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Books of the Bible - Pt. 3: Leviticus

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 21:04:44 GMT

Book Three, Leviticus.

Hello, readers! We're back and ready to dive into the next book in our series, Leviticus. This article will be a little different than other Books of the Bible articles because Leviticus has rules rather than stories. So instead of breaking down every rule like I would if they were stories, I'm going to be talking about how this book of the Bible affects us.

This book of the Bible has caused much controversy among Christians and non-Christians. This book of the Bible is a list of all the rules that the Israelites had to follow in order to stay "clean." They were supposed to stay clean because they were in the presence of God. But many people have seen these rules and thought that if someone were to break them today, they would not make it to heaven because they were "unclean." This perspective has caused great harm to many people. In Leviticus, the punishments for breaking the rules were quite harsh, but that was before Jesus died on the cross for our sins, wiping our slates clean. So many Christians have treated people who have broken these rules in the worst of ways, and these actions have driven so many away from God. What we must remember about Leviticus is that the Israelites weren't saved yet. They were punished for their sins because Jesus had not yet made the ultimate sacrifice. So just because some people today have broken the rules of Leviticus, that doesn't mean that they aren't worthy of God's love and forgiveness.

Remember, we are all sinners, but we were all saved when Jesus died on the cross and rose again for us. So for any of us to treat any other sinners as if their sins are unforgivable, but ours are, is hypocritical and wrong. For example, Leviticus says that homosexuality is wrong. Because of this, the LGBTQ+ community has been tortured and killed because people see them as "unclean," when in reality they are no more unclean that anyone else. And because some people choose to hate what they don't understand, so many people in the LGBTQ+ community don't know God, and that hurts God more than any sin.

What we must learn from Leviticus is that we are all rule-breakers, but we have all been saved. Believing that Christ died on the cross and rose again to save us from our sins is what gets us to heaven. We want to try our best to live how God wants us to live, but all who love God and believe in the resurrection of Christ have a place in heaven, no matter who they love or what they've done. So we must treat everyone with love because that's what God calls us to do.

Fun Facts About Christianity

Sun, 06 Jun 2021 23:23:25 GMT

Fun Facts!

Hello everyone! We're so sorry we didn't get an article out to you guys last Sunday, our CEO had surgery earlier that week, and was taking a break. But now we're back to give you a fun little article! We don't want you guys getting bored of us because of how long our Books of the Bible Series articles tend to be, so we're going to be doing some lighter articles here and there throughout the series, enjoy!

10 Fun Facts About Christianity:

1) Christianity is the only religion that believes in the Trinity.

2) Christians were originally called Nazarenes.

3) Joseph, Jesus' father, was a carpenter, meaning that Jesus probably learned the practice as well.

4) Jesus was not white, Jews that lived in his time had olive-brown skin.

5) Christianity is the world's largest religion.

6) Approximately 100 million Bibles are sold every year.

7) About 71% of Americans identify as Christian.

8) More than 70 million Christians have been killed for their faith.

9) Jesus had several half-siblings (Mary and Joseph's biological children)

10) Jesus didn't have a last name, neither did any Palestinians.

Cover photo credit: http://anglingcouncilireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/244/2016/04/Fun_Facts_Stamp-01-01-01-720x424.jpg

Books of the Bible - Pt. 2: Exodus

Mon, 24 May 2021 04:54:46 GMT

Book Two, Exodus.

Welcome to the second article of our Books of the Bible Series! The book of the Bible that we are studying today is Exodus, the second book of Moses. Exodus has many stories, the ones we will be learning about today are: The Israelites Oppressed, The Birth of Moses, Moses and the Burning Bush, Ten Plagues, the first Passover, the parting of the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments. Let's get into it!

The Israelites Oppressed

Joseph, his brothers, and all of that generation had died, but the Israelites were still great in numbers, there were so many that the land was filled with them. But a new king, to which Joseph had no connection to, had come to power over Egypt. This new pharaoh believed that the Israelites had become far too numerous. He believed that if the opportunity arose, the Israelites would join Egypt's enemies and fight against them. So he ordered them into slavery against their will and oppressed them with forced labor. However, the more oppressed the Israelites were, the more numerous they became. So the pharaoh decided to take a new approach, he ordered that the Hebrew midwives kill any baby boys that they deliver, but let the girls live. The Hebrew midwives tried to deceive the pharaoh and say that the Hebrew mothers always give birth before they arrive so they couldn't kill the boys, because they knew that God would not approve of what the pharaoh was ordering. When his midwife method didn't work, the pharaoh then ordered to all his people that every Hebrew boy that is born must be thrown into the Nile.

The Birth of Moses

A Levite woman gave birth to a baby boy, the law said that she must throw him into the Nile, but she wanted to keep him safe, and she did for three months. But when she couldn't hide him any longer, she placed her child in a papyrus basket and placed it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister watched to see what would happen to him. When the pharaoh's daughter came to the Nile to bathe, she saw the baby and took pity on him. The baby's sister came forward and asked if she wanted her to take him to a Hebrew woman so he could be nursed. Pharaoh's daughter said yes, and the baby's sister brought him to their mother. Once the baby was older, the baby's mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses.

Moses and the Burning Bush

One day, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of Moses' own people. This angered Moses so much that he killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. But when word of this event got out, Pharaoh went after Moses with the goal of killing him. But before he could succeed, Moses escaped to Midian and settled down there. One day he was tending to his flock, and he came to Herob, the mountain of God. Exodus 3:2 says, "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up." God told Moses that He had heard the Israelites' prayers, and that He had a plan to bring them out of Egypt, and that plan was for Moses to be the one to do it.

The Ten Plagues

Moses and his brother, Aaron, went to Pharaoh and told him to let the Israelites be free. Exodus 5:1 says, "Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.''" But the Pharaoh refused, so God cast the ten plagues on the Egyptians. The plagues were: the Nile turning to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, sickness among the livestock, untreatable boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally, the death of the firstborn. This final plague meant that every firstborn son in Egypt would die, no matter their status.

The First Passover

Passover was the result of the tenth plague on Egypt. God said that the only way to let the angel of death "pass over" you was if you slaughtered a one year-old male sheep or goat that had no defects, and smeared some of its blood on your doorframe. God said that this would let the angel know who followed God and who followed Pharaoh. Exodus‬ ‭12:13‬ says, "The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." Because Pharaoh didn't listen to Moses, his son was killed that night. After Pharaoh's son died, he ordered the Israelites to leave Egypt. ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭12:31-32‬ says, "During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.'" So the Israelites immediately fled from Egypt.

The Parting of the Red Sea

After the Israelites fled, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army to get the Israelites back. But God wasn't going to let the Israelites go through that again, so he performed a miracle. ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:21-22‬ says, "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." So the Israelites went through the Red Sea, and God let the sea walls fall on the Egyptians who tried to follow them in.

