Welcome back to our last day of the No Other Gods online bible study. On week eight of our study, Kelly Minter walks us into the pages of Ruth as an example of what might happen when we leave idols of the past behind and move forward in blind faith and obedience to God. If you have not read Kelly Minter’s second bible study called Ruth: Loss, Love and Legacy-  I highly recommend it. We read this last summer with Beth Moore and it’s one of my favorite bible studies for women. As the title suggest, when we leave something or someone behind, we move forward with love and create a legacy. In our eight weeks of No Other Gods, we let go of functional gods and opened our hearts to more of God. God is love.

Like most bible studies written for women, I had a personal transformation while reading this study by Kelly Minter. When I started the study in April, I wrote inside the cover of my workbook “Dear Father, as I lead this study I pray that I will come to know and identify false gods hidden in my heart, see their potential destruction, and remove them from my life. Amen.” At the end of eight weeks, I saw how codependency became a functional god and I based many of my decisions around this false god. Saying goodbye to it allowed me the freedom to pursue God’s will for my life and to walk by obedience and faith, not by fear. A powerful moment in the study for me was when Naomi returned to her home and Ruth followed her heart, not her fears. As a result of their obedience to to the One true God, a legacy was created and retold more than 2,000 years later.

Kelly Minter writes “When it comes to our functional gods, God calls us to move away from them- sometimes its a physical move, but more often, it’s a heart move.” May your heart move each and every time you read scripture. Each woman completing this study will have a different experience and perspective of the study, because the Holy Spirit knows our hearts and our needs. I pray each of you will continue your spiritual growth and follow the path Jesus has placed before you. Please join us in future studies and grow together as women of faith.

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• Sometimes the best response is a peaceful, humble non-response.
• Not bowing to our idols can mean standing alone for a time.
• If we dwell on all we’ve left behind, we’ll be tempted to return.
• If it takes faith to say goodbye, it takes faith to say hello.
• The Lord will not allow us to be in the desert forever.
• Sometimes the new doesn’t present itself immediately, which is where faith comes in.
• With every bend, twist and dip in the road, we proclaim God faithful.

For Next Week

• Please register for our next next bible study

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Since we started the study 8 weeks ago, in what areas of your life have you begun removing idols and creating room for God? (page 166 )
2. Kelly reminds us that leaving our idols is not our final goal, making room for God is. What is one thing you can do today, to make room for God in your life now?
3. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.
4. Would you recommend this study to a friend? Why or why not?

Welcome back to womens online bible study. We’ve just finished reading No Other Gods week seven in our Kelly Minter workbooks, and next week is our last lesson. Some of you are reading on track with the original schedule, some of you started later than the group, and some of you have delayed your reading due to personal matters. For those who are behind, please make an effort to finish so you’ll be able to join us in the next study. Registration for our Summer Bible Study begins in just a few days.

This week we discovered that leaving our idols is not a one time event, it’s a lifelong process. When one idol is removed, another one tempts us to take its place. Always be watchful of who or what is on your throne. If it’s not God, then most likely it’s an idol and does not belong there. God hates idols. When we place God in the center of our lives, not idols, then according to Kelly Minter we can be certain He “is going to do some pretty cool stuff in our lives.”  With certainty, He does. When our eyes are not on the throne, we miss the “cool stuff” and overlook the blessings. Clear your vision by removing your idols. God rewards obedience.

As Kelly showed us this week, removing our idols requires trust and patience. Idols don’t just fall off our backs and we can’t blink them away like a television actress. We must place our hearts into removing them and surrender what does not please God.  The Holy Spirit examines our hearts and knows our intentions. He’ll reveal to us when we are consumed with idols, and remind us to focus on God. Listen, pray and follow your heart toward God’s will for you. His will is revealed by scripture: no false Gods shall stand before Him.

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• Walking away from our idols is a lifelong process.
• Abraham’s obedience was more important than any other detail- even where he was headed.
• Even if the details are blurred, embrace the clarity of promised blessings.
• The Pharisees emphasized the outside.
• Our outside behavior stems from our heart.
• God deals with our idols when He deals with our hearts.
• We don’t have the power in ourselves to dismantle the idols of our hearts.
• God shows up in our reality.
• See your weakness and struggles as opportunities to reveal God’s power and grace in your life.

