September 8-9th I had the privilege of attending Sadie Robertson Huff's third annual "LO Sister Conference" in West Monroe, Louisiana.
Ya'll Sadie's team chose wisely when they chose the theme for this years conference because when I tell you the Holy Spirit was on the MOVE, He was on the MOVE!
However, let me start from the beginning:
the conference started Friday evening with meet and greet where Sadie and I got to catch up and take the CUTE picture you see above.
After the meet and greet was over, Sadie and her mom Korie sat down for a podcast Q&A with all the VIPS.
you can listen to or watch the conversation using any of these links:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whoa-thats-good-podcast/id1433974017?i=1000627690489
topics covered during Q&A:
knowing your calling
How the LO Sister ministry got started
staying bold in your faith
and more!!!
Next GA doors were open and the conference was officially underway
Sadie's worship team led us in worship and then the first speaker, Christine Caine took the stage to convict us all through the power of the Holy Spirit within her.
Christine Caine's message was based on the Luke 17:20-37
This scripture in Luke talks about the "end times" which cheers to Christine Caine because you rarely hear anyone preach on the end times.
Basically a breakdown of this scripture is this:
the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was going to come.
Basically, Christine Caine said, the Kingdom has come, but it's still coming.
At this point, Jesus has died on the cross and rose again, but it's still coming because Jesus hasn't yet ascended into heaven at this point in scripture, and we are still waiting for His return today.
"The Kingdom came, but it's still coming because it hasn't been fully realized."
"Live as if it's going to happen tomorrow and prepare as if it's going to happen in a generation in the future."
Ya'll, we have to be ready because no one know the hour, minute, day, or second of His return.
In Luke 17:32 Jesus says, Remember Lot's Wife!
As Christine Caine said. "there are 170 chicks mentioned in the Bible."
and out of the 170 "chicks" mentioned in scripture He tells us to remember Lot's wife.
But why?
All we know about her is that she's Lot's wife. We don't even know her name.
What's so significant about this woman that we should remember her in the end times when very little is even said about her? I mean, Luke 17:32 is the second shortest verse in the Bible!
Here's why we need to remember Lot's wife when thinking about the end times:
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19;:26
"Lot's wife prioritized her past over her future. She looked back with longing and got stuck in a place that she should have been only passing through."
dangggggg!
"There's a difference between facing your past and fixating on your past."
I think this is my favorite quote from Christine Caine's message the first night because I used to do this a lot, and I still catch myself doing it often times, but God didn't give us a past to fixate on it because by fixating on our past, I don't think we realize we are actually stuck in it and therefore miss out on the present and future plans the Lord has for us.
fixate: to obsessively concentrate one's attention on
face: to confront directly
Do you see the profound difference in these two definitions?
It's okay to deal with your past, but it isn't okay to stay there because by staying there you are missing out on so many other great things God has in store for you.
You are s much more than your past
what you have done
what you have said
what others have said
and what other people may have done to you
"Choose to make what Jesus did for you bigger than all of those things." (paraphrased)
the first speaker on Day 2 was Dawn Chere
The title of her message was, good hands
scripture: Isaiah 64:8
Basically, the point of her message is that it doesn't matter who your mom is, who your dad is, where you came from etc. because we are all in good hands. (The hands of Jesus)
She talks about how God reveals Himself in scripture as the potter.
"What better hands to be in then the hands of who formed it all."
and then she said something WILD (but true obviously)
"To be in His hands you must first surrender."
WHOA, THAT'S GOOD!
In order to be able to surrender to Him we have to have faith.
And then she talked about how we gain faith by hearing the Word of God.
"Faith allows you to make the decision to surrender to the work of His hands."
"the transformation is His work. Your work is surrender.
All we have to do is let go, and let God work, and I know that can be hard because we want control, but the act of surrender is surrendering that control to Him.
Because guess what???
We never had it in the first place.
"As you seek Him, you will find Him. That's a promise."
We surrender by seeking Him.
"God doesn't want you to give up. He wants you to give in."
He wants to shape us into who He created us to be, but in order to be shaped, you have to be pressed a little bit.
In other words, God is going to challenge you as He shapes you. When you press into Him, He's going to press back into you.
"There's a difference between being touched and being formed."
We shouldn't just want to experience God, we should want to be transformed by Him.
Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
James 1:23-24
"It's only you who can surrender to God's good hands, so He can shape you and mark you."
