As a person who likes to paint pictures with words, Lisa Harper got her first glimpse of her gifting when she was at a Christian girls camp the summer following high school graduation.
“I have loved telling stories and always thought that if you were a Bible teacher, you just had to stick with the text. But, the way Jesus taught is through parables. I knew I loved the Bible and I loved to tell stories. So, I got involved in the youth ministry right after college. I wasn’t planning on vocational ministry.”
Apparently, God had other plans.
Now, she is relating to other women as she weaves stories of her spiritual liberation throughout her teaching of Scripture. On March 26 and 27, along with worship leader Kim Hill, she will lead the women’s seminar, Unleashed – How Jesus Sets Us Free to Live and Love With Abandon at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove.
“I was in this season with the Lord where I didn’t realize how much in bondage I was to shame, because I was so comfortable carrying around the weight. I thought I was as free as I could get in some areas. God has been so gracious to remove chains I didn’t know I had. I didn’t know it could be this good to be free.”
She sees women bound in many places in their spiritual lives, but the areas of shame and guilt are the ones that stand out to the most.
“So many of us carry shame, because we just can’t forgive ourselves or others who have committed sins against us. We have picked up the message that sins committed against us are our fault.”
Harper says that while old is gone, new has come is true, emotional healing is a process. “There is no moment of instant healing. There are still emotional consequences to a less than perfect past,” she explains. “We can know we are free, theologically, yet still carry loads of guilt.”
She also says that many women can understand that Jesus can save them eternally, but very few understand their present value in Him. “I walked an aisle when I was six years old. I knew I was a sinner and I needed Jesus,” she remembers. “What I did not get until I was an adult is that God sent Jesus because he delights in us. He adores us. He loves us. And he even likes us.”
According to Harper, the Cove provides an ideal setting for women to come and find liberation in their relationships with Christ.
“The Cove is a beautiful place with a fabulous spiritual history. There is sound biblical teaching there. But, it is also a safe, sound place for sinners to come to hear God’s word.”
There is still space available for this seminar. You can get more information on this seminar and register online, or call 1-800-950-2092.
