Two Reasons (It’s Not Too Late) to Set Goals for 2024, with Amy DiMarcangelo

Have you broken your New Year’s resolutions yet? Find out why you don’t have to feel defeated (even if you’ve failed!) in this episode of Grounded with guest Amy DiMarcangelo. You’ll be encouraged to depend on Jesus and to not give up as you pursue what God has called you to complete in 2024. 

Connect with Amy

Instagram: @amydimarcangelo 
Website: https://equippedformercy.com/

Episode Notes

• A Hunger for More book by Amy DiMarcangelo: https://www.crossway.org/books/a-hunger-for-more-tpb/ 
• “A True Girl’s Guide to the New Year” downloadable: https://store.purefreedom.org/product/a-true-girls-guide-to-the-new-year-downloadable/?source=1221socialpost
• “The Lord Has Done Great Things” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rHghkczhPI
• Revive Our Hearts free resources: https://www.reviveourhearts.com/free-resources/
• Flourish tour with Dannah Gresh and Erin Davis: https://store.purefreedom.org/flourish/?brand=dg

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Portia Collins: Have you broken your New Year's resolution yet? I’m Portia Collins and this is Grounded.

Dannah Gresh: I'm Dannah Gresh. Portia, why did you even go there? I mean, just get to the point. I don't know if you know this, but there's a reason I'm a girl who talks about pushing the reset button and its New Year's resolutions. Did you know that? That's why I say that all the time, Portia. 

Portia: Yeah. 

Dannah: Well, I discovered that I didn't have to feel defeated when I failed at the resolutions I set, because an older, wiser woman . . . and I don't really remember who it was . . . She said, “Dannah just push the reset button.” I didn't even know there was one, but I pushed it, and I finished my thirty-day goal that year. Of course, it was about sixty days until I got finished. But the point is: I did finish.

Portia: You know me, I'm not a New Year's resolution kind of girl. I want to do things, but I don't want to say that is a New Year's resolution, because I feel like they're setting me up to fail. But there are some things that I've been doing and putting in place, and I'm like you, let me hit the reset button. I don't panic when I miss a day. 

Dannah: That’s right. I missed a day. I've been getting up earlier to spend a little extra time with the Lord this month. And I didn't today because it was three degrees. I just didn't feel like the Lord would want me to be out there in that. 

Portia: I get it. 

Dannah: Yeah, no, it wasn’t an excuse, and I failed today. But I'm going to find some time later today. I'm going to apply the grace of God and spend that time sometime by the fireplace this afternoon. So, there is grace.

Portia: I love it. Yes, absolutely. Well, we are here to hand out hope and perspective. And you, my Grounded sisters, are here because you need those things. Are you starting to feel like new year, same you. We've got some perspective that might surprise you. Amy DiMarcangelo is with us this morning.

Dannah: What a name! Like, what a name. 

Portia: I know; I love it! 

Dannah: DiMarcangelo: visions of the Sistine Chapel are floating in my head. Anybody else?

Portia: Ditto, ditto. She said that even if you keep your resolutions this year, you might not find the satisfaction that you're looking for. 

Dannah: Okay, well, you have my interest. We want to remind you girls that Grounded is a conversation, and we invite you to be a part of it. So, you're gonna want to share this with others. Hit that share button right now. And go ahead and start leaving your comments about your thoughts about New Year's resolutions in the comments on Facebook, on YouTube, wherever you might be following us. 

We really want you to share because it helps other women get grounded and God's truth. That's the simple bottom line. And speaking of God's truth, I have two pretty strong opinions about New Year's resolutions. I'm going to tell you what those are. When we get grounded in God's Word today, I'm gonna base my claims on some verses in Galatians chapter 6. So, grab your Bible, but right now, Erin Davis, are you here to give us some good news.

5:02 - Good News (with Erin)

Erin Davis: I'm here. We normally say good news brings the sunshine I would just settle for like bringing some warmth to your day. 

Dannah: Yes. 

Erin: Dannah mentioned negative three. That's exactly what it is here in Missouri. P, what's it like in Mississippi? Are you having negatives?

