Maadi Women's Bible Study

1. Genesis 12-40 The Rest of the Story (Intro)

Notes and Questions

1. Take a few minutes and look at your own life as a narrative arc. Sketch out some of your meta narrative (joys and pains, ) can you see God’s faithfulness as the red thread connecting it all together? Sometimes it’s hard to see what it all means, but this “evil turned to good” theme will start to sink in and give you hope that even your own failures will not get the last word in God’s story for you.” 

10. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch.3:18-4:1)

Questions

Colossians 3:18-4:1

1. What are some examples of the negative connotations associated with the word “submit”?

2. Because of these negative connotations on a societal level, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable using the word “submit,” even though it’s a biblical word. But rather than swap out the word for something else, I think the best way to recover the concept is with faithful practice, coupled with helpful synonyms. Now, imagine for a moment that you’re talking to a non-Christian friend, and your friend says, “Hey, I’m interested in Christianity. But this whole “wives submit” bit is ridiculous. I don’t get it.”

How would you explain the meaning to your friend? What kind of stories or illustrations might you use? What examples might you use from your own marriage?

3. A main idea in the book of Colossians is the superiority and preeminence of Jesus. The book teaches that only when Jesus is supreme over the details of everyday life and relationships that they are transformed from burdens to gifts, from drudgery to freedom. Apart from Jesus, the temptation in every relational context is make it about “me.”

Why do you think making every relational context about yourself ultimately becomes a burden?

How does reconnecting the details of our relationships to the supremacy of Jesus infuse them with meaning? What difference does it make? Why do you think such reconnecting is so important?

9. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch.3:1-17)

Colossians 3:1-17

Questions

1. Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What is a heart tie or treasure that you struggle to release and get a heavenly perspective on?
2. Discuss the struggle and challenges of dealing with your own failure and the failure of others to fully live into our new identity. How do we pursue something and yet graciously love and forgive and accept the weakness and frailty of our own living and those around us?
3. Looking closely at verse 11, it seems like an odd inclusion at this point  yet obviously relevant to the time and situation of the church at Colossia. Is it relevant to our times? How does our constant thinking of heaven and our new identity help us with judgmental thoughts about people of other races or socio economic status?

8. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch.2:16-2

Notes and Discussion Questions

Read Acts 15:1-29, Mark 7:1-23  

What stays? What goes?  Why?

Questions:

1. What is so attractive about rule-keeping? Why do you think it's so ingrained in us?

2. Read Matthew 5:17-19.  How did Jesus understand His relationship to the law?

3. What aspects of legalism do you think you have been prone to in your Christian life? What truth about how God relates to us has helped you resist the pull of legalism?

7.Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch.2:1-16)

Lets begin by taking a few minutes and look at the passage on your own.

- circle repeated words, phrases

- underline key words or ideas that you feel the writer is calling 

emphasis to.

- take notice of grammar and tense that is being used

Questions

1. How do you reconcile or work out your responsibility or role in what God is saying is his responsibility?
2. It was highlighted that the work of Christ on the cross plays out or applies at 3 levels personal salvation, corporate (the body) debt forgiveness, and victory in the cosmic realm over the forces of evil. Which one do you tend to think of most often? How are all three levels connected?

3.   Give some examples of philosophies and current trends of thought

      that are likely influenced by elementary spiritual forces.

6. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch.1:24 Filling Up What is Lacking)

Pre- lesson Question

As you look back at your “come to Jesus story” how significant was the suffering that Jesus endured, to your story and understanding?

1. Do you think you have ever suffered in some capacity (physically, emotionally, relationally) because of your relationship with Christ?
2. What do your prayers say about your truest thoughts on suffering and trails?
3. Do you think all suffering counts as redemptive? 

5. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch. 1:20-23)

Questions

1. How do you understand what Paul is teaching when he writes that we will be presented without blemish and free from accusation ‘if’ we continue in our faith?
2. What do you think Paul means by having the ministry of reconciliation?
3. What would this look like in practice in your life?

4. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward

	Orthodoxy (Right Belief)	Pushing Back	Pushing Onward
Image of the invisible God   God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him
For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers of rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ...the firstborn over all creation.
And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Questions

1. In what ways does the supremacy of Christ challenge your worldview or personal experience?

2. What in your life needs to change to be brought back under the authority of Jesus?

3. How can you rest in the significance and security that an understanding of the supremacy of Jesus brings?

3. Colossians Pushing Back and Pushing Forward (ch.1:13-14)

1. What is your gut response when we talk about the spiritual realm in this fashion?
2. v. 12 speaks of God strengthening you with power according to his glorious might… How do you understand his effort at “strengthening you?” 
3. How can gratitude be a sufficient weapon against the dark evil which surrounds you? 
4. How can we keep a proper perspective toward the world? 
5. What is an application that you can make from today’s teaching to your life and journey?

2. Colossians Pushing Forward and Pushing Back (ch.1:9-14)

Questions

1. What can your prayer life learn from the prayer that Paul has for those for whom he feels spiritually responsible?
2. How does one go about determining what it looks like to walk “in a manner worthy of the Lord…?” How can this be understood in such a way as to not lead to critical self condemnation or outward judging of others?
3. Before praying for one another take some time to sit quietly and ask God for wisdom and insight into how to pray for another lady in your group.