5 HABITS BIBLE STUDY WEEK 1

Woo Hoo! It’s time to start our new Bible Study on Ruth. Ready to learn 5 habits from a Woman that doesn’t quit? Hope this past week you have prepared yourself for this study through prayer.

This study is designed for 6 weeks, each divided into 5 days of reading and activity. Some of you will do it daily and others all in one day. Either way is right as long as your spend time in the Word, reflections on how it applies or can apply to your life and prayer.

Each day had a “QUIT QUITING VERSE”. Write them to your heart. Post-it notes on your mirrors, In your car, at work are wonderful ways to help.

There is also the Q.U.I.T strategy.

Q- Questions we need to ask and answer.

U- Understanding the Word. Summarizing the readings, characters and words during the week of the story of Ruth. 

I – Into the Promise. There is a promise in every story in Scripture and Ruth is filled with promises of hope.

T- Turn something around. This is another time of reflections to where we need to action and change.

WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK: RUTH 1:1-18

QUIT QUITTING VERSES:

      DAY 1 ROMANS 5:3-4

      DAY 2 ROMAN 8:13

      DAY 3 1 PETER 5:8

      DAY 4 PSALM 34:18

      DAY 5 HEBREWS 10:23

Let get in the Word:

The story of Ruth takes place during the period of the rule of the judges, when the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Hmmmm kinda like this day and time.

Due to a famine, Elimelech decided to take his family to Moab, a country known to be Israel’s enemy and where they worshipped pagan gods. Do you see the first “QUIT” here? The situation was getting hard and instead of asking God what to do and trust God, Elimelech did what “he thought was right in his eyes.”

Famine was often evidence of God’s discipline because His people had sinned against Him. Lev 26:18-20; Deut. 28:15

When trouble comes to our lives we can do one of three things: ENDURE, ESCAPE, or ENLIST. If we only endure our trials, the trials become our master and we have a tendency to become hard and bitter. IF we try to escapes our trials, then we will probably miss the purpose God wants to achieve in our lives. But if we enlist our trial, they become our servant instead of our master and work for us and God will work all things together for our good and His glory. Romans 8:28.

No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, the safest and best place is in the will of God.  Elimelech walked by sight and not by faith. To walk by faith is claiming the promises of God and obeying the Word of God, in spite of what we see, how we feel or what may happen.

Elimelech traveled about 50 miles into pagan (enemy) territory. Bad decision. His sons married the women of Moab. Jews were forbidden to marry Gentile women, especially those from Ammon and Moab. They left Judah to escape from starving to death, yet death followed them to Moab.

We now have 3 widowed women. Naomi heard that the famine had ended “back home” So she decided to return. Luke 15:17 says. there’s always bread enough and to spare when you are in the Father’s will. How sad it is when people only hear of God’s blessings but never experience it, because they are not in the place where God can bless them.

There was almost nothing worse than being a widow in the ancient world. They were taken advantage of or ignored. They were almost always poverty stricken. God’s law however, provided for the widow’s nearest relative to the deceased husband should be the one that cared for the widow.

Naomi’s decision to return to Bethlehem was right but her motives was still about food and furthermore, she didn’t want her daughter-in-laws to go with her. She tried to influence them to return to their land and their false god.

Why do you think she didn’t want them to return with her? Could it be that the women would be living proof that Naomi and her husband had allowed their two sons to marry women from outside the Jewish nation?

Then Naomi blames herself for the sorrow and pain the three women had experienced. Do you think she had been walking with Lord? Sounds almost like a guilty conscious of something she had done that was displeasing to God.

Orpah decided to return to her homeland. QUIT. But Ruth refused to turn around. She had come to know and trust the God of Israel and she wanted to be with His people and dwell in His land.

Ruth confessed her love for her mother-in-law and her desire to stay with her even unto death. Then she confessed her faith in the true and living God and her decision to worship Him.

She was willing to forsake her father and mother in order to cleave to Naomi and the God of her people. Ruth was determined.

Q.U.I.T strategy.

Q – QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK AND ANSWER

     From the assigned reading, Ruth 1:1-18, what are some questions you would like to have answered?

U – UNDERSTANDING THE WORD

     List all 6 characters in this story that we have read this week.

      Lisa at least 4 life-altering events that we saw happening.

I – INTO THE PROMISE

     You studied 5 Quit Quitting Verses this week. Which of these verses did you need the most this week. Write out how it can help you step into God’s promises for your life.

T – TURN SOMETHING AROUND

     Which of these areas did you feel challenged by God this week.:

            Moving too quickly when I don’t see God working

            Leaving because things get hard

            The need to cling tighter to God.

NEXT WEEK WE WILL LEARN OUR FIRST HABIT

A WOMAN WHO DOESN'T QUIT -PRELUDE

           ONE WEEK TO GO!!!

Are you ready to learn not only more about the Bible, but to learn 5 habits to not “QUIT”, from a women who doesn’t quit? I am!!!

If we are honest with ourselves, we all have “QUIT” on something. Sometimes our goal is to “quit”, something that is generally not good for us, physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. And we quit on trying to quit.

I googled the internet on things to quit, some I could picked if I were on the Family Feud, but then some caused be to stop and ponder.  Let me names some obvious ones:

o  Snacking non-stop even when not hungry

o  Spending too much time on the couch watching TV

o  Overspending

o  Smoking

o  Drinking alcohol

Now some not so obvious:

o  Making excuse, doubting yourself, judging others, letting the past define you, being ungrateful

o  Feeling sorry for yourself, being idle, jealous of others, holding grudges, lying, blaming others

o  Letting your past define you, playing the victim, worrying, trying to make everything perfect,

o  Putting your needs on the back burner, trying to compete against others, saying “yes” all the time, thinking money creates value, worrying what others think of you.

It is OK to QUIT, but it is never OK to GIVE UP!

Just start again another day or time, refreshed and renewed. Even God’s mercies are new every day.

Even Scarlett O’Hara had that attitude. You know at the end of Gone With The Wind when Rhett left Scarlett by saying those famous words “Frankly Scarlett, I don’t give……..”

She had finally realized that she loved Rhett instead of Ashley. She had turned her love away from Rhett time after time and he finally had enough. But she said “Tomorrow’s another day”.

God’s Word is full of new beginnings. So we have hope for anything and all things that we quit on. We just start again, tomorrow.

WHY DO WE QUIT?

Maybe because it takes too long to see the final results. Or maybe we were not committed 100% in the task.

In our study we will be evaluating our own personal strengths that make us want to quit. We will cultivate new habits to help us progress toward our goals and reading scriptures will help develop the perseverance that we need.

So in preparation of next week, list the things that you have quitted and would really want to say “Tomorrow’s another day”. Write down the reason that you quit each task.

There is a new task I want everyone to do, can you guess what it is? That’s right complete this Bible study. I will be praying for you all so that the enemy will not interfere with the few moments it takes each week to do the study and I am praying that we all will have insight from this study that will touch us personally.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK

30 DAYS TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 30

DAY 30 THE SILENT TONGUE

A man and wife were feuding and giving each other the silent treatment. One night the realized he needed her to wake him up at an early hours to catch a plane. Not wanting to humble himself and be the first to break the silence, he left her a not to wake him at 5 am. The next morning he awakened to find out that he had overslept by a few hours and had missed the flight. As he leaped out of bed to go angrily to confront his wife, he noticed a piece of paper on the nightstand. The note said “It’s 5am. WAKE UP!

Talking is absolutely essential to maintaining effective relationships. We all have heard the saying “Silence is golden”, but it is NOT golden when one uses it as a passive, retaliatory means of expressing his anger or displeasure with a situation. In fact, such silence is a direct violation of our Lord’s command to confront those who offend us. READ MATTHEW 18:15

Trespassing is an unauthorized crossing of a boundary. Many times we may feel we have been trespassed or wronged, but rather than discussing the issue with the offender, we resort to sulking and pouting. Women are especially prone to keeping silent,

Silence is not golden when we refuse to defend someone against unwarranted criticism or vicious rumors. We cannot let our fear of alienation or rejection cause us to allow slander and character assassination when we are well aware of facts to the contrary.

Silence is not golden when it results in us making an undesirable decision by default. After all, silence can indicated consent. Prayer was taken out of public schools in the US because the majority kept quiet and did not protest. Your silence gives consent to others actions.

A Japanese proverb states, “Silent worms digs holes in the walls.” To keep silent when on should be speaking is a sure way to dig holes in your relationships.

While keeping silent is a virtue in some situations, if we want to be a voice for the voiceless, confront personal issues, and fight for justice, we are required to speak up. The key is to always use our voices for the RIGHT purpose, at the RIGHT time and in the RIGHT manner.

READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

PROVERBS 31:8-9 MATTHEW 18:15    ECCLESIASTES 3: 1,7

1)               Those who have not developed good communication skills or who do not understand the importance of effective confrontation will often resort to the silent treatment. Recall a time when you failed to confront an issue directly and chose to use your silence as a means of retaliation.

2)              Thinks of a situation in which you spoke up on behalf of someone who could not speak for himself. What were the results?

3)              Recall a situation in which your silence implied you were in agreement with a certain course of action that you in fact opposed. What fears kept you from speaking up?

