A BSS Makes the Best Kind of BFF

Mexican Food, Bible Study, and Independence Day

I know it’s July. It’s the season for backyard barbecues and pool parties and flaming fireworks. But today I’m excited for another reason.

Today I registered for a women’s Bible study that will begin this fall at a local church. Over two hundred women are signed up. We’ll go through the Gospel of Matthew, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. I am elated!

Sometimes people ask me what I miss most about California. I tell them two things: I miss authentic Mexican food, and I miss my Bible Study Sisters (BSS).

I grew up always wishing I had a sister — someone who is a built-in best friend forever (BFF). But, alas, I have two older brothers, and they’re both great, but I have no sisters.

Then one day I realized: I have so many sisters! They’re my Bible Study Sisters!

Seriously, when I look back over the past twenty-five years, the women who have been the closest to me — the women who have been the dearest to me — have all been women with whom I have studied God’s Word on a weekly basis.

I’m not talking about any online Bible study either. I’m talking about the local church, on a weekday. Sometimes it was on Thursday mornings. Other times it was on Tuesday evenings. But always it was with women who prioritized gathering around the Bible at a local church. Week after week. Year after year.

They’re the most amazing, beautiful women I have ever known.

My Bible Study Sisters have been all ages, too. Some have been decades older than me, and more recently, some have been a bit younger than me. I have loved all of them. Because the thing we share in common is not our stage of life, but our love for God and our deep gratitude for his redeeming work in each of our lives.

I am convinced that a BSS (Bible Study Sister) makes the best kind of BFF (Best Friend Forever).

Because when life hits you hard — so hard you don’t know how you’re ever going to get back up — it’s your Bible Study Sisters who will have your back.

It’s your Bible Study Sisters who know best how to pray for you because they’ve already invested so much time in getting to know you.

It’s your Bible Study Sisters who rally around you when you’re struggling through a difficult season.

It’s your Bible Study Sisters who come over to your house with a hot meal and soft words.

And it’s your Bible Study Sisters who celebrate with you when you’ve experienced a significant breakthrough.

My sisters in Christ are for real. They take time out of their busy schedules to gather with other women to study the Bible. They show up consistently every week with their Bibles in hand, ready to dive in together. And they get it. They get what you’re going through because, at some point, they’ve been there, too. That’s the beauty of multi-generational ministry.

This week a lot of folks around the nation will gather for hotdogs and hamburgers, sparklers and snow cones. Together, we will celebrate America’s Independence Day. I know our country has some deep flaws, but I will never stop giving thanks for the men and women who serve our country. And I will never stop giving thanks for the fact that I live in a country where I am free to sign up for a local Bible study.

If you’re not a part of a local women’s Bible study, I encourage you to begin looking now. Here is a resource that may be helpful.

Because a BSS makes the best kind of BFF.

Shalom.

Denise

P.S. I’m sending a shoutout to my awesome Bible Study Sisters back in California. You know who you are. I love you fiercely and miss you dearly.