women’s retreat 2020 deepening our roots, weathering the ... · deepening our roots, weathering...

BC3 Women’s Retreat 2020

Deepening our Roots,

Weathering the Storms,

and Sharing the Fruit Scripture & Study Resource

Jeremiah 17:5-13

5 This is what the LORD says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

who draws strength from mere flesh

and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;

they will not see prosperity when it comes.

They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,

in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,

whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct,

according to what their deeds deserve.” 11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means.

When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools. 12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. 13 LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame.

Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD,

the spring of living water.”

Thoughts & prompts:

• Reflect on what God is saying throughout our theme passage. Do you find comfort? Conviction?

Challenge? What do you notice when you read it multiple times?

• How much of the blessings and curses are dependent on our actions, and how much on His?

• It’s easy to think of others who fit God’s description of “fools.” How have I been foolish?

• If you recall our sermon series on James, or studying the Source of Living Water, how is this related?

• What do you learn in these passages: James 2:14-26; John 4:1-42; John 7:37-39; Revelation 7:9-17

Deepening Our Roots

In the northwest, we see the importance of strong roots in every

windstorm. What difference does the type of soil make? What trials

and circumstances in your life can be likened to a windstorm,

earthquake, drought, flood, etc? Are they always extreme and

devastating? If one Christian weathers a storm without any damage,

what should we expect of others experiencing a similar trial?

Col. 2:6,7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted

and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Hosea 14:5,6 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will

send down his roots; 6 his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree,

his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.

Thoughts & prompts:

• Read the verses following Col. 2:7. What are the warnings?

• Where are my roots getting nourishment? What sources of comfort & advice do I turn to?

• Have I learned this the easy or hard way? What will help me as I move forward?

• What (or who) would help my roots grow deeper in Christ?

• What roles do the Bible, church, prayer, and other believers play?

• Read all of Hosea 14. What was Israel’s downfall? What saved them?

• How are we to handle the Word? See 2 Tim. 2:15,

Psalm 119:105, James 3:1

• Read all of Isaiah 5 and take notes on what

happens to the vineyard.

• How can I apply the warnings to my life?

• What is the danger of taking verses out of context?

For example, I like the first line of verse 11: “Woe to

those who rise early in the morning…”! How have

you experienced “proof-texting” or someone quoting

scripture out of context to prove a point? How do we

respond, and avoid doing it ourselves?

Seeds and Soil

We hear about the influence of nature vs. nurture. For every example of a

person whose environment shaped them negatively, there’s another one

who overcame their circumstances. If we think of our family “roots,” how

much credit or blame do we tend to assign? Our roots are part of who we

are, and they affect how well we fare when we are transplanted or

stressed. How do our family roots affect our spiritual formation? Take a

look at the Parable of the Sower and the Soil in Matthew 13:1-23.

Thoughts and Prompts:

• Does this apply only to those who receive or reject salvation?

• How can we be like the poor soil?

• How can I become and remain like the good soil?

• How have I seen a harvest? Where have I wished I could see the harvest?

• How do I respond to people who say they don’t see the harvest in my life?

• Read 2 Cor. 4:16-18. How can the concept of a harvest help me to keep focused on eternal things?

• Read the Parable of the weeds: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

• Who can sow weeds in our lives? Have I sown weeds in the lives of others? What are some examples of

weeds sown in your life? How does the treatment of the weeds in the wheat contrast with weeds that

spring up in a garden (habits in our lives)?

• How easily do we identify weeds? How can things that are not intrinsically evil become like weeds? i.e,

hobbies, media, time with friends, time in nature, or even doing only “Christian” things?

Someone gave us this card after Jay’s dad passed away, and it made me think

of the influence of parents, teachers, and other mentors in our lives. Who

comes to mind when you think of someone who planted seeds in your life?

Was your “soil” receptive right away, or did it take time for anything to grow?

What was it about those people that made a meaningful impact? I think of my

professors who cared about their students, and encouraged us to dig into a

topic. Even if we challenged their statements, my favourite teachers (and all

good ones) weren’t offended, but had enough humility to say, “Well, let’s look

at that…why do you think that? Where can we get more information?” They

taught as much about servanthood and critical thinking as the actual classroom

subjects, and those lessons have helped me identify the arrogant “weeds” that

choke out the life of anything good that I’m trying to nurture!

