Redeemed Girl Institute: What I learned!

Redeemed Girl Institute 2011

“They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.”

Isaiah 61:3

I cannot even begin to describe all God did over the past week at Redeemed Girl Institute. It I were to tell you everything I would be here all day and so would you...but I did want to share at least a summary of each thing I learned in each session and hopefully give you some idea. I jokingly have been saying it was basically Seminary in a week. The goal of the weekend was Discipleship. I feel so blessed to have been discipled this past week by some amazing women of God who I respect and admire so much. The whole week was full of the Holy Spirit. I was blown away by the fact that the morning before I headed to RGI I read Eph 3:20 (the message) and it was my prayer for the upcoming week; that the Lord would do something in our midst that we could not even imagine. He is so good and faithful and boy did He EVER answer that prayer in a big way! That is probably why it is still hard for me to describe to people. It wasn’t so much that I learned things I didn’t already know ,but it was that I was challenged to go deeper and to allow those things that I know to make deeper roots or maybe for the first time take root. To be an Oak of Righteousness, you are a planting of the Lord…a plant has to have roots. When those roots are deep ,and in this case deep in Christ, the following 16 things will flow out of a life that is abiding in Christ alone! Below are the topics we talked about and I will try and give you a summary of sorts so can get a taste of what I was drinking from this past week! All the sessions start with “A Redeemed Girl is…” but I can assure these same things will be true of a “A Redeemed Guy.” If you want to know more about Redeemed Girl Ministries go to http://www.redeemedgirl.org/

A Redeemed Girl: Is an Oak of Righteousness
-Vision and Purpose of Redeemed Girl Ministries: women who are redeemed by God, transformed by His Truth., and who live for the glory of His name.

“They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61:3

The image of Tree goes from Gen-Rev. There has to be a seed before you have a tree. For a tree to grow what does it need? Water. Sun.

Water: The Word
Sun: Worship

When we study the Word, when we abide in the Lord and drink from The Living Water, and Worship we are going to grow. Our roots are going to go deep, but it all starts with a seed.

What is the ministry of the Messiah? See Isa 61:1-3
The result of His ministry? Oaks of Righteousness for the display of His splendor. –If you love Him you will live FOR Him.

What does an Oak of Righteousness accomplish? Isa 61:4-11
Multiplication- is the heart of Discipleship (Matt 4:18)

A Redeemed Girl: Knows her Redeemer
Matt 16:13-20 Jesus question: Who do you say that I am?
“What you believe about God is the most important thing about you”


A Redeemed Girl: Renews Her Mind (Romans 12:1-2 HCSB)
-The goal of these two verses is that you find the way of life that PLEASES and GLORFIES him.

-We are told not to PATTERN ourselves after the world. We are useless if we are conformed to the world.

-The spirit of this age, or the WORLD, is not neutral. Eph 2:2 says that SATAN has been allowed to exercise authority in the world and he is at work in those who are disobedient.
-LOVE THIS ( Dan 1) Daniel had a filter. He let them change his name, try and teach him the Babylonian ways, but the whole time he could just sift through it knowing it wasn’t true, but when it came down to who he would worship…HE WOULD NOT BOW to any other gods. He would only worship the One True God.

Our goal is TRANSFORMED .The Greek word for transformation is “metamorphoo” and it means to change completely into another form. (Mark 9:2)

A RENEWED MIND allows us to discern, embrace, and obey the will of God.
A renewed mind: a steady gaze on the glory of Jesus Christ.

OUR EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS WILL BOW TO OUR THOUGHTS!

A Redeemed Girl: Is a Christ-like Friend Ecc 4: 9, 12b
Ten characteristics of a good friend
Encourages, honest, sharpens, loyal, extends grace, intentional, trustworthy, forgiveness, serves, loves.

A Redeemed Girl: Know her Identity
If Jesus is not LORD then he is just another person with an option but, if He is God & Creator then He has the right, the only right, to tell you who you are. What gives Jesus the right to tell you who you are? He is your Creator. The only one who can define you is the One who created you and He defines your worth; the cross if the definition of your worth.

Beware of 3 battlegrounds to living out your identity
1) The Flesh –old programming ( new way of living from a new way of thinking)
2) The Enemy- father of lies, accuser of the brethren
3) The World- Romans 12:2 (We have got to be women of the Word to combat the lies of: Entitlement…etc.

