Guard Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23, Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 

Big Idea: A battle rages over the heart of every person…. 

I must guard my own heart before I can be of any help to others.

1.  Above all else, I must guard what I say.

Proverbs 4:24, Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. 

James 3:5b-6, How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell…. (8) It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Luke 6:45, The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

2.  Above all else, I must guard what I see.

Proverbs 4:25, Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 

2nd Samuel 11:2, It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.

Matthew 6:22-23, The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

3.  Above all else, I must guard where I go.

Proverbs 4:26-27, Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Psalm 1:1-2, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 119:105-106, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep Your righteous rules.

Next Step:  I invite others, who know and love me, to search my heart and hold me accountable.

Ephesians 6:10-18, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the Gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.