"Gems of Glory, From Rough to Radiant"

Conference Topics
Note: These topics were developed for women’s conferences, however, they can be adapted to couples as well.

“Gems of Glory, From Rough to Radiant”
Zechariah 9:16-17(MSG) Their God will save the day. He'll rescue them. They'll be like shiip, gentle and soft, or like gemstones in a crown, catching all the color of the sun. Then how they'll shine! shimmer! glow! the young men robust, the young women lovely!
A few years ago my husband Paul took up gem-cutting (faceting) as a hobby. In watching and listening to him walk through the steps of cutting and faceting a piece of “rough, ugly” stone into a beautiful polished gem, I began to feel this series come together. We walk through the fascinating steps of this process with props and tools, unfinished and finished pieces during which I share stories and testimonies that bring the illustrations to life. The goal is to draw the parallel between faceting process and how God (the Master Gem-cutter) is at work in our lives using everything that happens, good and bad, (whether it is self inflicted or circumstances totally beyond our control), to cut, grind, shape and polish us into a beautiful multi-faceted gem that will reflect the light of His glory of each facet.

This topic can be adapted to different venues. It can be very detailed or scaled down to fit different time allocations. This is done with a PowerPoint presentation and has companion books available.

Session 1 – Basic Biblical Principles
1.Who Am I and why am I here?
2.God’s desire for you – The purpose of “faceting”
3.You are unique and important

Session 2 – Planning the Stone
1.God, the Master-cutter
2.The material and shape of the stone
3.Rough cut and grind
4.The connection/surrender

Session 3 – Cutting and Polishing the Stone
1.Faceting 101
2.Making it through the process
3.Polishing/healing

Session 4 – Setting the Stone
1.Everyone has a place/gifts
2.God’s timing
3.A change of setting

"Masquerade, Living Under False Pretenses"

“Masquerade, Living Under False Pretenses” -
Luke 12:2 (MSG) You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.

Growing up in a pastors home and being in the ministry most of my life, I learned to put on a good front for Jesus. It seemed no matter what was happening in your personal life, it was important to look like everything was ok. However, behind that “mask” was a hurting, confused, disappointed young lady trying to be what everyone expected of her. There were no real relationships, there was no real healing, because I was not able to be real with my heavenly Father or with others. This topic focuses on “taking off the Mask” and becoming the real us that God created us to be. God wants us to be authentic to who He created us to be. As I have traveled this country, I have seen the need for this message more and more as we are living in a society that puts such pressure on us to be someone we are not.

This is a very powerful presentation, done with a complete PowerPoint visual, props and handouts. Also has companion books available.

Session 1 – Behind the Mask - Authenticity
1.Who do you think you are you?
2.Who do your friends and family think you are?
3.Who does God think you are?

Session 2 – Taking the Mask Off -Reality
1.Credibility – being trustworthy
2.Vulnerability – sharing yourself
3.Compatibility- getting along

Session 3 – Keeping the Mask Off
1.Living “in” God – Consistency
2.Surrendering to the Spirit –Giving up your rights
3.Learning As We Are Living – Flexibility

"Life Is A Trip"

“Life Is A Trip!"
Isaiah 46:9, Isaiah 54:4

Memories become our templates for future actions; the pattern of our life is based on memories. Memories console and comfort, punish and penalize. Memories can fertilize or stunt our personal growth. Memories have no intentions other than those we give them. What your memories do for you is up to you. Choose wisely! by Don Miller

Life is a journey. Our destination is eternity with Jesus. Each day we live is a trip that takes up closer to our journey’s destination. We carry and collect baggage as we travel. This baggage is our memories. How successful our journey is will depend on what we pack for each trip. Some memories are important and good for us. Others will just weigh us down and make our travel more difficult. This topic deals with what to “pack”, what to leave, and how to go about it. Many people carry unnecessary burdens (memories) around like a cherished treasure that they are unable to let go of. They haunt them and keep them from becoming who God wants them to be. My goal is to show a practical, fun and successful way of dealing with the past and the present so can have a “blessed” future.

Session 1 – Life is a Journey
1.Choose Your Destination
2.Choose Your Route
3.Choose Your Baggage

Session 2 – Baggage = Memories
1.Bad Memories will leave you: Unattractive, Uncomfortable, Unconsoled
2.Good vs Bad
3.What’s in Your Bag?

Session 3 – Packing for a Successful Trip
1.What NOT to pack – Letting Go
2.What TO pack – Holding on
3.How Jesus Dealt with His Baggage – (yes, He had some)
4.Packing God’s Way

Note: Using humor and personal testimony along with music, brings a serious message home in a not-so-serious way. This can be adapted to any number of sessions or type of venues. This topic as PowerPoint and companion books available.