One of my favorite things she said was, how long are we going to wait before we allow Him to have His way in our lives? (paraphrased)
One of the hardest things for us to do in the world today is to stay in His good hands. She mentioned, He can't change us and shape us if we don't stay.
"Will you surrender and stay?"
"You didn't begin the good work, and you won't finish it." because we don't hold. that power.
Will you stay in His good hands?
Sadie closed out the conference
The whole theme of the conference was, Move With Intention
So Sadie started out, "how are we going to tell people to move if they feel stuck?"
scripture: Exodus 14
When we feel stuck we are desperate for someone or something to rescue us, and often we go to ungodly things.
We may go to a person
a sin
but God is the only one who can truly save us.
"We feel spiritually anxious because we don't feel God answering our call."
Do you ever find yourself crying out to God, and you just don't feel like He's listening or that He cares?
Yeah, me too.
"Maybe God has you where you are at to position you to reveal His glory to others. He knows that when you appear stuck the enemy is going to come after you."
Sadie talked about how we pray for things and God's answer is a challenge rather than a miracle. (paraphrased)
Have you been there?
I know I have.
"Sometimes we choose what is comfortable for us and not what is best for us."
I've personally learned throughout the years what's best for me are often things I don't want to do. (at first)
things that are hard
challenging
but in the end it has been worth what I call the "pre-panic"
"Just because it's comfortable doesn't mean it's safe."
"Just because it's painful, it doesn't mean you're stuck."
Example Sadie gave: Jesus on the cross.
THINK ABOUT IT! He wasn't stuck there! He chose to endure the pain for you and me. Was He comfortable?
uhhhh, I'm going to go with no...
But He stepped out of His comfort zone in order to fulfill the purpose His Father laid out for Him.
The question is:
Will you do the same?
"You can have everything in the world, but if you don't have Him, you have nothing."
"We need the Spirit of God in order to move."
The problem with that is Sadie said, we don't think what God has already given us is enough, and that's a lack of faith and trust. (paraphrased)
God specifically gave YOU a gift to further His kingdom, and if you think God made a mistake in that then... Friend, you're wrong.
I know it can be scary, but as Dawn Chere said, we are in good hands IF we stay in them.
"It doesn't matter who you are or what your story is as long as you have the Holy Spirit of God in you."
"Take your heart of stone and let God make into a heart of flesh."
Let's dive into His word and get to know Him, so we can start moving!!
I'm gonna close this with a little conference testimony of my own:
Sadie released the conference trailer on September 2, 2023, and when I heard what this year's theme was I felt an immediate pit in my stomach. I kinda felt God say "you're up"
my first thought was "OH NO"
Then in natural Lauren fashion I grabbed my journal and wrote this:
hi! I'm gonna be a speaker. Be my mouth piece and give me a divine appointment.
So, when Friday came along and it was my turn to take a picture with Sadie, I knew exactly what I had to tell her.
"I've never said this out loud before, but I'm gonna be a speaker!"
Maybe one day I'll share exactly what she said after that.
But let's just say, she wasn't shocked at all.
At this conference I moved in so many ways. I was moved to a full on cry fest during one of the worship sessions. (And Lauren doesn't cry---more or less bawl her eyes out)
I was moved by the fact that all the sermons were connected to one another, and the speakers had no idea what the other had wrote.
The amount of times "yes"was uttered in that room within 48 hours.
I think the coolest thing ever is that it's been two weeks since I've been home, and God is still moving in ways you can't even imagine.
but it's because I'm not looking back.
I'm staying in His good hands.
and I want to move wherever He leads me.
Something about this year's conference was different. I wish I could explain what happened and what is happening because of it, but I can't.
But that's how I know it's TRUE because something happened within my heart, and only God knows what He's doing. I'm just here to walk out whatever that is, whenever it's time.
Thanks for sticking around if you made it to the end. I pray that at least ONE thing stuck out to one person who reads this today.
your friend,
Lauren
TICKETS TO LO SISTER CONFERENCE 2024: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lo-sister-conference-2024-tickets-702630174767?aff=oddtdtcreator
LISTEN TO THE CONFERENCE PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0dUUBJmnUhCfcOSXvVZtmZ?si=1508093fff4444a3
Ps. my next blog will be about the breakout session I attended at the conference!
I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE MORE!!!
Thank you for sharing! Looks like you had a really moving experience!!