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I am so glad you have decided to do this Bible study. I began writing this study after an intense season of walking through the Refiner’s fire. I, like Peter, had something that needed sifting. Praise God for His refining fire! Even though I’ve survived with several scars, I’ve asked that He will never allow me to forget the fire I went through to get where He’s brought me. I celebrate with Paul! “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (2 Corinthians 2:14). I am going to be corresponding with you under the name of Sarah Laney. This provides safe boundaries for my marriage and family. I invite you to do the same.
As God began bringing women into my life who freely shared very intimate issues, I noticed a pattern. Most of them struggled with issues pertaining to their sexuality. Whether they were compromising their God given sexuality emotionally or physically, they all felt confused and enslaved at various levels. I began to wonder what was going on with my generation! What influenced us to compromise our sexuality? Why did so many Christian women consider making wrong choices outside of marriage? Why were so many of them finding themselves enslaved to thinking patterns or actions outside of God’s will for marriage? God began bringing women across my path who had already found themselves stuck in a web of sin and wanted to know how to get out of it. I wanted to understand why we struggled with remaining faithful to God and to our commitments. As I searched His word and began to ask Him to show me the answers to these questions, I was astonished by what I learned. I was also astonished by how God began working in me as I organized these truths into a study to share with you. After two years of diligently seeking God’s direction and message for this study, it became very obvious; the women in the body of Christ are being seduced at one level or another. They are being caught in a “snare of seduction” and are desperate to be set free. A roadmap of my life would show you that many roads I have taken ended in one place: God’s mercy and grace. As God continues to bring new levels of freedom to my life, I stand amazed at how much He loves me. He has pulled me out of every pit of sin I have ever wallowed in. I am overwhelmed that He loves me enough to not only forgive me, but to restore me as well. I will be honest with you and tell you that even though I've had some restoration, I am still vulnerable to the same challenges you may face when it comes to being "seduced." The enemy wants nothing more than to stop me from sharing this message. He continues to try to seduce me away from my devotion to the Lord. I would never want to portray the image than I'm incapable of falling back into a pit of sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we navigate the road ahead, my prayer is that you will be encouraged in your own journey to sexual purity and faithfulness. I also pray our awareness is heightened when we step outside of God’s boundaries for our sexuality, how we can safeguard ourselves from sexual seduction, and how we can live faithful lives to God and our spouses. I also want to expose Satan’s schemes of sexual temptations so we will no longer fall captive to him. My prayer for you is that by combining the truths and promises of God’s Word with insight into our own human vulnerabilities, we will experience victory. We can begin to see how every thought we entertain can have the power of life or death. We will see how the enemy is doing everything he can to break up Christian marriages by attempting to lure women (and men) into sexual sin outside of their marriages.
If you have ever battled thoughts about other men in your life (famous or not), this study is for you. If you have found yourself comparing your man to another, this study is for you. If you have ever thought about having a relationship outside of marriage, or have had one, this study is for you. If you find yourself constantly being “seduced” into relationships at any level, this study is for you. Join me as we travel along the path to freedom and purity together. As you respond to the daily questions, I encourage you to take time to write your answers and thoughts. You will have the option to print the pages out to respond on. The act of writing slows down our thought processes from warp speed to a pace where we can process our emotions and our heart. It is also a healthy way to express ourselves to our God.
I have created a blog that you may visit any time through the study. Feel free to leave comments under an alias name if you desire to do so. A link to the blog is provided at the bottom of each page in the online study. Simply click on "Sarah's Blog" to be immediately redirected. I also have an email address available to you if you have questions or would like prayer. It is sarahlaney1@yahoo.com.
Now, I invite you to grab your bibles and come along side me as we study God’s Word together! |