A LifeGuide® Bible Study

WOMEN & IDENTITY

9 STUDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS

Adele Ahlberg Calhoun and Tracey Bianchi

An imprint of InterVarsity Press

Downers Grove, Illinois

InterVarsity Press

P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426

ivpress.com

email@ivpress.com

©2015 by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun and Tracey Bianchi

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.

InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, visit intervarsity.org.

LifeGuide® is a registered trademark of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover image: © Dirk Wustenhagen / Trevillion Images

ISBN 978-0-8308-3108-1 (print)

ISBN 978-0-8308-6426-3 (digital)

Contents

Getting the Most Out of Women & Identity

1 Wholehearted Living

Romans 12

2 Made in God

Genesis 1–2; Hosea 13:8; Isaiah 49:15; 66:13

3 Using Your Voice

1 Samuel 25

4 24/6 Living

Genesis 2:1–3; Exodus 20:8–11

5 Friend or Foe

1 Samuel 1

6 Call the Midwife

Luke 1:26–56

7 Wise Women

Exodus 1:6–2:10

8 Soul Sisters

Ruth 1–4

9 Justice for All

Genesis 16:1–14; 21:8–20

Leader’s Notes

Getting the Most Out of Women & Identity

It is a common myth that the average human harnesses only a small percentage (10%) of their brain’s capacity. It is, however, no myth that most of us harness only a small percentage of the love, joy and peace that God can give. Ask a woman about love and you are likely to hear about heartbreak. Ask about her friends and you might hear about loneliness. Ask about her own needs and you will hear about the needs of others. Ask about calling and you will hear uncertainty. Ask about her identity, and shame and frustration leak out. Ask about rest and enjoyment, and you will hear laments about time and busyness. We live a small fraction of the life God has for us.

Wholehearted living seems to escape us. Our lives get myopic, circling the minute-by-minute disappointments and demands of the present moment while God whispers softly or at times hollers for us to harness our whole hearts. The Bible stories in this study follow the journeys of women who move through limited places and times in history. Yet, they live fully by embracing God’s view that they have the strength and wisdom to live whole lives.

Have you ever been in the presence of a woman who, in spite of hardship, sorrow and disappointment laughs generously, lives freely, and loves God and others sincerely? She lives with grace when a moment goes ...