Week 4 - Here's Martha!
Hey all you OBSers hope ya’ll had a fabulous weekend!!
Congratulations we are officially in Week 4 of our study - making this the halfway mark! Hang in there and don’t give up; we’re in this together!!!
What We’re Reading This Week...Martha (pp. 119-129 in study guide)
This week’s memory verse: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
This is your SUGGESTED guide for the week to help you keep up in the Bible study! Print this if you like, post it to your fridge or tuck it in your study book.
Here’s what’s happening in our study this week
Observe — What is an area of your life that perhaps you could look at as “managing blessings” rather than a burden right now?
Bible — Take some time to read through different versions of 2 Corinthians 4:18. Write down which words inspire and challenge you most from this verse! Then Verse Map it!!!
Stretch — Fill in the blank: This week, when struggles and anxieties arise in my everyday life, I will keep my eyes fixed on God by _______.
Hashtags
#12Women-CCMV, #12Women, #OBS – When you post on social media about the study, use these hashtags! If you want to see what other OBSers are saying, search these tags to connect!
Daily Blog Posts, Bible Study & Discussion
● Monday, Wednesday and Friday – New study email/blog posts, so check your email or head to the Facebook page to join in the conversation!
● Wednesday – Video teaching from StudyGateway, the link will be emailed to you; I hope you’re enjoying this special feature of our Online Bible Study.
Thursday, 2/25
● Bible Study LIVE! 8 p.m. ET ~ One hour of live fun and great conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/692185037534989/
Martha: Working Hard to Please Others. We will learn what our “many things” are that keep us from Jesus and how to accept Jesus’ invitation to be with God.
Her Character: Active and pragmatic, she seemed never at a loss for words. Though Jesus chastened her for allowing herself to become worried and upset by small things, she remained His close friend and follower.
Key Scriptures: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-12:3
Life and Times of Martha
Women’s Work
The work expected of a woman in Bible times was much more clearly defined than it is in our culture. There were things the women did and things the men did, things the female children did and things the male children did.
Martha as just doing what she though was expected of here. She had been raised to take care of her guests, to care for the people in here household. Mary was the one who stepped outside of the cultural expectations of her time, sitting at the feet of Jesus with men rather than working with Martha in the kitchen. When Martha complained, Jesus responded with characteristic boldness, ignoring the dictates of his time and urging Martha to stop and consider the choice Mary had made.
Women of that time kept busy from morning to evening with a daunting array of household tasks:
- Grinding grain for bread, then mixing, kneading, and baking the bread for the day
- Purchasing meat at a market or preparing an animal from the household’s flock for meat to eat, then cooking that meat
- Carding, spinning, and weaving threads of various kinds to make cloth for clothing, bedding, and other household uses
- Sewing clothing for household members
- Drawing water for each day’s requirements
- Cleaning the house
- Washing the utensils and dishes used in meal preparation and eating
- Washing the family’s clothing
- Teaching and disciplining and loving the children in the household
Our Life and Times
The list could go on and on, and it is not so very different from the lists many women today could make of their responsibilities as wives and mothers. The tasks may be overwhelming. They may seem tedious and exhausting. But they are never unimportant.
Jesus’ words to Martha should not be construed to mean that “women’s work” should be ignored and left undone. That would be unrealistic. However, such work should never take the place of daily and intimate contact with the members of our families and the Lord of our lives.
"The more we are worried about our 'many things', the more we show that we are not trusting in God." -Amena Brown (see Matthew 6:25-34)
Open your heart today and prepare to be set free as you discover your true identity in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone!
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