Can't we all use the reminder what is true about us? The world, our own flesh and the world are constantly telling us lies about who we are. So, this 31 day printable has a verse telling the truth about those who have put their trust in Christ. I hope it's a blessing to you. :) 

Right click the image below, save and print.
​And if you like things like this, subscribe to our one in a while newsletter that is filled with freebies, ministry resources and updates. And you'll even get my Ministry Resources for Women ebook for FREE.

​Laura's desire is to point to Jesus and lead people to be in awe of God. She is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Her and her husband have been in full time ministry since 2002. She serves with Master Plan Ministries as the Director of Women's Ministries and has extensive experience leading Bible studies, discipling women and speaking to groups and is the Founder of the internationally popular blog MissionalWomen.com that helps women live on mission for the glory of God. She has written seven books/Bible studies, designed 2 popular ministry tools and has made journals for quiet times for many books of the Bible. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, and Instagram.

"I don't know more than you, we just know different things." was on someones Instagram profile yesterday and immediately put me in awe of God. Because really, knowledge, wisdom and understanding are all about God. From Him and for Him

"Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens..." Job 38:34-37

I absolutely am fascinated in thinking about how much God knows. Everything about me and you, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially... everything. And about our great great great grandmas, who we don't even know. But God knows her. He knows everything about her. Why she made every decisions she ever made, why she felt every feeling she ever felt. Why she loved what she loved and hated what she hated. He knew her.

And to think that anytime we know something, it is because He has given us minds to understand. Brains that work and process information. And He has revealed the workings of what we learned. Like technology. He chose now, this generation to have access to reaching the world through a computer screen. 

Or how He set laws of wisdom in place that those who seek wisdom or the "how to's" in life can find them no matter who it is. How He gives wisdom and understanding generously to those who seek and ask Him. 

And I love how He has revealed His plan for the redemption of mankind progressively. Beautiful!!!

And not only is it beautiful that He reveals knowledge but that He also hides knowledge. 
Austin and I were discussing what things, what information, we will not tell our kids at this point. And we came to the conclusion that it would be things that will cause them harm. I think God is the same. He does not tell us things that would harm us. 

The Holy Spirit is the teacher, the revealer of truth, the One who gives us understanding, insight, discernment, revelation. The truths I know are because He allowed me to understand. He gave me the ability to understand and He is the One who enabled it to not be hidden any longer.  

To say, "I get it" is a gift from Him, through Him and for Him. Thank you Lord for the information You've given me at this point in life and the things You've kept hidden from me.

​​Laura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries since 2002 serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Staff Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 women, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks many times a year. Laura is an author and creator of ministry tools and resources. You can find her books and resources at the Missional Women store and  connect with her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram andher author site.

Are you longing to dive deeper into God's Word, but are also longing for a little community?

The Enjoy the Word online Bible Conference is a one of a kind opportunity to do both with our fully online Bible conference! It's a fully online conference where Gospel-Centered theology meets everyday practical living co-hosted by my friends Katie Orr and Jami Balmet.

It's practical advice, Bible teaching, & a heap of encouragement from some of the top 20 women Bible study teachers all together in one big bundle.

And the best part? You don't have to find a babysitter, pay for a plane ticket, arrange a hotel, etc. It's all online so you can participate and watch from the comfort of your living room - in your pajamas! 

It’s all online.
​
Watch on your computer or smartphone live on May 2-4 with a fun private Facebook group, a pajama kick-off party, and live Q&A’s with the speakers. (I’m doing a session Discovering God's Call for Your Life!)

Or watch (and re-watch) whenever is convenient for you (you get lifetime access). You can also listen to audio-only versions if you prefer. ​

The Conference Ticket Includes:

• 6 teaching sessions through the book of Jonah
• Lifetime access to over 20 sessions

 

• Sessions on “Practical & Everyday Faith”
  • Making Bible reading a habit
  • Praying Scripture
  • Overcoming obstacles that keep us from enjoying God's Word
  • Igniting a passion for God
  • Understanding the big picture of the Old and New Testaments
  • and much more!
  
