Knowing God by Name Leaders Forum
Every year, LifeWay Church Resources sponsors a Leader’s Forum for Women’s Ministry Leaders. Hundreds of leaders from all across the continent attend. I’ve attended these forums several times, and am always amazed at how much I learn in the “peer learning” sessions.
In a Peer Learning session, each participant is both a teacher and a learner. Although there are facilitators to guide discussions, most of each peer session is dedicated to comments, questions and answers from participants, who share information “fresh from the fieldâ€. So instead of being taught by a single “expert,” Peer Learning creates an environment in which participants can all learn from one another.
This on-line Knowing God by Name Leader’s Forum is a place where you can interact with other leaders about the Knowing God by Name Bible Study. I’ll be posting links with leader resources, and I encourage you to post your comments, questions, answers and suggestions, so that we can all learn from each other.
Leader Resources:
- Visit the Knowing God by Name Website
- View a Knowing God by Name Sample
- Download a Knowing God by Name Poster
- See the Knowing God by Name Chapter Outlines
- Refer to the Knowing God by Name Leader’s Guide
Do you have a question, comment, suggestion, or idea about the Knowing God by Name Resource? I’d love to hear from you. Post a response in the box below. Do you have a question or are you looking for an idea? Scroll through the comments to find the information you are looking for.
Hi Mary
What a wonderful Bible Study! We love it, but would like to know how to pronounce all those Hebrew names. Are there some audio files to help us out?
There are Hebrew audio recordings of the names of God on the Hebrew for Christians website.
The Hebrew names in the study are “transliterated,” which means if you sound them out phonically, you should be fairly close to the right pronunciation.
There’s a chart on Hebrew letters and transliteration on the Knowing God by Name Website.
Awesome study!!! So rich and full of Scripture! I brought my ipod to the Bible studies and plugged in to play worship music with themes that corresponded to the names of God being studied that week. Also, I copied the names of God onto flash cards and had the women focus their prayers on those names. So good to have a study that just focuses on the Lord!
Great ideas! I’d love for someone to compile an itunes list with worship songs for each week.
Is there a video with this study? I love hearing you teach on video.
Sorry, no video with this study. Many churches are requesting studies without videos to allow for more study time, group interaction, and leader development. I’d love feedback on the question of what you think about video versus non-video studies. Pros? Cons?
As per your request for feedback–
I have done 2 of your studies, one with a video series (Conversation Peace) and one without (Knowing God by Name) in a one-on-one discipleship setting.
We enjoyed the work that you put into the videos, but the real “meat” of the work has been done face-to-face when we could flesh out the most personal issues. Watching a video sometimes took up more time than we could afford and we often fast forwarded through your professional British reader.
I loved hearing your illustrations, and they are truly better than mine, but I would develop my leadership skills much more quickly by using study helps instead of a video.
In addition, my church does your studies but never uses videos because of time constraints.
Blessings to you.
I’m so excited about this study! Okay, you asked about the non-video Bible study… yes, it’s a huge need! We have groups that only want to meet for an hour and they can’t do a video and have time for interaction. We have other times for the video driven studies. When I went out looking I specifically looked for a non-video study — and when I saw yours I was thrilled. I’ve your other studies and am excited to lead this one. Thanks!
Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Mary,
Is there a significance to the dot matrix in the GOD logo ?
I think it’s supposed to symbolize the speaker part of a call box – to further the “call box” theme on the cover.
I am really excited about this Bible study and look forward to our ladies beginning it. I am a bit intimidated by the Hebrew names/pronunciations. I visited the Hebrew for Christians website. I can’t find the flashcards on the Lifeway website. Can you guide me? Thanks for the study, prayer, and preparation for this study. We’ve been blest by all your other studies and am VERY excited about this one.
I’m not sure that LifeWay has flashcards up. There are some cards in the back of the Bible Study that you can fill in yourself. I’m also hoping to get around to designing and posting some down-loadable cards to go along with the study.
