Week 7
When All We Can Taste Is Bitterness
Bitterness takes root when we harbor unresolved pain. But it doesn’t develop overnight. When a bitter root plants itself in our hearts, it slowly destroys relationships. Unhealed wounds left alone grow bitter fruit. The good news is that God isn’t afraid of our bitterness and doesn’t scold us for it. Instead, God invites us to dig it up, roots and all. This week, we’ll walk with Naomi, whose tragedies lead to so much bitterness that she changes her name to Bitter. While God doesn’t explicitly speak or act in this story, God’s unseen hand shows up at every turn. As we study how God restores Naomi’s ability to taste the sweet in life again, moms will have the chance to:
notice where God is sending friends to be with us in our sorrows and bitterness
tell God how much pain they are in by practicing lament
trust God by embracing the people, plans, and provisions God supplies in every situation
experience the freedom of tasting the sweet even in the midst of bitterness
plant seeds of prayer over their legacy
Prep
Read through the study.
Print Bible passage. (optional)
Cue up the video on whatever screen you will be using. (Scan the QR code in your book on page 150 to access the video.)
Pray for moms who feel bitter, asking God to restore their ability to taste the sweet.
Session
Remind folks of group commitments. (2 minutes)
Allow each participant one to two minutes to answer the Check-In questions on page 33. If your group is large, you may want people to share in groups of 3 or 4. (20 minutes)
Have someone read the introduction on pages 149-150. (3 minutes)
Complete the opening activity on page 150. If your group is large, you may want people to share their sentence in groups of 2 or 3. (15 minutes)
Watch this week’s video. (10 minutes)
Have someone read Ruth 1 aloud. (4 minutes)
Answer the study questions on pages 151-153. (30 minutes)
Complete this week’s Holy Spirit Check-In on page 154 (5 minutes)
Practice the Breath Prayer on page 154. (4 minutes)
Pray the Leader’s Benediction on page 154over your group. (1 minute)
