Happy Monday! It’s day 2 in the first week of our Online Study and I”m so glad you are here!
Here’s today’s message: Please click the arrow below to watch it. I share how we can make sure our lives are BLESSED and not cursed as well as some share things God’s laid on my heart for us. I also announce our key word and verse for the week!
After viewing it, be sure to read below. I’ve got an assignment and answers to many of the questions you all have sent in about the study :-).
[If you’re reading this via email, CLICK HERE to find the video on my website.]
Todays’ Assignment:
Download our Word for the Week: BLESSED (double click the word) to download your FREE printable promise and word for the week, as many times as you want. Stick it everywhere and live like it’s true, girl, cause God wants this for you!
Please read Jeremiah 17:5-8. As you read it, ask God to show You His truth in this passage as it applies to your life – and how it relates to Chapter One where I listed the lies “doubt” whispers or shouts from the sidelines. They really are curses aren’t they?
Journal your thoughts in your notebook and ask God to help you notice this week when you’re tempted to put your hope and find your confidence in the wrong things and people. Then ask Him to help you turn to Him each time for confidence and security that comes from His approval, acceptance and unconditional love.
Don’t Get Overwhelmed if you haven’t read Chapter One yet. I want you to do that first, then watch the video. If you have time answer today’s question. The rest of the week we we’ll be getting to know one another, reviewing the chapter, answering questions at the end of the chapter and discussing them here.
Connect in Community: If you feel comfortable, I’d love for you to be part of the community we’re building here! I want to pray for you. I want to hear from you. Seriously, your thoughts matter to me!! When you have time, share them and read others’. Feel free to stop back by any time. Click “share your thoughts” below this post to be part of today’s conversation.
How Our Online Study Will Work (since I know it might be confusing)
My blog/website will be the “living room” of our online study. We’ll meet here to read my posts, watch videos, find out our assignments and download free resources for the week. The primary place to share our thoughts, prayers and questions will be in the comments section under each post.
As time allows for those who want to, we’ll linger “in the foyer” on Facebook and Twitter. Some will and some won’t. It’s totally up to you! I’ll be there at least a little bit almost every day. BUT the most important gathering place will be right here on my blog.
How will you know when it’s time to connect here? I’ll notify you four different ways.
I’ll Facebook and Tweet it. I’ll send you a note through the Online Study list and include a link back to the post. And, if you’re signed up for Email Website Updates, you’ll receive the whole post in an email that day too. But you’ll need to click on a link to come back to my website to watch videos, download extras or comment and connect.
Remember this is a journey and we’re just getting started. Give yourself time to read today’s assignment and yesterday’s, memorize this week’s verse, pray it out loud and let God love on you! Click “Share Your Thoughts” to do just that!
{Remember, if you’re reading this via email, CLICK HERE to find the video and leave your comments on my website.}
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I am looking forward to this study and getting to meet with everyone on line. Have a blessed week everyone!
Kat
After reading Jeremiah 17:5-8, I realized that I am not trusting the Lord in all areas of my life. I am trusting him without doubt in areas of my career. I have learned to wait on the Lord because he has blessed me so much in my career. However, I have created curses in other areas because I have not waited on him. Thanks for starting me out on this journey I can feel that I will be broken of the some curses in my life.
My husband and I are separated, and over the last few months, God is revealing things to me. Namely, that my relationship with my husband had become more important than my relationship with Him. When we place our security in someone other than God, they will always disappoint us. It’s also a very heavy burden to place on someone.
I became a part of this study because I want to be different. I want to learn HOW to “make the Lord my hope and confidence”.
I’m in the same place Jennifer. I need to get my confidence back and also set a good example for my teenage daughter.
The book title along was my revelation. I immediately knew this is we’re God needed me to be. God spoke the word confidence to me in December 2011. I always took the back seat to everything and viewed this as being meek. God told me different and I knew this is the area I needed to work on but just did not know when or how to start. Thank God for Renee and her obedience to write such an awesome book. Chapter one has already opened my eyes and the focus scripture jere 17: 7 is truly a blessing. The word for the week and the scripture go hand in hand. We are receiving a blessing from the promise of God’s word.