For Next Week

• Read Week Eight in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. What is your own definition of the difference between surrender and trust? (page 156)
2. Kelly Minter writes “As I continue to seek God’s heart, I am attempting to look at the bigger picture, not just the smaller answer.” (page 158) What does this mean to you personally?
3. On page 159, Kelly shares her desire for more prayer. What can you do to enhance your prayer life and make it more consistent in your life?
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

We’ve just finished week six of No Other Gods by Kelly Minter, and we’re almost done with our study. In a few days we’ll announce our Summer Bible Study. We really had a chance to examine our idols in relation to God, as Kelly took us deeper into our study this week. Kelly Minter writes “We spend too much time trying to rid ourselves of rebellion, lust, jealousy, materialism, drug addictions, and whatever idols rule our lives, while spending this minuscule amount of time on knowing the One True God.” This is a powerful statement in comparison to our small idol gods- and helps us focus our heart-vision where it belongs. When we keep our hearts and minds on the I AM, nothing else matters. The friend who offends you on Facebook, the number of followers you have on Twitter, the television show you cannot miss, or the need for more books, clothes and shopping- all dissolve into a pile of plastic dust in comparison to the One God who provides. We can’t serve God and our idols,we have to choose- the same way Abraham chose his only son. We think our false gods will deliver what we crave- affirmation, love, acceptance, attention, knowledge and more- yet only God can deliver what our hearts and minds crave.

At the end of the world, which god do you want to stand before? The God who delivers, or the false gods who tempt and tease. When faced with a life threatening illness or a challenge in your relationships, which god do you cling to? The God who loves and comforts you, or the false gods who cause you to fear and turn in wrong directions. Like Kelly Minter says in our bible study “At the end of the day, it’s between I AM and everything else. We can’t serve both.” Serve the God who sent His one and only Son to die for your sins, so you could claim your inheritance as His daughter and the promise of eternity. Serve the I AM.

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• Many who consider themselves Christian barely open the Word.
• We wouldn’t run after false gods if we didn’t think on some level they would deliver.
• Our soul delights in God when we come, listen, turn from our idols and call out to Him.
• Any idol in our lives becomes our master.
• We can’t expect to turn from our idols if we have nothing to turn to.
• When we see God for who He is, the strength of our idols lose their pull.
• Worship Him for being the God who saves, unlike our idols who burden us.

For Next Week

• Read Week Seven in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. How is your soul hungry and thirsty? Do you believe God when He says He can satisfy you?
2. Are you currently going through a time when you really have no idea how things will turn out, but are moving ahead in faith, believing God will show Himself as the God who provides? (page 133)
3. What do you think “friendship with the world” means? (page 135 )
4. How have your functional gods been a burden to you? (page 138 )
5. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Welcome back to online bible study! Today we continue with our examination of modern idols and false gods as we discuss week five of No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. This week we started saying goodbye to functional gods, those things or people who actually operate as our god. When we make room for God in our lives, He fills the space with His presence, His love and His blessings. Declutter and find yourself near Him.

Kelly Minter had us digging through scripture as we examined the Isrealites manna complaints and saw how they craved more than God provided for them. Food, which is good for us, becomes a false god. When we relinquish control of our food gods, we open our heart, soul and minds to the blessings of the Father and an invitation to His banquet table. The Lord has been asking me to let of my food cravings, especially sugar and chocolate, my gods of choice. Initially I was afraid to give this up, because food feeds my emotional hunger. When I hurt, when I anger, when I’m lonely or depressed- food becomes a trusted friend. It’s readily available, sweetened with sugar, and instantly satisfying. It feeds my soul cravings. By giving up this functional god and eating healthy instead, I open myself up to allow God to feed my soul. He is my comfort when I hurt. He is my advisor when I’m angry. He is my friend. He lightens my load. The Father provides our soul needs, and food is simply a means of keeping our bodies healthy and alive. By giving up my functional god I open myself to a feeding from the Lord. Realizing this, I have been letting go and not grieving my false gods. I’ve watched my body physically change by losing weight and letting go of the excess load I was carrying. I carried the weight of my functional gods- and then walked in shame because I knew my body did not represent the identity Christ gave me. By giving my emotions to the Lord, and eating only to fuel my body and not my heart, I am living in freedom.

Last night I went to a steak restaurant with my family to celebrate our hard work in hosting a garage sale. As I sat before my expensive meal, I was unable to eat more than three bites. I was not hungry, did not crave my food gods, and my emotions were finding satisfaction in God. What a treat to realize how far I’ve come- and I’m certain it’s from the No Other Gods bible study! I’ve failed numerous diets because my heart and mind were not centered on God, they were centered on the food I was craving. As Kelly Minter writes “Leaving our false gods requires faith. We have to believe that where God wants to take us will be better than what we are clinging to, even if we can’t imagine it.”

I’m sharing my personal story because I’m going to ask you to share yours below. It’s time to say goodbye to your functional gods. What is God leading you to get rid of?

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• We cling because the painful familiar is often more comfortable than the foreign amazing.
• God uses scarcity in our lives to draw us to dependency on Himself.
• We deceive ourselves when we think our gods will bring us anything but leanness of soul.
• God wanted bread for their bodies so they could have meat for their souls.
• God’s promises aren’t necessarily realized without struggle.
• God’s love is so rich and refreshingly different than our often-limited views of love.

For Next Week

• Read Week Six in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Think of an idol in life that can be categorized as good (I used the food example above). How is craving it different from wanting or needing it? (page 103 )
2. How do you feed your soul?
3. Is there something the Lord is asking you to no longer withhold from Him? What are the reasons why you’re afraid to give it over to Him? (page 117 )
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Welcome back to our fourth week of womens bible study with No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. We spent this week looking at the problems with idols. Idols make us double-minded, and Kelly reminds us “The desired end is to make room for one and only God. When our hearts are overly attached or dependent on lesser things, we crowd God out of our lives.” Essentially, we crowd-out God and replace Him with worthless idols. When we walk with Jesus, shoulder-to-shoulder, those idols are behind us and do not attach themselves to us. When we pull away from Jesus and allow a gap between our hearts, idols filter in. Close the gap!

In the story of Rachel and Leah, we saw how our idols lead to desperation. I wonder if we too become desperate as we seek attention or affirmation. We seek more friends, more followers, and more online communication to validate us as worthy. Instead, we should be looking to Jesus for our value and worth. We don’t need our hearts checking emails, direct messages, retweets and Facebook walls; we need our hearts centered on prayer and the Word of God. Yet the temptation for instant gratification has existed since the day Eve took her first bite. Unsatisfied with just a single bite, we come back for more gratification from our idols. An unsatisfied woman is a dangerous woman, if she does not keep her eyes and heart on God. God is the only source of our satisfaction.

We learned how idols control us, leaving us unsatisfied, double-minded, attached and dependent on people or things. On the last day of our study, Kelly Minter started a discussion of solutions, and I was heartbroken to see it was a single page of study! I thought it was a typo or publishing error…so I peeked into the next chapter and saw we’ll be saying goodbye to our idols soon.

Here is some worship music to begin the week: Lose My Soul by Toby Mac

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• It is impossible to serve God and gods.
• All believers are married to Christ, so when we look to idols we are being unfaithful to Him.
• God has created each of us uniquely and specifically.

For Next Week

• Read Week Five in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. How do you feel about James’ use of the word adulteress to describe friends of the world? (page 83 )
2. Can you think of something you don’t have, but are convinced if you had it, it would make you happy? (page 89 )
3. Which shoes have you worn- Leah’s or Rachel’s- and were you happy or unhappy when you wore them? (page 91 )
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

It’s our third week of online bible study as we continue to read No Other Gods, Confronting Our Modern Day Idols by Kelly Minter. We learned that “behind every false god is…” a lie, deceit, intimidation, a door we’ve left open and a prowling lion. We examined the methods the enemy uses to tempt us with false gods and looked in scripture at the Great Temptation when Adam and Eve turned to a false god. They fell for a lie, they were deceived, they were intimidated, and they found an open door when God said “don’t eat this.” The serpent was prowling and when he saw Eve tempted by the fruit, he pounced on her heart. All four needs were tested- mental, emotional, physical and spiritual- when Adam and Eve tasted the fruit. Instead of turning to God for their needs, they turned away and followed the Great Temptation.

There are many opportunities in our modern culture to follow our own temptations. Our mental needs are met through education, reading books, playing electronic games or debating with friends. Our emotional needs are met through Facebook, Twitter, relationships, church attendance, family gatherings and addictions. Our physical needs are met through intimacy, exercise or touching our pets. Our spiritual needs are met through prayer, church, bible study and music. As our needs are met, Satan twists our wants. He convinces us we want more of the flesh and less of the Spirit. He entices us to crave people and things, not Jesus. He teaches us to be self-dependent and not God-dependent. The lies are subtle, and our unsealed hearts are open doors.

We walk into our spiritual trials naked as a newborn baby, or clothed with the armor of God. We fight with hearts of faith, or hearts of man. The battle is won by Jesus’ death on the cross, yet the enemy continues to fight and God allows this.

In our Facebook Chat Room this week, we had an interesting conversation about why God allows obedient people to go through trials. Michelle started the conversation by saying ” Something came up on the No Other Gods study for me this week, and I’m curious what others think about it: There is a premise in the study that God brings pain into our lives. Do you think God brings the pain, allows the pain, or pain is just a result of life? (I realize this is a BIG question, [Essentially: Does God intervene in our lives without us asking Him to?], but it’s one I’ve been struggling with a lot lately in relation to the purpose of prayer.) Any ideas???” Here are the comments in case you are not on Facebook:

