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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To me, the most powerful words I read in Chapter 1 was the final phrase of Renee’s prayer. I can overcome my insecurities and no longer “shrink back”. What a powerful promise God gives us..hope for the future. I am really hoping to gain more personal tools to use during seasons of doubt in my life. This is my second time reading this book and I am excited to be apart of this study.
It’s not a coincidence that the book and the opportunity to join this book study fell into place. There are many things that have lined up just right and I believe that God is talking to me. This is just one piece of the puzzle of many things I need to work on to get my life to a place where I can enjoy life and live out the path that God has intended me to. I am so excited for this opportunity to grow in my faith and grow as a person.
I will be putting aside the time to do this study and spend time with God. As a mom of two and full time teacher there is always something to o, someone to take to practice, the house to clean, the laundry to be done, a lesson plan to be created. I like I see we are all busy and tend to put ourselves last. Well I am going to put myself first!
In reading chapter one “All things are possible to (her) who believes” I have read this many times and heard this preached many times but this time it spoke to me. All these changes in my life are for the better I am working on the path that he wants be to be on I need to trust in the lord my God that he knows what is best! It will happen! A better day is coming! “All things are possible” 🙂
I was so blessed by the friend who invited me to join her on this adventure. There was already a strong stirring in my heart and since I committed I have already been blessed by encouraging change and revelation in my life. I am excited for more! I am encouraged by the other women who are committing to sleep more! I think that sounds heavenly and could definitely produce positive change in me. 😉 I am going to strive to sleep and pray more. Let’s do this thing. 😉
“my doubt was distorting my thoughts and overpowering my emotions with confusion and questions.”
Oh boy…this line just speaks so clearly to me about how these lies we believe can take over our minds. And the confusion and questions…well sounds like the devil to me!! And he can be so darn convincing sometimes. I love the praying the scriptures too. I’m a 20-year Moms In Prayer (formerly Moms In Touch) prayer. Through this prayer group I really learned the power of praying in God’s Words. Just can’t go wrong when we do that. God bless you as you minister to us all again, Renee!
This is the study I’ve been waiting on my whole life! Insecurities have held me captive for way too long. I’m in constant prayer
I just finished doing this study last month on the first go around, but I need it again! I think I could do it 8 times and still need to hear the godly wisdom that it contains! I am doing it with 2 friends (via email) this time and i am so excited about that! I started reading chapter 1 and was having a hard time focusing and really felt like I needed to stop and pray and write the prayer in my journal- just to get me started on the right foot- here is the prayer!
Lord, I am feeling out of touch with You and I pray that you will speak clearly to me today and every step of the way through this book. My ears are open and my heart is ready for filling up with You…please, Lord.
Speak to me through every single page of the book. I just am having a hard time getting excited, but I know that when I pray, You hear me and give me peace and direction and allow me to hear You and feel Your presence. Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place, right?
Just sat here thinking about a verse that would speak to this and I was reminded of this one:
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
So, my job is to humble myself and seek Him and I will hear from Him and He will heal me…right? Trusting in His promises tonight!
Like many others, this statement jumped out at me as I read it:
“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.”
I believe in God, but a recent loss has forced me to re-examine that belief. I am really struggling with doubt after experiencing a miscarriage at 15 weeks, plus issues at school where I reach which have me seriously doubting myself. I’m really hoping through this study I can rebuild that sense of self-worth, but more importantly work on building my relationship with Jesus.
Praying that God reveals Himself to you in a BIG way during this study!!!!
Just wanted to start off thanking Renee for a wonderful experience at Faith Lift in MD. I truly feel like God has been trying to get me to connect with him and a friend pushed me to go to that event and here I am doing this amazing book study. What resonated with me the most was the line “doubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time.” This is something I struggle with CONSTANTLY, I worry about everything and it drives me insane. I know I should put my faith in God and not on the world and trust that God will get me through whatever it is I’m going through. I feel like this study has come to me at the right time to help me get through this tough season.
I know that I really need this study. I struggle with perfectionism and approval addiction. I liked when Renee said ..”when I choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose I am and Who I am in Him, I have a confident heart”. This is my prayer that God’s voice would be louder than the voice of doubt. That I would care more about what He says about me than the opinions of others. I am excited to learn more and to read more of these wonderful comments. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, this is my 1st time participating in an online bible study. Just about 15 minutes ago, I almost gave in to the doubts telling me that this is impossible, I’ll won’t be able to partake in this study in this way. Thank God, His voice said to not give up and try to figure it out. I am excited and look forward to Monday nights. I will allocate 1 hour from 7-8 PM to this study.
I”m so glad you are here Martha!! Don’t let the enemy steal this blessing from you. God wants you here and so do we!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful book. The following sentence resonates with me most from Chapter 1:
“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.”
Recently, I’ve been grateful to experience a faith that is moving beyond believing the stories of old and reports from others about what God has done/is capable of doing…to believing Him for who He is and believing that every word He says is true and applicable, including for me! Both to embrace and to practice His word in my everyday life. Therefore time with Him to hear His voice is precious. And although there are many opportunities for encouragement in the Word on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, etc., all of that can wait. So I’ve decided to shave some time from these activities to read the book, answer the discussion questions/challenges, and to focus on the scriptures.