Nothing seems to be easier than seeing someone whom you can help but not helping.
I suggest we start giving it a try. Give love to the ones that need it.
God will appreciate it.
I am currently leading this study and find that I have a problem similar to that of one of the ladies who has posted already–pronunciations are simply not clear. I have used the Hebrew for Christians website, which is wonderful, but it only has a fraction of the names presented in our text. Additionally, I do see your comment that the words are transliterated and that they should be sounded out as represented, but this does not seem to bring me much clarity. In the English language an “a”, as a simple example, can be pronounced many different ways. I have looked everywhere I can to find an adequate reference tool to no avail, and I really do not feel comfortable presenting improper pronunciations to my ladies. Is there any source that you are aware of that provides a pronunciation of all of these words using the phonetic alphabet? If not, could you please provide this? I can assure you I am not alone in this desire and that such a provision will be greatly pleasing to your readership.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Please check the chart on the website: http://www.girlsgonewise.com/knowing-god-by-name-hebrew.html
This seems to be a common request, so I will see if it’s possible to get audio files.
Blessings!
I meet with a group of 6 women ages 25-32. We have 2 moms, 1 mom to be, 1 newlywed and 2 singles. We all work with the Jr and Sr High students at our church. This study is great for a group of women in all different stages of life. We love that the study focuses on God, another thing we all have in common. We only meet once a month and just finished week 5. It has been good to be able to reflect on just one aspect of God each month. We all enjoy the length and content of each day and week. The one section that doesn’t seem to strike the girls is the Know Him by name. Thanks for putting together this study. It is making an impact in each of our lives!
I am leading this study to a group of 20 women. Ages and backgrounds vary greatly. The questions suggested are not provoking conversation among the group. I have had many comments about the pronunciation issue as well. It never bothered me and I often laugh as I try and pronounce the Hebrew words. In the end, I talk to God in English and that is all that really matters at this point. Are there any additional questions available or topics of discussion I can refer to? The other studies of yours I have done have been great and I am enjoying this one as well. Just need help getting the ladies to open up. People are not sharing any responses from the Know Him section at all.
Thanks so much for the help,
Tracey
Thank you for this feedback. I’ll pass your comments on to LifeWay as they are the ones who compile the questions for the leaders. I’m exploring the possibility of getting some audio files of pronunciation posted. The Know Him by Name is the section where women really personalize the lesson and get intimate with the Lord. It may be that your group is hesitant to share things on a personal heart level. In some groups, the leadership challenge is getting them to talk. In others, its getting them to stop talking. I pray that the Lord will give you wisdom and will continue to reveal Himself to those dear women in your group- and I pray that they will begin to open up.
Dear Mary:
We are enjoying our Names of God Study, but also have trouble pronouncing the names. A LONG time ago, my husband grew up learning Hebrew in the synagogue and remembers how to pronounce (though not necessarily translate!). I volunteered him to come to the start of our ladies bible study to pronounce the various names for the group. However starting Week 4 Day 3 he noticed that the English transliteration and Hebrew script below were different. Marey Malek (English) is in Hebrew script Marey Malkin (found in Dan 2:47). Is this a typo or did we miss something?
Then in Week 5, Day 3 Naddir Kavod (English script) is in Hebrew script Addir Ha-Kavod. My husband is not sure, but thinks it might then be translated “Majestic is the Glory”. Is this a typo or ? Also, we can’t find this particular Hebrew combination in our version of the Hebrew Bible. Can you tell us where this would be found in the Hebrew Bible?
thanks In Christ,
Marla and Peter
Thanks Marla, for your note. It was a Hebrew Professor that helped me with the transliteration of the Hebrew. The verse listed under the name at the top of each lesson doesn’t always contain the exact Hebrew name. Sometimes I chose the verse because it was so good for illustrating the concept behind the name. For example, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty” doesn’t contain the name “Holy Lord”, but the verse speaks of the Lord’s holiness, which was the point of the lesson.
