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A Gospel for Serial Killers
Ted Bundy was convicted of killing thirty-six women and girls, making him one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. While waiting on death row for his execution, Ted turned his life over to Jesus and became a Christian. He repented publicly for his crimes and spent his final night praying with his pastor. Ted Bundy was a rapist. Ted Bundy was a murderer. Ted Bundy was a liar. Assuming Ted Bundy really did confess his sins and put his whole trust in Jesus, today Ted is in heaven with Jesus. The gospel applies to people in every nation and age bracket. It is for "good" people and…
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6 Truths to Remember When a Christian Leader Screws Up Royally
When a Christian leader you'd looked up to and learned from screws up royally (and unfortunately it's not a matter of if but when you'll experience this), I know what you'll want to do. You'll want to block them on Facebook and delete their pictures on your Instagram account and burn their books and reject every truth they ever taught you but apparently didn't live themselves. A flood of emotions will bombard you from all sides—anger, disbelief, revulsion, guilt for not having seen through their hypocrisy. Your stomach will hurt, your head will ache, you'll feel like throwing up. You won't be able to understand how they could've preached against…
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A Freebie Friday Double Whammy!
I totally forgot to send out a Freebie Friday post last week. My bad! To make up for my slack, we are giving away two books this week. Yep, TWO books! It's a Freebie Friday double whammy! Since we are focusing on the gospel this month on the blog, our giveaways this week have a gospel focus. Here is this week's swag. ESV Gospel Transformation Bible The goal of this Bible is to help readers see Jesus in all of the Bible. This study Bible will help lead you to Jesus over and over with notes that point you to the gospel and give you practical application for God's Word. If you…
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The Cure for the Back-to-School Blues
There's no denying it. Summer is winding down. Textbooks and school supplies are in your near future. It's time to head back to school. (Some of you already have!) God doesn’t so much care about where you’ll spend your school year but what you will do with the year ahead. Maybe you love school and are excited about the return to regular routine. Maybe you hate it and are dreading the school year ahead. Either way, I think God has a mission for your school year. It doesn't matter if you're in middle school or college; home-schooled, private-schooled, or public-schooled, God doesn't so much care about where you'll spend your…
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The Not-So-Wonderful Thing About Tiggers
We're focusing on the gospel all month here on the blog. Since the nature of the gospel can be hard to understand, and even harder to believe, I'll let Romans 5:8 give us a quick recap. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The gospel means: We are sinners who cannot stop sinning. The penalty we deserve for our sin is death. Jesus died for us, even though He knew all about points 1 and 2. His death made a way for us to be reconciled to God. If we go to church very long at all, we can…
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Eeyore's Response to the Good News
Last week, I asked you to define the gospel. Nearly one hundred of you responded, many with fantastic ideas about what the gospel really means. Here are just a few of my favs: Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we have been rescued from sin, death, and separation from God. We all are born with Adam's sin nature. We are destined for hell from birth. The gospel is that Christ died for His chosen people, because of His great love for us. We have salvation in Christ alone by faith alone. —Abbie Man's indwelling sinfulness overcome by the perfect power of our Savior! —Haley The gospel is the good news…
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Why the Real You Isn't Good News
Who are you? I don't mean your name necessarily. I mean, what makes you, you. If we were meeting for the first time, we would both introduce ourselves with the good stuff. We might talk about our families, our jobs, our hobbies, our school . . . We like to polish our identity up to a high shine, but that's not the whole story, is it? The reality of who we are is very bad news, but there is good news. David has a way of writing with a brand of brutal honesty that I love. Here's one way he answered the question, "Who are you?" Have mercy on me,…
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Cheaters Welcome
I've never been good at math. Maybe that's why when I discovered the answers in the back of my high school algebra textbook, I was giddy. True, only half of the answers were there, but they turned out to be practically the only answers I go...
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Freebie Friday! And the Bride Wore White
I was fifteen years old when I first met Dannah Gresh. She was leading a girls' retreat for my youth group about sexual purity. I'd heard the message before that I shouldn't be having sex, but Dannah transformed my view of sex, romance, and God. ...
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Should You Wait to Have Kids Until You Can Afford Them?
$241,080 According to the USDA, that's how much it costs to raise a child (not including college). I don't have an extra quarter of a million dollars sitting around. Do you? Kids are expensive. The culture loves to remind us of this fact. Baby ...
