WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.580 As we get into the message this morning, I had 00:00:04.580 --> 00:00:09.259 two messages prepared. And as the Lord does, 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:14.259 He said no. And He shifted to a third one. So 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:16.199 in the beginning of me preparing for this Sunday, 00:00:16.339 --> 00:00:18.980 I knew naturally that it was going to be the 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:23.899 Sunday after Pentecost Sunday. So just in my 00:00:23.899 --> 00:00:26.879 spirit and in my mind, I was looking at the Scriptures 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:31.199 and Acts. What did the apostles do right after 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:34.060 they were filled with the Holy Spirit in the 00:00:34.060 --> 00:00:36.979 upper room? And I developed a message called 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:40.159 Empowered for Impact. And I was like, this is 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:43.939 going to be a powerful message. And I didn't 00:00:43.939 --> 00:00:46.439 feel the Lord breathing on it. So I had to put 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:50.060 it aside. Then I developed another message called 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:52.780 The Importance of Stewardship. We all need to 00:00:52.780 --> 00:00:54.539 know how to steward things in our life with the 00:00:54.539 --> 00:00:58.200 Lord, right? And yet again, I just didn't feel 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:00.179 in my spirit that the Lord was breathing on it. 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:04.760 So I was sitting on my front porch with my wife. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:07.680 I like to give you guys an understanding of how 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.260 these things develop in me sometimes. And I was 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:13.780 like, Lord, why do I not feel you breathing on 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:15.599 either one of these messages that I put together? 00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:18.540 And he said, because that's not what I want you 00:01:18.540 --> 00:01:23.239 to speak on. And he took me into a vision where 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:27.719 I saw a garden. And sitting there on my front 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:30.280 porch, I saw this vision of a man tending a garden. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:33.560 At first, he was doing a great job weeding out 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:36.280 the weeds, watering the trees, toiling the ground, 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:38.640 and he even built a wall around the garden with 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.560 gates in it that were locked that made a perimeter 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.620 around the garden so as to keep things out that 00:01:45.620 --> 00:01:49.379 weren't necessary. But over time, he became lax 00:01:49.379 --> 00:01:54.319 in his tending of the garden. Weeds began to 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:57.299 grow. The trees weren't receiving the ample amount 00:01:57.299 --> 00:02:00.099 of water they needed, and the gates to the garden 00:02:00.099 --> 00:02:02.760 were left open, which allowed others to come 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:06.180 in and sow seeds that produced crops that were 00:02:06.180 --> 00:02:12.180 not intended to grow in his garden. So processing 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:15.020 this with the Lord, I developed a third message 00:02:15.020 --> 00:02:19.219 titled Safeguarding the Garden of Our Hearts. 00:02:22.090 --> 00:02:24.009 The main scripture we're going to be in this 00:02:24.009 --> 00:02:26.009 morning, we're going to be kind of all over the 00:02:26.009 --> 00:02:29.490 place, but Proverbs 4 .23. You guys probably 00:02:29.490 --> 00:02:34.050 know this one really well. In the NIV, it says, 00:02:34.150 --> 00:02:37.270 above all else, guard your heart, for everything 00:02:37.270 --> 00:02:41.189 you do flows from it. But if you look at it in 00:02:41.189 --> 00:02:44.330 the NLT version, it words it a little bit differently. 00:02:45.830 --> 00:02:50.310 In the NLT, Proverbs 4 .23 says, guard your heart 00:02:50.310 --> 00:02:53.750 above all else. for it determines the course 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:58.110 of your life. There are very few things in the 00:02:58.110 --> 00:03:06.189 Scripture, directives, wisdom, or anything where 00:03:06.189 --> 00:03:11.009 it says above all else. So for me, that puts 00:03:11.009 --> 00:03:14.189 an importance on this one portion of Scripture. 00:03:14.389 --> 00:03:16.830 Even though it's a small verse in Proverbs 4, 00:03:17.009 --> 00:03:21.590 it puts... High importance on this, that we would 00:03:21.590 --> 00:03:26.810 guard our hearts because it determines the course 00:03:26.810 --> 00:03:31.789 of our life. So this morning we will be discussing 00:03:31.789 --> 00:03:34.169 some principles on how to safeguard the garden 00:03:34.169 --> 00:03:38.530 of our hearts. But let's look at the term heart 00:03:38.530 --> 00:03:42.389 for a minute. In the original Greek manuscripts, 00:03:42.469 --> 00:03:44.849 you see the word represented for heart is a word 00:03:44.849 --> 00:03:50.120 called kardia. Which would be where we get the 00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:54.120 term cardiology, which is a term that describes 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:57.259 a medical specialty that mainly focuses on diagnosing 00:03:57.259 --> 00:04:01.259 and treating diseases of the heart. But in the 00:04:01.259 --> 00:04:04.919 original terminology, even though cardio was 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:07.039 referring to the physical blood pumping organ 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:10.919 we know as the heart, it's often used to refer 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:15.199 to the heart and the mind interchangeably, as 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:20.120 if they were one. And it more holistically refers 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:25.120 to an individual's whole inner life or a man 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:31.160 or woman's inner being. To represent the figurative 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:34.040 core of a person, symbolizing one's emotions, 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:40.699 intellect, will, inner self, and spirit. So this 00:04:40.699 --> 00:04:42.759 morning as we're talking about safeguarding the 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:46.000 garden of our hearts, let's remember that the 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.430 term here, cardia, as it more accurately is translated, 00:04:50.509 --> 00:04:56.550 means the whole inner being of our life. So every 00:04:56.550 --> 00:05:00.870 garden attracts attention, right? If you have 00:05:00.870 --> 00:05:03.189 stuff growing in your garden, there will be pests 00:05:03.189 --> 00:05:06.370 that try to come in and eat from the crop. There 00:05:06.370 --> 00:05:09.089 will be bugs. There will be rodents, critters. 