Bad Girls of the Bible Part 24

2. She took down her hair as an expression of wors.h.i.+p. What motivates people to break the bonds of convention and "let down their hair" in seeking to wors.h.i.+p the Lord? Think of some biblical examples of variety and creativity in wors.h.i.+p. Have you partic.i.p.ated in something similar? What was the result? How would we know if our wors.h.i.+p is pleasing to G.o.d?

3. Foot kissing and perfume pouring might not be on your "To Do" list for next Sunday morning's wors.h.i.+p service. But what could you do-privately or publicly-that would be as sacrificial and meaningful as this woman's actions? Would you be willing to try it? In public or private? How might you do it, practically speaking? What would be the benefit, spiritually speaking?

4. Considering that the woman in this story never spoke, what does that say to you? Do you identify more with the chatty woman at the well or this silent sinner at Jesus' feet? Is one personality more pleasing to G.o.d than the other? How does each personality lend itself to serving the Lord?

5. How can we know, as surely as this woman did, that our sins are forgiven? (Hint: It's in the Bible!) Find at least five verses that a.s.sure you his gifts of grace and forgiveness are the real thing.

6. The woman at the well couldn't wait to tell people about the prophet she'd met. But what do you imagine this quiet, humble woman did to spread the good news? Can you win someone without a word? Think of some ways to share your faith that don't include any words, spoken or written.

7. When people watch someone turn from an openly sinful life to an openly grace-full one, they are naturally curious, if not cautious or even downright cynical. What might we do to convince folks we're a "new creation"? To what extent is the former Bad Girl responsible for demonstrating her new status, and to what extent should Good Girls take a new believer at her word?

8. What's the most important lesson you learned from the story of this sinful-but-forgiven woman?

CONCLUSION.

FROM BAD TO.

VERSE...

A hard beginning

maketh a good ending.

JOHN HEYWOOD.

Have you found yourself among these ten women? On any given day I can identify in some way with all of them.

And did you discover the common denominator, other than our womanly roles as daughters, wives, mothers, and friends? It's simply this: Good Girls and Bad Girls both need a Savior. The goodness of your present life can't open the doors of heaven for you. The badness of your past life can't keep you out either. Not if you truly desire the forgiveness and freedom Christ offers.

Remember his promise: "He...gives grace to the humble."1 Lord, when we feel like the baddest of the bad, give us the humility to repent. Exchange our dirty hearts for clean ones. Fill us with fresh hope for our forever with you.

Then bring to mind one woman around us who's avoided you, feared you, rejected you, perhaps because she's afraid you've rejected her. Empower us with the courage to reach out in compa.s.sion and tell her the truth: Your arm, Lord, is not too short. Even now, you are stretching across eternity to grasp that woman's hand and draw her into your loving embrace.

Sister, if I haven't told you often enough in these pages, you are not only loved by G.o.d, you are also deeply appreciated by me. Together, let's latch on to the wisdom and knowledge found in these stories from his Word and transform our world for the Christ, who died that we might live.

Eve had a hunger that cost her a garden; Potiphar's wife had an appet.i.te too; Lot lost his mate when her past swirled around her; Delilah went bad when she snipped a new 'do.

Sapphira fell flat when it came down to money; Jezebel ordered her husband around; Michal missed the message in King David's wors.h.i.+p; To the bone, in a moment, their badness was found.

Yet...

A woman of Samaria found a thirst quencher; A sinner, a woman, anointed Christ's feet; Rahab, the harlot, became a believer; Her sin, like the walls, crumbled down in defeat.

Bad for a season, but no, not forever, Not these three role models, saved from despair.

Made new by G.o.d, their changed lives teach the lesson: If we but ask him, grace waits for us there.

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS.

STUDY GUIDE.

The questions at the end of each chapter are designed for both individual reflection and group discussion and are meant to provoke an emotional response as well as an intellectual one...and why not? We're to love the Lord with all our hearts and all our minds!

When all is said and done, it's important to bring our focus back to what the Scriptures teach us about the subjects being discussed, and that's the intent of the verses listed here by question number. I'd encourage group leaders to review them beforehand, then be ready to share them as needed to bring a satisfying and biblical closure to your discussion. May your efforts be richly blessed!

