Guarding the Heart: The Source of Our Lives

Devotional

Day 1: The Heart as the Spiritual Control Center

Guarding your heart is crucial because it serves as the control center of your spiritual life, influencing your decisions, emotions, and character. Just as the physical heart is vital for bodily functions, the spiritual heart is essential for your emotional, intellectual, and moral well-being. It is the seat of your personality and spiritual life, shaping who you are and how you act. By ensuring that your heart aligns with God's will, you protect your relationship with Him and ensure that your life bears the fruit of His Spirit. [20:27]

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to ensure that your heart remains aligned with God's will, especially in the decisions you make and the emotions you experience?

Day 2: Vigilance Over Our Senses

Our senses are gateways to our hearts, and what we see, hear, and speak can either enrich or corrupt our hearts. Being vigilant in these areas is crucial to maintaining a pure heart. The Bible instructs us to be careful about what we allow into our hearts, as it shapes our behavior and character. By guarding our senses, we protect our hearts from negative influences and ensure that our actions reflect God's love and truth. [23:10]

"Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways." (Psalm 119:37, ESV)

Reflection: Consider the media and conversations you engage with daily. What changes can you make to ensure that what you see, hear, and speak enriches rather than corrupts your heart?

Day 3: The Heart as the Source of Good and Evil

The heart is the source of both good and evil, where intentions are formed, whether they lead to acts of kindness or sin. Jesus highlighted that evil thoughts and actions originate from the heart. Therefore, it is crucial to fill your heart with God's Word, which brings life and health to your entire being. By doing so, you can ensure that your heart is a source of goodness and aligns with God's purposes. [28:20]

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45, ESV)

Reflection: What specific scriptures or spiritual practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to fill your heart with God's Word and ensure it remains a source of good?

Day 4: The Heart's Role in Speech

Our speech reflects the state of our hearts, and we are accountable for every word we speak. As Christians, we are called to let the Word of God transform our hearts, leading to a life that honors Him. By allowing God to shape our hearts, our words can become a testament to the transformation He has worked in us. [41:01]

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your recent conversations. How can you ensure that your words consistently reflect the transformation God has worked in your heart and build others up?

Day 5: The Heart's Importance to God, Satan, and Others

The heart is important to God, Satan, and others. Whoever controls your heart can influence your actions. Therefore, it is essential to allow God to have the primary place in your heart, ensuring that your life aligns with His will. By guarding your heart, you protect your relationship with God and ensure that your life bears the fruit of His Spirit. [47:45]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to allow God to have more control over your heart? What practical steps can you take today to surrender these areas to Him?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound importance of guarding our hearts, as emphasized in Proverbs 4:23, which states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." The heart, both physically and spiritually, serves as the control center of our lives. Just as the physical heart is vital for our bodily functions, the spiritual heart is crucial for our emotional, intellectual, and moral well-being. It is the seat of our personality and spiritual life, influencing our decisions, emotions, and character.

We delved into the significance of protecting our hearts from negative influences that can enter through our senses—what we see, hear, and speak. These access points can either enrich or corrupt our hearts, ultimately affecting our behavior and character. The Bible instructs us to be vigilant about what we allow into our hearts, as it shapes who we are and how we act.

The heart is also the source of both good and evil. It is where intentions are formed, whether they lead to acts of kindness or sin. Jesus highlighted this in Matthew 15:19, where He explained that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, and other sins originate from the heart. Therefore, it is crucial to fill our hearts with God's Word, which brings life and health to our entire being.

Moreover, the heart's condition determines our speech. Our words reflect the state of our hearts, and we are accountable for every word we speak. As Christians, we are called to let the Word of God transform our hearts, leading to a life that honors Him.

Finally, the heart is important to God, Satan, and others. Whoever controls our heart can influence our actions. Therefore, we must allow God to have the primary place in our hearts, ensuring that our lives align with His will. By guarding our hearts, we protect our relationship with God and ensure that our lives bear the fruit of His Spirit.

Key Takeaways

1. The heart is the control center of our spiritual life, influencing our decisions, emotions, and character. Guarding it is essential to ensure that our actions align with God's will. [20:27]
2. Our senses are gateways to our hearts. What we see, hear, and speak can either enrich or corrupt our hearts. Vigilance in these areas is crucial to maintaining a pure heart. [23:10]
3. The heart is the source of both good and evil. Filling it with God's Word leads to life and health, while allowing negative influences can lead to sin. [28:20]
4. Our speech reflects the state of our hearts. We are accountable for our words, and they should be a testament to the transformation God has worked in us. [41:01]
5. The heart is important to God, Satan, and others. Allowing God to have the primary place in our hearts ensures that our lives align with His will and bear the fruit of His Spirit. [47:45]
** [47:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:15] - Introduction to Guarding the Heart
[03:30] - The Heart as the Control Center
[06:45] - Importance of Protecting the Heart
[10:00] - Access Points to the Heart
[13:20] - The Heart's Influence on Behavior
[16:40] - The Heart as the Source of Good and Evil
[20:27] - Vigilance Over Our Senses
[23:10] - The Heart's Role in Speech
[28:20] - Filling the Heart with God's Word
[32:00] - The Heart's Importance to God, Satan, and Others
[36:45] - Accountability for Our Words
[41:01] - The Heart's Reflection in Our Actions
[47:45] - Conclusion and Prayer
[55:36] - Communion and Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Guarding Your Heart

Bible Reading:
- Proverbs 4:20-27
- Matthew 15:16-20
- Matthew 22:37-39

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Observation Questions:

According to Proverbs 4:23, why is it important to guard our hearts? How does this relate to the idea of the heart being the control center of our lives? [20:27]
In Matthew 15:19, Jesus lists several sins that originate from the heart. What are these sins, and how do they reflect the state of one's heart? [38:48]
How does the sermon describe the role of our senses as gateways to the heart? What are some examples given of how these senses can influence our hearts? [23:10]
What does Matthew 22:37-39 say about the relationship between loving God and the condition of our hearts? How does this connect to the sermon’s message about the heart's importance to God? [47:45]

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Interpretation Questions:

The sermon emphasizes the heart as the source of both good and evil. How does filling our hearts with God's Word lead to life and health, according to the sermon? [28:20]
How does the sermon explain the connection between the heart's condition and our speech? Why is it important to be mindful of what we say? [41:01]
The sermon mentions that the heart is important to God, Satan, and others. What are the implications of this for a believer's daily life and spiritual journey? [47:45]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that guarding our hearts can protect our relationship with God and ensure our lives bear the fruit of His Spirit? [49:48]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your daily habits. Are there specific things you see, hear, or say that might be negatively influencing your heart? How can you be more vigilant in guarding these access points? [23:10]
Think about a recent situation where your words did not reflect a heart transformed by God. What steps can you take to ensure your speech aligns with your faith? [41:01]
The sermon highlights the importance of allowing God to have the primary place in our hearts. What practical steps can you take this week to prioritize your relationship with God? [47:45]
Consider a time when you felt your heart was divided between God and worldly influences. How can you work towards a more undivided heart that fully belongs to God? [28:20]
Identify one negative influence that has settled in your heart. What specific action can you take to replace it with God's Word and truth? [25:45]
How can you apply the command to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind in your interactions with others this week? What challenges might you face, and how can you overcome them? [49:48]
Reflect on a relationship where you feel your heart has been influenced by negative emotions or thoughts. How can you seek healing and restoration in that relationship through prayer and God's guidance? [38:48]

Sermon Clips

"Keep the word within your heart. If the word is kept in your heart, it will affect your behavior. It will affect your character. It will show on the outside. The fruit that you will bear will be an evidence of what is in your heart. So he says, keep them within your heart. For they are alive. It is what? Life to those who find them. And health to one's whole body. So when the word is hidden in the heart, we have a healthy body. The flesh becomes healthy. That's the point. And then, here's where I got the theme. Above all else, guard your heart. I think that was 23. For everything you do flows from it. Everything you do flows from your heart." [00:18:11] (62 seconds)

"Pay attention to all the, you know, things that will come out of your mouth. It is very important. Because, whatever these things allow into you will finally settle or rest in your heart. and it will begin to affect you one way or the other. It will begin to reflect one way or the other in everything that you do. Praise the Lord. People may not know the kind of person you are. On the outside, yeah, by the moment you begin to act, they will get to know what is in your heart. They will get to know the kind of person. So, your character is as a result of the deposits in your heart. Your behavior is as a result of the deposits in your heart." [00:20:31] (51 seconds)

"The heart is the seat of intellect, emotions, will, moral consciousness. It is the personality which has that extraordinary ability to perceive itself. That is the heart. And he also says what? He says the heart is the seat of conscious life and the founding head, that is the wellspring of life. Heart could often be translated the mind because in the Hebrew language there is no word for the word mind. Because there is no word for it, the heart also stands for the mind and that's what we reason. That's what we make decisions and all of that. So when the Bible talks about the mind in the scriptures, it is also referring to your spiritual heart. Praise the Lord. The key to the whole man is his mind." [00:22:27] (64 seconds)

"Whatever captures the mind, captures the present. Whatever captures the mind, captures the present. And so understand this. It is not everything that you should just allow yourself to watch. Because it will enter your mind. And when it is processed in your mind, it may end up finally settling in your heart. It is not everything you have to allow your ears to hear. Bible says that my ears will not hear corruption. Which means it is not everything we should allow ourselves to hear. It is very important. It is not everything we should allow ourselves to see. As I said already. Because what we see, what we hear, we eventually say that." [00:24:36] (45 seconds)