(Added this to FB page also) I can so relate to the Woman at the Well (‘Sam’)…the shame of my brokeness and the fear with it to express myself to others……from pg #43 “The only way that we will have a confident heart is if we move beyond knowing about God to knowing and relying on Him-to depending on His word with our whole heart, mind and soul.” For me, this has always been hard to “internalize” it, to live it.
I am looking forward to this study so I don’t have to live in fear anymore on what others may think about me, etc
I read today’s reading in the amplified version also, and in Jeremiah 17:8, it read “…and it shall not see and fear when heat comes…” This goes to what you were saying about the shadow. If our trust and hope and confidence are in the Lord, we don’t see the negative because our eyes are on Him. And because He is worthy of our trust, our lives will be “green” and “fruitful” when we place our trust in Him.
I like that!
Karen C.
Hi, I am really looking forward to this study. I need some technical assistance though. I have tried several times over the last year to download free printables from Renee’s blog, etc, but for some reason I can’t get the downloads. So when I clicked onto the word “Blessing” today the usualy happened. Windows tries to open it but then stops the process. Subsequently, I can’t get the info.
I am able to get other downloads from other sites, but I have never been able to access the resources from Renee’s site. Can anyone offer me some advice?
I’m not very techy either, but you could try right clicking it and put save link or save target as. That’s how I have to do it on my old computer or it never comes up. Try and see, if that doesn’t work maybe someone else can lend some advice.
Blessings,
Hello Renee and ladies!
This will be my second time going through A Confident Heart book and online Bible study. I was tremendously blessed the first time around. Certain truths and statements in the book totally transformed my thinking which elevated me to higher level of confidence and security in Christ. I can promise you that if you take the message of this book as not merely head knowledge but Christ’s Words personally to you, and allow it to deliver you, heal you, restore you, capture you, empower you, and transform you, it will do it. When we act on Christ’s promises-living as if they are true, God supplies the fact. He makes it a reality in our experience. Just wanted to encourage every one to not give up. It will be well worth it to complete the study. God bless.
Karen C
hey, I just got my email, i guess it was just running late! Thanks again
I definitely want to be blessed and not cursed! I want to have the confidence that the verse in Jeremiah said about not worrying even in a drought and knowing I’ll still produce fruit! That is the blessing I want by placing my faith and confidence in God alone.
I didn’t get an email yet, but just checked in and soon as my internet finally came available. Praise God for the blessing!
hi, i have read the book ,too impatient to wait for it to start ! i`m now going to re-read it properly.
felt a bit over-whelmed when i got two sessions today ,but i have decided to print them off and then study them later in a quiet place away from computer which has too many distractions for me.
We are truely blessed to have this technology to all study and share together . I work nights and have difficulty connecting with a church group right now, so this group is wonderful. I am an empy nestor, enjoying my free time but searching for the new direction god has for me. I love the the thought of actually “turning” into His light and away from my doubt. Thanks
I am very excited to walk through this course with all you ladies. I posted before that I have issues speaking to other people, being in crowds, self confidence, etc. I re-read chapter 1 and listened to Renee’s video again this morning. I noticed I have been seeking approval of myself in other people. I should be seeking the approval in other place… Christ. I felt like a weight was lifted from me when I realized what I have been doing. I am trying to please everyone else but myself and the Lord. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I feel confident with His help and the support of everyone in this study group, we can achieve what we are looking for. Blessings to you and yours.
When I attempt to listen to the video, I am told there is an error and to try again later. Anyone else having this problem? Thank you!
It encouraged me so much when you confirmed that this can feel overwhelming. As I read through the chapter, my mind began to pummel me with thoughts of, “this is just one more thing to do”, and, “how will I do this too?”. But I paused… I remembered that “all things are possible for ‘her’ who beleives and I truly believe He is drawing me to walk a leg of my journey out while doing this study. Thank you so much, Renee!
It’s hard for me to trust. and believe God has a plan for me anymore. I have had no confidence in hope and future for such a long time. I’ve felt my life is over for so long. It’s just been one dream dashed after another and I have no dreams left and I feel why bother with dreams and hopes. I’ve been looking for an online Bible study like this one for months and there is nothing much on the web at all that I could find. I get the Proverbs 31 emails and read about this one and signed up right away. Even though I have some special friends and church family that support me, I’ve been sinking and sinking further down. I listen to negative thoughts and they really get me further down and I’ve no idea how to get back up without the trust and confidence and knowing God has plans for my future and a hope. I am praying this study will really bring the help that I need so badly. The whole first chapter was great because it gave me some encouragment and hope so badly needed right now. The verse about not throwing your confidence away spoke to me because I didn’t realize that is what I was doing. until now.
