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    Building Circles of Grace: A Joint Bible Study for Tween Girls & Their Moms
    Building Circles of Grace: A Joint Bible Study for Tween Girls & Their Moms
    Building Circles of Grace: A Joint Bible Study for Tween Girls & Their Moms
    Ebook198 pages2 hours

    Building Circles of Grace: A Joint Bible Study for Tween Girls & Their Moms

    By Catherine Bird

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    About this ebook

    In Building Circles of Grace, moms and daughters will explore what it means to build and sustain Christ centered relationships that we develop beyond our relationship with God.

    Some of the toughest experiences we encounter as young girls (and moms, too) are a result of the people we choose as friends. How do you respond with grace to a bully? How do you cope with the loss of a friendship? Can you really make a difference by putting Jesus first when it is not the cool thing to do? Building Circles of Grace invites moms and daughters to discuss all of these questions and more.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLeafwood Publishers
    Release dateAug 8, 2017
    ISBN9780891126225
    Building Circles of Grace: A Joint Bible Study for Tween Girls & Their Moms
    Author

    Catherine Bird

    Catherine Bird is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. She is passionate about empowering women, teens, and tweens to live out Romans 12:2, encouraging them to resist conforming to worldly perceptions and to embrace personal authenticity and the transformative power of God’s redeeming grace. She lives in Central Texas with her husband and two kids where she can often be found on hiking trails, in hot yoga class, or exploring the healing powers of crafting and DIY. She also loves Taco Tuesday, college football, glitter, or any combination of the above. Learn more and discover free Bible study resources for moms, teens, and tweens by visiting catherinebird.net.

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      Book preview

      Building Circles of Grace - Catherine Bird

      all.

      Introduction

      This eight-week study is designed for tween girls (approximately ages nine to twelve) and their moms. The first study in this series, Becoming a Girl of Grace, examines the qualities and characteristics that the Bible’s girls of grace demonstrate and how we can apply the lessons from their lives to ours today. Throughout Becoming a Girl of Grace, moms and tween girls explore what it means to have a personal relationship with God and what it means to be a girl of grace. Building Circles of Grace takes moms and daughters through the next step as they discuss what it means to build and sustain Christ-centered connections beyond their own relationship with Jesus.

      Some of the toughest experiences we encounter as young girls (and moms, too) are a result of the people we choose as friends. How do you respond with grace to a bully? How do you cope with the loss of a friendship? Can you really make a difference by putting Jesus first when it’s not the socially acceptable thing to do? And what exactly is a Christ-centered relationship? Building Circles of Grace addresses all of these questions and more.

      Also, this study is intentionally written for tween girls to share with their moms. Tween girls may be surprised by their moms' perspectives, and moms may find a surprise or two as well! God made each and every one of us uniquely in his image. That means that while we are all created in his image, every single one of us is different and special in our own way. This includes moms and daughters. Moms have many talents, it’s true! However, while she may have her daughter convinced she can read her mind, a mom does not necessarily know what is in her daughter’s heart and mind unless her daughter expresses these thoughts and feelings. This study is a great way for moms and tween daughters to connect and share!

      Format of the Study

      This study is unique in that each chapter is not broken down into daily reading and study. This is an eight-week format designed to facilitate joint Bible study and discussion between moms and tween daughters. Moms and daughters may approach weekly study however it fits into their schedules. If you want to read and study a little bit each day, great! If it works better for you to consolidate into two days, go for it. The structure of this study is intentionally flexible.

      There are a few ways to approach the Girls of Grace Heart Check sections within this study, which include conversation starters and questions to get you thinking more deeply about each chapter discussion. Answer the questions in each chapter together or on your own. Some moms and daughters may choose to write directly in the Bible study book, while others may prefer a notebook or journal where you can jot down your thoughts separately. My girls and I prefer the latter and also use our journals to keep our own prayer lists. Choose whatever method works best for you. If you are going through this study with a group, your facilitator will lead you through some engaging discussions and fun activities that relate to each week’s topic.

      Mom and Me Activities

      In this study, you will also find activities specifically designed for moms and daughters to complete together each week. These activities are meant to facilitate fellowship between moms and daughters while helping them dig a little deeper into the biblical topic of each chapter. Have fun and feel free to include other family members. This can be an exciting adventure, so enjoy and get started today!

      Chapter 1

      Celebrating

      the Beauty of You

      So God created human beings in his own image.

      In the image of God he created them;

      male and female he created them.

      (Gen. 1:27 NLT)

      Girls of grace, you are the image bearers of God. What this means is that human beings reflect God in a way that is unlike any other part of his creation. Although man was formed from the dust of the ground, God personally breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Gen. 2:7 NASB).

      Just like we reflect certain genetic attributes of our earthly parents, God gifted his image bearers with certain likenesses unique to him. For example, our commonality with God is visible in our spiritual, mental, moral, and social characteristics. We know God does not have a body, although he has appeared to man (Gen. 18:1–2, 32:30; Exod. 33:11; Num. 14:14). Every human possesses a spirit, and thus we are more than the sum of our physical parts. Our spiritual nature, though unseen, is as real as our physical nature. We must feed our spirits just as we feed our bodies.

      God also bestowed upon humans mental strength greater than any other living creature and gave man dominion over them (Gen. 1:26). This gift of intelligence has given us the ability to create art, compose music, count to large numbers, and compute complex mathematical equations (well, some of us). Our minds as designed by God give us the power to reason, to make decisions, to laugh, to dream.

      We also have moral reasoning, which means God gave us the ability to tell right from wrong. Remember that Adam's and Eve’s eyes were opened when they made a choice to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3). As a result, they were forced to leave the garden and work by the sweat of their faces to eat bread (Gen. 3:19 NLV). With moral understanding comes accountability for our actions.

      Lastly, God—who is love—created man with a social nature and a need for love. Eve was created as a helper for Adam so he would not be alone (Gen. 2:20–23). The statement in Genesis 3:8 (KJV) that they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day suggests that Adam and Eve enjoyed fellowship and communion with God, perhaps on a daily basis. We also see community in the Trinity, which is comprised of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We were designed in the likeness of God as relational creatures to crave community.

      So do you see? From the beginning, God set us apart. You were set apart intentionally with great love.

      Loving the Person God Created You to Be

      What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see a beautiful girl of grace who God created with love and care? Do you see inward beauty as well as outward attractiveness? Are you critical of yourself? What do you say to the reflection that stares back at you?

      We live in a world and culture that puts much effort into telling girls (small and tall) what we should think is beautiful. Think about the images of girls and women you see every day. Do not just think about the commercials and female celebrities that our eyes take in from day to day, but also think about the girls you encounter in public places, at school, at church, and everywhere else in your daily life. These outward images have a profound impact on how we see ourselves, and we often let these images set the standard for our own ideals of beauty. How dangerous is that?

      Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

      before you were born I set you apart;

      I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

      Jer. 1:5 (NIV)

      God’s idea of beauty is not defined by the latest trends or who is most popular at school. God created beauty! The beauty of the earth and everything in it (including you) was designed and defined by God. The verse from Jeremiah reminds us that God designed each and every one of us in our mothers’ wombs. Even though we are created in the image of God, he also formed each and every person in a unique and special way. There is no other individual like you, and God did that on purpose! You are beautiful, and God is proud of his creation in you. That is the standard by which we should set our idea of what it means to be beautiful.

      Sometimes, though, we think beauty refers only to an outwardly pleasing appearance. However, beauty encompasses all of you—your body, mind, and spirit—which God knitted with perfect care and detail. Merriam-Webster defines beauty this way: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit: loveliness.

      Every hair, every bone—all of you down to the core of your spirit is exactly how God designed you to be. I know. I know. When you are sitting in class, and the most popular girl in school has made fun of you—again—it is tough to remember that what she thinks is fleeting and inconsequential. Or perhaps you have hurt someone else by allowing that person to believe he or she is ugly, unworthy, and unimportant. How do we break this cycle and retrain our brains and hearts to see others and ourselves as God designed us to be?

      The answer is in the Word God has given us. The most important thing we are asked to remember is this:

      Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

      Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

      Matt. 22:36–40 (NIV)

      This study is about learning how to build and sustain Christ-centered relationships within your circle of people (what I will call your circle of grace—because you are God’s girl of grace!). Your circle is broader than your circle of friends and encompasses both relationships you choose for yourself and relationships you did not necessarily pick on your own. For example, you choose your friends. Those relationships are completely voluntary (which we will talk about in more depth in Chapter Three). Other relationships reflect connections that you may not have selected for yourself. This may include your parents (and other family members), a teacher, a pastor, or perhaps your teammates. This is by no means an exclusive list, and you will get the idea of how your circles are formed and who they include in Chapter Two.

      You are at the heart of your circle, and God is at the heart of you. Look back at Matthew 22:36–38. First and foremost, Jesus wants to be your BFF. He longs for a relationship with you. The time that you spend talking, texting, and laughing with your gal pals is the kind of carefree transparency that God longs to have with you. The bottom line, girls, is that we need God. He created us. He loves us. He should be at the heart of everything we do, because he is at the heart of us.

      What exactly do we mean when we speak of Christ-centered relationships? When we establish connections with other people, we are sharing a piece of ourselves, right? You are giving these individuals a little glimpse inside your heart to see what makes you who you are. If you are at the heart of your circle and God is at the heart of you, he will be reflected in your relationships with other people. When we talk about Christ-centered relationships, we mean keeping Jesus smack-dab in the middle of your connections with everyone, whether they are family members, close friends, or distant acquaintances. Keeping Christ at the center of your circle means his light shines through you every single day in every single encounter you have with the people in your life.

      Do not let this scare you, girls. You may think, Oh, no! I can never mess up! That is simply not true. We will mess up and often. God knows we are not perfect. That is why he sent his one and only Son to save us. God longs for us to keep him as close as he keeps us, so that when we do make a mistake, we feel his grace, mercy, and love.

      Girl of Grace Heart Check

      What do you think it means to be beautiful? What does Mom think? Are your definitions similar or different?

      Did your definition of beauty include inward beauty (of heart and mind) as well as physical appearance? Talk with Mom about why or why not.

      Read 1 Peter 3:3–4 and write it out in the space below.

      What does Peter mean about unfading beauty and how does that relate to one’s worthiness?

      Do you think you are beautiful in God’s eyes? How do you think God sees you?

      Mom, how about you?

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