Title: The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst
Making wise decisions in the midst of endless demands.
This was the very first book Bible Study that I did with my friend, and I honestly think this is one of the top books that have most impacted my life. To this day "Is it a Best Yes?" is something I voice out loud to myself and friends multiple times a week. This book gave me the insight I needed to begin a season of slowing down, of implementing true change, of knowing the stakes of soul care. I'm one who has work-a-holic tendencies and who doesn't like to disappoint anyone. I know now that God was preparing me for a journey of sickness and loss. He was chiseling and changing several areas in my life that would allow me to be able to fully step back and have the time and mindfulness I would need to begin to heal. This book touches on so many hard points in a women's life, especially ones who have a hard time saying "no" to people and activities. The guilt and expectations of all those endless requests we are faced with and try balance every day, that drive us to exhaustion and not being able to fully enjoy a Sabbath or hear the whisper of the Lord. As I flip through the book, I smile as I see all the underlines, stars, and brackets page after page. So many amazing nuggets of hope and freedom for those hoping to regain the chaos of their lives. This book also has a DVD and Bible Study book that we followed with our weekly reading. I highly recommend this book, to everyone!
Book Quote:"A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul."
Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker
When Jesus wrecks your comfortable Christianity
Oh dear, this was quite a Bible Study as well for me. As this book sat unopened on my desk and I remember looking at it and thinking - "Ugh, I'm going to probably end up having to get a passport and go to Haiti by the time I get to the end of this book." I don't have a passport and I've never allowed myself to even entertain the thought of going to Haiti for the mere fact that I was an infertile adoptive mom desperately wanting a baby, and the thought of going to Haiti and seeing all those children, some with families many without and having to see, witness, touch, and then have to leave, would totally "mess me up" - I did not want God to mess me up. This of course totally meant God was about to completely "interrupt" and "mess me up" during the course of this study. This book isn't about getting a passport and jumping on the next plane to Haiti. It's about seeing the people across the street from you, in the cubicle next to you at work. It's about allowing God to whisper, get inside your comfortable, and do His work. During this study I would find out I was pregnant and our little miracle had a rare genetic disease and would not get to ever go home with us. My nearly forty-year-old life was rocked, completely interrupted by God's continued wake up call in my life. This book also has an optional leader guide which we used as we did our weekly reading. Oh - and at the end of every lesson is a "Brandon's Take" - which her husband adds to help wrap and recap. What an amaze duo they are!
Book Quote: “It is not your responsibility to explain what God is doing with your life. He has not provided enough information to figure it out. Instead, you are asked to turn loose and let God be God. Therein lies the secret to the “peace that transcends understanding.”
Running the race you were born to win.
"The divine relay is tough. The track is treacherous. There are so many ways to mangle the exchange zones, to overshoot, to be knocked off the track, to drop the baton, to stop running. The church needs champion runners who never give up, who persevere no matter what they encounter, who run to win - unstoppable, no matter the cost."
This was another book we did for Bible Study. It was an author I was not familiar with and in the book she talked a lot about A21, which is a non-profit that rescues victims of human trafficking around the globe, something I also knew nothing about. This was an excellent read and I loved how she parallels our lives, our faith, and how we live and leave our legacies with competitive running and training. I loved how the chapters were divided and how it "runs" you through all the various stages from start to finish, while dealing with all the details and obstacles within our race.
Book Quote: "The point is, God's call comes to each of us in every age and stage of life. He calls us to step out of our comfort zone and into the exchange zone, ready to run for him and carry the love of God and the truth of his power into the lives of others. Often, we have no idea what task the Lord will assign us until it is thrust in our hands."
Believing Jesus by Lisa Harper
Are you willing to risk everything? A journey through the book of Acts.
This was another book Bible study I recently finished. It also has a study guide and DVD available for each lesson as you go through the book. The very first line inside the very first page reads: "Do you find yourself wanting to live a more daring, connected, and belief-fueled life?" Well, that pretty much caught me hook, line, and sinker.
This book was very well written and incorporats the Biblical book of Acts with the teaching of the Apostles, the ways and truths of authentic discipleship, how to love others well while being well by God, woven with modern day stories, examples, and just the right touch of humor. Lisa does such a great job capturing "intimidating knowledge in a package that makes you feel like her friend more than her student" as one or her reviewers wrote. And Lisa Harper is amazing to follow along with on social media as well!
Book quote: "God's grace is available to everybody. Period. He is an unconditional, wholly inclusive affection. There is no skin color, country of origin, or medical condition that can make you incompatible with the love of Jesus Christ!"
Book Quote: "The point is, God's call comes to each of us in every age and stage of life. He calls us to step out of our comfort zone and into the exchange zone, ready to run for him and carry the love of God and the truth of his power into the lives of others. Often, we have no idea what task the Lord will assign us until it is thrust in our hands."
Believing Jesus by Lisa Harper
Are you willing to risk everything? A journey through the book of Acts.
This was another book Bible study I recently finished. It also has a study guide and DVD available for each lesson as you go through the book. The very first line inside the very first page reads: "Do you find yourself wanting to live a more daring, connected, and belief-fueled life?" Well, that pretty much caught me hook, line, and sinker.
This book was very well written and incorporats the Biblical book of Acts with the teaching of the Apostles, the ways and truths of authentic discipleship, how to love others well while being well by God, woven with modern day stories, examples, and just the right touch of humor. Lisa does such a great job capturing "intimidating knowledge in a package that makes you feel like her friend more than her student" as one or her reviewers wrote. And Lisa Harper is amazing to follow along with on social media as well!
Book quote: "God's grace is available to everybody. Period. He is an unconditional, wholly inclusive affection. There is no skin color, country of origin, or medical condition that can make you incompatible with the love of Jesus Christ!"
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