"Faith is not merely a journey for the feet, but it is also a journey for the heart."
- AW Tozer“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.””
- I Samuel 16:7 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
- Proverbs 4:23 NIV“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”
- Proverbs 4:23 NLT
Heart Checkup
Am I harboring anger in my heart?
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
- James 1:19-20
SOLUTION: Forgiveness
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
- Matthew 6:14-15
Am I harboring guilt in my heart?
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
- Psalm 32:1-5
Solution: Repentance
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
- Acts 3:19
Am I harboring greed in my heart?
“And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."”
- Luke 12:15
SOLUTION: Give
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
- II Corinthians 9:6-8 NKJV
Am I harboring Fear in my heart?
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- Isaiah 41:10
SOLUTION: LOVE
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
- I John 4:17-18
CONCLUSION
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
- Jeremiah 17:9-10 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
- Psalms 139:23-24