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V I S I T O U R B R A N D N E W

SHOPsetapartgirl

shop.setapartgirl.com

S P E C I A L D I S C O U N T S

2 5 % O F F Y O U R W H O L E O R D E R I N T H E S E T A P A R T G I R L & S E T A P A R T M O T H E R H O O D

S T O R E S F O R T H E W H O L E M O N T H ! *

J U N E 8 T H - J U N E 3 0 T H

*EXCLUDES SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE SETAPARTGIRL MAGAZINE

�1Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

overview

Undivided Heart Session #1 - Friday Night, June 5th

3

The Solid Rock Session #2 - Saturday Morning, June 6th

30

Redeeming the Time Session #3 - Saturday Morning, June 6th

47

Q&A with Leslie Workshop - Saturday Afternoon, June 6th

61

Workshop with Set-Apart Girl Team Workshop - Saturday Afternoon, June 6th

62

Heroic Femininity Session #4 - Saturday Afternoon, June 6th

63

Lessons from the Mission Field Session #5 - Saturday Afternoon, June 6th

72

God’s Heart for the Persecuted Church Session #6 - Saturday Afternoon, June 6th

74

The Spirit of the Humble Session #7 - Saturday Night, June 6th

76

�2Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Undivided Heart Exchanging Apathy for Passion

Session One

Presented by Leslie Ludy

Friday Night June 5th, 2015

�3Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

My Journey with Christ…

Searching for a Hero… • someone who would protect me and love me unconditionally • someone who would bring fulfillment to my soul • wanting a knight from the fairy tales

Looking in the Wrong Places… • approval from guys • short-term flings • popularity

The End Result…

• heartache, rejection, insecurity • compromise and sin • spiritual mediocrity

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. Titus 1:16

Finding my Hero… • realizing that Christ was who I’d been searching for • the only true fulfillment comes from Him • cleaning out the sanctuary—removing hindrances to intimacy • building my life around Him • my love story with Eric was an outflow of my relationship with Christ

�4Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Leaving my First Love… • letting the cares of this life pull my gaze away from Him • weighed down with burdens and worries • looking outside of Him for answers and comfort • turning to pop-culture distractions • letting my heart become divided

The Cross of Jesus Christ… • Should transform every area of our daily life • Should influence our every thought and decision • Should keep us captivated with Him

But from the moment we awake until the moment we fall asleep, we are hit with countless distractions that quickly cause our gaze to stray from Him.

So Many Distractions…

Cultural Noise: • Phone calls, Texts, Twitter

• Emails, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram

• Movies, Television, Magazines, Novels

• Advertisements, Wants, Materialism

• Entertainment, Sports, Hobbies, Pleasure-Seeking

The World’s Message: • You need keep up with all that’s happening in pop-culture!

�5Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

• Stay connected to your devices, or you’ll lose your popularity!

• Take a break, be entertained—you deserve it!

• You can’t be spiritual all the time—that’s just not realistic!

Personal Pursuits

• Social Activities, Friendships, Popularity, Reputation

• Personal Ambitions and Desires

• Romantic Dreams and Pursuits

The World’s Message:

• You won’t be fulfilled until you have a large circle of friends.

• You won’t be happy until you find the man of your dreams.

• You deserve to do whatever makes you happy!

• Follow your heart, pursue your dreams—you deserve it!

Emotional and Spiritual Battles

• Fears, Worries, Concerns

• Past Failures, Regrets, Shame

• Enemy Attacks and Harassments

The Enemy’s Lies:

• You don’t have time for prayer and Bible study—your life is too stressful!

• God doesn’t expect you to spend a certain amount of time with Him—that’s legalism!

• You’ve made too many mistakes to have real intimacy with Christ.

• You are too depressed and anxious to spend time with Christ—you have special circumstances and issues and you just can’t focus on Him right now.

�6Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

• Where was God when you needed Him? You have every right to pull away from Him because He’s let you down.

What is the solution to all this noise?

Give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name. Psalm 86:11

An Undivided Heart united towards a singular purpose; fixed upon a singular point; undistracted

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

Hebrews 12:1-2

Looking (unto Jesus): aphorao (verb) to turn the eyes away from other things, and fix them on something

The Fruit of Distraction a barren heart

The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell among the thorns…and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out…The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with

�7Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit

to maturity.

Luke 8:5

My Story dealing with my distractions

I still believed all the same things. But my spiritual fire had faded

to a flicker. I had lost my hunger for more of God. I realized I was

guilty of hypocrisy—honoring Christ with my mouth, but not with

my heart and life. I had to admit that I would rather spend an

evening curled upon the couch in front of the T.V. than on my

knees in prayer or studying God’s Word. I felt more at home

surfing the Internet for new fashion trends than searching the Word

of God for priceless nuggets of Truth. And I was far more inclined

to open a Grisham novel than an inspiring Christian biography.

The Set Apart Woman

I had lost my spiritual hunger I was honoring God with my words but not my life

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from

Me.

Mark 7:6

Is constant passion for God really possible?

�8Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Mark 7:6

Spiritual fervor is not emotional high; but a gaze that is constantly fixed upon Jesus; a heart that is constantly on fire for Him.

Many of us struggle with feeling distant from God. We must realize that closeness to God isn’t a matter of chance—it is based upon the condition of our heart.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to You…purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:8

Is your heart divided from Christ?

�9Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Are you distracted with worries, and cares, and pleasures of this life, or the lies and harassments of the enemy? Is the gaze of your soul fixed steadfastly upon Him or pulled in a hundred different directions?

When you have an undivided heart… Your greatest desire is to spend and be spent for God’s glory

I have one desire now—to live a life of reckless abandon for the

Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it. Ed McCully

From: Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot

How does this mindset contrast with the way we often think?

We often reason:

• I have one desire—to live a life of popularity and success, putting all my strength and energy into it.

• I have one desire—to live a life of pleasure and ease, putting all my strength and energy into it.

