At some point in most of our lives, we come to the realization that life is hard and we need some help. Depending on the size of the struggle and our individual mindset, we may get to the point of throwing our arms in the air in complete surrender. This is often the starting point. The idea that there must be a better way and there must be a bigger force that can help. 

After one year of podcasting about developing a relationship with God, co-hosts Theresa and Renée revisit the fundamentals of getting started and what comes first “the chicken or the egg.” Stay Tuned! 

Free Resources:

  • Here is a special PDF of all the scriptures mentioned in this podcast episode.
  • Join the Well Versed Woman Community! This is a private group on Facebook for listeners to share, connect, learn from one another, and grow together.

Things We Cover in this Episode:

  • We take it back to the fundamentals of faith
  • Mindset
  • Scriptures on growing your faith
  • AND SO MUCH MORE…

Here is a full transcription of Episode #050 (This transcription was auto-generated!)

(00:00): We are beginning year two of the well versed woman podcast. If you didn't hear it, go back and listen to episode 52 last week, where we wrapped up with some of our favorite listeners and what they had to say about this podcast. But we want to go all the way back to the beginning today and talk about how this got started, how this podcast came to be. And more importantly, how do you begin to develop a relationship and love this big God that you can't even say, trust me, Theresa. And I had those very same questions way back in the day. So stay tuned because you're going to want to hear this story and what God has to say about love and obedience. Welcome to episode 53 of the well-versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller

(01:03): And I'm Theresa Morgan. You see Renee and I are two perfectly imperfect women. We come to you week after week because we love to share our life's journeys of faith with you in hopes that it will encourage for you on to a deeper relationship with the Lord.

(01:21): Uh, relationship is the key word it's plugging in to your very creator. The reason that you're here on this planet earth and how do we do that? Well, the first thing that we do, every single episode, if you've been listening the last year is we plug in to the creator. We plug into the power source by being still, I closing our eyes for 20 seconds and actually removing ourselves from our busy lives and asking the creator to sit right with you while he opens your eyes to see your ears, to hear and your heart, to know how real he is. We're going to start those 20 seconds right now. So take some slow deep breaths and just calm your spirit down.

(02:16): Here we go. [inaudible] that said that was

(02:38): 20 seconds. And like every week I encourage you to keep a journal and record and grow that 20 seconds every single morning. That is clearly the beginning of your friendship with this God that we're talking about. And you know, a year ago when we started Tressa and I had gotten together maybe about 90 days before the first podcast went live and we had been talking about what God was speaking to us each individually, and that I had talked about with Teresa, that I felt God leading me to do a podcast. And guess what Theresa said, I'm going to let her tell you in her own words, what did you answer to retrace that?

(03:31): I think I said, oh my gosh, Renee, the Lord had given me the title of something that I was supposed to do. And of course, I didn't know what type of platform it would take. I didn't know if it was going to be a podcast, a small group teaching, but he gave me the title of it. And I said, oh my goodness, Renee, it's so interesting. The holy spirit had been bringing back to my remembrance, what he had told me and I grabbed my phone and I said, wait a minute. Because I often like to put in the notes of my phone exactly. When I hear the holy spirit, speaking to me, I love to grab my phone and in the notes of my phone date, what he is saying to the best of my ability, because then I can call it up later. So Renee, I believe I grabbed my phone.

(04:26): I said, wait a minute. And I looked up well versed in. I saw sure enough on September 3rd of 2015, the Lord had given me the title of well-versed in. He said, hold for now. I'll give you the next step after your house sells. Uh, we were in the midst of selling my personal residence at the time. So how exciting Renee, we could see that the Lord spoke right in 2015. And we know John chapter 10 verses 27 and 28, say my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. So we've done podcast recordings that how to hear the voice of God, how to be led by the spirit of God. So I had a leading in you, you know, um, we can miss it, we're human. But when I feel the Lord speaking to my heart and I catch words, I'm really quick to grab my phone and put it in the notes of my phone, pray on it. And then we know that the holy spirit, the same holy spirit that's in me is in Renee because we're born again, believers in Jesus Christ. So that same holy spirit was bringing it back to my remembrance, which the Bible says as part of his job description, if you will. And so that's how he moves. Renee was getting a leading. I was getting a leading and voila. So well-versed woman was birthed

(06:04): So crazy. And if you're listening and saying, wow, I don't get any kind of words like that. And I don't believe in a relationship with God because I don't hear that. Guess what? Neither did Theresa or I's. So I always said to Theresa, what comes first? The chicken or the egg. And I truly believe that God, God is both. He basically pulls at your heartstrings because he says in his word that he doesn't want one single one of us human beings to be lost. And so he gives us all a chance to get, to develop this relationship with him. And it's happens in different ways. But I feel for most of us humans, Theresa, we all come to this, what I call crisis of belief, where we throw our hands up and say, that's it. I cannot do planet earth by, by myself anymore. There's got to be something more.

(07:14): There's gotta be something bigger than me. It is very clear to me. And it was very clear to me. Tree saw I was finite. I had a lot of capacity. I felt, but boy, there were a lot of things in my life that I eventually just had to throw my hands up and surrender, trace. I love that word surrender to something bigger than me. And that's where I think we can begin this relationship. So when you, again, you listen to this tree, saw, heard this word and strangely I was getting prompted by the holy spirit that lives in us. That's well down the road from that very first time when we began to develop the relationship. But we all can remember that moment where we threw our hands up Theresa and said, that's it, I'm surrendering. I want some help with this life.

(08:15): So very true Renee. And that's exactly what God wants us to do. You know, he is the big, all loving OMERS, the full creator of heaven and earth, God that we love that we're in relationship with. And that we serve with all of our hearts. And he is in tandem with his word. The word of God, the Bible is holy scriptures are in sync with God, God in his word are one. I've heard it say. So when I sat at my opening that we came to this well-versed because I believed I had a from God and the holy spirit knows how to speak to your heart in a way that you say, yup, that must be him. So going back just a minute, Renee, when he gave me well-versed it was such a wonderful play on words, if you will, it was so creative. And I said to myself, my mind doesn't work like that.

(09:18): So I knew at that point that it was God and the other scripture that I wanted to bring to our listeners. Because when we walk with God, we want to make sure everything that we do is scriptural, right? He keeps us in check if you will. So we don't go off the deep end and get flighty if you will. So if you see it in the word, you can say, okay, that undergirds what I'm feeling here. The undergirding, I feel like that was God leading me. Renee calling me the Lord, bringing well, verse back to my remembrance in the scripture for that is John chapter 14, verses 25 and 27. Jesus said these things I have spoken to you while being present with you, but the helper, the holy spirit, whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance.

(10:17): All things that I said to you. So I knew that when, when Renee called, I was like, oh my gosh, Renee. He gave me that word in 2015, but it's been coming back to my remembrance before you called. So the holy spirit, God is so good. He doesn't want us to miss him. And he does it in a way that is so intelligent. And because he knows each of us, I like to say better than we know ourselves. He knows how we best receive his communication. He pulls out all the stops to make sure that we're going to embark upon a leap of faith and say, you know what, Renee, I feel this is God. And Renee says back to me. I do too. Now let's get to work and pray on it and see where God leads.

(11:10): True. So it's very simple. And again, as we embark here on year two of this podcast, well-versed is all about the word of God. And so you can see and hear what Teresa's saying is we always line up everything in our life with the word of God, which is why it's so important for you to listen to this podcast, because that's what we're teaching you. We're sharing the word. And just in the example that Theresa just gave, we talked about what happened in our separate lives and then how Theresa the word found that same topic, that same teaching, that's already written in the word of God and to come full circle with our very first podcast a year ago, the word is God. That's what the Bible says. The Bible and the book that we have laid the foundation of this entire podcast on is because we believe that if you want to get to know, God, God is the word. So by studying and tuning into this podcast, you can in fact, know God and start developing that same relationship with him. So that makes sense, Theresa. Sure.

(12:41): It does Renee and I can't help, but you know, bring to our listeners, John one, one, and I can't get enough of listening to this scripture. I don't know how many times I've heard it. I've read it. But each time it sparks such a warmth in my heart. And it says, this is truth in John. One, one says in the beginning was the word in the word was with God in the word was God. He was with God. In the beginning, through him, all things were made without him. Nothing was made that has been made. So we can see again, scriptural, undergirding, scriptural reference to support the claim. They had God in his word are won. So if you will, a little cliche is you can take it to the bank, right? If you see it in the word that he leads you, that his sheep know his voice, that he brings back all things to your remembrance, you can pretty safely on tie from shore and cast your net into the sea and embark upon the journey that he is leading you on for after all he is God. And he knows the plans and the purposes for

(13:56): Your life. Hmm. So great. So again, embarking on year two, we're going back a little to the basics with the testimony of just even how this podcast began and why the word is important. And the other thing that is the very basics and really the all encompassing Theresa about God is God is love. And so we develop the relationship, even though you don't feel him yet, you don't see him yet. You will feel him and you will, you know, see him, perhaps not in your physical with your physical eyes. You will see him through people like Theresa. People who love God, who you walk with. You actually can see through these other human beings. So this idea of God is love. And how can we love a God where we don't have that relationship yet again, exactly why you begin by studying the word by tuning into a podcast and understanding the journey that Theresa and I have been on. And again, if you listened to last week's episode, the journey that those ladies who were able to share their experiences, it's through this community, that you will get to know, God, I promise you if you put forth that effort to seek him and we start Tressa by sharing love. I mean, that's what you and I hope that we're doing every single week and every minute of every day of our life sharing the love of God, right?

