Rebecca St. James
06-25-09: MESSAGE FROM REBECCA: "LOOKING FOR LOVE" AND NEW BOOK INFO
We Want to Hear from YOU! Email Us @ rebeccastjames@rsjames.com
We all are in desperate need of love. Unfortunately, a lot of teenage girls and young women in this generation are looking for love in the wrong places. They look for it in a guy’s physical attention and affection—and too often the attention they get comes from dressing immodestly and performing sexually. Some young women struggle with taking drugs, cutting themselves, and other various addictions, which usually stem from the hopelessness they face because of a lack of feeling deeply loved. The end results include extraordinarily low self-esteem, teen pregnancies, diseases, and even suicide.
Some of the angst and hopelessness I’ve seen among young people today arises from the genuine loss of reasons to live. Perhaps they’ve never really felt accepted—at home, or among their peers. One big problem with so many people is that they surround themselves with their peers who are searching just as desperately as they are. When we hang around people who are speaking negative things into our lives, it’s tough to feel hopeful ourselves.
Where is God in all of this? Please know that God is passionate about His love for you. Everything else in the Christian life flows from that. We can get into a very legalistic place where faith just becomes religion, but the essence of the Christian life needs to be lived out from the knowledge of God’s extravagant love. Once we understand and accept His love, so many other things in our lives fall into place. Things start to make sense. I can’t imagine going through life without realizing how incredible God’s love is for me. I don’t know how people make it without this knowledge. This is the hope, truth, and life that this generation is looking for—and it’s found in Jesus!
The cure for the hopelessness that exists in the lives of so many people today is radical hope, which is recorded all over the pages of the Bible. In the Psalms David often proclaimed to God that he had put his hope in Him alone (25:5, 21; 39:7; 62:5). The weeping prophet, Jeremiah, knew that it was only in the hope of the Lord that Israel would rise from the ashes (14:22; 29:11; 31:17; Lamentations 3:21-24).
We should live in such a way that others see our actions and attitudes and want what we have. The apostle Peter gives this challenge, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
The apostle of love, John, sums it all up so well:“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).
Do you know someone who is in desperate need of hope and love? Is there something simple you can do today to communicate God’s love in a practical way? What about composing and sending a thoughtful letter or e-mail, serving the person in secret (by dropping off a surprise gift in her mailbox, or having flowers or a pizza delivered), or some other kind of thoughtful gesture? Then pray for God’s love to break through the hopelessness that you sense.
I need to share through my life. From how I relate in my relationships with others to what I say onstage, the message is “we are extravagantly loved by God.”
It’s a message of hope this generation needs to hear. No matter where you’ve been and what you’ve done . . . you are loved.
Although most people think of the narrative Jesus told in Luke 15 as the parable of the prodigal son, in reality it is the story of the “loving father,” because the lesson to be learned is more about the father’s incredible love than the son’s rebellion. Most everyone you know at one time or another has played the part of the prodigal. They have either run away from God through willful, deliberate sin for a relatively short season of time, or have left the fold and sought to live their own way for an extended period. When that happens, what’s the appropriate response? Much has been written about the necessity for tough love from parents and friends toward one who has willingly turned aside to wallow in the mire of a pigs’ sty. But, even though the father in this story allowed his son his freedom (and even gave him his inheritance), he never stopped looking and waiting for his return home. And his message would always be, “You are loved.”
Is there someone in your life that needs to know he is loved? Do you have a friend who is broken and desperately needs to know that she is loved?
Our Abba Father’s love for all of His creation is far beyond anything we can possibly imagine. Pray for an opportunity to speak God’s words of love to the one who desperately needs to hear those words!
Rebecca
Need an encouraging word? You’ll find an encouraging word for today—and everyday—in Rebecca’s latest book “PURE” –a 90 day devotional for body, mind, and spirit!
News just in!
Rebecca’s “Pure” is among the Top 3 finalists this year in the category of best “youth/teen book” in the 2009 Christian Retailing “Retailers Choice Awards!
Her nomination with “Pure” represents voting by Christian retailers on books and products they felt best “spoke to hearts and evoked emotion, opening minds in new ways of thinking and encouraging and affirming Christlike living.”
This is a TREMENDOUS honor for Rebecca and the book! Thank you for all of your amazing support!
Interested in bringing Rebecca to your church? Let us know! We are booking fall ’09 SHE concerts and special events to premier her new movie, “Sarah’s Choice” ---releasing nationally in November!
E-mail us the name of your church and contact information, including the e-mail address of a senior staff member that we can contact. Please email" jonas@smallbonemanagement.com
Rebecca may be coming to a city near you—check it out!
July 23 -- Jacobs Theater
Fort Eustis, Virginia
July 24 -- Fort Lee, Virginia
August 20 -- Flevo Festival 2009
Holland
More info: www.flevofestival.nl
August 23 -- Bergen, Norway
September 11 -- Berean Baptist Church
10250 North Freeway
Houston, Texas
September 12 -- SHE Event: Oakwood Baptist Church
2154 Loop 337 North
New Braunfels, Texas
@Vicky Beeching
@Joel & Luke
@Justin Lookadoo
“Wish” –Rebecca’s lastest “sneak preview” of new music tops the chart on the RSJ MySpace countdown—it stays up this week on MySpace with hundreds of listens daily!
Here's some of what folks are saying about "Wish":
Hey BEC!! WISH ROCKS!! LOVE IT!!! Both the lyrics and the music ROCK!!! THANKS for yet another AWESOME SONG!!!!! -RSJFan19
Great job on the demo! It will be a great song, I know this because the hook keeps playing in my head. Very catchy! -Bill
LOVE the new song!!!!!! Excited to hear More! -- UnstopableGrace
Great new song. glad you're back recording!! --Sharlene
I have a lot of shoulda coulda's in my lifetime! I love it, this is why I love your music! I can relate! :) --CheleChestnut
Be first to get your copy of “Loved” –the exciting new book from Rebecca St. James!
Click the logo above
Hi Rebecca!
Years ago I was bedridden dying with a severe illness. As The LORD healed me I listened to your CD SO many times. I felt like a teenager! Thank you for your pursuance of GOD and standing for purity. Thanks for blessing not just teenagers but also those people GOD sets aside for seasons. You and your music mean SO VERY much to me because GOD used you and your music SO mightily as I began a LONG healing process. I have now had positions of leadership in Christ!...and am close to publishing some books HE wrote as I just listened!! : ) All HIS MIGHTY and POWERFUL LOVE to YOU ETERNALLY!!!, Evelyn : )
Awesome words! your messages are always an encouragement and a challenge to live a better, Godly life. may God continue to bless you, RSJ! your sis in Christ, margaret :)
Rebecca!
God bless you sis! I was reading a bit of your bulletin today! I find it ironic, how at times we feel like the least, as Gods vessels! And yet our God and a watching world sees us as so opposite, as so beautiful and worthy! Well we know the secret to that success, yeah :)His name is Jesus... and He's always covering us eh! You take care sis. It's such a blessing to know you live for the King of kings
SaBree
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Rebecca St. James
06-25-09: Message from Rebecca: "Looking for Love" and New Book Info
(Comments: 0)June 25, 2009
