The LifeReady Woman Workbook: Session 1

8/4/2019 The LifeReady Woman Workbook: Session 1

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w e l c o m e t ot h e

L i f e R e a d y

woman


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The Life Ready Woman

FamilyLife Publishing

5800 Ranch Drive

Little Rock, Arkansas 72223

1-800-FL-TODAY FamilyLife.com

FLTI, d/b/a FamilyLife

, is a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963,

1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (ESV ). Copyright 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used

by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984

by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright 1996. Used by permission of

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971]

by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by

permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TNIV are taken from the Holy Bible, Todays New International Version. TNIV. Copyright 2001,

2005 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Quotes on pages 3, 4, 6, 15, 20, 24, 32, 44, 56, 59, 62, 65, 67, 73, 74, 80, 90, 102, 105, 106, and 110 are taken from Shaunti

Feldhahn and Robert Lewis, The Life Ready Woman (Nashville: B & H, 2010).

Quotes on pages 12, 30, and 104 are taken from The Life Ready Woman Video (Little Rock, AR: FamilyLife, 2011).

ISBN: 978-1-60200-374-3

2011 FamilyLife

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing

from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of this publication should be sent to: permissions@

FamilyLife.com.

Design: Brand Navigation, LLCPhotography: Masterle Corporation, iStockphoto, and Bigstockphoto

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5


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Raise your hand if you want a balanced life that fits like a

glove instead of a crazy one marked by worry or stress.

Me, too!

Like you, I juggle the demands of a busy life, so Im delighted to have girlfriends joining me on this journey

toward that place where we can thrive. Well be traveling together, digging into the same biblical passages and

asking similar questions, but well each end up with an answer that is Gods very personal direction for our lives.

What challenges does your life hold? You may be a young woman wondering how to launch a great career

or an older single who has a good job but wonders, Whered all the good men go? Perhaps youre a

stay-at-home mom, wrestling with the conflicting demands of busy teenagers and aging parents, or a

single mom wrestling with how to get some sleep! Maybe you re an empty nester wondering what to do

with more free time in your schedule or a grandmother with lots of wisdom, but unsure whom to share

it with. As for me, my life is typified by the recent comment from a garden-center guy who, pushing

aside sports equipment, camp chairs, homework folders, and a computer bag to load mulch bags into

my minivan, looked up at me and said, Soccer mom, huh? My own challenge is how to juggle time

for a husband, grade-school kids, soccer runs, church activities, and work.

I have a special word for those who are single women. When we talk about marriage and children in this study,

it would be easy to think, This isnt for me. But it is for you! This series is for women in all stages of life, and that

includes where you are nowsinglewhere many of you will bemarried, probably with kids or stepkids

and where some will be one daysingle again. The Life Ready Woman looks into the Bible for a very personal

life road map that can guide your decisions as your situation changes.

There are many reasons why our lives may not look the way we expected, but we can be sure that God has

a special design and purpose for each one of us, regardless of our life circumstances. In an imperfect world,there can never be a magic formulathriving doesnt mean no trouble or happy every moment. But as

we learn about our unique design and callings, and as we live in a way that fits this design, we willarrive at

the abundant life that God promises us and we are longing for.

Im so glad youre joining me as we chart a course to get us there.


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Contents

you, todays culture,and your compass

session

1

Gods cal l ings, you r coordinatessession

2 1

fa i th s tep 1:

l i ve f rom the ins ide outsession

3 2

fa i th s tep 2: embrace abig-picture understanding of l i fe

session

4 3

fa i th s tep 3:

use wisdom with a mansession

5 5

fa i th s tep 4: steward your g i f tsf rom an eternal perspect ive

session

6 7

fa i th s tep 5:

bel ieve God, not your fearsession

7 8

two women, two dest in ies

session

8 10


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6/16

you, todays cu lture,

and your compass

session

1


7/16

The Extraordinary World

We Live In

( A ) Key implications for us as women

1. We must the belief that we can have it all.

2. Were going to have to make .

3. We must learn how to ourselves.

4. We must more fully engage what it means to

and live under His authori ty.

( B ) What it means to be Life Ready

1. I am clear about my life . . .

in my direction.

in my priorities.

in my relationsh ips, especially with God.

2. I am bold and practical in my faith.

3. I am able to find Gods best for my life.

I

2

FAST FACTS:

Half of the American

workforce [today] is

female.

In 1970, women

contributed less than

6 percent of family

income. Today, the

typical working wife

contributes 42 percent.

In 1971, women earned

only 6 percent of

professional degrees

(such as medical and

law degrees). By 2005,

the percentage had

soared to 50 percent.

A 2007 research study

showed that Fortune

500 companies with

three or more women on

their board of directors

outperformed compa-

nies with fewer female

board members by as

much as 66 percent.


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( C ) How do we get there?

1. By taking a fresh look at ourselves as women through

the lens of Gods Word.

2. By interacting over this material each week in our

Guided Application Project times (GAPs), small-

group discussions, and optional homework.

3. By taking bold and practical next steps of faith that

will better our lives as women.

3

1you, todays culture,and your compass

No matter how crazy

your life is, there is a

solid, encouraging,

and empowering

guide that we can find

in the ancient words

of the Bible that

applies directly to our

life today as contem-

porary women.

