Teaching Series: Enlarging My Heart

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Your heart affects everything that you do. This word that is translated as “heart” means your soul. It means your life – your whole self. It means what comes out of your innermost being – your drive, your passion, the activity of your will, the result of your character. Your heart is all that you are. The heart is your passion.

The first step in enlarging your heart is to purify your heart. Before you can have proper passions, you must have a pure heart. Once God purifies your heart, what passions should you pursue?

Passion is a pure heart in motion.

Loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself … that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together! (Mark 12:33)

Three Passions of a Christian Heart

1. A Passion for God’s Presence

“You have shown me the way of life, and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence” (Acts 2:28). “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome” (Ephesians 3:12). “And (Jesus) asked them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?’” (Mark 4:40). “‘Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you” (James 4:8).

2. A Passion for God’s People

“The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:31). “And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need” (Acts 2:44-45). “So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified” (Romans 15:7).

3. A Passion for God’s Plan

“Look here, you people who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? … What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24). “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).