Portia: We're not in a negative but it's twenty degrees here. And listen, we ain’t built for this type of weather. 

Erin: I was gonna say, Mississippians don’t like the cold. 

Portia: Listen, the stores are bare. People are running around crazy. We don't want to move by cars. We don't know how to drive in this type of weather. It's crazy. 

Erin: Yep. We had snow predicted. I told Jason, “Okay, I've reached the age where when I see snow in the forecast, I gotta go buy milk and bread. It's just that I gotta take care of it. 

Dannah: I'm super sad because the snowstorm is coming right up to my county. And then it's making this U-shaped horseshoe curve around it. It's gonna miss us. We're gonna get like flurries, and everyone inside of us is gonna get seven inches to three feet.

Erin: Okay, Grounded sisters. What you need to know if that was confusing to you is that our introverted friend Dannah would love to be snowed in at her farm and not have to interact with people.

Dannah: It’s not that I don’t like people, it's just a lot of things are going on. When there's a lot of going around . . . 

Erin: I get it. So anyway, wherever you are, whatever the temperatures are, let me bring some warmth into your day. I'm delighted to do it. Because there's always good news because God is always good.

So, what you won't hear us say in this episode is that there's no place in the life of a believer for resolutions. Of course, there is through His Word. God is always calling us to live lives worthy of our calling as Christians. That's Ephesians 4:1, by the way. 

I've got some good news about resolutions, nearly six in ten Americans who made resolutions for 2024 . . . Notice what I didn't say six in ten Christian Americans. I'm talking about all of us, the whole lot. And Sisters, we know many of you are not watching us from America. But these are some American stats. Six in ten Americans who made resolutions made these two resolutions for this year: I want to pray more, and I want to focus more on my faith in 2024. 

These answers are actually tied with what I would have thought was the number one resolution to lose weight. So, what's going on there? Why are 60% of Americans regardless of religious affiliation, if I can call it that, resolving that they want to pray more and focus more on their faith? 

Well, 22 percent of us headed into this new year, deeply discouraged. I would probably put myself in that camp. I know I'm supposed to bring the good news. But I actually think that is good news. I'm feeling deeply discouraged when we look at the year ahead of us and it looks bleak. Everybody wants some hope to hold on to. I like to say there are no atheists in foxholes, which means that when the going gets tough, all of us just reflexively reach for the Lord because He's the only one who can help us. 

So, what do I see when I read that kind of social science data that six in ten people have resolved to pray more than and 20 percent of us are feeling deeply discouraged? What do I see? I see opportunity. 

People want something, and we actually know Someone to give them real hope this year. And hope is not just some ethereal intangible idea. Hope has a name, and His name is Jesus. So, here's an opportunity. Ask yourself, did my neighbor make a resolution to pray more this year? If you don't know, just ask them? Does your coworker feel compelled to grow in her faith this year, even if she doesn't understand what that means, through the lens of things of Jesus? Of course, she does. Because God has set eternity into each of our hearts. That's Ecclesiastes 3:11. 

So, people need hope. People need strength, people need courage to face this new uncertain year. Just this Saturday we were at a basketball game, because we're always at basketball games in the winter with four boys. We got to talk to some parents from the other team. They were just unloading how afraid they feel and how the political landscape is scary to them. They have five kids and well, their kids have a future. there it was knocking, an opportunity to share where we put our hope in an uncertain year. 

So, Jesus is the source of hope, His Word as a source of hope. And people are looking for those things, even if they don't know that's what they're looking for. And we think that's pretty good news. Portia. 

18:31 - Grounded with God's People (Amy DiMarcangelo)

Oh, we just lost Portia. Maybe she'll jump back in here in a second. Without her, I'm gonna pick up the interview with Amy. Let me tell you about Amy DiMarcangelo. I'm gonna ask you if I'm saying that, right. She's a wife. She's a mom of three from New Jersey. She co-leads Mercy Ministries Outreach at her church, and she teaches children with autism. She's also the author of the book A Hunger for More: Finding Satisfaction in Jesus When the Good Life Doesn't Feed You. So welcome to Grounded Amy, we're so glad you're here.

