In this episode, we discover the practice of rest as part of our Bible study, The Journey Back To Your Heart. Listen in as we learn together that rest is not found in a destination, but in a Person.

Scriptures in this episode (all scriptures quoted from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted):

-John 14:27, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 12:2 (The Message), Psalm 23, Matthew 6:24-27, 2 Cor. 10:3-5, Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)

Show Notes & Links:

-Rest is not found in a destination or a set of calming daily tasks—rest is an internal state of being that begins and ends in a personal connection with God. 

-Jesus call everyone to His rest (Mt. 11:28)--no one is excluded!

-Jesus is our shepherd. His job is to care for us. Our job is to let Him. (Ps. 23)

-Keeping our heart and mind set on things above (Col. 3) is like a truth filter for everything that comes into our lives.

-We hear from God when we are connected to Him. Tips for keeping your mind open to God's voice.

-Don't let the culture squeeze you into its mold (Rom. 12:2)

-What are the "rest-busters" that are keeping you from experiencing rest with God?

Links (click 'em, they're live)

-Do you have the Kindle Reader app so you can download a free copy of The Mary Answer (in case you don't have a Kindle). The app allows you to download and read books from Amazon on any computer or device--phone, iPad, whatever. Download it now so you can get your free book Dec. 21-25. Both Apple and Android versions available here: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16571048011

-Listen to episode 172--the introduction to Remain: https://womenfinishingwell.com/episode172/

-Click here to check out Linda Troyer's Bible study, Rest Revealed.

-Sign up for my email list here and don't miss a podcast or a blog post. You'll find lots of other goodies in these short, snappy emails!

-Check out our Women Finishing Well Facebook community here: https://www.facebook.com/womenfinishingwell/

Don't miss the blog post this week on Practicing A Sabbath Rest! Find it on the Facebook page or my blog: https://womenfinishingwell.com/blog/

In this episode we start the last leg of our Journey Back to Your Heart Bible study: learning to remain. We'll learn how to pack our backpacks for a journey that will keep us in the center of our heart with God no matter what comes.

Show Notes & Links:

Scriptures in this episode:

• Colossians 3:1-4, 15-17
• Matthew 11:28-30 in the New Living Translation and The Message
• John 15:1-12

-Review of the Life Habits we've learned so far:

• #1 Pause (episode 161)
• #2 Declaring the Truths of Who God is and who we are in Him (episode 163)
• #3 Recalibration Checklist (episode 164 and Women Fininshing Well blog: https://womenfinishingwell.com/your-recalibration-checklist/)
• #4 Remembering What God Has Done (episode 165 & Women Finishing Well blog: https://womenfinishingwell.com/know-the-truths/
• #5 Learning How to Pray Scripture (episode 167)
• #6 Building Communities of Influence  (episode 168)
• #7 Spiritual Warfare & Armor of God (episode 169)
• #8 Personal Worship & Lament (episodes 170-171)

-The two elements we need to pack up for the journey of Remain:

• Set our hearts & minds on things above (Col. 3)
• Take on the yoke and the burden (Mt. 11:28-30)

-What does it mean to remain?

-John 15: abiding is all about relationships, not about keeping rules (John 15:1-12)

-The relationships of the Gardener, the Vine, and the branches.

Links (Click 'em, they're live)

-Sign up for the email list here and get early access to new podcasts, tools, and exclusive giveaways.

-Find Women Finishing Well on Facebook here. 

-If you're new to our current study and would like to start at the beginning, start listening here.

You can email Chris at [email protected]

Next Week: Practicing Rest 

In this episode Chris interviews writer and teacher Melanie Davis Porter about the blessing of lament--learning how to bring God into our troubles. Is being honest with God about how we feel a good thing? Listen in and find out.

Show Notes & Links:

Scripture verses in this episode:

• James 1:2-4
• Romans 8:28
• Psalm 138:7-8
• Psalm 73:1-22, Psalm 73:23
• Psalm 130
• Psalm 10
• Psalm 6
• Php. 4:6 (NLT)

-Melanie's story

-"The enemy will try and complicate your grief with more chaos."

-What is the meaning of James 1:2? Are we really supposed to be happy when we have problems?

-Not knowing that our loving God has a purpose for our troubles can keep us in the dark and afraid. Trusting that God is always with us gives us confidence in trouble. (Ps. 137:7-8)

-In the midst of all our troubles, God is remaking us and renewing us so that perseverance can make us mature and complete, not lacking anything. He is reviving us in our trouble. (James 1:4)

-We can get distracted and busy in our grief in an effort to not deal with our feelings. We need to embrace our trouble and our feelings with God. Being honest with God opens our heart to his healing. 