• I have one desire—to pursue my personal dreams and ambitions, putting all my strength and energy into it.

The Undivided Heart Says . . .

I have only one desire: to give my everything for Him. �10

Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

When you have an undivided heart… all personal pursuits and dreams become swallowed up in Him

My heart was no longer in the game; I found that I had something infinitely better than cricket. I wanted to win souls for the Lord. I knew that cricket would not last, and honor would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come.

-C.T. Studd, 1884

How does this mindset contrast with the way we often think?

Do we realize that…

• Popularity will not last • Facebook will not last • Our outward appearance will not last • Our possessions and clothes will not last • Our worldly successes and achievements will not last

• It is only worthwhile living for the world to come

The Undivided Heart Says . . .

The only life that counts is one that is lived for eternity.

�11Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

When you have an undivided heart… emotional and spiritual battles don’t pull you away from Him, but draw you closer to Him

We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10

I was to discover that when I took my eyes off the circumstances that were overwhelming me and over which I had no control, and looked up, my Lord was there…Deep in my heart He whispered, “I’m here. Even when you don’t see Me, I’m here. Never for a moment are you out of My sight.”

Darlene Diebler Rose Evidence Not Seen

How does this mindset contrast with the way we often think?

We often reason:

• If my circumstances would change, THEN I would trust God.

• If my circumstances don’t line up with God’s Word, then His Word should be questioned.

• If I don’t feel God near, He must not be near.

• It’s up to me to figure out the solution to my problems.

�12Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

The Undivided Heart Says . . .

There is no problem to which He is not the answer.

When you have an undivided heart… you don’t lose your spiritual fervor—you are more passionate about God than anything else

It was five miles to the interdenominational church, and I had no way to get there, other than walking…It was winter, and the wind would blow up my pant legs and the sleeves of my coat. The cold would come up through the soles of my shoes from the ice-covered sidewalks, go through my feet, and climb up my legs. There were days when every second of the walk was agonizing. Then I would reach the church. Friendly faces would look up and greet me. We would open the Bible—I found constant happiness when I was reading His Word. After church I would linger for as long as I could, then start the freezing five mile walk home.

Bruce Olson Bruchko

How does this mindset contrast with the way we often think?

• We struggle to make Him a priority even when it is easy to do so.

• We are not persecuted for our faith, we can freely worship with other believers.

• In other countries, men and women are being tortured and killed for having a Bible.

• Are we taking that precious Book for granted, or treasuring it as we should?

• Would we walk ten miles in the snow and frigid weather just to hear the Word of God?

�13Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

The Undivided Heart says . . .

There is no sacrifice too great for the One who gave everything for me.

What causes our heart to become divided from Christ?

• Breaches—letting sin gain a foothold in our soul

• Idolatry—seeking satisfaction outside of Him

• Self-Justification—staying comfortable in our mediocrity

1. Breaches—letting sin gain a foothold in our soul

[Corrie and her nephew Peter had prayed and fasted for a boy named Jan who had a stronghold of darkness in his life. But the darkness would always return no matter how many times they prayed.] Later Peter told Corrie, “God taught me that if a Christian walks in the light, then the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses him from all sin, making his life a closed circle and protecting him from all outside dark powers. But if there is unconfessed sin in that life, the circle has an opening in it and this allows the dark powers back in. When I led Jan to confess his sin, then the circle was closed, and the dark powers could no longer return.”

Corrie ten Boom Tramp for the Lord

�14Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

The remnant that are left of the captivity…are in great affliction and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.

Nehemiah 1:3

Asking God to reveal breaches the danger of comparing ourselves to others

But they, comparing themselves among themselves and measuring themselves by themselves are not wise.

2 Corinthians 10:12

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts. Psalm 51:6

Identifying my Breaches turning and repenting, by God’s grace

i. Delighting in worldly things

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:6

ii. Living for my own pleasure instead of for His glory alone

She who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 1 Timothy 5:6

�15Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

III. Spiritual apathy and laziness

Beware of the legalism excuse: “I can’t become spiritually disciplined—if I do, I’ll be in legalism!”

When there’s something in the Bible that churches don’t like, they call it legalism.

Leonard Ravenhill

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Romans 12:11

IV. Forsaking my First Love

So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of My mouth.

Revelation 3:16

Examples of Common Breaches

�16Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

• Gossip

For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish…lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults.

1 Corinthians 12:20

• Jealousy (the sin of comparison)

But they, comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12

• Lust, Impurity

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual

immorality, or of any kind of impurity. Ephesians 5:3

• Pride Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.

Romans 12:3

• Fear …do not give way to fear.

1 Peter 3:6

�17Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

• Selfishness

But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come,

for men will be lovers of themselves… 2 Timothy 3:2

• Materialism

Be content with such things as you have. Hebrews 13:5

• Bitterness, Unforgiveness

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

• Love of the World

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

�18Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

• Lying, Deceit, Manipulation

The Lord detests double standards. Proverbs 20:23

• Dabbling in Darkness

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness.

Ephesians 5:11

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey—whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Romans 6:16

Closing the Gap

1. Identifying Breaches

2. Repenting and turning, by God’s grace, and walking the other direction

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

�19Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

2. Idolatry—seeking satisfaction outside of Him

I am the Lord, that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or my praise to idols.

Isaiah 42:8

Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. Luke 4:8

An idol is anything that takes a higher position than Jesus Christ in my heart and life; anything that claims more of my devotion and affection than Him.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

Matthew 6:24

When we have idolatry in our life, we may say (or even believe) that Jesus Christ has our whole heart, but in reality we place our hopes and affections in pursuits outside of Him (health, money, romance, etc.). Scripture is clear: when we become slaves to our appetites, our health or financial goals, our romantic pursuits, our popularity, our comforts or anything else, we cannot be the servants of Christ.

