Get a LIfe Bible Study Week 5

We’ve just finished week five of Get a Life by Vicki Courtney, and next week is our last week of this bible study. I hope you are enjoying this online bible study for women! I commend each of you for your diligence and dedication to complete your study. If you were sitting with me right now I would run over and give you BIG HUGS and KISSES.

Week 5 of this study is about debunking that myth of, “It’s all about Me!” This week’s lesson is critical to really understanding the abundant life. It is about loving God more than others, and more than ourselves. All I could picture when I read Day 1 was the seagulls from Finding Nemo. Do you remember them? Mine, Mine! Me, me, me…

Ladies, it is not all about us. When we choose to be followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to get rid of that notion. Elvis sang “I did it my Way” and as Vicki pointed out, we will be in a constant battle to our flesh to do it our way, but it should be His way. We also discussed that we are now no longer from this world, which at times can be difficult because raised to find a place and to fit in: the classroom, sports teams, work, and sometimes with our own family. Vicki suggested that we learn and memorize Romans 12:2.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We will struggle between our old self and our new self, but it is worth it to fight the battle. On page 80, Vicki made the comment, “God has equipped us with the power to say no to sin…Becoming a Christian removes the penalty for our sin but does not remove the consequences that stem from them.” This statement alone makes me cringe from sinning by choice or omission. We are a new creation!! We are Free!!

For Next Week
• Read Week Six in the workbook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. What characteristics of “old self” and “new self” do you struggle with?
2. Why is it important to be in the habit of confessing our sins to God?
3. Share a time when you chose Jesus over the world.
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Get a Life Bible Study Week 4

It’s the fourth week of Get a Life by Vicki Courtney, and we are moving right along with learning things about ourselves and how to make some changes in our way of thinking. This week we studied Myth #4: Material possessions will lead to peace and purpose. We should all know that money does not buy happiness, but sometimes we lose sight of the real picture and fall back into this lie. We also took a look some other areas that we believe can make us happier, like a new job, a bigger house, a new husband, a different body, a different savings account, ….the list could go on and on with what we “think” might make us happier. The truth is if we are not able to be happy with the things that God has given us, then getting more of anything or sizing up to the next level will not make us truly happy either.
Our reading assignments touched on how our perceptions about what will make us happier stems from discontentment in our lives. We need to ask God to satisfy our discontentment with His truths. Align your thoughts with scripture and RUN if they do not line up. For those that have experienced the desire to look at other men or to replace your husband, Beth Moore gives a wonderful example of always keeping the cross between ourselves and anyone we engage with. Use the cross as a boundary for relationships; it is an extension and reflection of God’s heart. When the relationship does not align with the cross…FLEE… in Jesus name. This thought process can be used in many different scenarios and can save us much guilt or misery.
Satan is wise, craft, and single-minded. He wants us to miss living the abundant life. P64. Do as Vicki says, tell him, “Enough!” Instead of craving what the world has to offer, pray that you will crave the pure milk of God’s Word.

I just had to share these two pictures with you because they really do give a very telling story about how we are.

Is the grass really greener on the other side?

For Next Week
• Read Week Five in the workbook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like
1. What areas in your life do you compare to others woman?
2. Share a time when you wanted to yell, “No fair God!”
3. Review page 59, did you find the actions of the landowner fair or unfair?
4. Have you ever wanted something, but hesitated to ask God because He might say no?
5. Review page 69, do you relate more to the lepers that returned to thanks Jesus, or more to the ones that failed to show gratitude?
6. What are you grateful for? Share a few; I know your lists will be long.
7. What should we be the most grateful for?
8. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Get A Life Bible Study Week 3

Welcome back to Get a Life by Vicki Courtney. We are halfway through this study already! This week we learned about being caught up in the Rat Race or in God’s Race. Did you figure out which one you are in? We learned about being a contestant in the life’s race or a champion in it. Vicki laid out several descriptions of a champion week.

A Champion-
1. …..trains to win.
2. …..follows champions.
3. …..avoids burnout.
4. …..focuses on the finish line.

Go back over this list and insert your name into the beginning of each description. Does that sound like you? On p. 44, Vicki talks about the verse from The Message, 1 Corinthians 9:27: “I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” It is so easy to talk about our plans, but doing them is a challenge to most of us. Stay focused, find your balance, spend daily time with God …and be a champion in training.

For Next Week
• Read Week Four in the workbook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Is your life set at a “dine-in” or “to-go” pace?
2. Which verse on page 44 meant the most to you and why?
3. What does it take to be more of a Mary than a Martha and cultivate the habit of sitting at the feet of Jesus?
4. What part does prayer take in equipping us to run the race at God’s pace? When you think of Heaven, what comes to mind? Page 51
5. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Get a Life Bible Study Week 2

Hello Ladies and welcome back to our online bible study, we’re on the second week of Get a Life by Vicki Courtney. A special welcome also goes out to any new comers to the study. Please dig right in and get comfortable!
This week we studied about finding our Prince Charming and that lovely myth that a man will make us happy. ** Remember, no husband bashing allowed.** While it would be easy for me to go into many directions with the last two sentences, and while each of us has a different story to tell, the bottom line is that there is no perfect man. There is only our perfect God. He is the only one that truly completes us and loves us unconditionally. He does this with the fullness of His Son. This week we learned about His perfect love that casts out our fear, so do not be afraid to love Him. He said that He will love us perfectly, completely, and without error. Did you hear that? Without error, he did not make a mistake when He chose to love us and He will not change His mind about it tomorrow. He loves us for eternity.

This week’s challenge:

Memorize 1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”
This week try to view Jesus as your Prince Charming. How does that change how you view your time with Him? Remember back when you first started dating your husband. Remember how excited you were each time you saw him. How you treasured each moment together. Remember how you would read and re-read the letters he wrote to you. Try and approach your time with Jesus this week with the same kind of excitement and enthusiasm.

For Next Week

• Read Week Three in the workbook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. What was your favorite fairy tale from childhood with a prince and a “happily ever after” ending? What qualities did you admire in the prince?
2. What is your all time favorite romantic scene in a movie?
3. In what ways has the world sent us a message that a man will complete us? Did you buy into it?

4. Have you found Prince Charming? If so, who is it?
5. Which verse meant the most to you on page 29 and why?
6. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Get a Life Bible Study Week 1

We’ve just finished week one of Get a Life by Vicki Courtney, and learned that following Christ does not mean our lives will be trouble free. I thought it was timely that Pastor Hershel spoke about Joseph in his sermon last week. I kept picturing him wearing a tie-dyed coat. Isn’t God great? We learned that Christians are not exempt from adversity and that trials may come and usually do come when we least expect them to. I am sure that each of you remembered different times in your life that you could relate to Joseph about trials. Some of you may have understood why, and some of you may not have understood why but through it all He was with us.
The purpose of this study is not to dredge up old memories and wallow in them but to begin to see the truth behind some of the Whys in life and to deal with our thought processes surrounding them. As Vicki said on page 13, “With the awesome knowledge that the Lord is with us comes the ability to push forward.” On the same page, Oswald Chambers stated, “Notion your mind with the idea that God is there. If once the mind is notioned along that line, then when you are in difficulties it is easy as breathing to remember- Why, my Father knows all about it! It is not an effort; it comes naturally when perplexities press. Before, you used to go to this person and that , but now the notion of the Divine control is forming so powerfully in you that you go to God about it. “ It is ok to lean on our friends and family, but lean on God first and He will push you forward. (prosper you) .

As you studied this week you may have noticed that Joseph had a choice in how he would respond to adversity and pull himself out of the pit. He chose God. He chose God and did receive an abundant life, even though his trials lasted over 20 years. Wow! I honestly do not know how I would stand up to that timeframe in a trial; thankfully I will never have to do it alone. God is with me, and He is with you too!!

As with the beginning of any Bible study you should expect warfare this week as you continue to be in His Word. Beth Moore writes “many believers have a wrong conception of Satan’s power. They think he is something parallel to or as powerful as God.” In God’s Kingdom, Satan is a pest and an annoyance and will never claim victory. “Satan is merely a created being,” writes Beth. Expect to be annoyed as he throws distractions, lies and deception into your path. Rebuke him the same way Jesus did. Be vigilant for those areas of your life where the enemy pierces your weakness- especially in the areas of relationships, finances, health and temptations. Pray when you sense the enemy is at work, recite scripture to the devil, and ask for intercessory prayer if his flaming arrows become too hot. No matter what, do not quit or give up on the bible study and allow the enemy to disarm you! Remember our theme for the year, “Armed and Dangerous”, sisters in Christ, be bold and put on the armor and be in His Word.

For Next Week

• Read Week Two in the workbook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Were you able to apply the transforming truth the Lord is with you?
2. Have you ever had a trial that knocked the wind out of you?
3. Review Joseph’s trials on page 15. How would you react to something similar today?
4. (P.21). Ephraim means, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering”. Gen 41:52. Does God desire to make us fruitful in the land of our suffering? How so?
5. Have you chosen to bitter instead of better?
6. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Get A Life Bible Study Begins Today

Welcome to the Get a Life Online Bible Study! This is the first time that we have offered an online study so you may see some changes to the way the site looks or even to the way we get through the next 6 weeks. Thanks in advance!

Getting Started

There are five lessons each week. The lessons require about 30-45 minutes of time each day and we recommend you complete them first thing in the morning. When you read the Bible before your day begins, you are lighting the candle of His word inside you, carrying that candle throughout the day, and seeing examples of the Word as your day progresses.

For Next Week

Our study questions will be posted Monday Sept 12th, please read the Introduction and complete Week 1 in your workbook to prepare for Monday.

On Monday, we will discuss Week 1, to participate just show up at any time that day to begin posting your comments. Feel free to come back throughout the week to read and reply to other posts as well. You are encouraged to sign up for automatic emails to this study so that you will know when the posting begins.

Group Discussion

Please post a comment with your name and answer this question: What does an abundant life look like to me? for example: Natalie, An abundant life is a life full of God's will.