Podcasts about with all your heart

Need some inspiration? Spiritual Fitness Coach Sherri Kreps encourages you to face life, not halfheartedly, but with ALL your heart by giving yourself to God's plan and His power.   Discover motivation that will change your work life, your relationships, and your faith! For your gift of any amount...you'll receive two copies of The Word Revealed, Jesus Makes Himself Known, one for you and one for someone you care about. Bring life-changing truth to others this Easter through this unique “share this study” resource. These 30 studies in John 1-4 are perfect for:New Christ FollowersSeasoned Christians looking to mentor othersAnyone seeking to deepen their understanding of JesusPairs or small groups wanting to grow in faith togetherClick here to get your copies today.Thank you for supporting the mission of Christ.

With All of Your Heart - Proverbs 3:1-4: I think all of us have done a bit, or perhaps a lot, of growing up this past year. For some it may be physical; you need new shoes, your pants are too short, you've lost some teeth, you've lost some hair! For others it may be in other areas of life; a new job, a new hobby, a major milestone, a significant event, a family crisis, a new relationship, a new perspective. Whatever it may be, it's hard to argue that any of us are exactly the same person as we were 12 months ago. And as we look ahead to 2025, how do we want to enter these next 12 months?Every year we're given one January 1st, or one first Sunday of the year. How are we going to posture or position ourselves heading into 2025? As a teaching team, we've thought through this question and what we'd like to present to you is the challenge of seeking God, worshiping God and serving God, WITH ALL YOUR HEART. What would it look like if God had our whole hearts, all of us, for the next 365 days? For the rest of our lives? Wouldn't that be an amazing thing? So over the next four weeks we will explore what this might look like in our lives, and at Foothills, as we pursue God WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

This Sunday's Inspirational Message is: With All Your Heart! In this message, Pastor Swanson shares a message on the incredible need for Christians to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their might. The message is based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9. These verses are known as the Shema. The Shema is the central declaration of the Jewish faith, affirming the oneness of God and expressing the fundamental belief in monotheism. It begins with the words, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" This prayer underscores the importance of loving God with all one's heart, soul, and strength, and is recited daily as a profound expression of devotion and commitment to God's commandments. * * * * * Once again, thanks for joining us in our time of worshiping the Lord through His Word! If you enjoyed this episode and want to help support this ministry, please share it with others and post about it on social media. “Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Need some inspiration? Spiritual Fitness Coach Sherri Kreps encourages you to face life, not half-heartedly, but with ALL your heart by giving yourself to God's plan and His power.   Discover motivation that will change your work life, your relationships, and your faith!  Pastor Bryan Clark shares the relevance and wisdom of the book of 1 Peter to help you stand on the foundation of hope and engage the world in a way that attracts people to Jesus in his book Hope Filled Living in a Culture of Despair: A Study of 1 Peter.Get this offer for a gift of any amount today.

(October 28, 2023) Deacon David L Hall reflects on today's Gospel reading and speaks about what God-focused love is, stressing that giving and loving are inseparable.

VERSE: 2 CHRONICLES 34: 31 THEN THE KING STOOD AT HIS POST AND MADE A COVENANT IN THE LORD'S PRESENCE TO FOLLOW THE LORD AND TO KEEP HIS COMMANDS, HIS DECREES, AND HIS STATUTES WITH ALL HIS HEART AND WITH ALL HIS SOUL IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK. PRAYER/DESCRIPTION: JUST AS KING JOSIAH DECIDED IN HIS HEART TO FOLLOW THE LORD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDS ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE, I DECIDED IN MY HEART TO OBEY, SUBMIT TO GOD BY KEEPING GOD GREATEST COMMANDMENT; TO LOVE GOD WITH WITH ALL MY HEART, MIND, SOUL AND STRENGTH! I AM TO LOVE GOD WITH MY ENTIRE BEING! (DETUERONOMY 6:4-5; AMPLIFIED BIBLE, AMP). THIS IS A DAILY CHOICE,TO FOLLOW THE LORD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDS! KING JOSIAH STOOD AT HIS POST; WHICH WAS AND IS A PILLAR; MEANING A BRIDGE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, WHICH IS IN PARALLEL CONNECTION OF A ROOTED TREE. KING JOSIAH PILLAR IN THE LORD'S PRESENCE, MARK THE FOUNDATION OF A ROOTED, GROUNDED FAITH IN GOD, TO OBEY AND SUBMIT TO THE WORD, WAY, AND WILL OF GOD ALL HIS DAYS! KING JOSIAH WAS SO COMMITTED TO GOD. THAT HE TURNED NEITHER TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT, HE KEPT THE EYE OF HIS HEART, MIND AND SOUL ON GOD, ALL HIS DAYS! ALL MY DAYS; FROM THE START, TO THE FINISH LINE OF THIS RACE FROM VICTORY IN THE LORD, I AM TO OBEY, SUBMIT AND RIGHTEOUSTLY LOVE GOD WITH ALL MY HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH, ALL MY DAYS! I AM TO LOVE THE LORD IN OBEDIENCE, TO CARRY OUT THE WORDS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE! I AM TO OBEY GOD, IN EVERY AREA, AND ARENA OF MY LIFE, AND LIVING. EVEN WHEN I DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT! EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT POPULAR TO MY HEART, MIND, AND SOUL! I MUST OBEY AND SUBMIT ALWAYS TO GOD! ALONG THIS JOURNEY TO FOLLOW THE LORD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDS GOD IS TEACHING ME ABOUT HIS UNCONDITIONAL AGAPE LOVE GRACE, AND MERCY FOR ME! GOD IS TEACHING ME MY IMAGE AND IDENTITY IN HIM! HE IS ALSO TEACHING ME TO ALLOW, LOVE AND FORGIVE! TO LEAVE THE GAPS OPEN IN MY OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD SO THAT HE MAY FUFILL HIS WAY, WILL AND WORD TO EVERY AREA AND ARENA OF MY LIFE, THAT IS DEDICATED TO BEING OBEDIENT AND SUBMISSIVE TO THE LORD! HAVE YOU CHOSE TO BE OBEDIENT TO GOD? HAVE YOU CHOSE TODAY TO FOLLOW AND KEEP THE LORD COMMANDMENTS? BY LOVING THE LORD, WITH ALL YOUR HEART, MIND SOUL, AND STRENGTH! SONG: OH COME ALL YE FAITHFUL --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/myra-braxton/support

HELP, I NEED MY LIFE BACK PART 1 L: LIVINGI: INTENTIONALLYF: FOR E: ETERNITY L: LIVING Matthew 6:34 ESV “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.John 10:10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.Jeremiah 29:11 ​​For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.GOD HAS A PLAN FOR LIFE Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I: INTENTIONALLY Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.THEN YOU WILL CALL (big and bold on the screen for all of these) COME PRAY TO ME YOU WILL SEEK ME FIND ME SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART F: FOR WHAT ARE YOU FOR? Matthew 6:21 (NIV):For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:33 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.E: ETERNITYJohn 3:15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sentKNOW γινώσκω ginōskō know; understand / be familiar with / one with God 2 Corinthians 4:18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternalCLOSING CHALLENGE: YOU CAN GET YOUR LIFE BACK WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYING TO YOU?

The post With All Your Heart, With All Your Might appeared first on Living Fellowship.

Episode 147 Of PLANTED - "With All Your Heart, Soul, And Strength" (2 Kings 23.21 - 25) by Friendship Baptist Church

Mark 12:29-31 NLT Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. [30] And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' [31] The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these.” 1 Kings 2:4 AMP so that the LORD may fulfill His promise concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful regarding their way [of life], to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and mind and with all their soul, you shall not fail to have a man (descendant) on the throne of Israel.' Loving God must flow in this dimension. Jesus Christ did not just speak a word coincidence. It did not spill it out accidentally. The word are process. If you don't fill one or fulfill the first one you will find it difficult to walk in the later virtues. The first process is to be ready to love God with your all. Be ready to submit all to him. SUBMISSION is the first key to love. the action of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person. the action of presenting a proposal, application, or other document for consideration or judgement. You must be ready to allow God to take charge in all you do. You must be ready to let go to God. 1 Samuel 15:22 NLT But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. This is beyond what we give but giving up our all to him. The summation of everything is what Jesus laid down for us. WITH ALL YOUR HEART: a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. In vertebrates there may be up to four chambers (as in humans), with two atria and two ventricles. The central or innermost part of something. Submission. Matthew 27:50 AMP And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father's plan]. Surrender. Job 11:13 NLT “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! Solely. 2 Corinthians 1:9 Voice We thought we would have to serve out our death sentences right then and there. As a result, we realized that we could no longer rely on ourselves and that we must trust solely in God, who possesses the power to raise the dead. Sincerity. Matthew 5:8 KJV Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Love is what is everywhere, all around us, above us, under us, perpetuating air, water and earth. And we are just like a radio that needs to get tuned in to its frequency. Not through force, but through gentleness, through openness, through receptivity and willingness to surrender.