• Brystan: I too am in the No Other Gods study and have been thinking about it. I think (personally) that God “allows” for us to have pain, as it is part of life, of course God helps us through it, and I think that is essentially the point. We get pain, and we are supposed to call upon God for help and assistance through it all, and He tells us how we are supposed to deal with it. Does any of that make sense? I’m not even sure I answered your question…
• Michelle: Yes, it makes sense, and that’s about where I am on the issue, as well. I see/hear so much of “God brought this to me” or “God caused this to happen,” and in the Bible, He blatantly DOES cause things to happen, but I want to believe that it is life and not Him causing bad things. If God causes bad things to happen, we’ve opened a huge can of worms. Blaming life is simpler, but maybe not accurate. I’m not sure.
• Deborah: I’m in the Breaking Free study, but I thought I would throw my 2cents in here. Instead of God “causes” bad things to happen I see it more that He “allows” bad things to happen. Pain…heartache…He used those to bring us closer to Him……for His glory to shine through. We may never know how the way that we handled a difficult situation made the difference in the life of someone watching us. It’s hard to be in the midst of bad stuff and see that as something that God can use for good….but He sees tomorrow and sees the big picture…how if we allow it to…it will all work out for His glory.
• Raye: God never promised us life would be a rose garden w/out thorns, but He did promise that He would strengthen us thru the pain of the thorns. God can’t prevent what “man” may do, that is what free will is all about, God is not a magician that …we can go through life w/out pain just because we are His daughters – His princess’s, however He can and is always with us – for He never leaves or forsakes us! Why should we be exempt from pain? Jesus suffered pain so we could live a life of eternity.
• Raye: the following is by Charles Stanley: Psalm 23 describes the Lord caring for us as tenderly and faithfully as a shepherd cares for his flock. This beloved passage of God’s Word is a reminder that He is always present—loving, protecting, and guiding us. Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” God is with us at all times and has a purpose for every adversity He allows. The biblical principle here is We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
• Michelle: I agree completely. I have a bit of a struggle with the idea that God can’t interfere with man’s choices because man has free will because the Bible tells us of times when God DOES interfere with man’s choices and causes men to do or not do certain things. So, I guess the logical side of my mind is trying to reconcile these ideas…
• Angela: I just read in Breaking Free that “God never heaps more chastisement on His children than necessary for their benefit and return to obedience”. I thought that sums it up pretty good! There is a phrase in a song by Ayiesha Woods that says something like “if every day was an easy day than you wouldn’t be able to say God brought me through”…I really like that one too!
• Bridget: Michelle, your question is one that I’ve wrestled with before and simply stated it is the tension of the present and future aspects of the kingdom of God. We experience some of it now and the rest of it later. It’s a constant tension between our free will and the will of God and since we don’t see the whole picture, Jesus set the example to humbly trust and pray for God’s will. The challenge is for us to trust in His love for us when He has not intervened in our circumstances the way that we would prefer. My perspective is that the Bible makes it clear that pain comes about for a few different reasons. One is that we live in a fallen world where we have the pain of our fallen circumstances, which includes negative effects of choices made by others and the frailty of our bodies in this fallen state. The second reason is the pain brought on by our spiritual adversaries. Thirdly we often suffer the pain of consequences brought about by our choices. I see God as working through the pain in our lives to further our growth as we experience His love, healing and restoration for our spirit, soul and body – which is a continual, progressive process. Jesus said we would have tribulation in the world, but thankfully we are not destined to suffer the wrath of God and I take great comfort in that knowledge. Sorry for the long answer, but your question is thought provoking for sure
• Michelle: Bridget, your explanation is especially helpful! Thank you for taking the time to explain all of that. I have been taking it on faith for a long time and just trusting that God knows how it will all work together, but I have such a hard time explaining to others when they ask. I don’t like to use statements like “God has a purpose,” or “He won’t give us more than we can handle,” because it implies God is CAUSING all bad things to happen, and I just don’t believe that. I think he may cause SOME bad things to happen in order to teach us through them, knowing how we will respond in the end, but I don’t think he CAUSES things like rape, murder, and war. I think our human-ness causes those things. But, I see this as such a complex issue that I just want to trust God to “get it” for me. It’s when others ask me, “Well, what about when God did THIS?” that I don’t know how to answer sometimes…

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• Behind every false god is a lie.
• Circumstances often present things that are “true,” but God’s Word always presents truth.
• In order for us to stick with the truth, we have to know it.
• Regardless of the circumstances, it takes confidence to believe that God is going to protect and take care of us as we wait in difficult situations.
• To think that we are unaffected by what we watch, read, or listen to is deceptive thinking.
• Be open to what God may want to purify in your life.
• The wisdom of scripture and the truth of God are ultimately to equip us for carrying out good in our lives.
• True conviction doesn’t look for loopholes.

For Next Week

• Read Week Four in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Can you think of something that attracted you, based on a lie?
2. Which of the four needs- mental, emotional, physical or spiritual- does the enemy use to deceive or intimidate you into seeking false gods?
3. Look back at a specific event in your life that caused you pain. Why do you think God allows trials in your life?
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Welcome back to our online bible study as we discuss Session Two from No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. This week we read about why we choose idols, why they appeal to us and why we’re unable to resist them. Each day we looked at the motivations for our false gods, as Kelly walked us through scripture. We saw how the Israelites depended on themselves rather than God, as they used His gifts and created their own gods. I wonder if we are still doing this today, two-thousand years later. Our God is a patient and forgiving God, as He leads us to find our identity in Christ. I thought it was fascinating the Israelites used their earrings to create a new god, while at the same time the were complaining they could not hear God. As a jewelry designer, there was just too much symbolism in this for me. They wore God’s gifts on their ears but not in their hearts. Carefully read these two verses:

• Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”  So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Exodus 32:2-4 NIV

• Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV

Kelly reached into our hearts when she asked us to identify sinful desires which obscure our identity in Christ. For me, it was a powerful bible study moment and an opportunity to pray. She then challenged us to examine our needs and our pain. Kelly writes “I cannot think of anything less satisfying, not to mention limiting, than having myself as the answer to everything.” Next week we’re going to discover the truth: behind every false god is a lie.

