“In the security of our relationship with Christ, God wants us to ask questions and look for answers that usher us into the depths of His redeeming love. He wants to give us the courage to live in the promise that He offers hope for our future despite the pain of our past.”
from Chapter 4, A Confident Heart
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Our Word for the week: HOPE
(Download in a PDF or download in MSWord). Please print it and post it everywhere this week.
HIS Word for us this week:
“May the God of hope fill [me] with all joy and peace as [I] trust in him, so that [I] may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, NIV
Our Assignment for Today:
- Read the prayer at the end of Chapter 4 to begin your day. Start or continue reading chapter 4.
Remember, take your time and highlight or underline sentences that resonate in your heart. - Let’s commit to memorize this week’s verse together :)!
My friend Heather is a Word girl!! When she was in college she performed in over 14 plays and memorized hundreds of lines, so I’ve asked her to share some tips to help us hide God’s Word in our hearts this week. Here are a few she shared. I’ll post more each week.
Ideas for Memorizing Scripture
- Write the scripture on several index cards or post-it notes and place them in areas where you will see them frequently throughout the day. Examples: on the bathroom mirror, refrigerator door, in the car, at work, etc…
- Get a stack of index cards and on each one write one or two words from the verse, including the reference. Shuffle them up and see if you can put them in the correct order again. Save the cards and reuse common words found in other verses.
- Send the verse to friends and family by typing, texting, or writing it out by hand. You can look at the verse, but do not copy and paste! Try writing it at least once a day.
- Study with a friend, your spouse, or teach it to your kids! Quiz each other and keep each other on track. What a great way for families to spend time in the Word together!
- Change the wall paper on your computer to an image that has your Bible verse.
Connecting in Community:
As we read chapter4 this week, let’s share our hearts below – answers to the questions, sentences we’re highlighting, thoughts we’re thinking, feelings and fears we’re experiencing. This can be a hard chapter for some because it addresses our past and our pain. Let’s pray for each other each day and commit to memorize this week’s verse together! If you are in, leave a comment by clicking on “share your thoughts” and tell us how you plan to memorize it. I’m writing it on a ceramic plate in my kitchen. I’ll be praying it for you every time I see it.
REMEMBER: If you are reading this via email, click here to return to my website to connect in community. That is the best part of an online study, so I hope to see you there!
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How do we get to the previous posts on here?
Hi Lisa if you go to the top of the page and use the drop down under ” A Confident Heart” then go to ” A confident Heart Archives” you should be able to find it all. Hope this helps. In Christ Love.
im going to memorize this verse on scripturetyper.com , i always have a hard time memorizing things.
I will write it on an index card and say it as I look at it
Yikes…I am one chapter behind! Ack! But I really felt such resonation (spell check is appalled, apparently with that word!) in Chapter 3. Moving on. Lord, help me- love the tips for memorizing. I love to write scripture everywhere. The act of writing is powerful to me. I especially love index cards and my journal…onward through Chapter 4…
Ch4 spoke to deeply to my heart. Specifically ‘God’s plans for us are found when we surrender ours and seek His each day. God’s plans unfold each time we come to Him, talk to Him, and really believe He’s listening.’ This reminded me our God is a living God.
In 2012 I experienced A LOT of healing around my youth from a father that abandoned me, a teenage mother, and a husband who made me feel rejected, unworthy, alone, and unloved. I had a wonderful Christian therapist who led me thru healing…but it was mostly me & God. Actually…it was God…and I just surrendered. I was faced with having to grieve the hope of my childhood…I had to grieve the hope I had for my marriage…I had to grieve the hope of a bio-father wanting a relationship with his daughter. I had to forgive my husband, my mother, and my bio-father…even tho he is not in my present life. God healed so many past wounds that left big ‘soul holes’ for me.
All that therapy & work led me to a redeemed marriage…my husband being the one person that asked me for redemption himself…I told him ‘I had already forgiven him before he asked.’ When it came time for me to work on forgiveness…I knew I needed to forgive my husband first…my parents were a deeper wound. I may never get the apology from them, however I had to make a decision for my heart that I will not let an absent father or hurting mother define me anymore.
The verse I highlighted above is one of many from this chapter for me, however it reminded me that my hopes for a marriage that honored God…He provided for me in restoring my marriage to an amazing level of intimacy & authenticity we never embraced before. But also the hope of redeeming the promise that we will be parents some day are still alive because He is alive. Not my plan, but His plan.
I have the word ‘hope’ circled, written, printed, hanging, posted…on my ipad, my iphone reminders, hope scripture for passwords, photos, written on rocks & walls…but most importantly written in my prayers and on my heart…and on a promised baby…some day.
Wow Jenny. Your story of redemption and forgiveness is powerful and offers so much hope to those in our study who may be going through the same things you have gone through and are going through. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and what God’s done. It was up to you to let Him – and Im so glad you did.
Im praying that you will personally keep seeing — ‘God’s plans for you will be found when you surrender yours and seek His each day. God’s plans unfold each time you come to Him, talk to Him, and really believe He’s listening.’
He is there, listening and loving you each step of the way 🙂 Im cheering and praying for you too!!
Wonderful story of restoration , i myself had to forgive my man before he came back, God is so Loving and so knows what is best for us:)
Something that also helps me with memorizing Scripture is that I write down at least 3 times from 3 different versions of the Bible. This also gives me a chance to explore the choices of words and the effect they have on their interpretation and meaning, but most of all how they touch my heart! Just read the chapter 4 prayer. Faith, HOPE, and love…all come jumping off the page! Thanks Renée!
I will be memorizing. This has been a rough Chapter. I have realized I too need to forgive. Thank yph!
The one thing I’ve found was setting the verse to music helps. Any song that teaches a Bible verse through music makes the words of scripture pop out in 3D when you actually read it in the Bible again. It’s like finding treasure 🙂
Page 80 “He wants to use everything He has brought you to, to bring you THROUGH. Not a single thing in your life will be wasted. God will use your past and present to prepare you for your future.”
Thank you Renee for confirming what God whispered in my heart through all my tears and wounds. I pray that my losses would not be in vain…I still wait in FERVENT HOPE to see God make all things beautiful and new in His time.
As I grow towards the future Hope…it seems He wants so much to break though the layers of my heart, to reach its raw state so I’ll be sensitive enough to discover Him at a deeper level. With each tear, He’s re-building a stronger foundation in Him as I let Him carry me. I’m tired of fighting the ONLY Being in life who KNOWS what’s best for me…
Here’s God’s Faithfulness…I was just writing about the topic and this song came to mind….sums up what is on my heart, PRAISE GOD IN THE STORM!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGPS8sa-bRQ
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
[Chorus:]
And I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You
But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
[Chorus]
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
I love this song. thank you for sharing the words. perfect song for us this week.
Hi Renee Got a question. How do you get your picture in the corner of you post? I would like to put up mine. Can you help, are anyone else. In Christ Love
Lol Angela, I have been wondering the same thing!!!
Hopefully this solves the mystery…it seems that if you have a website/blog page, you type the address of in the box under your email when you upload your thoughts. It allows an image and a hyperlink so others can click on your name to read and visit your site. If anyone knows more, please let us know! Blessings!
So happy to contribute!! Thank you so much for all you do for us!!
thank you Pillar now we know In Christ Love
I’m not sure why my picture isn’t showing up then, because I have my blog linked. Oh well! lol
one of my favorite all time songs thanks for sharing
You are so welcome! May you be blessed!
I like to write memory verses on index cards and work on memorizing them while I’m running on the treadmill!
I have always used index cards when needing to memorize stuff. Lime green is my favorite color. I found a large index card and wrote the verse out in lime green! I also printed off the PDF file and it is hanging on my fridge. Besides repeating the verse out loud to myself, I have a mini goal and that it to tell someone about the verse each day. Speaking Truth to friends and family members will help me to recite it, and share with others about the study.
Thank you all for sharing your stories. Your faith is so inspiring. I will be praying for all of you in this Bible study with me.
I have been writing down my verses but it doesn’t stick lol
Chapter 4 says a lot about me. I never really let people know how o feel. Right now I’m staying with my daughter and son in law because my daughter is not mentally stable. Some days are better than others. Today was not a good day for her or me. I had no one to reach out to. Dealing with someone who suffers from depression and anxiety is taxing. I pray that God keeps my sanity. What keeps me going is my precious 16 mos old grandson. My daughter did except Christ as her savior, now the seed mist sprout fruits. I need to keep trusting god. I do write about my situation in my notebook for this bible study. I feel that the lord is preparing for something in the future alone the line of depression. The scripture setting the captive free comes to mind. I can’t wait till she is set free.
Praying for you Norma and your daughter. God is writing your story even now. You are a good mama to be there with her. Jesus is right there with you and we’re praying for you!!
I print out the pdf’s and hang them in my kitchen so I can see them every day!
