“Jesus did not die on the cross just to get us out of hell and into heaven.
He died on the cross to get Himself out of heaven and into us.
It’s what we were we made for. It’s why we long for glory.
The truth is, we were created to reveal glory – just not our own.
God created us in His image to reveal His glory by giving visibility to His invisible character within us. Christ in us is the hope of the glory. (Col 1:27)”
From Chapter 11, A Confident Heart
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Our Word/Phrase for the week is: Created for Glory
Download and print our word for the week in a PDF or in MSWord.
His WORD for us this week: ” I have become its )the church’s) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27, NIV)
From My Heart:
I am feeling sad and proud today!! I didn’t want to write this post because it’s our last one Word of the week for this go-round. It’s our last week together in my first online study (so I”m sad) but we did it ( so I’m proud)!!! Even if you aren’t yet reading chapter 11, I’m still proud of you because you’re here today which means you haven’t given up!!:0) Friend, let’s commit to throw off anything that hinders us this week so we can run with endurance and finish strong together — staying connected and committed to the end.
Staying Connected:
Please share your thoughts about what I shared from Chapter 11 at the top of this post. What are your thoughts us being created for glory – but just not our own. What are some other ways God is speaking to you so far in chapter 11. {If you’ve never commented before – I hope today is the day you do!!! And if you are a regular – don’t be shy please. I want to hear from all of YOU!!
{Just Click “share your thoughts” below this post and do just that. And if you are reading this via email click here to connect through the comments on my website!}
Well, I’m a little slow to finish up the last chapter but I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has taught me so much about myself and helped me to realize that so many others are experiencing the feelings, doubts, insecurities and lack of confidence that I thought only I was dealing with. In the chapter 11 you said that you pray we would keep this book as a resource and I plan to do just that. I’m a little stubborn and usually need to hear a message more than once so I plan to reread it as well. I am also going to give away at least two copies of this book because I want my friends to hear this message as well.
As for chapter 11, the image of you lying down on the floor and picturing the shadow of the cross was very powerful. That is not something I have thought of but want to try that during my next quiet time. I also really appreciate you sharing an excerpt from your journal. I want to get into journaling but don’t quite know where to start or what to say and I think this will be very helpful.
Thank you Renee for writing this book and for being so real throughout it and the online study. It really is helpful to realize that even those in Christian ministry struggle and to see how you work through those struggles. I pray that you may continue to have a confident heart and to share this message with many more women.
I have never been able to understand how people just seemed to “breathe” out verses like: “For you are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” or “God causes all things to work together for good…” “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”…..and there are so so so many other “positive thinking” scriptures friends and Christians would throw at me and appear to be asking me “what’s wrong with you that you are unable to think the same way? ….and I was thinking, how did that get into you? Were you born with that way of thinking? Osmosis? Are you just so perfectly positive? Are you for real? Are you just faking it? or You must really have done everything you wanted to in life and everything must have just worked out hunky dory for you to be able to say those things now because you have nothing else to worry about? Even to the point of what I thought was “unrealistic” for others to be able to believe those things and that I thought I could never be and thought it was impossible to be and that everyone was just doing the “name it, claim it” thing. I have never been able to do that and to me it was just superficial, impossible and just words on a paper and I thought I was just not cut out for it. Your book and God now at this point in my life have allowed me to see that it’s possible for me to know and believe what God says about me. Maybe you just have to be at some point in your life to understand it or something. Maybe I was just ready. Maybe I just needed it so badly God just rained it all over me so that I would understand it finally. I do know I have to work at it daily and put what God’s says about me in front of my eyes constantly. Maybe it was just reading your book, Renee. But I’m so glad I am at that point now and I pray that God will keep me at it and never lose it.
Thank you so much for this most inspirational study. I have grown by having a more personal understanding that God’s Powerful Promises really are for ME!! Chapter 12 will be such a blessing to me and I pray to Jesus to continue to fill you and lead you by His Holy Spirit always as you continue to put your confidence in Him.
Thank you, Renee, for your openness, vulnerability, honesty and being so real through this book and online with us. I have enjoyed every bit of this study, and am learning more and more to have god-confidence and to take the Lord’s hand as He leads me daily.
My heart’s desire is to be a blessing and encouragement to others and especially other ladies. To see us all walk in everything the Lord has for us, free in who we are in Him, and being used for His glory. So when the opportunity comes for me to give an encouraging word, smile, to give a hug, write a note, however the Lord wants me to display His love for others, I want to always be willing and obedient to Him in this way. More than this, though, I want to be a blessing to my husband and child! If I can’t display the fruit of the spirit and the love of the Lord as shown to us in 1 Corinthians 13 then I am just a sounding brass and tingling cymbal in all areas of my life. So I know the Lord will be faithful to show me areas He wants to work in my life within my family to display His glory and be a blessing to them. 🙂
I did this bible study with a group of ladies. I’ve got to say this was a big step for me to lead it! I had to choose to move out of the shadow of my doubt in the areas of not feeling equipped, good enough, talented enough, spiritual enough, why me (even though it was on my heart to do it), and choose to believe that He was with me and leading me. Every week I would picture myself taking the Lord’s hand and we would go together to the study and I would picture Him sitting beside me, helping me, whispering in my ear words of truth to share with the ladies in the group. He has been so faithful! And I am so thankful! I really am not the same person as I was when this study started! He is doing a new work in me and I know it is a process as I remind myself every day and thank Him that in my life He is gracious, faithful, mighty, my strength, provider, healer, banner, peace, rock, shepherd, and My Father who loves me! 🙂
There is another group of ladies that I will be doing the study with in the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to doing it again and looking forward to what He will do in the lives of the ladies going through this study and through me too! 🙂
Again, thank you so much for this book and study! The Lord used you through it to impact my life and the lives of many women for His glory!
Love and blessings!
I do not often post but look forward to your posts and read them all! Renee you are bringing so many women closer to the Lord, women like me who are reading and following along! I love the book! I can say I am more confident with my relationship with my God! Thanks for your wisdom and guidance! Bless you and your family!
I had to share the amazing news that I have received this week. Last week I had 8 people respond to being checked to see if they are a match for me for a kidney transplant. I now have 14 people who have been willing to be tested and two not sure and one I know is too old to give, but I still love her heart to want to give (she is 90 years old). One called the beginning of this week because her family isn’t supportive of her being checked. I told her that she needed the support of her family and that what she felt was placed on God’s heart for her may just be to pray for me and all the other people. She is going to keep me in her prayers and continue to contact me through email and phone. The second one just emailed me that she isn’t sure, but she felt led to do something. I emailed her just now and told her the same thing that I told the other one. That this isn’t an easy quest and that God will speak to her heart to what He wants for her to do and that may be to just pray for the right donor for me. Also, the 90 year old asked if she could still call me from time to time to see how I am doing. I know one thing that it isn’t by accident that all of this is happening and that all of us are getting to know each other through email and the phone. God placed all of these people in my life to show me His awesome, powerful love for me. I thank God for each and everyone of them.
What awesome news!!! My mother and father in law had kidney transplants 2 years ago…they have been married for over 30 years and when we received news that my hubbies dad needed the transplant, it was a miracle to find out that my hubbies mom was a perfect match for her own hubby. God is so amazing at how he provides! Keep us posted!!!
I am seriously thinking about getting tested for a Christian I know to get a kidney transplant. If either of you or both could explain anything to me about how they test you? What is involved? What are the possibilities the surgery could kill me (even though I know any surgery is serious and something could happen). I suppose I could just be tested and then think further about it if I was a match. Any insight you could give me would be appreciated. Thank you. [email protected]
…’Thank You’ Renee…our wonderful Lord directed you, substained you, released you…to be His voice, hands…in preparing and placing this study into so many, many…many women’s lives….I have been ‘touched and changed’…as from the very first time I read about the book study online…my heart jumped!!….and here I am…’we’ are…finishing ALL together.
