association.

Behind The Scenes

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In Every Issue Season & Spice Twentysomethings Vision

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SEASON & SPICE

by Sandy Atwood

Faithful in the little. Ahhh, does it really matter... since it’s so little? Of course, the Bible says if you are faithful in little, you also will be faithful in much. Living it out is a bit harder.

If I have a coupon for Dove™ soap, would it really matter if I bought Dove body wash? Does it really matter if I go in the exit door? Will it matter if I don’t push my cart back to the cart corral?

Who cares if I nab a few pens from work? No one cares! It won’t hurt if I just tell a little white lie.

It’s a slippery slope. I learned this lesson well as a young pastor’s wife. Ms. Edie brought us a pepperoni pie. You may have never heard of a pepperoni pie (I never had. It is mostly macaroni and cheese topped with pepperoni in a pie pan. Since my husband hates macaroni and cheese (hard to believe, I know), I gave the pie to our elderly neighbors who graciously received and ate anything.

All went well until...the next Sunday morning.

The generous pie donor walked up to me and said, “Well, how did you like the pepperoni pie?” Not expecting such a question, I couldn’t think of anything to say so I blurted out, “We loved it!”

I felt a pang of guilt, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “It’s just a little white lie,” I thought. I told God I was sorry, asked Him to forgive me, and promised never to tell another lie. Apparently, He did not think it was a little white lie. The next morning as I started to pray, He quietly suggested I confess my lie to my pepperoni pie friend. “Oh, please not that, God,” I begged. “That would be so humiliating!”

However, God would have no part in my begging and continued to remind me of my need to confess every time I prayed.

The next Sunday morning, I walked up to Ms. Edie and said, “I am so sorry, but I told you a lie.” I went on to explain what I had done and to ask her forgiveness. She graciously forgave me, but I learned even the sin I think is little is a big deal with God. 4 treasure

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with Rufo & Maria Gomez 5:30am - Wake up to pray 6:30am - Get children ready for school 7:30am - Breakfast 8:00am - Scripture study 9:30am - Walk 10:30am - Research, phone calls, correspondences, open to any emergency 12:00pm - Lunch 1:00pm - Getting contacts: Seek opportunities to present Jesus in streets, hospitals and markets.

3:00pm - Taking care children’s assignments 5:00pm - Visit new prospects 6:00pm - Dinner 7:00pm - Prayer meetings in home 9:00pm - Family devotional 10:00pm - Sleep time

Being a missionary is not an easy thing. Leaving friends, comfort, and the environment around you is sad. Moving away from your parents and loved ones is very difficult. You must be willing to adapt to new customs, traditions, and willing to live unique situations that you have never experienced. You must constantly be preparing to go out—preaching the good news and visiting families and people in hospitals. There are days of the week that are very hectic and break the protocol. The satisfaction and joy that you have, that surrounds your life, is when you see God fulfill His purposes, restoring families and redeeming lives—that compensates all suffering.

God continue to bless every missionary in every place of this world.

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Faithfulness... even in my finances?

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The Model Prayer is the answer to the question raised when Jesus was asked to teach us how to pray.

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13) Yet we often hear people say, “Follow your heart.” This is not a good idea. Why you may ask? “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) The Amplified version states it this way, “…Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?” Solomon reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

According to these verses, where should we look for our daily provisions? Do we?

A Lesson from the Israelites While in the wilderness, the children of Israel had to look to God for all their provisions. There was only so much they could carry out of Egypt. It was in no way enough to last for the forty years they would be in the desert, waiting to be led into the Promised Land. Looking through the book of Exodus we can see how God provided for them during this time of wandering.

Name some things needed by families within the forty years during their journey.

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List as many provisions as you can find in Exodus 15 & 16, then share and compare differences.

Who is the Shepherd? Who provides all of the needs? Who owns the pastures and all that is in them? (John 10:1-18)

We are His and the pastures (means of provision) are His. In the Scriptures we just read, it is clear we should look to our Shepherd, the Lord, for leadership and provision. In the book of Exodus we saw how God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness which should serve as a reminder that He can provide for us every day.

We should remember God’s provisions often come with instructions to be followed closely. Did the Israelites follow His instructions? What were their attitudes about most of God’s provisions?

Did they exhibit an attitude of gratefulness?

God’s Hall of Fame “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Similar questions arise. Who is the one that supplies? What is supplied? But notice carefully, this verse mentions our needs, not our wants. The Bible reminds us the Son of Man did not have a place to lay His head (Luke 9:58; Matthew 8:20).

Does this prompt us to rethink our “needs”?

Are we thankful for the provisions God has given: a place to live, food, job, money, transportation, clothes, etc.?

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DECEMBER STUDY Do we follow God’s instructions concerning these matters: tithing, offerings, giving to the poor, supporting missions, helping others, being Christ-like in our workplaces, etc.?

A personal example from what I call “God’s Hall of Fame” illustrates this principle. God provided for our family in a miraculous way several years ago. Mark was laid off for a year and wasn’t preaching yet. We were purchasing a home, had two children, a car payment, and utilities to pay—all of the usual expenses for a typical household.

He did odd jobs for people and every time he received money for one of the jobs, we tithed and gave offerings. Needless to say, things were tight, but God always provided our needs. We were able to meet all our monthly financial obligations and only once were we a few days late on a house payment.

It was interesting when it came time to file our taxes for that year. Our tax preparer, a Christian as well as Mark’s brother-in-law, kept saying it didn’t make any sense on paper. How were we able to keep our financial commitments current, give tithes and offerings while living off what we had reported? It was a special testimony to us and our family who knew the situation.

God was faithful during this time of unemployment, as He used the people in our church (Bethel FWB Church, South Roxana, Illinois) to bless us with groceries, Christmas gifts for our children, and an anonymous $100 gift that showed up at exactly the right time.

We look back on God’s faithful provision and can relate to Paul in Philippians 4:19-20. He supplied our needs and a few wants that we felt were a hug from the Lord. To God be all glory!

God’s Loving Correction When a sheep in the flock goes off on his own, the shepherd breaks its leg then carries him until the leg is healed. During the WINTER 2019-2020

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time the shepherd is carrying the sheep, a special bond is created between them. The sheep that went astray learns to totally trust and depend upon his shepherd for all its needs. You have probably seen pictures of Jesus with a sheep around his neck resting upon His shoulders. The Lord loves us and wants us to look to Him for all our needs.

My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure the chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:5-8).

These verses let us know God corrects, chastens, and scourges His own children. Thinking back to the Israelites, can you see God’s provisions for them, their attitudes of ungratefulness, as well as disobedience to His instructions? Do you recognize the need for the correction they experienced? At one point while they were in the wilderness, they even wished they were still back in Egypt (Exodus 16:3). They longed to “sit by the flesh pots, and… eat bread to the full”; they quickly forgot the slavery, mistreatment, and unkindness they had endured.

Was it God’s will for them to stay in Egypt or to be delivered?

At this point, would it have been the right decision for them to follow their hearts’ desire?

My Hall of Shame Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers in Genesis 37. Much later he was able to say, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20). God eventually placed him in an office of high authority and led him to store grain because 10 treasure

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DECEMBER STUDY a time of famine was coming to Egypt. “As it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20c).

What do you think would have happened if Joseph had not obeyed what God had revealed?

What did Joseph do in times of plenty in the land of Egypt?

Can you think of a time you thought money matters were your decision to do as you wished without asking God what He wanted you to do?

A few years ago, we were redecorating a bathroom. We went to choose the bathroom fixtures and could not agree on which ones to purchase. The ones I wanted were quite a bit more expensive than the ones Mark had suggested we get. Because we could not agree, we walked out of the store without buying either.

A few days later, I decided to take some of “my money” I had earned and buy the ones I wanted. I figured if I had earned the money and there weren’t any other financial needs in our home at the time, I could pay for them. I should be able to get what I wanted with my money.

I raided my “mad money” stash, stuck $300 in my pocket, and headed to pick up the fixtures. In the self-checkout lane, I rang them up, then reached into my pocket for the money. It was not WINTER 2019-2020

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there! I had lost it somewhere in the store. I retraced my route several times but the money was nowhere to be found. That was a lot of money! With a sinking feeling, I was sick to my stomach. I returned the fixtures to the shelf, left the store, and headed home.

On the way, the Lord reminded me of several Scriptures. This remembering continued my Shepherd’s loving correction that began with losing the money. The verses of ownership and of Him being Lord came to mind: Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:22, and Colossians 3:18.

As you read these verses, does it say we should put ourselves first? Is what we want more important?

After reading my account from “My Hall of Shame,” it is plain to see it was all about “I and me.” When we feel the need to justify, it usually is not a good situation. We need to pause, remember the instructions “One of the great challenges from God’s Word, and reconsider of life is to limit distractions in our decisions and actions. order to focus on what matters

Commitment

the most. Regardless of how

much or how little we have, As we have sung before in issues of money threaten to church “Some to Jesus I sursidetrack us.” render, some to Him I freely Financial Faithfulness, Roger Gum, Missy Schrader give….” Oh wait, that’s not right.

The song says all not some. Do we really surrender all? Sometimes we think of surrendering everything until we have a financial decision. Instead of trusting Him to provide, to guide whether in little or much, or bless and correct, we leave Him out and make the decision ourselves.

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DECEMBER STUDY “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (might)” (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27). What does that leave? I’m sure you have heard the saying “If He is not Lord of everything, then He is not Lord at all.”

Write James 1:22.

Read, sing, or listen to “Take My Life and Let it Be” as a prayer of dedication (The Free Will Baptist Hymn Book: Rejoice, page 491 or 507). You can also find it on YouTube.

Take a moment to be still and see where the Lord is shining the light of His Word into your life. Are there areas you need to surrender to His truths?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Wouldn’t it be a huge stress reliever to trust the Lord to guide in all He has given us?

About the Writer: Khristi Shores lives in Checotah, Oklahoma, where her husband Mark pastors First Free Will Baptist Church.

She and her husband have had the blessing of leading six ETEAMs. She is the mother of two sons, grandmother of four, and blessed with two wonderful daughters by marriage.

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Live Out Loud 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

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JANUARY STUDY

Setting Our Priorities Webster’s dictionary defines priority as “something that you do or deal with first because it is more important or urgent than other things.” We prioritize our to-do list at work so our boss is happy, and our “honey-do” checklist at home records items needing repair or completion to make our home more efficient and comfortable.

We determine what is most important, tackle that task first, and work our way down the list.

My husband is a master list maker from way back. I think he may have invented the making of lists! Unfortunately, he has, after more than 40 years of marriage, failed to convert me to the joy of said lists. Although, as I get older, I find if something is not noted on my calendar or on my phone, it just may become a distant memory. There is, as my husband often tells me, a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when we can mark items off our list as completed.

What about our priorities as it pertains to our Christian life?

Have you ever thought about what your to-do list would look like?

You do realize that Christ has given us a “honey-do” list too, right?

God’s Word is full of things He wants us to do in order to make our Christian life more effective and fulfilling.

Take a moment and write yourself a spiritual to-do list for one day.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Now think about what Christ might place on His list for us. Find and list Scripture references for each task.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Keep these lists handy because we will refer back to them later in the study. Feel free to use another sheet of paper to add more to your lists.

Getting our priorities in line with God’s Word is crucial to living a faithful and successful Christian life. We are called to be faithful to God and our relationship to Him, and we must be faithful to our calling in Christ and the mission He has entrusted to us. Faithfulness grows as we get our priorities aligned with God’s Word and how He commands us to conduct ourselves. Our priorities should parallel what God desires for us and how He wants us to live.

It is so important to establish certain habits from the very beginning of our relationship with the Lord, such as daily prayer and time of devotion, studying Scripture, and staying involved with a community of believers.

We all know how hard the devil

fights to keep us from praying and reading the Bible.

You can drink a Mountain Dew or Monster Energy and your eyes bug out of your head—until you close your eyes to pray. You know that’s the truth! All at once, your brain turns to mush, and you can’t remember one single prayer request from Sunday.

In addition, just try to keep your mind from wandering when you open your Bible. Everything you did that day dances back through your mind, and you read the same verse three times and still can’t remember what it says.

I’m ‘fessing up, and I am confident I’m not alone (except my poison is Dr. Pepper instead of Mountain Dew or Monster Energy).

But, ladies, we must persevere!

Prayer and Bible study is so very important, and we must make it a priority every single day.

Loyal Living Our priorities will reveal where our loyalties lie. If we seek to honor our Lord, we will be loyal to the work of the Kingdom and to God’s people. We will be loyal to Christian brothers 16 treasure

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and sisters. We will be faithful to our commitments and obligations. Most importantly, we will be loyal to the King of Kings who alone deserves our unhindered allegiance and devotion. Oswald

JANURAY STUDY Chambers wrote, “Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ.” As much as we love our families, they can never have a higher place in our hearts than Christ. Our loyalty and faithfulness to Christ must shine through in every aspect of our lives and in the way we conduct ourselves in the world.

