women in the word
ABSURD
Making Sense of Stories That Don’t Make Sense
Abigail Burrus
women in the word
ABSURD
Abigail Burrus
January 14 - Lesson 1 Introduction
January 21 -
January 28 -
February 4 -
February 11 -
February 18 -
Lesson Two
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read Judges 10:6-18)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. Describe Jephthah’s background and family history.
7. Why did Jephthah agree to fight the Ammonites?
8. What did Jephthah do “before the Lord” in Mizpah?
9. What vow did Jephthah make to the Lord in verses 30-31?
10. What request did Jephthah’s daughter make in verse 37?
11. What tradition formed in Israel as a result of Jephthah’s vow?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Reflect on your own past and upbringing. How has that impacted your understanding of God?
2. Jephthah is a complicated man, and yet God’s Spirit filled him to lead the people. What insight does that give you into God’s character?
lesson two Lecture Notes
lesson two Lecture Notes
lesson two Lecture Notes
1 Samuel 28:3-25
Lesson Three
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read 1 Samuel 27-28:2)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. What two things happened in verse 3?
7. What did Saul do when the Lord did not answer his prayers?
8. By whom did Saul swear in verse 10?
9. How do you think Saul knew it was Samuel rising from the grave?
10. What reason did Saul give for calling on Samuel?
11. How did Saul respond to Samuel’s words?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Describe a time when you felt you couldn’t hear from God. What did you do?
2. What advice would you give to someone in that situation?
lesson three Lecture Notes
lesson three Lecture Notes
lesson three Lecture Notes
2 samuel 6:1-15
Lesson Four
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read 2 Samuel 5:1-5 & Exodus 25:10-22)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. According to Exodus 25:22, where did the Lord meet with Moses?
7. In verse 2 of our story, where is God enthroned?
8. Why did Uzzah grab hold of the ark of God?
9. What happened as a result of Uzzah’s action?
10. Describe David’s reaction to Uzzah’s death.
11. Compare verse 11 to verse 7. What different aspect of God’s character do you see in these two verses?
12. Why did David finally bring the ark to Jerusalem?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Has there been a time in your life you were angry at something God did or didn’t do?
2. David is angry at God and yet still rejoiced before the Lord “with all his might.” What can you learn from David’s example?
Lesson four Lecture Notes
Lesson four Lecture Notes
Lesson four Lecture Notes
2 Kings 2:23-25
Lesson Five
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read 2 Kings 2:1-22)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. Describe the beginning of Elisha’s ministry (2 Kings 2:1-22).
7. Where was Elisha going in verse 23?
8. Who came out of the town and what did they say to Elisha?
9. Describe Elisha’s reaction to the jeering: what three things does he do?
10. What happened to the boys in verse 24?
11. Where did Elisha end up going in verse 25?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. If you have been mocked in the past, how have you responded? How have you been tempted to respond?
2. Why was the ministry of the prophets so effective? How does it differ from the ministry we engage in?
Lesson five Lecture Notes
Lesson five Lecture Notes
Lesson five Lecture Notes
Lesson Six
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read Psalm 109:1-5)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. Describe what has been happening to David in our context passage. How is he responding?
7. In verse 21, why does David want God to help him?
8. Is David being mistreated by friends or by strangers?
9. Who does David count as an enemy? What attributes describe them?
10. Why does David want his enemies to be cast
by
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Why do you think we can become so angry when we are wronged?
2. Have you ever put into practice praying for your “enemies?” What was that like?
Lesson six Lecture Notes
Lesson six Lecture Notes
Lesson six Lecture Notes
ezekiel 24:15-27
Lesson Seven
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read Ezekiel 24:1-14)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. What did God tell Ezekiel He would do to his wife?
7. How did God command Ezekiel to respond to His action?
8. How do the people react to Ezekiel’s behavior?
9. God reveals the reason for His action in verses 21-27; what is it?
10. List other times in Scripture God asks something difficult of someone and they obey His command.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. God refers to Ezekiel’s wife as “the delight of your eyes.” What does that tell you about God’s intimacy and involvement in your own life and relationships?
