Lessons from Women of the Bible

Devotional

Day 1: Salt-Stiffened Shoulders

Lot’s wife stood on the edge of rescue, sulfur burning her nostrils. Angels had warned, “Don’t look back.” Yet her neck twisted toward the smoldering ruins of Sodom—a city that once felt like home. Her body hardened into salt, a monument to divided loyalty. God’s mercy had offered escape, but her heart clung to ashes. [53:20]

Jesus calls us to fix our eyes forward, not romanticize toxic pasts. Every glance backward steals strength from today’s obedience. God clothes us for new journeys, not old graves.

Where does your heart linger in places God told you to leave? Write one sentence naming that backward gaze.

“But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”
(Genesis 19:26, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to sever nostalgic ties to harmful seasons.
Challenge: Write the name of a past situation you idealize on a scrap paper. Tear it up during morning prayer.

Day 2: Breath Cut Short

Sapphira stood before Peter, rehearsing the lie. Three hours earlier, her husband’s body had been carried out. Now she claimed the partial offering was full. Her final breath escaped mid-deception—a stark warning that greed strangles truth. [56:09]

God values integrity over impressive sacrifices. Every word we speak either nourishes or poisons—ourselves and others. Jesus hears our whispers before they leave our tongues.

What half-truth have you polished to make it shine? Confess it plainly, without garnish.

“After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.’ And she said, ‘Yes, for so much.’”
(Acts 5:7-8, ESV)

Prayer: Confess any hidden deceit in your finances or relationships.
Challenge: Text one person today to correct a misleading statement you made.

Day 3: Basket-Watcher’s Courage

Miriam crouched in Nile reeds, eyes fixed on her baby brother’s floating basket. When Pharaoh’s daughter discovered Moses, Miriam stepped from hiding—a Hebrew slave girl addressing royalty. Her bold offer saved Israel’s deliverer. [01:02:28]

God uses strategic courage in ordinary moments. Miriam didn’t preach a sermon; she seized an opening. Your small act of advocacy today might nurture someone’s destiny.

Who needs you to step out of comfort to protect their future?

“Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’”
(Exodus 2:7, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for people who advocated for you. Name them aloud.
Challenge: Call someone under 18 today to affirm their God-given purpose.

Day 4: “Let It Be”

Mary of Nazareth stared at the angel, her betrothal at risk. “How can this be?” she asked—not doubting, but seeking clarity. When Gabriel explained the Spirit’s role, she surrendered: “Let it be to me as you’ve said.” Her womb carried the impossible. [01:04:05]

Obedience often requires embracing mystery. Mary’s “yes” didn’t erase fear but anchored it in trust. God still births miracles through yielded hearts.

What divine assignment have you resisted because it disrupts your plans?

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’”
(Luke 1:38, ESV)

Prayer: Pray “Let it be” three times about a situation you’re controlling.
Challenge: Write “LET IT BE” on your wrist. Photograph it when tempted to manipulate outcomes.

Day 5: Clinging to Empty Tombs

Mary Magdalene wept at the empty tomb, begging a “gardener” for Jesus’ body. One word shattered her grief: “Mary.” Recognition flooded her—the crucified Rabbi stood resurrected. He warned, “Don’t cling to me,” sending her to announce His victory. [01:07:39]

We can’t memorialize a living Christ. Jesus sends us from empty graves to crowded streets. Your testimony isn’t for private keeping but public declaring.

Whose despair needs your “I have seen the Lord” today?

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me…but go to my brothers.’”
(John 20:16-17, ESV)

Prayer: Ask for boldness to share your resurrection story this week.
Challenge: Invite one person to coffee or church before sunset. Name Jesus explicitly.

Sermon Summary

We gather to celebrate mothers and to learn from women in Scripture, both for their failures and their faith. We remember Lot's wife who looked back and became a pillar of salt, a warning against longing for a past God has already moved us beyond. We confess the danger of hypocrisy in the church when Ananias and Sapphira lied, and we hold fast to truth because words carry life or death. We examine the dancer who asked for John the Baptist's head and see how anger and hidden motives produce destructive outcomes. We name Eve as the starting point of our need for grace and rejoice that God clothed and did not destroy, showing divine mercy even after failure.

We celebrate women who followed courageously. Miriam placed Moses where God could use him, an act of humble protection that changed a nation. Mary, the mother of Jesus, yielded to a hard and holy calling with the words, Let it be to me according to your word, and we consider obedience as a posture that opens the impossible. Mary Magdalene met the risen Christ, learned not to cling to the empty tomb, and raced to tell others, illustrating that encounter must lead to witness. We recognize that God uses ordinary acts of faith for extraordinary outcomes.

We call for practical repentance and renewed obedience. When we confess falsehoods, greed, or misplaced longing, God covers and restores as he did for Adam and Eve. We take the Lord's Supper as a tangible reminder of Jesus body and blood, a summons to holiness and to proclaim his death until he returns. We commit our homes and our hands to serve the Lord despite fatigue and failure, trusting that God flexes his strength where we feel weak. We will leave with a renewed aim to speak truth, guard our hearts, and go tell the good news with lives clothed in grace.

