The Matter of the Heart

Last week I wrote about the hearts we need for the future. This week I am thinking about hearts again. At LFC all we do must come from God's heart and through our hearts. We are not trying to build a church but build God's heart into the people that come here and live outside our walls - in this community. Our heart is to let people know they matter to God, (yeah I know you got that) but how many times do we allow other things to fill us up and we miss the heart. How many times do we allow people to become a nuisance or intrusion to us rather than those that matter because they matter to God? As a church our hearts are motivated by our Lord and by our theme: People Matter to God. It comes out in all we do and if we start to miss it, well, we need to realign with our purpose. Our hearts can further be summarized by the term 'reaching.'

• We are reaching up to God in worship and surrender.


• We are reaching out to our world with evangelism.


• We are reaching in to those God has brought to us through assimilation and discipleship.
  

This past Sunday night at our Team LFC Time (where the servants of our church gather for worship, prayer, inspiration and communication) we emphasized heart. I showed a video clip of Pastor Wayne Cordeiro (New Hope Christian Fellowship, Oahu) in which he spoke about "correcting back to the heart." This phrase applies to our lives personally and corporately. When we get filled with too much "activity and programs" and our calendars get "full of stuff" we need to look for the heart. Where is the original heart that birthed something, that joined two people together, that brought them to a place of marital commitment? When relationships go cold - correct back to the heart. When church becomes a thing we do rather than a blessing and enjoyment, correct back to the heart. Our salvation - it too can become something we forget to rejoice over and enjoy.
Psalm 51: 10 & 12
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (NIV)
Our focus must be on the heart for it is hearts that reach hearts. As Pastor Wayne reminded us, when you sweep, don't do it with the bristles of the broom but with your heart. As you sing or teach or hold your child or do the job that God has allowed you to have - do it with heart. Live heart first! A phrase that hit me early this morning was:

• People are still moved by hearts that are moved by God.
  

If something is missing in your life right now, correct back to the heart. If you have yet to meet Jesus then right now, begin there. Open your life to Him in trust and faith. If you know Him and you have lost your way - return back to Him. If your love has grown cold towards God, worship, giving, serving and reaching out to others - correct back to the heart.
Revelation 2:4
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. (NIV)
This past Sunday night I shared the following verse with those at Team LFC:
Jeremiah 2:2'
I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. (NIV)
This is another great verse about correcting back. In this verse we find the Lord assessing where the hearts of His followers are. He remembers how they were devoted, they would follow Him through a barren place, hot and dry - their passion or heart was such that anything God called them to they would follow. But now, something was lost. They needed to do some personal pruning and reconnect with the love and dedication they once had. May you take some time to examine your heart towards God, your faith, your family, your serving, your job, your devotion. Check the heart - if too much is in the way, correct back and prune. Make way for God and all that He has for you. How would you rate yourself in this areas? Has some of your heart grown cold, some of your love been lost and your willingness to follow God diminished? It might be time for some correcting and pruning. It will be worth it.
May we love God all the more and more and more.
I love being your pastor.