The Set Apart Woman

�20Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

If we hold tightly to anything given to us, unwilling to allow it to be used as the Giver means it to be used we stunt the growth of the soul. What God gives us is not necessarily "ours" but only ours to offer back to him, ours to relinquish, ours to lose, ours to let go of.…Many deaths must go into reaching our maturity in Christ, many letting goes.

Elisabeth Elliot Passion and Purity

The “Jesus Plus” Pitfall… We often cling to Jesus plus our reputation…or Jesus plus a relationship…or Jesus plus an achievement…or Jesus plus our comforts and pleasures…or Jesus plus a certain dream or desire…Jesus plus success and popularity

He Asks: Am I Enough?

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

Psalm 73:25

Idols would not be idols if they were not beloved. But we have to lay our real Isaac, our beloved and only Isaac, upon the altar. It is hard work, but it has to be done, because He is a jealous God, and will have no rivals.

Catherine Booth

�21Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

God tested Abraham and said to him…“Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on of the mountains of which I shall tell you. So Abraham rose…”

Genesis 22:1-2

The Path of Surrender

some examples from Christian history

Lillian Trasher founder of first Christian orphanage in Egypt—laid her marriage hopes and personal comforts on the altar

As young American Christian girl in 1910, Lillian had a wonderful church, and clear sense purpose for her life, and was engaged to a wonderful Christian man named Tom. But two weeks before her wedding, she heard a missionary speak of the incredible need for Christians to go into all the world and share the Gospel. She knew God was calling her to make the most difficult decision of her life and give up everything in order to follow Him. After spending several days alone with God, she told a close friend, “I know what the next step is for me. I am engaged to the most wonderful man in the world…and I can’t marry him. I am supposed to go to Africa. God has called me to be a missionary, and I can’t refuse

Him, not even for Tom.”

Lillian Trasher The Greatest Wonder in Egypt

�22Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Eric Liddell Olympic Gold medalist and missionary to China—laid his fame and opportunities on the altar

After winning the Olympic Gold for Scotland in 1924 and becoming a national hero, Eric felt clearly that God wanted him to spend the rest of his life winning souls, not medals. During a public speech at which hundreds had gathered to honor him and celebrate his victory, Eric announced, “It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. But since I have been young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals. From now on, I will be putting my energy into preparing for the mission field in China.”

Eric Liddell Something Greater than Gold

Catherine Booth Co-founder of the Salvation Army in 1878—laid her time, reputation, and security on the altar

Many times while I was nursing my baby, I was thinking of what I was going to say at the meeting, and then I would appear sometimes with an outline scratched in pencil, trusting the Lord to give me the power of His Holy Spirit—He has never allowed me to open my mouth without giving me signs of His presence and blessing. But some things were dreadful to me at first. The first time I saw my name publicly written on a wall—I shall never forget the sensation. Then my dear husband said, “When you gave yourself to the Lord, did you not also give Him your name? [So I have learned that] it is not by human power, wisdom, might, or

�23Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

strength—“it is by My Spirit,” says the Lord. He loves to use the weak things, that the excellency may be seen to be of God.

The Best of Catherine Booth

Sabina Wurmbrand Pastor’s wife in communist Romania—laid her husband and son on the altar

It was as if they spat in Christ’s face. I could feel that Richard was boiling. So I told him what was already in his heart and said, “Will you not wash this shame from the face of Christ?” Richard knew what would happen: “If I speak, you will lose a husband.” At once I replied—it was not by my courage, but given to me [by God] for the moment. “I don’t need a coward for a husband.” Richard sent up his card.

Sabina Wurmbrand The Pastor’s Wife

Nate Saint Martyr for the Gospel in Ecuador in 1956—laid his life on the altar

Nate had always regarded himself as expendable for the cause of Christ. In a short sermon delivered over the missionary radio station in Quito he shared, “During the last war we were taught to recognize that, in order to obtain our objective, we had to be willing to be expendable—we know there is only one answer to our country’s demand that we share in the price of freedom. Yet when the Lord Jesus asks us to pay the price for world evangelization, we often answer without a word. We cannot go.

�24Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

We say it costs too much…God didn’t hold back His only Son but gave Him up to pay the price for our failure and sin.”

Elisabeth Elliot Through Gates of Splendor

What is He Asking You to Lay on the Altar?

3. Self-Justification—staying comfortable in our

mediocrity

And behold a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying “Teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly, do this and you will live. But he, wanting to justify

himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:25-29

Looking for a Loophole—“how far is too far?”

When we self-justify, we look for loopholes that allow us to keep living in compromise; we use brilliant and even spiritual-sounding arguments so that we can remain comfortable in our sin. If we live in self-justification, our heart is divided from Christ.

�25Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Examples of Common Self-Justifications

• I shouldn’t be too extreme in my devotion to Christ—that’s legalism!

• If I’m going to reach this culture for Christ I need to be in touch with it!

• If sin and perversion is portrayed in an artistic way, then it’s really okay for me to watch

it; and I’m mature enough to handle it anyway.

• I know a lot of other Christians who do these things—what’s the big deal?

• If my emotions are strong, I have no choice but to act upon them!

• I have special circumstances in my life (sickness, emotional problems, an abusive past, etc.); I can’t be expected to live out everything the Bible says.

• If I disagree with someone on spiritual things, I have every right to be spiteful toward them and spread gossip and slander about them—after all, I’m protecting other people from dangerous ideas!

• I’ve always wanted this (job, possession, relationship, achievement, etc.); therefore it is

completely fine for me to build my life around the pursuit of it.

• God made my curves and I shouldn’t be ashamed of them—I have the right to wear the kind of clothes I want! And besides, it’s not my responsibility to keep guys’ thoughts pure—that’s up to them.

• If someone offends me, it’s my right to lash back at them in anger—if I don’t, how will they ever realize what they are doing is wrong?

• I have a lot of special talents—I need to make sure everyone sees and notices my gifts.

That’s just being a good steward of what God has given me!

