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Freedom to Flourish: The Rest God Offers in the Purpose He Gives You
Are you tired? Are you weary?
So many Christian women are exhausted because we’ve come to believe that God’s purpose for us is rooted in what we do—which means we’re constantly striving to have somehow done enough. But there is hope! Elizabeth takes us back to the gracious plan God laid out for us in Genesis: he created us to bear his image, he is inviting us to live out that purpose, and through Christ he frees us to flourish as those who are unconditionally loved.
So many Christian women are exhausted because we’ve come to believe that God’s purpose for us is rooted in what we do—which means we’re constantly striving to have somehow done enough. But there is hope! Elizabeth takes us back to the gracious plan God laid out for us in Genesis: he created us to bear his image, he is inviting us to live out that purpose, and through Christ he frees us to flourish as those who are unconditionally loved.
200 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2021
11 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Garn
1 book12 followersElizabeth Garn is a writer, speaker, wife, mom, and geek. When she’s not picking up Legos off the family room floor, she’s writing about everyday theology and talking about what it means to be made in the image of God. She has her MA in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary and writes for ChristandPopCulture.com, The Gospel Coalition, enCourage, and blogs at www.ElizabethGarn.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 6, 2021
As a Christian writer who deals with topics relating to gender, I get to read a lot of books on biblical womanhood. Most of them are, to be honest, not great. I often hear people say, “Okay, I can see there’s a lot of theologically (and practically) dangerous content out there for women. But what should I read instead? What should I give my daughters? What should I give my discipleship mentee? Aren’t there any good books on biblical womanhood?” It’s not an easy question to answer. The biblical womanhood genre tends to be governed by agenda rather than gospel; “women’s work” is more in focus, than Christ’s work. But, I’m happy to say that next time I’m asked this question, I’ll have a recommendation waiting in the wings.
What makes Elizabeth Garn’s "Freedom to Flourish: the Rest God Offers and the Purpose He Gives You" different? The answer is in the title. Garn offers women two things that are rare to find in Christian books on female identity: freedom, and rest. In the introduction, the author describes her own experience in the performance treadmill of “good Christian womanhood.”
"I grew up in the church; I’d heard all about biblical femininity or womanhood or whatever you want to call it. I’d been to the retreats, Bible studies, conferences, and Sunday school classes. I studied Ruth and Hannah and Mary and, of course, that infamous woman at the end of Proverbs. I thought I knew what it meant to be a woman of God, but the truth was, so much of what I had internalized for all those years was confusing and conflicting. I had come to believe that the Christian life was about what I did. Holiness amounted to doing more and trying harder and running myself ragged in between." (p11)
As her efforts at picture-perfect Christian womanhood began to unravel, Freedom to Flourish became Garn’s way of trying to piece together what God really has to say about women, and our purpose in His created world.
"Freedom to Flourish" begins at the beginning, with the self-sufficiency of God. “God didn’t create you because he needed you to do something for him,” Garn reminds us. “He doesn’t have a to-do list of errands he needs someone to run or a bunch of tasks to be accomplished.” (p28) God created all humans - men and women - out of His own abundance, not because He had a need or a lack. And so, the first place where we can find rest is in God’s motivation for the creation act itself. At creation, God acted out of sheer love - and as we see in the rest of the book, He has never stopped acting out of sheer love.
But even though God did not create us because He needed our work, He did create us to be working beings. What about the purpose God gives us? While many books on biblical womanhood offer a negative framework for female purpose - i.e. women are created to be not like men - Garn shows that we are called to the positive good of being like God: bearers of His image in the created universe. The only identity big enough for humans to be free in, is to know ourselves as reflections of God, and the only work big enough for us to be contented with, is imitating Him with everything we do. Garn shows how God made women to create, to restore and to rescue, just as He creates, restores and rescues. Wherever we are, and whatever vocation we are blessed with, we can imitate God’s good work.