On today's podcast I speak with A. Craig Troxel, author of "With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ"In our world, we use the word heart to refer to our emotions. But the Bible uses the word heart to refer to the governing center of life. We need to grasp the true meaning of the heart in order to better understand ourselves, our sin, and our need for redemption. As we rediscover the heart as the source of all our thoughts, fears, words, and actions, we will discover principles and practices for orienting our hearts to truly love and obey God with all that we are.Purchase "With All Your Heart": https://www.amazon.com/All-Your-Heart-Orienting-Desires/dp/143353553X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3NE8XSPK8846E&keywords=With+All+Your+Heart&qid=1647888121&sprefix=with+all+your+heart%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1Secure your spot in Tribe: https://www.thepursuitofmanliness.com/gear/p/tribeJoin our Closed Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1741842486145095

We so need to define our hearts because it is the center from which we live. Some of the material is borrowed from Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard and With All Your Heart by Craig Troxel.

Dr. Jack Hyles preached a message entitled, "With All Your Heart." We hope you enjoy this classic sermon from a great preacher of the past. Visit classics.preachthebible.org for more gospel messages.

Summer 2021 Series – Matthew 15:1-20 & 22:34-40 The post With All Your Heart appeared first on Bethel Church | Devils Lake, ND.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/327/29 This week Adam sat down with Craig Troxel, the author of the book "With All Your Heart." Kent Hughes is working on a message this week entitled "Christ and the Scriptures."

We're kicking off the new year with our First Things First series. Pastor Rob Bloss continues our series of what Jesus said should be our first priority. This week we're exploring what it looks like to love God with all our Strength. Learn more about Covenant here: https://www.covenantdoylestown.org

Christine talks with Caroline Saunders about her experience as a pastor's wife, helping us step into the shoes of ministry wives and learning their joys, challenges, and perhaps even surprising secrets of what it's like. Caroline shares how her husband's job impacts her life in ways others might not be aware of, some of the funny moments that have happened in ministry, what is a challenge for her and how God is meeting her in those challenges, and how women in the church can encourage their pastor's wife. LINKS FROM THE SHOWCaroline's new Bible study, Better Than Life CHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Christmas We Didn't Expect, by David MathisREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with CarolineInstagram // Website // Facebook // TwitterCONNECT Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletterBy Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Dawn Barton about facing a cancer diagnosis and navigating treatment while her husband was deployed overseas. Dawn shares about what battling cancer taught her, how her friends served her well, and what she'd want us to understand about walking through cancer treatments.Dawn has experienced many trials in life and yet she calls herself a Joyologist--a person with the ability to find joy in the midst of suffering. Dawn teaches us how we, too, can mine our pain for hope and joy. She's also written a new book that details her Joyologist philosophy, called "Laughing Through the Ugly Cry."LINKS FROM THE SHOWDawn's new book, Laughing Through the Ugly CryCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Christmas We Didn't Expect, by David MathisREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with DawnInstagram // Website // FacebookCONNECT Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletterBy Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine chats with Denisse Cabrera about her life and ministry as a church planting wife. Denisse and her husband Felix planted a church in Oklahoma, but after Hurricane Maria hit their native Puerto Rico in 2018, they knew God was calling them home to minister to their fellow Puerto Ricans and meet the many needs generated by the hurricane.Denisse shares about the joys and challenges of church planting and why, she says, being obedient to God's will isn't always a joyful ride. She gives us insight on how we can pursue contentment in obeying God's will even when it's difficult.Step into the shoes of a church planting wife and be encouraged!CHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Christmas We Didn't Expect, by David MathisFind out more about the new book, What Are you Going to Do With Your Life?, by J.D. GreearREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with DenisseInstagram CONNECT Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Kayla Stoecklein about her husband Andrew's death by suicide. Kayla shares about Andrew's battle with mental illness, how it affected their marriage and small children, and how it affected his job as pastor of a megachurch. Suicide is a subject we so rarely talk openly about, but Kayla decided immediately upon Andrew's death to talk about it. In this conversation, Kayla not only shares her grief, but she also shares how we can support our pastors, what she wants us to understand about suicide, and what she'd say to those who are caring for others with mental illness. Though this is a difficult topic, it's such an important one, and Kayla's bravely written a new book detailing Andrew's story called Fear Gone Wild.If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.LINKS FROM THE SHOWKayla's new book, Fear Gone Wild // Andrew's "Hot Mess" talks // Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro CHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, A Better Than Anything Christmas, by Barbara Reaoch.Find out more about the new book, Gracie's Garden, by Lara Casey.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with KaylaWebsite // Instagram // ShopCONNECT Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Kristin Bauslaugh about her young husband's sudden death and her adjustment to being a single parent to small children. Kristin shares helpful insights for those of us who aren't single parents about what single parenting entails, how the Lord has faithfully provided for her, and how the church can love single moms and dads well. CHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, A Better Than Anything Christmas, by Barbara Reaoch.Find out more about the new book, 25 Days of the Christmas Story. REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Vivian Mabuni, a Bible teacher and author who takes great joy in encouraging, supporting, and uplifting Asian American women like her in the global church. She hosts a podcast called "Someday is Here," in which she highlights some of these amazing Asian American women who are serving the Lord in their various contexts. Christine asks Vivian about the Asian American experience and specifically the Christian Asian American experience. Vivian shares what it was like for her growing up in both an Eastern and Western culture and how that has given her unique perspective on the Bible and faith in Christ.LINKS FROM THE SHOWVivian's book, Open Hands, Willing Heart // Vivian's book, Warrior in Pink // Vivian's podcast, Someday is Here CHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, A Better Than Anything Christmas, by Barbara Reaoch.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with VivianWebsite // Instagram // Podcast // Facebook // TwitterConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine chats with Abbey Wedgeworth about miscarriage and her new book for women who've experienced infant loss, called "Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God's Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage."In the conversation, Abbey shares her own story of experiencing miscarriage, how she grieved, what questions she asked of God, and how miscarriage affected her marriage. Abbey also shares the truths she clung to during that time and even now as she remembers her baby.For anyone who has experienced infant loss, this episode will remind you of your hope and will hopefully comfort you in your grief. But it's not just for women who've experienced miscarriage; it's also for the friends of those who have. Abbey shares how we can help and minister to our friends when they experience loss.LINKS FROM THE SHOWChristine's Instagram Live with Abbey // Abbey's Held Podcast // Abbey's book HeldCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, If Only, by Jennie Pollock.Find out more about the new book, How You Live, by Point of Grace.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with AbbeyWebsite // Instagram Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Bible teacher, Elizabeth Woodson. Elizabeth serves on staff at The Village Church in Texas and joins Christine to share her “origin” story. How did she get where she is? How did God move her and fit pieces of her interests and gifts with opportunities? Elizabeth shares how God called her into ministry and how she developed the skill of teaching the Bible. She also shares how her singleness has been both a challenge and an opportunity in her ministry. LINKS FROM THE SHOWThe Village Church // Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship // The Christian Story class Elizabeth is teachingCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, If Only, by Jennie Pollock.Find out more about the new book, Rethink Your Self, by Trevin Wax.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with ElizabethWebsite // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

