Hi friends! I am so excited to start this “Confident Heart” journey with you!
We have almost 8000 women from around the US and the world signed up! I’ve been closing my eyes and picturing us gathering together in small groups (cause I’m a small group kinda girl). Anyhow, it’s so amazing to be here with YOU learning how we can live beyond our doubts by finding our security and confidence in the power of God’s loves and promises!
The first thing I want you to remember is: This is YOUR journey.
You’ll be reading the chapters. You will be asking and listening for God to speak to your heart. You’ll be the one who takes time to highlight sentences, promises and quotes you want to remember.
You’ll be looking for ways to apply and live what you are learning. You’ll be answering reflection questions and interacting with the group.
You’ll be doing the faith-work of not only believing in God, but really believing God.
I’ll be shepherding, leading, praying, encouraging, connecting and pacing us. I’ll be sharing more of my story – and inviting co-leaders who are helping me with the study to share theirs.
I’ll be praying for you, encouraging you, believing in you and challenging you – but you will make the heart investment and be the one who gets out pretty close to as much as you put in.
Here are a few IMPORTANT reminders:
What’s Needed: A copy of the book, a notebook, a Bible, and a ready-for-God- to-do-a-new-thing in you attitude!
When We’ll Meet: Because we’ll meet online, you can check in at your convenience any time of the day and week.
(Day 1) Assignment
Read the Acknowledgements. This will give you a peak into my current personal life and I’ll be asking you to share about yourself later this week too. 🙂
Read Chapter 1.
- If you don’t have your book yet, you can click here to read Chapter 1 .
- Highlight verses and sentences that grab your attention or tug on your heart.
- Write down what you sense God is speaking to your heart in the margins of your book or in a journal/notebook.
- If you’ve already read chapter 1, share your thoughts here. And then take time to look up the verses mentioned in the chapter prayer and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.
Connecting in Community: Click “Share Your Thoughts” below and let’s all answer this question:
What sentences in Chapter 1 resonate with your heart or speak to you in a personal way? How did you relate to my story in this chapter?
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I too have always struggled with self-doubt. Growing up, I was never good enough – or at least that is what I was taught. Well-behaved – great student – lots of interests – nothing was ever enough to please my parents. My daughter actually told me to read this book. She is now living in another state and her church offered a Women’s Bible study using this book. Every thought in Chapter 1 was on target but some of my favorites are –
…doubt and hope can’t live in out hearts at the same time…
…live like His words are true no matter what my feelings are telling me…
Thank you for this opportunity.
What sentences in Chapter 1 resonate with your heart or speak to you in a personal way?
“Over the past few years, I’ve found lasting confidence by living daily in the security of God’s promises.” This is the answer that I have been searching for. His words and personal promises to me need to be on the surface and center in my daily thinking. They have not been, even though I wake up early to be with Him and as a result receive peace and happiness in the morning. But throughout the day busyness, difficult family situations and noticing my own weaknesses take center stage in my thinking, not His words. I want to make His words the central part of my thinking later in the day.
It is wonderful to be free from doubts and fears. but they keep coming back. I attain freedom from them just for it to come back later. I believe thinking on His words will prevent thoughts and feelings of insecurity.
How did you relate to my story in this chapter?
I too have wanted God to “sap me with confidence” not knowing how to attain it myself. Yet I don’t think He works in this way. In her story she did ask for His help, she prayed and He led her to an answer. Prayer was an important part but I think He also taught that more must be done…to choose and keep looking at the light, His light…His words.
I have always struggled with self-doubt. I had a hard time figuring out what my earliest memory of self-doubt was. I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t struggle with it. I made some very poor choices recently and the self-doubt has been running rampant. This book is exactly what I needed. Even after reading just the first chapter, I have such hope. I spent so much time telling my husband how great it was and how much I can relate to everything…I probably could have read another chapter in the amount of time I spent raving about the book 🙂 I am totally looking forward to the rest of this study!
