Monday Morning Ladies Bible Study

09/06/2026

09/05/2026

When God Prunes Us
John 15:1-2; Matthew 7:19

We prune trees and shrubs to protect their health, boost flower or fruit production, and improve appearance. Cutting away dying or diseased branches stops infection from spreading, and thinning dense growth lets more air and sunlight reach the inner branches, reducing fungal problems. Thinning fruit trees also directs nutrients to the remaining branches, producing larger, more plentiful fruit.

One fall several years ago, I pruned an overgrown, unremarkable-looking shrub on the side of my house, not realizing it was a flowering variety. The next spring, I was amazed to see it covered in large, beautiful blooms. With periodic pruning since, that once-ordinary shrub has become a stunning part of my home's spring landscape.

Jesus forewarned that we too must be pruned: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (Jn 15:1-2, NKJV). As Jesus points out, pruning doesn't only mean cutting off dead or unsightly branches; sometimes even healthy, fruit-bearing branches are trimmed back.

During the Lord's pruning, we may feel abandoned to the pain of the shears. But as author David Jeremiah observed, "The vinedresser is never nearer the branches than when He prunes them." We need not fear the process, for He prunes with skill and precision. His intent is not to harm us, but to make us better. As someone aptly put it, "During the pruning process, a lot of our 'pretty good' is removed to receive God's 'very best.'"

Pruning can change a lot in our lives — sometimes even the people in them. When that happens, remember this wise counsel: "Do not chase what He has removed. Those people and things were interrupting His plans for your life."

Unlike a vine, which has no choice but to submit to the shears, we can resist or yield to the Vinedresser. Resisting is the costlier choice, for Jesus warned, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Mt 7:19; see also Jn 15:6). Submitting to His pruning is by far the better choice.

Copyright 2026 Anne Wilkins

09/05/2026

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The Place to Start

There are many places we can go to learn about something new, or to grow in wisdom and knowledge. Books are full of access to insightful information. The internet is overloaded with both helpful and unhelpful content about any subject imaginable.

While those are great places to start, Scripture tells us that the foundation of all knowledge is a healthy fear of the Lord. This means that while we can learn things from anyone, the beginning of true wisdom always begins with God.

The fear of the Lord doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be afraid of God. It means that we should live our lives in awe of Him. We do this by recognizing who He is—the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is all-powerful and all-knowledgeable. God’s Word says He holds the power of life and death in His hands. These attributes should cause us to live in awe of God.

Scripture also tells us that God is loving, gracious, and merciful. Even though we—His own creation—previously rebelled against Him, God graciously gave us access back to Himself through His Son, Jesus. The God who created the universe loves each and every one of us. He loves you.

Living in awe of who God is and what He has done is the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge. We would be foolish to turn away from such a powerful and gracious God.

While we can learn a lot about many different things through books, people, and the internet, the most essential and important piece of knowledge about God comes from His Word.

Today, spend some time with God in His Word and in prayer—thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Begin a habit of reading Scripture regularly so that you can know, respect, and trust Him in a deeper way.

09/05/2026

🔥 HE WENT TO AZUSA STREET TO MAKE FUN OF IT

In 1907, The Apostolic Faith published the testimony of Mack E. Jonas of Long Beach, California, who said he went to the Azusa Mission “to make fun.”

But while he was there, an eight-year-old girl stood up and testified about Jesus. As she spoke, Jonas said the Holy Ghost began convicting him of his sins. The man who had come to mock the meeting soon found himself at the altar crying out to God.

Jonas testified that the Lord saved him and cleansed him, and that he was later baptized with the Holy Ghost and called into the work of God.

He came to Azusa to laugh at what was happening. Instead, God got hold of him. 🔥

🔥📖 Want to read the remarkable testimonies that came directly out of Azusa Street? Get The Azusa Street Papers from Revival Press and read the reports of salvation, healing, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, tongues, missions, and revival as they were published during the movement.

Shop the photo or find the link in the comments.

09/04/2026

A few nights ago, I had a dream that I simply cannot shake.

I saw teenagers from every walk of life.

Rich and poor.
Different nationalities.
Different backgrounds.
Different personalities.

