Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World ~ Week 6

We’ve just finished our online bible study of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. Congratulations to all of you who finished the study and explored your inner Martha and Mary these past six weeks! This week we learned about keeping balance between service and worship. Our focus is finding balance between our relationship with people and our relationship with God.

Like the teeter-totter example in our book, we need to find a place of comfort so we are not burdened by weight or flying into the air! Joanna writes “we were created for the intimate fellowship of the Lord’s Prayer but also entrusted with the ministry of the Good Samaritan.” As you go about your week, ask yourself if you are in balance or need to make an adjustment. You may need to respond “no” to some things in order to say “yes” to opportunities God places before you. Learn to discern between God’s will and your will, and follow His voice. Watch when the teeter-totter tips and Martha or Mary begins to dominate your life. Pray for opportunities for both Living Room Intimacy and Kitchen Service. As we spend time in the living room, walking and talking with Him, we fill the hulls of our lives with the right things of God. Out of that abundance will come both a steadfastness in the midst of storms and a surplus we can share with others.”

In our final chapter, Joanna reminds us to let go of the Super-Christian belief and embrace Christianity as a process. We grow into balanced lives, and once we find it, we need to work to maintain the balance. A single bible study or two hours in church on Sunday mornings does not complete the process. Our Christian life needs to include the daily and constant presence in Christ. Our focus needs to be off ourselves, our friends, our problems and our blessings and our focus needs to be on Him: in everything we do, say and think. Especially in the tests and trials that refine us for His glory. Focus on the journey and keep our heart in Jesus. May the Guest Book of your heart and home always have the name JESUS written inside it!

Prayer Requests:
We pray that as we end this study, women would find another study to start for the summer.

Joanna Weaver Quotes:

• We thrive on a life that is rhythmically balanced, not standing still.
• Christianity is a process and not an event. It is a journey, not a destination.
• If we want to be like Jesus, we won’t be able to escape the refining process.
• Perseverance allows God to take our muddled messes and turn them into miracles.
• We all want a testimony but we’d rather skip the “test” that gives us one.

For Next Week:

• Find another study to start for the summer

Group Discussion—Answer one question or as many as you like:

1. Look at the chart called “Signs you may need more time in the kitchen/or living room.” Do you need to spend more time in Living Room Intimacy or in Kitchen Service? (page 182-183)
2. When you face a trial which approach do you take? A) The All-Star Wrestling Approach of “God help me a little here!” B) The Job Approach of “where are you God and why don’t you care?” C) the Jonah Approach of “Forget this, I’m outta here!” or D) The Jesus Approach of “shape me Lord, I am yours!?
3. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

 

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World ~ Week 5

We’re almost done with our women’s bible study Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, after reading chapters nine and ten this week. Our lesson shows us how Martha demonstrated a teachable heart and Joanna then asks us to examine our own hearts and complete the exercise “Are You Teachable?” In the scripture story, Martha did not become defensive or offended when Jesus corrected her . . .  She stopped and listened. His words were precious to Martha, even when He disciplined her. Joanna reminds us “Respond to God with a teachable heart and you’ll be surprised at the holy makeover that happens in your life. When we refuse to listen to the Lord we shut him out, we refuse him the opportunity to teach us, to transform our lives, and to work through us to transform the world.” If you look at Deuteronomy 6:5 the command is to love the Lord with our heart, soul, mind and strength! Mark 12:20 To Love our Lord with our minds is to be teachable.

In our next chapter we discover the extravagant love, seen when Mary anoints Jesus with her perfume. Joanna Weaver compares a heart of greed and a heart of love by comparing Mary with Judas. By demonstrating the two extremes in scripture, we see just how lavish her heart is for Jesus. We see a single woman pour her life savings onto the feet of her Lord and place her future with Him. The Mary heart realizes her treasures are with the Savior. The story is so simple and yet so beautiful, it takes my breath away. Do we know what it means to have this type of extravagant love? Let your heart rest on this story and Jesus’ words “she did what she could.” Mark 14:8

Mary was at a bend in the road, one of total surrender or living as she had in her past. Holding on to her treasures, waiting for her promises . . . Or giving her all to Jesus. She surrender to Him in complete and lavish love. Pour out your heart to Him.

May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:13

Prayer Requests:
We pray that women in this study will learn from Mary’s heart and from Martha’s world.