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Hope For the Anxious
A few days ago, I found myself in the middle of a storm. You may have heard about the massive dust storm that covered Arizona last week. (If not, here's a crazy video of it.) While that storm sent people into their homes looking for cover, I was stranded on an airplane, sitting on the runway, waiting until it was safe for ground crews to direct us toward a gate. To be honest, I was pretty oblivious to the storm at first. It was late at night, and I was dozing. But when we were finally allowed to disembark, a new storm started raging in my heart. I suddenly found…
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Freebie Friday! True Princess
Are you living like a princess or a daughter of the King? Answer true or false to the following questions to find out. T or F: I love being the center of attention. T or F: When making a decision, I don't usually consider the truth in ...
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Why You Need to Know the Rule of Three
If you're lucky, you've got a few more lazy days of summer left, but it won't be long before nothing-to-do turns into how-will-I get-it-all-done. As you look ahead to the new school year, you need to know about the Rule of Three. What Is the Rule of Three? The "rule of three" is a strategy used by the United States Marines. In a nutshell, the rule is this: each Marine has three things to worry about. Marines are divided into teams of four individual Marines (three team members and one team leader). Teams are divided into squads. Each squad is made up of three teams. Three squads make up a…
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How I Know You Will Get Married
As far as I'm concerned, there's only one way that movies should ever end. Having faced whatever challenge the movie plot was about and won, the couple (because there is always a couple) should kiss. The camera should spin, and they should be transformed into a bride and groom kissing on their wedding day. The rice gets thrown. The Mr. and Mrs. ride off into the sunset, and happily ever after begins. Sigh. Movies that end in a wedding should win the Oscar every time. But maybe, just maybe, when you see a wedding on the big screen you feel a pang of something like panic. When you go to…
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Freebie Friday! Girls Gone Wise
This week's Freebie Friday giveaway is Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary Kassian. Check out this great promo video for the book, and then sign up for your chance to win a free copy. Answer the questions...
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Blood, Bread, and Remembering Your Rescue
I brought a new friend to church with me recently. She'd never been before and when the communion tray was passed, she leaned over to me and whispered, "What is it?" I wasn't sure what to say, exactly. For someone like me who has grown up in the church, communion can seem ordinary because it's so common. I know it matters, and I know Jesus took it, but why? What's the point of that little cup of juice and tiny cracker? What should I have said to my friend who has never seen the communion tray before? Let's dig into God's Word together to find out. An Object Lesson To…
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25 Rules for Strong Friendships
We could all use a little help in the relationship department from time to time. Here are twenty-five "rules" for friendship, straight out of the book of Proverbs. Rule #1: Don't get mad over nothing. Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm (Prov. 3:30). Rule #2: Don't try to change a friend who is unwise. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you (Prov. 9:8). Rule #3: Hatred leads to more fighting. Choose love. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses (Prov. 10:12). Rule #4: Don't be two-faced.…
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Freebie Friday! Lies Young Women Believe
Quiz time! Look at these word pairs. For each one, make a mental note of which one best describes you. Relaxed or totally stressed out? Happy to be single or gotta have a guy? Good with what ya got or ugly? Forgiven or guilty? D...
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Connected: Curing the Pandemic of Everyone Feeling Alone Together
Enhance your summer reading with a True Woman book. The entire line is on sale this month. Hey ladies! I'm giddy to announce the release of my latest book, Connected: Curing the Pandemic of Everyone Feeling Alone Together. It's about loneliness, and it's the most personal thing I've ever written. I also know from months of traveling the country interviewing women like you that it might also be the most needed. Loneliness is a pandemic among us. But God's Word holds the vaccine. Here's a taste of the deep truth I found . . . Polishing Up the Golden Rule In Matthew 7, Jesus is teaching important principles about our…
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4 Good Reasons to be Baptized
the·ol·o·gy noun : the study of God We study God through His Word each Thursday on the blog. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. This week we will look at what God's Word says about baptism. Laura was one of my closest friends in high school. She invited me to church long before I became a Christian. Once I turned my life over to Christ, she was a friend I ran to often with my questions about God and the Bible. But something about Laura bummed me out . . . She didn't want to be baptized. We talked…
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4 Good Reasons to be Baptized
the·ol·o·gy noun : the study of God We study God through His Word each Thursday on the blog. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. This week we will look at what God's Word says about baptism. Laura was one of my closest friends in high school. She invited me to church long before I became a Christian. Once I turned my life over to Christ, she was a friend I ran to often with my questions about God and the Bible. But something about Laura bummed me out . . . She didn't want to be baptized. We talked…
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Freebie Friday! Connected
If you've ever looked at your list of Facebook friends and felt like none of them really know you . . . this book is for you. If you have lots of friends, a full schedule, and a lonely feeling you can't seem to shake . . . this book is...
