Interview with Amy Vest from Loving the Lord Ministries and a Giveaway!

I'm very excited to interview Amy from Loving the Lord Ministries. She has an amazing love for the Lord and I can't wait to share with you all of the amazing things He has done through her in her ministry.

1. When did you gain a heart for ministering to young women?

It all began when the Lord transformed my life through knowing Him as my ALL.  I had found all that I was longing for in Him and I passionately wanted others to know Him, too.  I knew that knowing Him and making Him known was the purpose for which I was meant to pour out my life.  As I sought the Lord for His specific call for this, I felt Him leading me into discipleship of young women.  I passionately love these young women and long that I can be someone just a little older than they are encouraging them that a close relationship with Christ is possible, a joy, and worth living for with every ounce of their being!

2. How has God built your ministry?

This ministry is truly His.  He has brought it to pass and He is the One Who changes lives.  He deserves all of the glory!  I feel as if I have watched Him work.

Through my teen years, I treasured the one-on-one discipleship relationships the Lord provided with younger girls in my life.  As the Lord confirmed His call to young women’s discipleship, He opened doors to serve with various young women’s ministries through leading groups, writing articles, and speaking at conferences.  Then in 2002, I started a discipleship group at my home with 13 girls (ages 11-16) and wrote material from what the Lord had used to transform my life and walk with Him.  I was amazed at the incredible response and evident need in the girls’ lives.  Soon, people began asking for a conference for young women.  The following summer of 2003, through the Lord’s confirmation, we hosted our first conference and again were amazed at the response and evident need.

We then started receiving requests for spiritual growth materials for people to use to begin young women’s discipleship groups.  The Lord impressed on my heart the messages and we recorded four different conferences series’ on various topics critical to young women. These were developed into spiritual growth material in the form of DVDs and handbooks. Women of all ages and churches around the country have used this material for discipleship and to start groups.  The Lord has consistently provided opportunities to speak and host conferences across the nation, as well as abroad.  Over the years, He has provided an incredible team of young women and women who love the Lord and are passionate for others to know Him.  Last year we launched an intensive 8 month training program of spiritual discipleship and ministry training for older young women.  We also host a blog and I write a periodic newsletter as a way to reach young women, stay connected with the conference attendees, and provide continuing encouragement in pursuing Christ.  Currently I am developing a purity conference to launch in March of 2010, as well as working on a book. 

Each year, the Lord has continued to lead, open doors, and show Himself strong.  We are continually in awe of Him!  I have seen HIM move in ways I never could have dreamed.   We could fill books with stories of His faithfulness and miraculous work.  I have stood in awe so many times as the Lord has transformed a heart, specifically answered prayers for the provision of funds (to the dollar!), or given extra strength when I was weak. 

I have experienced Him in ways I never would have otherwise.  I have witnessed with my own eyes that He is all that He claims to be and always fulfills His promises.  Next to knowing Him, this has been the most fulfilling element of my life.  He has taken my weakest areas and shown Himself so strong.  I continue to daily see my dependence upon Him and the beauty of His faithfulness.  This is HIS ministry, we give Him all of the glory for what He has done, and we are so excited about all that He has in store as we keep our eyes on Him!

3. Can you share with us part of your testimony?

I heard the Gospel and prayed to receive Jesus as a young girl - and rededicated my life to Him when I was

in my teens.  I grew up going to church, reading my Bible, and attending church activities.  I loved the Lord because He died for me and I wanted to do what was right.  But I felt like there was supposed to be more to the Christian life.  When I was in my early to mid teens, I began to sense the Lord’s drawing (through His Word, the testimony of other’s lives, and His work in my heart) and see that I was meant to have my own relationship with Him.  He wanted me to not just know about Him and pray every so often, but to have a real walk with Him. 

As I made Him my priority, began really seeking to know Him, and spent time with Him, I came to know the Lord as far more than the One I heard about in church, read about in my Bible, or even prayed to - He became REAL to ME.  As I experienced the Lord for who He really is, experienced His love, heard His voice, saw Him real in my circumstances, He changed my life and I found what I had been longing for in the depths of my heart.  I discovered I was fully satisfied in the Lord and His love for me.  As I came to know His heart more, I knew I could trust Him in every area of my life, I understood and embraced my need to surrender all to Him as my Lord, and I was filled with purpose to live for Him and be pleasing and beautiful to Him.

This was no longer because I had to; but, because I knew Him and loved Him, I wanted to do it.  Since then, the Lord continues to reveal Himself to me, bring me to deeper levels of surrender, and do His work in my heart!  Life is an amazing journey with my Savior that I would not trade for anything!

4. What does it feel like to have Christ working through you?

Next to knowing Christ, there is nothing more incredible in the whole world than having Him work through you and to watch Him transform someone's life!!!  It is Him alone that does the work.  It is our treasure to be empty vessels that He pours Himself through to a thirsty world.  2 Corinthians 4:7 is my theme verse for the ministry, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
Through this, I have experienced Him in ways I never would have otherwise.  I have witnessed with my own eyes that He is all that He claims to be and always fulfills His promises.  Next to knowing Him, this has been the most fulfilling element of my life.  He has taken my weakest areas and shown Himself so strong.  I continue to daily see my dependence upon Him and the beauty of His faithfulness.  This is HIS ministry, we give Him all of the glory for what He has done, and we are so excited about all that He has in store as we keep our eyes on Him!

5. Do you have any encouragement for other girls?

- You were created for an all-fulfilling relationship with Jesus Christ.  Apart from this you cannot know the fulfillment, joy, peace, freedom and purpose you were intended to experience.  Pursue Him with all that you are!  As you truly know Him, you cannot help but love Him. As you love Him, you will desire to follow, obey, serve, and share Him!  This will lead you into all that He intended for you and His glory!  This is what has transformed my life.
- The Lord has a special plan for you as you follow Him in total yieldedness.  He wants to use you to reach this world for Himself in special ways.  As you walk close to Him and follow His leading, He will do things through your life that are beyond your wildest dreams!  1 Cor. 2:9

The Giveaway

I'm very excited to be giving away three amazing items from Loving the Lord Ministries to one (1) lucky winner!

The winner will receive:

-A Medium Pink "Pure" T-Shirt

-Becoming Beautiful to God: 7 session video set

-Becoming Beautiful to God: Video Companion Handbook

Please make sure that you have your parents permission to enter, because if you win I will need your address to send you your prize. You have from today, Tuesday July 12th until Wednesday June 20th to enter. Winner will be announced on Thursday July 21st.

To enter all you have to do is comment below with your favorite person from the Bible. Was it Paul? Or Ruth? Maybe Esther? I'd love to know!

*Images in this post provided by Amy Vest*