When I think about many popular Christian trends/fads today, the first thing that comes to mind are these verses, “For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:6-7). While many of these trends have Christianese attached to them and seem innocent on the surface, they teach unbiblical ideas and a false gospel. How can we equip ourselves and not be gullible?

Returning speaker Amy Spreeman will present on the top 10 lies that women believe at the Answers for Women conference later this month. Amy is a speaker and journalist. She is the founder of Berean Research and co-hosts the podcast, A Word Fitly Spoken. Here is what she had to say about her presentation:

Ask any Christian woman if she would enjoy basing her faith on satanic lies, and she’ll look at you like you have two heads. Of course not!

No one really wants to be deceived. Yet with so many trends plowing into the modern church, it’s easy to get swept away in the latest, shiniest feel-good craze that looks like biblical Christianity, until you hold it up to the light of Scripture. That’s when the Holy Spirit reveals to us what these trends really are: counterfeit movements that actually point us away from the Jesus of the Bible.

We don’t need cool new fads to grow as Christians and bring us closer to Jesus. Our most desperate need starts with the Gospel. It is the Good News of God reconciling us to Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our sins are cleansed through Christ alone, and no other. All He asks is that we follow Him and no other.

Today we need discernment more than ever before. Discernment is the ability to recognize the difference between true and false. That ability is a gift, yes, but it is also a skill that every Christian must hone by knowing her Savior through God’s breathed-out Word. We have an enemy who would like nothing more than to rob us of our discernment and steal our joy.

At this year’s Answers for Women Conference, I’ll be presenting 10 lies women believe about the Gospel, and how these lies have turned into some of the most popular – and damaging – false gospels leading many away from the nature and character of God. I believe this is happening for three reasons: spiritual blindness, biblical illiteracy, and the belief that Scripture is not enough – that there must be something more.

An example of all three of these at play is the popularity of the book Jesus Calling. More than a decade ago, author Sarah Young told the world that Jesus Himself frequently speaks to her. This “Jesus” tells her that he loves her but doesn’t call her from sin to repentance and holiness. To this day, Young’s worldwide audience cannot get enough of this book and the other spinoff products in the multi-million-dollar franchise. When we know the real Jesus, our Almighty God and Savior, we can easily spot Sarah Young’s Jesus as an imposter.

A more recent trend sweeping through Christendom is the popular enneagram, a nine-pointed symbol that promises to classify your personality from among nine different types and point you to God. Many churches have begun using the enneagram as a “powerful tool for personal and collective transformation.” A simple question: Do you want to be transformed by the enneagram, or by the Holy Spirit as He sanctifies you and shapes you into Christ-likeness?

From enneagrams and personality profiling to mystical practices and the progressive social justice movement, there are many ways we take our eyes off of Christ to follow trends and idols. Jesus warned His followers many times throughout His ministry to avoid being deceived. His beloved apostle John pleaded with the Church, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” We do that by examining the teachings of Scripture, and then the teachings of everyone who instructs us in the faith and shapes our thinking.

Biblical discernment comes from reading and meditating on the Word of God. Every woman you know – whether she is a new believer or a seasoned veteran – needs to read the Word daily in order to equip herself with truth to prevent falling into deception. Read it for yourself every day.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Women, let’s be like the sons of Issachar, “. . .who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32) and not get caught up in the Christian trends/fads and “. . .rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

One of my favorite things about the Answers for Women conference is talking with the ladies that come. It’s truly a wonderful time of fellowship that is very much needed in our busy lives. Hope to see you there!

“I am enough.” Have you seen this saying possibly on social media posted by a Christian friend or shared from a Christian website? Every time I see it, I just want to shout, “no, you’re not!” It is the essence of the lie that Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden, “. . . you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” In other words, you don’t need God; you can be wise, just like him. But it takes a lot of work to try to be “enough” all by ourselves, and we end up exhausted and frustrated, and we’re told by our society that we just need more “me time.” But is that idea biblical?

Returning speaker Camille Cates is going to help us know! She is the Assistant Director for Healing Hearts International and a speaker, author, and certified counselor. Camille writes this about her upcoming presentation:

• Stress
• Burnout
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Exhaustion

What do we do when we experience these things?

Our lives are filled with cleaning, laundry, meal prep, running errands, deadlines at work, spending quality time with spouses (at least trying to), or making the most of our singleness. Most days, we are trying our best to care for our children or grandchildren, or perhaps parents or grandparents—sometimes both—depending on what stage of life we’re in! And let’s not forget our responsibilities at church.

Many women wake up with a to-do list a mile long and feel by the time bedtime rolls around only an inch of ground was covered.

Who wouldn’t be tempted to be stressed, burned out, depressed or anxious, and flat-out exhausted after that list?

Our culture is trying to alleviate these pounding pressures through what some call “self-care.”

Self-care can be defined as: “any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.”1

Sounds good, right? I mean, what’s wrong with taking care of ourselves? Isn’t that what God wants us to do?

The problem is the way the world tells us to care for ourselves and the way God expects us to care for ourselves can be different, even subtly different. The truth about how and why we are to care for ourselves can get lost as we scroll through Facebook or Pinterest posts giving us, “The 10 Best Tips for Self-Care.”

All too often, the Church will latch onto the latest ideas permeating our culture, then try to reinterpret Scripture through the lens of these new ideas. As Christians, it is important to evaluate new trends and movements through the lens of truth—God’s Word.

From the gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—we can observe that Jesus’ life and ministry were extremely busy and often demanding. Did Jesus experience any temptation to succumb to stress, burnout, depression, or anxiety? Was Jesus ever physically and mentally exhausted?

According to Hebrews 4:15, John 4:6, and other passages in Scripture, the answer is a resounding “YES!”

Knowing Jesus experienced the same struggles we do, we must ask ourselves, “If Jesus were living in our modern era, would he prescribe today’s “self-care” as the solution to a busy life?”

Here’s where we must use extreme caution. As women seeking to follow Jesus, we must not try to conform Jesus to our modern-day culture.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

While the self-care movement seems to have good intentions, could it be a well-crafted counterfeit solution to our troubles?

This is not to say that those who have promoted or endorsed the self-care movement have done so with intent to deceive. Instead, we must be aware of the schemes of our enemy, Satan, whose native tongue is lying and deception (see John 8:44 and 2 Corinthians 2:11). He is quite adept at constructing counterfeits—worldly ideologies that sound good, but actually lure our hearts off course and away from the truth (see 2 Corinthians 11:14).

The truth is that God does want us to be good stewards of our physical and spiritual lives—taking care of our hearts, minds, and bodies—in order to fully live for Him!

Yet, we don’t need to rely on the world’s methodologies to steward our lives well. We need to look to Jesus and His Word. The Bible gives us sufficient counsel and practical examples to help us when “life” gets us down. The Bible gives us this promise:

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).

What a powerful truth! In Christ, we have everything we need to live a godly life. The real question is: Do you know where to look in God’s Word to find what you need to overcome the stresses of life, to be a good steward of the life He has given you?

I hope you will join me in March at the Answers for Women Conference: Truth—Uncovering the Lies We Believe. Together, we’ll discover some practical ways to steward our lives well and overcome exhaustion all for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

We are not enough, and only with God’s help can we do what he has called us to do in this life.

Will you help us spread the word about Answers for Women? Overwhelmingly, women say they learned about the conference by “word of mouth.” So, I want you to read these blog posts, share them on social media, and use them to personally invite women to this truth-filled time of worship, teaching, and fellowship. Register here today!

If you’ve turned on the TV on a Sunday morning, you’re bound to see some “preachers” that preach “if you just name it, you can claim it.” If you send them money, God will bless you with wealth. If you think positively, you can banish sickness. These are false teachers that teach a false gospel.

I am very pleased that Justin Peters will be joining us this year, sharing God’s Word and enabling us to discern the error in these unbiblical ideas. Justin is an itinerant preacher and founder of Justin Peters Ministries. Here’s what he had to share about his upcoming presentation:

The Word-Faith Movement (W-F), more commonly known as the Health and Wealth, Name It and Claim It, or Prosperity Gospel, dominates what we see today on Christian cable and satellite television. Networks such as TBN, Daystar, The Word Network, It’s Supernatural Network, etc., regularly promote this theology which holds that it is always God’s will for a Christian to be financially wealthy and physically healed. You can be rich, and you never need to be sick as long as you speak the right “positive confessions,” exercise your faith and, of course, sow a seed (translated: send money) into a particular ministry so you can reap a harvest. Some of the more prominent leaders of this movement include Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, Joseph Prince, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and Bill Johnson.

The prosperity gospel appeals to two of the most basic and universal of all human desires; to be wealthy and physically healed. The message is that if you become a Christian, then your money and health worries are over. There are about 7 billion people on the planet who desperately want those things. But is that the real Gospel? The answer, of course, is no.

The prosperity gospel promises people a life of luxury. The true Gospel calls people to a life of sacrifice. The prosperity gospel calls for self-indulgence. The true Gospel calls for self-denial. The prosperity gospel promises alleviation from trials. The true Gospel promises God’s sufficient grace in the midst of trials. The prosperity gospel promises a life of ease. The true Gospel promises a life marked by persecution for the glory of God.