00:05:10.910 --> 00:05:14.750 But if a garden is fruitful, the enemy will want 00:05:14.750 --> 00:05:19.800 access to it. He won't attack what's empty. If 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:22.120 your garden has nothing in it, those pests aren't 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:25.899 going to come. Right? But if your garden is fruitful 00:05:25.899 --> 00:05:32.079 and flourishing, those pests will come. And the 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:36.339 enemy will want access to the garden. He attacks 00:05:36.339 --> 00:05:39.360 potential. He attacks promise. He attacks what 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:43.360 God has planted. Have you ever been in a place 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:45.459 where you felt an immense spiritual attack that 00:05:45.459 --> 00:05:48.639 tried to derail you? I see some of you shaking 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:55.560 your head. It tried to derail you from what God... 00:05:55.560 --> 00:06:00.579 It tried to derail you from what you were doing 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:04.680 with God. Well, the same happened for Adam and 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:08.040 Eve in the Garden of Eden. Yet it wasn't blatant 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:11.879 in its approach. It was crafty and cunning and 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:15.759 came at them looking very enticing. When Satan 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:18.060 came with the temptation to do what God had directly 00:06:18.060 --> 00:06:20.399 asked Adam and Eve not to do by eating of the 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:22.540 tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and they 00:06:22.540 --> 00:06:25.800 did so, it caused a ripple effect throughout 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:29.139 history. And the Garden of Eden was essentially 00:06:29.139 --> 00:06:33.439 lost because Adam failed to guard what God gave 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:38.980 him. Eden was sacred ground, and so is the Garden 00:06:38.980 --> 00:06:42.959 of each of our hearts. Our hearts are sacred 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:49.360 ground and they must be safeguarded. If you're 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:52.920 taking notes, this is a weird message how it's 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:56.379 come together. I have a set of four points and 00:06:56.379 --> 00:06:58.639 then I have another set of four points. So it's 00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:02.899 almost like two messages smashed into one. But 00:07:02.899 --> 00:07:05.060 point number one is we talk about safeguarding 00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:08.079 the garden of our hearts. The heart is sacred 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:15.199 ground. Genesis 2 .15 And the Lord God took the 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:20.180 man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress 00:07:20.180 --> 00:07:24.720 it and to keep it. Adam was not only called to 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:28.319 enjoy the garden. He was commanded to protect 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:34.160 it. The word keep here in Genesis 2 .15 Keep 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:40.680 here means to guard, watch over, preserve. And 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:45.579 defend. The garden of your heart is much like 00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:49.639 the garden of Eden. And is a sacred ground. That 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:53.639 we are each given stewardship over. Because in 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:57.779 the heart of men. God plants things. He plants 00:07:57.779 --> 00:08:01.379 faith. He plants vision. He plants calling. He 00:08:01.379 --> 00:08:04.160 plants the love of Christ. He plants purity. 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:09.019 Compassion. Spiritual gifts. And he plants intimacy 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:14.810 with him. And it is our responsibility to cultivate 00:08:14.810 --> 00:08:17.350 and steward what he plants there to make sure 00:08:17.350 --> 00:08:20.329 it is bearing fruit that is pleasing and will 00:08:20.329 --> 00:08:25.850 last. But we have an enemy that understands something 00:08:25.850 --> 00:08:30.170 many believers forget. Whatever controls your 00:08:30.170 --> 00:08:33.809 heart or your inner being eventually controls 00:08:33.809 --> 00:08:42.450 your life. Jesus said in Matthew 12, 34, Out 00:08:42.450 --> 00:08:44.090 of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will 00:08:44.090 --> 00:08:50.009 speak. Your words reveal your garden. If anger 00:08:50.009 --> 00:08:52.629 is constantly coming out, somewhere in your garden 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:58.389 of your heart, anger is growing. If fear is constantly 00:08:58.389 --> 00:09:01.210 coming out, fear has rooted itself in the garden 00:09:01.210 --> 00:09:05.230 of your heart. If worship is coming out, intimacy 00:09:05.230 --> 00:09:09.590 with the Father is growing. And if faith is coming 00:09:09.590 --> 00:09:15.120 out, the Word of God has taken root in you. The 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.440 Holy Spirit wants to cultivate your inner life 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:23.039 together with you. The