Today we’re sharing an excerpt from Lifeway Women’s new Bible study, Alive. Learn more about this impactful new Bible study here!

The Bible often uses the child-parent relationship to describe the relationship believers have with God. Think about the relationship (or lack thereof) you have with your earthly parents. For better or worse, the people who raised us influenced us. We mimic mannerisms and behaviors, share habits and quirks, and are heavily influenced by genetics, heritage, and customs. Through imitation, we show whose children we are.  

Our relationship with our heavenly Father is one of influence and imitation, too. Today we’ll consider what it means to be a child of God and how we’re forever transformed by our relationship with Him.  

Early on in his Gospel, John—the beloved disciple (follower) of Jesus (John 13:23)—describes how we can be certain that we are children of God. But before we get there, we must clear away any false ideas that we have. John is quick to point out that being a child of God is not based on heritage or ancestry; it’s not based on desire or interest (“the will of flesh”); and it’s not based on personal determination (“the will of man”). John’s point is clear: A relationship with God is not the result of anything a person does on her own apart from God. 

John highlights two verbs in verse 12 that help us understand God’s work in our lives—“receive” and “believe.” 

First, John says the child of God is the person who has “received him.” Based on John 1:1-14, we know the “him” here is Jesus, the Word who became flesh (John 1:14). Receive means “to take possession of,” or “welcome.”¹ Rather than respond like Jesus’s own people who rejected Him (John 1:10-11), the child of God is the one who receives Him, the one who embraces who He is and what He wants to do in one’s life.  

In just the first chapter of John alone, the disciple opens our eyes to who Jesus is. Before we can receive Jesus, we have to know who He is. Unveiling this is the goal of the Gospels. John emphasizes Jesus as the divine Prophet, Priest, and King who gives His own blood to save sinners and make them children of the Father. 

Receiving Jesus means we need a spiritual awakening from above, which we receive through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. God’s Spirit opens our eyes to see Jesus for who He is, just like He opened John the Baptist’s eyes to recognize Jesus from among everyone else (John 1:32-34). Once we see that Jesus is the sufficient Lamb of God (1:19), we receive Him by faith. 

Second, John says we are to “believe in his name” (John 1:12). 

One’s “name” refers to his authority, character, or rank. Because He is the divine Word, the Son of God, Jesus’s name is filled with power and authority (see John 5:43). So, to believe in the name of Jesus means to accept He is who He says He is—God’s own Son, who lived, died, and rose again to save us from our sins. 

Everything changes relationally between us and God when we personally receive Christ and believe in Him.  

1. Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, s.v. “receive,” accessed October 12, 2023, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/receive. 

Want to learn more about the Alive Bible study? Watch the short video below or view a free sample and teaching video clips at lifeway.com/alive.

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This day of study was written by Blair Linne.  Blair is a Bible teacher, author, actress, and Christian spoken word artist. Blair has toured globally and is known as one of the originators of the Christian Spoken Word genre. Proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through speaking and spoken word is her passion. She lives in Portland with her husband Shai Linne and their three children. 

The post New “Alive” Bible Study | Read an Excerpt appeared first on Lifeway Women.

Initiatives that provide free and remote access to entrepreneurial education and mentorship for women worldwide, such as wegg®, can be invaluable resources where there are none. There is a major disparity between the opportunities afforded to women in business in the United States and women in developing nations. Angela DeSouza writes of these challenges in a recent article for elitebusiness. One such barrier she describes is the legal roadblocks still in place that oppose women’s autonomy in society. DeSouza explains,

“Discriminatory laws and regulations can…pose significant hurdles for women entrepreneurs in ‘Third World’ countries. In many ways, these provide some of their biggest barriers to business success. Legal frameworks that favor male-owned businesses clearly impede the entrepreneurial endeavors of women. These discriminatory laws restrict a woman’s ability to own property or access credit.”

Raising awareness of these difficulties and remaining mindful of the existing gap that unfairly affects our counterparts in other countries is imperative to closing said gap. The main solutions that DeSouza poses for the cultural constraints, minuscule education and mentorship resources, and regulatory roadblocks that aspiring women entrepreneurs in developing countries encounter include,

1. Increasing exposure to the global marketplace and international economic landscape
2. Empowerment by way of training and vocational certifications
3. Fostering a supportive network and ecosystem of a like-minded entrepreneurial community

Starting on a path of entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, so going the distance with a group of others doing the same is advantageous for everyone involved. wegg is built on a foundation of this philosophy, and we are always working towards equitable access to entrepreneurial opportunities for all.

“If you give an education to a girl, that’s how you’re changing her life and that’s how you’re also changing the world.”
-Malala Yousafzai

A quick post today because I am writing this on Easter Sunday, when strictly speaking I should be trying to talk my kids down from their rampant sugar-high. One of them is currently gyrating to the Wonka soundtrack, the other has filled up a water pistol and is “cleaning the insides of the windows”. I have a feeling that hell is about to be unleashed.

