GNO | Spa Night

You're invited! Yep, you! Come and join us!

For directions, please email or call Jessie at jstone@ridgecrestbaptist.org or 885.5275.

Fall Schedules

Hi, lovelies!

I've got some exciting news for you. Our rbcgirls fall schedules are posted!

Please check out the GNO tab for info on our fall Girls Night Out activities AND check the GBS tab for info on our fall Girls Bible Study sessions. Check back often for all the razzle dazzle details in rbcgirls this fall.

You won't want to miss what we've got planned this fall:

a little sweet, a little spice, and a whole lotta fun!

We so hope you'll join us!

~Jessie

Truth or Dare?

Have you and your friends ever played truth or dare? What happened when you chose ‘dare’? Maybe it was something easy like ‘stick your bra in the freezer’ or maybe it was something embarrassing, like ‘tell Timmy you like him’. While these dares may seem pretty trivial, the world tempts us in ways that are anything but. It’s that little voice inside your head that says, “What could it hurt? You’re the only one not doing it. It’ll make you feel normal.” That voice is Satan saying “I dare you to fail. I dare you to fail in your little walk with God.” The devil is the master of dares. While it is true that Jesus led a perfect and sinless life, He was still tempted and ‘dared’. In Matthew 4, the Bible talks about when Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness.

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for the devil to tempt Him. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. 3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”. 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

–Matthew 4:1-4

Can you imagine that temptation? That would be like you not being able to eat before a surgery, and your mom coming home with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Ouch. But really, that dare was only small in the long run. The devil dares us not to follow God. But God has some dares of His own. He dares us to not be silent about our faith. He dares us to take the road less traveled. He dares us to be different.

“Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

-Ezra 10:4

This verse says “Rise up”. Accept God’s dare. Dare to live out your faith for Him.

Love,

Emilee

Final Girls Bible Study Recap

Hello again! In case you missed the final week of Girls Bible Study, here is the lie we talked about: Lies about my future and lies about sin.

Let’s talk about sin. A big lie that comes with sin is this: I can’t overcome my sin.

So often we feel the shame and guilt that comes with sin. Whether it’s from lying, gossiping, sexual immorality, or cheating, or maybe you feel imprisoned by a secret sin that no one knows about. Satan wants us to get so stuck in our ‘sin cell’ that we can’t move forward in our relationship with Christ. He wants us to wallow in our sin and self pity so that the Lord can’t move in us.

How do you know when someone feels guilty? How do you feel when you’re guilty? How do you recognize when you’re feeling guilty?

There is a dangerous cycle living in sin and shame. It can easily become ‘habitual’ or ‘natural’. But the danger and concern is that what you believe determines the way you live.

Example: You believe you are guilty and ashamed, therefore you live a life of shame that says you’re only worthy of sin and so that opens the door for more sin and shame. See the cycle?

How do we break the cycle of sin? How do we stop the shame and guilt from overtaking us?

Are you in Christ? Then these things apply to you. Your job is to live it out. That happens, not on your own, but by living by the Word and praying openly and honestly. An important part of being free from sin is confessing your sin, not only to God, but to your Christian brothers and sisters. Will you be bold enough and honest enough to confide in someone?

Why do we need to confess our sins to one another? So we can be healed. Have you ever carried the weight of a heavy burden on your shoulders? How did it make you feel? Being honest is so important and freeing. As long as you are living in darkness, you are fulfilling the enemies plan for you. But when you confess your sin, you immediately flip on a light, a marvelous light, and that light begins to emanate.

Be free, sisters, and be healed. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation. -2 Corinthians 5:17.

Living like a new creation may mean not only stopping your bad habits, but distancing yourself from them. If something is coming between you and God, get rid of it! When you stop giving yourself access to the things that tempt you, you kill the heart of temptation.

Lie #2: What I do now doesn’t affect my future.

If you plant seeds of corn, what will grow? Corn. If you plant seeds of barley, what will you harvest? Barley. If you plant seeds of irresponsibility, what will you reap? It’s the same thing as farming. We reap what we sow. If we plant seeds to please our own desires, we will reap consequences. But if we plant seeds of God’s desires, we will reap blessings.

Are you planting seeds now that will produce that kind of harvest? What can you do to change your current actions, attitudes, and words?

Would you consider committing to thirty days in the Word and being held accountable by a close, Godly girlfriend? That is the best way to know god’s plan for your life and to live freely in a relationship both now and in the future.

Write two of these cards out, and give one to your friend.

I, , commit to spending time in God’s Word daily, listening, thinking, praying, and obeying. I also commit to share my journey and hold my sister, , accountable through prayer and daily conversations with her about her time in the Word.

We have loved having you with us this summer! I hope you have learned about and recognized some lies that young women believe.

Stay tuned for details about upcoming Girls Bible Studies AND Girls Night Out for fall 2011!

Last Girls Bible Study

Well, girlies, sadly, summer's coming to a close. Can you believe it?! Let's get together for one last Summer Girls Bible Study. (Stay tuned for our rbcgirls fall schedule coming soon!) Tonight we'll be talking about lies about your future. Come and join us from 6:30-8:30pm at my house.