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Is God an American?
the·ol·o·gy noun : the study of God We study God through His Word each Thursday on the blog. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. In honor of our nation's birthday, this week we will look at how God feels about America. God bless America, land that I love . . . America, America, God shed His grace on thee . . . 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land! God bless the USA! Tomorrow you may gather with friends and family to eat all-American food like hot dogs and potato salad off of red, white, and blue…
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Freebie Friday! Seeking Him
This week we are giving away Seeking Him by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. I'm so excited to get it into your hands, because it's a Bible study that has had a huge personal impact on my own walk with Christ. (I've gone through it twic...
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Is God Mad at Me?
the·ol·o·gy noun : the study of God We study God through His Word each Thursday on the blog. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. This week we will look at what makes God angry (and what doesn't). I got sent to the principal's office three times in my entire school career. I never got in much trouble (talking in class was my offense), but the memory of waiting to see the principal is forever burned into my memory . . . Sweaty palms. Pit in my stomach. An overwhelming urge to hide. I was terrified the principal would be…
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Freebie Friday! The Quiet Place
Think of a quiet place. Go on . . . surely you can think of one spot in your world that is totally quiet? No? Hmmm . . . that must make it hard to be this kind of girl: But let your adorning be the hidden person of ...
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This Ain’t About Throwbacks
Women at home rocking tea-length dresses, frilly aprons, and adorable high heels, vacuuming with an Electrolux vacuum, while their 2.5 children play quietly nearby . . . Is this the picture of perfect womanhood? If you listen to the cultu...
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Why I’m Not a Feminist
Drop this word into a room full of women and you're sure to ignite a firestorm . . . Feminism. On the surface level, feminism looks benign. If feminism is simply the advocacy for women's rights based on the idea that we are equal to men, I'...
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Freebie Friday! A 30-Day Walk with God in the Psalms
I’m so proud of you, LYWB.com readers! If I had a refrigerator big enough for all 30,000 of you, your picture would be on it! Why? Because you have a genuine desire to study and learn God’s Word. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago when I tested your biblical literacy, you told me things like . . . As the summer starts and school ends, I am going to make a real effort to get into the Word more—more than once a day. I seriously needed a slap in the face to stop claiming I’m a devoted Christian but not studying the Word. I will put in the effort…
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A Godly Girl's Guide to Fighting
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector" (Matt. 18:15–17). God gives very specific instructions for how to confront a friend. Let's break it down. When to confront a…
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Four Questions to Ask Before You Confront a Friend
You call your best friend and pour your heart out about a big event coming up in your life. When the big day comes, you don't hear a word from her. Not a call. Not a text. Not an email. You feel ignored and unimportant. The two of you used to do everything together. You were so much alike you joked that you were sisters separated at birth. But lately she's just stopped calling. When you see her she acts totally weird. It's because you both love Jesus so much that you've become such great friends. You always sit together in youth group. You've done Bible studies together. You keep…
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Freebie Friday! Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Girl
Wanna play Simon Says? Simon says if you like free stuff. As in . . . F-R to the double E Swag Something that costs free dollars and freedy free cents A gift Raise your hand! I'm assuming your hand is up! We all like free stuff. That's why I am so excited to announce LiesYoungWomenBelieve.com Freebie Fridays! How does it work? You visit our blog every Friday, and we give you free stuff! And not just any free stuff. We have plans to give you great resources loaded with truth from God's Word. What's the catch? There isn't one. Just read the post, and do what it asks. Sometimes…
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Why I’m Sick of Women’s Conferences
I've been to eight women's conferences in the last three months. I've got the t-shirts to prove it. As a Bible teacher, I have the privilege of attending lots of these events to speak. I meet beautiful women with hearts full to the brim with a desir...
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A Test You Don't Want to Flunk
I once heard the story of an old man who knew the Bible frontward and backward. He had huge chunks of Scripture memorized. He was so familiar with the Word that he could look up what he needed in it without a concordance or fancy Bible app. His copy of the Bible was well worn and well loved. Not surprisingly, knowing the Bible this well made a huge difference in the old man's life. After all, God's Word has the power to: Hold us up (1 Pet. 1:13). Help us know which path to take (Ps. 119:105). Keep us from sin (Ps. 119:11). Change our hearts (Heb. 4:12). Help us…
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The Perfect Summer Internship
Summer is great. Swimming . . . yay! Watermelon seed spitting contests . . . uh huh! (Or is that just something we country girls do?) Fireworks, BBQs, telling the alarm clock to take a hike—these are the many perks of summer. But let's be honest, it's only possible to have so many movie marathons before we all start to feel a little . . . bored. You may not have hit the summer slump yet. (Some of you may still be smack dab in the middle of finals—yuck!) But I've got an idea to keep summer boredom far, far away. Are you ready for it? It's the perfect…
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The Best Friend a Girl Could Want
I've got a great friend. He's always available to listen to me and give advice. In fact, He gives better advice than anyone else I've ever known. He never steers me wrong. He is a capable and compassionate advisor. He nudges me to be more like Jesus, gently pointing out sin in my life, and reminding me who God calls me to be. When I am tempted, He pulls me toward an alternative, always reminding me that Jesus is better than the things my flesh desires. When I am wobbly, He's always on the scene ready to help. He's never too busy for me. He's always available. He prays for…
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When We (kind of) Believe in Karma
We don’t want to cut back on ministry outreaches in the year ahead, so we’re asking the Lord to provide at least $435,000 by the end of this month. Will you help? Two of my three sons have bad kidneys. That means that since my first ult...
