Session 3: Presence Please read Isaiah 7 and prayefully answer the following questions for discussion in our Ladies' Zoom Bible Study, Tuesday, June 6 at 9am① Think about moments in the last year when you found it most difficult to trust God. What thoughts, feelings, or fears were most present in those moments?
② Matthew quotes Isaiah 7 when he talks about the birth of Jesus. While the virgin Mary conceiving is an incredible miracle, the bigger emphasis in Matthew 1 seems to be on the meaning of His name, “Immanuel.” What is the significance of Jesus bearing this name?
③ Read Matthew 28:20. Matthew’s Gospel begins and ends with this theme of God’s presence. How does God’s presence change the way we live?
④ What would a normal day look like for you if you chose to trust God’s presence in everything?
⑤ What are some of the biggest barriers you face to trusting God ’s presence in the face of your life’s threats?
Session 2: Transformation Please read Isaiah 6 and prayefully answer the following questions for discussion in our Ladies' Zoom Bible Study, Tuesday, May 30 at 9am:
① When was the last time you were in awe of something? What happened?
② Recall some of your most powerful encounters with God in your life. What made those moments so unique or transformational?
③ What about Isaiah’s experience in Isaiah 6 resonates with you?
④ Read 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:6. How do God’s presence and power change us? How has your experience with God’s presence and power changed you?
⑤ Read Revelation 4:1-11. What similarities do you notice between this and Isaiah 6? How can texts like Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 change how we think about ourselves and our role in God’s world? What difference would it make in our lives if we accepted some of those changes in our thinking?
Session 1: Rebellion Please read Isaiah 1 and Isaiah 5 and prayefully answer the following questions for discussion in our Ladies' Zoom Bible Study, Tuesday, May 23 at 9am:
① Think about some of your experiences with the book of Isaiah in the past. What challenges or issues have you had getting into the book? What benefits, if any, have you found in studying it in the past?
② Read Deuteronomy 4:15-31. What kinds of things does God want the people to do in the future? What do you notice about the way Moses tells the story of the exodus from Egypt? “Idolatry” essentially means “worshiping anything besides Yahweh.” Do you think this was a problem for the people of Israel? List some times when Israel practiced idolatry.
③ Why do you think the people are compared to Sodom and Gomorrah here?
④ God seems to urge the people here to meditate on His Word. For the people in Isaiah’s day, that meant the Torah, or the Law, the books we call Genesis through Deuteronomy. Why did God want the people to really meditate on this Word? What would it look like in your life to meditate on the Torah?
⑤ Do you ever have a hard time admitting to your rebellion against God? Think about some of the sins you’ve committed in the last month. Are you willing to admit them and bring them to God? What would it look like for you to have a time of confession? Read James 5:16. What does this have to say about owning up to our own sin?
⑥ All of us have things in our life that make rebellion against God an easier choice. Think about some of those in your life, and list one practice you could adopt to help to keep yourself from rebelling against God in the future.