Have you been comparing yourself?
Hi, I’m Shannon and I’ve been a Comparison Girl for as long as I can remember. Literally, my first memory at age four, is of feeling embarrassed because others saw that I could not read. Oh, the humiliation!
It seems silly now. Why was I so worried about being exposed as an illiterate preschooler? Yet some of my current struggles are just as absurd. Why do I worry about being exposed as a less-than-perfect mom? Or a middle-aged woman who struggles with her weight? Or a Christian who still sins?
My constant efforts to prove that I measure up (or hide when I don’t), aren’t bringing me freedom or joy. Here’s what does: Learning to compare like Jesus does. I hope you’ll join me for this six week study of “Lessons from Jesus on Me-Free Living in a Measure-Up World.”
Is this the first time we’ve met? Welcome! If you have more questions about me, come visit my “about me” page!
Do you compare yourself?
On social media, in the neighborhood, at church, or the school drop-off lane, do you drive yourself to prove that you measure up? Do you feel ashamed when you don’t? Measuring yourself against others isn’t healthy. And it isn’t God’s plan. In fact, the way of Jesus is completely upside down from this measure-up world. He invites us to follow him and be restored to freedom, confidence, and joy.
Join me, as I share what I’ve discovered about my own measure-up fears and get-ahead pride. In this six-week study, we’ll explore the conversations Jesus had and the stories he shared with people who—like us—were comparing themselves.
Let’s leave measure-up comparison behind and connect with those around us by choosing Jesus’s me-free way of living: lifting others up and pouring ourselves out!
Leader’s Kit
Now Available!
- 6 Teaching Sessions, which correlate with the chapters of the book
- DVD + digital downloads
- One Comparison Girl book
- One Journaling Workbook
- Leader Discussion Guide
Each session is about 18 – 25 minutes long. Dive deeper into what Jesus teaches about the difference between comparison in the world and comparison in the Kingdom.
Sign up for leader updates.
Journaling Workbook
The companion Comparison Girl Workbook offers:
- A place to record your responses to the Bible study and application questions at the end of each lesson.
- Thought-provoking stories and journal prompts, which correlate to each chapter’s theme.
- Space for taking video session notes, plus the printed verses and additional observation study and discussion questions.
- Extra prayers, quotes, and verses to encourage you on your journey.
- Available either as part of the Leader’s Kit, or as a separate purchase.
Get the Comparison Girl Bonuses:
Comparison Girl Screen Savers – there are 12 in all!
Turn your comparison struggles over to the Lord.
An illustrative drawing in Philippians 2:7-9.
All of these & more!
Comparison Girl Chapters & Quotes:
The servant. The one you look past. The one you don’t even think about. That’s the one Jesus calls great.
Which is pretty encouraging if you’re the one serving!
Listen to this interesting and freeing conversation with @kellyneedham on the Live Like It’s True podcast, in an episode titled, “Jesus’s Backward but Foolproof Way to Be Great.”
We’re celebrating Kelly’s new book #purposefooled - which is a MUST READ.(No lie - I just texted a friend this morning and told her she should get a copy.)
Also, we’re excited about my new teen version of #comparisongirl co-authored with @leenienhuis It’s starting to show up in people’s mailboxes and on store shelves! Is there a teen you love who needs to hear the truth about comparison?
NOW AVAILABLE!* Order now for a teen you love:
Comparison Girl for Teens: Thriving Beyond Measure in a World that Compares.
Go to www.comparisongirl.com for more info and to take our fun comparison quizzes!
#comparisongirl #comparisongirl4teens #livemefree #preorder #newbook
I dedicated this book to my sweet daughter. @lpopkin98
God is good all the time, but the teen years can feel not-so-good, amiright? Whether a girl is driving herself to measure-up exhaustion or retreating to the shadows, the pain, sadness, anxiety and stress is real.
Get the truth-saturated answers that both she and you need in “Comparison Girl for Teens: Thriving Beyond Measure in a World that Compares!
And guess what?? I heard that Amazon books are ON THE WAY! Have you ordered yours yet??
https://amzn.to/3uXrfUo for Amazon or check the link in my bio!
Wait. Jesus admits that in heaven there will be greater than and less than? And is he okay with us being motivated by this?
If your heart recoils to this idea, I get it. Comparison is so baked into our world and causes so much pain. But there is a way to compare that is so different than the world. Come learn what Jesus had to say when his disciples asked, “Who’s the greatest?” Hint: He didn’t say, “Stop comparing.”
