July 2, 2014

Beauty by the Book: Summer Bible Study – Week One

Welcome Back!

Thanks for joining in another week of biblical beauty school with me! I looked at our site stats this week and was surprised by how many of you are joining with us. I’d really love to connect with more of you and find out how God is using this study in your life. So, I am making an exciting modification when it comes to our group discussion and giving you a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to our store! Awesome, huh? Check out the details in the “Let’s Chat” section.

And for those of you wondering if it’s too late to start this study – No! It’s absolutely not too late! You can catch up on last week’s video and questions HERE.

Week One Video: Five Beauty Dos and Don’ts

This week in your homework you were introduced to the five females in Proverbs that we’ll be studying over the next few weeks: The Immoral Woman, The Indiscreet Woman, The Irritating Woman, The Captivating Woman, and The Ideal Woman. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to watch the Week One video and listen as Laurie teaches on the importance of the proverbs and the character of a biblical beauty.(Click one of the images below for this week’s FREE online video lesson).

Beauty by the Book: Week One (Five Beauty Dos and Don’ts) – Listening Guide: Pg. 21

Beauty by the Book for Teens: Week One (Five Beauty Dos and Don’ts) – Listening Guide: Pg. 21

Reflecting

If you did your homework this week, then you know all about “3C Syndrome” (Pg. 9). It’s the hallmark of the irritating woman.

The three main symptoms include contentiousness, crabbiness and frequent complaining. When I’ve had a bad week or drifted in my walk with the Lord, “3C” is my unfortunate default. It’s the source of ungrateful and self-focused thoughts that can send me into a tailspin. Everyone around me suffers when I allow the infection to go unchecked. Though “3C” is curable (more on that in the weeks to come) just knowing that I have treated the ones I love poorly is enough to make me feel like a failure as a woman.

Enter another dangerous “C”. Comparison.

You may have been plagued by comparison this week as you dove head first into the descriptions of the beauty don’ts and do’s of the bible. Did you maximize your past mistakes? Did your stomach turn as you realized how much your past or present looks like one of the more unsavory women of the bible? I know I’ve felt this way. Sometimes it can feel like everyone has it all together and you are the only one struggling.

I heard something really good on the radio a few weeks ago. The host said “Don’t compare another person’s highlight reel to your behind the scenes”.

Isn’t that good? If you could see every moment of everyone else’s lives, you’d see that they have highs and lows just like you. That their past isn’t so pretty either and that maybe they don’t have it all together all the time like you thought.

If you saw me on Laurie’s Front Porch Friday a few weeks ago, then you saw (and mostly heard) how all three of my kids made their appearance on that video. What you don’t know is that video was take 3 and that my great idea of having my cute kids make a cameo had resulted in tantrums, me bribing the oldest to babysit the youngest and excessive sweating by this stressed out mama in the mid day summer heat. Not so glamorous!

Instead of being paralyzed by your past and the seemingly huge chasm between you and the Proverbs 31 woman, let’s trust that God is weaving all of our past, present and future into a beautiful tapestry that will sing the praises of his grace and love. Zechariah 4:10 says “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin”. Let’s press on together and take all the small (and huge) steps that it takes to be a biblically beautiful woman.

I love how Laurie’s super quotable friend Christy puts it “you gotta know better to do better”. Well, now we know the good, the bad and the ugly of the women of the Proverbs and it’s our choice which one to pursue. Now that we know better, we ARE going to do better!

I know you’ve learned a ton already and we’ve only just begun! Stick with it this week as we find out about the dangers and surprising characteristics of the immoral woman.

Let’s Chat

I’m changing things up and it’s exciting!! Answer the 3 questions in the comments and you will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the Priority Ministries store! You can order all your small group’s bible study books or just get some encouraging material for yourself!

Every week that you comment (including last week’s intro post) you will gain a new entry and increase your chances of winning. A week after the last day of our study I will choose a winner at random and announce it on the blog as well as contact you via email. I can’t wait to see who wins!

So here are your questions this week: (next week we might get a little more serious, but this week I want to get to know you better)

What is your first name and where are you from?
If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Of the five women you studied this week from Proverbs, which one did God most use to speak to you and how?

To Do This Week – Week Two:

Complete the five days of homework in your workbook.
- Beauty by the Book: pgs. 22-42
- Beauty by the Book for Teens: pgs. 22-42.
Watch the Week Two video and complete your Listening Guide.
- Beauty by the Book: (Week Two Listening Guide: p. 43)
- Beauty by the Book for Teens: (Week Two Listening Guide: p. 43)
Hop online again starting next Wednesday, July 9th, to discuss The Immoral Woman.