"Daniel chapter 1 verse 8, in the Lakers Standard Bible, it reads, it says, but Daniel sat in his heart, Daniel sat in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food, and with the wine which he drank. So, he sought permission from the commander of the officials, that he might not defile himself. So, as a Christian, you can decide not to defile yourself by making a decision from your heart. so Daniel Bible says what what he said in his heart what are you what have you said in your heart King James is what Daniel proposed in his heart what are you purpose in your heart but what are your purpose in your heart no matter how much you try to hide it it's only a matter of time you are going to begin to show it" [00:28:20] (72 seconds)

"people are around living in sin because that is what is in the heart so defilement comes as a result of what is in your heart Daniel proposed in his heart and when he proposed in his heart or set in his heart that he would not defile himself Bible says what they became ten times better than those who ate the food which they thought will help them or will nourish them why did Daniel propose in his heart he proposed in his heart because he was not too sure and they didn't want to do anything that will be a sin against the God of Israel anything that will be a sin they don't want to engage themselves in even to the point of food they were determined not to do anything that will mess up their relationship with God if your heart is for God let it remain for God don't be divided the scripture we read earlier in Proverbs 20 verse it says you know look when you are Christian look straight fix your eyes don't be double minded it's like you know you want to do something you don't want to do you want to do something don't be a double minded person a double minded person will not receive anything so if you want to be a Christian be a Christian if you don't want to be a Christian don't be a Christian so that you go to hell knowing that you deserve to be in hell praise God but you are to be in hell but you are to make it to heaven do everything possible to make it to heaven it is better to sacrifice for a just cause than to one leg in one leg out so above all else guard your heart let the word of God have entrance into your heart let the word of God begin to change your bad habits." [00:29:33] (122 seconds)

"so may God help us another reason why we should guard our hearts above all else is that it is the source of evil as well the heart is what the source of evil every evil action is first and foremost conceived in the heart when someone decided to go and run it was conceived in the heart when someone decided to go and shoot or murder someone it was conceived in the heart the same way good things are conceived in the heart evil things are also conceived in the heart so that's why we should guard it Matthew chapter 15 verse 16 to 20 matthew 15 verse 16 to 20. Before I read the 16 to 20, Jesus, you know, let me give you the background. This was when the Pharisees were accusing the disciples of Jesus of eating without washing their hands. And so they had a problem with it. And so they came to Jesus. Why are your disciples eating without washing their hands?" [00:35:34] (79 seconds)

"These people draweth men unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Praise the Lord. Their heart is what? Far from me. So every Christian, your heart must not be far from God. And what does that mean? What that means is that always make sure you are in touch with the word of God. Because that is how your heart gets closer to God. So that you are not just professing Christianity. You are not just saying nice things, but you are living it as well. Practically, you are living it. That's what it is. So your worship is connected to your heart, from what Jesus is telling us here. So the worship goes beyond just what you are saying from your mouth. The song you are singing, but the state of your heart towards God." [00:37:04] (62 seconds)

"Guard your heart because it controls your speech. It controls what you say. Your utterance is determined by what you think in your heart. As I've said already. What are the things that fill your heart? May God help us. So that we don't just talk in the heart. Proverbs chapter 12, verse 34 to 36. Then I read. You brood of vipers. How can you who are evil say anything good? For their mouth speaks what their heart is full of. The mouth does what? Speaks what their heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of his good store. Out of the good store up in him. And an evil man brings evil things out of the evil store up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment of every empty word they have spoken." [00:44:45] (81 seconds)

"The heart, this is very important. The heart is very important to God. The heart is very important to Satan. And the heart is very important to other men or other human beings. Why is it important to God? If God can reach your heart, he can use you to do what pleases him. If the devil or Satan can reach your heart, he can use you. If another person can reach your heart, they can use you. So the heart is important to these three entities. God, Satan and other people. Who should you allow into your heart? It has to be God. Do not yield your heart to Satan." [00:47:45] (62 seconds)

"Father, help us, help us, Lord, not to just be hearers, of your word, but help our hearts, help us to open our hearts, to meet the good soil, where your word, where your word is always sown, and begin to show, and begin to show, in our lives, we have no power of our own, Father, we depend on you, help us, Lord, grant us the grace, forgive us, O God, every heart, every heart, that has been captured, by Satan, Father, today, in Jesus name, we cast, that evil out, of the heart, take over every heart, from this place, in the name of Jesus, Father, those who are watching, are the son of my voice, whose heart, whose heart, whose heart, has been captivated, by Satan, Father, Lord, free them, and take over their hearts, in the name of Jesus, Father, we pray, O God, that, we will not be people, who are only worshipping, with our lips, or only with our mouth, but our heart is far away, we pray that, Lord, our heart will be nearer to you, in the name of Jesus, Father, Lord, help us, wherever we're born short, grant us the grace, give us the ability, to do well, O God, we have no power of our own, we depend on you, O God, Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us, in the mighty name of Jesus." [00:52:46] (109 seconds)