  
• Sessions on “What the Bible has to say about..."
  • Emotions
  • Marriage, sex and mission
  • Worship
  • Leading
  • Discovering your calling
  • Balance
  • and much more!

 

• Sessions on “God’s Word & Our Family”
  • Helping your kids enjoy God's Word
  • Nurturing Your Children Toward a Love of the Gospel 
  • How Mom Can Get in the Word & Basics for Helping Her Kids Learn the Bible 

 

• Digital Conference Notebook so you can follow along
• Access to the private Facebook group
• Live discussions with the speakers

​

The 20 conference sessions this year are obviously amazing, but the really FUN part of the conference is the private Facebook group community! 


A great part about learning to study the Bible is doing so in community! So if you are looking for like-minded women who want to grow in their knowledge of God - this is the place to be! You will get the chance to interact with all the other attendees, chat directly with each speaker after their session, and get to participate in some really fun parties and giveaways during the week. 

​Registering now gets you $10 OFF the total ticket price (when you register by Monday April 16th)!
​

Pop on over here and all your questions will be answered.

The people who grow the fastest and strongest in their relationship with God are the ones who spend the most time with God studying His Word. But having a quiet time and studying the Bible are not really topics talked about every day. So I decided to make a video series on how to study the Bible for our readers. I hope you find it helpful. Leave me a comment on the videos and let me know what helps you. Also, subscribe to my channel as I will be adding new videos every week with other helpful resources and ministry tips.

Another idea is to show these videos to your Bible study group or share on social media.

After leading small group Bible studies for over thirty years here are my top 8 Tips on how to help your small group Bible study go from good to great. 

What other tips do you have? Head over to the video and leave me a comment.

Shocking. It’s the only word I can use to describe the day I heard a pastor describing his sex life from the pulpit. My young daughter sat near the front row. At the time, I was ignorant, naïve, valuing charisma and likeability more than discerning or able to truly test teaching.

Looking back, even my own understanding has changed significantly from what I taught ten or even a handful of years ago. As a result, I have uncovered nine indicators I use to test teaching; both my own and other peoples. This is what I have learned…

The true Gospel:

1. Is simple, but not shallow – Man complicates things, the true gospel is simple. “Believe on the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved…”(Acts 16:31) At the same time, the true gospel is not shallow, but calls us to be “[deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love.” (Eph. 3:17-18)
2. Places Jesus at the center, not man – Charisma, appearances, and platforms can be appealing; however Christ must remain central, His character evidently displayed. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].” (Matt 20:28) Does you or others teachings glorify, talk about, and brag about self, or does it point to Jesus?
3. Includes suffering, never guaranteeing ease, wealth, or health. Scripture says, “The Son of Man must suffer and be rejected…” (Luke 9:22) And, “If anyone wishes to follow me [as my disciple], he must deny himself [put aside self-interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living, and if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]”. (Luke 9:23)
4. Will increase your appetite for Scripture – What I have found is when I am truly in His presence, hearing Godly anointed, Gospel-centered teaching… my hunger for scripture and to know Him more increases. After all, the Word is God himself, (John 1:1) and every good teacher points us to scripture, asking us to scour the Word for ourselves, like Bereans searching for truth.
5. Will lead us to repentance, humility and Christ-like character – In Acts, repentance foreshadowed true salvation and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38) Humility is the foundational character to the mind-set of Christ and precedes serving one another. (Phil. 2:3-11) It would be wise to be weary of prideful teachers who inflate our egos, compliment shallowly or excessively, not walking in character or exhibiting the peace, love, joy, and kindness of Jesus. (Prov. 16:18)
6. Encourages us to be last, not first; a servant not a slave. Values love and grace, more than delighting in rules and punishment– Control, power, and manipulation have no place in scripture-centered teaching. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17) True teaching should never produce condemnation or extra-man-made rules enslaving us again to fear. At the same time, the true Gospel calls us to be like servants, walking in humility and love. (1 John 2:6) “Where sin increased, [God’s remarkable, gracious gift of] grace [His unmerited favor] has surpassed it and increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20)
7. Produces positive changes, fruit that is visibly evident to others – The true gospel should produce “good fruit”, or “visible evidence” of good things in our lives. (Matt 7:15-20, Luke 6:44) So many times I have had to step back and ask, “Does this teaching make me and others more like Christ? Does it produce and stir others on towards life, healing, hope, and obedience.” I have learned over time, the wisdom of checking for good fruit in a person’s life before embracing everything they say. No one is perfect, however, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and bad fruit cannot come from a good tree.” (Matt 7:18)
8. Will never contradict scripture or the overall message of the Bible – Scripture says the Word of God is right and true. (Psalms 33:4) The more we read our Bible’s, the more we know His truth, ensuring our teaching or the teaching of those around us is sound, keeping scripture in context, not taking one verse and making a whole doctrine around it. Teaching should reflect the over-all message of scripture, not re-define some person’s own interpretation of the Bible.