In this episode, Christine talks with Sheridan Voysey about infertility from a man's perspective. Sheridan lives in Oxford, UK and is a contributor to BBC Radio and the author of several books. Sheridan and his wife tried for many years to have a baby and eventually discovered that would not be possible. Sheridan shares about the impact of infertility, failed IVF treatments, and even an interrupted adoption, and how, as he says, he’s learned to recycle broken dreams into service. Sheridan invites us into his shoes, helping us understand how we can support infertile couples in our own lives. LINKS FROM THE SHOWSheridan's books Resurrection Year and The Making of Us // Printable of the Creed from The Making of UsCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, If Only, by Jennie Pollock.Find out more about the new book, What Are You Going to Do With Your Life?, by J.D. Greear.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with SheridanWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

In this episode, Christine talks with pastor's wife, mom, and grandmother, Karen Loritts about life, marriage, and ministry that spans many decades. With all her experience in life, she has much wisdom to share. Listen as Christine asks her what has helped her endure, what her thoughts are as an African American woman regarding the big picture of race in America, and what she has done in marriage to make it almost 50 years. LINKS FROM THE SHOWPine Cove // Weep With Me // Color of Compromise // One Race // Be The BridgeCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Hoping for Happiness, by Barnabas Piper.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECT Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Barnabas Piper, who shares about his divorce, helping his two daughters navigate their parents' divorce, and most of all, navigating church as a divorced man. He helps us step into his shoes and in the shoes of our divorced brothers and sisters to understand how we can love and serve them well. LINKS FROM THE SHOWBarnabas' new book, Hoping for HappinessCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Hoping for Happiness, by Barnabas Piper.Find out more about the new book, Courage to Stand, by Dr. Russell Moore.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with BarnabasWebsite // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Laura Wifler, co-founder of Risen Motherhood. Laura shares about the joys and challenges she faces as a mother to a little girl with special needs. Christine and Laura talk about Laura's daughter’s diagnosis, how her diagnosis has impacted the whole family, and what Laura would want us to know about how to love our friends who are parenting children with special needs.LINKS FROM THE SHOWRisen Motherhood podcast // Risen Motherhood book // Risen Motherhood website // Unique: Understanding Rare Chromosome and Gene DisordersCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Held, by Abbey Wedgeworth.Find out more about the new book, Courage to Stand, by Dr. Russell Moore.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with LauraWebsite // Instagram // Facebook Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Dr. Grace English. Grace shares her experience with having an abortion as a college student and how that abortion continued to haunt her into her marriage and motherhood, which she now knows to be post-abortion trauma. She shares what made her decide to tell someone, how she came to understand Christ’s forgiveness for the abortion, and what she wants Christians to know about the many men and women in our lives who have been affected by abortion. At the end, she also speaks to those who are listening who’ve had an abortion, so if that’s you, listen all the way to the end to hear Grace’s words to you. LINKS FROM THE SHOWGrace's ministry, CARE // Surrendering the Secret Bible Study // Men Hurt Too // Forgiven and Set FreeCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Hoping for Happiness, by Barnabas Piper.Find out more about the new book, You By You, by Jamie Ivey.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Lisa Brockman about growing up in the Mormon church as a fifth-generation Mormon. Lisa shares how her life changed when, in college, she was asked to defend her beliefs and that question sent her on a long, winding journey to eventually discover salvation through Jesus Christ. Lisa now has a passion for helping others understand Mormonism and share Christ with their Mormon neighbors. In this episode, step into Lisa's shoes to understand Mormonism and what she continues to have to shed from her Mormon upbringing. LINKS FROM THE SHOWLisa's book Out of Zion // Evidence That Demands a Verdict // Beyond Mormonism // To Be Told // The Soul of Shame // CruCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Held, by Abbey Wedgeworth.Find out more about the new book, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot. REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with LisaWebsite // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Today kicks off a brand new season of By Faith! The theme for Season 7 is “In Their Shoes.” Each week, I’ll be talking with a guest about a specific experience in their life, letting us step into their lives, so we can learn how to better love our brothers, sisters, family members, and neighbors. I can’t wait to share these conversations with you! My first guest of the season is Rachel Gilson. Rachel is the author of Born Again This Way and the tagline of her book says it all, “Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next.” In today’s episode, Rachel shares about coming out as gay as a teenager, heading to Yale University for undergrad, and then becoming a Christian. She talks about what her newfound faith meant for her sexuality and what she wants us to know about our friends who experience same-sex attraction. LINKS FROM THE SHOWRachel's book Born Again This Way // Mere Christianity // Resources Rachel recommends: Messy Grace; Gay Girl, Good God; Washed and Waiting; Understanding Gender Dysphoria; Lead Them Home Ministry's Guiding Families of LBGT+ Loved OnesCHRISTINE'S LATEST BOOK Order Christine's book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Held, by Abbey Wedgeworth.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with RachelWebsite // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

With All Your Heart by Christ The Rock Fellowship

On today’s show, Tim welcomes author Christine Hoover to the program. Christine discusses her new book, With All Your Heart: Living Joyfully Through Allegiance to King Jesus. With All Your Heart is a biblical guide to help you root out your own misplaced allegiances so that you can live wholly as a subject of the king who made and redeemed you. Make sure to tune in live weekdays 4-5pm ET on AM 560 WFIL! Music ft: King Me (Isaac Air Freight)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently my husband and I did a webinar for our church about singleness during quarantine, and the panel of singles we talked with have graciously allowed me to share it with you. In this webinar, we asked singles to answer the following questions: How has God grown you and shaped you during this time of quarantine?If you have roommates/housemates, how has this been a challenging time for the two of you? How has it brought you together? What specific lessons have you learned about living in unity that you could share with others who live with housemates?If you live alone, what have been the unique challenges for you? What have you learned that could benefit others who live alone?What are the best things you have done to maintain spiritual, emotional, and mental health?How have the challenges of singleness been exacerbated during this time? How have the gifts of singleness been clearer for you? How has your calling and vocation been challenged or renewed for you in this season? What idols or temptations has God revealed to you in relation to work?What can married couples / families do to help you or bless you as things begin to open up? Whether single or married, what they shared will certainly be a blessing and help to you.OUR CHURCHCharlottesville Community ChurchWITH ALL YOUR HEART Order Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, from:AmazonTargetBarnes & NobleBaker Book HouseChristianbook.comBooks-a-MillionChristian AudioDownload the With All Your Heart study guideREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter Music for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Hi, friends! It's Christine. Recently my husband and I did a webinar for our church about marriage during quarantine, and I thought, “Why not share this with my podcast audience?” We talked about both the challenges and the opportunities we have in our relationships during this time, covering such topics as communication, conflict, handling emotions and stress, making time for one another with kids underfoot all the time, and best practices we can all incorporate to help our marriages thrive during this stressful time. We wanted to encourage the people in our church, but we also hope this encourages and helps you. Kyle and I hope you'll grab some time to listen with your spouse and that the questions we pose will spark great conversation for the two of you.OUR CHURCHCharlottesville Community ChurchWITH ALL YOUR HEART Order Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, from:AmazonTargetBarnes & NobleBaker Book HouseChristianbook.comBooks-a-MillionChristian AudioDownload the With All Your Heart study guideREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter Music for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Peter Kapsner talks about how some stuck in certain identity ideologies are struggling for intimacy because of isolation, as well as about how the lack of physical touch is wearing on people during the pandemic.  Author Christine Hoover talks about spiritual allegiance in her book "With All Your Heart."

Peter Kapsner talks about how some stuck in certain identity ideologies are struggling for intimacy because of isolation, as well as about how the lack of physical touch is wearing on people during the pandemic.  Author Christine Hoover talks about spiritual allegiance in her book "With All Your Heart."

