Hello! Welcome. This thread is for the Lifeway Forums online participants in the No Other Gods Bible Study that we are doing in coordination with Beth Moore over at the LPM Blog. We will meet here every other Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM (Central Time) to discuss the homework and our personal insights from this study. The meetings will begin tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 17th.

If you are interested in joining - check back in after 8:00 AM (Central Time) on Tuesday morning to read through the discussion questions and check a recipe to try for the day. Then come on back at 8:00 PM (Central Time) to find out what your fellow forum sisters are saying about No Other Gods. Use the No Other Gods Link above to order your copy of the workbook from Lifeway Resources! Happy Bible Study and See You Very Soon! Blessings.

The recipes are up over at the LPM site. You can check them out if you are game to try them by using this link:

Our First Common Meal - Melissa, LPM BLOG

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Me, too! See You Really SOON! Blessings. P.S. If you cannot make it to the 8:00 PM (Central Time) meeting feel free to post your thoughts before hand. Perhaps you could share one thing you are praying for God to do during this study as we join together in God's Word.

Have you all looked through your book yet or started on the homework?

Just got home from work and my workbook arrived! Yeah!! I just now was able to rip through the thick plastic wrapping and cardboard (why didn't I just go get some scissors)and will look through the book. No homework yet.

Praying that God will do a new thing in me, whatever he wants, I'm ready Lord.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GrandmamitzX3,

Okay Ladies... Beth has posted her first "Message" for us Siesta Summer Bible Study girls. You can view her message and read her instructions at the LPM Blog: Siesta Summer Bible Study Introduction

I will repost her written instructions to us below and say - I'm so encouraged by this study already - just being in it with you all! How many will be eating a little Siesta Mexican food tomorrow?

Okay, well, my thing that I am praying most is that God would reveal to me where my perspective about Him or my life is an idol that stands between He and I. I already know for a fact He has a plan for that - the first day of homework really got my attention - but I have now waited to continue on so I am not ahead of my sister friends here in the forum.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) night we will meet here at 8:00 PM (Central Time US)- please stand with me in prayer for the live forum bit - it is going to be interesting to say the least.

So here are Beth's instructions - and let's have some fun with this, what do you say?
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A WORD FROM BETH:

Welcome to our first Tuesday Siesta Summer Bible Study! I hope so much you were able to view the video greeting I did for you because it has lots of information about our Siesta Summer Bible Study. Rough as it is, it comes with lots of love! I promised to put your instructions for your gatherings today in writing in case, as usual, I talked too fast for you to follow on video. You have only two assignments for your first meeting:
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A. Please share what you perceive to be your biggest challenge toward walking victoriously with God this summer. House full of children? Heavy work load? Difficult season emotionally? Just had your heart broken? Just feel far from God? Whatever it may be, share it with your small group and take some time to pray for one another in your meeting today. Also, intercede accordingly toward your sister’s need for the duration of the study.

B. Turn to Jude 1:24,25 and read your summer Bible study memory verse-segment. (Oh, yes, you can memorize!!! You just have to learn how to make fun associations that make it memorable!) This is our only memory segment all summer so it’s very doable. Spend most of your gathering time thinking of ways as a small group to memorize it. Get creative! You can make up hand motions or actions to go with it - anything fun, clever, or meaningful to make it easier to memorize. If you think you did a really great or funny job with it, here’s what you do! Fine tune it over the next four or five days then video tape it with all your siestas in mind. Save it to your computer then email it to us using the following instructions:

1. Recording should be on a digital camera with a SD card.
2. With the SD card in your computer, go to www.senduit.com.
3. At the senduit web site click browse and select the video file name (note: file
cannot exceed 100MB).
4. Next (at the senduit web site) select the “Expire” option for 1 week.
5. Click “upload.”
6. When the file is finished uploading Senduit will give a location message and the option to email this information.
7. Select the email option and send to blog@lproof.org.

Remember, this will be Jude 1:24-25 (spoken or on power point) on tape with actions that help the viewer memorize it. The video can be no longer than two minutes in length but you probably won’t need nearly that much time anyway. Our LPM staff and I will judge all the entries and choose a Grand Prize Winner. The Grand Prize Winning video will be shown on our blog in two weeks for our second Siesta Bible Study gathering. In addition, the Grand Prize Winning Group (or individual) will receive a care-package that I will prepare personally and send to your location with about ten tons of love. I’m clapping right now like a five-year-old. I love contests!!! Surely we have a few competitors out there! Put that competitive spirit to good use and help your Siestas memorize some Scripture!

Y’all are so fun. Totally jazzed to be in the Word with you this summer. Have a blast with Jesus!

(BETH)
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Okay, so here is what I am thinking - we can share our ideas and send in one for our group - or you can do it individually and send in your own if you want to participate in the Scripture memory verse competition. If you want to do it as a group just type in Memory Verse: Group Ideas and then if we win we will all get something terrific from Beth. If we go solo then we individually compete and we individually get the prize if our video is picked.