The Ten Commandments

Now that the Israelites were safe from the Pharaoh, they had to face the long journey through the desert. One of the many events that took place in the desert was the giving of the Ten Commandments. At Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

According to Martin Luther's Small Catechism, the Ten Commandments are:

1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3) Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.

4) Honor thy father and thy mother.

5) Thou shalt not kill.

6) Thou shalt not commit adultery.

7) Thou shalt not steal.

8) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

9) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Significance of the Stories of Exodus

These stories all center around how God rescued the Israelites from Egypt. We have to understand that this story is still relevant today. It shows that God hasn't forgotten about us, He sees our pain and He's going to get us out of it, even if it means plaguing an entire country, because that's how much he cares for us. This doesn't mean he's going to sick a bunch of frogs on anyone that's mean to you, but it does mean that you can always rely on Him, He will help you get through.

Books of the Bible - Pt. 1: Genesis

Mon, 17 May 2021 04:12:45 GMT

Book One, Genesis.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first article of our new Books of the Bible Series! This series is all about unpacking each book of the Bible, understanding its significance, what it means for us, and more! The Bible can sometimes be very cryptic, so over the next 66 weeks, we are going to share our perspective about what these books of the Bible have to say. This series is going to be quite a long journey, but we're up for the challenge and we encourage you to come along with us!

The first book of the Bible is, as many of you know, Genesis. Genesis covers a lot of ground, from the creation of the universe to the death of Joseph, there's a lot to unpack, so let's get into it. We will be discussing the main stories of Genesis in sections, because a large variety of storylines are told during this book of the Bible.

The Beginning

As many of you know, the Bible's first line is, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." It goes on to talk about how God lit up the world and added oceans, sky, land, nature, animals, and humans over the course of seven days (which in reality was not just seven days). In the beginning, everything was perfect, but soon sin made its first appearance.

Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel's Stories

Adam and Eve were the first humans; they were made in God's image and lived in the Garden of Eden. They were naked, but felt no shame because they were ignorant and had no knowledge of shame or evil. God gave them everything; they could have anything they wanted from the garden, all except the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But the serpent deceived Eve, telling her that eating from the tree would give her all of God's wisdom. So she ate and gave some of the fruit to Adam, and he ate it as well. Once they ate from the tree, their eyes were opened, and they were no longer unaware of shame and evil. Because they were no longer ignorant, they realized they were naked and hid from God. When God asked where they were, Adam replied that they were naked, so they hid. God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" Adam blamed Eve, and Eve explained what the serpent had done. God cursed the serpent and banished Adam and Eve from the garden, saying that they could no longer enjoy the luxuries He had provided. God was not going to spoil them anymore; they had to work to survive.

Eve became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and later Abel. Abel kept the flocks, and Cain worked the soil. When the brothers were sacrificing to God, Cain brought fruit from the soil and Abel brought fat portions of some of the firstborn of his flock. God appreciated Abel's sacrifice more than Cain's which made Cain very angry. So he brought Abel out to the field and killed him, which made God furious. God cursed Cain so that he would no longer be able to yield crops, and marked him so that no one would kill him, this way Cain would have to deal with the curse and not escape his punishment through death. Later, Eve gave birth to another son, Seth, who would be their fresh start.

Noah's Ark and the Flood

Seth was the father of Enosh, who was the father of Kenan, who was the father of Mahalalel, who was the father of Jared, who was the father of Enoch, who was the father of Methuselah, who was the father of Lamech, who was the father of Noah. Genesis 7:9 describes Noah as "a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." While Noah may have been a righteous man, God saw that the rest of the world was filled with evil so he decided to flood the earth and wipe out all civilization, except for one male and one female from each animal species, along with Noah and his family. So God instructed Noah to build on ark for the animals, himself, and his family so they could survive the flood. Noah did all that God commanded and when the flood came, they survived. And Noah's sons and their wives gave birth to children to repopulate civilization.

Abraham and Issac's Story

God blessed Abraham and his wife Sarah with a child in their very old age. It was a miracle! Abraham and Sarah named their son Issac, and they loved him very much because they thought they could never have a child. Because Abraham loved his son so much, He decided to test his faith to make sure God was still his first priority. So God instructed that Abraham sacrifice Issac, and as much as it pained Abraham, he prepared the altar to sacrifice his son. But before Abraham could go through with it, an angel of the Lord stopped him. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:11-12‬ ‭says, "But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, 'Abraham! Abraham!' 'Here I am,' he replied. 'Do not lay a hand on the boy,' he said. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.'" Because Abraham was faithful to God, He blessed him and his descendants.

Joseph's Story

Joseph was one of twelve brothers, but his father loved him most because he had been born to him in his old age. Because Joseph was his father's favorite, his father gave Joseph an ornate robe. When the other brothers saw that Joseph was their father's favorite, they became extremely jealous and treated him terribly. His brothers saw him as arrogant and spoiled so they plotted to kill him, but eventually they decided to sell him as a slave. He was taken to Egypt where he was the the lowest of the low, but eventually he worked his way up to become the Pharaoh's vizier, making him the second most powerful man in Egypt. Then when the famine came, people from all over were coming to Egypt to buy bread. In the second year of the famine, Joseph's brothers, the ones who almost killed and then sold him, came before the Pharaoh to ask for bread. But when they did, they did not even recognize the vizier as their brother. When Joseph revealed himself, his brothers were terrified, but Joseph forgave them for the crimes they had committed against them.

Significance of the Stories of Genesis

These stories are all very different from each other, but they all teach us a lesson. Adam and Eve's story teach us that God is always acting in our best interest and listening to Him will always be the right decision. Cain and Abel's story teaches us that jealousy will lead us to do evil things. Noah's story teaches us that God will protect those who are faithful to Him, and He will save us from evil. Abraham and Issac's story teaches us that God has to be our first priority, and we will be rewarded if we do so. Lastly, Joseph's story teaches us that God has a plan for us, and while it may seem like we've hit rock bottom, he will take care of us and lift us out of that situation.

We hope that you enjoyed our summary of the main stories in the book of Genesis, and that you learned something today. This article is just the beginning of our Books of the Bible Series journey, and we hope you will come along with us for the rest of the ride.

Shutting Out Satan Series - Pt. 3: Filter Out

Sun, 02 May 2021 19:08:58 GMT

Filter Out.

Last week's article was all about considering the source. Once you've considered the source, you're able to understand where thoughts are coming from, God or Satan, credible or not. Once you're able to recognize this, you can move on to the next step of shutting out Satan, which is filtering out.

If you consider the source and see that your thoughts are making you think that God doesn't love you, that you don't deserve God's love, or that God has abandoned you, it's time to filter that out, because that's not coming from Jesus. As we've said before, Satan's worst trick is convincing the world the he doesn't exist, by doing this we think that our self-demeaning thoughts are coming from God. But now that we've learned to consider the source and filter out Satan's false statements, we will become more mature in our faith. God will always protect us, and once we've learned to filter out Satan, we will be able to trust God to protect us.