The Word-Faith movement is now the face of Christianity around the world. We in the United States have created this false gospel and have exported it to nearly every nation on the planet. As bad as this movement is here, it is far worse in countries in Central and South America, Asia and especially Africa. The poor, the sick, the desperate, and the widows are being exploited. Worse than that, though, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being distorted.

One of the things that make false teachers so appealing to people and so dangerous at the same time is that not everything that they teach is false. Some of it is right. But there is enough error and heresy mixed in with it to corrupt the entire thing. Remember that the Bible describes false teachers as wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15) and that Satan “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

I am so honored with the invitation to speak at the 2020 Answers for Women Conference at the Ark Encounter. In my presentation, I will provide an overview of the Word-Faith Movement and will have video clips from some of today’s most popular preachers so that you can see and hear for yourself what they are actually teaching. We will then correct each point of error by scripture.

Some would say that calling out false teachers is not something we should do or is negative in nature. It is noteworthy, however, that 26 of the 27 books in the New Testament directly warn about false teaching and/or false teachers (only Philemon does not). The Apostles warned about false teachers and even called them out by name. So did Jesus Himself. So, it is a task that we must undertake, for it is a mandate from Scripture. It is not, however, a task to be taken lightly. We should not call someone a false teacher for minor theological differences. The error in the Word-Faith movement is not minor as we shall see.

Some would say that pointing out error is not a loving thing to do. But the most loving thing we can do for someone is to tell her the truth. It is the truth that sets people free from spiritual bondage and deception. It is my prayer that our time together will be one of both teaching sound doctrine and refuting those who contradict per Titus 1:9 and of equipping the saints to “speak the truth in love” per Ephesians 4:15.

I appreciate Justin’s bold stand on the word of God and his desire “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

How do we combat with truth, the lies that constantly bombard us? I think many times we get so caught up in learning about the lies that we forget to study the best weapon to combat them―God’s Word! Sarah Mally recently published the book Speak Truth in Your Heart, and it has been a great encouragement to my teenage daughter and me as we seek to know God’s Word better. I met the Mally family many years ago, and we have appreciated the presence of Bright Lights at our women’s conferences for several years. Here’s what Sarah had to say about her upcoming presentation at Answers for Women:

Imagine the following scenario: you walk into your kitchen and see that your white tile floor is covered with muddy footprints. Looking out the window, you see that there is a puddle of mud right outside the kitchen door. You quickly get out the mop and begin to wash the floor until the mud disappears. But a few minutes later, the dog comes running inside and leaves a muddy trail all over the floor again. For the second time, you pick up the mop and start cleaning. Next, your 8-year-old comes running inside and—once again—muddy footprints are everywhere! You are going to be cleaning up mud perpetually—unless you come up with a solution for the problem. The mud outside needs to go. Otherwise, you are going to have a frustrating, recurring mess!

This same thing often happens in our lives: we deal with surface issues rather than with the underlying problems. Then we wonder why we experience the same struggles over and over again. The reality is we will continually be cleaning up “messes” in our lives if we merely try to change our actions, but do not change the thinking and beliefs behind those actions. We must learn to recognize and eliminate lies which we believe.

Satan is crafty and subtle. Deception is his area of expertise! He disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Some of his most perilous lies are his subtle half-truths because they are difficult to detect. Through these lies, he desires to distort our view of God, ourselves, others, circumstances, and so on. It is imperative for us to know our Bibles well and replace lies with the truth. In Jesus’ prayer to His Father in John 17:17, He says, “Your Word is truth.”

Here is just a sampling of lies we are often tempted to believe. Each of these lies will greatly affect our attitudes, actions, and perspectives on life.

• God isn’t really doing what is best for me.
• God’s Word cannot be completely trusted.
• I can’t know for sure if I am actually saved.
• I am worthless and insignificant.
• There is no way to get rid of my guilt and shame.
• I cannot control my emotions.
• This sin is so small. It doesn’t really make a difference.
• It is too late for me because of my past mistakes.
• Staying single would be miserable.
• There is no hope for my marriage and family.

As we learn to replace the lies we believe with biblical truth, we will see how God’s Word will transform each area of our lives and how the truth sets us free. Of course, the solution isn’t to know all of the possible lies, but rather to know the truth! When we know the truth, we will be able to recognize the multitude of lies that we encounter each day. The Bible alone is our standard. We need to know it—and know it well! If we do not, we will be like a house without a foundation, a tree without roots, an explorer without a compass, a ship without an anchor. Let’s purpose to expand our time in the Bible—reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on, and obeying it.

I am looking forward to Answers for Women 2020, where, together with hundreds of women, we will spend a weekend considering the importance of uncovering the lies we believe. As we replace these lies with the truth of God’s Word, we will be planting our feet on an unshakable foundation that will resist even the most powerful attacks of the enemy.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit (Jeremiah 17:7–8 NKJV).

I know Sarah’s talk will be a challenge to us all to know God’s Word better and to learn to speak its truth to ourselves. It’s the best defense of all!

Recently, there’s been an influx of books catering to Christian women that encourage us to embrace our sin and trust that God’s grace is bigger. This runs counter to what we are commanded in Scripture! (See Romans 6:1–2; 1 Peter 1:16.) I knew that the perfect person to address these lies was Erin Benziger. Erin has spoken at two previous Answers for Women conferences and is podcast host and writer on Equipping Eve. Erin shared some thoughts on her presentation for this year’s conference:

“It’s too hard to be a Christian.”

It is true that Christians are called to holiness. This call can be a daunting one in light of Scriptures such as 1 Peter 1:15–16, which says, “[A]s he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” How can we possibly be holy as God is holy? After all, we know that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Yet, we also know that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). How are Christians to reconcile these two realities?

To answer these questions, we need to turn to Scripture, which “speaks of both a holiness which we have in Christ before God, and a holiness which we are to strive after.”1 In the Bible, we see how it is that God calls us—fallen sinners who will never achieve perfection in this life—to live godly lives. This is where we find a Savior whose perfect righteousness is imputed, or credited, to sinners so that they may stand justified before a holy God. In the pages of Scripture, we see how it is that we are subsequently sanctified—made to look like Christ—and enabled and empowered to live holy lives. We will never attain perfection in this life, but Jesus does not save us and leave us to wallow in our sin. No, our great Savior transforms us so that we may bring glory to Him.

The Christian life is not an easy one. We are called to die to self, to pick up our cross daily, and to follow Jesus. We find ourselves at odds with a sinful world, constantly fighting against everything that is contrary to God. We may experience persecution from family, friends, or coworkers. Why, then, does Jesus say that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30)? Because we do not embark on the Christian life alone. Too often this is the mindset among Christians as we seek to cross off every item on our spiritual “To Do” list, while rabidly avoiding everything on our “Don’t Even Think About It” list. But this is not Christianity, and this is not true holiness. In fact, this is a decidedly unhealthy approach to the Christian life.

Most of us would say that we desire to have a healthy physical heart beating inside of our chest, and just as being physically healthy takes conscious effort, so does being spiritually healthy. Consuming a proper spiritual diet, engaging in regular spiritual exercise, and avoiding “junk food” disguised as biblical sustenance should be part of our Christian lifestyle. So, how can we ensure that our spiritual hearts are strong and healthy?

At the 2020 Answers for Women conference, we will examine Scripture to answer these questions. We’ll seek to clarify some common confusions and offer encouragement for the weary among us. We will see that it is in God’s Word that our spiritual diet and exercise regimen is laid out for us, and we will see what has been in front of us the entire time, namely, the true heart of holiness.

As I have talked with Erin and followed her ministries, I have been very impressed with her desire to biblically and lovingly confront error in the church and equip women with the truth.

Register today! Remember that each attendee will receive an annual pass to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter that can be used multiple times throughout the year.

Our society is inundated with lies about the authority and truthfulness of God’s Word coming through academic communities, media, books, movies, schools, and yes, even in churches. Many of those lies focus on the book of Genesis. Ken Ham has been on the front lines addressing how Christians should respond by giving answers based on God’s Word and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had this to say about his upcoming presentation at Answers for Women 2020:

There’s a big lie that has crept into much for the church. And that’s the idea that God used millions of years and/or evolution to create the universe, earth, and life here on earth. And there’s another subtle lie that goes along with this one . . . and that’s the idea that it doesn’t really matter what a Christian believes about Genesis. It’s just a side issue, and we can all agree to disagree. But I would argue that’s a lie because the problem isn’t really about the age of the earth or evolution at all. It’s about biblical authority!

Some Christians will say that sincere, Bible-believing Christians disagree about many different things such as views of eschatology, modes of baptism, speaking in tongues, the sabbath day, etc. And, of course, that’s true. But all these issues involve people arguing primarily from Scripture to justify their positions—not from things outside Scripture.

But when it comes to Genesis, all the different views within the church, such as day-age theory, framework hypothesis, theistic evolution, local flood, and so on, all have one thing in common. Every one of these positions involves taking man’s belief in millions of years, based on the religion of naturalism, and trying to fit this into Scripture. Many of these views entail adding biological, geological, and astronomical evolution into Scripture. This involves eisegesis (reading ideas into Scripture), not exegesis (reading ideas out of Scripture). And adding millions of years into Scripture then blames God (not our sin) for death, suffering, and disease for millions of years (as they interpret the fossil record) preceding man. “Millions of years” is an attack on the character of God and undermines the gospel.

I assert that those who do not hold to a literal Genesis (six literal days, young earth, Adam from dust and Eve from his side, global flood, etc.) do so because they are influenced by what the world is teaching regarding origins and are attempting to add this to Scripture and force an interpretation on Genesis that undermines biblical authority.

So, really, this is an issue of biblical authority. Will we trust what God’s Word plainly says, or will we place ourselves over the Word of God and add things into Scripture? Who is our ultimate authority?

As I open Answers for Women as the first speaker, I will share about the issue of biblical authority and how vital it is that we allow God’s Word to be our authority in all areas. Really, this talk is foundational for everything else you’ll hear throughout the conference. All the speakers will be pointing you away from man’s ideas and to the rock-solid foundation of the Word of God. In a world in which ever-changing opinions and feelings seem to be the supposed arbiter of truth, it’s more vital than ever that we look to the unchanging Word of God for truth. And that’s what you’re going to take home from this incredible conference.

I’m looking forward to hearing Ken’s powerful message of truth that I know will motivate and equip us to defend our faith and share the gospel in an ever-darkening world.

Did you know that Answers for Women offers “merch”? Be sure to pre-order your T-shirt and travel mug here. Use these as tools to advertise the conference and invite others!

Phil Johnson is the executive director for Grace to You and has been part of John MacArthur’s ministry since 1981. He will be speaking at the upcoming Answers for Women conference. What he shared with me about his upcoming talk will be a blessing to all our readers.

I hope all our lady readers are rested up from the holidays and preparing to join us for our annual Answers for Women conference. This year’s theme is Truth: Uncovering the Lies We Believe, and we have a great lineup of speakers preparing to challenge and equip us. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be hearing from those speakers through guest blog posts.

I came to know Phil first through his blog, Pyromaniacs, and then through his frequent guest appearances on Todd Friel’s podcast, Wretched. Here’s what Phil had to say about his presentation:

It's not easy, especially nowadays, to keep love and truth together in a balanced way.

Our culture force-feeds us a postmodern notion of love. Tolerance, diversity, and broad-mindedness are its defining features.

Meanwhile, truth is generally held in high suspicion, if not treated with outright contempt. After all, if the very essence of love is to accept all points of view, how could it possibly be virtuous to believe that one idea is true to the exclusion of all others? Indeed, many in our culture regard emphatic truth-claims as inherently unloving. As a result, truth is regularly sacrificed in the name of love.

As Christians, we need to understand love from a biblical perspective. Authentic love "rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love and truth are perfectly symbiotic, and each virtue is essential to the other. Love without truth has no character. Truth without love has no power.

In fact, when radically separated from one another, both virtues cease to be anything more than mere pretense. Love deprived of truth quickly deteriorates into sinful self-love. Truth divorced from love always breeds sanctimonious self-righteousness.

Nowhere in Scripture is the essential connection between these two cardinal virtues more clearly highlighted than in 2 John. Love and truth are the key words in the salutation of that brief 13-verse epistle, and the central theme throughout is the unbreakable interdependence between these two essential qualities of Christlikeness.

John is the perfect apostle to write on this theme. Jesus had nicknamed John and his brother James "Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17)—doubtless because of their fiery zeal for the truth. At first, their passion was not always tempered with love, and we see a glimpse of that in Luke 9:54 when they wanted to call down fire from heaven upon a village of Samaritans who had rebuffed Christ.

In later years, however, John distinguished himself as the Apostle of Love, especially highlighting the theme of love in his gospel and in all three of his epistles.

And yet, as we see in all his epistles, he never lost his zeal for the truth. He did, however, learn to keep it wedded to a proper, Christlike love. And in his short second epistle, where he has some hard things to say in defense of the truth, he is careful to give first place to love. We’ll be dealing with that brief but important epistle March 27-28 at the Answers for Women 2020 conference. It’s an instructive study, and especially relevant to the times in which we live.

Christians today must learn how to ground love properly in the truth. We cannot succumb to pressure from our culture to spurn or bury the truth of Scripture under a false and foggy notion of love.

I’m looking forward to hearing more of what Phil has to share about the importance of truth and love.

Will you help us spread the word about Answers for Women and consider coming or sending an important woman in your life? Overwhelmingly women say they learned about the conference by “word of mouth.” So, I want you to read these blog posts, share them on social media, and use them to personally invite women to this truth-filled time of worship, teaching, and fellowship. Register here today!

When people ask me what I thought of Sacred: Embracing God’s Design for Sexuality, I smile and say, “It was a sweet time.” I was so overwhelmed by the speakers and the conversations from attendees that it took me a couple weeks to process everything! God’s Spirit was evident, and he was at work in the lives of many.

I was encouraged as I met and heard of others who attended and were not Christians. These young women seemed to be genuinely seeking answers and searching for truth in the very dark and confused world that we live in. Please pray for them that God’s Spirit and Word will convict them and that they will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It’s so exciting to offer a conference that women who might never go to church will attend and hear the Gospel! During the conference, on Friday evening, June Hunt gave a gospel presentation at the end of her session, and we know of at least 11 women who received Christ. Praise God!

Sacred was the first conference to be held in the brand new Answers Center at the Ark Encounter. Despite the facility being opened only days before the conference, everything went smoothly with only a few hiccups. Many attendees commented how much they loved this new venue and we look forward to future conferences here!

When I looked at the feedback from attendees, the one topic that came up over and over was how the speakers and their presentations were so highly valued and appreciated. We always strive to have conferences that really delve into the Word of God, teach women apologetics, and equip them to give answers for their families, churches, and communities. I’m grateful that we have been able to accomplish that year after year.

Here’s just a small sample of what women had to say of this year’s conference:

Everyone is friendly, whole conference is professionally done and operations are efficient, speakers are AMAZING. It is absolutely astounding - the moment you step foot on the property, you can feel the spirit of God at work. The entire staff gives full credit and glory to God. I am certainly blessed to be a part of this conference!

I have been several years now and have been encouraged and challenged each time I come. If anyone wants to be confronted with bold Biblical truth and challenged to live that out in the world, I would recommend coming to Answers for Women.

The speakers were exceptional! I have never been to an event where all the speakers were so thorough and provided depth in an easy to understand way!

My daughter (a Gen Z’er) and I attended because of what I recognize to be a constant assault on truth from Christian peers even as she is a freshman at a Christian university. An example is her hall mates openly talk about sex with their boyfriends yet say they are Christian, the toxic views of males, etc. The broad topic of sexuality was covered down the many different veins, yet unified central truth tied back to God's design in Genesis. To hear the same truths from a variety of speakers left a true effect on my daughter of firmer clarity. I came praying for help through the large cast of knowledgeable presenters, to be able to say we are not being judgy, this is sin and here are more ways to state why.

Excellent speakers, great music, well-organized event. The Answers Center was a beautiful facility, well-equipped and comfortable. Anyone attending cannot go away without feeling impacted. This conference was soul-inspiring!

The entire conference and atmosphere was incredible but the scripture rich, intelligent, teaching set it apart from a typical "women's conference."

It is so frustrating to listen to daily news and NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING! I feel equipped to start conversations. OUR CHURCHES ARE FAILING! As a mother of 6 and grandma of 15, this old gal is not going to let them come after my young!

My teenage daughter and I were so blessed to be at the AIG 2019 Women's Conference. Biblical wisdom was poured into our souls. We learned Biblical answers to questions that have arisen as we have interacted with those in the cultural worldview. I was also so grateful to God that my daughter was front-loaded with a lot of Biblical apologetics for when adults or peers try to indoctrinate her into their worldview.

One woman declared herself to be an atheist and we had a meaningful conversation about the gospel referencing a comment made by Phylicia Masonheimer that "the book of Leviticus is a book of love!" I explained how God's law is perfect but I'm unable to keep it and that Jesus kept the Law perfectly and by trusting in Him He gives me His perfect record of keeping the Law in exchange for my sin. That is true love! She claimed she comes to AIG conferences because she hears things she's never heard before, such as what Phylicia said. I trust the Lord is drawing this woman to Himself! I'm so thankful that the ministry of AIG is holding fast to the Word of God so that both believers and skeptics can hear the Truth!

This is a conference for women young and old. It teaches, it makes you think and I came out a better person with better understanding of some issues and knowing areas I need work in. Great conference, great facility.

Plan to join us at the Answers Center on March 27–28, 2020 for Truth: Uncovering the Lies We Believe with guest speakers Kay Arthur, Costi Hinn, and many more. Register today to take advantage of the early bird pricing.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

A few years ago, our Answers magazine editor approached me about using a new author to write an article on the issue of transgenderism. This was my first introduction to Dr. Owen Strachan, and I was very impressed with the several articles he has now written for our magazine on this issue. He approaches this very emotional and heated topic with both truth and grace. Dr. Strachan is an associate professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Missouri and a senior fellow (former president) of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. He has published over a dozen books including The Grand Design: Male and Female He Made Them. I asked Dr. Strachan to share with us some thoughts related to his presentation in April at Sacred: Embracing God’s Design for Sexuality.

There is, we hear today, a new way to be human.

It’s called being transgender.

The transgender person is between genders—or maybe beyond them. It’s not exactly clear. That’s really the situation in a nutshell: it seems like almost no one today knows what it means to be a man or a woman. As a society, we are truly in danger of losing the script—and our grip on reality.

