September Bible study!

1 John 5:13, I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.

The real you is a spirit in a body with a soul!

We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) and God is a Spirit (John 4:24). 1 Thess. 5:23

Who can be saved?

2 Peter 3:9, He’s not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance. examples: Rahab (a harlot... the lowest! saved and even part of the line of Christ). Abraham (friend of God, highest example of faith and trust in God.... yet still saved in the same way). Paul, chief of sinners.

When are you saved?

When you act on the grace and faith that God gives - Ephesians 2:8. It’s free to us, but was very costly to God. If it’s free, what is required of us? Accept. Believe. Our spirits are reborn when we stop trying to earn our own salvation with good works. We’re saved when we realize that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sin and receive Him into our lives as our personal Redeemer. “To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12 "If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 (-note, no one can make this decision for you!) Trust is always evidenced in some form of action. Even the demons believe and yet they are not saved. Three kinds of attitudes are needed for salvation: humility in that I am a sinner; belief that God loves me and gave His Son for me; a turning from self and sin to God. examples: the thief on the cross next to Jesus - Luke 23:42-43; the jailer, Acts16:25-34

Can you lose your salvation?

Our spirits are eternal -our spirits are saved when we are born again, not our soul or our body. Our spirits are in an eternal blood covenant with God’s Spirit. The only salvation you can lose is that of your soul and body: the salvation of our soul by giving our mind, our will and emotions to Satan and worldly influences, and of our bodies by sowing to the flesh (Gal. 6:8, 1 Cor. 3:17).

You might find this version of John 10:25-30 helpful: Jesus answered, "I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind."

According to the Bible, there is only one person who can fall from grace- the unbeliever who is attempting to work his way to heaven (one who refuses to be saved by grace). Galatians 5:4, You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Before you are saved, you are the keeper of your own soul, and you cannot do anything but fail in its keeping. But when you get saved, you turn your soul over to the protection of another--God. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul says: For the which cause I also suffer these things: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.

Philippians 1:6: being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise

Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

John 1:12-13: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

If sin separates me from Christ - how much sin?? How far do you have to sin to break the security that you have in God? This is making your salvation depend on your personal faithfulness. Romans 8:35-39: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Evidence that you are saved (fruit, sanctification)

Sanctification is work (empowered by the Holy Spirit); it’s like peeling a potato: one layer at a time, a process, peeling away the desire to sin, fleeing temptation, pursuing holiness. Any part of your potato that has not been peeled is like areas of your life that have not been yielded to God. It is the salvation of your soul (James 1:21) - an ongoing salvation. There’s a continual battle between our spirit and our soul (1 Peter 2:11, Romans 8:6. Renew your mind, Romans 12:1-2. 2 Corinthians 2:4-5, taking your thoughts captive. Psalm 19:7 - the law of the Lord converts the soul. A greater awareness of right and wrong John 8:31 - a growing hunger and thirst for the Lord. note, much of James is speaking about sanctification (works, faith - being a doer, not just a hearer). Not one ounce of our obedience adds to our justification!! All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, Romans 8:14- another evidence, that you are being led in the direction of His will by the Holy Spirit.

What about those who said they were saved, but they show no fruit?

If someone’s life is not showing fruit it may be true that they are not genuinely saved. Remember that God sees the heart. It’s not our place to judge (to be like a Pharisee and haughtily look down on others who are not living according to God’s Word). If they’re still breathing, God still has a purpose for them! Don’t lose hope! Keep praying for them, and be a loving, kind, sincere example. For a plant to grow, it needs to have good soil, sunlight, rain, pruning, etc. So, it may also be true that they are not receiving the proper nourishment needed to grow and bear fruit. What helps a believer to grow? Being in God’s Word (read, study, memorize), spending time with Jesus (prayer), sitting under Godly teaching (church and other forms of Bible study help such as books, radio, internet), fellowship among other believers (Hebrews 10:24-25), listening to the Holy Spirit’s convictions, etc. Someone who is truly saved and yet is walking in a way that is not honoring the Lord will face consequences for their life choices - lack of joy, a poor influence, chastening for their sin. The evidence of your faith is works (James, faith without works is dead)

What is the “unpardonable sin”?

Always remember that if you confess your sin, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The unpardonable sin is blaspheming the Holy Spirit by continually rejecting His conviction.The Pharisees saw Jesus’ works, heard His teaching... but their spirits were in opposition to Him. If you never repent and receive Christ, you will be eternally lost.

What about you?

