Girlz RockText copyright © 2005 by Kristi Holl

Requests for information should be addressed to:Zonderkidz, 5300 Patterson Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Holl, Kristi.Girlz rock / Kristi Holl with Jennifer Vogtlin.p. cm.– (Faithgirlz)ISBN-10: 0-310-70899-0 (softcover)ISBN-13: 978-0-310-70899-5 (softcover)1. Girls—Prayer-books and devotions—English. I. Vogtlin, Jennifer, 1976- II. Title. III.

Series. BV4860.H62 2005242'.62–dc22

2004028568

Scripture quotations come from the following sources:

The Amplified Bible, Old Testament. Copyright © 1965, 1987, by the Zondervan Corporation.Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Amplified Bible, New Testament. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1987, by The Lockman Foun-dation. Used by permission.

HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Interna-tional Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Scripture quotations marked (NLT ) are taken from the HolyBible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Pub-lishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001,2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

New American Standard Bible. Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copy-right 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation.Used by permission.

The New King James Version. Scripture quotations marked “NKJV” are taken from the New KingJames Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rightsreserved.

Note abbreviations used herein, in alphabetical order: AMP, NIV, NLT, MSG, NASB, and NKJV.Also note that KJV means the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, orany other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the pub-lisher.

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Art Direction: Jody LangleyInterior design: Susan AmbsCover design: Gayle Raymer DesignIllustrated by: Robin Zingone

Printed in the United States

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A Narrow Road That Leads to Wider PromiseYou can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow

gate that leads to life. The highway to hell is broad, and itsgate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But theroad to life is narrow, and only a few ever find it.

Many of your friends will encourage you to join them on thewide path. It looks like fun, and Satan promises that you’ll

feel loved and accepted if you live as the world lives. You’llhave more “friends” on the broad path. You won’t be

branded a “narrow-minded Christian” if youchoose to travel on the Anything Goes

Highway. On that wide path you’ll hearthat cheating to get good grades is okay,that R-rated movies don’t hurt you, andthat it’s cool to drink and take drugs.

The broad way is also the way of disap-pointment and false promises. It can’t deliver8

Devotion #1“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the

gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and

narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”—Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)

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love and acceptance and long-lasting happiness because it’sSatan’s lie. Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV) says, “There is a way thatseems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”Thebroad way might be “fun” for a while, but your heart willnever find peace this way. True joy and acceptance are foundthrough God on the narrow path. Traveling God’s way canmean a difficult, rocky road at times. But it leads to peacehere on earth and eternal life in heaven. It’s not heavily trav-eled, but Jesus is always with you, so you’re never alone.

You’re standing at a fork in the road. Take off withconfidence down the narrow way—to life!

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Did You Know . . . that Jesus told the disciples they had to

be like children (and have child-like faith) to enter heaven?Read Matthew 18:2–5.

Girl Talk:What path are you

walking on right now? Do you think God

would be happy with your choices?

God Talk:“Lord, I don’t

always make the rightchoices. Help me to be coura-

geous and choose the right path. I want you to be proud of me.I love you. Amen.”

Beauty 101:Walking down a path is a great way to get

exercise. Fast walking for twenty to thirty

minutes a day gets your heart pumping. Walk

only during the day, and take a buddy with you!

More to Explore: Luke13:24–25

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Never-Ending LoveOur limited human minds find it hard to grasp how

much God loves us. His love continues forever and can becounted on in all our times of need. God pulled us to him

with his love and kindness. “We love Him because He firstloved us” (1 John 4:19 NKJV).

Think about the person you love most in the world. Thenmultiply the love you feel for this person a thousand times.

That’s only a tiny drop of the love—the everlastinglove—that God feels toward you.

Every day for a month, take a few minutes tothink about how much God loves you. Say it

out loud: “God loves me. The all-knowing,all-powerful, all-loving God of the uni-verse loves me!” See how that changesyour feelings during the month. We

would live much differently if we trulyunderstood how much God loves us. He

wants only the best for us—all the time. He10

Devotion #2“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have

drawn you with loving-kindness.’”—Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

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wants to meet all our needs—we only have to ask him. (Thatdoesn’t mean he will give you everything you want, but insteadeverything he knows you need.) He wants to fight our battlesfor us—we only have to lean on him. He wants to give usdirection and to have the joy Jesus died for us to have.

God wanted us so much that he pulled us to him. Jesus said,“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent medraws him” (John 6:44 NIV). People do not come to Christstrictly because of their own ideas or decisions. It is Godpulling them to him. He loves you and wants you that much!

God’s love for you is without limit. Soak it up!

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Did You Know . . . that God is faithful to those

who love him? Moses tells theIsraelites what will happen tothem, depending on whetherthey love God or hate him.Read Deuteronomy 7:8–10for more of the story.

Girl Talk:Do you feel that

God really loves you?How do you think he

shows his love to you each day?

God Talk:“Lord, it’s hard to believe that

you love me so much, but I am sograteful to have your love. Help me to

show love to others the way youshow your love for me. Thank

you for never leaving me.Amen.”

More to Explore: Psalm103:17

andTitus3:3–6

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Cultivate Your FaithWhen you plant garden seeds, you don’t expect much

of a crop from dry, rocky ground, or a patch full of weeds.But good soil—black soil full of minerals—will produce up to

a hundred times the amount of seed that was planted. In thesame way, people with good hearts, ready to receive God’sword and act on it, will also produce an abundant harvest.

They will become all that God created them to be.God has given you special talents and abilities that hewants you to use. Do you love to run fast? Do you

have a good singing voice or an ability to play theflute well? Can you write poetry, or paint

watercolors? God wants you to enjoy thegifts and talents, but also use them tobring joy to others and glory and praiseto God. Is your life producing such a

harvest? It can!If you don’t like your harvest, check

your soil. Is it full of weeds (like resentment,12

Devotion #3“The good soil represents those who hear and

accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had

been planted.”—Mark 4:20 (NLT)

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laziness, or jealousy)? Then deal with the weeds. Pray forhelp to get rid of them, then do what God tells you to do. Isyour soil dry and hard from lack of water (from ignoringreading your Bible)? Then soak it in the rivers of livingwater from God’s Word. Then you’ll grow the fruit of theSpirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV).

If your soil needs attention, be a good farmer andplow it. Plant it with seeds of obedience to God’sword—then wait for that bumper-crop harvest!

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More to Explore: Luke8:15

andJohn15:4–5

Did You Know . . .that an Academy Award-winning movie

talked about using your talents forGod? Chariots of Fire is a truestory about English athletes inthe 1920s. One of them, EricLiddell, says, “I believe thatGod made me for a purpose,for China [as a missionary],but he also made me fast.And when I run, I feel hispleasure!”

Girl Talk:Are you using your

talents to the best of your ability? Can others

see God’s influence in your behavior?

God Talk:“Lord, I want to use my talents for

you. Please help me to honor you in all Ido. I want to give you a bumper crop!

Amen.”

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The Real “In” GroupDon’t get your feelings of self-respect or personal

worth from being accepted by a particular person or group.Because you belong to Christ, they don’t have anything that

you don’t have!Most classes have a few girls who have decided they are the

“popular” group. They will claim to have inside informationthat others don’t have, or act as if they are more special than

anyone else. Don’t fall for that! Don’t believe the lie thatclaims you have to be part of someone’s group to be “in”

or “cool.”You already belong to the coolest groupyou could join: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

God designed you to have friendshipsthat are rewarding, with give-and-takesharing. Relationships get out of balancewhen one person thinks she is more spe-cial than others. YOU are important,

valuable, and significant. Centering yourlife on someone who demands to be the14

Devotion #4“Don’t take pride in following a particular leader.

Everything belongs to you.”—1 Corinthians 3:21 (NLT)

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focus will throw your friendship out of balance.If you belong to Christ (have accepted him as your Savior),

then you’re a daughter of the King. Everything God hasbelongs to Christ, and everything Jesus has is yours. If youstay true to him, all the blessings here and in eternity belongto you. You are as worthy as anyone else on earth—any-one! So don’t brag about being part of So-and-So’s group,or follow the “popular girls” because they have more ofwhat the world offers. Your worth comes from belongingto Christ—not to a particular friend or group.

God says you have worth and value. You are worth somuch to him that he sent his Son to die for you so thatyou could spend eternity with him. You can’t get anymore valuable than that!

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More to Explore: 1 Corinthians

3:3–6

Did You Know . . .that even a church with the

great apostle Paul as teacherhad problems with cliques?First Corinthians 1:10–13describes the problem of achurch in Corinth arguingover who was moreimportant.

Girl Talk:Where do you go tofeel wanted and

respected? Do you rely onfriends for self-esteem or

God? You may rely on both,but always remember that God’s opinion of

you matters the most.

God Talk:“Lord, I sometimes worry

too much about what others thinkof me. Please help me remember that

you are the one I need to please. Inyou, I have all the love and respect Iwill ever need! Thank you! Amen.”

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Be a God Pleaser!Are you trying to win the approval and acceptance of

people? Is that your primary reason for saying and doingthings? You can’t spend your time trying to win the approval

of people and still be a servant of Christ.At the lunch table, when someone tells a dirty joke, do you

laugh too so you’ll be accepted, even when the joke makes youvery uncomfortable? Or do you join in backbiting and gossip

about other students so you won’t feel left out, even thoughyou know it’s wrong? Do you ignore a less popular stu-

dent because your friends would make fun of you ifyou were kind to him? Then you are trying to

please people instead of God. And God’sWord says you can’t be in God’s service—useful to him—if you’re more interestedin people’s opinions about you than God’s.

As believers, we are to be like Christand follow in his footsteps. How did he

handle such situations? Once the Pharisees16

Devotion #5“Obviously, I’m not trying to be a people pleaser!

No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying toplease people, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

—Galatians 1:10 (NLT)

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tried to trap Jesus into saying something they could use againsthim. “‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know you are a man of integrityand that you teach the way of God in accordance with thetruth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no atten-tion to who they are’” (Matthew 22:16 NIV). Jesus didn’tplay favorites or change what he said depending on who waslistening. He said and did what God told him to say and do,no matter whom he was around. We are to be the same.

Go out and live your life today in a way that pleases God.

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Did You Know . . .that even when you eat and drink, you

can do it for the glory of God? In1 Corinthians 10:31–33, Paul talksabout doing everything for theglory of God, because you arealways a witness to thosearound you.

Girl Talk:When you think about

doing something, do youonly worry about others’reactions? Or do you also

think about what Godwould say?

God Talk:“Lord, I’m not always

proud of the way I act, and Ineed your forgiveness. Help me

to do what you would do, at all times. I want to be a great witness for you!Amen.”

More to Explore: Ephesians6:5–8

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Living in LoveJesus wants you to know how much he loves you.

Jesus said that he loves you just as God, the Father,loves him. Just as much, and in the same way. Imagine

that! So it’s important that you continue to rest and live inthat everlasting, bountiful love.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe God can love us that much.After all, we all do things that we know are wrong and for whichwe need forgiveness. Maybe you cheated and turned in a book

report that you actually wrote last year. Perhaps you pretendto like your stepmother, but you secretly hate her. When

you’re so imperfect, can God still love you? YES! Ormaybe your family is breaking up, or your health is

breaking down. Does God still love you, nomatter what is happening in your life? YES!

“I am convinced that nothing can everseparate us from his love. Death can’t,and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the

demons can’t. Our fears for today, ourworries about tomorrow, and even the

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Devotion #6“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Now remain in my love.”—John 15:9 (NIV)

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powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away” (Romans 8:38 NLT).Sometimes we need reminders that God loves us. Say it

out loud: “God loves me, and I can trust him. God loves me,and I can trust him.” If you have trouble believing that Godreally cares about you or that he can forgive you for yoursins, repeat that to yourself several times every day for amonth. Get it down deep inside you. In time, your love forothers will also grow. “God is love, and all who live in lovelive in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God,our love grows more perfect” (1 John 4:16–17 NLT).

Settle down, get comfortable, relax—and live in God’slove for you.

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Did You Know . . .that God’s love surpasses all

knowledge? Read Ephesians3:17–19 and find out just howhuge God’s love is!

Girl Talk:Do you have days when

you think that God can’t pos-sibly love you? Would it help

you to remind yourselfdaily that God does

love you?

God Talk:“Lord, I know you love me

so much that I can’t understandit. Sometimes, I can’t even believe it.

Please help me to remember every daythat you love me. Thank you for your

love that never ends. Amen.”

More to Explore: John15:10–11andRomans5:6–8

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Your Personal BodyguardAs we look at events in our lives, God’s Word says

that we can be confident. Why? Because the almighty,all-loving Lord is our helper. So we don’t need to be worried

or insecure. With the all-powerful God on our side, what canpeople do to us?

Bullies are a nasty reality of life sometimes. A bully may bea bossy older brother who dominates the house when your

parents are at work. It can be a cruel teacher or coach whodiscourages with his comments. A brutal kid on the

school bus or playground may threaten you withphysical harm. Life can be scary sometimes.

We may think bullies are a modern thing.We might even think that God doesn’t

understand our situation. But see David’swords in the Psalms (don’t his wordssound like today?): “In God (I will praise

His word), in God I have put my trust; Iwill not fear. What can flesh do to me? All20

Devotion #7“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper;

I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’”—Hebrews 13:6 (NIV)

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day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me forevil. They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps,when they lie in wait for my life” (Psalm 56:4–6 NKJV).Threatening bullies have been around for thousands of years!

You may be powerless to deal with them on your own,but with God on your side, the Bible says you don’t have tobe afraid. So how do you find this courage and help? Go toGod in prayer. “Let us therefore come boldly to thethrone of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find graceto help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

Pray. Believe God will help you. Watch for it. Sayboldly, “I will not fear!”

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Did You Know . . .that Sophie feels threatened

by Julia and friends in Sophie’sSecret? Read to find out howSophie deals with it.

Girl Talk:Do you ever feel

bullied by others? Haveyou ever asked God todeliver you from them?God Talk:

“Lord, sometimes otherpeople are trying to scare me.

You are my rock and my refuge.Please deliver me from their wordsand actions. Thank you. Amen.”

More to Explore: Deuteronom

y33:27andPsalm56:11

Fun Factoid:

David calls God many different names that deal with

shelter and protection. He calls God a rock, a fortress, a

refuge, a shield, a deliverer, and a stronghold. Read

Psalms 18:1–2; 31:2–3; 71:3; and 94:22.

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