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Lesson One: Jesus, I Need You
LESSON SUMMARY

An intimate relationship with the Lord begins when we trust in Jesus and deepens as we ‘lie down in green pastures,’ when we slow down and take time to be with the Lord in His Word and truly submit to Him. It develops when we stop and make time to listen to God and the truth of His Word and respond to it rather than to all the things in the world calling our names. John the Baptist came to the people of God. He pleaded with them to listen, to turn their hearts from their own ways toward God. Our call is the same. God is calling us to turn from self-absorption, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness and no matter where we are, to lay everything at His feet. God wants Jesus to be not just a priority but to be THE priority in our lives. He wants Him to be our first love. Let’s ask Him to prepare the way deeper into our hearts. Let’s ask Him to make this more than just a bible study. Let’s believe God, prove His Word, and see Him move mountains before us!

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time you have provided for us to come together to hear from you and have fellowship in your Word and to learn and apply your Word to our hearts. We need you, Lord. We need your grace all the time. We praise you for your goodness and your love and mercy. Please open our hearts to you and to one another and lead our discussion. Help us not to fear, but to put all of our hope in Christ. Help us to remember there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. May you be glorified in all our thoughts and words and deeds. In Jesus’ name, Amen

I. LECTURE- Will someone share how the Lord used the lecture to speak to your heart? Did anyone have any questions or concerns about the lecture? If you ever have a question or something is unclear, please let us know. We want to serve you in any way we can!

II. QUESTIONS FROM THE HOMEWORK- Go through the homework, occasionally calling on women. Read scriptures aloud. After asking a question, remember to allow a brief period of quiet “wait-time” to give women a chance to think before answering. After pausing, if no one shares, go ahead with your answer, rephrase question, and/or move on.

DAY ONE

1. Do you want to get yourself out of the way to have more of Christ? How are you going to do this?

2. What we believe directly impacts how we approach the details, decisions, and demands of life. Have you established a daily quiet time with the Lord? If not, what is getting in the way?

DAY TWO

3. Please read Matthew 3:1-3. Are you listening to the Lord in His Word? Do you have ears to hear? What, if anything, are you putting above God and His Word?

4. What was John’s message to unbelievers in Matthew 3:1-12? How can this message speak to us as Christians as well?

5. What do you think you can or should do to prepare your heart to make ready the way of the Lord?

DAY THREE

6. Read Luke 3:4-6. Do you think our hearts are different than those of the people in the days of John the Baptist? How are they similar? If we are in Christ, how can our hearts be hardened by unconfessed sin?

7. What would the Lord say to you if you asked Him, “If theses things are true, Lord, what shall I do?” If you are to turn toward God and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, what would you need to get rid of in order to truly “clean house” and prepare the way of the Lord?

DAY FOUR

8. Read John 1:1-8. What did you learn about the light, darkness, and the Word after reading John 1:1-28?

9. What is the importance of listening intently to the Word and meditating on it in your daily life? Describe how you listen and then bear light from taking in what you hear.

10. What do the people around you see in you? What do they hear from you? What did the Lord reveal to you as you asked Him to penetrate any darkness in your heart with His light?

DAY FIVE

11. What similarities do you see between God’s people in the time of Malachi and us today? How have you honored people more than God?

12. Will someone share something they learned about whose voice was being listened to in Question #2?

13. What life changing results are you experiencing from your relationship with Christ?


III. PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR HOMEWORK ACCOUNTABILITY CARDS

IV. PLEASE RECITE YOUR SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSES TOGETHER

V. TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART TIME

We will now focus on taking God’s truth to our hearts and bringing it to life. James 5:16a states; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” And 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Please turn to your Taking the Truth to Heart Review page. We will each have 3 minutes so that every woman will have a chance to share. Please record one another’s confessions on the Taking the Truth to Heart Guide on the following page so you can pray for one another throughout the week. Leaders please set the example by going first.

VI. PLEASE CLOSE IN PRAYER