There Is Nothing New Under the Sun

In truth, challenges to God’s design are not new. The Lord created the man and the woman by his own hand in Genesis 1:26–29 and in the more detailed account in Genesis 2; shortly thereafter, the serpent struck against the first couple. The serpent convinced the man and woman to abandon their trust in God and conform to his serpentine direction. This act of disobedience loosed sin from its constraints; it poured out into the world like the world’s worst pipe explosion. It made us all into sinners by nature, creatures deserving of God’s wrath for our sin.

There are many kinds of sin we can point out in a post-Genesis 3 world. One of them we might have missed is buried deep in the Old Testament law. In the course of several prohibitions of ungodly behavior, Deuteronomy 22 says this: “A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5). We see here that the inclination to wear the clothing of the opposite sex is not modern; it is nearly as old as the earth. God’s law for Israel makes clear in the strongest terms that bending our identity to the opposite sex is sinful and wrong. Such behavior was not only dishonoring to God; it was an abomination before God.

The New Testament reinforces this teaching. Men and women are encouraged to dress and present themselves distinctly in 1 Corinthians 11:3–16. Men should not look like women, Paul teaches; women should not look like men. Instead, the sexes should honor God’s original design and creation order. This principle stands out today in our God-denying, gender-bending, order-subverting age. We’re so used to androgyny (or neutrality) that we don’t even think about it. We speak not of “fathers and mothers,” but the gender-neutral “parents”; our public restrooms are increasingly open to any sex; athletes who undergo surgery or body modification can now compete with the opposite sex, and on it goes. Even if we personally don’t participate in these behaviors, we are influenced by them—more than we know.

So, What Should the Church Do Today?

In a culture like this, we can feel like we have no idea what to do. This is particularly true when people around us are not only using androgynous language but are telling us they’re a woman trapped in a man’s body. In a time like this, the church needs to go back to the basics. We need to study creation afresh. We need to consider what the Bible teaches us about men and women. We need to know that mankind has—since Adam’s fall—always lived in rebellion against God and that we’re facing challenges just as every generation of Christians has.

We need a big view of God today. This will help us recover a healthy conception of obedience in our time. Obedience is not opposed to the gospel; obedience is powered by the gospel, the good news of salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection. From this starting point, we’ll be able to see that the Bible offers us tremendous wisdom about being a man and a woman for God’s glory (Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Peter 3:1–7; Titus 2). Our culture glories in rebelling against God’s design; as Gavin Peacock and I have written, the Christian glories in honoring God’s design, which means embracing the beauty of our God-given manhood or womanhood.

Conclusion

Our bodies, we understand from Scripture, are not lying to us. We might think they are, but they are not. They are telling us a key part of who we are, and who God made us to be. We may hear that we can be anything we want today. That’s frankly not true. Just like we can’t make up our ethnic identity, or fabricate a different age for ourselves, we cannot change our bodily identity.

It turns out, in the end, that there is no new way to be human. There certainly is no new way to glorify God. Instead of running toward new ideas that promise ancient problems, we should embrace ancient wisdom that makes us a new creation. All this is offered to us by Christ; all this is offered to us in Christ. Let’s never forget this; let’s never, by God’s grace, lose our grip on reality.

Well said! I very much look forward to hearing more from Dr. Strachan and how we can live out these truths practically in our lives.

Register today to reserve your spot at AnswersforWomen.org .

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

I can’t imagine asking anyone other than Ken Ham to speak on the importance of Genesis to a biblical worldview of any topic! Since the 2015 Supreme Court decision to legalize gay “marriage,” we have seen a moral decline of epic proportions in this country. Ken has been on the front lines addressing how Christians should respond by giving answers based on God’s Word and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had this to say about his upcoming presentation at Answers for Women 2019.

• The law must change to make BOTH my marriages legal: ‘Polyamorous’ woman was walked down the aisle by her first husband when she ‘wed’ her second and now wears TWO rings
• WATCH: ‘Good Morning America’ Promotes Child Drag Queen
• Liberal Lutheran pastor: It’s okay to look at porn, especially if it’s ‘ethically sourced’
• Professor sues after he says he was punished for calling transgender student ‘sir’

These are a few examples of recent headlines from around the world. We live in a day and age when people no longer believe marriage is a life-long union and insist now it can be with whomever (or whatever!) you want. And no longer is gender considered binary—the idea that we’re male and female is now viewed not only as antiquated but as repressive and harmful. Since it began in the 1960s, the sexual revolution has left no part of God’s design for marriage and sexuality alone. It’s all an all-out attack of epic proportions.

This thinking comes out of the secular, humanist philosophy that prevails in our culture today. In this view, man is the authority. We make the rules. And if we make the rules, why can’t two men marry (and why stop at two?) or why can’t a woman marry two men? Why can’t children sexualize themselves and portray the opposite sex? Why not use pornography with no thought to your commitment to your spouse or sexual purity? Ultimately, what is marriage, gender, and sexuality if there’s no absolute, unchanging standard? Moral relativism is permeating the culture.

As believers, we must be equipped to think biblically about the sexual/gender revolution rocking our culture. We must understand that God’s Word provides the ultimate, unchanging foundation for marriage, gender, and sexuality. And this begins with a proper view of God’s Word as the authority.

You see, if God and his Word are the authority, then God sets the rules and we must obey him. In this view, marriage and sexuality cannot be just whatever we want them to be. Rather, they are defined by God. And when we look to Scripture, that’s exactly what we see.

In Genesis 1:27 God created the first human couple, Adam and Eve. He created them equally in his image but distinct as male and female. He gave them different roles. Then in Genesis 2:24 we see God bring Adam and Eve together in the first marriage. It is here, right at the beginning in Genesis, that God defines marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman as one flesh. This is the definition of marriage that Jesus upheld.

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? (Matthew 19:4–5)

The answer to the confusion in our culture about marriage, gender, and sexuality is that we are not the authority! We don’t get to define marriage, gender, or sexuality. Rather, we need to submit ourselves to God and his Word, allowing him to be our authority in all areas.

I’m looking forward to hearing Ken’s powerful message of truth that I know will motivate and equip us to defend our faith and share the gospel in an ever-darkening world.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

When I’m in the car driving, I always try to listen to podcasts or Christian radio programs to educate and equip myself on topics that are relevant in our culture. One of the programs that has helped me is June Hunt’s Hope for the Heart which is also the name of her ministry. June began her biblical counseling ministry over 30 years ago, and it has helped many people through various outreaches. I interviewed June to find out more about her ministry and her upcoming presentation at the Answers for Women conference.

Me: What are you most looking forward to about the Answers for Women conference?

June: Everyone has questions about “The Living of Life.” We all want answers. My privilege will be to expose those attending to real answers for their real “life” problems (or to the problems others face.)

Me: What will you be talking about and sharing with the ladies at the conference?

June: I’ve been asked to address the travesty of sexual abuse and the solutions for how to rise above abuse. Look at the statistics: 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Me: Tells us about your personal vision and mission.

June: After years of teaching and research, I developed the 100+ topic Biblical Counseling Library to answer the real questions people are asking. Our scripturally based solutions address topics, such as marriage, parenting and reconciliation, addictions, abuse, apologetics, depression, stress, and suicide. Now a 5-volume set of 100+ topical manuals, each of the Biblical Counseling Keys helps people move from wrong thinking to right thinking and from wrong living to right living with truth that sets us free.

Me: Could you briefly share your testimony?

June: Early family pain shaped my life and tenderized my heart with compassion. Although I wasn’t raised in a Christian home, I saw people who had “something” I wanted. After becoming a Christian, I served my church as a youth director and, later, as a college/career director. As a singer and conference speaker (for Billy Graham Crusades) I became aware of the immense need for sound biblical counsel—people want real answers for the real challenges in their lives. This led me to a lifelong commitment to provide God’s truth for today’s problems.

Me: How did the Lord call you into ministry?

June: After I became a conference speaker, I was asked thousands of questions about real-life problems. However, I could not find Christian resources with real solutions. So ultimately, I realized the need to develop a library of answers for Christians to help make a difference in our world. The Biblical Counseling Keys are the foundation for HOPE FOR THE HEART’s two award-winning radio programs. HOPE FOR THE HEART is a daily half-hour teaching broadcast with one weekly theme showcasing our topical training before a live audience. HOPE IN THE NIGHT is a live 1-hour call-in counseling program that helps people untie their tangled problems with biblical hope and practical help. Often, I prompt listeners to yield their will to the Lord’s will in order to experience a transformed life.

Me: How do you hope to impact attendees at the Answers for Women conference?

June: There are no hopeless situations, only those who have grown hopeless. Based on their past, too many women feel powerless. However, 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV) says, “His divine power has given us everything we need to live a godly life.” Therefore, my earnest desire is to share how Jesus and his Word can bring help, healing, and hope to any situation.

I’m looking forward to hearing June’s wisdom and insight as she opens God’s Word and shares his heart for the broken and abused and the ultimate hope we have in Christ.

Don’t delay and register today to ensure your spot and enjoy the early bird discount at AnswersforWomen.org. Early bird ends February 15, 2019.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

One of my favorite podcasts is “The Busy Mom” with Heidi St. John. I love Heidi’s quick wit and conversational style. She is very down to earth and realistic about the highs and lows of being a mom and wife who also has a career. Heidi has a very active speaking and writing ministry and homeschools her children too! She has a real heart to see women encouraged and equipped to “get off the bench and onto the battlefield” and fight for the hearts and minds of their children. I asked Heidi to speak at this year’s Answers for Women conference on the topic of talking to our children about the sexual revolution. Below is an expert from one of her blog posts that I think will give you a good taste of what to expect from this dynamic speaker.