• My life is too busy to spend time with God every day; and I shouldn’t feel guilty about it. He knows I love Him—I don’t have to spend a certain amount of time with Him to prove it.

�26Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

Luke 16:15

The Opposite of Self-Justification: Soul-Searching

Search me O God, and know my heart…see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

When you have an undivided heart… Your chief desire is being right with God. You continually ask Him to search and purify your soul so that you can be more like Him.

The Danger of Self-Justification…

The Pharisees were professional self-justifiers. They were so busy proving to themselves and to everyone else that they were just fine the way they were that they completely missed the message of repentance and freedom Christ came to bring. It was a message that could have set them free. But instead, self-justification blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, and they remained dead in their sins.

The Set Apart Woman

�27Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

How to Gain an Undivided Heart Toward Christ

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face and

the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His

glory and grace.”

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked…but whose delight is in…the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2

The man (or woman) who would know God must give time to

Him. A.W. Tozer

A undivided heart flows from . . . • Complete surrender to God

• Complete transparency before God

• Hating what God hates; loving what God loves

• Removing distractions—spending quality time in His presence

• Knowing that He is the true solution to every problem

• Caring more about His glory than your own desires and happiness

• Letting difficulties bring you closer to Him, not pull you away from Him

• Not just fitting Him into your life; building your life around Him

�28Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

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�29Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

The Solid Rock Exchanging Doubt for Certainty

Session Two

Presented by Leslie Ludy

Saturday Morning June 6th, 2015

�30Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.

Spiritually speaking, I couldn’t see which end was up. I felt like I was standing on unstable ground. I began to question God’s love for me and to wallow in confusion. Trials only drove me further away from Him and made me feel uncertain about God’s promises. I would try to work through my confusion by talking with others or to seek advice through self-help books or counseling. While I sometimes received a good suggestion here or there, I never found the unshakable clarity I was craving.

The Set Apart Woman

The Solution: Replacing Emotion with Truth

accept God’s Truth as fact, and command your feelings to agree with it

Examples of God’s promises • He will never forsake us (Heb. 13:5)

• He will give us perfect peace (Is. 26:3)

• His love will cast out every fear (1 Jn. 4:18)

• When we seek Him, we will find Him (Jer. 29:13)

• He will give us victory over sin (Rom. 8:2-6)

• He will give us power over the enemy (James 4:7)

• He will do even beyond what we ask or think (Eph. 3:21)

• When we look to Him, we will never be ashamed (Ps. 34:5)

�31Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

What if these promises don’t ring true with our experience?

God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He

should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does

He promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

Two Important Questions about God’s Promises

1. Did God say it?

2. Can God lie?

God awakened us to a principle that altered the way we responded to difficulties: accept God’s Truth as fact and command your feelings to agree with it. Whenever we were hit with confusion, uncertainty, or difficulties, we began to search the Word of God for answers. And when we found them, we learned to reckon them as fact, no matter what our current feelings, past experiences, or present circumstances might say. Learning to reckon God’s Word as fact has revolutionized our lives and given us victory, even in our most difficult situations.

The Set Apart Woman

Darlene Deibler’s Story The testimony of a Christian woman in a prison cell during World War II:

�32Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Suddenly, I felt enveloped in a spiritual vacuum. “Lord, where have You gone? What have I said or done to grieve You? Why have You withdrawn Your presence from me?” My prayers, my expressions of worship, seemed to go no higher than the ceiling, there seemed to be no sounding board.

I sank to the floor and quietly and purposefully began to search the Scriptures hidden in my heart . . . I quoted Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man, that He should lie . . . hath He said, and shall He not do it?” “Lord, I believe all that the Bible says. I do walk by faith and not by sight. I do not need to feel You near, because Your Word says You will never leave me nor forsake me. Lord, I confirm my faith, I believe.

The words of Hebrews 11:1 welled up, unbeckoned, to fill my mind, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence, of things not seen.” The evidence of things not seen…evidence not seen—that was what I put my trust in—not in feeling or moments of ecstasy, but in the unchanging Person of Jesus Christ. Suddenly I realized that I was singing, “When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace.” I was assured that my faith rested not on feelings, not on moments of ecstasy, but on the Person of my matchless, changeless Savior, in Whom is no

shadow caused by turning. Darlene Deibler Rose

Evidence Not Seen

The Wrong Question: How do I feel about this?

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The Right Question: What does God say about this?

My personal struggle and difficult questions

1. Fear: What if they act upon their threats?

2. Doubt: If they hate me so much, does God still love me?

3. Confusion: Why would God allow this to happen?

1. Fear—what if they act upon their threats?

No weapon formed against you shall prosper. Isaiah 54:17

You will surround the righteous with favor as with a shield. Psalm 5:12

The more the voice of Fear seeks to distract us, the more we must meditate upon the reality that we are under the shadow of His wings. And soon, our fear will be replaced with peace.

2. Doubt—if they hate me so much, does God still love me?

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Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you,

and revile you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven.

Luke 6:22-23

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

Psalm 27:10

Even though we may be tempted to doubt God’s love for us when false accusation, betrayal, or rejection comes our way, we must

choose to stand upon the fact that His Word says the opposite. And

soon our doubt will be replaced with faith in His perfect, unconditional love. It doesn’t matter what others think of us, only what God thinks of us.

3. Confusion—how could God let this happen?

All things work together for good for those who love Him.

Romans 8:28

You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good. Genesis 50:20

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When confusing circumstances come, we must stand firm upon the reality that God will turn everything that the enemy means to harm us into something that will bless and benefit us, even if we can’t see the end of the story right away. And soon our confusion will be replaced with clear heavenly perspective.

______

My life is but a weaving, between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors. He weaveth steadily. Oft times He weaveth sorrow; and I in foolish pride, Forget He sees the upper and I the underside. Not ’til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly Will God unroll the canvas, and reveal the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand. As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.

