Confidence In Christ | Respond

Amy Davis | Respond Women’s Retreat

In this session, Amy shares how true confidence doesn’t come from ourselves—it comes from Christ. Using stories like Peter walking on water and Paul’s transformation, she reminds us that confidence grows as we keep our eyes on Jesus.

She talks about how to build this confidence by staying in God’s Word, leaning on the Holy Spirit, and encouraging each other in community. If you’re feeling unsure or stuck, come be reminded:

Confidence isn’t something you earn—it’s something Christ gives.

• Amy’s podcast episode on How to Be Content
• Matthew 14:2
• Philippians 3

View Transcript: Confidence In Christ

Hello, ladies, that’s right. This is the last session of the day, of our breakout session trident. So, come on in and grab a seat. I’m so happy to see everyone. My name is Amy Davis and I have been here at Snowbird for quite some time. How many of you have ever been here to respond? I just want to see everyone; how many have never been here before? Okay, awesome, about 50%. So, my name is Amy, I said, I’ve been here for a while, I said and I wanted to show a picture of my family. So, this is my family, they allow me to take selfie pictures of them all. This is that, my daughter, Alani, here over on the right. She’s the one that’ll like pose with me and, get the pictures. No one else will do that with me and my family. So, this is what you get and so, that is a Lonnie Knox Jed and Spencer. Spencer works here on staff and I gave a little funny thing this morning about the risk that he manages outside of Snowbird, but legit, it’s true and so, yeah, that’s Spence and then, also I had some ladies want me to share that I have a podcast that I speak every week. So, if you like this flavor, I share on the podcast every week. So, you’re welcome to go there, anywhere you listen to podcasts, it’s called Generate Joy.

It’s for anyone, but the title is. Generate Joy in Midlife, simple habits for spiritual growth. So, little marketing ad there. A little bit about me. I’m 46 and I am noticing all the changes of my body. So, if you’re there, you know and it’s really strange, the hot flashes, that’s weird. I had, some medical problems or health issues, seven years ago, I had a hysterectomy, but still, so it’s just like crazy things, your body is sometimes, so not dependable and it’s, these surprises come out of nowhere and you’re, well what, hut then all of a sudden, it’s, I have got to move this couch from this side of the room there and I am not waiting for anyone, am I right and you’re just, this super strength and you’re, I’m moving it and I’m scooching it, up against the foot on the wall, pushing, pushing, pushing. So, our bodies are really crazy and the thing about midlife that I’m noticing is that your confidence does vary from day to day and your mindset gets, really tricky and we try to come up with these ways to give ourselves these like motivational speeches and, we see these women on, our scroll through our phones or events like this and you’re, oh my gosh, I want to be so confident like her. So, we get this idea of like confidence in our mind.

So, I wanted to share this with you because so I really do, art, digital art. I’m actually the brand and marketing like art and brand Coordinator here at Snowbird and so, I do a lot of computer, I’m sitting a lot making art, so I don’t exercise super, how do I phrase this, willingly and so, I have to really hype myself up. I’ve got my watch to get my steps in so far today, I’m at 4700 steps. That is not a lot of steps. We’ve been talking a lot. So, I work out, we have a weight room and I love lifting weights and I listen to motivational music and like you can play a little ditty of that, Andrew, because I want you guys to get in my mind, that’s right now, walk over. That’s right. Water break, you know you can stop it, Andrew, but that’s what I listen to and I have to, motivate myself to, you can do this Amy, just pick it up, it’s only five reps and it’s, but it’s, over 100 pounds, it’s, No, you got this. So, I struggle with this, confidence in myself to, pick up this heavy weight, because my body is just, what are we doing? We’re not all on board here. So, we’re just figuring all that out and so, when I come into a topic like confidence in Christ, this is what I’m dealing with. This is the like framework that I’m coming into this conversation with, is, how do I motivate myself? I’m not really dependable and guess what?

That is, exactly where you need to be in this conversation because, confidence in Christ is not dependent on you, it’s not dependent on me, or how many reps I can do, or how clearly, I can communicate, it is just on the work of Christ that he has power over death and we are being made like him, moment to moment through the work of the Holy Spirit and so, we’re all on this journey to become like Christ in heaven, when we’re all complete in him, but right now we’re in on Earth and these are one of the mysteries and the things we want to ask the Lord when we get to heaven is, why didn’t we just come to heaven? When we get saved, to be like Jesus, but we get to grow and become more like him and being sanctified day by day and it’s a journey and it’s a joy, but it does put us in this weird, wobbly place of, what am I supposed to be doing, how am I supposed to be doing this and I think that’s a great place to be, because it is a proof that it’s not on us, we are unsure, we are not confident, because that doesn’t come out of us, our humanity and I loved how Anna Rose even said this morning, you can’t positive, think yourself out of sin, we’re born into it and so, Christ came and he died for our sin, lived a perfect life, died for our sin, rescued us and redeemed us back to himself and so, that’s our ultimate goal.

