Can you believe we are almost done with this study. Today we are talking about chapter nine with Trish.
From Angie:
Trish didn’t grow up in a home where she was surrounded by people who were convinced about God, and there were plenty of opportunities for her to turn into a completely different person than who she is. I have always admired the strength she displayed by allowing the Lord to use her despite how unlikely a candidate she might have seemed as a little girl. She had a lot of opposition from those around her and moved into a place where she stood firm with Jesus. She knows exactly where she was and WHO brought her out…
We look forward to your thoughts!
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This chapter was so powerful. I believe, the most powerful of them all. The story of Peter drowning and he called out for Jesus to help despite his doubts, and not the fisherman. I was just imagining it and it brought me down crying. In the end, despite our questioning, the only thing that matters is we believe. We have faith, despite the proof. What’s faith if God gives us tangible evidence of his existence? How will we be called to believe when its just so easy….
Thank you, Angie for unveiling what the vast majority of us deal with as well. FYI, I did not throw the book down in blasphemy, lol. You are simply amazing. And all the women on here are a blessing to this study.
I have my doubts…more than I care to admit. But its so funny because I’m constantly talking to him. I feel this beautiful love for Him…all those doubts must be the illusion. Not him..there was so much in this chapter that brought goosebumps to me. Simply beautiful.
Best video yet! I love the silly banter, and how your lovely personalities shine through. One way to combat fear is with joy, right? 🙂 Thanks for sharing your message, and bringing some laughter into my morning!
P.S. Thanks Angie for your added public service announcement on library safety 🙂
beautiful prayer, Angie and I think too that this is an area where most Christians don’t want to admit they struggle with. This line: “He doesn’t need us on stage in order to be God” will stick with me. It helps me remember He is in control in all situations and I don’t need to perform to earn His love or convince others of His love for them. I want to encourage people with my testimony, but I don’t want it to become a prideful act, where I come across as having it more together than anyone else, just because I chose to get out of the boat once or twice. There have been plenty of times where I haven’t. I always come back to a Sheila Walsh saying “Our brokenness is a better bridge to others than our pretend wholeness will ever be.” It’s something I remember as I try to connect and encourage other women. God doesn’t see us as greater or less than anyone else. He lavishes love on us that we should be called children of God. 1John3:1
Hello from France , I want to read this book , it ‘s supposed to be one of my Christmas gifts : I wanted to know if the videos will still be there for me to watch while reading. Thank you!:)
Blessings,
Becca
Jessica: Ah, the baby!!! So adorable! Congratulations. 🙂
This sentence on page 160 summed it up for me: “If you have not seen Him the way others have, it may be because you are still in the boat, a mere observer to the miracles others have experienced. ” Lord God, I don’t want to be a bystander. Help me to keep my eyes steady on You so that we can walk on the waves together.
I loved this chapter. I relate a lot with what Trish said about doubting God’s promises for “me” more than doubting His existance, which I done too. Believing God’s Word for you? I can do that all day long with all my heart. Yet, I struggle with doubts for my own victories. Thank you so much for writing this chapter, Angie. Peter is a kindred spirit in our doubt. I don’t want to doubt, and yet, I do. I’ve been challenged!
This was a great chapter for me to go through! So many times in my Christian walk, I have had those doubts (“What if what I’m believing is a total sham?!?!), and I walk away feeling guilty. Sometimes I feel like I even have an “Angie/Santa” moment and completely panic in the midst of my fear. Angie, I truly appreciate you emphasizing the fact that it’s okay to doubt and pointing out that even those closest to Jesus doubted.
I love reading about Peter and I love hearing the perspectives of others when they learn about him. I used to think of Him as the guy who lost faith and sank in to the water. Then I thought of him as the one who was willing to get out of the boat. Yes, he still started to sink, but now because of this chapter I’ll remember him as the one who called out to God while he was sinking! So often I get to the place he did, when I take my eyes off Jesus and let the wind sweep fear over me and I don’t call on him and I just keep sinking deeper and deeper. I want to be the one to call on him as soon as my toes start going under! And to choose Him over the comfort or rationalizations from other people.
I love this book. I love how Angie hasn’t made it about “steps to becoming a fearless Christian woman” but to just keep walking through that fear and holding on to hope that God will walk us through it and be there on the other side.
I loved this chapter for a few reasons. First I actually “played” St Lucia at my grandparents one Christmas. Less the burning crown of course. AT that point they used “fake” candles….but I know there is a photo somewhere of me, mouth full of braces wearing a white robe with a berry/pine crown on my head with candles. My grandparents are very Swedish…so they were so excited when us grandchildren were old enough to wear the costume. I shudder at the thought now! 🙂
But seriously this is such a moving chapter and Angie when I heard you telling this story of Peter in St Paul at WOF….I am serious when I say that I could feel the weight of women all around the room being brought to the feet of Kyrios…Lord.
I would hope that in my own life that I would reach out to Kyrios myself and not look back in longing at “the world”. But the truth is I often don’t get out of the boat all together. Instead I sit inside and envy all of you who do and walk….
I am very convicted lately of this and how I continue to compare myself to the standards of others and never feel I measure up. That God’s grace IS only for those who really get out and walk.
I can see the fear in my belief and really feel God working through this area in my life. I want to have abundant faith, transforming faith every day…not just because He rescues me from something but because I am so desperate to walk with Him in ALL things…from the moment I wake to the moment I rest at night. In all things I am His.
I am going to miss this forum when we are done with the book…. 🙁 Have a blessed weekends ladies!
This was the pivotal chapter for me; because doubt is the defining factor in my faith journey. Although I guess it is progress that my blog is called ‘the aspirational agnostic’; once it would have been simply ‘i’m an atheist, case closed’ :).
Although I do think that there is a certain disconnect between what I am hearing from the women here and what I feel- to have doubts while coming from a position of faith is quite different, in a heart sense, to having doubts when coming from a purely materialistic view, as I am.
But, as always, reading the book and reading the discussion has been a valuable experience. Thank you.
x
Fear is rooted in unbelief and not trusting in God. The beautiful thing is that He allows us to struggle through the fear and out of it we trust Him more. There are a lot of books related to fear here: Vyrso http://vyr.so/sB3Irv
I grew up in a very conservative/fundamental church, heavy on “works” etc. And I totally believed God’s (strict!!) love for the world, but really believed I had to be good enough to deserve it!! As a young adult, the Holy Spirit swept through the church and placed Christ at the center, which left me somewhat adrift, unsure of what was truth anymore – in the analogy, I guess I was in the boat with “the world” looking at Jesus from afar for many years. However, nearly a year ago I got out of that boat when my husband left me and our two children. I cannot adequately explain the profound sense of failure, loss, and “wrongness” of the situation that I experience – this is not supposed to be God’s way, He hates divorce, and did He Himself not join us together? so how come that’s what I’m staring at? Yes, the Lord has and does come to comfort and provide for me and I have had to examine so many aspects of grace and love and fear and faith. I am trying to trust and have faith that the seeming ungodliness of my situation will bring me and the children to a better place in God’s hands, but that is SO hard to understand! So many times, I have sunk up to my neck, and He always pulls me up again, but the journey isn’t over, I don’t know where I am going, but I trust that the fog will lift at some point in the future. As to looking back at the boat – when so much of what the church of my youth preached and emphasized was wrong – Old Covenant, not the grace of the New Covenant – it is SO beyond easy to think that as so much was proven wrong, perhaps it is all wrong – and that is a doubt I have to wrestle with too.
I just got my first glimps of Angie at Women Of Faith in Rochester ny! I cried! I’ve followed you since your pregnancy with Audrey and I just love you!!!! I can’t believe we are in the same room :)!!!! You are such an amazing person and I adore you!
I loved this chapter. I think Peter’s story about walking on the water is in the bible because God knew we’d have doubts. He shows us that even though the disciples were with Jesus they still had doubts. The other pivotal story is of Thomas’s doubt. What I find such a comfort in Thomas’s story is when Jesus says to him “You have seen me so you believe. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” God knew we’d question. Even through all of the signs and wonders I have seen from God, I have times when I literally say “Is this all in my head?” “Do I hear from God or is my mind playing tricks on me?”
I really resonate with what Emily (no 9) wrote about how she has viewed Peter.
Angie, I have loved your honesty and complete nakedness in this book. For the first time I have seen that someone else has struggled with fear like I have. Quite often, in the church, we don’t discuss fear, or rebuke someone for bringing the topic up because they “haven’t got enough faith” What Women Fear is going to be a releasing book for many women. I’m off to WOF in Hartford next week, can’t wait to hear you speak.
This was such a touching chapter. The story of Peter and Jesus was such an inspiring metaphor for my life and my walk of faith. I too loved the words on page 157…”God will still be God if you stay in the boat. But He won’t be your God unless you get out.” I also found such encouragement at the top of page 164…”I think God doesn’t want us to live life as near-drowning victims, calling out in desperation as we cling to life. This is not abundant life.” Finally, the end of this chapter brought such tears to my eyes…”May the sea be good to you, but when it isn’t, may you trust the One Who bids you, ‘Come…’ And walk, love.” So touching! Thank you, Angie!!!
Angie, seeing you in person was amazing! I have always loved you and have felt you are someone I would like to emulate, but until hearing you speak I didn’t realize how dang funny you are!!!! Truly awesome experience!
I really like what Angie wrote on 159 where she transparently admits to asking God to reveal Himself to her in a way that would make it impossible to doubt Him. That’s not something I’ve thought of before but it’s something I wish I had. It’s such a powerful thing to see God in a new way, to see Him in a way that makes it impossible to doubt, and to watch His hand work.
I also take comfort in that Christ IMMEDIATELY reached out to rescue Peter. Not once Peter confessed his sins, not once he handled the consequences… IMMEDIATELY after he asks for help, help is there.
Thanks,
Katie
Love this: you’ve got to get out of the boat & rely on Jesus, rather than stay in the boat & rely on other men. Yes, I doubt. But as Angie says, that doesn’t make me a bad Christian; it just makes me a HUMAN one. Thank you for your wisdom!