Dear Sherree,
My heart goes out to you. I have no idea what your life has been up till now, or the hardships that you have faced to bring you to your lack of trus and confidence that God has a good plan for you, but please know that HE DOES! He loves you more than you could imagine. I believe that is why you are still here. He does have a plan for you, a good plan for a good future and a hope. You need to get to the place where you BELIEVE HIM when HE speaks. All throughout the Bible, He’s been faithful to His people and He’s still faithful to us today. 🙂
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
It’s unfortunate that we have to go through things in this world, but that’s all part of our testimony. We are all here for a purpose and a reason and it’s our job to seek Him to find out what He wants us to do while we are here.
Be Blessed.
Love,
Michelle
This is my first on line study. I am very excited to begin getting to know all of you ladies as this journey begins. This is the sort of study that I really need right now. I have suffered with Generalized Anxiety Disorder/PTSD for the past 16 years, and with the support of my wondeful husband, I am finally getting the therapy I need with a wonderful therapist and am on medication. It is not the solution, but it does help me with the feelings that come with the unearthing of all that has caused me so much pain. I work full time and am going to school part time for my second degree. This study allows the flexibility I need right now, but also the structure to be accountable. Thank you Renee for creating such a wonderful tool for women seeking the confidence they need in Christ. I am BLESSED to be a part of this study. Chapter 1 resonated so much with me, it ached, and I cannot wait for our first discussion regarding the questions at the end of the chapter.
I am fully enjoying the break that this study is doing in my heart! God is doing
amazing things with me and through me and I cannot wait to continue to draw
closer to Him every day! I love the scripture in Jeremiah because I have for so
many years tried to please everyone else, and it is so easy to do when you are
a mom and a wife and grandma! This is giving me the self-approval to re-evaluate
all things and I believe it will help me put things back into proper perspective. Its time
once again to put my first love First and keep Him there! Be blessed beautiful ladies!
Isn’t our God SOOOOO AMAZING!! I’ve just glanced through some of the comments and see sooo many women and the same issues and concerns!! For all my “poor me” moments God keeps revealing to me I’m not in this alone!!! WOOOO HOOOO!!! I love how He cofirms things!!! I read 2 other short devotionals everyday and they just reaffirm what Renee says in her video……
one reads: as with an dear friendship, choose to set aside time to be with God, your best friend. He’s waiting. He has so much He wants to share with you
the other one ends: Instead come to Me, and relax in My Peace. I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident trust.
Confindent trust!!! Using that word instead of any other. WOW!!!! And it just so happens I read that at the beginning of this study!! WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!
But there-in lies one of my short comings giving HIM the time he deserves!!
Like so many of you I’ve place my self worth on what others think of me…which leads me to doing too much to please others. God had been working on me to see myself as HE sees me…..I’ll get a glimpse every now and then…It’s Glorious…then I switch back to the fleshly vision!! I’m looking forward to jumping in!!! Here I am God!!!!
it’s so easy to get yoked into that isn’t it? I’m so with you on that! I just want His peace, taht He’s proud of me, approves of me, waht I’m doing to live for him and that I can exude his presence from my life as I live it out…not that I have to be a bible thumping person every second of every day, but that my essence would be one of the Holy Spirit and that I would rest in that CONFIDENCE…and not worry so much about what they may think! I am SO SO WITH YOU!!!!
I like you Sharon G. You sound very energetic. 🙂
Be Blessed.
Love,
Michelle
I’m positive things and people have come into my life for several reasons, first, that God planned it that way and then sometimes the ” what or why” takes a while to reveal themselves! I believe this study is one of these “things”, not sure why but I believe I’ll know sometime in the future; it will be made very clear why.
For me what is so great about a video lecture vs going to a live lecture, is being to watch the video more than once. Once a live lecture is over, you can’t go back and re-listen to what the lecturer said; so if you missed an important point or didn’t quite understand something, it can’t replayed.
I’m going to try re-listening to the video and reading the chapter at least one more time. It’s kind of like reading the Bible, you can read a verse several times through your life and get something different from it each time. I think it will be worth it!