Listen to this interesting and freeing conversation with Kelly Needham on the Live Like It’s True podcast, in an episode titled, “Jesus’s Backward but Foolproof Way to Be Great.”
We’re celebrating Kelly’s new book #purposefooled - which is a MUST READ. And also anticipating the launch of my new teen version of #comparisongirl. Coming soon!
Which of us is the greatest?
Jesus’s response to his disciples might surprise you, but it also might bring you comfort and peace.
There’s a foolproof way to be great in the kingdom of God, and it’s backward from the way of the world. Want to learn the secret?
Join me for a conversation with @kellyneedham on the Live Like It’s True Podcast, as we talk about Jesus’s illustration of a child to explain greatness.
Also, check out Kelly’s fabulous book, “Purpose-Fooled.” (Swipe left.) It’s one of those books you’ll want to buy five of because you’ll keep giving copies away.
I also talked about Jesus’s illustration with the child in my new co-authored teen book. Have you pre-ordered a copy of…
➡️ Comparison Girl for Teens ⬅️
www.comparisongirl.com for more! Listen to the episode, and grab a copy for your favorite teen!
Didn’t want to embarrass myself in the middle of the store, but how could I NOT do a little happy dance when I found this on a SHELF today???!
What a fun surprise!!! Thanks for being on the ball, @kregelparable ! Grandville shoppers—go beat the rush and get Comparison Girl for Teens: Thriving Beyond Measure in a World that Compares, co-authored with @leenienhuis —now AVAILABLE at Parable Christian in Grandville!
And if you’re not in Grandville, go pre-order today, because it’s releasing in two weeks!!! WOOO HOOO!
What a gift to play this song “highest hallelujah” as I walked and enjoyed the beautiful lakeshore at Palm Beach, Florida this week!
I got home from speaking at a retreat last Sunday evening, and Ken called and said, “Honey, this place is amazing! You should come.” So I packed a bag and got on a plane the next morning! #thingsineverdo !!
Such a special time with my husband. Thanks to Amway for letting me tag along! It could not have been a more beautiful week or a more restful break. Praise the Lord!!
PS Check out this beautiful worship song by my new friends at @moderndaycure !
What if Jesus could read your thoughts about other people’s sins? And what about your own sins? Do you have shameful secrets that seem too awful to even confess? In this episode, we’re going to consider a story Jesus told at a dinner party where someone was comparing sin. It’s a story that exposes our false narratives about sin, and invites us into a beautiful story of forgiveness.
Joining me for this fabulous conversation on the Live Like It’s True podcast is Tasha Calvert, who serves as the Women’s Minister at Prestonwood, in Texas. Tasha is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, and the host of the “Digging In with Tasha Calvert” weekly podcast.
Follow Tasha: @tistashcalvert
Visit www.ComparisonGirl.com for more info on my teen book (co-authored with @leenienhuis ) releasing soon!!
Refresh at @cranhillranch was amazing! I met so many women who had come solo—sensing that God wanted them to come away and hear from him. These women were eager to receive and it was such a honor to open God’s Word and remind them that surrender (not control) is God’s powerful way of changing each of us.
Refresh ladies, I’m praying for you as you return home. May you keep in step with the Spirit!
It was such and honor to share the platform with the talented and God exalting @moderndaycure from Nashville. Their new song #thenameisstillthename is still running through my mind and top of my Spotify playlists.
Nate, Justin, Nikki, Abiah, and the rest of the Cranhill crew—thank you for serving us well and making this retreat possible. Keep serving Jesus with your whole hearts.
#cranhill #chrefresh24
Happy 24th, Cole! We love you so much. So proud of you.
Hear the “bikini story” and the “pink rollers” story on the Live Like It’s True podcast AND in our new book: “Comparison Girl for Teens.” Releasing soon!
Listen to “When the Teen You Love is Stuck in the Comparison Trap” with Lee Nienhuis (my co-author) on your favorite podcast app. #comparisongirl4teens
Heather brought new meaning to “comparing photos” for me yesterday. When we released her episode on the Live Like It’s True podcast, my assistant Katie emailed her saying, “Your episode is live!” and “Here’s a graphic in case you’d like to share.”
But Heather wrote back asking if we could put a more recent photo of her up on this post (the top one). The one we pulled from the internet, she said, was taken over a decade ago, and in light of our conversation, she thought it might be hypocritical.