I’m glad to see that you’re so interested in Hebrew. I would suggest you pursue it further, and perhaps find someone adept in Hebrew who can help. The Knowing God by Name study isn’t really meant to be a study in Hebrew. The point of the study is getting to know the attributes of God.
Hope this helps!
Blessings to you!
Hi we just finished your Knowing God By Name study in our church. On the video/no video question, I like the option. I know the video doesn’t always work because of time constraints and such. It would be nice to have it available, because when your church is short on women leaders the video can be a BIG help.
Would this be suitable for a 45 minute small group Womens Sunday School class? Or would we run into time constraint issues?
Thanks,
Mary – Sharpsburg, Georgia
Yes. It could easily be done in a 45 minute time frame.
We are beginning your study next week. I am looking forward to what God has in store for us. The comments on this blog have helped prepare us for the “situations” that may come up. Thank you for sharing.
As for the video/non video question. I specifically went searching for a non video study because of the emphasis on study and discussion. Thank you for a “fresh” approach!
In Him,
JJ-South Carolina
I have the privilege of leading approximately 20 ladies in the Bible study “Knowing God By Name” at Bethel Baptist Church in Bradenton, FL. It is a study the Lord laid on my heart and when I questioned was He sure this was the one He wanted me to lead, He used Beth Moore’s “Daniel” (which I was leading right before this one) to reinforce it. In Daniel 11;32, it states, “. . . but the people who know their God will firmly resist.” Beth (in the video) then repeats “we have to know our God, know our God, know our God.” It was such a reinforcing of God’s leading, I stopped the video, shared my doubts with the ladies and was overwhelmed by how He reinforced this was the study He wanted me to lead over the summer.
We are in the third week this week and have found a few things about the book (NOT the study) that we would change if the book is ever revised:
- Put the Hebrew pronounciations in – we LOVE having the Hebrew names but are unsure how to pronuounce them (I see where this is a common issue)
- The ladies do not like having the scriptures in the margins – they would rather have the reference given and then look it up themselves
- With the scriptures in the margins on each page, there is no room to write personal thoughts or reflections as you’re studying. Other studies we have done have wide margins to allow for thoughts and reflections.
Thank you so much for this study. It is phenomenal and we are LOVING doing it.
I have so much in common with Maryiln J. Johnson! We too just finished Daniel by Beth Moore, and God led us right into “Knowing God by Name”! My mother and I serve as co-facilitators and God has been so great to lead us to each study He wants us to use. This study is wonderful! I have the same issues as most of the other women haved voiced as far as pronounciation is concerned. I did look up some of the words on the website you suggested “Hebrew for Christians, before even looking here! I was glad to hear it confirmed as a good website to visit. I almost got to meet with our local Jewish Rabbi, however, he is retiring and moving to Jerusalem, so he was too busy, then the other one I was told about in our town had died! So, I finally go in touch with someone who had taken the language in school, but we only got to week 4. So, I downloaded a talking dictionary with Strong’s and the like,which has been helpful, but I have found that I am having difficulty finding the words you used just like one of your other “bloggers” did. But, I appreciated your explanation of the Scriptures that you used and that the most important part of the study is knowing His character and who He is rather than focusing on the pronounciations. So, having said ALL that, I am glad to know that I have not been alone in my enthusiasm for pronouncing correctly, that there may be an audio on its way (hopefully), and finally that I don’t have to make myself crazy about it in the mean time!
Thank you Mary for your insight on this topic of God’s character. I hope this will not be the last study of yours we do. God will lead. I am excited to know that I will actually be able to see you in November, as my Mom and I are going to the Lifeway’s Women’s Leadership Forum in Nashville in November. We are so excited about it!
Mary, this is the best Bible Study I have ever done. EVER! Thank you so much for mining the gold and laying it out on the table for us to examine! God is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
Mary,
I too am leading a group at our church and we are very excited for this study. I was able to scrounge around the web and get pronunciations for Weeks 1 and 2. The women in the study REALLY appreciated this.