Amy DiMarcagelo: I'm so glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Erin: I'm gonna hand the microphone back over to my girl Portia. 

Portia: I got it. Monday morning have technical difficulties. We make it work. Hey, Amy, it is so good to have you here on Grounded. Tell us, are we pronouncing your last name correctly? Is it DiMarcangelo 

Amy: It is DeMarcangelo. Yep. Married into an Italian family.

Portia: I love it. Well, Amy, we all struggle at one point or another with trying to fill ourselves with temporal things, food relationships, I mean, you name it. I'll be the first to admit that I've done this with food. Guilty as charged. So, what are some common ways that you’ve found people try to feel their internal void? And why are these efforts often futile?

Amy: There are so many ways that we try to fill the voids in our hearts. We try to fill them in relationships. And you know, we were created to be communal people. God created us for relationships with one another. But when we seek our hope and satisfaction in human relationships, we're also going to see that they fall short because no people can love us the way God loves us.

We also seek satisfaction in success and achievement. We think, If I can just achieve this goal, or do this thing, or get this job, that then I will feel happy. And you know, there are countless successful people in the world, people who don't know Christ, who are able to attest to the emptiness—even up to people who win Super Bowls and win Olympic gold medals and who run companies worth millions of dollars. If that is their point of satisfaction, it will come up empty, because we were created to only be satisfied in God. 

And so, all the longings that we have . . . Longings themselves aren't wrong, they're to point us to the only One who can satisfy them. When we long for strength, and we can try to attain that through self-discipline . . . Like, if I just start exercising and living this healthy lifestyle and things that are good . . . Those things are good, so I'm not knocking those. But if we think, If I can just be strong enough, then I will feel okay. Well, we are dependent beings who were created to depend on God, so those things won't satisfy us either. 

So, any longing of our heart, I believe, has been given to us by our good Father, because he wants to fill us, and He can fill us, and He's enough to fill us if we turned to Him for satisfaction in those things.

Portia: Hey, girl, you’re preaching already. I want to hone in on this concept of hunger, in a spiritual sense. And so, can you explain? I really want to dig in more to what you just said, explain to us how our quest to be filled and satisfied can actually be a path leading us to draw closer to Jesus. 

Amy: Yes. I think we are tempted to view that hunger for more as a we can view it as a bad thing like something we need to conquer, something that we need to overcome. That in my longing, it must mean I'm discontent. But really, you hit it well, this is a spiritual hunger God has given us this so we will never get past it. And that's a good thing, because God is even better than we think He is. So, He will continually draw us more and more. 

The cravings He has given us for love is stable and trustworthy and faithful, that is a good craving that draws us to Him. Cravings He has given us to grow and change in sanctification to become more godly people. I loved hearing about the resolutions people are having to pray more and to pursue their faith more. Those are good resolutions that are intended to point us to the God who is the one who can change us. We can't change on our own.

But when we pursue God and we pursue the Holy Spirit's strength to change and to grow into His likeness, we are going to experience His help and His enoughness for our lack of enough. There's so many things that we crave. We crave a sense of wonder and majesty. That's why people love exploring new places and hiking and all these things. There's just something innate in us that craves a sense of wonder and majesty that we find in God, and we find it through creation when creation is pointing us to God. 

So, if our if our hope is if I can just find the next amazing thing and travel these places . . . Well, if that's your ultimate, the way you're seeking satisfaction won't fill you. It will come up short. But as we enjoy God's good gifts and good creation in a way that points us to Him as Creator, that will help us find satisfaction in Him. 

So, our cravings and our hearts, they're not the fruit of sinful discontentment. They can lead to sinful discontentment where we think if I just pursue this, this will satisfy me—if I get this achievement, if I get this job, if I get more money, if I get these relationships. It can lead to discontentment, but the actual craving itself is put there by God, because He has more than enough to satisfy all of the cravings of our hearts. He is the one who fills us. He is the one who is enough for us. He is the one who satisfies when everything else falls short. 

Portia: Amen. 