Corrie ten Boom Tramp for the Lord

Four ways to replace doubt and confusion with certainty and faith

1. Turn to God’s Word first

It’s amazing how tempting it can be to run anywhere but to God’s Word whenever we are struggling with doubt and confusion. We think we’ll find comfort and perspective in the words and ideas of our fellow humans instead of in the eternal Word of God.

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When you are confused, where do you turn?

• social media?

• self-help books and magazines?

• artistic songs and blogs?

• the advice of your peers?

• inspirational novels or movies?

Remember: human thoughts and ideas are only beneficial if they are in harmony with the timeless Truth of Scripture. All other ideas, notions, concepts, and suggestions are worthless.

How to Begin?

• fill your mind with Scripture as often as possible (audio Bibles, etc.)

• commit key Scriptures to memory

• learn how to dig deeper into Scripture (inductive Bible study)

• when struggling, ask God to guide you as you read His Word

• read stories of great Christians and notice how they applied Scripture to their problems

• don’t entertain notions or ideas that disagree with God’s Word

2. Don’t be a Mushy-Thinker

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No longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and

blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the

cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14

Wallowing in doubt, confusion, and uncertainty has become hip and trendy in many Christian circles. Some churches even host what they call Doubt Nights, where everyone gets together and vents their doubts about God and His Word. Confusion is celebrated today. But what a miserable way to live! Why would you choose to look at a sunset through a filthy window when you could see it in all its breathtaking beauty by looking look through a sparkling clean window instead?

The Set Apart Woman

Beware of Mushy Mindsets Toward God’s Word:

• “None of us can really be sure about anything—let’s just share our feelings about these interesting ideas from the Bible.”

• “We all have different feelings about truth; none of us is right, none of us is wrong—let’s just have conversational dialogue about spiritual things instead of coming to any conclusions.”

• “There are many ways to find God—some may find Him through Buddhism, some through Hinduism, and some through New Age. We shouldn’t judge people who find God in those practices.”

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• “The Bible needs to be re-examined in light of modern culture—some things in the Bible just don’t apply to where humanity is at today. God gives us the responsibility to revise His Word as society changes.”

• “Do you think that a loving God would actually send people to hell? Hell can’t

possibly be a real place—it’s just symbolic. A loving God wouldn’t send people to a real hell.”

Postmodern reasoning appeals to us as women because it is highly feelings based “how do I feel about this?” rather than “what does God say about this?”

The Deadly Deception: Did God really say?

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden?’”

Genesis 3:1

Satan convinced Eve to question God’s unchanging nature and to wonder whether He really meant what He said. He deceived her with his subtlety. He didn’t brashly tell her, “You should disobey God!” Rather, through cunning and creativity, he stripped away the solid rock of Truth beneath her feet and replaced it with springy, moldable mushiness. Tragically, he is doing the same today through the mushy postmodern ideas that have crept into the church. Many people are stumbling around in confusion,

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mushiness, and doubt because we’ve been pausing to listen to the serpent’s insipid questions and doubting whether God really

meant what He said.

The Set Apart Woman

Beware of the Enemy’s Subtlety…Did God really

say?

• “Sure, God told you to live in purity, but a little flirting here and there is harmless! God doesn’t expect you to be an uptight goody-goody! He wants you to have a little fun too!”

• “Yes, the Bible condemns certain behaviors—but that was for a different time and

different culture. God knows that those commands can’t possibly work in today’s world. He certainly didn’t mean that we were supposed to live that way even now.”

• “True, God says not to be ‘unequally yoked’ to an unbeliever—but it’s perfectly okay to date a non-Christian guy so that you can witness to him. Didn’t God command you to share the Good News?”

• “Of course God wants you to be holy and set-apart for Him—but He certainly doesn’t want you to barricade yourself from pop-culture. You need to be in touch with all the latest movies, music, and T.V. shows—otherwise you’ll never be able to reach the culture for Christ!”

• “Sure, God wants to orchestrate your love story—but He can’t steer a parked car! You need to do your part too—it’s perfectly fine to scope out available men, post selfies, and be strategic about getting noticed. That’s just good stewardship!”

How to Stand Against Mushy-Thinking

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• run from any message or notion that questions God’s Word (no matter how interesting or

artistic it may sound)

Let God be true but every man a liar. Romans 3:4

• remember that when we question God’s Word, we are questioning Jesus. He is the Word made flesh.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

• if there are things you don’t understand about Scripture, seek God’s answers with a faith-filled heart—His Word is perfect and is always safe.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God… 2 Timothy 3:16

• commit Scripture to memory—fight lies with Truth

• expand your understanding of Scripture

• when you are struggling with something, ask God to guide you as you read His Word

• read stories of great Christians and notice how they applied God’s Word to their struggles

�41Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

No matter what your circumstances or struggles, you can always find an answer in the Word of God. If you cannot find one

immediately, begin to search for it as if you were searching for

hidden treasure, and ask God to guide you as you look to His Truth

for answers.

The Set Apart Woman

3. Exchange an Open-Mind for a Canon Mind

Canon The sixty-six books of the Bible

The Open Mind being willing to entertain other people’s beliefs and ideas, and even to adopt them as your

own if they feel right to you

The Canon Mind being exclusively devoted to God’s opinions and commands, and closed to all other

thoughts, ideas, or philosophies that promote any reality other than His

This Book had to be written by one of three people: good men, bad

men, or God. It couldn’t have been written by good men because

they said it was inspired by the revelation of God. Good men don’t

lie and deceive. It couldn’t have been written by bad men because

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bad men would not write something that would condemn

themselves. It leaves only one conclusion. It was given by divine

inspiration of God.

John Wesley

God's viewpoint is sometimes different from ours—so different

that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book

which tells us such things.

Corrie ten Boom

How to Cultivate a Canon Mind

• settle it in your heart that the Bible’s message is the only Truth

• learn to know and love the Word of God

• listen to audio Scripture whenever possible

• spend time around other believers who know and reverence God’s Word

• gain a passion for God’s Word by reading and meditating on Psalm 119

4. Put feelings in their place

The “Follow Your Heart” Pitfall

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He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.

