Category: Church

  • “Follow Your Heart? Not Biblical Advice 

    follow your heart or follow God - which path will you choose

    There’s a common piece of advice out there. It simply says “Follow Your Heart!”

    It sounds so simple, so warm and fuzzy. It sounds incredibly wise. After all, if you truly follow your heart, what could possibly go wrong? It’s the key to enjoying life.

    There’s only one problem with it. It’s absolutely ungodly advice.

    Here’s what the Bible teaches about the condition of the human heart.

    “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

    We are fallen beings with a sin nature. Left to our own devices, we will choose anything over the God who loves us. We’ll pick darkness over light more often than not. We’ll choose short-term pleasure over long-term growth. We will hurt others to get what we want.

    Following your heart is dangerous. It leads straight down the broad highway to hell and destruction. It promises things that can never be sustainably delivered.

    Our fleshly nature is flawed. We need to be guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word. The LORD is our Creator, Jesus our redeemer and the Holy Spirit our indwelling guide. God loves us to an unimaginable degree, and He knows far better what is good for us than we do.

    Even after we’ve been born again, we struggle against our flesh and the desires of our hearts. Paul put it this way,

    For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. Romans 7:15-18

    Believers must trust the Spirit to guide us. We need the Word to teach us and the church to hold us accountable.

    In the path of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death. Proverbs 12:28

     “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow, and the way that leads to life is constricted, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

    Don’t follow your heart. Let His path guide you. Allow Him to change your desires into the desires of His heart, He will never lead you astray.

    May the Lord guide your steps.

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    SUMMARY

    This devotional challenges the popular but unbiblical advice to “follow your heart,” contrasting it with Scripture’s warning that the human heart is deceitful and cannot be trusted as a guide. It calls believers instead to be led by the Holy Spirit and the Word, walking the narrow path of righteousness rather than the broad way that feels natural but leads to destruction.

    KEY POINTS

    The heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and even believers wrestle with their flesh, as Paul describes in Romans 7 

    “Follow your heart” sounds wise but actually leads down the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14) 

    True guidance comes from the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the church, not from fleshly desire

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  • Serve Others: Transforming Worship into Action

    A pair of well worn wrk gloves on a bible illustrating the call to serve

    A comment I have often heard on a Sunday morning goes something like, ‘I didn’t feel like worship today,’ or ‘The sermon didn’t speak to me today.’ How about, ‘We need this program. SOMEBODY should do it.’ Maybe it’s ‘We did it differently in my day.’ We’ve all heard those sentiments, or if we are honest with ourselves, we’ve said those words ourselves. Rarely do we hear, ‘How can I serve today?’”

    Something we all need reminding of, me included, is that worship isn’t about us. It involves us, but we are there to worship the Lord, not be the focal point of the service.

    Secondly, we need to remember that God’s Word is proclaimed in its power. While some messages may hit closer to home than others, and certainly some sermons are better crafted and delivered than others, we need open hearts to hear the truth.

    The regular service at your local assembly isn’t about you (or me). It’s about the body coming together. It’s where we learn, serve and practice generosity and hospitality. 

    It’s a place where we can practice giving and receiving grace and forgiveness.  It’s where we can safely practice getting along with others who may not be just like us.

    It’s where we can share and bear one another’s burdens. It’s a holy place, a gift from God above.

    The Sunday service isn’t about meeting your perceived needs, nor is it necessarily designed to fit your personal preferences. There might be music you don’t like, or an order of service that isn’t your favorite. 

    Perhaps, from your perspective, there is too much/too little emphasis on something. Maybe the preacher is too academic or not academic enough. Maybe the coffee brand served before or after the service isn’t your favorite.

    We can always find something to complain about at the church. It’s full of people, and people are broken sinners, saved by grace. We are works in progress, justified, being sanctified but not yet glorified.

    The church is the Bride of Christ. It’s the way He has chosen to build His kingdom. As he does with us, He loves the bride with all her warts, flaws and stumbles. We need to love her too.

    The earthly church is never going to be perfect. It isn’t designed to meet all our personal preferences. It’s designed to grow us in Christlikeness.

    The writer of Hebrews exhorts us…

    Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25

    The local assembly will have its problems, but that’s our opportunity to BE THE CHURCH to step in and serve, pray and give. It’s God’s wonderful gift to us.

    What’s God calling you to do at the local level? It’s certainly not to just be a spectator.  The body needs you, and you need the body.

    It’s time to open your heart and mind and step up.

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    Check this out

    Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12

    SUMMARY

    The local church exists not to satisfy personal preferences or perceived needs, but to gather believers together to worship God, grow in Christlikeness, and serve one another. As members of Christ’s Bride, we are called to step in, serve, and love the church with all her imperfections, rather than sitting on the sidelines as spectators.

    KEY POINTS

    Worship is directed toward God, not designed around the worshiper’s comfort or preferences.

    The local assembly is where believers learn, serve, practice grace, bear one another’s burdens, and grow together in faith.

    The church needs your active participation — Hebrews 10:23-25 calls us to encourage one another and keep gathering together, especially as the day draws near.

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