term I talk about a lot 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:27.580 is revival. It's in me. But revival never starts 00:09:27.580 --> 00:09:30.580 here on a platform. It doesn't start with a man 00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:33.419 speaking up here, projecting you in the direction 00:09:33.419 --> 00:09:36.419 that God wants to go. It starts in the condition 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:40.269 of our inner being. or in each one of our individual 00:09:40.269 --> 00:09:47.669 hearts. And not everything deserves access to 00:09:47.669 --> 00:09:51.370 your heart. This is where putting up the proper 00:09:51.370 --> 00:09:54.450 boundaries becomes necessary in the act of safeguarding 00:09:54.450 --> 00:09:57.830 your garden. Because whatever enters your garden 00:09:57.830 --> 00:10:01.690 will do one of two things. It will bear fruit, 00:10:01.809 --> 00:10:05.549 or it will come to choke out the fruit that is 00:10:05.549 --> 00:10:12.259 supposed to be growing there. Point number one, 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.460 the heart is sacred ground. Point number two, 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:19.340 weeds must be removed before they take over. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:29.139 You know, at one point in my life, I had, how 00:10:29.139 --> 00:10:33.600 do I say this? It wasn't a conscious thing that 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.679 I did, but I had brought myself to a place of 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:42.320 compartmentalizing my heart. where I had said, 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:44.620 well, God, you can have these three quarters 00:10:44.620 --> 00:10:48.360 of my heart, but this part over here, I'm just 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:49.919 going to keep that for a little bit to myself. 00:10:51.340 --> 00:10:55.919 And in doing so, I wasn't giving God the fullness 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:00.139 of my heart. And when we're talking about a garden, 00:11:00.259 --> 00:11:04.340 practically what does a garden look like? It's 00:11:04.340 --> 00:11:07.159 compartmentalized. You know, you might be growing 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:10.519 tomatoes over here. And you've compartmentalized 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:13.460 that off. You might be growing radishes over 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:16.580 here and it has its own way of being rowed out 00:11:16.580 --> 00:11:22.460 and grown. But God wants every single part. Not 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:24.620 that you would compartmentalize and give him 00:11:24.620 --> 00:11:37.840 a portion. So remember that. As we continue to 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:39.500 talk about the weeds that are growing, because 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:41.679 it's important that we're not compartmentalizing 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:46.519 our heart. Weeds never really announce themselves. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.080 You know? If you look at your yard or your garden, 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:55.419 like, a weed didn't say, hey, I'm a weed, here 00:11:55.419 --> 00:12:00.980 I am. It just starts to grow. But it starts as 00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:04.740 a tiny root. Right? Something that you can't 00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:09.009 necessarily see. A small hurt, a disappointment, 00:12:09.470 --> 00:12:14.629 an unanswered prayer, a betrayal, a church wound. 00:12:14.950 --> 00:12:17.250 How many of you have had church wounds before? 00:12:18.070 --> 00:12:21.309 Yeah, it's a real deal. It starts as a delay, 00:12:21.509 --> 00:12:29.289 or it can start in many other ways. But if left 00:12:29.289 --> 00:12:33.370 untreated, weeds will spread to the entirety 00:12:33.370 --> 00:12:39.649 of the garden. You may even think to begin with 00:12:39.649 --> 00:12:42.629 that you can keep the weed, if you keep it compartmentalized 00:12:42.629 --> 00:12:50.009 into one section of your heart. But what happens 00:12:50.009 --> 00:12:52.950 over time, as Scripture says, a bitter root will 00:12:52.950 --> 00:12:55.889 spring up to defile many. Or you could almost 00:12:55.889 --> 00:12:59.190 say that in a way, when referring to your own 00:12:59.190 --> 00:13:03.149 personal heart, that a root will grow up to consume 00:13:03.149 --> 00:13:05.690 the entirety of the heart if left unchecked. 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:15.860 This is why we can prophesy. We can prophesy 00:13:15.860 --> 00:13:20.460 and still harbor jealousy. Or someone can sing 00:13:20.460 --> 00:13:24.059 from the stage with a beautiful voice and still 00:13:24.059 --> 00:13:27.480 have a hidden inner pride within themselves because 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:31.100 they've allowed the Lord to guide them in one 00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:33.799 direction, but they've compartmentalized and 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:37.679 kept something rooted as a weed in another part 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:43.639 of their heart. But God is not impressed with 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:46.620 our giftedness unless there's holiness that's 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:49.840 brought with it. And what does He desire more 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:52.860 than anything for us? That our hearts would be 00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:56.919 made whole. Right? This is part of the reason 00:13:56.919 --> 00:14:00.000 why Jesus died on the cross. That we would be 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:03.200 brought into wholeness. The word sozo, which 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:07.240 means salvation, actually means healing. Not 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:13.070 only for our spirit, for our mind, our body, 00:14:13.169 --> 00:14:19.289 and our soul, which includes the heart. And the 00:14:19.289 --> 00:14:22.590 Holy Spirit will bring conviction into our lives 00:14:22.590 --> 00:14:25.070 because He loves us too much to leave weeds growing 00:14:25.070 --> 00:14:30.269 in the soil of our garden. So in Psalm 139, David 00:14:30.269 --> 00:14:34.889 prayed this prayer. Psalm 139, verse 23 and 24. 