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We just love the Samaritan Woman (John 4). Her story IS the gospel!!! 

She...

...was isolated. [We have been isolated from groups and have isolated ourselves from others with our own insecurities. One that's not so visible is when we isolate our emotions from relationships.] 

...engaged with Jesus. [Even though it was an odd situation, she kept talking with Jesus. Slowly but surely, we see her defenses come down.]

...was no longer thirsty. [When Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah, she was no longer afraid of her story. It was the very thing she proclaimed to bring others to Jesus!  His identity changed her identity!]

If you're feeling isolated or struggling with shame, Jesus invites you to bring your brokenness to him and experience the freedom of being fully known yet fully loved.

She is one of us. Who God was to her, he is to you and me. 

Much love for you,

Amy & Jamy

___________________________________

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: NT Episode 4 - Samaritan Woman

*See episode description in the show notes. Review John 4 for her story.

 - Coming Soon! - 

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produced by: 4110 Ministries, LLC

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You could hold your breath and miss the mention of this woman in Luke. But we want to linger in her 3 verses and see what God wants to reveal to us about this elderly widow. 

Today, we are chatting about ANNA. Her story is found in Luke 2:36-38. 

She:

1. had an undivided heart.
2. was expectant.
3. was thankful.

Anna's life challenges us to examine our own spiritual focus. Are we cultivating undivided hearts capable of recognizing God's movement around us? Are we living with expectancy, actively waiting for God to fulfill His promises? Or have we allowed distractions and disappointments to numb us when we should be anchoring ourselves more deeply in His presence?

Like Anna, we can choose to anchor ourselves to God rather than numbing ourselves with distractions. We can make daily choices that cultivate undivided hearts capable of recognizing God's presence in unexpected places.

We pray you are encouraged through the life of Anna. Who God was to her he is to you and me.

Much love for you,

Amy & Jamy

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Episode 19 ~ Anna

*See episode description in the show notes. Review Luke 2:22-38 for her story.

 1. What did you learn for the first time about Anna? What surprised you about her?

2. Waiting is a theme in today’s lesson; did you learn anything new from the example of Simeon and Anna about how to wait well?

3. Read Luke 2:34-35; putting yourself in Mary’s shoes. What do you think it was like to hear those words from Simeon?

4. Now (follow up to question 3), how might the timing of Anna’s arrival as well as the content of her message encouraged Mary?

5. Are there specific people or situations that are coming to your mind where you need to follow Anna’s example and give thanks and speak of Him? In other words, who is your Mary?

6. In the podcast Amy talks about the difference in praise and thanks. How would you describe what it means to praise and/or thank God. Do you see any differences between these two disciplines?

7. How does being thankful help us persevere?

8. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. Anna:

· Had an undivided heart (See Psalm 86:11).

· Was expectant.

· Was thankful.

9. “Anna is one of us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” Who was God to Anna? What does that mean to you in your life today?

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Ahhh...we are BACK!  We've missed each other and missed connecting with YOU. On this episode we chat about Mary, the mother of Jesus (MOJ).  The bulk of her story is found in Luke 1-2. 

You may have some preconceptions about her. But whatever you know, don't know, or think you know, you can be assured that she was one of us. She was:

1. troubled and wondered. 
2. willing and blessed.
3. treasured and pondered.

God was so faithful to Mary. He is to you too. 

Whether you're navigating unexpected changes, questioning God's plan, or seeking to build a life of faithfulness despite difficulties, Mary's journey offers profound encouragement. Being "highly favored" by God doesn't guarantee comfort but promises His presence. 

Her story whispers to all of us: you are not alone in your faith, your struggles, or your growth. And who God was to her, he is to you and me.

___________________________________

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: NT Episode 2 ~ Mary

*See episode description in the show notes. Review Luke 1-2 for her story.

1. What did you learn for the first time about Mary? What surprised you about her?

2. Why do you think Mary is so revered and often worshipped? What do we lose from her example when we worship her?

3. We learned that Mary’s first reaction when the angel came to her was to be troubled (Luke 1:29). What does that tell you about her? What does that tell you about your own first reactions to challenging situations?