Loved this quote from Chqpter 4: Yet in the security of our relationship with Christ, God wants us to ask hard questions and look for answers that usher us into the depths of his redeeming love.”
I’ve had to ask those hard questions and look for the answers and there is no way to do it outside the security of relationship with Jesus. Without that, it’s too hard…and threatens to take us under. With it, we can face whatever we have to face.
Amen Holly!!
“When we let Jesus pour His healing power into our lives, His love flows into our pain and cleanses the wounds from our past.”
Wow, that seemed like a hefty job when I first read it. I took the steps to write out a timeline of my life, or at least from where my troubles seemed to begin. I was exhausting! Lots of tears and sadness. But, the next day I woke up feeling lighter than I could ever remember. I know there is still more to be done, but what a relief. I was even able to burn some old mementos that I could not part with before – I kept them to punish myself with the reminders of the pain – but no more!
Brittney, thank you so much for sharing today. I can’t tell you how much it means to know you took that big step while reading Chapter 4. Some have told me they just skipped it b/c it was too hard and I understand. But I also know that complete healing can’t come if we don’t’ let Jesus pour His healing power into our lives and let His love flow into our pain to cleans our wounds from the past.
Thank you for sharing how you felt when you read that quote and what it was like to work on your timeline. That takes so much courage but like you shared, the weight that is lifted is so huge. A freedom comes that we never imagined we could have. I don’t think I knew how much my pain held me captive until I allowed Jesus to really set me free!!
Praying for your continued process and courageous faith to let Him keep working. The best is yet to come as you turn it all over to HIM!!!
Our pastor challenged us to memorize Rom. 15:13 last year – what a blessing to my heart in offering that to others or to remember in times when I was struggling! The comment “Often we are afraid to forgive because it might open us up to be hurt again.” struck a chord with me. My first husband & I worked through forgiveness issues, but I’d put walls around my heart to protect it from being hurt, specifically by him. God said “Tear down the walls”; “Okay – but God, what do I do when the hurts come again?” “Trust Me.” Are you kidding? “Will you trust Me to be your healer?” So as an act of my will, I said yes. What an amazing transformation God began to do; yes, there were times of hurt again & God was true to His promise to heal the wounds & there were times of extreme joy as a result of being in the relationship wholeheartedly! My husband passed away in 2006 & I will be forever grateful to God speaking to me “Tear down those walls.” so my life was not filled with regrets; we ended well because of God’s redemptive work in our lives.
I am going to write it on a sticky note and keep it in my car. Chapter 4 was life changing. It helped me deal with the pain of the past. I highlighted “If God’s love doesn’t fail, then why do I feel like He’s failed me?” So many times, I have felt like God let me down many times. I also highlighted, “And left unresolved, the pain from yesterday can keep you from having confident hope for tomorrow. This is SO TRUE!! I have felt like I wasn’t good enough for so long and this just helped me let go. I also love, “God’s love is not only perfect and unfailing, it redeems and restores.” God’s love restored my low self esteem and feelings of failure. I know God’ has a purpose for me. I am still trying to find it. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful book.
Oh Tiffany!! You are so welcome. My heart is so full reading how God is redeeming and restoring your heart and so many others. It is truly the sweetest gift to get to watch Jesus change lives and bring hope to the broken hearted as we walk through the book together!! Im so honored to be part of each of your lives!!
I am writing my verse on index cards to take to work, taping the Hope pdf beside my bathroom mirror and I just changed my desktop background.
I like to write scripture verses on my mirror with a dry erase marker. Since I tend to be a little vain, I know I will see the verse often! 🙂 My husband and I also write notes to each other on special days or “just because.” I usually use a verse that reflects a certain issue that I seem to be struggling with in my Christian walk. Writing the verses Renee gives us has helped me to internalize the truth behind them, helping me truly know how much God loves me. This Bible study is really touching my heart. I find and grab onto a new truth or old truth that settles in my heart and means so much to me! I feel God working in my heart to realize that my confidence is in Him no matter what the circumstances.
I truly am so very greatful that I was lead to this by a dear friend of mine! These words will be ingraved in my brokenheart. I will re-read this chapter/prayer every morning this week.
Thank you!
I will be posting it in the bathroom on the mirror. This is where I usually put scriptures I want to memorize or hold onto.
Hope is what we all need during times like these! My daughter has been dealing with severe health issues for the past six months and hope has kept us all going!! God is good and wants us to trust Him, love Him, and Hope in Him!! Blessings!!