The Ladies Bible Discussion group is held every second Tuesday of each month at 6pm. The purpose and mission of the group is to empower ladies with the Word of God through discussing scripture and how it pertains to life today. This group is open to any lady both inside and outside of Mt. Bethel.

March 18, 2026 Discussion Summary:

Reference: Swift, Doris (2023). Surrender the Joy Stealers. Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.

Bible verses referenced: Psalm 91, John 15:4, Ephesians 5:13, Exodus 2:11-15, 2 Samuel 13, Luke 19:1-10, Matthew 9:20-22, John 15:5-6, Isaiah 5:4-6

This summary is for self-study at home if you were not able to attend the meeting.

  1. Read Psalm 91 adding your name and allowing each verse to guide you in prayer.

  2. Read John 15:4 Ask yourself where do I want to be?

  3. Write down the things in your life that come to mind when you think of “joy stealers”; what robs you of the joy in life? It can be one or multiple things.

  4. How do each of the following passages apply to the statements below? These are directly from the referenced material, page 5.

    ____ The threat to my joy is something I have done. (Read Exodus 2:11-15)

    ____The threat to my joy is something that has been done to me. (Read 2 Samuel 13)

    ____The threat to my joy is something God can help me change. (Read Luke 19:1-10

    ____The threat to my joy is something only God can change. (Read Matthew 9:20-22)

  5. Did reading these passages change your perspective on your own joy stealers?

  6. Read Ephesians 5:13; Identify your threats and bring them out into the light.

  7. John 15:5-6; These questions are directly from the material reference page 7.

    What did we learn about our role as a branch in verse 5?

    What do we learn about the verse 6 branches?

    Who is the true vine John 15:1 speaks of?

    Who is the vinedresser in John 15:1

    Think about a gardener. When a gardener works in the garden, they are constantly getting rid of the weeds. In this instance I believe the weeds of our lives are our joy stealers. The author, Doris Swift writes “We as a branch are brought into community with Jesus, the life giving vine, and the vine dresser, our loving Father, who prunes us by hand, cutting back whatever produces less fruit in us, so in due time, he can produce abundant fruit”. Page 7 “When God does the pruning, we can trust it is for our good”. Page 8 Read Isaiah 5:4-6

  8. Record references to fruit, pruning, and devastation of the land.