Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts
Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts
Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts
Ebook390 pages4 hours

Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

From the time we’re little girls, we long to be loved and accepted—from the playground to the lunchroom to the places where we live and work as grown women. We do our best to prove we’re lovable and to avoid being left all alone. But the truth is that it’s impossible to walk through life without experiencing the pain and loneliness of betrayal, shame, guilt, loss, judgment, or rejection. These wounds can shape our views of ourselves, others, and God and even make us question if we are worthy of love and acceptance. Whether old or new, our heartache can convince us there’s no one who understands or cares. Yet Jesus tells us a different story, promising us that we are never alone.

In this six-week study, Tiffany Bluhm reveals the depth and healing power of Jesus’ unconditional love for us through a refreshing look at encounters He had with six shame-filled, hurting women in the Gospels: the woman caught in adultery, the hemorrhaging woman, the woman at the well, the woman who anointed Him, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Each life-changing encounter reveals a compassionate Redeemer who offers hope, second chances, and grace-giving love—helping us to recognize and embrace our own incredible value as well as our indispensable role in the Kingdom. With powerful teaching and authentic sharing from her own life and the lives of others, Tiffany invites us to find healing for our deepest hurts as we experience the unfailing companionship of Jesus—the Rescuer and Redeemer of broken lives and wounded hearts.  

The participant workbook includes 5 lessons for each week with space for recording reflections and answers.

Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 6, 2018
ISBN9781501845833
Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: 6 Encounters with Jesus to Heal Your Deepest Hurts
Author

Tiffany Bluhm

Tiffany Bluhm, author of the She Dreams and Never Alone books and Bible studies, is a speaker and writer who is passionate about helping women come to know their value and purpose because of a loving, redeeming God. In a style that speaks to women right where they are, she shares insights from a life spent chasing after Jesus while walking alongside women from suburbia to the inner city, jails and brothels, and the slums of Kolkata. Bluhm speaks regularly at conferences and events nationally and internationally and writes for a number of websites, print publications, and popular blogs, including the YouVersion Bible app, Deeply Rooted Magazine, and ScaryMommy.com. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and two sons, and blogs at TiffanyBluhm.com.

Read more from Tiffany Bluhm

Related to Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook

Related ebooks

Christianity For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Never Alone - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook - Tiffany Bluhm

    Introduction

    I from the time we’re little girls, we long to be loved and accepted—from the playground to the lunchroom to the places where we live and work as grown women. We spend our lives doing our best to prove we are lovable and to avoid being left all alone. For many of us, one of our greatest fears is that we will be left to our solitary selves to fight the hardest battles of our lives.

    The truth is that it’s impossible to walk through life without experiencing the pain and loneliness of betrayal, shame, guilt, loss, judgment, or rejection. These wounds can shape our views of ourselves, others, and God and even make us question if we are worthy of love and acceptance. Our heartache, whether old or new, can chip away at who we are created to be—women of worth, value, and dignity—convincing us there’s no one who understands or cares. No one to dress our wounds and wipe our tears. Yet Jesus tells us a different story, promising us that we are never alone. It’s a story of beauty, hope, grace, and divine companionship—and it is our destiny. The Redeemer of broken lives and wounded hearts longs to heal our deepest hurts and satisfy us with His unfailing love and presence—regardless of our pasts.

    If this seems too good to be true, consider the women in the Gospels who encountered Jesus. To them He was the most revolutionary gentleman, breaking cultural norms as He not only engaged with them but actually lifted them up. Even the most bedraggled, shame-filled women were restored to a place of purpose and influence as He spoke life into their present situations and their futures, offering hope, second chances, and grace-giving love. His plans for them were good—and far superior to any plans of their own.

    The same Lord who healed the hearts of harlots, beggars, and outcasts longs to do the same for you and me. He’s patient and kind, strong and brave. We may test His limits, doubt His trustworthiness, or even walk away from Him, but He is always faithful and good to us. No matter what. Though we may mistake our own questions and doubts for His absence, the truth is that we can never escape His presence or His love. We do not possess that kind of power. Without a doubt, life is hard; but our Sovereign Savior is always near. Whether in times of tears or bouts of laughter, He is near. Whether in singing or silence, He is near. And as season after season brings both unforeseen misery and fresh mercy, the Good Lord promises to walk with us, bringing healing and wholeness and abundant life.

