Category: feature

blog, feature, Godly Girlz

New Life in Christ

Jessica Lippe
New Life in Christ


By Lauren Kostenberger


Spring is the season of new life. Everywhere you look, you see something new springing up – a flower, a tree, a baby animal…all these things tend to come in the spring. When we think of spring we think of budding flowers, new green leaves and the sun coming out after a long winter of cloudy skies.
But have you ever thought of the similarities between the new life that appears in the spring and our new life in Christ? I think God created the season of spring to show us how our life in Christ should look.
“…we died to sin, how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:2-4
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
                In these verses, we see how our old sin nature died when we accepted Christ. Just as he died physically, our sin nature died spiritually when we trusted him to take away our sins. And in the same way that he rose again, appearing in bodily form to more than 500 people, we should rise in the newness of life Christ has given us.
Paul tells us in Romans 6:11 that we should “count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Just as a seed is planted in the earth and dies so that a new plant can grow, just as a caterpillar crawls into its cocoon and dies to its old self so that it can emerge a beautiful butterfly, so we are supposed to die to ourselves and emerge glorious in our new life. God sees us in Christ now, and in his eyes we are perfect. Are you living in a way that shouts out to everyone the amazing new life you have in Christ?
Acts 5:20 relates how an angel of the Lord told the apostles, “Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life.” As Christians, the whole reason we are here on this earth is to tell people about “this new life” we have in Christ. Are you telling your friends and family about the new life you have in Christ?
This spring, as you see the flowers blooming and the miracle of new life around you, think about the new life you have in Christ, and live it out!
blog, feature, Fun 4 Girlz

Book Review: The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson

Jessica Lippe
Melody Carlson is a Christian author of over 200 books, many of them especially for teen and preteen girls. One of her latest, The Jerk Magnet, is the first book of the Life At Kingston High series.
Chelsea Martin’s life has been less than spectacular. She doesn’t like the way she looks and doesn’t have any friends. On top of that, her dad is marrying his girlfriend AND moving the family halfway across the country! When Chelsea’s stepmom-to-be treats her to a makeover and new wardrobe, Chelsea thinks that starting a new school with a new look might be a great opportunity for her. For the first time in her life, she can attract boys and make lots of friends. Things start of great at her new house… she becomes friends with her neighbor, who takes her to a youth group where plenty of boys find an interest in Chelsea.
Although everything appears to be going great as the school year rolls into action, Chelsea can’t help but notice that, although she’s constantly surrounded by boys, the one boy she actually wants to meet seems to be going out of his way to avoid her. In fact, all the guys who do go after her are complete jerks! And she’s not doing a very good job at making or keeping female friends, either. Did her makeover on the outside change who she became on the inside? Throughout this book, you’ll discover with Chelsea what outward appearances really mean and who God has created us to be.
This is a great book for any girl- preteen, teen, Christian, or non-Christian. It’s a fun read, understandable, and well-told. I’m excited to read the next books in the series!