I Accidentally Wrote a Bible Study!
Honestly, I still can’t believe it. I wrote a Bible study. Accidentally. A real Bible study. Like, a Bible study that people can go through and do and learn and spend time with the Lord and grow in their relationship with Him…..
What?!?!
This venture technically started somewhere around 5 years ago while sitting in a church service. The Holy Spirit whispered to me that I would write a book. I wrote it down. I began to ask questions. “What kind of a book, Lord?” “What would I even write about, God? I am an expert in nothing! I don’t have an interesting story or anything special to share.” Although I did recognize that I communicate much better in writing, I tabled the thought, knowing that I would be obedient when the time came. I never even considered that it would be a Bible study, but hindsight is 20/20 and now it makes perfect sense! I love to study God’s Word. I love to teach others what I learn about God’s Word. Isn’t it just like the Lord to take our passions and talents and do so much more with them than we ever thought possible?!
Fast forward to the Summer of 2020.
I was asked to teach at the Breakthrough women’s conference being held that same November. The subject: five of the Hebrew Names of God found in the Old Testament.
I began to study as time allowed. Life was super crazy during that time. I was pregnant with our seventh baby, we had just sold our home and moved into a rental property and begun building a house on the land that the Lord called us to. Annnndddd, did I mention that we have six kids, two of whom were in the blended model of schooling with it being Covid season? They were going to in-person school two days a week, and the other three days I was supposed to be helping them complete their daily school-work. It was a bit chaotic looking back, but doing what you love doesn’t feel like work, no matter how much time you spend doing it. So I diligently prepared as I always try to do. Studying the Bible is actually my only hobby. It’s my “thing”!
In fact, I tend to over-prepare. I am the kind that basically re-wrote the textbook in nursing school while taking “notes” to study for a test. I think every detail matters!! Plus, I want to make sure I really delve into the material and understand the topic well myself so that I can adequately communicate to others what I have learned. I need a 50,000-foot view so that I can focus it down and simplify it for people. So, in my over-preparation, I had collected a TON of really wonderful information. The problem was, I only had 40 minutes to teach on these five names, but I probably had hours and hours worth of content.
As I began condensing the material for my teaching section, it pained me to cut out so much beautiful, revelatory goodness. I felt like all that I learned was so valuable and that people could really benefit from knowing all of it, not just the parts I had time to share in my teaching session. I had a passing thought at that moment that this would make a really awesome Bible study. It was already semi-organized, it would just need to be formatted into a form that was conducive to studying with questions and answers and a little more commentary. But, who has time to write a Bible study? Not me. How do you even write a Bible Study? I surely didn’t know.
I have been a part of a women’s Bible study for about 15 years. We usually do about two studies a year together. We were approaching the conclusion of our first study of the year in the fall and had not yet decided what we would do next. The Lord continued to bring to my mind the thought that I needed to turn my notes into a study, especially after getting such good feedback about the information that I had shared at the conference. And then it hit me. If I could work quickly and efficiently enough, maybe I could have it all put together in study form in time for our group to be the first to go through it! I ran it by our group leader and leadership team, and they agreed that it would be great!
So, for the next 6 weeks, I spent about 10 hours a week reformulating my speaking notes into a Bible study! Had the Lord asked me to write a Bible study, I would have said “no way!” “I don’t know how to write a Bible study!” “I don’t have time to write a Bible study!” But, I was just obedient to the next task before me, which at the time was studying and preparing to teach, not knowing what that would lead to.
God always has more purpose packed into every step of obedience than what meets the eye.
He is always working behind the scenes. We are just responsible for giving Him our “yes” and then taking the first step. He does the rest. It is so much less overwhelming that way. How sweet the Lord is. He knows.
So, I am pleased to say that our group spent the first 14 weeks of 2021 going through my study, and to me, it was glorious! My heart was a-flutter! I can barely describe what it felt like. It felt like purpose. It felt like this was at least a part of what I am meant to do while I am here on this planet.
After our time doing the study came to an end, I sat on it. Not literally, but I just didn’t know how to take it to the next step of getting it into more people’s hands. Upon recommendation from someone who completed my study in our group, a ladies’ group in St. Louis wanted to do it, but I was mortified to send it to them. It had not been edited. It was printed on black and white printer paper. It was raw and rough. Not one bit professional or pretty to look at…..But, they gave such incredible feedback after working through it! What a blessing to my heart! Then, people began asking me about the study and I had nothing presentable to give them. So, I would make strides to work toward self-publishing only to be confused and overwhelmed and tabling it once again.
After more time had passed, I began to feel like it was time to figure this publishing thing all out after getting repeated requests for it. I really started to pray that the Lord would make a way should it be His will., but I felt stuck. I had no idea where to begin….this whole publishing a book situation was, and is, very foreign to me!
And then it happened.
It’s as if God said, “Go. It’s time.” I didn’t hear it in my spirit, but things just started happening.
Like the time I was at a friend’s birthday brunch and happened to run into one of my old nursing school besties, Jessica. We exchanged pleasantries and I asked what she was doing there that day. She explained that she and a friend were just beginning a new business helping AUTHORS PUBLISH BOOKS!!!!!! Excuse me?! Jessica then said, “come meet my business partner and friend, Jill? Is anyone helping you publish your book?” To which I emphatically responded, “No, and I desperately need help!” I met Jill, loved her instantly, and set up a meeting the following Monday to discuss the potential of them helping me. God, you are too good!!!
Pretty Booked Co. has been an absolute blessing and a dream team to work with. They are encouraging and professional and trustworthy. They gave me advice and a checklist to begin working through and have walked through the entire process, answering all my questions along the way. Due to some time-sensitive speaking engagements coming up that I really hoped to have my Bible study available for, we were on a time crunch. By the grace of God, and their wonderful coaching, we got it done. Woohoo!! The Lord has continued to show up and show off. His favor has been upon this whole process.
Another huge bit of evidence that Jesus has been shining down on this project is the way He provided a graphic designer to design the cover. Due to the awesome generosity of Ally Lang, co-founder of Hope Is Alive ministry and the talents and graciousness of Chris Vasquez, I have a beautiful cover that I absolutely love!!
I love seeing the Body of Christ work together and am just so grateful for how it has all come together!
I truly feel that the contents of this Bible Study are life-changing. Knowing the character of God is an essential aspect of the Christian walk. It colors how you process and perceive everything in your life, both the good and especially the bad. Knowing about Him is simply not enough. It won’t carry you through when the storms of life come, and come they will. God so desires for His beloved to know Him. The five names that I cover in this Bible study are paramount for the times we are living in. El Roi, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Jireh, Adonai, El Elyon….God’s mighty names. Knowing that God sees you, is your Healer, Provider, and Lord, and is sovereign over all, provides an unshakeable foundation to stand upon as you face this time in history and the days ahead.
I pray that whoever should find this Bible study in their hands would come away with a deeper faith and a greater understanding of the God of the Bible and just how Wonderful He truly is. He loves you beyond what you can comprehend.
Thank you for taking the time to hear about the writing of my first Bible study….I know this is just the beginning!!
His Name is Wonderful Getting to Know the God that Knows You is set to launch in TWO WEEKS on June 14th!!!!! LET’S GOOOO!!!!
Intimately,
~Jenni
