Tainted Past ~ Radiant Future

Come join us for a remarkable journey into six stories of women associated with the genealogy of our Savior. In a day when Americans are making some astounding discoveries through tracking their ancestral roots, we’ll peek into some of the surprises in Christ’s family tree as we explore the five women Matthew chose to record in his genealogy –– Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. Since he chose only these five, overlooking noteworthy women like Sarah, mother of nations and kings; beautiful Rebekah, mother of Isaac, the promised child; and Leah who birthed Judah, from whom the Lion of Judah would come, we can assume that Matthew had good reasons for each name he showcased.

Yet, by the world’s standards, what a deplorable bunch –– one slept with her father-in-law to birth Christ’s ancestor, one was a prostitute and foreigner, a third was an immigrant and young infertile widow before she married into Christ’s family line, and the fourth committed adultery with the king of Israel. Add to this list Jesus’ own mother, who was scorned for conceiving her son out of wedlock, and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, who bore the shame of childlessness much of her life, and we have to agree that none of these women were obvious candidates for a woman of the year award in their early seasons! In our venture through the pages of their six biographies, we’ll be encountering women shown contempt for questionable beginnings. And yet, God made something beautiful out of each of their lives.

If you have a few skeletons in your closet that make you wonder whether Christ can truly love you, transform you and powerfully use for His glory, or even if you earned a stellar educational resume, you can rest assured that, whatever your past, tainted or stunning, God can use the stories of these six women ––

TAMAR . . . RAHAB . . . RUTH . . . BATHSHEBA . . . ELIZABETH . . .MARY

–– to help write your own. Even though his own ancestral line meant Jesus started life against all odds, he encourages us to take heart! He is masterful at capturing the broken pieces of our lives and transforming them into a trophy of his grace.

We invite you to join us on this unforgettable journey from . . .

Tainted Past to Radiant Future! 

Phyllis Bennett, DMin. is a gifted Bible teacher and conference speaker, is a woman with a passion to inspire and encourage women to use their gifts and talents for the glory of God.

Her captivating, life-transforming messages help put feet to her passion of encouraging women to embrace God’s Word for healing, authenticity, vision, and greater intimacy with God and others. For the past 30 years, she has spoken “from sea to shining sea” to audiences from 25 to 500, bringing her shepherd’s heart to every speaking and consulting opportunity God has given. Her warm-hearted and authentic messages connect with women of all ages and walks of life. Phyllis holds a Master of Divinity from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts in “Effective Ministry to Women.” She presently serves as Director of the Women’s Center for Ministry and as the Coordinator of the Women’s Transformational Leadership Concentration at Western Seminary where she also serves as part-time faculty teaching two courses, training women to exposit God’s Word and to write Bible study curricula.

Phyllis is happily married to David Bennett, who serves as Global Associate Director for Collaboration and Content for the Lausanne Movement. Dave and Phyllis have two married sons and eight wonderful grandchildren. They live in Washougal, Washington.