In the episode we discussed, “Jesus’s Warning About Your Obsession With Your Appearance” and talked about how Jesus didn’t just warn the Pharisees; he called out a stern, confrontational warning!
He said they were obsessed over what they looked like! And the question is: are we, too?
Do we try to cover over the effects of aging? Do we diet and stress and filter and crop—all in an attempt to fix the outside? And what is happening on the inside?
I love the way Heather is living her message (Jesus`s message) and refusing to cave in to comparison’s me-focused mindset, don`t you?
Honestly, I don’t see a lot of difference in these two photos, but what I see in her heart is beautiful! She is a woman who is listening to Jesus’s warnings about our obsession over appearances, while neglecting to tend to our hearts.
One of the things Heather said that I keep thinking about is the way we assume that someone who looks healthy and vibrant on the outside is actually heathy and vibrant on the inside. But actually it’s often the opposite that is true. Jesus called the Pharisees “white washed tombs!”
They looked pretty 🪞from the distance, but inches below the surface, they were filled with dead things.☠️
I hope this episode will offer you clarity, hope, and perspective—as it did for me.
Friend, warnings have been called out by Jesus! Warnings about comparison and mirrors and our external packaging. Will we listen?
Listen to our conversation on the Live Like It’s True podcast and check out Heather’s two brand new books, “Aging Gracefully” and “The 40 Day Body
Image Workbook: Hope for Christian Women Who’ve Tried Everything.”
It’s HERE!! So excited about this fun-filled truth-packed book! May thousands of girls find new confidence and freedom in its pages!
Have you pre-ordered a copy of Comparison Girl for Teens for your favorite teen?
Thanks to @kregelbooks and my co-author @leenienhuis for making this day possible.
“When is the teen book coming out?” I’ve been asked this a bunch of times, and I am SO excited to report that in > a month Comparison Girl for Teens will be here!
Wouldn’t have been possible without you, @leenienhuis . 😘🙌🏻
Will you pre-order a copy for a teen you love? #newbook #teenbook #weloveyou #wewroteabooktogether
Are you a Comparison Girl? Is there a teen you know who’s stuck in the comparison trap?
Check out our soon-to-launch book, Comparison Girl for Teens, and learn how to live ME-FREE!
Go to [www.comparisongirl.com](http://www.comparisongirl.com “”) for more info and to take our fun comparison quizzes!
Pre-order now for a teen you love.
\#comparisongirl #comparisongirl4teens #livemefree #preorder #newbook
So THIS happened today!!
So grateful for the opportunity to speak in chapel at @ourdailybread today. They had this fun surprise for me at the end! (Thank you @saraheditor1 and Dawn!😯🥰🥳)
Coming soon! You can pre-order now:
Shaped by God’s Promises is a 6 week Bible study published by @ourdailybread. Lessons from Sarah’s story in Genesis 12-21 on fear, faith, and God’s faithfulness to keep his promises. #shapedbygodspromises #godspromises #hesaiditibelieveit #(PROMISES)
It has been almost a year since Jill@found out about the affair, and there was no sign of change. But here’s what became her prayer: Grow ME. Change ME.
Joining me on the Live Like It’s True podcast, Jill Savage tells how God sustained her through a very difficult season.
When He Lies And Betrays: One Wife’s Story Of Redemption {Jill Savage}
@jillsavage.author #livelikeitstrue #biblepodcast
https://www.shannonpopkin.com/when-he-lies-story-redemption/
26! I loved celebrating your birthday, Linds.
1 - Lego flowers from your brothers
2 - driving by your new house (as of Wed.!)
3 - friends at church
4-5 - chillaxing at home
6 - out for Mexican
Love you so much, my favorite daughter! 😉So grateful for you. ❤️
She never expected what she saw on his phone that night. And no one expected the surprise ending to their story. Joining me on the Live Like It’s True podcast, Jill Savage tells her story of discovering her husband’s affair, and how God sustained her through a very difficult season.
When He Lies And Betrays: One Wife’s Story Of Redemption {Jill Savage}
@jillsavage.author #livelikeitstrue #biblepodcast
https://www.shannonpopkin.com/when-he-lies-story-redemption/
I 💯 agree. This is why I spend time and money on hosting the Live Like It’s True podcast. It’s because I believe the Bible is worth spending my life on! And in each episode I want to convince you that it only makes sense to live like the Story of the Bible is true.
Come join me on this adventure! Let’s be women who know the story, share the story, and live like it’s true.
