Conference Speaking
Our purpose-no matter what the Speaking Topic-is to share the love, grace and truth of Jesus Christ which transforms lives! We, at Transformed By Grace, serve as Ambassadors of Christ to make known the hope and power of Jesus that offers freedom and fullness to our lives mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally and spiritually.
Currently, Transformed By Grace has a team of three conference speakers who minister with a deep repertoire of talks and titles in a wide variety of venues-locally, nationally and internationally.
The diversity of audiences has taken us from Women’s Events to full Church Events-for Leadership and Laity; from Sunday Worship Services to Community Outreach Programs; from Youth and University Groups to Marriage and Parenting Groups; from Private Homes to National Radio Broadcasts (Poland); from Counselor Training Seminars and Victim-Survivor Support Groups to Prisoner-Perpetrator Rehabilitation Ministries.
TOPICS-TALKS-TITLES-by Sylane Mack, Lydia Austin and Rachel Mack:
As you review the Speaking Topics-Please Know that we are happy to develop other presentations to meet your organization’s specific focus and theme.
SYLANE MACK-President, Principal Speaker, Lead Counselor (check out Sylane’s formal bio)
Sylane’s personal life story, deeply infused with Scripture, is the most requested topic of all. It is the powerful, life-intervening, love story of God who took Sylane from being a victim crippled by the horrendous emotional, physical and sexual abuse of her childhood to truly being transformed by grace, freed by forgiveness and filled with a passionate love for God and people. This has been shared under a variety of titles, based on the focus of the inviting organization. Most often it is presented as More Than Conquerors or The New View -you may listen to, or order a CD of, this particular talk on-line in the Media section of our website
What God has done in Sylane’s life, and desires to do in each life, is the very foundational core and call for the ministry of Transformed By Grace.
Harvest of Hearts-a four session teaching presented as a Full-Weekend Retreat (it has been done as a One Day Retreat-Whew!). With God’s Word and Spirit as the source of all truth, power and transformation, Sylane shares personal experiences which reveal God’s unfailing love and faithful desire to make that transformation a reality in each person’s life.
The theme verse: Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.-Psalm 37:4-teaches that as we are soft and pliable in the LORD’s hands our desires and His become more and more the same. God is, then, able to more freely fulfill His great purpose for us: …to be conformed to the likeness of God’s Son…Romans 8:29.
Session 1-Healer of Hearts-God is the God who binds up the broken-hearted, sets the captives free, releases the prisoners and heals and transforms them to be oaks of righteousness-Isaiah 61:1-3
Sessions 2 and 3-Holder of Hearts (Parts 1 and 2)-In maturing us, God requires us to let Him hold us and shape us…and even more intimately, each person is to invite God in to search my heart-Psalm 139: 23-24. Here, the Spiritual Dwarfs are introduced-and ways to kill them!
Session 4-Harvest of Hearts-God reaches out to us to save and transform us…to harvest our hearts. But that’s not God’s end point for our lives. God gives us the great life purpose and call to be Christ’s ambassadors-2 Corinthians 5:20-so that we may work along-side Jesus, with love and courage, to bring in a harvest of hearts for our Lord’s eternal kingdom.
Available on DVD from the Media section of our website.
Portions of this teaching material may be given as one session presentations under such titles as: Bruised Reeds-Oaks of Righteousness; Meet the Seven Spiritual Dwarfs; Growth and Freedom in Jesus; Ambassadors of Christ-There’s No Plan B
It Is For Freedom!-a four session teaching presented as a Full-Weekend Retreat. Sylane teaches the truth that our dependence on-being captured by-God, and God’s love, actually frees us to live in the freedom Christ has provided, stand in our faith and express that faith by God’s flow of love through us! Throughout the four sessions entitled:
Session 1-The Purpose of Freedom
Session 2-The Power of Freedom
Session 3-The Perspective of Freedom
Session 4-The Passion of Freedom
Along with many other Scripture passages, personal stories and insights, this presentation returns us consistently to embrace God’s truth found in its two theme verses: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery-Galatians 5:1; The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love-Galatians 5:6B
Available on DVD from the Media section of our website.
The Kingdom of God is Here!-a two session presentation intended to grow God’s people deeply in the knowledge of what it really means to live in the Kingdom of God-right now, right where we are-no matter what the circumstances of our lives are. Living in God’s Kingdom is about daily recognizing the loving sacrifice of Jesus and the unlimited power available to us through the knowledge of God’s Word and the leading of God’s Spirit. The theme Scripture verse reminds us that, if we are in Christ, we are not to live in the shadow-lands any longer- For God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins-Colossians 1:13-14
Living in God’s Kingdom is about accepting the incredible truth that we lack for nothing-when it comes to growing to be more like Jesus: God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness-2 Peter 1:3
Living in God’s Kingdom is about living under the Rule of God’s Love-it is not based on our religious practices but on our relationship with King Jesus.
Servants of God: The Job, The Junk and The Joy-a three session teaching created originally for those in Christian leadership positions-both Clergy and Laity. Through sharing life-lessons, and complete dependence on God’s Word and Spirit, these teachings are intended to re-focus God’s people on their call to be God’s love-filled, truth-guided servants; refine God’s people to look, think and act more like Jesus; and to re-new and re-claim the joy God offers to each of His people-to each of His servants.
Session 1–Servants of God: The Job-As servants of God we are called to be Ambassadors of Christ who have been entrusted with the JOB: the ministry and message of reconciliation.
Session 2–Servants of God: The Junk-In order to fulfill our ministry of reconciliation we, as God’s servants, must get rid of the JUNK in our lives…we are to put off the old self and put on the new self.
Session 3– Servants of God: The Joy-As we faithfully obey God’s call to be Ambassadors of Christ, ministers of reconciliation, we are filled with the JOY of our LORD!
ALL You Need Is Love!-a three session presentation, first given as a Youth Retreat-it is appropriate for any age or gender group from Jr. High through College-and on to retirement! The Beatles had no idea what truth they sang in their famous refrain: All you need is love!
It is God-who is LOVE-that fulfills our every need. God gives Himself to us in the fullness of His love so that we may live as more than conquerors; God forgives us and empowers us to forgive others. God reveals what a true friend is, and how we are to be one-starting right with our families. These truths are wrapped in God’s Word and intertwined with Sylane’s personal stories. The theme verse encourages and challenges us to know the intimate, unfailing power of God’s love: …in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.-Romans 8:37-39
Session 1-Convinced of Love
Session 2-God and Me…and My Enemies
Session 3-God and Me…My Friends and Family
What’s Love Got To Do With It?-a two session presentation on Marriage and the true meaning of a love relationship that is intended to last-growing stronger and more intimate-over a life time! Sylane is deeply passionate about marriage, and shares how choosing to live in God’s beautiful design for marriage brings the couple-and each individual-great joy, satisfaction, comfort, strength and love.
Session 1-The Passion and the Plan-Marriage is a special, unique, intimate relationship between one man and one woman-that brings them together emotionally, sexually and spiritually. Scripture shows us that marriage is God’s idea! And it’s a good one! God’s passion and plan is to have husband and wife truly be one-to live together, enjoy one another and share their lives together, to serve God together in the world God created.
Session 2-The Power and the Path-Develops the understanding that the joining of two lives in an intimate marriage relationship is truly much more than just what the two individuals bring to the marriage. This intimate oneness actually becomes a third creation, a third entity-just like a baby-that needs constant love, active and intentional care.
Jesus said WHAT? -Love Your Enemies!-A one session presentation originally created to go along with a whole series entitled: Jesus said What? that focus on some of the hard, yet life-transforming truths Jesus taught. This particular teaching is based on: …I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you-Matthew 5:44.
O Holy Night!-A special presentation for the CHRISTMAS season. This teaching follows each line from the first verse of the song by the same name. The focus is on God’s loving and true purpose for the birth of Jesus into our world: To die for the sins of the world, and give us the hope and promise of life with Emanuel. In the midst of all our seasonal rushing around, Sylane encourages us to STOP-Sense the Touch of Omnipotent Peace that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, offers us all.
Available on CD from the Media section of the TBG website.
Counselor Training-a variety of programs have been developed for several unique counseling groups based on their interests and requests. Training presentations have been provided for professional therapists, lay-ministers (e.g. Stephen Ministry Care Providers), camp counselors working with both the general population and, specifically, with abused and neglected children.
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LYDIA AUSTIN-Founding Member of TBG’s Board of Directors, Conference Speaker (check out Lydia’s formal bio)
Transforming Grace - Transforming Freedom-created as a Five Session, Full-Weekend Retreat-. However, each session can stand on its own, shortened, lengthened or combined with other sessions as necessary. Various Scripture passages are shared, and expounded on, throughout each of these grace and freedom filled sessions.
Session 1-Taste and See That the Lord is Good-Psalm 34:8-Dives right into God’s Word, and stays there as the foundation for all of five sessions.
Lydia, a true choc-aholic, compares a chocolate craving to craving God’s Holy Word. We should never be satisfied, but always crave more.
Session 2-Help Me Lord! My Ducks are Gone!-Lydia shares more of a personal testimony here, and tells what a mess she had made of her life by taking control. Through accepting Christ, she recognized all the areas she needed to allow God to help her clean out. –He must become greater, I must become less-John 3:30
Session 3-Choose Life!-Here Lydia reviews a few of those hard to clean areas: guilt, unforgiveness, pride and judgment. What freedom and life as we allow Christ alongside to make us more than conquerors! Transforming power.–I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. NOW CHOOSE LIFE!-Deuteronomy 30:19; …in all these things we are MORE THAN conquerors through Him who loved us-Romans 8:37
Session 4-Quacking in Harmony-Challenges all to let go and let God take control. It’s ok to have your ducks out of that perfect row…it’s ok even if you don’t even see any ducks in your pond because God knows where they are! And God is taking care of them!–Set you minds and keep them set on what is above, not on things that are on earth-Colossians 3:2;–Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says-James 1:22
Session 5-Rejoice and Be Thankful-JOY! Choose joy. That glass is not only half full but God wants us to see it over flowing! Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus-1 Thess. 5:16 -18
Available on DVD from the Media section of the TBG website.
Joy to the World!- A special presentation for the CHRISTMAS season. Currently, this talk is very outreach oriented and addresses the Joy Stealers of the season.
Enjoying Everyday Life-The Day to Day Journey-Lydia developed this presentation for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). The focus is on how women can break the monotony of the daily demands, and necessary routines, that are inherent for moms of young children. Renewal of life-transforming attitudes-Thankfulness and Joy-are key weapons for breaking the monotony.
JOY - Jesus Over Yourself - A great tangible and spiritual application presentation. Lydia uses the idea of JOY (Jesus Over Yourself) in your life with the analogy of the three layers of a tea sandwich: The bread -Notice the Blesser. The yummy (sometimes surprise-ing) middle -Notice the Blessing, The bread - Thank the Blesser.
“JUST DO IT”!! - Based on James 1:22 -“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Lydia calls us to take it up a notch, challenging yourself in your faith walk…or your faith triathlon!!
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RACHEL MACK-Conference Speaker (check out Rachel’s formal bio)
Each of the TALKS-TOPICS below, developed by Rachel, may be given as a one session talk, or may be easily combined with any of her other presentations.
Four Days Late - Using John 11, the story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, woven together with her personal story, Rachel will share three responses that we should have when our loved-one is in a trial. Praying, remembering God’s attributes and praising God for who He is, what He did in the past and what He will do in the future, allows us to see our loved-one’s trial from God’s perspective. This can be 1 or 2 sessions.
Bad Hair Days, Bloating, Bathing Suit Shopping and Other Things that Affect my Attitude - Through humor, Rachel focuses on three things that affect her attitude: envy, selfishness and anxiety. With the help of some bag worms, she discusses and gives specific examples of how prayer, memorizing scripture and worship can help change our attitude.
Fear Not - This is a Christmas message based on Luke 1 & 2. In three distinct situations, God (through His messenger, Gabriel) tells Zacharias, Mary and the shepherds not to fear and why. Rachel discusses and explores the three reasons they were told not to fear: God hears our prayers, God has given us enough grace for the situation we are in, and God has given us a message that will bring great joy to others.
Emmanuel: God With Us - This is a Christmas or Mother’s Day message based on John 14:20. With hilarious, unforgettable visuals, Rachel parallels the Christian life to pregnancy (yes, the cravings, swollen ankles, mood swings and everything in between). As a person grows in their Christian life, it should become more and more obvious to those around us that Jesus lives in us.
Choosing to Stay Married - The miraculous story of Rachel and Jim’s dating and engagement sets the stage for a truly life-changing lesson. Rachel never doubted that Jim was the man she was created to marry until a couple of months after his stroke. The doubts assailed her like torrents of rain. Through this, God teaches us (with the help of Mrs. Noah) that commitment does not require feelings.
