Hi friends!
If you are signed up to receive my website and blog Email Updates, I’m truly honored to have you as one of my subscribers.
I value your time and realize your inbox is probably really full. So, it means a lot that you would invite me into your already crowded space and busy days :0).
For the next several weeks, I’ll be leading an online study of my book. Even if you aren’t part of the study, as a subscriber you will receive my blog posts. I’m praying God will speak to your heart in a special way by what is shared – even if you aren’t reading the book. He did that with so many last time!
I just wanted to let you know what to expect in the coming weeks – some of my upcoming posts may look familiar. But each week I’ll have a guest or two sharing their stories, and something new to keep it fresh and encouraging for you, too. I’d love to have you continue as a subscriber and journey with me closer to the heart of God during the next two months – and for many more that follow.
***
For April 1st Online Study Participants ONLY
This past week I sent a Confident Heart Online Bible and Book Study confirmation email to everyone who signed up for the study that starts tomorrow, April 1st. And if you are one of them, I have a few questions to make sure you get all communications:
Did you receive an email from [email protected] with my website banner at the top – like graphic above?
If YES – you ARE successfully signed up for my Online Study group list.
If NO – click here to sign up here and enter your email very carefully.
If you are reading THIS POST in an email – with my head shot only in the top corner – you are already an EMAIL SUBSCRIBER.
If you cannot say YES to both please take a minute to do these BOTH OF THESE things today:
- SIGN UP to Receive Website Email Updates here {enter your email very carefully}
- Sign up for my Online Study Email Updates here {enter your email very carefully}
- PLEASE ADD [email protected] and [email protected] to your email account as an approved sender. And please check spam these next few days to make sure you are receiving emails.
Important Reminder: If you are waiting on your book, you can read the Foreword and chapter One on Amazon by clicking “Look Inside” here.
_________________________
Got any questions before we get started? Are you excited, nervous, ready?? Just click “share your heart” below. I’ll be reading comments and answering questions this weekend as time allows. {If you are reading this via email, click here to return to my website to leave a comment or ask a questions.}
Discover more from Renee Swope
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
He’s led me beyond believing in Him to really believing Him by relying on the power of His words and living like they are true no matter what my feelings tell me. This is something that I feel strongly about. When I am in the Lord ‘s Word and fellowship I can remember that his truth transcends my reality. Your story resonates with me at the insecurity feeling of being rejected by peers. I remember struggling with being able to make friends and sometimes still do. I sometimes feel rejected and wonder Where I fit in. Afraid of being alone and I feel less than. I am always looking for God’s direction but sometimes my feelings or my prodigy defensive reactions get in the way.Staying in God’s Word helps me come back to the path I want to be on. I am still a work in progress:)
I bought this book and wanted to join this study because I have been doubting myself a lot lately. I have been 2 car accidents in the last year that shook me to the core. One of which I should have not walked away from. My husband was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago and although he is currently in remission, praise God!!, I lack the confidence to not be plagued everyday that it may come back…….I want to live in Christ’s freedom and not in constant fear. I want to live smack dab in the center of His will for me and at times fear steals that away.
I am on a journey to feel more confident about myself and not let others, who do know truly know me, take my confidence away. I can identify with the comment about wanting to change jobs but having a fear of the unknown. It is indeed scary but I am on a journey to let God direct my life and help me feel more confident about life decisions.
This is the book for me! I have had low confidence as long as I can remember. For as long as I can remember, if I thought I wouldn’t be able to do something, I refused to really try. I know I have missed out on many wonderful things God had planned for me b/c I hated the thought of failing. After being diagnosed with MS 7 1/2 years ago, my confidence levels dropped even more. I know that God will work through this study, and I’m looking foward to seeing what He has planned!
I am on a journey to rediscovering my first love. My confidence has been weak most of my life. In answering question one today, I found myself writing a page long answer. I am seeing how these answers color how I view the world. I had always been able to make sense of both my circumstance and God, neatly. Several years ago I went through an intense season of rejection and betrayal. I have had to wake up that my neat package of understanding could not account for these things and my very faith shook to its core. I am rebuilding now, with God in the lead. I refuse to rely on my understanding because well… So, I open this book and my heart to God and say, “Show me.” I know He is God and King of the whole creation, I want to KNOW He is God and King of me, too. This is my hope for this journey. That I may find my first love again.
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this study. I bought the book a while back and I cant wait
to get started with an on line study. God bless you for being an obedient servant to help all of
us who struggle with confidence.
It’s so encouraging to read everyone else’s thoughts and see where they are in their lives/walks with God because we can all relate to someone else’s journey from some point in our lives. I personally have a hard time sometimes discerning what God wants me to do. I want to do His will, and think I hear Him speaking to me, but then I doubt myself and wonder if THIS is really what God wants me to do or is it THAT–whatever the case may be. I often wish I would wake up with a big neon hanging in my room saying, “Do this” or no, “Do that”. Third Day’s song “Revelation” sometimes feels as if it is the theme song of my life. I think the thing that spoke to me the most this morning was the second sentence of Romans 12:2. The entire verse says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Also, 1 John 5:14 where it says ,”…if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us”, and Romans 10:17 “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” really seem to go together. It reminds me that if we are in God’s word ‘hearing’ Him, He will hear us when we pray and truly seek His will with all our heart. Thank you for encouraging us to not only be in God’s word, but to pray it, and reminding us that this will give us the confidence we seek when asking for clarification of His will in our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I have been praying for God to do just that – point some big arrows at what He wants me to do! I so want to hear God, but I don’t. I really understand where you’re coming from!
i’m scared too like you kristina, i feel the same way, want to be helped but will i do then what God wants me to do, what if i too scared or just don’t want to, that thought haunts me then any other.