4. Read Luke 1:38. How did Mary go from being troubled to being willing? What do you see in her response that you can practice in your own troubling circumstances?

5. Read Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-56. What stands out to you the most? 

6. Review the definitions of ponder and treasure from the podcast. How did Mary practice these two things? How can you?

7. At the end of the podcast Amy and Jamy talked about the other times Mary is mentioned in Scripture. What did you learn from those encounters that you can practice in your own life? 

8. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. Mary the mother of Jesus:

· Was troubled and wondered.

· Was willing and blessed.

· Pondered and treasured.

9. “Mary is one of us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” Who was God to Mary? What does that mean to you in your life today?

Let's stay connect:
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***Before we dive into the episode...

• FREE RESOURCE: We have loved our 2 year journey with the Old Testament women and hope you have too. If you would like to go back personally or lead a group through, we have compiled all the discussion question guides into one booklet. It's our FREE gift to you! Click this link and download: 

Old Testament Women of the Bible: Discussion Guide Booklet 

FREE to download and print: covers all 18 Old Testament women we discussed with the discussion questions for each episode

• GO BACK & LISTEN: Also, it will be helpful is you go back and listen to the BONUS episode: What happened between the OT and the NT?  It sets the context with a real life backdrop for the New Testament women we will be chatting about. 

______________________

Here we GO with the first episode of our series with the New Testament women...starting with:

E L I Z A B E T H (mother of John the Baptist)

Oh boy, ya'll! We dive into some really tear-filled, precious truths like:

If you ever think there is a haphazardness to the events of your life, you don’t have to look very far into scripture to realize that God is in control of every bit. - Amy

I am only satisfied when I’m resting in the truth that God’s already done what he’s promised. So, I get to join in this life of seeing what it looks like. - Jamy

Elizabeth was:
1. was righteous, barren, and old.
2. trusted a second hand promise.
3. was discerning.

She is a lot like me.
Who God was to her, he is to you and me.

We pray it encourages you.

Love,
Amy and Jamy

_______________

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: NT Episode 1 ~ Elizabeth

*See episode description in the show notes. Review the book of Esther for her story.

1. What is your favorite part of Elizabeth’s story?

2. Review the description of Elizabeth and Zechariah in Luke 1:5-7. Why do you think God describes them as blameless and why was that important in their time?

3. Why do you think Elizabeth secluded herself for the first months of her pregnancy?

4. Review the story of Mary’s visit, what sticks out to you the most?

5. Read Luke 1:45. We learned today that “blessed” means “satisfied.” When you apply this definition to the verse, how are you challenged to apply it to your own life?

6. The descriptions of John by the angel and by Zechariah are so amazing; but we know that John’s life was actually very difficult and ended violently. How can you reconcile these descriptions with the reality of what happened to him?

7. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. Elizabeth:

• was righteous, barren, and old.
• trusted a second hand promise.
• was discerning.

8. “Elizabeth is one of us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” Who was God to Elizabeth? What does that mean to you in your life today?

9. What are your biggest take away lessons today? In other words, in a couple of sentences how can you apply this lesson to your life right now?

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**just for you**
Old Testament Women of the Bible: Discussion Guide Booklet
FREE to download and print: covers all 18 Old Testament women we discussed with the discussion questions for each episode

-----------------------------------------------

Don't miss this BONUS episode!!! It: 

• looks BACK to a favorite Old Testament woman*, 
• looks FORWARD to the New Testament, 
• and lingers a bit in the IN BETWEEN- that space between the Old and New Testament that sets important historical and political context to the Jewish people when Jesus enters the scene. 

After the book of Malachi and before Matthew, there were about 400 years without any prophecy or word from God. It's call the Intertestamental Period or 400 Years of Silence.

There were a lot of political, cultural, and religious impacts on the Jewish people. 400 is a long time! Think about it...American has been around for almost 250 years. It's mind-blowing to quantify all the religious, political, and cultural changes that has happened within our history.

We will highlight the impacts these changes had on the women in Jesus' day and how it perfectly sets the stage for the arrival of Jesus to heal, rescue, and save.

It's a great conversation...one that surprised me with a new "ah-ha" moment. Just love how God works!!!

We pray it encourages you right where you are!