In the second part of the book, Garn shows how sin disrupts our created purpose by planting the seed of doubt about God’s love and goodness. We are all taken in the same way that Eve was taken in by the serpent, so long ago. We are created to make choices, but sin lures us into choosing “not God” instead of God. And once sin entraps us, our relationship to the God we are made to image, changes. Garn writes that our purpose is poisoned by two influences: comparison, and shame. It’s easy to get so hung up on comparing our hemlines, homes and potluck dishes with the woman in the next pew over. It’s easy to let shame keep us grinding away at our attempts to be good, instead of approaching God for grace. Comparison and shame can feel pious, but they both lead us back to that original sin: doubting God’s grace and love. They keep us trapped in the vicious cycle of sin and self-made righteousness.
"Freedom to Flourish" concludes on more than a note of hope: it’s a whole symphony. Despite our complete failure to image and imitate God as we should, God still offers us rest and purpose, in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In redemption, God paves a way for us to create, restore and rescue as we were intended to in the first place.
"We have been created with a purpose, a purpose that flowed out of God’s abundant love. And where sin damaged the image we bear, God promised to restore it. Where shame and comparison bound us, he has set us free. We were created in love, are called with a purpose, and have been freed to live as images of God." (p166)
What makes Elizabeth Garn’s "Freedom to Flourish: the Rest God Offers and the Purpose He Gives You" different? The answer is in the title. Garn offers women two things that are rare to find in Christian books on female identity: freedom, and rest. In the introduction, the author describes her own experience in the performance treadmill of “good Christian womanhood.”
"I grew up in the church; I’d heard all about biblical femininity or womanhood or whatever you want to call it. I’d been to the retreats, Bible studies, conferences, and Sunday school classes. I studied Ruth and Hannah and Mary and, of course, that infamous woman at the end of Proverbs. I thought I knew what it meant to be a woman of God, but the truth was, so much of what I had internalized for all those years was confusing and conflicting. I had come to believe that the Christian life was about what I did. Holiness amounted to doing more and trying harder and running myself ragged in between." (p11)
As her efforts at picture-perfect Christian womanhood began to unravel, Freedom to Flourish became Garn’s way of trying to piece together what God really has to say about women, and our purpose in His created world.
"Freedom to Flourish" begins at the beginning, with the self-sufficiency of God. “God didn’t create you because he needed you to do something for him,” Garn reminds us. “He doesn’t have a to-do list of errands he needs someone to run or a bunch of tasks to be accomplished.” (p28) God created all humans - men and women - out of His own abundance, not because He had a need or a lack. And so, the first place where we can find rest is in God’s motivation for the creation act itself. At creation, God acted out of sheer love - and as we see in the rest of the book, He has never stopped acting out of sheer love.
But even though God did not create us because He needed our work, He did create us to be working beings. What about the purpose God gives us? While many books on biblical womanhood offer a negative framework for female purpose - i.e. women are created to be not like men - Garn shows that we are called to the positive good of being like God: bearers of His image in the created universe. The only identity big enough for humans to be free in, is to know ourselves as reflections of God, and the only work big enough for us to be contented with, is imitating Him with everything we do. Garn shows how God made women to create, to restore and to rescue, just as He creates, restores and rescues. Wherever we are, and whatever vocation we are blessed with, we can imitate God’s good work.
In the second part of the book, Garn shows how sin disrupts our created purpose by planting the seed of doubt about God’s love and goodness. We are all taken in the same way that Eve was taken in by the serpent, so long ago. We are created to make choices, but sin lures us into choosing “not God” instead of God. And once sin entraps us, our relationship to the God we are made to image, changes. Garn writes that our purpose is poisoned by two influences: comparison, and shame. It’s easy to get so hung up on comparing our hemlines, homes and potluck dishes with the woman in the next pew over. It’s easy to let shame keep us grinding away at our attempts to be good, instead of approaching God for grace. Comparison and shame can feel pious, but they both lead us back to that original sin: doubting God’s grace and love. They keep us trapped in the vicious cycle of sin and self-made righteousness.