This article wraps up our Shutting Out Satan Series, we really hope you've learned something from this series, it's so important that us as Christians can shut out the lies that Satan feeds us. No matter how strong we are in our faith, we will always have moments where we will doubt God's undying love for us, but there's no need to. God has assured us that He will never leave nor forsake us, no matter what we do.

Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Shutting Out Satan Series - Pt. 2: Consider The Source

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 23:08:38 GMT

Consider The Source.

This is a phrase that we often hear throughout our lives. Most of us have been taught to "consider the source" before believing everything we see or hear. But, we never seem to think to consider the source when it comes to our own thoughts, and this can be a major problem. This series is all about shutting out Satan, his goal is to make us believe that God doesn't love us, so that he lead us astray. But if we can learn to filter out what comes from Satan and what comes from God, we will able to see what God really thinks of us and others without Satan clouding our perspective. And that starts with considering the source.

When you start having thoughts that make you think that God doesn't love you, or that you don't deserve God's love, or that God has abandoned you, you have to realize that those thoughts could never come from God. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The Bible says over and over again that God is on our side, there's nothing we can do to make him abandon us, and there's no possibility that He could stop loving us, even if we don't love Him.

So now that we know that our evil thoughts aren't coming from God, how do we know they're coming from Satan? Satan's one goal is to make you believe that God doesn't want you, so that you'll feel alone, miserable, and lost. Unfortunately, he has succeeded in this mission with many people. It's heartbreaking, but it's true. Think about it, there are self-proclaimed "Christians" who have made it their goal to judge and hurt others. Think about the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom have been banished from the church by people who claim to be Christians. The church should be a place that takes people in and shows them the love of God. But instead of being welcomed with open arms, like Jesus would've done, they have been treated like dirt by those who proclaim that it's God's will, but it is not. This is Satan's work. Satan's worst trick is that he convinced the world that he doesn't exist. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says, "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." So when people are turned away by "Christians," they believe that God has abandoned them, and Satan wins. This is so sad because God loves all people, and He just wants us to know Him.

So we hope that if you can take one thing away from this article, it'll be this: God will never make you feel lesser than; He is here to lift you up and protect you. So when you feel like God has turned His back on you or someone else, stop and consider the source.

Shutting Out Satan Series - Pt. 1: Introduction

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 23:07:48 GMT

Welcome to the Shutting Out Satan Series, everyone.

Today's article is going to be a little bit different. My name, as some of you may know, is Sydney, and I'm the creator of Faith For Girls By Girls as well as the writer of all of our blog posts. I use pronouns such as "we" and "us" when referring to FFGBG because I believe that I'm just spreading what God has already said, so I don't refer to my organization using "me" or "I" because I believe that nothing I say is really my own. God is within me and I am a disciple of Him, and that's how I know what to say in my posts. But today I'm telling a personal story of what happened to me and only me, so I will be using "me" and "I" pronouns. I hope that makes sense. ♡

Today I sat down to start writing a blog post, and I thought that I should start a series that has something to do with women because I originally started this organization to empower women through Christ. I began researching verses about women and I kept coming across bible verses saying truly awful things about women, and this upset me deeply. My understanding has always been that Jesus loves everyone, including women. I already knew there were verses about women being silent in the church etc, but I always thought that those rules were man-made and didn't come directly from God, so there was nothing more to it than outdated rules that were no longer relevant. However, I continued to research these verses and I became deeply upset. I found so many verses saying awful things, so many thoughts were racing through my head. Am I useless without a man? Why can't I have authority over a man? Am I only here to be a man's sidekick? Does God only value me because I may bear a child someday? Does God really love me if His prophets say these things about my gender? All of these thoughts really hurt me, but I got some perspective and started to read around those verses to get some context. I realized that those rules were not God's rules, rather they were rules created by humans. I then read what biblical scholars have said about these verses, and they all came to the conclusion that those rules either came from the culture at the time or they were created so no trouble was caused.

You may be thinking, what does this have to do with Satan? I realized that when I was having a mental breakdown over these out of context verses, thinking it was God's word, I was questioning whether God loved me. This is the work of Satan. Satan wants you to feel like God doesn't love you, and that's how he was trying to make me feel. Thankfully, I have a strong Christian community around me who were able to reassure me of the truth, but some people don't have that community to remind them of their value. There are people who will go their whole lives thinking that God doesn't love them because of who they are or something they did, but that's not God that's telling them that, it's Satan.

Today I realized the importance of shutting out Satan, because there is no truth to any of the lies he feeds us. So this series will be my way of trying to help others recognize what thoughts are coming from God and what thoughts are coming from Satan. Because it's important that we listen to what Jesus said when He was on earth, that is the whole truth. But when we start to let those thoughts creep in, the ones that tell us God has abandoned us, we have to recognize that that could never come from God, because God is love.

1 John 4:8 says, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Faith For Girls By Girls CEO goes on the One to One Podcast with Jonathan Kopecky!

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 01:33:44 GMT

Our CEO, Sydney, goes on the air!

As many of you know the CEO of Faith For Girls By Girls, Sydney, started this organization at the age of 13 and is still continuing to pursue her passion for spreading the word of Jesus today. Sydney was reached out to by the host of the One to One podcast, where Jonathan Kopecky talks with teens about their life, faith, and that one question. In this episode of One to One, you'll get to listen to Sydney come on the air with Jonathan and ask each other some questions. Give it a listen!

Holy Week Series - Pt. 5: Easter Sunday

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 19:43:44 GMT

Happy Easter Sunday!

Happy Easter! He is risen! Today we will be talking about what happened on the first ever Easter. As many of you already know, Easter marks the day that Jesus defeated death and atoned for our sins. He didn't deserve the pain He had to endure on Good Friday, but He did it so that we could be saved. If you've been a Christian for a while, you've probably heard this message over and over, it may have become redundant, so let's put this into perspective.

When Jesus was arrested and brought before Pontius Pilate, Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but he knew that if he didn't please the civilians of Jerusalem, they might overthrow him. So Pilate gave the gathered crowd a choice, he could release Jesus or Barabbas. Barabbas was in prison for an insurrection in the city and murder, this man deserved to be punished. But Pilate gave the crowd a choice of who to release, he was confident that they would choose to release Jesus, but they didn't. Barabbas, a killer and anarchist, was set free in the place of a sinless man.

You may think, that's not fair! It should've been Barabbas! News flash... we are Barabbas. Jesus died in our place, of course most of us aren't rioting murderers, but we still don't deserve what Jesus did for us. He healed our broken relationship with God by dying on the cross, and on the third day He rose again, conquering death.

Luke 24:1-12 says, "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened."

Do you know what this means? First, Jesus sacrifices Himself in the our place when He didn't deserve it, and then when He overcame death, He entrusted women to spread the word. This may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it does show that Jesus died, rose again, and saved ALL of us. Not just men, not just women, not just this group or that group, ALL of us. And because of that, ALL of us have the chance to be forgiven and have eternal rest.