Key Takeaways

1. Do not long for the past Clinging to a past season lets fear and regret dictate our present obedience. God often calls us forward so his power can work in new ways. We must choose to follow where God leads instead of trying to re-enter comfort zones that hinder growth. [52:56]
2. Words bear eternal and communal weight Every sentence can bless or wound the body of Christ and the world around us. Truth preserves community and invites God's presence, while deceit corrodes trust and invites judgment. We must commit to honesty and repentance so grace can heal what lies have broken. [55:43]
3. Guard the motives in our hearts The request of the dancer shows how hidden anger and bitterness produce ruinous acts. God inspects motives before he answers petitions, and our inward life determines outward fruit. We should cultivate sorrow for sin, not justify it, so God reshapes our desires. [58:17]
4. Obedience births witness and redemption Obedience like Miriam and Mary releases God to work beyond human expectation. Yielding our plans opens doors for deliverance, miracles, and gospel proclamation. We will respond with humble Yes so our lives become instruments of redemption and testimony. [67:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:13] - Children and flowers
[41:20] - Prayer for mothers
[48:30] - Opening and personal struggle
[52:31] - Lot's wife and looking back
[54:25] - Ananias and Sapphira exposed
[57:29] - The dancer and motives revealed
[60:14] - Eve, sin, and God's mercy
[61:09] - Miriam rescues Moses
[63:18] - Mary accepts God's plan
[65:09] - Mary Magdalene meets the risen Christ
[69:11] - Lord's Supper and call to repent
[75:33] - Institution of the bread and cup
[77:57] - Closing blessing and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Genesis 19:26 (ESV): “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”
- Acts 5:1-11 (ESV): [Summary: Ananias and Sapphira lie about their offering and face judgment.]
- John 20:11-18 (ESV): [Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus and is sent to proclaim His resurrection.]

Observation Questions

What immediate consequence did Lot’s wife face for looking back at Sodom, and what does this reveal about God’s view of clinging to the past?
In Acts 5, how did Ananias and Sapphira’s lie impact the early church community? [55:43]
What specific instruction did Jesus give Mary Magdalene after revealing Himself to her, and how did she respond?

Interpretation Questions

Why might longing for the past (like Lot’s wife) hinder our ability to trust God’s plans for the present or future? [53:20]
How does dishonesty, as seen in Acts 5, damage both individual relationships and the broader church community?
Jesus told Mary Magdalene, “Do not cling to me” (John 20:17). What does this teach about balancing personal encounters with Christ and the call to share Him with others?

Application Questions

What “comfort zone” from your past are you tempted to return to, and how might that hold you back from trusting God’s new work in your life? [53:56]
Reflect on a recent conversation: Were your words life-giving or self-serving? How could honesty repair any broken trust in your relationships? [56:29]
Anger or bitterness often hides beneath surface actions. What unresolved hurt might be influencing your decisions, and how can you surrender it to God? [58:42]
Mary Magdalene’s first act after meeting Jesus was to tell others. What simple, ordinary step could you take this week to share Christ’s love with someone? [01:07:39]
The Lord’s Supper reminds us to “proclaim His death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). How can your daily choices—at work, home, or in public—become a proclamation of His grace? [01:17:27]

Sermon Clips

``Our words matter. Every breath, every sentence, every word you speak has the power to bring life into someone's heart or to annihilate them forever. And so Sapphira showed us what not to do, but to be truthful. If it had been rewritten and the story ended in a different way, Sapphira, convicted in her heart that she had done wrong, said, I we lied. I'm so sorry. [00:56:09] (37 seconds) #SpeakLifeAlways

I think sometimes we get into a spot where we think, I wish it could go back to this season of life. I wish I could go back to the old days where this happened and this happened and this happened. And there's nothing wrong with thinking and being reminded of the good things that God has done. But if you're saying that thing because you're in a hard season of life right now, you're saying, God, you're not good enough, strong enough, or all knowing enough to carry me in this season. [00:53:13] (28 seconds) #EmbraceYourSeason

Jesus was telling her, look, don't cling to this body of mine. My flesh will not be here for very long. So don't cling to this this vessel. Go and tell people that I'm alive. Go and tell people that I've risen. That's the same call for us today. Don't just cling to the thought of Jesus. Surrender to his heart. Surrender to his spirit, and then go and tell people. [01:07:27] (31 seconds) #SurrenderAndShare

We need to have this heart of, I don't care, Lord, what it is. Sure. I have my wants. Sure. I have my desires. I I do want these things. She could have been shamed. All the negative things could have happened in her life, but she said, behold, whatever you say, Lord, I will do it. Is that your heart this morning truthfully? [01:04:17] (28 seconds) #LeadWithYes

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