An Eight-Week Study on Biblical Womanhood (True Woman)

This workbook was actually purchased for my adult unmarried college age daughter for her Titus 2 discipleship class. I decided to sit down and read what this group was going to be discussing and teaching my daughter as to what the bible has to say about her purpose and role as a female child of God. Well I was pleasantly surprised to find the workbook well written and full of great insight, information and scripture references. It pointed out and explained in detail the intended design God meant for women and that it wasn't to be chief bottle washer, cook and maid of the household. It brought clarification to a lot of opinions that get batted around the Christian community about a woman's place in the home, and put into perspective the godly meaning of what it is to be a helpmate. I wish more Christians would take the time to read this workbook as I found it to provide a much clearer understanding of scripture as applied to women

This book should be banned. I cannot believe that there are women who actually buy into this kind of thinking. I have a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Theology. But I don't think you need either to see that if the thinking in this book prevailed, there would not have been the Margaret Thatchers, Indira Ghandis or the countless women who fought against domestic violence and injustices against women in this world. The men weren't fighting this fight nor were the churches. If you want your daughters to believe that the highest calling they can have is to marry, bear and raise children; then let them study from this book. Jesus saw the injustices against women even in his day and ignored the cultural stigmas. He spoke to the woman at the well although He should not because it was against tradition. He didn't chastise the woman with the issue of blood when she touched him although she was considered "unclean". He told Mary she made the right choice as she sat at His feet and listened rather than worry about housework and women were among His many disciples that followed Him across the countryside although this went well beyond the norms of society.

This is an awesome and very humbling study. We had a diverse group of young, old, married, and single! We spread this out over 2 summers because we could only meet 4 times. We did one week of lessons, meeting every other week. We would first watch the video and discuss that and then we added anything else profound from the study.

The first chapter is wonderful. I have been struggling on the kind of woman GOD wants be to be against the way the world shows me. It think this will help me focus on GODS IDEA. can hardly wait to finish this study.

This book increases the likelihood that Christian women will see clearly God's design as a high calling and not just a controlling male interpretation of the Bible. It is simple to read and very sound.

Didn't find this relevant to the biblical discussion of femininity. I read it with an open mind, but feel like they kind of missed the point of the positive aspects of feminism and focused on attacking extreme feminist ideals. And it was REALLY confusing, but, at the same time, redundant. I don't agree with feminism in the sense that women are better than men or that men and women are equal in every way. Kassian and Demoss operate under the assumption that anyone who entertains any form of feminism believes that women are better than men or that women have something to prove/are trying to take over. They confused the positive points of feminism with political agendas of some of our nation's leaders (which are more extreme, non-biblical forms). They boil feminism down to the "anything you can do, I can do better" mentality, and I believe that's what makes the book confusing and totally irrelevant. There were some good points - about how submission is not weakness in marriage and in church leadership, but they miss that if it weren't for feminism, they wouldn't even be in the position to write this book. I don't think there's anything wrong with men and women deciding within their marriage what opportunities each spouse can pursue to glorify God and still have a healthy family. Not saying that means all men need to stop and take a submissive role, but if a woman wants to work (or, gasp, write a book), what's wrong with him being supportive of that? That doesn't mean she is taking over his leadership role as husband, it just means we all have different gifts that can glorify God.

Maybe it was just poorly written or expressed, but I didn't get much out of it.

“As Christian women, we desire to honor God by living countercultural lives that reflect the beauty of Christ and His gospel to our world . . .”

These powerful words lifted from the True Woman Manifesto are a wake up call to women, an invitation to enter into a life based on truth, and to view womanhood as a glorious gift that puts the creativity and wisdom of God on display.

In True Woman 101: Divine Design, Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss (now Wolgemuth), share their own very unique stories of following God into ministry — Mary as a wife and mother, Nancy as a single woman at the time of the book’s publication. Certainly, marital status is no barrier to active and meaningful ministry.

While many in the church waste valuable time quibbling over what women should do or may do, the word of God is clear in its teaching that, although marred by the fall, the role of a godly woman is to exhibit wholehearted devotion to Christ, to display purity of heart and a quiet spirit in her use of the unique ministry gifts that God has granted.

When Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper, he forever exalted the role of those who come alongside to assist. This is a powerful message for women who want their homes to be launching pads for the next generation of world-changers, for women who are called to meet the needs of others outside their family circle, and for women of all ages and of all giftings who desire to be intentional and purposeful in living a countercultural life that puts others first.

The words of Elisabeth Elliot are a magnificent mission statement:

“We are called to be women. The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman. For I have accepted God’s idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be.”

True Woman 101 is an eight-week study that serves as an invitation to throw away the cookie cutters and delight in the differences between men and women as well as the differences among women of diverse temperaments, at various stages in life, and with different callings. We live our lives before God “to the end that Christ may be exalted and the glory and redeeming love of God may be displayed throughout the whole earth.”

