Winter/Spring 2023 Bible Studies

SUNDAY WOMEN’S COMMUNITY:

The Gospel of Luke

Sunday, January 8 – May 21, 2023 | 9:00 – 10:15 a.m. |Room 607-610 | In Person and Online
Leaders: Tonja Brice, Laurie Graffo, Sherrie Rodriguez

The Gospel of Luke gives us a beautiful portrait of our compassionate Savior, Jesus Christ. The book covers the life of Jesus and all He began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven. Luke’s portrayal of Jesus reveals the love and mercy of Christ to all people – no matter their station in life. Join us as we explore key insights that can be shared with everyone we encounter.

WEEKDAY COMMUNITY CLASSES:

Mark: The Messiah in Action

Tuesday, January 10 – March 28, 2023 | 6:45 – 7:45 a.m. | Room 204 | Cost $15 | In Person and Online
Leader: Casey Hawley, Wendy Mobley, Linda Raymond

The Gospel According to Mark was written with an audience very much like us in mind. It was a time of civil unrest, persecution of Christians, and testing of faith. The book is valuable as it captures so much of Peter’s ministry and teaching with such economy, power, and grace that it is easy to read, understand, and apply. You will be encouraged by themes such as the power of Jesus Christ to minister to all, how rewarding it is if we can persevere in our faith, and the mystery of our Savior, who is fully God and fully man.

All of this is presumably told from the fresh perspective of a frontline eyewitness and a member from youth of the earliest church, John Mark. Please come join us as we begin our Tuesday mornings experiencing the joy of the Word of God together and building a warm fellowship with some wonderful women. Everyone is welcome.

A Study of Isaiah

Tuesday, January 10 – March 14, 2023 | 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Room 237 | Cost $15 | In Person
Leader: Vicki Gillespie

The Book of Isaiah carries within it one of the greatest mysteries of the coming Messiah – that He would be both the suffering servant and the victorious king. The revelation of this dual mission has created misunderstanding, confusion, and controversy throughout history. In order read Isaiah’s prophecies aright, we will let Scripture interpret Scripture by looking to their fulfillment in the words and life of the Messiah. As we study Isaiah 40-66, we will study and compare each of Isaiah’s prophecies and their specific fulfillments in the New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry and His future coming as the victorious King in Revelation.

May God grant us to see new and rich blessings in our understanding of the Father’s magnificent plan throughout history for our redemption. Won’t you join us?

Romans Part 4 PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT

Tuesday, January 10 – March 14, 2023 |10:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Room 229 | Cost $20 | In Person
Leader: Anne Hayes

Life as a Living Sacrifice – The righteous shall live by faith! Do you live out your faith? What practical things can you do to show that you have been justified? Romans 12-16 are very practical chapters. You will learn how redemption, justification, and propitiation enable you to live righteously as you serve God.

A Focus on Christ Through the Book of Matthew

Tuesday, January 17 – April 25, 2023 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. | The Commons | Cost $15 | In Person
Leader: Charlotte Travis

Why is God’s Kingdom above all others? The answer lies in its King. The King of Kings left His throne in heaven to be born as a Man to die on a cross to save a wayward people. We will travel verse-by-verse through Matthew to watch, hear, and learn from this King. We can’t know the answer to “What would Jesus do?” unless we get to know Him through Bible study and prayer and seek to follow Him. Lord, help us to be true witnesses of the glory of Your gospel!

God’s Presence During Hardship: Daniel and Esther in Exile

Thursday, January 19 – April 27, 2023 | 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Room 201| Cost $25 | In Person
Leader: Meg Estes

Thursday Morning Women’s Fellowship offers a lively and loving opportunity for women to grow together in faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. We enjoy a dedicated time of corporate worship and prayer followed by inductive study and group discussion of God’s Word. This semester we will be journeying through God’s Presence During Hardship: Daniel and Esther in Exile by John MacArthur, along with a devotional sub-series on The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield. Come join us as we seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and share in the practical application and transforming power of His Word and His Holy Spirit in our daily lives!

Revelation Part Two – Joy of Living Bible Studies

Thursday, February 2 – May 4, 2023 | 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Room 237| Cost $20| In Person and Online
Leader: Denise Nyberg

What on earth is this world coming to?

