Living Hope Christian Center Podcasts

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We apologize, but the sermon was not recorded. However, the notes and scriptures are below for your reference.

Matters of the Heart
Shepherding the Heart of Your Child

Introduction

Psalm 27:3-5

Make God a Daily Part of Your Lives

Ephesians 3:16-17

• To achieve our goal of Godly parenting we need to allow God to make his home in our hearts.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

• As parents, daily commit yourselves wholeheartedly to love God.  This is the foundation of being a successful parent.
• As you daily live with God, His abundant resources are available to you.

Guardians of the Gate

Proverbs 4:23

Matthew 6:22-23

• Our eyes are a gate to our soul.
• Guard the intake of your children.

Psalm 101:3

I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me
Proverbs 22:6

• Training starts with modeling.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10

• We have to live the truth before we teach the truth- or what we teach will be disregarded.

Care Enough to Confront

Proverbs 13:24

• Children were never meant to raise themselves.
• Verbal Correction: Our children need to hear from us.
• Removing Freedoms: Get creative in discipline to find the thing that will work with each child individually.
• Physical Correction: Despite what activists in society today may say, it is Biblical and Godly to spank your children.
• Discipline needs to adapt to our children individually and as they grow up.

Application Questions

• As a parent, Is God a daily part of your life?  Position yourself to see this happen!
• Are you guarding what comes into your home?  Pray and ask God to show you anything specifically in your home that needs to change.  Then live it out!
• As a parent, I need to live the truth out in front of my kids.  Take inventory of what your actions are speaking this week.
• As a parent, I need to care enough to confront.   Pray for God’s wisdom to train up your child in the way they should go

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Matters of the Heart Series
The Five Love Languages

John 13:34-35

Matthew 22:36-39

• Love is far less about emotion or feelings and far more about an intentional approach with the goal of meeting someone else’s need to be loved.

Words of Affirmation

• Our words have power.

Proverbs 18:21

• Take inventory of what words you are speaking, and increase the words of LIFE you release to others.

Receiving Gifts

• Giving is a vital part of the nature of God- “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.”
• Things that make gift givers feel unloved: Forgotten birthdays or holidays, cheesy gifts.

Quality Time

• In our busy lives, quality time with others is a treasured expression of love.
• God desires our relationship with Him to be expressed with quality time as well.

James 4:8

John 15:5

Acts of Service

1 John 3:18

• In order for me to love in this language I need to move beyond how I feel in the moment to consider other people’s needs.
• Jesus showed this type of love as He went to the cross to die for the sins of mankind.

Physical Touch

• Sometimes, a long hug will encourage another’s heart more than any amount of words or gifts could.

Mark 10:14-16

Mark 1:40-42

• Follow Jesus’ example.   His love reached out to everyone.

Discovering Your Own Love Language

• Think about the things done for you that have made you feel loved.  Is there a pattern?
  • “What does a loved one do or not do that hurts you most deeply?
  • What type of things do you most often request of people?
  • In what way do you most regularly express love to others?

Discovering Other People’s Love Languages/Application

• Ask Questions: Ask the person to tell you about times they felt loved and why?
• Make Observations: Watch how that person shows love to other people.
• Experiment: Try showing love in each of the five love languages.

Conclusion

Romans 12:9

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Matters of the Heart Series
Love Never Fails

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Love Always Perseveres/ Love Never Fails

• Love keeps going to the end.
• This is an indication to me that people in the church are not loving the way God has called us to love.
• Instead of living with the commitment that love never fails, people have walked away from their marriages because their own rights or comforts have suffered.

God’s Heart Expressed through Marriage

Genesis 2:18-25

• From the beginning God created marriage to be a sacred union of a man and a woman.
• They lost their identities as two separate people and became one in God’s eyes.

John 17:20-23

• We are called to live in this unity in our relationships, especially within the church.
• Marriage was also meant to be a key place to live out this unity.
• Understanding God’s heart for unity we begin to realize why divorce is so deadly- it stands completely contrary to the heart of God.

God’s Feelings about Divorce

Malachi 2:10,13-16

• Divorce can become a serious obstacle to your connection with God.
• Divorce is something that overwhelms people with cruelty.
• We are warned on two occasions in this scripture to guard our hearts so that divorce will not occur.

Matthew 5:3-9

• What God has joined together, let no man separate.
• Divorce is evidence of a hard heart, not one that is loving and yielded to the plan of God.

Love Perseveres

• Persevere: The Greek word used here means: “To remain, to tarry behind, not recede or flee, to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ.  To endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments”
• When you live close to Jesus and full of His love- you will find the strength to love through anything that comes your way.

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1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs

• “The verb used here means ‘to calculate.’
• Are you keeping an inventory of when your spouse does the wrong thing?

Ephesians 4:26

Colossians 3:13-14

• Forgiveness is one of the hardest things you will ever have to do.
• “Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die.”
• Forgiveness may seem impossible in our own strength, but God will give us His strength to do what ours cannot.

1 Peter 4:8

“Love is the power to forgive, to tear up the scorecard, to be reconciled, to leave the final accounting to the judgment and mercy of God. God settled accounts with us on the Cross. Let us leave our wrongs, our resentments, our grudges at the foot of the Cross of Christ.”

Love does not Delight in Evil, but Rejoices in the Truth

• This challenges me in regards to creating the right environment for love to flourish.
• Many of our worldly influences give us unrealistic expectations of marriage.

Philippians 4:8

Love Rejoices in the Truth

• We need to fill our minds with the truth: God’s word, prayer as a couple, worship music, etc.
• Believe in your spouse and the potential they have in Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Romans 5:20

• God is still writing the chapters of our life’s story, there is more to write.

