Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: Heart
Daily Devotional (May-31-2023) DO YOU FOLLOW YOUR HEART?
Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 17:9. When faced with uncertainties about a particular situation, or when we have decisions to make (big or small), do we do what our hearts tell us by pursuing what we desire, or do we direct our hearts to the path God wants for us?
As human beings, we have our own likes, dislikes and personal tastes in general and as good as those things can be, we must ensure that they do not make us too rigid such that we cannot receive from God what He wants for us. Through close fellowship with The Lord, we can give Him access to remold our hearts and desire for ourselves to what He desires for us. Our text says: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" By default, the heart of a man is wicked and deceitful. This of course came as a result of the deviation that came through the fall of Adam.
It takes the Spirit of God to make us have a change of heart, and so for the man who is not in Christ, he is bound to keep making decisions based on his wicked and deceitful heart. What this means is that any chance that man has of being good/ thinking good thoughts is in Christ.
Let's see 2 Thessalonians 3:2. It says: "And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith."
The word "faith" in this context refers to the Christian faith, that is, salvation in Christ Jesus. So according to Scripture, a wicked and unreasonable person is a person who is not in Christ. No matter how morally upright or law abiding a person is, if he/she is not in Christ, Scripture categorizes such a person as wicked and unreasonable. Why? Because the person is not under the jurisdiction and leadership of the Spirit and therefore cannot be influenced by the Spirit. Such a person cannot therefore walk in love because the indwelling of the Spirit of love is absent, and as a result, wickedness is definitely within the reach of such a person. So, the heart of a man who is not in Christ is deceitful and desperately wicked.
However, we in Christ have received a new heart. We have received the heart of love. We've received a heart that is capable of following the directions of the Holy Spirit.
Let's see Proverbs 23:19. It says: "Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way." We have received a new heart quite alright, the way to work it out is by directing our hearts in the way of the Lord, and by fellowshipping with Him daily, His interests become our interests, His dislikes become our dislikes and His likes become our likes. The goal is to keep growing until we become just like Christ even at heart, such that if we were to follow our hearts, it would be no different from following God's heart. Remember, as a believer, following the leading of the Spirit is the wisest and safest thing to do.
AFFIRMATION: I affirm that I daily become more in tune with the Father, I think like Christ. My heart is directing in the way of the Lord. Glory!
From the Heart - Creflo Dollar Daily Confession (May-23-2023). Intimacy with God is the key
Joseph Prince (May-12-2023) Daily Devotional: Unveiling the Father’s Heart of Grace.
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.” Luke 15:20–24
Do you want to see how your heavenly Father responds when you have failed? Then I encourage you to read the entire parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11–32. Better yet, if you are feeling stressed and worried about something, take time to pull away from life’s hustle and bustle and simply meditate on Jesus’ words in this story and let His message to you soak in.
When Jesus shared the story of the prodigal son, all the Jewish people who heard Him would have been familiar with the condemnation and punishment (death by stoning) that the law specified for a stubborn, rebellious son (Deut. 21:18–21). However, instead of the law they were familiar with, Jesus revealed the Father’s heart of grace and forgiveness in the new covenant. Hallelujah!
Did the son sin against his father? Yes, most definitely. But did the father heap guilt and condemnation on his son before he received his son? No, he did not. Did it matter to the father that his son’s intention for returning home was simply because he was hungry? No, it did not.
When the prodigal son “was still a great way off,” his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his son’s neck and kissed him. What a wonderful picture of God’s heart of love!
This is an eyewitness account of what God the Father is like from Jesus Himself! See how He described God’s response to those who have sinned.
How is it that the father saw his son even when he was still a great way off? That’s because the father had been waiting and longing for his son to return. He must have kept his eyes on the horizon daily, hoping that each day would be the day his beloved son returned home.
Beloved, can you see God’s heart of love for you even when you have failed Him? You just have to take one step toward God and your loving Daddy in heaven will run toward you with no condemnation.
He wants to embrace you, kiss you, and lavish you with His love and blessings! He is waiting to clothe you with the robe of righteousness, put the signet ring of authority back in your hands, and shod your feet with the sandals of right standing. He wants to reinstate you, wash you, and throw a party because you came home!
Our God is a God who will run toward you with no condemnation! You can come boldly to God today and experience the intimate love of your heavenly Father in a deep and personal way as never before. I pray that this experience will heal, renew, restore, and transform you in a spectacular way because His love for you is nothing less than spectacular!
Charles Stanley (May-08-2023) Daily Devotional: The Desires of Your Heart.
Those who know God intimately discover that He provides everything they truly need.
Psalm 37:1-5 - Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
We love the promise in verse 4 of today’s passage: God “will give you the desires of your heart.” Unfortunately, when we focus only on receiving gifts, we miss the psalm’s context—namely, that our cooperation is needed.
The first requirement for receiving the desires of our heart is that we delight in God (v. 4). His highest priority is our relationship with Him—He wants to give us Himself more than anything else. We are to take pleasure in communing with the Lord and serving Him, and over time we’ll begin to appropriate His ways of thinking.
The second requirement of this promise is that we commit to His plan (v. 5). Following God’s path restructures our heart’s desires until they look like His. Now, sometimes what God provides appears different from what we requested. But He always answers our appeals based on His infinite knowledge and great love. He bestows the perfect answer to our prayer, whether it’s what we asked for or not.
Remember, God wants to grant our requests, but His greatest joy is a relationship with us. Seeing our heart’s wishes fulfilled is simply a byproduct of delighting in God and committing to His way. The real reward is a relationship with the God who offers to share Himself with humanity.