I’m excited to do this study. I’m also a little nervous. I’be been feeling lost these days, as in I don’t know where God wants me or what I’m doing. Most days I feel like I don’t do much to contribute to the kingdom of God. I’m hoping to deepen my relationship with Him through this study and become a confident woman in Christ. Renee thank you for all the time spent in writing this book and doing this bible study. What a blessing you are to others.
Good to be part of this community, but I even doubted if I have anything to offer, I have struggled with self-doubt alot, growing up and even taking it into my marriage. But I the scripture that came to mind as I was writing this is Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. So there is hope in Jesus.
I am excited and nervous. My prayer is that I stay disciplined and stay on task. I have 3 pre-teen/teenagers and I often time let them, husband and other issues still my focus. And honestly sometimes just plain laziness. I have had this book for about 6 months and have not read it. I was thankful when I saw this online study and felt like it was divine timing. I have low self-esteem and I want to have better God based esteem. Thank Renee for following God’s heart!
Hi everyone,
I am praying for each of you! As I read what some of you wrote my heart broke for you.
I’ve never done an online study and have always wanted to try it, and this one seems like a good fit, plus I always love Renee’s devotions. Like everyone else here I’ve battled with various insecurities. I’m not sure what to expect with this, but I know it’s where I’m supposed to be.
I have had so much trouble with depression most of my life, that alone has brought so much negativity to my life, I know I might be sounding very negative, but I’m just trying to be honest here, to get off on the right foot. I know God has & can help me, I have a hard time believing it all the time.
I have such social anxiety, I don’t know if I can do this study! PLEASE pray for me! Anyone else feel that way?
Hey Vernice, I will pray for you! I have posted so little on line and not really interacted that much. But The Lord wants us to encourage one another and I will be praying for you, that you will be comfortable sharing, knowing that a lot of us find it just a little scary but still want the blessings we will get from being a part of Tis study! Look forward to hearing from you as we share in this study!
oh i have no trouble sharing on here, this is safe, i just have so much social anxiety, struggling so with that now, cause i’m afraid someone will find out i do and how insecure i really am, but thanks for praying for me, that makes me feel better already:-))
Vernice,
I know exactly how you feel. In fact, I was encouraged to write by reading your post, as I wasn’t sure what to say, and am very insecure with interacting. It’s scary, but the Lord will lead the way!
Me too
Hello everyone…I’ve never done a study like this and I’m so encouraged by all of your comments. I need to allow myself to be transformed by the truths of the Word, once and for all. I’m realizing that I put my confidence and self-worth in my job, in my ability to do things “perfectly”, in others’ approval, in how my husband feels about me, etc… and it’s all wrong! The word of God is truth and it doesn’t change, all of those other things do, so logically which one should I put my trust in? Duh! Why is it so hard?
God’s timing is always perfect! I can’t wait to do this study and read your book! Long story short, I had a lengthy illness that left me near death and never fully diagnosed,but I’m thankfully better after 4 yrs. The part about my illness that destroyed my confidence was that everything in my body quit working or wasn’t working very well. I needed a feeding tube at one point because my stomach stopped working, but no one knew why…they were unable to give me a feeding tube though because your stomach has to work at least better than mine was for it to help. It was one thing after another this way for over two years. As a result my illness left me totally wiped clean of confidence in almost anyone and everything. Over 70 specialists and everyone told me they couldn’t figure it out and they were sorry but they couldn’t help me. Not a”safe”way to feel. God has been so good to me to help me to find my way”back” to trusting Him again and is now working on helping me to find confidence in myself again. I’ve prayed asking Him to help me with finding confidence in myself that ONLY He can give and He’s lead me to your book and study Renee! I’m more than ready to get started! Thank you for sharing what God’s taught you to help your readers. God bless you!
I am really looking forward to this study as I have been going through a crisis in confidence being a new wife, stepmother and now newly pregnant. So many changes and challenges all at once.
One cannot experience this “rebirth” intellectually, it’s an experience beyond all comprehension for it comes from the Spirit….and an experience from the soul and from the heart. CS Lewis once said he biggest challenge as a Christian was trying to intellectualize his walk with the Lord, his christian experience. I was born in a Christian home, was born -again, was a good Christian, went to Church every Sunday but I still turned to material things, relationships, money, education, jobs to fill the void in my life that only Jesus can fill. It was when I face my fears and my weaknesses that encounter many trials and challenges that I came face to face with the Living God and Jesus revealed to me “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and those things will be added on to you”….God gives us confidence, it is not something we can do for ourselves, the Spirit guides us and show what to do if we allow him, but need to turn our will over to God and that for me has been the biggest challenge,” I’m self-sufficient”, and think I can do it all without His Help.
I too am so excited and a little scared of beginning this journey. When I began reading your book I felt as if you had lived my life. I have always sought approval and at the same time never thought that I was good enough so I have always settled. It has taken me an entire life to realize that I can have a personal life with God and I don’t have to be perfect.
I am looking forward to joining with this community as we move forward and encourage each other through our stories and prayers.
I am so excited to start with journey with all of you. I’ve had the book for about six months and read just the first couple of chapters wishing I had someone else that was doing the same so we could talk about it.
I have struggled with confidence and insecurity my whole life and am very excited about what God has in store.
I feel as if I am on one of my special “sisters’ retreats” with my 2 dear sisters … but now I’m with hundreds of new sisters! We all have so much in common, for which I am so grateful! I look forward to sharing together! Thank you, Renee, for making this possible and leading us!