“I Had to Know…” by Suzanne Matthews
Unlocking Belief
Jesus Christ, the most effective communicator the world has known, built His communication style on the use of the question. Scripture records hundreds of questions asked by Jesus. Most were never answered.
Unlocking Belief is a chronological journey through Jesus’ life and ministry, stopping along the way to answer timeless questions Jesus asks. The study includes eight chapters, seven study guides, and eleven opportunities to answer these pivotal questions. In answering, we learn much about our own hearts, yet more about the heart of the One who questions. Jesus’ questions are for our benefit, not His. Answering Jesus unlocks the deep recesses of our belief.
Unlocking Belief is the journey you have been waiting to take — to usher you into an authentic and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
A Note from Suzanne: “I Had to Know…”
Unlocking Belief has been in process since 2013. That’s the year hundreds of Jesus’ questions were pasted all over my studio walls. I moved the questions around, put them in chronological order, and settled my heart on a dozen or so. In 2014, I formed the study and taught it twice. In 2015, I finished the writing and had myself a mini celebration.
Was I ever wrong; I was far from finished. It took all of 2016 to edit, read aloud and edit again. I taught it one more time for the final final edits, the footnotes, clarity in the name change, the summary, introduction and the key words for Google. By the time the designer was sending me images for the cover and lettering for the chapters, I was completely overwhelmed and over my head. I could hardly make a decision and had lost all faith in the text. Not the Scripture, but in my take on answering Jesus.
I had to know that God was in it. I had made so many snap decisions, said so many times, ‘let’s just go with that’, cut and changed so many paragraphs, that I couldn’t begin to keep straight what decision was actually the one I was going with. I began to feel stranded in my own determination and battled the fear of failing to actually finish. I needed desperately a confirmation from The Author.
Mercifully, in His grace, God gave me two stamps of His approval. Silly things that meant something only to me. Two confirmations that I knew He was saying to my heart, “It’s done, let it go.”
The first was the cover. I am an artist, and it was wildły important to me that I like the cover, the design, the images, the ‘feel’. I was compelled to not just like it; I had to love it. I have saved all the first cover choices, the ones I nixed, to remind me of the day I saw the one you see on the book. My heart literally was flooded with peace. On so many levels, I love it. Thank you, God. I needed Your approval.
I did not ask for a second confirmation, but God in His goodness and humor gave me one. Don’t laugh.
I had received the proof copy of the book and, in the hunt for all lingering mistakes previously missed, it had been recommended to read aloud every single word. I took it a chapter at a time. In the middle of chapter two I started getting a familiar lump in my throat. By the next to last page, tears were running down my face as I reflected on my own life, my salvation. By the end of the chapter, I looked straight up to God and said, “Thank you, I got it. Goodness, if You can move me to tears over words I’ve practically memorized, I now know this belongs to You. Whatever You have for it, I’ll watch and follow along. It’s all Yours.”
So, I’m an answerer of Jesus’ questions just like you may be. I am interested in what you think. I am tendered to where God leads you, and prayerful for what happens in our hearts when we attempt to answer Christ. Blessings on your journey!
About the Author ~ Suzanne Matthews
My roots go back to Nashville, Tennessee where I grew up at Burton Elementary, Hillsboro High School, and Belmont Methodist Church. My spiritual roots took hold at Auburn University where, during my junior year, I became a Christian. After college, I married my high school sweetheart, Ben Matthews, and our four children – Houston, Nate, Sarah and Molly – their spouses and our seven grandchildren – are the most fun and greatest blessings of our lives.
More than 20 years ago, I found myself at loose ends and searching. My search ended the day I walked in the door at Bible Study Fellowship. I fell in love with expository, applicable Bible study. I taught the BSF Huntsville Evening Women’s Class for 14 years. Since then I have written Crossings: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua, and now have finished and published my second study, Unlocking Belief: Answering Questions Jesus Asks and the companion journal, Unlocking Belief: The Journal. My heart is all about spiritual growth and I enjoy leading women’s retreats and small group accountability.
Join Suzanne tomorrow for a book signing at Cyn Shae’s!
3 Comments
You are most wonderfully blest.
I love you my friend!
Suzanne, you have been a spiritual mentor to me since our mission trip to Merida 17 years ago. I’m so blessed that God put you, Ms. Judy, and Ms. Lee in my life during my junior year of college (interesting that that was a pivotal year for you as well!). I can’t wait to read your new book! May God continue to bless you and use you to reach His people! Love you!
So very proud of you!!!