2. Have you been in a situation where God required something difficult of you and you obeyed? What was the outcome?
Lesson seven Lecture Notes
Lesson seven Lecture Notes
Lesson seven Lecture Notes
Lesson Eight
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read Daniel 4:1-27)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. Describe the state of Nebuchadnezzar’s heart in verse 30.
7. What was required for Nebuchadnezzar to be restored?
8. Describe what happened to Nebuchadnezzar in verse 33.
9. What simple action does Nebuchadnezzar do in verse 34 that restores his sanity?
10. Describe Nebuchadnezzar’s praise of God in verses 34-35.
11. Compare verse 30 with verse 37. What is Nebuchadnezzar’s heart posture at the end of our story?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Read Proverbs 3:34 and James 4:5-7. Why do you think “God opposes the proud?”
2. Reflect on God’s humility as it is expressed in the person of Jesus Christ. Record what comes to mind here.
Lesson eight Lecture Notes
Lesson eight Lecture Notes
Lesson eight Lecture Notes
Lesson
Nine
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read Acts 4:32-37)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. What does Ananias do in verse 2 and does his wife know about it?
7. Taking our context passage into acount, why is the action of Ananias and Sapphira so wrong?
8. Who does Peter say was behind Ananias’s action?
9. Who was Ananias really sinning against?
10. Why do you think Peter asked Sapphira about the price of the land?
11. What happened as a result of Ananias and Sapphira’s deaths?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. Why is generosity such a key part of being in God’s Family and living in His Kingdom?
2. Why is lying so heinous to God? What damage have you seen it do in the lives of others?
Lesson nine Lecture Notes
Lesson nine Lecture Notes
Lesson nine Lecture Notes
1 corinthians
Lesson Ten
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read 1 Corinthians 14:26-33)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. What does Paul command concerning women in verse 34?
7. If the women have questions, who does Paul say they should ask and where should they ask it?
8. What reason does Paul give for issuing this command?
9. Based off our context passage, does Paul believe both men and women have something to say to the church whenever they gather?
10. How does Paul end his argument in verse 40?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. If you grew up in the church, what role did women play in it? How has that formed your perspective today?
2. Why do you think Paul is concerned with everything in a church service being done in a “fitting and orderly way?”
Lesson ten Lecture Notes
Lesson ten Lecture Notes
Lesson ten Lecture Notes
Lesson Eleven
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read 1 Timothy 2:1-10)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. What does Paul command concerning women in verses 11-12?
7. What reason does Paul give for this command?
8. According to Paul, who was deceived by the serpent?
9. According to Paul, how will women be “saved?”
10. What command did Paul give to the men in verse 8?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. This is a hard passage to understand - how do you typically approach passages of Scripture like this?
2. 1 Timothy 2:2-4 is the “thesis” of this chapterhow can we read our passage in light of it?
Lesson eleven Lecture Notes
Lesson eleven Lecture Notes
Lesson eleven Lecture Notes
revelation 17
Lesson Twelve
1. What happened right before this story takes place? (Read Revelation 16:17-21)
2. Who are the main characters of the story?
3. What words do you feel are important in this passage?
4. What does this story reveal to you about man’s nature?
5. What does this story reveal to you about God’s nature?
6. Describe the woman - what does she look like?
7. What is the woman sitting on in verse 3?
8. What name is written on her forehead?
9. What do the heads of the beast represent?
10. What do the horns of the beast represent?
11. What do the waters represent?
12. Who is the woman revealed to be in verse 18?
Questions for Personal Reflection:
1. How has the book of Revelation been explained to you in the past?
2. Read verse 14 again and reflect on its truth: the Lamb is the “Lord of lords and King of kings.” How does that help you read the book of Revelation?
Lesson twelve Lecture Notes
Lesson twelve Lecture Notes
Lesson twelve Lecture Notes
Lessons 1-12 recap
Lecture Notes
Lessons 1-12 recap
Lecture Notes
Lessons 1-12 recap
Lecture Notes
