Come, Let Us Reason Together: A Ten-Week Bible Study

By J.A. Ludwig

This book is designed to get your group talking as you learn (or re-learn) Biblical truths in a memorable way by utilizing unique, practical lessons with personal and original story illustrations.

Originally from the island of Grand Manan, New Brunswick, J.A. Ludwig now resides in the farming community of Sussex, New Brunswick. As a mother of three and a Bible study/youth/young adult Sunday school leader, Ludwig was never your average small town lady. But is anyone? God took a shy girl that no one noticed and used her passion for Him to share His message in a unique and personal way to touch many lives. From prayer groups to sharing in churches, her answer was always yes when she felt Gods nudge. When a former pastor was asked to say a word about Ludwig and her calling to write this book, this was what he shared:

I have known J.A. Ludwig for nearly 25 years. In that time, I have watched her go through bad times and good with the help of Gods great grace. She was a tremendous encouragement to me during my ministry years on Grand Manan. She led an in-home bible study which I was privileged to be a part of. Her work was always original and came from the heart of God. She also led our youth ministry with equal passion, always caring for and concerned for the less fortunate. This book she has written will encourage you and help you find a path through the times of your life that might seem impossible to maneuver through. It has been written with the same passion and grace she has lived her life by and like always, it is her experiencenot a book lesson from someone elses material. So I encourage you to read it and be blessed.

Rev. Scott Lewis

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490868189

J.A. Ludwig

J.A. Ludwig received a BA in Theater Technology and has been fortunate to work for two theaters in Southern California. She is a proud techie who feels more comfortable behind the scenes dressed in black than on the stage. Since she was young, she's been lost in her imagination or in books. If you want an insight into her mind, you can check out her blog, A Joy on the Updays.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 J.A. Ludwig.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6820-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6819-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-6818-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015901498

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/09/2015

Contents

Foreword

Preface

We All Have a Place on the Team

Promises

Track Team Trials

Focus

Light of the World

Truth or Dare

Calm Assurance

Praise

Honor and Glory

No Excuses

Spiritual Gifts Test

My Lord and my God, thank you for using this plain, glass vase. I am humbled and grateful for Your forgiveness and Your love. Life with You has been an amazing journey so far and I’m looking forward to what You have planned for the future.

To my husband, Ulrich, for your unwavering support and for being my Knight in shining armor. Also, to my family, friends and pastors, for all the encouragement, advice and guidance over the years.

Foreword

T he most compelling evidence for the truth of the Christian faith is a transformed life. Scripture gives evidence. Consider the apostle Paul. His meeting with Jesus Christ on a dusty first-century road changed everything in his life and placed him on a new career path. Paul’s life was altered in every way, both inside and out. Or consider the disciples. Before the resurrection some doubted, some denied, and all questioned. Following the resurrection, their lives were so dramatically transformed that they willingly died as martyrs for their faith. Faith transforms not only belief but also behavior. It equips us for life and reminds us that Jesus Christ is all-sufficient.

I met J.A Ludwig a number of years ago. She started coming to our church during a painful chapter in her life. I was unaware of many of the details at that time and unaware of the depth of despair she had experienced. What struck me, however, was the consistency of faith and the spirit of resiliency that characterized her life. Her trust and love for Jesus had buoyed her. Jesus had proven Himself all-sufficient in the past, and she was claiming that sufficiency for both the present and her future. She was an inspiration to me and continues to be to this day.

Allow me to recommend J.A.’s book to you. Come, Let Us Reason Together is born out of life. Not only are those the best kind of books, but they are also the most helpful. The lessons in these pages are derived from a crucible in which both faith in Christ and experiences in life are combined. J.A. writes personally. She writes in such a way that I feel I know her better and I learn from what life has thrown at her. She also writes practically. These pages are filled with life lessons. Maybe you will read the pages ahead of you simply for personal encouragement and challenge or perhaps as a tool for discussion in a small group you lead. Whatever your purpose, you will find the pages full of rich learning and meaningful discovery.

—Pastor Kevin Vincent

Preface

H ave you ever wondered about the purpose of life? As Christians, we know that God created us to love … for Him to love us and for us to love Him in return. The next logical question would be, after the moment of salvation, why do we remain here? God loves us, and we love Him. He created a heaven for those who follow Him. Why do we remain in this sinful world and do not go to be with Him now? Why wait?

A long, in-depth theological discussion could follow this question, but I want to propose two reasons we remain:

• We remain to get to know God better and fall more in love with Him. (Throughout the Bible, the redeemed are compared to a bride.)

• We remain so we may be useful to the God we love in reaching the lost for Him. (Luke 19:10 says, The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.)

The goal of this book is to help us to grow in Him, learn more about Him, and fall more deeply in love with the God of creation who loves us enough to consider us worth dying for. As a result, we will be better equipped to become more effective witnesses for Him.

So grab your Bible, a notebook and your Bible study group and … come, let us reason