Read the Parable of the mustard seed: Matthew 13:31-35

What are other examples of something tiny growing into something

great? How is this encouraging to you? What is the significance of the

birds coming to nest in its branches? How does this affect my

worldview of people from other nations, and those around me?

Ezekiel 17:22-24 New Living Translation (NLT)

22 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar,

and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain. 23 It will become a majestic cedar,

sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding

shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 And all the trees will know that it is I, the LORD, who

cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree

wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”


• What do you notice about the shoot, the branches, the tree, and what God does with them?

• How have you seen God bring down tall trees in your life?

• Where have you seen him prune and replant and nurture a small plant?

• What makes it majestic? What are its purposes?

• Why does he mention the birds? Who are they in my life?

Eph. 4:26-28 In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you

are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been

stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with

their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

Roots are not the glamourous part of the tree, but they can be powerful, and

even destructive. I have roots growing under my driveway that are going to

cost us thousands of dollars before we can sell our house someday – so annoying! Who’s the genius who

planted these giant trees next to the driveway? Oh wait, those trees weren’t giant when they were planted!

• How are habits like that? Which ones do I need to address, asap?

• How can the ability of a root pushing through concrete be a picture of

something good – like perseverance, supernatural strength, etc?

• What are other examples of negative images that can be turned around

into inspiring or motivating images? How is my perspective affected?

Roots can tear things apart if they are too

confined, but they can’t always be allowed

to go where they want. Some are even

selfish! The roots of the Black Walnut are

poisonous to other trees and plants – don’t

try to grow a silver maple or lilacs or

blueberries nearby. Know any people like that? They’re fine around others who agree with them, but as soon

as they’re challenged, they get aggressive and attack whatever is encroaching on their soil. Sometimes it’s

wise to let them have their own little grove, if they’re still producing walnuts! Their lumber is valuable too, so

God may allow them to be cut down in due time. But if I’m not a walnut, God might be telling me to establish

some boundaries and plant myself at a distance!

Psalm 147:14 He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

Some roots are powerful enough to hold together an entire

hillside from collapsing in a landslide. Maybe it takes several

large trees, or hundreds of smaller plants, working together.

Having God’s Word in our hearts gives us something to hold

onto: the truth. And when circumstances threaten to wipe us

out in a landslide of emotion, our roots, deep in the grace of

God, will hold us together.

Ephesians 3:16-21 is one of my favourite passages. I generally

prefer the NASB version, but compare that to the Message,

NLT, or the more familiar NIV:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you

with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy

people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that

surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is

able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.


• What are we rooted in? Describe it.

• How are we “established”? Who does this? What words are used in other versions?

• Often we like to use the “more than all we ask or imagine” section with our own definition in mind, of

what we think God will, or should, do.

How can this be misinterpreted?

• What other insights do you gain from

these analogies of riches, dwelling,

roots, and the vast measurements of

Christ’s love and power and fullness?

• Use the ACTS prayer model through this

scripture: How can I show my Adoration

for our awesome God? What do I need

to Confess? What am I Thankful for? As

I make my Supplications to God, how

does this passage shape my requests?

• What is one step, one change, that God

has brought to mind during my time

with Him? Write it down or tell

someone, to keep myself accountable.

Weathering the Storms

Is. 25:4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert.

The bible informs us of many forms of storms! Too much of anything in nature is bound to cause

problems: rain, heat, fire, wind, hail, snow, smoke, drought, tremors, tsunamis, volcanos, and atmospheric

pressure. Not to mention viruses and a cytokine storm! Some disasters arrive with brutal suddenness – but

most occur with warning signs, when certain conditions are met. Some hit you directly; others are worse in

their after-effects. In Ontario, I loved a good heart-thumping thunderstorm, or sitting in Jay’s car at the beach

on a summer night, watching the heat lightning or sheet lightning light up the sky across the vast Lake Huron

horizon. But your location in a storm makes a huge difference – safely inside or right in the eye of it.

Circumstances

Loss of loved ones

Financial issues

Stress

Health

Dealing with past sins or hurts

Relational struggles

Bad habits or addictions

Fear

Loss of career or purpose

Empty nest

Satan’s attacks

Here are a few types of storms we experience. What would you add to this list?

