Fully Alive

From merely surviving to thriving

Purpose: To help women cultivate a deeper, more intimate relationship with Christ and learn to embrace His life in all its fullness.

Jesus gave His all, His dying breath, to free us from our dead, monotonous existence so that we could experience the abundant life He promised. This life, in all its fullness, comes through intimacy with Him as we lean deeper into Jesus and align our lives with His truth. Amid our stress, discouragement, joys, busyness, and disappointments, our Savior beckons us to come. To rest. So that we may be filled and learn to live fully alive.

This event focuses on:

Resting in Christ–prioritizing time with Jesus and drawing strength and nourishment from Him

Jesus is our power source, sustainer, and provider and the only One able to fill all the deepest, darkest recesses of our heart. As we learn to rest in Him, He nourishes us and sparks within us a passion for more—more of Him and more of life. But in a world that pulls us in different directions, it can be hard to take the time for Jesus that we know we need.

Jennifer contrasts the Samaritan woman, who came to Jesus empty and left filled, with the rich man who encountered Jesus with full pockets but went away empty and encourages women to press into Jesus daily. Concluding with a look at Job, Jennifer discusses her life before and after chronic pain, why she considers her condition a blessing, and how one can thrive in the midst of life’s challenges as we lay ourselves aside so that Christ may fully live in and through us.

Refocusing—Learning what to prioritize and what to release

We live in a culture that often tells us our best is not enough; that we’re not enough. We’re taught from early on to strive for more—to do more, be more, and have more titles and achievements behind our names. Many of us feel enslaved to our agendas. But God never intended for us to live stressed, perpetually busy, and overwhelmed with life. His goal is not to deplete us, but instead to fill us with life overflowing. If we have more to do than time to do it in, chances are we’ve taken on assignments He never intended.

God’s call is simple—to love Him and others and orient our time around those two goals. And in that, to move from striving to surrender. To rest. Looking at various ways God develops and uses His love within us, Christa encourages women to evaluate their lives with a grace-centered lens, prayerfully determining what to embrace fully and what to release, and helps women see God’s hand in whatever season of life they find themselves in.

Experiencing the Holy Spirit

Trying to meet the needs of everyone around us can leave us depleted, anxious, and overwhelmed. Most of us long to be loving, patient, kind—to exhibit all the positive character traits that Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit, but often feel as if we fail. But God never intended for us to live the Christian life in our own strength. We can’t! The fruits of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23, come not from her striving but through resting—in Him.

In these 30 minute presentations, women learn how to rely on God’s strength made perfect in their weakness. Through surrender, we find a depth of life—abundant and overflowing life—we often barely skim the surface of. Trusting God’s leadership breaks our need for control and allows us to live beyond ourselves. We become fully alive when we believe the Holy Spirit is fully alive in us.

Learning to Trust

Many of us recognize, intellectually, the freedom, joy, and peace that come through surrendering to Christ, but it’s easy to lose sight of this when life hits hard and decisions loom. Jesus encouraged us to approach Him with childlike faith—one characterized by complete trust and total dependence. Many experienced that level of faith when young, whether that confidence was directed toward God or a caretaker. But the higher the stakes, the harder it is to surrender.

But the more we focus on God’s unchanging nature and love for us, and the more we remember His miracles and provisions, the greater our courage to release everything, our whole selves, into our Savior’s hands. As we do, He replaces our fear, doubts, and caution with something else—spiritual vitality. We’ll never truly live fully alive until we surrender to the life Christ has planned for us. Contrasting Scriptural examples where God’s children resisted His leading and the heartache that followed with those who found increased freedom and vitality through surrender, Jennifer encourages women to trust Christ not just with their eternal salvation, but their agendas, hopes, and dreams as well.

Breakout Sessions (optional):

Learning to Read Scripture:

The Bible is more than a list of rules or ancient information. It’s God’s love letter penned to us, and in it, we discover His heart, how to grow closer to Him and live in His will. In this interactive workshop, Bible study leader and pastor’s wife Teri Gasser guides women through biblical interpretation.

This includes:

Historical context
Literary context
A look at genre (Ex: historical narrative, wisdom literature, prophecy.)

Discerning God’s Voice

In John 10:1-18, Jesus paints an intimate picture of a shepherd and his flock. Like the ancient shepherds knew their sheep intimately and could call them out from within other herds, Jesus knows us by name, personally guides us, and speaks tenderly to us. Learning to discern God’s voice is a process that comes from cultivating a relationship with Him. As we respond positively to His leading, our spiritual ears grow more sensitive and our hearts become softened to the things of Him.

In this class, women will learn how to discern God’s voice and align their lives accordingly.

Discussion Sessions:

In each 30-45 minute discussion sessions, women are divided into small groups of eight or less to discuss each of the keynotes, what they felt God was saying to them through it, and ways in which they can overcome their fears, rest deeper in their Christ-given identity and learn to embrace risks. The discussions are designed to help women process and apply the truths presented while building a Christ-centered community.