Heartfelt Faith: Loving God with All We Are
Summary
In today's gathering, we embarked on a new series titled "It Takes Heart," exploring the profound truth that living a life of faith requires more than just skill or intellect; it demands courage, determination, and a deep emotional investment. This series is timely, especially as we approach Valentine's week, reminding us of the importance of love and commitment, not just in our relationships but in our spiritual journey as well. We are reminded that God designed marriage as a reflection of His relationship with us, and through the ministries at Grace, we aim to build unbreakable marriages founded on God's unchanging truth.
The essence of our mission as a church is to inspire and equip people to know and follow Jesus. This journey is not always easy, as it requires us to live counter-culturally, managing our time, finances, and relationships differently. It takes heart to fully follow Jesus, and our goal is to be faithful, not perfect. Jesus illustrated this through a parable about a master and his servants, emphasizing that our aim should be to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
To achieve this, we must focus on loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Loving God with all our heart involves setting our desires on Him, as our heart is the control center of our life. Our soul represents our emotions, and we must allow God's truth to govern our feelings. Our mind involves our thoughts, and we must fill it with God's truth, taking every thought captive to align with Christ. Lastly, loving God with all our strength means using our abilities and opportunities to honor Him.
Jesus simplified the 613 commandments into two: love God and love others. By focusing on these, everything else will fall into place. This is our game plan for faithfulness. As we strive to love God in this holistic way, it will transform our lives, our communities, and our workplaces. Employers will seek followers of Jesus not just for their faith but for their unparalleled work ethic and integrity.
For those who have yet to take the first step of faith, today is an opportunity to admit the need for a Savior, believe in Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, and choose to follow Him. It's not about perfection but a change of direction. As we close, let's ask God to reveal areas in our lives where we need to align our heart, mind, soul, and strength with His truth.
Key Takeaways:
1. Faithfulness Over Perfection: Our goal is to be faithful, not perfect. In the parable of the master and his servants, the faithful servants were commended, not for their perfection, but for their faithfulness in managing what they were given. God perfects us in the process of our faithfulness. [26:30]
2. Loving God with All Our Heart: Our heart represents our desires, and what we desire most will drive our decisions. To love God with all our heart means setting our desires on Him above all else, guarding our heart against false desires that lead us away from God. [33:15]
3. Emotions and Truth: Loving God with all our soul involves trusting God's truth over our emotions. Our feelings can deceive us, but when we allow God's truth to guide us, He changes the way we feel over time. [47:35]
4. Thought Life and Beliefs: Our thoughts lead to beliefs, which lead to behaviors and habits. To love God with all our mind, we must fill our thoughts with His truth, taking every thought captive to align with Christ. [49:35]
5. Strength and Abilities: Loving God with all our strength means using our abilities and opportunities to honor Him. It's about doing everything as if working for God, not for man, and stewarding well the gifts He has given us. [52:54]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [23:41] - Opening Prayer
- [26:30] - Faithfulness Over Perfection
- [31:24] - Misconceptions of Faithfulness
- [33:15] - Loving God with All Our Heart
- [47:35] - Emotions and Truth
- [49:35] - Thought Life and Beliefs
- [50:29] - Meditating on God's Word
- [51:41] - Strength and Abilities
- [52:54] - Honoring God in Our Work
- [53:25] - Aligning Our Lives with God's Truth
- [57:32] - Invitation to Faith
- [59:40] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: "It Takes Heart"
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 22:37-39 - "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
2. 2 Corinthians 10:5 - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
3. Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what does it mean to live a life of faith that "takes heart"? [23:41]
2. How did Jesus simplify the 613 commandments, and what are the two commandments he emphasized? [31:24]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between our desires and our decisions? [33:15]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of emotions in our spiritual journey? [47:35]
Interpretation Questions:
1. What might it look like to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength in today's world? How does this align with the sermon’s message? [49:35]
2. How can the concept of "faithfulness over perfection" change one's approach to their spiritual journey? [26:30]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our thoughts influence our beliefs and behaviors? [48:28]
4. How does the sermon interpret the idea of using our abilities and opportunities to honor God? [52:54]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current desires. Are there any that might be leading you away from God? How can you realign them to focus on God? [33:15]
2. Think about a recent situation where your emotions might have led you astray. How can you allow God's truth to guide your feelings in the future? [47:35]
3. Identify a thought pattern that you need to take captive and make obedient to Christ. What steps can you take to change this thought pattern? [49:35]
4. Consider your current work or volunteer activities. How can you approach them with the mindset of honoring God with all your strength? [52:54]
5. What is one area of your life where you feel you are striving for perfection rather than faithfulness? How can you shift your focus? [26:30]
6. How can you practically love your neighbor as yourself this week? Identify one specific action you can take. [31:24]
7. If you haven't yet taken the first step of faith, what is holding you back? What would it look like to admit your need for a Savior and choose to follow Jesus today? [57:32]
Devotional
Day 1: Faithfulness Over Perfection
Faithfulness is about consistently aligning our actions with God's will, even when we fall short of perfection. The parable of the master and his servants illustrates that God values our faithfulness in managing what we have been given. It is not about achieving flawlessness but about being committed to the journey of faith. As we strive to be faithful, God works in us, perfecting us through our dedication and perseverance. This perspective encourages us to focus on our relationship with God and our growth in faith, rather than being discouraged by our imperfections. [26:30]
"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:2, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life can you practice faithfulness today, even if you feel imperfect or inadequate?