Once again, Happy Easter! Take a moment to thank Jesus today. ♡

Cover photo credit: https://faithandblessingsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Shutterstock-Jesus-tomb-with-shroud-and-rock-at-doorway.jpg

Holy Week Series - Pt. 4: Good Friday

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 02:42:44 GMT

Happy Good Friday!

Happy Good Friday! Today we will be talking about what happened on the Friday of the first ever Holy Week. As many of you already know, that Friday many years ago was the day that Jesus was crucified. Ironically, it was not a good day. In Old English, good means holy, so really it's Holy Day because it's the day that Jesus made us all holy.

As we went over in yesterday's Maundy Thursday article, Judas brought an angry mob with guards to arrest Jesus. Jesus' arrest led to his trial before the Sanhedrin, where they sentenced Him to death and brought Him before Pontius Pilate the next morning. When Pilate saw Him, He found no reason to charge Him of any crime, but the people were not satisfied with this answer.

Luke 23:4-5 says, "Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, 'I find no basis for a charge against this man.' But they insisted, 'He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.'"

Luke 23:20-22 says, "Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' For the third time he spoke to them: 'Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.'"

Not only did Jesus do nothing wrong, Pilate and Herod were also insistent on sparing Him. But in the end, Jesus, as we all know, was killed unjustly.

Luke 23:26 says, "As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus."

Luke 23:32 says, "Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."

Even as Jesus was being executed, He asked God to forgive His murderers, everything He did was for the good of others.

Luke 23:44-49 says, "It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

In this moment, Jesus proves that He was the Son of God, and that killing Him was a mistake. But as we all know, Jesus had to die, if He didn't we wouldn't be able to have eternal rest in heaven. Jesus was a sinless man, His death restored our broken relationship with God. So thank Him for what He did, because without His sacrifice, our relationship with God would still be broken.

We'll see you on Easter everyone!

Holy Week Series - Pt. 3: Maundy Thursday

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:49:52 GMT

Happy Maundy Thursday!

Happy Maundy Thursday! Today we will be talking about what happened on the Thursday of the first ever Holy Week. Jesus and the disciples came together to celebrate Passover. But this Passover would soon go down in history as the first communion and the last supper.

Luke 22:14-23 says, "When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.' After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!' They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this."

In these verses, Jesus is telling the disciples that He would die that night, and then goes on to give the first communion. After He does so, He says that one of His own disciples would be the one to betray them, which makes them very upset.

Matthew 26:36 says, "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.'"

After the last supper, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane. When He got there, He prayed to God and waited for Judas. Judas came with a large crowd of people with swords and clubs, they then seized Jesus to arrest Him. When Jesus' faithful disciples saw this, they fought back and even cut off one of Judas' men's ears.

Matthew 26:52-54 says, "'Put your sword back in its place,' Jesus said to him, 'for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?'"

Jesus is saying that if He wanted to escape the situation alive, He could have. But He went through with being tortured and killed, despite being sinless, so that you would have a place in heaven. Maundy Thursday means so much because it was the day that Jesus chose you over Himself.

Holy Week Series - Pt.2: Monday

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:51:33 GMT

On Monday, Jesus cleanses the temple.

Happy Monday of Holy Week! Today we will be talking about what Jesus did on the Monday of the first ever Holy Week, cleanse the temple.

The day after Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, on Palm Sunday, He went to Herod's Temple and saw that the temple had been turned into a market. John 2:13-16 says, "When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, 'Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!'” Jesus was a perfect, non-violent man. So when He did this, those around Him were stunned. But none were as upset as Jesus was. Think about it...He was seeing His Father's sacred temple being used as a casino and market, and He was disgusted.

Matthew 21:13 says, “'It is written,' he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.’"

This was one of the last lessons that Jesus taught, and because He knew what would eventually happen to Him, it makes this story very important because He knew He had to teach it before He was crucified. Jesus valued the true purpose of the temple and how we as Christians treat the temple. His goal was to teach those who were lost about God, and He knew that if the church became a store, Christian practices might die with Him. So Jesus capitalized on the importance of respecting God's place of worship to show everyone how important God really is.

All in all, this lesson shows that it's important that we remember to respect God.

Cover photo credit: https://i0.wp.com/drivethruhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jesus-Cleanses-the-Temple-featured.jpg?w=1206&ssl=1

Holy Week Series - Pt. 1: Palm Sunday

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 03:41:52 GMT

Happy Palm Sunday!

Welcome everyone! This article marks the beginning of our Holy Week series! Where instead of only posting on Sunday, as usual, there will be a new post on every significant day of Holy Week! We hope you enjoy!

What do you think of when you hear "Palm Sunday?" Some think of kids waving palm fronds at church, some think of how it's a week from Easter, and some think of its true meaning, when Jesus entered Jerusalem a week before His crucifixion.

Why does this matter? Do you really think that Jesus didn't know what was going to happen if He went to Jerusalem that Sunday? Do you think He was unaware that entering that city meant that He was going to be nailed to a cross? The answer is that He did know what was going to happen to Him. But He still followed out God's plan for Him so that YOU would be saved. How amazing is that? There is someone that loves you so much that they sacrificed their own life so that you will have a place in heaven. It's hard to grasp but it's absolutely true.

There may be times where you feel alone, but Palm Sunday (along with many other days of Holy Week) is proof that you are never alone, because there has never been a day of your life that you haven't been cared about. If Jesus thought that you weren't worth dying for, He never would've came to Jerusalem. Jesus had every opportunity to leave and save His own life, but He did what He had to do because you mean more to Him than life did.

If you ever feel like you're not appreciated or that no one has your back, just think of Palm Sunday. Think of how Jesus rode into Jerusalem knowing that His doing so would mean that He would have to experience excruciating pain, but He did it with no complaints because He knew that you would be saved because of it. Even if no one else does, Jesus loves you, and there's nothing you can do to change that.

Happy Palm Sunday everyone! We'll see you tomorrow with the next issue of our Holy Week series!

Habits of a Good Christian - Pt. 4: Respectfulness

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 20:30:01 GMT

Respectfulness.

Jesus was the biggest role model for being respectful; he treated everyone with the utmost courtesy. In Jesus' time, people were treated according to their status, but Jesus saw people for who they were on the inside and respected people when no one else would. There are countless stories of Jesus breaking the status quo to be with those who had been shunned by society.

Stories of Jesus Respecting Those Who Weren't Respected:

Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32 – This is the story of Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector to be his disciple. We find Jesus reclining at a table with many tax collectors and sinners, “for there were many who followed him” ( Mark 2:15 ). When the scribes and Pharisees grumble about the company he keeps, Jesus tells them that he has “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” ( Luke 5:32 ).

Matthew 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35 – Here Jesus rebukes the “people of this generation” because they rejected John the Baptist for being too tight and reject the Son of Man for being too loose. It’s from this incident that we get the phrase “friend of sinners.” We should note that it was an insult heaped upon Jesus by his enemies. This doesn’t mean Christ didn’t own it and we shouldn’t sing it, but it suggests he may not have owned it in every way. If Jesus was not a “glutton and drunkard” as his opponents thought, so he may not have been “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” in exactly the way they imagined either.

