John Forte’s “Annointing His Feet #2” can be found here.
I know, I know. Last week I was confessing that there were too many Marys in the Bible to keep them all straight and yet, here I go introducing another. Stick with me, though.
Mary of Bethany is someone I’ve known all of my life, but I felt like I had more in common with her sister than I did with her. Maybe its because I have this thing about feet and she always seemed to be about the feet. I don’t know. With half-hearted enthusiasm, I reached out to Mary of Bethany earlier this year and was surprised to find that we not only connected in a couple of ways, but she has since become a woman I deeply admire and want to be like.
You see, I’ve always had this prejudice where Mary was concerned, this judgment of her as the lazy sister, leaving her sister to pick up the slack while she did her own thing. The more time I spent with Mary, however, and the more attentive to her testimony I became, the more I saw her in a new light – as an example of a female disciple. Jesus called His male disciples to leave their work and follow Him. I saw clearly for the first time that this was what Mary was doing, as well. I became ashamed at how I had always viewed her, leaving all the work to her poor, burdened, responsible sister, Martha, when what she was actually doing was following Him, just as His male disciples were. And she was praised for her choice.
If you’ve held off on getting to know Mary of Bethany, let this be the week you decide to invest in that relationship. She’s not your average Mary. And she is about so much more than just feet.
Click here to meet my new friend, Mary of Bethany.
“Bath-Sheba” by quilt artist Dolores Fegan. See more of her Women of the Bible quilts here.
Like some of you, I’ve heard of Bathsheba most of my life. It’s hard not to, having grown up in the church. Her name was mentioned now and again in association with the great King David, but it was always in passing.
When I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with her last summer, I was admittedly lukewarm. And I confess that she was kind of hard to get to know. It took more work to peel back the layers than all of the other ladies I’d gotten to know. She proved less transparent than Rahab, less of a role-model than Deborah, less of a leader than Miriam. My diligence, however, paid off and I was rewarded to find that I connected in so many ways with this woman renown for her beauty:
as a fellow mother of five;
as a parent that has known the deep grief of burying a child;
as a woman desired (thanks to my husband!);
as a mom with deep desires to see her grown children realize their full potential (and occasionally messes up by meddling in their affairs);
as someone who looks at herself soberly; and
as a {repentant} sinner.
It was good to see that I shared these connections with Bathsheba because she is one of those women that are known more for her failures than for her successes. That’s unfortunate, too, because most of my own growth as a follower of God has occurred in the wake of my own {colossal} failures and I sensed the same rang true for Bathsheba as she shared her story with me. As she shared, I was intrigued by her ability not to become mired to her failures because I tend to get stuck in the moments. I obsess about every detail and find it very difficult to crawl out of those moments and move forward.
Bathsheba doesn’t deny that her sin altered the course of her life, or that people were hurt by her choices. They were, and probably none more than her first husband, Uriah. That moment of failure, however, wasn’t wasted. She grew from having endured the hardship of widowhood, guilt and even the death of her son. I think she learned from her mistakes. And God, in seeing that, used her to bless the known world (through her son, King Solomon, in her lifetime), and the entire world (through Jesus Christ, her direct descendant).
Bathsheba is an encouragement to me to live in light of Paul’s words to the New Testament believers in Philippi –
“…forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God.” (Phil. 3:13-14 NET)
I invite you to make your own connections with my new friend, Bathsheba, by going here.
“Deborah Judge of Israel” by Dina Cormick is one in a series of Heroic Women in the Scriptures. You can see the collection here.
I was briefly introduced to Deborah when I was a child. I bumped into her again in college a couple of times. All I remember from those encounters is that she was larger than life.
I decided to connect with her again last summer – and I’m so glad I did! I sat captivated by her testimony as she shared her story with me daily for almost an entire week. I was awed by her military prowess. I was impressed by her devotion to God’s agenda even above her own. I was encouraged by her example of unwavering trust in God’s power to keep His Word. I was convicted by her utter surrender to God’s will and her consistent obedience to it. In short, I felt empowered in the presence of this assertive, working woman – a discerning and godly leader that even mighty men would willingly follow.
I would love to introduce you this week to my new friend & mentor, Deborah.
“Miriam Dances and Sings to the Lord,” an original oil painting by Slavujac, 2001
I knew Miriam as a kid, but only from a distance. She seemed to have more in common with my big sister (being one herself) than she did with me. She was protective of her younger brother – much like my own big sister was with me. She was brave for a kid, especially when it came to her baby brother, Moses – much like my own big sister was with me. She was quick-thinking – much like my own big sister (I’m more of a slow burn kind of thinker.). She lived through some pretty tough times in her life which necessitated her to “grow up” pretty fast – again, like my own big sister. You get the picture.
