Life has issues, and the Bible has the answers. Francie Taylor teaches the relevance of Scripture to daily life through these brief Bible application studies.
Episodes
Monday Sep 05, 2022
Monday Sep 05, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where you'll hear the most popular episodes from the previous season. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of self-indulgence is “excessive or unrestrained gratification of one's own appetites, desires, or whims.” Here are some signs that you may be struggling with self-indulgence:
- You have an income but no money because of your spending habits
- You repeatedly complain about your weight but you keep eating things that are great for packing on the pounds
- Arriving late is your trademark for almost everything because of poor time management
- You allow yourself to be moody and expect people to just deal with it
- You’re taking poor care of your health but making excuses for it
Self-indulgence is self-inflicted bondage. You are in prison and holding the keys. Living like this makes life less enjoyable and more stressful. We don’t realize it at first, but the self-indulgent life seems like it would reward us, but it actually robs and enslaves us. We don't have to live like this. There is a way out.
God can put His finger on our particular weaknesses and help us to overcome them by His power and might, not by our own. This 3-point lesson provides helpful reminders on how we can turn our lives from the agony of repeated defeat to the joy of victories in Christ.
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: New Testament Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Study
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Build your Bible habit with the popular daily Proverb system. Read one Proverb daily, corresponding with the day of the month (chapter 3 on the 3rd, etc.). God bless you with wisdom and understanding!
A convenient list of the Audio Proverbs chapters are listed in the left sidebar here: Keep the Heart Audio Proverbs Library
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
Build your Bible habit with the popular daily Proverb system. Read one Proverb daily, corresponding with the day of the month (chapter 1 on the 1st, etc.). Make a goal of reading without missing a day for 90 days, and at the end of that time, you will have read the book of Proverbs three times. The wisdom and understanding gained will be noticeable, and your relationship with God and others will improve as you apply what you are learning. God bless your studies!
A convenient list of the Audio Proverbs chapters are listed in the left sidebar here: Keep the Heart Audio Proverbs Library
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where you'll hear the most popular episodes from the previous season. This episode, "Trusting God with Trust Issues" was a bit of a jab to the ribs. Teachers are also full-time learners, and I saw some new "trust issues" that had crept in since this episode first aired, and these issues needed exposure.
It's understandable when we have trust issues as a side effect of being wronged by someone, especially when it was someone we should have been able to count as reliable. The problem with trust issues is that they tend to spill over into our walk with God, causing us to worry and become filled with anxiety and doubt. Fear and fretfulness are merely signs that our trust in God needs opportunities to grow.
We have common wrestling matches in our spiritual lives, and trust is a big one. We're usually fine as long as things are going according to our plans, or as long as things stay within our comfort zones, but trust is built by testing. You may want your notebook or journal for the five points in this 10-minute episode.
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
Uniquely Beautiful Olive Petal KJV Bible
"Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You" t-shirt
Sister Friends: Supporting One Another In Grace and Godliness
Thursday Aug 25, 2022
Thursday Aug 25, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: This is the final chapter in the book of Proverbs. If you started at chapter one, you have now read the entire book. Bravo! I suggest you buy yourself a new Bible. Digital and audio are great, but you can mark and take notes in a printed Bible. We have a few in the shop at keeptheheart.com, if you need ideas.
Even though this chapter is often referred to as the pattern for the "Proverbs 31-Woman," it has valuable insights that anyone can apply. The chapter actually opens with a mother instructing her son, so we know that these instructions also apply to men. One verse that we could all memorize and put into practice in verse 26: "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Improving how we communicate with each other makes relationships better.
Now that you’ve completed the entire book of Proverbs, it’s time to start over. Repeat this habit for another two months and this will become a part of your daily routine. You will want to spend time in the Word, because your relationship with God will be growing, along with the increased wisdom and understanding. Keep this Bible habit going! God will use it to transform you by the renewing of your mind.
Monday Aug 22, 2022
Monday Aug 22, 2022
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Have you ever dragged your feet on forgiving someone because you thought they deserved to suffer? Or were you so hurt by their words or actions that you felt they deserved punishment? Human nature is painful like that. We don’t like people to hurt us, but we’ll cancel that rule when we’re hurting someone in revenge. We’re not the first to struggle with the issue of not wanting to forgive. Listen to this passage from Matthew 18:21-22:
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."
I love the realness of Peter. Obviously, someone had done him wrong enough times that Peter was starting to keep track! Oh no, this brother is up to number six. Let me go and ask Jesus if I have to go beyond seven because I’ve had enough of this. I sure am grateful that God doesn’t have a rule of “seven strikes and you’re out.” We’d all be disqualified before we graduate from kindergarten!
Has someone done or said something that offended you to a point where you don’t feel like forgiving them? This is a risky position. It’s human to want to delay a pardon, but it’s not biblical. It’s carnal.
Our human nature leans toward behaviors and solutions that are the opposite of God’s Word. We have to be on guard for this hazard, because we can deceive ourselves into believing that everyone else has issues but we’re the only clean ones. Failure to forgive someone is rooted in this type of mistaken thinking.
Let’s consider four things that are side effects of failing to grant forgiveness, and how we can avoid the consequences of choosing the wrong course.
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PERFECT GIFT: Pink & Brown Compact Bible
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Sister Friends: Supporting One Another In Grace and Godliness
MORE Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
Thursday Aug 11, 2022
Thursday Aug 11, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 30 on Build Your Bible Habit. Chapter 30 is unique in that it begins with an introduction from a man named Agur. Strong’s concordance translates his name as “gathered,” but also calls it a “fanciful name for Solomon.” The chapter opens with notable humility, and closes with a warning not to “lift ourselves up.” Many important life observations are included.
We need to be careful about thinking too highly of ourselves. The scripture calls it the “churning of milk.” Churning the milk leads to butter, and forcing wrath brings strife. As soon as we get the attitude, “Who do they think THEY are,” we’re in trouble. Someone is going to do or say something that will irritate us, and this will be our pop quiz. Will we keep talking when we can tell that things are heating up, or will we do as Scripture says and cover our mouths? Forcing wrath leads to conflicts. The wise choice is to apply Scripture.
Don’t rush through these chapters. Treat them like slow cooking, not fast food.
One-of-a-Kind Olive Petal KJV Bible
"Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You" t-shirt
Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
Monday Aug 08, 2022
Monday Aug 08, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where you'll hear the most popular episodes from the previous season. Today’s episode, "When You Can't Talk About It," is still being downloaded at a rapid rate, even a year later. Going through things that seem unusually hard and uncommon doesn't mean that we're the first ones to walk the rough road. Tough problems and embarrassing circumstances are as old as the Old Testament. Remember David and Bathsheba?
Grab a notebook and pen to jot down four ways we can get the help we need, even when our situations are difficult to discuss. It's not true that we can't talk about hard things. It just means we'll need greater wisdom and discretion.
Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: New Testament Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Study
Thursday Aug 04, 2022
Thursday Aug 04, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 29 on Build Your Bible Habit. This chapter reminds me of a class in character-building. When we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we grow in wisdom and understand, which improves our integrity, personality, and even our disposition. Without spiritual growth, we run the risk of developing destructive habits that make our lives harder, as well as affecting the lives of those we influence.
We are steps away from completing a month’s worth of Proverbs, and I hope you’ll keep this habit going. It takes humility to admit that we need God to guide us, especially since pride comes naturally to our human nature. As you’re continuing to study the book of Proverbs, pray and ask the Lord to reveal any areas to you where He would like to begin make changes. We know some of our weak spots, but God knows even the secrets of our hearts, so He is way better at transforming us. It helps if we are willing to allow God to work in our hearts.
As it says in Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." Humility wins over pride every single time.
One-of-a-Kind Olive Petal KJV Bible
"Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You" t-shirt
Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we play the most popular episodes from the previous season. “Backsliding Looks Like This” received thousands of downloads over the year. I wonder if it's because backsliding is such a common temptation? It could happen to any of us.