So, I just wanted to lay that as the groundwork of, we’re all lacking the confidence in and of ourselves, but through the work of the Holy Spirit, this what I’m going to share with you today is, so awesome and beautiful. So, we’re going to start with Matthew 14. I went back and forth on how I wanted to do this. If you guys help me out. I’m going to just read this passage and I’m just going to go back and just break it down. Does that sound good? Because, there’s. So, I’m going to read it. So, this is Matthew 14:25 and in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking on the sea, but when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and they said, it’s a ghost and they cried out in fear, but immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying take heart, it is I do not be afraid and Peter answered him, lord, if it is you command me to come to you on the water and he said, come. So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus, but when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried out, lord, save me and Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying, oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt and when they got to the boat, the wind ceased  and those in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly, you are the Son of God.

Well, I’m just going to go through this and just point out a couple of things, because I think this is just one of, it’s becoming one of my favorite passages of scripture is, at least right now, is that for Peter, this is not a normal day. he didn’t wake up and was, hmm, I think today I’m going to walk on the water like no one, probably to that point in humanity, had ever thought that was, it’s not possible. So, they wouldn’t have imagined, I’m just going to walk on the water and so, throughout this day, if you read the passages before, it’s crazy, because they get up, they get the news about John the Baptist, had been killed. So, they get that news and they’re walking, trying to get wherever they’re going and all these people start gathering around Jesus and then, that turns into these people need food, which turns into the two fish and the five loaves of bread and this is all in the same day and so, they feed all the people and they gather the baskets, you all know the story. Did you know that it just continues to go into this next story, where they have gone? I looked up what the fourth watch was and it’s between three o’clock in the morning and six o’clock in the morning. So, imagine, the morning before them getting up and then, going following Jesus and then, all the people start collecting and they have to do this distribution, but it’s a miracle, so they’ve already seen one miracle and then, they’re, resting in the boat.

Then, the wind starts going crazy and they’re getting nervous and then, they see a ghost out there and it’s, what is happening, it’s been a long day and then, Jesus is, don’t be afraid, it’s me. imagine Peter’s, Jesus that is two miracles in one day. That is, I’m on board. Whatever you say is, if that’s you, I’m coming out there and so, Peter’s, let’s go and so, his confidence in Christ was at his all-time high. wouldn’t you imagine and we know Peter was a hype guy anyway and so, he gets out, walks out there. he saw Jesus walking on the waves. he heard his voice, so he was even more confident that that was him. he obeyed without hesitation and he was whoa. he’s gone. he’s in the water. he’s walking but then all of a sudden, he saw the wind and he got afraid. Have you all seen twisters? I don’t know what wind that would have scared Peter to the point where he would be so afraid to doubt because of all that he had just experienced, but he’s human like me and no shade on Peter. he just walked on water trusting that the Lord was going to, I get it. he’s amazing on that and then, he saw whatever wind is going on that causes him to fear and it just in that instant, he just shifted his gaze just a little bit to see, I don’t know, maybe it was tornadoes, maybe it was not, maybe it was just a distraction of some sort, but it caused him to have fear and so, he started to sink and while he was sinking, he calls out, Jesus, help me.

Jesus immediately helps him and Jesus does not say, ah, you shouldn’t have been afraid, young man. What does he say? He says, oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt, I was going to take care of you? I got you. This is on me, not you. Let’s get back in the boat and they praise the Lord and so, that is just such a very simple, simple story that I love about these guys, because  it’s one thought he took his eyes off of Jesus, his confidence began to sync with him and so, it’s like a beautiful, easy illustration to share with you all and how to have confidence in Christ is that we keep looking to him, we keep pursuing him, we do it the disciplines like what Tiffany has talked about and we pursue him in prayer and in bible reading, we keep our eyes on Jesus and this is a beautiful theme that is throughout all of scripture, we know the Old Testament is pointing to the coming of Christ and then, we get the beautiful, just such a joy to have the gospels that tell us what Jesus did and what example, he just what example we have to become like Christ, because it’s documented of things that he did and the ways he wants us to act like him. So, we have that and now for us, we can look back at what Jesus did and see that as an example and we also have this future hope of being like him, completed in the throne room of God.