00:14:36.710 --> 00:14:39.110 He said, Search me, O God, and know my heart. 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:43.539 Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out 00:14:43.539 --> 00:14:46.899 anything in me that offends you and lead me along 00:14:46.899 --> 00:14:52.580 the path of everlasting life. This was both a 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:56.700 heartfelt and dangerous prayer. Why do you think 00:14:56.700 --> 00:15:02.220 that? Because when the Holy Spirit searches you, 00:15:02.340 --> 00:15:08.980 He exposes what's hidden. He exposes wrong motives. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:13.539 He exposes hidden sin. He exposes pride. He exposes 00:15:13.539 --> 00:15:16.620 unforgiveness. And He exposes secret compromise. 00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:22.240 Amongst many other things. But His exposure isn't 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:26.960 meant as a form of rejection. Just because the 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.080 Holy Spirit is exposing things in you doesn't 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:33.240 mean the Father is rejecting you. The Holy Spirit's 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:35.320 exposure of those areas is meant for the purpose 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:39.419 of healing us. God will reveal what He intends 00:15:39.419 --> 00:15:42.299 to remove from your life. And the Holy Spirit 00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:45.580 will put His finger on areas we've either ignored 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:48.840 or may not even know are there so that He can 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:53.279 heal us entirely. This is not to shame you or 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:57.559 condemn you. But He does so because your destiny 00:15:57.559 --> 00:15:59.940 is too important to let weeds choke out your 00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:06.580 purpose. And remember this. You cannot merely 00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:11.100 trim the weeds. You must uproot them. If you 00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:13.340 trim them out of a garden, practically what happens? 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:16.159 They spring right back up. But if you cut them 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.360 off at the root, they're not going to grow back. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:24.179 But how do you uproot weeds? Uproot the weeds 00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:26.100 that have sprung up in the garden of your heart? 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:34.019 To uproot the weeds that grow in the garden of 00:16:34.019 --> 00:16:39.019 your heart, it takes repentance. Sometimes deliverance 00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:44.100 is needed. Fasting will help you uproot the weeds. 00:16:44.980 --> 00:16:48.980 Forgiveness is a huge weapon to uprooting the 00:16:48.980 --> 00:16:51.779 weeds that have grown in your heart. Having an 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:55.100 accountability system is important because others 00:16:55.100 --> 00:16:57.759 can hold you accountable where you cannot sometimes 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:02.360 hold yourself accountable. Through the place 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.220 of prayer. What did Jesus say? My house shall 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:08.799 be called a house of prayer. Well, we are the 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.420 housing of the Holy Spirit. So we have to have 00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:16.299 that deep -seated place of prayer. And for one 00:17:16.299 --> 00:17:18.759 of the most important ways in my life that I've 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.160 been able to uproot weeds that have grown in 00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:25.319 the garden of my heart is by complete surrender 00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:28.240 to the leading and directing of the Holy Spirit. 00:17:34.730 --> 00:17:39.009 Point number three. The garden must be watered 00:17:39.009 --> 00:17:44.630 by the Holy Spirit. John 7, verse 38 and 39. 00:17:45.630 --> 00:17:48.569 Jesus said, out of his belly shall flow rivers 00:17:48.569 --> 00:17:53.170 of living water. When the heart of a man or woman 00:17:53.170 --> 00:17:55.849 isn't being watered by the Spirit, it becomes 00:17:55.849 --> 00:18:00.750 dry and nothing can properly flow from it. A 00:18:00.750 --> 00:18:05.410 dry heart becomes vulnerable. What happens when 00:18:05.410 --> 00:18:08.690 a garden lacks water? Four things will take place. 00:18:10.710 --> 00:18:16.890 Soil will harden. Fruit will wither. Growth will 00:18:16.890 --> 00:18:23.109 stop. And weeds will spread easier. So spiritually, 00:18:23.369 --> 00:18:26.470 many believers become dehydrated because they 00:18:26.470 --> 00:18:28.630 lack the daily discipline to spend time allowing 00:18:28.630 --> 00:18:30.410 the garden of their heart to be watered by the 00:18:30.410 --> 00:18:36.690 Holy Spirit. We attend church on a Sunday, but 00:18:36.690 --> 00:18:38.829 do not drink from God personally throughout the 00:18:38.829 --> 00:18:42.730 week at times. And I know not all of us do this. 00:18:42.849 --> 00:18:45.650 And most of you in this room, you don't do this. 00:18:45.970 --> 00:18:48.529 But it is a place that we can get stuck in if 00:18:48.529 --> 00:18:52.970 we're not careful. God never intended Christianity 00:18:52.970 --> 00:18:58.349 to survive on one touch a week. The Holy Spirit 00:18:58.349 --> 00:19:01.349 wants daily communion from us. And it's a daily 00:19:01.349 --> 00:19:03.769 discipline to give him the necessary time needed 00:19:03.769 --> 00:19:08.490 to water the garden of our hearts. In Ezekiel 00:19:08.490 --> 00:19:13.869 47, Ezekiel, how many of you guys know this passage? 00:19:14.369 --> 00:19:18.029 It's the river flowing from the temple. And in 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:20.470 many translations, if you read the subheading 00:19:20.470 --> 00:19:23.130 of that chapter, it says the river of healing. 