The day I heard such vulgarity from the pulpit, I left that church and never went back. Needless to say, I was humbled learning how easy it can be to get off course. Good intentions don’t equate to solid teaching.

Since then, I’ve had to carefully test my own heart for humility, check my own character in light of Jesus’. I have been motived to dig into the Word for even more clarity, being diligent about my own teaching, but also checking for fruit in other peoples.

I would love to hear what you have found are effective ways to test either your own or others teaching.

​​Though born, raised, and still living only miles from where she grew up, Jen's heart lies in the nations. Jen loves the beautiful tapestry found in the wide diversity of people, different cultures, and all nations.  Jen and her husband have been married twenty years, and have parented fifteen kids and counting; twelve foster, one adopted, and two bios.  Her multi-racial family reflects her passion for unity, desire for faith without walls, and missional mindset to share both the gospel and the power of redemption to a world desperately needing the hope found in Jesus Christ. Jen and her husband have led in a variety of ministries; including prayer, small groups, children's, and women’s.  Jen advocates for the orphan as a board member for the non-profit, A New Song; and loves doing missions work internationally, along with her family.  You can find Jen writing about faith, while challenging her readers at her blog, Rich Faith Rising, as well as at tweeting faith-filled messages @Jen_Avellaneda .  Jen is also on facebook.

It's easy to get in a rut in your time with the Lord. 
​What I've found is that when I try things a little bit different then my time in God's Word takes on a whole different attitude. 

​Here is a list of 20 ways to wake up your time with the Lord. 

I also really enjoy coloring. It's so relaxing and slows life down to a pace that allows for reflection. There's just something about it that's therapeutic (and I can do it with my kids!)

There are some cool resources below where you can color Bible verses. What a great way to help you reflect on God's Word! There's also books and courses to help guide you in Bible journaling, praying and studying God's Word. 

​And here's the huge blessing. One of my books is featured in this giant bundle so when you buy a bundle getting 50 ebooks, 21 eCourses, 14 printables, 2 videos, 2 audios, 2 summits, and 1 membership site you get it at 97% off and support the ministry of Missional Women. It's like this huge blessing all around. It reminds me of the way God works, believers blessing believers. 

​The bundle costs $2,000. Yikes right!? But since you get it 97% it is 29,97. Yeehaw!
​It's only available TODAY and TOMMORROW. So take a quick second to check it out now.

​PS I've also included some screen shots below of just SOME of what it is included.

Laura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries since 2002 serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Staff Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 women, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks many times a year. Laura is an author and creator of ministry tools and resources. You can find her books and resources at the Missional Women store and  connect with her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram and her author site.

 There is so much more I would like to do in life than I actually have time for so I try to combine things whenever I can in order to be more effective. One thing that I've found very helpful is combining reviewing and memorizing Scripture with praying for people. In other words, praying for people using the verses I need to review. 

I use the printable below to give me a topic of what to pray for each day of the week. Then I use my memory verses to pray for those things on my list. (You can download the free printable by clicking on the image below and the right clicking and saving to your computer. I laminated mine so I can write on it with wet erase markers and update it every so often.)

So to break it down of what this looks like practically, I take a couple verses I need to review and use those to pray for the things I have to pray for that day. 