But now I’m stumped. I have visited Hebrews4Christians and looked at the chart you provide. Sound files would be really great.
Thanks for this study. It is a blessing!
Hi Looking forward to your posts as our study will begin Knowing God by Name next Tuesday evening. We have been leading up to it using video messages found online by Nancy Leigh DeMoss on Knowing the Shepherd.
I love the names of God.I have a names of God poster in my living room were we study. There are also many songs on youtube that you can use in your worship time. One in particular I like is entitled Names of God.Another is Your Name by Paul Baloche. I use my laptop for this presentation.
You can get the Hebrew pronunciations on a website called http://www.Heartlight.org . Click on Bible Study.You can put the scripture where the name is found into the search box. When it comes to that page click on original Hebrew. Then click on the name that will be underlined. A box will pop up with an audio of the pronunciation. I hope this works for those that are having trouble finding the pronunciations.
oops! It is not hear light. the web site http://www.heartlight.org What a difference one letter makes
Mary: We are completing week three of your study and are loving it. The ladies are requesting the audio and pronounciation of the words just like the other requests I see on your website. It’s good that everyone is so eager to learn more and also want to learn correctly. It would also be helpful in memorizing the cards and the names of God if we could know which word(s) represented each part of the phrase. Is there a resource for that as well?
A suggestion for future printing of your study would be to lighten the shading where the memory verses are. Having the verses listed is a help but it is difficult to read and see the underlines you’ve requested on some days. Having space to write our own notes is helpful too.
Thank you so very much for writing this study. We appreciate your hard work and know it has been a blessing to so many! Blessings on you Mary!
Thank you so much for all the helpful comments. I will pass them on to LifeWay. I have found a young Jewish woman who can speak Hebrew, who has agreed to help with the pronunciations. As soon as I get writing this Girls Gone Wise book out of the way, we’ll work on recording some audio files.
Hello Mary. I was wondering if the scripture reference on page 29, listed under the heading God is sovereign over all of nature, should be Matthew 6:25-30 instead of Psalm 6:25-30.
I am having some trouble with the crossword puzzle on Week 3 Day 5. Is there a key?
Liz,
We do not have a key available, but I am more than happy to provide you with the answers.
ACROSS
1. Immeasurable
3. Outstretching
6. Almighty
7. Power
8. Awesome
DOWN
2. Everything
4. Toward
5. People
I hope this helps and that you enjoy the rest of the study.
I am looking over the Knowing God By Name book for possible use in a mixed small group setting. I was surprised in looking at the Leader Guide section that it appears to be written just for women. The subject matter would be great, but I don’t want to give our men something that would turn them off. Is there material in the book that seems just for women?
The material is suitable for both men and women – it has been done in mixed groups. The leader’s guide was written by LifeWay. The Bible Study was published under LifeWay’s resources for women, but the study itself is not gender specific.
Thank you, Mary.
I just picked up this study to review and am thinking about using it for my Sunday school class. I’m glad there are resources available (especially pronounciation help)!
I have a question about your choice of the movie Gladiator as an intro to Knowing God by Name. My concern is this. Are you endorsing a rated R movie by showing this clip? I have been confused as our church has begun to show movies ,some similar to Gladiator with violence profanity and blasphemy, and then draw bits of theology from the movie to discuss. I have searched on line and found movie ministry websites complete with questions and sermon illustrations. I am very uncomfortable with this.
Hi Mary,
Thank you for coming to the Middle East. I have enjoyed the first week of this study. I have the same question as Susan did on Nov. 9, 2009, referring to page 29 scripture references to God’s sovereignty over all nature. Which scripture, rather than Psalm 6:25-30?
My roommate and I are thoroughly enjoying studying His names. Thank you for bringing some to this side of the world.
Thanks for bringing this editing error to our attention. The scripture reference should read Matthew 6:25-30. We will notify the editor and have it corrected for the next printing. Thanks again!!