Day 2: Loving God with All Our Heart
Our heart is the control center of our life, driving our desires and decisions. To love God with all our heart means setting our desires on Him above all else. This involves guarding our heart against false desires that can lead us away from God. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we align our desires with His will, allowing Him to shape our lives according to His purpose. This commitment requires intentionality and vigilance, as we seek to cultivate a heart that is fully devoted to God. [33:15]
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23, ESV)
Reflection: What desires currently compete with your love for God, and how can you realign your heart to prioritize Him today?
Day 3: Emotions and Truth
Loving God with all our soul involves trusting His truth over our emotions. Our feelings can be deceptive, leading us away from God's path. By allowing God's truth to guide us, we can experience a transformation in how we feel over time. This requires a commitment to immerse ourselves in God's Word and to let His truth shape our emotional responses. As we do so, we learn to trust in God's promises and to find peace and stability in His unchanging truth, even when our emotions fluctuate. [47:35]
"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." (Psalm 42:11, ESV)
Reflection: How can you allow God's truth to guide your emotions today, especially in a situation where you feel overwhelmed or uncertain?
Day 4: Thought Life and Beliefs
Our thoughts lead to beliefs, which in turn shape our behaviors and habits. To love God with all our mind, we must fill our thoughts with His truth, taking every thought captive to align with Christ. This involves a conscious effort to meditate on God's Word and to replace negative or false thoughts with His promises. By doing so, we cultivate a mindset that is rooted in faith and aligned with God's will, enabling us to live out our beliefs in a way that honors Him. [49:35]
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV)
Reflection: What negative or false thought can you replace with God's truth today, and how will this change your perspective or actions?
Day 5: Strength and Abilities
Loving God with all our strength means using our abilities and opportunities to honor Him. It involves doing everything as if working for God, not for man, and stewarding well the gifts He has given us. This perspective transforms our approach to work and service, as we seek to glorify God in all that we do. By dedicating our efforts to Him, we find purpose and fulfillment in our daily tasks, knowing that our labor is not in vain when it is done for His glory. [52:54]
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24, ESV)
Reflection: How can you use your unique abilities and opportunities to honor God in your work or service today?