Joanna Weaver Quotes:

• Jesus wasn’t as interested in finding capable people as he was in finding available people.
• Jesus saw in them exactly what he needed – followers with the potential for transformation.
• Martha thought she had value because she was productive. Jesus wanted her to learn she had value simply because she was His.
• Sometimes we conveniently let God’s voice be drowned out by the confusion of our daily existence; we avoid listening to him by being too busy to read the bible or pray.
• Sin actually stops up our spiritual ears in the same way excess ear wax plugs up our physical ones.
• Obedience is an essential ingredient in intimacy with God and the key to having a Mary heart.
• Our loving Father will do whatever it takes to break our rebellion before rebellion breaks us.
• A greedy heart is never satisfied. It never has enough.

For Next Week:

• Read Chapter 11 and 12

Group Discussion—Answer one question or as many as you like:

1. What do you need to be teachable?
2. If Jesus sat in your living room, what treasures would you pour over Him? What would you surrender?
3. Finish this sentence: (your name) did what she could. She . . .
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

 

Having a Martha Heart in a Mary World ~ Week 4

We’re now on week four of  Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, and I pray you are deep into this study. If you ever have a question or want to write a comment about something you read, you are always welcome to do so.

Chapter seven in our book examines “the better part” Martha missed as she was serving Jesus and her guests. Sometimes we get so busy balancing our lives (hula-hoops as Joanna teaches us) that we often forget our inner self. We are not tending to our hearts. Women are very skilled at tending to the hearts of others while neglecting their own needs. Eventually we have a Martha-Moment and explode in frustration, grabbing the attention of our audience. Thankfully, Jesus was her audience and heart Martha’s heart.

“The story of Mary and Martha was never meant to be a psychological profile or role play in which we choose the character with whom we most identify. This is the story of two different responses to one singular occasion. In it, we should find not our personality type, but the heart Christ longs for us to have. A heart centered on Him alone.” Joanna Weaver

When you started this study we asked you if you are more like a Martha or Mary, and at this point in our study you realize your heart matters more than your personality. Your role is to keep your heart centered in Jesus and walk by the Spirit. You can do this if you are a Martha and you can do this if you are Mary. Your heart matters more than your service or your worship! “Make room in your heart for Jesus and he’ll make room for everything else,” writes Joanna.

In chapter 8 of our Bible study, Joanna Weaver introduces Lazarus to the conversation. In our study, she uses the lessons to show how God’s will doesn’t move in a straight line, God tarries, and God releases His plan through our obedience and faith.

Prayer Requests:
We pray that women in this study will learn from Mary’s heart and from Martha’s world.

Joanna Weaver Quotes:

• Sometimes we have to slow down in order to take a spiritual inventory and see where we stand with God.
• Sometimes we have to realize how empty we are before we’re willing to be filled.
• Consistency doesn’t mean perfection; it means refusing to give up.
• It’s amazing what a little time-out can do for you. Especially when you spend that time with God.
• What Satan intends for evil, God still turns for good.
• It’s God’s purposes, not mine, that must prevail.
• God takes Satan’s worst and transforms it into our best.

 

For Next Week:

• Read Chapter 9 and 10

 

Group Discussion—Answer one question or as many as you like:

1. Name the hula-hoop responsibilities you have in your life. Which one is the most difficult to keep in motion?
2. Give an example of a time when you put God first in your life. What happened?
3. Look up the word trust in a Bible concordance, such as http://www.biblegateway.com and share a verse that speaks to you.
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

 

Having a Martha Heart in a Mary World ~ Week 3

Welcome back to our third week of  Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. I  don’t know about you but in our Bible study we had at church with this book, we were all amazed at how this book was speaking into each of our hearts. This week we read chapters five and six and they were so good, I think I’ve marked every single page with comments and quotes! The remainder of our study will focus on Living Room Intimacy and Kitchen Service, so make sure you understand these chapters well. If you didn’t connect, try reading them once again. It’s the second time I’ve read this book and each time something new touches my heart.

Joanna writes, “When we couldn’t reach up to heaven, heaven came down to us and welcomed us into the Living Room through the door way of Jesus Christ.” This is Living Room intimacy, having the heart of Christ available and accessible to us. A great visual is to imagine the fancy room in your house, the one you always save for guests. Imagine that you’ve prepared this room for Jesus and the time has come for you to pour coffee or tea and sit together in fellowship. We often find many excuses not to sit at the feet of Jesus. Satan burdens our hearts with busyness and guilt, and we feel unworthy of His attention. There is no greater delight than sitting with Him in the Living Room. It’s a comfortable place where we’re transparent and loved. It’s a safe place where our hearts are free to speak and He is willing to listen. It is home.

“Kitchen Service,” writes Joanna, “is not optional for Christians. We’re supposed to spend a good part of our time following the Lord’s example. We’re supposed to serve others and show love to them and in the process, to represent Jesus to the world around us.” Serving like Jesus is much different than serving from obligation, guilt or pressure to perform. When our hearts are filled with Him, spontaneous serving is a natural outflow. If your heart is not in it, do not serve. Pray for direction and for God’s will and let Him lead. Look for divine appointments when you least expect them – such as the homeless woman on a street corner, a single mom crushed by her burdens, or an elderly lady who needs to be told she looks beautiful today. God places opportunities before us so the light of His Son can shine through us. Open your eyes to the opportunities to serve in Jesus name, not in yours.

“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30

Prayer Requests:
We pray that women in this study will learn from Mary’s heart and from Martha’s world.

Joanna Weaver Quotes:

• Christ wants to spend quality time with me.
• The place Mary found at Jesus’ feet is the same place available to you and me.
• Jesus came to show us the way to the Father’s house.
• If I don’t take time to read God’s Word, I won’t hear His loving call.
• We’ve been filled with a great treasure for one purpose: to be spilled.
• Whether we like it or not, we’re the only Jesus some will ever see.
• It isn’t enough to call ourselves Christians. We must live like Christians.
• If we call ourselves Christians, then our lives should be unmistakably and obviously Christlike.
• A need is not necessarily a call.
• A true passion for God will naturally result in a compassion for people.

 

For Next Week:

• Read Chapter 7 and 8

 

Group Discussion—Answer one question or as many as you like: 

1. In Chapter 5, Joanna described a “God shaped hole” which can only be satisfied in Him. What do you turn to instead of God, when you’re feeling empty?
2. Joanna says intimacy with God comes through prayer, the Word and time. Which of these three disciplines is most difficult for you? Which comes easiest?
3. DL Moody says “Of 100 men, one will read the Bible and 99 will read the Christian.” Who was the first Christian in your life to live such a way that you could clearly see Christ?
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

 

Having a Martha Heart in a Mary World ~ Week 2

We’ve just finished chapters three and four of  Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, and walked into the pages of worry! In chapter three, we learned about the pitfalls of worry and how God commands us not to worry. Many of us carry worry beads inside our hearts, waiting for them to overflow and explode . . . Or looking for an excuse to unleash them. There are many forms of worry—from the little things of life to the gigantic. We depend on past experiences, communication with others, or even the medical community to assist us in unloading the worry. In our study we see the importance of having concern, not worry. There’s a good chart in this chapter, comparing concern vs worry. Print a copy and carry it with you as a guide for filtering your thoughts.

Chapter four of our study presented us with an overburdened cart and heavy rocks. We saw in the Rosemarie Kokalski story how we serve others by carrying their loads, and eventually discover the load is harder than we thought. Burdened with the rocks of others, we are unable to carry out the work God intended for us. Joanna Weaver invites us to unload the burdens we’re not called to carry, while keeping our focus on God’s will for our lives. I challenge you to look at the cart you are pulling and examine the rocks you need to unload. As you carry the load uphill, remember to keep your eyes and heart on Jesus. Make Him the One Thing you desire most.

Prayer Requests:
We pray that women in this study will learn from Mary’s heart and from Martha’s world.

Joanna Weaver Quotes:

• When God tells us in the Bible not to worry, it’s not a suggestion. It’s a command.
• Worry fixes our eyes on our situation rather than our Savior.
• Worry doesn’t prevent bad things from happening.
• A life filled with fear has little room for faith.
• We need to keep our focus on who God is and what God can do.
• Fretting magnifies the problem. Prayer magnifies God.
• When we view life through the eyes of faith, fear just has to flee.
• Take off your worry beads and pick up the shield of faith.
• Nothing is harder to carry than a burden we’re not called to carry.

For Next Week:

• Read Chapter 5 and 6

Group Discussion—Answer one question or as many as you like:

1. Jesus said to Martha “You are worried about many things.” If Jesus said this to you, how would his words make you feel?
2. Finish this sentence: Therefore (insert name) I tell you do not worry about . . . .
3. In the story of the rocks, think of your own cart. Which rocks has God asked you to carry, and which rocks should you unload?
4. Jesus said the one thing Martha needed was fellowship with Him. How would your life be different if you practiced the “one thing” principle?
5. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

 

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World ~ Week 1

Welcome back to online Bible study and our first discussion of the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. We’ve just finished reading chapters one and two in the book. In the first chapter Joanna compared the two sisters from he gospel of Luke – Martha and Mary – and revealed the conflict we experience as women. These women represent a common struggle: we want to worship like Mary and we’re often tied to our duties like Martha. Mary’s world symbolizes living room intimacy and worship, while Martha’s world represents kitchen service and perfection.

In this story “two completely different women undergo a transformation right before our eyes; a holy makeover. The bold one becomes meek, the mild one courageous. For it is impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed,” writes Joanna Weaver. When Jesus invites us to leave the kitchen and join Him in the living room, the focus is no longer on ourselves and our duties. The focus is now on Him.

Joanna says, “Martha opened her home to Jesus, but that doesn’t automatically mean she opened her heart.” In our second chapter we see inside Martha’s heart as she complains to Jesus. It appears to Martha that she’s doing all the work, while Mary is getting all the attention and praise. Martha wants Jesus to notice her for serving Him, yet Jesus already knows her heart. Joanna shows us how the enemy uses distractions, discouragement and doubt to keep us distant from Jesus and out of the living room. Martha was distracted by preparing her home, discouraged when Mary did not assist her, and doubted her Savior when she had the opportunity to worship at his feet. Martha’s busyness became the devil’s tool.

Martha’s need to be perfect overshadowed her opportunity for intimacy with Jesus. She took her eyes off the Savior and put them on herself, meeting her need to be praised for her perfection. As we’ll learn next week, she’s a big worrier and lacks peace. It’s not easy to sit in the living room and listen to Jesus, when your mind spins a mile a minute and lacks space!

Prayer Requests:
We pray that women in this study will learn from Mary’s heart and from Martha’s world.

Joanna Weaver Quotes:

• We want to worship like Mary, but the Martha inside keeps bossing us around.
• Mary chose to let someone do the serving so she could do the listening.
• It’s impossible to be in the presence of Jesus and not be changed.
• Busyness, by itself, breeds distraction.
• While the world applauds achievement, God desires companionship.
• Doubt, left unchecked, can fester into unbelief.

 For Next Week: 

• Read Chapter 3 and 4

Group Discussion—Answer one question or as many as you like:

1. Which woman do you relate to most, Martha or Mary? Why?
2. Finish this sentence: If I were a perfect woman, I would . . .
3. Have you seen a “holy makeover” in your own life or the life of someone you know? What happened?
4. Share a favorite moment from this week’s study.

 

Having a Mary Heart Bible Study Begins Today

We begin our balanced life online Bible study today, a six-week study on finding balance between kitchen duties and living room intimacy with Christ. To participate in the study, you’ll need the book called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.

I selected this Joanna Weaver study because many women are like me – struggling Martha’s with a heart’s desire to be more like Mary. Martha is the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, the woman who puts others above herself and attends to their needs and comfort. She becomes so busy with her duties, she misses intimacy with Christ. Mary is the woman who is so captivated by the presence of her Savior, she falls at His feet and neglects her responsibilities. Neither is right and neither is wrong . . . and the purpose of the Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World bible study is to show you how to balance Martha and Mary in your own life. My prayer is that after completing this study you will have more intimacy with Jesus and a better understanding of the duties that distract you from time with your Savior.

This is not a workbook format, so you will be reading TWO CHAPTERS each week. As you read, make comments in your book, mark favorite sections, and make sure you are connecting with the author’s words. You’ll need a notebook or journal to answer the study questions found at the back of the book. When you finish a chapter, answer the study questions so we can review and discuss them the following week.

For Next Week:

• Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
• Answer the study guide questions for these chapters

Group Discussion:

1. Please post a comment with your name, where you are from, and answer this question: If you described your present season of life in ONE WORD, what would it be? For example Kami, Nebraska, Confused

New Bible Study – Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – starts April 26th

We will “meet” once a week on Thursday as we have an online discussion of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. You’ll read your book at home five days a week, answer the chapter questions, and then just join us on Thursday’s to participate in a group discussion. There is no set time for the discussions, just show up and participate!

About the Bible study:

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver is our next online Bible study. To participate in this 6-week Bible study, you’ll need a copy of the book. This powerful book details the differences between Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus in the Bible. Martha is described as “the original Martha Stewart, the New Testament’s Proverbs 31 woman, and Israel’s answer to Betty Crocker.” She is busy serving and preparing for Jesus, while Mary worships and listens at the feet of Jesus. While both roles are important, the purpose of the book is to find balance between y0ur inner Martha and inner Mary.

This is a book format with study questions at the end of each chapter, so I recommend a notebook or journal to record your answers. You’ll read your book at home two chapters each week, answer the study questions, and then join us Thursday’s to participate in a group discussion. There is not set time for the discussions, just show up and participate!

If you are new to online BBS, please read the About page.

How to Participate in the Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World BBS:

• Get a copy of the Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World –  We will start reading chapter one and two on April 26, 2012
• Introduce yourself: Post a comment below with your name and where you are located (city/state).
• Just for fun, please tell us what your favorite memory from Winter 2012?