30 DAYS TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 29

DAY 29 THE INDISCREET TONGUE

After the greet flood that destroyed most of the earth, Noah planed a vineyard. One day he got carried away and drank too much wine. His son Ham discovered him in his tent, drunk and naked. (GENESIS 9:22) Exercising more discretion than Ham, his brothers would not even look on their father, but backed into the tent and covered him with a garment. Their discretion was a sign of their maturity.

Discretion in speech is a key indicator of spiritual and emotional maturity. Saying what is appropriate and necessary in a particular situation reflects a person’s wisdom in restraining his tongue.

One who is discreet shows prudence and wise self-restraint in speech and behavior, and always reap a positive consequence. Indirection can be costly. Some subject matters should simply be off limits for discussion. You would be wise to never discuss your salary or bonus, especially with another company personnel. Your sex life should also be off limits as an item of discussion with a non-counseling outsider.

Ham’s indiscretion proved costly for him. When Noah sobered up, he realized his shame and was sobered up, he realized his shame and was sorely displeased with the manner in which Ham had handled the situation. Noah cursed him and doomed his descendants to slavery.

Have you ever found out something about a leader or other prominent person and could NOT refrain from telling someone? If God has trusted you enough to reveal someone’s NAKEDNESS or SIN, have you ever considered that you were NOT to “see” and “tell” BUT rather to cover that nakedness with discretion and intercession?

This nakedness could be family, friends, coworkers and even church members.  At times you may be called to even confront the individual regarding their wrongdoing, just as Nathan confronted David for his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband.

Whatever God mandates, do it HIS WAY. A public revelation is not always necessary as it can cause irreparable damage to the body of Christ. The punishment is God’s business.

If you are called to confront, do so with love and compassion. NO ONE is PERFECT. Remember that.  God may someday show someone YOUR nakedness. Pray that it will be handled with wisdom. Plant the seed of discretion not.

READINGS AND REFLECTION

PROVERBS 25:11   PROVERBS 5:1-2   PROVERBS 16:22

PROVERS 11:22

1)               “Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of a rich man either. A little bird may tell them what you have said”. ECCELESIATES 10:20. Never underestimate the co-workers who is looking for an opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the higher-ups. Have you even been indiscreet in making comments about a superior and suffered the consequences?

2)              What was the most indiscreet conversation you have ever had, and what did you learn as a result?

3)              Have you suffered any negative consequences as a result of someone else’s indiscreet words?

30 DAYS TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 28

DAY 28 THE LOQUACIOUS TONGUE

Have you ever talked to someone who seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth?

On and on they go, from one topic to another.  This issue or problem is known as “loquaciousness”. Just a big word for “motor mouth”.  While women have generally been accused for this use of the tongue, men can be just as guilty.

Excessive talking tends to not glorify God. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians to “study to be quiet”1 THESSALONIANS 4:11 To ‘study’ implies a striving or intense effort.

A person of few words usually commands more attention when they speak. Perhaps this is so because others assume their words have been chosen carefully after much though and deliberations, unlike the words of those who CONSTANTLY spill them out from an apparently unlimited supply source.

If in the midst of your conversation you find yourself veering down the path of loquaciousness, try these quick detours:

A.  Simply stop talking and ask the other person an open-ended question that would cause them to respond with more than a simple yes or no.

B.  Make the talking count. Share an interesting news story you’ve hears or an insight God has given you on a Scripture.

READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

1 THESSALONIANS 4:11  PROVERBS 10:19

PROVERBS 17:27      ECCLESIATES 5:2

1)              According to 1 Peter 3:5, women should adorn themselves with a ‘meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God a great price’ Why do you think a quiet spirit is so valuable.

2)             Excessive talking can have a negative impact on your career and social standing. For sure it can have a detrimental spiritual impact, according to Proverbs 10:19. By exercising a little objectivity, you can judge for yourself whether you talk too much. Consider these few questions:

A.  Would the people in your circle of interaction classify you as a talker or a listener?

B.  In conversations with others, do you talk for more than one to two minutes at the time?

C.  Do you notice signs of loss of interest in what you are saying? (people wandering off, eyes darting to the other side of the room, tapping fingers on the table/desk, etc)

D. Are you likely to provide lots of details in your stories?

E. Do you forget to draw others into your conversation and assume they like hearing you talk?

If you answered yes to at least three of these questions, you might consider developing a new strategy for your interactions.

30 DAY TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 27

DAY 27 THE DOUBTING TONGUE

Doubt is an insidious and persistent enemy of our faith. It is one of Satan’s most effective weapon. No matter what we do, it always manages to find a place in the deep corners of our minds- even if only for a fleeting second. Some have learned to conquer it by forging ahead in spite of its presence and standing on the promise of God. Other heed it and miss their destiny.

