In chapter 3, I share how “our hearts leak and will always end up empty when we find our worth in anything but who we are in Christ. Our value is not measured by what others think of us—but we surely live like it is, don’t we? It’s almost as though we wake up every morning with an empty jar, like Sam, and walk around holding it out to people or things, hoping they will fill us…”
In today’s video message, I talk about the things we look to and illustrate how we can allow God to fill the empty places in our hearts…
Please click the arrow below to watch.
(Optional) Download my “Message Notes” in a PDF format here or in a MSWord doc here. We want you to just watch and let God speak to your heart the first time, but we also knew some of you will want the notes. I even included blanks for you to fill in. 🙂
UPDATE: It’s been quite a week at our house…a trip to the ER with my mom after a bad fall Sunday, I woke up sick on Tuesday and my son Andrew (14) broke his collar bone that same afternoon. Wednesday we found out I had bronchitis and that Andrew’s break was much worse than we expected. Fortunately, we are doing a good bit better today. God’s kept us close to His promises and provided strength and encouragement through so many of your prayers and notes. THANK YOU!!
Connecting in Community: I’d love to hear your thoughts about this week”s video message and your answers to questions at end of Chapter 3. If you left a comment earlier in the week, let’s talk about questions we hadn’t answered yet. Like 4-7. And how the video message ties into the question about finding our “worth-ship” in Christ.
Just click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that – share your thoughts, I love to hear them! And I’ll share mine too.
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I pray you are feeling better Renee. I know Jehovah Rapha has a mighty healing work for you and your son. Thanks so much for the study.
What a good video. My problem, when I was looking at the questions seems to be not so much of what I am looking for to fill me; although I think I still am. My situation seems to be that I feel so many times and so many things have failed me that I continue to feel empty. I know God loves me, even when I feel unloveable. I am looking for the Joy of the LORD. I consistently feel void and somewhat lost. I have moments of happiness and moments of Joy but it does not seem to hold on. Even with this study I get burst of joy but the work digs deep and then I go wallowing again. My prayer is that God would so fill my heart that I couldn’t help but spill it out. I want my water jar full to overflowing with much abundance. I know when I get out of me and into others I do much better. So I am still trying.
I am afraid, I have been hurt by “men” before. I am afraid to let go and trust and believe God that he will never hurt me or leave me. I am going to keep trying as I know I cannot be the woman He meant me to be if I don’t Let go and Let God.
Your post reminds me of how I have felt and even sometimes I still feel that way. I listen to Godly teaching and christian music to constantly remind me of God’s unfailing love. Remember that people (men) have free will and they make poor decisions and can hurt us. God can be trusted. He is divine and he cannot sin and he will never hurt you! Meditate on these verses:Psalms 91:1-4 & 14-16, Romans 8:38-39 and Ephesians 3:14-19. You can trust God with your heart and I will be praying for you. I know what it is like to be hurt by men. Remember God is not man, He is divine.
Renee,
Wow! I so loved your illustration of how we fill our days and life with things or someone. I think you said it best, “it’s almost as though we carry around an empty jar…hoping something or someone to fill us.” I so relate to food and shopping.Only to find discontentment and emptiness still. I loved how you said that it is a “moment by moment, day by day…with God, positioning our hearts to let His perspective defines ours.”
It is only when I find complete security in God’s love will I be satisfied…not there yet!
I have tried so hard to fill my empty ache inside with “others” and other stuff. I am embarrassed by how low I have sunk in the past trying to gain love, admiration and acceptance. Thank you Jesus for being my deliverer. I have known the Lord for 33 yrs, and this part of His message and love are just becoming a reality to me. Makes me happy, gives me peace.
Thank you for that message. I want to look to God alone to fill me. I am single. I have a great desire for marriage and children. God is constantly telling me that He is the one I need to look to when I am feeling lonely. If I think it will go away just by getting married and having children then I am wrong. He said I will end up holding on to tightly to these relationships and they will not be healthy. So I continue to try to look to Him. I want to learn this now so I can have a healthy marriage and be a healthy mother for my children.
Leslie Ludy has some really good books on singleness. You might want to check them out.