The questions at the end of chapter 1 have truly helped me to examine and challenge my hidden thoughts and subtle whispers of insecurities. And after bringing those former thoughts to light and contrasting them with the scriptures provided, the error is loud and clear, and the doubts do not stand a chance against the power and authority of God’s word. It is quite easy to simply react to daily challenges. But thanks to the deliberate mediation of scripture and thoughtful exercises, this week especially, I have experienced comfort, encouragement; feel empowered, and am quicly reminded to practice being a doer of His word…not just a repeat hearer.
I am more excited to hear what God has to say to me through His Word everyday, knowing that whatever He says is trustworthy, and sure. However it is even more exciting to see the results of trusting and obeying His direction.
Gratefully,
JAY
Swope, Renee (2011-08-01). Confident Heart, A (pp. 23-24). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition.
The entire paragraph is impactful and encouraging…”Over the past few years, I’ve found lasting confidence by living daily in the security of God’s promises. 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. Some days I do better than others, and you will too. But I’ve found that when I choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose I am and who I am in Him, I have a confident heart.”
Swope, Renee (2011-08-01). Confident Heart, A (pp. 23-24). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition.
Thank you again.
The hardest part of doing any study is the discipline of setting the time aside to do it! I have done Precepts
for about 7 yrs now and it is so hard to give up that time of TV ~ reading ~ or running errands etc~~~
But the joy you have when you start early morning with the Lord makes it worth the sacrifice and the discipline of setting a time aside to refine yourself. Not to say, that some days it just does not happen or your schedule does not gel with what you had planned, but God knows our hearts, and we do the best we can. Prayers for all of us to give it our all and not be overpowered by that big shadow of doubt.
The sentences in chapter one that resonated with me were: “Self doubt blocks the promise of God’s power and truth to change us from the the inside out so that can live with a confident heart.” and We will find our heart’s confidence in Christ as we learn how to rely on the power of His promises in our everyday lives.
I’ve been living with sefl doubt for so many years that the thought of thinking and feeling otherwise is scary. I purchased this book months ago and felt it was the key to changing my preception but I didn’t get far. Self doubt convinced me that I’ll never be able to overcome this as the author has so why continue to read.
I’m not all the way convinced but I’m being prayerful that the holy spirit will speak to my heart and help me to stay on this journey.
Chapter 1 spoke to my heart from the beginning to the end. But what I really see is the “doubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time and “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.”Sometimes I see and feel doubt creeping into my shadow when I continue to say, God is in control, and that everything will work out according to His will, for He knows what is best. I now realize that doubt has keep me from experiencing lots in my life along with being afraid of the outcome whether it be with a new adventure or just on a daily aspect. I have dedicated the next 10 weeks to completing this bible study no matter what comes my way. I will read the chapters once, then a second time to highlight important verses or sentences that talk to my heart. I will give up computer time to seek God’s word, to learn more about His love for me while on this journey for I have a desire to have a confident heart and to rely totally on God’s word for comfort, guidance and peace.
I believe this bible will be life changing for me.
Thank you so much for your honesty and willingness to share your life with all of us Renee.
This is my second attempt to do this great and motivating bible study. I pray God will help me limit the daily temptations that prevent me from following through with this study and from devoting my life and the talents he has given me to glorifying him. I plan to give up reading secular books for the duration of this study.
Loved reading all the posts. I am waiting for book to come but was able to read chapter 1,
Jeremiah 17:7 God is our refuge has stuck with me. Sunday’s sermon was about Jeremiah “The weeping prophet”. He never gave up and if anyone knews about God being our refuge it is Jeremiah. The Bible is proof and I plan on giving up nap after I get home from work to read and learn more from the Bible
Today is my birthday and when I saw the study being offered on something I am working on so hard in my life with right NOW, beginning on my birthday, I knew I had to be a part of it. I am excited to work through this study with all of you. I pray God will touch each of our hearts, throughout this study, let his word penetrate deeply and unite all of us through this technology to encourage and guide each other with the purpose of glorifying Him.
I am reading a chapter a night of the bible and writing down the verses in that chapter I want to memorize on index cards. Then I am working on memorizing them and the reference, something I have always wanted to do. For some reason, I started with Galatians. I have read all 6 chapters and chose 4 verses to memorize that spoke to my heart. I have them memorized and am excited to move to Ephesians.
I am also getting up earlier and beginning with the Lord.
happy birthday, leslie! what a sweet birthday gift to give to yourself 🙂 <3
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday!! May God show you truth through His word!!
Happy birthday!!!!
Happy Birthday!!
Hi ladies– I just wanted to say I have enjoyed reading all of your post. I would love to reply to so many of them but time has not permitted so I thought I would just put in a new note. It has been really nice to share the day with you. I guess I should have mentioned before that this is my 2nd time to do this study– kinda, I came in on the last study at chapter 7– so had to rush through to get caught up. So it will be nice to do this again but as the way it was intended.
Renee, this is wonderful of you to take so much time from your already busy schedule to interact and lead this study the way you do.
When I got home from work I checked a couple links I subscribe to on facebook. I am often amazed by how God uses the different links with verses and inspiration are exactly what I need at that moment or totally line up with my day.
One of them is called “God wants You to Know” this was my post for today…..
Diane, we believe God wants you to know … that worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. Worrying, you get stuck going over the same things over and over again without making any progress. Instead, spend some time with nature to calm your mind and feed your soul.
Doesn’t this go with what we’ve read in chapter 1?
Now that’s confirmation!!