I have five daughters, two sons, and two grandsons. If they ever believe they are not the gender that they were assigned by their Creator, I will not add insult to their emotional and mental confusion by lying to them. That’s exactly what we’re doing to our kids today: we’re lying to them. It’s a flat-out lie that I can be a man if I want to be. Ask Mr. Jenner. He is trying to be a woman, but his DNA will not be mocked: he is not a woman. He is a sick, confused man.

I have come to the place as a mother and grandmother where I feel it is imperative to urge parents to stop lying to their children in the name of “tolerance.” We are doing far more harm than good. I’m going to tell my children the truth. If they are born girls, that’s what they are. I want them to celebrate the DNA they were born with.

Years ago, a girl I love very much was diagnosed with anorexia. She was beautiful. A slight-framed girl, she weighed around 110 lbs. when she was healthy. But when she looked in the mirror, that’s not what she saw. She saw an obese, ugly girl. She began to binge and purge. She suffered a dramatic weight loss—because her “reality” was not real. Her mind was lying to her about who she was. Do you know what? No one lied to her about it. No one encouraged her to keep starving herself. Instead, we gently told her the truth until she believed it again.

We even fed her against her will at times and no one, I mean NO ONE called me “anorexiphobic” because I chose to tell my friend that she was not fat; she was devastatingly thin. A lie would have killed her.

This idea of gender-neutrality is hurting our kids in the same way that we would have hurt my friend if we had lied to her about her illness. Was she mad when we told her she needed to eat? YES! She screamed and yelled because she had to be accompanied to the bathroom to keep her from throwing up. She said we hated her. She said we were lying—but the truth was that her own mind was lying to her.

It took bold truth to begin to heal the bold lie that was being perpetuated against my friend by the disease we call anorexia. And the idea of gender-neutrality is also a bold lie. Like all lies from the devil, the lie that there is such a thing as “gender neutrality” is in direct opposition to the obvious way we have been created. God’s Word is clear on the issue of sexuality. We have been created as “male” and “female.”

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

Bold lies can only be countered with bold truth. A spirit called “Fear” is driving our decisions as parents, and the longer we listen to the lies and act in fear, the darker this nation will become.

Telling your children the truth about their DNA is not only healthy and good, it is necessary in the current culture we are living in. A small minority has hijacked the culture and we have let it happen, because we are a fearful and unwise generation.

If we do not stand and speak the truth, lies will become the reality that our children operate in. That’s a reality I wouldn’t wish on anyone, especially my grandchildren.

(excerpt from, “The Lie of “Gender-Neutrality” and Why I’m Telling my Children the Truth About Their DNA,” January 12, 2016)

WOW! I appreciate Heidi’s bold stand on the truth of God’s Word and can’t wait to see what she has to share with us. I encourage you to read the whole post here. I was privileged a few months ago to be interviewed on Heidi’s podcast and we literally could have talked for hours! You can listen to the podcast here.

Don’t delay and register today! Early bird pricing ends Friday, February 1, 2019!

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

I’ve been posting a lot of guest posts by our speakers for Answers for Women 2019, but now it’s my turn! I’ll be speaking on a topic that I get asked about nearly weekly here at the Creation Museum. Maybe you’ve heard these questions before or asked them yourself.

• Are people born gay?
• Are there really only two genders?
• Can people help it if they are attracted to the same sex?
• Can people help it if they feel like they should be the opposite sex?
• Are there genetic or other biological reasons that people are homosexual or transgender?

These are very valid questions, and a lot of research has been done to answer these questions.

I wrote an article last year on this topic for Answers magazine specifically relating to the issue of homosexuality, and I want to share some excerpts from that article.

They [Christian parents] are struggling with a child who has recently “come out” and are trying to grapple with this new reality. These parents have lovingly taught their children the Bible, taken them to church all their young lives, and can’t understand how their children could possibly choose this sinful sexual behavior. They think biology may help explain what they are wrestling to explain any other way. So, can it? And if biology can explain it, is homosexual behavior still sinful if God made them that way?

From an evolutionary perspective, it really wouldn’t make any sense for homosexuality to have a biological basis. One of the major tenets of evolution is reproduction and passing on one’s genes to the next generation.

Both past and present scientific studies have shown no conclusive evidence that homosexual behavior is biological; and even if there is a biological basis, the researchers themselves admit that it would likely make a relatively small contribution.

In many ways, the attempt to tie behavior to biology is an effort to normalize sin and remove responsibility for people’s feelings and actions. The idea of genetic determinism is rampant and important in evolutionary thought, as humans would have to be nothing more than “matter in motion” with no soul and merely the preprogrammed product of their genes.

Ever since Adam’s rebellion, all of us are born sinners (Psalm 51:5), and all of us struggle with sin, but we must remember, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Many Christians are faced with the sad reality of loved ones that claim to be homosexual or transgender, and we need to be equipped with solid biblical and scientific answers to their claims. We need to show them that, regardless of their feelings, they are living in sin and their only hope for deliverance is the redeeming work of God’s grace offered through his Son Jesus Christ.

Please join us for Sacred: Embracing God’s Design for Sexuality as we explore these topics and many more. I’m thrilled the conference will be held in our new Answers Center at the Ark Encounter. Early bird pricing ends February 1, so don’t delay!

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

At the 2015 Answers for Women conference, I was pleased to have Rose Colón join us for Embrace: Compassionate Answers in a Fallen World. She spoke on the topic of sexual sin within marriage and shared her own personal testimony showing how she and her husband found answers and hope in God’s Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rose (and her husband Jeff) are certified counselors and direct the Lighthouse Biblical Counseling Center in Williamstown, KY (very close to Ark Encounter!). I asked Rose to speak next year on the topic of pornography and this is what she had to say about her upcoming presentation.

There is so much confusion in our present day regarding God’s sacred design for marriage and relationships. Everywhere we turn it seems as if our world has completely forgotten that God’s blueprint regarding these issues has not changed with our modern times. Biblical history has proven that when a society rejects God’s composition for sexuality and chooses not to pattern their lives according to His Word, we will reap the consequences of those choices.

What role has pornography played in distorting God’s original intent for intimacy within the confines of marriage? How does sexual sin effect the marriage bed? What are some of the end results of giving into illicit physical desires? How is our youth being desensitized to God honoring relationships by this industry? Why are 80% of visitors to porn sites willing to spend so much of their time tracking down erotica at the risk of losing their real life relationships and jobs?

The scriptures tell us in Proverbs 6:27-29, “Can a man (or woman) take fire to his (her) bosom, and his (her) clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his (her) feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.” Over the past 25 years of counseling, I have seen this truth come to pass in the lives of many over and over again. While some might say, “What is the big deal with viewing a little porn here or there?”, pornography and sexual sin has devastating effects on the church, the family, our children, and a society as a whole. We must not allow the world’s godless mindset in these matters lead the church into a subtle deception.

In view of the fact that God has designed us with a desire for sexual pleasure, how can a follower of Christ safe guard their heart from being influenced from this world’s way of thinking? What is God’s instruction to a believer in such matters? Should we take Him seriously? Is it still possible for one to return to God’s sacred design for sexuality?

Come and explore the scriptures with me during this conference. Together we will learn from God’s Word how we can avoid the alluring snare of the porn industry. God’s purpose for His people is to be His image bearers whether you are single or married. My friend, embracing God’s ancient paths for His sacred design for sexuality is still relevant for our generation. As the prophet Isaiah declared in Chapter 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Beloved, God will not be mocked; His purpose for our sexuality is to be sacred, pure and holy.

1 Corinthians 10:13–14 tells us, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

I’m so looking forward to Rose’s equipping and encouraging thoughts at Answers for Women 2019 as she shares biblical truth to help us counter the world’s lies.

Register today to take advantage of the early bird special (ends February 1, 2019) and receive a complete video download of one of our previous women’s conferences, Embrace.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

I first met Phylicia a few years ago when she visited the Creation Museum with her family. We had about an hour to chat and I knew at the end of our conversation that I needed to have her speak at one our women’s conferences. I was so glad that next year’s theme was such a perfect fit for her. Phylicia blogs at Driven Women and is the author of Christian Cosmo. She’s tackling a very important topic that pertains specifically to the single woman. Phylicia shares some of her testimony and why this topic is so dear to her.

I was only twelve when I discovered it at a garage sale: A book without a cover, perhaps a Boxcar Children or a Nancy Drew? I opened it in the middle, hoping to find a good story. Instead I found a sex scene described in graphic detail—terms I barely understood, but was ashamed to read. I learned about sex in shame—and spent the next ten years battling sexual sin.

I was a homeschooled, Christian girl with excellent parents. They could not have prevented my discovery of that book if they had tried; we already didn’t have internet or cable TV. I was victim to a depraved culture and my own curiosity. But do you know what would have helped me? To know about sex from a biblical perspective as early as possible, and to celebrate God’s design before marriage was even on the table.

As I’ve counseled dozens of young Christian women through sexual addiction, I see the same themes emerge: Sexuality was learned in a negative context, and they had no biblical framework to correct it. Instead of reframing sex to echo God’s heart, these girls were given more rules to prevent sexual sin. And even if extramarital sex, pornography, and sexual perversion was prevented, these young women enter marriage full of fear and shame. Their sexual relationships with their husbands struggle. They are shamed by their own sexuality in a way God never intended.

So they remain silent. Christian women are struggling sexually—and are terrified to talk about it. A man’s struggle with visual and sexual sins is openly known and addressed by the church, but for women, this battle is presented as abnormal. God’s heart for marriage to be honored (Hebrews 13:4) begins long before vows are said; it begins in the hearts of future wives. It begins in women who, if they knew how beautiful their God-designed sexuality was, would walk in freedom instead of in shame.

Freedom is available in Christ. It is available through the redemption of Jesus, who does not weigh sins, but cleanses all people who come to him to be renewed. The sexual struggles, shame, and sins of women—single and married—can be completely removed by the power of God through his Word, prayer, and learning to reframe sexuality according to God’s actual design.

God’s heart for our girls is sexual freedom—not freedom the way the world defines it, but freedom to live on the other side of shame. Freedom to be at peace with your own sexuality, not living in bondage to it. Jesus is an overcoming Savior for every part of your life: personal, spiritual, and sexual.

I’m really glad that Phylicia isn’t afraid to talk about sexuality because I believe the only way we can start a reformation (and a sorely needed one in our current culture) is if we “frame” sexuality with God’s Word, making it our starting point, and teach that to the next generation.

Register today to take advantage of the early bird special (ends February 1, 2019) and receive a complete video download of one of our previous women’s conferences, Embrace.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

I first heard about Amanda Peacock from Dr. Owen Strachan, one of our other speakers for Answers for Women 2019. Dr. Strachan coauthored a book with Amanda’s husband Gavin and he felt she would be a good fit for the topic of complementarity within marriage.

I can tell from speaking with Amanda that she has a sweet spirit and a heart to help women embrace God’s design for marriage in the morally “upside down” world we live in. Here’s what Amanda had to say about her presentation for next year’s conference.

“The greatest need for women today is to return to a supreme confidence in the authority and sufficiency of the Word of God . . . . In doing so, we will discover that rich and robust theological truths underpin our roles in marriage, and these are liberating.”

Cultural Confusion

Amanda Peacock

Today, words like “headship” and “submission,” “leader” and “helper” are imbued with negative connotations. Our culture is inherently suspicious of authority and increasingly women are positioning themselves as an oppressed group who must have equality with men without difference. So, many Christian women are asking the same question as Satan in the Garden, “Did God actually say . . . ?” (Genesis 3:1). And, as daughters of Eve try to find ways around what God says, because it all seems “so unfair,” we should remember that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The greatest need for women today is to return to a supreme confidence in the authority and sufficiency of the Word of God.

In doing so, we will discover that rich and robust theological truths underpin our roles in marriage, and these are liberating, and far more fulfilling than the candyfloss the world offers.

Creation Foundations

The cultural concept of marriage may be rapidly changing and the prevailing winds of cultural doctrine may seem to have people floundering, but God defines marriage and this has not changed since the beginning.

Jesus Himself shows us this: when answering one of the Pharisees’ questions regarding marriage, He responded (Matthew 19:3–6) with some of the first verses in the Bible affirming the authority of the Old Testament as the Word of God. Jesus’ foundation for manhood and womanhood, and marriage, was the word of the Creator at Creation. Likewise, we must turn to find answers in Genesis.

In the beginning, God created marriage between one man and one woman for life, for the purpose of human flourishing, and to spread his glorious image throughout the earth (Genesis 1:27–28)

Christ and the Church

Fast-forward to the New Testament and we find Paul explaining to the people of Ephesus that marriage at creation is a picture of God’s love in redemption. But it is not marriage in general that pictures the gospel: it is marriage with the Christ-like loving headship of a husband and the church-like willing submission of a wife that pictures this glorious truth. Marriage of this specific kind is the means he chooses to be a walking, talking parable of the love of Christ, the Bridegroom, for his for his Bride, the Church.

So the Bible begins with a marriage, and the Bible centers around a marriage. But that’s not all. The Bible ends with a marriage—the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–10).

As we await that day and the consummation of all things, the roles of husband and wife in marriage have an inestimable part to play in displaying the truth of the gospel, to children in the home and to a watching world beyond the bounds of the church walls. In fact, part of Apostle Peter’s first letter (1 Peter 3:1–6) to the suffering church testifies to the powerful witness of a wife’s submissive and respectful attitude to her unbelieving husband. You could say that submission is mission—it has evangelistic purposes. There is more at stake here than we can imagine.

A wife’s role is about more than personal rights, more than marital compatibility even: it’s about Christ, his church, and the glory of God; it’s about displaying self-sacrifice for the sake of God’s glory—a self-giving that displays the very heart of Jesus. For women there is a great need to rediscover and re-embrace a biblical view of their role in our day and rejoice in the purposes for which God made us.

As a married woman, I can testify to the very real struggle of living out my biblically designed role in marriage. Yet, it has so much importance as a witness in our topsy-turvy culture to an even profounder mystery, that of Christ and the church. I’m looking forward to hearing what Amanda has to share about how married women can accomplish this in a very practical way.

Register today to take advantage of the early bird special (ends February 1, 2019) and receive a complete video download of one of our previous women’s conferences, Embrace.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

Have you registered yet for next year’s Answers for Women conference “Sacred: Embracing God’s Design for Sexuality”? I’m thrilled to introduce speaker Emily Thomes. I first discovered Emily through an article she wrote entitled “Girl in the Picture.” I knew as soon as I read it that we needed to hear from her on the topic of homosexuality. Not just about the life she had come out of but the redeemed life she now lives as a sinner saved by God’s amazing grace and her new life as wife and mom.

I asked Emily to share a bit of her testimony and the focus of her presentation with us.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

Sexually immoral. Idolater. Practicing homosexuality. Greedy. Drunk. Reviling God. These and more were me, all the while convincing myself that God was fine with my sin and that anyone who disagreed with me was judging and, after all, I knew that, somewhere, [the Bible] said, “Judge not.” I knew that God is love, which meant that God loved me just the way I was, no change necessary. Looking back, I see how God was drawing me to Him, through circumstances in my relationships, through an invitation to a Bible Study, but most of all, through the truth of His Word.

This is biblical conversion: that God opens our eyes to see our sin as sin and see Him as the good and worthy Creator; because of that new sight, we joyfully forsake our sin and turn to Him by grace through faith. Scripture tells us this happens to all people when they’re “born again” (John 3, Ezekiel 36:26), regardless of the kind of life they lived before knowing Christ. God must intervene and create in us a desire to obey out of a right kind of “fear” that comes from reverence and love for Him. It isn’t always easy, but He is worthy.

Repentance is necessary to be reconciled to God. You cannot stay in your sin and hold fast to Christ.

Homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1:18–32; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:8–11). Any honest reading of the text leaves one with the conclusion that God’s design for sex and marriage is for one man and one woman, for life, and that any variation of that (homosexuality, sexual immorality in opposite sex couples, adultery, etc.) is sinful. These contradict His moral law, and for that reason alone, they are transgressions not only against the other participant but against God Himself. God is perfect, holy, and without any kind of sin or failing. Sin separates us from Him because it’s so contradictory to who He is and what He esteems. Every human being is made in the image of God, and because of that we all have intrinsic value and worth—but that image is distorted because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. Scripture tells us that, because of sin, “no one is good; no not one” (Romans 3:10). God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness create a divide between the two. This is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to reconcile us back to Himself. He lived the kind of life we’re commanded to live but have all failed to do. He then took the punishment we ought to get, the entire wrath of God, on behalf of those who would repent, turn from sin, and put their trust in Him. Repentance is necessary to be reconciled to God. You cannot stay in your sin and hold fast to Christ.

So what does all of this mean for believers in Christ who struggle with same-sex attraction? The instructions given to Christians battling this sin are not different from those given to every other believer. All of us were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked (Ephesians 2:1–3). It means that one must “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) and “make no provision for the flesh” (Romans 13:14). Those battling desires for the same sex must, like Jesus said, “deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow” Him (Luke 9:23). We must now obey God rather than these desires. Each of us are marked by sin, but in Christ, have the will and ability to follow Jesus instead of our feelings. This doesn’t mean a perfect walk without trials and sin on our part, but as we grow in Him, we will have greater and greater victory over sin and will slowly, but surely, be conformed to the image of His Son who was without sin.

Does the Christian coming from this particular background have his or her own specific difficulties? You bet! But regardless of what sin we struggle with, our journey towards holiness and knowing Him deeper should look very similar to those who were saved out of any sin. My conversion to Christ should not be a surprise for any believer; that’s what He does. He takes dead men and makes them alive in Him, and He does it every single day! It’s my prayer that He uses stories like mine, His Spirit, and His word to grow His church in that understanding.

I’m greatly looking forward to hearing how God is using Emily's past and present for his glory when she speaks at next year's Answers for Women conference, which will be held in the Answers Center at the Ark Encounter

Register today to take advantage of the early bird special (ends November 1), and remember the price includes Creation Museum and Ark Encounter admission for conference attendees and discounted rates for spouse and children.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

Every year, one of my favorite tasks is reading through the surveys that we receive at the end of the women’s conference. I am always so humbled to see how God uses this conference in the lives and hearts of ladies from diverse age groups and walks of life. It was great this year to once again have the conference at Florence Baptist Church in Kentucky. I wanted to share just a small snapshot of the amazing feedback we received this year.