"Freedom to Flourish" concludes on more than a note of hope: it’s a whole symphony. Despite our complete failure to image and imitate God as we should, God still offers us rest and purpose, in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In redemption, God paves a way for us to create, restore and rescue as we were intended to in the first place.
"We have been created with a purpose, a purpose that flowed out of God’s abundant love. And where sin damaged the image we bear, God promised to restore it. Where shame and comparison bound us, he has set us free. We were created in love, are called with a purpose, and have been freed to live as images of God." (p166)
March 9, 2021
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
Elizabeth Garn takes a deep dive into the first 3 chapters of Genesis and brings into focus how the events and thoughts expressed there have direct impact on the lives of Christian women today. She starts each chapter off with an anecdote from her life and these will be very relatable to any woman in the church today. I love how she takes some common mis-conceptions from these Biblical passages and shows how the actual meaning of them (using the Hebrew and also other passages with the same words) is very different from how they are commonly read today. Women are not just meant to follow after men and raise babies. We have our own purpose, and are image-bearers of God in our own right!
Elizabeth Garn takes a deep dive into the first 3 chapters of Genesis and brings into focus how the events and thoughts expressed there have direct impact on the lives of Christian women today. She starts each chapter off with an anecdote from her life and these will be very relatable to any woman in the church today. I love how she takes some common mis-conceptions from these Biblical passages and shows how the actual meaning of them (using the Hebrew and also other passages with the same words) is very different from how they are commonly read today. Women are not just meant to follow after men and raise babies. We have our own purpose, and are image-bearers of God in our own right!
March 8, 2022
What sets apart Freedom to Flourish is that Elizabeth makes being image bearers of God a primary focus of this work. The book is divided up into 2 main parts, and then further into 9 chapters. Elizabeth uses Genesis 1-3 as the backdrop for the discussion on image bearers.
Part 1: Being created as image bearers
Chapter 1: How God created us in his image out of an abundance of love, not because he needed us or for an ego boost. This is stated well on page 28:
Chapter 2: What it means to be made in the image of God. This was probably my favorite chapter because it was so theologically rich and gave me such an appreciation for what it means to be a child of God. Elizabeth has a very thorough definition of what it means to be an image bearer that’s basically a word study involving image and likeness. On pg 36, Elizabeth highlights image especially well:
Chapter 3: The Call to Create. In this chapter, Elizabeth shows how the call to be fruitful and multiply goes beyond having children and towards being a co-laborer for the gospel.
Chapter 4: The Call to Restore. Because we live in a fallen world, everything is broken. God invites us to be part of his restorative work by giving us dominion over the earth. Having dominion, then, is not about being exploitative rulers, but is rather a call to be faithful stewards.
Chapter 5: The Call to Rescue. Here, Elizabeth takes a look at what it means for us as women to be the ezer or helper. She also reminds us that Eve was not a back up plan or incidental and that God really did intend to make her with a valuable purpose.
Part 2: Being restored to God’s image
Chapter 6: The Promise He Made. At this point, there’s a shift to look more at the fall than at creation, which was more of the focus of Part 1. Elizabeth also takes the time to give a great gospel presentation in this chapter, culminating on page 109:
Chapter 7: The Snare of Comparison. This was another favorite for me and I’m sure we all relate to experiencing the dangers of comparison and how that can truly steal our joy. So here, Elizabeth encourages us to go from comparison to community and instead of focusing on our insecurities, focus on loving one another.
Chapter 8: The Shame that Binds. This was an absolutely excellent chapter that draws parallels between the shame Adam and Eve felt in the garden and the shame we experience every day. We all go through times where we feel unworthy. And there’s times where that shame can be justified because we sin every day. But we do not need to let that shame prevent us from coming to the Father. The way has already been paved for us to have restoration with him, we just need to pray. While reading this chapter, I was reminded of 1 John 1:9:
Chapter 9: The Freedom to Live. Here we finish where we began. With Freedom. Freedom to serve God, to come to him as a child comes to their father, to live as his image bearer, and serve one another.