-David was a good lamenter because he knew God personally and he was self-aware of what he was feeling. Pouring out his heart to God was a spiritual discipline that kept him close to God's heart.

-Henri Nouwen quote: We need to embrace our own brokenness so we can minister to broken people. When we suffer willingly, we can comfort those who suffer.

-We need an everyday, talking relationship with God. Church is not enough to know God personally.

-Melanie's favorite Psalms of lament: 130 (forgivness), 10 (Why are you so far off, God?), and 6 (I am completely tired and worn out from this)

Links (click 'em, they're live)

You can find Melanie online here: 

• melaniedavisporter.com (website)
• Courage to Endure Facebook page
• Melanie Davis Porter on Instagram
• Melanie is also part of the Proverbs 31 writing and podcast team: https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions

You can email Chris here: [email protected]

Join the Women Finishing Well Facebook community here

If you're new and you'd like to start the online Bible study, The Journey Back To Your Heart, click here to start with the first episode.

-If you'd like to become a podcast insider and get a weekly reminder and lots of free tools to help, join our list here.

In this episode, we're going to discover the true meaning of the phrase, "count it all joy whenever you face troubles of many kinds." We'll learn why troubles in our life are evidence that we are God's children.

Notes & Links:

Scriptures in this lesson:

-James 1:2-4, Romans 11:36, James 1:5, James 3:17, Psalm 92:1-2, Psalm 42, Jeremiah 29:12-14, Psalm 90:14

-My story about overcoming lies I believed about James 1:2-4.

-My lesson learned: trouble was something God allowed in my life because He loved me and he wanted me to have a more sacred life.

-Three things trouble stirs up in us:

• We worry (and fear)
• We focus on the trouble and lose our perspective.
• Our "fix-it"  impulse kicks in.

-At the first sign of trouble, pray for God to show you what He wants you to see. Invite Him in. Let Him lead.

-Trust God's truths: He is always with you, you are His child, you are no longer a slave to fear, Trust in Him with all your heart. If you have doubts in any of these areas, find the truths that destroy the lies and drive them into your heart with study, worship, memorization, declaration, or whatever it takes.

-Why worship is our path out of sorrow.

-The mindsets of worship we need to start with.

-Next Episode: How lament opens the door for God to turn our sorrow around.

Links (click 'em, they're live):

-Check out the book Fierce Faith by Alli Worthington

-Check out the book Life Of The Beloved by Henri Nouwen

-Check out my Bible study, Building A Legacy Of Faith here

-Sign up here to be a podcast insider and get a link to new episodes and other news sent to you Inbox before the episode is released tp the public.

-Join our Facebook community here.

-If you are new, you can start The Journey Back To Your Heart from the first episode here. 

You can email me at [email protected]

How well do you know your enemy? In this episode we tackle an often-neglected Life Habit, putting on the armor of God and why it's key to keeping our hearts centered on God. Join us as we continue in our online Bible study, The Journey Back to Your Heart.

Show Notes & Links

-Recap:

•  We started our journey with recalibration: leading our heart back to the center of being present with God. 
• Now, we are working through the practices of Renew that keep our hearts in that center place as we grow deeper roots.

-In mythology (the stories of humankind's origin), there are two common themes that have emerged over history: 

• The war between good and evil.
• The quest for love.

-Do we live like we have a real enemy? We need to know the weapons and schemes of our adversary.

-In the New Testament scriptures on spiritual warfare, there are two recurring themes: stand firm and be strong in your faith.

-Don't underestimate the power of the enemy and his army. His "powers" are limited, but his army is powerful.

-Satan's biggest tactic is to get our eyes off the "real" battle (spiritual) and distract us with the battles round us in this world. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

-We prepare for regular spiritual battle with two things:

• We need a pep talk to develop a battle mindset (Eph. 6:10-13).
• We need to put on every piece of God's armor and understand its purpose (Eph. 6:13-18).

-The offensive weapons help us advance: prayer and The Word (Eph. 6:17-18).

This week's challenge: do a personal Bible study of Eph. 6:10-18 asking God to teach you how to put on the armor of God. You may want to use the SOAP method of study.  Click here for a link to a free tool that will walk you through the SOAP study method. 

