August 9, 2009

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It Came From Within! - Week 2

Destroying the Monsters of Guilt

Where did that come from?

That embarrassing outburst was not an exception to what is in your heart, it is a reflection of what is really going on in there.

A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.   A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. Figs never grow on thorn bushes or grapes on bramble bushes.  A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
Luke 6:43-45

For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,  adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."
Mark 7:21-23

The Heart of the Matter:

Lasting change comes from the inside out.

Destroying all Monsters:

Four enemies of the heart:

Guilt - "I owe you"

Anger - "You owe me"

Greed - "I owe myself"

Jealousy - "God owes me"

How to Fix it?

Exercise Your Heart

The 4 Enemies of the Heart and the Habits that Exercise your Heart:
 

Confession

If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
1 John 1:9
 

Secrets, Like the horror movie Monsters, Lose their power when exposed to Light.

Confession - Change

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Luke 19:1-10

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.
James 5:16

"So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
Matthew 5:23-25

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