Amy: There's actually a verse that had come to mind in thinking through our discussion today. It's in Psalm 16. Let me see Psalm 16, verse 4, and then I'll skip down to verse 11. In verse 4, it says, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.” I think that pertains to when we are seeking satisfaction in things that cannot satisfy us. Our sorrows will actually multiply because we've put our hope in something that can't deliver. When it falls short, we feel crushed. 

But when you go down to verse 11, it says, “You make known to me the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

And so, when our longings point us to Him, that's where we find fullness of joy. That's where we find satisfaction. He never disappoints all the way that our idols can disappoint. God never disappoints.

Portia: Amen. We love it when we get to the Word. Grounded is the place where we want to be grounded in God's Word. And so, you are already taking us there. And we also love to get practical here on Grounded. What encouragement do you have for that sister who may be struggling to find satisfaction in Jesus, especially if she's been a Christian for a long time, and she feels like, “Oh, I am still struggling. I have been living for Jesus for thirty years, but I still feel a deep sense of longing.” She's wrestling with that. What kind of encouragement can you give her?

Amy: I would encourage her that, one, the struggle itself shows that God is pursuing you. You have not given up. God is working through you and enabling you to persevere because you experience seasons of spiritual dryness. And so, if you are continuing to press into God when it feels dry, and hard, and it doesn't feel like it's giving the satisfaction that you know is there, God might be doing something deeper in your heart where He is He is strengthening you to persevere. I would say fight to have faith, that God will produce. Sometimes He's planning something deeper. There's something happening in the darkness. 

Right now we're in winter, and you're talking about how cold it is. Trees dead leaves have fallen off. Well, there are things going on underneath. These trees around as aren't dead. There are things going on underneath it. There is going to be spring again. The leaves are going to come back, the flowers are going to bloom again. 

And so, having faith that God is doing a deeper work, He is digging you deeper. As you continue pursuing His Word, you continue pursuing prayer, God is doing something even when it feels like He's not doing something. We need to be people of faith for the unseen realities. God is faithful. His Word doesn't turn void. And so, fight to have faith and patience. And even trusting that if you feel like this longing is still there, trusting that always is going to be there. You're not going to be at a place where you conquer that this side of heaven, that longing is going to remain until we meet our Savior face to face. There is a godly discontentment all of us feel, and if you're feeling that, that means you're not finding temporal satisfaction in the world. It shows you remember you were made for more. You were made for a person, and you are longing to be with Him. Just the very sense of longing is a good thing for you. That is something that God will meet and satisfy. And right now, we get glimpses of it. We get little bits of it. But ultimately, that satisfaction is going to come when we are united to our Savior in heaven.

Portia: Girl, you know we like to say that we hand out hope and perspective here on Grounded, and that is exactly what you just gave us. I feel like my muscles are so tight because I've been just smiling and nodding, because everything you just said is so true. You are pointing us to Jesus, and that's exactly what we need. Thank you so much for joining us today. 

Amy you have truly been a delight and a blessing to me and our Grounded sisters. I’ve got one more question. Where can we grab a copy of your book where you talk about all of this little bit more? Your book is A Hunger for More: Finding Satisfaction in Jesus When the Good Life Doesn't Feed You.

Amy: Yeah, you can buy that on Crossway.org. You can find it at Amazon, pretty much anywhere books are sold. You will be able to find it at great prices at crossway. They have discounts if you want to do it as a group study. The end of the book has discussion questions. So, it's created kind of for that. I love book studies. So, I'm always gonna write books with questions that so that people can discuss together. 

Portia: Good deal. Well, thank you so much. We're also going to drop a link to your website, in the chat and the episode notes so that our Grounded sisters can connect with you more. Thank you for being with us. 

31:40 - Grounded in God's Word (with Dannah)

Now it's time to get grounded in God's Word. I hate to say time to get grounded because we've already been grounded. Alright, Dannah is going to take us to the Scriptures. I'm excited to hear what she has to say about New Year New Year's resolutions. Dannah, you said you had two big opinions about New Year's resolution. 

Dannah: I do. 

Portia: I want to know, are you going to spill the tea here?

Dannah: I'm going to spill it Portia girl, but can you stick around for just a sec? I have a little quiz for you. In fact, I have a quiz for everybody. But Portia, you're going to be on the hot seat. You're ready?