​Here's an example:
Say it's Monday, the day I pray for my family. And the verses I need to review are: "

"Finally, be strengthened by the lord and by His vast power." Ephesians 6:10 
and
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5 

I would pray something like, Lord, thank you for my sweet mom, please help her experience Your strength and help her set her mind on you and live by the strength and ability you provide. Help her depend on You and let her see you come through for her. 

You can do this with your own memory verses but I'll include mine in case you want to start memorizing scripture or add more verses to what you already have. And here are some tips for memorizing Scripture and the entire list put into topics (the most effective ways I've found to memorize Scripture and actually have it be useful in my life).

​Oh, and the awesome little unreached people group prayer cards in the picture above I found at JoshuaProject.net under their prayer resources.

(And I should explain-just to alleviate my awkward feeling- why I don't have anything under the church column. We just moved and are still seeking the Lord and walking by faith on where we should be committed.)

So, here there are: printable memory cards for your war room that can function as both Scripture memory cards and things to pray for others.

I'm gradually adding parts as part one alone is 15 pages. So pin this post and check back for the rest of the free cards.

Click the images below to save and print to get the free Scripture cards.
And if you like stuff like this, subscribe to our newsletter (that I try to get out once a week but realistically it's more like every other week packed full of great resources that will help you grow in your relationship with God. You also get free access to our ministry resources library. 

Also check out: 
* Our Store that has Bible Studies, Devotionals and other ministry resources.
* Our HOME page that gives you a better idea about the Missional Women ministry.

Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 14 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.

​If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.

The greatest times of spiritual growth in my life have been as a result of being vulnerable with a small group of believers who regularly got into the God's Word and took steps of faith together. And leading Bible studies causes me to desperately depend on the Lord and gives me an opportunity to see Him come through for me and bear eternal fruit in others peoples lives.  On every level, small group Bible studies are just plain awesome. There are many good Bible studies out there but with so many Beth Moore studies (which are good!), many other good ones get overlooked. So here are eleven Bible Studies you should also know about.

11  Bible Studies you Should Know About 
1. Bible Study Journals 
After 20 years of leading Bible studies, this is my very very favorite way to go through Scripture with a group of people. You pick a book of the Bible (there are many journals to choose from here) you read a chapter out loud together each person reading a few verses and then spend the next 30 minutes or so answering the questions in the journal individually and silently. Then you come back together and go through the questions and give opportunity for everyone to share their answers to the questions. It is inspiring to see how the Lord spoke to everyone so differently from the same chapter! 

2. Beholding Him Becoming Missional 
If you'd like to go through a book of the Old Testament full of stories that relate to today with one eye on the text and God's character and another on how to apply it to our every day life this is a great choice for you. This is an intense, in-depth, Beth Moore type study. To lighten the workload you could do one day a week or a couple days per week. It is a 12 week study.

​3. Discover God's Calling for Your Life
This is a study that will help you not only know God's purpose and calling for your life but also how to take the next steps toward living it out.

4. Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival
This is a study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss that will help you grow in your love for the Lord. It is a 12-week interactive study on personal revival. Get ready to experience the freedom and joy of an honest and humble heart, true repentance, God's amazing grace, genuine holiness, a clear conscience, radical forgiveness, sexual purity, and walking in the Spirit.Each week includes five days of individual study, questions for group discussion and interaction, testimonies of changed lives, and 'Making it Personal' questions and exercises.

5. A Devotional Journey through Judges
Judges is full of people with struggles and insecurities just like you and I. But not only can we relate to the people's stories in Judges but we can draw insightful and helpful principles that relate to us today and give us incredible glimpses of God's heart and character. It has been compared to a Old Testament mirror of the church today. We can learn a lot from seeing how the the Lord interacted and dealt with His people in a society much like ours. But not only is Judges a relate-able book for today, it's full of stories making it incredibly engaging.

This is a practical, insightful and relatable 250 page in depth devotional study with great personal stories. Each day is short enough to be able to read and have time to process the personal application questions. It can be used in conjunction with the discussion guide (at www.TheBookofJudges.com) or as a stand alone devotional.
Check out the 40 5 star reviews

6. Who Is This Jesus?
If you have a new believer who doesn't know much about Jesus or someone seeking to learn more about Jesus, this is the perfect study!! It focuses on Jesus and how we can know He is the Son of God.