Luke 7:36-50 – Right on the heels of this story comes another one like it in Luke. A sinful woman anoints Jesus with expensive ointment and wipes Jesus’ feet with her tears and the hair of her head. When Jesus is corrected for letting this “sinner” touch him, he reminds Simon that those who are forgiven much, love much. In the end, Jesus forgives the woman her sin and announces, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” ( Luke 7:50 ).

Luke 15:1-2 – The setting for the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son of Luke 15 is found in the first two verses of that chapter. As the tax collectors and sinners “were all drawing near” to Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes grumbled that Jesus was receiving them to eat with them. The three parables that follow demonstrate how God seeks out the lost ( 15:3, 8, 20 ) and how pleased God is when sinners repent ( 15:7, 10, 21-24 ).

Luke 19:1-10 – Again, the Jewish leaders grumble because Jesus “has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” ( Luke 19:7 ). Though Zacchaeus repents and is a changed man (19:8), the Jews simply cannot accept that the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost ( 19:10 ) and that this notorious tax collector has been saved ( 19:9 ).

Source: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/jesus-friend-of-sinners-but-how/

Why Is This Important?

This is important because as Christians, it's our job to do what Jesus would do. Jesus didn't care who He was with, His goal was to spread the word of God, and He showed that you didn't have to be of high status to be worthy of His teachings. It's so important that we remember this: we must treat everyone how Jesus would've treated them, with respect. A lot of times, people are uncomfortable with or scared of what they don't understand, and this has caused a lot of people to be treated with disrespect, which is the opposite of what Jesus would want. We are all God's children, and He made us the way we are. Disrespecting a child of God is disrespecting God Himself. Sometimes this is a hard thing to do when we disagree with others, but we have to think about how Jesus would've handled things when we're in those situations. Spreading love and appreciation for each other will only do good.

Romans 12:10 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

Cover photo credit: https://www.padraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/respect-owed-or-earned.jpg

Habits of a Good Christian Series - Pt. 3: Accountability

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 02:46:40 GMT

Accountability.

Accountability is much more important than we might think. How are we supposed to have a relationship with God if we can't be completely vulnerable around Him? And how can we expect ourselves to be accountable with our peers if we can't be accountable with God? It's all a spiral that comes back to the importance of accountability.

Verses about accountability:

○ Hebrews 4:13 says, "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

○ Romans 14:12 says, "So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."

○ James 5:16 says, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

○ 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

○ Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."

Why are these verses important?

These verses talk about both being accountable with God and being accountable with others. Let's break each of them down. Having accountability with God is so important because it is the only way that we can have a real relationship with Him. Being accountable with our peers is important because when we are open and honest with others, it can lead to many new possibilities, and it can also help you grow with others in Christ. If you don't take responsibility for your actions and sins, it's almost as if you're saying that you're not a sinner, but that's impossible because the only person who has ever been perfect is Jesus. You have to realize that no one, not God nor your peers, expects you to be faultless. So it's pointless to try to mask your sins with lies. Although it may not seem like it, being accountable will always work out better for you than running from your past. In the end, it's important to be real with God rather than try to fool him into seeing you as someone you're not.

Habits of a Good Christian - Pt. 2: Forgiveness

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 01:01:29 GMT

Forgiveness.

It's easier said than done, we know. But God says there are real benefits to forgiving those who have wronged us. It can be really difficult to forgive people when they have put you in so much pain, and they may not even be sorry for doing so. But we have to learn to forgive them anyway, even if it's hard to do.

Verses about forgiveness:

○ Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

○ Mark 11:25 says, "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

○ Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then Peter came up and said to him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.'"

○ Luke 6:37 says, "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven."

○ Colossians 3:13 says, "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

○ Proverbs 10:12 says, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

Why are these verses important?

These verses show that God has given us so much grace and has forgiven us even when we've wronged Him. Because Christ always forgives us, we have to do the same. Holding a grudge over people who have hurt you won't make them feel the pain they caused you, in fact, it won't affect them at all. It will only make you bitter and cold. Think about it this way, when you sin, God doesn't try to make you feel the pain that you caused Him when you sinned, so we shouldn't be that cruel to others. The nature of grudges and revenge is not what God would do and only ends up hurting you more. God says for you to hold no hatred for anyone. This doesn't mean that you have to have a relationship with people who have treated you badly, it just means that you don't have to hold on to that pain anymore. By not forgiving, you're letting that person win. God has forgiven us for all of our sins, so we have to 'take the plank out of our eye' and forgive those who have wronged us because we were forgiven when we wronged God. But by no means feel like you have to go back to a toxic relationship or friendship just because you've forgiven the other person. Sometimes, God even takes people out of your life because he heard the conversations that you didn't.

Let go of your grudges, and let yourself be free. That's what God wants for you, and that's what you deserve.

Habits of a Good Christian Series - Pt. 1: Selflessness

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:43:01 GMT

Selflessness, Not Selfishness

Welcome to our new series! Over the next month or so, we will be writing this series about the habits of a good Christian. As many of you already know, Christians have become this huge stereotype. Many people outside the Christian community have had bad experiences with "Christians" who spread judgement rather than love. This behavior drives people away from Christianity, which is the exact opposite of what God wants. This problem was the motivation for creating Faith For Girls By Girls. We want to spread the message that God loves all of us at our best and worst, and we want people to see Christians as how God intended us to be. So for this article, we will be talking about the good habit of being selfless, not selfish.

Verses about selflessness:

○ Philippians 2:4 says, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

○ Luke 6:35 says, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."

○ Romans 2:8 says, "But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury."

○ Psalm 119:36 says, "Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain."

○ 1 Corinthians 10:24 says, "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor."

○ James 3:16 says, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice."

○ Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

Why is it important to be selfless?

It's so important to be selfless because when we're selfless, not only do we help others, but it's actually better for us as well. When we are constantly looking out for only ourselves, and all we do is fuel our greed, we will never be content with what we have. CCV pastor, Ashley Wooldridge , has talked about how we as humans constantly ambush ourselves out of greed. We will purposefully try to find something wrong with what we have so that we can get an upgrade. We do this because we are so obsessed with having the newest and most expensive thing that we completely dismiss how we're using our time and money. When we think of others before ourselves, we recognize that there are better things that we could be doing with what we have. It is also much more fulfilling to know that you have used your blessings to help others rather than to just buy the newest and "greatest" thing.

What's the difference between selfishness and self esteem?

It's simple! Selfishness is seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others. Self esteem is healthy, it's confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect. You can love yourself without being selfish, and having self esteem and being selfless are some of the best qualities you can have.

How do we act on selflessness?

We can act on selflessness by giving to and helping others. Of course, make sure that you have your necessities, but if you're debating on whether you should spend your money on useless things for yourself, instead think of what that money could do for someone else. There are people in this world who aren't as blessed as you, and they need your help. Prioritize other's needs over your own unnecessary wants. That doesn't mean that you should never treat yourself; it just means that you should make helping others a priority.