00:19:24.470 --> 00:19:26.829 Well, Ezekiel was essentially seeing the river 00:19:26.829 --> 00:19:30.299 of God flowing from the temple of God. And there's 00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:33.779 a key phrase there when referring to the river 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:36.500 that it speaks of. I'm not exactly sure the reference. 00:19:36.579 --> 00:19:39.480 You'll have to go back and read it, maybe. But 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:42.480 as he's seeing this river flowing from the temple, 00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:47.200 what does he say? Everything that it touched 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:54.299 was brought to life. So that river that Ezekiel 00:19:54.299 --> 00:19:57.079 saw flowing from the throne is very similar, 00:19:57.079 --> 00:19:59.779 if not the same, as the river of living water 00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:04.420 that flows through us. And what happens when 00:20:04.420 --> 00:20:07.920 the Holy Spirit flows through us? Dead things 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:12.359 revive. Passions return. Your joy comes back. 00:20:12.940 --> 00:20:17.339 Discernment sharpens. Love increases. And hunger 00:20:17.339 --> 00:20:23.680 for the things of God grows. But some hearts 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:26.400 become dry because they become clogged with distractions. 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:31.000 You know the world is full of all kinds of things 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:32.759 that are trying to pull us in this direction 00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:35.859 or pull us in this direction when God has planted 00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:43.019 and saying, stay right here. This is why prayer 00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:45.240 and time spent communing with the Holy Spirit 00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:49.000 daily is key. Because the Holy Spirit has the 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:52.339 ability to step in and soften the places that 00:20:52.339 --> 00:20:59.279 we've allowed to become hardened. There are wounds 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:02.819 that only the Spirit can heal. There are fears 00:21:02.819 --> 00:21:06.920 only the Spirit can remove. There are chains 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:09.240 only the anointing of the Holy Spirit can break. 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:13.779 For us to safeguard the garden of our hearts, 00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:16.160 it takes allowing the Holy Spirit to water us 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:20.119 with the living water that brings life. And then 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:23.539 the outflow of it from us will bring an expansion 00:21:23.539 --> 00:21:28.589 of life to the world around us. So practical 00:21:28.589 --> 00:21:35.410 ways to water the garden. Daily prayer. Worship. 00:21:37.769 --> 00:21:47.009 Fasting. The reading of Scripture. Praying in 00:21:47.009 --> 00:21:52.430 the Spirit, if you pray in the Spirit. Silence 00:21:52.430 --> 00:21:59.549 and solitude before God. And one of the most 00:21:59.549 --> 00:22:03.289 important, as the Scripture tells us, God desires 00:22:03.289 --> 00:22:08.809 obedience over sacrifice. Obedience to the Holy 00:22:08.809 --> 00:22:14.609 Spirit's conviction. You can do all these other 00:22:14.609 --> 00:22:17.589 things. You can daily pray. You can worship. 00:22:17.769 --> 00:22:19.650 You can fast. You can read Scripture. You can 00:22:19.650 --> 00:22:21.490 pray in the Spirit. You can have silence and 00:22:21.490 --> 00:22:25.230 solitude before God. But if you don't obey the 00:22:25.230 --> 00:22:28.839 Holy Spirit's conviction, You still missed it. 00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:35.599 And the more time you spend with God, the more 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:44.000 your heart becomes fertile ground. Point number 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:50.099 four. What you protect today determines what 00:22:50.099 --> 00:22:55.220 you produce tomorrow. Say that again. What you 00:22:55.220 --> 00:22:58.309 protect today will determine what you produce 00:22:58.309 --> 00:23:14.029 tomorrow. Galatians 6 -7, Eli. We're going to 00:23:14.029 --> 00:23:17.609 focus on the last part. In the translation that 00:23:17.609 --> 00:23:20.549 I've read it out of, it says, Whatsoever a man 00:23:20.549 --> 00:23:23.329 soweth, this is probably King James, Whatsoever 00:23:23.329 --> 00:23:29.329 a man soweth, That shall he also reap. So we're 00:23:29.329 --> 00:23:31.930 talking about what you protect today determines 00:23:31.930 --> 00:23:34.970 what you produce tomorrow. Whatever you sow now 00:23:34.970 --> 00:23:37.430 into the garden of your heart or allow to be 00:23:37.430 --> 00:23:39.730 sown into the garden of your heart will spring 00:23:39.730 --> 00:23:43.990 up in production tomorrow or in a future season. 00:23:45.829 --> 00:23:51.490 Every heart is producing something. Your future 00:23:51.490 --> 00:23:55.150 is growing in your heart right now. The enemy 00:23:55.150 --> 00:23:57.190 knows this, that if he can corrupt your heart, 00:23:57.309 --> 00:24:04.470 he can also delay your destiny. This is why Satan 00:24:04.470 --> 00:24:07.549 fights your prayer life. He attacks marriages. 00:24:07.829 --> 00:24:11.910 He sends distractions. He targets what's pure 00:24:11.910 --> 00:24:16.250 and holy. And this is why he wants Christians 00:24:16.250 --> 00:24:20.589 to become spiritually numb. Because the heart 00:24:20.589 --> 00:24:25.910 ultimately determines the harvest. But every 00:24:25.910 --> 00:24:29.450 harvest begins in a seed form. So let's talk 00:24:29.450 --> 00:24:31.369 about that for a moment because seeds matter. 00:24:33.269 --> 00:24:36.190 Every day you plant seeds or you're allowing 00:24:36.190 --> 00:24:40.230 seeds to be planted into you. Words are seeds. 00:24:40.450 --> 00:24:44.049 Thoughts are seeds. Habits are seeds. Relationships 00:24:44.049 --> 00:24:49.250 are seeds. The media you watch is a seed. Worship 00:24:49.250 --> 00:24:56.099 is a seed. Your prayer is a seed. And eventually, 00:24:56.180 --> 00:25:02.099 every seed will bear fruit in its kind. If you 00:25:02.099 --> 00:25:05.039 sow compromise, corruption grows. If you sow 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:09.599 worship, intimacy grows. If you sow faith, miracles 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:13.799 will be produced. If you sow in obedience, favor 00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:17.640 with God and favor with man will grow. These 00:25:17.640 --> 00:25:20.619 are spiritual principles that we have to apply 00:25:20.619 --> 00:25:25.569 in our life. Because whatever a man sows in the 00:25:25.569 --> 00:25:28.009 garden of his heart, that also he will reap. 00:25:29.670 --> 00:25:32.890 Let me ask you this. What are you allowing to 00:25:32.890 --> 00:25:44.549 be sown into the garden of your heart? In the 00:25:44.549 --> 00:25:46.950 Bible, there were two gardens that were represented. 