Di Warren and other speakers encouraged more than 3000 women against living a "decaf' Christianity, at Equip last Saturday.
The one-day conference was held at the Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour and explored themes arising from James 3:1 to 4:2.
The "decaf' concept illustrates what it means to live an uncompromised life devoted to God, says Equip committee member Ainsley Poulos.
"We were encouraged not to live skim milk or decaf Christian lives " we want to live for God, which is a really explicit challenge, particularly in James 4," she says.
"We can’t get away with decaf Christianity, where we have all the flavour without the substance."
Ainsley ran an elective on gossip, while Claire Smith and Lesley Ramsay spoke on how to talk to friends about complex issues in the public domain, and how to live differently from the world as a Christian mother.
Women also heard from Libby Leach, who serves with CMS in Paris, and raised $9000 for an ultrasound machine for a clinic in Korogocho, Kenya.
Bernie Sarpong, 27, says she found the talks were a helpful reminder of the potential impact that living differently as a Christian woman can have on the world.
"Often we're afraid of talking to friends because we don't want to be different, but we're called to be different," she says.
"Differences are good and we can have full confidence in the word of God to answer people's questions."
She says the talks also reminded her of God's power over any struggles or temptations she might face.
"Although the tongue can be a powerful and destructive organ, used to praise God and curse people, as Christians we are to strive to let God's spirit guide us to control it."
Ainsley recalls the conference worked through 2 Corinthians over the first six years, and started on James in 2005.
"We want to equip women for every good work," says Ainsley. "The goal of Equip is really to have a forum for women to hear and teach exegetical Bible teaching and help to lift people's sights as to how they can minister to each other, at church, and around the world."
Equip began in 1999 as a teaching day for 135 women from seven churches. This year, there were over 3,000 women from different age groups and denominations.
"God's been really kind - Equip has been growing every year," says Ainsley.
This year, the conference added resources such as Auslan translators to cater for women with visual and hearing impairments.
This is the second year Equip has been run in daylight and twilight sessions.
"Having the daylight/twilight sessions gives us the capacity to continue to grow - and it's great having the choice of going in the morning or afternoon," Ainsley says.