    In this six-week study, we will discover the healing power of Jesus’ unconditional love for us as we explore six encounters He had with hurting women in the Gospels:

    •the woman caught in adultery

    •the hemorrhaging woman

    •the woman at the well

    •the woman who anointed Jesus

    •Mary Magdalene

    •Mary, the Mother of Jesus

    These life-changing encounters, as well as the stories and experiences that we will share together, will help us to recognize and embrace our incredible value and our indispensable roles in the Kingdom. As we study, share, and pray together, it is my prayer that we will find healing for our deepest hurts, experience the unfailing companionship of Jesus as never before, and embrace the sacred truth that we are never alone!

    Getting Started

    For each week of our study you’ll find five readings that include the following segments:

    In the margins you’ll find some Extra Insights, Scripture verses, and highlights. You will be able to complete each lesson in about 20–30 minutes. These lessons will help to prepare you for the discussion and activities of the weekly group session, where you will gather with your group to watch a video and discuss what you are learning together. I encourage you to share with one another how God is working to bring healing in your own hearts and lives, which will enable you to see God’s activity even more clearly and be able to encourage and pray for one another.

    I pray that as you dig into these six encounters, you’ll find the life-giving words our loving Savior spoke over two thousand years ago to be challenging, uplifting, and redeeming in your own life today. Jesus is the only One who can heal your heart and lead you into the fullness of God. He is the One for whom your soul longs. When you feel that you have nothing left to give and no one to turn to, He will be by your side because you, my friend, are never alone!

    Tiffany

    Week 1

    Unashamed and Free

    Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery

    John 8:1-11

    DAY 1: SCANDALOUS

    Read God’s Word

    ¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. ³The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst ⁴they said to him, Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. ⁵Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? ⁶This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. ⁸And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ¹¹She said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.

    (John 8:1-11)

    What characteristics do you discover about Jesus from this passage?

    Extra Insight

    Despite the systems of first-century Jerusalem, which oppressed slaves, women, and minorities, Jesus spoke with dignity, respect, and love to those the world considered less than reputable. He was especially countercultural in His conversations with women. One source notes that He spoke to women directly, instead of through their male-headship standards and contrary to the order of the day.¹

    Reflect and Respond

    As women, we seem to be hardwired with a longing to know that we are loved and accepted—to know that we are not alone in this world but are valued and treasured for who we are. Regardless of our age, race, background, or circumstances, we all hunger for the safety and security that come from being fully known in healthy relationship. Whether or not we’re aware of it, we crave this kind of love because we were created for it. God placed within each of us a deep desire for unconditional love that can be fully and completely satisfied only by Him. Yet as the song says, so often we look for love in all the wrong places.

    That’s why I’ve chosen to begin our journey with the story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery, because beneath her act we see a woman who longed to be loved and accepted just like you and me. Throughout my own life, nothing has marked my days more than looking for love. And like the rejected and ashamed woman caught in adultery, I’ve looked for it in the wrong places—from people, things, and situations. I’ve been ashamed of my thoughts or actions only to be found by Jesus. And I’ve discovered that the love I went looking for was available all along—all in Jesus—just as this woman discovered.

    Here in John 8 we find this scandalous story of grace—unconditional love awarded in an extremely high-stakes situation. Jesus, neck deep in fulltime ministry, made His way to the temple in the early morning. As He taught those who gathered to hear His message of hope and truth, the chief priests and Pharisees planned and plotted to trap Him in His tracks.

    Their bait was a woman caught in adultery. We don’t know if they discovered her the night before as she engaged with a man who wasn’t her husband or if they found her early in the morning, but they had no remorse making a spectacle at her expense. While the Law of Moses demanded that both the man and woman be stoned to death for such actions, we see only the woman on display.

    What does the fact that they brought only the woman reveal about their true intent?

    How do you imagine this woman felt as she stood before Jesus and her accusers?

    It was the woman alone who was shamed for the choice to commit adultery. No doubt she already had faulty beliefs about her own value. We don’t know what her life was like growing up or how she ended up in the situation she did. Yet there she was, her sin bare before all—bare before Christ.

