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Jeremiah - Women's Bible Study Participant Book: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World
Learn to surrender to God’s will and rest your hope in Him alone.
When we look around at today’s world, hope usually isn’t the first word that comes to mind. In many ways we live in an unstable world where marriages fail, bank accounts run low, friendships end, and the everyday demands of a fast-paced life get us down. In the Book of Jeremiah, we find God calling out to His people with a message of hope―a message that intentional living is possible even in an unstable world. But how do we do this? Where do we start?
Jeremiah offers women hope for living in an uncertain world by learning to navigate the challenges and circumstances of their lives. This six-week study examines God’s words of instruction to His wayward people through the prophet Jeremiah, and provides women six guidelines for intentional living to overcome fear, worry, and doubt as they surrender their wills to God’s and put their hope in Him alone.
Combining rich study of the Book of Jeremiah with practical life application that resonates with the realities and experiences of today’s women, this study inspires all women to dare to hope, remembering that God is rich in mercy and love and has good plans for us.
The participant workbook includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer.
Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).
When we look around at today’s world, hope usually isn’t the first word that comes to mind. In many ways we live in an unstable world where marriages fail, bank accounts run low, friendships end, and the everyday demands of a fast-paced life get us down. In the Book of Jeremiah, we find God calling out to His people with a message of hope―a message that intentional living is possible even in an unstable world. But how do we do this? Where do we start?
Jeremiah offers women hope for living in an uncertain world by learning to navigate the challenges and circumstances of their lives. This six-week study examines God’s words of instruction to His wayward people through the prophet Jeremiah, and provides women six guidelines for intentional living to overcome fear, worry, and doubt as they surrender their wills to God’s and put their hope in Him alone.
Combining rich study of the Book of Jeremiah with practical life application that resonates with the realities and experiences of today’s women, this study inspires all women to dare to hope, remembering that God is rich in mercy and love and has good plans for us.
The participant workbook includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer.
Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit (an all-inclusive box containing one copy of each of the Bible study’s components).
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2014
65 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Spoelstra
39 books113 followersMelissa Spoelstra is a popular women’s conference speaker, Bible teacher, and writer who is madly in love with Jesus and passionate about helping women of all ages to seek Christ and know Him more intimately through serious Bible study. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible Theology and enjoys teaching God's Word to diverse groups and churches within the body of Christ. She is the author of Joseph: The Journey to Forgiveness, Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World, and the forthcoming Total Family Makeover: 8 Steps to Making Disciples at Home. She lives in Dublin, Ohio, with her pastor husband and four kids.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 10, 2024
Really good! This study offers a great opportunity for serious introspection into your personal faith and relationship with God.
January 11, 2023
This study was extremely challenging, but I confess, I learned so much from Melissa Spoelstra's insight into the book of Jeremiah. I'm so glad the Lord took me through it!
June 26, 2024
This is a book of the Bible that is full of things we need to know, but it is so poetic, some of the understanding can be difficult. This author breaks it down, and makes it understandable and personal. She has levels of study which include extra readings that can be found in the link she provides, but is not necessary. Though she encourages you to read the entire book of Jeremiah, she does have the pertinent verses for you in the study. I did all of them, and felt that they helped, but another in our group just did the study, and felt she got a lot from it. I did not do the video, but the answers to the video are also on her site, so you could get the gist without it. Recommend as a study for this era as it really hit home despite written almost ten years ago. Jeremiah and its lessons are timeless.
October 9, 2022
Wow this Bible study was so deep and incredibly impactful. I chose to do the deepest level of this study and in doing so it took me longer than the suggested 6 weeks. It was well worth it. I was honestly so shocked by how much Melissa was able to get out of the matters of the heart from Jeremiah. This was my first time reading Jeremiah all the way through also. It was a very heavy book. I really learned so much.
June 6, 2017
Used for a 6 week Bible study... which is to say I brought it along with me... I can't say I read much of it! I still felt like I was able to get something out of it, because each week had a video we watched and it often lead to interesting discussions among our group. Maybe if there wasn't a video, I would have read more... but alas, too many books, not enough time!
December 28, 2017
My bible study class decided to do this bible study in 12 weeks. As a mom of 3 the homework was a lot but manageable. I really started to get into the study at week 3. While some of it was repetitive, I did like the study. I would recommend this book to others.
March 15, 2019
I truly enjoyed reading Dare to hope. I thought it was a wonderful and delightful read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.
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August 5, 2019Fantastic book reminding us that Hope is necessary to find peace in our world today!!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
February 9, 2018
Great study of the book of Jeremiah. Loved the different participant levels to choose from to fit each individual.
March 9, 2021
Excellent Bible study. Very helpful.
March 14, 2021
I'm adding this to the "books that changed my life" shelf because it did! A wonderful Bible Study I did on my own and thoroughly enjoyed studying Jeremiah while learning about the Lord of hosts.
June 6, 2022
Very good book/workbook!
December 11, 2015
If you were to sit down and plow through the Book of Jeremiah from beginning to end (at 52 chapters, it's the longest in the Bible), you'd probably find yourself both confused and depressed. For this reason, most studies of Jeremiah "pick and choose" what you read and Spoelstra's study is no exception. If you can bear with flipping here, there, everywhere, throughout both Jeremiah and other parts of the Bible, you'll likely find yourself settling in, digging deeper, and realizing that, despite the doom and gloom contained within Jeremiah, it is, ultimately a Book of Hope. After all, doesn't the most oft and famous scripture verse from Jeremiah (29:11) read, "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." (NRSV)?
The author picked a different theme for each of the six weeks of the study; each building upon the ones prior to bring us to the ultimate message of hope in God through Jesus Christ. Although many of the prophets of the OT refer to a future Messiah (I'm thinking Isaiah and Micah in particular), Jeremiah's references are so poignant given there were so many similarities between Jeremiah's life and Christ's; in fact, Jeremiah is referred to as a Christ-Type Prophet.
But, before getting to the promised Messiah, Spoelstra used the themes of surrender, idolatry, listening, heart issues, personal responsibility and tied these to the backdrop of the Jeremiah's message to the people of Judah to bring the message to a personal level. To say it's somewhat scary to see so many parallels in our country's current condition to the people of Judah in Jeremiah's time is an understatement; to our own personal condition is eye-opening and humbling.
As with a lot of Bible studies, this one offered different levels. If I'm going to do a study, I typically go "all-in" so I did all levels, which included doing the homework, showing up to the weekly sessions/discussions (which really is a must), reading the entire book of Jeremiah, exploring the "Digging Deeper" articles provided (really interesting) and memorizing several verses from Jeremiah. However, I think it's important for there to be options; not every woman has the time to do it all and shouldn't be made to feel inferior if all she can manage is to simply show up for the sessions so I always appreciate that the authors recognize this.
I took a lot away from this study and recognize that there are a few things I need to do to continue to get my heart in the right place (behavior change does not equal heart change). Perhaps others in my group feel called to explore one or more of the other themes in depth instead. In any case, the workbook is laid out in a way that will make it easy to go back to certain areas that need further exploring.
Why not 5 stars? On the odd occasion, I found some of the questions a bit too "in your face" and some of the content overly "preachy", which typically makes me feel "talked down to". But, it wasn't frequent enough to turn me off the study.
It's generally believe that Jeremiah also wrote Lamentations, which would make some sense because the poor man certainly had a lot to lament. However, in the midst of Lamentations is a series of verses that does much to summarize the Book of Jeremiah; and is something for all of us to hold onto when we're going through the squalls and storms of life:
"But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies
never come to an end; they are new every morning; great if your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 (NRSV)
The author picked a different theme for each of the six weeks of the study; each building upon the ones prior to bring us to the ultimate message of hope in God through Jesus Christ. Although many of the prophets of the OT refer to a future Messiah (I'm thinking Isaiah and Micah in particular), Jeremiah's references are so poignant given there were so many similarities between Jeremiah's life and Christ's; in fact, Jeremiah is referred to as a Christ-Type Prophet.
But, before getting to the promised Messiah, Spoelstra used the themes of surrender, idolatry, listening, heart issues, personal responsibility and tied these to the backdrop of the Jeremiah's message to the people of Judah to bring the message to a personal level. To say it's somewhat scary to see so many parallels in our country's current condition to the people of Judah in Jeremiah's time is an understatement; to our own personal condition is eye-opening and humbling.