Two pictures of an unsaved person: one who breaks all the laws and is bad (the younger brother in Jesus’ parable, Luke 15). The other who keeps all the rules and is good (the perfect, elder brother in Jesus’ parable - obeying to get things from God -God owes me). Both are lost. Both are alienated from their Father. Even if you obey all the rules and act like a “good girl”, it doesn’t mean you’re saved. what is the controlling passion of your heart? What is “God” to you? Who do you love?

False Religions

They all say that if you search hard enough and work hard enough, you will find God. But God came into the world to seek and to save us. Salvation is by His grace, not by our achievement. Because He accepts and loves us, we obey and love and serve Him.

Man has Sinned

Romans 3:23, all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

James 2:10, whoever keeps the Law as a whole but stumbles and offends in one single instance has become guilty of breaking all of it.

Sin Has Punishment

Romans 5:12, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus is the Only Way of Salvation

John 3:16, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:6, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Romans 5:8, God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Salvation - Believe in the heart, confess with the mouth

Romans 10:9, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

John 1:12, to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

Be the Girl

Take a minute to read this great article - important stuff and good thoughts!

Be the Girl

A Baby Shower in May

Our dear friend Lauren (and her husband Colin) are expecting their first baby in June. We were happy to bless her with a baby shower at our last meeting. Here is Lauren and her mother.

We had a special cake and some other little treats.

Decorations for a baby girl!!

Opening gifts for the baby!

playing some fun games 

We love you, sweet girls! 

Thank you for blessing Lauren with your meaningful verses of Scripture at the shower.

Pray with us for a safe and smooth delivery for this precious new life!

notes from our April gathering

Hearing God's voice in your journey of life! 

This was the topic of our April meeting. How do we hear God's voice? Through the Holy Spirit. God is a Spirit! He speaks to our spirits through His Spirit. John 4:23-24, "a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 16:13, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears...” Romans 8:16, “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Even though you have three parts (1 Thess. 5:23), the real "you" is your spirit! You are a spirit in a body with a soul. When you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, He places His Spirit within you. Every day, we should ask that God fill us afresh with His Spirit and give us ears to hear Him. Luke 11:13 - “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Romans 12:11 tells us to be fervent in spirit. The word fervent means enthusiastic (en - in and theo- God). Since you are in Christ, you should be enthusiastic! Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant (The Message). Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord (Amplified). Pray that others are drawn to Jesus Christ Who is in you!

FAITH is essential to hearing God’s voice! - Hebrews 11:6. What is faith? You may not be able to fully understand or reason with your mind. Faith is something that your spirit does - believing! When God talks to us, He expects action. "Faith without works is dead... for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also," James 2:20, 26.

Pray Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.” Look for verses that stand out to you with special significance (does it convict you, challenge, warn, encourage? this is a rhema!). This is hearing the voice of God! Write it down, engraft it into your soul (pray it, memorize it, etc), and it becomes a part of your heart’s belief system. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that man doesn't live by bread alone but by every word (rhema) that comes from the mouth of God. Ask God for a daily rhema!

Write down GodStops!

Savoring the Observable Presence
It is explained in the introduction of the 'Believing God' Bible study Beth Moore wrote. Here is an excerpt:
"... In essence, God's glory is any way in which He makes Himself recognizable. When I see a brilliant sunset I know no artist could paint, I recognize God through His masterpiece. Likewise, when something happens in my day that I know is more than a coincidence, I am learning to recognize God in it. Part of our faith-walk experience will be learning to recognize God in our midst by noticing visible prints of His invisible hands. We don't want to miss God when He makes Himself observable! I am convinced that the more we learn to recognize and appreciate His interventions and revelations, the more we are likely to receive them!... The stop in GodStop comes from the acronym God gave me: Savoring the Observable Presence. When God makes Himself observable, we want to stop and take notice. I want to learn to say to myself, That's God! Stop and savor the moment! A GodStop is any means by which God seems to go out of His way during your day to make Himself known to you........ I even consider a GodStop a time when God suddenly catches me in a sin of action or attitude that I didn't know anyone noticed. One way I know I am cherished is because God loves whom He disciplines (see Heb. 12:6). A sudden disciplinary action is a GodStop reminding me that He is ever present and loves me too much to let me get away with something that is displeasing to Him......" - Beth Moore, Excerpt from "Believing God"

Ask God for a hearing heart. This is what King Solomon did. Listen for Him to speak to you through His Word, His Spirit, through your parents, through circumstances. Remove the things that distract you from hearing (have that prayer closet! Matthew 13:22 - don't let the cares of this world choke out the growth that God wants to do in you).

Regularly and diligently feed yourself the Word of God. It’s daily fellowship with our loving heavenly Father. When we develop good communication with God, He promises to bless us in unimaginable ways! 1 Corinthians 2:9

Practical Application
Ask Questions: (about the truths that God has written)
Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

How can I delight myself in the Lord? (Psalm 37:4)
Pray Scripture. God speaks through His Word. It is alive and living!