Scripture verses in this episode:

• Eph. 6:10-18
• 1 Peter 5:8-9
• 2 Cor. 10:3-5
• Rom. 11:36

Links (Click 'em, they're live!)

• Click here to join our Facebook community--I'd love to connect with you there. 
• Click here to get on our email list and get the inside scoop on new podcasts, giveaways, and other goodies.
• You can email me at [email protected]

In this episode, we explore another life habit on the journey back to our heart called influencing through community. Where has God placed you in life to influence people for Jesus? You might be surprised.

Show Notes & Links

-We'll start with a review of our purpose in this next leg of the journey: Renew

-Renew is where we’re learning how to integrate spiritual habits into our everyday lives that will keep us at the center of our hearts with God.

-Renew is also about fortifying our legacy of faith with the people God has put in our lives. Who are your people?

-We all have an everyday, ordinary life where God gives us an opportunity to influence others for Him.

-How can you identify your circles of influence? Who has God put in your life?

-Learning the unforced rhythms of grace.

-Is church attendance sufficient to develop the kind of community that Jesus calls us to?

Scripture references in this episode:

• Deuteronomy 31: 12-13
• Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
• Romans 12:1 (The Message)
• Hebrews 12:1-2
• Hebrews 10:24-25

How to find your communities of influence:

Our lives are filled with groups of people we regularly move in and out of. We may not know all the people by name or have relationships with them outside those places, but we can develop a level of influence with them that reveals love and hope to them by the way we value their presence in our lives. Let’s think about what some of those groups might be.  Start a page in your journal called My Communities of Influence. As I give you these examples, maybe there are others you can think of in addition to the ones mentioned. Write them down in your journal as well. This will become a prayer list. Remember, you may or may not know their names. Just write down a phrase describing who they are if you don’t.

• They could be people you interact with in a club or hobby setting like a Bunco group, or a card-playing group, a book club, yoga class members, or a crafting group.
• They could be service providers you interact with regularly like grocery store clerks, baristas, home care providers, mail and delivery people, childcare workers, hair stylists, house cleaners, or the checkout person at Staples. Use your imagination. Who do you see in a day?
• They could be people at church you visit with but don’t socialize with outside of the church.
• They could be people you work with but don’t spend time with outside of work.
• Neighbors you don’t socialize with. You may see them at the  mailbox, but you don't really know them.
• Circle the people on this list you don’t have a name for. Make a point over the next month to find out their name and come back to your list and write it down. Dale Carnegie who wrote the classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People wrote, “a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Start calling them by name when you see them. This should be easy in most stores because employees are usually wearing a name tag. Greet them by name; smile at them.
• If your communities of influence are just one or two, add a prayer request to this list asking God to open the eyes of your heart to see the people around you every day that need a word of encouragement. Also, just a hint from doing this in my own life. If you go to the store or the coffee shop at the same time of day, usually you will start seeing more of the same people. Look around—take notice of the people God is putting in your life. These are the people He is asking you to influence for Him.

Links (click 'em, they're live):

The first episode of the journey back to your heart. Start here: https://womenfinishingwell.com/episode161/

Connect with me here:

• Women Finishing Well Facebook page
• Email me at [email protected]
• Interested in free books, news, and notifications of new podcasts? Sing up for my email list here: https://forms.aweber.com/form/40/1204767040.htm

Coming Next Week:

Renew: Cultivating Mental & Emotional Resilience-Learning to Bring God Into the Good and the Bad Times

In this episode, Chris will dive into Life Habit #5: The power of praying God's Word. Learn how to amp up your prayer life.

Show Notes & Links:

-What are the "5 Ws" you need every morning? (5 minutes is all you need)

-How God leads us to pray His Word into our spiritual life.

-Use the five prayers of renewal from Psalm 143 as an example of the powerful prayers in God's Word.

-Why we need to personalize our prayers.

-How to understand what we're praying for and identify what "scriptures" to pray into our lives.

Links:

-Click to start here if you're new to the study. The first episode of The Journey Back to Your Heart.

-Learn more about the 5 W's in our original study, Building A Legacy of Faith. The paperback is on sale on Amazon for $4.99 Click here to find out more.