As a gift to you during this season of isolation, Christine reads the first chapter of her new book, With All Your Heart, detailing a time when she knew her heart was broken and distorted and how she needed to consider where her true allegiance lies. She also asks you to consider your heart's allegiance. WITH ALL YOUR HEART Order Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, from:AmazonTargetBarnes & NobleBaker Book HouseChristianbook.comBooks-a-MillionChristian AudioDownload the With All Your Heart study guideREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter Music for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Three seminary students, Caleb, Marc, and Andrew, begin their discussion of Herman Bavinck's The Wonderful Works of God. The first few pages of this book confront us with a difficult question: What is man's highest good? What is he created for? Also, attempts at speaking Dutch.A. Craig Troxel's new book, With All Your Heart (referenced by Marc): https://www.amazon.com/All-Your-Heart-Orienting-Desires/dp/143353553XAndrew referenced a Ligonier panel where Sinclair Ferguson made comments about WWG. They are at the 1:45 mark here:https://www.ligonier.org/learn/conferences/made-in-the-image-of-god/ask-ligonier-with-ferguson-nichols-parsons-and-thomas/?fbclid=IwAR2yGFj-iI8Q5vkS5ytBJQGz9Pb-Xk-agCUHxGPW3RylGyK8pTGaRJue0nsGet the Book:Get the WSP print edition here: https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/the-wonderful-works-of-god-9781733627221?variant=12437042790447Get the ebook for Logos Bible Software (titled Our Reasonable Faith): https://www.logos.com/product/175013/our-reasonable-faithSupport the show (https://www.paypal.me/bavcast)

Christine talks with Lilly Park, an assistant professor at Southern Seminary in Louisville. Lilly talks about how she ended up in seminary as a student and in her current job. She also talks about the challenges she’s faced as a woman in academic leadership in seminary and what kinds of conversations she’s consistently having with female students pursuing seminary education. Christine and Lilly also talked about fear. Lilly talks about how she’s faced down fear in her work and how she’s faced down fears regarding the future as a single woman. Lilly shares how she's cultivating courage in her life, something we all can use more of.LINKS FROM THE SHOWSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary // 2 Corinthians 4:1CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Order Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, for 30% off and free shipping!Download the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Born Again This Way, by Rachel Gilson.REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with Lilly Website // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Vaneetha Risner about fighting bitterness. Vaneetha calls herself a sufferer, and you’ll find out why as she shares about the many losses in her life, including a child due to a doctor's mistake and a marriage. But as you’ll hear in her voice, she also has so much joy. She actually connects joy with suffering, and the way she talks about it in today’s episode will give you a fresh perspective on suffering and help you fight bitterness in your own life.LINKS FROM THE SHOWVaneetha's book, The Scars That Shaped Me // John 9:1-3 // Held by Natalie Grant // Crazy Love // Joel 2:25CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Order Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, for 30% off and free shipping!Download the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Born Again This Way, by Rachel Gilson.Find out more about the new book, Don't Forget to Remember, by Ellie Holcomb.CONNECTConnect with VaneethaWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Courtney Reissig, a Bible teacher, wife, and mom of four boys. Courtney shares about some trauma she endured in giving birth to her fourth baby and how that physical trauma led to physiological anxiety and spiritual fear. She tells us how she navigated that time, what helped her navigate through to healing, and finally what she’d say specifically to moms about fear or regret related to childbirth or our children in general. Even if you’re not a mom, you’ll relate so much to Courtney’s story of panic and fear and you’ll learn from her what she now knows about God having come through it. LINKS FROM THE SHOWCourtney's new book, Teach Me To Feel // Knowing Faith // United? We Pray // The Daily // NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour // Psalm 66 // Psalm 116 // Psalm 46 // Psalm 77 // Psalm 89CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Order Christine's new book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Born Again This Way, by Rachel Gilson.Find out more about the new book, Fight For Love, by Rosie Makinney.CONNECTConnect with CourtneyWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Today's episode was recorded LIVE on March 2 in Charlottesville to celebrate the release of Christine's new book, With All Your Heart. Author Hannah Anderson interviews Christine about the themes of the book and, in the second half, Christine interviews three local women about how they're fighting false allegiances and pursuing wholehearted devotion to Jesus. Those three woman are:Laurel Bennett, disciplemaker and wife of Tony, coach of the championship UVA basketball team.Jenn Atwell, Christine's fellow pastor’s wife in Cville and a local school teacher Erica Taylor, a business owner in Charlottesville.They talk about success, approval, depression, and anxiety, and how they’re letting God define them, as well as how God is meeting them where they are. LINKS FROM THE SHOWHannah Anderson // Humble RootsCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Order Christine's new book, With All Your HeartDownload the With All Your Heart study guideEPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross, by Carl Laferton.Find out more about the new book, A Mother's Love, by Incourage.CONNECTConnect with HannahWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Callie Nixon, director of women’s ministry teams at Watermark Church in Dallas, Texas. She’s married to Ryan, who also works at Watermark, and together they have three kids. Callie shares about her 10 year addiction to lust and masturbation. She shares how it became a hidden sin for all those years and why she finally told a friend during college. Callie shares how she continues to fight against temptation to this day, how her sexual sin has affected her marriage, and what she’d say to women who are struggling privately with shame over lust, masturbation, or any sexual sin. LINKS FROM THE SHOWWatermark Church // Reengage // Regeneration CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Order Christine's new book, With All Your Heart. CONNECTConnect with CallieInstagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Author Christine Hoover and I talk about how easy it is to give our allegiance to things and concepts that aren't Jesus and how these false allegiances can keep us in the comparison trap. Christine talks about her brand new book titled, "With All Your Heart: Living Joyfully for King Jesus" and how she's personally struggled with comparison. Get Christine's new book, "With All Your Heart" here.  Connect with Christine here. Take the Body Image Awareness quiz. Support Compared to Who?

Christine talks with Rebekah Lyons about the four main rhythms she's cultivating in her life that renew her. Rebekah has battled anxiety and panic disorder for many years, and through that she’s learned and implemented in her own life what she calls rhythms of renewal: practical things that are available to each of us and that God has woven into the fabric of life to stave off the anxiety that is rampant in our culture and in our lives. Today, Rebekah walks us through the four main rhythms and says it's never too late to make changes in your life that are good for your body, soul, and mind.LINKS FROM THE SHOWRebekah's new book, Rhythms of Renewal EPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross, by Carl Laferton.Find out more about the new book, A Holy Pursuit, by Dianne Jago.CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Preorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart. Reserve tickets to Christine's book launch on March 2 in Charlottesville! CONNECTConnect with RebekahWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Heather Creekmore, author of "Compared to Who?" and the host of a podcast also called Compared to Who? Heather shares how she first began struggling with her body image and how she spent decades chasing that elusive number on the scale. She then shares what God showed her that changed everything in her life and specifically in her thought processes. Heather talks about how comparison and self-obsession were at the heart of her issues and how she still intentionally fights comparison today.LINKS FROM THE SHOWHeather's "Nailed It" episode // Heather's book, Compared to Who? // 1 Corinthians 4 // Heather's podcast, Compared to Who? EPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross, by Carl Laferton.Find out more about the new book, Eat, Sleep, Save the World by Jamie Sumner.CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Preorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart. Reserve tickets to Christine's book launch on March 2 in Charlottesville! CONNECTConnect with HeatherWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Youtube Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Rebecca Bender, author of the new book, "In Pursuit of Love." When Rebecca was a teenager, she was tricked by her so-called boyfriend into a life of prostitution in Las Vegas. For 6 years, she was trafficked, bought and sold for money. She became addicted to drugs and, as she talks about today, she also became addicted to the money and material things her trafficker bought her. In today’s episode, Rebecca shares about that life, how she came to faith in Christ, and how her devotion to Christ has broken her of her drug addiction, her love of money, and is now helping her reject shame. She also shares how she’s made it her life’s mission to share Christ and help trafficking victims. Rebecca’s story is simply incredible!Please note: this episode contains adult themes. Please be mindful of who is listening with you.LINKS FROM THE SHOWRebecca’s book, In Pursuit of Love // Find Your Lane: How to Identify Your Place in the Anti-Trafficking Movement EPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross, by Carl Laferton.Find out more about the books edited by Karen Swallow Prior, Sense and Sensibility and Heart of Darkness.CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Preorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, and join the Launch Team Reserve tickets to Christine's book launch on March 2 in Charlottesville! CONNECTConnect with RebeccaWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

