Winter 2019 Newsletter
Dear friend, What do you need to succeed in life? A positive attitude? Close relationships with friends and family? Physical health? Financial security? After a lifetime of experience—including plenty of achievements and failures, King David shared with Solomon what he had discovered to be the number one criteria for success: “Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.” (1 Chron. 22:19) David knew a relationship with God was the most important thing his son would need to succeed as king. The same goes for us. If we want true success in life, we must be intentional about seeking the Lord. As Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “he rewards those who seek him.” That’s why we at Revive Our Hearts want to encourage and equip you to pursue the Lord with all your heart, just as King David commanded Solomon. We have a number of new resources and events planned for the coming year, to help you do just that. I’m particularly excited about two new releases: •
Elizabeth:Dealing with Disappointment—the six-week Bible study and the accompanying podcast—will help you find hope for whatever circumstances you may be facing.
•
Lies Girls Believe (for 8–12-year-old tweens) and A Mom’s Guide to Lies Girls Believe are the newest additions to the Lies family of books. We’re eager to call a whole new generation of women-in-the-making to seek the Lord and embrace the Truth of God’s Word before the world’s lies can take root in their hearts.
These resources, along with Revive ‘19, Revive South Africa ‘19, and our broadcasts and blogs, are an invitation to women of every age and in every place to seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord. Our hope is for you to come to know Jesus in a richer, sweeter way in the coming year than you’ve ever dreamed possible. Thank you for your continued support of this ministry!
Seeking Him Through Revive ‘19 R E V I V E ’ 19 : S E E K I N G H I M Are
you tired of trying to be A good
ChristiAn? Are
overloAded And exhAusted with ChurCh ACtivities? yourself running on freedom in your
“spirituAl
empty”?
do
you
do you find
you lACk joy And
ChristiAn life?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, join us in seeking Him for something more. Revive Our Hearts presents the Revive ‘19 Conference September 27–28, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Speakers Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Mary Kassian, Dannah Gresh, Andrea Griffith, and others will point us to Jesus to find nourishment for our souls and equipping to serve Him and others.
Seeking Him at True Woman
Refresh your spirit . . . Renew your mind . . . Re-energize your life . . . As we Seek Him together! “You who seek God, let your hearts revive.” —Psalm 69:32
M
Register at Revive19.com today.
200,000 women Attended the true w omAn ‘18 C onferenCe lAst s eptember or pArtiCipAted viA livestreAm. Revive OuR HeaRts ore thAn
Continues to reCeive mAny stories from women who experienCed the
lord in powerful wAys. As I stood singing ‘Jesus Loves Me,’ the tears started flowing.
My whole life I have believed the lie that God doesn’t love me. This was a turning point.” God is showing me that He is more than enough, and that I can’t go through my day without meeting with Him. So often I ignore Him in favor of my to-do list. Yet this weekend, He made Himself so attractive to me.” God broke down strongholds in my life that have been impenetrably strong since my now ex-husband decided he is gay and left me a few months ago. I desperately needed to embrace the truth that Jesus is enough, no matter my circumstances. I am not defined by my circumstances but by my Creator and Redeemer. I cannot and will not live as a ‘victim’ to my circumstances. I am determined to be a reflection of God’s image despite—and even more so, because of—my circumstances.” 2 ReviveOurHearts.com
I
Seeking Him Through the Airwaves
wAs rAised in A fAmily where the women were physiCAlly
when it hurt so much because I was so far from where I should have
Abused.
been. After listening, I’d study the Word. What was God saying about
my mom And Aunts tAught me to never let A mAn
rule over me.
this subject?
At the age of sixteen, I gave my life to the Lord. However, I didn’t want to get married; I didn’t want to submit to a husband.
It changed me, inside and out. I began to love to provide a peaceful home for our three kids—even to love cleaning and cooking—
Four years later, though, I surrendered to what I believed was God’s will and married my best friend.
doing those things as if they were for the Lord instead of hating to do it and fussing about everybody’s mess. I’m not totally there yet, but I’m a long way from where I used to be, thanks to our loving God and
I had a terrible attitude. My husband couldn’t tell me anything. I was taking care of everything and not letting him take responsibility for anything. When I messed up, I would blame him for leaving everything for me to do myself. This continued for a very long time, and I didn’t see this as sin. Until I started listening to Revive Our Hearts. Wow!
His great mercy! We are becoming, little by little, the family God wants us to be. Thank you for teaching us what the Bible says to us as women— to love God and love our families, and to keep focused on the Word of God. It has totally changed my life for the better! I hope someday Revive Our Hearts programs and blogs will be translated into Dutch
I cried, confessed my sin to my husband, and then I fell back into the same old habits. But I kept listening to Revive Our Hearts—even
so I can share with even more women. —A listener from the Netherlands
Seeking Him Through the Revive Our Hearts Blogs by Hayley Mullins We like to think of the Revive Our Hearts blogs as three “sisters” with one unchanging mission: Calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ. Find Truth for every woman in every season on our blogs at ReviveOurHearts.com.
e Truth! I g, but I love th I may be youn omen Believe Lies Young W love that the God’s Word dive deep into blog helps me stuff like my deal with hard and helps me anxiety.
but it’s hard sus is my life, My faith in Je changing n the world is to apply it whe g the True p!) I love gettin so much. (Hel cause it helps in my email, be Woman blog al every day, gospel practic me make the . nfusing times especially in co
try is a huge omen’s minis Working in w k and alone. imes I feel stuc et m so t bu y, jo nnection the Leader Co The writers on st and share int me to Chri po s ay w al og bl ’ve been because they practical tips— esh air. a breath of fr there! It’s such
Seeking Him with Your Girl
F
by Mindy Kroesche
we love?
rom skyroCketing Anxiety to bullying on soCiAl mediA, our dAughters fACe ChAllenges we never knew At their Age. how CAn we help the tween girls
equip
them with the
truth
through the newest member of the
And
seek him
together
lies fAmily!
Lies Girls Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free by Dannah Gresh is packed with quizzes, games, graphics, and wisdom—all designed to help girls aged 8–12 see through the lies and fully understand God’s Truth. Use the book along with the accompanying Mom’s Guide to facilitate discussion between you and your daughter and help her live the way God meant for her to live—free!
Request your copy of Lies Girls Believe and the Mom’s Guide for a gift of any amount on the enclosed reply card or at ReviveOurHearts.com.
Seeking Him for The Next Generation by Dannah Gresh
M
y husbAnd
bob
And
i
were invited to A series
of roundtAble disCussions to strAtegize And prAy About how to reACh And disCiple tweens.
leAders from orgAnizAtions suCh As AwAnA, the billy grAhAm evAngelistiC AssoCiAtion, ishine, Attended.
bob
And
i
And
foCus
on the
All of us shAred
A ColleCtive belief thAt the mAss exodus of College-Aged students from the
ChurCh
wAs A result of the lACk of bibliCAl trAining
during the CritiCAl vAlue-forming tween yeArs.
Pollster George Barna, who was a part of our group, warned that only about one-third of preteens in the United States considered themselves to be Christians, which would predict a stronger departure from the Church in coming years.
•
80% believed the Bible, the Book of Mormon, [and] the Koran were the same.
fAmily
were inCluded beCAuse of our interest in
reAChing tweens through events And resourCes.
He went on to reveal specific lies preteens believed at the time including:
•
68% believed you could earn your salvation.
•
56% believed Jesus may have sinned while He was on earth.
•
Only 36% believed the Bible to be accurate.
•
Only 32% believed Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
Then Barna said the words that would completely undo me. “I beg you . . . invest the bulk of your resources—time, money, prayers—into children.” Excerpted from A Mom’s Guide to Lies Girls Believe.
4 ReviveOurHearts.com
Nancy
I’m so excited about this new book, Lies Girls Believe and the Mom’s Guide. It feels like we’re at a birthday party! I certainly feel like celebrating! I’m so excited to get this book into the hands of moms and girls. You kept saying, “Girls need the seeds of truth before the lies are planted in their hearts.” Exactly. I’ve watched the statistics. I’ve seen how girls age ten and younger are struggling with things like eating disorders, and there’s been an incredible rise in depression and anxiety among tween girls. The Lord kept pressing into our hearts that we have to do something to help rescue the hearts of these tween girls from the lies of the enemy. I did extensive research, including focus groups in eleven cities across the country and online focus groups. I wanted to hear the hearts of moms about the things their daughters are struggling with. And you heard some really heartbreaking stories, didn’t you? Yes. These girls are being exposed to a lot more things than their parents are probably aware of, from social media to gender issues to pornography to boy-craziness. And if we don’t talk to them about these issues, the world will. The enemy is working hard to wound, destroy, and deceive these young girls. But the Truth is even more powerful. Amen! I can’t wait to see how God is going to use these amazing new resources to set the next generation of young women free!