Proverbs 28:26

The heart is deceitful above all things.

Jeremiah 17:9

The difficulty is to keep a tight rein on our emotions. They may

remain, but it is not they who are to rule the action. They have no

authority. A life lived in God is not lived on the plane of the

feelings, but of the will.

Elisabeth Elliot

When we don’t live on the “plane of the will,” our feelings lead the

way, and we become prone to “picking and choosing” our Truth,

receiving the things that make us feel good, and rejecting the

things that don’t. When we accept only the parts of God’s Truth

that appeal to us, and dismiss all the rest, we cannot receive the

“whole counsel of God” (see Acts 20:27) and we end up with a

distorted “truth” of our own making.

The Set Apart Woman

Emotion says “I can’t handle this. I’m not strong enough. I must let my negative

emotions control my words, attitude, and actions because my

circumstances are just too difficult right now.”

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Truth says:

“I may not be able to handle this; but God can. If I ask Him, He can and will give me every bit of grace that I need to maintain a joyful perspective even when things are difficult.”

Obedience to God is always possible. It is a deadly error to fall into the notion that when feelings are extremely strong we can do nothing but act on them.

Elisabeth Elliot

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Redeeming the Time Exchanging Temporal Distractions for True Satisfaction

Session Three

Presented by Leslie Ludy

Saturday Morning June 6th, 2015

�47Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Be careful how you walk…making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:16

Live every day as if the Son of Man were at the door, and gear

your thinking to the fleeting moment. Just how can it be redeemed? Walk as if the next step would carry you across the threshold of Heaven.

Jim Elliot

Where, oh, where are the eternity-conscious believers? Where are the souls white-hot for God because they fear His holy name and presence and so live with eternity's values in view?

Leonard Ravenhill

Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying how happy I’ll be If the lamp of my life has been burned for Thee.

C.T. Studd

Are you living as a citizen of earth, or of Heaven?

For our citizenship is in Heaven. Philippians 3:20

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As sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war agains the soul.

1 Peter 2:11

Sojourner one who lives on earth as a stranger; a Christian whose home is in Heaven

Pilgrim Heaven is his native country; he is only “passing through” on the earth

Nothing could ever matter again except the things that were eternal.

Elisabeth Elliot A Chance to Die

“How much time do I spend in front of that screen each night?” I wondered. “A couple of hours, at least. What would happen, Lord, if I sold that TV and spent that time—praying? What would happen if I spent two hours every single night in prayer?” It was an exhilarating idea. Substitute prayer for television, and see what happened. Right away I thought of objections to the idea. I was tired at night. I needed the relaxation and change of pace. Television was part of our culture; it wasn’t good for a minister to be out of touch with what people were seeing and talking about…

I put a fleece before the Lord, one which was destined to change my life. I made it pretty hard on God, it seemed to me, because I didn’t want to give up television. “Jesus,” I said, “I need some help

�49Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

deciding this thing so here’s what I’m asking of You. I’m going to put an ad for that T.V. set in the paper. If You’re behind the idea, let a buyer appear right away, within a half an hour after the paper gets on the streets…” [The T.V. sold within twenty-nine minutes of the paper’s release]…My life has not been the same since.

David Wilkerson The Cross and the Switchblade

The Google Generation… Perhaps more now than at any time in history, temporal distractions constantly assault our senses:

• Pinterest—check out these new pins for fashion ideas, celebrity hairstyle trends, decorating tips and more!

• Facebook—catch up on the latest Hollywood gossip and find out all the trivial details about your friends’ daily lives!

• Twitter—stay up to speed on every new movie, T.V. show, novel, celebrity, and party idea that’s trending!

• Reality T.V.—don’t miss the latest saga between this person and that person!

• Instagram—post selfies and get noticed!

• Food Blogs—be in the know about the most trendy food items and how to make them!

• Smartphones and texting—engage in trivial chitchat whenever you feel like it!

The Dumbest Generation Ever… 75% ineligible to join military

• Unhealthy—unfit physically, unable to perform the most basic military maneuvers

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• Uneducated—unlearned mentally, unable to pass the most basic academic tests of

competence

• Can’t hear—lost acute hearing ability due to the volume of music

The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein

1. Knowledge Deficits—the least supply of common life, social, and cultural

knowledge of any generation

2. Bibliophobes—the highest disregard of books and reading of any generation

3. Screen Time—the greatest amount of time in front of a screen of any generation

4. Online Non-Learning—the least effective research skills, which garner

true information, of any generation

5. Betrayal of Mentors—the most apt to disbelieve, disregard, or betray

teachers and mentors of any generation

6. No More Warriors—the generation least apt to produce warriors for cultural,

moral, civic, and private good

The preoccupation of young women—their looks, their clothes, their social life—don’t seem to change much from generation to generation. But in every generation, there seem to be a few who make other choices.

Elisabeth Elliot,

A Chance to Die

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Becoming One of the Few…

1. Spend your time on God’s priorities

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.

Psalm 119:37

Splurge on the Sacred spend the majority of your time and resources on things that matter in light of eternity; things that will help you know Christ more and make Him known to this world.

Skimp on the Secular spend a minimal amount of your time and attention (i.e. only what is necessary) on things which are “amoral” but have no eternal value—clothes, food, parties, decorating, social media, etc.

Starve the Profane spend none of your time and attention on things that pull you away from Christ and are the opposite of God’s nature.

What are God’s Priorities for your Time?

• Knowing Christ

• Serving Others

• Spreading the Gospel

• Ministering to the Saints

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…well reported for good works; if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

1 Timothy 5:10

Helpful Tip Write down the specific things that you know God has called you to, and then to compare your daily activities against those things.