//

This book was provided by Moody Publishers in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This is a great Bible study on biblical womanhood. Its a study you could do alone, in a Bible study group, or with your teenage daughters! Each week has a different topic and five days worth of studies. I really like that format (as opposed to a seven-day study) because if you miss a day (And let's face it, sometimes things happen.) then you can catch up during the weekend and still be where you're supposed to be on Monday. Each week starts with a 2-page introduction. It sets up the subject you'll be studying that week. You can read that on Sunday and start the weekday studies on Monday, or you can just read it on Monday before you start the first day's study.
After the intro, there are 5 weekday studies. Each study is 4 pages long. It includes a devotional written by Nancy and Mary, Bible passages (that they have put on the left hand side of the page so that you have everything you need right there), and then some questions that get you thinking about the study and digging deep into God's word. After the fifth day, there's a "wrap up" page that asks you to ponder what you've learned and journal a bit. You can either do this on the fifth day or save it for the next day, so really, they've set this Bible study up (including each week's intro and "wrap up" section) so that you can do it in five days or spread it out to seven days (with the intro on Sunday, the studies on Monday through Friday, and the "wrap up" on Saturday.

If you're looking for a great Bible study on what it means to be a godly woman, this is it!

I received a copy of this book, free of charge, from MPNewsroom, in exchange for my honest review.

What is it?

An eight-week study on Biblical Womanhood.

How is it organized?

This is an eight-week study designed to be done in a group. Each week is divided into five lessons. At the end of each week you are instructed to download the listening guide and watch the video lesson at [...] After the video you would go through the discussion questions with a group. There is also a page where you can journal what you learned that week.

The weekly lessons are as follows:

Week One: Gender Matters
Manhood and woman hood exist to glorify God and put the gospel of Jesus Christ on display. Gender does matter!

Week Two: Snips and Snails
God created men to image the relationship of Christ to the church and this has significant implications for male-female relationships.

Week Three: Sugar and Spice
God created women to image the relationship of Christ to the church and this has significant implications for male-female relationships.

Week Four: Snake in My Garden
Satan tempted and tricked the first women to go against God's design. Eve and Adam's sin marred the created beauty of male-female relationships.

Week Five: Battle of the Sexes
Sin severely damaged manhood and womanhood. The "women's movement" is merely another chapter in the primordial battle that has existed throughout history.

Week Six: Hear Me Roar
Our culture promotes a model of womanhood that differs substantially from God's design. True Womanhood involves an intentional choice to do things His way.

Week Seven: Total Makeover
As you embrace God's divine design, He'll give you a dramatic makeover from the inside out and will transform your womanhood into a thing of beauty.

Week Eight: Sisterhood is Powerful
You can be part of a quiet counterrevolution of women who intentionally and purposefully live their lives according to God's divine design.

What did I like?

The thought-provoking questions. The authors ask questions that make you think about what you really believe regarding womanhood. The world's thinking has crept into the church largely unnoticed in this area. By forcing you to really determine what you believe you are able to identify the errors in your thinking and correct them Biblically.
The videos. They are an informal conversation between a group of women and yet they are engaging. I also appreciate that they are free and available online.
The layout. The book is well organized and pretty. :-)

What did I not like?

The writing style. I'm not trying to be picky but I didn't like it. It felt like it was written to teens (not the content, but the style). They really overused quotation marks. I opened the book randomly and found that on that particular two page spread they used a set of quotation marks ten times.

Other Comments:

I would not consider this a Bible study. You obviously do study certain Bible passages but you also spend a fair amount of time discussing the culture and what your beliefs are. There are better options out there is you simply want to study what the Bible says about being a women.

This book shares many stories about what Biblical Womanhood is not. While they are not graphic, some may be shocking for a girl or young women who is not immersed in the culture. Therefore, use your discretion.

An eight-week Bible study, True Woman 101: Divine Design helps women recapture the idea of biblical womanhood. Authors Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss show readers how feminism actually degrades women instead of elevating them as does God’s original design. True Woman 101 challenges women to affirm God’s original design and to live as true women of God.

Many women will find the premise of the book to be challenging as it’s so countercultural: God created manhood and womanhood to glorify Himself and to put the gospel of Jesus Christ on display. So, the authors say, “gender does matter.” In True Woman 101 Kassian and DeMoss lead readers on a biblical journey, showing how God’s original design for male and female was perfect, and how Satan tempted the first woman to reject God’s design. Since Adam and Eve sinned and rejected God’s original design, sin has damaged manhood and womanhood. The authors encourage readers to recapture and embrace God’s divine design, and in so doing, experience a “dramatic makeover from the inside out” that will transform their “womanhood into a thing of beauty.”

I found the authors’ tone to be conversational, personal, and inviting. The authors are passionate about the topic, and yet they temper that passion with loads of references to God’s Word. The authors make sure that you know these are not just their own ideas, but they are rooted in God’s Word. Additionally, the authors don’t just spoon-feed the reader. They ask questions. They require readers to dig into God’s Word for answers. They lead readers to discover truth from God’s Word for themselves, and to me, that’s a key part of being a Bible teacher—teaching students to study the Bible for themselves instead of relying on the knowledge of others.

Equally helpful are the discussion questions provided at the end of each week’s lessons. The questions require careful thought and consideration, and they are perfect for either individual or small group study. So many books provide great information. But without internalizing it and making it your own, it’s just knowledge. With the “Personalize” section at the end of each week, Kassian and DeMoss push readers to synthesize what they’ve learned, to respond to what they’ve studied, and to find ways to apply it to their lives. I think this is one of the most helpful parts of the Bible study because readers take head knowledge and turn it into heart knowledge.