00:25:47.490 --> 00:25:50.730 We talk about most consistently. The Garden of 00:25:50.730 --> 00:25:54.940 Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane. Well, the 00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:59.000 first Adam failed in the Garden of Eden. But 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:01.319 Jesus won victory in a garden called Gethsemane 00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:06.359 for us. In Gethsemane, Jesus surrendered his 00:26:06.359 --> 00:26:09.400 own will. He crushed the temptation that had 00:26:09.400 --> 00:26:12.299 come against his life. He chose obedience to 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:14.259 the Father even though it meant death on a cross. 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:18.259 And he protected the mission that he was sent 00:26:18.259 --> 00:26:23.480 to earth to fulfill. Because of his obedience, 00:26:24.359 --> 00:26:27.380 Our hearts have now become a garden where the 00:26:27.380 --> 00:26:35.720 Spirit of God dwells. We are called to be a people 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:38.079 of consecration and obedience who live a life 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:41.099 of faith and bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 00:26:42.779 --> 00:26:45.900 Not performance -based. Not religion -based. 00:26:47.859 --> 00:26:54.140 This is not an empty routine. But that we have 00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:58.940 hearts fully yielded to God. And He is raising 00:26:58.940 --> 00:27:04.480 a people that have clean hands, pure hearts, 00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:09.279 sharp discernment, holy boldness, and know their 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:14.559 spiritual authority. Because the next move of 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:18.460 God will not come through talented people. It 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:20.140 will come through those who have safeguarded 00:27:20.140 --> 00:27:24.640 the garden of their hearts. And are walking upright 00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:28.539 and blameless. Living holy. And are cultivating 00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:31.400 inwardly first what God desires. So that the 00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:34.759 outflow of what's in them will be the harvest 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:37.180 that he paid for when Christ went to the cross. 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:42.799 Remember our scripture from the beginning, Proverbs 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:49.119 4 .23. Above all else, guard your hearts. This 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:54.180 is not casual effort. It's not giving occasional 00:27:54.180 --> 00:27:59.559 attention to it. It takes diligence. Because 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:03.460 your heart carries your calling, your worship, 00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:08.299 your relationships, your discernment, your future, 00:28:08.420 --> 00:28:11.700 and most importantly, your intimacy with God. 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:17.599 And if the enemy can't destroy you openly, he 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.099 will try to poison the garden of your heart. 00:28:22.509 --> 00:28:24.809 But in our efforts to cultivate and safeguard 00:28:24.809 --> 00:28:27.769 our hearts, we have to remember it cannot be 00:28:27.769 --> 00:28:30.369 done by our own power or might, as the Scripture 00:28:30.369 --> 00:28:34.809 says, but only by His Spirit and by partnering 00:28:34.809 --> 00:28:38.569 with His Spirit. So this morning, I feel like 00:28:38.569 --> 00:28:40.670 the Holy Spirit would love to help us set up 00:28:40.670 --> 00:28:44.009 the safeguards necessary to protect what He desires 00:28:44.009 --> 00:28:49.630 for our hearts. So practically, how can we do 00:28:49.630 --> 00:28:52.480 this? This will be... The second set of four 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:56.940 points for this message. These are practical 00:28:56.940 --> 00:29:00.680 and simple. Since it's a family Sunday and the 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:03.119 kids are here, this will be easy for you to remember. 00:29:03.579 --> 00:29:11.759 Number one, know the Word of God. When you know 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:14.019 the Word of God deeply, it cannot be used against 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:17.839 you. And it will be easier to pick out a counterfeit 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:22.009 that's trying to sow weeds into the garden. If 00:29:22.009 --> 00:29:24.089 Satan tried to use the very word of God against 00:29:24.089 --> 00:29:26.829 Jesus, then he will also try to use it against 00:29:26.829 --> 00:29:32.210 us as well. He is the ultimate twister of Scripture. 