This week's focus is on men. Depending on the woman, you may be saying... "ahhh... what does a chapter on MEN have to do with ME?" or some may be curious, excited to study further... Wherever you are at, I pray you are open to God speaking to you through this focus before we journey further into other chapters.
Pastor John Piper is quoted as saying: "The depreciation of male and female personhood is a great loss. It is taking a tremendous toll on generations of young men and women who do not know what it means to be a man or a woman." Our vision is the Restoration of Women here at WJOF and we know that the restoration of both genders go hand in hand and it is crucial we know what Jesus came to restore men to...
One of my favourite photos and summertime memories is when my husband Tim and I went ziptrecking in the mountains of Whistler B.C. He always encourages me to go out of my comfort zone when on holidays or at conferences and I am so glad he does! I am a "strong woman", yet he cares for my safety and protection and I like having him take the lead in many instances (including going first down the zip line!) With our helmets in place and our gear all strapped on, I felt safe and secure as we rode the lines together with our crew. Reminds me of the security we have in Christ when we follow His design for protection and provision. Tim and I are both created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), we both have unique gifts as husband and wife, man and woman- and yet there are distinct differences and strengths/ weaknesses we "bring to the table." I know deeply that women and men are pretty confused with their roles and relationships, churches and marriages are suffering as a result across the nations. Jesus came to restore us all spiritually, emotionally, relationally and physically... As I journey along in my imperfections yet seeking to live by faith, I see God restoring me and my husband as we seek His will for our relationship and not our own selfish independent ways...
"But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8
Not only is this week's lesson helpful for marriage relationships, but also for the way we engage in other relationships as father/daughter, sister/brother, pastors/friends/coworkers... Why all the pain in the world? Men (or women) are NOT our enemy... Satan is our enemy and he wants to destroy God's plans for restoration and is working overtime doing just that in our world. The more we realize that ALL have sinned and that we've ALL fall short of the glory of God the better. Sadly, there is so much discord in male/ female relationships, we tend to play the blame game. We blame God, we blame each other and then the true enemy of our souls has us just where he wants us... (more on that in upcoming lessons "Snake in my Garden and Battle of the Sexes",... I appreciate this week's teaching- I pray you do to! It's balanced and filled with God's transformational truth to help us understand more fully why God made men- Men! That way, we can pray, encourage, (have boundaries when needed) and trust Christ to do the restoration work in their lives as we too find grace for the journey!
"We know little boys aren’t really made of “snips and snails and puppy dog tails,” but what are guys really made of? After completing week two in your True Woman 101 book, watch this twenty-minute conversation between authors Nancy Leigh De Moss, Mary Kassian, and their friends as they discuss that if we want to understand what God has in mind for us as women, we need to first take a look at what He has in mind for men." -True Woman 101
Here is Mary and Nancy on their "Table Talk" with their crew as they discuss this lesson: "Snips and Snails"- Enjoy:)
Key verses in this week's study: Genesis 2:7-8, Isaiah 64:8, Psalm 139:14-16, Genesis 2:15, Ephesians 5:28-29, Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 2:20-22, 1 Corinthians 11:8-10, Ephesians 5:23-25, Mark 10:42-45,
Here's a link to the Discussion questions from Week 2 on Snips and Snails! You can use this as a place to ponder the concepts in the study if you are simply watching the video solo this summer or going deeper in this study with the workbook!
Here is yet another fabulous teaching from Mary Kassian, our keynote speaker for Wisdom who talks about the "Genesis of Gender" from a previous conference:
*What do you think? Do you think God's design for men benefits or harms women? Where are you seeing the dire need for men to "man up" in your world? As we know we can't change people, only God can! But what then is our role as we seek God's heart for restoring men? We'd love to hear from you!
"God created men to image the relationship of Christ to the church and this has significant implications for male-female relationships." -TW101
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