Portia: I'm ready. 

Dannah: Here we go. If you plant lima beans, what are you going to grow?

Portia: Lima beans.

Dannah: Very good. My girlfriend, very good. What about if you plant zucchini? What are you going to get? 

Portia: Zucchini. 

Dannah: There you go. You passed with flying colors, just two easy questions. Portia, I might see some homesteading in your future. That's pretty good. 

Portia: Ah, I don’t know about the homesteading. I shall not be Dannah Gresh. You know I'm not an outside girl. 

Dannah: It's okay. You can cook up what Erin and I grow because you do that really well. You and your man.

Well, here is my point: you grow what you plant. Galatians 6:7–9, tells us that the same sort of thing happens in our character. Let me read it to you. This is Galatians 6:7–9: 

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.

You grow your plant not just in your garden but in your character. I got to thinking about how this passage applies to New Year's resolutions when Janet Mylin, one of my lead teachers for True Girl,  came and asked me, “Dannah, can we make a True Girl guide to the new year and invite girls to set goals for 2024? And I thought, hmm. I mean, I often set a New Year's resolution or two usually related to getting back into God's Word, really pushing the reset button on that. But it's kind of another thing altogether to publicly call seven- to twelve-year-old girls to do it. Right? I just kind of wondered, Am I really gonna do this? What does God's Word say about that? 

I began to dig in. And That's when I found I applied Galatians 6:7–9. What we reap . . . In other words, if your daughter or granddaughter reads the Bible and prays today, she's going to become a wise woman who loves God's Word and is a prayer warrior in the future. 

But if she spends most of her time on the internet playing computer games or watching movies, it will be hard to grow a heart that loves to read the Bible and pray. 

Of course, this applies to you and me too. If I start my day in God's Word, those days are just different. You know what I mean? I plant peace in my heart and truth in my spirit. I show up in the world like a woman of peace and truth. 

But if I start my day scrolling on Instagram and sometimes I do, well those days are different in another sort of way. I plant slothfulness and comparison into my mind, and I live out of that. I hate to say it, but living out of that trajectory on that particular day really is because of what I chose to plant. Been there, done that. 

Well, I think that's one reason why we set goals is that life can't be all fun. It's important to be intentional and devote time to become what you want to be not just today but in five years or ten years or twenty years. 

And that brings me to my first strong opinion about resolutions and goals. Number one, we do need to set goals because what we are today will determine what we will become. If you are disciplined you will become more disciplined. If you are kind, you will become kinder still. If you are hardworking, you will be known as a diligent woman. 

But if you just let life happen, settle for scrolling social media and sleeping in well. You know how that works. 

When I was writing Lies Girl Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, my friend Nancy DeMoss, Wolgemuth told me something her father used to say. Art DeMoss used to say, “You are what you have been becoming.” Let me say that again, “You are what you have been becoming.” And it's true. 

You know, when I first visited my friend Nancy's house, I noticed an interesting piece of framed art in her living room. It was little girl handwriting. The sloppy big letters that aren't just perfect yet. It was a letter that she wrote when she was just seven years old. Let me read it to you. It says, 

Dear Mommy and Daddy, 

On Saturday, I knew the God that had touched my heart and wanted me to be a missionary for Him. And it was just as if He had stood before me. Right then I started to think how a missionary would speak to people. I could just tell everybody this wonderful news. I'm so happy about it. I just know that God has spoken to me and told me to be a missionary for Him. And I think being a missionary is the best job for me. I'm just so happy that God wants me to be a missionary for Him. 

Nancy

Do you think she kind of felt like maybe God wanted her to be a missionary? She was seven years old. Seven years old. When Nancy was very young, she was already becoming what she is today, a great Bible teacher and an author who leads hundreds of thousands of women and is growing closer to Jesus. Revive Our Hearts is now in many countries around the world. I think that makes her a missionary. The whole world over, women know her name and trust her. 

But she didn't just wait till she was an adult to start becoming a missionary. She started when she was seven. Imagine what you could be years from now if you start becoming that, and if you stay faithful to the discipline of it. Let me read again Galatians 5:9. It says, “Let us not get tired of doing good.” 

And then we're reminded, “For we will reap at the proper time if we do not give up.” It's almost as if the apostle Paul knew how much we'd struggle with keeping our goals of any type—New Year's resolutions or otherwise. 

And that brings me to my second big opinion about them. Number two, we need to not give up on our goals but liberally apply God's grace when we do get tired. Maybe you're already tired. Maybe you like me pushed snooze when the phone set the alarm off this morning. Did you set a goal to wake up early to be in the Word and you've only succeeded twice in the new year so far? Oh, that's okay. Don't give up. Did you set a goal to fast and pray this month but the cupcakes keep calling your name first and last? Do not give up my friend. Did you set a goal to read 100 books by December 31, but you've not cracked a page yet? Okay. It's all right. Do not give up. If you've been tempted to give up, let me tell you what to do: apply grace liberally. 

Turn your Bibles over to Philippians chapter 2.. I'm going to read verse 13 of Philippians 2 to you. Let me remind you how the good work of sowing and reaping gets done. All right, this is again Philippians 2:13. “For it is God” not me, not Dannah, not you. ”For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” God's the one working in you to will, to have the will, and to work according to His purpose.

We forget that. We forget to be dependent on His power to accomplish our goals. You can forget the hamster wheel of trying harder or white knuckling it, or even giving up. Don't do that. Instead, you can rely on God's grace to enable you to achieve whatever goals you set. Take it from a girl who's learned this lesson on the hot pavement of life. Okay, relying on the Lord to achieve your goals works better than relying on you. 

So, my two lessons in review. Number one, we do need to set goals because what we do today will determine what we will become. And number two, we need to not give up on our goals but liberally apply God's grace when we do get tired.

Erin: Dannah, that might have been the most balanced approach to what we call resolutions. I feel like we maybe need to swap out the word resolutions and insert the word disciplines 

Dannah: Yes. Love it. 

Erin: I've heard we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But we are always going to be very dependent on grace. Not to edit you, but I don't think there's any hot pavement of life happening anywhere today. So, can we learn it on the cold pavement of life?

Dannah: Yes. You see the comments on YouTube and Facebook? Everybody is recording in their temperature. Everyone, the whole United States and Canada is freezing. 

Erin: We're freezing. But don't leave us with a cliffhanger. What did you end up doing with True Girl? Did you encourage True Girls and their mamas to set goals?

Dannah: Yeah, we decided to call them “Grace Goals” so that every time they thought about them, they'd be reminded of God's grace when they set them and keep them. So, A True Girl’s Guide to the New Year is a 10-page downloadable printable booklet. It breaks down sections like people goals and my faith goals, fun or hobbies, goals for school, for how I spend my time. And on each page, an eight- to twelve-year-old, just answered some questions that help her brain think about that topic. At the bottom of each she writes one Grace goal for the year and puts it up on this big coloring page in a room or bathroom so she can remember. And also, not just the goals, but remember God's grace, and it's God working in her to will and to work.

Erin: I love that as a parent. I am always trying to encourage my sons to grow. But they need a lot of equipping. They need tools. So that's really awesome. We're going to drop the link to that for you mama's of true girls. And so, you can grab it. It's not too late. It's still January. I know it's never too late. So, you can grab that and start using it in your own home and help us spread the word. Thanks, Dannah. 

Dannah: Thank you. 

Erin: Well, it is mid-January. And we recognize that, but here at Revive Our Hearts, we're still celebrating all that God did through the Revive Our Hearts ministry in 2023. And as Grounded sisters, as Grounded watchers, you're actually a part of something that is much bigger than this single Grounded episode. And I know you, like me, love a good highlight reel. I mean, you just take some photos. We've got a short one. It's just three minutes or so that captures just some of what God did this past year. Of course, I would never claim to know everything God has done because He's always doing so much, but we wanted to capture just some of what we know He did. Watch this very short clip and celebrate with us. 

And in case you were thinking about clicking away and hopping on that treadmill because you're inspired by what you've just heard. I want you to not go anywhere for a little bit longer. I'm going to be right back to tell you about some free tools—yes, free. They're going to help you stay grounded in God's truth and 2024 and well beyond. But first, let's watch this short clip. 