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Why Doesn't God Speak Out Loud to Me?
the·ol·o·gy noun : the study of God We study God through His Word each Thursday on the blog. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. This week we'll continue our conversation on how we hear the voice of God. Last week, we looked at four ways God speaks. Here's a recap: God speaks to us through creation (Ps. 19:1). God speaks to us through our conscience (Rom. 2:15). God speaks to us through Jesus (Heb. 1:1–2). God speaks to us through His Word (Heb. 4:12). Here are four more ways we can hear the voice of God. The Holy Spirit…
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Giving God the All-In Card
I was traveling recently and met a young woman who was doing big things for God. Things that stretch her beyond her comfort zone. Things that make her weird or different from other girls her age. Things that force her to lay her plans for her own life on the altar of God's will. When I asked her how she started down the radical path she was on, she said: "Simple. A few years ago, I gave God the all-in card.” I doubt she offered God a physical card. But in her heart, she told God, "I'm all in. You can have every part of my life." It was a…
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If Your Donkey Doesn't Talk, Does God?
the·ol·o·gy noun : the study of God We study God through His Word each Thursday on the blog. Our goal is to present the truth of God in a way you can digest and apply. This week we'll look at how we hear the voice of God. A talking donkey A burning bush A quiet wind A voice from heaven A big book A sheep fleece A rainbow A pillar of fire A cloud of smoke What do these things have in common? They were each used as a mouthpiece of God, a tool through which He chose to speak to His people. I don't know about you, but I've…
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A Beautiful Encounter with Our Savior (And a Giveaway!)
It was a very dark day for one momma. Her only son was dead. She had already buried his daddy. Her heart was broken. Her family was gone. She was destitute. Luke tells the story this way, Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain,...
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Who am I? The Good, the Bad, and the Gospel
Come worship Christ and learn how to live in His fullness with thousands of your sisters at True Woman '14 in Indianapolis on October 9–11. Only 23 days left for early registration. Yesterday, I wrote about the character of God in His own w...
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Who Are You, God?
Come worship Christ and learn how to live in His fullness with thousands of your sisters at True Woman '14 in Indianapolis on October 9–11. Only 24 days left for early registration. Take off your sandals (or boots as may be the case this co...
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Who Are You, God?
Come worship Christ and learn how to live in His fullness with thousands of your sisters at True Woman '14 in Indianapolis on October 9–11. Only 24 days left for early registration. Take off your sandals (or boots as may be the case this co...
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Dear Room Moms Everywhere
Last month, I stumbled upon a raw nerve. My post, "Why I'm Not the Room Mom" ignited a response I did not anticipate. Some of you responded that you were encouraged by the post to draw healthy boundaries with your time and family. Hooray! That was my ...
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Craving God’s Best
Valentine's Day has come and gone. Our blood sugar has spiked from all of that chocolate and some of us never received what we were actually craving—someone else's love. I'd like to propose a radical change. Instead of labeling February ...
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Why I’m Not the Room Mom
I send store-bought valentines to my son's school. There. I said it. I don't stencil names onto fancy pieces of cardboard. I don't hot glue the perfect candy heart message onto cardstock. I don't bake heart-shaped cookies from scratch. I...
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It’s Not About Me
I've got a secret that can keep rivers of tears from being shed in 2014. It can stop angry outbursts in their tracks. It can put an end to stewing, sniveling, and navel-gazing. It is a secret that can insulate you from so much in the year ahead. A...
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Five More Truths To Set You Free in 2014
Yesterday, I challenged you to resolve to put God's Truth into action in 2014. I gave you five action steps based on the Truths Nancy writes about in Lies Women Believe. Here are five more ways you can live out God's Truth in 2014. I will wave th...
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Five Truths to Set You Free in 2014
What is it about a new year that makes us all want to call for a massive "do over"? We collectively vow to shed a few pounds, save a few pennies, and ditch the nasty habits that plagued us the year before. Resolve to put God's Truth into action. B...