I claim the verse..Jeremy 17:7…each morning…that was the ‘life line’ verse..in my getting started.
I have saved all of the emails/videos, etc…as I ‘must’ review them over and over again, and to read the whole book..often.
Bless you, your life, your hushand, and dear precious children.
May God be the GLORY…for the things He has done.
Missing you already, ‘yet’…we do have eternity together, don’t we???
Thank you Renee for doing this study…I was looking back at notes from where I started back in December and where I am now…I know I have made progress but I am still not where I want to be. After i shared some of my heart at a Christian Recovery group last night someone asked me if I ever just got angry at God…I was taken back by that, I am always sad or depressed over things in my life but angry? At God? I don’t think I want to go there…I do know that sadness can be anger turned inward and I am struggling with if that is my issue…I want to believe that I can trust God’s love but I guess I haven’t let myself go there…I am tired of telling my story, tired of feeling like I do…I am “dehydrated” as you put it in a CD you sent me when your husband told you that and you went to the cabin in Tennesee…I am in that place and have been and know that working with other Christian women, still raising children, and having a great Ministry are all things that you have worked hard on yourself to get. I just need purpose and to love myself and allow God’s love in…I am still working on it and doing this study has helped me so much, sometimes I just feel like I am starting all over again all the time and I am weary from it. Please don’t take this as a pity partty, that is the last thing I need anyone to feel about me, so I say very little about me, love to encourage others but Peggyby thesea is still searchign for joy and peace…Thank you for helping me on this journey called life my sweet sister…
Renee, do you really pray for us? When my mother died, one of my first thoughts was –
who will pray for me now?
So, when I read in your book and in the email that you pray for us. I was just wondering.
Lilly I am really glad you asked. Others may wonder the same.
And yes, I really do pray for you all – often. I also prayed for each of you before this study started. And I prayed for each person who would read the words God gave me to write – almost every time when I sat down to write the book. I believe in the power of prayer. I also know how hard life can be and how much prayer can help ease the burden or make the load lighter.
I have also felt the power and gift of the prayers you all have prayed as I walked us through this study and for our family as we walked through so many trials in the past two months.
I will continue to pray for you all too!! I”m asking that He who began this work in you will keep on completing it!! And that you will keep on seeking and surrendering to HIM each day so that you will know and live in the security and assurance of HIS promises no matter what!!
Thank you so very much.
Renee: Thanks very much for offering this study. I’m afraid I wasn’t very good at keeping up so I’ve signed up to start over again in April.
I have so appreciated this study and the book. They have both helped so much. Thank you for taking time to do this for and with us.
Renee,
Thank you for leading us through this study. I did not keep up as well as I thoguht I would with BSF and home activities. I look forward to being more active and completing the book during the enxt online study. I ahve registered! Blessings abound.
Thank you, Renee, for your bible study. It has blessed me tremendously. I have been a Christian for many years, but I continued to have an image of God as a task-master I could never please. Now, I am starting to see that God is patient and longs to use me to glorify His name. I know now, that I first need to get to know Him. I will be striving to do that. I also know now, that He has a plan for me. I’m going to make an effort to discover that plan and bring it to fruition. Thank you, again, for helping me get to this place of hope.
I am sad too that this is the last word of the week. I didn’t go through the book with the study but still loved the word of the week. They were so great to focus my attention on what is true and God centered. I still need to get the book, any chance you will be putting it on the nook as well as the kindle.
Thanks again for walking with us over the past many weeks… I LOVED looking at my fridge at my key word for the week, and sharing them with a friend.
Renee I really enjoyed the book study and I thank GOD for bringing you into so many women lives. This study has truly changed and opened my eyes to a new life. Look forwad to doing the study a second time around. GOD bless you..
My two most favorite paragraphs in the book!!
