Welcome, my Heart Sisters to what is sure to become one of your favorite Bible studies of all time! From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Bible points to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of us have heard stories of Jesus from our childhood, but what a thrill as grown women to dive deeply and intimately into the life, the character, the miracles, the teachings, and the purpose of the one and only Christ, the Son of God, Jesus! I want to know Him and love Him with every fiber of my being! How about you?
We begin our study by setting the stage between the Old and New Testaments and seeing what the culture and the mindset was like in Israel at the appearing of the Messiah. There had basically been 400 years of silence, or a famine of God’s Word between Malachi and Matthew. Had God abandoned Israel? Why did He seem to stand idly by when Israel had gone through such a treacherous history during those years? The answer can be found in Zechariah and Amos…
“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. Zechariah 7:11-12 NIV
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord,
“when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
People will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
but they will not find it. Amos 8:11-12 NIV
God had repeatedly warned Israel from the beginning and for centuries that as long as they listened to Him and obeyed, they would walk in His blessings and provision. However, if the did not, they faced dangerous consequences. Unfortunately, they continued a cycle of rebellion and idolatry, oppression, repentance, crying out to God, deliverance, faithfulness for a time, and then back to idolatry and oppression again. This cycle repeated over and over and over again! Eventually, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and exiled as a result of their disobedience and stubbornness, and Judah soon followed.
In time, a remnant returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple and the city, but the cycle of rebellion still continued. During this time, they turned a deaf ear to God and refused to listen to His loving correction or His warnings of the consequences of their sin. They commanded the prophets to be silent, and eventually, God gave them what they wanted – silence!
However, God never abandoned them. Numerous times in Scripture, God used seasons of famine and war to bring about a hunger and a turning of the heart toward Him. This is often what it took to get Isreal’s attention. As they had pushed God away, He was in the midst of preparing for the Promise of a lifetime!
During this 400 years of silence, Israel experienced some of the darkest and most humiliating moments in their history. For one, Alexander the Great began his conquest of most of the civilized world. He is the one who established the practice of crucifixion on the cross.
Another pivotal moment in their history is that the Jews living in Alexandria around 250 BC translated the Pentateuch, or the Jewish Law into the Greek language.
Probably the most abominable of events was when Antiochus IV abolished all sacrifices and banned obedience to the Jewish Law. He then stole the treasures of their temple and slaughtered swine on the holy altar. Nothing could have been more disgraceful or horrifying to the Jews! The persecution at that time was unbearable! To add to the horror, Herod the Great became emperor, and Rome ruled over Israel with an iron fist. He became known as “King of the Jews.”
Where was God when all of this was happening? Yes, He continued to be silent and seemingly hands off. However, God had the perfect time set for the coming of His Son, the Word made flesh, who would set in motion the events that would redeem all of mankind!
But when the set time had fully come,God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5 NIV
And that is where we pick up on Day 1 of our study of Jesus the One and Only. After 400 years of silence, it is time for God to speak. He sends Gabriel to give the news to Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would give birth to a son, John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner to the Messiah. He would “prepare the way for the Lord!”
Now, let’s dive into the first chapters of Luke and refresh our minds and hearts with the Christmas story. Yes, we are having Christmas in July at Heart to Heart!
As you begin your study, plan to spend about 30-45 minutes per day in personal study. This first week of small groups is merely an introduction to prepare our hearts for the study and to get to know each other. You do not have to have any homework done for this week. However, you will be studying the first five lessons in Week 1 this week, and we will discuss it next week. Then next week, as we are discussing Week 1, you will be working on the lessons in Week 2. It will continuously overlap in that pattern.
Most of the questions in our small groups will come from the Principle Questions you will see at the beginning of each week, and Personal Discussion Questions you will see throughout the daily study. You will recognize these by the small dove posted next to the question.
Please plan to attend small groups even if you have not completed the work. Don’t miss out on the fellowship, the encouragement, the prayer, the practical application, and the deeper insights we glean from each other each week!
Here are the discussion questions we will be using for our introductory small groups this week:
Introductory Discussion Questions
ICE BREAKER: Tell us where you are from and answer this question: What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
QUESTION 1: What do you hope to gain from this study and our time together?
QUESTION 2: Think about the miracles and teachings you have read about Jesus. Which would you have most liked to witness first-hand, and why?
QUESTION 3: If you could have an afternoon alone with Jesus, face to face, what would you ask Him?
QUESTION 4: What time and where do you plan to do your daily Bible study?
QUESTION 5: Do you have any questions for us? Or, do you have any words of advice for new members?
Homework for the Week
- Read the introduction in the study book, pp. 6-7.
- Work on the five days of homework from week 1: “The Word Made Flesh,” on pp. 9 – 31.
- (Optional) View Beth Moore’s video. (This is not required because of the cost. The study can be completed without the videos.) Here is a link to the viewer guides with the answers if you are unable to view the videos.
- Attend a small group meeting in our Heart to Heart Facebook group.
- Pray a prayer of commitment as you begin this study and pray for your Heart to Heart sisters.
- BONUS: I will provide some teaching videos, but not every week. I will post these in the Facebook group as they are available.
How Does This Work?
- If you haven’t yet, register here.
- Purchase the Bible study book, Jesus the One and Only, by Beth Moore.
I would love it if you call the LifeWay store in Macon, GA, where I work, and order the study book from there. They will send it directly to you, anywhere in the continental US. It will come just as quickly as it does through our .com site, and the shipping fee is the same. Call 478-405-0428, and be sure to tell them “Sharon Lewis” sent you!
You may also order from the following links:
- Optional: I also recommend the book, Christ Chronological. It is all four Gospels written in parallel columns and in historical order so you can compare the Gospels side by side. I love it! This is also available at LifeWay.
- Subscribe to this site to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address in the field to the right, and then click the subscribe button.
- Join our closed Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for weekly interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. Closed means that no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
- Small Groups: Here is the small group schedule. There will also be a schedule for small groups pinned to the top of the Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study. All you need to do is show up at the scheduled day and time, and the discussion will take place underneath the group photo.
- Follow my ministry page on Facebook, Shari Lewis Ministries, to stay up-to-date on ministry events and for daily prayers, nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your life, photos that you are welcome to share, and faith building blog posts to strengthen you in your walk with Christ.
Have a blessed week of study, and I look forward to seeing you in a small group!
God bless!