    The Pharisees and scribes had set a trap for Jesus. This unsuspecting woman would be the bait to catch Him in front of everyone. They hoped to use His reaction as evidence of His insubordination to the laws of the day. They were familiar with His acts of mercy and kindness. If He were to show such tenderness, they would catch Him breaking the law. They also were familiar with His judgment. If He shamed and condemned this poor woman, He’d violate His own values and beliefs.

    No one could have shamed or rejected her any more than the Pharisees and religious leaders had already done, but Jesus wouldn’t shame or reject her. Surely inner shouts of rejection, embarrassment, and fear ate at her self-respect as onlookers mocked her. I can only imagine she played the morning’s events over and over in her head, wishing she had a way out of her trap. But she didn’t. The choices she had made were likely a result of a distorted view of herself.

    Perhaps she believed she would only be loved if she gave away her body—not to her husband but to another man. Perhaps to any man who would offer even a shred of companionship. She shared her body, but no doubt what she wanted most deeply was a heart that was genuinely loved.

    With His back up against the wall and a woman’s dignity on the line, Jesus saw through the slimy actions of the religious leaders and chose to dignify the woman. As the crowd waited on every word, He silently bent down and wrote in the sand. While we don’t know exactly what He wrote, we know it made a statement. Perhaps it was a word that informed the crowd of condemnation for their own sins. Others suggest that He may have written, Let the names of these wicked men be written in the dust, and some say it could have been, The earth accuses the earth, but the judgment is mine.² While we don’t know with absolute certainty what He wrote in the sand that day, we do know He wasn’t hotheaded but instead hushed the crowd with his answer.³

    Jesus then addressed the Pharisees and scribes.

    Reread John 8:7. What were the scribes and Pharisees doing as Jesus wrote in the sand?

    What did Jesus say to them when He stood up?

    Again, Jesus bent down to write in the sand. He wasn’t a man to be trapped but the very presence of God on earth to restore value to a broken soul. He remained calm while the crowd likely grew angrier by the minute. They wanted this woman, this lone woman awaiting doom without the man she had slept with by her side, to get what was coming to her. They wanted blood. Jesus, meek and compassionate, would use this moment to rewrite her story. He made a way to redeem her impossible circumstance.

    One by one, the crowd left the scene. Jesus’ words had made it plain that everyone struggled with sin, not only the shamed woman on display. Each person in the crowd that day was painstakingly aware that he or she was worthy of condemnation. Yet it was—and is—in the very fabric of Christ to set us free from our condemnation.

    God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

    (John 3:17 NIV)

    Read John 3:17 in the margin. Why did God send His Son into the world?

    How does this verse speak to your understanding of condemnation?

    Once everyone left, Jesus addressed this woman with kindness and respect. He knew the answer to His question when He asked, Woman, where are they, has no one condemned you? Her response indicated she knew He was a rabbi, a man of mercy. She said, No one, Lord. His next line was so powerful, we repeat it with vigor to this day.

    Write Jesus’ words found in John 8:11 below:

    Condemnation and shame had no place in her life. And they have no place in ours. No matter how our shameful thoughts and actions find us, Jesus is able to dismantle them with His love and grace, just as He did with the woman accused of adultery. Our shame—our feelings that lead us to believe we are unlovable and undeserving of belonging—is in direct conflict with the love of God made plain through Jesus.

    No matter how our shameful thoughts and actions find us, Jesus is able to dismantle them with His love and grace.

    Based on His words and actions, what do you think Jesus believed about this woman caught in adultery?

    Why does this matter for us today? Why does it matter for you personally?

    Our lovability and belonging aren’t based on what we do or don’t do. They are determined by the God who created us and calls us His own.

    Jesus isn’t the originator of shame. He’s the answer to it. He isn’t a distant deity unacquainted with our disgrace but the embodiment of love, mercy, and grace. Never a harsh and unloving Father disgusted with our pain, God sent His Son to offer the great exchange of love for our shame-filled past and present.