Shaunti Feldhahn


9/16

Understanding the

road blocks that are

in the way will be key

to removing, fixing,

or navigating around

them.

Saunti Feldan

Te Callenes

Blockin Our Pat

( A ) The of life

1. We are often stressed, overloaded, and tired!

2. We need a way to balance our lives.

3. Jesus offer . . .

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I

will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from

me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find

rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is

light. MATThEW 11:2830 (NIV)

( B ) Living to Gods design and callings on our lives

Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.

Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.

JEREMIAh 1:5 (MSg)

I I

4


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1. When we live contrary to Gods design, life

breaks down.

2. God has specific callings on our lives.

For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ

Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in

advance for us to do. EPhESIANS 2:10 (NIV)

( C )

1. We need an unchanging reference point.

2. We need a perfect guide for our lives.

3. We need what Gods Word says about our

design and callings.

( D ) Our desire to be in

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have

left Gods paths to follow our own. ISAIAh 53:6

(NLT)

( E ) Soft, vague

1. No deep, practical convictions about life

from the Bible

2. No firm action steps to steady and em-

power us

Having a form of godliness but denying its

power. 2 TIMOThy 3:5 (NIV)

1

5

you, todays cu lture,

and your compass


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Our Life-givin Compass

( A ) The is Gods compass for our lives.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teachin

for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousnes

so that the man [and woman] of God may be adequat

equipped for every good work. 2 TIMOThy 3:1617

( B ) The special direction this compass gives

1. Heading #1: Our callings



( C ) Taken together, these three headings map out a uniqu

direction God has planned for each of us.

1. No womans life is the same.

2. Every womans life has a one-of-a-kind divine de

sign and purpose.

For I know the plans that I have for you, declares th

LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give yo

a future and a hope.JEREMIAh 29:11

3. It takes a purposeful decision and bold faith t

manage our lives Gods way.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he wh

comes to God must believe that He is and that He is

rewarder of those who seek Him. hEBREWS 11:6

I I I

6

To the extent that we

live in accordance

with Gods design

and callings for us,

well thrive.

Saunti Feldan


12/16

7

1you, todays cul ture,and your compassIV Wat to Expect in te Comin Weeks

( A ) A look at the sessions ahead

1. In session 2, well explore the compass headings Gods Word gives us for our Life

Ready journey.

2. In sessions 37, well explore five important Faith Steps for becoming Life Ready.

3. In session 8, well summarize all weve learned by comparing the lives of two important

women in the Bible with their two very different destinies.

( B ) Our process

1. Guided Application Projects (GAPs) will be done within each session.

2. Small-group discussion will take place at the end of each session.

3. Optional homework will be offered between each session.

( C ) When this study ends

1. You will be clear about how to find Gods best for your life, and equipped and

emboldened to do so.

2. You will have a personalized Life Ready Map (on page 116) for wisely navigating

the days ahead.

( D ) Are you ready to become Life Ready?

my l i fe read map

Live from the Inside OutEmbrace a Big-Picture

Understanding of LifeUse Wisdom with a Man

Steward Your Gifts from an

Eternal PerspectiveBelieve God, Not Your Fear

What am

I doing well?

What do I most

need to work on

and change?

What New

Action Steps

do I need to take

to move forward

and please God

with my life?

MyPresentLocatio

n

MyCourseCorrections


13/16

8

For your small-group discussion, you will be asked to circle up with several women.

Your host for this Life Ready Woman series will have discussion leaders assigned to

each group to help guide you through the questions below. They can also help you with

any concerns or questions you have about this series overall. Please follow one simple

guideline as you now interact together: Everyone participates; no one dominates.

Enjoy your time together!

1. What does thriving in a do-it-all world mean to you? What would your life looklike if you were thriving in todays world? Describe it.

2. What do you think about the idea that if we really cant have it all, all at the sametime, were going to have to make choices? What might that mean for you?

3.

Which of the five challenges blocking our path to finding Gods best (pace of life;living cont rary to Gods design and callings; disorientation; desire to be in control;

soft, vague faith) did you most identify with during this opening session? In what

ways is this challenge impacting your life right now?

4. Do you struggle with accepting the authority of the Bible? Why or why not?5. Is the idea that God has a specific design and callings for your life a concept youve

never considered before? Does it give you a sense of excitement and hope, or does

it make you a little anxious? Explain.

small-group discussion


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1

9

opt ional homework

1. Read the introduction and chapter 1 ofThe Life ReadyWoman book (and chapters 2 and 3 if you can). Record

any special insights that might apply to you.

2. Other than the Bible, what do you find yourself using asa reference point for your life (happiness, relationships,

money, etc.)? Why do you think you look to those things as signals? What might

happen in your life i f you relied solely on Gods Word as your reference point?

3. Reflect on Ephesians 5:1517. In light of session 1, how do these verses speak toyou? What about Matthew 11:2830?


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my l i fe ready map

Live from the Inside OutEmbrace a Big-Picture

Understanding of Life

What am

I doing well?

What do I most

need to work on

and change?

What New

Action Steps

do I need to take

to move forward

and please God

with my life?

MyPresentL

ocation

MyCourseC

orrections

10


16/16

Use Wisdom with a ManSteward Your Gifts from an

Eternal PerspectiveBelieve God, Not Your Fear

11

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The LifeReady Woman Workbook: Session 1

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