Legacy of Biblical Womanhood: Week 1

We kicked off this meeting with a luncheon and introduction to what we will be studying. About 15 women came to this first meeting and I was greatly encouraged by each one of them and their hearts to join this quiet revolution.
This revolution involves women that long to pattern their lives after God's Word as we encourage one another Biblically and pray for one another fervently to pursue the purpose for which we were created. We have about 5 women following along with us as a cyber-study across the globe. Below are words shared with the women at the study.

Elizabeth Elliott puts it this way:
"[Biblical Womanhood] is a gift, a Divine gift, to be accepted with both hands, and to thank God for. Because remember, it was His idea."

In otherwords, this is not an oppressive, door-mat study where heaps of rules will be conjured up for you to follow. We will not be telling you how long your skirts must be or how low you can wear your blouse. What we will do is study the Scriptures with the goal to neither add to or take away from God's Holy Word. In doing this, the Holy Spirit will be able to do the work of convicting and encouraging you in your role as a woman, including what is appropriate in word, deed and action. It will be a study that is exciting because it will promote God's truly fulfilling design for us as women whose lives are poured out for others for God's glory.

"Biblical manhood and womanhood is a deeply satisfying gift of grace from a loving God... it is not onerous or oppressive. It does not promote pride or self-exaltation. It conforms to who we are by God's good design. Therefore it is fulfilling in the deepest sense of the word."-Piper

Our focus will be inward adornment and the freedom of being a woman of God. Not the bondage rooted in the feminist movement based on the world's view.
On that note, no one involved in this study will ever be asked the following questions:

"How does this verse in Scripture make you feel?"
"What do you think this verse means to you?"
or "What is your opinion of this Bible verse?"

Why? Because God's Word I can trust. My feelings, I cannot. God's Word does not change. My feelings change constantly... and if I base what I believe on how a Scripture makes me feel or what it means to me or my opinion, than I will become a cherry picker and be easily tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. We have enough opinions flouting around out there.

"Isn't it amazing that almost everyone has an opinion to offer about the Bible, and yet so few have studied it?" -R. C. Sproul

This study is about the application of Biblical Theology as revealed in God's knowable, unchanging, applicable Word of Truth and NOT who I imagine God is from some sentimental, me-centered perspective that is based on relative roller-coaster ride of self-sustained religion truth... and if it ain't Biblical, it ain't theological.

"We should not interpret Scripture in the light of our experiences, but we should examine our experiences in the light of the teaching of Scripture."-Martyn Lloyd-Jones

This study will not fall into the feel-good, relative truth, me-centered trap. I will never provide 7 ways to be a better wife or whatever. There will be no Scripture manipulation and no gimmicks. We are going to get out of the way and let God's Word do its work because it is powerful enough and truly sufficient. Charles Spurgeon was once asked, "How do you defend the Bible?" "Very easy" he responded. "The same way I defend a lion. I simply let it out of its cage." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."-2 Timothy 3:16-17

God's Truth is THE truth and has nothing to do with how I feel or my best life now according to ME. We have become so focused on ourselves that the Gospel message has become muddied or lost. With that in mind and according to God's Word, the only focus that will be on ourselves is in asking questions like: "How is my life measuring up to God's standard?" and "What needs to change in my life so that I can be a Biblical Woman?"
The focus will begin with the log in your own eye which brings me to part two in the book we are using, "Biblical Portrait of Womanhood: Discovering and Living Out God's Plan for Our Lives" by Nanci Leigh DeMoss. Part two (pg. 21) of this booklet will not be specifically studied, but will be an evaluation tool woven throughout the study. It asks the questions:

1. "Do my Attitudes build up or tear down?"

2. "Do my Words build up or tear down?"

3. "Do my Actions build up or tear down?"

"It is time for women of Biblical faith to reclaim our territory. We know the Designer. We have His instruction manual. If we don't display the Divine design of His female creation, no one will. But if we do, it will be a profound testimony to a watching, needy world." -Susan Hunt

Here is the Legacy of Biblical Womanhood Study Schedule
Please memorize, if you haven't already, Proverbs 14:1
The next study will be answering, according to Scripture, the question: "Why was I created as a woman?" (pgs 8-10 in the booklet)

And remember... you were not created to be a drip! (Proverbs 19:13b)...Even when your husband is driving.

A wife was making fried eggs for her husband for breakfast. Suddenly her husband burst into the kitchen.

"Careful... Careful!!! Put in some more butter! You're cooking too many at once. Too many! Turn them! Turn them now! We need more butter. Where are we going to get more butter? They're going to stick! Careful... Careful!!! I said be careful! You never listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. Use the salt! The salt!"

The wife stared at him and asked, "What is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"

The husband calmly replied, "I wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving with you in the car."