Thank you, Dr. Purdom, for living out your vision from many years ago and allowing it to become a reality and a source of inspiration in my life for seven years (so far). I always come away refreshed and focused, and this year I am equipped with practical steps to uphold the sanctity of life.

I have learned a lot, and you have approached lots of subject matter that is so necessary for me to be exposed to so I can be informed about our faith and how to stand on the promises of Christ our Savior.

Appreciated how well rounded the discussions were. We not only discussed/heard about abortion but about loving the women in those situations.

Personally, I thought it was great! I learned a lot from this conference. I thought it was awesome! [11-year-old attendee]

Thank you for all the work you put into making this conference happen. It was both enjoyable and a blessing. I am super excited about next year’s theme too.

It was very helpful in giving me ways to defend my faith that I had never thought I could find a way to explain!

Everything during the conference was great. The music was awesome and inspiring! Loved it! Speakers were great, informative, relevant, God-honoring. Lunch was wonderful and went smoothly. Vendors have a great mix of offering, and I happily went “shopping” at every break.

It’s great to have this to bring our ladies to where the authority of God’s Word is upheld.

I like the fact that the conference deals with tough topics and not fluff!

I didn’t really know what to expect, but this blew my mind! Thank you!

I love seeing women being encouraged and equipped by what they’ve been taught, and, as a result, thinking about ways in which they can apply what they’ve learned!

Answers for Women 2019

I encourage you to make plans now to attend the 2019 Answers for Women conference, Sacred: Embracing God’s Design for Sexuality. Our speaker line up next year is phenomenal! You’ll want to join Ken Ham, Heidi St. John (The Busy Mom), Emily Thomes, Dr. Owen Strachan, Amanda Peacock, Phylicia Masonheimer, Rose Colón, and me as we discuss the importance of having a biblical worldview of sexuality and how to live that out in our lives. Next year we will be at the Ark Encounter in our new 2,500-seat auditorium, so there will be plenty of room for you to bring your family and friends. We will also have special deals for you and your family to visit the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. Reserve it on your calendar now, April 5–6, 2019, at the Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of seeing the Foto Sisters perform at the Creation Museum. I enjoyed their classical and inspirational music, and I knew right then that I wanted them to be worship leaders for our Answers for Women conference. They are very talented young ladies who have a passion for music and God. I asked them to share about their journey in music and ministry.

People often ask us, “How did this music thing all start?” Truth be told, we never sought out a music ministry and, in fact, have at times fought it as we wished for different life scenarios. When we were very young, Dad and Mom decided that soccer, music, and ballet would be good additions to our homeschool education. With both our parents having very athletic backgrounds, athletics was definitely going to be on the list of extra curricular activities, and since music supposedly strengthens the left side of the brain, well, hey, it was a no-brainer to add! Though not musicians, Dad and Mom both love music, so they wanted to offer us the opportunity to pursue it.

After emotional breakdowns (when Addie had to play against Katie on the soccer field) and a minor injury, before long, piano lessons were the only activity left in our schedule. At that time, the Lord brought us to a wonderful church where most of the families sang together and played multiple instruments. As young, impressionable girls aspiring to be like the older girls in the church, we all added violin to the routine and, before we knew it, music took up hours of our day as we balanced piano and violin practice.

The Foto Sisters

One morning in a local newspaper, Mom saw an ad from a nearby assisted living home that said, “Baby grand piano that needs to be played.” Mom has always had a love for the elderly, so it wasn’t long before we answered the ad and she had us all packed up in the car heading to play for the senior citizens there! One thing we know for sure, no matter how squeaky and bad we sounded, senior citizens were always some of the most encouraging and kind audiences we performed for! If it weren’t for them, we would not be here today!

Word of mouth and referrals kept us busy in our local (Baton Rouge, LA) area for many years, playing for weddings, nursing homes, senior citizen church groups, churches, and even a prison. When we look back over the years, it seems like a whirlwind of events and opportunities God has brought. Amazement sets in as we recall all the wonderful mentors and coaches God has provided us with for counsel and training when needed most! Life is a journey that often leads us through hills and valleys, and we’d be lying to say that music ministry has been 100% blissful, but the Lord has faithfully guided us through each endeavor and shown us each step to take.

After applying to multiple universities in 2014, the agreed consensus was to say “no” to college for this season and instead continue producing sacred music for the purpose of leading ourselves and others into worship. It has been so much fun, and the memories made as a family have been priceless! “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)” is what has held us together and given us the strength to continue on in our worst and best days. Dad and Mom have constantly reminded us that music is not our identity but that it is a tool to share our true identity in Christ!

We are so excited to be at the AiG Women’s Conference this year and look forward to worshipping in person very soon! God bless each and every one of you.

To find out more about the Foto Sisters and hear and buy their music, I encourage you to visit their website.

It’s hard to believe we are less than one month away from the conference! But it’s not too late to register. And until March 31, you can get 20% off when you enter the code FOTO at registration. Sign up now and don’t miss out!

A few years ago, I had the privilege of taping a series of DVDs on different issues related to life with Dr. Tommy Mitchell and Dr. David Menton. I knew when we decided that life would be the theme for this year’s Answers for Women conference that Dr. Mitchell had to address issues surrounding the beginning and ending of life.

Dr. Mitchell earned his undergraduate degree in cell biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and his MD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine and had an active medical practice in his hometown of Gallatin, Tennessee, for 20 years before joining AiG as a speaker over 11 years ago. Dr. Mitchell had this to say about his upcoming presentations:

It is my great privilege to be participating in this year’s women’s conference. I have been looking forward to these presentations since the schedule was announced.

Dr. Tommy Mitchell

The conference will be focusing on life issues. As a physician, particularly in my work with critically ill patients, issues of life and death were a daily concern for me. I have all too much experience in dealing with hard decisions, quite often making these choices in real time. I am praying that I will able to share many of these experiences to give the conference attendees some insight regarding the complexity of these issues.

I will be presenting both beginning-of-life issues and end-of-life issues.

My first topic is When Does Life Begin? This may seem obvious to many people, but it is anything but straightforward. And it is very important. If we as Christians are to take a strong, consistent stand against abortion, we must be able to deal with this. After all, there are really two issues here. When does life begin, and when do we become human? To many people, these “whens” are not the same. Are we fully human at the time of fertilization, or do we become “fully” human at some later point in development? If we are not fully human at the time of fertilization, is abortion acceptable before the point we become “fully” human?

And exactly how do we decide these “whens?” I contend that science cannot adequately determine this for us. We must turn to God’s Word for our answers here.

I will conclude the conference by dealing with end-of-life issues. These are very difficult topics to discuss, but are nonetheless just as important as the beginning-of-life issues.

Euthanasia has been discussed more and more the public arena in recent years. Its proponents often appeal to quality of life issues (among other things) to justify its more widespread implementation. After all, if people can’t have a good quality of life, then why shouldn’t they have the right to end their own life? But is their life really their own? We must have a clear, biblical approach to this problem.

How about a simple question, such as how do we define death? Frankly, that’s not really such a simple question. By the way, what exactly is “brain dead”?

What about Do Not Resuscitate orders? Does a Christian have the right to refuse medical treatment?

It is my prayer that I will be able to shed some light on these difficult and complex issues.

Register for Answers for Women Conference 2018 between February 7 and February 28 for an opportunity to win this fair trade gift box.

I know these issues can be controversial, but at the Answers for Women conferences we don’t shy away from addressing hard topics. We must give biblically based answers to these issues of life and death because the lives of so many hang in the balance.

Be sure to register in the month of February to be entered into our drawing to win fantastic fair trade goodies.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

Almost 10 years ago, a very special boy named Kieran came into our lives. I was good friends with his mother Stacia McKeever, who formerly worked full-time for Answers in Genesis and now works as AiG’s VBS manager. This little boy was one of the most loving individuals I had ever met, and he and my daughter, Elizabeth, developed a special bond. But Kieran was missing something, specifically a large piece of DNA on one of his chromosomes resulting in Williams Syndrome, which helps account for his friendliness but also impairs him physically and mentally.

As author, coauthor, and contributor to many books, Stacia realizes the importance of words. How can we as Christians use our words to “speak life” and show that we value human life because all humans are made in the image of God? Stacia shared some thoughts on her presentation for this year’s Answers for Women conference:

Staci McKeever

Jesus taught that what we say reflects what is truly in our hearts (Luke 6:45). As those who embrace a pro-life worldview, our words and actions should reflect that we believe in our hearts that every person is made in the image of God from the moment of fertilization. For example, does calling a pregnant woman a “mom-to-be” really reflect that she is already a mother of a child? When we talk about the birthday of our first-born, do we say, “You made me a mom on this day”? What about saying, “I don’t care what gender it is, as long as it’s healthy?” Does this reflect a loving pro-life worldview regarding those with disabilities? Is it a good pro-life argument to claim that the life of a child with a disability has value (and is thus worthy of life) because of the blessing he is to his family and the contribution he makes to society? What about the casual, derogatory use of words like retard, idiot, and moron to describe our fellow image bearers?