Quotes
"And one of the easiest ways to figure out how to get connected is to go through our grow classes. There was one happening actually during the next service, I believe. And the reason that's so important is it tells you how to connect. And we give you tools on how to grow in your faith and what we believe and the direction we're going. We'd love for you to go through that and be a part." [00:22:11]
"It takes heart to make a comeback after such a setback, right? It takes heart to speak the truth when no one else agrees. It takes heart to build a business from ground up. It takes heart to work with people in need, right? It takes heart is an idiom, all right? It's not an idiot, an idiom, which is, it is a phrase or expression that carries a different meaning than the literal meaning of the word." [00:24:48]
"make it they're bigger stronger faster yes but they also do consistently what others do occasionally right they don't just play the game they're students of the game they understand that it takes more than just physical ability to get there and stay there it takes heart and the truth is in this life that we live it takes heart to do anything that is difficult uncomfortable or uncommon I think about our mission statement our mission statement as a church many of you've heard this I say it often because I want to keep it in front of us our mission statement as a church is to inspire and equip people to know and say it with me follow Jesus." [00:26:30]
"See, I believe that God has given all of us opportunities to manage. If he's given us life, if he's given us breath, we have an opportunity to manage that responsibility, to manage the life he's given us. So what's the goal? I think the goal is this, be faithful and not be perfect. That's, that's really hard. But here's what I found is if I learn to be faithful, he does the perfecting in the process. Our goal, our aim is that when we get there one day, he says, well done, my good and faithful servant." [00:31:12]
"And here's what I've found is that when my strategy for this is do more, or, or just do better, here's what I've found is it can become overwhelming and I can become very discouraged because I look up and go, man, I didn't mean to do that. Why am I here again? I've done this before. I swore I'd never do this again. How am I in the same situation again? Right? The do better is so discouraging and overwhelming at times." [00:32:16]
"Jesus replied the most important commandment is this listen oh israel the lord our god is the one and only lord and you must love the lord your god with all your heart all your soul all your mind and all your strength now this is very common to them they know what he's talking about because this is a quote from deuteronomy chapter 6 and and the jewish people would quote this every morning and every evening and it actually was called the shema and actually the word shema is the first word there listen but it's not just listen with your ears the word shema meant listen and you're going to love the lord your god and you're going to love the listen and obey listen with the intention of following through and doing what it says." [00:33:15]
"guard your heart above all else for it determines the course of your life guard your heart from what from the schemes of the enemy who's going to roll up out false desires to try to win the war against the enemy who's going to roll up out false desires to try to deceive you guard your heart against desires that will lead you away from god and ultimately towards destruction because guard your heart you want to know where your desires are just look at your decisions because you can see what you desire most in the decisions you make just do a decision audit in your life how did you decide what to do with your time and what to do with your resources what to do with your energy where do you get worked up emotional and frustrated and passionate about you can see what you desire most in the decisions you make day in and day out." [00:42:06]
"To love God with your soul you must allow what is true to govern your emotions let me explain it this way I want to be healthy so that I can do what God created me to do and be my family as long as possible like like I I want to be healthy for a lot of reasons but I don't always feel like being healthy because I don't always feel like getting up and going out early in the morning I don't always feel like eating healthy especially on Super Bowl Sunday I don't always feel like making healthy decisions but here's what I found if I allow the way I feel to determine what I do I will never be healthy but if I allow what is true about eating healthy and about working out and talking about drive what I do it will change the way I feel because I always feel better when I'm healthy and here's what is also true is that if we allow what is God says is true to determine what we do he will change the way we feel in the process to love God with all our soul our heart our emotions is to trust God and his truth about above what we feel." [00:47:35]
"Every crash starts with an uncorrected thought. Every crash in our life starts. With an uncorrected thought. Every failure begins with a false belief because thoughts lead to beliefs that lead to behaviors that lead to habits that lead to our future. When I look at my life, the greatest mistakes in my life, far greater than falling in a creek, began as a thought that I allowed to linger. What we think about matters." [00:48:50]
"To love God with our mind. It's to fill our mind with thoughts about him. To allow those thoughts to be the things that we meditate and we think about throughout the day. One of the verses my parents had us memorize was in Psalms when we were growing up. It's Psalm 1. And it says this. Bless is the one who does. Do not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or take. Stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers." [00:50:29]
"That we love God with all our strength. That we go to work not for a paycheck. Not for the applause of people. But to honor God in such a way. That he looks and says well done. That we honor God with the opportunity. That we're not wanting to be known for our success. But that others would come to know God through the way that we work. That your ultimate goal. Is that others would see God in you and through you." [00:52:54]
"starts with loving god with all we are jesus said that loving others as well is a big deal too but if if we don't get this right but we'll never be able to do the other part jesus said if you love me you'll do what i say if we struggle to follow god and be faithful and obey god it is not an obedience problem it is a love problem there's something that we love more and if we as followers love god in this way think about how it would change things if we desired god more than anything else than anything this world has to offer think about how it would change and impact the way we spend our time our energy our resources right if we focused our feelings and our mind on what god says is true and allowed him to change the way we think uh imagine the the different uh the way different way we walk through life and we'd see people and and the narratives that we would allow play in our minds if we did everything out of a heart to honor god with our attitude and effort i believe it would change our schools our our businesses and our our industries and here's why because i think employers would want to hire a follower of jesus not because of their faith but because they couldn't find a better worker on the planet." [00:54:18]
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