REDIRECTING DESIRES How the Spirit Trains the Heart to Desire What God

This morning, we gathered to celebrate the beautiful ordinances Christ has given us—baptism and communion—reminders of our union with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is a public declaration that we have died to ourselves and been raised to new life in Christ, and communion is our ongoing remembrance of his sacrifice until he returns. These acts are not just rituals, but vivid pictures of the transformation God works in us: moving us from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness, from loving the things of this world to loving God above all.

At the heart of our spiritual journey is the reality that our desires—our internal compass—have been miscalibrated by sin. We are all driven by desire, but apart from Christ, our hearts hunger for things that cannot truly satisfy. Like a compass that no longer points north, our affections are easily drawn to temporary, earthly things rather than the eternal joy found in God. The world tells us to seek fulfillment in self-actualization, comfort, or approval, but Scripture calls us to set our minds and hearts on things above, where Christ is.

The good news is that Jesus not only saves us from the penalty of sin but also from the power of disordered desires. In Christ, we are given a new identity and a new orientation: our lives are hidden with Christ in God. This means that our deepest satisfaction is found not in what we do or achieve, but in knowing and loving God. The Christian life is not about adding good works to our resume or trying harder to be better; it is about allowing the Holy Spirit to retrain our hearts to love what God loves.

This transformation is ongoing. We are called to daily assess our desires, confess where our affections have gone astray, and feed on God’s Word so that our hearts are continually recalibrated toward him. True worship is delighting in God’s worth, surrendering every “room” of our heart to him, and finding our joy in his presence above all else. As we walk with Christ, our actions flow naturally from a heart that is being shaped by his Spirit, and our lives become a testimony to the world of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Desire is the engine of the heart, but sin has misdirected it. Every person is driven by desire, but apart from Christ, our hearts hunger for things that cannot truly satisfy. Sin did not erase our longing; it redirected it from God to self and the world. Recognizing this helps us understand why we so often chase after things that leave us empty, and why we need God to recalibrate our affections. [13:02]
• 2. True transformation begins with the heart, not just behavior. It is tempting to focus on outward actions—doing good, being nice, or following rules—but God is after our hearts. Only when our desires are retrained by the Spirit to love what God loves will our actions naturally align with his will. The Christian life is not about behavior modification, but about the redirection of our worship and affections. [19:17]
• 3. Our identity is found in Christ, not in our performance or circumstances. When we are united with Christ, our lives are hidden in him, and our primary identity is no longer defined by what we do or what happens to us. This frees us from the exhausting cycle of trying to earn God’s favor or find fulfillment in temporary things. Instead, we are invited to rest in the finished work of Jesus and let his love become the center of our lives. [25:39]
• 4. Daily recalibration of desire is essential for spiritual growth. The process of sanctification is ongoing; we must continually assess what we are loving, confess where our affections have strayed, and feed on God’s Word. This honest self-examination, empowered by the Spirit, helps us put off the old self and put on Christ-like virtues, keeping in step with the Spirit as we grow in love for God. [44:24]
• 5. Worship is delighting in God above all else, surrendering every part of life to him. True worship is not just singing or attending church, but finding our deepest joy and satisfaction in God’s worth. As we surrender every “room” of our heart to him, our desires are sanctified, and our lives become a feast of godly longing and right living, testifying to the world that Christ is our greatest treasure. [31:10]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:44] - The Meaning and Symbolism of Baptism
• [01:45] - Testimonies and Celebration
• [10:39] - The Heart’s Hardware and Software
• [12:30] - Desires as the Compass of the Soul
• [14:38] - The Thirst of the Heart and Its Misalignment
• [16:39] - Redirecting Desires: The Spirit’s Work
• [17:58] - The Danger of Legalism and Self-Reliance
• [19:51] - The Need for Properly Calibrated Affections
• [21:47] - Loving God with All Our Heart
• [24:21] - Raised with Christ: A New Identity
• [26:57] - Living for Eternal Treasures
• [28:56] - Surrendering Every Room of the Heart
• [31:10] - Worship as the Soul’s Delight in God
• [34:36] - Sin’s Rewiring of Desire
• [36:34] - The Threefold Distortion of Desire
• [38:31] - Jesus: The True Wholehearted Man
• [41:03] - Repentance and Reorientation
• [44:24] - Daily Recalibration and Walking with the Spirit
• [46:20] - Redirecting Desire in Everyday Life
• [50:05] - The Gospel: Sanctifying Our Desires
• [52:19] - Communion and Rehearsing the Gospel

Bible Reading

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV) — > If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Psalm 73:25 (ESV) — > Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Matthew 6:19-21, 24 (ESV) — > “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also... No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Observation Questions

1. In Colossians 3:1-4, what does Paul say has happened to believers, and what does he command them to do as a result?
2. According to Psalm 73:25, what is the psalmist’s attitude toward earthly desires compared to his desire for God?
3. In Matthew 6:19-21, 24, what does Jesus warn us about regarding our treasures and our hearts?
4. The sermon described baptism and communion as more than rituals. What do these ordinances picture about our relationship with Jesus? [[00:44]]

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says our desires are like a compass that can be miscalibrated by sin. What does it mean for our “internal compass” to be off, and how does that affect our daily choices? [[13:02]]
2. Why is it not enough to just “do good things” or “be nice” according to the sermon? What is God really after in us? [[19:17]]
3. The pastor said our identity is “hidden with Christ in God.” How does this truth free us from trying to earn God’s favor or find fulfillment in temporary things? [[25:39]]
4. The sermon talked about “surrendering every room of our heart” to God. What might it look like to hold back a “room” from God, and why is full surrender important? [[28:13]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon said, “Desire is the engine of the heart, but sin has misdirected it.” What is one desire in your life that you know can easily get misdirected? How do you see this play out in your week? [[13:02]]
2. When you think about your daily routines, are there areas where you focus more on outward behavior than on your heart’s true desires? What would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit to retrain your heart in those areas? [[19:17]]
3. The pastor encouraged us to “daily assess our desires, confess where our affections have gone astray, and feed on God’s Word.” What is one practical way you can build this kind of honest self-examination into your week? [[44:24]]
4. Is there a “room” in your heart (a hobby, relationship, habit, or area of life) that you tend to keep separate from God? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him this month? [[28:13]]
5. The sermon said, “True worship is delighting in God’s worth, surrendering every ‘room’ of our heart to him, and finding our joy in his presence above all else.” What is one way you can intentionally delight in God this week—maybe through prayer, music, nature, or serving others? [[31:10]]
6. The world tells us to seek fulfillment in self-actualization, comfort, or approval. Where do you feel most tempted to look for satisfaction apart from God? How can you redirect that longing toward Christ? [[33:00]]
7. Baptism and communion are reminders of our union with Jesus. If you have been baptized, how does remembering your baptism encourage you in your walk with Christ? If you haven’t, what questions or hesitations do you have about it? [[00:44]]