I highly recommend this study to woman of all ages. It’s great for small groups, book clubs, moms groups, mentoring relationships, and even moms and daughters (although there’s a counterpart for teens called Becoming God’s True Woman. . .While I Still Have a Curfew, which I also highly recommend). True Woman 101 would also make a great individual Bible study. For any woman desiring to truly follow Jesus and live out God’s Word, True Woman 101 is a call to return to God’s design and is guaranteed to turn your life upside down as you experience transformation and freedom in Christ through God’s divine design.

One of the great things about this study is that the accompanying videos are available for free at [...]. In a world where even Christian publishers try to increase profits by charging for every single resource, I find it refreshing that Kassian, DeMoss, and Moody Publishers are so committed to the message of True Woman 101 that they have made the videos and other resources available at no cost. Bravo and thank you!

MARY KASSIAN is an award winning author, internationally renowned speaker, and a distinguished professor at Southern Baptist Seminary. She has published several books and Bible studies, including The Feminist Mistake. A graduate from the faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine from the University of Alberta, Canada, Mary has also studied systematic theology at the doctoral level and taught courses at seminaries throughout North America.

NANCY LEIGH DEMOSS is a mentor and “spiritual mother” to hundreds of thousands of women who have read her bestselling books and who listen to her two daily radio programs, Revive Our Hearts and the one-minute feature Seeking Him. Her books have sold more than 2,000,000 copies, and include Lies Women Believe, Choosing Forgiveness, A Place of Quiet Rest, and Surrender: The Heart God Controls, and Holiness: The Heart God Purifies. Nancy graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in piano performance and went on to serve as the Primary Children’s Ministries Director in a large local church. Since 1980, she has served on the staff of Life Action Ministries, a revival ministry based in Buchanan, Michigan.

* Note: I received a copy of this book from Moody Publishers for this honest review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.

Women have certainly evolved over the last 50 years. Two generations have passed since mothers working outside the home were a novelty. Most women back then were dedicated to their husbands and children and home-making. They served their own clothes, cooked meals from scratch (microwaves had not been invented yet) and kept their homes spotless. When women entered the workforce and stayed after their children were born, our society changed. Women changed. Children were placed in daycare and older children became latchkey kids. The biblical view of womanhood slowly ended.

In recent years, women have come to realize that this switch has created trouble for future generations. Our homes lack order. Our children get into trouble. Husbands and wives are falling into temptation and are having open adulterous relationships. Our values and morals are disintegrating.

There has been a movement, ever so slowly, among Christian women, to return to our original calling as women; however, without the guidance from women who understand the biblical role of women we would likely return to what feels most comfortable.

Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss have created an eight-week Bible study entitled "Divine Design" on biblical womanhood. What is most helpful is that Kassian and DeMoss through their reflective questions helps women identify attitudes whether they are based on the world's view or a biblical view and how to realign thought patterns to the way God would have us live our lives.

The book is beautiful. The pictures are colorful. I loved the feel and look of the book. The questions are pertinent to the topic and the study is relevant to the time we're living in. The eight-week study consists of five daily lessons that take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. They are thought-provoking and, at times, convicting.

"Divine Design" will help you reclaim your identity as the woman God created. The workbook goes along with a video series but can easily be completed without it. I have been a fan of Revive Our Hearts for many years. Nancy Leigh DeMoss has always encouraged me to become a woman after God's own heart.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from MP Press, as part of Moody Publishers' Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I am loving this book! Divine Design by Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh Demoss is a joyful, beautifully written Bible study that can be completed in eight weeks or read in one night like I did.
True Womanhood is a thing of beauty, and deep in our hearts we women know it is our calling. Portions of our world today are parched lands of gender confusion. What is the point of being a woman? Why are we so different from men? Are we different from men? Most answers fall far short of Scripture's definition of True Womanhood. True Womanhood is a well of clear water in the parched land. When we find out that there is such a thing as True Womanhood we desire to have it ourselves.
To help meet this need True Woman 101: Divine Design was penned. This book really could be called True Woman 101, because Nancy and Mary write about so many things here that pertain to womanhood. They write with winsome spirits and without compromise.
This book is written by women who have learned in God's Word how much He loves women, and how high and holy is the office of Womanhood and they are eager to share it with all women. Because of the joy with which it is written this book would be good for mother/older daughter study, study with a group of ladies or for a woman on her own who is curious about what Biblical Womanhood is like.

God is doing something in the hearts of women all over the world- He is teaching them to love being women; to be true women. This is what our world needs, true women.
Before we can live it we must understand what a true woman is "She is, quite simply, a woman who is being molded and shaped according to God's design. She's a woman who loves Jesus and whose life is grounded in, tethered to, and enabled by Christ and His Gospel. As a result, she is serious about bringing her thoughts and actions in line with what the Bible says about who she is, and how she ought to live. She is a woman who rejects the world's pattern of womanhood and gladly wears God's designer label instead," Mary and Nancy tell us.

