10-Week Study & Discussion Guide

Women of the Word

by Jen Wilkin·71 discussion questions

Lead your group with the discussion already prepared: a reading plan, thoughtful questions, and printable handouts for everyone.

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Week 1 — FreeRead the Introduction of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

Discussion question your group will work through:

1.Wilkin begins by describing the gap between women's hunger for God and their actual knowledge of Scripture. Does that description resonate with your experience? Where have you felt that gap most acutely?

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About This Study Guide

At a glance: this is a 10-week study and discussion guide for Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin, with 71 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin is a practical, passionate guide to help Christian women study the Bible with both their minds and their hearts. Wilkin's central thesis is simple but transformative: we cannot love what we do not know. Before the Bible can change our hearts, it must inform our minds — and that requires moving beyond devotional habits that feel good in the moment but leave us biblically shallow. Wilkin identifies common pitfalls women fall into when approaching Scripture (treating it like a mirror, a magic eight ball, or a personal encouragement journal) and then offers a clear, memorable framework for deeper study built around five P's: Purpose, Perspective, Patience, Process, and Prayer. The goal is not just information, but formation — women who know God more truly because they know His Word more deeply.

This study guide is designed to walk you through Women of the Word one chapter at a time, whether you are reading on your own or with a small group. Each week, read the assigned chapter before you gather (or before you journal), then work through the discussion questions at your own pace. Some questions will check your comprehension of Wilkin's argument; others will press you toward honest self-examination; and a few will ask you to connect what you're learning to the broader story of the gospel. There is a closing prayer at the end of each week to help you bring the material before God rather than simply filing it away as information. Feel free to linger wherever a question opens something up — the goal is not speed, but depth.

By the end of this guide, you will have a concrete, repeatable method for studying any book of the Bible, a clearer sense of your own habits and blind spots as a reader of Scripture, and a renewed vision for why rigorous Bible study is an act of love — love for God and love for the people around you whom you are called to teach, encourage, and serve. Wilkin writes with warmth, humor, and directness, and we hope this guide mirrors that same tone as you work through it together.

Week 1: Introduction — Why Women Need the Word

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Read the Introduction of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

Wilkin opens with a bold claim: our feelings about God are only as reliable as our knowledge of God. Before diving into her method, take a moment to reflect honestly on what has driven your own approach to Scripture.

1.Wilkin begins by describing the gap between women's hunger for God and their actual knowledge of Scripture. Does that description resonate with your experience? Where have you felt that gap most acutely?

2.She argues that our feelings about God are only as trustworthy as our knowledge of God. What are the implications of that statement?

a.Can you think of a time when your feelings about God led you in a direction that better biblical knowledge might have corrected?

b.Does making knowledge primary feel cold or clinical to you? Why or why not?

3.Wilkin is writing specifically to women. Why do you think she narrows her audience? Do you think the problems she identifies are unique to women, or more broadly human?

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All 10 weeks, 71 questions, closing prayers, and printable weekly handouts — plus the full PDF — so your prep is reading it over, not writing it from scratch.

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See the questions, reading assignment, and space for notes your group can use at the table. The complete guide includes a printable handout for every week.

Week 1 sample · first 3 questions

Group handout: Women of the Word

Week 1 sample · first 3 questions. Scroll to read the sample.

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10-Week Schedule

  1. Week 1Introduction — Why Women Need the Word7 questions
  2. Week 2Chapter 1 — A Case for the Serious Study of Scripture7 questions
  3. Week 3Chapter 2 — His Story, Not Yours7 questions
  4. Week 4Chapter 3 — The Five P's: Purpose7 questions
  5. Week 5Chapter 4 — The Five P's: Perspective7 questions
  6. Week 6Chapter 5 — The Five P's: Patience7 questions
  7. Week 7Chapter 6 — The Five P's: Process7 questions
  8. Week 8Chapter 7 — The Five P's: Prayer7 questions
  9. Week 9Chapter 8 — Teaching Others Well7 questions
  10. Week 10Review & Reflection — Looking Back, Moving Forward8 questions

Week 2: Chapter 1 — A Case for the Serious Study of Scripture

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 1 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.Wilkin writes that the heart cannot love what the mind does not know. In your own words, what is the relationship she is drawing between the mind and the heart in the Christian life?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 3: Chapter 2 — His Story, Not Yours

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 2 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.Wilkin describes several common approaches to Bible reading that end up making the Bible more about the reader than about God. Which of the approaches she names — the 'Xanax' approach, the 'fortune cookie' approach, the 'CSI' approach, and others — have you most recognized in yourself or others?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 4: Chapter 3 — The Five P's: Purpose

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 3 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.In your own words, what does Wilkin mean by 'purpose' as it relates to Bible study? What wrong purposes does she identify, and what is the right one?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Five P's: Perspective

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 4 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.What does Wilkin mean by 'perspective' in Bible study? Why is it dangerous to read a verse or passage in isolation from its broader context?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 7: Chapter 6 — The Five P's: Process

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 6 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.Wilkin outlines a process for Bible study built around three movements: comprehension, interpretation, and application. In your own words, what is each step asking you to do, and why does the order matter?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 8: Chapter 7 — The Five P's: Prayer

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 7 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.Why does Wilkin include prayer as one of the five P's, rather than just assuming it? What does her inclusion of it say about how easily prayer can be separated from Bible study in practice?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 9: Chapter 8 — Teaching Others Well

All 7 questions →

Read Chapter 8 of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin.

1.Wilkin opens this chapter by noting that the women who teach the Bible have an enormous responsibility. Why is the stakes of Bible teaching so high — what is lost when the Bible is taught poorly?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Week 10: Review & Reflection — Looking Back, Moving Forward

All 8 questions →

Review your notes and highlights from all of Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin. You may also want to revisit any chapters that were particularly challenging or formative.

1.Looking back over the whole book, which of Wilkin's five P's — Purpose, Perspective, Patience, Process, or Prayer — has been most convicting or most transformative for you? Why?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide
Book Club QuestionsMore by Jen WilkinBible Study & ScriptureSpiritual Growth & DisciplinesFor Women's MinistryFor Individual StudyFor Small GroupsFree Question GeneratorMake a reading schedule for this book

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About the Women of the Word guide

How many weeks is the Women of the Word study guide?

This study guide covers Women of the Word in 10 weeks, with week-by-week discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.

How many discussion questions are included?

The complete guide includes 71 discussion questions across 10 weeks — an average of 7 questions per week, designed for group conversation.

Can I use this guide for a book club?

Yes — the questions are written for group discussion and work well for small groups, book clubs, church studies, and couples reading together.

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