Freedom to Flourish was very well researched and pointed to the gospel throughout every chapter. Elizabeth pulls out the nectar of each passage of scripture that she covers. She is a masterful storyteller and manages to make every chapter have a very relatably quirky element to it.
This book is great for those that are new to the faith and mature believers alike. I would say better for young adult women and older. There’s nothing that’s inappropriate for teenagers, I’m just not sure that many teenagers would appreciate it quite yet. All in all, this one gets a 5 out of 5 stars for me and I cannot recommend it enough.
Part 1: Being created as image bearers
Chapter 1: How God created us in his image out of an abundance of love, not because he needed us or for an ego boost. This is stated well on page 28:
God is perfectly satisfied in himself. So when God calls us into his presence and says, “Let us create man,” we can know with absolute certainty that it is not need that prompts his actions, it is want. He creates out of his own free will, motivated by his overflowing love. He didn’t need to create us, but he chose to; it wasn’t lack that prompted him, but abundance.
Chapter 2: What it means to be made in the image of God. This was probably my favorite chapter because it was so theologically rich and gave me such an appreciation for what it means to be a child of God. Elizabeth has a very thorough definition of what it means to be an image bearer that’s basically a word study involving image and likeness. On pg 36, Elizabeth highlights image especially well:
In the Bible, the word image is used to refer to a physical object crafted to look like and represent the original. “In our image,” then, communicates the idea that we resemble God in a very real, concrete, and visible way. God is the original and we were cut off, carved, in such a way as to mirror him. We see this idea again just a few chapters later when Adam has a son “in his own likeness, after his own image” (Gen 5:3).
Chapter 3: The Call to Create. In this chapter, Elizabeth shows how the call to be fruitful and multiply goes beyond having children and towards being a co-laborer for the gospel.
Chapter 4: The Call to Restore. Because we live in a fallen world, everything is broken. God invites us to be part of his restorative work by giving us dominion over the earth. Having dominion, then, is not about being exploitative rulers, but is rather a call to be faithful stewards.
Chapter 5: The Call to Rescue. Here, Elizabeth takes a look at what it means for us as women to be the ezer or helper. She also reminds us that Eve was not a back up plan or incidental and that God really did intend to make her with a valuable purpose.
Part 2: Being restored to God’s image
Chapter 6: The Promise He Made. At this point, there’s a shift to look more at the fall than at creation, which was more of the focus of Part 1. Elizabeth also takes the time to give a great gospel presentation in this chapter, culminating on page 109:
But when God issued the curse to Satan, he set in motion a plan to make all things new again. He promised that his one and only Son would come into the world and stand in his people’s place so that he could bring them home again. And we see that promise fulfilled in the New Testament. Christ came, fully God and fully man, to live the sinless life we couldn’t live and pay the price we couldn’t pay. Christ, the very fullness of the image of God, the second Adam, made it possible for us to be one with God again. Through his life, death, and resurrection, we can be restored as children of God. We call that redemption-- we have been redeemed, or brought back. Christ restores the relationship with God that was destroyed in the garden.
Chapter 7: The Snare of Comparison. This was another favorite for me and I’m sure we all relate to experiencing the dangers of comparison and how that can truly steal our joy. So here, Elizabeth encourages us to go from comparison to community and instead of focusing on our insecurities, focus on loving one another.
Chapter 8: The Shame that Binds. This was an absolutely excellent chapter that draws parallels between the shame Adam and Eve felt in the garden and the shame we experience every day. We all go through times where we feel unworthy. And there’s times where that shame can be justified because we sin every day. But we do not need to let that shame prevent us from coming to the Father. The way has already been paved for us to have restoration with him, we just need to pray. While reading this chapter, I was reminded of 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all our unrighteousness.