Application Questions

• Love keeps no record of wrongs.  Has someone you love hurt you? Maybe many times?  Write about it and how it has impacted you….ask God to help you forgive them.
• Love doesn’t delight in Evil….Is the world influencing your definition of love? Tainting it?  Make practical changes in your life to minimize this impact.
• Love rejoices in the truth.   Fill your mind with the truth this week.  (use worship music, prayer as a couple, God’s Word)
• Ask God for HIS perspective of your spouse.  Rejoice in this truth.

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Matters of the Heart Series

Building Your Marriage on a Strong Foundation Part 3

2 John 1:5-6

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Love Isn’t About Me (Does Not Boast/ Love is Not Proud)

• In love we do not need to impress people or require them to impress us.
• Pride causes us to feel like we have arrived and removes us from true dependence on God.

Proverbs 16:18

• Pride makes the focus of life all about me; love makes the focus of life about the ones we are called to love.
• Boasting & pride are indicators of a dangerous insecurity inside of us.

Love is Not Rude

• “The root meaning of the word derives from behaving indecently, improperly, disgracefully or dishonorably.”

Philemon 1:7

• Rude love brings discouragement and parches others’ spirits.
• In marriage we can sometimes become too comfortable with our spouse. 
• Love compels us to act, and speak lovingly and not rudely towards our spouse. 
• Love learns not to react negatively. 

Luke 6:28-31

Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs

• “The verb used here means ‘to calculate.’
• Are you keeping an inventory of when your spouse does the wrong thing?

Colossians 3:13-14

• Forgiveness is one of the hardest things you will ever have to do.
• “Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die.”
• Forgiveness may seem impossible in our own strength, but God will give us His strength to do what ours cannot.

1 Peter 4:8

“Love is the power to forgive, to tear up the scorecard, to be reconciled, to leave the final accounting to the judgment and mercy of God. God settled accounts with us on the Cross. Let us leave our wrongs, our resentments, our grudges at the foot of the Cross of Christ.”

Application Questions (Bulletin Only)

• Love is not proud, but is constantly learning about others.  Try to learn something new this week about your spouse’s personality and needs.   Use that information to show love to them!
• Love is not rude.  Notice your actions and words towards your spouse this week.  Refresh your spouse with them.
• Love keeps no Record of Wrongs.  Has someone you love wronged you?  (maybe many times)   Write it out…and ask God to help you forgive them.

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Matters of the Heart Series

Building Your Marriage on a Strong Foundation Part 2

2 John 1:5-6

• We easily treat love as an emotional reality and this is dangerous.
• Love is not an emotion- love is a choice, a commitment.
• As Christians I challenge us to adopt God’s view of love instead of the worldly definitions of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is not Selfish

Philippians 2:3

• Selfishness is basically the opposite of love. It replaces our love for our spouse with love for our self.
• Selfishness is putting our own interests, desires, needs, and priorities in front of our spouses.

Ephesians 5:25

James 3:16-17

Ideas for Application

• Learn to say yes: Saying no to what I want allows me to say yes to what my spouse needs.
• Relinquish your individual rights.
• Honor them with NO AGENDA.

Philippians 2:5-7

Love is not Easily Angered

Proverbs 16:32

• “To be irritable means “to be near the point of a knife.”
• “When under pressure, love doesn’t turn sour. Minor problems don’t yield major reactions.”
• “Being easily angered is an indicator that a hidden area of selfishness or insecurity is present where love is supposed to rule.”

Consider Your Emotional Environment

• If we lower the stress level in our home/ lives we will find it easier to love without becoming easily angered.

Ideas for Application

• Take Time to Listen. This is a key to find success!

James 1:19

Application Questions

• Have you been selfish in your marriage relationship? Live out 3 actions this week that prefer your spouse above yourself.
• Has anger caused a barrier in your marriage? Let God examine your heart and show you the truth.
• Give your spouse TWO 6 second hugs a day this week.

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Matters of the Heart Series

Building Your Marriage on a Strong Foundation Part 2

2 John 1:5-6

• We easily treat love as an emotional reality and this is dangerous.
• Love is not an emotion- love is a choice, a commitment.
• As Christians I challenge us to adopt God’s view of love instead of the worldly definitions of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is not Selfish

Philippians 2:3

• Selfishness is basically the opposite of love.  It replaces our love for our spouse with love for our self.
• Selfishness is putting our own interests, desires, needs, and priorities in front of our spouses.

Ephesians 5:25

James 3:16-17

Ideas for Application

• Learn to say yes: Saying no to what I want allows me to say yes to what my spouse needs.
• Relinquish your individual rights.
• Honor them with NO AGENDA.

Philippians 2:5-7

Love is not Easily Angered

Proverbs 16:32

• “To be irritable means “to be near the point of a knife.”
• “When under pressure, love doesn’t turn sour.  Minor problems don’t yield major reactions.”
• “Being easily angered is an indicator that a hidden area of selfishness or insecurity is present where love is supposed to rule.”

Consider Your Emotional Environment

• If we lower the stress level in our home/ lives we will find it easier to love without becoming easily angered.

Ideas for Application

• Take Time to Listen.   This is a key to find success!

James 1:19

Application Questions

• Have you been selfish in your marriage relationship?  Live out 3 actions this week that prefer your spouse above yourself.
• Has anger caused a barrier in your marriage?  Let God examine your heart and show you the truth.
• Give your spouse TWO  6 second hugs a day this week.