I have to say I thank God for this book. Reading the first chapter as already filled me with hope of growing into a deeper relationship with Christ. The words that immediately spoke to me was “Turn back to the light.” I notice when I start looking at my circumstances, everything around me, or on worldly things; I become frustrated. I have such a sense of peace right now and I know His presence is with me as I reread the scriptures in this chapter. I know I am a little late, because I forgot I signed up for this bible study, but I am so happy I got it just in time to catch up. I truly believe this book is going to help me build a confident heart for Jesus. God bless you all and thank you Renee for starting this bible study.
Wow – the first chapter hit home so hard. I had not really thought about how much self-doubt I really have. I have very early memories of doubting myself because no matter how well I did at something, I was always told I could have done better. I know that I was being pushed to be the best, but I longed to hear something like “That was great – you did a really good job” not that was OK – try harder next time. Insecurity has kept me from doing a lot of things in my life and I had totally given up on having any dreams for the future. I always felt “I can’t do this” so I didn’t try most of the time. I learned that if I didn’t try to do things or move forward I didn’t get hurt that way. Therefore I have almost no self-confidence in myself and I know that it does have a big impact on me. I realize that I need to believe in myself and it really doesn’t matter what other people think. I need to look to the future and know that I can do things and be the person I truly want to be.
“I mean, if God calls you to do something, shouldn’t you feel confident about it? Shouldn’t you want to do it? Shouldn’t self-assurance be part of God’s equipping?” This sentence sums up how I feel about my life right now as a stay at home mom. I feel ill equipped and like it is a daily struggle for me and am constantly questioning myself and if I am doing right by my children.
The sentences in chapter one that really spoke to me were about seeing your shadow and how huge it is compared to your actual body. It’s like a symbol of all the weight you carry won’t just give it all to God. This is something that is hard for me to do because I think I can handle everything. But I am coming realize that I can’t. I am trying really hard to turn my problems over to God.
“Are you ready to let His word change the way you think, which will determine the way you feel and eventually transform the way you live (Rom.12:2)?” Reading the verse with this statement has brought a new understanding of the verse … Not copying the customs/behaviors of the world but changing the way you think… I had thought this scripture had ment not being like the world as in their standards morals etc, but the Holy Spirit opened my heart for it to mean much more. The world thousands doubts and fears at us, comparisons, not measuring up. But god wants my heart and mind to be transformed from that way of thinking and believing, to His way. He never speaks doubt over me! He never thinks I don’t measure up. he has the hope and confidence in me that I has so much to offer Him and others!! I am renewing my mind and transforming myself into a new person! A child of God!
Reading this first Chapter, made me excited.. ready to drink and sit by the refreshing stream of fresh water… tosit back and enjoy and become anew and refreshed.. It allowed me to be Free to grow… The line that sticks out the most to me , well there are tons of them but the main one is .. “We will lear to LIVE BEYOND THE SHADOWS OF DOUBT BY HODLING EACH OF OUR INSECURITIES UP TO THE LIGT OF GODS WORD!!!! Amen to that … Love it…. My eyes are Wide open
I cried a lot while reading the first chapter. Some tears of gratitude for the shift I could already feel in my heart. More tears of sorrow for all the years lost in the shadows. Tears right now while writing this post. But for today I will know … “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalm 126:5
For most of my life I have felt alone and lost in my doubt and lack of self worth. The emotional effects of this has overwhelmed me to the point I was crippled within it. Reading everyone’s stories here has truly opened my eyes to the fact I am not alone in my battle.
Reading A Confident Heart, journaling the experience and answering the question has helped begin bringing me to an understanding of what is going on in my head. And we’re only up to chapter 2.
“You can only see the shadow because you have turned away from the light” WOW…. so true… Our shadows are so much larger than we are.. Mine had overtaken my life, I couldn’t see over/under/around them they were so big. Yes I had turned away from the light.
Looking forward to finding all the keys to overcoming the shadows, keeping my eyes on the light and moving past believing in God to Believing HIM….
Feeling extremely blessed to be on this journey with you all 🙂
Like many others, ” You can only see the shadow because you have turned away from the light. Turn back to the light”, spoke to me. This brings to mind when Jesus says, I am the light of the world. I really like the fact that there is so much scripture references in this chapter. Another part that really stuck with me is, “Are you ready to let His Word change the way you think, which will determine the way you feel and eventually transform the way you live?” I am excited to move on to the next chapter.
