Twelve Extraordinary Women
Introduction to Twelve Extraordinary Women
Hello Valley Heights Ladies!
As I opened the fridge to find something to whet my appetite for an afternoon snack, the oval glazed porcelain “FAITH” magnet stuck on the outside of our fridge became more appealing to me than what was inside the fridge!
The beautifully scripted word “FAITH” is encircled with the words; “Share Faith, Offer Prayer, Gather Hope!” This is our prayer for this year’s ladies Bible study. That we women at Valley Heights will hunger to share our faith with one another, that we will offer our prayers and petitions with and for one another and that we will gather hope together from the “living examples of faith” as we embark a study on “Twelve Extraordinary Women” in the Bible.
How can God take you and me, ordinary women of faith in this community, and use us in extraordinary ways? Pastor MacArthur says in the preface of his Book “Twelve Extraordinary Women” that we will be studying this year, “Most of the women that are featured in this book were ordinary, common, and in some cases shockingly low-caste women—in exactly the same way the disciples were common men. Whether it is the Samaritan woman, Anna, Rahab or Mary the mother of Christ, in each instance, what made these women extraordinary was a memorable, life-changing, encounter with the God of the universe.”
Even Eve “became a living depiction of the truth that God can recover and redeem those who fall–and make them truly extraordinary trophies of His grace in spite of their failures.” I just LOVE this reality!!
Pastor MacArthur goes on to say, “…all these women ultimately became extraordinary not because of any natural qualities of their own, but because the one true God whom they worshipped is great, mighty, glorious, and awesome, and HE refined them like silver. HE redeemed them through the work of an EXTRAORDINARY SAVIOUR–His own divine Son–and conformed them to His image. In other words, the gracious work of God in their lives made each one of these women truly extraordinary.” AMAZING GRACE!!
It is our prayer, as it is Pastor MacArthur’s, that as we read this book and open the life-giving, life-transforming Word of God that we “will share their FAITH, imitate their faithfulness, and learn to love the Saviour whose work in their lives made them truly extraordinary. YOUR LIFE CAN BE EXTRAORDINARY, TOO, BY HIS WONDERFUL GRACE.”
Excited! Has your appetite been whet? Even an ordinary magnet that sticks to our fridges with simple words can become extraordinary and influential…changing for a moment a physical hunger for a spiritual hunger! Come join Kristin and I for this study as we hunger to be conformed more into His image and influence others for Jesus Christ our Lord as we walk by faith! We are convinced we will all be challenged and motivated by the lives of some of the Bible’s most faithful women!
Won’t you join us? If you are interested in studying “Twelve Extraordinary Women” by Pastor John MacArthur, the cost for the book and separate study guide will be approx. $30.00 Canadian for both. If you are only interested in the study guide (because you have the book or plan to get a copy on your own) it will be approx. $20.00 Canadian.
Ladies, let’s be prayerful about this year’s study and joyfully anticipate how we can learn how God can use us women too in extraordinary ways because of the redeeming work of our extraordinary Saviour! Oh to “Share Faith, Offer Prayer and Gather Hope together!” To Him be the glory!
Joyfully,
Christyn and Kristin
Click the Links Below to Read More:
Chapter 1 – Eve: “Mother of All Living”
Chapter 2 – Sarah: “Hoping Against Hope”
Lecture Notes by Martha Peace on “Helping Women to Have a Gentle and Quiet Spirit” (1 Peter 3:3-4)
Chapter 3 – Rahab: “A Horrible Life Redeemed”
Chapter 4 – Ruth: Loyalty and Love
Chapter 5 – Hannah: A Portrait of Feminine Grace
Chapter 6 – Mary: Blessed Among Women
Chapter 7 – Anna: The Faithful Witness
Chapter 8 – The Samaritan Woman: Finding the Water of Life
Chapter 9 – Mary and Martha: Working and Worshipping
Chapter 10 – Mary Magdalene: Delivered from Darkness
Chapter 11 – Lydia: A Hospitable Heart Opened (Kristin’s Insights and Inspirational Inspirations)
Chapter 11 – Lydia: Biblical Hospitality – An Attitude of Joy