Have you been making changes in your life that are weakening your faith and causing you to question biblical living? The process of backsliding is often slow but methodical. Skip a few church services, treat Bible study as optional, overindulge on popular movies and other media and before long, your Christian life is unrecognizable. Backsliding is the act of falling from our faith back into habits and behaviors that are selfish and biblically off-base. This episode covers three telltale signs of backsliding, along with suggestions on how to avoid this counterfeit lifestyle.
Olive Petal KJV Bible--A Great Gift!
"Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You" t-shirt
Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
Thursday Jul 28, 2022
Thursday Jul 28, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 28 on Build Your Bible Habit. This chapter shows the contrasts between the wicked and the righteous. The term “wicked” means someone who is “criminal” and “hostile to God,” but it also carries the meaning of someone who is guilty of sin against God or man. That could be any of us! It is possible to stray into a zone that is very hazardous for our spiritual health. God wants the best for us, so it pays for us to learn these contrasts so that we can aim for upright living.
Are you getting into a good routine with building your Bible habit? The longer you keep this up, the closer you’ll grow to God, developing a genuine bond. Part of building a real relationship is being honest. Keeping our sins confessed protects us from becoming hard-hearted, and keeps us open and honest with God. As it say in Proverbs 28:13, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." It doesn’t work to live a wicked life while pretending to be righteous. Be honest with yourself and with God. You’re not just building a Bible habit. You’re building a lifelong relationship with God.
STUNNING Olive Petal KJV Bible
"Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You" t-shirt
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where you'll hear the most popular episodes from the previous season. Today’s episode, “How to Give Wise Counsel” was meant to guide those of us who are not trained counselors. We never know when someone may come to us and say, “Can I talk to you about something?” In fact, maybe we’ve been the ones to approach a friend for guidance with a tough situation. Giving counsel is a very serious matter. After all, we surely don't want to make matters worse. Grab a notebook and pen for this five-point episode.
Call Upon Him: An Examination of Prayers Throughout Scripture
Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: New Testament Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Study
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
Thursday Jul 21, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 27 on Build Your Bible Habit. This is one of my favorite chapters in the book of Proverbs. Did you know that the word “friend” occurs 53 times in 49 verses within the Old Testament, and 5 of those are in Proverbs 27? We could call this the friendship guide, but it also has additional instructions, including financial advice at the end of the chapter.
By now you’re hopefully beginning to see the relevance of Proverbs to daily living. When we read these verses with an intentional plan to apply them, we become better at every area of our lives, including in our relationships with God and others. By this point, you’ve also come a long way towards building your own personal Bible habit. The Bible improves us, making us better equipped to help others.
NEW! Olive Snap-Flap Compact Bible
PERFECT GIFT: Pink & Brown Compact Bible
GORGEOUS Rose Gold Embossed Compact Bible
Sister Friends: Supporting One Another In Grace and Godliness
T-SHIRT: "Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You"
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we replay the most popular episodes from the previous season. "Signs of a Controlling Person" was downloaded thousands of times over the past year. Could it have anything to do with the reality that this is a common struggle? The desire to control the outcomes and people in our lives truly is a frequent temptation. It’s a flawed thread that runs throughout the fabric of our lives, making us tense and anxious. Why would anyone want to be high-strung and controlling on purpose?
I don’t think we really want to be controlling. It’s a tendency that comes with our carnal nature, and it feeds off of imaginations that we think we know what’s best.
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.
How can we learn to let go of our controlling tendencies? Let’s just consider three signs of a controlling person, followed by suggestions on ways to abandon this draining habit.
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Mirror Talk: A Journey from Hurt to Healing Through God's Redemptive Love
Encouragement for Women: 30-Day Devotional
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 26 on Build Your Bible Habit. This chapter is filled with commentary about the fool. The term “fool” seems harsh, but it’s more like a diagnosis than a label. One of the plagues of a fool is imagining that they are wise.
Did you know that the word “fool” also carries the meaning of an arrogant person? We tend to think of a fool as someone who is a simpleton or silly, but arrogance is woven into the word as well. This makes sense when we remember that beneath any foolish action is a root of pride. The absence of Scripture creates a void that is often filled with self-centered philosophies.
The less time we spend in Scripture, the more opportunities we have to make things up as we go along. Beware of our own human tendencies to think that we are wiser than God. This chapter is full of word pictures, and as usual, we’ll find additional instructions about other issues of life as well.
NEW! Olive Snap-Flap Compact Bible
PERFECT GIFT: Pink & Brown Compact Bible
SO UNIQUE! Rose Gold Embossed Compact Bible
T-SHIRT: "Be Like Jesus is Better Than You Do You"
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
It’s becoming so common to live broken down spiritual lives that spiritually healthy people are often seen as unusual and maybe even slightly abnormal. We keep trying to fix the surface things in our lives, failing to see the connection to what’s going on inside our hearts and minds. The more we try our self-help techniques and experiments, the less money and time we have, but we’re still living broken down lives. This doesn't make sense.
So much of what happens in our lives begins internally, not just externally. The external things will happen daily, but our responses to the dailies are coming from our spirits. Having a meltdown is merely a symptom of the need for more spiritual health. Instead of looking at that negatively, why not tilt the head and consider another angle: we all need God’s help to become spiritually healthy. We weren’t born that way, so God has to teach us how to master this fine art of biblical living.
How can we stop being so broken down? We'll consider four areas where we can cooperate with God as He trains us to increase and improve our strength.
Books & Bibles in the Shop at Keep the Heart
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: New Testament Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Study
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 25 on Build Your Bible Habit. This chapter reads like an instruction manual on how to interact with others, both in public and private situations. The key to benefiting from Proverbs is to put these verses into practice. Wisdom without application keeps people stuck, but when wisdom is applied to daily living, that’s when we see positive changes.
Are you beginning to crave more Bible study? If so, here’s a suggested system to add to your daily Proverb. Read five chapters of Psalms, 30 verses apart, with your Proverb of the day. For instance, if you’re reading Proverbs 25, you’ll add Psalm 25, 55, 85. 115, and wrap it up with Psalm 145. That’s five chapters from Psalms, 30 verses apart. Of course, you could simplify this and just put your book mark in Psalms and read five chapters in a row instead of using the 30-verse system, but either way, you will have finished both Psalms and Proverbs by the end of 31 days. You will notice a difference in your habits, thought processes, and relationships. Building a Bible habit enriches our lives.
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we replay the most popular episodes from the previous season. Proverbs 27:4 makes a statement and then asks a question: "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?"
Who is able to stand before envy? No one. Compared to wrath and anger, envy comes up as the hardest of the list. It’s like a self-inflicted gunshot wound, causing pain that could have been avoided. There is nothing good about this consuming emotion. It’s such a spirit crusher.
One of the easiest ways to keep your life stuck in a dark place is to allow envy to creep in and color your world. Regardless of what caused the envy, exposing it to the light helps us to call it by name and face this foe. This episode shares three ways envy warps our world, and what we can do to escape the envy trap.
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Application Study
Mirror Talk: A Journey from Hurt to Healing Through God's Redemptive Love
Encouragement for Women: 30-Day Devotional
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 24 on Build Your Bible Habit. The overall theme of Proverbs is wisdom, but this chapter in particular focuses on the how vital wisdom is to our lives. When we try to manage our lives in our own wisdom, we often create expensive messes that we wish we didn’t have to clean up; but when we choose biblical wisdom, we’re choosing strength.
We do need more than the book of Proverbs to fully understand the Bible. When you’re ready, add a chapter of reading from either the Old or New Testament to go with your audio Proverb. Before long, you will have read your entire Bible. Take your time, but flex your reading muscles beyond the pages of Proverbs. As it says in Proverbs 24:5, "A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength..."
Visit the Shop at Keep the Heart
In Christ Unconditionally: Heart Conditions Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: New Testament Bible Study
In Christ Unconditionally: Old Testament Bible Study
Monday Jun 27, 2022
Monday Jun 27, 2022
It’s no accident that the book of Proverbs is right in the middle of the Bible, and it reads like a flawless roadmap and a recipe book combined for our benefit. Verse by verse, Proverbs addresses the issues of life and what to do about them. You’ll find that these verses speak to many areas, making it possible for us to read, study, and then apply what we’re learning right away.
God is able to give us direction in ways that we could never come up with on our own. This episode takes several verses from Proverbs chapter 16, demonstrating how to put Bible application into practice.
Visit the Shop at Keep the Heart
Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional
Thursday Jun 23, 2022
Thursday Jun 23, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 23 on Build Your Bible Habit. This chapter has a focus on temperance woven throughout the verses. Learning to control appetites and passions is a lifelong course. The key to mastery is practice through application. We aren’t merely building a Bible habit to store up information. We’re learning so that we can live it.
The more we develop excellence in our Christian lives, the more we wonder why we didn’t do it sooner. Many things that are healthy for us are not our favorites at first, but we wouldn’t trade the benefits. That’s how it is with Bible habits, too. When we apply biblical principles to daily living, we reap the benefits of wise choices and decisions. As it says in Proverbs 23:12, "Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.”
Visit the Shop at Keep the Heart
Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional
Monday Jun 20, 2022
Monday Jun 20, 2022
Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we replay the most popular episodes from the previous season. Have you ever criticized yourself? Many of us have done this at some point. It’s a common part of what I call the NHS: "Noisy Head Syndrome.” The problem with habitually speaking to ourselves negatively is that we run the risk of making our lives worse, not better. The episode, “Stop Talking to Yourself Like That” helps us to examine a habit that needs changing. Would you speak to a dear friend the same way you talk to yourself? Let’s hit the replay button and catch this lesson again.
“When we make our lives performances rather than acts of service, it’s not surprising that we’ll suffer from stage fright.”—Francie Taylor, Teachback Tuesday: Stop Talking to Yourself Like That
Visit the Shop at Keep the Heart
Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional
Saturday Jun 18, 2022
Saturday Jun 18, 2022
BONUS MINI-EPISODE FOR WIVES: Let’s blame this bonus episode on the blueberries. They were in season and I was about to sit down with a bowl of these fresh beauties when I had a flashback to how much my husband loved blueberries. I didn’t even try to like them back then, but now I wish I had tried. We could have shared the joy of a fresh harvest together.
This is not an episode for couples with deep marital problems. It's a bonus mini-episode for those who may have accidentally drifted into taking a good marriage for granted.
Are there areas in your marriage where you’re treating your husband and his interests and desires as if they are second to yours? Do you adore your husband, or are you treating him like a college roommate? God has trusted you with your husband. What are you doing with that sacred trust?
If you do whatever you want with your marriage, then you’ll get whatever you get in your later years. What will that look like, and does it match your relationship goals? This brief episode is just a simple heart-to-heart from a sister who was married for 35 years and now widowed for barely five. Ask yourself this question: Is your husband's existence better because you're in his life?
Book mentioned in episode: Teachers of Good Things
NEW FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions
ICU Heart Conditions Bible Application Study--Leader Guide
ICU Heart Conditions Participant Guide
Wednesday Jun 15, 2022
Wednesday Jun 15, 2022
BONUS BIBLE SERIES: Welcome to Proverbs chapter 22 on Build Your Bible Habit. This chapter begins with an emphasis on the importance of having a good reputation, and ends with a focus on the benefits of being diligent in business. These are related in the sense that both refer to a person who is responsible and reliable. Sandwiched in between verses one through 29 are a host of instructions for daily living. As usual, there is something for everyone in Proverbs.
Chapter 22 really helps us to focus on character development in areas that we may tend to ignore, such as the area of humility. We undervalue this great character quality, but it makes a difference in our lives and helps us to maintain a proper perspective of who we are in Christ. Proverbs 22:4 reminds us of the benefits of humility coupled with fear of the Lord: "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life."
Devotional Book: Vitamins for the Soul by Kathy Ashley
30-Day Devotional Book: Encouragement for Women
Great for Book Clubs: Sister Friends by Francie Taylor