Whatever your ideas about entertaining a more focused look at the book of Revelation, brace yourself for blessing. Revelation is full of blessings from the first chapter. Blessing is promised to all who read it and take it to heart.

This study brings to life what could be the scariest, but also the most thrilling, comforting, encouraging, and exhilarating book of the Bible. It is profoundly applicable to our complicated times.

Each lesson contains daily study questions as well as commentary in weekly increments. This group counts fellowship at a premium and often enjoys lunch together afterward. You are warmly invited.

*Note: Part one continues through January 26^th. Feel free to join us for the end of Part One.

Mom2Mom – The Ministry of Motherhood

Thursday, January 19 – March 23, 2023| 10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | The Commons | Cost $20 | In Person
Leader: Connie Musselman

The Ministry of Motherhood, a book by Sally Clarkson

Using biblical wisdom and practical teachings, Sally Clarkson shows how you can make a lasting difference in your child’s life by following the pattern Christ set with his own disciples–a model that will inspire and equip you to intentionally embrace the rewarding, desperately needed, and immeasurably valuable Ministry of Motherhood. Learn how you can:

Make Life’s Mundane and Nitty-Gritty Moments Work for You and Not against You.
Discover Ways to Make Character Building a Natural Part of Life.
Teach Your Child in the Same Way Jesus Taught the Disciples.
Pass on Crucial Gifts that Will Serve Your Family for a Lifetime.

Genesis Part Two – Joy of Living Bible Studies

Thursday, February 16 – May 25, 2023 | 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. | Room 237| Cost $20| In Person and Online
Leader: Denise Nyberg

Have you told yourself (again?) that it’s time to get down to business with God’s Word? To lean into God’s Word rather than only learning one-liners or memorable sermon illustrations?

Do you know a few basics but occasionally wonder if you connect all the dots? Could you give a logical “reason for the hope that is in you”? If any of these questions give pause or leave you uneasy – what better place to begin than at the beginning – Genesis.

If you can invest in the following:

Cost of material ($20)
Weekly physical presence at COTA for 90 minutes on Thursday evenings
Approximately 30 minutes per day of personal bible study

Now’s your opportunity to get the ball seriously rolling. There is no better time than the present!

Class/lesson format includes daily study questions, which are expanded in our class discussions. A closing talk clarifies issues and follows up on commentary notes to cap off each lesson. Led through thoughtfully sharing ideas corporately, hearing consolidating information, and finally reading for personal closure brings gentle saturation—preparation for a life of Biblical thinking with ongoing Biblically mature living.

Any level of Bible knowledge is welcome; special attention will be paid to laying a firm foundation of Biblical understanding.

*Note: Part one continues through February 9th. Feel free to join us for the end of Part One.

Defeating the Darkness of Depression

Thursdays, January 12 – March 2, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Room 237 | Cost: $5 | In Person
Led by Muriel Cash and Georgia Tanner

In the spring of 1989, I began a fearful and devastating time in my life. It was a season in which I began a downward spiral into a deep and dark depression. Since childhood I had a vulnerability to melancholy, as well as a family history, but this was far beyond mere sadness. I could sense a growing weariness from overextending myself, but, as most of us do, I just pressed on in my overloaded schedule. My best description is that I felt “bone tired” and fragmented.

We will take a look at seven lessons in vulnerability that are the fruit of that journey. May they serve as a caution and an encouragement, but most especially, as a reminder that “nothing is wasted” by our loving and faithful God.

PRAYER:

Prayer for Revival – Prayer Group

Tuesdays, Ongoing | 12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Room 242
Leader: Julie Van Gorp

Our heart as a prayer group is to pray for revival in the church, in our nation, and in our world. We use the very headlines and daily news that otherwise might overwhelm and depress us as a launching pad for our prayers; we apply God’s Word to those situations and intercede that God’s Will be done in and through them. Women of any age and life stage are welcome, whether members of COTA or visitors, who desire God’s glory and His Will to be done.

POP UPS:

Coffee and Community

Saturday, January 14, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | In Person
Leader: Casey Hawley | $5

A Morning of Fellowship, Prayer, Adoration, and Fun

One of the most delicious earthly experiences is diving into the Word with an old friend or a new one. Coffee and Community is a morning set aside to share that experience with other women as we walk through selected chapters from Psalms 63-75 together. This is an interactive experience you will share with other women you know or whom you will soon know better by exploring these chapters alongside each other. Through very hands-on activities, Psalms 63-75 will guide you through prayer, testimony, adoration, and sharing.