Loyalty is unwavering in good times and bad.

What type of loyalty is shown in Proverbs 17:17?

Loyalty sometimes requires sacrifice.

Read 2 Samuel 23:15-17. What did David’s loyal fighters do for their king?

How do you rate on the loyalty scale?

This lost world will never be reached and brought back to loyalty to God, until the children of God wake up to the fact that they have a mission in the world.

If we are true Christians we should all be missionaries.

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The Lordship of Christ When you look back on your abdicate all authority to Him. In lists from earlier, what deterorder to have a close relationmined what you included? Were ship with our Lord, we must reyou influenced by what you linquish control of every secret thought was the “Sunday School place in our hearts—not just the answer?”

The deciding factor of your priorities “The terrible thing, the almost is to what extent impossible thing, is to hand over Jesus Christ has lordyour whole self—all your wishes and ship over your life. precautions—to Christ.” (C.S. Lewis) Yes, He’s our Savior…but is He also our Lord to Whom huge dining room and ballroom, we have sworn unwavering loyalty and given complete control of every single thing in our lives?

If Christ has lordship over us, our priorities and lifestyle probably look very different than someone who is content to ask Him for salvation but refuses to

but the tiny closet in the attic and the dark and dirty root cellar in the basement. Take inventory of your “house” and see if all the doors and windows are open to allow God to flood it with His Holy Spirit and take complete control.

What priorities do you need to surrender to the lordship of Christ?

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JANUARY STUDY

Garbage In, Garbage Out Our faithfulness, loyalty, I have a canvas in my bedpriorities, and lordship of Christ room of Psalm 37:4, which has is plainly seen in our everyday long been my life verse. I purmoments—when the kids won’t chased it on October 24, 2016, get ready for school… when a tire while on vacation. Later that blows on the way to work...when same day, our truck became the there’s a disagreement with your white filling in a 5-car Oreo pilespouse…when you burn supper… up, which included us being rearagain. How we handle these moended by a car who was rearments will spotlight how healthy ended by a dump truck and we our prayer life and commitment were pushed up on two wheels to devotion time is. It doesn’t and almost turned over. matter how many Sunday school “Grizzly,” our Ford F-150, did classes you attend, VBS crazies its job of protecting us, and we all you survive, escaped relatively Bible studies unharmed except “Delight thyself also you do, or for my broken rib. in the Lord; and He shall Unfortunately, my sermons you hear— newly purchased give thee the desires of those may canvas was in the thine heart.” be faithfulcovered bed of Psalm 37:4 ness to your said F-150! When church, but we got home, my not necessarily faithfulness to husband worked on the frame God. How we conduct ourselves and glued it back together. It’s daily, especially when we don’t not perfect, but it serves as a poithink anyone is watching, shows gnant daily reminder that life can our commitment and desire to be drastically change with one car faithful and loyal, with our prioriride, one doctor visit, or one ranties in order. dom encounter with an armed The Lordship of Christ in our person intent to bring harm. lives demands sacrifice. Learn It is so critical to live every to set aside ambitions and passingle day fully sold out to God, sions in order to allow God to delighting ourselves in His plan be the Supreme Commander of for our lives. And, if we are who we are. delighting in and embracing the WINTER 2019-2020

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things of the Lord, the desires of our hearts will be the same as the Lord’s desires for us. His priorities will be our priorities.

We’ve all heard the saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” So true!

Why does the beer commercial always have the catchy tune that you find yourself humming? Once we have seen or heard something, it’s in our brains forever. Memories of things we have seen, heard, or read that were not so nice will surface at the worst times—during a sermon or while you are reading your Bible—because the devil will use our mistakes to trip us up as much as he possibly can.

Why then are we so careless about our viewing and listening habits? It is getting more and more difficult to find anything uplifting to view on television (well, there is Hallmark), and, Christian stations aside, radio is pretty much a sewer of celebrating immoral lifestyles in song. Let’s stop and do a little self-examination—I’m doing it, too.

What station is your car radio on right now?

What was the last book you read, excluding the Bible?

What was the last non-Christian book you read?

What song do you belt out rolling down the highway?

