Speaking Topics
Below are a few suggestions for Conference topics or teaching sessions. Allison is happy to modify any of the previously taught lessons to fit your event or create something completely new!
Biblical Womanhood: Reflecting God’s Glory
This study on Biblical Womanhood, rooted in Genesis 1:26-31 and 2:7-24, equips women to embrace their God-given identity in a culture that distorts it. Participants will explore who a woman is not—neither God (Father, Son, nor Holy Spirit) nor male—clarifying that women are not the Creator, omniscient, sinless, or eternal, nor biologically or personally identical to men (Genesis 3:6; Philippians 2:5-8; John 14:15-26). Instead, women are created equal to men in God’s image, yet distinct as adult human females, designed to complement men as a suitable helper (EZER, Genesis 2:18). The term EZER, often used for God’s life-giving help (Psalm 54), reflects a woman’s role to support and nurture in life-and-death matters, not as a subordinate but as a vital partner in God’s mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth. Women will learn to represent the Triune God by tethering others to truth (Father), joyfully submitting to God’s will (Son), and nurturing as advocates (Holy Spirit). Through stories like the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 2, who courageously opposed Pharaoh, women are inspired to stand against evil, reflecting the biblical theme of “woman against the serpent” (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12). This study empowers single, married, or childless women to live out their calling as life-givers, fostering community, obedience, and gospel influence, glorifying God in their unique, essential role.
Set a Fire: A Study in 2 Timothy 1:1-14
This conference series invites women to ignite and sustain a vibrant faith amidst trials, as exemplified by Paul writing from a Roman prison under Nero’s persecution. Facing imminent execution, Paul encourages Timothy, his spiritual son, to overcome fear and rekindle his faith by focusing on the promise of life in Christ Jesus. The study uses the metaphor of fire—requiring a heat source (salvation through Jesus Christ, Romans 5:15-16), fuel (the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, 1 Corinthians 12), and oxygen (God’s Word, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)—to illustrate how believers can fan into flame the gift of God within them (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Women will learn to combat fear with power, love, and self-control, remembering their faith heritage and the sound doctrine entrusted to them (2 Timothy 1:13-14). Through inductive Bible study—observing, interpreting, and applying Scripture—participants will be empowered to live boldly, follow God’s Word obediently, and encourage the next generation, finding joy and endurance in Christ despite life’s challenges.
Abundant Joy: A Study in 2 Corinthians
This conference series on 2 Corinthians explores the theme of Abundant Joy, as taught through Paul’s deeply personal letter to the Corinthian church. Women will discover how true joy begins in the presence of God, acknowledging His sovereignty, embracing our identity as His possession, and adopting a posture of repentance and obedience (2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1). Despite afflictions, joy accompanies trials through God’s comfort, often delivered through fellow believers, as Paul experienced with Titus (2 Corinthians 7:2-9). The study highlights that joy displays obedience, marked by earnestness and a transformed heart, free from shame (2 Corinthians 7:10-16). Joy is also an act of grace, exemplified by generous giving, as seen in the Macedonian church’s sacrificial generosity despite poverty (2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 9:6-15). Finally, joy is an unveiled face, reflecting the permanent glory of the New Covenant in Christ, which transforms us from glory to greater glory (2 Corinthians 3:7-18). Participants will leave encouraged to pursue joy through a Jesus-first, others-focused life, rooted in God’s Word, prayer, and community, finding lasting hope and victory over worldly influences.
God's Providence for Such a Time as This
This conference series on the Book of Esther explores the profound theme of God's Providence, contrasted with human attempts at self-glory. Women will journey through Esther’s narrative, from a lavish garden feast to the redemptive hope of a righteous King, Jesus Christ, the perfect Husband. This study examines our identity in the story—whether we mirror the self-exalting Xerxes or the humble Hebrew saint—and challenges us to reflect on how our loves shape our actions amid cultural opulence. Drawing from key Old Testament passages like Exodus 24:16-18 and Psalm 19:1-2, we uncover the glory of God’s character, seeing the curse of Genesis replayed yet ultimately overcome by hope. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of God’s sovereign care, their place in His story, and the transformative joy of trusting in His perfect husbandry.