Chapter 9: The Freedom to Live. Here we finish where we began. With Freedom. Freedom to serve God, to come to him as a child comes to their father, to live as his image bearer, and serve one another.
Freedom to Flourish was very well researched and pointed to the gospel throughout every chapter. Elizabeth pulls out the nectar of each passage of scripture that she covers. She is a masterful storyteller and manages to make every chapter have a very relatably quirky element to it.
This book is great for those that are new to the faith and mature believers alike. I would say better for young adult women and older. There’s nothing that’s inappropriate for teenagers, I’m just not sure that many teenagers would appreciate it quite yet. All in all, this one gets a 5 out of 5 stars for me and I cannot recommend it enough.
March 11, 2022
So many books aimed at helping women "flourish" are built on fluff. They cater to the message that women don't want to dig deep into the theological "whys" and just want a list of things to DO. But Elizabeth's book aims for the woman's mind as well as her heart, anchoring our flourishing not in mastering some level of womanhood and/or productivity, but in recognizing the story told in the Scriptures—that we are made in God's image for a glorious purpose; that we are loved and redeemed in Christ and sanctified by his Spirit.
This book was refreshing in its theological insight into the first few chapters in Genesis (that are so often used as weapons against women), and in its practical wisdom and approachable language. It was balm for my soul and I'm buying a box to give to the women in my church.
This book was refreshing in its theological insight into the first few chapters in Genesis (that are so often used as weapons against women), and in its practical wisdom and approachable language. It was balm for my soul and I'm buying a box to give to the women in my church.
August 15, 2021
I found this book refreshing in its theological insight into our roles as women, made in the image of God. The freedom that Christ gives us to see our purpose and live in our differences is unique, hopeful, and joyful!
April 6, 2021
I don't often pick up Christian books with flowers on the cover. Why? Too many books are self-help with a bible verse attached - they were all about me and how to love myself more or be a better whatever. This is NOT one of those books.
This book is about Jesus, and the Gospel and all God has done for his children since the garden of Eden. It is about how he saw Eve in her shame and fear and loved her, rescued her, and provided for her. If life with God feels more like a confusing burden than joyful rest, you might be misunderstanding the Gospel, or the purpose you were made for. I did. For years. And these weird covid days brought to light some of the harmful effects of my beliefs. This isn’t a book that gives you lots of things to do to be better – it is a book that shows us what God in his great love for us has done, and is doing today. The Gospel - which was proclaimed even in the garden of Eden - is rest. This is the work we were made for - to bear God's image by bringing order to the chaos, filling the empty with good in our own unique vocation, and standing as protectors and keepers of justice.
If you read the Bible every day, and have a steady diet of Christian devotionals, sermons and books you might wonder why you should pick up another book about the early chapters of Genesis and what it means for our purpose as women. Quite simply because there is so much confusion and hurt when it comes to women's identities in the Church today. If you haven’t been wounded or confused, chances are someone you love has been. Elizabeth writes with deep compassion, beautiful personal relatable stories, and a deep theological understanding of both Genesis and the story of the Gospel told throughout all of scripture. The book is Gospel-soaked, Jesus glorifying, theologically rich, and well researched. Men in ministry will have a better understanding of the exhaustion and burden most Christian women face. Women will see themselves in the stories Elizabeth tells, and I believe set free from lies they believed about who they are and how God sees them. Reading this book, women will feel loved both by God but also by the author who without judgment just holds out the hope that she has found.
I had an opportunity to receive a review copy of this book which I jumped at the chance to read because I had been following the author for several years on Twitter and found her both brilliant and compassionate. I am so grateful I read this book. I think you will be too.