What book did you read on vacation?

What magazines do you subscribe to or buy in a store?

What are your five favorite TV shows?

Now, think back through your answers. There is probably not one of us that can honestly say every answer was totally pleasing to God. We are not perfect, and He knows that very well. But it is up to us to make the effort to keep our minds and hearts as pure as possible, even in our depraved world. We can’t completely protect ourselves and our families from hearing filthy talk or seeing vile images, but we can ensure we don’t subject ourselves on purpose.

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JANUARY STUDY The Lordship of Christ and our loyalty to Him will determine our priorities. Do we want to live holy? Do we strive to present ourselves as a Christ-follower in the way we dress, our speech, and with what we choose to fill our minds? I don’t want to sound legalistic, because it’s not a matter of rules as to how long our dresses should be or if it’s okay to go to movies or play cards.

Nope, not about that at all. It’s about having a mindset that compells us to present ourselves to the world as someone who wants to honor God above all else. No matter how cute the dress is on the sale rack, if it’s too short, it’s too short! If body parts hang out that aren’t supposed to hang out, it’s not for you! Seriously, it’s just common sense if we are viewing everything through the lens of God’s Word. If you are truly striving to be loyal to God and His Word, it’s not that hard to realize what is appropriate and pleasing to Him and what’s not. Always remember that we are Christ’s representation here on earth.

“When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world” (Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis).

Live Out Loud Look back over the to-do lists you made at the beginning. Would you change anything on your list? Would anything be different on Christ’s list to you?

Stay in the Word and determine each day to surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Let’s set our priorities in line with His Word, be loyal to His desires and plans, and be a shining example of God’s love in everything we do and say. Then, at the end, we will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…”

About the Writer: Amanda Kilgore, wife of James, mother to Jamie, and grandmother to Jett, resides in northeast Tennessee. Besides writing, she enjoys singing with the worship team, traveling, and, of course, spoiling Jett.

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Passing the Faith Along

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FEBRUARY STUDY “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:1-5).

This has always been the pattern for discipling and mentoring young women in the New Testament Church. “Women spiritually mother women by sharing the gospel and our lives as we encourage and equip them to live for God’s glory” (Spiritual Mothering and Titus 2 Tools by Susan Hunt).

Discipling and Mentoring...Explain,Please Although discipleship and mentoring go hand-in-hand and often blur together, they are separate processes in the Christian life.

“Discipling is helping an understudy (1) give up his own will for the will of God the Father, (2) live daily a life of spiritual sacrifice for the glory of Christ, and (3) strive to be consistently obedient to the commands of his Master” (The Fine Art of Mentoring by Ted Engstrom).

“Mentoring is a relational experience in which one person empowers another by sharing God-given resources” (Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succed in Life by Paul Stanley & J.R. Clinton).

“Mentoring is a process of opening our lives to others, of sharing our lives with others; a process of living for the next generation” (Mentoring: The Strategy of the Master by Ron Lee Davis).

Both should be positive experiences. So that you understand the mutual benefit, I share the words of Solomon, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17).

Discipling and Mentoring...Why? That may be the very question you are asking. Why, indeed! Let me give you three reasons.

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It Is Biblical!

Read Matthew 28:19-20. As you are going, what are you to be doing?

Read Titus 2:1-5 and in your own words state what the younger women were to learn from the older women.

For “them to observe all things,” we must disciple them in the Word of God. For “the things which become sound doctrine” to continue, we have a biblical duty to those who are younger or spiritually immature.

It is necessary!

Write 2 Timothy 2:2

What were the “faithful men” in this passage supposed to be able to do?

Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9? What were the children of Israel supposed to diligently do unto their children?

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FEBRUARY STUDY How did the Psalmist David express this teaching in Psalm 145:4?

For God’s Word, His Will, and His Way to continue, teaching must take place from generation to generation.

It is rewarding!

Write Philippians 4:1

How did Paul describe his mentoring reward to the Philippians?

“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more” (50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet by Jonas Salk). Neither ministry is a “one and done” ministry, but a continuing process as God brings women into your sphere of influence.

God’s Design God’s design always comes with an example. The Bible displays a plethora of discipling/mentoring relationships. Examine a few of these examples. Read the passage next to each “duo” and write your thoughts concerning the situation in each narrative. Then determine if each one is a discipling or mentoring process or both.