But everywhere I looked, I saw young people who were hurting.

I saw teenagers being bullied in their schools.

I saw girls sitting alone in their bedrooms, comparing their bodies to images on a screen and wondering why they could never measure up.

I saw the ones who felt invisible.

The ones who had no friends.

The ones battling depression.

The ones struggling with suicidal thoughts.

I saw teenagers coming from broken homes, carrying wounds they didn't have the words to explain.

And as I looked at them, I heard the voice of the Lord, “I leave the ninety nine for the one.”

I knew in that moment that God was showing me His heart for this generation.

He is going after the one.

He is going after the broken one.
The lonely one.
The rejected one.
The depressed one.
The bullied one.
The confused one.
The one who feels forgotten.
The one who has learned how to smile while silently falling apart.

God has not forgotten our children.

I saw the Lord pursuing teenagers who have been overlooked by the Church, overlooked by their schools, overlooked by their peers, and sometimes even overlooked by their own families.

And then I saw something else.

God was raising up teenagers to go after teenagers.

I saw young people who carry influence using it for the Kingdom. I saw the popular ones befriending the rejected ones.

I saw teenagers with hundreds of friends locking arms with the ones who feel like they have none.

I saw students sitting beside the lonely student at lunch.

I saw young people refusing to walk past the hurting.

I saw a generation saying, “you don't have to hurt alone.”

There is a missionary movement coming to our schools.

There is an evangelistic movement coming to our hallways.

There is a compassion awakening coming to our youth ministries.

God is going to give our sons and daughters eyes to see what others overlook and hearts to love what others reject.

The Lord is raising up young evangelists who won't wait until they are adults to be used by God.

They will preach in the hallways.
They will pray in the locker rooms.
They will worship in their schools.
They will lay hands on the hurting.
They will sit with the broken.
They will invite the rejected into community.

And the ones who were once hurting will become the ones who help others find healing.

The ones who once felt invisible will become the ones who make others feel seen.

The ones who once cried alone will become the ones who sit beside someone else's tears.

Here comes a generation that refuses to leave the one behind.

Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” (Matthew 18:11)

I believe we are about to see the heart of the Good Shepherd revealed to a generation.

He is the God who leaves the ninety nine for the one.

And He is raising up a generation of young people that will do the same.

-Jessica Jecker | Simply Jecker

09/04/2026

Fire in My Bones
Jeremiah 20:9–12

The prophet Jeremiah's culture was much like our own — filled with violence, immorality, and godlessness. And because Jeremiah spoke out against the evils of his day, he made many enemies.

One day, weary of being made a "household joke," he resolved to never again mention the Lord or speak His messages. Try as he might, though, he discovered he couldn't restrain himself. He cried out, "But if I say I'll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can't do it!" (Jer 20:9, NLT). Now, that's passion!

In spite of the mockery, rumors, and threats on his life, Jeremiah pressed on. He declared, "I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me 'The Man Who Lives in Terror.' They threaten, 'If you say anything, we will report it.' Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip" (v 10). The pressure to stay silent — and the people eager to catch him if he didn't — were alive and well even in Jeremiah's day, and it stung worst coming from those closest to him. Nevertheless, Jeremiah held to this one confidence: "But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me" (v 11). Now, that's confidence!

Jeremiah's troubles dogged him the rest of his life, and he battled discouragement along the way — at one point even wishing he'd never been born (v 14). Yet he never let that discouragement have the final word. He held firmly to the simple resolve with which he ended his prayer: "I have committed my cause to you" (v 12). Commitment, for Jeremiah, wasn't the absence of doubt — it was choosing, again and again, to hand his cause back to God rather than carry it alone. And so he never gave up or stopped speaking out. Now, that's commitment!

Passion, confidence, commitment — these weren't personality traits Jeremiah was born with. They were choices he made, over and over, in the face of fear and opposition. What burns in your bones? Maybe it’s a word of truth for a friend, a stand you've been afraid to take, or a faith you've kept too quiet. Jeremiah shows us that God doesn't call the fearless — He sets fire to the willing.

Copyright 2026 Anne Wilkins