Hosea 8

“Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the LORD because the people have broken my

covenant and rebelled against my law.

2 Israel cries out to me, ‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’

3 But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him.

4 They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval.

With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.

5 Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! My anger burns against them.

How long will they be incapable of purity?

6 They are from Israel! This calf—a metalworker has made it;

it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.

7 “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.

The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour.

Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up.

8 Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants.

Thoughts and prompts:

• Contrast Israel’s cries with God’s assessment.

• How did they set up kings “without God’s consent”? What does this tell you about His “allowed” will?

• How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty with His words about the princes He didn’t approve?

• What are their idols? And our culture’s? And mine? What does the “foreigners” line really mean?

• Where is it easier to see the destructive nature of idols – in others or ourselves? How do we become

more self-aware? Do I need help to throw out my idols? Can bible knowledge be an idol?

• God knows we are incapable of purity on our own – why does He sound so frustrated here?

• How have we sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind? How does it relate to the idols?

• How is the Spirit speaking to you in this stormy passage? What will you do about it?

Isaiah 5:5-7

Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed;

I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. 6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and

thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” 7 The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of

Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw

bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Jeremiah 11:15-17 (NLT) 15 “What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have done so many immoral

things? Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction? They actually rejoice in doing evil! 16 I, the LORD, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit.

But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken.

17 “I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of

Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”

both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.


• How comfortable is it to read about God’s wrath at the disobedience of His people? Do I avoid it?

• Do I ever underestimate God’s character traits, or overestimate His patience and mercy?

• Is there always a correlation between plagues or natural disasters and God’s punishment? What roles

do science and the laws of nature in a fallen Creation play? How can we judge? (or should we)?

I’m not much of a gardener, but when we put these boulders around our deck, I really wanted some pretty

vines trailing down between them. The “creeping Jenny” is lovely when it’s going the right direction, but I had

to do some serious pruning & ripping up of those insidious roots to keep it obedient to my will! It might argue,

“I’m doing what God designed me to do!” but I would answer, “yes, but you’re heading the wrong way – so

either put your roots down where I’m training you to go, or you’re going to come to a harsher end!”

• When have I felt sure that I was doing what I was designed to do? Was I right, or wrong, or just

misguided? Did I correct course, or ignore anyone telling me I had misinterpreted God’s direction?

• What examples can I think of in the bible where God used people for His purposes, after pruning them

or correcting their course? Did they stay on the right path? Try Jonah 2, or Nathan in 2 Samuel 7, or the

odd case of Balaam the prophet in Numbers 22, Deut. 23:3-6, 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11 and Rev. 2:14

• What characteristics do they share? What can I learn from them? Humans are not infallible, like God,

and will never hear His words perfectly all the time. Who showed humility? Who found a way to

seduce God’s people into sin and profit from it, even after God “forced” him to speak blessings over

them? If we refuse to submit to God and admit when we’re wrong, is it easier or harder to humble

ourselves the next time? If someone tells me I misinterpreted something, or went about it the wrong

way, do I harden my heart and dig in my heels rather than confessing my error? How can I say I have

humility if I point out specks and ignore my “planks”? See Matt. 7:1-5

Leviticus 25:3-5 (NIV) For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest.

• Dig deeper: study sabbath rest, the jubilee year, fallow fields.

• How do we benefit? How can apply this during this current storm?

Weeds, Pests, and Manure: growing pains and progress in God’s garden

There are millions of plants, bushes, trees, fruit, vegetables and vegetation types! When we think of bible

passages about plants, we may think of olive trees, grapevines, figs, lilies, cedar trees. Some need daily

watering, some need full sun, some are fine in sand, some need richly fertilized soil. They’re almost as diverse

as the people on this planet. What do you require for optimal growth? Some elements will be similar (the

voids only God can fill), and others, totally different than your neighbor. Are you meeting those requirements?

You can have resources and people in your life who nourish you – and some who provide a lot of fertilizer! 😊

Micah 6:3-8 (NIV) “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me.

4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.

5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted, and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.”

6 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.


• What kind of offerings were required in the old

covenant? What made them acceptable or not?

• How is the requirement of blood sacrifice met in the new covenant? What makes me acceptable?

• What does the Lord require of me, a mere mortal? What does that mean?

• If I think that I’m meeting all His requirements, how does humility become the most difficult of all?

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than

you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has

distributed to each of you.

Psalm 1

Blessed is the one who does not walk

in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the

LORD, and who meditates on his law

day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by

streams of water, which yields its fruit in

season and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.


• How are we to interact with the wicked, the sinners, the mockers? Do any of those labels apply to me?

• What happens when I delight in God’s Word?

• How do I explain it when righteous people do not prosper, or when wicked people are not destroyed?

Job 8:11-21 “Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh? Can marsh grass flourish without water? 12 While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut, they begin to wither more quickly than grass. 13 The same happens to all who forget God. The hopes of the godless evaporate. 14 Their confidence hangs by a thread. They are leaning on a spider’s web. 15 They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure. 16 The godless seem like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden. 17 Its roots grow down through a pile of stones;

it takes hold on a bed of rocks. 18 But when it is uprooted, it’s as though it never existed! 19 That’s the end of its life, and others spring up from

the earth to replace it. 20 “But look, God will not reject a person of integrity,

nor will he lend a hand to the wicked. 21 He will once again fill your mouth with laughter

and your lips with shouts of joy.

Sharing the Fruit John 15 (NLT)

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the

gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that

doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches

that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by

the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me,

and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot

produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you

cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those

who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are

gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for

anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This

brings great glory to my Father.

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments,

you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you

these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love

each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s

friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t

confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t

choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you

whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”


• What do you notice when you read and pray through this? What is at the core of Jesus’ desire for us?

• What does it mean when He says the useless branches that are not in Him will be thrown away? Jesus

doesn’t contradict Himself, so how does this line up with His other statements in John 6:47, 10:27-30.

Look at the context – is it positional (salvation) or relational (Christians bearing fruit or not). This could

be an entire study in itself, but just because we have eternal security doesn’t mean we will

automatically produce fruit! How do those who are “in Him” do this?

• What is the fruit for? Who is supposed to be glorified? Have I ever tried to produce fruit to show off my

knowledge, or look more spiritual than others, or receive admiration, or improve others’ perception of

myself, or feel better? Be honest. What kind of fruit is this? What does Jesus want, and deserve?

• How do we demonstrate our love for Jesus? For others? How and what have I sacrificed?

Hosea 14 The LORD says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger

will be gone forever. 5 I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily;

it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. 6 Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees,

as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon. 7 My people will again live under my shade.

They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines.

They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.

8 “O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your

prayers and cares for you.

I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.”

Lilies aren’t my favourite flower (remind me of funerals), and orange isn’t my favourite colour (makes me look

dead if I wear it). But I love the sight of bright orange tiger lilies at the side of a country road. One summer in

high school, Jay worked for the county, collecting water samples. One

day, he brought me a huge bouquet of tiger lilies he’d collected as he

drove around the dusty country roads – a romantic gesture I’ve come

to appreciate even more over the years than I did at the time! 😊

Flowers can be the necessary precursor to a juicy apple or cherry, or

they can be the fruit themselves, a beautiful testimony to their

Creator that brings joy to all who behold it.

The lily is a reminder Jesus uses in Matthew 6:27-29, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or

make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.”


• What connotations do lilies or other plants have for me? What memories have I attached to them?

• What worries tend to sneak back into my heart? What new ones do I need to hand over to Him?

• In the Hosea passage above, what does God heal us of? What does He promise and offer?

• Where will His people flourish? Where does our fruit come from?

• What is the significance of fragrance? What other passages can you find about fragrant offerings? There’s a little romance in the bible too, using some interesting analogies in the Song of Solomon 2:1-3 (NLT) Young Woman: I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain, the lily of the valley. Young Man: Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women.

Young Woman: Like the finest apple tree in the orchard is my lover among other young

men. I sit in his delightful shade and taste his delicious fruit.