The whole chapter I connected with, with the fact that I never really wanted to acknowledge how much doubt controls my life. I related to the part of where Rene just wanted to go back to her comfortability, that is how I felt many of times. I just wanted GOD to somehow cancel something, doubting myself, why I said yes, afraid of failing, many of the items Rene spoke about.
I am looking forward to getting my confident back in GOD and not in myself because that creates such big self doubt in me.
“These are the voices of insecurity that cast shadows of doubt over our perspective and keep us from becoming the women we want to be-the women God created us to be. Self-doubt blocks the promise of God’s power and truth to change us from the inside out so that we can live with a confident heart.”
I’ve seen this time and again in my life and until recently I don’t think I could place a term to associate the feelings I had-“I’m not good enough” was my internal motto and I have believed it to be true most of my life. I’ve never done an online Bible study before but I know it was God urging me to try it out because I know He has something much better for me than, “I’m not good enough.” The reason these sentences spoke to me is because I sincerely want to be the woman God has created me to be, but I know I can’t get there still listening to the lies that I have believed for so long. I am good enough. He sent His Son for me. He knows me and cares for me. I’m excited to begin this journey with you gals of transforming our insecure hearts into confident hearts!
The first verse Hebrews 10:35-36 spoke to me right away. Talking about not to throw are confidence away. I am a very shy and passive person. I do not like to speak up or even meet new people because it scares me and when i read the first sentence about Hebrews 10:35-36 I new that I will be ending this study with a lot more confidence.
As I kept reading chapter 1 I completely 100% was just like Renee in her marriage. I have never been able to trust people because my dad always made promises he could not keep and when i got married, i found myself not trusting my husband as well. Our marriage ended partly because of that. He was just not patient enough for me to change and fix the problem. As I read chapter 1 I also found that I do not trust God as much as I should. So when I read verse Isaiah 49:23 It kind of hit me, God is Almighty he will not disappoint me. And it gave me that reassurance.
I am so excited to learn more and see more promises that God has for ME because I am worth it 🙂 I can’t wait to learn to depend on His heart toward us and learn to actively trust God’s heart.
There have been many times that doubt has controlled my life. Never thought about it the way it was stated in the book, You can only see the shadow because you have turned away from the light. Turn back toward the light.
I have talked myself out of plenty of things by doubt, never thought about how controlling my doubt was until I started reading this book. There are things that I will never get a second chance at, that I talked myself out of because I doubted myself. Thinking there is no way I can do that and I don’t even try because it is easier not to. Instead of turning to HIM and believing HIM and the power of HIS word. I so want to be able to do that, turn to HIM and turn my doubt over to HIM and be the woman God wants me to be.
My favorite line from the book was this: “Self-doubt blocks the promise of God’s pet and truth to change us from the inside out so that we can live with a more confident heart.” This could not be more true for what I am going through. My self doubt has affected my job as well as my relationships with men. As I do see some progress as I have been walking with his for the past couple of years, it has made parts of my life unmanageable. I also love how she states it’s beyond believing in Him to actually believing Him. That sentence alone has opened my eyes. Believing God’s promises are true about even me who had messed up a while lot, will finally break this cycle of self-doubt.
In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen
Have doctor’s appointment tomorrow would love prayer for just peace and for them to find out what is wrong
and for me just to rest in the LORD for a calming heart
thanks
HI Dawn,
I don’t think it’s so much that God’s blessing is dependant on your study as much as by studying we are blessed. If you look for God’s grace it’s in his word, for his comfort- it’s in his word.
I don’t have children at home anymore but I understand the tired and feeling low on hope. I can’t find a job and the money will run out eventually. Where is hope and grace? It’s in knowing my God is Sovereign.
He meets me where I am at in my feelings of no hope and fear.
Praise is critical in times like this. Worship Sing doing laundry- praise God for the laundry for beautiful children. When they nap read a verse or two. You don’t need a marathon. But your hunger for HIs word will grow. A short daily devotional. Pray doing the dishes
These are the things I do when despair tries to tell me I am a loser. I am not a loser and neither are you -we are God’s sweet ladies and ask him ot show you how much you can do. He will Take a step and he will be right there to meet you.
(((Hugs)))