Watch David Diga Hernandez - 5 Things that Break the Holy Spirit's Heart.
As Christians, there is one thing we should all fear: grieving the Holy Spirit. Here are 5 things that break the Holy Spirit’s heart that every believer needs to avoid.
Charles Stanley (April-13-2023) Daily Devotional: A Peaceful Heart.
Entrusting our worries to God removes their power to cause anxiety.
Philippians 4:4-7 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes circumstances trigger our anxiety, but other times it’s an inner turmoil we wrestle. Regardless of the source, our angst is no match for God’s peace, “which surpasses all comprehension” (Phil. 4:7). When you’re feeling anxious, remember ...
God made you on purpose. Our Father chose the time and place we each would be born (Acts 17:26 - and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation), and He gave us our personality, talents, and spiritual gifts. So consider what God has chosen specifically for you and give thanks.
God has a plan for your life. Scripture promises that embracing the Father’s specific path for your life will bring satisfaction and peace (Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight).
God adopts believers into His family. Once you belong to Him, nothing can change the fact that you are His (John 10:28 - and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand).
God forgives when you confess. Some feelings of inner turmoil come from guilt or shame over wrongdoing. But when you confess your sin and change direction, God forgives you. Then your conscience can become clear (1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness).
Peace is within reach when you remember your identity in Christ. Next time you’re feeling anxious, pause for moment to pray and meditate over these four truths. Taking your eyes off yourself and fixing them on Jesus should help, even if it’s necessary to repeat the process periodically.
Charles Stanley (March-30-2023) Daily Devotional: The Desires of Your Heart.
When we learn to delight in the Lord, we are forever changed and discover unspeakable joy.
Psalm 37:4-7 - Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
What is your greatest desire? We often read today’s passage and assume that it means God will give us whatever we want. It’s not uncommon for someone to talk about a prayer request and then add, “God promised to give me the desires of my heart.” But in context, that scripture reveals the Lord’s principle for purifying our desires and issues a call for devotion to Him. To delight in the Lord means to take pleasure in discovering more about Him and in following Him. As we do, the Holy Spirit aligns our heart’s desires with His, which positions us to experience His blessings.
When we commit our way to God, we allow our thoughts, goals, and lifestyle to be shaped by His will and the things He loves. In other words, we acknowledge His right to determine whether our longing fits His plan. If we rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, we can rely on Him to work out circumstances, even when the desire He’s given us seems impossible. When He is our first love, our heart becomes focused on making His glory known with our life.
God wants to give us our heart’s desires in His time, when we’re aligned with His will. As we learn to enjoy Him for who He is, our self-focused wants are replaced by His perfect will and purpose for us.
Jentezen Franklin (March-17-2023) Daily Devotional: Lessons from a broken heart.
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” Ps 51:12 NKJV
A broken heart can’t be healed by working sixteen hours a day, sweating it out in a gym, or using mood-altering substances like alcohol and drugs. Those things may bring a temporary fix but don’t bring a lasting cure. After falling into sin and shame, David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” Good news: God can restore what you have lost and teach you things about yourself you didn’t know that make you a better person. And one of the first lessons He teaches us is about forgiveness. You can’t hold the club of unforgiveness over somebody else’s head and expect to find healing yourself. Forgiveness is just a word until you extend it.
Your peace of mind and confidence before God depend on your willingness to extend grace to others (See Mk 11:25). The second lesson He teaches us is about relationships. And some of those relationships will bring you more pain than pleasure. Judas’ betrayal, painful as it was, was instrumental in bringing about history’s greatest event—the cross. Does that mean anybody and everybody can walk into your life and do what they want? No; their access to you is limited by the shield of God’s purpose. Some people bring comfort while others build character, and you need both. The third lesson He teaches us is about “the yes zone.” “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Rev 3:7 NIV). So whether God opens the door or shuts it, trust Him, follow Him, and say, “Yes, Lord,” because He loves you and has only the best in mind for you.
Watch T.B. JOSHUA Sermon: Real Christianity Lies In The Heart. How do we know those who are genuine Christians and those who offer mere lip service? Identify the difference between Christians and religious people in this practical sermon with T.B. Joshua' titled 'Christianity Lies In The Heart'.
Joyce Meyer (February-19-2023) Daily Devotional: The Importance of a Thankful Heart.
Often throughout the Book of Psalms, we find David giving thanks to God. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons that God calls David a man after His own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). David was humble, and he revered and respected God. He was repentant, he trusted God, he loved Him, and he was devoted to Him. He was faithful and obedient, and he gave God the glory and recognition He deserved. Yet David was not perfect; we know from Scripture that in a time of weakness he committed adultery and murder. He did repent of his sins (see 2 Samuel 11:3–5, 14–17; 12:9, 13), and God still calls him a man after His own heart.
This should be encouraging to all of us. I think the fact that David was thankful was one of his best character traits, for when a person has a grateful heart, it tells us a lot about them. One can easily complain, because we usually have plenty of unpleasant circumstances and people in our lives to irritate us, but at the same time we have much more to be thankful for than we have to complain about.
I recommend beginning each day with thanksgiving and developing the habit of thanking God throughout the day for the many things He does for you. Thanksgiving is part of praise, and in Psalm 9:3, after David declares praise to God in verses 1–2, he says that his enemies turned back; they stumbled and perished before God. He gave thanks with all his heart and his enemies were defeated.
Prayer of the Day: Father, I repent for all the times I have complained when I should have been giving You thanks for all Your goodness. Help me develop the habit of being thankful at all times, in all things.