In today’s episode, Christine talks with author Shona Murray. In 2003, Shona was diagnosed with clinical depression and severe burnout. You’ll hear how she was simply going, going, going--never stopping and never refueling--until she couldn’t go anymore. She began a journey to emotional, spiritual, and mental health that has turned into a ministry to others who find themselves burned out. In our conversation, Shona addresses our American culture’s false allegiance to over-activity and beliefs at the expense of our God-given limits. She tells us why taking time to refresh and refuel is a way of worshipping God and she offers us practical steps we can implement today, even for those who think their lives are too demanding to have peace and rest. LINKS FROM THE SHOWPuritan Reformed Seminary // Shona’s book, Refresh EPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Teach Me to Feel, by Courtney Reissig.Find out more about the book, Journey to the Cross, by Mary Wiley. CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Preorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, and join the Launch Team Reserve tickets to Christine's book launch on March 2 in Charlottesville! CONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

In today's episode, Christine talks with podcaster Hunter Beless. Hunter and her husband, Brooks, recently moved to New Hampshire so that he can attend business school at Dartmouth. Before that he was in the military, so Hunter knows a thing or two about transition. She shares with us about how transition has shown her her false allegiance to control and how she’s learning to cling to Christ instead. She also shares how there have been unexpected joys in transition and what encouragement she’d give for those of you listening who are navigating transition of any kind right now.LINKS FROM THE SHOWJourneywomen Podcast // Hebrews 12 EPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Teach Me to Feel, by Courtney Reissig.Find out more about the book, Handle With Care, by Lore Wilbert. CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Preorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, and join the Launch Team Reserve tickets to Christine's book launch on March 2 in Charlottesville! CONNECT Connect with HunterWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with author and Bible teacher Esther Fleece Allen about fighting an allegiance to stoicism, performance, and success. Esther shares about her broken family life and how that broken family life left her with labels like “orphan” and “abandoned” and “abused.” For many years, she tried to outrun her emotions, just trying to put the past behind her and move on. Instead, she pursued success and actually achieved it. But eventually Esther learned that outrunning our emotions is actually outrunning God and that in fact, God wanted her real emotions: the sadness, the pain, and the grief. In our conversation, Esther shares how lament is a pathway to intimacy with God and why performance and success, even with good things, can sometimes just be pretending.LINKS FROM THE SHOWEsther’s book, No More Faking Fine // Esther's new book, Your New Name // Sara Hagerty’s book, Every Bitter Thing is Sweet // Logos software EPISODE SPONSORS Find out more about the new book, Teach Me to Feel, by Courtney Reissig.Find out more about the book, For All Who Wander, by Robin Dance. CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK Preorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, and join the Launch Team Shelve Christine's new book on Goodreads CONNECT Connect with EstherWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine's monthly newsletter By Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine kicks off a new season of By Faith with author and teacher Jasmine Holmes. Jasmine shares about the identity crisis she had in her early twenties and how she's learning to find her identity solely in Christ. She explains how the fear of man and the expectations of others have been idols she's had to battle, and she gives very practical ways she's fighting for devotion to God. Jasmine gives voice to the freedom we have in Christ in a way that will help and encourage you if you're consistently thinking about pleasing others or making decisions that you think others think you should make. LINKS FROM THE SHOWJasmine's forthcoming book, Mother to Son // Changes That Heal // Titus 2:3-5EPISODE SPONSORFind out more about the new book, Awaken, by Priscilla Shirer.CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOKPreorder Christine's new book, With All Your Heart, and join the Launch TeamShelve Christine's new book on GoodreadsCONNECTConnect with JasmineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletter SUBSCRIBESubscribe to the "By Faith" Podcast on your favorite platform:iTunes // Stitcher // Google Play // SpotifyREVIEWLeave a Review of By Faith on iTunesBy Faith is produced by Jesse WerzingerMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

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Ending the year with insights on the journey we have endured and where it’s taking us...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the stories of Jesus’s baptism and temptation.How to Bring Order Out of Chaos Presentation (PDF)BEMA 1: Trust the StoryBEMA 2: Knowing When to Say “Enough”BEMA 4: His Bow in the CloudsBEMA 5: A Misplaced CurseBEMA 20: With All Your HeartBEMA 21: With All Your Soul & “Very”

GOAT - Part 1 - With All Your Heart by Thrive Chapel

Scripture Passage Jeremiah 29:11-14 The post With All Your Heart appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Jeremiah 29:11-14 The post With All Your Heart appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 14, and then dissect their first test on the way to Mount Sinai in Exodus 15.With All Your Heart Presentation (PDF)