As with a lot of Bible studies, this one offered different levels. If I'm going to do a study, I typically go "all-in" so I did all levels, which included doing the homework, showing up to the weekly sessions/discussions (which really is a must), reading the entire book of Jeremiah, exploring the "Digging Deeper" articles provided (really interesting) and memorizing several verses from Jeremiah. However, I think it's important for there to be options; not every woman has the time to do it all and shouldn't be made to feel inferior if all she can manage is to simply show up for the sessions so I always appreciate that the authors recognize this.
I took a lot away from this study and recognize that there are a few things I need to do to continue to get my heart in the right place (behavior change does not equal heart change). Perhaps others in my group feel called to explore one or more of the other themes in depth instead. In any case, the workbook is laid out in a way that will make it easy to go back to certain areas that need further exploring.
Why not 5 stars? On the odd occasion, I found some of the questions a bit too "in your face" and some of the content overly "preachy", which typically makes me feel "talked down to". But, it wasn't frequent enough to turn me off the study.
It's generally believe that Jeremiah also wrote Lamentations, which would make some sense because the poor man certainly had a lot to lament. However, in the midst of Lamentations is a series of verses that does much to summarize the Book of Jeremiah; and is something for all of us to hold onto when we're going through the squalls and storms of life:
"But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies
never come to an end; they are new every morning; great if your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 (NRSV)
January 10, 2016
When we look around at today s world, hope usually isn t the first word that comes to mind. In many ways we live in an unstable world where marriages fail, bank accounts run low, friendships end, and the everyday demands of a fast-paced life get us down. In the Book of Jeremiah, we find God calling out to His people with a message of hope a message that intentional living is possible even in an unstable world. But how do we do this? Where do we start? "Jeremiah" offers women hope for living in an uncertain world by learning to navigate the challenges and circumstances of their lives. This six-week study examines God s words of instruction to His wayward people through the prophet Jeremiah, and provides women six guidelines for intentional living to overcome fear, worry, and doubt as they surrender their wills to God s and put their hope in Him alone. Combining rich study of the Book of Jeremiah with practical life application that resonates with the realities and experiences of today s women, this study inspires all women to dare to hope, remembering that God is rich in mercy and love and has good plans for us."
--My thoughts. I found this study amazing. I wish I had had a group to do it with. It was a huge blessing to me and I just stumbled upon it. I highly recommend this study. Really made me dig deeper and I don't mind it. I did like the different themes. I hope to find other studies like this one.
--My thoughts. I found this study amazing. I wish I had had a group to do it with. It was a huge blessing to me and I just stumbled upon it. I highly recommend this study. Really made me dig deeper and I don't mind it. I did like the different themes. I hope to find other studies like this one.
July 3, 2015
I like this study. It's not as long as a Beth Moore study, not as wordy, but Melissa still paints pictures of what she's talking about and really makes her point clear. She's divided Jeremiah into 6 categories so it's a 6 week study with videos on DVD or online. I've study the problem with surrender and idols before, but she's made things more clear.
December 20, 2014
Ready to start
Enjoyed the study online with group so much, that I purchased the leaders kit to start my own group.
I think it is a study that all can use, but keeping in small groups.
Enjoyed the study online with group so much, that I purchased the leaders kit to start my own group.
I think it is a study that all can use, but keeping in small groups.
April 8, 2019
Excellent study !
August 5, 2015
This is a wonderful, relevant Bible study. It was helpful in my heart work and spiritual walk.
March 24, 2020
Very good study
Very good study. Helped me gain a better understanding of God. Especially have me a better understanding of true surrender and modern day idols.
Very good study. Helped me gain a better understanding of God. Especially have me a better understanding of true surrender and modern day idols.
December 16, 2015
I enjoyed this Bible Study a lot.
April 18, 2017
Jeremiah is such a challenging book to read and study, and this guide was so well-done. Spoelstra pulled out the meat, the themes, connections to ancient history and culture, links to the New Testament themes. And each step of the way, made it personal and applicable to my own life. There are word pictures and names of God that I learned in this study that I will surely remember for a long time. Most importantly, this study connected me with God in a way that was worshipful and personally meaningful. In my view, that's what Bible study is all about.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews