Girlsminister.com backstage Live blogging and Twitter compiling for Secret Church

Apr 23, 2011 by Amy-Jo    No Comments    Posted under: Girls Ministry, liveblogging @ event, scripture, secret church

Girlsminister.com backstage live blogging Secret Church

I didn’t know what to expect tonight. I really didn’t know that I would be back stage live blogging the event. That is something I wished I had thought of before the event was going on. So what you will see in this post is really not a complete liveblog of secret church. However, it is a pretty neat picture of all the conversations going on during secret church and then my best intentions of taking notes during secret church. At one point I did figure out how to turn off the twitter stream and just input notes. Then my ipad died right as David was beginning to talk about Election. ELECTION at 11:18pm?!?! I would never have attempted that, but then again I’m not a pastor named David Platt. He did get a little giddy at times, but I was very impressed that I stayed with him for the whole time. Of course, it was a firehose of biblestudy. No. I wouldn’t even call it biblestudy. It was a seminary class. It was a good seminary class…but it really was that. So here is the embed from Scribblelive…which by the way was my first time using the service and I’m a fan. So here it is…these are just the conversations that were going on…and my attempt of capturing David’s notes starting with salvation. This doesn’t begin from the crucifixion. Enjoy!

GUEST BLOGGER: Spiritual Jaws need Meat

Jul 8, 2010 by Amy-Jo    No Comments    Posted under: Girls Ministry, guest blogger, Mentoring, scripture

Tiffany Haynes has done us the favor of sharing another guest blog for us.  I am so very thankful because girlsminister.com has been very busy going from mission week to summer camp to VBS to missions week and I haven’t had a chance to take a breath and process all that God has been doing. Thanks to Tiffany, we have a post this week!

If you haven’t met Tiffany, check out her other articles here.

Exposing God’s Word To Students

One of common understandings we know regarding the nature of girls v. boys is that girls typically mature faster than boys.  However, one thing we often fail to remember is that this truth is not only relevant from a physical and emotional standpoint, but also from a spiritual standpoint.

As we teach our girls, we need to remember that providing them with spiritual meat to chew on is muy Bueno (that’s “very good” in Spanish.  See, I did pay attention in college!).  As my friend, Gregg, states – we must tear muscle to build muscle.  We need to be giving our girls’ spiritual jaws a hefty workout by tossing God’s meaty Word their way.  Too often we get skittish of going “too deep” in our topics with them.  The bad part is, we’re so anxious about the deep waters that we over-compensate and then find ourselves (and our students) standing in the shallow end of the pool.

Like it says in Colossians 2:7 (NIV), we need to be “rooted and built up in Him.”  It’s important to expose girls to the depth of our Lord and Christ.  Oftentimes, we take a reverse approach and try to address a common issue by crafting scripture around the issue.  We work diligently at wrapping the message in a ritzy bow in order increase the appeal of our words instead of just allowing God’s Word to do the work for us (check out Nehemiah 8:3).

As leaders, our purpose is to expose our girls to God’s Word and then allow His Holy Spirit to equip.  In order to expose them more, consider teaching from an “expository” approach.  Expository is just a fancy word for going through a book of the Bible and describing, informing, and defining the author’s writings – and referencing other Scriptures to reinforce the context – to the reader.  This will definitely stretch your own spiritual muscles as you study and prepare for these types of messages (try using commentaries, concordances, and other credible study sources); but remember, it was never God’s intention that we play hop-scotch with His Word.

Deep Calleth Deep

Back in January I began doing a study on the book of Exodus.  I read nearly every day out of this 384 page book with insanely tiny print.  It’s July now and I’m only half way through it!  There’s much to chew on, but it has truly been the most breathtaking ride to study God’s Word in such intimate detail.  The parallelism between the Old Testament and the New Testament has simply rocked my face off and I pray leaders would help their students learn to study and known God’s Word with such depth.

