Keep the Heart

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit! When we're in the Word, we grow "fat" in a good way: we become well fed with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. The book of Proverbs is filled with instructions on how to live in this world, even when times are loud and confusing. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33), and He has left us with clear directions that enrich our lives and improve our relationships.

It takes under five minutes to read a chapter of Proverbs. That's less time than it takes to watch five reels on social media. Feed your soul. It will reward you with stability and spiritual strength.

"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life." (Proverbs 22:4)

Welcome to Replay Friday! This episode had thousands of downloads when it first aired in 2021, and maybe that's partly because people like to hear about how others blew it! Ha! "Dumb Things I Did as a Newlywed" is not just for brand new wives. It's for married women of all stages. The problem with doing things incorrectly is that it may become habit-forming, persisting into the later years of marriage.

Marriage is a "work of heart," including routine maintenance as well as occasional repairs. This episode covers four things that qualify for the "Not to Do" list. Self-directed marriages are filled with struggles, but biblical marriages improve with age. 

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." (Proverbs 18:22)

More on this topic here: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Apply: Living What We Learn--Daily Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW! Far Above Rubies: A 31-Day Devotional by Melissa Hedrick

NEW! Encouragement for Young Women: A 30-Day Devotional for Teens by Charity Berkey & Team

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where you can listen to a daily chapter from the book of Proverbs in about five minutes. A Bible reading habit becomes a Bible study habit, leading to a closer relationship with God while increasing your wisdom and knowledge. God wants us to know how to live, so He gave us His Word, placing Proverbs right in the middle.

Never underestimate the value of God's Word. It's priceless and proven:

"Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." (Proverbs 8:10-11)

Is your life on track? If not, maybe you need to invest more time seeking instruction, knowledge, and wisdom from God's Word. Nothing compares to it. You will appreciate the life improvements that come from building your Bible habit.

Here's a helpful tool to use with your Proverbs studies: Apply: Living What We Learn--A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

When someone says or does something that irritates you, what comes out of your mouth? Unfiltered speech that stings, or carefully chosen words spoken according to the "law of kindness"? We are at great risk of picking up the infections of the culture, including the tendency to open the mouth with unedited harshness.

If your companions, electronic or "in real life" are mouthy and careless, you will be influenced by them. But if your role models are biblically sound, that beautiful soundness will become an admirable pattern for you. The best companions are God-fearing ones, as it says in Psalm 119:63: "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts."

This episode is an excerpt from Apply: Living What We Learn. Day 31 examines "the law of kindness." People who have learned how to apply this kindness to the way they communicate are precious, encouraging, and rare. 

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness." (Proverbs 31:26)

Get your copy of Apply here: Apply: Living What We Learn--A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Welcome to Replay Thursday, where we play the most popular episodes from the previous season! This episode, "When Plans Change," was recorded after I was released from the hospital following a health emergency. I had to cancel a trip, was grounded from flying for over a month, and had to make several other unplanned changes on my calendar and in my life. This was hard, but people face much harder changes. 

We won't always understand why plans change, but it's good to remember that this is a page in the story, not the end of the story. In this vaporous life, we simply cannot know what will happen by the end of the day, let alone tomorrow. This is worth another listen, especially if you're experiencing an abrupt and unexpected change in your plans.

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14)

Apply: Living What We Learn--Daily Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW! Far Above Rubies: A 31-Day Devotional by Melissa Hedrick

NEW! Encouragement for Young Women: A 30-Day Devotional for Teens by Charity Berkey & Team

What Do I Have to Lose: Losing My Way and Finding God's by Janice Wolfe

Sister Friends by Francie Taylor--Same book NEW LOOK

Minerals for the Mind: A Study of Romans 12 by Kathy Ashley

The Mirror of God's Word: A Biblical View of Physical Beauty by Robin Parton

Fret Not: Peace of Mind in Perilous Times by Tim Zacharias

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit. In less than 5 minutes, you'll complete a chapter of Proverbs while equipping yourself with valuable daily living instructions for handling daily matters wisely.

