**If for some reason, the Mr. Linky is not working, please just leave a comment with your blog URL so we can come by and read your post. Thanks!**
Welcome to the book study for Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I'm looking forward to reading all of your posts today. In order to have discussion via individual blogs, please feel free to ask questions and make comments on each other's blog posts. This is how we can have a discussion. Be sure to read the comments in each other's blogs in order to participate in discussing comments and questions that arise. I will most likely not only make comments on your blog posts, but also reply to comments on my blog by posting a comment on my blog in response to your comments. So be sure to check back to my blog post to see if I've commented back to your comment.
Let me just say that I am really excited about this study. One of the things that stood out to me in the introduction was how the author takes Eve's decision to eat the fruit and show the progression that led to her action. The progression she points out is that Eve first listened to the lie. Then she believed the lie. Finally, she acted on the lie.
Listened - Believed - Acted
The author discusses this progression again in Chapter One.
Question #1
As you begin this book study, where do you see yourself in relation to living in freedom? Do you feel like you are walking in total freedom? Explain.
Wow - God has brought me a long way on the freedom road. I have known what it's like to be bound up in chains. I can honestly say I am freer now than I've ever been as an adult. Yet, I still have more freedom to experience. God continues to help me take more and more steps in freedom and I can't thank Him enough. I truly believe that this year will be a year of not only more freedom but also gaining back what the enemy stole from me.
Question #2
Write out John 10:10 in your favorite translation. After you've written it out, personalize it.
John 10:10 - "'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'" (NASB)
The enemy only wants to steal, kill, and destroy! Jesus came so that I may have an abundant life!
Question #3
What do you think living abundantly in Christ means? What do you think it looks like?
I'll be honest. This question has been hard for me to answer. And I'm the one who came up with it! LOL
I think the abundant life is one full of the fruit of the Spirit. It's a life that is free in Christ. When I think of living abundantly, I think of walking in total, complete freedom. I think of being content, full of peace and confidence. My husband said that when he thinks of an abundant life, he thinks of having a sense of purpose and the ability to carry out that purpose. He also thinks of feeling fulfilled. As I think about his response, fulfillment stands out to me. I can see that a person who is living abundantly in Christ would have feel fulfilled.
Applying that to myself, I think I definitely feel more fulfilled now than I used to. Yet, I am thinking about this and trying to ascertain if I am fully fulfilled or not. I'm not for sure.
Our Memory Work
"'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
- John 8:32 (NIV)
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free..."
- Galatians 5:1a (NIV)
Making It Personal
It is for freedom that Christ has set ME free! The truth will set ME free!
Assignment 2
Reading
Read the Chapter One on pages 27-41.
Questions
This week's questions are taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe on pages 13-22. I am only choosing a few questions from the first week. I encourage you to purchase this companion guide if you'd like more questions to help you in your study of this book.
1. "The young woman whose story begins on page 21 said she had 'given up hope' that she could ever be completely free from the moral habit that had kept her in bondage for years. Is there any area of your life where you have given up hope that you can ever be free?" (pgs. 14-15) **This question is very personal. Please feel free to not answer this in your blog post. However, please do answer it in your own personal study time.**
2. "Satan knows that you will be more vulnerable to deception if you are not regularly meditating on God's Word. What 'good' things keep you away from consistent study of the Word?" (pg. 16)
3. "Make a list of primary sources of input you have coming into your life (e.g., movies, books, certain friends, a counselor)." (pg. 17)
4. "How careful are you about evaluating that input and seeking to discern Truth from error?..." (pg. 17)
5. "From pages 37-40 in Lies Women Believe, what are the four steps that take us from initial deception to bondage?" (pg. 18)
6. "As long as we live in this world, we cannot completely isolate ourselves so that we never hear any lies. What is the difference between 'hearing' and 'listening to' lies?" (pg. 19)
7. "Read Philippians 4:8-9. Why is it so important to be selective about the input we allow to come into our minds and to consciously choose to expose ourselves and listen to the Truth?" (pg. 19)
8. "Review the list you made on Day Three of sources of input that you are allowing to come into your life. Is there anything on that list that is exposing you unnecessarily to deception?" (pg. 19) **Refer to Question #3 above.**
9. "What are the three steps that will help us move from spiritual bondage to freedom?" (pg. 19)
10. "A popular theme in our culture is that there are no absolutes. 'All truth is good. Whatever truth works for you is good for you, nd what works for me is good for me.' While on the surface that appears very tolerant, where does this kind of thinking ultimately lead?" (pg. 21)
11. "Read together Acts 17:10-12. What did the people in Berea do in order to discern the Truth? How can we avoid being deceived and become more discerning about the input we receive?" (pg. 22)
All the above questions have been taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss published by Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL ©2002.
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If you'd like to participate in this book study, please read the book study information by clicking here. After reading the information, you can join in with us each Monday.
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