We truly serve a God of details.  Did you know that the Ark in Exodus was made of “shittim wood” (also known as acacia)?  Funky word and can easily be glossed over, but it was said to be from a tree which many thought to be imperishable and could thrive in very dry conditions.  Furthermore, it’s interesting to find that when this tree is pierced, it actually oozes and produces a type of gum which is used in medicinal preparations.  Does this “piercing” remind you of anything?  Ah, yes, our Jesus who was pierced for us and whose blood flowed forth from His side.  Through His death, we experience healing.  What a phenomenally intricate reassurance to know how God chose the very wood the Ark would be comprised of in order to foreshadow what Christ would achieve for us thousands of years later.

Do our girls clearly understand the intensity of our Father?  How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  (Romans 10:14) As leaders involved in girls ministry, it’s so vital to ensure we don’t linger in the shallows too long, but teach our girls to immerse themselves in the rushing waters of Christ.
Good words Tiffany! What about you? How are you seeing God make His words jump off the pages and bring the spiritual nutrition you need to do what He’s called you to do?

How are you leading the girls that God places in your life to see God’s word as the meaty meal they need?

How are you helping them to excercise their spiritual jaws and really start chewing on God’s word?

11 verses to share with girls to guard their hearts from The Deceiver

Feb 5, 2010 by     5 Comments    Posted under: Featured, Freebies, Girls Ministry, Moms, scripture

I was deceived yesterday. It’s an awful feeling. I had begun to build some hopes and plans on this “opportunity” I was inquiring about. See, we are trying to sell our home and after almost 5 months of having to be ready at a moment’s notice to get out and let strangers walk through to see if they want to buy the home, I started realizing how stressed it was making me. That’s when I saw this amazing deal on craigslist that offered a luxury apartment for 1/2 price very close to our church that was pretty snazzy as well. I thought we could move there and wait for our home to sell. I contacted the landlord and she was very nice. She emailed me that someone had tried to move in but something fell through so we were the 2nd in line. All we needed to do was fill out a credit report. Well, we didn’t lose any money but we realized yesterday that she had scammed us so that she would get paid for referrals to this credit report site. There was no apartment for sale. OUCH! I was so hurt. I was angry too because I thought I should have seen this coming. But then I grieved a little over the plan I had figured out in my mind. I had been deceived.
As I was going home, I spoke with a mother who was concerned that her daughter was having a problem recognizing her worth and value. As I heard some of what the daughter was saying about herself, I realized that both this daughter and I bumped into the Deceiver. The definition for DECEIVER is: to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.
You realize that’s what Satan is called in scripture right?

Genesis 3:13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” • The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Just like Eve, It was obvious to me that I had been deceived but I started to wonder how often I am deceived.

So let’s look a little bit more into that. What was the lie that Satan told Eve?

Genesis 3:4-5 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. ?For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

What lies am I buying into that I’ve allowed Satan to whisper into my heart? What lies have taken root and caused insecurities and hurt…some that I may not even be able to see?
Satan’s attack was first to get Eve to question God’s truth. As you read what Satan says, it’s sounds very similar in nature to the “How far is too far” question. Second, Satan Denied God’s truth about death. And finally, Satan told Eve something that she didn’t even know she wanted but then before long, she took a bite.

Here is a list of “I AM” statements that remind us of God’s truth. As you read through them, think through lies your girls and leaders may hear from The Deceiver. Which one of these truths is Satan trying to attack and get them to buy into one of his lies?

1 Corinthians 6:20 (You are not your own. you were bought with a price)
Colossians 3:3 (you died and your life is hidden with Christ)
Phil. 1:6 (God will complete the good work He started in me)
Ephesians 1:5 (I am adopted as His Child)
Ephesians 2:10 (We are God’s workmanship created in christ Jesus to do good works…)
Ephesians 2:19 (we are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household)
Ephesians 3:12 (We may approach God with freedom and confidence)
Ephesians 2:22 (I am a dwelling in which God lives)
Gal. 2:20 (I am crucified with Christ)
2 Cor. 5:17 ( I am a new creation)
Romans 8:2 (set free from sin)

Now I want to hear from you. Why do you think a particular scripture above is key in guarding the hearts of ours and the girls we work with? What lies do you see being conquered as a result of girls truly leaning into the truth of God’s word above?