(15:52): That's so very true. And I, I love how you say that. And you know, John chapter 13 verses 34 and 35, you know, Jesus says to his, he was talking to his disciples. You know, those of us that are believers in Jesus Christ were today's disciples. And he said a new commandment I give to you that you love one another is I have loved you, that you also love one another by this I, our love all will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another, it's a high call. But the beautiful truth is according to Romans five, five, the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts through Christ Jesus. So just when we might feel a little prickly, Rene, you know, those days where we haven't had sleep or something is bothering us, we just have to look to our helper, the holy spirit, we just have to look up, look to the truth of the word and say, okay, I'm going to pull up my love, my love pants, if you will. And I know that the love is in there in, by safe. I'm going to stimulate that and say, you know, Lord, not in my strength. Can I do this today? But I know your love is in there. And I ask that you would help me be a good conduit of it today in boy, before you know it, you're loving and it's feeling good to you as well.

(17:21): And I think Theresa so many of us, uh, in the beginning say, well, I'm a good person and I do good things. And I do that, you know, in enough myself, I have to say that if I think about my experience in my life, that I was never an evil person, we'll use that word, but the way I love and my capacity to love is so much bigger having journeyed and walked with God than any good that I was doing. And I almost look at my life before my relationship with God as following the rules of how I was raised. Yes, I was a good person. Yes. I was taught in my family that we should be nice to other people, but it is so different than the love that lives in me now. And my ability to love the people that in my humanness, I think are unlovable.

(18:34): You know, and that's different for each of us, right? I, we all resonate with different people. We all have closer friends than others because we resonate with them and we want to be around just the kind of people that we resonate with, that we have fun with, that we relax with. And then the other people, well, maybe I don't have any time for them, but when you get connected with this creator, he says, right, there is no there, we love all, like, there is no difference. We should love everyone. And my capacity to love is so different. Once I have God living in may,

(19:19): Absolutely Renee. That is so true. You know, it brings me back to my foundational scripture when the Lord was first wooing me into a relationship with himself and it's found in Ephesians chapter two, we'll start in verse four. God is so merciful and so great. It says, but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ, by grace, we have been saved. And I want to go down to verse eight for by grace. You have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. So we do work, you know, by loving other people. One could say, well, isn't that a work? It is. But we do love others. As the commandment, God gave us out of this rich salvation that has been deposited into our spirits.

(20:26): So the good works come out of a place of salvation. The good works don't earn the place. The good works come out of the place. Faith in Christ is what causes our born again, experience and for the holy spirit to live inside of us in verse 10 of two says for, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in that. So I just love that. I love the basics of faith that we are saved by sate. Um, Martin Luther had that, right? But then we walk out our faith by doing good works that God leads us to do, which Rene circles, right back to the well-versed woman, if God was going to put a Bible in our, each of our hands, Rene and said, now click on that footnote. That's labeled Renee and Theresa.

(21:25): And while verse a woman from verse 10, you know, he would say in one of those good works that verse 10 is talking about is you doing the well-versed woman week after week? So the beauty is we've all been created for good things. God has a good plan and purpose for our life, Jeremiah 29 11. But then as we walk it out with the holy spirit and through prayer and fellowship in collaboration with the Lord, he begins to speak. He begins to make our unique plans known to us. And by faith we say, okay, let's launch out in the deeper neck. I believe this is God. Renee said, I believe this has God in here. We are 53 weeks later.

(22:16): So exciting. I love that clarification to Teresa. So we're going back. You could go back to the early episodes or just stay here and reminding us pretty much, uh, a quick summary of God, one oh one. And this idea that think about it. Here's a God, you know, up in the universe somewhere that decided to create man. And we understand that he decided to create man, because he wanted to share love. He is God and he is love. And he's like, how can I, how can I share love? And I'm envisioning, you know, oh, like, what if I create this man? Now I have to give him a choice because love is a choice. So I have to allow man to decide whether or not he's going to love me. And however, he is going to be saved by faith. I'm not going to require man to be on planet earth from the time they're born, until they rest their head to do all kinds of things, to earn NY, to earn love, to check it off the box because that isn't love either.