00:29:33.630 --> 00:29:35.670 But when you know the word, it becomes a weapon 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:39.890 against the forces of darkness. Remember that 00:29:39.890 --> 00:29:41.730 the Scripture tells us to put on the armor of 00:29:41.730 --> 00:29:44.609 God, helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, 00:29:45.089 --> 00:29:47.990 belt of truth, feet covered in the gospel of 00:29:47.990 --> 00:29:51.380 peace, shield of faith in one hand. and most 00:29:51.380 --> 00:29:53.380 importantly, well not, they're all important, 00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:56.660 but the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word 00:29:56.660 --> 00:30:01.980 of God. When your sword is sharp, it can more 00:30:01.980 --> 00:30:04.259 easily cut down the weeds that have been sown 00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:08.140 unsuspectingly in your garden. So practical ways 00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:11.039 we can do this. Number one, know the Word of 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:14.579 God. Number two, stay grounded and rooted in 00:30:14.579 --> 00:30:20.539 truth. This is highly important. The truth shall 00:30:20.539 --> 00:30:23.539 set you free. I have a hard time saying that. 00:30:24.259 --> 00:30:27.359 It's kind of like a tongue twister. But in some 00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:31.279 translations, this verse actually says the truth 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:34.799 will make you free. Right? There's a difference 00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:37.400 there. Setting something free is like opening 00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:41.660 the cage that you've been trapped in. You have 00:30:41.660 --> 00:30:43.740 the ability to choose to walk in and walk out. 00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:46.539 But when the translation actually says the truth 00:30:46.539 --> 00:30:49.799 will make you free, it means like, He's going 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:56.559 to pull you into that freedom. So staying grounded 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:00.319 and rooted in the truth is important. That freedom 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:02.819 that he's leading us into is a license to live 00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:06.740 a holy life. It is what I would call the chain 00:31:06.740 --> 00:31:10.380 breaker. When there's a pure revelation of truth 00:31:10.380 --> 00:31:12.180 that takes root in the garden of our hearts, 00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:16.480 strongholds are broken. Things we've dealt with 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:19.450 for years are uprooted. And freedom is laid hold 00:31:19.450 --> 00:31:23.289 of that can be attained no other way than by 00:31:23.289 --> 00:31:28.009 receiving the truth. And the Holy Spirit, as 00:31:28.009 --> 00:31:31.509 Scripture says, will lead us into all truth, 00:31:31.750 --> 00:31:38.750 right? He's not directing us. He's leading. When 00:31:38.750 --> 00:31:41.390 the trees within your garden are rooted in truth, 00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:44.109 it gives them the spiritual nutrients necessary 00:31:44.109 --> 00:31:47.940 to produce good fruit. But if you're allowing 00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:50.339 just anything to creep in and the soil to become 00:31:50.339 --> 00:31:53.500 contaminated with that which isn't true, the 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:55.759 very root system itself of those trees will be 00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.259 tainted and the fruit that grows from them will 00:31:58.259 --> 00:32:01.200 not be good fruit. So it's important that you 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:03.359 cultivate the soil of the garden of your heart 00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:07.539 and make sure that it's ample and able to produce 00:32:07.539 --> 00:32:11.700 the nutrients that the trees of your life are 00:32:11.700 --> 00:32:18.279 producing for good fruit. And as Scripture says, 00:32:18.339 --> 00:32:20.700 we are called to worship Him in spirit and in 00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:24.059 truth. As we're talking about staying grounded 00:32:24.059 --> 00:32:27.720 and rooted in truth, this is key for us. To worship 00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:31.299 Him in spirit and in truth. Worship is a lifestyle. 00:32:33.079 --> 00:32:35.339 It's not just something we do once in a while 00:32:35.339 --> 00:32:38.900 when listening to music. It's the way we live 00:32:38.900 --> 00:32:42.539 our lives in proximity to Him. You can tell someone 00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:44.740 is a true worshiper who has really been with 00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:48.380 the Father. I can see it when someone walks in 00:32:48.380 --> 00:32:51.960 the room. You feel the presence on them? That 00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:55.059 man has been with Jesus. And I can also tell 00:32:55.059 --> 00:33:02.380 when someone hasn't. Worshiping in spirit and 00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:04.299 in truth will set the tone of the atmosphere 00:33:04.299 --> 00:33:08.880 within the garden of your heart. It clears out 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:12.950 and purifies the air. When you're around someone 00:33:12.950 --> 00:33:15.170 that lives in an atmosphere of worship, you can't 00:33:15.170 --> 00:33:17.109 help but sense the very presence of the Lord 00:33:17.109 --> 00:33:24.250 radiating from their life. So as we move to point 00:33:24.250 --> 00:33:27.809 three, let's do a recap. Know the Word. Stay 00:33:27.809 --> 00:33:31.809 grounded and rooted in truth. Number three, develop 00:33:31.809 --> 00:33:35.329 a life based on prayer and the fear of the Lord. 00:33:37.990 --> 00:33:40.670 Prayer is the basis of a powerful Christian life. 00:33:42.539 --> 00:33:45.160 Where there is life of a Christian without prayer, 00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:50.119 there is little power. Prayer is the connecting 00:33:50.119 --> 00:33:54.180 force between us and God. We are called to pray 00:33:54.180 --> 00:33:57.359 at all times. It is through the power of prayer 00:33:57.359 --> 00:33:59.319 that we have the ability to safeguard the garden 00:33:59.319 --> 00:34:02.720 of our hearts because prayer will act as a wall 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:06.019 that surrounds that garden and is used to keep 00:34:06.019 --> 00:34:10.059 in what is good and pleasing and right and to 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:13.199 keep out what is unholy. unhealthy, and unnecessary. 00:34:16.300 --> 00:34:20.260 The fear of the Lord leads us into wisdom. But 00:34:20.260 --> 00:34:23.380 without having a healthy fear of who God is, 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:29.659 we cannot act in the wisdom of God. His wisdom 00:34:29.659 --> 00:34:31.800 is what will give us the keen insight on how 00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:34.000 to truly cultivate the garden of our hearts. 