GLORY!! I loved your paragraph on glory: “Jesus did not die on the cross just to get us out of hell and into heaven. He died on the cross to get Himself out of heaven and into us. It’s what we were we made for. That is why we long for glory. The truth is, we were created to reveal glory – just not our own. God created us in His image to reveal His glory by giving visibility to His invisible character within us. Christ in us is the hope of the glory. (Col 1:27)
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27)
If the fact that Christ died to get Himself into me doesn’t give me a confident heart … not sure what will! Christ in me – what an amazing truth and promise!! What a privilege to be used by Him to reveal His glory -a broken down mess used by Him for His purposes – to bring Him honor and glory! Our number one purpose in life!! Now that’s a confidence builder!
And then your next paragraph …
“Oh, how the world needs to see, feel and experience Jesus! God wants to give us confidence in Christ that others can see, so they will want Him for themselves. It’s time that we, God’s girls, let Jesus have His way in our lives. Let’s make a promise that every time doubt casts its shadow over us, we will run back to Jesus, turn toward the light, and stand in the shadow of the cross where everything changes.”
For me, standing in the shadow of the cross is where we truly see His glory!
Ok so I am just finishing up chapter 10 and getting ready to start chapter 11 and am working through some other things that are on my heart so I thought I’d share them here with each of you. Please pray for me! This book has been so life changing. Life changing to the point that I am realizing how much I’ve just listened to satan’s lies about me for almost 8 years….just took it. Listened to him say I wasn’t worth it. Listened to him say no one wants to listen to me. Feel him time and time again shove me back down and keep me from what God was trying so hard to give me. You see women’s ministry has always been on my heart. The times of my life that were most joyful when serving God were when I was speaking into the hearts of other women. For the past 7 or 8 years I have stifled that. Become introverted and sad. When by default I am so extroverted its not even funny. It’s a long road to get out of this pit I am in, but the first step is recognizing it. The next is planting God’s truth in my heart to ignore the lies satan is continuing to plant there. There have been times when I have felt small twinges of speaking and writing for God as something he might potentially have me do but it was quickly tossed aside as my doubts and fears crept in and told me I wasn’t good enough to do that. Now that I recognize those doubts and fears for what they are….lies….and I am starting to press through them, I feel satan attacking more than ever. Trying to hold me back. It makes me so curious as I wonder what is so big that he is holding me back from. So please pray ladies…pray for the fight. Pray for the will to press on!
My most earnest prayer is in this….a few years ago I heard about the She Speaks conference through Proverbs 31 and I was so excited about it then but managed to talk myself out of it. It’s been on my heart so much lately. Affirming words have come from many, and really if I want to make it into registration should really do so probably do so soon before its sold out. Would you please boldly pray that God just sets it on my heart profoundly. Without a doubt that I would know he is asking me to go. I am pretty sure I already know what he is saying but the lies satan is trying to attack me with are so strong. Please pray that God would speak clearly even through them.
Thank you so much! It’s been a blessing to share this time with each of you and see how much we’ve all grown through this study!
Blessings,
Bridget
Bridget,
It is already obvious God has put this on your heart to go. GO! Do not let Satan win one more day! 🙂 God is bringing you out, setting the captive free…..to live the abundant life He has JUST for you his precious daughter. You are a daughter of the King!
I am very excited for you. May God continue to give you a most confident heart and heap blessings of life upon you!
Bridget : You are so right; the first step is recognition. Praise God that you’ve come this far! Now I pray that you continue to listen to God whispering in your heart. And step forward with new-found confidence!
Come and go with me!! This will be my first time!! And it’s taken a lot of pushing and pulling my friends at P31 … I’ve written one blog entry for Melissa Taylor with P31 … and I keep telling her that I am a one blog wonder and I’ve shared my testimony publically one time at a ladies retreat in front of maybe 100 women probably 15 years ago ….. so come and go with me … If I can overcome the fear of writing and speaking …. So can you .. we can become conqueorers together!!!
Thank you so much ladies! Donna I am going! I am just waiting for a response back from P31 so I can set up something for payment so I can raise the funds to go. I already had an anonymous donor give me a good chunk of what I need. I am so excited and so at peace about this decision! Cannot wait!!!