Week 7: Jesus Empowers

Rewind and Reflect
What did you learn about Mary Magdalene that you didn’t know before? 

What area of your life has felt a little hopeless lately? What characteristics of Jesus remind you that he’s still worth following? 

In our final session, we’re going to review what all this means for us. What did these women see in Jesus and what does it mean for our lives today?

Watch “Jesus Empowers” with Jennie Allen, Bianca Juárez Olthoff, Jada Edwards, and Sadie Robertson Huff (12 minutes).

Review
Jennie, Jada, Bianca, and Sadie marveled at Jesus’s choice to reveal himself post-resurrection to Mary Magdalene and send her to “go tell the disciples” that he was risen. How do you think he has called you to be a witness to your community? 

By choosing a woman to be his first witness, Jesus was showing his people how he valued women. In what ways have you considered women—or yourself—less valuable to God than men are? How does the Resurrection narrative challenge your presuppositions? 

Jesus’s ministry happened in small towns, on hillsides, with everyday people. Most of us will live in a similarly inconspicuous manner. In what ways are you carrying on his mission day to day, moment by moment?

Dig In
Read John 20:1, 11–18. What does the fact that Mary was the first person to deliver the gospel teach us about the value of women in the kingdom of God? How can you encourage women in your church or social circle to be bold when talking about their faith? 

Read Acts 1:8, 12–14. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus empowered his followers to take his message across the world. How have you obeyed his call to go and make disciples?

Make It Matter
Over the course of the series, what have you learned about women’s participation in Jesus’s ministry? What has God taught you about himself? What have you learned about God’s love for you? 

How do we live in the in-between, waiting for Jesus to come back? How are you trusting God with the outcomes in your life? What does loving people look like in your life?

Reflect
Go back through this series and identify at least one woman whose story impacted you. What specific elements resonated with you from her story? In what way can she encourage, challenge, or inspire you? 

Take some time to reflect on what God has taught you through this study. What’s one takeaway you’ve gathered from this series? What could it look like for you to apply it to your life today?