For more than twenty years, God has been faithful to bless the ministry of Revive Our Hearts as we call women to fully surrender to Him. We've seen Him cross cultural and language barriers with the truth of His Word. We've seen Him draw women's hearts back to His. We've seen Him transform marriages. We've seen Him breathe fresh passion into churches and women's ministries. If Revive Our Hearts has made a difference in your life. Join us in celebrating what God has done in 2023. 

44:13 - “The Lord Has Done Great Things” video

Video:

Revive Our Hearts listeners downloaded the daily program more than forty million times this year, representing millions of women anchoring their lives to God's precious Word. 

God is answering prayers for revival through international expansion. 

Teams in Ukraine translated 100 programs for the women of that war-torn land. 

Authorities in Vietnam tried to suppress the gospel, but our partners there have distributed 250 Revive Our Hearts programs. 

In 2023, Revive Our Hearts continued to reach women with new Bible-centered resources including Beauty in the Broken, How Humility Changes Everything. Finding the Words to Pray, 50 Scriptures to Guide YOur Prayers, (un)Remarkable volume 2, Overcomers: Lessons from the Churches of Revelation, and the Born a Child and Yet a King Advent devotional.

Books written by Revive Our Hearts founder Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth have now sold more than five million copies and have been translated into at least thirty-one different languages. 

Revive Our Hearts offered Bible-based clarity in an age of confusion about gender and sexuality. The ministry highlighted this truth through podcast episodes and blog posts during pride month. 

2023 also provided opportunities to reach women through online and in-person events. More than 8000 women joined us in Guadalajara, Mexico for the conference Mujar Verdadera. God continues to use the work of Aviva Nuestras Corazones the Spanish outreach of Revive Our Hearts to be a part of the revival happening in Latin America. And we've joined events in South Africa, Germany, and Italy. 

More than 2,000 leaders and pastors’ wives were equipped at an online event called Mentor Me. Fifty Revive Our Hearts Ambassadors volunteered to serve leaders in their communities.

Meanwhile, each weekday, biblical content continued through the podcast Revive Our Hearts, Revive Our Hearts Weekend,Seeking Him and other voices in the Revive Our Hearts podcast family. 

As we look ahead, we're committed to challenging women to think biblically about everything. We cry out for an army of women living the gospel, because we believe God will use revived women to change lives, change families, change generations, and even change the world. We move forward with desperate dependence on Him now and always we will continue to say “yes Lord.”

Erin: Yes, Lord. I don't have a handkerchief, but I can wave my white piece of paper that's a symbol of surrender. God's done so much in 2023. We're confident He's gonna do great things in 2024, because that's how He always does, great things.

Dannah: Amen.

Erin: Hope you saw a couple of Grounded mentions there. In the Grounded logo slide was a number—one million. We had over one million downloads of Grounded last year, which is something that Grounded prayer team has been asking the Lord for, for many, many years. So that was numbers, we're not just celebrating the numbers, because we're celebrating our own success. That doesn't align with what we've been talking about in this episode. But because all of that represents women that we hope and pointing to God's truth. 

So, thanks for watching that. I hope it warmed your heart as much as it did ours. We want you to flourish in Christ this year. 

Dannah: Yeah. 

Erin: And we've got tons of free resources to help you do that. Dannah, did I tell you what my New Year's resolution is? I don't know if I did.

Dannah: No. 

Erin: Okay, no new clothes and no new jewelry in 2024, because my closet was out of control. 

Dannah: Wow. 

Erin: And so, I'm trying to solve problems without spending money, because sometimes I just reach for that easy spend. And this will meet my resolution because we want to equip you with lots of free stuff. You don't have to go buy a new plan or a new whatever to get grounded in Christ. 

We've got tons of free resources. You saw some of those filtering there. We've got 30-day challenges, which are a perfect way to start the new year, like the “30-Day Bible Reading Challenge” and our “Gratitude Challenge” that could help you be disciplined as Dannah was saying.

Dannah: I love that idea. 

