In His Word Bible Study

I first felt God's tug on my heart to serve Him in full time ministry when I was in jr. high school. Not really knowing or understanding what that would look like, I went about my days doing what most 12, 13, and 14 year old girls do- worry about their hair, talk on the phone, and pass notes during Science class.

The Lord continued to pull at my heart strings and confirmed this "calling" of service to Him through a message my dad preached one spring morning in a little country church. My thoughts on this "calling" thing were that I would end up in Africa as a missionary serving the Masai people group. God had other ideas and Africa has not ended up being the people group I would serve for my lifetime.

Having been a woman who spent many of her teen years searching for her identity in bad relationship after bad relationship and doing whatever was needed to please those around her; and having been a woman who married a man because of lust and not love; and having been a women who carried into said marriage much baggage, both emotional and physical; and having been a woman who wanted to be the greatest mom in the world but who just couldn't seem to connect with her kids; and having been a woman who wanted so badly to please God in all she did but seemed to fail every time she turned around; and having been a woman who desired to know God's Word inside and out, but couldn't get that Word from her head to her heart; having been that woman and so, so much more, I knew my calling was not to the Masai people in Africa, but rather to the women around me.

God has given me more opportunities than I could have ever imagined to serve Him and various women's groups through one-on-one mentoring, women's conferences and retreats, group Bible studies, and different writing venues. I have cherished each and everyone of these moments of service, but deep in my heart, I longed for more. It wasn't a selfish longing, but a longing, a passion, a vision God had planted deep within my soul for something greater than myself. The time has come for that vision to be carried out.

I have come to realize that there is so much more to Bible Study than just Bible study. Jesus didn't leave His throne in heaven just to gather around a table and do book study after book study. Yes, He taught the Word and He taught it with much authority, but He also went to where the people were. Jesus went to the sick; He went to the lost; He went to the hurting and the oppressed and the weak. He went to the lame and the blind and the leper. Fear of disease didn't stop Him. Fear of offending others didn't stop Him. Racial lines, political lines, social lines didn't keep Him from doing the work He was called to do. Jesus was called to redeem a sinful people and in order to do that, He had to go where they were.

When Jesus commissioned His disciples, He didn't commission them for the sole purpose of gathering individuals in the church to go through the top ten book studies on the market. Jesus commissioned them to GO into all the world, to MAKE disciples of all nations

For over a year now my heart's desire has been to not only be used by God to aid in the equipping of believers who will impact the world for Him, but also provide them specific opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus. In the past I have tried make this thing work, but up until now the doors have only been slammed shut in my face by God.

But now, in this very moment in time, God, in His infinite wisdom, knowing this was the exact time for His vision to be fleshed out, has opened the doors and In His Word Bible Study has been born.

In His Word Bible Study shares in the mission of By His Grace Ministry which is to:

~reach the lost,

~equip the believer, and

~unite Christians to impact individuals, families, churches, and communities for the rebuilding of lives from the inside out all for the glory of the Lord God Almighty.

How do we plan on doing this? Glad you asked. We meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month as a group to study the Word. The Lord has blessed us with 26 women who are hungry to know Him more. Currently we are studying through Kay Arthur's book, Lord I need Grace to Make it Today. On our service project calendar right now there are several community projects we'll be a part of- helping our local crisis pregnancy center with their annual fundraising banquet, wrapping gifts for the Duke Ronald McDonald house, and Operation Christmas child just to name a few.

Excitement just doesn't seem to be a big enough word to portray how I'm feeling right about now. I am truly humbled, beyond blessed, absolutely amazed, completely dumbfounded, and totally siked to be used by the Lord in this way. I am trusting in my God who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think, according to the power that works within me, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ to all generations forever and ever. Amen and Amen! (Ephesians 3:20-21, NASB)

If you happen to be in the local area and would like to join us, "Come on, sister! We'd LOVE to have you!!!"

If you'd like to keep up with what In His Word Bible Study is doing, you can join our Facebook group or just simply keep your eyes on By His Grace Ministry for updates and special event listings.

If you feel God tugging at your heart strings, calling you to do something bigger than yourself and you'd like to "talk it through" with someone or if you'd like to hear how we developed our team and got started with In His Word Bible Study, you can contact me HERE. I'd love to chat with you, pray with you, and help you out in anyway that I can.

Be blessed today dear sister. And, do that thang God has called you to!!!!