Category: Heart

Unseen Idols – Control
The most dangerous idols are often unseen, like the subtle desire for control that can masquerade as virtue. This desire becomes an idol when our personal plans and sense of security supersede our trust in God’s presence. The Apostle James offers a powerful corrective, reminding us that life is brief (“morning fog”) and that we must always qualify our plans with, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:13-16, NLT). Failing to do so is evil boasting.

Recognizing the Idol in Our Hearts

Identifying a hidden idol requires a spiritual site inspection, as theologian Tim Keller observed that the heart is an “idol factory.” Idolatry is about “inward allegiances” (Colossians 3:5), seeking from anything other than God what only He can give. The impulse to seize control, like instinctively grabbing a non-existent brake in a panic, reveals fear and what we truly trust. The true test of this idol’s presence is not how we feel when we have it, but how we react when it is taken away—losing control reveals if we have an allegiance to anything that, if lost, would make life feel “hardly worth living.”

A Tale of Two Kings: Responding to Lost Control

The lives of King Saul and King David provide a stark contrast in reacting to lost control. When faced with the Philistine army, a terrified Saul desperately tried to manipulate God for an answer, eventually resorting to forbidden acts to regain control. His approach was to treat prayer as a list of demands. In contrast, after David spent 12 years on the run and even compromised by seizing his own control, he faced total devastation with the burning of Ziklag and the capture of his family. In this moment of utter loss, David strengthened himself in the LORD his God and humbly inquired of the Lord, then submitted to His command (1 Samuel 30:6b-8). David used prayer as a lifeline to find God, not a lever to force His hand.

Letting God Be God

David’s template—to strengthen oneself in the Lord, inquire, and submit—is the key to overcoming the idol of control, built upon the truth that our control is an illusion. God is sovereign; “he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115). His ultimate control is either a threat or the greatest comfort, depending on our faith in His goodness.

The songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman reminds us that peace is found in accepting our human limits: “God is God and I am not.” At its core, the idol of control is the original sin of seeking to be our own god; letting go of it means practically and fully letting God be God.

Personal Reflection
Take a moment to prayerfully invite God to search your heart, just as David did. Consider your own life in light of this devotional and ask Him to reveal any areas where the unseen idol of control has taken root.
1. When you feel things slipping out of your control, what is the immediate response of your heart?
1. In what area of your life are you currently trying to force a specific outcome, rather than submitting it to God?
1. Think of a time God’s plan seemed to be taking too long. Like David, did you take matters into your own hands, and what was the result?
1. Are your prayers more like a list of demands to a service provider or a humble petition to a sovereign God you trust?
1. What would it look like, in a practical sense, for you to “let God be God” in your biggest current worry?
Closing Prayer
Lord, I invite You to search me and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Please point out anything in me that offends you—especially the hidden idol of control. Forgive me for the times I have trusted in my own plans more than in Your providence. Grant me the grace to surrender my will, my timelines, and my desire for certainty into Your loving hands. Help me to trust that You are God, that You are good, and that You are in control. Lead me in Your everlasting way. Amen.
2025-10-20
Tuesday – The Idol of Convenience
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Today, as you begin your time of prayer and fasting,  pray like David:
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                    "Search me, God, and know my heart.
                                      Test me and know my worries.
                     Show me anything in me that offends you,
                                      and lead me to everlasting life."
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Psalm 139

We often don’t notice it, but convenience can become a hidden master in our lives. Our world makes everything easier and faster. While comfort isn’t bad, when convenience controls our spiritual life, it stops us from truly serving God.

How Convenience Can Hurt Your Faith:
- Time with God: Do you cut prayer short to scroll on your phone? Skip reading the Bible for more sleep? Listen to a quick podcast instead of really studying a sermon? Convenience can make us take spiritual shortcuts, choosing easy over deep.
- Serving Others: Serving God and others often means stepping out of our comfort zone. It might mean waking up early for an event, staying late for ministry, or going out of your way to help someone. If convenience is your main goal, you might avoid volunteering or only pick easy tasks. True service often requires giving your time and energy.
- Commitment to God: Being deeply committed to God means sticking with it, even when things are hard. Convenience teaches us to quit when challenges appear. When life gets busy, is it easy to go to church? To join a small group? To give generously? If convenience guides you, your commitment can weaken, making your faith journey inconsistent.
Pray and Think Today:

As you pray and fast today (from food, technology, or other distractions), think about how convenience might be affecting your walk with Christ.

Ask yourself:
1. Daily Life: Where do you choose ease and comfort over intentional time with God?
2. Serving: Is God calling you to serve in ways you’ve avoided because it’s inconvenient? What might you need to give up?
3. Commitment: When life gets tough, do your spiritual habits slide because it’s easier to let them go? How can you recommit to staying strong?
Let today be a chance to let go of convenience and find joy in serving God and growing closer to Him. May your time of prayer and fasting clear your mind and heart, helping you see and remove this hidden trap, so that God can truly be first in everything.
2025-10-14
Blessed to be a blessing
When dealing with money, the ultimate issue is the state of our heart and mindset. This is crucial because money promises things that only God can truly provide.

The topic of money is often difficult and rarely spoken about in church, leading to confusion about its role. Historically, some believed that to be poor meant being spiritual, while having money suggested one was backsliding. However, God loves you and desires to bless you, including financially.

The key message regarding finances is that God blesses you to be a blessing; the wealth is not intended solely for your use. When dealing with money, the ultimate issue is the state of your heart and mindset. This is crucial because money promises things that only God can truly provide.

We must recognize that money is both physical and spiritual, and this duality is where conflict often arises. If we only treat money physically (focusing on income and expense), we mistakenly think that obtaining more money will solve our problems.

