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GROUP STUDY
“Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman.” ~ Tammy Wynette
Welcome!
Welcome to Session One of Captivating. If this is your first time together as a group or there are new members in your group, take a moment to introduce yourselves to one another before watching the video. We suggest you simply share your name, some brief details about your life, and what has moved you to join this study. Then, let’s get started!
Core Scripture
Look up Proverbs 4:23 and write it in the space below.
Invite several women to read various translations of the passage aloud. Listen for fresh insights and share any thoughts about this verse with the group.
VIDEO
Watch the video segment for Session One. This summary is provided for your benefit as well as space to take additional notes.
Summary
This is a study of discovery. A journey, really. For you to discover who God meant when He meant you.
What does it mean to be a woman? What is my calling in life? What does God value? What does He want from me? What do I want? And is that okay?
We are not carbon copies of each other. Not at all. God loves diversity and He has fashioned each one of us uniquely and well. But it is a very good thing to know that we are not alone on this journey of life; we have much more in common with each other — simply because we are women — than we don’t. We share more than most of us realize.
For instance, we have a feminine heart. We have to start there, because as the Scriptures tell us, the heart is the center of it all.
Think about it: God created you as a woman.
God created man in His own image… male and female He created them. — Genesis 1:27
Whatever it means to bear God’s image, you do so as a woman. Female. That’s how and where you bear His image. And not in your body. The Trinity does not have a body. No, you bear God’s image in your heart.
Your feminine heart has been created with the greatest of all possible dignities — as a reflection of God’s own heart. You are a woman to your soul, to the very core of your being. And so the journey to discover what God meant when He created woman in His image — when He created you as His woman — that journey begins with your heart. Another way of saying this is that the journey begins with desire.
The stories we love reveal much of the secret desires of our deep hearts. If you take a close look, talk with the women in your life, you’ll find that we share themes in our core desires. They are not all that we want and they play out differently in our lives, but in her heart of hearts, every woman longs to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a heroic adventure and to unveil beauty.
It is right that we do, for it is in these desires that we bear the image of our God.
GROUP DISCUSSION
Choose the questions that work best for your group.
- Could you relate to the stories and struggles the women shared with each other? Why or why not?
- What was evoked for you during this session? Did it surprise you? Share your initial thoughts briefly with one another.
- Stasi says that your heart is the most important thing about you. Is this a new thought to you? What is your response to that statement?
- How has your heart been valued in your life? Have you valued it as the treasure it is?
- Which of the three core longings of a woman’s heart do you struggle with most? What is it about that one that you push against?
- Name one of your favorite movies or stories below. How does it highlight the core longings of a woman’s heart?
- In what area do you feel you’ve most lost heart? Do you feel it is possible to get it back? Why or why not?
Closing Prayer
Leader or volunteer, close your group time in prayer:
Dearest Father,
I consecrate this book and this study to Your Kingdom and Your purposes in my life. I want my whole heart back, Jesus. I want to be a woman who loves You with all of it. I give You permission to come for me in the places I need You to. Reveal to me more of who You really are and who I really am to You. I want to know You more deeply and love You more truly. Come for me. Instruct me. Guide me. Awaken me. Thank You, God. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Recommended Reading
Before your group gathers for the next session, read Chapter 2 (Created Eve / Fallen Eve) in the book Captivating. Write any key points or questions you want to bring to the next group meeting.
Join us for the Captivating online Bible study September 20th – October 31st. Sign up today!
