Point Of Grace - Girls of Grace Q & A

QOur purpose at Howard Publishing is to:

Increase faith in the hearts of growing Christians

Inspire holiness in the lives of believers

Instill hope in the hearts of struggling people everywhere

Because Hes coming again!

Q & A 2005 by Point of Grace

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America

Published by Howard Publishing Co., Inc.
3117 North Seventh Street, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291-2227
www.howardpublishing.com
www.SimonandSchuster.com

05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Edited by Beth Lueders

Interior design by Stephanie D. Walker

Cover design by LinDee Loveland

Cover photo by Aaron Rapoport

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Q & A with Point of Grace: faith, family, friends, dating, and more / girls of Grace and Nancy Alcorn.

p. cm.

ISBN 1-58229-463-1
eISBN: 978-1-451-60548-8

1. Christian girlsReligious lifeMiscellanea. 2. Teenage girlsReligious lifeMiscellanea. I. Title: Question and answer with Point of Grace. II. Alcorn, Nancy. III. Point of Grace. (Musical Group)

BV4551.3.Q22 2005

248.833dc22

2005050237

Scripture quotations not otherwise marked are from GODS WORD. GODS WORD is a copyrighted work of Gods Word to the Nations Bible Society. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by Gods Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, record, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The information contained in this book does not constitute professional or clinical advice. Weve tried to provide quality help, but make no claims, promises, or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information. As clinical advice must be tailored to the specific individuals and circumstances of each case, and society and other influences are constantly changing, this should not be used as a substitute for advice of ones own licensed professional.

Wed like to dedicate this book to our wonderful mothersBrenda, Janice, Robin, and Sharonwho always allow us to ask the hard questions and answer honestly in wisdom, love, and kindness.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him.

ROMANS 15:13

Thank you for inviting us into your life through the pages of this book. Every year we meet thousands of teenage girls around the countrymany of them just like youwho long to follow God while struggling with everyday pressures and troubling circumstances.

Some of these girls tell us secrets they have been too afraid to verbalize to anyone else. Others just need a little reassurance that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). No matter how old we are, we all have questions, fears, and longings. At times we all wonder if God truly understands what we experience on this earth. We are here to tell you that He does!

Psalm 139:1-5 describes Gods intimate knowledge of you. O L ORD, you have examined me, and you know me. You alone know when I sit down and when I get up. You read my thoughts from far away. You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways. Even before there is a [single] word on my tongue, you know all about it, L ORD. You are all around mein front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me.

God knows your thoughts and feelings even before you express them. He knows how you feel about boys. He understands when youre unhappy with your body. He sees your disagreements with your parents. He realizes your desire to live out your faith. He also knows that you need counsel, comfort, and hope for the problems and decisions you face.

This book is a collection of transparent, real-life questions from teenage girls weve encountered through our concerts and Girls of Grace conferences. Although we dont know the full circumstances behind every girls question, we have each studied Gods Word and prayed for His guidance to answer these questions with wisdom, sensitivity, and truth. Youll also gain insight through the experiences of our close friend Nancy Alcorn, whose ministry walks alongside thousands of confused and hurting young girls.

Because some of your uncertainties and problems may stem from deeper issues within, you may need a thorough medical checkup or professional support to help you. Please reach out for all the help you needyou are worth it! You are precious to God and to us. Rest assured that we, too, have faced many of your same awkward, anxious, and annoying struggles.

You are continually on our hearts and minds, and we pray for God to use this book to encourage and uphold you. May Gods peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

With grateful hearts, Denise, Healther, Leigh, Shelley

Q&A

My boyfriend is way too clingy and is always all over meeven at church. How do I tell him to stop without him breaking up with me?

Well, unfortunately there is no way to promise he wont break up with you. But, if he desires to follow the Lord, then your boyfriend will be willing to hear you out. You must talk to your guy about how uncomfortable you feel. Sit him down and speak from your heart. You can speak truth without being mean.

Crowding someone in a relationship is often a sign of deeper fears and insecurities. Perhaps you can help your boyfriend explore why hes overly dependent on you. If you dont address your concerns now, your relationship will only suffer. If your boyfriend is clingy in public, then how he acts alone with you can lead to a much bigger problem.

I know its hard to think about breaking up with someone, but all our relationships are to glorify God. If you are already feeling a check in your spirit that things arent quite right, then it could be the Holy Spirit guiding you away from this relationship.

Denise

He who speaks truth tells what is right.

PROVERBS 12:17 NASB

Q&A

Is it OK to date a non-Christian boy in hope of bringing him to the Lord?