Tithing is essential for engaging the spiritual dimension of money. Tithing is an act of obedience, not generosity, returning to God what rightfully belongs to Him. When you tithe, you move the money from the physical realm into the spiritual realm. When money is placed in God’s hand, He works with multiplication and exponents, leading to exponential growth, rather than the world’s system of addition and subtraction.

God is the Owner of everything; therefore, money is a resource, and God is the true source. We are simply stewards who will eventually have to give an account for what we did with the money entrusted to us.

Debt, which the sources suggest is a form of bondage, is identified as a major weapon used by Satan to prevent us from fulfilling God’s intended purpose. If we find ourselves struggling financially due to past decisions, we must realize that we do not have to remain there.

We are invited to the King’s table, meaning God has provided us with everything we need for life and living. To break financial bondage and see God’s blessing, we must put Him first. This shift involves changing our habits and behaviors. Even starting by committing 1% of income to God demonstrates placing Him first, which redeems the rest of our money, enabling God to provide.

ReflecT:
1. What is my attitude towards wealth and financial matters, do I secretly associate wealth with being unspiritual?
2. Am I dealing with my money only in the physical sense (income/expense), and what steps do I need to take to acknowledge and address the spiritual aspect?
3. In my current financial struggles, where might money have become my primary source of security, rather than trusting God as the true Source and Owner?
4. Since God blesses me to be a blessing, how are my current resources enabling me to impact the lives of others and the community?
5. What concrete decision can I make today to begin intentionally putting God first in my finances, trusting His power of multiplication over my current circumstances?
Closing Prayer

Father God, we thank you that you have given us everything we need and have invited us to come and feast at your table. We confess, Lord, that we have not always dealt with money in the way you planned. We acknowledge that you are the Source, and we are merely stewards. We pray for the discipline to deal with our finances in the physical realm, and the wisdom to honor you in the spiritual realm, so that you may bless us. Help us to put you first in our lives. We pray that you provide what is needed for us to move forward and receive the abundant life you promised in Jesus’ name, amen.

Watch the sermon on YouTube.
2025-09-22
Masters of the Heart
Our hearts are central to our being, and God’s Word instructs us to guard them diligently.

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

Our hearts are central to our being, and God’s Word instructs us to guard them diligently. Jesus spoke extensively about money as a significant threat to our hearts, describing it as the only thing, other than God, that seeks to sit on the throne of our hearts. Money, like power and sex, has both a dark and light side.

Jesus taught us about where our treasure truly lies:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This calls us to choose between earthly and heavenly treasures. He also contrasted a “good eye” with a “bad eye,” referring to generosity versus stinginess. Ultimately, Jesus makes it clear: “You can’t serve two masters”—God or Mammon.

Another challenge Jesus addressed is worry. He encourages us not to worry about daily needs, assuring us God will care for us, just as He cares for the birds. Jesus’ solution to worry is profound: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This challenges us to examine our values and where we place our trust.

Consider two wealthy men who encountered Jesus with distinct outcomes. The rich young man went away sad, unwilling to part with his many possessions. In contrast, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, declared he would give half his wealth to the poor and repay anyone he cheated four times over, leading to Jesus declaring, “Today, salvation has come to this home.”

Biblically, the “heart” refers to the totality of our being—our mind, emotions, and will. We are called to bring all that we are to God.

The Bible refers to only one person as “a man after God’s own heart”—David, the King of Israel. Despite his failures, David remained “a man after God’s own heart” due to:
- Wholehearted Devotion: He was utterly devoted to God, determined to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem and establish proper worship.
- Genuine Humility: He recognized everything came from God, and his repentance for his sins was profound and sincere.
- Faithful Trust: He demonstrated complete faith in God, as seen in his encounter with Goliath, declaring “the battle is the Lord’s.”
- Worship: He was a profound worshiper, pouring out his heart in the Psalms and passionately dancing before the Ark.
- Kindness: He extended kindness even to his enemies, seeking out Mephibosheth, Saul’s crippled grandson, restoring his inheritance.
- Generosity: He was generous, giving extensively to the temple project and encouraging his people to give sacrificially.
Today, Jesus knows our hearts intimately. He is gracious and loving, desiring for us to come to Him and find freedom. Our response might involve a step of faith like tithing, giving more generously, or repentance in a relationship. As we approach communion, we are invited to search our hearts and respond to God’s heart for us, remembering His immense grace and self-sacrifice.

Reflect:
1. What “thing” currently seeks to sit on the throne of your heart other than God, and how can you intentionally guard your heart against it?
2. In what ways do you find yourself storing up “treasures on earth” rather than “treasures in heaven,” and what practical step can you take to shift your focus?
3. Are you serving God or Mammon? When confronted with a tough choice, where does your true allegiance lie, and how does this make you feel?
4. How does a “scarcity mindset” manifest in your daily life, and what does it mean for you to “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness”?
5. Reflecting on the examples of the rich man, Zacchaeus, and David, what aspect of having “a heart after God’s own heart” do you feel God is calling you to grow in right now (e.g., devotion, humility, trust, generosity)?
Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You alone are worthy of the throne of our hearts. Forgive us for allowing other things to distract us. Help us to guard our hearts, store up treasures in heaven, live with generous “eyes,” and seek Your Kingdom first. We pray for a heart like David’s—a heart of wholehearted devotion, genuine humility, faithful trust, fervent worship, deep kindness, and abundant generosity. May Your grace empower us to respond to Your call, finding freedom and wholeness in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Watch the sermon on YouTube.
2025-09-15