God’s Faithful Journey: A Study in Numbers
This conference series on the Book of Numbers invites women to explore the Israelites’ wilderness journey, revealing God’s sovereign faithfulness and the sufficiency of His boundaries for a life of worship and obedience. Spanning Numbers 20-36, the study traces the Israelites’ 40-year trek from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab, poised to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:1; 33:50). Despite their grumbling, rebellion, and failures—such as the water crisis at Meribah (Numbers 20:2-13) and the Baal of Peor incident (Numbers 25:1-18)—God remains faithful, disciplining yet preserving His covenant people. Key lessons include trusting God’s timing, as seen with the Edomites (Numbers 20:14-21) and Balaam’s oracles (Numbers 22-24), and embracing His boundaries, which define tribal allotments and protect the land’s purity (Numbers 34-36). The bronze serpent (Numbers 21:4-9) foreshadows Christ’s redemptive work, while Zelophehad’s daughters (Numbers 27:1-11; 36:1-12) demonstrate bold faith in God’s justice. Women will be encouraged to reflect on their own spiritual journey, recognizing how God’s boundaries, as affirmed in Psalm 16:6, provide “pleasant places” for growth and purpose. Through stories of divine provision, correction, and promise-keeping, participants will be inspired to trust God’s sovereignty, obey His commands, and worship Him faithfully, confident that He equips them to conquer the spiritual territory He has promised (Philippians 4:9, 19).
Purification and Promise: Jesus in the Book of Numbers
This conference series on Numbers 20-36 explores the purification rituals and challenging texts of the Israelites’ wilderness journey, revealing how they foreshadow Jesus Christ, the ultimate source of redemption and restoration in the New Testament. Central to the study is the purification ritual in Numbers 19, where God provides a means of cleansing from defilement, enabling His people to re-enter a right relationship with Him despite their sin. This ritual, using the ashes of a red heifer, points to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, which permanently cleanses believers (Hebrews 9:13-14). The bronze serpent in Numbers 21:4-9, raised to heal those bitten by snakes due to their grumbling, vividly prefigures Jesus’ crucifixion, where He, “lifted up” on the cross, takes on the curse of sin to grant eternal life to all who look to Him in faith (John 3:14-16). The severe consequences of rebellion, such as Moses and Aaron’s exclusion from the Promised Land for striking the rock (Numbers 20:2-13), underscore the necessity of trusting God’s perfect way, reflecting Christ as the rock who, struck once, provides living water through faith (1 Corinthians 10:4; John 7:38). Phineas’ zealous act to halt a plague by confronting sin (Numbers 25:7-13) mirrors Christ’s extreme sacrifice to turn back God’s wrath, credited as righteousness (Psalm 106:30-31; Colossians 3:5-6). Even Balaam’s oracles (Numbers 22-24), despite his flawed motives, proclaim God’s unchangeable blessing on His people, pointing to the Messiah’s ultimate victory (Numbers 24:17; Hebrews 6:18). Women will be encouraged to see their own journey from slavery to sin toward God’s promised rest, trusting in Jesus’ finished work for purification and embracing obedience to reflect His holiness. Through these texts, participants will find hope in God’s sovereign plan to redeem and restore, culminating in Christ, who fulfills the law and secures eternal life (Romans 5:1-2; Philippians 4:9, 19).
Cultural Christianity: A Study in Acts 8
This conference series on Acts 8 contrasts the superficial faith of Simon the Magician with the genuine, repentant faith of the Ethiopian Eunuch, offering women a framework to discern true devotion in a culture often swayed by shallow professions of belief. Simon, a sorcerer in Samaria, professed faith during Philip’s revival but sought to purchase the Holy Spirit’s power, revealing a heart driven by personal gain and cultural acclaim rather than submission to Christ (Acts 8:9-24). In contrast, the Ethiopian Eunuch, a marginalized figure excluded from the temple (Deuteronomy 23:1), encountered Philip in a desolate place and embraced the gospel with humility, seeking understanding of Isaiah 53 and responding with repentant faith through baptism (Acts 8:26-39). This study highlights how cultural Christianity mimics faith for status or power, while true faith, as seen in the Eunuch, involves a heart transformed by Christ’s redemptive work, welcoming all into God’s kingdom regardless of societal barriers. Participants will explore how God’s hatred of death and love for life (Leviticus 15:2, 19; 17:11) shapes His inclusive call, encouraging them to reflect on their own faith’s authenticity and to live obediently, finding joy in God’s presence despite cultural pressures.
