Week One:

1 Session - July 5

We are given the very simple command to love but can we really love as God requires us to? Do we even love ourselves?

Love is intertwined with our relationship with our heavenly Father and his Son and shapes our Christian walk, but how does it impact on our daily lives? This can be challenging and even make us feel uncomfortable but a path well worth exploring.

1 Session - July 6

Have you ever wondered why the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis was broken up by the story of Tamar and Judah? Why was Tamar included in the genealogy of Jesus? What can we learn from this passage of Scripture?

1 Session - July 7

Do you find prayer difficult? If so you are not alone. For many years I have struggled to pray. This session will explore prayer; I will share my journey and show how little notebooks are transforming my life and also reducing anxiety.

3 Sessions - July 5-7

How could an all-powerful God allow suffering and evil? How can you believe in a loving God who lets horrible things happen? The ancient book of Job is as relevant today as it was millennia ago.

1. What, When, Who, Where, Why - Overview of the Book of Job: background, structure, purpose, themes

2. On the Ash Heap - Speeches of Job and his ”friends": arguments, attitudes, assumptions

3. God Reveals Himself - Yahweh’s Message from the Whirlwind: the divine perspective

Week Two:

Faith, Hope & Love: A Faithful Queen, A Hopeful Slave & A Loving Savior
Mitzi Bourne - Dolphin Point, Sydney, AUS

3 Sessions - July 14-16

1. Esther Reveals Her Secrets
   A young and innocent girl is taken into a Persian Palace never to be returned to her family again. Surrounded by danger from jealous contenders for her position and from an unpredictable husband, Esther finds the strength to risk her life to save her people. But how do you survive a lifetime imprisoned in a gilded cage?
   Search Esther for the Gospel message of hope and ‘in whatsoever state you find yourself’ and it will be found.

2. Philemon and the Language of Love
   This story gives insight into the difficult relationship of a slave and his master, how that can relate to our time and how power-bases are as alive in our world as in theirs.
   We look at the roles of the slave and his master and find out just who does what for whom. We will explore the difference between slavery and service, between volunteers and conscripts, between grace and law, between ritual and the spiritual and see the remedy for all the challenges and conflicts of life is LOVE.

3. The Women Jesus Encountered. Pushing boundaries!
   Our Lord sent His son, to interpret for us, both in word and deed, what Our Father is truly like and how we should treat one another other.
   See the principles of equality, respect, love, understanding, forgiveness and compassion, demonstrated with the women Jesus encountered and how he deliberately targeted the prevailing cultural environment to show that in the eyes of God, we are all equal in Christ Jesus.

Week Three:

Hannah: Faith Over Fear
Suzanne Remy - Queens, NY, USA

1 Session - July 19

Hannah’s story teaches us how to have faith in the middle of a difficult season. Her life story inspires us to focus on faith instead of focusing on fear. There are so many women in the Bible that we can learn from but to me Hannah’s story was not only relatable, but it also teaches us to push our feelings, worries and fears to the side and trust in God’s timing. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10.

LOVE - Fruit of the Spirit
Pearl Hinds - Queens, NY, USA

1 Session - July 20

In this Study we will explore how we can develop our relationships. (Our relationships with our God, our spouse, our children, brethren, families, friends, our enemies, if we have, and everyone we encounter.)
We’ll discover that in order for love to be in action in our lives we must possess love, understand love, live in love, be receptive to love, vulnerable to love, and to dedicate ourselves to love– we must be forever growing in love.

Let us Rise up and Build
Patricia Hinds - Atlanta, GA, USA

1 Session - July 21

This class will serve to encourage sisters to build Christlike relationships and build up our Ecclesias, showing Christ like love to all, even to those who may oppose the work of the Lord. We tend to disregard those who disagree or oppose God's work, but they too, have a purpose in our Ecclesias.

This is parallel to Nehemiah leaving the King to help his brethren build up the walls of Jerusalem and met opposition to God's work.

The Good Samaritan
Janelle Valz - Queens, NY, USA

1 Session - July 22

The Samaritan, a Biblical investigation into race relations and justice in modern society.

Elizabeth
Nicky Gordon - Manhattan, NY, USA

1 Session - July 23

Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron, was selected by God to be the mother of John the Baptist, the great prophet who would prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

Emphases in Ephesians
Juliana Anderson - Bingham Farms, MI, USA

5 Sessions - July 19-23

Come take a journey through Ephesians discovering the mystery of the gospel and its connection with themes Paul emphasizes such as predestination, Christ's headship and his self-sacrificial love, our imitation of and unity in that love and our mutual submission amongst the one body of believers. This study examines the letter as a whole, it's setting and how Paul's words apply to us today. Exploring the importance of music in context of these themes will prayerfully encourage brothers and sisters to address "one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making a melody to the Lord" with all our hearts (Ephesians 5:19) so that we may be fully equipped in the armor of God.

God's Hidden Things
Marg van Rensburg - Mollymook Beach, South Coast of NSW, AUS

5 Sessions - July 19-23

1. GOD'S “HIDDEN THINGS IN CREATION”
   This session looks at some ‘hidden” lessons in God’s Creation that he has designed for the spiritual growth of his children. We will consider the power in metaphors from Creation used by Jesus, Peter, Paul and John to teach “weightier matters” - life-changing principles to transform our hearts and reflect on our motives.

2. “HIDDEN THINGS” IN THE SHADOW OF IMMANUEL
   This session looks at ‘hidden’ spiritual lessons in two key events in the days of Isaiah: Why did Hezekiah destroy the Brazen Serpent which God had commanded Moses to make? And the “sign” God gave Hezekiah where "the sun returned 10 degrees on the steps of Ahaz, by which it had already gone down."

3. “HIDDEN THINGS” IN THE PARABLES OF THE LOST AND FOUND
   This session explores ‘hidden’ spiritual lessons in Jesus’ parables of the sheep, the coin and the sons.

4. “HIDDEN THINGS’ IN THE PARABLE OF THE SAMARITAN
   This session looks at ‘hidden’ spiritual lessons and an actual historical connection of an event in the Old Testament that Jesus picks up in this parable.

5. “HIDDEN THINGS’ IN THE PARABLE OF THE VIRGINS
   This session urges us to reflect on what it is that motivates us to yearn for the return of the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ - it echoes imagery from the Old Testament and was given by Jesus just 2 days before his crucifixion.