This book is about Jesus, and the Gospel and all God has done for his children since the garden of Eden. It is about how he saw Eve in her shame and fear and loved her, rescued her, and provided for her. If life with God feels more like a confusing burden than joyful rest, you might be misunderstanding the Gospel, or the purpose you were made for. I did. For years. And these weird covid days brought to light some of the harmful effects of my beliefs. This isn’t a book that gives you lots of things to do to be better – it is a book that shows us what God in his great love for us has done, and is doing today. The Gospel - which was proclaimed even in the garden of Eden - is rest. This is the work we were made for - to bear God's image by bringing order to the chaos, filling the empty with good in our own unique vocation, and standing as protectors and keepers of justice.
If you read the Bible every day, and have a steady diet of Christian devotionals, sermons and books you might wonder why you should pick up another book about the early chapters of Genesis and what it means for our purpose as women. Quite simply because there is so much confusion and hurt when it comes to women's identities in the Church today. If you haven’t been wounded or confused, chances are someone you love has been. Elizabeth writes with deep compassion, beautiful personal relatable stories, and a deep theological understanding of both Genesis and the story of the Gospel told throughout all of scripture. The book is Gospel-soaked, Jesus glorifying, theologically rich, and well researched. Men in ministry will have a better understanding of the exhaustion and burden most Christian women face. Women will see themselves in the stories Elizabeth tells, and I believe set free from lies they believed about who they are and how God sees them. Reading this book, women will feel loved both by God but also by the author who without judgment just holds out the hope that she has found.
I had an opportunity to receive a review copy of this book which I jumped at the chance to read because I had been following the author for several years on Twitter and found her both brilliant and compassionate. I am so grateful I read this book. I think you will be too.
February 26, 2021
I got to read it! I think I really like how Garn reads the creation mandate in its context to apply to all women instead of just the married-and-having-kids ones. That seems really important: if ever there was an instruction that should apply to everyone, that’s it! She affirms women as valuable image-bearers with meaningful, creative, non-scripted work to do. “Filling the earth” is not limited to having kids.
The creation mandate in Genesis, of course, was given to Adam and Eve together, so it’s applicable to men too, but this book is written specifically for the women’s side.
This book is part theology, part devotional, part contemporary Christian living. She peppered it with painfully relatable stories of a long-time churchgoer (I appear in this picture and I don’t like it) and walked us through Genesis 1-3. I think she’s going to settle into her writing voice with more books. I will say, some of the Christianese stressed me out and I sometimes felt like she was reading more into the account than was necessarily there, but I didn’t see any interpretations that were bonkers. I really liked her take on “ezer,” the word usually translated “helper.”
One of my favorite quotes was, “exhaustion is not a fruit of the Spirit.” True... and it should be obvious but isn’t... and I appreciated her saying it.
I read an ARC to provide a review, and the opinions are my own.
The creation mandate in Genesis, of course, was given to Adam and Eve together, so it’s applicable to men too, but this book is written specifically for the women’s side.
This book is part theology, part devotional, part contemporary Christian living. She peppered it with painfully relatable stories of a long-time churchgoer (I appear in this picture and I don’t like it) and walked us through Genesis 1-3. I think she’s going to settle into her writing voice with more books. I will say, some of the Christianese stressed me out and I sometimes felt like she was reading more into the account than was necessarily there, but I didn’t see any interpretations that were bonkers. I really liked her take on “ezer,” the word usually translated “helper.”
One of my favorite quotes was, “exhaustion is not a fruit of the Spirit.” True... and it should be obvious but isn’t... and I appreciated her saying it.
I read an ARC to provide a review, and the opinions are my own.
March 31, 2021
Elizabeth brings us into Genesis 1-3 and walks us through God's incredible love for not only Adam and Eve but His love for us!!
Genesis is clear that He created us in His Image, and Elizabeth reminds us of what that means in our lives today.
There are many "aha" moments throughout the book. For some readers, you may already know these truths, therefore, as you read, you can sit in the reminder of His love. For other readers, this may be the first time you are hearing these truths and God will use Elizabeth's words to draw you closer to Himself. Whichever kind of reader you are, I recommend this book!!
Elizabeth deals with comparison, shame, and whether we are worthy of God's love. Was God punishing Adam and Eve when He sent them from the garden or was He protecting them? And as a child of God created in His image, will my sin make Him love me less, and what do I have to do to make God love me more? (the answer is nothing, Christ took care of it all on the cross).
You will find much in this book that will draw you closer to Christ and allow you to live out your life as the Image Bearer God calls you!
This book is worth the read and worth sharing with others!!
**I was privileged to read an advance copy of this book and have given my honest review above**
Genesis is clear that He created us in His Image, and Elizabeth reminds us of what that means in our lives today.
There are many "aha" moments throughout the book. For some readers, you may already know these truths, therefore, as you read, you can sit in the reminder of His love. For other readers, this may be the first time you are hearing these truths and God will use Elizabeth's words to draw you closer to Himself. Whichever kind of reader you are, I recommend this book!!
Elizabeth deals with comparison, shame, and whether we are worthy of God's love. Was God punishing Adam and Eve when He sent them from the garden or was He protecting them? And as a child of God created in His image, will my sin make Him love me less, and what do I have to do to make God love me more? (the answer is nothing, Christ took care of it all on the cross).
You will find much in this book that will draw you closer to Christ and allow you to live out your life as the Image Bearer God calls you!
This book is worth the read and worth sharing with others!!
**I was privileged to read an advance copy of this book and have given my honest review above**
May 13, 2021
Freedom to Flourish is a delightful and helpful book about who we are in Christ and how that shapes our purpose. Elizabeth Garn does a beautiful job walking us through the first chapters of Genesis, helping us understand what it means to be made in God's image and how we can live and rest on the purpose He has given us.
Garn has positively changed the way I see Genesis and men's creation. After reading it, I have a better and deeper understand of God's love for me, his commands and my purpose as a person and Christian. I especially loved learning about what Genesis 1:28 and what God really means when he says "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (spoiler alert: it's not about babies - it's much more than that!)
If you are in doubt about getting/reading this book, do yourself a favor and just do it. It'll help you grow in Christ and rest in Him. What else can you ask for?
Garn has positively changed the way I see Genesis and men's creation. After reading it, I have a better and deeper understand of God's love for me, his commands and my purpose as a person and Christian. I especially loved learning about what Genesis 1:28 and what God really means when he says "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (spoiler alert: it's not about babies - it's much more than that!)
If you are in doubt about getting/reading this book, do yourself a favor and just do it. It'll help you grow in Christ and rest in Him. What else can you ask for?
May 21, 2021
Have you ever thought the only way you could fulfill God's purpose for you as a woman is to have a lot of babies?
Elizabeth Garn casts a wide and beautiful vision for what it means to walk as a child of God. She makes the case that our purpose is to bear God's image, and that's something we can do in myriad ways as we fill the earth and work for flourishing. She's like a wise older sister guiding you to a life that is free and whole! The book is filled with personal anecdotes and sharp scholarship alike. Garn focuses on the first 3 chapters of Genesis. I see those passages in a new light now, and a in a way that brings peace instead of shame. She explores the cultural mandate in the context of the creation narrative and shows that it is broader than we often imagine. I feel renewed and encouraged after reading this, and I've already bought several copies to give to friends.
Elizabeth Garn casts a wide and beautiful vision for what it means to walk as a child of God. She makes the case that our purpose is to bear God's image, and that's something we can do in myriad ways as we fill the earth and work for flourishing. She's like a wise older sister guiding you to a life that is free and whole! The book is filled with personal anecdotes and sharp scholarship alike. Garn focuses on the first 3 chapters of Genesis. I see those passages in a new light now, and a in a way that brings peace instead of shame. She explores the cultural mandate in the context of the creation narrative and shows that it is broader than we often imagine. I feel renewed and encouraged after reading this, and I've already bought several copies to give to friends.
March 31, 2021
I received an advance copy of Elizabeth’s book in exchange for my honest review.
This is one you will want to get your hands on next week when it’s available to purchase! Elizabeth reminds us that our value is not found in what we do. It’s found in the image we bear. As image bearers of God, our purpose is to point others to Him in all we do. Therefore it’s so important to draw near to God to make sure that what we are reflecting is what we were designed to reflect.
Another reminder she gives us is that God already loves us 100%. He loved us as much yesterday as He does today, which is the same He will love us next week. We have ALL of His love. What a comforting thought!
#FreedomToFlourish
This is one you will want to get your hands on next week when it’s available to purchase! Elizabeth reminds us that our value is not found in what we do. It’s found in the image we bear. As image bearers of God, our purpose is to point others to Him in all we do. Therefore it’s so important to draw near to God to make sure that what we are reflecting is what we were designed to reflect.
Another reminder she gives us is that God already loves us 100%. He loved us as much yesterday as He does today, which is the same He will love us next week. We have ALL of His love. What a comforting thought!
#FreedomToFlourish
March 31, 2021
There is very much a reason I needed to read this book as the Lord has been opening doors revealing himself through his word and through others especially through Elizabeth's book. I was truly blessed to get a chance to preview and read the whole book because now I want to lead a study walking others through the awareness and freedom that it's explained in this book. Elizabeth has a way of weaving and explaining scripture through personal experience and showing the readers the common misconceptions and interpretations of scripture that have been misunderstood for so long that have brought shame or left many in bondage because of lies. You definitely will want to read this but do it with friends so you can grow and flourish together.
March 31, 2021
I was so happy to read an advance copy of this book. Elizabeth patiently and thoroughly walks through what it means to truly be an image bearer of God and how that translates in fulfilling our individual callings. I so appreciated her conversational style and easily relatable prose. So many women would benefit from reading her book- I found myself stopping and re reading parts of each chapter as parts of scripture that I’d previously glossed over were really illuminated through Elizabeth’s insights.
March 31, 2021
I wasn't raised in the church and have spent most of my life outside of American culture. I truly believe I've gleaned most of my theology through reading the Bible as such, yet there are still so many misconceptions I have about my identity as a female in Christ. Freedom to Flourish really renewed my heart to live out the image of God, to really see people and fill this earth with his beauty and glory, and to imitate Him in all I do. This book was very relatable and fun to read, I'm looking forward to discussing it in my book club!
June 8, 2023
None of this was particularly new to me so I was kind of bored, but from talking to other women in the group that was reading with me, this was new material to them and was "freeing" as the title implies about the role or purpose of women. It helps correct some of the "lines" women get in conservative church circles. And it presents it in a restful way as, again, the title implies.
March 24, 2022
A surprise find in our LFL that makes me want to track down its original owner so we can chat all things Reformed theology, ha! In all seriousness, this was a great one to read slowly and walk through Genesis together.
July 4, 2021
Review to come. Encouragement to pursue our primary calling as image bearers.
April 6, 2022
An uplifting, thought-provoking book on our dignity as image bearers of God.
June 28, 2022
This book was like a light into my soul.
September 3, 2024
My initial reaction was another book talking about the first three chapters of Genesis...no, thank you. But it was actually really good. I saw things I didn't see before. Recommend.
March 13, 2021
I'm mad that this book needed to be written, but very grateful that, given that very real need, Elizabeth Garn has written it. She looks at the first few chapters of Genesis and closely examines what they actually say and what that means for us - for our purpose as image-bearers, in contrast with what so many women have been taught in church. I especially appreciated her repeated acknowledgement of the many ways that these chapters and the erroneous interpretations of them have been weaponized against single women and used to shame and belittle. Freedom to Flourish is a welcome and encouraging corrective.
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