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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Wow… where do I begin. Sometimes I feel as if I’m on an emotional roller coaster. So many expectations and disappointments. I let them guide my moods and let me tell you, it’s not pretty. Just this morning I felt defeated because I had yet to read Chapter one. After all, I am the master procrastinator. I always start with good intentions, but end up falling short. How refreshing to know that I am not alone in doubting myself. I think in the back of my mind I’ve always known that, but none the less I always feel alone in it. I often ask myself, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I get it together. You see, I am a woman driven by my feelings and emotions. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that the sentence that stood out to me most in the first chapter was “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.” You see, my feelings tell me things are hopeless. My feelings send me into a hole I can’t get out of. You know what? Today, I commit every feeling and emotion I have to God. This scripture is brought to mind although it wasn’t included in chapter 1. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2Corinthians 10:5
I look forward to taking this journey with all of you and I wait with an expectant heart of what God is going to do.
My name is Yolanda and I am BLESSED!
This line stood out to me too. Being able to move from believing in Him to believing Him through His word how wonderful. This is my pray that through this study that the Lord will help not just me but all of us to be confident and not rely on our feelings. That He will move us into believing Him and Him alone.
God’s promise- “those who hope in ME will not be disappointed”. If that hope gets misdirected to “man”we will be disappointed. I have often times had my confidence built up in other people and things-but that is only a temporary confidence. The confidence we receive from God is lasting and that is the kind of confidence I desire to have.
Me too….Amen and amen!!
Those are verses that speak volumes to this heart of mine! My prayer for this year actually is that the Lord will help me to break free from the constant need for man’s approval. So glad to be reading through your book again and to be pressing in closer to the Lord!
I KNOW what needs to go for me to have more time with Him (and my family), and that is computer time…specifically Facebook. Not completely gone BUT much, much more in balance than it is right now!
Love you bunches!
K
For so long I have struggled to let go of things and let God handle them. It’s a daily, well probably more like hourly, struggle to fully trust God to handle the issues of my life. I am learning day by day to see God as my Father, the one who loves me and will protect me. Todays verse really struck a cord with me, realizing that when I trust God, I don’t have to worry about anything, because my Father has me covered! Through this study I need to be able to release myself of the lies that Satan has told me for many years. My prayer is to hear my Father’s voice instead of the lies that Satan tells.
I am with you on this one Natalie…esp the hourly part! It is so hard to let go of things…the worry and the control. I hope to learn to release things to Him more through this study.
I really feel like the Lord led me to this study. You see, I grew up without a relationship with my real father. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a wonderful step dad, sent I believe, from God straight to our family. However, I spent many years searching for someone or something to fill the void that I felt. I still to this day long for that picture perfect relationship with my father that every girl dreams of. My prayer is that through this study I will find healing. I want to drench myself in the love of my Heavenly Father. I want to be the woman, wife and mother that he intended me to be. I want to be confident in His love for me and my relationship and love for Him.
Hello Ladies! So happy to being doing this study together! So neat to hear you mention Jeremiah. Our Sunday School class is studying Jeremiah. Guess who the teacher is.. My husband! God’s word is awesome Living and breathing!
((HUGS))
Kelly K
believingin1.blogspot.com
Thank you for blessing me (and us) with this online bible study. I am looking forward to words of encouragement and ways to have a confident heart.
Angela
I am so happy to be a part of this. I don’t want doubt and insecurities to run my life as it has in the past.
I discovered that my constant ability to be distracted has lead me in a life where I refuse to focus. Very little has my attention for too long. Not being able to focus has caused many problems. I’m not saying I can’t focus. I simply have allowed this bad habit to grow and take over how I do things in life. One mad rush from one thing to the next. That lack of focus is filled with self-doubt. Perhaps I rush so I do not ave to see my flaws along the way. I’ve lost a few great opportunities and later can’t ever understand why things worked out the way they did. I plan to slow down and really take focus on what the Lord’s will is for me instead me grabbing those reins. Thank you for creating this Bible study Renee.
Thank You for this study! I was excited to see this weeks verse on being blessed, that if we trust in the Lord we will be fruitful because the Lord has been speaking to me about focusing on my blessings and claiming my blessings in Christ. I am learning to put my trust and confidence in him. I have had a lot of fears to over come and need to focus more on his love and grace and know that i am blessed as a child of God. I want to trust him more and not let fear rule my life any more .I need your prayers. Thanks and God Bless.
Renee, I can’t begin to tell you how timely this message/study is for me. I just recently lost my mother to lung cancer and during this time my sister caused a lot of drama for me. In all of what happened it brought up a lot of ugly feelings and lies that were told to me as a child and realised that I still believe those lies that I am not good enough or I will never measure up to anything. I can’t believe all the lies that I have been listening to. I have found that it has affects me as a person a daughter of the King to fully live as God desires and has designed for me. I am now in obedience to God taking time off from ministry to deal with some issues right now be it medical, mental and spritiual.
The spirtitual part is deleving into God’s word as to who I am in Him. Your study couldn’t have come at a better time. I am now commiting myself to dive into his word and allow him to renew my mind and to inscribe his word into my heart. So that as a broken and empty vessle can be healed and used to the fullist of what God has for me. I am so looking forward to this study. Thank you,
God has truly blessed me and my family over the years, even when I see times as hard he always makes a way. Jeremiah 17:5-8 reminded me that if I trust in the Lord and place my confidence in Him that I will be blessed. To me that means that I will be blessed more than I’ve already been! I am truly excited about this study and I am more than willing to re-learn how to put my confidence in the Lord, rather than worldly things and people like I have been. My confidence has been lacking because I have placed in in the wrong person and the wrong things.
I am so very thankful for this study! This year I have been increasingly aware that my ten year old daughter has started to adopt insecurity from me. As horrible as I felt having no confidence in myself, it was unbearable to see my daughter shrink back from parties or extra curricular activities because she is afraid. I finally decided we were going to beat this and I got out the Word to do battle! My New Year’s resolution was to stop CONSTANTLY second guessing myself and to gain confidence for myself and my children. This book was a gift from the LORD and at just the right time!
I’m amazed to see how many of us want freedom in this area of our lives; Satan wants us to believe it’s just us…alone in this. Thank you Jesus that You have come to set us free!! Keeping us all in prayer!
I know exactly how you feel! I have known for a very long time that fear and insecurity are huge strongholds in my life but I have never looked at it from the outside and truly seen how it robs a person’s life of joy and peace as when I watch my 11 year old step-daughter shrink away from EVERYTHING because of fear and insecurity. My husband tells me that when her mom decided to walk away from the family about 5 years ago my step-daugher completely changed. She is so afraid of failure and rejection that she avoids anything and anyone new. She was so anxious about starting middle school that it began to affect her stomach…which really resonates with me because when I was in high school I was diagnosed with a chronic digestive disease that comes from…stress/anxiety. It breaks my heart to see her robbed of so much at such an early age and I know how Satan will continue to use it to keep her from the abundant life God has Promised to each of us. I know that her insecurity has not come directly from me but it makes me so much more aware of my fear/insecurity and how I want to be free of it so that I can battle for her freedom. I don’t want to strengthen that stronghold…I want to blast it with the WORD and TRUTH.
Audra,
We are so much alike! I was diagnosed with IBS from anxiety at age 13. I have been completely healed of it since 2003, but not healed of the insecurity part. I just said those words to my daughter this morning that you said about satan robbing us of the abundant life God wants us to have. I want her to stand proud of herself and know that she is worthy but yet I completely contradict what I teach her when I’m afraid to call for pizza and make someone else do it! (That’s a silly example but it’s true). I will be praying for you and your step-daughter as we go through this. It’s nice to have someone else to believe with!
I was encouraged by your video today. In my morning devotions I read Gal 1:10 about Paul saying he did not try to please people. God convicted me that my heart’s desire is for approval and acceptance from people more than Him. I worry too much about what people think rather than being confident in what God is doing. And then your words about seeking approval — and the step further about being cursed when we seek something other than God. Thank you for sharing God’s truth. I’m convicted, but I’m also hopeful. I feel that I know what enemy I’m facing and know God will help me to overcome.
I am truly excited to read and study God’s Word using this book. I have fought feelings of inadequacy and doubt for years. And I love Renee’ s comment about when “we give a little; God seems to make it a lot!” My family has just come through some trying times in the past 6 months and the word “BLESSED” truly expresses my heart. God has shown Himself strong and mighty in some amazing ways and I want all He can be in my life. I already love the book of Jeremiah (29:11 is my favorite verse) so I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us!!!
Our God is an amazing God!!!
This year the Lord indicated that He was pulling me into dry-dock to repair gaping holes in the hull of my spiritual life so that we can launch out together. I expected something very different than what has been happening.
I’m going through no less than 4 different studies at the moment and have already finished at least 1 (it’s only January 16!!!). Right now each one (!) is pointing to exactly the contrast you talked about in the video–cursed are those who rely on their own strength and on the strength of man; blessed are those who rely on the Lord. He brought my awareness to this point first at a national scale, but it applies at every scale. It is interesting how the reliance on our own resources or the dependence on human resources in defiance of God’s provision generates the fuel for our own destruction. Just as children defiantly cry out, “Me do it!”, I have been less guilty of fear or hesitation than of rebellious independence–and cursed is not too strong a response to my rebelliousness. As any parent knows, rebellion is the ultimate defiance of authority and good parents respond accordingly to protect their children from their own consequences and attitude.
I repent in dust and ashes and choose to respond to His provision as my only source. I now recognize the destruction my defiance has wrought. He is enough and will always be enough.
My soul has had the following cry for the last decade:
“God, I’m capable of a lot, but it is nothing in comparison to what You can do. Show me what You can do. What I can do will never be good enough for me, for my family, my church, my community and my world.” I have known him intimately for as long as my memories exist. Five years ago, He taught me how to trust Him. In the last year, He has taught me to see Him as sufficient for all my needs. He is teaching me now to rely on Him alone and intercede for that transition for others. It feels like shifting weight from crutches to my healing feet, and I’m not a little scared–but it’s good.
Thanks for being a part of it…
I am an avid reader … of very good christian books but for months now God has been saying “Get in my word”. I read your book Renee “A Confident Heart” and love it. I am so glad you are having this online study that I can be a part of. Your book puts me in “The Word” and makes me hear it and feel it. What you wrote about the looming shadow when we look away from our light source is awesome. I need to go to the light daily and not turn away ever. Thank you.
For as long as I can remember I have always been concerned about what others thought or how they perceived me. Somewhere in there I began to lose who I am and who God created me to be. I want to be done with ‘putting my hope and confidence in wrong things and people’. I want to be free from replaying my day and every thing I said or did, wondering what others thought, struggling between confidence and doubt, joy and frustration, adequate versus inadequate, blessed or not good enough. God created me for more and that is what I am believing!
Isaiah 43:19 See I am doing a new thing!
Amen girl! 🙂
In feel so blessed to be part of this study. I need to get back in touch with the Lord and start spending time with him on daily basis. I need more confidence. Thanks for taking the time to do this for me.
I put my trust in humans (live in the flesh) and this does turn me away from God and this does make me feel stunted, stuck and unable to grow and live confidently….Amazing how simple it all sounds when our Lord points this out to us; yet, so hard to make these changes. With God, all things are possible and that is what I want for my life.
sometimes; lotsa times, i think my sin is too great and too secret to overcome, and i lose my confidence. i have repented, but ‘my sin is ever before me’ . i live in the shadow of ‘what if’ ALL THE TIME. i long for confidence and knowing that for sure God has forgiven me. oh the freedom that would bring.
Dear J,
You say that your sin is ever before you, but if you have asked God to forgive you, He promises to:
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He also promises: Isaiah 43:25 New King James Version (NKJV)
25 “ I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.
If you keep bringing up your sin, then your sin is ever before you. Once He forgives, He no longer remembers your sin. It’s our job to refuse the lie of the enemy who keeps accusing us and bringing up the past to torment us. He loves you and so do I.
Be Blessed.
Love,
Michelle.
thank you MIchelle; sometimes i remember that the devil is behind all of that! then sometimes i forget! thanks for lovin me sight unseen! i love you back! i am encouraged to walking this study with women like you 🙂 i pray for a more confident heart as a result.
I SO NEEDED TO HEAR THIS!!!! It’s no coincidence that it just happened to be the one comment I see as I sit down at my desk… I’m wondering if God scrolled to this comment while I was gone! LOL As I type, I am just amazed at how the devil ALWAYS tries to bring up my past… whether it be from someone who knows my past talking about it to others to try and start confusion OR by me thinking back to what I have done in my past. As I try to grow closer to God, I feel the enemy finds a way to try a seperate me from God and from the truth. When I learned that “my enemy” has started AGAIN to talk about my past and bad mouth me I wonder: should i say something?? then i hear God whisper, resist the devil and he will flee, vegence is mine, God is not the author of confusion, seperate yourself from those that try to cause confusion. Then I wonder: well how in the world am I ever going to get my enemy to shut up if i don’t confront him! I struggle with this and still don’t have all the answers. Just hanging onto the fact that God has cast my sins as far as the east is from the west and he remembers them no more!! I’m not and won’t go back to the shadows of my ugly past… no matter what people say or think about me! I am a blessed child of God! what i did years ago does not define who I am today or who God will continue to have me be! Blessings to each of you as we all grow to be women with confident hearts!