Keep the Heart

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where you can listen to a chapter of Proverbs in under five minutes. Reading along as you listen is also a great habit. The Word of God is instructional, and the book of Proverbs is practical enough to apply to everyday situations.

Here's an example: Suppose a friend comes to you and asks what you think of taking medication for depression. Do you just jump in and answer according to your personal opinion, or do you ask enough questions to understand the "why" behind the problem? When we attempt to help people solve surface issues rather than root problems, we are not helping. Proverbs 18: 13 is a great reminder verse, guiding us to ask more questions rather than just blurting out an opinion:

"He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." (Proverbs 18:13) 

God makes life make sense.

Books, Bible Studies, and more in the Shop at Keep the Heart

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Seaside Treasures Framed Shell Art

NEW: Hope Endures: A Biography of Faith by Jennifer Arrington

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

NEW: The Counting Tree by Jennifer Arrington

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

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Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we play the most popular episodes from previous seasons. This week's episode, "Food Won't Fix That Problem," was a chart-topper and I think I may know why. A lot of people struggle with unhealthy food habits, but they're not sure what to do about it.

Whether you are a stress eater or you are eating for other reasons unrelated to hunger or health, this episode will help you examine your habits. As mentioned when this podcast first aired, if we learn recognize the times when we’re eating for reasons other than hunger, we can make changes.

Let's explore three common reasons why we eat when we’re not hungry, and what we can do instead.

Books, Bible Studies, and more in the Shop at Keep the Heart

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Seaside Treasures Framed Shell Art

NEW: Hope Endures: A Biography of Faith by Jennifer Arrington

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

NEW: The Counting Tree by Jennifer Arrington

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

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Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit! The entire book of Proverbs can be read in a month, since it has 31 chapters. After three months, you will find that you are drawn to Bible reading, which leads to deeper Bible study. The practical applications found in Proverbs make it a very effective for inspiring spiritual growth.

Life is better when we live it God's way. Here's a verse for your week from Proverbs Chapter 4: "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)

You will never have too much wisdom. 

Books, Bible Studies, and more in the Shop at Keep the Heart

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Hope Endures: A Biography of Faith by Jennifer Arrington

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

NEW: The Counting Tree by Jennifer Arrington

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where you'll hear the most popular episodes from previous seasons. This week's episode deals with a common problem: the controlling person. The desire to control the outcomes and people in our lives is a very common temptation. It’s a flawed thread that runs throughout the fabric of our lives, making us tense and anxious. 

We can trick ourselves into believing that if we manipulate situations just right, things will turn out according to our desires. The problem with this plot is that we’re out of line. People with control issues also have major trust issues, and the lack of trust starts with God and then works its way down into other relationships.

This episode examines three signs of a controlling person, and follows with a few suggestions on ways to give up this draining habit.

Books, Bible Studies, and more in the Shop at Keep the Heart

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Hope Endures: A Biography of Faith by Jennifer Arrington

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

NEW: The Counting Tree by Jennifer Arrington

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

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 chapter of Proverbs in less than five minutes. If you are new at this, expect to increase in wisdom and understanding of how to handle the "issues of life." If you've been reading along for a while, you've probably already noticed how God uses the practical teachings of Proverbs to guide and instruct us for daily living.

Here's a great verse reminding us that our motives matter: 

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2)

Books, Bible Studies, and more in the Shop at Keep the Heart

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Hope Endures: A Biography of Faith by Jennifer Arrington

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

NEW: The Counting Tree by Jennifer Arrington

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Everyone gets a turn in the rotation of painful situations, but there are varying degrees of trouble, big and small. When we haven’t been through the fire, we may have a hard time understanding the painful burns of extreme loss.

When the trouble is not in our lives, it takes intentional effort to have compassion, empathy, and true concern. This episode considers three ways that God increases our compassion for others, with the goal of becoming better about caring about others.

"But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies." (Lamentations 3:32)

Books, Bible Studies, and more in the Shop at Keep the Heart

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

What Do I Have to Lose: A 50-Day Devotional (Book Two) by Janice Wolfe

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Mentioned in the Episode: "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom

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Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where you can listen to a daily chapter of Proverbs in about five minutes. The seventh chapter of Proverbs is a hard one. If you've developed the habit of reading or listening to a daily Proverb, you already know what's coming: the chapter about "the strange woman." The word "strange" in this context refers to a prostitute or a harlot. It also carries the meaning "to commit adultery." The "strange woman" is immoral and enticing.

This chapter should be read slowly, and yet it may be painful reading. Have you ever wondered how the "strange woman" ended up on that path of humiliation and destruction? And what about the man who accepted the invitation? They were both selfish. Taking advantage of people to satisfy the flesh never ends well.

Here's how chapter seven closes:

"For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." (Proverbs 7:26-27) That's not a happy ending, it's a dark warning.

VISIT THE SHOP AT KEEP THE HEART FOR BOOKS, BIBLE STUDIES & MORE!

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

What Do I Have to Lose: A 50-Day Devotional (Book Two) by Janice Wolfe

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we play the most popular episodes from previous seasons. This week’s episode, “Escaping the Envy Trap” received thousands of downloads when we first aired it in 2021 and it made me wonder: How many people are stuck in this trap of studying other people’s lives and wanting to be where they are, or to have what they have, or to look like they look?

A hyperfocus on other people's lives is a shortcut to envy, and envy is rotten for the soul. This episode will give you several things to consider, as well as pointing the way out of this consuming trap. 

"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones." (Proverbs 14:30)

VISIT THE SHOP AT KEEP THE HEART FOR BOOKS, BIBLE STUDIES & MORE!

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

What Do I Have to Lose: A 50-Day Devotional (Book Two) by Janice Wolfe

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit. This is something you can do. In less than five minutes, you will have listened to a chapter of Proverbs, gaining valuable wisdom for the day. If you've been struggling to develop a daily Bible reading habit, the simple change of a daily Proverb will end the struggle.

The daily Proverb system has worked for decades, leading people into a closer relationship with God and a deeper study of His Word. By starting small with Proverbs, you will expand your habit over time. Soon, you are reading the entire Bible repeatedly, finding new treasures while applying what you're learning.

Here's a great verse for the week, reminding us to live what we're learning from Scripture:

"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 23:12)

HELPFUL STUDY TOOLS AT KEEP THE HEART

Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

What Do I Have to Lose: A 50-Day Devotional (Book Two) by Janice Wolfe

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Did you know that a leading cause of drowning is exhaustion? This happens when a swimmer gets too far from shore and they are unable to make it safely back. Walking away from God is like drifting away from the safety of the shoreline.

When a person drifts too far for too long, they soon find themselves so far away that they give up trying to turn back. Soon, they are drowning in a sea of rebellion, believing lies, and rejecting the truth.

How can a person find their way back to God? This episode offers four suggestions, and then you can spend some time in prayer after this episode, asking God for even greater direction. This is just a starter list. By the way, if you know someone who has drifted away from God, do not assume that they will want to listen to this episode. Ask their permission first before sharing. 

HELPFUL STUDY TOOLS AT KEEP THE HEART

SMALL GROUP FAVORITE: Apply: Living What We Learn--31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

BIBLE STUDY GROUPS: ICU: In Christ Unconditionally-Heart Conditions

What Do I Have to Lose: A 50-Day Devotional (Book Two) by Janice Wolfe

From Overwhelmed to Overcomer by Natalie Raynes Blanton

Herbs for the Heart: A Study of James by Kathy Ashley

Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram

Like Keep the Heart on Facebook