A few things we mentioned:
On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble
Episode 7: Sarah

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We are so excited to be back!  It's been a few months since we've recorded an episode of Car Chat Podcast. In the intro, Jamy shares that her husband, Todd, was in a catostrophic car accident in July that Jamy has been by his side in recovery. God has been so faithful. But, we have missed having these conversations and sharing them with you. 

Here's episode 16 and we are talking about ESTHER!  It's easy to romanticize the highlights of her life without having the full context in view. Through our conversation, we will focus on the entirety of her life and all the ways she bravely embraced her circumstances and grew into a woman of purpose and influence.

She is a lot like me.
Who God was to her, he is to you and me.

Who was she? Esther:
1. had grit in challenging circumstances.
2. was more than her beauty.
3. lived brave.

We pray it encourages you.
Love,
Amy and Jamy


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Episode 16 ~ Esther

*See episode description in the show notes. Review the book of Esther for her story.

1. What did you learn for the first time about Esther? What surprised you about her?

2. Even though He is not named in the book of Esther, God’s presence and intervention is a major theme of the book of Esther. What are some ways you can see this truth in the stories of the book?

3. Esther’s life wasn’t an easy fairy tale. Now that we’ve looked at the story a bit deeper, what are the biggest struggles she must have had in her day-to-day life? Can you relate to any of them?

4. Consider the progression of Esther’s courage in chapter 4. Why was she finally able to step out in such a courageous way and confront the king?

5. To you, what makes Esther a hero?

6. God reversed Haman’s plans through Esther’s courage. What are some “reversals” that you would like to see in your life? What have you learned that encourages you in these issues?

7. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. Esther:

· Had grit in challenging circumstances.

· Was more than her beauty.

· Lived brave.

8. Where are the places God is asking you to trust Him and be brave?

9. “Esther is one of us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” Who was God to Esther? What does that mean to you in your life today?

Let's stay connect:
IG: @amyruthpetersen
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produced by: 4110 Ministries, LLC

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The story of Hosea and Gomer is one that has gripped the hearts of many. It's such a beautiful love story that books and movies have been inspired by it.

You may know their story. You may have read the books or seen the movie. But as you are listening to our conversation about Gomer, try to clear your mind of those pictures and images and walk into this episode with a blank canvas in mind.

Gomer's story is found in the book of Hosea. We will focus on chapters 1-3 but the rest of the book is a beautiful telling of Israel's redemption story.  Through Gomer, we see lived out the enduring and unfailing love of God for his people, the Israelites, and for you and me.

She is a lot like me.
Who God was to her, he is to you and me.

Who was she? Gomer was:
1. a wife and a mom.
2. an unfaithful adulterous.
3. redeemed by Hosea's love.

*After we had finished recording and packing up our equipment, our conversation continued off air. It was such a cool truth that we got all the stuff back out and started recording again! That's why towards the end, it sounds like we jumped back on - because we did.

We pray that our conversation will be a blessing to you and that God will do something new in your heart.

With love,
Amy and Jamy


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Episode 15 ~ Gomer

*See episode description in the show notes. Review Hosea 1-3 for her story.

1. What did you learn for the first time about Gomer? What surprised you about her?

2. How does health, wealth, and material prosperity sometimes make us vulnerable to forgetting God? What do you do to safeguard your life from forgetting God?

3. One of the most touching parts of chapter 2 is that Gomer receives gifts of provision from Hosea that she doesn’t acknowledge (2:7-8). What are some ways we do that with God?

4. Read Hosea 1:10 again, what does the “Yet” mean to you? What does it teach us about God?

5. In Hosea 2, we see God as One who pursues. Review Hosea 2:14-23; how does God pursue Gomer? Remember: Gomer is Israel, and Israel is us.

6. In Chapter 3, we see an amazing picture of redemption. What does redemption mean? How do you see it shown in these verses? 

7. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. Gomer was:

· A wife and a mom.

· An unfaithful adulteress.

· Redeemed by God’s love.

8. Hosea 3:5 in the Message says, “They’ll come back chastened to reverence before God and his good gifts, ready for the End of the story of his love.” What does this mean to you? Read Hebrews 12:3-13. How do these passages change your attitude toward times God has disciplined you?