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• Many of us run to idols because we are convinced they will bring us what we need.
• If it all looks easy and doable, it doesn’t require faith.
• Whatever we fear is our god. Fear itself is not the god; the object of our fear is the god.
• Scripture has been tremendously effective in combatting my fears.

For Next Week

• Read Week Three in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Which if the five causes- identity, need, pain, silence or fear- seems to be the root cause for your idols?
2. What does it mean for you to have your identity in Christ rather than in idols?
3. Describe a time God did not show up fast enough and you took matters into your own hands. (page 41)
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

Welcome back to bible study, as we discuss week one from No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. While reading my lessons, I was reminded of an experience I had at the shopping mall on the day before Easter. I went into my local tea store to replace a broken tea pot.  As I checked out at the register, I set my purse before a small statue of Buddha. It offended me because I was looking at an idol of a false god. I did what any good Christian would do, I immediately said a prayer to the Lord and rebuked the false god. Two days later, I found myself reading about false gods and idol worship. With certainty, that small statue crossed my path as a visual reminder that false gods exist even today. Some idols are obvious, and some are hidden inside our hearts. Our bible study is about the modern gods clogging our spiritual life.

On page 15 of the No Other Gods workbook, Kelly Minter writes “A professed god is who or what we say our god is; a functional god is who or what actually operates as our god.” We then examined the false gods of modern society and those with our own hearts. Once we identified these, we saw how these idols make us slaves. We’re slaves to food, family members, illness, technology and even ourselves, and we are no longer mastered by God. Kelly Minter digs deep when she says “The only thing worse than being under the control of something to no fault of my own is to be under the control of something I’ve actually created.”

Were you shocked to uncover hidden gods and did this week’s lesson take you down a path of discovery you had not expected? Did you find a smirking pharaoh at the end of your study? This week we unveiled our personal pharaohs and next week we’ll examine why we have these idols in our Christian lives. As we examine scripture, we examine our own hearts and draw near to Him.

Prayer Requests

Our Prayer Wall has many requests, so please print the page, place a copy in your workbook and pray for these women who are asking for your help. The best way to print the page is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.

Kelly Minter Quotes

• God was getting my worship, but my gods were getting my service.
• Our false gods have taken up our most treasured spaces, leaving little room for God to show Himself strong on our behalf.
• As with anything human, church always mixes the glorious with the flawed.
• Anything taking the place of God in our lives deserves our attention.
• Having freedom from our idols begins by recognizing our powerless against them.
• What we treasure apart from God is where we find our idols.

For Next Week

• Read Session Two in the workbook
• Join our Womens Bible Cafe Chat on Facebook

Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like

1. Did you uncover hidden idols in this week’s study? If so, what did you find? (page 15 )
2. Complete this sentence by filling in the blanks:  _________ had become my pharaoh and it kept me  ____________.
3. On page 23, Kelly Minter writes “Am I doing this for God’s glory, or for my own glory, pride, comfort, happiness or other selfish motives?’ Looking at your personal pharaoh in answer 2 above, which one of these motives feeds your pharaoh: your own glory, pride, comfort, happiness or selfish motives?
4. If you want, share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

In Him,

Welcome to the Womens Bible Cafe, as we launch our newest bible  study No Other Gods, Confronting Our Modern Day Idols written by Kelly Minter. Our online group has about 70 women from different states and five different countries. Each woman participating in the study brings a unique aspect to the group, from the seasoned Bible study warrior to the first time student.  We’re all here for the same purpose: to find intimacy with God through His Word. In this Kelly Minter study, we’ll examine our modern day idols, the false gods we’ve allowed into our hearts and homes. Over the next eight weeks together, we’ll study the idols and how to remove them from our lives.