Pastor Andy Davis preaches on Matthew 22:34-40, and how we are to examine our hearts in light of Jesus' Crucifixion and obey the Law of God. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - Introduction Truly, it is said that God's ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. If it had been up to me, John's gospel would have ended at Chapter 20. What an incredible end there is there, and I know we're preaching on Matthew, I haven't forgotten. Your pastor hasn't lost his mind. But this is how I'm beginning the sermon today. You remember what happened in John 20, how Jesus, resurrected from the dead, appeared suddenly through locked doors and stood in the midst of his disciples and said, “Peace be with you,” and showed them the evidence of his resurrection, his hands and his side, and said again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, I'm sending you.” Thomas wasn't there. Doubting Thomas. Over that next week, he asserted that unless he saw the physical evidence of Jesus' resurrection, he would never believe. A week later, Jesus comes again, though the doors are locked, and stands in their midst, and says, “Peace be with you,” and then he shows the evidence of his resurrection to Thomas. Hands and his side. Stop doubting and believe. And Thomas makes that confession, which everyone on the face of the earth must make if they want to be saved. That saving confession, which must come from the heart, saying, to Jesus, “My Lord, and my God.” That's the pinnacle. Maybe the pinnacle of the Bible right there. The evidence of Jesus' deity, his crucifixion, his resurrection, and then a sinner standing and saying, “My Lord and my God,” to Jesus. “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And then Jesus did many other miraculous signs which are in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and believing you may have life in his name.” That sounds like a good place to end to me. What do you think? But there is a whole chapter 21, after it. What is the purpose of that chapter 21? You remember what happened, how the disciples seemingly having nothing to do, decided to go back to fishing. I mean like physical fishing, not fishing for men, I mean, fishing. And so they're there fishing, in the Sea of Galilee, and suddenly a stranger stands by the shore and says, “Have you caught any fish and they'd fished all night and hadn’t caught anything. And he said, “Why don't you try the right side of the boat.” Suddenly the nets are so filled that they are ripping and breaking and it suddenly dawns on them who the stranger is by the shore. It's the Lord. Peter dives in, swims in there, they barely are able to haul that filled net to shore. Jesus makes them a breakfast of fish and bread and serves them. And then he turns to Simon Peter, and starts to work on him. You remember what happened, don't you? Simon Peter had denied Jesus three times. Three times he said that he didn't even know him. He was trying to save his own life. The very thing that Jesus told us we should never try to do, whoever tries to save his life, will lose it. And so, he denied him. And that very night, you remember in the providence of God, and the sovereignty of Christ, Jesus, being moved from one side of his trial to the next, just as the cock crows and Peter has denied him for the third time, Jesus turned and looked right at him, without saying a word. What did he need to say? “You are guilty. You're guilty of not loving me, you're guilty of denying me.” Just the crushing blow of that look, and you know what it did to Peter. Oh, he went outside and wept bitterly, he wept. To look in the face of Jesus and to see that disappointment. Is there a future for me? Is there a place for me? I mean, yes, Jesus, you're risen. But is there a place for me? I'm the one who denied you. I don't love you like I should, I know it now. I know who you are. I agree with Thomas. You're My Lord and my God, but what am I? And is there a future for me? And so, Jesus says to Simon, he says, “Simon son of John. Do you truly love me more than these?” I don't know what “more than these” means. More than these fish? More than these friends? More than these people love me? Do you love me more than you love anything else? I don't really know. I don't have to know 'cause I'm not preaching on John 21 this morning, but at any rate, “Do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord", he said, “You know I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Sometime later, he turned to him and said again, “Simon, son of John. Do you love me, do you truly love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said. “You know that I love you.” “Take care of my sheep,” he said. The third time he said to him, “Simon Son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him this question three times. Now let me ask you, do you think that Jesus knew this would hurt Peter? I think he knew it. Did he intend to hurt Peter? I think he did. But not the kind of hurt that Satan would intend or an enemy would intend. It's the heart of a friend. It's the wounds of a friend. And the issue is, “Do you love me?” Jesus is saying. And I just feel that this is vital. We don't just need to know who Jesus is, we don't just need to know that his death was for us, and all that, we need to have this problem dealt with in our hearts that we don't really love Jesus. And we need Jesus to stand in front of us, and probe our hearts to reveal to us that we really don't love him like we should. And it hurts, friends. And so, I don't have any desire to hurt you today but Jesus may. And I just want to step out of the way and let him do his work on you, because we're coming, as I said two weeks ago, to the foot of Sinai here. This is the law, friends, with all of it's delightful language and loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength we know the truth, don't we? We don't love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Some time ago, I came across these lyrics, “Give me one pure and holy passion. Give me one magnificent obsession, give me one glorious ambition for my life to know and follow, hard after you.” I couldn't sing it. I couldn't sing it. I actually kind of almost hated it. I was like turn the page. I don't wanna sing this one, 'cause it just isn't true of me. I don't have one pure and holy passion. I'm a man of many passions. And I yearn to be a man of one passion, I really want that. And so John 21 actually ministers to me. Maybe it ministers to you to have Jesus stand in front of you and probe you on this very issue. Do you love him? Do you love Jesus? Do you love him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength? Do you? And that's what this sermon is about today. It's really diagnosing your heart condition. None of us enjoys a trip to the doctor. You know that annual check-up. Some just go ahead and skip it. That's not a good idea, but that's what we do. And so this is just diagnosis. This is just God probing us, by the Scripture. He's probing our hearts. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” What God Wants More Than Anything Else Jesus Texted by a Lawyer Now, let's set the context. You remember Jesus was in the final week of his life, and his enemies are there trying to make trouble for him and Jesus deals with many, many different difficult questions. And then along comes this lawyer from the Pharisees, and he says “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus’ Very Orthodox Answer Jesus gives a very orthodox-ed answer as you remember. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Love the Lord Your God with Everything You Have We saw two weeks ago as we looked at this, “with all your heart” means that central part of you. Your heart is that part of you that thinks, it feels, it decides, it plans, it desires everything inside you, that heart of you, the core of you, love God. And love God “with all of your soul,” the “nephesh”, the life principle, with every fiber of your living being as you live and breathe, love God. And “with all your mind,” the part of you that thinks, and reasons and meditates, the part of you that imagines your thought life. All your mental powers, your science and philosophy, and logic, and all of that thinking, love God in all of it. And then with all your strength. With your body, present your body. All of its powers and its faculties to God, ready for service. God, I want you to use my body. I want you to use all of my strength, I wanna be poured out like a drink offering, I wanna drop exhausted on the pillow at the end of the day, having given everything for God. With ALL Your Heart, and ALL Your Soul, and ALL Your Mind and ALL Your Strength And it says with all of your heart, and all of your soul and all of your mind and all of your strength, and the full teaching of the Word of God is all the time. So you do all of that all the time and never fail. Now you see why I've said this is a trip to the foot of Mount Sinai. Who wants to stand up here and testify. I have kept this law. I have kept this law. This week has been the best week of my life. I have kept this law 100 percent. Who would dare to testify like that, I wouldn't. In Pilgrim's Progress, Christian, the character that's moving from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, before he comes to the cross, he comes to Mount Sinai and it's like a mountain leaning over ready to crush him. And I think we think, “Oh wow, boy. The first and greatest commandment, love God.” It's the very thing, friends that we don't do. A Second Commandment Like It And so we talked about that last time. And Jesus gives a second commandment which I'm going to speak fully on, more fully next week, but he said “The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The two of them are interconnected. I'll make that point next week. Everything Depends on these Two Commands But everything, all the law and the prophets, everything God wants from you everything he commands from you hangs on these two things, summarized by these two things: Love God and love your neighbor. "Everything, all the law and the prophets, everything God wants from you, everything he commands from you ... [is] summarized by these two things: Love God and love your neighbor." Judgment Day: God Actually Requires This And I said last week, God actually in fact requires this of us. It's not theoretical. It's not theoretical, it's not like he's gonna dismiss it and say, “Oh, well we all know nobody kept it. And so you're fine. I'm gonna grade on the curve.” God doesn't grade on the curve. Did you or did you not love me in this moment or at that moment, etcetera? And then you just start to see the times where you didn't piled up. And I said at this point, you must understand the purpose of the law, is it not to crush self-confidence? Is it not just to crush it into a powder where you realize, I cannot do this? I can't be perfect, I can't. I must have a savior. The law brings wrath dear friends, not salvation, Romans 4, read about it. It doesn't bring salvation. The law brings wrath. By the works of the law, Romans 3:20, no one, no flesh will be justified in his sight. You can't do this, that's the testimony of the Word of God. But thanks be to God, there's a gospel, amen? Thanks be to God, that's not the final word. Could have been, that could have been the final word on us. You didn't love me. And therefore go to hell. God could have said that, that could have been the final word. We are condemned by that law, 'cause God really did mean it. But it says in Romans 8, “What the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son.” Praise be to God. For sending Jesus who went and actually did this for 30 plus years, he actually did it in space and time with his body, he loved God perfectly every moment of his life. And he won for us a perfect righteousness that he now just offers you as a free gift. Oh dear lost friend, that's your only hope, that's the righteousness God actually does require, he's just gonna give it to you as a gift. Just as a free gift. He'd just say “Here, put this on. Give me all of your wickedness, and all of your sin.” And he puts it on Jesus, Jesus dies under the wrath of God. Remember I said the law brings wrath. There's the wrath at the cross. And he just gives you a gift. Perfect righteousness. Well, that was all last week. What Does it Mean to Love God? Now I