That Time God Changed My Life Through Bible Study

Listen to this week’s podcast, BE TOGETHER, by clicking here!

A MESSAGE FROM MONICA:

The very first Bible Study I ever took was Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore. I had heard awe-inspiring whispers about this Texan woman with the big hair who had a passion for Jesus that was contagious. I wasn’t sure how I felt about group study — I will still green when it came to things like praying out loud or discussing God-stuff with strangers.

My friends convinced me to sign up, and five of us requested to be placed together in the same small group. The first night of study, I scrambled through the sea of 200 women to get my name tag, workbook and small group assignment — eagerly looking to see which room our group was all meeting in.

I walked into the room and didn’t recognize a soul. The chairs were arranged in a circle, and the group leader welcomed me with the most generous smile and warmest hug I’d ever received. I sat down, convinced I was misplaced, but no…her sheet clearly said I had been placed in her group, and with a footnote she added they aren’t in the habit of changing groups around unless it’s an emergency of sorts. 

Feeling left out of your friends’ small group didn’t sound like much of an emergency — as much as I tried to justify it — so I decided to suck it up and accept my new group. Just trust God…trust Him with this. He doesn’t make mistakes, I kept telling myself.

It didn’t take long for me to settle in and realize God did have a plan with my group. Almost immediately, we bonded, sharing with an honesty and transparency that was refreshing. We learned from each other’s wide variety of life experiences, insights and wisdom.

And our group leader — our dear, amazing leader — poured into me so much that my cup overflowed. 

That first Bible Study experience changed me, and turned me into someone who couldn’t get enough of Jesus or conversation about Him. That first experience changed my perceptions of everything I thought I knew — and taught me to embrace God’s plan instead of my own.

It taught me that Jesus IS the One and Only whom I should (and can!) trust with my entire heart, 100% of the time..even when it comes to seemingly insignificant things like feeling left out and not being included. 

Through that small group, I learned that the greatest growth in your relationship with God can happen when you open your heart and mind to exploring His Word together. That there’s revelation and understanding that is unveiled when you’re united with believers and are of one mind — seeking one purpose.

Being together.

We told you earlier this week about the Small Group Bible Study we’re launching in January, and our heart is that you would discover the joy of small group Bible Study…

…maybe you’ve never participated in a small group study before, but are feeling that tug on your heart of wanting to learn more about God and have no idea where to start.

…maybe you’ve never participated in a small group study because you’re embarrassed — thinking you should know more than you do, and are afraid to admit it.

…maybe it’s been several years since you’ve participated in a study, and need to be reunited with the refreshing feeling of having a safe place to be vulnerable and open your heart.

…or maybe you’ve been hurt or disappointed in small groups before, and have been reluctant to join one again.

If any of these describe you — or if you’re just a Jesus lover who can’t get enough Bible Study — then we really believe that Be Together is the study for you.

We’ve jokingly said it’s not your mama’s bible study — as as tongue in cheek as we originally were — that mantra and motto has stuck. Because it’s not like a study you’ve done before.

Be Together isn’t a Bible study you join so you can make a notch in your Bible bookmark and say you’ve completed. It’s not a badge of honor to wear proudly, declaring to others that you’ve DONE another study. It’s not even a girl’s night out under the umbrella of “bible study” to  make it more enticing to people who otherwise wouldn’t come.

Instead, Be Together is an intentional study where we experience how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together as one (Psalm 133:1)…becoming completely united, with only one thought and one purpose (1 Corinthians 1:10).

It’s a study where you show up just as you are — haggard, tired, stressed and worn — and shed your Super Woman cape at the door. And you curl up on the couch with your shoes kicked off, exhale deeply, and embrace the sisterhood around you. 

And then you open your Bibles and your hearts and learn to Be Still in order to Be Free.

Together.

Be Together does not have days and days of homework to complete. It doesn’t have things that must be done before you can advance and move on. Be Together is about simply being present…showing up to your group, regardless of whether or not you’ve done a single thing, and talking. Talking about God, talking about Jesus, talking about our own experiences. 

My gosh, who wouldn’t like to talk??

I hope you’re as excited as we are for this study. It comes out in early January, and we’ll have all sorts of fancy things to share when the time comes. It’s going to be easy to access and even easier to begin. It’s designed and created with you in mind and for you.

We think you’re going to love it.