Scriptures in today's episode:

-Hebrews 4:16, Matt. 6:9, 1 Thes 5:16-18,1 John 5:14, Psalm 143:8-10, Heb. 4:12

List of Paul's prayers for your reading and study:

• Romans 15:5-6
• Romans 15:13
• Eph. 1:17-19
• Eph. 3: 15-19
• Php. 1:3-6
• Php. 1:9-11
• Php. 4:6-7
• Col. 1:3-14
• 1 Thes. 5:23-24 (benediction)
• 2 Thes. 1:11-12
• 2 Thes. 2: 16-17 (benediction)
• Philemon 4-6

Check out our Women Finishing Well Facebook here.

You can email Chris at [email protected] if you have any questions or would just like to say "hi."

In this episode, Chris kicks off the second part of the journey back to your heart: Renew.  You'll discover how to grow deep roots in God's love.

Show Notes & Links:

-This week's scripture list: Ps. 143:8-10, Mt. 11:28-30 (MSG), Eph. 3:14-19, Rom. 12: 2(MSG)

-Lessons we can learn from the Saguaro cactus. 

-What is a taproot?

-Renewal is about building deeper roots in God's love for us.

-Three things we can't miss from Ephesians 3:14-19.

-Flexibility is the key to incorporating new habits into our everyday life. Find ways to connect with God that match your lifestyle.

-The five Renewal Prayers from Psalm 143 that will transform your day.

-We are learning new rhythms that help us live freely and lightly (Matt. 11:28-30, The Message).

Links (click 'em, they're live)

-Episode 161: the beginning of the journey back to your heart. Click here to start your journey.

-Link to Women Finishing Well Facebook page. Click here.

-Click here to sign up for my newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time.

-Link to Chris Baxter's The Heartbeat Of God devotional

-Link to download the Lectio 365 devotional app

You can email me at [email protected]

In this episode, Chris will finish the process of recalibration in our study, The Journey Back To Your Heart; Recalibrate, Renew, Remain. We'll take a close look at the materials we can use to build on the foundation Jesus gave us for our best life.

Show Notes:

-What has happened to our hearts in the last couple years to pull us off-center and out of tune?

-We need to pause to pray, "God, "Where am I?" 

-Review of the process of recalibration and Life Habits we've covered so far.

-The most important Life Habit in our journey.

-How is declaring God's truth out loud different from scripture memory?

-How are you doing with the Recalibration Checklist? Don't get overwhelmed. Let God lead you gently.

-What's next? How do we keep on the path of our journey? 

-Renewal begins with a look at our "building process." What are you building on the true foundation of your life?

- Paul said in 1 Cor. 3:10-15 that Christians can use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw to build on their foundation. Be careful what you build.

-Recalibration is about making choices.

Show Notes & Links (click 'em, they're live):

-For new listeners: link to the first epsiode in the study (Episode 161)

-To sign up for the advance reader list for the new Bible study, you can email me at [email protected]. I will send you a follow-up email so you'll know what all is involved. Thanks much for being willing to help! 

Email me if you have questions or comments at [email protected]. 

Scripture verses in this episode: I encourage you to make a simple SOAP study of these verses this week (Scripture-Observation-Application-Prayer)

1 Cor 3:10-15, Romans 12:2, James 1:22-23

Show Notes

• Why do we need to recalibrate our hearts? A review.
• When we pray scripture, are we mindful of what we're actually praying for? Do we know how to see specific answers?
• God isn't interested in punishing us for our mistakes; He is interested in drawing us back to Him. 
• Only God can recalibrate our hearts. Our part is to embrace what He is doing in our lives (Rom. 12:1, The Message)
• The first question God asked humans was, "where are you?" (Gen. 3:9)
• In order to experience our best life with God we need to get our physical, mental, and spiritual lives in sync with God's Spirit in us.
• How to use the Recalibration Checklist. 
• You're not looking for solutions in the first step of the process. You're just truthfully answering the questions to find out where you are.
• We start the process of recalibrating with small incremental steps, not large, unattainable goals.
• Prayer is a necessity all throughout the process.  Prayers before you start (personalize them): Psalm 46:10, James 1:5 (the promise of wisdom), Philippians 4:6.

Scriptures used in this episode:

• Eph. 3:17, Psalm 139:23-24, Psalm 51:10, Romans 12:1, Gen. 3:9, 1 Peter 3:11, Luke 11:24-26, James 1:3-4

Links: Click 'em, they're live!

• Download your pdf of the Recalibration Checklist here.
• Link to last week's Life Habit blog post with the Recalibration Checklist here.
• Link to the first podcast episode in this series here.
• Link to our email list sign-up here. We like to give away stuff in addition to short weekly updates.
• Email Chris at [email protected]