This week has already seen hell unleashed, actually, in the form of Dexter the cockapoo’s severe bout of canine gastroenteritis. Never has the Dettol spray seen so much action. The entire house smells of egg, boiled chicken and rotting guts. It’s how I imagine an aeroplane cabin smells when they open the door after a longhaul flight.

Anyway: five favourites. Six things listed, but I cannot recommend one of them (the Anine Bing hoodie) due to the fact that it came “pre-distressed”, which is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever witnessed. It looks as though a rat has nibbled its way through the cuffs. I’ve kept the hoodie, obviously, because I am nothing if not consistent when it comes to buying unsuitable garments, but would I recommend it?

The jury’s out. I haven’t found another hoodie with the precise weight and drape and shape that makes this one so very good…but boy was it dear. (It’s here* online.) And so, the five bona fide favourites – make sure you watch the video at the bottom of the page, because that’s where all the action happens:

1. Hortology

I’m still buying cacti. And I’m still buying nice pots to put them in. I get it all from Hortology*, because the Hortology website tells you exactly which pot size and plant opening you need for each plant and then shows you exactly which pots you can select from. Hurray! It just makes it miles easier to order. Painless, I’d go so far as to say.

I need them to increase their cacti range, is my only beef, because I’ve worked my way through most varieties now. My front room looks like Arizona.

If you want £10 off your first order use my link here*

Read: What I Bought From Hortology

2. Pumps

Well well well, if ballet pumps haven’t gone and made a reappearance! The shoes that have probably given an entire generation collapsed arches and permanent tendon damage! No matter, they look chic and you can slip them on and off without having to bend at the waist – you have to take the wins where you can in this life.

I love these “pony skin” flats from Boden here* – there are some designer ones doing the rounds that look quite similar but cost over £600 so these feel like a bit of a steal by comparison. They are incredibly sturdy – it’s Boden we’re talking about here, after all – and the shape at the toe is relatively wide. You don’t feel as though your toes are being squished. Though I’d say they do come up a tiny bit small, if you’re wondering about sizing.

How could the ballet flat be improved? By sticking a strap across it, of course! Step forward (literally) the Mary Jane. All the low-key sophistication of the ballet flat but with practicality thrown in. What’s not to like?

The satin pumps from Wyse London* are great but most have sold out online – the leather “Pivot” from Russell & Bromley are equally gorgeous, find them online here*.

3. Snail Headband

Of all the weird things I’ve ever mentioned… this terry towelling headband has been wildly popular each time I’ve worn it on Instagram. It has foamy snail eyes attached. Are they eyes or antennae? Feelers? I don’t even have time to Google because I can hear that the music has changed from Wonka to the Zombies 2 soundtrack downstairs and my son is possibly seconds away from dropping to the floor to do some of his breakdancing. All lamps must be removed from his vicinity if he ever looks as though he might be about to breakdance, we learned that lesson the hard way.

The snail headband is great if you a) need something to hold your hair back with when you wash your face and b) fancy a bit of a laugh. It’s totally absurd.

Find it here* on Amazon, it’s a few quid.

4. ELF Cleanser

Such a good beauty find: the e.l.f. cosmetics cleansing balm. Affordable cleansing balms are quite thin on the ground, really – I feel as though mainstream mass brands are cottoning on to the fact that people want cleansers other than just “face wash”, but it’s slow progress.

Thank you, then, to e.l.f. cosmetics who have come up with a pot of cleansing unctuousness that is at once highly effective at makeup and grime removal and easy on the wallet. £11 a pot, breaks down into an oil that’s lovely to massage in and then flannels off to leave skin really clean but not at all tight.

You can find it here* online.

5. Straighteners

I did a comparison video on Instagram the other day: GHD Chronos vs Remington Ceramic 230. One pair costs ten times the price of the other pair. If you want to find out how they both fared, you can watch the video here.

Hair straightening is one of this month’s favourites because I have been doing it regularly and enthusiastically in an attempt to get me painlessly through my “growing out the bob” phase.

Read: How To Grow Out A Bob

I realise my hair will have the look and texture of old straw by the time we reach May – I’m trying out various heat protectants to try and mitigate the damage – but now I’ve started with the straightening irons, I just can’t seem to stop.

I can now see why people get addicted to straightening: it’s quick, foolproof and makes hair look instantly more groomed. I can straighten my hair in about an eighth of the time it takes to curl or wave it and it takes absolutely no skill. How have I only just discovered it now, in my forties? All that wasted time…

OK I’m off. It’s a Christmas (Easter?) miracle that I haven’t heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the kitchen/dancefloor and I don’t want to push my luck. I’m actually ducking out for a couple of weeks now and so I shall see you on the other side!

The post March Favourites appeared first on Ruth Crilly.