The condition of your heart determines the direction of your life. This is the consistent teaching of the Scriptures – as our hearts go, so do our actions.

Main Points:

1. Satan uses all kinds of weapons to attack our hearts. For me, these attacks often come in the form of circumstance that leads to disappointment, discouragement, or even disillusionment.

2. Solomon’s words are a warning. He says we are to “guard.” He implies you are living in a combat zone. You don’t have to guard something unless it is under attack. You don’t guard and protect something unless it is in danger.

3. In prayer, do a heart check. Is your heart healthy? Are you healthy spiritually? Spiritual vitality is found in a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Proverbs 4:23 - “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 17:19 - “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”

Luke 6:45 - “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Proverbs 4:20-22 – “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”

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We learn from the Book of James that we cannot blame God for our temptations. So, where do they come from? He answers that question. We are tempted by our own evil desires. We are tempted to sin because we have a sinful nature.

Main Points:

1. All of us face temptations. There has never been a person alive who didn’t face temptation. The Bible says that even Jesus was tempted, but was without sin. This brings up a good question: where do our temptations come from? Is the devil tempting me, or is God tempting me?

2. We cannot blame God for our temptations. God cannot be tempted, and he doesn't tempt anyone else. God is holy, and he doesn't want us to fail or fall. The truth of it is that temptation resides deep in who we are.

3. While we recognize that we have a sinful nature, we are not powerless in our temptations. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can resist temptation and live in a way that honors God.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

James 1:13-15 - "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after sin has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

Psalm 51:5 - “For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

Romans 5:12 - “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 - “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

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All through the Scripture, we see that our God is a God of comfort! The comfort of God is available to us when we are experiencing different kinds of loss and grief.

Main Points:

1. It’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to mourn. God created us with the ability to express these emotions. I’ve ministered to Christians who felt they weren’t supposed to mourn or that if they were grieving, they were failing God. It’s okay to grieve. It’s okay to weep. God wants you to experience his comfort during your time of mourning.

2. I have found that God draws especially close to me in the tough times of life. When my heart is breaking, I find God’s presence near me.

3. If you are mourning, if you are grieving, lean into Jesus. Press into him through prayer and worship. Meditate on the Word of God. Reach out to a friend who can join you in your mourning. At this moment, I believe you’ll experience the blessing of God’s comfort.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Matthew 5:4 - “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Psalm 23:4 - “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 119:50 - “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”

Psalm 34:18 - “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

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There is no place to stop, plateau, or think we have arrived in our spiritual lives. We are never to stop growing. There is always more we can learn, more we can experience, more steps of faith to take, and more character to be developed.

Main Points:

1. Like an adopted child learns the behaviors and expectations of their new family. We are to learn the values, behavior, and lifestyle of the family of God. Let’s commit, as did the Apostle Paul, to keep pressing forward in our goal of being like Jesus.

2. Even the great Apostle Paul realized that he needed to keep growing in his faith and his relationship with God.

3. By placing our faith in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for us, we have been adopted by the Holy Spirit into the family of God. It is a gift we receive. We did not have to work to earn the right to become a part of God’s family. But now that we are sons and daughters, God asks us to live like children of God. The Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit inform our new behavior and our new lifestyle.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Philippians 3:12 - “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Philippians 3:13-14 - “…one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

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The Bible uses the metaphor of a marathon to illustrate the perseverance of the Christian life. It’s a picture we can understand. Today, you and I are still in our race. We are on a journey of serving Jesus. We have not finished it yet. We must keep going until we reach the end.

Main Points:

1. Let me encourage you today. Don’t let anything stop you from running this race. Don’t let anything trip you up or hinder you from reaching the finish line.

2. You and I can persevere to the end. We can finish the race God has given us. We can be faithful and live for Jesus until the end of our lives. We know this is possible because God has given us everything we need for a godly life.

3. Sometimes the race gets so hard that you aren’t sure if you can make it. Yet, we are encouraged by this truth that if others have persevered to the end, so can we.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Hebrews 12:1-2 - “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

2 Peter 1:3 - “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

James 1:12 - “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

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Our personal suffering can increase our personal testimony for Christ. Our hard times can elevate our witness. Our difficulties can give us a larger and more receptive audience to whom we can influence for Christ.

Main Points:

1. Suffering, as a tool for advancing the gospel? No, I think I’ll pass. Yet, over and over again in Scripture, we see God redeeming suffering for His kingdom purposes.

2. Paul’s freedom and mobility were restricted; it was not a situation he would have chosen for himself. Yet, as he writes to the Philippians, Paul recognizes that his house arrest has actually advanced the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was allowed to have visitors to whom Paul boldly taught about Jesus.

3. These examples reveal God’s kingdom purposes being accomplished through suffering. While none of us want to go through hard times, we ask that God would use them for His glory. We ask that He would make our witness clear and bold for Christ. We ask that others would see our love for Jesus and that our suffering would present opportunities for people to hear the gospel message.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Philippians 1:12 - “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”

Acts 28:30-31 - “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!”

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We have an adversary, an enemy. He is the devil who wants to attack our faith, bring confusion and discouragement, and cause us to falter in our relationship with God. He doesn’t want us to be strong spiritually. He wants to do everything he can to hinder the spiritual growth of our families. He wants us to be ineffective in our work for the Lord.

Main Points:

1. It’s my experience that most Christians go throughout their day without much thought of spiritual warfare. I don’t believe we should expect a devil to be living under every rock, but the Bible is clear that you and I, as believers, are in a spiritual battle.

2. I’m guessing that everyone listening to this episode prays for God’s protection. I do too. Maybe in the mornings and evenings, you pray that God would watch over your family, protect them from harm, and keep them safe. We are praying for the physical protection of those we love. I certainly believe in God’s power to shield us from harm.

3. But while you pray for physical protection, do you also pray for spiritual protection?

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 6:12 - “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:10-11 - “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Ephesians 6:18 - “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

But while you pray for physical protection, do you also pray for spiritual protection? This is what the Apostle Paul is referring to in these verses. Why pray for spiritual protection? 1 Peter 5:8 - “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

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We are being transformed, not just improved, not just reformed. The scripture says we are being transformed. We are being made new. We are being transformed into his image. In lifestyle and character, we are to be in the image of Jesus. This is why Ephesians 5:1 says we are to “imitate God in everything we do because we are his dear children.”

Main Points:

1. Without realizing it, every day, we who believe in Jesus are leaving an impression of Him on others. Not with brushes and paint, but with attitudes, actions, and relationships.

2. All of us are being transformed. We are not yet complete. We are not like Jesus in every area of our lives. We are in process. We are not who we used to be, and we are not yet who we are going to be.

3. If we want to be like Jesus, we must spend time with Him. How else can we discover what He is like? In what other way could we learn his character? There is no other way.

Today’s Scripture Verses:

Ephesians 5:1-2 - “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 - “We all . . . are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

John 15:4 - “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

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