sim l r e l eva n t

{singing in the RAin}

Relational Bible Series for Women

Loveland, Colorado

simplyRelational relevant
Copyright 2010 Group Publishing, Inc. Visit our website: group.com/women

Bible Series for Women

{singing in the RAin}

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher, except where noted in the text and in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, visit group.com/permissions.

Credits
Author: Amber Van Schooneveld Executive Editor: Amy Nappa Copy Editor: Ann Jahns Chief Creative Officer: Joani Schultz Cover Art Director: Paul Povolni Cover Designer: Kate Elvin Designers: Andrea Filer and Jean Bruns Print Production Artist: Joyce Douglas Production Manager: DeAnne Lear Photographer (unless otherwise noted): Rodney Stewart Photos on pages 9, 10, 16, 18, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30, 39, 40, 49, 50, 54, and 60 istock.com Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-7644-4141-7 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 Printed in the United States of America.

Contents
Introducing Simply Relevant | Singing in the Rain Session 1: Our Reason for Joy Rejoicing in Our Relationship With God Session 2: Joy in the Ups Remembering God in the Good Times Session 3: Joy in the Downs Rejoicing That Gods Promises Are True Session 4: Joy in the Depths Rejoicing in Gods Unfailing Love Session 5: Joy in the Offering Rejoicing in Being Poured Out for Christ Session 6: Joyfully Ever After Rejoicing Always With the Body of Christ 59 49 39 29 19 5 9

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introducing simply relevant |

singing in the RAin

Welcome to Simply Relevant: Singing in the Rain! this is your totally relevant six-week Bible series that will help you develop relationships with other women as you grow in your joy in the Lord. We all want to be joyful people, but its not as easy as simply singing in the rain! this series will help you and your friends learn more about true joy and how we can experience it in all our circumstancesthe ups and downs. each week, youll learn what the Bible says true joy is (hint: its not just happiness), how we can each experience it (its not just putting on a happy face), and how we can be joyful even when we feel like we need an umbrella to shield us from all the bad things that seem to rain down in this world! You can do this Bible series with five to 50 womenor even more! You want women to really grow in relationships with each other, so always get in small groups of four or five for discussion if you have a larger group. Women at any place in their faith journeys can feel right at home with this Bible series. the discussion questions can be understood and applied by women who dont know Jesus yet or women who are longtime friends with him. All the Bible passages are printed out for you, so those who arent familiar with the Bible have the verses right in front of them.

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introducing simply relevant |

singing in the RAin

so what will you be doing each week? heres the structure of the sessions:

Note to the Hostess

Your hostess will be the woman facilitating your Bible series. shell read the session through before the meeting, prepare for the activities, gather any supplies needed, and get the snacks ready. this box contains special tips just for the hostess, such as supplies to gather for the experience, the atmosphere for the week, and ideas for snacks.

: :

Mingling
each week, youre going to start with snacks, mingling, and a short prayer. And this is key: take time to share you how did with your previous weeks commitment.

Experience
each week youll engage in an experience that will bring a new depth of meaning to the topic youll explore. the experiences will get every woman involved and having fun. there might be a little bit of preparation or supplies needed, which the hostess will supply.

The Word
each week, youll read scripture passages together and then, using questions from this guide, discuss what they mean. the questions are surprising, personal, and relevant to women today.

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A Closer Look
these boxes provide a quick look at the Bible passages youll be digging into each week. theyll help you develop a deeper understanding of the verses at hand while discussing their meaning in your lives. You can read them together during your session or on your own at home, but be sure to read them as theyre important to the discussion.

Take Action
this is where women put faith into action. Youll all commit to apply what youve learned in a practical way during the coming week. You can write your own commitment or choose from the suggested commitments. then next week, youll check in with each other to see how you did.

Prayer
At the end of each session, youll spend time in prayer together. You can ask for prayer requests and pray about the commitments youve made for the upcoming week. Weve also given you a verse to read together to focus your minds for prayer.

Girlfriend Time
if you want some more hangout time together after your session is over, weve given you fun suggestions for easy activities to do together to reinforce the sessions topic or to just relax. this is an optional bonus that will help you grow deeper in your friendships.

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introducing simply relevant |

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Still Thirsty?
if you want to explore the weeks topic more, weve given you additional verses and reflection questions to read and consider in the coming week. We pray that in the next six weeks, this experience will deepen your friendship with one another and, most of all, deepen your joy in the Lord as you serve and follow him.

Groups Womens Ministry Team

Our Reason for J

oy

session 1

Rejoicing in Our Relationship With God

Note to the Hostess:

This is the first week of your study on joy together, so make women comfortable and create an atmosphere of cheer. Greet your guests warmlywith the joy of the Lord! And chocolate chip cookies couldnt hurt either. Read through the Experience section before your session, so you know how to prepare for this fun activity. The Scripture passage for this study presents the good news of salvation clearly. If you have guests who have never heard this message of salvation, you may want to take more time to discuss your experience of becoming a friend of God. Also, at the end of this session, ask women to bring some of their favorite photo albums, such as wedding albums or family vacation albums, for next weeks session.

Get ItGot It?Good.

a warm greeting and smile for your guests chocolate chip cookies for extra cheer DVD or video of the movie Singin in the Rain (and a TV and player so everyone can watch!)
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Mingling
Enjoy the snacks the hostess has set out, and make sure you all know each others names. Need a little help? Heres a conversation starter: Hi, my names [ your name ], and when I think about joy, the first word that pops into my head is ___________________________. Before starting, open your time by praying something like this: God, thank you for bringing each individual woman here tonight.We thank you that you are the Author of joy and that we can find true joy in you. In Jesus name, amen.

Experience
(Note:The hostess will prepare and lead this experience this week.) Remember Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds from Singin in the Rain? Ahhh(If not, get thee to a Blockbuster or Netflix!) To start off your study, youll watch Gene Kelly perform the title act of Singin in the Rain. Check out the movie from the library or your favorite movie source (you can perhaps even find it online on YouTube), and cue it to Genes singin in the rain scene. This scene begins with Kelly saying goodbye to Reynolds at her front door and is approximately 1 hour and 8 minutes into the movie.

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Show the clip to everyone, and then have women get into groups of four or five for discussion. Have groups use these questions and discuss them at their own pace:

Whom do you think youre most often like in this clipthe man hustling by with an umbrella, trying to get out of the rain, or Gene, whose mood cant be dampened by rainy circumstances?

Genes happiness in this clip comes from his relationship with his cute companion, but where do you think real joy comes from?

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the Wo r d
Read Romans 5:8-11 together: Romans 5:8-11(italics added)
But god showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in gods sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from gods condemnation. For since our friendship with god was restored by the death of his son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his son. so now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

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a closer look
Romans 5 Read this box before moving on to the Scripture Discussion Questions to take a deeper look at the verses for this session.
Romans 5:11 says that we can rejoice in our relationship with God. The Greek word that Paul uses in this verse for rejoice is kauchaomai (pronounced: kow-khah'-om-ahee), which means to glory or boast in something. We can glory in our wonderful relationship with God! Of this verse, William MacDonald, in the Believers Bible Commentary, says, Before we were saved we found our joys elsewhere. Now we exult whenever we remember Him, and are sad only when we forget Him. What has produced this marvelous change, so that we can now be glad in God? It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

scripture discussion questions

In groups of four or five, discuss these questions:
Read MacDonalds quote in the A Closer Look section. In the past, where elsewhere have you found happiness that didnt come from your relationship with God?

Have the elsewheres ever left you unsatisfied, or has the happiness been fleeting? Tell about it.

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scripture discussion questions

(cont.)

This passage says that our relationship with God can be restored through the death of Gods Son. In your own life, have you taken this step of becoming a friend of God? If not, were glad youre here! If so, share your experience with the others.

Think about these phrases from Romans 5:8-11: great love, restored, saved, rejoice, wonderful new relationship, and friends of God. What thoughts or emotions do they evoke in you?

Over and over in the Bible, when the words joy or rejoice are used, its in reference to the salvation we can find through Jesus Christ. Gene Kelly was rightits not about our circumstances, but about a relationship! Have you ever experienced the kind of joy that makes you want to sing and dance in your relationship with God? If so, tell about it!

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Take Action
Lets not just talk about the joy we can have through Jesus Christ, lets experience it! Write below how youre going to reflect on and glory in your relationship with God this week. If youre having a hard time thinking of something, choose one of the ideas below. Next week, youll share with one another how you did.

this week
Im going to rejoice in my wonderful new relationship in God by:

This week, Im going to learn more about how I can begin a friendship with God by talking this weeks passage over with a good friend.

This week, Im going to read the verses in the Still Thirsty? section and meditate on the questions.

This week, Im going to keep track of where Im trying to find my joy or happiness. When its in the wrong place, Ill pray for God to help me find my joy in him.

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Prayer
End your time together in prayer to your Father. Read Psalm 13:5 together.
But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. Rejoice! God has rescued us. Thank God for the salvation and relationship you can have with him through Jesus Christ. Ask him to help you find real joy in him.

Girlfriend Time
If you want to spend more time together with your friends, watch the rest of Singin in the Rain. Nothing like a good, old-fashioned romance to bond with friends.

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Still Thirsty?
Isaiah 25:9

If youre still thirsty to know more about finding joy in Gods salvation, check out these Scriptures:

In that day the people will proclaim, This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!
How do you think trusting in God and joy are related to each other?

Luke 10:20
But dont rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.
Jesus told his disciples to rejoice not in the spiritual power they had found, but in their salvation. Can you find any parallel in your own life?

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Psalm 13:5
But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
In what way has God rescued you? Spend some time thinking about the ways, and then spend some time rejoicing in them!

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
How confident would you say your own hope is?

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