GG 101 - Step One

Step One: Do You Know a God Girl?

If you have a copy of God Girl then read Chapter One for this section and then answer the following questions. There will be additional readings you will find below to supplement the book and your Morning Watch.

The “It” Girl

The world has ideas of what makes a girl special and amazing. But how does that idea match with God’s ideas for you? Answer these questions and see what you can find out about what you already know but maybe haven’t really thought about the world around you.

1. What would you say are the top three characteristics of the ideal female--according to the world? Think about what you see on TV, in magazines and on stage.

2. How much pressure do you feel to live up to the ideals put out by magazines/movies/TV shows/etc.?

3. How would you describe a God Girl?

4. What makes a God Girl look different from the world’s version of the ideal teen? What might look the same?

5. How can you tell what a person’s life is centered on? Based on popular music/TV/movies/etc., what does our culture tell teens to center their life around? What things is your life centered on?

6. How comfortable do you feel with the Bible? Does it make sense to you most of the time, or do you feel like you’re reading Egyptian hieroglyphics?

Take a look at this excerpt from page 10 -13 in God Girl:

“The life of the God Girl centers around not what others think of her or do to her but who he is. She defines her life by the fact that she belongs to him. The most pivotal moment in her life was the moment she said yes to his call. When she heard him say “I love you” and she believed it. When Jesus reached out of the pages of that old Bible, grabbed her hand, and said, “Come with me. Make me Lord of your life, and I will be with you always. You will never have to fear again.”

Do you remember that invitation? Did you say yes? I remember when I did. I had been searching so long for him. I went to a Catholic high school, and there I learned a lot about God’s holiness and wrath. But most of all I learned that I was broken, messed up, weak, and imperfect. The God I saw could not accept me--I was too dirty, too unlovable. But I wanted him desperately. I knew that if I could just get to him, he would fix me, love me, heal me. And so every weekend I turned on the TV and watched an old preacher named Jimmy Swaggart. And every week I cried and accepted Christ into my heart. Every week. It just never seemed to stick.”

“By the time I was in college, I was certain of only one thing: I was not good enough for God. I was driving limousines at night and going to TV and movie auditions during the day. And then I met him. His name was Greg, he was so cute, and I wanted him to want me.”

“And so I pursued him. He drove limousines too, and he was a Christian. I told him I was too, though I didn’t know what that really meant. Then one day he took arisk. He asked me why, if I was a Christian, I talked like a sailor. You see, I loved cussing. I had a potty mouth.”

“I thought about it for a minute, and then I told him, “I decided a long time ago that I wasn’t good enough for God, and I know I’m going to hell. I just can’t do everything he asks. So I figure if I’m going to hell, I might as well have fun on the way.”’

“Greg looked at me with such confusion. And then he said the most important words I’d heard in my life: “You realize that once you are saved, you are always saved, don’t you?”’

“Where did you hear that?” I said in shock.

“It’s right here,” he said as he pointed to his old, worn Bible. He opened it up to Romans 10:9 and read these words: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (NIV).

“I remember this so vividly. I stood up with both hands on my hips and yelled, “Why hasn’t anyone ever told me this?”This whole time Jesus was right there for me, and I didn’t see him. I couldn’t believe how close he was. How permanent and secure. So suddenly my life changed. In an instant it was like the light went on and I saw things I never saw before. Greg gave me that Bible, and it sits beside me now, even as I write these words. I read it that day, and over the next month I read the entire thing. I was in awe! I was amazed that the answers to every question I had about life were right there in that book I had looked at so many times before and not understood a word of. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and suddenly it all made sense to me.”

“From that point on I made it my mission to help people find the Jesus who meets all their needs as he met mine. The power of salvation was so strong in my life that I knew it would change anyone’s life who would just listen. My life didn’t change completely in one day, or even in one month, but as I began to make his Word a part of my life, the layers of mess started to peel off of me. And now I am a completely new creature.”

Have you ever had an experience like I had, when the light went on and Bible suddenly started to make sense to you? If so, what was it that suddenly made it all come clear? Knowing this is a good thing for sharing your testimony with others. There are a lot of girls who know about the Bible and maybe even have read it like I had, but still don’t get it, or know what the love of God is really like. Helping others by telling your story is an important part of you continuing to grow yourself and others with what God has done for you.

7. What kinds of things make the Bible seem confusing or out of touch? How could you get some help understanding what it all means? Click here to get some more helps on making the bible less confusing.)Link to Bible Study Help

8. Do you believe that every part of the Bible is relevant to your life today? If not then click here. (Link to a devo on the relevance of scripture.)