Giving resources:

○ World Vision

○ Living Water International

○ Compassion International

○ Food For The Hungry

○ Samaritan’s Purse

What Are Some Great Christian Songs?

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 19:23:26 GMT

Want some song recommendations? You've come to the right place!

Listening to Christian music is a great way to see God through other people's perspectives, and to hear God speak to you through beautiful melodies. We encourage you to listen to these songs or other ones that you like, the messages that come from them can be very healing.

I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe

Rescue by Lauren Daigle

Way Maker by Leeland

What A Beautiful Name by Hillsong Worship

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman

You Say by Lauren Daigle

Raise A Hallelujah by Bethel Music

Reckless Love by Cory Asbury

Even If by MercyMe

Famous For (I Believe) by Tauren Wells and Jenn Johnson

We really hope you enjoyed these songs! DM us or email us any other songs that you think we should make another article on! Or let us know if you have any recommendations for a new series or article ! Your feedback is more appreciated than you know!

Cross Referencing Series Pt. 5 - Love

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 02:42:01 GMT

Love.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Today we will be wrapping up our cross referencing series with the word "love." This word means different things to different people, but today we'll be unpacking what the Bible says about love. Let's get into it!

Our first verse about love from the concordance of our Bible will be 1 John 4:16. It says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." This verse is so important for us to know! God is telling us that He is love and that He will never be too busy to love us. This is proof that we will never have to go through anything alone, even if it doesn't seem like it. This verse's cross reference then leads us to multiple verses, but we will only be doing 1 John 4:12 and 1 John 4:8, feel free to do more on your own. 1 John 4:12 says, "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." This verse is all about how we must have faith in God's love. A very large percentage of people only believe in what they see. Think about it, how many times have you talked about your beliefs just to have someone respond with, "God can't be real because you can't see Him." And we can't try to convince those people that you just have to have faith, because that's not something that everyone can do, and that's ok. But what we can do is to show them love, because where there's love, there's God. Since this verse still says the word "love" in it, that means that we're not done exhausting the verse. So we go to the cross reference for that verse, there are multiple, but we'll only be using John 1:18. It says, "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." This verse restates that God does most things unseen, so we have to trust that He will be there for us, even if we can't see Him. Since we have now fully exhausted this verse, it's time to move on! The second verse, 1 John 4:8 says, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." This verse is saying that if you don't have love in your life, that means that you don't have God. This doesn't mean that God is the reason you don't have a significant other. This just means that if you have God, there won't be one moment in your life when you are not loved. Although this verse still says the word "love," when you go to the cross reference for it, it will lead you back to the original verse (1 John 4:16), which is another way of telling if the verse is fully exhausted. Since we have finished exhausting our verse, it's time to move on to our second verse from the concordance.

Our second verse about love from the concordance of our Bible will be the iconic verse, John 3:16. It says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse is extremely famous, and you can probably tell why! It's absolutely incredible. This verse shows that God loves us so much, that He wants us to never have to leave Him. This verse then leads us to many verses, but we will be picking only Romans 5:8 and 1 John 4:9. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this. While we were still sinners Christ died for us." This verse shows that we don't have to pretend to be perfect for God, He knows that we have faults, yet He advocates for us and protects us regardless. Usually, we would continue to exhaust this verse, but the cross reference for it leads us back to John 3:16, so we know that it is fully exhausted and we can move on. 1 John 4:9 says, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." This verse measures just how much God loves us. He went above and beyond to show that He was there for us, think about that when you're feeling all alone. Once again, we would usually continue to stress this verse, however this verse's cross reference actually leads us back to John 3:16, so we know that we are done.

In conclusion, whether you have a Valentine or not, you'll always have love. That love comes from God, it may not be the love you thought you wanted, but it's the best thing you can have. And we can promise you that He will never break your heart, because His love is unconditional. God sent Jesus to save YOU, let that sink in. God wouldn't do that for someone He doesn't love. If have God, there will never be a point in your life where you aren't loved. It's totally ok to want a spouse or significant other, but just know that if you don't have one, it doesn't mean that you have to fight your battles alone.

Once again, Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Stay tuned for a brand new series coming out next week!♡

Cross Referencing Series Pt. 4 - Salvation

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 03:03:24 GMT

Salvation.

Today's article will be the next to last part of our cross referencing series! Today we will be cross referencing the word salvation. The dictionary defines salvation as: deliverance from the power and effects of sin.

As always, we begin in the concordance of our bible. Once we find our word, we will pick our first verse to cross reference. Our first verse is going to be Isaiah 51:6, which says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail." This verse is so powerful. It's saying that no matter what happens to your surroundings, there is nothing that will stop God from saving those that follow Him. All He wants is for His children to know and love Him, and He will do everything in His power to save you even if the earth is crumbling around you, because He loves you. The cross reference for this verse leads us to many verses, but we will just be doing two (feel free to do more on your own). The verses we'll be using are Psalms 37:40 and Isaiah 12:2. Psalms 37:40 says, "The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." This verse is telling us that God protects us from evil, and that no matter what harm comes our way, he will help us get through it. Isaiah 12:2 says, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” This verse speaks about how we should trust in God, because he keeps us safe. Now, since this verse still has the word "salvation" in it, it's not completely exhausted. So we go to the cross reference for Isaiah 12:2, which will lead to multiple verses, but we'll be doing just one. The verse will be Isaiah 26:4, it says, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." This verse is reiterating that God is the one thing you will always be able to rely on.

The second verse about salvation is Ephesians 1:13, which says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." This verse is saying that because you believe in the Lord, you are saved. Notice how this verse doesn't say anything about how you are as a person, God says that all you have to do is believe in Him. This shows that it is never too late to come to Jesus. This verse's cross reference then leads us to many verses, but we will be looking at two in particular, John 14:16 and Ephesians 4:21. John 14:16 says, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever." In this verse, Jesus is telling his disciples that He has told God about them, and that there will be a place for them in heaven. Ephesians 4:21 says, "when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus." This is restating that Jesus is the real truth; He is the one you can always rely on.

All in all, Jesus saved us so that we will be protected from sin. This doesn't mean that just because of Jesus' sacrifice we are now incapable of sinning. Sinning is inevitable and all humans do it. This just means that we don't have to pretend to be faultless. How are we supposed to grow and mature when we're trying to fool God into thinking that we're already perfect? As many of the verses from today said, God is probably the only person or thing that you will always be able to trust. He will never deceive you. God doesn't want to see you acting like someone you're not; all he wants is for you to know Him and love Him. And when you develop a real relationship with God, you'll see your own behavior improve, just because you want to do what Jesus would do, not because you're scared of what will happen if you don't.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! Stay tuned for next week's article which will be the last part of our cross referencing series!

Cross Referencing Series Pt. 3 - Hope

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 23:32:54 GMT

Hope.