7. Sweeter Than Honey
How does God’s Word taste to you? Bitter, bland, or sweeter than honey? Our attitude and appetite for the Scriptures determines the degree to which we love Christ and look like him. "Sweeter Than Honey: Cultivating an Appetite for the Word of God" is a five-week discipleship guide offering first-time Bible students and their teachers a hands-on cooking lesson for feasting on the Scriptures. Each chapter offers women practical steps for self-feeding on God’s Word despite busy schedules or the lack of a biblical background. This book will encourage and equip you to nourish yourself on God’s Word each day and invite others to his lavish table. Read more about it and see her other great studies here.

8. Jonah; Navigating a Life Interrupted
This is a 7 session study by Priscilla Shirer that redefines interruption and helps you see that interruption is actually God's invitation to do something beyond our wildest dreams. When Jonah was willing to allow God to interrupt his life, the result was revival in an entire city. 

9. Discover Gods Character
This study by Bill Bright that pulls your gaze toward the Lord and helps you see Him as He truly is. He takes you attribute by attribute through many of God's characteristics as well as gives you ways to act on what you learn. Knowing God is and making Him known is really what all of life is about so this is a must do.

10. Chase; Chasing After the Heart of God
We’re all chasing after something, something that we think will make us happy—comfort, success, a bigger house, or someone’s approval. But if we are all honest, it feels like trying to catch the wind.A man after God’s own heart… As David’s life weaves throughout the pages of Scripture, we see he was a man who spent his life chasing after God. Chase explores the events that defined David’s life and the Psalms that flowed out of those experiences. Through David’s example we’ll discover what God really wants from us.

The lessons in this study guide are simple yet deep and very interactive, offering Bible study, stories, and projects to dig into Scripture and deeply engage the mind and heart. God has carved out a space in each of us that only He can fill. So whether you are running from God or working your tail off to please Him, David’s journey will challenge your view of God. God is invisible, and yet He is the only thing we can chase that won’t leave us feeling more empty. Designed for use with the Chase DVD-based study.

11. Focused 15
Hungry for more Bible study but not sure how to make it fit into the fast pace of life? Katie believes even the busiest of women can train her eye to discover the life-changing truths held in scripture, in only 15 minutes a day. Do you desire to learn how to study the Bible on your own, but are unsure of where to start? By taking manageable portions of Scripture over a week’s time, this simple yet effective Bible study method can teach you how to go as deep as you want into the Bible. Do you long for more than a devotional but don’t have the time for a long workbook study? FOCUSed15 Bible studies provide a proven balance of structure, self-guided study, and solid commentary. Currently there are three studies; Faith, Hope and Love and Peace will be released September 1st!

So now that you have eleven great studies to choose from, will you pray about starting a Bible study? You many feel inadequate but He is not. He is totally capable of equipping you with everything you need. Here is a little book that will help you along the way. And here is a great tool to add to the study of Scripture you choose to help you get to know the other people well and have an element of prayer and training. And feel free to email me with any questions you have. And perhaps there is a friend you can ask to lead it with you?

Are you afraid you can't do it? I totally think you can! If you are a believer, you have the very spirit of God in you, who created the universe and raised Jesus from the dead. Surely He can help you start and lead a Bible study. Will you pray about it? Why not take some time right now and ask God if He wants you to lead a study this fall. 

The Lord is with you and will totally come through and do what He is so good at doing in changing hearts and lives through His Spirit and His Word. So let the pressure off yourself, all you need to do is take initiative in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results up to Him.

If you enjoyed this list, subscribe to our newsletter (that I try to get out once a week but realistically it's more like every other week packed full of great resources that will help you grow in your relationship with God. You also get free access to our ministry resources library. 

Also check out: 
* Our Store that has Bible Studies, Devotionals and other ministry resources.
* Our HOME page that gives you a better idea about the Missional Women ministry.

​Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has six kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 14 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.

If you'd like to read more from this contributor, type her name in the search box on the top right.

Sharing this over at these awesome blogs.

