Sister Studies

Sister Studies: Discerning the Voice of God Session 4 (February 2023)

Hello and happy February to you! February Sister Circles are meeting this Friday evening, Sunday morning, and next Wednesday morning. For information about times and locations, sign up at butlerchurch.org/sister-circles.

We're continuing with our Discerning the Voice of God study and are watching Session 4 this month. (You can find all of the previous posts for this study here.)

If you have a copy of the Discerning the Voice of God Bible study book, you should have finished the lessons up to page 101 and can follow along with the Session 4 viewer guide on page 103.

(If you don't have the book, you can print a copy of the viewer guide for this session using this link: Session 4 Viewer Guide to print)

To think about or discuss before you watch the video:

Does it feel difficult to spend "enough time" seeking God by studying the Bible and praying? Do you ever think you don't have time or do you just have trouble following through or focusing? Do you even know where to start?
On page 90 of the study book, Priscilla lists some daily activities we often prioritize. (I've included some of her list below and added a few suggestions of my own.) Think about how much time you spend weekly on each activity here. Do you need to take a bit of time away from one of these categories to spend more time with God OR maybe better, can you incorporate scripture, prayer, and worship INTO some of these daily routines? How?

Entertainment (TV, Netflix, YouTube, etc.)
Spiritual matters (Bible study, prayer, worship, going to church)
Reading magazines, novels, or the news
Shopping
Work and other responsibilities (in or out of the home, paid or not)
Talking or texting on the phone
Other hobbies
Time with family
Exercise
Social media
Video games (apps, etc.)
Attending or driving kids to their sports or other activities
Home projects
Other...

Read John 8:1-11 and think about the difference between Jesus' reaction and the reaction of the Scribes and Pharisees to the woman caught in adultery. When discerning the voice of God, we'll need to recognize the difference between God's voice and the voices of others - so we can listen to God! In this passage, how do we see God's voice of conviction compared to the Pharisees' voices of condemnation?

After you've watched the video, here are some other questions to consider.

In times of seeking God's will on particular issues, do we often get stressed and quickly frustrated? Are our actions and attitudes showing us that we believe it's "up to us" to hear what God is saying? What's the truth?
In searching for God's instruction, have you found yourself losing sight of God Himself in favor of the things He may give? Why is that such a common temptation? Discuss how you might refocus your efforts to get to know God for Himself and not for the blessings or instruction He could give you.

Holy Spirit, please help us keep growing in our DESIRE to hear from You, our COMMITMENT to seek You, and our ABILITY to recognize Your voice. We know that we need You and thank You for walking with us and teaching us to listen and follow You. In Jesus' name, amen.

FOR THE REST OF FEBRUARY:

After you've watched the video, read through pages 104-131 this month. We'll watch Session 5 in March.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks with some more suggestions for how we can incorporate scripture and prayer into our days!

Much Love,

Melissa

Sister Studies: Discerning the Voice of God Session 3 (January 2023)

Happy New Year, Sisters! Whether we're ready or not, it's 2023. A new year has started and I hope and pray it is filled with spiritual growth and much fruit in our lives as we seek to walk closely with God, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faithful Guide.

January Sister Circles are meeting next week! (Join us! Click here to sign up.)

Sunday morning Jan 8 at 9:15am at church (Let us know in advance if you'd like childcare or want to join this group by Zoom)
Wednesday, Jan 11 at 10:30AM at church
OR Friday, Jan 13 at 7:00pm at Starbucks!

This month we'll be continuing with our Discerning the Voice of God study - Session 3. (You can find all of the previous posts for this study here.) The Sunday and Wednesday Sister Circles will watch the videos together, but you're encouraged to watch them on your own as well or if you can't make it to one of the groups.

If you have a copy of the Discerning the Voice of God Bible study book, you can follow along with the Session 3 viewer guide on page 71 of the book. If you don't have the book, you can print a copy of the viewer guide for this session using this link: Session 3 Viewer Guide to print

To think about or discuss before you watch the video:

Does the idea of "practicing" to discern God's voice make sense and come naturally to you? Why might it seem a bit strange at first?
Read John 10:27-30 and think about God's role as our shepherd. In verse 27 we see how God is intentional to speak in a way we can hear: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me..." What does that mean to you?

After you've watched the video, here are some other questions to consider.

Do you have a story of a time when you clearly heard God's direction? Or a time when God asked you to wait?
Priscilla said "Waiting on God means being obedient and fully engaged in what He has currently given you to do until your Guide tells you to take the next turn." Is there an area that you've been asking God to work in and He seems to be moving more slowly than you like? If we applied this quote to our situations, how would that inform our daily walks and attitudes about our current circumstances?

Holy Spirit, thank You for being so patient with us as we learn to listen to You. Thank You for speaking so that we can hear You. Help us seek You with all of our hearts.

FOR THE REST OF JANUARY:

(I know it's a little confusing...) After you've watched the video, read through pages 72-101 this month. It will say "Week Three" in the book, but for us it's "Month Three". Our slower pace works out to approximately one page per day. We'll watch Session 4 (page 103) in February.

May God bless you as you seek to follow the Holy Spirit's leading this first month of 2023!

Much Love,

Melissa

Don't let the enemy steal your Christmas!

Hey, Sisters. It's almost Christmas. For some of us that's great news and for others... not so much - for a variety of reasons. More than telling you how to finish preparing or how to get through or make the most of whatever, I want to pass on a reminder God has given me today.

Don't let the enemy break in and steal your Christmas.

Let's take a lesson from that classic (albeit painful to watch) 1990 Christmas movie Home Alone. You know the story. There are a couple of bumbling thieves looking for houses to rob during the holidays and 8 year old Kevin was accidentally left behind when his family left for France. He engages in a rather epic battle with the thieves. I can't watch it without cringing, but am taking some lessons from Kevin today!

1. Thieves are out there waiting to take advantage of packages left on porches and presents left in cars or houses unattended. They don't take the holidays off - that's when they work even harder! The enemy of our souls and our families doesn't take the holidays off, either. Satan's army (which is still in our world today, btw!) is looking for opportunities to take advantage or our stress, fear, grief, illness, and busyness. We are more vulnerable when we forget that.

2. Kevin figured out he was being targeted and if we are Christians, we have an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy our joy, our peace, our families, our relationships, our budgets, our hearts, and anything else breakable. We are more vulnerable when we ignore that - even during Christmas!

3. Kevin ended up defeating his enemies by being wise and prepared. Let's seek God and listen to the Holy Spirit. Let's ask the Lord where we're vulnerable and how to best prepare our homes and hearts and families for this weekend. Pray and PRAISE God for making us wiser and stronger than our enemy by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus alive and active in us.

If we remember we have an enemy - a spiritual thief wanting to mess up our celebrations of the greatest GIFT ever, and if we remember to guard our spiritual houses (our hearts!) I truly believe our Christmases will be better than they would be otherwise. May it be so for me, my family, and you, and yours. Amen.

A few more thoughts...

I got to preach at Butler last Sunday! It was a first for me, but I didn't have a good reason to say no when Pastor Scott asked. So I did it! If you'd like to hear my thoughts on Mary and Elizabeth (and Zechariah and Anna and Simeon) you can watch right here (or below) or listen on the Sister Studies podcast.

A few years ago I shared this Sister Studies reflection on advent and the irony of searching for the "perfect Christmas". It's a 12 minute listen you can find here (or below).

May your Christmas be full of whatever God has for you this year... peace, light, hope, love, comfort, and joy.

With Much Love,

Melissa