Call 861.8143 or email jstone@ridgecrestbaptist.org for directions.

See you tonight! :)

Bible Study Wrap-Up

Hello, dolls!

I hope your week is off to a great start. We had a great time together this week at Girls Bible Study, but we missed several of you! In case you couldn't make it, or if you just want to review our discussion, here are our notes. Please feel free to comment as you please! :)

Chapter 9: Lies about Faith

Who are role models in your life? What makes them your role models?

We all need mentors and role models to help guide us and pour into us, but sometimes we get ourselves into trouble when we place too much emphasis on our leaders and not on our Jesus. The first lie we explored this week was that "My youth pastor/church leader is my connection to God."

Have you ever placed a leader so high in your mind that they could do no wrong? Or have you ever considered what a role model or mentor thought before you considered what God thought?

Pastors, youth leaders, and volunteer leaders are such important spiritual examples in your life, but we have access to God through Christ and Christ alone. Read 1 Timothy 2:5-6. In the Old Testament, before Jesus came to earth, people went through a High Priest in order to communicate with God. The High Priest was appointed by God to be the mediator, the go-between. But now, what does 1 Timothy 2:5-6 tell us about that mediator? Jesus is it! He's the way we access God--not through man, but through God in man form.

What's the danger in placing a human, even the most solid Christian you know, as the go-between for you and the Lord? Inevitably, that human will mess up; it's our nature. What's your reaction when someone in leadership makes a mistake, or hurts someone around you, maybe even you? If he/she is the mediator between you and God, there are going to be serious issues with your relationship with God.

We are each held accountable for our own actions and reactions. It's always our decision how we react. God designed us to work as a family, and our family works best together. No matter how many times people in the church mess up or hurt you, the best place for us to grow, serve, and be discipled is in a local church body. Just like we don't get to drop out of our birth family when things get tough, we don't get to drop out of our spiritual family either.

Lie #2: Everyone at church judges me.

Have you ever felt judged at church? Let's be honest; each of us has felt judged at least once within the walls of our church home. In fact 91% of girls surveyed said they always or sometimes felt judged at church.

MAJOR ISSUE: Church is a family. It's supposed to be a safe place. Two things happen with judgment: 1) judgment causes us to feel pressure to be fake and 2) we are less likely to be honest about our struggles and sins when we feel judged.

Read John 7:24 and Matthew 7:1-2.

How should we respond when we are judged? What about when we see others judging?

Important Point: Sometimes we confuse judgment and discipline. We must guard against that. Discipline is helpful and meant for edifying; in fact, it's biblical. Check out Romans 12:10 and 1 Peter 2:17. Sometimes confrontation is necessary; but that doesn't mean that judgment is inevitable. God desires for us to help each other grow by holding each other accountable. It's not always easy, but it's meant for our benefit and His glory!

A thought to consider: Is it possible that we perceive as being judgment may in fact not be actual, real judgment, but perhaps the mere fear of judgment? In other words, do you ever feel being judged so much that you actually convince yourself that you are judged?

Know this truth: You are loved beyond measure, first and foremost by your Creator, but also by wonderful, caring people within your church home too. Allow me, if you will, a moment to share from my heart directly. I think the world of you girls and love you like crazy. I know I can speak for other leaders in the church when I say there is nothing you can do that will throw us for a loop or cause us to stop loving you. You are so significant and treasured. Find rest and safety in knowing that you are loved and accepted, regardless of what your fears or past experiences tell you.

Onto our next lie for this week... "Of course I'm a Christian. I ___________."

How do you hear people fill in that blank?

How do YOU fill in that blank?

53% of American teens believe you get to Heaven through a personal relationship with Christ. Praise the Lord it's that high! However, that means that 47% of American teens believe it's another way, be it through acts of kindness, religion, or something else.

What does Jesus say on this topic? Read John 14:6.

The ONLY way to spend eternity with God is through Jesus. Period. End of story. It's believing in Him and following Him that makes you a Christian.

1 John 2 outlines several characteristics of a true follower of Christ. Check out this list:

A true believer...

-obeys God's commands (vs.3-4)

-acts like Jesus (vs. 5-6)

-loves others (vs. 9)

-does not conform to the world (vs. 15)

-does not wander from her faith (vs. 19)

Now to the tough part. Does those characteristics describe you accurately? What areas do you struggle with?

While growing up in a Christian home is a blessing, it doesn't make you a Christian. Neither does going to church, doing good things, going on a mission trip, singing in the church band. The only way to know God is through Jesus. There's nothing you can do to make yourself a Christian; it's gotta be Jesus in you.

That wraps up this week's Bible study session. However, given the nature of this topic, I would be terribly amiss if I did not extend an invitation to you. If you're not sure where you stand and want to talk about it, or if you've never given your life to Jesus and want to do so, please talk to a spiritually solid person in your life--a parent, youth leader, small group leader. I would love to talk with you!

I'm praying for you, girls, specifically that you would seek Truth and lies would diminish in your heart and life. You are loved and valued!

-Jessie