During this season of my life, I know that God has called me to cultivate my relationship with Him, serve my husband and children, be a keeper of my home, minister to the weak, and encourage women in biblical femininity. When I’m evaluating my activities, I look at each of my pastimes in light of whether they are assisting me in those priorities. Reading a book on how to bless and serve my husband? Yes! Spending an hour chatting on the phone while my kids run around the house? No! Emailing a friend who is in need of encouragement? Yes! Texting about trivial things throughout the day? No!

The Bible says that even the small areas of our lives, like eating and drinking, should be done for His glory and not our own selfish pleasure (1 Cor. 10:31). When you allow your daily activities to serve God’s purposes for your life rather than your own, you will begin to gain an eternal focus in everything you do.

The Set Apart Woman

What about work, school, and family responsibilities?

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What about tedious, unglamorous, or trivial tasks?

Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

How do you know if an activity has eternal value?

• It causes you to draw closer to Jesus Christ and/or learn more about Him.

• It builds meaningful relationships with people God has put in your life.

• It helps you bless others and assists you in sharing the love of Christ with them.

• It helps you become better equipped for the things God has called you to.

• It leaves you peacefully refreshed instead of agitated and distracted.

• It bears “good fruit” instead of “bad fruit” in your life (see Gal. 5:19-26).

2. Remove Time Wasters

If you find yourself wondering where all your time has gone, consider keeping a diary of your daily activities, especially the things you spend your free time on. For a week or two, write down exactly how much time you spend on the phone, emailing, texting, on Facebook, on Pinterest, posting on Instagram, watching movies, channel surfing, reading magazines, and so on. Don’t just guess at

�54Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

how much time you are spending on these things. Set a timer or monitor the clock as you do them, and write down the exact number of minutes or hours being spent on each activity. Then, prayerfully evaluate whether you need to cut or reduce any of these potential time wasters from your daily life.

The Set Apart Woman

Exchanging the Trivial for the Eternal: Ideas to prayerfully consider…

• Can you replace your nightly T.V. time with a regular prayer time instead?

• Can you dedicate some of your Facebook time to studying the Bible instead?

• Can you exchange your weekly movie night for encouraging a friend in need, or sharing Christ with one of your neighbors?

• Instead of letting leisure activities consume your weekend, could you spend some of that time serving the elderly, the poor, the imprisoned, or the refugees in your local community?

3. Refuel the Right Way

“Me Time” vs. “God Time”

Always remember, when we take time alone to refresh and refuel, it should flow from a motive of becoming even stronger and more equipped to serve Jesus Christ, not simply to escape from the responsibilities of serving and godly living. Certainly there is nothing wrong with doing practical things in order to refuel and recharge. A long walk, a refreshing bike ride, an hour journaling

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outside in God’s creation, an encouraging chat with a trusted friend, or family vacation can be wonderful ways to gain clearer perspective. But it’s important not to give into the voice that whispers, “You deserve some self-indulgence right now. Forget about everyone else. Put your spiritual life on hold for a while. Take time for YOU!”

The Set Apart Woman

How did Jesus refuel?

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Mark 1:35

And when He sent [the multitude] away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

Mark 6:46

The Secret to a Life that Works: Putting Jesus First

He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

Luke 5:4-5

How to Build a Strong Devotional Life

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1. Don’t Consult your Emotions

Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the

Lord, and keep it. Corrie ten Boom

2. Be Willing to make Sacrifices

The best time for most people is early morning—not because most of us love jumping out of bed, but because it is the only time of day when we can be fairly sure of not being interrupted and because it is best to commune with God before you commune with people. Your attitude toward them will then arise out of your life in Him. Offering to God the first hour of the day is a token of consecration of all of our time.

Elisabeth Elliot

Early in the morning, at four or five o-clock, and late at night to twelve or one o’clock—in college or at parties at home, I used to keep such hours for myself or pleasure—can I not do as much for God and souls?

John Hyde

3. Embrace Godly Discipline

Helpful Tips

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• Memorize a simple scripture to recite the moment your

alarm goes off. I love to whisper Psalm 118:24 first thing in the morning: “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Meditating upon Truth turns my focus toward my King and helps me to ignore my body’s plea to pull the covers back over my head.

• Recruit an accountability partner with whom you

can honestly share the areas in your life that need greater discipline. Ask that person to pray with you and encourage you as you seek to make changes in these areas, by the grace of God. Having a trusted friend with whom you can share your failures and successes can make a tremendous difference in pushing you toward a more disciplined lifestyle, enabled by God’s grace.

• Start gradually. If you are used to waking up at 9 a.m. and you try

to switch cold turkey to a 5 a.m. wake-up time, chances are you will wane in your commitment after a day or two. Instead, try setting your alarm for 20 minutes earlier for the first couple of days. Then, set it for another 20 minutes earlier and work on that new discipline for a few days. Continue this pattern until you have reached the wake-up time that you feel God is asking of you. Let your body get used to change over a period of a few weeks. You can do the same for lengthening your prayer sessions. If you have only been spending five minutes a day in prayer, don’t jump to an hour (unless of course you believe that God is asking you to do so!). Instead, add an additional five minutes each day until you reach the length that you feel God desires.

4. Gather the Right Tools

5. Tune out the enemy’s voice

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Examples of enemy attacks

• “Your prayers aren’t going to make a difference—you shouldn’t even try.”

• “You are putting unhealthy expectations on yourself. You are too tired right now—you can always pray later.”

• “Look how many times you’ve messed up this week—God is too unhappy with you to listen to your prayers!”

Living for Eternity—remembering what really matters

Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Luke 12:23

Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that Day come upon you unexpectedly.

Luke 21:34

I was not going to live my youthful life for myself. I would offer it to the Lord and bear witness of Him.

Esther Ahn Kim

If I Perish

He has given everything for us— will we not give Him everything in return?