We’ll gather here each week on Monday, to discuss our workbook lessons, pray for each other, and grow in faith. During the week you will read a lesson each day, about 30 minutes of your time. Many women prefer to read in the quiet of the morning, while others wait until the end of their day. In either case, do your best to keep up with the daily lessons. If you find yourself falling behind, Satan seizes the opportunity for condemnation, making you think you’re not good enough as a Christian or not serious about your relationship with God. That is the furthest from the truth-do not let the enemy of lies steal your JOY. If you fall behind, simply find a weekend to catch-up. Do not hide in shame or let the enemy eat at your heart. Often, when you resume the study you’re reading the lesson that is appropriate for the exact time you needed to hear the words. Let the Holy Spirit guide you and convict you, and if you feel condemned, tell the little devil to take a hike! The Spirit speaks in love, always.

Discussions are essential to our growth and learning, so be sure to post a comment. Simply go to the end of the blog post, see the discussion question, and post a comment. If you want to reply to another member in the study, hit the “reply” link below her comment. You’ll notice comments are on moderation status…because we are a women’s blog, we’ve attracted well over 10,000 spam comments! These have been filtered out of the system via comment monitoring. We update the blog many times during the day, so visit as often as you like!

In this particular study, Kelly Minter is writing from her Living Room Series. She met with her girlfriends each week, discussed the key concepts of the study, and then wrote No Other Gods, Confronting Our Modern Day Idols. Each week she includes a recipe from her home group as she shares her meal and the Word together. Kelly is also a Christian singer, and I had the privilege of listening to her sing at my church. You’ll find her music on YouTube or her website at KellyMinter.com

Prayer Requests

Please visit our Prayer Wall. We ask each of you to print the prayer requests, place them in your workbook, and remember these prayers as you read your bible each day. The best way to do this is to copy and past the prayers into a Word document, then print the file. Please submit your prayer needs here.

Homework for This Week

• Write a letter to God on the inside cover of your workbook. Tell Him where you are in your life right now, and where you hope He leads you during your 8-week study of modern iodols.
• Complete the first week (Session ONE) in your workbook.

Group Discussion- Please post a comment and answer these two questions

1. Characterize your life in this present season using ONE WORD.
2. Share a specific goal you have for being in this bible study.

In Him,

Our online womens bible study No Other Gods by Kelly Minter begins in just a few more days. So far, we have 94 women registered for this online bible study. If you would like to register, please click here. We’ve been asking you what you think some of your modern idols are, and the answers have been honest and insightful. It’s easy to identify some of those things that draw us away from the Lord. It’s more difficult to change our mindset and remove the strongholds. I am thankful each of you are participating in this online bible study, as we read the Word together, share our thoughts and grow in intimacy with the Lord. May His Presence and blessings flow over your hearts and into your homes as you feed from His Word- written two-thousand years ago.

Number of Women in Study: 94 registered (last updated: April 29 )

Our Modern Idols

• Facebook (12 women said this)
• television/reality tv shows (10 women said this)
• computer/electronics (24 women said this)
• perfectionism
• online shopping
• clothes
• husband/fiance/boyfriend
• sewing/quilting/crafts
• work
• books/reading
• food/sugar
• need for approval
• worry/uncertainty
• money
• autism
• our children
• suicide loss (grief)
• exercise
• myself
• idleness
• wii
• possessions
• everything
• unsure

Where We’re From

• Canada-2
• Mexico-1
• New Zealand-1
• United Kingdom-1
• Alabama-4
• Arkansas-4
• California-10
• Florida-2
• Georgia-1
• Illinois-1
• Indiana-2
• Kansas-2
• Kentucky-3
• Michigan-2
• Minnesota-1
• Mississippi-1
• Missouri-2
• Montana-1
• Nebraska-1
• North Carolina-5
• Ohio-2
• Oregon-1
• Pennyslvania-1
• South Carolina-1
• Tennessee-4
• Texas-4
• Virginia-3
• Washington-4
• West Virginia-1
• not stated: 22

I’m so excited to start reading on April 25th! On that day, we’ll begin reading week one and each day you’ll spend 30 minutes in the Word. The following Monday, we will gather again online and have a group discussion about week one! If you have any questions, please read the FAQ page or email me.

To JOIN this online bible study, click here.

In Him,