Propel Women

We love this conversation with Christine Caine and Rachel Aguirre! Rachel remarks that Jesus: 1. Spent time with people, 2. Was continually moved with compassion, 3. Met people’s needs. She encourages us to follow his example in all areas of life, whether we are in the marketplace, full-time ministry, the boardroom, or the playroom. 🎧 Head to PropelWomen.org/Podcast to listen.

Encouragement for days when our work feels puny or pointless: Some days might feel like we’re passing time and passively waiting for Christ’s return, and that our work toward justice, evangelism, and day-to-day tasks are meaningless, like polishing a sinking ship. But the truth is far more glorious: we’re preparing for a polished, risen new future with Him. God isn’t doing away with this creation any more than He did away with Christ’s crucified body—He’s resurrecting it! We now have the privilege of daily engaging in creative-redemptive acts that bring renewal so that Christ’s new creation beautifully breaks through the humdrum, the tragic, and the unjust realities we live in. In every daily detail, we are living parables of God’s love story: He’s shaping the new creation through us. Imagine a world-renowned painter being so moved by her four-year-old daughter’s crayon scribblings of a palm tree, that she uses her daughter’s art as the inspiration behind her next masterpiece. God will allow the “glory and honor” of the nations to be taken into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:22–26). He doesn’t dismiss your acts of love here and now. Instead, He leans in, honoring us for every bit of it: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Matt. 25:21). Being shaped by Scripture’s story of love, we then “do everything in love” (1 Cor. 16:14)—braiding hair, community-building, and proclaiming His kingdom. And, incredibly, God is moved by our acts of love—enough to shape eternity by them. Let the Father’s delight in your imperfect acts of love liberate you to be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14), without overly stressing if you’re doing it perfectly. Keep at it: for nothing we do for Him is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). By Quina Aragon

Propel your leadership journey with us! 💫 Our 5-month cohort offers you the tools, community, and support to thrive in your God-given calling. Apply now at PropelWomen.org/Cohorts to lock in Early Bird pricing ✨ 📱Head to PropelWomen.org/Lead to get a free resource from Propel Women founder Christine Caine and begin growing your leadership TODAY 💛

Scripture teaches that believers have resurrection power living inside of them because the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead resides within us (Romans 8:11). When the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples at Pentecost, so did his POWER (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4). Interestingly, the Greek word for power is dunamis, which is where we get the English word dynamite. So, here is the question: how can Christians live powerless, defeated lives if we have dynamite, resurrection power within us? One word… enemy. Our Adversary comes ONLY to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He is a liar, the father of lies (John 8:44), and there are times when he attacks us with forceful deception. Job towers unmatched as a man ransacked by demonic suffering. Yet, amid tragic loss, he maintained unrelenting faith, acknowledging his “witness in heaven; his advocate on high” (Job 16:19). Rushing to our defense, the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, helps us, defends us, comforts us, and strengthens us. Job persevered through immense pain to new heights of redemption – receiving back double in his life – because greater is the Advocate within us than the Adversary in the world (1 John 4:4). Suffering is not the time to shrink back, but to stand in faith. However, sometimes we get stuck in circumstances that feel bigger than God. Our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour—BUT we can resist him and stand firm (1 Peter 5:8-9). Like Job, if we don’t persevere through our suffering, we will never experience God’s abundance on the other side. James reminds us that “blessed are those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.” (James 5:11). Even from the depths of darkness we can appeal to God (Job 5:8). We are wise to lay our requests before him, believing that “he performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted” (Job 5:9). Cling to Christ. Don’t give up. He’s fueling our lives with the dynamite power of God. By Beth Fields

Check out Equip & Empower Podcast episode 315: How to Thrive in the Face of Adversity 🎧 https://bit.ly/3NfqxaG