9. It is said that if God isn’t changing you he hasn’t saved you. How much of your life has changed since you have become a God Girl? If you don’t see much change then know that it isn’t because He isn’t paying any attention but because you haven’t been paying attention. He wants to change you, change means improvement, it means you are moving towards growth, and maturity. Change is good. As you think about it right now, what kinds of things would you like to see change in your life? Make a list of the things you want to change, and then commit to pray about them this month. Your life can change when the change you desire is making you more like Jesus. It is the call on all God Girls to become more like Christ, in 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” In other words, imitate Christ. Become more like him every day. As you do your life will become more peaceful, hopeful and faithful.

But before you say “I’ve already tried that and it didn’t work,” hear me out. This change stuff doesn’t happen through your power, any more than your salvation happened through your power. Nope, it’s not all about you, but the one who lives in you and died for you. Jesus didn’t just die to get you into heaven but to save you from the power of sin. See, it isn’t on your own strength that you can do anything, I mean sure, for a while maybe you can be good, but you always fall back into the same old sin. That’s because you’re trying to do it all on your own strength. I’ve got good news for you, you aren’t alone. And it isn’t all you, but Jesus who does it for you. Check out these verses to see what I mean:

Romans 8:10 - what makes you alive?
Romans 8:12 - why don’t you have to do what your corrupt nature wants you to do?
1 Corinthians 1:8 - who does this for you?
Gal 2:20 - who lives in you? And how does that change how you live?
Ephesians 2:10 - what has God prepared for you to do?
Philippians 1:6 - who started the good work in you?
Philippians 2:13 - who is producing the good stuff in you? what does that mean?
1 Peter 1:2 - what makes you holy?
2 Peter 1:3-4 - where do

10. Do you ever hold God at a distance? Are there areas of your life that you don’t want Him to be a part of or to even see? What would happen if you let him into those areas?

Now, read this excerpt from God Girl:

Being the Branch

I want you to imagine a branch, and this branch isn’t attached to anything. Not to a tree or a vine. It is connected to nothing bigger than itself. Can you see it? Lying there all alone?

How long do you think that branch will remain flexible and grow leaves or even fruit? How long until it gets brittle and snaps under the weight of someone’s foot?

Remember how I said that before I became a God Girl I had wanted God to heal me but didn’t think I deserved his love? Well, I was that branch--alone, without any- thing or anyone bigger than myself--until I realized that I needed to be attached to something stronger, something that would feed me spiritually and emotionally.

Jesus, in the book of John, describes us as branches, but he also describes himself as the vine. And he promises us that if we are willing to remain in him (in other words, stay attached to that something bigger), then we will have everything good to show from it. In Galatians, the good--the stuff that grows from a healthy branch that stays attached to the vine--is called fruit. And in human terms it’s stuff like this: it’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23). It’s you at your best. It’s everything you think and do that is good. And it’s all the stuff that brings glory to God and makes him look amazing in the eyes of others. It’s the cool part of your life, and God’s main goal is to bring that stuff out of you.

So let’s take a quick look at the entire verse about the vine and the branches, shall we? Just to help it sink in as you read, do this. Put a cross above all the words that stand for Jesus (like vine, I, etc.). And draw a cloud around all the words that refer to the Father (like vinedresser, he, etc.). Then underline all the action words (like removes, prunes, etc.).

[Then Jesus said,] “I am the true vine, and my Father takes care of the vineyard. He removes every one of my branches that doesn’t produce fruit. He also prunes every branch that does produce fruit to make it produce more fruit. You are already clean because of what I have told you. Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can’t produce anything without me. Whoever doesn’t live in me is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Branches like this are gathered, thrown into a fire, and burned. If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours. You give glory to my Father when you produce a lot of fruit and therefore show that you are my disciples.” John 15:1–8

Now if you can I want you to go outside and look for a twig, a leaf or a branch. Once you find it come back in and read on.

Look at what you have brought in. Now look at a tree outside. What are the differences between your piece and the whole?

11. What things in your life make you feel like a twig?

12. What makes you feel broken or alone or spiritually weak?

13. If you can, write a simple word or two describing what you answered for each of those on your twig or leaf. After you do that I want you to take the twig or leaf back outside and put it at the base of a tree. Do this as a symbol of your commitment to stay connected to Christ. Say a prayer to God offering him your brokenness and vowing to stay connected to the true vine.

Digging Deeper

As you start your walk with me through the God Girl Academy I want to give you all the resources I can to help you to learn and to grow more and more in the image of Christ. So the digging deeper section will give you more resources, books, sermons, songs, and studying ideas to help you with the things we’ve touched on in this Q and A.

Bible Reading

For this week take a look at the book of Romans. If you were ever unsure about the meaning of life this book should clear it up. It answers all kinds of questions about why you are how you are and what the blood of Jesus means in it all. Here is a reading plan that will take you through the entire book in a week. Each day in your Morning Watch read your section, pray and worship God.

Day 1: Romans 1 - 2
Day 2: Romans 3 - 4
Day 3: Romans 5 - 7
Day 4: Romans 8 - 9
Day 5: Romans 10 - 11
Day 6: Romans 12 - 13
Day 7: Romans 14 - 16

Worship Links - I can’t give you a complete playlist of songs to listen to here on the site, but I can give you a couple of videos from youtube that can get you started and giving you something to focus on during your time of prayer. So here are the videos for this week. I hope you enjoy them. And share your music choices and videos with the rest of us as you find things that really sing to you.

Holy, Holy, Holy by Donnie McClurkin -

Word of God Speak by Mercy Me -

Additional Reading-

The Morning Watch

At the start of this week I’d like you to take a look at a chapter from a great book called The School of Obedience, by Andrew Murray. This is the final chapter and though that’s an odd place to start I think it’s a good one for this week. We all have a hard time getting up in the morning, a hard time setting aside time for God, I’m right there with you, but when I read this I was inspired. I hope that it does the same for you. If you want more on prayer feel free to go to Resources and read some of the other books you’ll find there. This plan doesn’t have to be followed line for line. You can weave all over the place as you discover different topics that impress your heart to find out more.

NOTES ON THE MORNING WATCH.

'By, the observance of the morning watch is commonly meant the spending of at least the first half-hour of every day alone with God, in personal devotional Bible study and prayer.'

'There are Christians who say that they do not have time to devote a full half-hour to such a spiritual exercise. It is a striking fact that the busiest Christians constitute the class who plead this excuse the least, and most generally observe the morning watch. Any Christian who will honestly and persistently follow this plan for a month or two will become convinced that it is the best possible use of his time, that it does not interfere with his regular work, and that it promotes the wisest economy of time....'

'In India, in China, in Japan, hundreds of students have agreed to keep the morning watch....'

'The practical question for each of us is, Why should not I keep the morning watch? Next to receiving Christ as Savior, and claiming the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we know of no act attended with larger good to ourselves and to others than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch.'

These quotations are from an address by John R. Mott. At first sight the closing statement appears too strong. But think a moment, what such a revelation implies.It means the deep conviction that the only way to maintain and carry out the surrender to Christ and the Holy Spirit, is by meeting God very definitely at the commencement of each day, and receiving from Himself the grace needed for a walk in holy obedience.

It means an insight into the folly of attempting to live a heavenly life without rising up into close communion with God in heaven, and receiving from Himself the fresh bestowal of spiritual blessings.

It means the confession that it is alone in personal fellowship with God, and in delight in His nearness, that proof can be given that our love responds to His, and that we count His nearness our chief joy.

It means the faith that if time enough be given for God to lay His hands on us, and renew the inflowings of His Spirit, our soul may be so closely united to Him that no trials or duties can separate us from Him.

It means a purpose to live wholly and only for God, and by the sacrifice of time and ease to prove that we are willing to pay any price to secure the first of all blessings the presence of God for all the day.

Let us now look again at that sentence-, 'Next to receiving Christ as our Savior, and claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we know of no act attended with larger good to ourselves or to others than the formation of an undiscourageable resolution to keep the morning watch.' If our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Master was whole-hearted, if our prayer for and claiming of the Holy Spirit to guide and control was sincere, surely there can be no thought of not giving God each day sufficient time, our very best time, for receiving and increasing in us what is indispensable to a life for Christ's glory and in His service.

You tell me there are many Christians who are content with ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. There are, but you will certainly not as a rule find them strong Christians. And the Students' Movement is pleading with God, above everything, that He would meet to train a race of devoted, whole-hearted young men and women. Christ asked great sacrifices of His disciples; He has perhaps asked little of you as yet. But now He allows, He invites, He longs for you to make some. Sacrifices make strong men. Sacrifices help wonderfully to wrench us away from earth and self-pleasing, and lift us heavenward. Do not try to pare down the time limit of the morning watch to less than the half-hour. There can be no question about the possibility of finding the time. Ten minutes from sleep, ten from company or amusement ,ten from lessons. How easy where the heart is right, hungering to know God and His will perfectly!

If you feel that you do not feel the need of so much time, and know not how to wait, we are content you should speak of your quiet time, or your hour of prayer. God may graciously, later on, draw you out to the morning watch. But do not undertake it unless you feel your heart stirred with the determination to make a sacrifice, and have full time for intimate intercourse with God. But if you are ready to do this, we urge you to join. The very fact of setting apart such a period helps to awaken the feeling: I have a great work to do, and I need time for it. It strengthens in your heart the conviction: If I am to be kept all this day without sin I must have time to get near to God. It will give your Bible study new point, as you find time, between the reading, to be still and bow in humility for the Holy Spirit's hidden working, and wait till you get some real apprehension of God's will for you, through the Word. And, by the grace of God, it may help you to begin that habit of specific and definite intercession of which the Church so surely stands In need.Students! you know not whether in your future life your time may be more limited, your circumstances more unfavorable, your Christian earnestness feebler. Now is the accepted time. Today, as the Holy Ghost saith. Listen to the invitation of your brethren in all lands, and fear not to form an undiscourageable resolution to spend at least half an hour each morning with God alone.