Moses/Joshua: Exodus 24:12-13;17:14; Numbers 27:22-23 Naomi/Ruth: Ruth 1-4 Eli/Samuel: 1 Samuel 3 WINTER 2019-2020

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Mordecai/Esther: Esther 2:7-11; Esther 4:1-17 Elizabeth/Mary: Luke 1:39-56 Aquilla & Priscilla/Apollos: Acts 18:18-28 Paul/Timothy: 1 Timothy 1:2; 6:12-14; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1-3; 4:1-2 Paul/Titus: Titus 1:4; 2:15

Am I Qualifed?

In preparing for this Bible study, I asked women, who are presently involved in a discipling or mentoring ministry, what attributes should a woman possess who wants to be involved in serving this way. It was amazing to see that their answers were almost identical. First and foremost, a mentor is to be a student of the Word and a woman of prayer. In other words, she must exemplify Christ.

Using Colossians 3:12-17, list the characteristics of a woman who has “put on” Christ.

You may feel as though you do not measure up in all these areas.

Few of us do. However, if you have a willing and open heart to allow God to work through you, you are a perfect candidate for Him to use in ministering to other women.

Discipling When I started discipling others, I was still in college. My then pastor’s wife suggested I teach in the primary class. What a joy it was to share the Bible with them, watch their young minds begin to understand and their tender hearts accept Christ as Lord. Of course, then the work really began—helping them grow in their faith.

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FEBRUARY STUDY As the years have come and gone, God has used me to disciple several women of varying ages. I never get tired of watching God’s Word take hold and “the light of understanding” begin to shine. Now some of those I discipled many years ago are discipling others. “God calls us to be disciples who make disciples. The covenantal continuity is compelling. The result is also compelling— ‘that the word of God may not be reviled” (Spiritual Mothering: The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women by Susan Hunt).

Through the years, I have learned that in discipling there are four things vital for me to be successful. I share them with you, not because I have it all together, but because without them everything comes apart.

1. Commit. To God. First, and foremost, commit to the Lord (2 Timothey 1:12b). If you do not nail that down, you will have a difficult time committing to the women you are discipling.

2. Equip. Be ready.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Read Ephesians 6:10-17. Why would the armour of God be necessary as you disciple another individual?

3. Study. Dig deeper in the Word.

Write 2 Timothy 2:15.

What is the benefit of studying?

4. Pray. For yourself and your student. Ask others to pray as you disciple (Ephesians 6:18).

What does 1 Thessalonians 5:17 say about prayer?

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Mentoring Me? You want me to do what? Lord, You surely have the wrong person.

That was exactly how the conversation went the first time the Lord spoke to me about mentoring. My husband had just taken his first pastorate and I was very unsure of myself. Oh, I had been raised in a pastor/evangelist’s home, but my mother was the one who had mentored others. No doubt about it, she was an exemplary role model. However, I just did not see myself in that light. Nonetheless, a young teenage girl, from an unsaved home, stood before me— eager to do right, live right, dress right and ready to be involved in the church’s ministry. Thus, my mentoring journey began!

Along with possessing Christ-like characteristics, there are some practical characteristics the mentor should exhibit: Be genuine – be real; be yourself; be who God created you to be.

Be supportive – encourage the mentee in her daily Christian walk in her home, in her work, and even in her dreams.

Be flexible – allow the mentee to set the topic (Christian walk, marriage, parenting, life struggles, etc.), but you set the tone—don’t allow every session to be negative.

Be non-judgmental – brace yourself for whatever she may share or reveal concerning her life.

There is satisfaction in mentoring. “You older women of Christ, there is a generation of women out there longing to walk beside you . . . Mentoring is not about cloning, but about helping women become more like Jesus” (A Garden Path to Mentoring, Plantiing Yur Life in Another and Releasing the Fragrance of Christ by Esther Burroughs).

As a mentor, you will be passing the faith along.

What Can I Offer Another Woman?

Whether discipling or mentoring, you do have something to offer other women. Prayerfully consider each of these points as you read the accompanying verse.

You can offer an accountability partner – James 5:16.

You can offer encouragement – 1Thessalonians 5:11.

You can offer an example – Philippians 4:9.

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FEBRUARY STUDY You can offer honesty – Proverbs 27:5-6.

You can offer a sounding board – Proverbs 27:9.