Dan 3:16 –They knew who they were! You want to change your generation? Know who you are and whose you are!


A Redeemed Girl: sits at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:41-42)
Lenger Longer-Wisdom comes when we lenger longer with the LORD. Intimacy grows, but we have to STOP and lenger in His presences longer. (Heb 5:12)You can’t always have someone feeding you…you have to be the one to go and sit at His feet, not someone forcing you to. Pray for the want to. Pray for the desire if you don’t have it. But, you have to be the one who STOPS and makes the choice to go and sit at His feet.

A Redeemed Girl: Honors her Father and Mother
Why? It’s a commandment (Eph 6:1 )
It HONORS God.
It RESULTS in blessing

There are 3 times obedience to God trumps obedience to the authority God has placed over you
1)Serves –Luke 9:59
2)Marriage –Eph 5:31
3)Wisdom-Prov 9:7-8

I love what Marianna’s mom said when she asked her how do I show you honor. Her mom said “with how you chose to live your life.” How we live reflects on our parents. How we chose to live shows whether we honor them or not. Even if you have parents who are not believers you can still show them honor by loving and serving them. That is still your family.

A Redeemed Girl: Is filled with the Spirit -This one is heavy and really, really deep so I will leave you with this much-  (John 3:37-39 , 1 Cor 3:16, Romans 8:9-10, Col 1:27)

Who is the Holy Spirit? #1 He is not an “IT” the Holy Spirt is God. You have Father, Son, Holy Spirit...God in 3 persons.

What does He do in the life of a believer? Shines the spotlight on Jesus. All comes down to bringing God the glory, convicts, speaks to you…He will NEVER contradict the Word of God. If you are feeling lead to do something that does not line up with Scripture it is not, i repeat NOT the Holy Spirit leading you!

Because we are indwelled by the Spirit we have the ability to follow God because we have new desires, power, and inclination (driving force/direction). (Ez 36:26-27; Gal 2:20-23)

How: A redeemed girl is filled with the Spirit and lives by the power of the Spirit- not the flesh-(Eph 5:18)

Whatever CONTROLS you FILLS you.

3 blockades to the Spirit filled life.
1) Unsurrendered will
2) Unconfessed sin
3) Unforgivness

A Redeemed Girl: Takes up Her Sword

Know the Word, Memorize the Word, use the Word! "Scripture is not just for us to build up our theology it’s meant to change our reality. The Word of God is not just to make up scholars but to make us victors”-Beth Moore Passion 2006

“For the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities , against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens…Take the helmet of salvation, and the word of the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.” Eph 6:12,17

A Redeemed Girl: Changes her Wardrobe
We make a choice of will to put on the armor of light. Understand your new wardrobe in Christ. To lay aside the deeds of darkness is a choice of the will. We can chose to operate in the old kingdom or new kingdom w/ the Holy Spirit.

Let the battle encourage you that the Holy Spirit is in you. The more we listen and obey the more we recognize the Holy Spirit.

Put on: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control

Redeemed Girl
1)Takes off selfishness and puts on love
2)Takes off words that kill and puts on words of life
3)Take off Pride and puts on humility

“HUMILITY IS NOT THINKING LESS OF YOURSELF, BUT THINKIN OF YOURSELF LESS.”- C.S Lewis

A Redeemed Girl: Hopes in God (Ps 33)
Vs.1-11
Our God…right, true and faithful
Our God…unfailing love
Our God…all powerful creator
Our God…Sovereign
Our God…Intimately aware of our longings and desires vs. 15

Vs.16-17
What is false hope? Anything or anyone we are turning to for deliverance, security, and confidence

We cannot put our hope in things that if they were gone we would fall apart! The only one we can put our hope in is Christ. He will NEVER leave you!!!

Vs. 18-22 A Women who hopes in God…
1 )Believes His eye is upon her- She believes despite her circumstances
2) She hopes in His unfailing love- He does not withhold any good thing!!
3) Believes He will deliver (Lam 3:21-25)

A Redeemed Girl: Waits for God’s best
Ways to know if he is God’s best
1)He will have a relationship with Jesus
2) You will have peace
3) He will have characteristics that line up with the Word of God.

Side note: I always tell girls if you are praying that He will be theses things, #1 know he is not perfect and will not get it right all the time, but is he striving? Also do these same characteristics describe, besides the leading in the relationship part, you? Because do not hold him to some standard you don’t even hold for yourself…that’s not fair.

