Christian Womens Blog

Christian Womens Blog by Laurie Cole of Priority Ministries

Laurie Cole

Author, Speaker, Teacher

Beauty by the Book: Online Summer Bible Study – Intro Week

Welcome!

Beauty by The Book summer bible study intro week

Welcome to the “Intro Week” of our online summer bible study – Beauty by The Book! If you are reading this then you are part of our growing community of women and teens eager for a beauty makeover of biblical proportions! I can’t wait for God to open our eyes as we study his word and share our insights with each other.

 

Commenting Guidelines:

Before we begin, let’s review a few “guidelines” for our online study. If you’ve ever participated in a bible study before, then you know that a significant part is participating in the discussion each week. The way we make this work online is by having our discussion via blog comments. When it comes to your comments, please keep these in mind:

  1. Be Christlike – Refrain from explicit talk, profanity, etc. Respect other members of the group with your words.
  2. Be Honest – Feel free to share openly and honestly, but remember that anything you write online is public and permanent. If at any time something is too personal for you to share with an online group, please feel free to email me directly.
  3. Be Brief – Give everyone a chance to “talk” and keep your comments around 50-100 words.

Priority Ministries reserves the right to edit and/or remove any comments for any reason.

Now, let’s get to our study!!

 

Intro Week Video: Physical Beauty vs. Biblical Beauty

Since today is the first day of our study, we don’t have any homework to discuss – yet! So your first assignment is to watch this week’s video where Laurie discusses Physical Beauty vs. Biblical Beauty. Don’t forget to fill out your Listening Guide as you watch! (Click one of the images below for this week’s FREE online video lesson).

Beauty by The Book:

Intro Week video (Physical Beauty vs. Biblical Beauty) Listening Guide is on page 1

Free Video for Beauty by The Book

Beauty by The Book for Teens:

Intro Week (Physical Beauty vs. Biblical Beauty) – Listening Guide is on page 1

Beauty by The Book for Teens free video

Reflecting:

My six year old daughter gashed her head open a few weeks ago as she fell off a small stool and met the edge of the coffee table. I knew upon seeing it that stitches were in the near future. My prayers were answered when the Dr. announced that they could use glue instead. That stuff is amazing. As we talked about the procedure, my daughter caught every mention of a scar and burst out with nervous questions about the size and color of it. That was just the beginning.

Even now, weeks later, as we wait for the glue to totally go away, she is very self conscious of the wound. Yesterday she parted her hair so that it hung just over the corner of her eye and hid the injury. She was certain that a boy at the pool didn’t want to play with her because of it and my heart breaks that she would feel that way. Even at 6, the pressure to be flawless has influenced her.

I tell her often that I think she is beautiful and of course when I look at her I only see one of God’s most wonderful creations. Her best features are maximized in my eyes and her least seems nonexistent. Which reminds me so much of how God thinks of all of us. We zero in on our blemishes and scars while he is standing over us declaring that what he created is beautiful!

I say all this because women of all ages share these same struggles. Wondering what other people think of us. Often obsessing over our looks and that ever aging reflection from the mirror. The average woman will spend $15,000 and over 8,000 hours applying makeup in her lifetime.

Our beauty focus needs a change in direction from unattainable physical perfection to absolutely achievable biblical beauty. Biblical beauty is not a cover up for our secret flaws – it’s a treatment that sticks. Spending time in God’s word makes lasting change in our hearts and cultivates an undeniable attractiveness that draws people to Christ.

Biblical beauty will never fade away!

 

Let’s Chat!

In the comments, answer one or more of the following discussion questions:

  1. What are some fashion/media icons that have shaped your idea of beauty?
  2. Complete the following sentence: I could be beautiful if_______.
  3. Who is the most biblically beautiful woman that you know personally? What makes her so beautiful?

To Do This Week:

  1. Complete the five days of homework in your workbook. (If you haven’t received your workbook yet, you can find the first week’s homework online! Just click the link below!)
  2. Watch the Week One video and complete your Listening Guide.
  3. Hop online again starting next Wednesday, July 2nd to discuss Five Beauty Dos and Don’ts.

I’m so excited to have YOU join our journey to biblical beauty! Now let’s get those comments rolling!

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi, I really enjoyed the lecture this evening. I am unclear on how we are to post our comments on the Blog?? Can anyone provide assistance?

    Reply

    • Linda, the discussion is through the comments. Just leave another comment like you just did and feel free to answer any of the questions.

      Like question #1. I would say that commercials and ads have negatively affected my idea of beauty. It is hard seeing a flawless figure put on a pedestal while my “had 3 kids” body will never measure up. However, there are a handful of other women who are working to change the tide – like this girl who is making modest swimsuits – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVHRJbgLz8.

      Reply

      • I agree regarding celebrities negatively impacting my idea of beauty; particularly music icons such as Beyonce or Jennifer Lopez. Then I remember that they have a team of folks that help them with make-up, hair, wardrobe. I too would have external beauty 24/7 if I had a team of folks as well! Recently I have been just so impressed with how much God loves his children and that helps “adjust” my focus on my flaws.

        Reply

      • I loved this video. I have an 11 yr old girl that I am trying to teach modesty to. I also have 2 boys that I am trying to teach to respect girls. society challenges the ideal of modesty and makes it seem like it’s a bad thing. This make me feel like I’m some sort of radical. Very frustrating.

        Reply

          • Stephanie,
            Even more so when my daughter has an older sister and cousin that she admires very much that do not really show modesty.
            Her older sister is a step sister that we did help raise whom is some what modest in how she dresses but her charater is not reflecting that of one who is respectful of herself. 🙁

  2. It is so true…..Somebody has to set the standard. We should take this to heart….as women regardless if we are mothers of daughters. We work, live in this world, etc. The standard remains.

    Reply

  3. Even as a child, I always thought I could be more beautiful if only I were taller. I’ll never forget one of my doctors telling me when I was younger that I probably would never grow much past five feet. (He was right!) But he also told me how beautiful “petite” women could be, and said that most men want a woman shorter than them, so the shorter I was, the more men I could choose from! LOL! Sad that his logic worked on me, even as a child! It definitely helped, but I’ll admit, I still sometimes get jealous of women who don’t have to stand on their tip toes to kiss their husbands! 🙂

    Reply

  4. What are some fashion/media icons that have shaped your idea of beauty?
    A- Definitely comparing myself to others. The comparison game is harmful and it’s horrible that we do it, but I know that I do it way to often and all it does is hurt me. I have been working on that and filling my mind with positive affirmations if I ever find myself beginning to compare. Affirmations and prayer have really helped!

    I could be beautiful if I would just truly believe in myself. I find myself doubting myself sometimes, but I know God has great plans for me!

    Who is the most biblically beautiful woman that you know personally? What makes her so beautiful? My sunday school teacher’s wife is amazing. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and all through her treatments she prayed for those caring for her. She is a biblically beautiful woman as her heart is always pursing the Lord, despite her circumstances and the changes that she has endured as a result of the cancer.

    Reply

  5. I could be beautiful if . . . I lost 50 pounds! I am all of 5’3″ and have struggled with my weight as long as I can remember following childbirth. Now that I’m older, well lets just say metabolism is not on my side. I also have this horrible habit (sin) of using food as comfort. I know that I am beautiful inside because I know who God says I am. Glo girls, please pray in agreement with me to break the strong hold of gluttony over my life. Thank you for your prayers and for this biblical study on what true beauty is!

    Reply

  6. Hi everyone..
    I am a little bit late on posting for the intro week. So here it goes..
    I am commenting on #2)
    I could be beautiful if…I could loose my muffin top. I am in my later 30’s and have had 3 children. Currently I struggle with the after baby belly that didn’t go away. My youngest is 8. I find myself struggling to make pants fit without having stuff hang over the top.
    In my younger years I was always teased for being cubby which didn’t really effect me until I was in my junior high school years. Teasing became over the top for me. This burned a thought into my head that still resonates with me. When I was in high school I was able to curb the chub but became so thin that I was often asked if I was eating. I couldn’t understand why I kept getting asked this question when I was just trying to fit in with the “skinnies”.
    I started gaining and loosing because it became a battle with fitting in. When realistically now I see that it’s just a matter of being healthy. To be able to keep up with my kids. I have to realize that I may never be the skinniest gal in the world bit as long as I can keep healthy. That’s the main point.

    Reply

    • Thank you for sharing your struggles with us Michelle. I know there are so many who can relate. I don’t think I know a woman who doesn’t have weight issues one way or another. I have to remind myself that “healthy” is the goal also. Good point!

      Reply

  7. I could be beautiful if I was thin and not fat. I look in a mirror and all I see is fat and ugly. to make a long story short I had weight loss surgery and lost 86 pounds (lap band). Four years later it eroded and put two holes in my stomach and all had to be removed, intensive care, drain tubes from the peritonitis spread throughout. I have struggled ever since gaining 30 of those back developing other complications with it. I believe God put this study before me, and I am excited to learn and be saturated with Biblical beauty, I hurt and have cried many nights that I am a failure, I am ugly, I am fat and why God, but this first lesson, introduction it hit me in the face about my Biblical beauty and God already created me beautiful. I am still facing whether to let the doctors do more weight loss surgery because of how I was feeling but I am praying about that and that God will open my eyes to see the beauty he has created in me.

    Reply

    • Diana, I am so sorry you had to go through all that. I will be praying that you continue to realize your beauty in Christ and that God uses this study in a mighty way in your life!

      Reply

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