9. “Gomer is one of us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” Who was God to Gomer? What does that mean to you in your life today?

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IG: @amyruthpetersen
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produced by: 4110 Ministries, LLC

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In this episode, we are chatting about Delilah!

All sorts of images and pictures may be popping in your brain about her from what you've learned of her through the years. Us, too.  Things like: she was a bad temptress who manipulated Sampson to his demise.  That's true.

But let's not let that be all we know. Let's take a curious look at who she was and what she did and see what God wants to teach us through her relationship with Samson and her life found in Judges 16.

She is a lot like me.
Who God was to her, he is to you and me.

Who was she? Delilah:
1. was open to the highest bidder
2. nagged and manipulated
3. pushed until she got what she wanted

Whew. Ouch.

Who was God to her?
God's absence was the lesson as she could have chosen to follow him and encourage Samson in his calling. Instead, she disregarded God and with strong self-reliance discouraged Samson leading to his capture and getting his eyes gouged out. Despite her actions, God's purpose for Samson to "rescue" the Israelites happened with he brought the temple down killing himself and 3,000 Philistines. 

I was actually surprised at where our conversation went. It was so good! 
Just look at these chapter titles (click chapter tab above for links):

0:06 Exploring Delilah's Story and Impact

7:08 Delilah's Influence on Samson

16:04 Relationships and Self-Serving Motivations

23:00 Delilah's Manipulation and Samson's Game

28:14 The Power of Nagging in Relationships

33:43 Freedom Through Surrender and Humility

41:24 Lessons in Humility and Humiliation

53:37 God's Absence in Wasted Gifts

Praying for you friends as you listening and wrestle.
You are loved,
Amy & Jamy


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Episode 14 ~ Delilah

*See episode description in the show notes. Review Judges 16 for her story.

1. What did you learn for the first time about Delilah? What surprised you about her?

2. Talking about Samson, Judges 16:4 says “after this he loved a woman…named Delilah.” What are some of the things about Samson’s story and character that contributed to what we learn about Delilah?

3. Do you think Delilah was greedy or desperate? Why?

4. What lessons can we learn about seduction from Delilah’s story? 

5. Read the description of Delilah’s actions in Judges 16:16; what does the word “press” mean? How does this tendency to nag or press negatively affect your relationships?

6. Delilah’s nagging was with her daily words. What changes might God be asking you to make in your words?

7. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. Delilah:

· Was open to the highest bidder.

· Nagged and manipulated.

· Pushed until she got what she wanted.

8. Read Proverbs 31:11, Proverbs 22:1, Proverbs 14:1, and 2 Corinthians 12:10. What do these verses teach about what you are building?

9. God used the humiliation that Delilah inflicted on Samson to bring necessary humility. Where are some places that you

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On this episode, we are actually swinging to the opposite extreme from last episode's (12) conversation about the Proverbs 31 Women. Basically,  for every wonderful thing that describes that women of wisdom, this month's woman is the exact opposite to an evil and murderous degree.  Such extremes.

Today, we are talking about JEZEBEL.

She is not someone we want sitting at our table. She would not fit into our beautiful community of broken yet redeemed women. Although she was definitely broken, she never accepted the truth of God and his redemption. To her bitter end, she was plotting, prideful, vengeful, and contemptuous. She is everything we don't want to be.

So why talk about her? Well, there are still many things to learn from her defiance and disobedience:
- how pride can blind us to the beautiful surrender of redemption
- how idolatry defines our purpose and passion
- how our strengths can become twisted and lead us to deployable actions when used for our own selfish motives

There is much to avoid and learn from her life.

Who is she? She was:
1. driven by what her heart worshipped (Baal).
2. a fixer (at all costs).
3. stubborn.

Who was God to her?
He was the all-powerful one that she just could not accept, so much bigger than her sin and would not be manipulated or handled or out-witted, and just, dealing with her sin with justice.

Although this is a story about a really evil woman who would go to any lengths to get what she wanted, we pray that you will see how her worship determined her path and chose not to do the same.  

Let's live as redeemed women.
 