What we are asking today is, what is hope? Who can we have hope in? The dictionary definition of hope is: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. This article is about showing you that there is always hope in every situation.

First of course, we will be going to the Concordance in our Bible. Today we will be choosing two verses and stressing those to verses beyond that. Feel free to do more on your own.

The first verse will be Psalms 33:20, in this verse David says, "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield." Then David continues in Psalms 33:21-22 saying, "In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you." David is the ultimate story of hope, it was all he had! While the rest of Israel's army was petrified in fear, David stepped up. He took down Goliath with a slingshot, but not just any slingshot. It was an act that was fully powered by God, and because David was just a scrawny teenager, we know that it was not coincidence that he defeated Goliath. It was because he had hope in God. David believed that with Him, anything was possible. Then after that, David went on to become king of Israel and Judah. He started with nothing but hope, but got everything because of it. The cross reference for verse Psalms 33:20, leads us to only one verse, which is Psalm 27:14. It says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." In this verse, David is telling us to have patience. This is such an important verse because it is so easy to think that God has done nothing for you even though you are always praying to Him. What you need to understand is that God has a plan for you, and while we may not understand it, we must trust in it.

Our second verse will be 1 John 3:3, it says, "All who have this hope in [Christ] purify themselves, just as [Christ] is pure." This verse totally debunks the mindset that you can't pray if you haven't always been Christian. So many people think that it's too late for them to go to God, but it never will be. God knows that you're not perfect, and he doesn't expect you to be. But the best way to help yourself get back up after you've been shoved down, is to run to Jesus. He can make you pure, and He can make you happy. The cross reference for 1 John 3:3 leads us to a few verses, but we're going to pick verses 2 Peter 3:14 and 2 Corinthians 7:1. 2 Peter 3:14 says, "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with [God]." This verse does not mean that you have to be perfect, because no one is. It simply means that once you've gone to God, you want to have a peaceful and loving relationship, and you want to think about what God would want you to do in future situations. Not only can He forgive you for all your past sins, He can help you prevent sinning in the future. The next verse is 2 Corinthians 7:1, it says, "Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." This verse is saying that with God's help, we can eliminate those things in our life that we know aren't good for us, but can't seem to take on by ourselves.

Right now, it may seem like your situation is hopeless. You may be wondering, who or what am I supposed to turn to? And we have the answer... Jesus! Even if you haven't always been a follower of Christ, that doesn't mean you can't try talking to Him. You may think that He won't listen to you because you've sinned, but that is in no way, shape, or form true! We all sin, but that doesn't make God love us any less. All God wants is for His children to know Him, He is an amazing listener, and even if you don't think that He is there for you, we can assure you He is. At least just let Him know your struggles, keeping your problems to yourself isn't healthy. He will give you relief.

1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

All in all, God can give us hope in every situation. He can help us get through a rough patch in life, He can help us improve or work on ourselves, He can lift the burdens of our past off of our shoulders, He will listen when no one else will, and He will help you through what's to come.

How To Stay Connected To God Amidst A Pandemic

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 23:19:38 GMT

Right now we need God more than ever.

In this time, it's really easy to lose faith. Which makes it all the more important that we don't lose our relationship with God. Since churches have closed, a lot of people have had no where to go when they were feeling hopeless and alone. Faith For Girls By Girls wants to make sure you know that you're never alone, so we created a list of things you can do to stay connected to God in a safe way.

1) Watch an online church service - this is the best way to make it feel like you're going to church, without risking your health

2) Join a bible study - this is a great way to be a part of a community, while helping each other have a deeper understanding of God's word (it can be virtual, or you can meet up with a small group while wearing masks and socially distancing)

3) Join a Christian club - this is another great way to be a part of a community (again virtual, or masked and distanced)

4) Follow Christian social media accounts - it's a really great thing to have God's word sewn into your everyday routine, scrolling through your Instagram or Facebook feed to see an uplifting Bible verse can be very refreshing, and you never know when you'll need it

5) Read Christian books - reading what Christian authors have to say can deepen your understanding of God's word

6) Do community service with a Christian group - helping those around you through God can be a great way to see how He has changed other's lives, see how he has changed your life, and connect others with Him

These are just a few ways that you can stay connected to God, and stay safe at the same time. The safer we are, the sooner that this nightmare will be over, and churches can open again. But we encourage you to continue to participate in these activities even after the pandemic is over, deepening your relationship with Jesus will only benefit you.

We hope you enjoyed this special post, our cross referencing series will continue as usual next week!

Cross Referencing Series Pt. 2 - Justice

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 03:37:06 GMT

Justice.

We need justice in this world. But the only way to truly achieve justice, is to understand what it truly means. Today we're going to be going deep and looking at the raw biblical meaning of this word, in hopes that it will help us to have a better understanding of how we can get it. Before we get into our word study, let's think about what we think we already know about justice.

When we think of justice, different images may come to mind for different people. Some may think of inspirational people such as Martin Luther King Jr, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, and Rosa Parks who fought their whole lives for the rights of those who were being treated unfairly. Or we may think of organizations who have made it their goal to fight for justice: such as Black Lives Matter, Care.org’s Women Empowerment Fund, and more (even if you are someone who doesn't like certain justice movements, please put your personal opinions aside for the sake of the article). Then there are some people who think of justice, and think of those who haven't received it yet. The dictionary describes justice as the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.

But how does the Bible describe it? And who in the Bible made it their purpose to fight for it? Let's find out.

When you go to the cross reference of the Concordia Self Study Bible (NIV), you will see a long list of verses below the word justice. For this word study, we will be focusing on one verse from the Old Testament and one verse from the New Testament, this way we will be able to see the difference in how the word was used depending on if it was before or after the birth of Jesus.

The first verse we'll be looking at is Exodus 23:2, which says, "'Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.'" This verse is telling us that we cannot change our ways and fight for justice if we follow what others are doing that has caused injustice. This is telling us that if we want to make a difference, we cannot continue to be ignorant. Now, we go to the cross reference (the middle column on the page) and find the verse, below the verse it will list other verses like it. Under Exodus 23:2, it lists some verses including Leviticus 19:15 and Leviticus 19:33. We'll only being doing these two, but there's plenty more if you want to do more on your own. First, Leviticus 19:15 says, "'Do not pervert justice ; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.'" This verse says that by stereotyping and being bias towards a certain group of people, you are being dishonorable (this verse can be stressed further, but for the sake of the article we're going to move on). Then, Leviticus 19:33 says, "‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.'" This verse says it is unacceptable to treat someone unfairly because of where they are from. All in all, the Old Testament verses about justice are about how us Christians should never judge anyone based on where they're from, what groups they belong to, their economic status, or any other factor besides their character. God is the only one who can pass judgement, and by labeling others based on our perception of them, we are going against God's word. The Old Testament also expresses that when everyone around us is doing what God says is wrong, it is our responsibility to go against the status quo and fight for what we know is right. This new information helps us realize that if we want justice, we can't stay on the sidelines and go with the crowd. We have to get out of our comfort zone, and stand up for those who need our help.