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Q & A with Leslie

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Workshop with Set-Apart Girl Team

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Heroic Femininity Exchanging Selfish Pursuits for Sacrificial Love

Session Four

Presented by Leslie Ludy

Saturday Afternoon June 6th, 2015

�63Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Who can find a virtuous woman? Proverbs 31:10

Virtuous Strength, might, valor, and power

I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is…a mighty man of valor, a man of war, and the Lord is with him.

1 Samuel 16:18-19

The amazing characteristics that mark the heroic femininity outlined in Proverbs 31

• She lives faithfully for her husband, even before she meets him (31:12).

• She has a rich supply of resources (31:14).

• She is a diligent and excellent leader (31:15).

• She is an excellent businesswoman (31:16, 24).

• She is physically strong, and is continually gaining strength (31:17).

• She is energetic and fulfilled in her work (31:18).

• She is a rescuer of the weak (31:20).

• She is fearless (31:21).

• She is dignified and dressed like royalty (31:22, 25).

• She helps her husband gain honor and respect (31:23).

• She is an excellent teacher and speaker (31:26).

• She garners praise and respect from others (31:28-30).

• She fears God (31:30).

• She has a fruitful life and a stellar reputation (31:31).

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This is certainly not a weak, timid, overwhelmed, exhausted, or frazzled specimen of femininity. Rather, Proverbs 31 describes the most incredible picture of triumphant, womanly strength in the entire Bible.

How does she accomplish something so astounding?

The secret to her heroic femininity does not lie within herself. Instead, she relies on a power wholly not her own. Just like David, her strength comes from God alone.

You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer. And sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.

2 Samuel 22:29-36

Becoming a Heroic Woman 1. Come to the Cross

2. Gain God’s Vision for Femininity

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3. Build a Lifestyle of Sacrificial Love

1. Come to the Cross

Becoming a heroic woman does not come through striving, but through surrender.

We have lost our understanding of the power of the Cross.

The message of the Cross is much more than simply knowing and believing the Truth. It also means being supernaturally equipped

by God’s enabling grace to live a victorious life that would

otherwise be impossible. When we try to rise up to God’s standards without truly understanding the power of the Cross or the enabling power of God, we run smack into a brick wall of failure and disillusionment. But when we are transformed and equipped by God’s enabling grace, we can confidently declare along with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Rather than making a checklist of all the things we must somehow achieve in order to be the women that God has called us to be, we must instead lay our lives at the foot of the Cross without reserve, holding nothing back.

Some Examples of Heroic Femininity in Christian History…

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Gladys Aylward an uneducated parlor maid from England who changed China for Christ

Mary Slessor a factory worker from Scotland who changed Africa for Christ

Corrie ten Boom a simple watchmaker who became a world evangelist for Christ

God doesn’t need human merit or talent in order to build a heroic Christian woman. He simply needs a fully surrendered heart who is ready to become a conduit of His divine power.

2. Gain God’s Vision for Femininity

Is a Woman’s Only Place of Ministry in the Home?

A married woman is certainly called to serve her husband and kids. Raising kids and guiding the home is a high priority in God’s Kingdom. But it is not the only priority. In fact, raising children is just one of the heroic things that the Proverbs 31 woman does. She also reaches out to the poor and stretches out her hands to the

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needy. She is a leader in her community. She teaches others about Him. She diligently sows and reaps for the Kingdom of God.

The first person that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was a woman, and the first thing He commissioned her to do was to proclaim a message of hope to others.

Jesus said to her…Go to my brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

John 20:17

In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith…there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26, 28

This certainly doesn’t negate the importance of a married woman honoring her husband’s position as the head of the family or a woman being an excellent “keeper of the home,” or women allowing men to lead in the church. However, it definitely showcases that a woman’s significance in the Kingdom of God extends far beyond the role of merely homemaker and wife. Whether you are single or married, God has a significant purpose

for your life as a woman in His Kingdom—and that purpose includes proclaiming the Gospel in this lost world, and becoming His hands and feet to those in need of a Rescuer.

�68Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

Study the world-changing women in the Bible Sarah, Esther, Ruth, Deborah, Rahab, Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia, Tabitha, Lois, Eunice

3. Build a Lifestyle of Sacrificial Love

• The persecuted church

• The fatherless and widows

• The impoverished

• Prisoners and slaves

• The sick and the elderly

• Refugees and foreigners

• The unborn

• The unsaved

Turning Outward—Making it Practical

Start with One

To obey is better than sacrifice… 1 Samuel 15:22

Let God purify your motives

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Allow God to prepare you

Be a Christian, Not a Humanitarian

Humanitarianism • the doctrine that humanity’s obligations are concerned wholly with the welfare of the

human race

• the doctrine that humankind may become perfect without divine aid.

The idea behind being a humanitarian is to showcase the good side of humanity and to celebrate our human ability to make the world a better place without God’s help or involvement. It has nothing to do with the glory of God, and everything to do with the glory of man. If you are a humanitarian, you are not rescuing the weak as an extension of God’s sacrificial love toward the world. Rather, you are serving and rescuing in order to proclaim, “Look at the good we humans are capable of!”

The Set Apart Woman

Get Outside of your Comfort Zone

�70Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

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Lessons From the Mission Field

Session Five

Presented by Annie Wesche

Saturday Afternoon June 6th, 2015

�72Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

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�73Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

God’s Heart for the Persecuted Church

Session Six

Presented by Brooke Parks

Saturday Afternoon June 6th, 2015

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�75Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

The Spirit of the Humble

Session Seven

Presented by Eric Ludy

Saturday Night June 6th, 2015

�76Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 34:18

The Story of Jennifer

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

The Four Lies

For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Isaiah 57:15

The Older Brother Pride

On this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

The Humble Father

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

�77Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

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�78Copyright 2015 Leslie Ludy. All rights reserved.

“They looked to Him

and were radiant

setapartgirl presents the

ANNUAL SET APART CONFERENCEWITH LESLIE LUDY & OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS

their faces will

never be ashamed.”

Psalm 34:5 (NASB)

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