(23:35): Is it? So I'm going to put in this word or teach them that you just saved by choosing me. That's what saved by faith means. It means saved by choosing love by choosing God, by choosing to follow him. But I created you to love each other and to love me. And so I created you for good works, good works are loving each other. So however we all go about on this planet of loving each other, that's our form of good work. So Theresa for you and I, we decided to love by doing the podcast like you just said, and we each get two choices, right? We get many choices, but two main choices we get to choose to love God. And we get to choose to love each other. I E do good works. And that's it. If we can do that, if we can do that, we're in, it's all good. Teresa.

(24:45): That's so true in a, you know, I, I love that salvation comes to us because the lock, the Lord draws us. You know, when you think about what he went through, dying on the cross, shedding his blood boy, what an agony, but the Bible says for the joy set before him, he endured the shame of the cross. And I love that because he looked out the quarter of time. He saw every person that is born in his love and his blood is shed for everyone. And he saw you and he saw me Renee. And he said, they're mine. I'm going to go through what my father has asked me to do to save me unkind. And Renee and Theresa are part of my plan. They're going to come to me someday and they are going to be saved. And boy, do I have some great works for them to do?

(25:41): And I agree, Renee, it's so beautifully sad that it's through loving God, being obedient to him. And that is what causes us then to love those around us and for others to say, oh my goodness. And you know, Renee, we've met so many beautiful people, men and women alike who have shared what this podcast has meant to them in their lives, how their faith is growing, how a word in due season. I have a very good friend and um, oh, I just love her dearly. Her name is Chris. And she said to me one time, oh my goodness, Theresa. You know, I mean, because she and I have been friends for a long time. She says so nice to hear your voice week after week. But she said, you're bringing back to me things about my Christianity truths that I have just forgotten. Isn't that God, again, Renee, bring him through us, bring him back to her remembrance. Hey, you need, you're going to need this for today. You're going to need this truth because it's the truth. We know in the truth we walk in that sets us free. John eight 32 that sets us free and keeps us free.

(26:55): Um, that's, that's great. I I'll go back and quote, uh, where you quoted Hebrews 12 two, the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising, the shame. I just wanted to throw that reference out there. So we have it and our listeners have it. God brings to our remembrance things that he's taught us. And again, that's why this podcast is so amazing because if you continue to lesson, certainly we repeat things. Certainly we set this foundational scriptures up every single week and that consistency and that discipline of showing up is I think Theresa multiplied by God over and over, and God will keep us in perfect peace when we stay fixed on him and his word, who does it need love and peace today? I feel like one of the hippies Teresa, oh, it's

(27:59): So true. Renee. You know, it goes back to the scripture that says, you know, I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee in so true because you know, if you've ever been in turmoil and all of a sudden I can remember Renee, I was a young Christian and there was a pressing need and a friend came over and, oh my goodness, we started praying. And then after the prayer, I said to her, I said, Patty, I feel like my bat, my soul has just taken a bath and peace. And she said, yeah. And so as a young Christian, I was learning, you know, a bout of a real relationship with God and prayer and the holy spirit manifesting and how true, you know, and again, he will keep you in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on. Thee is found in Isaiah chapter 26, verse three. So God keeps us in peace. He brings us all things to our remembrance. He teaches us all things. Boy, Renee, doesn't say that sound like a really good father.

(29:10): It sure sounds like somebody. I want a relationship with Theresa. So I think that we should wrap for today with all of those foundational principles that we learn and we can continue on love and obedience next week, Theresa. And we also have our foundational scripture that we've been reciting for a year, as I'm sure all our listeners have done as well. Theresa,

(29:42): Absolutely Renee, you know, and I just want to make one more comment. Um, when you said that we repeat things and I'm sure we repeat them in a little different vein, but that is because we know faith comes by hearing and hearing the word and it keeps our faith engaged. It keeps our faith high. So Rene, Romans 10 17 faith comes by hearing

(30:07): And hearing by the word of God. We'll see you next week. We love you. Bye now. Thank you for listening. We're so excited and embarking on year two. And remember we want to grow our Facebook community. So go ahead, search Facebook for well-versed woman and we'll have you approved and join that community where you can interact with us. Secondly, every single episode has show notes and the show notes are the scriptures that we talk about in the episode. So you can download those. You can read them for the week, until next week comes around. So you can want to search the episode and last but not least, don't forget to subscribe to this channel. See if you can go the entire year this year by listening to every episode. And if you rate and review, we will send you a well-versed woman journal in the mail. Don't forget to do that until next week. We love you. Bye now.