We speak much about hearts around LFC. Why? Cause the condition of our hearts individually and collectively as a church family have huge impact on the health of our church and the impact and influence we can have on those around us. We speak about living "heart -first" at LFC and with things like the Car Show coming up this weekend (that LFC assists with each year) - it takes heart, lots and lots and lots of heart. You can do something with “all of your heart” and then on the other hand you can have “a deceived heart” – a bad heart, a wicked heart, a deceptive heart, a worldly heart, a straying heart. Or you can have a consumer heart rather than a "serving heart." How can we begin to make sense of it all? Well, first of all, every human being has a physical organ called a heart. And then you have an invisible heart – the heart from which flow all of your affections, emotions and values - the part that loves or is hurt and gives or takes. This is your “heart of hearts.”
Man’s spiritual heart is what God checks because out of it flow the issues of life.
Man’s spiritual heart is what God checks because out of it flow the issues of life.
God searches our hearts and evaluates them as to their relative health. Because, you see, there is more to us than just a physical heart. There is a spiritual heart.
Psalm 139 reminds us of the searching God desires:
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. (vs.1)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (vs. 23 & 24 - NIV) David who was said to be “a man after God’s own heart.” It’s possible that we, too, can have a heart after God’s own heart. It’s not a physical heart, but it’s a heart in which everything functions perfectly. In fact, the Bible says, “David was someone who walked with a perfect heart before God.” Can you even fathom that there is a way to make a perfect heart? Man looks on the outer appearance, but God looks on the heart. We can all appear to have a right heart or a good heart - but we cannot fake it with God. Having a good or "perfect" heart is all about God seeing us as good before Him. Of course our "goodness" does not amount to much - but allowing Jesus to be our "goodness" and having Him working on us and changing us - that is good. In our nation, one of the top three killers of men and women is heart disease. My doctor just reminded me of that today. Sometimes the natural and spiritual is connected (at least for illustration purposes, like our heart). Scripture teaches us ways to strengthen our heart into perfect hearts. The first thing we must do is to allow our values to keep shifting into His values for us.
ESTABLISH ETERNAL VALUES.
Establish values that are God’s values because they are ones that will last for all eternity.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV).
Value what God values. Put what is near His heart near your heart.
Our heart will attach itself to what we place value on.
Live life with all your heart. Be passionate in life but just make sure you’re passionate about the right thing! As you give, love and serve (living heart-first) do all unto God and for His glory and not your glory.
Have your heart follow God's path and direction. Don’t let your heart direct you; you direct your heart! Don't live on impulse and or the feeling of the moment - look at the compass God wants you to follow. As I write this, our youth band is warming up for elevate youth night. The song they are singing is: My heart is where my treasure lies! When your heart starts to stray, say, “No," my heart belongs to God and He is my treasure. If you go on feeling, it won’t be long until you’re sinking. “Listen, my son and be wise, and direct your heart in the way” (Prov. 23:19).
Scripture tell us to “direct our heart in the way” because it understands that our hearts have a tendency to drift. And sometimes it will go wrong. We have to move it back to God's track.
When you direct your heart according to what God values, that’s what makes a perfect heart – not a straying heart or a deceived heart – a perfect heart. That’s why God said “David is a man after My own heart.” David saw what God valued and directed his heart towards it.
Did David still make mistakes? He sure did. That’s why he said again and again, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” And we must pray the same way, as we remember to:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23 - NIV) God wants us to develop perfect hearts, like David: hearts that follow His own. To do that, we must establish eternal values that align with God’s values. We must give ourselves away - yes! God works His perfection in those who are channels of His grace and living out their purpose.
Move with God - keep in step with His call and marching orders.
Allow your heart to be directed in God’s ways. Doing daily devotions, journaling, spending time in prayer with God (throughout the day and placing commas on the end of each sentence we pray and picking up on our prayer later on) are good ways of getting to know God’s heart and values and ensuring that we are following His ways. And God will say, “Now, you are a person after My own heart.” And He’ll release the grace of heaven to you because you’ll influence your family, your community, and your generation and be living with a healthy heart that will impact LFC too.
Psalm 139 reminds us of the searching God desires:
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. (vs.1)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (vs. 23 & 24 - NIV) David who was said to be “a man after God’s own heart.” It’s possible that we, too, can have a heart after God’s own heart. It’s not a physical heart, but it’s a heart in which everything functions perfectly. In fact, the Bible says, “David was someone who walked with a perfect heart before God.” Can you even fathom that there is a way to make a perfect heart? Man looks on the outer appearance, but God looks on the heart. We can all appear to have a right heart or a good heart - but we cannot fake it with God. Having a good or "perfect" heart is all about God seeing us as good before Him. Of course our "goodness" does not amount to much - but allowing Jesus to be our "goodness" and having Him working on us and changing us - that is good. In our nation, one of the top three killers of men and women is heart disease. My doctor just reminded me of that today. Sometimes the natural and spiritual is connected (at least for illustration purposes, like our heart). Scripture teaches us ways to strengthen our heart into perfect hearts. The first thing we must do is to allow our values to keep shifting into His values for us.
ESTABLISH ETERNAL VALUES.
Establish values that are God’s values because they are ones that will last for all eternity.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV).
Value what God values. Put what is near His heart near your heart.
Our heart will attach itself to what we place value on.
Live life with all your heart. Be passionate in life but just make sure you’re passionate about the right thing! As you give, love and serve (living heart-first) do all unto God and for His glory and not your glory.
Have your heart follow God's path and direction. Don’t let your heart direct you; you direct your heart! Don't live on impulse and or the feeling of the moment - look at the compass God wants you to follow. As I write this, our youth band is warming up for elevate youth night. The song they are singing is: My heart is where my treasure lies! When your heart starts to stray, say, “No," my heart belongs to God and He is my treasure. If you go on feeling, it won’t be long until you’re sinking. “Listen, my son and be wise, and direct your heart in the way” (Prov. 23:19).
Scripture tell us to “direct our heart in the way” because it understands that our hearts have a tendency to drift. And sometimes it will go wrong. We have to move it back to God's track.
When you direct your heart according to what God values, that’s what makes a perfect heart – not a straying heart or a deceived heart – a perfect heart. That’s why God said “David is a man after My own heart.” David saw what God valued and directed his heart towards it.
Did David still make mistakes? He sure did. That’s why he said again and again, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” And we must pray the same way, as we remember to:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23 - NIV) God wants us to develop perfect hearts, like David: hearts that follow His own. To do that, we must establish eternal values that align with God’s values. We must give ourselves away - yes! God works His perfection in those who are channels of His grace and living out their purpose.
Move with God - keep in step with His call and marching orders.
Allow your heart to be directed in God’s ways. Doing daily devotions, journaling, spending time in prayer with God (throughout the day and placing commas on the end of each sentence we pray and picking up on our prayer later on) are good ways of getting to know God’s heart and values and ensuring that we are following His ways. And God will say, “Now, you are a person after My own heart.” And He’ll release the grace of heaven to you because you’ll influence your family, your community, and your generation and be living with a healthy heart that will impact LFC too.
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