Now to finish GG 101 - Step One, write a blog post about your experience going through this; what you learned, rocked your world, etc. Put GG 101 - Step One in the title. Once you finish that, come back here and click on this link to begin GG 101 -Step Two!

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Comment by Sydney Dunbar on May 14, 2013 at 9:27pm: I learned that God loves me, and I need Him in my life if I want Him to change me. I need an intimate relationship with Him and no matter how frightened I am I know that He is there. My world was rocked by the morning watch, and I know that in order to have that intimate relationship with Him I need to dedicate my time to him.

Comment by Malika Wood on May 7, 2013 at 7:29pm: Life has constantly thrown me curve balls. I continuously looked for anyone or anything to help make me feel better, and yet the Lord my Savior was sitting right in front of me waving a flag the whole time. I feel as if I waste time saying I wished I'd seen it sooner....God times everything as he sees fit. I hope that the things I've really begun to dig at within myself will help with my relationship with my bf, but also with my family and friends. Love is the gift God gave us to show a glimpse of what he feels for us. That's what I try to hang on to...and no matter what, I'm NEVER alone!!! :,)

Comment by Ladasia Griffin on April 7, 2013 at 12:17am: I read the book and also, my week has improved but has also gotten more difficult. I have been attacked more spiritually, but since I start the morning (usually) reading the Word, I feel a lot better and I'm able to handle things better. I t was a really hreat experience and I am looking forward to this next week and what I can learn from it! :D

Comment by Ashley Elizabeth on March 1, 2013 at 8:14pm: i learned alot about myself

Comment by Danielle Du Plessis on January 14, 2013 at 6:55am: This was really great! Being a christian is like a clay pot; we are formed for a purpose and during our formation, we may be molded time and time again until God is satisfied. I am going through such a tough time in my relationship with my BF of nearly three years; not knowing if I should stay or go; worrying continuously; praying and praying for signs ; asking God what to do and to give me the strength to do it. All of this is happening to me for a reason; I don't know why, but I know its brought me here. I believe God is working in my life; in yours, in all of ours, we just need to follow and he will lead.

May you all be blessed.

Comment by Ramona on December 12, 2012 at 7:55am: One thing I know...if I do not stay connected to the Vine....I am nothing, and have nothing of value to give to others. I am dry and empty and useless just like the twig. The only way to produce juicy, ripe fruit that can feed others is to stay connected to the Vine through reading my bible and talking to God. It excites me to know that God never ever says, "I don't have time for you"... or "Girl, you talk to much!" He is the friend who "get's me." I love that about God and I love talking with Him about everything.

Comment by ambershae johnson on November 3, 2012 at 9:59am: thank you soo much!

Comment by alexis<3 on October 7, 2012 at 4:30pm: Thanks!

Comment by Kiera Murray on September 4, 2012 at 3:20pm: @ Jamie Longson

Thank you!

Comment by Jaime on September 3, 2012 at 8:16pm: @ Kiera Murray

You could probably find a copy at your local Christian bookstore, or if not, you could order it on amazon.com.

Comment by Kiera Murray on August 25, 2012 at 9:14pm: where can i get the God Girl book??? I really want one!!!

Comment by Lorena Lopez on July 2, 2012 at 6:56pm: This is amazing! NO WAY AM I GOING TO FORGET ANY OF THIS! If I do, then shame on me!!

Comment by Alise l. on May 26, 2012 at 11:15am: wow lots to remember my brain hurts

Comment by Janet Chil on May 2, 2012 at 1:03am: I hope to start doing it this week. I have the God Girl Book.

Comment by Patricia Beard on February 5, 2012 at 11:27am: I cannot open the links aswell. I am clicking on the link in question #7 - It states click here to make the bible less confusing and I try clicking it and nothing happens. What do I do?

Also - I have Devotions for the God Girl - is there a God Girl book too?

Comment by Tabitha Whalen on February 2, 2012 at 8:21pm: I can't get the links to work with in this ??? HELP

Comment by Ashley Crum on January 12, 2012 at 9:07pm: Hailey DiMarco pleasssseee make more of these:)

Comment by Ashley Crum on January 10, 2012 at 11:13pm: i love these please make more!!! pleassseeee

Comment by Sarah R. on January 10, 2012 at 10:09pm: instead of doing the twig, I wrote down my doubt and I am going to put it at the base of my cross that my friend gave me. I'll make it a habit.