And just for fun on this topic, do you know what a caperberry is? Look at Eccl 12 (NLT) “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. 4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. 5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. 6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl

is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then

the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

This is all in the bible! I’m not sure I’ve felt like a dying grasshopper – maybe that’s

because I like capers?! 😊 According to biblestudytools.com, “the caperberry is the

fruit of the thorny caper, Capparis spinosa (Natural Order Capparidaceae), a common

Palestine plant with pretty white flowers and brightly colored stamens. Largely on

account of its habit of growing out of crevasses in old walls it has been identified by

some with the Hyssop. The familiar "capers" of commerce are the young buds, but the berries were the parts

most used in ancient times; their repute as excitants of sexual desire is ancient and widespread. Various parts

of this plant are still used for medical purposes by the modern peasants of Palestine.”

And speaking of hyssop, it is one of the plants that grows on the

Western wall in Jerusalem, as king Solomon described in 1 Kings 4:33.

Hyssop was used in ceremonial cleansing, prominent in the Passover

(Ex. 12:22) and red heifer sacrifice (Numbers 19) and Psalm 51:7 as

David confesses his sin and asks God for mercy: “Cleanse me with

hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”


• There are entire books written about the biblical passages focused on God’s gift of sexual pleasure –

what’s my reaction when I read these verses? Do I know more of the “do’s” or “don’ts” in the bible?

• What kind of relationship is described in the Song of Solomon passage? How is this intimacy a picture

of the depth of love Christ has for His bride, the church?

• How do the “remember” commands affect you? Can you think of a nicer way to write them?

• Whether we’re married, single, or widowed, how can we mentor, encourage, or strengthen the

relationships in our spheres of influence? Is it something you avoid discussing? What do you wish

others had told or taught you? How can you get past your discomfort/ insecurity/ jealousy/ other

hindrances to help your sisters on these types of topics?

• How have I needed to ask for cleansing – maybe not with hyssop, but from sin and other “dirt”?

• I’m pretty sure my water jar isn’t smashed, and my pulley isn’t broken at the well – how do I remember

my Creator before these things happen? What if my hair is already like an almond tree in bloom?

Almonds are among the best gifts that Jacob sent to Joseph (before he

knew it was his son in charge of Egypt). In Numbers 17, Aaron’s staff

grows leaves & almonds overnight – a miraculous sign that the Levites

would be the tribe of priests. It was a great honour, but a huge

responsibility to keep people from offending God, from being unclean,

and to speak the Lord’s words and not their own. They didn’t get land

like the other tribes, but would receive tithes from the others. God says,

“I am your share and allotment” (Num. 18:20). And they were to tithe on the tithe – giving the best to the

Lord. And not to treat the gifts from the tribes as common, or else they would die. The offering to the Lord

included the best olive oil, grain, wine, and any other harvest that the Lord had blessed them with. He blessed

the land so it would bless their families and communities, and so they could bless Him with the first and best.


• Have I experienced “signs” of God’s favour or direction? Are we to seek them, or test God? Why?

• What responsibilities have I been given? Do I see them as privileges or chores?

• What consequences are there if I mislead someone, or fail to confess my mistakes?

• How do I give God my first and best? Is this a formula for all believers? Where is the balance between

applying a principle, sharing what I’ve learned, and still acknowledging that our offerings are different?

• Ask the Spirit to show you where you can learn from old covenant practices, and where the new

covenant gives grace to cover these requirements. Dig deeper into these topics – they are rich!

There are so many types of fruit referenced in the bible, and so many more that

God created all over our beautiful earth. Some flourish in tropical climates (like

mangoes), some do surprisingly well during drought (like watermelons!), and

thankfully some are hardy enough to endure the frost and cold of northern

lattitudes (like Washington apples). Each has a purpose, and some have multiples

uses and applications. The flax plant, for example, is not just a beautiful blue flower,

but its fruit is used to make linen, sailcloths, wicks, shrouds, and measuring lines (the word line & linear come

from Linum usitatissimum – meaning “most useful”) – and on top of that, linen is symbolic of personal

holiness. The priest wearing a linen ephod was considered righteous enough to approach God. (Ex. 28:6-8)