Winter 2019
5
Seeking Him Through God’s Word
F
rom minor interruptions to deep , unfulfilled longings , life is full of disAppointments . yet ,
g od ’ s w ord
A nd
offers us muCh hope !
Revive Our Hearts is excited to announce the release of Elizabeth: Dealing With Disappointment, a six-week study based on the teachings of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. Explore the subject of disappointment through the eyes of Elizabeth by walking verse by verse through Luke 1. With Scripture memory, daily study, and group discussion questions, this resource is ideal for both individual and group study. Looking for a way to dig into this content with others? Subscribe
How to Listen to a Podcast in Five Easy Steps
to the new Women of the Bible podcast and step into the Revive Our Hearts living room with a group of ladies eager to open God’s Word alongside you. The Elizabeth season of the podcast is available now, with new episodes premiering each week throughout the study.
Trust us. You can do this! Just follow these five simple steps. 1.
Grab your phone.
2.
Search for the podcasts app (Apple Podcasts or Overcast are just a couple options). You may need to go to the app store to download a podcast app if you don’t already have one on your phone.
3.
Once the podcasts app is open, tap the Search tab. (It might look like a magnifying glass.)
4.
Type in “Revive Our Hearts” or any other podcast you’re looking for.
5.
Hit subscribe.
That’s it! New episodes will automatically download to your device. Simply click on your podcast app, choose the episode you want to listen to and start listening! Don’t miss a single dose of God’s Truth!
Seeking Him in South Africa by Paula Marsteller DID YOU KNOW?
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?
•
South Africa has the highest divorce rate in the world.
•
•
South Africa has the second highest murder rate in the world.
•
Join the conference via the livestream on YouTube. (The conference will be in English.) Just type in “Moreleta live.”
•
Above all, please pray. Here are just a few prayer requests to get you started.
South Africa’s currency has recently depreciated in value, and many investors are pulling out of the country.
•
South Africa is a de facto apartheid state. Ninety percent of the country’s population has been oppressed and controlled by the ten percent of whites. As a result of the racism and
HOW YOU C AN PRAY •
attend the conference. (A ticket costs just $13, but even that
inhumane treatment, there is much hatred and fear. As you can imagine, South Africans are desperate for God. The country is ripe for revival. THE CALL: COME TO THE WELL March 1–3, Revive Our Hearts will host its third international conference . . . this time in South Africa! Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Dannah Gresh, and Mamikie Molapo will invite nearly 7,000 women to “come to the well” and find Jesus as the only One able to meet the
For underprivileged women to have the necessary means to is a barrier for many.)
•
For attendees to have a deep thirst for truth and the Word of God.
•
For attendees to come with prepared hearts, ready for the work of the Holy Spirit.
•
For safe travel for the Revive Our Hearts team.
•
For wisdom and anointing as Nancy, Dannah, and Mamikie finalize their messages.
deepest needs and longings of their hearts. Winter 2019
7
It Starts With You Behind the ministry of Revive Our Hearts is a person who said “I’m in” and became a Monthly Partner. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them. March is Partner Appreciation Month. If you are one of the Ministry Partners who stand with us on a monthly basis, we want to say Thank You! Your faithfulness to Revive Our Hearts is impacting the lives of many. Not a partner? Take that step today, because it all starts with you! To learn more or sign up visit reviveourhearts.com/partner.
Looking for bite-sized, daily encouragement right where you are? Follow us on:
Revive Our Hearts is an outreach of Life Action Ministries
facebook.com/ReviveOurHearts twitter.com: @ReviveOurHearts instagram: @reviveourhearts
Editorial: Erin Davis, Mindy Kroesche, Paula Marsteller, Hayley Mullins Art Direction: Benjamin Hannah Design: Nicole Tejera
PO Box 2000 • Niles, MI 49120 • ReviveOurHearts.com • 800.569.5959 All Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001, Crossway Bibles, esv.org. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide
Photographers: Lightstock