1) Fears God and is Obedient
2) Kind and compassionate
3) Hard working
4) Self controlled
5) Gentle and not harsh
6) Generous
7) Willing to be corrected and teachable
8) A leader
9) Honest
10) Man of integrity
11) Forgiving
12) Admits he is wrong
13) Honors
14) Concerned for others
15) Joyful and positive
16) Respectful to you and the authorizes over him
17) Humble
18) Faithful
19) Loves sacrificially
Thought I would add a few of my own personal ones that I have been praying for Oh, about 5 or 6 years now….
1) Student of the Word
2) Man of Prayer
3) Passion to reach this generation for the Gospel ( vision)
4) Partner in ministry
5) Has people above, below and with him in life
6) Lives for the glory of God

A Redeemed Girl: Walks by Faith 1 Peter 1:6-9
What is a test? To see what you know. What do you really believe? Where do you really stand?

“I knew God was Sovereign, which meant he allowed and purposed the circumstances. I also believed with all my heart that he had the power to change the situation. Knowing this about God caused me to expect that He would act on my behalf the way I thought he should. I believed He could and would intervene. My belief system told me God is able to change hearts, bring reconciliation, and fix problems. So when God did not meet my expectations (i.e. do what I wanted Him to do) and when I understood he had purposed my pain, the resulting feelings of betrayal almost destroyed me.” Marian Jordan –Wilderness Skills for Women

Faith is the DETERMINATION to BELIEVE when PROOF is not PROVIDED.

Faith is the activity of the soul to believe God. Faith doesn’t believe what my eyes see but what God has spoken. When I “judge” God based on what I see or don’t see…that is sin.

“Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him—a faith that says, “ I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is—“Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him.” (Job 13:15)

What is a test: A WAR FOR YOUR WORSHIP
John 6:66-69--You come to a point where you will remain or walk away!

4 truths learned in a test:
1)God does not have to tell you WHY in order for God to be good
2) Every promise is SCRIPTURE is TRUE. We only need to BELIEVE IT!
3)Satan is a LIAR (never forget that)
4) There is no greater way to EXPRESS MY LOVE for Jesus than by STAYING FAITHFUL to him in pain.

---IF YOU ARE STILL READING MAY GOD BLESS YOU TRAMENDOUSLY!---


A Redeemed Girl: Shares the Gospel
You can’t make them, but you can take them!

God Loved
God Gave
We Believe
We Receive

Successful witnessing is taking intuitive to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God. Never underestimate your testimony! Lead someone closer to the cross! Plant the seed!

A Redeemed Girl: Prays
This night we prayed for this generation of young ladies (as well as the guys...but that we as women would be the women we are called to be so that they in turn the guys can be the men God has called them to be!)
“We must begin to believe that God in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world. And can bring its power down to earth”- Andrew Murray

Nehemiah 1-2
Motivation of Prayer (Neh 1:1-3)
“Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer.” E.M. Bounds

1) Desperation
2) Desire
3) Dependant –apart from you I can do nothing.

Only when we pray do we see God MOVE MOUNTAINS! Ps 20

Model of Prayer
P-Praise
R-Repentance (confessing sin)
A-Asking (Intercede, your personal requests)
Y-Yielding

“The men who have done the most for God in the world have been early on their knees.” E.M, Bounds

Mindset of Prayer: Believing God
-God is who He says He is
-He can do what He says He can do
-I am who God says I am
-His Word is alive and active
-I can do all things through Christ, but apart from Him I can do nothing

STILL THERE??? THIS IS WHY IT’S BEEN HARD TO GIVE THE READERS DIGEST VERSION OF THE WEEK…BECAUSE THERE ISN’T ONE! LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!

A Redeemed Girl: Leaves a Legacy
Acts 26: 1-18

LIVE: Intentionally
Phil 3:7-17; 1 Cor 11:1
A- Purpose sets your priorities
B- Relationship with Christ must be #1
C- Being intentional means being available

-know you can’t do everything! You can do a few things with excellence, but many things poorly.

LIVE: to lead others to Jesus
2 Cor 5:14-15; 2 Cor 2:14-17

All of life comes down to just one thing, to know Jesus and make Him known. To LOVE God an LOVE people!

They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:3