Here's a gold nugget from chapter 17:

"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends." (Proverbs 17:9)

Disagreements grow in size when shared with those who are not part of the problem. Sharing our disagreements with others, outside of the realm of seeking godly counsel, is often a thinly-veiled attempt to paint someone else in a bad light while making ourselves look blameless.

Want to be biblical? Cover that transgression. And when it's your turn to mess something up, pray that others will do the same for you.

Apply: Living What We Learn--Daily Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW! Far Above Rubies: A 31-Day Devotional by Melissa Hedrick

NEW! Encouragement for Young Women: A 30-Day Devotional for Teens by Charity Berkey & Team

What Do I Have to Lose: Losing My Way and Finding God's by Janice Wolfe

Sister Friends by Francie Taylor--Same book NEW LOOK

Minerals for the Mind: A Study of Romans 12 by Kathy Ashley

The Mirror of God's Word: A Biblical View of Physical Beauty by Robin Parton

Fret Not: Peace of Mind in Perilous Times by Tim Zacharias

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

According to various online sites, "self-care" is a term that became popular within the medical community in the 1950's. Regardless of its origin, the definition of the phrase is flawed. It's missing the soul:

"Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. This can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact."--National Institute of Mental Health ("Caring for Your Mental Health," NIMH)

What about the soul? Doesn't it need self-care, too? Yes, it does. God knows how to guide us into the best overall self-care, and He doesn't limit it to just the physical and mental aspects. His Word nourishes, strengthens, and fortifies our souls as well. 

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

We are more than physical bodies with mental faculties. The soul is our "inner person" and it needs daily self-care.

In this episode, we'll look at Day Eight in the devotional, Apply: Living What We Learn. Day eight addresses our need for daily soul food. To get a copy of this helpful Bible-habit-building tool, see the link below, or click on the book title in this paragraph.

Apply: Living What We Learn--Daily Devotional by Francie Taylor

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome to Replay Saturday! Today's episode, "Courage Steps for Handling Challenges," takes a snake story and transforms it into a how-to session on handling things that cause fear. You may not have to face a real snake in your life, but things that make a person afraid are part of the human experience.

There are steps we can take to break fears down into steps that bring the challenges down to size. Take a break for nine minutes of courage-building!

Apply: Living What We Learn--Daily Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW! Far Above Rubies: A 31-Day Devotional by Melissa Hedrick

NEW! Encouragement for Young Women: A 30-Day Devotional for Teens by Charity Berkey & Team

What Do I Have to Lose: Losing My Way and Finding God's by Janice Wolfe

Sister Friends by Francie Taylor--Same book NEW LOOK

Minerals for the Mind: A Study of Romans 12 by Kathy Ashley

The Mirror of God's Word: A Biblical View of Physical Beauty by Robin Parton

Fret Not: Peace of Mind in Perilous Times by Tim Zacharias

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where listening to a chapter of Proverbs helps you to develop the habit of daily Bible reading. To build a Bible habit, simply begin and keep it up. Over time, Bible reading leads to Bible study, and God does the rest. With an audio Bible, you only need to press "play" and listen. Simple.

Soon, your life is improved by increased wisdom and understanding. A trouble-free life was never promised by God, but instead He give us the "peace of God that passeth understanding" when we learn how to keep our hearts and minds on Him.

Here's a great reminder verse from this chapter:

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Proverbs 27:17) 

You will become spiritually sharpened as you Build Your Bible Habit. God will transform you by the renewing of your mind, and you will be the kind of friend that "sharpens" others with godly wisdom.

Want more help with building your Bible habit? Get your copy of "Apply: Living What We Learn" HERE.

Welcome to BAM: Your Bible Application Moment. Today's application comes from Proverbs 23:9, which tells us what not to do:

"Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words." (Proverbs 23:9)

So why do we disobey this scripture so often and so boldly? Did you know that when we're disregarding scripture while trying to correct someone else, we will be totally ineffective because of our own disobedience?

"Speak not" means "don't speak." So don't.

More Bible Application Here: Apply: Living What We Learn by Francie Taylor

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook