LESSON SUMMARY

We too, like Noah, Moses, David, and Daniel, can accomplish great and unimaginable feats as we follow God by faith, trusting in His wisdom and power. By hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we will grow into mighty warriors and witness the giants of fear, worry, and anger fall as we wield the word of truth. When we see and come to know Jesus, we see our poverty, our need, and our weakness. That is the beginning of an entirely new life with Christ! By faith we are then trained, equipped, and made more like Christ as we walk down the corridor of the Beatitudes. We will discover that by coming up under their instruction, we will be transformed.

DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL USE

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. Where would a woman get what she needs to live the life described in the first paragraph of the Day One devotion? How do we follow the path of the Beatitudes?

DAY TWO

2. What do you hunger and thirst after? Do you believe the Lord can cause you to hunger and thirst after Him more than anything in this world?

3. From reading Psalm 119 and Psalm 19:7-14, what did you note about the psalmist’s thought life and focus?

DAY THREE

4. What does God do when you make the same mistake over and over again? What does His word say? What is your response when your child does the same thing wrong for the umpteenth time?

5. What do you think it means to be merciful? Will someone share what it was like when somebody showed you mercy?

6. How do the Beatitudes relate? What observations did you make?

7. What is mercy? Have you experienced God’s mercy? What does mercy look like when you are interacting with others?

DAY FOUR

8. What do you think it means to have a pure heart?

9. What does Psalm 24 say about the one who may ascend the hill of the Lord? What is provided if we have a pure heart? What is the way to a pure heart?

10. Read James 1:6-8 and James 4:8.  What is holding you back?

11. What did you learn about holiness and purity from reading the scriptures in the Going Deeper section?

DAY FIVE

12. What is Jesus saying about peacemakers in Matthew 5:9? Why do you think He says that those who are peacemakers shall be called the sons of God?

13. Do you consider yourself a peacemaker? What did you learn from asking a friend or family member?

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