1. Foster and environment of openness. The greatest need of mankind is to love and be loved and feel worthwhile to self and others. This can't happen if we aren't known. A good way to help people open up and feel known is to give them time to share about their life and who they are. Like the study above, you could allow the first few group times together for people to share their life stories, or you could have one or two people a week share. It does a ton to share about our life and see that people love us anyway. You could also use something like the 5 H's to help them know what to share: Hero's, Heritage, Highlights, Hopes and Hardships. Often times hearing someone's story is eye-opening and causes you to see them and the Lord in a new light of redemption. The leader really sets the pace in this. To the degree you are open, they will be. If you are willing to share your life, and lead by example, most will follow.

Another important element is to make room for other people to share their insights, not just the leader. A main role of a Bible study leader is to facilitate the group discussion by asking good questions, not dominate the time together. 

2. Encourage application. The Lord encourages us through James to be not merely hearers of the Word, but do-ers.  It takes intentionality to ask the Lord how He'd like you to act on His Word. Therefore it's helpful to give a few minutes at the end of Bible study to process and ask God how what was read/studies applies to their personal life and how they can act on it this upcoming week. It's even neat to give time for sharing how it went the following week.

3. Foster an environment that clings to Jesus' perfection rather than our own.  God has called us to something impossible, living the Christian life. But what is impossible with man, is possible with God. The only way we are going to live lives that please the Lord is through surrender, not by trying real hard in our own strength. 

Whether we ever say or elude to wanting perfection from those in our group, people will most likely assume that is what is expected from them. So we have to go the extra mile in pointing to Jesus, to fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, rather than the rules or do's and don'ts. We don't need to offer up a picture of perfection, but desperate dependence; surrender to the Lord. So as a group leader, don't be afraid to fail or be afraid to share your failures. Model and praise surrender, not perfection.

4. Plan for multiplication. Without being intentional, multiplication wont naturally happen. Therefore it is a good idea to meet with the F.A.I.T.H. (faithful, available, initiative takers, teachable, heart for God) members of your group on a regular basis whenever possible. There are great resources like the  Thrive discipleship study to use to help them establish a strong foundation.

Multiplying Bible studies are a great way to "make disciples of all nations." Acts 2 is an example of non-believers spending time with Christians and feeling like they belong and many times the result is surrender to Christ. Encourage and train a couple others to lead a Bible study of their own. One of the most essential things they will need in order to get started, and in order for the group to actually multiply is to help them meet people to start with. The goal is not just to have all the same leaders inviting all the same people to their Bible study. Imagine if the Acts 2 Christians did that? So help them think through how and who they can meet. And not everyone they meet will be able to go to a Bible study or will be interested, so the more people they meet, the better (especially people outside the church or ministry).

5. Help the group be outward focused. We, as humans, often need the reminder that this whole thing, life and everything in it is not about us. Even Bible study can turn into a place for gathering knowledge yet do very little to impact others around us. So it's a good idea to plan to serve together somehow as a group. You could help with ministries like Operation Christmas Child and bringing stuff all year long to be able to package it for the end of the year. Or you can give away water bottles with sports trivia tracts at sporting events. (Both of these are things a great small group my husband and I were a part of did and was encouraging to be part of).

Besides serving together as a group, it's good to put the reminder of the mission in front of everyone weekly, because vision leaks and the world clamors for our attention, time and energy. This could look like reading an exerpt from a book casting vision for the Great Commission (see our book recommendation list for books that will inspire in this direction) or sharing things the Lord is doing all over the world.

Adding a few other elements to a Bible study can take a study from good to great, effective for making disciples. Therefore I created a creative, interactive resource that will help group leaders to add these elements to their study without adding hours of preparation. They are called The Connect Cards, published by CRU Press and just released! Here is a video showing you what they are and how to use them.

Laura, the founder of Missional Women is married and has five kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 14 years serving with Master Plan Ministries where she is the Women's Development Coordinator. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, A Devotional Journey through Judges, and Discover God's Calling for Your Life. Most recently her resource for Bible studies, The Connect Cards was released by Cru Press. You can find her on facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram, periscope, blab and her author site.