Here are just a few examples of AYSF Transformative Teaching content...
I Am Who You Say I Am
Experience the Liberation of Letting God Alone Define You
In a world that barrages us with confusing messages about who we are and “should” be, we desperately need to be anchored in an identity that is accurate and is activated in our heart in such a way that it profoundly shapes how we navigate this life. Many of us have heard, and even used, the term “identity in Christ,” but what does it really mean and what difference does it really make? Each session, we unpack a different dimension of our identity in Christ in ways that are theologically rich, emotionally compelling, and highly practical. Prepare to be amazed afresh at the goodness of God as we explore the true implications of being an image bearer of God, a beloved child of the Father, clay in the Potter’s hands, a member of Christ’s body, a warrior, a royal priest, an ambassador for the King, and much more!
How to Prevail Over Perfectionism
Pursuing Excellence God's Way Without Destroying Your Relationships, Your Health, or Your Sanity
Perfectionism is detrimental to our emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational health… and it is an epidemic among women. Women are crushed by the pressure to perform and enslaved to largely self-imposed standards and expectations. This leaves us feeling anxious, exhausted, and if we’re really honest, resentful.
Well, it’s time to rise up and fight back against this favorite ploy of the enemy and this course will equip you to do just that. We are going to pull back the veil to reveal the deep roots beneath the surface of “perfectionism” and learn how to wield the powerful sword of biblical truth to “slice & dice” the lies that have been holding our sisters in bondage to this toxic dynamic. Let’s do this!
Unmasking Shame
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces shall not be covered with shame. Psalm 34:5
Shame is one of the most powerful -and yet underestimated- causes of our emotional and relational distress. Anxiety, anger, perfectionism, and many other issues are often only superficially addressed because our approaches don’t get to the hidden source: unprocessed shame. Most of us have never been taught how to identify shame- in ourselves and others- let alone how to navigate it effectively so that it doesn’t silently cause chaos in our lives. It’s time to change all that…
AYSF’s Unmasking Shame, challenges many of the common misconceptions about shame with powerful, biblical truth. It makes available to you the fruit of over eight years of study of God’s Word on this topic and fifteen years of experience helping real people find freedom from -shame in the context of biblical counseling. Come learn how to identify what type of shame you are experiencing and what precisely to do about it so that you can get- and stay- free of toxic shame for the rest of your life.
The Forgiveness Project
How to Get Free of Bitterness & Finally Forgive Whoever has Harmed You
The Forgiveness Project is a game-changer for anyone who has struggled to forgive (that’s all of us!) Together, we will do a deep dive into the why’s and how’s of forgiveness that are designed to dissolve all the obstacles that have kept you from moving forward. (We guarantee you will hear some fresh material on this classic topic.) But this isn’t just “head knowledge”: at the end of the course you will be equipped and invited to actually do it – in a way you can be sure it’s done – and finally walk in the freedom that only God’s good design for forgiveness can facilitate.
Defining Your Life
Aligning Ourselves with God's Good Design for the Key Concepts That Shape Us
The Chistian life is all about love, right? But what is love really? How about freedom? It’s a basic human value. But what does it really mean? Then there’s success: how would you define it? Everyone wants peace, but are you clear about what leads to it and what cannot? And while we’re asking… What is money for? How about sexuality or gender? What is work really supposed to be about, anyway? What about power? And what does it mean to “honor” or to “obey”? Why, who, and under what conditions??
Defining Your Life is an in-depth exploration of the key life concepts that shape the choices we make. Together we will discover what God’s good design is in each area and how we can get into better alignment with it. Because here’s the deal: we flourish to the extent that we are in alignment with God and his good design for all he has made. Not only will this content be transformational for you, it will equip you as a friend, a parent, an ambassador for the Kingdom, to offer others clear and compelling explanations of these critical concepts that undergird every choice we make.
Tackling Toxic Dynamics
How to Facilitate Redemptive Change
in Your Most Challenging Relationships
Conquering Anxiety, Anger, & Apathy
God’s Game Plan for Navigating Our 3 Primary Responses to Pain
Anxiety, Anger, and Apathy may be taught together in the context of a course, OR any of the three may be selected individually as the topic of its own course, weekend retreat, or single teaching engagement.
The Beloved Body
How to Nurture Your God-Made Body
and Finally Flourish in Your Own Skin
The Power of Processing Emotional Pain
Biblical Skills for Healing from:
- Grief
- Rejection/ Betrayal
- Loneliness
- Disappointment
- Shame
The types of pain may be taught together in the context of a course, OR any one of them may be selected individually as the topic of its own course, weekend retreat, or single teaching engagement.
Overcoming Overwork & Overwhelm
How to Trade in a Life of Dizzying Busyness
for God’s Purposes and Peace
Let’s Talk About Sex
A Honest Exploration of What’s Not Working &
God’s Path to Healing
And that's not all...
We have even MORE topics to choose from, including:
- Christ-Centered Parenting
- Singleness
- Marriage (and Divorce)
- Discipleship/ Spiritual Formation
- What the Bible Says about Spiritual Warfare
- Financial Flourishing
Contact Us for a Complete List of Topics
Heartfelt words from participants in AYSF Transformative Teaching...
“There have been a few big instances when God’s grace, mercy, and love have overflowed in my life… and AYSF’s I Am Who You Say I Am is one of them. Some sessions were so powerful that for days I couldn’t stop praising God and getting emotional about “why Jesus is worthy of our praise for life.” It solidified for me that God doesn’t want my outward perfection: He wants my gaze, my ear, my trust, and the rest will follow. What I have learned has helped me be more encouraging to my friends and colleagues, affirming their specialness, as well as my own. As a parent, I want more than ever to direct my kids’ gaze to Christ so they don’t have to struggle in their identity, so they don’t have to wait until they are in their 30s like me to really get how much God loves them and how special they are, as I do now.”
“I grew up in a Christian community. However, after a few life-changing experiences, I ended up fading away. It had been years since I had been part of any sort of study group, but AYSF’s Defining Your Life looked intriguing. I was very interested to see what a bible-based course designed and led by a biblical counselor would be like, as I had never experienced that perspective before. Ultimately, I wanted a deeper understanding of why I believed the things that I was taught growing up. That is what led me to register for Defining Your Life, and I’m so thankful I did!
The content of the course is higher quality than anything I’d experienced before, more so than I could have imagined. Susan is passionate, wise, and very knowledgeable. Every week I learned something new and felt more empowered in what I believe and why. It completely reframed my perspective on love, freedom, money, and more. It was not only inspiring, it has changed my perspective on a lot of my relationships and given me clear direction on how to love people well, even when it is difficult. Defining Your Life has by far been the most applicable and impactful of any course or study I have been a part of in my life.”
Perfectionism plagues so many of us, with roots in our upbringing, our culture, and lies from the enemy that we’ve been repeating and believing. In AYSF’s How to Prevail Over Perfectionism, Susan hits perfectionism at so many angles: unpacking Scripture, explaining what is really behind our behavior, building in time for silent journaling and group discussion, and offering very practical tools on how to handle different situations. Susan sticks closely to God’s word and God’s heart, while teaching in fresh ways that turn my old thinking upside down. She has a beautiful way of never being condemning, yet never feeding your pity party. She is gentle yet emboldening and empowering. Her answers are never trite, but teach us to go deeper, while always directing praise to God for showing us a better way to live. In all matters she leads you to the central question: “What difference does Jesus make?” This course provides an entire arsenal of weapons to slay the beast of perfectionism and trains you how to use them effectively. It is a true necessity!