Eve

1. Proverbs 30:5-6; Mark 4:15; Luke 11:28 2. Proverbs 3:7; Proverbs 17:24; Proverbs 21:4 3. Isaiah 40:25; Isaiah 55:8-9; Philippians 2:5-7 4. Psalm 73:25; Romans 8:5; Romans 13:14 5. Proverbs 10:17; 2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Peter 1:5-7 6. Psalm 69:5; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 2:16; Psalm 32:5; James 2:10; James 4:17 7. 1 John 1:8-9; Psalm 51:2-4; Psalm 51:10-12

Potiphar's Wife

1. Isaiah 40:26; Isaiah 43:1; Exodus 33:17 2. 1 Corinthians 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 7:17 3. Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 2:16-18; Ephesians 4:17-20 4. Proverbs 5:18; Proverbs 20:6; Malachi 2:14-15 5. Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; Philippians 4:8-9 6. Proverbs 19:1; Proverbs 2:7-8; Psalm 15:1-5; Psalm 37:18 7. Psalm 4:4; Psalm 37:8; Colossians 3:8; James 1:19-20

Lot's Wife

1. Proverbs 17:1; 1 Peter 3:5-6; Psalm 39:2-4 2. Nehemiah 9:30-31; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:16 3. Nehemiah 4:14; Proverbs 14:26; 2 Corinthians 6:18 4. Habakkuk 1:10-11; Psalm 123:3-4; Matthew 10:14-15 5. Deuteronomy 8:5; Hebrews 12:10-11; Proverbs 6:23 6. Exodus 4:10-15; Genesis 18:23-32; Genesis 32:24-30 7. Proverbs 13:19; Psalm 116:3; 2 Corinthians 7:10

The Woman at the Well

1. John 10:14; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Psalm 139:13-16 2. Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:36-37; 1 Peter 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:15 3. Amos 8:11-13; Isaiah 41:17; Isaiah 49:8-10; Matthew 5:6 4. Psalm 138:3; 1 Kings 10:1-3; 2 Corinthians 3:12 5. Psalm 145:19; Isaiah 54:4-5; Psalm 86:11 6. John 4:35-38; Matthew 9:37-38; Galatians 6:6-9 7. 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Acts 20:24

Delilah

1. Proverbs 16:18; Job 24:22; Romans 7:21-23 2. Proverbs 7:21-23; Ezekiel 16:30; 2 Peter 2:14 3. Leviticus 19:18; Romans 12:19; Nahum 1:2-3 4. Proverbs 9:13; Isaiah 54:6-7; Isaiah 30:12-14 5. Matthew 27:3-5; Ezekiel 7:19; 1 Peter 1:18-19 6. t.i.tus 3:3-5; Hebrews 12:1-2; Psalm 25:15 7. Proverbs 18:1; Philippians 2:3-4; Luke 9:25

Sapphira

1. Acts 4:32; 1 John 3:17-18; Luke 12:33-34 2. Psalm 112:5; Proverbs 11:25; 2 Corinthians 9:13 3. Luke 12:15; Proverbs 23:5; 1 Timothy 6:17-19 4. 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Ephesians 4:25; Romans 1:20-21 5. Matthew 25:14-21,29 6. Jeremiah 17:10; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Luke 12:6-7 7. Isaiah 30:15; Romans 2:4-5; Ezekiel 18:32

Rahab

1. Psalm 103:2-4; Psalm 86:5; Romans 3:22-24 2. Ephesians 4:32; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 3:13-15 3. Psalm 130:3-5; Hebrews 4:15-16; Romans 6:22 4. 2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 10:10; 2 John 1:6 5. Deuteronomy 7:1-10; Micah 4:12; Proverbs 28:5 6. Romans 16:19; 2 Corinthians 9:13; 2 John 1:6 7. Joshua 24:14; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Peter 3:8

Jezebel

1. Isaiah 46:12; 2 Kings 19:22; Isaiah 57:17; Jeremiah 17:23 2. Psalm 40:4; Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 13:4 3. Romans 12:6-8; Isaiah 55:4; 1 Corinthians 16:13 4. Psalm 34:11; Psalm 37:25-26; Matthew 18:4-6,14 5. Acts 17:30; Proverbs 1:24-33; Romans 8:38-39 6. Proverbs 12:4; Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 7:26 7. Luke 6:27-36

Michal

1. Proverbs 27:4; Proverbs 14:30; James 3:16-17 2. 1 Samuel 13:13-14; 1 Samuel 16:21-22; 1 Samuel 18:9 3. Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 31:30; Romans 12:12 4. Deuteronomy 5:16; Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:22; Psalm 59:1-4 5. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11; 1 Corinthians 7:39; Jeremiah 2:2 6. 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 5:1; Psalm 56:4; 1 Peter 3:13-14 7. Isaiah 54:5; Isaiah 62:5; Psalm 146:9; 1 John 3:1

The Sinful Woman

1. Psalm 6:6; Isaiah 25:8-9; Joel 2:12-13 2. Psalm 33:2-3; Psalm 47:5; Psalm 95:6; 1 Chronicles 29:20; 2 Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 149:3; Psalm 150:5 3. Psalm 27:4; 1 Chronicles 16:10-11; Psalm 5:7 4. Job 6:24; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 71:23; Zechariah 2:10 5. 1 John 2:12; Romans 4:7; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 1:7-8; Psalm 103:11-12; John 8:36 6. Mark 14:8-9; 1 Peter 3:1-4; Ephesians 4:2 7. Acts 9:17-27; Jude 22; 1 Thessalonians 5:14,21