Hi friends! I am so excited to start this “Confident Heart” journey with you!
We have just about 3500, 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 for us!
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 others who have to share theirs — so that we can see again and again that we are not alone in this journey and struggle towards a confident heart.
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.
So, what’s my best advice?? Each time I do something new like this, I ask the Lord what I need to give up – so I can give more to Him. And this time is no different. I’m cutting back on checking emails all throughout my day (which I love to do) and saying no to some fun projects and other time-consumers so I can give more of me TO HIM and to you (for the next 10 weeks)!
Will you pray and block out at least 5 to 10 to 15 minutes every day to let HIM give you all that He has for you?! You are worth it….but more than anything…. JESUS is worth it, right? Are you ready? Here we go:
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(Day 1) Assignment
Please Read the Acknowledgements. This will just give you a peak into more of my current personal life. I think that’s an important part of building community and I’ll be asking you to share more about you later this week 🙂
Please Read Chapter 1. Please highlight verses and sentences that grab your attention or tug on your heart. What is God saying to you though this chapter? Write down what you sense God speaking to your heart in the margins of your book and/or in a journal/notebook that you’ll use throughout this study.
Let’s Connect: What sentences in Chapter 1 connect with you or resonate with your heart? What might you cut back on to make time for Him and yourself these next several weeks?
Click “Share Your Thoughts” below and do just that. {If you’re reading this via email, click here to return to my website/blog and connect with us in community.
Please Check Your Inbox: Our first Online Study Email was sent and in it I explain how our online study will work. Just want to make sure you know it’s there. If you can’t find it, here’s a link to it online.
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Is there a Day 2? I can’t find it. Am I looking in the wrong place?
Day 1 for me, He brought me through yesterday, I put my trust and confidence He’ll bring me through today! As He will the rest of you! This morning laying in bed I thought to myself how many times I’ve asked Him to give me more confidence, before I even knew this study existed, I guess I’m suppose to be doing this, I have to get out of these insecurities once & for all. I started a thank you journel yesterday, instead of complaining about what I can’t do.
Thank you Renee for this study! Confidence has never been my strongest feature and when I saw this study I jumped at it. I am a preachers kid:) and I think I never felt that I was good enough to measure up. I always focused too much on being the preacher kid than being God’s child. I have gone through losing children always thinking that this was a punishment from God for not being the child I should have been. I now have 2 beautiful children and look at them as a blessing everyday! I am married to a wonderful man but he is not a believer and I have always prayed that God would change his heart and recently realized that I need to pray for myself, that God would make me a more patient and confident wife in my walk so he can just see the many blessings God will do. I am excited to learn from this study and see what new plans Christ has for me and my family through this.
I have been looking for my comment from yesterday and only see things from last year. What I wanted to say this morning is, I enjoyed your devotional from proverbs 31 ministries and am slowly getting started, but starting none the less. Thanks again.
WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTETION IN CHAPTER ONE WAS “WHOSE I AM AND WHO I AM IN HIM” BECAUSE FROM CHILDHOOD UNTIL NOW I ALWAYS FELT UNWORTHY EVEN AS A BELIEVER. THINKING THAT IF I KEEP BUSY THAT I WILL FILL THE VOID BUT SOMEHOW I WOULD ALLOW DOUBT AND WORRY TO CLOUD MY JUDGMENT BUT I CAN SAY FROM THIS DAY FORWARD I KNOW WILL NO LONGER ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN BECASUE GOD IS SHOWING ME WHOSE I AM AND WHO I AM IN HIM.. WHAT WILL I LET GO TO BE WITH THE LORD IS MEDIA BUT MOST OF ALL THE STUFF THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT. THANK YOU RENEE SWOPE FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE.
The first thing that stood out for me was how you used a real life illustration about you. The illustration of the mirror and the light, how after all of that nervousness and not thinking that you could do it you continued getting ready. Even though the doubt was there from you continuing to watering it, God was also still there. After all of your own personal tug a war God step in “you only can see the shadow because you turn away from the light. Turn back to the light. For me this just blessed me because despite of the battle within myself God still gives me free will but, by me continuing to stay connected he is, and will always be there for me. I personally have to remember that God designed me. He knows everything about before I can even get started Psalms 139.
