Bible Study:Blessed to Follow: The Beatitudes as a Compass to Discipleship, Lutheran Woman Today

The wisdom stories of Ruth, Daniel 1-6, and Esther help us think about our call to discipleship in the complexity of today's world. You will see three recurring "H" themes throughout the study.

Hesed is a Hebrew word meaning extravagant loving loyalty that goes beyond the expected. Exploring it in these books will help us to examine how God is calling us to express hesed in our lives.

Heroic actions involve great risks to the one performing them. They are brave actions for the sake of others. Studying the leading characters in these stories will challenge us as we think about the risks God calls us to take as a part of faithful discipleship.

Hidden hand refers to the often unseen-presence of God in all three books. Discovering how God works in these stories allows us to reflect on how God sometimes seems hidden in our lives or in the lives of those we love — and how we are called to live through such times.

As we study these books together, we pray that we grow in confidence of God's never-ending love for us and that we gain courage to take the risks God may be calling us to.

New! Online video overviews are available with the Bible study authors, Rev. Gwen Saylor and Rev. Ann Fritschel. Click here for the introduction and an insight into each session of the study.