The fruit of the Spirit might be a familiar passage to you (are you already

reciting, “love, joy, peace, patience…”?) As we discussed in our bible study

group, these qualities build on each other, work in progression with each

other, and are all, together, the beautiful evidence of Christ within us. Read

all of Galatians 5 – here in The Message, or in your own translation. It

begins with a stirring statement about the freedom that Jesus’ sacrifice has

purchased for us, in the face of those who wanted to cling to the traditions of circumcision and Jewish

requirements. Paul’s passion against legalism is one I’ve adopted in my adult life, after experiencing its

hazards in my formative years. Others may benefit from stricter versions of Christian disciplines, especially if

you didn’t experience this special kind of “Christian-ish” bondage - but it’s dangerous to try to speak for the

Holy Spirit. Every once in a while, Satan tries to “trigger” me if I hear someone with a false piety insinuating

that their practice (or abstinence) is more spiritual or superior to others! It’s so tempting to think there’s a

formula. I’m sure a few of you can relate, so I won’t list all the shallow ways that humans attempt to make

themselves feel better by putting others down. If God has truly given you instructions or restrictions, then you

follow them diligently. That’s a protective fence He is helping you build

around the garden of your life. Show, don’t just talk about, the fruit of the

Spirit that has resulted from your boundaries. But check that your own

ideas or need for significance aren’t putting words in His mouth for others.

He isn’t giving you fence materials for you to go and build exactly the same

thing around your neighbour’s garden! 😊 Let’s look at what should be

growing in our garden as we take in Galatians 5:

“Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery

on you. 2-3 I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-

keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning:

The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the

obligations of the slave life of the law.

4-6 I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When

you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are

cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly

wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither

our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to

anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed

in love.

7-10 You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This

detour doesn’t come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don’t toss this off

as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. Deep

down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you,

whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment.

11-12 As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of

circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is

absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching

that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the

Cross now and then—it would be so watered-down it wouldn’t

matter one way or the other. Why don’t these agitators, obsessive

as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate

themselves!

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom

as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one

another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a

single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each

other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious

freedom be then?

16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the

compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just

as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot

live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you

choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless,

cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for

happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-

yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided

lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;

uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit

God’s kingdom.

22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He

brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that

fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection

for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We

develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense

of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a

basic holiness permeates things and people. We

find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not

needing to force our way in life, able to marshal

and direct our energies wisely.

23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among

those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way

and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off

for good—crucified.

25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us

make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment

in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare

ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things

to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.”


• What strikes you about this version? What do you like/dislike about the wording?

• What has been your experience with legalism? Grace? Freedom? Conviction on “minor” issues?

• Why is Paul so harsh when talking about those teaching legalistic practices (saying they should castrate

themselves – figuratively, so they can’t reproduce the false teaching?)

• What are the different definitions of grace – related to salvation, and the power that enables believers

to deal with life’s circumstances. If Christians start relying on ourselves, how do we fall out of grace?

Look at the context, and other passages – God doesn’t contradict Himself, only our interpretations can.

• Which of the qualities of the “fruit” listed are most challenging for me? Why?

• Can I think of examples, or mentors, who embody each fruit? (or each aspect of the single fruit)?

• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the places where I need to weed out sin so His fruit can grow. Help me not

to compare gardens or find ways to make myself feel better. Thank you for being the Master gardener.

• How have I presumed to put words in His mouth? Have I repented and made it

right? If I’m sure I haven’t done this, where should my pride be placed?

Take time to dig into one or more of the passages that particularly spoke to you. There

are so many cross-studies and tangents from any one of them that can be so productive.

We are all in different stages of growth, and we experience storms very differently. Some

plants have very showy fruit, while some are developing underground. Maybe I want to

be a spectacular cherry tree – but someone makes me feel more like a potato. God might

gently say I shouldn’t knock potatoes – they’re one of His most versatile foods, that He’s

used to feed...a few people! He has a purpose for us, and He offers His grace and the

power of Living Water to all who abide in His Son. I need this every day, all day. This plant

to the right is my first amaryllis. It got knocked off the windowsill, and the stalk broke

almost in half – I thought that was the end of it. Miraculously, it drew strength from its

roots, from the water I gave it, and the sun. You can still see the scar halfway up its stalk.

Slowly, God did His work. It’s not perfect - the healing made it a little crooked, and the

scar remains – but once it opened up, what a lovely tribute to its Creator’s grace!

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