Welcome to Friday Reads!
#Giveaway for a print copy of Sweeter Than Honey by Maggie Combs & Gretchen Saffles, courtesy of the publisher. (US ONLY!) Enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the bottom of the post. (Contest ends January 24, 2025) Share on X If you’re the chosen winner, I’ll contact you for your information to pass along to the publisher.
About the book…
Our lives feel stuffed to the brink, overrun by work and home responsibilities, overwhelmed by jam-packed schedules, and overly distracted by the siren call of our smartphones. It’s no wonder that we struggle to spend time in God’s Word, or that when we do, we don’t know where to start. Instead of a momentary delight, we need soul-satisfying sustenance from our Bible reading that fuels our deep longing to grow in godliness.
In Sweeter than Honey, Gretchen Saffles and Maggie Combs of Well-Watered Women teach us the value of studying God’s Word while providing the tools to apply it to your life. Discover three principles that can be applied every time you open God’s Word: gather knowledge, digest the big ideas, and grow in godliness. As you develop these principles, you’ll experience the challenging but transformative work of building a deeper relationship with God through the pages of his Word.
In this Bible study, designed for both individuals and groups, readers will:
- Learn how to study Scripture to build trust and intimacy with God
- Find different study methods for the various seasons of life
- Understand the importance of context, genre, and Biblical theology
- Grow in their love for God’s life-changing Word
Sweeter than Honey will encourage you to cultivate both discipline and delight in God’s Word, growing your confidence to engage with Scripture in a refreshed and transformative way.
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps. 119:103)
Sample…
Study the Word
WEEK ONE
The advances of technology have built a nearly instantaneous life for many people in the world. From two-hour delivery of toilet paper to the dopamine hit of likes on a social media post, our desires are being trained to expect immediate attention. Yet these quick fixes leave an underlying hunger—while our material desires are momentarily satiated, our souls remain spiritually malnourished.
All over nature, we see that fruitfulness requires time, careful cultivation, and the work of a sovereign God. On the pages of Scripture, it’s evident that God is not quick to alleviate people’s painful circumstances. Instead, God uses suffering to transform us, cultivating holiness through his careful and kind tending. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, God could have immediately sent Jesus Christ, but he didn’t. God took his time, drawing a people near to him, teaching them his faithfulness through suffering and rescuing and redeeming them over and over until, at the exact right time, Jesus came into the world. He lived, suffered, died, and rose again to defeat sin and death for all who would call upon his name and follow him.
So when we open our Bibles, we shouldn’t expect the instant encouragement of an Instagram post or the quick fix of googled answers for all our problems. The Bible isn’t an instruction manual or a self-help encyclopedia. It’s the very Word of God written to his people that they may know him intimately, trust in his faithfulness, and experience his redemption. So come to your Bible not to check reading it off your list, to achieve good Christian status, or even to fix your problems with a scan of the page and a quickly chosen verse. Come to your Bible to know your God deeply and experience the slow process of becoming more like your Savior. May the Holy Spirit use Scripture to grow your love for him.
About Maggie…
MAGGIE COMBS is the author of several Bible studies, Motherhood Without All the Rules, and Unsupermommy. Maggie is passionate about
encouraging women to grow in holiness as they grow in relationship with God. She loves playing games with her husband and three boys, herding
fainting goats on their family farm, and reading cozy mysteries. It is her joy to serve in her local church through teaching women and children about the Bible and discipling young women.
About Gretchen…
GRETCHEN SAFFLES is the founder of Well-Watered Women and the author of Word before World: 100 Devotions to Put Jesus First, The WellWatered Woman, and several Bible studies. She is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to drink deeply from the well of God’s Word and longs to see women grasp the fullness of the gospel in everyday life. Gretchen loves going on adventures with her husband and three kids, traveling to new places, baking chocolate chip cookies, reading good books, and teaching women to know and love Jesus.
Rules for giveaway can be found here.Â
I’ve always read devotionals to help me learn more about God in my life, but I’ve never had an excellent resource like this that will help me understand scripture and how I can both apply it to my life and learn more about God’s Word.
I’ve always loved devotionals, too.
Good luck, Danielle. This sounds like it’d be a good resource for you.