For our second verse, we will be looking at Luke 11:42. It says, "'Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.'" In this verse, Jesus is calling out the Pharisees. Jesus says that the Pharisees are not the "perfect" Christians that they like to tell everyone they are. Jesus recognizes that instead of spreading God's love and helping others through Him, the Pharisees were filled with greed and used people to satisfy their wants. This shows us that real Christians fight beside God to help those who need justice, and this also shows that real Christians spread God's love to everyone, no matter who they are. Luke 11:42's cross reference leads us too many verses, but we will be looking at Micah 6:8 and Matthew 23:23. Micah 6:8 says, "'He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.'" This verse talks about how we need to strive to be like God and be gracious just like Him. Next, Matthew 23:23 says, "'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices —mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.'" This is Jesus basically restating what he said in Luke 11:42, but this message is so important. We need to focus on what's important, rather than wasting our time and energy being hypocritical, judgmental, and self-absorbed, we must help others who aren't as fortunate, practice forgiveness, and always stay loyal to God. Again, these verses can be stressed further, so feel free to do that on your own.

In conclusion, the best way to fight for justice is to do exactly what God has instructed us to do. We must do what he would do. We must love everyone, and have no bias against any community of people. We are all sinners and we are all God's children who he loves equally. We also have to think back to all that Jesus did, he brought justice to so many people whose voices were not being heard. We must live His teachings, and follow what we know is the right thing to do, not always what the crowd is doing.

Cross Referencing Series Pt. 1 - How Do I Cross Reference?

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 02:21:19 GMT

Cross Referencing Is A Great Skill To Have! Here's what it's all about!

The cross reference in the Bible is a note alongside the biblical text which directs the reader to another place in the Bible where they can find a verse saying the same thing or something similar. This means that they will read a verse and then look up the cross references listed for that verse. So if you read a verse about Jesus dying on the cross, you can look at the cross reference for that verse, which should lead you to similar verses. However, the act of cross referencing is a tactic that can be used to find the biblical meanings of words.

Here are the steps to follow when cross referencing!

First , you have to have a Bible with a concordance. This step is very important.

Second , choose a word to cross reference, words with more complex meaning will lead to a deeper search. (ex: faith, salvation, joy)

Third , go to the back of your Bible and find the concordance, this is where you look up the word you've chosen.

Fourth , once you've found the word in the concordance, you will go to one of the verses that is listed below your word.

Fifth , go to the verse you picked that was listed under your word, then read it, if the verse says your word in it, go to the cross reference for that verse which should be in a column in the middle of the page.

Sixth , the cross reference for that verse will list other verses like that one, continue to follow the verses until the verses don't even say your original word anymore.

By going on this wild goose chase from verse to verse to verse, you are stressing your original word. This lets you dig deep and find the raw biblical meaning of the word. Once you've stressed the original verse you picked from the concordance, you can go back and pick another verse for the same word to stress. Stressing two or three is recommended, this should give you more text to unpack your word with. And remember to always (if you can) stress a verse from the New Testament and Old Testament, some meanings of words changed drastically after the birth of Jesus. These different perspectives can really help your biblical understanding of your word become more in depth.

This process can be kind of confusing without a visual, so we are going to cross reference a word for you guys. The example word will be sacrifice. We hope you find this helpful. ♡

Bible Verses All About Women Empowerment

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 01:45:45 GMT

No one believes in the power of women like God does.

Some believe Christianity only favors straight, white men, but this isn't true. While not all of God's followers love and respect everyone, God does.

These are just a few bible verses that demonstrate God's love and respect for women:

1) “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31:26

2) “She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

3) “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.” Luke 1:45

4) “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who (respects) the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30

5) "A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth." Proverbs 11:16

6) “She is worth far more than rubies.” Proverbs 31:10

7) “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:31

The Elephant Story by Jen Hatmaker

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 00:03:56 GMT

If you haven't heard this story yet, we need to change that.

Jen Hatmaker is a Christian author who is constantly inspiring those around her. She shared this story on her Facebook that we thought would be amazing to spread to our little community.

"A few months ago, my girl Nichole Nordeman sent me a picture and a story.

It's about female elephants. You know, as all good stories begin. See, in the wild, when a mama elephant is giving birth, all the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. They close ranks so that the delivering mama cannot even be seen in the middle. They stomp and kick up dirt and soil to throw attackers off the scent and basically act like a pack of badasses.

They surround the mama and incoming baby in protection, sending a clear signal to predators that if they want to attack their friend while she is vulnerable, they'll have to get through 40 tons of female aggression first.

When the baby elephant is delivered, the sister elephants do two things: they kick sand or dirt over the newborn to protect its fragile skin from the sun, and then they all start trumpeting, a female celebration of new life, of sisterhood, of something beautiful being born in a harsh, wild world despite enemies and attackers and predators and odds.

Scientists tell us this: They normally take this formation in only two cases - under attack by predators like lions, or during the birth of a new elephant.

This is what we do, girls. When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are giving birth to new life, new ideas, new ministries, new spaces, when they are under attack, when they need their people to surround them so they can create, deliver, heal, recover...we get in formation. We close ranks and literally have each others' backs. You want to mess with our sis? Come through us first. Good luck.

And when delivery comes, when new life makes its entrance, when healing finally begins, when the night has passed and our sister is ready to rise back up, we sound our trumpets because we saw it through together. We celebrate! We cheer! We raise our glasses and give thanks.

I have this picture [note: Jen is referring to the image above, photo credit is given down below] saved in three different places and in a frame. (I also have an elephant ring given to me and my girlfriends from Tara Porter Livesay - it tells me: never alone.) Maybe you need this too. If you are closing ranks around a vulnerable sister, or if your girls have you surrounded while you are tender, this is how we do it.

There is no community like a community of women. "

This story proves that you are never alone, you will always have people around you who are there for you. Woman or not, God is always there for you as well as your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Photo cred: David Yarrow Photography

Who Was The First Rabbi To Teach Women About God?

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 00:03:53 GMT

Jesus.

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'”

Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Jesus was an advocate for Mary, something very unexpected at the time. When Mary sat at Jesus' feet to learn about God and his teachings, she was scolded by her sister, Martha. Mary was scolded by her sister because she wasn't helping in the kitchen like she was supposed to, this was her purpose as a woman. Obviously there is nothing wrong with helping in the kitchen, but in this time women were treated as objects, seen but not heard nor valued as people. But Jesus said no, he said that her choice to learn about God was the best choice. Jesus said that her education would not be taken away from her. No other rabbi let women or children sit at their feet and learn, but Jesus did. Although that seems to be the bare minimum, he was the first to do so, and he led others to follow him in that action. Jesus opened up a path for women in Christianity to create a connection with God. If it weren't for Jesus, Mary would've stayed in the kitchen and she wouldn't have known her worth, or how she is so loved by God. That goes for you too. ♡

Photo found at this link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/24066179229393640/