Much love,
Amy and Jamy

SHOW NOTES:
If you would like to talk more about how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior that we mentioned in the episode, we would love to chat with you! Feel free to reach out to Amy ([email protected]) or Jamy ([email protected]). We are praying for you!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
*See episode description in the show notes. Review I Kings 16, 18, 19, 21; 2 Kings 9  for her story.

1. What did you learn for the first time about Jezebel? What surprised you about her?

2. After listening to the podcast, how would you define worship? What did Jezebel worship?

3. What is idolatry? How do you see the struggle against idolatry in your life?

4. How do you see the need to “fix” in Jezebel’s story? Why do you think is at the core of our needs to fix things?

5. Describing Jezebel’s husband 1 Kings 21:25 says that “no one else so completely sold himself to do what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab under the influence of his wife Jezebel.”  Review the word studies below and paraphrase the verse in your own word. 

· sold here means to build, work, toil

· influence means to stir up

6. How do we use our influence to stir up the wrong things? Read Hebrews 10:24 for a reminder of what we SHOULD be stirring up.

7. Amy contrasted the Proverbs 31 Woman with Jezebel. What are the differences you see?

8. Review the three descriptions from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you. 

· Driven by what her heart worshipped

· A Fixer

· Stubborn

9. “She is us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” This is the primary question we seek to answer with each character study podcast. In the story of Jezebel we see a woman who refused to seek God; the warning is chilling. Who is God in this passage? What does that mean to you in your life today?

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IG: @amyruthpetersen
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produced by: 4110 Ministries, LLC

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On this episode of the Car Chat Podcast, we are pulling up a seat at the table for the Proverbs 31 woman.  

Um. So. What do you know about the Proverbs 31 Woman? She may have been the theme of a women's event, a book from your mentor, or a cross-stitched name on a throw pillow at your aunt's house. 

But who is she? 

It's easy to get overwhelmed with the list of amazing things that she does. But every action comes from a belief, a character trait, a virtue that drives her behavior. Her external actions are only the results of an internal life of dependence on and followship of Jesus. She is the picture of what wisdom looks like lived out. She is a poem and not a real person. She is the potential of WHO YOU can become.

We will see that the Proverbs 31 woman has many virtues, but we will highlight 4 in this episode:

1. dignity

2. patience

3. courage/strength

4. devotion

Our hope is that you will walk away encouraged and excited about who you can be as you hold to the truth, see life from God's perspective, and live accordingly. We can live wise lives as we attach ourselves to Jesus.

 
Much love,
Amy and Jamy


SHOW NOTES: 

• Click HERE: The Hebrew song Eshet Chayil [Woman of Valor: Proverbs 31]  with translation.“There is a widespread custom of singing Eshet Chayil [woman of valor: Prov 31] on Friday nights at home before kiddush, as a song of praise to the woman of the house.”   - The Jewish Chronicle
  
  
• Click HERE: Bible Gateway ( in New English Translation) with amazing footnotes with the poem acrostic in Hebrew!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Episode 12 ~ Proverbs 31 Woman 

*See episode description in the show notes. Review Proverbs 31:10-31 for her story. 

1. What did you learn for the first time about the Proverbs 31 Woman? What surprised you about this lesson? 
2. How did the discussion on properly interpreting proverbs change your view of the Proverbs 31 Woman? 
3. Amy described wisdom as “the ability to discern what is true, what is right, and what is lasting; seeing life from God’s perspective and acting accordingly.” What does this look like in real life? 
4. How do you see the Proverbs 31 Woman as an example of wisdom? Brainstorm specific ways that you can be a wise woman in your specific lives right now. 
5. Review the specific actions of the Virtuous Woman and discuss what they represent. Share one that comes most easily to you and one that you struggle with most. 
6. Review the four descriptions of the Proverbs 31 Woman from the podcast and discuss which one resonates the most with you.  
   • Has dignity 
   • Is patient 
   • Is courageous and strong 
   • Is devoted 
7. “She is us. Who God is to her, He is to me.” This is the primary question we seek to answer with each character study podcast. It hits a bit different with the Proverbs 31 Woman. Who is God in this passage? What does that mean to you in your life today?

Let's stay connect:
IG: @amyruthpetersen
@jamyfisher

produced by: 4110 Ministries, LLC