With the Master: Before the Mirror

With the Master:
Before the Mirror
Of God's Word

Introduction to a Ladies' Bible Study on First John

Summer is a season that is often greatly anticipated. The regular routine of daily life seems to be set aside for a time and our summer schedules often welcome reunions, relatives, relationships and lots of reminiscing! For some it is a sweet satisfying season because it is often filled with unique opportunities to rest, relax and recoup, resulting in readiness for Fall’s arrival.

For others still, the summer season is not welcomed with anticipation but with aggravation. Even though the regular routine of daily life is set aside, our summer schedules can often weigh us down with rigid schedules, rigorous deadlines, relentless decisions, and lots of restrictions. For some it is a significant sanctifying season because it is often filled with unalterable opportunities to rearrange, reorder and restructure, resulting in reluctance for Fall’s arrival.

Ladies, whether you are ready for the Fall or are approaching it with reluctance, we want you to remember that our Great God orders all our seasons, all our days, all our circumstances for His honour and glory. We want you to remember that no matter what season of life you are in, God wants you to continually seek Him, continually love Him, continually serve Him, continually trust Him, continually enjoy Him and continually glorify Him!

2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

A mirror is an object that reflects light and reveals the image of whatever is put in front of it. God’s Word is our “spiritual mirror” that not only reflects the Light of Christ, but reveals we are sinners in need of a Saviour not only to save us but to conform us more into His image.

Ladies, we are about to enter a new season gifted to us by God, a new window of time and a new opportunity for us women to gather together to behold the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord, “Before the Mirror of God’s Word.”

Will you join us this fall? We will be starting our first study of “With the Master Before the Mirror of God’s Word: A Ladies’ Bible Study on First John” on Tuesday, September 25th. Even though each study will be accompanied by a DVD lesson taught by Susan Heck, we encourage you to purchase a book and to get a study guide. Kristin will have the books available for $23 along with the study guides this Sunday, September 9th!

Susan has given me permission once again to make a simple study guide from her “Questions to Consider” that appear at the end of each chapter in her book. I have taken Susan’s ordered questions at the end of each chapter and prayerfully and strategically re-organized them to flow with her outline that appears at the beginning of each chapter. I have simply provided you room in the study guide to not only write out your answers to Susan’s questions, but to prayerfully write out the Bible verses she has provided for you to look up along with space for personal reflection, memorization and prayer.

Ladies, by the end of our study of 1 John we will have not only copied the 105 verses that make up this epistle but we will have copied over 500 additional verses from Genesis to Revelation! Oh to get into His Word and His Word to get into us!

It is our prayer that you will spiritually benefit from the study guide that I have put together for you. Susan’s questions at the end of each chapter are structured with a wonderful balance of senses: She helps us to see that our lives need to be centered on living for and loving Christ alone. She whets our appetites to hunger more for the Word of God, for prayer, and to be conformed more into His image. She trains our ears to listen to our Master and learn how to live in joyful obedience to His commands. She inspires us to taste and see that the Lord is good and faithful to keep His promises. She challenges us to be a “sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ in every place” as we make it our aim to live holy and hope-filled lives. And she shows us our need to walk by faith in a manner pleasing to Him as we are “strengthened with power through His Spirit.”

Kristin and I concur with the words of Justin Peters,

“It is with great and hopeful enthusiasm that we commend this study to you. Read it and take notes. Study. Ponder the depths of what the Apostle John has to say to his readers and ask God the Holy Spirit to illumine the riches of this epistle to your mind and implant them within your heart. When our knowledge of God is deepened, our love for God is deepened. It is our prayerful expectation that this study into which we are about to embark will deepen our knowledge of our great God and thereby deepen our love for Him, resulting in a life of joyful obedience to His commands.”

With love and joy in our hearts for you all,

Christyn and Kristin

Click the links below to read more:

Focus Publishing has granted permission to share the following summaries.

To purchase books: www.withthemaster.com or www.christianbook.com

Summary of Chapter 1 - Facts, Fellowship, and Fullness of Joy - 1 John 1:1-4

Summary of Chapter 2 - Are You Walking in the Light? - 1 John 1:5-7
Summary of Chapter 3 - What is Your Attitude toward Sin? - 1 John 1:8-2:2

Summary of Chapter 4 - Does Your Talk Match Your Walk? - 1 John 2:3-6

Summary of Chapter 5 - Do You Love Your Brother? - 1 John 2:7-11

Summary of Chapter 6 - John's Encouraging Words to the Family of God - 1 John 2:12-14

Summary of Chapter 7 - Three Deadly Sins - 1 John 2:15-17

Summary of Chapter 8 - The Character of Antichrist - 1 John 2:18-22