If we ever hope to tame a doubting tongue, we must become familiar with the promises of God. Words of doubt come out of an UNBELIEVING heart. Of course, merely knowing the promised of God is not enough; we must become proficient at declaring them. Faith comes by hearing. ROMANS 10:17

The more we declare our unbelief, the more reinforced it becomes. The more we assert our confidence in a positive outcome, the more our faith increases. Because we will believe what we constantly hear, we must take personal responsibility for WHAT we hear.  We may have to limit or eliminate our contact with individuals who ten to express negativity about various outcomes, goals or results we desire.

Often our words of doubt originate out of our tendency to act in self-confidence. Self-confidence is a concept touted by the world that tells us we must rely on our own skills and abilities. When we face a challenge and quickly assess our OWN ability to conquer it, we will most likely come up short and doubt.

If the spirit of unbelief plagues you, get a good study Bible and search the Scriptures for verses relating to your areas of concern. Write it down. Meditate on it, often. Memorize it.

What do you find yourself speaking about in a doubtful way? Is it a task for which you feel inadequate? A situation at work? The hopeless of forging an amicable relationship with a difficult person? Perhaps you have even resorted to being a Doubting Thomas, who only believe that he could touch.

God’s children are to live by FAITH, IN GOD. We cannot afford to live in the realm of what we can see and touch. Our doubts can deter our destiny.

Our attitudes and conversations will change when we face the reality that apart from God WE CAN DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Decide today to skip the skepticism, doubt the doubts and believe the best.

READING AND REFLECTIONS

HEBREW 11:6     JEREMIAH 32:27       EPHESIANS 3:20-21

JAMES 1:6-8

1)              What had been the biggest hurdle you have overcome in unbelief in a particular area? What did you do to achieve your victory?

2)             Matthew 21:22 says “ All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. What need are you having difficulty putting into the “whatsoever” category? Why? Could it be that you are exalting the problem about the power of God?

3)             Many times godly people have doubts but have learned how to run to God for assurance and strength. Read the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. What was his first reaction (verse 3) when he learned that three strong armies were coming against him and his people?  What two things did he do next? Do you regularly employ these strategies?

30 DAYS TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 26

DAY 26 THE DISCOURAGING TONGUE

Have you ever dampened someone’s hope, confidence or enthusiasm by raising objections to his proposed action?  Teachers have dashed the dreams of students who had mediocre grades or other shortcomings.

Discouragement has wreaked havoc for ages. Consider the Israelites and their quest for the Promise Land. Right at the brink of reaching their destination, Moses sent Joshua and Caleb along with ten other leaders on a 40 day exploration of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey that God had promised them. There they saw everything in extreme abundance. Not only were the fruits in abundance, it took two men to carry a cluster of grapes. They also found giant-size men. They reported back to Moses and the multitude, Joshua and Caleb encouraged the Israelites to proceed to conquer the land. Their cohorts, however had a different perspective. READ NUMBERS 13:31-33

Despite all of the miracles that they had witnessed God perform on their behalf, the multitude believed the discouraging report.

The ten scouts were struck dead with a plague for spreading discouraging reports. God also forced the ENTIRE multitude to turn back to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.  Further God forbade all of those, except Joshua and Caleb, from entering the Promised Land. The discouraging words of ten men caused thousands of men and women to miss their inheritance.

What about you? When you see others faced with negative circumstances, do you lose hope in their ability to succeed? Can you listen to someone’s dreams and plans without making disheartening remarks?

Even if you cannot envision the dreams of another, at least agree to stand in faith with them for God’s perfect will to be done regarding the proposed endeavor. Think of the people who have encouraged you during your lifetime and what a positive effect their words had on you. This world is overflowing with negativity everywhere you look. Everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time. Make a conscious effort to always speak sincere words of affirmation, support and inspiration to those within your circle of concern

Words of encouragement can make winners out of people who maybe have thought they were failures. Woe unto us when we have the power to speak words of motivation and hope but choose rather to destroy a person’s confidence and dreams with discouraging words.

If you are confronted by a discourager, do not let him derail your destiny. Very graciously let them know your eyes are fixed on God, who specializes in doing the impossible. Better yet, be highly selective of those with who you share your dreams.

Encourage others on a daily basis by:

          Taking authority over your own negativity so it does not impact others.

          Listen to the plans of others with genuine interest

          Share faith-building Scripture verse with them

          Agree in prayer with them for their success

          Express your confidence in their abilities

          Give sincere and specific compliments

          Reiterate your love and support

READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

PROVERBS 12:25  1 THESSALONIANS 5:14       ACTS 15:32

1)               Are you words as refreshing as the rain or are they more like a wet blanket that smothers the hopes of others? Do you make it a habit to given an approving smile to those who are pursuing a certain goal?

2)              What person has been your biggest cheerleader? How have they impacted your life?

3)              Have you ever abandoned a dream or course of action because of someone’s discouraging words, and later regretted your decision to do so?