Another point you made was about self-doubt as a child it kept me from so many opportunities as well, what blessed me was after reading your ups and downs concerning this area it helped me understand the this self-doubt began its foundation in my mind a long time ago. Being able to get at the root of your problem is such a blessing.
Jeremiah 17:7, “But blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” (Life Application Study Bible, 1998) This scripture is just letting me know that I cannot rely on any other source but God; He is the only thing in my life that will be and is consistent. Man does not have the ability to help me with my weakness and build my self-worth and remove all of my doubt. Psalm 1 helps to understand those who trust in the Lord flourish like trees planted by water. So no matter when troubles or storms come my way, whether they are physical, spiritual, mental or emotional weaknesses God got me.
How my heart needs a boost of confidence! A rather big boost….. My heart has been heavy with doubt and self-condemnation . Lord, by reading this book and applying Your truths, may my life be changed.
I am a children’s ministry director . Lately, I have been paralyzed by fear and insecurity. Plagued with the “what ifs”. If God calls you to do something, shouldn’t you feel confident about it? That phrase hit home. The unknown is too scary….oh, boy… The familiar is comfortable.
God, help me to not be paralyzed by fear, to not doubt Your calling on my life, and calm my “what ifs”!
I’ve always struggled with self-confidence. I think because I’ve never had a strong father figure, or no father in the home at all. I try hard to feel about myself as God feels about me, but I haven’t had a breakthrough yet. I guess it’s partly because my husband almost daily reminds me how inadequate I am. But I stay because I want to obey God & I believe in miracles, and also because we have a child – whom I think God gave me so I wouldn’t leave because he was really a miracle baby.
I trust & I wait on God. I’m hoping this study will help me break through.
Thank you, Renee for doing this study online.
I will keep you in my prayers! Remember God knows you’re adequate!! That’s why he made you! Blessings!
I am so excited to start this study!!! This is only my second bible study I’ve done. Hoping for God’s word to strengthen me in the woman he desires me to be and be confident in who I am and my works.
God’s blessings to all! I could relate to you right from the opening sentence of the foreword. Of course while our stories may differ in one way or another I lacked the love & attention from my earthly father. Hence the feeling of doubt & insecurity. That song looking for love in all the wrong places was my national anthem for many years. However in this season of my life I believe God is bringing me to a place of deliverance & restoration. Through all the pain, struggle & tears of disappointment I can profess the hand of God in my life & can say Jehovah is my Banner. All glory & honor be unto Him. I believe that in partaking in this book He will bring me closer to being confident in who I’m called to be. Who He created me to be.
Thank you Renee I could say I happened into this book study but we know better than that. It’s God’s divine appointment!
Phil 1;6 Being confident in this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus!
Let’s Journey Together!
All of you have already begun to inspire me. There is no doubt that there is strength in numbers. I hope everyone here will be blessed by the time this 10 week study ends.
On page 21 of Chapter 1, what called to me was “If God calls you to do something, shouldn’t you feel confident about it?” He has requested something very special of me and the first thing I thought was I am not qualified to carry out this request. Shortly after that, I happened upon this book. Within minutes I was signing up to participate in the study. God, himself, has helped me to begin creating time for this special project. After reading this first chapter, I realize that God has placed his confidence in me to fulfill one of his wishes. I am honored that he has called upon me. Thanks to Renee I am already feeling confident about carrying out this special request. Of course any prayers will be accepted.
Hu Renee, thank you so much for soing this online study of your book, it is what I just needed. I have struggled with insecurity since I was a little girl. I have a difficult time accepting that people find me lovable and I am good enough for someone. In past relationships I went through trials for not having God at the center of any of my relationships ahd have ended up getting hurt. I am currently in a relationship with a great man of God but we in the beginning had a rocky start which causes me to have feelings of doubt about his faithfulness. I also have fellings of insecurity when I have to speak out lous in class or even in the egroups I go to, so that part in chapter one where you said that you insecure about the faithfulness of your husband really relates to me too. I believe this book will help me get through my insecurities, thank you for offering this!
The part that stuck with me the most from Chapter 1 is that the voices of insecurity (lies) keep me from being the woman God created me to be. I have to believe His truth even when I don’t have that feeling of security. I have to be more diligent with reading and learning His Word, not just checking the box each day saying I’ve completed my daily Bible reading.
I am facing a real challenge this week and I know I need to impress on two teenagers that God is real and that trusting in Him is the only way to true happiness even through our trials. I’m not sure either of them even believe that the Bible is true. I find myself shrinking from encouraging them because I feel overpowered by the world and the work of the devil in the lives of our youths. And yet when He tells me “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed” I feel a surge of renewed strength.
I will pray for all of you, Mom. They need to hear the Word as often as possible. You never know when it will sink in or what will make it sink in.
What resonated with me in Chapter One of the book were the passages Renee chose as references. In her statement of thanks to her family for their support of her writing the book she mentions Jer 17:7. Jeremiah was chosen before his birth to be a prophet and God asked him to deliver His messages with confidence no matter what other people said. Renee’s book is asking us to “choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose (we) are and who “we” are in Him and to have a confident heart” WOW that’s a choice I want to make and renew each day!!! And then she reflects on scripture in Hebrews, Isaiah, Mark, Romans and John where so much is learned about the heart of God and what he asks us to do including praying God’s will and being confident to ask anything but asking according to His Will. Thank you Renee for being bold and teaching us about confidence in our precious Father. I have also completely enjoyed reading many many of the other posts from women who are walking through these lessons together.
God has brought me through so much. Struggled wiith a deep sense of rejection growing up that pretty much caused me to create my own fantasy family in my mind where I was always loved. Went to a Bible believing church as a teenage and met Jesus and the guy whom I hoped would lead me out of y make believe world into something better. But from the honeymoon on it was constant rejection. Thirty years later I traded my angry abusive husband for loneliness again. Was hit with a life threatening disease and God met me in the midst of it. I have never felt more loved or closer to God than during that time. Six years later I find myself farther away from him than ever. My kids are grown and gone. I struggle with severe chronic pain from the treatment. I feel so guilty for having a D on my forehead. I feel so alone. I hear God can meet my every need and yet the reality of my financial and physical struggles make it feel as if I am all alone in this world. Praying that God meets me on the pages of this study. I need him more than ever.
I just starting reading the book that was donated and I thank you very much it has already spoken really deep to my soul that i needed this right know in my crossroads of life. I’m reaching out and felt like drowning in self pity waiting for a life raft when all I had to do is ask, funny how things work when God is apart of it all. When I recieved the book today I started to open it and noticed a scripture written in there and I went to look it up and it’s been the same scripture I have been holding onto for weeks. I’m just starting this and I hope to catch up with the study before it ends. It found its way into my heart a week ago when I saw the video about filling our empty places with things instead of Gods love and I signed up for the online study not realizing you needed a book and in my situation right know i couldn’t do it someone stepped up and donated one for me and as I was reading the first chapter that was God saying no no no your not going to give up and back down again. He has a purpose for me I’ve known this most of my life, but right know at this moment his purpose is to get me back to believing in him and all that he is capable of doing. Again Thanks for beliving in me and when I can I will pay it forward as my kids say.
Joining in late. I have read this book twice and realize that I really need to apply it to my life. I am praying for stick-to-itiveness! I will give up some of my on-line time.
The sentence which struck me was on page 23: “Doubt keeps us from believing things can get better.” Too often I let my negative thoughts, which led to doubt, take control of me. I have written this Bible verse down in large lettering on an index card next to my bed: “All things are possible to her who believes.” Mark 9:23b. (I’ve written it large so I can read it when I first wake up; before I can find my glasses!)
I actually just finished reading this book, but I never took the time to answer all the questions and really APPLY what I read to my life. When I saw the online study, I felt as if it was my second chance. During this study, I will give up some of my time spent on the internet and spend more time reflecting on the Word of God.
The thing that resonated with me in Chapter 1, was Renee’s description of being afraid of being abandoned in different places. All through life I have always felt as if the people closest to me, tend to always disappear from my life, although sometimes it was not by their choice, but I didn’t realize that I had a fear of being abandoned. More recently, I’ve developed a fear of being forgotten at the airport when I go to visit loved ones, so I call them multiple times to make sure they will pick me up. I’ve also been having dreams of my friends leaving me in public places.
I will be giving up some extra sleep I’m used to enjoying and getting up a little earlier to spend time with Jesus! Yay!! I’m so excited about this book and to embark on this adventure with you all!