wanna ask a deeper question, “What does this mean?” Thanks be to God that if you have trusted in God, this righteousness is credited to your account, it's imputed to you or reckoned to you. You're thought of as righteous as Jesus, is that the end of our salvation? You're free from the law, oh happy condition. You don't need to love God with any part of you. Is that so? Is that what the Bible teaches? That cannot be. You know, what he says, “Okay now that you're forgiven now that I see you as perfectly righteous from this point forward, for the rest of your existence on into eternity, I see you as perfectly righteous, now I want you to get up and obey this law.” Romans 8:4, “For what the law was powerless to do, in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of the flesh, to be a sin offering. And so we condemn the flesh in the flesh in order that,” listen, “the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” So he actually does want you to obey this, friends. He wants you to love him now and for the rest of your life, and more and more and more, as you live by the Spirit. It's what he wants you to do. He wants you to walk in this law with all of your heart. So I've tried to understand what it means to love God. I've studied my own heart, I’ve studied the scriptures, I study other people as they study me. I look and I try to understand love. Love is a pretty common topic in our society. What are the odds that you'll turn on the radio and hear the word “love” within the first minute in some song or something. It's just all over the place. Jonathan Edwards: Treatise on Religious Affections So it's a very familiar topic. What does it mean here? Well, I thank God for the brothers and sisters in Christ that have gone before us, and one of my favorite men from church history is Jonathan Edwards. And Edwards kind of sorted it all out for me, in a book that he wrote called Treatise on Religious Affections. Let me give you the context historically, of what Edwards wrote. It was the first great awakening, perhaps one of the greatest revivals in all of church history. It was in 1742, and the Holy Spirit was poured out. There were sweeping changes, there was religious excitement, there were major upheavals, all kinds of things were happening. Huge crowds were leaving their fields and their shops and going out to hear gospel preaching, especially George Whitfield. People were coming from miles around to hear Whitfield and others preaching the gospel. And many people swooned, sometimes even physically, under the influence of the gospel. And there were some changes, some changes happened. However, you know in the parable of the seed and the soils, Jesus warned about what they call the stony ground hearers, the ones that hear the Word with joy and immediately respond, but when trouble comes they quickly fall away. And so now it's been a number of years later, five or six years later. And Jonathan Edwards is looking back on the experience of the Great Awakening and what's happened since then. And he's probably the most careful thinker and accurate spiritual assessor, maybe, in all of church history. And he put his skills to work in assessing the nature of true revival or more deeply the nature of true religion, a true right relationship with God, what is true Christianity, that's what he was looking at, what's the truth? And he likened the initial enthusiasm of many of those hearers of the gospel to the cherry blossoms of spring, that come each of them promising some sweet cherry fruits later on, but many of them flutter to the ground without ever bearing any fruit at all. But some of them ripen into maturity and produce delicious sweet cherries. So he wanted to assess spiritual experience and try to get at what is the nature of true Christian experience, true Christian religion. Now, there are opposite views of the Great Awakening two equal and opposite errors concerning all of the excitement and outward emotion. Error number one, is that religion is only a matter of the emotions, the feelings and especially extreme outward displays of emotion: raising of hands, melting, falling on the ground, screaming for joy, dancing in the aisles, whatever. Big displays of emotion. And if you don't get to that level, you're really not truly saved. But then there is an opposite error, that religion is never in any of those displays. And if you see any of them you know there religion isn't. Religion is more in the reason and judgment, and in dutiful behavior. Dear friends, both of those are ditches. Edward sought to steer in the middle to try to find what it really was. Satan's scheme here, friends, was to push unstable souls into excesses, and that created a backlash effect. Early in the awakening, Satan pushed people to extremes, to burning clothes and books and doing all kinds of things and just outward huge displays of emotion. And the tendency was, if you don't have all that you're not really saved. And a few people only a few people seemed interested in trying to probe what was really going on in the hearts of people. Edwards was one of them. What were the root causes? Eventually people just threw out the baby with the bathwater, went the opposite direction, you ended up with a cold formalism, in which no emotional displays were permitted at all. So he's like, what is the truth, what is the nature of true religion? And as he thought through, prayed through, the Lord led him to this text, 1 Peter 1:8. Just listen, don't turn there, but just listen, “Though, you have not seen him,” Christ, “you believe in him; and even though you do not see him now, you love him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” You love him, the invisible one, you believe in him. I think it's beautiful, isn't it? That it was Peter that wrote that, the one who was probed by Jesus. Do you love me, do you love me? He says, you've never seen him, but just like me, you love him, don't you? And so, Edward said, there it is. True religion then in great part consists in holy affections, emotions, holy emotions, holy affections. Now this is what he does, he breaks open the human heart, he breaks open the human heart so we can understand what it does. And he said the human heart has two capabilities. There are two things it can do. Okay? First of all it can understand, and second, it can have affections toward what it understands. These are the two things the heart does, you do it all the time. You may not know you're doing it, but you are. And so, first the analytical side, the heart has the ability to perceive things, everything it encounters, and to assess those things, to analyze them, to understand them for what they are, to judge them. That's what the heart does. Secondly then, the heart has the ability to be inclined toward or repelled away from everything you're analyzing and assessing. And you do it without any matter of the will, it's not something you're choosing to do, it's just the way your heart is. In short, then you'll either love or hate to a greater or lesser degree everything you analyze in the universe. Everything. So then, I just started to think, I get it now, I get it. It's got to do with attraction and repulsion, my engineering mind started to kick in. Alright, bear with me, guys. That's what you have as a pastor. This is who I am. I'm a mechanical engineer. Years ago, I worked at a company that made ion implanters and there were these awesome magnets, these rare earth magnets samarium-cobalt magnets, strongest magnets I've ever seen in my life. Boy, were they fun? We had lots of fun with those things. You could do lots of pranks, like putting important messages for your roommate. And most of the message is covered by a magnet that could not be moved with 10 men. Oh, that was fun, I enjoyed that. “Whatever you do be sure you…” That kind of thing, and covered with the magnet. And I remember seeing my roommate leaning on it, pushing, trying to pull it in something and that was fun. That's sick, though, that you could even do that to someone that you love and a friend but I did that. The Lord has his ways though, that magnet erased all my credit cards too. So, you know, the Lord, he got me back for that one, it was right there in my pocket. And then I went to use the card and that was that. But I remember these magnets and I would hold it and you could just throw a paper clip and any, just within feet, and you just see the thing go like that and just move to this magnet. And we did all sorts of stuff. We put it like on the other side of walls and we'd stick things there and wonder how it's sticking on the wall, and it was just a lot of fun. We did all kinds of things. So alright, now you have this image of this powerful magnet in your heart. The object lesson is on the basic nature of the human heart. God has designed your heart with the capacity to be attracted to or repelled from everything that there is, to a greater or lesser degree, all the way down to no attraction or repulsion because you know nothing about it at all. That's where you start and the more you get to know things then you more love or hate. That's what happens. And again, the amazing thing is you actually have no control over your heart as it does this. This is something just the heart does. It has to do with the nature of the heart. And so now in comes mathematical engineering analysis part two. Picture a number line, okay. And you've got the plus side and zero and the minus side. What your heart does is it puts everything on that number line, in an array. Positive and negative. I love it, I don't love it. I desire it, I don't desire it. I want it or I wanna stay away from it, to a greater or lesser degree. Everything in the universe, it's all there, your heart is just doing it. And what is God saying? God has to be number one affection farthest as far right on your positive number line as possible, and nothing can be equal to it, or surpass it, or frankly even be close to it. You must love God more than anything else in the created universe. That's what it's saying. And Edwards is saying true religion is in the nature of the attraction to God. And that you love Him with holy affection. That's what it is. And at the moment of conversion everything gets rearranged - Not everything, but many, many things, all things of spiritual import get rearranged. You heard a testimony earlier, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation.” Everything gets rearranged, and then, sanctification starts to move things, you start to love God more and more and more. And love the people of God more and more and the Word of God, more and more. And the kingdom of God more and more. And all of the things of God, that's sanctification. Conversely, you start to hate sin more and you start to hate what it does to you and hate pride, and lust, and you want it out more and more. That's it. That's the nature of true religion, that's what's going on in your heart. And as I said, we don't have any control over our hearts directly, we just can't. All we can do is just know our hearts, and say, “God, God, there isn't an infinite gap between you and created things in my life. There are some times that it actually seems that I love some other things more than I love you. God, would you change me?” And that yearning to change is evidence of the Holy Spirit's work in your life. Oh, I wanna convict you, but I wanna encourage you too this morning, I want you to know when the Spirit's at work in your life. And if you're discontent with how little you love God, then that's the Spirit's work in you. And if you yearn to love him more, then that's the Spirit's work in you. Ezekiel 36:27, “I will put my Spirit in you and I will move you to keep my laws and my decrees.” And so this is the first and greatest one. He's gonna put the Spirit in you and move you to love him. He's gonna move you to do that. Loving Nothing More Than or Equal to God And so compared to our love for God, any other affection should look even like hatred. So God should be on your number line, so far that when you stand at the God position and look down, there's such a gap between you and the next thing that it almost looks like hatred. And so, Jesus says in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife, and his children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple.” That's what it means now. You understand what that means. It doesn't mean you actually hate those, but by comparison, standing there at the position of your love for God, everything else it's almost all the same at that point. That's how much you love God. Cheerful Sacrifice of Obedience Alright, so what then should love look like in my life? That's what it is. How should it play out in my life? So I've thought about that too. You know the Bible verse, it says, “We love because he first loved us.” Well, I think that that has more to teach us, I think we also love like he first loved us, He teaches us how to love. Right. So we should love like he has loved us. How has he loved us? This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He's demonstrating love. God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we were still sinners, Christ died for you. And he demonstrates the heart of it, when he says, “Do not fear, little flock; it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He just enjoys doing this, it's for the joy set before him that he did it. So I put all that together and this is what I think love for God is: Love for God, then, is measured by cheerful sacrifice in the obedience to his commands. You've gotta have all three, friends, if you don't have all three, you're not loving God. Cheerful sacrifice in obeying his commands. Sacrificial Obedience Let's start with the last one, obedience. You cannot love God without obeying him. John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” “This is love for God,” 1 John 5:3, “This is love for God: to obey his commands.” God is telling you, if you love me, you'll obey me, you must obey my commands. Okay. So it has to be obedience, but is that enough? No, there has to be sacrificial obedience. It has to cost you something. I mean, you just know the way it is. Valentine's Day is coming up, friends. Husbands, let me say something, don't forget it. Love your wives but let me tell you something. They wanna be sure that there's some sacrifice involved. Don't dig something out of your glove compartment and give it to her. There's gotta be some sacrifice. It's gotta hurt you, it's gotta cost you something. If it doesn't cost you something, it isn't love. Did God's love for us cost him anything? Oh yes, it did. He sent his Son for us. It's got to be sacrificial obedience to the law. It's gotta cost you something to obey, and he's gonna make you prove it too. He's gonna make things hard for you sometimes to obey to see how much do you love him. But that's not enough, either. Isn't that amazing how much God wants from us? It's not enough to just obey, it's not enough even just sacrificially obey, you have to cheerfully sacrificially obey. You have to do it with joy and delight in your heart. You have to want to do it. We've covered that before. Valentine's Day, don't tell your wife, “Hey, I didn't take this out of the glove department, I did just what the pastor said. I want you to know how much this cost me. Alright. I have obeyed and I have sacrificed.” That will not get you any further than giving the cheap gift dug out of your glove compartment. She needs to know how much you love giving it to her. Right? And so you have to have a delight in the giving. This is gonna work horizontally next week when the same definition is gonna work for people too. Cheerful sacrificial obedience, that's what it's gonna be for people, too. But here's the thing, it says in 1 Corinthians 13:3, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,” that’s sacrifice, huge sacrifice, “but if I have not love, it profits me nothing.” What is it saying? There's a heart disposition that apparently is missing. Well, this guy is dying for people. And that's powerful, isn't it? God doesn't just want the sacrifice, he wants you to delight in doing it for God. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, when a man found it, he hid it again and then in his joy, he went and sold everything he had and bought that field.” I think it's a privilege for us in the Christian life to buy that field, in some sense, again and again. Day after day, you get to sell everything for Jesus. Day after day for the joy set before you, you get to make sacrifices for Jesus. I'm not in any way denying the permanence of justification or anything, you've got to feel it's yours, I'm just saying we get to make that sacrifice again and again, and that's the nature, the essence of our love relationship with God. “For God loves a cheerful giver,” dear friends. Diagnosing Your Own Heart How Love for God is Assessed: Cheerful Sacrifice of Obedience So there it is. So diagnose your own heart. What's going on? Is there a principle of sacrifice in your relationship with God? Does it cost you anything to be a Christian? Does your quiet time in the morning cost you something? Does your giving, your financial giving, cost you something? Does your service in your ministry to the church here, or in any other way, does your evangelism cost you anything? And when it does, are you doing it cheerfully or under compulsion? Do you feel like you have to do it? You gotta do something to prove yourself to God? Well, you're back under the old work system then. Are you doing it cheerfully or under compulsion? And is the pattern of your giving to God set by his word, by his commands? He's told you what he wants. Are you following his laws, and his commands? Is that what's going on in your life? Diagnose your heart, Friends. Evidence that the Love of God is Not in You And you know what's gonna happen when you do? You're gonna come to the conclusion that I did earlier this morning, and I just said, “How can I preach this sermon? How can I preach? I feel like my heart is distant from you, I don't love you like I should. I don't. So who am I to stand up in front of a bunch of people and tell them they need to love God?” And I just kinda was like that for as much as 90 minutes this morning and I kept thinking, and then suddenly I felt the grace of God come into my heart. And I felt then like the Lord testified to me. Now you're ready to preach, because you're not preaching as a self-righteous man. I'm not standing in front of you telling you that I do this 100 percent. I'm just telling you, I wish I did. I yearn, I hunger and thirst to do this. "What is love for God? It is cheerful sacrificial obedience to his commands." Therapy for Distant Hearts: James 4 And so what do I do then if my heart's distant? I want to commend briefly, another passage of scripture. It's printed right in your outline. James 4:4-10. I just wanna read through it briefly, it's not another sermon within a sermon, but I just want to bring it to you to heal you. Start with Christ: Imputed Righteousness is His Perfect Obedience to these Commandments First and foremost I wanna bring you back again to the cross. If you feel like your heart's distant, remember this, Christ is your righteousness. Keep that in mind, never forget. It's not how much you love God, it's how much he loved you in Jesus. Never forget that. Go to that again and again. But is that enough? No, we need to have our wandering hearts brought back. James: Steps to Recovering our love for God James 4:4-10. “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think the scripture says without reason that the Spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” There's the remedy. Just let me say some brief things. First of all, be honest and call the wandering of your heart what God calls it: spiritual adultery. Don't call it by any other name. The thing, the created thing you love more than God is an idol. Someone who loves idols is an idolater. Call it what it really is, spiritual adultery is idolatry. So identify the idols. What is it? Is it worldly pleasure? Is it sexual sin? Is it materialism? Is it Power or workaholism? What is it? Is it worldly entertainment? Is it food? What is the idol that you love more than Jesus? Identify it, and call it spiritual adultery to love it more than you love Jesus. This is the essence of worldliness. Understand the jealousy of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit he caused to live in you, envies over you. Imagine a husband and wife and they go to some party, and the wife is starting to be a little too familiar with another guy there. What is that husband going to feel toward that? What's he gonna feel? That's what the Holy Spirit feels when you wander into idolatry. He's jealous over your affections. And he goes and gets you. And he will not let you wonder, and so just understand that that spirit he caused to live in you is envious over your heart. And then rejoice in the promise that God will give you more grace. Anybody here need more grace? I need more grace, I need fresh infusions of grace. Not just grace for justification, but I need grace to stay loving Jesus. I need grace right now. So give me more grace, God, I need more grace. Just humble yourself and say, “I need more grace.” And James points to the scriptures to the way to get it. You get more grace here, this is where it comes from. The Scripture says that he gives us more grace. Read the scripture, get the grace from the Bible. “Grace to you,” Paul promises it. So go get it, go get yourself some more grace to deal with that idolatry in your heart. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Then humble yourself. Identify pride in your heart. It's always pride that causes us to stray from loving God. First of all, we make too much of our own pleasure and happiness. I must be happy, I must be happy right now, I need to do this. That's just pride, friends. And it's pride for you to say, “I know best how to make myself happy.” God actually knows better than you do how to make you happy. So let God oppose the proud, but let him give grace to the humble. Then submit yourself humbly to God. Resist the devil. It is the devil who is the pimp, who is dressing the world up, the prostitute world, painting her eyes and making her look attractive, that's his doing, that's what he does. Resist him in this, and he'll flee from you. O blessed thought! The Holy Spirit will make him run. The omnipotent spirit will turn him and put him to flight, if you'll just dig in and resist. Come near to God then. Say, “Lord, I love you. I'm sorry, I strayed. I'm sorry I allowed my heart's precious affections, the ointment of my heart to be poured out at the foot of an idol. Please forgive me. Please forgive me and take me back.” Come near to God, and what is the promise? He will come near to you. Then “wash your hands, you sinners.” That means turn away from the things you were doing. Stop doing them. Don't just keep doing this again and again, wash your hands, change your life. “Purify your heart, you double-minded.” Start thinking differently about those idols. And be willing to be broken and hurt: “Grieve, mourn and wail.” Peter wept when Jesus looked at him. Maybe you need to weep and cry. This is one of those scriptures that the good-time people and good-time churches will never preach. Grieve, mourn, you all need to grieve, mourn, and wail. Hey, let's all have a time together of grieving, mourning and wailing. That's sometimes what needs to happen, dear friends. Cry. And then humble yourself before the Lord and let him lift you up. Spiritual physician telling you how to heal your straying heart. We come now to the time of the Lord's supper. I can't think of a better time for you to look after your heart. It says in Corinthians that in order for you to come to the Lord's supper, you have to assess your spiritual condition. You have to look inwardly. Have you been convicted today? Then bring that to God, and say, “Lord, heal me. Draw me in and use the Lord's supper, use the Lord's Supper to draw a sinner like me back into a healthy relationship with you.” The Lord's supper is for people who have testified plainly to faith in Christ. We had baptism. They've testified by water baptism. If you have come to faith in Christ, and have testified to that by water baptism, you're welcome at this table. If not, I urge you to refrain lest you eat and drink judgment on yourself, but instead, I urge you to come to Christ and trust in him. Close with me, if you would, in prayer. Father, I thank you for the message of the word and as we give our attention now to the Lord's supper, we pray for the sending forth of your Holy Spirit, so that we can enjoy you. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.