Heart Tag

How’s Your Heart?

ON THE ROAD AGAIN After the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus recognized him, they were so fired up they got up and returned to Jerusalem–seven miles. It’s uphill in that direction, but I can imagine they literally ran. What had been a road of despair was now a road of rejoicing. When they found the eleven disciples, they couldn’t keep silent. “It’s true! We’ve seen the Lord! He is ALIVE!” And there was celebration on the first Easter evening—and we’ve been celebrating ever since! Their hearts were on fire. The spark from one heart ignited the hearts of others. Luke 24:13-29.

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The Perceptive Art of a Receptive Heart

The spiritual impact of a Bible message isn’t based on the content of the message; it depends on how the Word is HEARD and RECEIVED. Jesus repeated this phrase many times, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In this powerful parable Jesus shows us there’s a wrong way and a right way to receive God’s Word.

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Take Out the Trash Talk!

Scientists who study sound waves theorize sound waves never really vanish; they just diminish until they are no longer audible to the human ear. And each sound wave has a unique frequency. Some believe if we could invent a sensitive enough instrument, we might someday be able to go back and capture the faint echo of words spoken hundreds of years earlier. Wouldn’t it be something if we could one day actually hear Lincoln giving the Gettysburg address? Well, that’s the stuff of scientific journals. But, for God, recapturing every word I’ve ever said won’t be hard. But I’m not worried. Do you know why? Because there are a few important words I’ve spoken that take care of all the trash talk I’ve ever done. One day I said, “Jesus is my Lord.” And I asked Him to forgive my sins.

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Open Up Your Heart

I suspect there are some people whose hearts are so closed to the truth of the resurrection that if Jesus literally appeared in our midst right now, some would claim it was a hologram or done with smoke and mirrors. If you don’t believe by faith, I doubt you would believe if He stood before you with His wounded hands extended.

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I’ll Admit My Faults and Accept God’s Cleansing

The Holy Spirit doesn’t convict us of sin to make us feel guilty. He convicts us so we’ll realize the need to be clean. There is a huge difference between conviction and condemnation. The Bible says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) According to Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When you are dirty and sweaty it’s a reminder you need to take a shower. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so we’ll understand the need to confess our sin and experience God’s cleansing power.

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Your Cheatin’ Heart

When the Bible speaks of the heart, it is referring not to the fist-sized muscular pump in your chest, but to the moral and intellectual control center of your life. In the Bible there are a little over 1,000 chapters, and the word “heart” appears almost 800 times. That means the Bible has something to say about the human heart in nearly every chapter!

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Do You Hear the Fruit?

FBefore you get this new heart, it is impossible to obey God and to please Him. It’s like your heart is made of stone. But when He puts His Holy Spirit into your heart, you are regenerated, made alive. And you will find He even places the desire there for you to obey Him. Have you had a heart transplant? If you haven’t, it’s impossible for you to produce godly fruit, because you still have an old sinful, human nature dominating.

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What’s in the Heart of a Believer?

Some of the greatest things ever accomplished in this world have simply been accomplished because people refused to quit. A big oak tree is nothing more than an acorn that refused to give ground. It just hung on. There’s great value in persistence.

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