I met with Miriam last summer for five days and learned a lot more about her life since those long lost days of childhood. She can be a pretty intimidating woman! Bold. Decisive. Purposeful. A leader with a pretty impressive following. A real lover of God.
She has also gone through a humbling experience that has left her more relatable than I had imagined possible. And because of that humbling experience, we finally connected as friends.
I invite you to spend a week connecting with Miriam through my five day Bible Study here.
I’ve known Eve all my life. She’s pretty famous. She’s the subject in many beautiful works of art. She’s been written and talked about for centuries. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to meet someone that hasn’t heard of her.
Even though I’ve known her all my life, Eve and I never truly connected until last summer. We spent an intense week together really getting to know one another. We connected at first as followers of God. There were many “you, too?!” moments as we shared our walks with the Lord (that too often more accurately resemble stumbles). We connected as parents of grown children. We connected as wives. It was refreshing to learn that I shared so much in common with this sister-in-Christ.
I want to introduce you to my friend, Eve. I want you to connect with her on a personal level. I want you to experience how truly relatable my new friend is to you, too.
Spend a week connecting with Eve through my five day Bible Study here.
Every Monday during June, July & August, you will meet a new woman from the Word accompanied by a link to a FREE downloadable 1-week study guide specific to her. Print the six-page guide and start connecting. It’s that simple!
Questions? Please leave a comment and I will answer your questions ASAP.
Just three of the wonderful women of faith you’ll meet this summer (as portrayed by He Qi, Slavujac, & Wilhelm Wachtel).
What is the Summer Bible Study?
A weekly Bible study to help you connect with the women in the Word on a personal level – to get to know them as friends and sisters and mentors and kindred spirits. Each week is “self-contained” (or module-based), which means if you have to skip a week due to vacation, sickness or just plain life, you can pick back up with the following week without feeling behind. (Also, because it’s module-based, you can choose to have a 6-week, 8-week, or 10-week study, depending on your preference and availability, which makes it ideal for church-based Bible study.)
What can I expect?
Every participant spends one-on-one time with the “woman of the week” – getting to know her culture, her history, her life, her struggles, her reactions, her relationship with God.
The study is organized into five days per week, 2-3 questions per day –
Days 1 & 2 are foundational, as they introduce you to the woman of the week.
Days 3 & 4 are more relational, helping you make connections (and form a friendship) with the woman of the week.
Day 5 is applicational, making connections between your shared experiences and what God’s Word has to say on those specific topics.
Can I do the study by myself?
Yes! Everyone participating will do the Summer Bible Study as an individual study. The focus is connecting individually to the woman of the week. You will undoubtedly be challenged as you get to know a new woman from the Word weekly because you are connecting one-on-one with her.
Can I do the study with a group?
Yes! I actually encourage you to add a weekly group setting to the individual study. I did this informally in my home once a week with three close friends. Some may want a larger group setting (at their church, for example) and some may prefer to get together with only one friend.
I highly recommend adding the group option for two reasons:
Each participant will each connect in a different way with the women in the Word and meeting together helps to round out the personality of the woman of the week by seeing how others connected with her.
It opens doors for connecting on a deeper level with the women in your present-day life as they share their struggles, their hearts and their connections with the woman of the week.
NOTE: Because the Summer Bible Study is module-based, it is ideal for your Women’s Bible Study ministry. Once you choose the length of the study, you can handpick which women you want to cover during that time period. Please email ericka@erickaosmith.com for more information on using the FREE Summer Bible Study in your church’s women’s ministry.
How long does it last?
This is a 12-week, self-contained (or module-based) Summer Bible Study. That means if you have to miss a week (or more), you will be able to jump back into it the following week without feeling like you are behind.
What is the time commitment?
Plan to spend at least 30 minutes a day during the five-day individual study. Like most things in life, you will get more out of it if you invest more into it.
If you add the small group element, 2 hours one day a week would be ideal.
How does it work?
Beginning Monday, June 6, I will introduce a new woman of faith and provide a link to the study for her. I will introduce a new friend every Monday following June 6 with her accompanying link. The last will be introduced on Monday, August 22.
How much does it cost?
It’s free!
What if I have more questions?
Please leave your questions in the comments or email ericka@erickaosmith.com.
This FREE Summer Bible Study is about building bridges – both to the past and in the present. Construction begins June 6.