My biggest challenge to doing Bible study this summer is going to be the issues my husband and I have been dealing with in our marriage and our finances. It doesn't mean that we hating life - it just means that we are struggling with stuff in our lives and we need God's help to get through it. Please pray about that, and the emotions related to grieving my son I have been experiencing. I have been exceptionally raw lately where he is concerned.

Thanks so much for joining me in this study Sister-Siestas... I'm so encouraged and excited that God is doing a new thing in all our lives! Love ya'll to pieces.
Michelle

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Michelle.Bentham,

Lord, I pray for my sister Michelle who is going through some tough struggles right now and grieving over her son. I pray Lord that as the days go by you will lighten her heart and bring her much joy in your presence. Lord, you know her so intimately and I pray that you minister to her in all areas needing your touch. Precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

My struggle for the summer and this study will be finding quality quiet time and a quiet location. My daughter and her husband with their two kids (love 'em all and no big problems)live with me and my husband. We are in small house and there is no quiet time. I know they go through the same need for privacy. But I need to find time alone with God to study his word and to be in his presence without a grandchild knocking at the door, the TV going on loud, telephone ringing, etc. I'm not complaining it's just a reality living with another family in the house. Please pray that the Lord will speak to me about what time and where to have time with Him.

I won't be eating Mexican tomorrow but I will sometime this week.

I haven't started the homework. Just read the introduction. As soon as I sign off I'll start the homework.

The way I was going to memorize Jude was taking a little segment at a time. I'm not good with memorization but will challenge myself to do it. For the next few days I will memorize..."To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling...until I know it and then memorize the next section.

God bless my siesta group this summer! What are your names?

Hey Grandmamitz,

Thank you for your sweet prayer. I wanted to highlight those forum gals that I know are going to be participating.

Sparki2003 - Jen
Emmab2002 - Laura
Saint Deb - Deb
freedom518 - Angel
Michelle.Bentham - Michelle
GrandmamitzX3 - Mitzi


UPDATE: sharonp - ??? chimed in about her group in SC, but I don't know if she will be meeting with us as well. Let's remember her and her group in prayer.

I hope I didn't miss anyone... After tonight I will post the names of all those who log in. I also need to check my email address to make sure it is up to date on my profile. This is so wonderfully exciting! Love You All, bunches.

We have quite a small group going here! I think it is fabulous. If you wouldn't mind sharing your real first name, it would be nice to pray for our forums Siestas by name. I know the names above from the posts and would like to fill in the rest of the blanks. My name is Michelle, BTW!

Dear Father in Heaven,

I pray this day for every sister who logs into this forum, that you would meet with them and touch their lives in a deeply personal way! God, You alone know every need. What I know is that we are all taking time out of our busy schedules to meet with you up close and personal during this Summer Bible study and we are looking for something mighty to happen among us. Hem us in Lord, and go before us so that we do not stray from the path. My prayer is that each of us would bring a wealth of perspective and encouragement as we seek to find you in No Other Gods.

I pray specifically for Grandmamitz, that you would give her wisdom and discernment about how and when to meet with you in a quiet time and place. God give her creative ideas that will help her put down the distractions of her busy home and pick up the time of refreshing and renewal that comes from intimacy with You.

I pray now for Grandmamitz, as well as Jen (Sparki), Emmab2002, Deb (St. Deb), sharonp (and her group) and freedom518 - Lord, they are not just faceless names on the Internet, they are living, breathing and seeking women who desire to grow closer to You through discussion and study of Your Word. Be mighty, reveal Your glory to us Lord, and do not let us walk away from this experience unchanged. I know You are planning something wonderful. I pray for the "live" forum discussion tonight and I pray for my face-to-face partner Mary - that she and I will connect with you on a heart level like never before. You are amazing God, be amazing among us today! In Jesus Name, AMEN.

How about you all? Do you have one study partner who will be "face-to-face" with you this Summer?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Michelle.Bentham,

Hello everyone. I am looking forward to our meeting tonight.

The timing for this study could not be any better for me. I am going through what Beth called a "difficult season emotionally" and I am praying that he will renew my heart and that I can use this time to make God first in my life again.

GrandmamitzX3 is Mitzi from Long Beach, CA, cool California according to Beth, though it's far from cool today. It's supposed to be in the high 80's today. That's hot for me. PTL for A/C at work.

My SC group will be meeting on Tuesday nights at 7pm Eastern - so I will check in with your discussions, but probably not in "real time", as we will be just finishing up. I'm excited - but my house isn't clean! Hey, God made dirt, right? Last night my husband taught me how to connect my laptop to the big screen tv in our family room, so we can see the video & read the questions there & listen to the music or spoken word through the surround sound - but hopefully he will be upstairs so if I have technical difficulty (which I often do) - I can just call my chief geek down to help. Do you know if Beth is doing a video for each week, or just for the introduction tonight? I don't know why, but I was thinking that there was just going to be written discussion questions, but I am very happy she did a video, too!
May God be glorified!

I'm sure, Beth being the verbal and visual teacher that she is, that she will feel led to bring us a video opportunity as much as possible.

I am excited to, and so glad you are joining us.

Bless You. I'm praying for your house to be cleaned up for the big event tonight. God Bless.

Michelle

WORSHIP WITH ME:

Before we get started tonight, let's spend some time in worship - just expressing our love to God.

Here is a video clip of one of my favorite worship songs:

Beautiful

Holy, Holy, Holy, You are... You are... Holy...

O Lord You are so beautiful to me.

Yes, Oh Yes, He is! We love You Lord, We bless You Lord, We bless and exalt Your name among us today - You alone are God, You alone are good and You are beautiful to us in every way! We Praise You Jesus, We Praise You Father, We invite you Holy Spirit to fall on us today... We love you so.

Hey ALL!

If you have not yet received your book for the study, please visit this link: Sample Lesson for No Other Gods.

Scroll down to Samples and Posters, then click the link for the Introduction and Session One for the first week's homework. All you have to do is print them out and you are good to go. Thanks Beth for the information and thanks to everyone at Lifeway for making this available.

Blessings.

God I lift up Laura, her dh and her mother. Provide for their every need, I pray Lord you will count back to her service to You and to her family this summer. Allow her, Lord to benefit and bless others while she draws near to You. You are her hiding place and I pray when she needs rest she will find it in You. You are our strong tower, our refuge and our safe place - May Your glory be revealed to her this Summer as she is faithful to You.

I also lift up Angel to You, Father. That you would bring peace and calm to her life and her emotions. That You would bring everything in her life under Your control, be real, be personal and be huge God... Help her to see You as Her personal and up close God during this season of study - to undo the pain and emotional turmoil that she is suffering through. Bless Her Lord, Bless Her Indeed.

I pray for sharon and her group tonight Lord, be mighty, knit hearts together and bring us all into one accord seeking You Alone as GOD!

In Jesus Name, AMEN.

Hey Siestas, it's 5 PM (CA time) and I leave for Bible study at church at 6 PM. I will be late checking in but will ASAP. I've been having trouble getting on line (my computer) and I'm thinking this is a ploy of the enemy. Look forward to growing together as cyber friends and spiritual sisters. I am so EXCITED!!
Talk to you soon. --Mitzi

My clock is a reading 7:26 PM Central Time and I am already here...

I am praying for all the hiccups, glitches and oops moments to be undone and that God would be glorified in this endeavor. Bless You All...

A few little rules... We are obviously following the forum guidelines.

I am sure I am preaching to the chior, but let's agree to ensure our dialogue is seasoned with salt and full of grace. We are here to learn from one another, edify one another and lift one another up! I am praying we find God in everything we say and do... Be Blessed.

With that said, Bring on the Study!

ICEBREAKER:

When you log in, just post three things about yourself that we might be surprised to know...

My Three:

1. I colored my hair four times in two days last weekend and didn't kill it!

2. I love POPCORN... And "my hips don't lie" they have movie theater butter Pop-Secr*t written all over them...

3. I love to paint, craft and draw... but I don't do it much these days. Last year I taught an art class at an after school program for elementary students. It was SOOO COOOL! We had an art show and everything!

Okay, tonight's assignment is as follows:

A. Please share what you perceive to be your biggest challenge toward walking victoriously with God this summer. House full of children? Heavy work load? Difficult season emotionally? Just had your heart broken? Just feel far from God? Whatever it may be, share it with your small group and take some time to pray for one another in your meeting today. Also, intercede accordingly toward your sister’s need for the duration of the study.

B. Turn to Jude 1:24,25 and read your summer Bible study memory verse-segment. (Oh, yes, you can memorize!!! You just have to learn how to make fun associations that make it memorable!) This is our only memory segment all summer so it’s very doable. Spend most of your gathering time thinking of ways as a small group to memorize it. Get creative! You can make up hand motions or actions to go with it - anything fun, clever, or meaningful to make it easier to memorize. If you think you did a really great or funny job with it, here’s what you do!

The Memory Verse is:

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)

Grandmamitz (Mitzi) shared this strategy for memorizing the Scripture:

"The way I was going to memorize Jude was taking a little segment at a time. I'm not good with memorization but will challenge myself to do it. For the next few days I will memorize..."To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling...until I know it and then memorize the next section."

Emmab2002 (Laura) shared this strategy:

"I plan to memorize off a 3x5 card (no video capabilities here). Got my little notebook all ready to go..."

Any other ideas... I know Laura and Angel have check into the forums...

PS When did I hear Beth remarking about some person who never colored their hair? Was it on the blog?
Well, I never have colored mine.
It's red and blonde and a bit of white now so I have three colors and dont need more.....
Four times in two days?????
I would probably end up looking like a skunk..

We had chicken enchiladas for dinner. I made my momma's recipe posted over at My Blog.

I made spanish rice and refried beans to go along. I burned the first batch of rice and had to through it out - but I had two bags of quick sides in the pantry in spanish rice variety so I cooked them right quick! It was delicious. I am thinking on having me some milk and Keebler Fudge Striped Cookies for dessert... Can I get you anything?