Keep the Heart

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Teachback Tuesday-When We Don't Want to Forgive Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we replay the most popular episodes from previous seasons. This week's episode, "When We Don't Want to Forgive," is meant to help anyone struggling with the tough task of forgiveness. Sometimes we feel that people simply do not deserve to be forgiven. We are not the first ones to feel this way.

Consider this passage from Matthew 18:21-22:

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

I love the realness of Peter. Obviously, someone had done him wrong enough times that Peter was starting to keep track! But we can't have it both ways. We can't expect forgiveness when we don't want to grant it. If you are withholding forgiveness from anyone, this episode provides four things that are side effects of failing to grant forgiveness, and how we can avoid the consequences of choosing the wrong course.

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley

Be sure to visit the Shop at Keep the Heart for books, Bible studies, beautiful Bibles, and more!

Build Your Bible Habit-Proverbs Chapter 30 Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit! No matter how many times you read or listen to a chapter of Proverbs, you will continue to notice things that you didn't catch before. This book is a bottomless treasure chest of wisdom, and we need endless wisdom to navigate the issues of life.

Proverbs 30:32-33 is an example of verses that will help us to avoid creating new problems in our relationships with others:

"If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife."

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley

Be sure to visit the Shop at Keep the Heart for books, Bible studies, beautiful Bibles, and more!

None of Us Should Throw Stones Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

It’s easy to point out the flaws and faults of others. What’s harder is to see our own imperfections. The Bible has an example of this in the account of the scribes and Pharisees in John chapter 8. They brought a woman to Jesus with an accusation of adultery, and Jesus exposed their hypocrisy in a single sentence:

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7)

Hypocrisy is stone throwing while not wanting any stones thrown back at us. It’s fault finding while not wanting anyone to see anything wrong with our behaviors. It is calling someone intolerant while practicing intolerance. None of us is perfectly righteous, so we all need to put the stones down. Let’s examine this passage to see how Jesus shut down the hypocrisy, and how we can avoid becoming self-righteous hypocrites in our own view of people.

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley

Apply: Living What We Learn--A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

Build Your Bible Habit-Proverbs Chapter 16 Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where you can listen to a chapter of Proverbs in under five minutes. Reading Proverbs has so many benefits: drawing us closer to God, teaching us how to be better at relationships, helping us with principles of money management, child training, and more!

Wisdom makes life better, and you are gaining wisdom as you Build Your Bible Habit!

If you are looking for a helpful devotional to add to your collection, Apply: Living What We Learn will give you practical examples in for form of mini-devotions coupled with the simple assignment of reading a daily Proverb. Get this tool HERE:

Visit the Shop at Keep the Heart for books, Bible studies, beautiful Bibles, and more!

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Teachback Tuesday: Don't Follow Your Heart Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Teachback Tuesday, where we play the most popular episodes from previous seasons. This week's episode, "Don't Follow Your Heart" is from our first season in 2021, and it received thousands of downloads. There were many listeners who wanted to know why following their heart was not a good idea.

"Follow your heart" is the motto of the times, but popular is not always principled. Proverbs 28:26 warns us that "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." Play foolish games, win foolish prizes. This episode will cover four reasons not to follow our hearts. Share this with your friends, especially if you see them headed for a cliff in life.

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Build Your Bible Habit-Proverbs Chapter 2 Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit, where you can listen to a chapter of Proverbs in under five minutes. Proverbs are wisdom-building tools given to us by God so that we would know how to handle the issues of life. We don't have to make things up as we go along. We've got a spiritual GPS: "God's Positioning System" found in His Word.

Proverbs 2:6 is an inspiring verse for your week, proving that God gives us wisdom:

"For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:)

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

Peace Beyond Panic-Interview with Dr. John Vaprezsan May 25, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to this special interview episode with Dr John Vaprezsan, author of “Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression.” Dr. Vaprezsan shares the story of his own experiences with both panic attacks and depression, along with helpful insights and observations.

When Dr. Vaprezsan heard the words, “You’ve had a panic attack,” it shocked him, but he didn’t let that stop him. God used it as a vehicle to learn more about this and other related conditions associated with anxiety and depression. These studies, along with years of preaching and teaching on the topics, led to the ministry called “Journey to Freedom.,” which is a 40-day course biblically addressing the mind, body, emotions, spirit, and forgiveness in a way that produces sustainable change.

If you or someone you love has been trapped in a prison of anxiety or depression, this episode may be the beginning of your journey to freedom. Dr. Vaprezsan’s book, “Peace Beyond Panic” is in the shop at keeptheheart.com, as well as on Dr. Vaprezsan’s website, journeytofreedom.online. You’ll find a link to this ministry, along with a special listener's discount code in the notes below.

Journey to Freedom 40-Day Online Course: Use coupon code SAVE50NOW for 50% off this valuable course

Journey to Freedom Ministry Website

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional

Build Your Bible Habit-Proverbs Chapter 19 May 18, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to Build Your Bible Habit. There is no substitute for the wisdom we gain from the Word of God. When we don't know what to do or how to handle a situation, God knows and He can direct us through scripture. Biblical principles are not just for reading. They are meant to be applied to daily living.

Here's a great verse to apply for this week: "He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good." (Proverbs 19:8)

Get wisdom. It's the way to love your own soul.

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor

Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional

Teachback Tuesday-Contentious Relationships May 11, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to TEACHBACK TUESDAY! This episode had thousands of downloads in Season One. There must be a reason for that! Perhaps it's partly because we all have this human tendency to be argumentative, challenging, and even quarrelsome at times. If you had a chance to catch Contentious Relationships in 2021, this will be a refresher, but if you're new to Keep the Heart, this will give you some things to carefully consider in how you're interacting with others.

Are there certain things that just easily set you off? If so, you'll find that these irritants often lead to disagreements in your relationships. We will never argue our way to happiness, and the only satisfaction in winning an argument is proving that you can be contentious to the finish line. What can we do about this human tendency to be contentious? The Bible has a lot to say about this subject, but we’ll just examine a few verses in this episode, leaving room for you to continue this important topical study on your own.

Ponder the Path: A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor

NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan

FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor