Speaking

Janet’s speaking ministry takes her to gatherings of every size and purpose: church retreats, women’s ministry conferences; leadership retreats; virtual events; small friend-group retreats; invitation-only events.

Her speaking topics are listed in two sections:
     Retreats (with multiple messages);
     Single-message events;

RETREATS:

Weekend in the Psalms (2-5 independent messages)
Come away and be refreshed in the psalms. Be immersed in the book of struggle and delight. Be exposed to the richness and variety of the human experience and a display of the God of Wonder.

  • Psalm 19    wisdom psalm
  • Psalm 13    lament psalm
  • Psalm 62    psalm of confidence
  • Psalm 84    psalm of Zion
  • Psalm 121 song of ascents

 

Stories of Faith, Hope and Love (2-5 independent messages)
Many significant women stand out in history, but of all the women who have ever lived, God chose only a few to include in his Book. Why were their stories preserved and what is God telling us through them? We will re-enter the stories of select women—and find ourselves in each one.

  • A Story about Faith (Mark 5:21-43)
  • A Story about Hope (Ruth)
  • A Story about Courage (Exodus 1:1 – 2:10)
  • A story about love (Mk 14:3-9)
  • A story about joy and sorrow (Luke 1:5 – 2:40)

 

Epic Prayers (2-6 independent messages)
Have you ever been in a rut in your prayer life? We all have—it’s hard to get out. We get bogged down with a prayer list that keeps growing—and we begin to wonder if this is what God had in mind when he told us to pray. Let’s expand our vision for what God intended, by revisiting some epic prayers from the Bible—and the stories behind them. Eventually we have to acknowledge that sometimes God says NO to our most fervent prayers. We’ll cover that too.

  • Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 8:22-54),        FORGIVE US 
  • Jehoshaphat’s prayer (2 Chron 20:1-30) HELP US
  • Moses’ prayer (Psalm 90)                           TEACH US
  • Agur’s prayer (Proverbs 30:7-9)               KEEP US
  • Jesus’ prayer (Matthew 26:36-46)            SPARE US OR PREPARE US
  • David’s prayer (Psalm 51)                           CLEANSE US

 

An Invitation to Rest (2-3 messages, each one dependent on the others)
Jesus calls out the weary and burdened, and invites them to find rest for their souls (Matthew 11:28-30). Then he spells out the conditions: COME TO ME, TAKE MY YOKE, LEARN FROM ME. To modern readers, nothing in that list sounds like rest. To be honest, we’d rather have a vacation in Myrtle Beach. And so we plod along, with restless hearts and worn out souls…while Jesus waits, invitation in hand.

 

Finding Hope in a World of Hurt (3 messages, each one dependent on the others)
Suffering, the universal common denominator, gives no exemption for believers. The hope that most people look for, is the removal of pain and hurt, in the shortest amount of time. But that’s not the hope we find in Scripture. Before we can find true biblical hope we must begin by addressing the false assumptions that distort our hope. Then we’ll learn from Scripture how God planned to give his people hope in this world of hurt.

  •   Where’s the hope?
  •    A different hope
  •    The God of hope

 

A Better Way to Live(3 messages, each one dependent on the others)
When God gave Israel the ten commandments, he was giving them a better standard to live by. These laws were to be written on their hearts as their motivation to obey them. But laws with no power to keep them, led to bondage instead of blessing. In time, God sent Jesus, revealing a better way: “Abide in Me, Abide in My Word, Abide in My Love.” This is the better way to live.

  • A Better Standard (Dt 5)
  • A Better Motivation (Dt 6)
  • A Better Way (John 15)

 

In Search of Wisdom(5 messages, each one dependent on the others)
The world has gotten complicated. Simple answers, once relevant, no longer apply. Confusion and indecision meet us at every crossroad. We’re all trying to navigate the ever-changing road map. Now, more than ever we need wisdom. We once understood that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” but we’re not sure what that means anymore. The Old Testament wisdom books (Job, Proverbs & Ecclesiastes) give us timeless insights that converge in Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

  • The fear of the Lord – the path to wisdom
  • Proverbs – the road less traveled
  • Job – the toll road
  • Ecclesiastes – the road to nowhere
  • Jesus – the hidden detour

 

Catch The Wind – Harnessing the Power of God (2 messages, each one dependent on the others)
Designed as a leadership retreat for a women’s ministry council.
The key to sailboat racing is knowing how to harness the wind, and executing that knowledge at a certain point in time. God created us to be like sailboats powered by the wind of His Spirit, but too often we function more like row boats, and are exhausted by self-effort. Our key text is Colossians 1:28-29, “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Set aside a time for your women’s ministry team to be equipped and encouraged.

  • God’s Power Available
  • God’s Power Harnessed

 

Single-message events: 

Dust on my Heart – My Story
At age 35, I considered myself a sincere and dedicated Christian… but dust was accumulating on my heart. I love to share my unexpected journey of going deep into God’s Word, and the transformation that has come from memorizing 19 books of the Bible. I now have a more accurate picture of who God is, and an insatiable desire to know and love him more. I’ve learned through the experience of memorizing, that when God’s Word is continually on my mind, and on my lips, it keeps the dust from accumulating on my heart. 

Scripture memory workshop
This workshop proposes something different than memorizing scattered verses. Rather, the focus will be on memorizing sequential verses in their context, achieving a more accurate and complete picture of who God is. You will be amazed at how simple this method is as you incorporate scripture memory into your daily routine. The ultimate goal is not to memorize the Bible, but to know God and to walk closely with him.

Why do you Worry about your Life? Jesus asks this question in the Sermon on the Mount. Then he answers his own question. Tim Keller writes, “Worrying is being afraid that God will get it wrong.” Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25-34 expose the root problem and show us a better way to live with 6 reasons why we don’t need to worry. Jesus calls us to a worry-free life because we are not to live like those who don’t know God. 

An Invitation to Lament More than one third of the psalms are laments. Why is that? Because in every believer’s heart there are elements of both trembling and trusting. Lamenting is a way to find peace in their co-existence. We will go through Psalm 13 verse by verse and look at both the psalm and the practice of lamenting. We will learn the difference between grumbling—which the Lord hates, and lamenting—which the Lord invites.

Psalms
Separate messages on any of these Psalms:
1, 13, 15, 19, 27, 33, 49, 51, 62, 79, 84, 90, 96, 121, 145.

Thinking Biblically
The Bible doesn’t cover all of life’s contingencies. It doesn’t answer every question or solve every dilemma. It was never meant to—that wasn’t God’s intention. His plan was that his people would so saturate their minds and hearts with Scripture that they would begin to think biblically. Even in this complex evolving world God calls us to live counter-culturally, and to represent him correctly. But we can’t do this with worldly thinking. If we think like the world, we will live like the world. If we think biblically, we will live biblically. What does it mean to think biblically and how do we get there?

Extravagant Love – Mark 14:3-9
Onlookers were appalled when a woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus. Even more shocking was Jesus response. He said that her beautiful deed would be told throughout the world wherever the gospel was preached. What was it about this woman’s lavish deed that made Jesus want everyone to know about it?

Under His Wings: The Story of Ruth
This ancient story of hope combines bitterness, redemption after loss, and finding security under the wings of a redeemer. Ruth, a foreigner with no claim to God’s mercy, secures her place in history through her bold choices. The mysterious genealogy at the end shows us why this story matters today.

The Treasure & The Sword – a Christmas message, Luke 1-2
The events surrounding the birth of Jesus caused Mary to “treasure up all these things and ponder them in her heart.” Mixed in was a prophecy that “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Like Mary, our lives are a mixture of treasured events and piercing swords. We find hope in Mary’s story because we are told in God’s Word what she was never told. And… we see that her sword became our treasure.

Five Courageous Women – Exodus 1:1 – 2:10
Highlighted in this passage are five amazing women, each with a role to play in God’s grand narrative. Two Hebrew midwives stood up to a powerful bully. Miriam spoke up when the time was right. Jochebed let go of what she thought was hers. Pharaoh’s daughter took on a responsibility that wasn’t hers. Their courage speaks to us in the challenges we face.

Two Daughters – Mark 5:21-43
This story-within-a-story is about two daughters: a daughter of Jairus, and a daughter of Jesus. What Jairus was willing to do for his daughter, Jesus was willing to do for his. Each of these daughters has a story to tell, that will prepare us for when our faith is tested.

Janet has many other options for your women’s events. Contact her for fresh ideas at: janet@janetpope.org.