This message was given at the University of Texas Dallas Baptist Student Ministry. I shared on the danger of pornography: how porn impacts our brains, society, and relationships.
Why is watching porn a bad idea? Christian in College
Archive of ‘Believing Lies’ category
8 Myths about Waiting Until Your Wedding Night
You may think I’m crazy. You might think that what I’m about to say is not relevant in today’s world. Hear me out. In high school, I was not planning on waiting until marriage, I just hoped I found a guy I loved. This all changed when I fell in love with God. Now, I want to honor God and give Him all the glory in my current relationship, so I plan on waiting to have sex until my wedding night.
The Bible calls us to be pure and avoid sexual immorality. This is 100% different from the world, but remember that Jesus warns us that we will look different.
I’ve heard a few myths from readers and friends on why they don’t think a couple should wait until their wedding night to have sex. Let me share these myths with you and explain why I think they are myths. (more…)
Am I strong? Beautiful? Am I good enough?
Am I strong? Beautiful? Am I good enough? Have you found yourself asking these questions? We live in a world that tears us down. A world that tells us we will never be skinny enough, smart enough, or good enough. If we let the world define us, we will always be let down. Instead, we have to be defined by the Cross.
Easter has come and gone, but the power of what happened on the Cross lives forever. When I write the Cross, I’m referring to the historical moment when Jesus died on the Cross and took on the shame of all our sins. That moment in history will forever leave a mark on you and this world.
Why? Because the Cross forms your identity. The Cross is who you are. It is not just a big theological term, but it also impacts every part of your life. It brings you freedom from your past and hope for your future. (more…)
Women’s Ministry Craft Night: Shattering the Lies We Believe
Looking for an activity for the next women’s time at your church or in your college ministry? Here is a great topic, activity, and craft that is perfect for a women’s event! No matter the crafting ability of each attendee, this activity will be empowering and turn out beautifully. We all believe lies, and we all need to shatter them.
Crafting brings women together and provides an opportunity to introduce Jesus to non-believers. (more…)
Shattering the Lies We Believe (Part 3): How Can We Break Free?
In this series, Shattering the Lies, we have defined lies and located where they originate. Now we are revealing what the scripture says about freedom from lies.
How can we break free from lies?
Truth. Truth is our weapon against lies. Truth is an agreement with a standard or original. Where do we find this standard? Jesus. Truth is Jesus Christ and His word.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6 (ESV)
Jesus is the definition of truth. Jesus is the perfect standard.
How do we break free from lies? We return to the truth. We return to Jesus and his word. The world feeds us lies. Here are two: “do whatever you want as long as your happy” and “everything is all about you.” Our world is self focused. We have to use scripture to retrain our minds. Scripture tells us that its not about us. It’s about God.
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32
Discovering the truth will set us free!
Additional scripture reading – Psalm 5.
Check out the other posts in the series!
- Shattering the Lies We Believe (Part 1): What Are Lies?
- Shattering the Lies We Believe (Part 2): Where Do Lies Come From?
- CRAFT! Women’s Ministry Craft Night: Shattering the Lies We Believe
Shattering the Lies We Believe (Part 2): Where Do Lies Come From?
In Part 1 of this series, Shattering the Lies We Believe (Part 1): What Are Lies? I shared how lies are imposters of the truth. Believing lies results in choosing second best over God, who is the best. This post focuses on the creation of lies. The only way to shatter the lies from our life is to first figure out where they come from.
Where do lies come from?
Lies come from satan. “…He does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:43-44).
The enemy wants us to turn our back on God and believe lies. When we allow ourselves to believe satan’s lies, we take the crown off of Jesus’ head and give it to satan. We make him king. (Click here to read a previous post: Take Off Your Crown – Jesus is King.)
We are giving the enemy a crown he does not deserve. Satan is the king of only one thing – lies. He claimed to be like God, what a huge lie! In fact, the Bible tells us that this is why satan was cast out of heaven. Satan said he was more powerful than God (Isaiah 14:12-14).
The scary thing is – we act like satan when we claim to be like God. When we believe that our plans are better than God’s, we act like satan. For example, I act like satan when I want control over my weight, what food I can eat, when I get married, and what decisions I make. I subconsciously play God when I want my own plans instead of God’s plans. (more…)
Shattering the Lies We Believe (Part 1): What Are Lies?
“Our hearts often detect the lies long before our minds begin to process them.”
We fail to realize that we are believing lies until they effect us. How scary is that. The enemy wants us to believe lies because he wants to ruin our relationship with God. The good news is that lies have no power over us. In this 3 part series, I will unpack what scripture tells us about believing lies. By looking to scripture, we can define lies, discover where they come from, and learn how to break free from their grips. As a resource, here is a step by step guide on a craft idea for a women’s ministry night: Women’s Ministry Craft Night: Shattering the Lies We Believe. Feel free to combine this series with the activity for an empowering women’s night! (more…)
I’m Not Qualified | The Biggest Lie Women Believe
“I’m not qualified.”
In my opinion, this is the biggest lie that women believe when they’re thinking about doing ministry or joining a leadership team.
This thought first entered my mind when I was in high school.
I was trying to figure out what God was calling me to do. I was confused, unsure, and it did not help that people always asked me, “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Adults frequently ask this question. In high school, kids are between 14-18 years old. How do they expect someone to know what he or she wants to do for the rest of his or her life at such a young age?
During my 10th grade year of high school, I started to get the call that God wanted me to go into ministry. What ministry has meant to me has changed over the years, but I knew two things: that I wanted to help people and that God was pretty cool. Combining those two things seemed like a perfect option! But I believed a lie that I was not qualified.
So, when I was asked that question, I felt embarrassed to share with others my heart desire for my career, so I would always reply, “Orthodontist.”
This was the safest way to go. If I would say, “I don’t know.” Then, I would get additional questions, “Well, what is your favorite subject? Did you like math? How about teaching? Etc… Thus, I realized the safest thing to do was reply, “Orthodontist.” There were no follow up questions, just a nod of agreement and maybe an encouraging statement.
For a high schooler, it is extremely difficult to fully trust God with this subject. It is difficult to share with others when you are not 100% sure that this is what you will do. Students also worry about what others will think of their choice. I worried people would not understand or try and talk me out of it.
When I was thinking about going into ministry, I believed the lie that one had to be perfect. How could I help people in their walks with God when I was not perfect?
Again, when I was asked to lead a Bible study in Cru my freshman year of college I did not want to step up and lead because I thought I was not qualified. How can I lead other women when I have my own issues to work through?
It is common to respond to God by saying, “I can’t. I’m not qualified.” I’ve heard this in high school. I’ve heard this in college.
My response now is, “Well what is qualified? Name one person in the Bible who was qualified.”
Abraham lied about Sarah.
Moses stuttered.
Noah was a drunk.
Jacob was a liar.
Joseph was abused by his brothers.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Jeremiah was said to be too young.
David had an affair.
Elijah was suicidal.
The Samaritan woman had multiple divorces.
Jonah ran away from God.
Peter denied Jesus.
The disciples fell asleep while praying.
And there are more examples found all over scripture!
Friends, if you are thinking of going into ministry, leading a Bible study, or joining the leadership team at your church, I want you to remember one thing: God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.