    In our quest for love and acceptance, the shackles of shame distort what is true of us. Shame finds us through rejection, abandonment, and approval that ebbs and flows based on our performance. Shame tells us we aren’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, skinny enough, or ever worthy of the love Christ gives for free. Shame is the very opposite of what our souls desire. Shame battles against the truths of love. Love is kind, compassionate, keeps no record of wrongs, endures, and hopes (see 1 Corinthians 13). Shame keeps records of our rejection and mistakes, fostering fear and isolation.

    But here’s the good news: our lovability and belonging aren’t based on what we do or don’t do. They are determined by the God who created us and calls us His own.

    Read Galatians 3:26-28 in the margin. What do these verses tell us about our identity and value?

    So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

    (Galatians 3:26-28 NIV)

    Women in first-century Jerusalem craved the dignity and belonging Galatians 3 speaks of. We are no different.

    Shame is easily woven into our thoughts about ourselves and others. It can be disheartening to see how it has permeated our relationships with those around us. As we suffer from the disapproval of others, we sense their withdrawal of belonging, approval, and respect. As human beings, we’ll do anything to be loved, even if it means suffering silent shame in the name of counterfeit love.

    I see this most often in my children. As their mother, I expect perfection and unintentionally shame them when they don’t fit the pretty picture in my head. A snarky comment of how they seem to never get it right slips out of my mouth before I even realize it, forgetting that I put myself through the wringer anytime I mess up. Shame leaves little room for grace. But love does! As my children feel like they don’t measure up, I spot the same disappointment in my own heart.

    Do you remember a time you felt shame? Perhaps it was a time when you felt that who you are is not enough or acceptable, that you didn’t belong, or that you were unlovable. Describe it below:

    Our rejection, no matter where it comes from, kicks at our belief that we belong. That we are lovable and capable of loving others. That we are worthy of belonging. That we are beloved by a holy and sacred God. It leaves us susceptible to searing shame.

    Whether you feel ashamed of your own thoughts and actions or have been shamed by the harsh words and demeaning actions of others, Jesus’ love and grace can lead you to a place of belonging and love. Offer your shame to Him, and He will rework your distortions.

    I remember when I was in high school and a woman I admired and adored spoke bitter words that stung my heart, leaving me with the feeling that I wouldn’t be loved by anyone who truly knew me. I doubt she knew the power of her words that day, but her seemingly offhand comment dug itself into the recesses of my heart and caused me to question my lovability. But as I offered my broken experience to Jesus, He slowly but surely led me to believe I was lovable. Lovable to my core.

    Look again at the second half of Jesus’ statement to the woman in John 8:11. Why do you think Jesus gave her this instruction?

    When Jesus instructed the dear woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more, He didn’t expect her to change overnight. He didn’t expect her to carry on in her own strength. It was His declaration that gave way for her freedom from shame. It laid the foundation that she was loved by the Rabbi. She belonged. She wasn’t leftovers for another man. She was worthy. She was valuable.

    Any way we withhold love and belonging of another is an indicator of our own struggle with shame.

    Like her, we are loved by the Rabbi!

    Shame seems to be hardwired in all of us. At times it appears as though we can’t escape shame, and it gets the best of us. It attempts to dictate who we are and what we’re worth. It mars the soul. We often see others through our shame, and it’s our shame that has a profound effect on how we see God. It’s easier than we think to shame others and threaten their sense of belonging with offhand comments and shabby thoughts. When we do, it’s a mirror of our soul. Any way we withhold love and belonging of another is an indicator of our own struggle with shame.

    We shame our children for not fitting the perfect picture in our heads, for not acting the way we’d hoped. We reject our friends for thoughts or actions we deem out of line. We withhold love because they don’t meet our approval.

    But with Jesus as our Helper and Healer, we can break through shame to a place of grace and freedom. We can love others from a healthy place, free from how others feel about us. We can throw off disapproval, rejection, and abandonment as our hearts are held by the Prince of Peace, not the principalities of this world. As we do, we’ll lend our love and strength to those around us. Our families, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances will gain a glimpse of unconditional love not bound by rejection or shame. And our breakthrough will make room for others to find themselves in their own stories of freedom from shame.

    Talk with God

    Recall the instance of shame you described on page 16, and offer it to God in prayer, asking Jesus to give you a fresh wind of His love and grace.

    Act on It

    For the rest of the day, I encourage you to meditate on these powerful words of Christ:

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1