While we don’t want to turn into word police, it’s important to be as accurate as we can be when we are discussing life issues, even in frivolous ways. Words are important to our Creator (he created with them and his Son is the Word) and they should be important to us too. Throughout the Bible, we are challenged to keep a careful watch on the words that come out of our mouths. This includes what we share on social media.

At the Answers for Women Life conference, I’ll be sharing our story with disability, discussing how that has influenced and changed how I speak about life, and evaluating some subtle and not-so-subtle ways our words may be in contrast to what we claim to believe. I hope you’ll join me as we dig into God’s Word to find out how we can Speak Life.

I’m really looking forward to Stacia’s presentation to help me be a better steward of my words so that I can truly reflect God’s heart for his image bearers. Register today for Life: Contending for Life from Beginning to End.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

Answers for Women 2018 is right around the corner! As we endure the colder months here in the Midwest, we look forward to the spring that brings warmer temperatures and new life in the form of green grass, flowers, and baby animals. This reminds me of this year’s conference theme: life.

How can we effectively contend for life in a world that so often wants to harm human life and eliminate it? We are privileged to have Dr. Charles Ware, president of Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis, coming to speak to us on the topic of race. Here is what Dr. Ware had to say about his presentation:

Dr. Charles Ware

Racists, white privilege, reverse affirmative action, police brutality, injustice, and inequities dominate mass messages concerning race. Black lives, white lives, all lives? NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. The removal of some Confederate flags and historical statutes. Immigration. The evening news may soon be rated PG-13!

A “white” mother of two adopted “black” boys fears for the safety of her boys due to comments she heard in her predominately “white” community. Due to affirmative action a white person was not offered a job. A white manager’s review of an immigrant included inaccuracies in fulfilling orders. He was called a racist! There is even a call for the confiscation of farms and killing of white people in South Africa! The President of the United States, Donald Trump, feels compelled on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day, to repeatedly declare that he is not a racist.

It is critical that the Church pursue grace relations rather than race relations. Grace (God’s Reconciliation at Christ’s Expense) offers a healthy foundation for dealing with the sins of the past and the alienation of the present as well. Grace relations are built upon forgiveness and the intentional pursuit of peace, trust, unity and loving relationships because of Christ. The Church must move beyond society’s blame and shame game. The anger, distrust, and polarization of such a philosophy are very apparent today—but it need not remain so.2

Many believers are confused, fearful, and depressed in this racially divisive and polarized culture. Where do we begin? What do we teach our children? We are at a critical point in our country and our world. Communities and churches are looking for honest, respectful, encouraging, and enlightening interactions that lead to biblical efforts to transform our communities for the glory of God.

As believers we move beyond cursing the darkness to creating communities of light for the glory of God. The biblical worldview of “one race, one blood” provides rational answers to the foundational problem of sin and gives answers rooted in Christ that provides a path toward a better future.

We must teach our children the chronological, biblical history of human kind. Understanding that we are one race, the human race (Genesis 1:27), but one sinful race (Romans 3:23) explains our origin and the messy society in which we live!

Thankfully, the biblical worldview does not leave us hopeless. While all humans’ DNA ancestries lead back to our sinful parents Adam and Eve, we have hope through the gospel. God’s grace offers, through Christ, salvation from sin and a new identity in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9,14–22). Through Christ’s blood, people from every language, people, tribe, and kindred are one body (Revelations 7:9–10)!

So how do grace relations help us at this moment in history? At the 2018 Answers for Women conference, we will provide biblical answers! Grace relations present a gospel-centered hope. Our goal is to encourage believers (Ephesians 4:29) to build relationships that manifest we are Christians (John 13:35) who promote united efforts to reach all people with the life-giving gospel (Matthew 28:19–20) for the glory of God (Matthew 6:9–10).

I’ve had the honor of hearing Dr. Ware speak several times, and his messages are dynamic and heartfelt, so you won’t want to miss this powerful presentation. The early bird deadline is coming soon (February 1), so register today!

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

Have you registered yet for this year’s Answers for Women conference, Life: Contending for Life from Beginning to End? I’m thrilled that this year we will hear from Vicki Moore, founder and CEO of Rahab’s Rope. I met Vicki a few years ago when she and her husband came to an Answers for Women conference to sell fair trade items.

As stated on their ministry website, “the mission of Rahab’s Rope is to give hope and opportunity to women and girls that are at risk or have been forced into the commercial sex trade of India. We provide a safe and loving environment that will enable them to grow and develop both physically and spiritually.” Here’s what Vicki had to say about her ministry and the presentation she’ll be giving at this year’s conference:

Vicki Moore

Many times we say it casually: God is Love. (1 John 4:8) But think about it: God is Love! What does this mean to me as an individual? God loved me so much, he sent his only Son to die for me (John 3:16)! Do I really believe that? Does God really value me enough to send his only Son to die for me? If I believe, how should this belief transform and form my life (Philippians 2)?

Imagine being a little girl, never going to school, being told you were a burden on your family, and only knowing the physical labor of field work with your migrant family. Your life feels hopeless yet somehow normal. One day when you are 15, your aunt asks you to stay late in the field and work with her, so you do. However, when everyone else leaves you realize your aunt was selling you to a gang of men. You are left helpless to defend yourself, brutally abused and beaten by many, tied up, and left for dead.

Someone finds you in the field, unties you, and you run for your parents. You are afraid to tell what happened in fear you would get in trouble. You become pregnant and tell your parents what happened; they blame you and disown you from the family. Feeling hopeless and alone, living on the street, you pray to the gods of your family but no help comes. One day a lady offers help and takes you to a home where many women live. You are scared not knowing what this place is. People began to care for you and your baby. They tell you about a God called Jesus and his love for you. You see a care and love that you have never seen before and begin to think this God called Jesus must be real. You begin to believe that your life has value because of Jesus. You decide to pray to Jesus, and you realize something is different. You know without any doubt that your life has changed, and you must share this with others.

This is a true story of a young woman whose life was transformed when she realized her value in Christ. She shared her new life with hundreds, and many have believed because they saw the work of Christ in her life. When we realize how much God loves us and that he values us so much he gave his life for us, it will transform us to be like him.

The ministry of Rahab’s Rope exists to give hope and opportunity to some of the most marginalized women and children on the earth: those trapped in the sex trade of India. Hear how God’s love is transforming these lives.

Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

Statistics show nationally and internationally that sex trafficking continues to be on the rise. I look forward to learning how we can better contend for the lives of these women and young people that are God’s image bearers, not property. Register today to take advantage of the early bird special (ends February 1), and remember the price includes Creation Museum and Ark Encounter admission for attendee and discounted rates for spouse and children.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!

The theme of this year’s Answers for Women conference is Life: Contending for Life from Beginning to End. The psalmist implores followers of Christ to open their “mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die” (Proverbs 31:8, NKJV). At this year’s conference, we will be privileged once again to receive solid teaching from God’s Word that will encourage our voice on behalf of our fellow image bearers.

I am very pleased that Camille Cates, Youth Division Director with Healing Hearts International, will join us once again and equip us to understand God’s purpose in creating life so we can effectively defend life. This is what Camille had to say about her upcoming presentation:

Camille Cates

Many pro-lifers say, “Abortion is wrong—end of story.” While they would be right to say that abortion is wrong, we live in a culture that doesn’t believe this truth at all. Our post-modern society very much believes that life is a choice. In the act of abortion specifically, unborn life is simply a matter of desire. Does the couple want the baby or not? Decisions surrounding pregnancy are often based solely on what the parents—or more precisely, the mother—want at that moment. Science alone is not going to convince sinful mankind that all life is precious, especially if a selfish desire is ruling and reigning in the human heart. Followers of Christ must be ready to give an explanation of God’s purpose in creating life in order to contend for life.

The abortion issue sometimes feels like an unending war between two foes. It could be argued that the war on unborn life has been the bloodiest battle ever fought. In the United States alone, there have been 59,115,995 total abortions since 1973.1 Tragically, my unborn baby is counted among the dead in that astronomical number. As a Christian young woman who lacked biblical knowledge and a good measure of faith at the time of my unexpected pregnancy, I made the sinful choice to abort my unborn baby. Instead of turning to my sovereign God and his purpose for the little life he had created, I gave in to fear. In my finite thinking, I could see no good purpose for this new life conceived amid the most undesirable of circumstances.

Yet, that is just how our God seems to operate. Mary, Jesus’ mother, experienced an unexpected pregnancy amid what she probably deemed the most undesirable of circumstances. But God had a plan and a purpose for her pregnancy, as he does for all pregnancies. God lovingly desired to send his Son to save sinners—including those who would choose to abort their unborn children.

It is God’s purpose for life, from beginning to end, that we must consider and base life’s toughest decisions upon. At the upcoming Answers for Women, we will seek to understand what is at the heart of abortion in order to address it. Likewise, we will look to God’s Word to understand his heart on the issue in order to give him the praise he is due and to boldly—and lovingly—proclaim his truth. He is the author of life from beginning to end! As Christians, we must join the Giver of Life in contending for life from beginning to end.

Camille is a dear friend with a heartfelt testimony and desire to help those that are hurting. I am confident that you will be equipped and encouraged by her presentation. Register today to take advantage of the early bird special (ends February 1), and remember, the price includes Creation Museum and Ark Encounter admission for attendee and discounted rates for spouse and children.

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!