“Sometimes I’m terrified of my heart; of its constant hunger for whatever it is it wants. The way it stops and starts.”
– Edgar Allan Poe
The heart is a tricky little organ, isn’t it? A fickle thing. One day it can be soaring, with feelings of great joy and gratitude. The next day (or sometimes in an hour!) it can feel as heavy as a 100 lb. weight! Causing you to feel sad, blue, depressed.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9, NIV
Physical heart attacks are the same way. We don’t see them coming. One minute you’re feeling fine, and the next you’re on a gurney clutching your chest! But did you know that it is actually your brain that is controlling your heart muscle? The brain sends signals to the heart, keeping it going and flowing.
And so it is with the spiritual heart. It is our mind that regulates it. So, if it’s our mind that controls the heart, emotionally, perhaps we should pay attention to what the Apostle Paul said…
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2, NRSV
Renewing the mind, dwelling on the Word, talking to God in prayer, these are some of the ways in which we guard our heart. And guard it we must…
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23, NIV
Think about it – EVERYTHING you do flows from your heart! When you smile at a child, frown at the cashier who messed up your order, every action flows from the condition of your heart. So, what is the condition of your heart? Every now and then we need to get a checkup.
There once was a king with a spiritual heart murmur. The Lord called him “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). With every beat of his heart, he loved the Lord. But as great and mighty as King David’s reign was, and even though he was a man after God’s own heart, David experienced an attack of the heart. How do you recover from a spiritual heart attack?
This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series: I’m a Survivor! Life takes us through so many twists and turns, but we are more than conquerors because of the power of Christ living in us! This Sunday we will talk about Surviving a Heart Attack, using the story of David.
To register for in-person worship, you can sign up at: https://rsvp.church/r/gVufUAP4 . You can also join us online for Livestream Worship at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
On October 24 we will celebrate Children’s Sabbath! This is a time when we lift up children and raise our awareness of the trauma that impacts them. It has been a rough time for our youngest saints, and we want to encourage them and the adults who love them. So bring the young ones in your life to worship (be sure to register them) and let’s celebrate children! And that afternoon bring the kids back for our Trunk or Treat event at 3:30. Fun, fun, fun! Register here for Truck or Treat!
Think Pink! Would you join me in closing out Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing pink on October 31? And as a 22-year survivor (praise God!) I encourage you to self-check, encourage someone else to get checked out, remember those we lost along the way, and celebrate survivors. Think Pink! (Oh, and if your little ones would like to wear their costumes to church instead of pink on Oct. 31, why not? )
May God bless you for all you do in service to the Lord!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda