Passionate - Transparent Approachable - Anointed

That’s what people say about CJ Rapp ... 
Bible teacher, speaker, and author. 
She connects with her audiences. It’s a heart thing.

"With a touch of southern charm and a passion to go beyond the superficial reading of Scripture, CJ Rapp brings it!" ~ Erin Kerr, Lake Forest, CA

"CJ Rapp has a profound gift of creating an atmosphere where the Spirit of God can move. She has amazing life stories that fit into whatever topic she is speaking on. She brings transparency, openness and humor to the platform which allows each woman to receive God's unique word for them." ~ Cindy Andrews, Mission Viejo, CA 

"CJ's love for Jesus was a safe place and her transparent sharing helped us get a glimpse of God whose Word is Living and active." ~ Sarah Corey, Pacific Palisades, CA

Armed with a mission to encourage, equip, and empower women to be all they can be in Christ, CJ Rapp steps up to take on the issues women face, tenderly sharing God’s truth from His love letter, the Bible. Her passion for God’s Word is matched by her desire to see lives transformed by its truth—to know who we are in His sight and how He wants us to live in this mixed up world.

Once a young woman suffering from low self-esteem and the consequences of poor choices, CJ has experienced first-hand God’s power to change lives. Her life revolved around the pursuit of shallow cultural values: acceptance, beauty, and career. But all they gave her was emptiness. Finally at the end of her own resources, gave her life to Christ, and found a new beginning. Gradually, gently, God began to transform her heart, thinking, attitude, and actions. In time, her low self-esteem was exchanged for a rock solid identity in Christ. Encouraged by her husband John, and sons Dillon and Austin she answered God’s call and began ministering to women.

God is now using CJ’s past experiences to connect her heart with the hearts of women across the nation.

Today, CJ understands the power that words and cultural messages have on a woman’s sense of worth. She knows the power of poor choices to keep a woman from believing God will use her. She comprehends a woman’s need for significance in a world that marginalizes her contributions to society. She is tireless is her quest to encourage women to live the abundant, Spirit filled, surrendered life.

In addition to speaking to women conventions, conferences, retreats, and special events across the country, CJ teaches a Bible study class at her home church Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA.

Also see: Trash the Lies Conferences

We have all heard the childhood rhyme that ends with the declaration..."Words will never hurt me!" But words can be used as weapons causing emotional pain instead of physical pain. When left untreated, the wounds from others' careless and hurtful words can poison our thoughts, motions, and actions eventually leaving scars that can last a lifetime. We can find healing and we can be set free from the stumbling blocks caused by others words. Jesus came to, "bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners ..." (Isaiah 61:1) In Him there is healing, hope, and forgiveness.

How do you handle fear? Do you turn and run or do you trust God and step out to face your face? Take courage because God will deliver you. Like David we must learn to pick up our sling and our stones and face our fear in God's strength. Draw strength and confidence to face your fear from the timeless tale of David and Goliath.

Loved, accepted, valued, confident; these are characteristics that define a woman’s rock solid identity in Christ. But we live in a culture that threatens to rob women of their God-given spiritual identity. Negative messages about personal worth and value bombard us throughout our lives. They attack the way we think, threatening to rob us of both our life purpose and our identity in Christ. Ultimately, the lies influence who and what we become. Our only hope is to combat the lies with the truth found in the Bible. In His Word, God teaches us who He is, who we are in His sight, and how He wants us to live. The principles offered in I AM Says, "You Are…" will set women free to become all God created them to be as they practice what they learn in the Bible.

To be cherished means to be held dear. God cherishes his women. Jesus clearly cared deeply for the women he ministered to crossing cultural and social boundaries to touch them, heal them, teach them and ultimately give them a purpose in his kingdom. In this retreat we will examine the lives of four women whose lives were forever changed by their encounters with Christ. Their lives demonstrate how we too, are cherished.

Tossed, tumbled and still trusting! We live in uncertain times when people everywhere are facing difficult circumstances and yet James tells us to consider it pure joy when we encounter trials! Why? Because through the midst of our circumstances God calls to us beckoning us to draw closer and hold on tighter; to walk by faith through life’s ups and downs and not by sight. His ultimate goal is to have an intimate, trust filled, vibrant relationship with you. In the midst of our difficulties do we press in closer or do we pull back? Based on timeless principals from the book of Ruth, U.R.O.C. will encourage you as you withstand, are refined by, and overcome the trails and troubles of life.

1 Peter 2:5 says you and I like living stones are “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” In other words we are a work in progress. God’s building plan for our lives is far more than we can imagine. As the Master Builder, He begins by laying a solid foundation of faith that will withstand the strongest storms that blow through our lives. He then frames our hearts and minds with His truth, remodeling our character to be more Christ-like. The end result of being built up in Him is that we become a reflection of His glory and a light in this dark world.