Saying we wear God's label is another way of saying we bear His Image as women, and His Name as Christians. We show off God's Glory in a way only redeemed womanhood can.
We are living canvasses on which God paints His pictures!!!
Isn't that awe-inspiring?
Each Christian woman can be part of God's plan to show His truth to the world through her life.
We are created for this; we can live it out, we can love our role as women, and we can show off God's Divine Design, bringing Glory to God.

Our place as a Bearer of God's Image, a wearer of God's label, gives us Dignity, and Worth.
Our Redemption in Christ gives us Life, Hope, and the Ability to live for Him.

That is the problem with feminism- it is women aborting God's plan for them and defining their purpose themselves. This is futile, because they are made with a Divine Design that can't be hidden. Our Divine Design testifies to God's plan for us and also to the Gospel, a plan that exists for our great good and His Greater Glory. The differences between men and women are not to be rubbed out, ignored, spoken against, laughed at, or blurred to androgyny. These differences exist ultimately to point to Christ and His Bride and to remind the world of God's purposes.
The femininity of a woman who lives with a quiet spirit that trusts God and gentle spirit that serves His people paints a picture of the Church. A man's masculine strength to protect and willingness to sacrifice himself to die for his Bride paint a picture of Christ.
This is why the precepts in Scripture are eternal, and can be lived out by every Christian woman, in every age, in every place, because they are lived out on earth to point to something heavenly, to point to Christ.
The truth of that was wonderful to hear, and it reminds us just our great our responsibility is.
For example, the call to be homemakers is in part because a home made homey and restful by a woman who loves her family is a portrait of Heaven itself, the believers true home.

Our actions and way of being and living as a Christian women are testimonies to the Gospel.That is why God made Man and Woman, to show His Glory to a watching world in a way one gender alone can't. That is beautiful womanhood. That is why we can say, I Love Being a Woman!
I was blessed to receive my copy from Moody Publishing free for a review.

. Yikes! This is pretty heavy stuff. Its deep; it requires truth and reflection; search the heart and mind as you journey through this one. Its a book and workbook all in one. Such a gem though. What it means according to the world we live in, and how God defines woman according to His word, if we are not careful we can be deceived. And knowing who we are, and whose we are, is imperative to our walk with God! This book goes through the fundamentals of biblical womanhood in an eight week study. Each week includes five daily lessons leading to a group time of sharing and digging deeper into God's Word. (I did not do this in a group but perhaps one day I can gather some ladies together!) There are also on-line videos are available to further aid in the study of Biblical Womanhood, featuring Mary and Nancy who are so very encouraging to women; inspiring all to discover and embrace God's design and purpose for their lives.This is such a powerful study and I do plan to read this again, and blog my journey, although it may take me more than five weeks. haha Again though, it is so important for us to have our identity firmly rooted in Christ; we were fearfully and wonderfully made. May we never forget that. And may we never take lightly His love and purpose for our life! <3

Join Bible teachers Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss and share with the women you serve the key fundamentals of biblical womanhood in this eight week study. Each week includes five individual lessons leading to a group time of sharing and digging deeper into God's Word.
If you're tired of the world's cheap imitations and knock-offs--or if you're tired of clichéd advice, shallow caricatures--then this foundational teaching and insight from God's Word is for you!
Thousands are tossing the world's brand of womanhood and joining a quiet counter-Revolution. Find out why.

If you are a ministry leader and looking for a good Bible Study this is it! I was impressed the second I saw it, from the cover design, to the bright and colorful inside. It is well a well written study aimed at women, to teach them about Biblical womanhood. I will be using this study personally as well as in my own ministries.

I don't think you will be disappointed with this one!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

True Woman 101 Divine Design by authors Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh Demoss is an eight week study on biblical womanhood is a must read book for all women. Every woman needs to feel comfortable in her own skin and in the manner in which she was created by the Lord.

We are wonderfully made by the creator and need to embrace our true womanhood instead of relying upon what the secular "wordly media" says about whom we are.

What I love about this book is that it explains God's divine design for womanhood and it's spectacular. A True Woman is one whom is being molded and shaped according to God's design, loves Jesus and is grounded and tethered to, and enabled by Christ..

This is very powerful because it let's you know he has a special design and purpose for each and every one of us. I was not blessed to give birth and have children but nevertheless I am still a woman created by God for a purpose.

It has taken me a long time to come to that realization and many women just like me whom are childless have felt sometimes we were less than a woman. The world's pattern for womanhood suggest that the role of a woman is to produce and give birth.to children.

Well my design is quite different, I have been impregnated to birth new ministries that will benefit woman in many different areas such as heath advocacy, wellness and domestic abuse. I am learning to trust God more and embrace whom I am and continue to walk according to the purpose for which I was created.

If you haven't read the book this is a great resource and the biggest challenge I faced was in wanting to read the entire book from cover to cover all in one sitting. That's just how good a book it is.

With my Christian book club Soul Food we will embark on this as a group study and I encourage other women to do the same!!

Honestly, I’ve been disappointed by this book. I read Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth first and was wowed, convicted, and encouraged. I was hoping this book would follow be at that level; instead TW 101 is simple and repetitive.

As a twenty-something with a Bible college background and a heart for girls ministry - I’m always on the hunt for something interesting, relevant and capable of deepening my girls' understanding of God and Scripture. Based on these criteria, I would highly recommend this study.

Pros:
-Clear explanation of the differences between manhood & womanhood (while not falling into stereotypes)
-Excellent parallels of how a marriage between a man and a woman reflects Christ and the church
-Addresses the common (yet often unspoken) feeling that God loves women less
-Good balance of addressing those who are married and also girls who are single. Since I disciple high school girls, this was really important for me.

Cons:
-The online sessions are mediocre. I taught tidbits that I liked in them, but never showed them in group. The content in the videos especially doesn’t translate well to high school girls.
-There is a LOT of content & I was concerned my girls would get overwhelmed by information and absorb little. For this reason, I taught from outlines I created each week to highlight points I wanted them to remember.

The Bottom Line:
Divine Design ranks in the top five books I currently recommend for high school girls. It will challenge those who have grown up in church their whole lives and give them information to wrestle with so they can figure out what they believe Scripture teaches. It was very rewarding as a leader as my girls made comments like “I never thought of that before!"

Women have certainly evolved over the last 50 years. Two generations have passed since mothers working outside the home were a novelty. Most women back then were dedicated to their husbands and children and home-making. They served their own clothes, cooked meals from scratch (microwaves had not been invented yet) and kept their homes spotless. When women entered the workforce and stayed after their children were born, our society changed. Women changed. Children were placed in daycare and older children became latchkey kids. The biblical view of womanhood slowly ended.

In recent years, women have come to realize that this switch has created trouble for future generations. Our homes lack order. Our children get into trouble. Husbands and wives are falling into temptation and are having open adulterous relationships. Our values and morals are disintegrating.

There has been a movement, ever so slowly, among Christian women, to return to our original calling as women; however, without the guidance from women who understand the biblical role of women we would likely return to what feels most comfortable.

Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss have created an eight-week Bible study entitled "Divine Design" on biblical womanhood. What is most helpful is that Kassian and DeMoss through their reflective questions helps women identify attitudes whether they are based on the world's view or a biblical view and how to realign thought patterns to the way God would have us live our lives.

The book is beautiful. The pictures are colorful. I loved the feel and look of the book. The questions are pertinent to the topic and the study is relevant to the time we're living in. The eight-week study consists of five daily lessons that take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. They are thought-provoking and, at times, convicting.

"Divine Design" will help you reclaim your identity as the woman God created. The workbook goes along with a video series but can easily be completed without it. I have been a fan of Revive Our Hearts for many years. Nancy Leigh DeMoss has always encouraged me to become a woman after God's own heart.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from MP Press, as part of Moody Publishers' Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I am loving this book! Divine Design by Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh Demoss is a joyful, beautifully written Bible study that can be completed in eight weeks or read in one night like I did.
True Womanhood is a thing of beauty, and deep in our hearts we women know it is our calling. Portions of our world today are parched lands of gender confusion. What is the point of being a woman? Why are we so different from men? Are we different from men? Most answers fall far short of Scripture's definition of True Womanhood. True Womanhood is a well of clear water in the parched land. When we find out that there is such a thing as True Womanhood we desire to have it ourselves.
To help meet this need True Woman 101: Divine Design was penned. This book really could be called True Woman 101, because Nancy and Mary write about so many things here that pertain to womanhood. They write with winsome spirits and without compromise.
This book is written by women who have learned in God's Word how much He loves women, and how high and holy is the office of Womanhood and they are eager to share it with all women. Because of the joy with which it is written this book would be good for mother/older daughter study, study with a group of ladies or for a woman on her own who is curious about what Biblical Womanhood is like.

God is doing something in the hearts of women all over the world- He is teaching them to love being women; to be true women. This is what our world needs, true women.
Before we can live it we must understand what a true woman is "She is, quite simply, a woman who is being molded and shaped according to God's design. She's a woman who loves Jesus and whose life is grounded in, tethered to, and enabled by Christ and His Gospel. As a result, she is serious about bringing her thoughts and actions in line with what the Bible says about who she is, and how she ought to live. She is a woman who rejects the world's pattern of womanhood and gladly wears God's designer label instead," Mary and Nancy tell us.

Saying we wear God's label is another way of saying we bear His Image as women, and His Name as Christians. We show off God's Glory in a way only redeemed womanhood can.
We are living canvasses on which God paints His pictures!!!
Isn't that awe-inspiring?
Each Christian woman can be part of God's plan to show His truth to the world through her life.
We are created for this; we can live it out, we can love our role as women, and we can show off God's Divine Design, bringing Glory to God.

Our place as a Bearer of God's Image, a wearer of God's label, gives us Dignity, and Worth.
Our Redemption in Christ gives us Life, Hope, and the Ability to live for Him.

That is the problem with feminism- it is women aborting God's plan for them and defining their purpose themselves. This is futile, because they are made with a Divine Design that can't be hidden. Our Divine Design testifies to God's plan for us and also to the Gospel, a plan that exists for our great good and His Greater Glory. The differences between men and women are not to be rubbed out, ignored, spoken against, laughed at, or blurred to androgyny. These differences exist ultimately to point to Christ and His Bride and to remind the world of God's purposes.
The femininity of a woman who lives with a quiet spirit that trusts God and gentle spirit that serves His people paints a picture of the Church. A man's masculine strength to protect and willingness to sacrifice himself to die for his Bride paint a picture of Christ.
This is why the precepts in Scripture are eternal, and can be lived out by every Christian woman, in every age, in every place, because they are lived out on earth to point to something heavenly, to point to Christ.
The truth of that was wonderful to hear, and it reminds us just our great our responsibility is.
For example, the call to be homemakers is in part because a home made homey and restful by a woman who loves her family is a portrait of Heaven itself, the believers true home.