Read Psalm 119 (one or two sections). Write down one rhema for each morning. What questions did you ask? How can you apply it?

March GRL notes

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing 

Christ Jesus my Lord! Philippians 3:8

This past month, we talked about the importance of seeking God early... now, before we're older... and early as in early in the day! In celebrating holy days and feasts, the Jewish culture actually begin at sundown on the day before. Genesis 1:5 tells us that the evening and the morning were the first day. So, start your day right by seeking God as your head touches the pillow at night!

At night, three parts of our body need to be strengthened: our body, our soul and our spirit.

Think of your bed as an altar to the Lord. In the Bible, altars were God's special meeting places with man. Put away distractions before going to bed! - other people, email, noises, an interesting book, phone.

Remind yourself and tell God that your body belongs to Him and that you desire for it to be used to glorify Him. Make sure there are no hidden sins in your life that would grieve the Lord and quench the power of His Holy Spirit- “if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” Ps.66:18.

Yield every member of your body to God. Romans 6 tells us - But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Offer sacrifices of praise to Jesus. It’s natural to dwell on our own thoughts as we go to bed - concerns, hurtful wounds, lustful desires, future plans - God wants us to take all of these thoughts and sacrifice them to Him! Replace them with thoughts about Him and His Word. David did this: Psalm 63:5-6 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. When the people of God approached the altar at the Temple, they were to come with a grateful heart- Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, Psalm 100:4a. The Temple is the place where God’s presence dwelled.

Share a rhema of Scripture with the Lord. A Rhema is a verse of Scripture that stands out with special meaning. Keep a journal of rhemas. Hebrews 4:12 says His word is living and powerful! It is the light we need to conquer the darkness of sin. A key passage of Scripture overcomes spiritual darkness and opens the way for intimate fellowship with God. He will reveal deeper understanding of His Word as we meditate on it. The people of God placed animals on their altars- we can bring the food of God’s Word to our altar-bed. Jesus will be right there to enjoy a meal with us! Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door [of your heart], I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me- Rev. 3:20. His Word is essential for life! Luke 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Word - rhema - a precise scriptural command that God gives us to apply in our lives. Select a passage and memorize it. It’s letting His Word abide in us. If ye abide in me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you- John 15:7. Let them not depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion... When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet- Pr. 3:21, 24.

Give all your expectations to God. At the root of every bitter feeling, broken relationship, etc. there are personal expectations that were unfulfilled or violated. It is not wrong to have expectations. However, it is wrong to put them on people, events, or things rather than on God. David told his soul, “my soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him” Psalm 62:5. As we place our expectations on the altar, we are then free to love others! We will not be expecting anything from them.

Other ideas in enjoying the presence of God:
Make it a habit of putting new thoughts in... use Hymns:
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
To God be the Glory

Use Scripture cards - like a shot of vitamin D!

Praise God for His many names. Baptist minister Adrian Rogers would say to his congregation: “go home and lay your head upon your pillow, and pillow your soul on the Word of God, and go to sleep and sleep well, for He Who watches Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” It’s not magical or a ritual to perform. It’s truly claiming by faith who God is to you - represented in His names. He’s the God of comfort, the God of peace, the God of all I need, etc.

Pictures from the February Tea Talk!

Girls Really Living gathered together for a very special Tea Party this month! 

We dressed up, picked out fun hats and gloves to wear, and were treated to a Tea Talk by our friend, Mrs. Sheryl.

Mrs. Sheryl shared how each tea cup is shaped differently and yet is still so beautiful. God has created us in a unique way and each of us are precious in His eyes!



enjoying scones and fruit
tea sandwiches and cheese
posing for a picture while enjoying tea with our dessert... cheesecake and fudge brownies!

Mrs. Sheryl taught us about the history of tea, gave us instruction on tea etiquette, and reminded us how special we are to God. He has placed us here "for such a time as this."

Lauren and Jaimee
We are so thankful to the Lord for blessing us with such a lovely afternoon!

June Journey to the Heart

We have been given the amazing opportunity to lead a girls Journey to the Heart in June. The Journey to the Heart is a 10-day experience in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In the midst of 3,000 acres of woods and lakes you will enjoy Bible study with your team of other girls, have sweet fellowship, worship and prayer, and rich, personal time with God.

Out of all the retreats and Bible conferences we have ever attended, the Journey has had the greatest spiritual impact on our lives! We would love to see every single Christian young person go on a Journey. Prayerfully consider sending your older daughter(s) with us. This journey will help them learn how to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength! 

To sign up, click here.

Should you have questions, feel free to email us or leave a comment.