So, all of these looking back looking at his life, looking forward, keeping our eyes on Jesus is a theme throughout it, all of scripture and thinking about this, confident pause, confidence is it’s an emotion, you either feel it or you don’t and so, our thoughts really play a lot into that, because what we think really does dictate how we feel and how we feel will motivate us to take action or non-action, it’s just doing nothing. So, it is important for us to be thinking the thoughts of God, for us to be thinking on the scriptures, to be meditating on his word, to be in community with people, reminding our each other of the truth of God’s word, because if we pack our minds full of it, then we’re going to see it that’s going to be before our eyes and Peter needed Jesus to walk on the water. his confidence was in Jesus. he would not been able to do that without Christ and also Jesus grabbed him from the waves while he was sinking. So, that confidence that he had wasn’t in himself, it was on Jesus, both to walk on the waves and also to rise from the water. So, that’s just a beautiful thing I want to encourage you with, so wherever you are in your life right now, whether you are, walking on the waves with Christ and you are, let’s go. I am all in Jesus. I’m confident in you or if you have been distracted, or you are in a season of fear.

Anxiety, or you’re just in a struggle mode and you’re sinking, call out to Jesus, put your eyes on Jesus. he is going to lift you up; this theme is continued throughout all of scripture. So, I want to just look and close out with our friend Paul, who also talks about this very clearly in Philippians 3, I think we’ve got those verses to share with you as well up here, I’m going to get here, Philippians 3:3, put no confidence in the flesh. Well, we just talked about that and Paul’s, but if we did put confidence in the flesh, I would have reason for it, because if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more, circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of Hebrews as to the law, a Pharisee as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, I was blameless, but whatever I had, I count as loss for the sake of Christ. So, Paul is saying, look, if it was all about ritual religious activities, I would like be in, but I count all that as garbage compared to just knowing Christ and I think even as church women, that’s a real danger to look at well, I have a small group in my house or, but I volunteered for whatever, whatever, whatever and we will find our confidence in the things that we’ve done for God, instead of placing our confidence in who Christ is and just knowing him and that is what’s most important and that’s what Paul’s stressing here.

Indeed, I count everything is loss because of the surprising worth of just knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and I count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. Now that word rubbish, we’re going to be ladylike here, but that is not the word translated, it’s more of like a large animal shoe, shoe, poop. That’s what he’s comparing it to and he, was amazing at what he if according to the law, he kept it all, but he was missing Christ, so when he came to faith in Jesus and he believed, his whole life changed and we have to thank Paul for most of the New Testament and so, I’m going to read on here, because this is so encouraging, too, it says not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead and this is where it gets really good, not that I have already obtained. In this or am already perfect. So, we were talking about a minute we’re in this like mode and like heaven is our goal, confidence in us being what is it glorified, completed, but I press on to make it my own. I press that direction.

I’m pressing into Christ because Christ has made me his own, brothers. I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward for what lies ahead and another version says, to keep it in view, to keep our eyes set on the prize. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus and that’s just such a very powerful statement, that’s his mantra, that is his motivational speech, that he works out to, I am pressing on towards Christ and it’s so beautiful, because Paul is saying the confidence is not in me, it’s in him. So, that’s basically what I wanted to share with you about today in this breakout session. Is what’s keeping you from having your eyes fixed on that like little talked about, that hope, that future, what’s keeping you from going all in? When we can keep our eyes on Jesus, we are going to experience confidence in Christ, unshakable faith for whatever storms are raging, for whatever circumstance comes your way, whatever issue that pops up between your friends or yourself, or your marriage, or whatever, externally you are going to be able to have the maturity in Christ, to handle that in a way that’s going to help you become more like Christ, closer to Christ, deeply connected to Jesus. So, when we think about confidence in Christ.

I know this is a really short session, but that is really what it’s about, is that Christ rescued us. he’s doing the work in you. he’s going to continue to do the work in you, it’s not dependent on us, on our emotions, because they’re going to just be like waves of the sea, but it’s to keep your eyes on Jesus. That’s the best way that we can grow in our confidence in Christ. That was a very simple, very quickly said, but it’s not easy to do, it’s just not. I wish it were easier, but that is the maturing of our faith, the growth that we get to do, one of the things that I have been striving for in the past year and a half is to build habits for myself that are going to help me stay faithful to Jesus and I think that’s really helpful because when we can get consistent and just doing the same thing every day, keeps showing up through these spiritual disciplines, like what Tiffany has shared. When we’re reading our bible faithfully, then our knowledge of God is going to grow and when our knowledge grows, then our confidence in him grows, because then we are knowing more about him and it’s really beautiful and I think that’s what Paul’s getting at when he says, let those of you who are mature, let’s see, what does he say? He says, let those of us who are mature think this way and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. So, if that’s something that you’re not agreeing with, God’s going to grow you in that and that’s beautiful, it’s part of the process of sanctification, we talked about earlier. So, sometimes things aren’t as complicated as we make it, it’s just, get in there. Keep your eyes on Jesus and keep moving forward.