Karen C
Thank you Renee for this study and the video. For many years I’ve been a people pleaser and did all the things expected of me. I did what I could to gain approval from everyone and it left me feeling depressed and lacking confidence in no matter what I did. Since this study began, I’ve been writing Bible verses on 3×5 index cards, hanging them in my bathroom and taking them along with me to work. I’ve been learning to include Jesus in everything that goes on through out my day, and I’ve been experiencing peace regardless of what comes my way. Like most of the girls thought, I figured you were going to pour the water in the vase so that it went around the objects. I totally get why everything needs and has its place; people, things or what ever takes the place of Jesus filling you simply leaves you empty. What a great visual!!
Thank you for the wonderful video Renee. That is exactly what I need. Get well soon and so with your son.
Oh I really needed the reassurance today. I had a rough day I saw people with their respected partners, and I was all alone, but then I continued reading the book, and I watched this video, and it made me feel so much better. It made me realize that yes it is good to have company, but it is even better to have God with me.
Renee I absolutly love your video message today it gave a wonderful visual to the story of the Samaritan Woman. It was also inspiring and uplifting al well, an up beat message to my day thank you so much for sharing it and your heart devoted to God.
..can’t wait to drive into this study tonight!!!
(and with all my ‘new friends’…sisters in Jesus….being filled to overflowing with HIMSELF!)
As you can guess when reading my posts on the facebook page, I am a visual person! If I can see it, then I can understand it, thus I try to post with a graphic. You have hit the ball out of the park with this one. My jar is just as large as yours and I have a lot of empty spaces in my heart. Knowing that I must and will fill it will God’s love is the ONLY way that I will find unconditional love. Last week I started the process of clearing negative people and thoughts from my life. You and your online bible study have awaken the old me, which has been asleep and missing a large part of my life. God is a wonder!
Thank you for reminding me to continually go to Jesus. That He will always answer me and fill me when I seek Him.
Oh how I can relate to the feeling of emptiness even though I am surrounded by things and people. Looking for love in all the wroing faces and places was a nasty habit that controlled my life. So wanting to be loved and accepted. I love the powerful illustration of filling the jar with God”s Living Water where there are no empty spaces. Wow, I long to have God fill me with His Living Water. This journey has been a blessing, I am so grateful for this, it is not by accident that I came across this. God wants to heal me and direct me towards Him. I will seek Him instead of people, education, positions and things to fill and satisfy me.
Amazing video….I have spent SO many years trying to fill that empty spot with SO many different things and could never figure out why it didn’t work….What a simple answer, God goes there. When I put God there, life is SO balanced and I feel so at peace…..
Ch 3, Q 2: I always looked to the “man” in my relationships to fill me–that was going to make me happy forever and ever. By doing that, I lost myself! I became about “that” man–I became that man. I am still learning who I am and what I am like 🙂 What a struggle to untangle that mess–thinking/being someone else inside myself….Thank you, Daddy God, for showing me how to be me, me in You and your unconditional love!!!!!
Thank you, Renee for your obedience to God’s calling. We are so blessed for this! May each one of our cups overflow with God’s unfailing love, mercy, grace and eternal forgiveness as we learn to take everything moment by moment to God.
Thank you for sharing so beautifully in word, illustration and joyful direction to Jesus first. Prayers for the Lord’s knitting together your son’s collar bone, strengthening him. In Jesus name Amen.
Wow, did I ever need that video. I have been struggling with a lot of things these past few months and this video made me really stop and look at those issues. The jar was a perfect way to get your point across. Thanks so much for sharing with us. I love the bible study this way. Even if I can’t be there the day it is sent out I can still be a part of the study. GREAT GREAT GREAT.
I will be praying for you and your son.
Wow, the message and visual illustration were absolutely perfect. Even as I read through the chapter (twice) I did not absorb the truths of this weeks message until I watched the video. I can relate to the feeling that I am looking for something, but not know what it is! 🙂 I have felt that feeling often and Renee , you put it into words and perspective so beautifully. As I read through the postings here it appears that this message is relevent and needed for women today. I thank the Lord for your desire to share your heart and knowledge with this online community Renee. It is appreciated!
Thank you….exactly what I needed to hear today!