Erin: We’ve also got podcast episodes, transcripts, videos, Bible study videos, blogs, articles, and more, always biblically grounded. 

Dannah: So much stuff. Yeah.

Erin: I know, a lot to scroll. We've assembled a lot of those free resources all in one place. Our team’s going to drop the link for you right now, so you can get all those freebies. You might want to clear your calendar, and just get lost on that page for a while, because there's a lot of good stuff out there. And two ways we're gonna experience true transformation this year is looking to Jesus together. 

Dannah: Yeah.

Erin: We can't wait to spend 2024 with you.

Dannah: I love that. Erin, did you just say the word flourish a moment ago?

Erin: It's one of my favorite words. Yes, absolutely. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? 

Dannah: I think so. Erin and I want to invite you to flourish with us this year. After more than ten years, we're going back on the road together with our favorite worship leader Stephanie Martinez. In fact, Erin, I pulled up a photo from way back in the day.

Erin: Oh man. What is that? I can barely see it.

Dannah: That was a freedom stage—you, me and Steph. That's just kind of it. But look at this close up of you and me doing what we did a lot of on that tour: giggling, laughing our heads off.

Erin: Look at that dark hair on me. What is going on there? It was a short-lived phase.

Dannah: That’s Dannah and Erin, baby Dannah and Erin.

Erin: Yes. There are a few things that I enjoy more than pointing women to Jesus alongside you. It's just a great joy.

Dannah: Yeah, and we're going to be live, in-person. We're hitting Florida and Texas in April with a new event titled Flourish.

Erin: Yes. Dannah, thank you for not telling them some of our road stories from our past tours. But we've been praying to be able to tour again together for a really long time. And God has seen fit to give us that opportunity. We're having a one-night event designed for women of all ages. We've prayerfully structured a night of worship with two full Bible teaching sessions. You'll be able to experience the fullness of a multi-day women's conference, but in an affordable three-hour one-night event. So bring your friends, your mamas, your sisters, your church group, bring everybody and experience an evening designed to help you encounter honor Christ, because we do believe it's possible to flourish. 

Dannah: Yeah.

Erin: We wouldn't be here week after week if we didn't. But we also believe it takes a high level of intentionality. So, we want to call you to flourish. We're gonna drop a link in our show notes for you to learn more about those events that are coming up.

Dannah: Can I say, “Florida and Texas are warm.” There are actually women from Florida watching today telling us that it's warm there.

Erin: They probably have sunshine and everything. So that was a draw.

Dannah: Listen, this was a great episode. I’ve got to just read a couple of things that our guest, Amy said. I think this fits into what I was teaching. I love to see when God brings our hearts together when we haven't seen each other's notes. She said, “Fight to have faith in the fruit that God will produce.” And she said, “We are dependent beings created to depend on God.” We cannot forget that as we set goals, as we get resolute in making ourselves women of excellence. We must depend on Him. 

Portia: Amen. 

Erin: Yeah, the Lord of the Holy Spirit is so consistent. That was kind of a light bulb for me this year, which was like: if I feel really needy when I make a resolution, that means I'm doing it right. I'm doing it wrong when I am really needy for myself into a new creation. So dependent beings who can depend on God is actually really good news. 

Dannah: Here's a simple prayer to pray if you need to push reset today on goals that you have in your life. “Jesus help.”

Erin: He loves to do that.

Dannah: He does.

Portia: So simple, yet so profound. 

Erin: Yep. 

Portia: You know, for some of us, this conversation today is about more than not losing a few pounds or missing a day or two or three on our commitment to read the Bible in a year. Many in the church are facing addiction or perhaps they love someone who is.

Dannah: Wow. 

Portia: And so, Andy Partington will be our guest next week. He's going to give us gospel hope for the addict and for those who love them. So, you don't want to miss being here next week.

Erin: I'll just say if you don't think that's you, I'd still encourage you to be here next week, because we're going to widen the conversation a bit but always with a heavy dose of open perspective. 

So, let's wake up together with that hope that we are dependent on, together next week on Grounded. We love you.

Grounded audio is powered by Skype. Grounded is a listener-supported production of Revive Our Hearts, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ. 

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