In the gospels we see a picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, protecting what God put inside of her, irrespective of what was taking place around her. After Jesus was born, the wise men came to see the newborn king and to bring him gifts. They began lavishing him with extraordinary compliments and exclamations of His heavenly royalty. In that moment, when a small glimpse of heaven’s plan was revealed to her, the Bible says that she “treasured all of these things and pondered them in her heart.” She did not take action. She did not create a website or tweet about it. She stored it in her heart. Mary carried around the collected clues of God’s promise for 30 years, until the day Jesus revealed himself as King of Kings. Mary protected the promise and God outworked the miracle. Although Mary and I live in different cultures and are active during different parts of God’s greater story, guarding different callings, we both found this truth at the center of our lives. At 18, I studied abroad in Paris, and came face to face with the reality of human trafficking for the first time. My mind was intruded with harsh facts of what is happening to millions around the globe. It was a seed of what would one day be a key element of my destiny. At 21, I became a Christian, God set me free from my past, and I stepped into a new life. As I grew in my faith, I became protective of my freedom and calling. At 22, I graduated from college and snagged a job in the corporate realm, I still carried around the seed of passion for justice in my heart. I continuously read articles, gave to thriving organizations, and prayed for God to protect and steward what I knew would one day turn into a reality. When I heard Christine Caine speak about A21, I made the leap to intern with the organization, and knew it was the first phase of seeing life breathed into this dream I had been guarding. Protecting what God has put inside of us and operating from within rather than around, will unlock the door to step into everything God has purposed for our future. When we step into all that God has for us, we enter realities that reach beyond us and into lives we have yet to encounter. By Kayla Henry

This conversation between our founder Christine Caine and Faith Mdhluli from South Africa was inspiring, to say the least! Get ready to take notes, because they’re going to challenge your leadership and grow your faith! 🎧Head to PropelWomen.org/Podcast to listen.

Teens are at a unique developmental stage with one foot in childhood and another in emerging adulthood. That’s why grieving teens need special care from leaders who understand the particular needs they have after losing a friend or family member. Consider these tips for wise and gentle leadership in times of teen grief: 1. Use real language. Teens know that death is real, so there’s no need to talk around it. Use real words to describe what has happened to normalize talk about loss. Be ready to answer concrete questions about death; talk about what happens to the body, what happens at the funeral, and what happens at the graveside. Honest conversations using honest language not only enhance your credibility as a trustworthy source, they equip students to articulate their loss in ways that truly reflect their experience. 2. Invite a range of responses. The teen inner life is a complicated one, and we should expect nothing less after loss. Welcome teens to express the wide range of emotions that come with losing a loved one, and work to normalize each emotion. Angry because your person died? That’s normal. Relieved that she’s not in any more pain? That’s normal, too! Whether frustration, doubt, sorrow, or peace show up in a student’s life after loss, each of these emotions signal a healthy heart responding to death. Your leadership will let students know God welcomes all of who we are, just as we are. 3. Leave space for hope. Rather than forcing a smile on a tear-stained face, encourage teens to leave space for hope. While we know that teens have lives of promise ahead of them and the good news of resurrection stands as a firm and trustworthy hope, they may sometimes find these truths hard to grasp. Remind teens that God’s light shines brightly even in the darkest moments of our lives. Though they may not feel it today, God has good plans for their futures (Jer. 29:11) and he will complete this good work as he promised (Phil 1:6). By Clarissa Moll

If you’ve ever lain awake at night with your mind whirling about the mistakes you’ve made… If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation with your hand clapped over your mouth at the things you said… If you’ve ever had a loop in your head reminding you of ways you’ve failed, fallen, and been foolish… … then hear these words from your God: “Comfort, comfort my people. Speak tenderly to my daughter. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned.” (Isaiah 40:1-2) Yes, the Holy Spirit speaks to bring conviction of sin, but once your sin is confessed and offered to Jesus, it is paid for in full. God’s words to us after confession are not ones of continued conviction, but of comfort. “Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” says Paul in Romans 8:1. There is no fine print or qualifier here. The only one who is allowed to judge you is King Jesus, and his verdict on you is not “condemned.” It’s “justified,” which means declared to be legally in the clear (Romans 8:33-34). Jesus has paid for it all in his death on the cross: Every dumb thing we’ve said. Every wicked intention of our heart. Every disappointing and despicable thing. So when those swirling thoughts of guilt and doubt come back and shame threatens to swallow you whole: it’s time to let God’s voice speak more loudly than the accuser’s voice or your own. God is not standing there rehearsing your missteps and mistakes. We need not cower or flinch, waiting for the ax to fall or God’s anger to spike. That angry, disappointed voice in your head does not belong to the LORD. His voice to those who’ve laid their past and present with Jesus is tender in tone, and his words are this: Comfort, my little one. My heart to you is tender. Your sad days are gone and your sin is pardoned. Thanks be to God. By Bronwyn Lea

Check out Equip & Empower Podcast episode 314: Practicing Hospitality with Purpose 🎧 https://bit.ly/3N04CnR