You can participate as much or as little as fits your comfort level in a biblical treasure hunt, a team crossword, and other ways to celebrate the joy of God’s Word. Spend a full morning not focused on a speaker but digging into the Scripture. If you start the morning as strangers, you won’t be by the end.

Would you like to escape with other women for a morning of fun, fellowship, prayer, and sharing? Then put on your sweats or other comfy clothes and join us for Coffee & Community. Handheld breakfast foods, snacks, tea, and coffee, will be served while we work and play.

Embracing the Cross and Suffering…the Pathway to Joy!

Saturday, February 25, 2023 | 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | In Person | Cost $5
Leader: Julie Van Gorp

In an age when many preachers teach that following Jesus will result in financial wealth, physical health, and overall prosperity, it’s essential that we understand the meaning behind Jesus’ teaching that those who want to follow Him ‘must deny themselves’ and ‘take up their cross’. Do you resist or welcome the opportunities God gives you to ‘die to your flesh’? Would you honestly say you are ‘fully surrendered’ to Jesus and His perfect will? Or are there some areas of your life you’re afraid to entrust to Him? Are you prepared not only to suffer for Him, but also to rejoice in the midst of your suffering?

Come join us as we study what God has to say in His life-transforming Word about trials and suffering. We will focus our thoughts upon Jesus Who ‘learned obedience through what He suffered’ and Who ‘endured the cross for the joy that awaited Him’. We also will hear personal testimonies from those whose faith has been purified and strengthened through their suffering; we’ll also have table discussion time. Your faith will be strengthened, and you’ll learn how to endure suffering, and even how to rejoice in the midst of it!

Brunch will be served

Revelation in 2 Hours…Are you crazy?

Saturday, April 22 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Room 237 | In Person | Cost $5
Leader: Jeanine Dungan

The biggest challenge in reading Revelation is not understanding it. The biggest challenge is opening ourselves up to adjust our lives to the divine instruction God gives us through John. Join Jeanine Dungan as she cuts through the confusion to see the beauty, hope and help Revelation presents for us in these trying days.

Anchored: Women’s Ministry Retreat

Thursday, February 2, Friday, February 3, and Saturday, February 4 | The Church of The Apostles | In Person | Cost: $100
Speaker: Jodie Berndt

In a world where we are tossed around and about… discover, remember, and share the reason for the hope that is in you…. ANCHORED.

Want a “head start” on the ANCHORED weekend? Join us Thursday for an optional early “anchors away!” Ahoy! Bring your mates on Thursday, February 2, for dinner and fellowship as you choose a hands-on activity like watercolor painting, doodling, flower arranging, games, and more.

Otherwise, your weekend begins on Friday, February 3, at 4 p.m. check-in with anchors away at 6 p.m. sharp!

Then on Friday, check in at 4:00 pm for more surprises. After dinner, we will hear from our guest speaker, Jodie Berndt. Best known for her popular “Praying the Scripture” book series, Jodie is a speaker and writer who encourages women to live their lives with purpose and joy. She will encourage us on what it means to be anchored in Christ. Small group time will anchor us in community as we draw closer to each other and the Lord.

Saturday will feature brunch and two more sessions with Jodie, along with another chance for you to connect with others in mini-workshops like cookie decorating, gardening, Pilates, and more! We hope you will join us!

Biblical Theology Workshop

Saturday, March 25, 2023 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Sanctuary | In Person
Speaker: Nancy Guthrie

We are hosting a Biblical Theology Workshop for Women with Nancy Guthrie on March 25, 2023. Over three sessions, Nancy Guthrie will help us to get to know our Bibles better as we learn to identify major themes that run from Genesis to Revelation. We won’t simply be sitting and listening. We’ll be interacting with each other and working together to trace particular themes. The three sessions promise to be energetic and fun. They include:

Telling the Bible’s Big Story
Tracing the Bible’s Main Themes
Making the Bible’s Intended Connections

We’re looking forward to having Nancy here to help us understand our Bibles better so that we can more clearly grasp what God is saying to us through his Word. And we look forward to having lots of guests join us for what should be a memorable day of fun and learning together.

The church is located at 3585 Northside Parkway, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. Click here for more driving directions.