“Perhaps, most of all, we can take younger women into our arms and hold them when they feel hopeless and remind them we care about them. This example, more than anything else, will teach them to do the same for others. Being Jesus to someone else is a handson principle” (Becoming a Woman of Influence by Carol Kent).

Our goal should be developing women who live in the Word, by the Word, and with the Word. I love what the Apostle Paul said to the Ephesians about the result of equipping saints to serve the Lord (Ephesians 4:13-16). That is what you call a satisfying result!

Soul Search What if you purposed in your heart to influence the lives of others? How might that look?

Write 1 Corinthians 11:1. What do you think Paul meant?

Do you have Paul’s confidence in your walk with Christ to say that to someone who needs an example—whether in discipleship or as a mentor?

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others” (Pericles).

Remember the teenage girl I mentored during our first pastorate?

She is now a pastor’s wife, mentoring and discipling others—passing the faith along—generation to generation!

About the Writer: Debe Taylor is married to David, the Executive Director of Arkansas Free Will Baptist. Debe is a former WNAC president and has a genuine love for FWB women. She is a conference and retreat speaker, and a member of Rolling Oaks Free Will Baptist Church in Maumelle, Arkansas.

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twentysomethings

by Sarah Sargent

One of my favorite Christmas traditions happens between 7:00 and 8:30 pm on Christmas Eve. After our family returns from Christmas Eve service, we sit in our living room and read Luke 2:1-20 before opening presents.

One year during college, arctic temperatures hit Columbus and we lost power at our house and ended up living with my grandparents for two weeks. On Christmas Eve afternoon, I remember driving to our house and sitting in our living room bundled up in our coats, hats, and gloves. We agreed we would open presents as quickly as we could. But we still read the Christmas story! We ended like we always do, with Dad praying and thanking God for our many blessings. We didn’t mind being a bit cold for this tradition.

When I thought about the upcoming Christmas season and the current topics in our Faithfulness studies (priorities, faithfulness in little and much, and mentoring/discipleship), I couldn’t help but think about our tradition. How fitting does this tradition match up with these topics. When it comes to the Christmas season, our biggest priority should not be finding the perfect gift for everyone on our list, but honoring the birth of our Savior. His birth is a perfect example of faithfulness in little and much. He humbled Himself to be born in a stable so we could experience eternity with Him someday. I can’t think of a better Deuteronomy 6 tradition than passing our faith to our families through this life changing story.

Maybe your family traditions include making cookies, watching Hallmark movies, decorating the house with every LED light of Home Depot, hiding a mischievous elf every night, or making sure you get a matching pj’s picture. I challenge you to start a new tradition this year—take the time to remember the true meaning of Christmas as a family before exchanging presents.

I’m certain you’ll find this tradition is one you’ll want to continue year after year.

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VISION by Elizabeth Hodges

Priorities Have you ever had children fill a bottle with rocks? Then you ask, “Is it really full?” The overwhelming response is, “YES.” Dumping the rocks, you begin again making sure the big rocks go in first followed by the smaller ones. Again, you ask, “Is it full now?”

Quickly the children respond, “Of course.” You then add sand followed by water. A new revelation dawns in those eyes and brains.

The bottle looked full but it was not.

How does this apply to my life and yours? We must first take care of the “big rocks” in our lives lest there not be room later. For me, the big rocks need to be a small list: love God with all that is in me.

Therefore, my quiet time has to be priority #1. Secondly, love my “neighbor” as myself, beginning with my family. If I do, I will serve them well. The third priority for me intermingles with the second: living in the center of God’s will each day.

This seems so simple. Yet, in our fast-paced society, it is not easy. It takes daily discipline and dependence on the Lord. There are times when my schedule is turned upside down. In those times, I need to ask myself, “Have I taken care of the big rocks (priorities)?

Or are the lesser rocks (activities) crowding them out?

Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 6:33 should resonate in our hearts on a daily basis. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Italics are mine). Seek is an action verb. I must seek. I must choose to give Him complete authority over my life. If I do, He will see that my needs are met. Will you join me in handling the big rocks first?

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P. O. Box 5002 Antioch, TN 37011-5002 www.wnac.org 877-767-7662

March 28,2020 10 am to 4 pm

Grace in the

Chaos

Central FWB Church 451 6th Ave •Huntington, WV Register Now Online: www.wnac.org/flourish Phone: 877-767-7662 Deadline: March 13, 2020