Our actions and way of being and living as a Christian women are testimonies to the Gospel.That is why God made Man and Woman, to show His Glory to a watching world in a way one gender alone can't. That is beautiful womanhood. That is why we can say, I Love Being a Woman!
I was blessed to receive my copy from Moody Publishing free for a review.

. Yikes! This is pretty heavy stuff. Its deep; it requires truth and reflection; search the heart and mind as you journey through this one. Its a book and workbook all in one. Such a gem though. What it means according to the world we live in, and how God defines woman according to His word, if we are not careful we can be deceived. And knowing who we are, and whose we are, is imperative to our walk with God! This book goes through the fundamentals of biblical womanhood in an eight week study. Each week includes five daily lessons leading to a group time of sharing and digging deeper into God's Word. (I did not do this in a group but perhaps one day I can gather some ladies together!) There are also on-line videos are available to further aid in the study of Biblical Womanhood, featuring Mary and Nancy who are so very encouraging to women; inspiring all to discover and embrace God's design and purpose for their lives.This is such a powerful study and I do plan to read this again, and blog my journey, although it may take me more than five weeks. haha Again though, it is so important for us to have our identity firmly rooted in Christ; we were fearfully and wonderfully made. May we never forget that. And may we never take lightly His love and purpose for our life! <3

Join Bible teachers Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss and share with the women you serve the key fundamentals of biblical womanhood in this eight week study. Each week includes five individual lessons leading to a group time of sharing and digging deeper into God's Word.
If you're tired of the world's cheap imitations and knock-offs--or if you're tired of clichéd advice, shallow caricatures--then this foundational teaching and insight from God's Word is for you!
Thousands are tossing the world's brand of womanhood and joining a quiet counter-Revolution. Find out why.

If you are a ministry leader and looking for a good Bible Study this is it! I was impressed the second I saw it, from the cover design, to the bright and colorful inside. It is well a well written study aimed at women, to teach them about Biblical womanhood. I will be using this study personally as well as in my own ministries.

I don't think you will be disappointed with this one!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

True Woman 101 Divine Design by authors Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh Demoss is an eight week study on biblical womanhood is a must read book for all women. Every woman needs to feel comfortable in her own skin and in the manner in which she was created by the Lord.

We are wonderfully made by the creator and need to embrace our true womanhood instead of relying upon what the secular "wordly media" says about whom we are.

What I love about this book is that it explains God's divine design for womanhood and it's spectacular. A True Woman is one whom is being molded and shaped according to God's design, loves Jesus and is grounded and tethered to, and enabled by Christ..

This is very powerful because it let's you know he has a special design and purpose for each and every one of us. I was not blessed to give birth and have children but nevertheless I am still a woman created by God for a purpose.

It has taken me a long time to come to that realization and many women just like me whom are childless have felt sometimes we were less than a woman. The world's pattern for womanhood suggest that the role of a woman is to produce and give birth.to children.

Well my design is quite different, I have been impregnated to birth new ministries that will benefit woman in many different areas such as heath advocacy, wellness and domestic abuse. I am learning to trust God more and embrace whom I am and continue to walk according to the purpose for which I was created.

If you haven't read the book this is a great resource and the biggest challenge I faced was in wanting to read the entire book from cover to cover all in one sitting. That's just how good a book it is.

With my Christian book club Soul Food we will embark on this as a group study and I encourage other women to do the same!!

Honestly, I’ve been disappointed by this book. I read Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth first and was wowed, convicted, and encouraged. I was hoping this book would follow be at that level; instead TW 101 is simple and repetitive.

As a twenty-something with a Bible college background and a heart for girls ministry - I’m always on the hunt for something interesting, relevant and capable of deepening my girls' understanding of God and Scripture. Based on these criteria, I would highly recommend this study.

Pros:
-Clear explanation of the differences between manhood & womanhood (while not falling into stereotypes)
-Excellent parallels of how a marriage between a man and a woman reflects Christ and the church
-Addresses the common (yet often unspoken) feeling that God loves women less
-Good balance of addressing those who are married and also girls who are single. Since I disciple high school girls, this was really important for me.

Cons:
-The online sessions are mediocre. I taught tidbits that I liked in them, but never showed them in group. The content in the videos especially doesn’t translate well to high school girls.
-There is a LOT of content & I was concerned my girls would get overwhelmed by information and absorb little. For this reason, I taught from outlines I created each week to highlight points I wanted them to remember.

The Bottom Line:
Divine Design ranks in the top five books I currently recommend for high school girls. It will challenge those who have grown up in church their whole lives and give them information to wrestle with so they can figure out what they believe Scripture teaches. It was very rewarding as a leader as my girls made comments like “I never thought of that before!"

I spent the time really answering and thinking through all the questions as well as watching the videos online and was rewarded with a much deeper conviction and understanding of what biblical womanhood looks like. This book really dismantles a lot of the lies women have been indoctrinated with through our culture.

It came like a lightning bolt. It shouldn’t have, I suppose, but somehow it still did. For years our church has struggled to build an effective women’s ministry. Men’s ministry has come quite easily and we have seen men participate in the ministry, enjoy it, and build significant relationships through it. But women’s ministry has always proven more difficult, at least in part because we have not had women who are both gifted and interested in leading it.

Then Paul Martin, who is senior pastor at our church, had a conversation with a friend who leads a church out on Canada’s east coast. This pastor said that his church, too, had struggled with women’s ministry until he made an observation about Titus 2, the text that speaks most clearly about the unique ways in which women can serve other women. Titus 2 says this:

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

What he pointed out is simply this: “Titus 2 wasn’t written to women. It was written to a pastor. Titus was told to teach women to teach other women.” Just once sentence before, Paul has told Titus, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” Only then does he go on to speak of women’s ministry. So this, too, falls under Titus’ oversight and leadership.

That might just explain why women’s ministry was not going as well as we wanted. Most women’s ministries are overseen by the pastors (as are all ministries), but what if the ministry was led by a pastor, at least for a time? And what if the pastor led for the purpose of identifying and training women who could eventually assume the leadership?

As pastors we took this as a charge to take women’s ministry seriously and to begin to lead that ministry, at least for a time. Instead of waiting for that leader, we would begin to develop leadership. Paul determined that he would spend a year or two heading up the women’s ministry meetings. A search for resources led us to True Woman 101: Divine Design by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Mary Kassian. This became the textbook.

True Woman 101 is an eight week, or eight part, study on biblical womanhood. Each week provides five daily individual lessons which lead up to a group time of digging deeper into God’s Word. The purpose of the book is to lead women to a deeper understanding of God’s unique design in womanhood. God was deliberate in creating distinctions between men and women and this book both explores and celebrates those differences, and the elements of God’s design that are distinctively female.

Paul has led the women through the book over eight months instead of eight weeks, and has met with the women twice each month. The first meeting is our monthly women’s fellowship, and there he leads a flying overview of one of the book’s chapters. Once he has taught the material, Paul excuses himself and the women break into small groups to discuss, apply and pray. The second meeting, which happens two weeks later, is a leadership meeting, open to any of the women who are interested in receiving more teaching and in stepping toward positions of leadership within women’s ministry. At these meetings Paul teaches original, supplemental material that complements the True Woman material. Again, he teaches and then steps out while the women discuss and apply.

To this point the program has been very successful, and very encouraging, and it seems that our women’s ministry is beginning to hit its stride. The ministry has purpose and direction, really for the first time, because it has leadership for the first time. We are seeing women identifying themselves as leaders and growing in their ability to lead. We are seeing women growing in relationship and growing in comfort with one another. There remains lots of room to grow, of course, but we are encouraged. More importantly, the women of our church are encouraged.

True Woman 201 is about a year away from release, but I have already given it a read and can attest that it is a worthy successor (and focuses more narrowly on how women can fulfill the mandate of Titus 2). In the meantime, I highly recommend True Woman 101. I’ve told you only how we have put it to use at Grace Fellowship Church, but it would be equally appropriate in women’s small groups, in one-to-one Bible study, or a host of other contexts. I, and we, highly recommend it.

I just finished leading this as an online international Bible study and we had almost 300 women participate in the study. As a ministry leader, I found the study very easy to use and supported by the free videos. Because it's available in Kindle format, we were able to study with women around the world. We met for discussions each week via Facebook and were challenged by the study questions in the book. The book was written in a loving way and does not condemn women for their personal decisions. It simply informs us about our roles as defined in scripture and then shows us how to apply scripture to our everyday life. I especially like the final chapter where all the ideas are brought together into an action plan. Brilliant!

True Woman 101: Divine Design is the perfect title for this book. Mary Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss set out in this book to provide a basic biblical guideline on the topic of biblical womanhood. As God's design for manhood and womanhood grows increasingly less and less popular in the secular world and its importance minimized in the church this book serves as a calling out to all woman to know and follow God's divine design for their lives.

The book is written as an 8 week study. Each week has a two page introduction to set the stage for the topic of the week. Each day is 4 pages of a mixture of reading, Scripture references and questions. The week ends with a section called "drawing it out, drawing it in" that is meant for personal reflection to help the week's topic really sink in. The overall layout of this book is simply outstanding. From the pictures, to the quotes in the margins, to the different colored tables and charts, the aesthetics of the book are certainly appealing. The information is laid out in such a way (a short paragraph or two followed by questions) that the reader, no matter the reading level, should have much difficulty with the daily studies.

The 8 weeks cover the following areas: God's design in gender, God's design in men, God's design in women, Sins effect and marring of God's design, The battle of the sexes, Culture model vs. God's model, God's makeover to make you a biblical woman, How all of this applies to the church and your relationship with people. This book does an excellent job of covering a lot of topics, some of which (ie. women's liberation) are sure to ruffle some feathers. If the reader takes an approach to use this book and search the Scriptures then I have no doubt that it will lead her to a correct understanding of God's Divine design. I recommend this book to any woman who wants to know what God says about being a woman.

I received a free copy of this book from Moody Publishers to review. I was not coerced in any way to give a positive review.

Intended to be an 8-week study, I actually completed this book much faster as I read it for review. An advantage of reading it this way gave me a great overall view of the message of Biblical womanhood compared to what the world says that womanhood should look like.

We live in a culture that sends the opposite message of what womanhood and manhood should be than what the Bible teaches. Culture has bought into the lie that we can do things our own way and have what we want, rather than following the design and plan that God intended for our femininity and masculinity.

The book begins with creation, and God's original intent and design in creating male and female. God created us equal but different, complementing each other in our roles. Men were created to be providers and protectors, while women were created to be nurturers, responsive and relational. Sin entered when Satan convinced Eve that having it her way was better than going God's way. And we have been doing the same thing ever since. After discussing God's intent in creating both male and female, the book goes on to talk about manhood and what that looks like in the Bible. It then brings out biblical womanhood and God's design for how a woman should be that is in relationship with Him. In all this, the book brings out how God's original intent for men and women is to reflect Him. The marriage relationship reflects the relationship between Christ and the church of believers.
"Our purpose in life is to put God on display - to reflect His glory in ways we as women were uniquely created to do."
"Men were created to reflect the strength, love, and self-sacrifice of Christ. Women were created to reflect the responsiveness, grace, and beauty of the bride He redeemed. And marriage was created to reflect the covenant union of Christ and His bride."

Continuing on, the book talks about the feminist movement and how the feminist ideology has now become mainstream. It affects us in ways that we don't even realize. Feminism is a worldview like any of the other -isms (materalism, humanism, etc.).
"Most of us mindlessly accept whatever we hear and see. We listen to music, read books and magazines, watch TV programs, go to movies, surf the Internet, listen to advice, and respond to advertisements. We adopt the latest fads, and embrace the lifestyles, values, and priorities of our friends. We listen to what the world has to say about womanhood and how we should dress, act, think, and behave. We do all this without asking ourselves important questions: What is the message here? Is it really true? Am I being deceived by a way of thinking that is contrary to the Truth?"

A contrast is given to being a Lady Wild vs. a Lady Wise, based on the Proverbs passages of Wisdom and Folly. We are often "more interested in fitting into the world than in honoring and reflecting the Lord." The study also talks about the importance of teaching and training the next generation what the true meaning of womanhood is based on the Bible and not what the world around us says.

I would recommend this study, especially for young women and teens as they are bombarded with the message of society that you can have it your way instead of God's way, as well as telling them to take control of their own lives rather than surrendering to God and following His path. This would also be a great study for a mom and teenage daughter to do together. The path of biblical womanhood is the path that leads to joy. This message is counter-cultural. True Woman 101 calls out for us to return to what the Bible says about being a woman and how God designed us. Yet this will look different for each woman. This book covers the principles of what biblical womanhood looks like, but how it is played out practically will differ.
"Women are not the same. Womanhood will look different from woman to woman...That's not to say that our decisions don't matter. In His Word God has given us timeless principles about womanhood that transcend culture. It's important that we wrestle with how to implement these principles. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance to help us figure out how to apply them in our particular situation. But we must avoid a cookie-cutter mentality. We are all unique. Every woman's circumstances are distinct. We each need to carefully discern how to apply God's principles in our own lives, and we can encourage one another in that process; but it's not up to us to determine how they must be applied in other women's lives."

*I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review.

True Woman 101: Divine Design was SO insightful and helped me see Gods specific design for myself (as a woman), in a way that I had never thought of before.. It breaks down NUMEROUS ways- physically, emotionally, psychologically, in which men and woman were created differently. And in those differences, are Gods purpose for us...Being a younger woman, I never thought of Feminism much, or the impact that the 'Movement' had on this country and our history.. It opened my eyes to see how it was more than a 'movement', but it shifted the dynamics of how America functioned as a nation.
It really caused me to look at my behavior and the 'mind set' in which I was raised on thru media/socially/the education system. Gods purposeful design of us and what our natural 'make up' is about, is SO FAR from what society's message is.. It may be a difficult book for some women who might not yet have surrendered to the biblical concepts of the roles of women and men. But for those who are farther in their 'journey' or who truly feel at peace with Gods desire for us, its a wonderful book that will help you get back to Gods original purpose and plan for us as women..
I loved this book and thus far, out of all the bible studies I have done, it has had the BIGGEST impact on me and my understanding of Gods creation of 'The Woman'... Thank you Ladies for putting this study together.. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always felt like something was not being presented right, as far as womanhood goes. After reading this book I feel as though I have finally understood my purpose, my ultimate purpose. I feel much closer to God and have a better understanding of His love and plan for my life. I am now able to teach my children their purpose and glorify God in the way that it is intended for us to do. This book is awesome!

In our Christian culture we've been so deeply impacted by the feminist movement that it's in the air we breathe! True Woman 101 will give you a SOLID grasp of biblical womanhood is and what it is not!

The daily lessons are easy to complete (even for this busy mom of three boys!) and the way the book has been laid out is refreshing. Also, following the free videos on www(dot)truewoman(dot)com is helpful to see the authors and their girlfriends talk about real issues we face.

This study should be a foundational class to all women's ministries!