My womens small group has been using the Women of Faith books for the past three years and I always let them choose the next one they want to do. They chose this book and they are really enjoying it. It has helped them.
I love the Women of Faith series both for pesonal and group studies. A small group I started has just finished this "Encouraging One Another". The reason we liked it was that it is light hearted and there are opportunities for a lot of discussion. Our next one is on "Living a Life of Balance".
Another reason I like this series is that it is easy enough for anyone to lead the group. This is the first time I have been a bible study facilitalor. Praise God he showed me the way and I love leading this group!
We used this book in our ladies' Bible study and on the plus side, it was a good base to start discussions. However 2 things were red flags for me. First, it took verses out of context or didn't bother to include more of the passage which would have greatly added to understanding it. We took the time to read and discuss much more scripture than the book covered. Secondly, it relies a lot on The Message for it's scripture references. I do not feel that The Message is an appropriate resource for in depth Bible study. While encouragement is a wonderful topic, this study could have been so much more than it is.
I am teaching this study to my women's group and they love it. I am impressed how simple and down-to-earth Nicole Johnson's writing is, and yet she reaches the mature believers as well as the new believers. It is full of the Word, which is what will change us.
I am coordinating a Women's Bible Study this year for our community. We had used another of the Women of Faith Bible studies a few years ago when I was new to the group. The discussions are easy to facilitate which means that many of the women have been willing to take a turn leading each week. The questions do not require extensive Bible knowledge but lead into good, non-denominational discussions that are not threatening, but teach basic Biblical principles that can be applied to all ages of women.
It was nice to have a Bible study book that highlighted scriptures about encouragement. I believe that more emphasis on encouragment from the heart is needed today. It is a gift to give away at will. The application-based stories were very good too.
Our small women's group just started using this book. It is so wonderful we have spent two weeks on the first chapter. The questions have sparked lots of good discussion and the women are already putting into practice what they are learning to encourage one another. God is revealing additional truths to us as individuals through our private study time which we share when we come together. I gave the women a baseball as recommended at the end of chapter one. I thought it might be corny but it was a huge hit and they loved it. We look forward to continuing to study and grow together with the aid of Encouraging One Another.
This is a good study to start off with if you don't know your group and where they stand with the Lord. This is good if they have never been in a small group before.
My friends and I selected this book for our group Bible study. While I think it is a great topic, the book does not go very deep. Each chapter just seems to repeat "we should encourage one another." My group decided to stop using this book halfway through because we weren't getting anything out of it.
We are using this book in a ladies Sunday School class and have only done three chapters so far. As a teacher I find the material to be well laid out and easy to use in class time. I think the study is helpful and the ladies seem to be enjoying it. It is good for a summer study with people coming in and out and not requiring very extensive advance preparation. I think it is a bit on the light side and usually feel that it needs just a bit more "meat" to feel like we've really studied and learned together. Usually it is not difficult to expand a little on the ideas in each chapter. In summary, I think it is a pretty good study, requiring minimal advance prep. and lending itself to more in depth discussions.
This week, my Bible Study ladies will begin this book. I am excited and ready for all twelve weeks! I know the ladies will enjoy hearing from the Women Of Faith, as they guide us by using godly humor. Each week, there are many ways by which we can emphasize encouragement to others. Each chapter is different, but they all keep the Biblical emphasis "upfront and foremost" in our daily lives.
My Sunday School Class is very excited to begin this study after the first of the year. As I leafed through the book, I was impressed with its content; however, since we haven't started it, it is hard to review at this time.
My girlfriend and I are meeting once/week to discuss a chapter from this. It is very uplifting. If is forcing both of us to spend some much needed time on SELF-improvement and improving our relationship with Christ. I think we will do other books in this series once we have finished this book.
We just completed our first Women of Faith Bible Study, and we are now beginning our second series. The format is very easy to follow, and as the group leader, I found the comments in the back very helpful in teaching the lessons. I would highly recommend this series. It works well as a weekly or monthly Bible study.
We have only done the first chapter, but I already love the book. With so many things to discourage us in the world,it's easy to get caught up in negativity. This book gives us a fresh perspective on how we can be a positive, shining light in the darkness.
We are using this for our cicle (small group of women) as a monthly bible study. We used the first chapter last week and are excited. We think it is fun, practical,and inspirational and are so pleased with it, we wish we were meeting more often than once a month. We really like the treasure we get at the end of each session. Next time, I will actually bring some real trail mix to share.
This was a great study. It makes you think. You can't just have "pat Christian answers." I've completed at least 2 other Women of Faith Bible studies and they are also great.