Mary A. Kassian - Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild

M OODY P UBLISHERS
CHICAGO

2010 by
M ARY A . K ASSIAN

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NET are taken from the NET Bible. Copyright 2005 by Bible Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Names and details of stories have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

The author uses feminine pronouns in some Scriptures for clarity and readability.

All websites and phone numbers listed herein are accurate at the time of publication, but may change in the future or cease to exist. The listing of website references and resources does not imply publisher endorsement of the sites entire contents. Groups and organizations are listed for informational purposes, and listing does not imply publisher endorsement of their activities.

Editor: Cheryl Dunlop
Interior Design: Ragont Design
Cover Design: Faceout Studioformerly The DesignWorks Group, Inc.
Cover Image: RF Shutterstock and Fotolia
Cover Photo: JDS Portraits

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kassian, Mary A.
Girls gone wise in a world gone wild / by Mary A. Kassian.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8024-5154-5
1. Christian womenReligious life. I. Title.
BV4527.K37 2010
248.843--dc22

2009049616

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Mary Kassian speaks with rare insight, clarity, directness, and grace as she challenges the prevailing winds of our culture. She paints portraits of two contrasting kinds of women and sets forth a vision that calls women out of their dysfunction, pain, and deception, to walk in the light of Gods redeeming truth and grace.

This book is extremely important, timely, and neededI cannot think of any category of women (or men, for that matter) who could not benefit greatly from reading it and grappling with these critical issues. A must-read for women who desire to honor God with their lives and to influence others to do the same.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss, author, host of Revive Our Hearts radio

Girls today are growing up in a culture where bad has become the new good. The glamorization of bad behavior among young women has become the new norm and left in its wake a tremendous amount of fallout and misery. Mary has penned a handbook for reversing the tide of the girls-gone-wild trend and replacing it with a new rank of girls-gone-wise. I cant wait to recommend this book!

Vicki Courtney, bestselling author of Your Girl and 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter

Many women today are eager for mentors. While a book is never a substitute for a real, live mentor, this one does connect women everywhere to the wise counsel of Mary Kassian. And we should heed her winsome, culturally relevant, and biblically sound words in Girls Gone Wise. This book provides an accurate gauge of the current feminine perspective in Western culture and contrasts it with the eternal wisdom found in Scripture. Easy-to-read, humble, humorous, and thoroughly sound, Girls Gone Wise is a book both long-time believers and new converts will benefit from reading. Highly recommended!

Carolyn McCulley, author, Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World

This book sounds a clear and much-needed message regarding the ethics of biblical womanhood. Mary Kassians energy and passion make it a readable book. Her eye-opening contrast between the wise and the wild make it a convicting book. Her faithfulness to Scripture makes it a compelling book.

Susan Hunt, author, consultant for womens ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America

Girls Gone Wise is a crucial message for such a time as this. In a culture where true femininity is in danger of extinction, young women desperately to catch a vision for Gods pattern. Mary Kassians relevant, practical, and biblically based insights give todays young women a clear, inspiring blueprint for the only version of womanhood that truly fulfillsGods version.

Eric and Leslie Ludy, bestselling authors of When God Writes Your Love Story

Mary Kassian will help you navigate the overexposure we experience every day to messages that call us to be anything but what God created us to be as women. Her message will make you wise to that, and hungry to be what God intended. I think this would be a great book for moms to read with their teen girls. Though Mary navigates critical worldview issues and strong theology, she does it with a conversational and contemporary note in her writing voice. Youll never realize how hard youre thinking. Itll be too much fun!

Dannah Gresh, coauthor, Lies Young Women Believe, founder, Pure Freedom

So much of life is broken because our standards come from the world rather than from the precepts of Gods Word. Our young people are living in the rubble of destruction and need rescuing from the earthquake of the consequences of not building their lives on truth.

Marys book Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild is a needed book for our times. May it grab our attention and drive us to His Word where Mary will take us.

Kay Arthur, CEO and cofounder Precept Ministries International Author of The Truth about Sex: What the World Wont Tell You and What God Wants You To Know, and Return to the Garden: Embracing Gods Design for Sexuality

for my k-pod,
the favorite tunes of my life

Brent
Clark & Jacqueline
Matthew
Jonathan