|
The Man who makes a Difference(Leader's Guide & Study Guide)Excellent for groupsTHE MAN WHO MAKES A DIFFERENCE WOMAN OF GOD These two interactive Bible studies provide a welcome contribution to current material available for small groups looking at biblical masculinity and femininity. Woman of God contains seven studies, looking at different Bible passages, covering subjects such as God as Father, God as husband which then informs how women are to approach human marriage. In looking at what it means for women to be involved in the local church, it recognises and explores the different issues facing both single and married women. The Man Who Makes a Difference also contains seven studies and in addition three excellent appendices. It covers similar ground from a man's perspective looking at being a husband, father and worker. This study, however, is rooted in Ephesians, as opposed to a topical study of relevant passages, the aim being to let the God's Word dictate the issues rather than setting our own agenda. Both studies rightly begin with a theological understanding of who we are as people before narrowing the focus to a particular gender. This is not only the right place to begin but points the reader in the right direction when tackling specific, relevant issues today, e.g. 'If our feelings of love and acceptance do not depend on a human partner - if we already this already as a gift from God - then we are free to serve and love within marriage without fear or dependence or manipulation.' (Woman of God page 39). The application of the gospel to marriage, family life and gender issues is one that the church badly needs to be making clearly and relevantly today, and these studies will be a practical help to that end. They will be particularly effective for men and women's Bible study groups. I found the appendices in The Man Who Makes a Difference of great value and the Woman of God study would have benefited from something similar. Occasionally I thought the studies expected too much of your average participant and would have been helped by more theological information. For example, 'What do you think it means to be "in Christ"?' (Man Who Makes a Difference, p. 14). This is a very important doctrine, especially in Ephesians and some leaders may struggle to do it justice. There is only so much that seven studies can cover, but there were some important issues that could have been explored more fully than they were - the problem of a Christian wife with a non-Christian husband (mentioned on page 51 but warranting more than that), or how to maintain a healthy devotional life with the pressures of career or with the constant demands of young children. That said, both books provide excellent biblical material for groups wanting to explore these issues. Mark Pickles© Evangelicals Now - August 2001 |