The Summer Bible Study provides a bridge for you to connect with women both from the past and in the present.
ONE-ON-ONE: Spending time together is essential in fostering friendship. Spend one-on-one time each week with a new woman from the pages of the Bible. See her faith come alive, teaching by example, as you connect with her over shared experiences. This is the backbone of the Summer Bible Study – connecting with the women in the Word. I had no idea each week how (or if!) I’d connect with the different women in the Word, but by Day 3 I felt as if I’d met a new friend. By Day 5, we were friends for life. Every. Single. Week. My faith was strengthened each week as these women spoke Truth to me, many times ministering to me in my own current circumstances. I learned from “hearing” their testimonies. I grew from their examples of faith and trust and courage. And you will, too. {NOTE: If you want to connect with women of faith this summer, but cannot commit to a group study, this Bible study is ideal. You will find your one-on-one time with each woman in the Bible incredibly faith-building as you form friendships with these past women of faith.}
GROUP BENEFITS: In addition to your one-on-one time each week, you can experience the Summer Bible Study with a group of friends once a week. Truth be told, I didn’t think there could be any new insights that my present-day friends (in my small group of 4) could share that I hadn’t already picked up on during my one-on-one time the preceding week. I was so wrong! The reason for this is that my friends and I connected with the “woman of the week” in different ways, depending on our own life experiences. This helped me to see my new friend from a different perspective, one I’d not considered before, and brought her even farther out of the pages of Biblical history. It also helped me to understand and appreciate my present-day friends better as they shared the experiences that have molded them into the women of faith they are today.
Whether you experience the Summer Bible Study alone or with others, you can expect to grow, to be challenged, and to have your perspective changed.
The Summer Bible Study began simply as a way for me to find a way to connect with the women of the Bible. I knew all about these women from my years of growing up in the church and then attending Bible College, but I didn’t feel like I really knew them personally. I didn’t connect with them.
And I really wanted to.
With my first attempt, I realized that I was too unorganized and lacked the accountability to stay on track. So, I made a plan. I prepped. I organized. I invited. My next attempt was so rewarding that it was worth the feeling of failure I felt from the first.
Here’s why…
This Summer Bible Study is about CONNECTING.
To Women in the Word
I had a desire to feel connected to the women I’d read about in the Word. I felt I could learn a lot from these ladies if I could bypass the obstacles (time, culture), focus on our commonalities (shared experiences) and really get to know them as they were (off the pedestal, preconceived ideas aside).
To Women in My Life
I also had a desire to feel more connected to the women in my life in the present. One night a week, my small group of friends came together to share our discoveries about these women in the Word. I gained a deeper appreciation for each of them, came to understand some of their own experiences better and fell in love with each of their hearts as they shared their own connections with our mutual Biblical friend that week.
Do you have a desire to feel more connected to the women in the Word and to the women in your life?
A couple of summers ago, I had this grand plan for a Summer Bible Study to do on my own. It had dawned on me that while I knew information about a lot of the women in the Bible, I didn’t feel like I really knew them. On a personal level. As friends.
As a kid growing up in the church, I knew all their names. I could recite trivia about many of them. In Bible College, that knowledge was reinforced and added to, but only on an intellectual level. I learned about them. I learned from their example. But I still didn’t feel a connection with them beyond the academic.
In fact, I felt disconnected from them as a whole – by time, by experience, by culture, by life. And I wanted to bridge that divide.
With a list of questions in hand similar to what you’d ask a new acquaintance in order to get to know her better, I began my very own Summer Bible Study with high hopes of finally connecting with some of the great women of the Bible. By the end of the summer, however, I had only briefly met the first before I became distracted by the sunshine, my incredibly fun teens and my self-imposed home improvement projects.
Disappointed by such an underwhelming beginning, I decided that I would try again next summer – and with a better plan. I realized I became derailed so soon because I was unorganized and lacked the accountability of meeting weekly with other women. As the next summer neared, I began inviting friends one at a time until I reached my ideal small group number (which was 4). Next, I spent some time organizing my questions & passages into days of the week. Lastly, I got my husband involved. “I need this to look like a bona fide Bible Study or I won’t take it seriously, babe.” As usual, he exceeded my expectations and by the first week in June, I was rubbing elbows, celebrating “wins,” sharing sorrows and making connections with some of the most profound women of my faith alongside some of my favorite friends.
I want to offer you the same opportunity this summer! Invite a few friends to grow with you through the upcoming summer months as you connect with the women of the Bible – and each other. It’s FREE!
What difference can three months, a few friends and the Word make in your life? I invite you to find out this summer!