00:34:34.820 --> 00:34:38.380 And without that wisdom, we may not know how 00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:43.590 to fully cultivate it. It will help us to know 00:34:43.590 --> 00:34:48.269 what to add where, what to plant, what to uproot, 00:34:48.409 --> 00:34:52.489 when to harvest, what to set boundaries against, 00:34:52.750 --> 00:34:56.010 and to whom to actually give access to our lives. 00:34:57.909 --> 00:35:01.849 Wisdom was the greatest of all things. King Solomon, 00:35:02.030 --> 00:35:06.909 let's think back. 1 Kings 3. I don't have an 00:35:06.909 --> 00:35:18.420 exact reference, Eli, sorry. 1 Kings 3. Solomon 00:35:18.420 --> 00:35:21.820 could have asked God for anything, yet he asked 00:35:21.820 --> 00:35:28.260 for wisdom. But more accurately, we always say 00:35:28.260 --> 00:35:30.539 Solomon asked for wisdom, but more accurately 00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:32.980 what the translation of this scripture says is, 00:35:33.099 --> 00:35:38.039 he asked for a discerning heart to govern God's 00:35:38.039 --> 00:35:40.920 people and to distinguish what was right from 00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:44.139 what was wrong. And that was what God attributed 00:35:44.139 --> 00:35:48.360 to being wisdom. being able to discern and know 00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:53.719 what is right from what is wrong. And God said 00:35:53.719 --> 00:35:55.820 to him, because he asked for this, that he would 00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:59.539 also give him what he did not ask for, wealth, 00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:04.599 honor, and victory. Because he was faithful to 00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:06.679 ask for the one thing that God desired him to 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:09.900 have the most, he was also going to receive an 00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:18.769 abundance of other things as well. But that wisdom 00:36:18.769 --> 00:36:21.210 that Solomon asked for or the discerning heart 00:36:21.210 --> 00:36:25.869 is necessary for us today. That we would be a 00:36:25.869 --> 00:36:28.449 people that govern rightly and have a keen ability 00:36:28.449 --> 00:36:30.690 to distinguish what is right from what is wrong 00:36:30.690 --> 00:36:34.889 or even what is almost right. And it starts by 00:36:34.889 --> 00:36:37.869 remaining in a place of reverence towards God. 00:36:40.250 --> 00:36:43.150 So know the word, stay grounded and rooted in 00:36:43.150 --> 00:36:46.730 truth. Develop a life based on prayer and the 00:36:46.730 --> 00:36:50.929 fear of the Lord. And number four, test everything 00:36:50.929 --> 00:36:56.809 biblically. Why do you think we need to test 00:36:56.809 --> 00:37:01.429 everything biblically? I don't have to have an 00:37:01.429 --> 00:37:08.190 answer. Because 1 John 4 says to do so. It tells 00:37:08.190 --> 00:37:12.409 us to test every spirit. And we are not just 00:37:12.409 --> 00:37:15.469 to take... what we hear spoken as ultimate truth, 00:37:15.750 --> 00:37:18.389 even when it's coming from a trusted shepherd 00:37:18.389 --> 00:37:21.789 like me. Don't take it as ultimate truth. Take 00:37:21.789 --> 00:37:24.369 it back to the Word. Test it, as the Scripture 00:37:24.369 --> 00:37:27.289 says, to make sure it aligns with the Word of 00:37:27.289 --> 00:37:30.949 God, whether it's me or another person up here 00:37:30.949 --> 00:37:33.489 speaking. Take it back to the Word of God and 00:37:33.489 --> 00:37:36.230 test it against the Scripture. And if it doesn't 00:37:36.230 --> 00:37:46.239 line up, don't receive it. And the reason for 00:37:46.239 --> 00:37:48.440 taking it back to the Word and testing it is 00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:52.980 to make sure it's pure and right. Because not 00:37:52.980 --> 00:37:55.800 everything spiritual is led by the Holy Spirit. 00:37:58.300 --> 00:38:00.960 Testing what you hear also goes right along with 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:04.300 our first point, to know the Word. Because as 00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:06.719 believers, we are instructed to evaluate and 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:11.019 know those who are laboring amongst us by using 00:38:11.019 --> 00:38:14.030 Scripture as the standard. to ensure that they 00:38:14.030 --> 00:38:17.929 are aligning with God's Word. You wouldn't just 00:38:17.929 --> 00:38:20.869 let someone come into your garden with you that 00:38:20.869 --> 00:38:22.989 you've been working on all season without first 00:38:22.989 --> 00:38:27.210 evaluating their ability to do the work and make 00:38:27.210 --> 00:38:29.090 sure they were going to care for it properly, 00:38:29.250 --> 00:38:35.449 would you? Why then would you not evaluate what 00:38:35.449 --> 00:38:37.349 you hear to make sure it's in proper alignment 00:38:37.349 --> 00:38:40.309 with God's Word so as to not just agree with 00:38:40.309 --> 00:38:43.119 every wind and wave of doctrine? but to know 00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:45.380 for sure that you are aligning with what is true 00:38:45.380 --> 00:38:51.940 and pure concerning the Word of the Lord. So 00:38:51.940 --> 00:38:56.659 as we close out, let's recap. The heart is sacred 00:38:56.659 --> 00:39:00.820 ground. Weeds must be removed before they take 00:39:00.820 --> 00:39:04.340 over. The garden must be watered by the Holy 00:39:04.340 --> 00:39:08.239 Spirit. What you protect today determines what 00:39:08.239 --> 00:39:12.190 you produce tomorrow. So practically, Know the 00:39:12.190 --> 00:39:15.630 Word. Stay grounded and rooted in truth. Develop 00:39:15.630 --> 00:39:18.510 a life of prayer and the fear of the Lord. And 00:39:18.510 --> 00:39:24.230 test everything biblically. Protect your prayer 00:39:24.230 --> 00:39:28.389 life. Protect your purity. Protect your peace. 00:39:29.190 --> 00:39:33.449 And protect your worship. Protect the intimacy 00:39:33.449 --> 00:39:37.650 that you have with God. Because what grows in 00:39:37.650 --> 00:39:40.349 your heart will eventually shape your destiny. 00:39:46.219 --> 00:39:50.460 So if you are here today and you want the Holy 00:39:50.460 --> 00:39:54.539 Spirit to come in and help you safeguard the 00:39:54.539 --> 00:39:57.780 garden of your heart in a greater way, some of 00:39:57.780 --> 00:40:01.079 you do this in an amazing way already. But if 00:40:01.079 --> 00:40:03.599 you're here today and you want to make a commitment 00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:07.280 to allowing the Holy Spirit to help you manage 00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:09.579 the garden of your heart a little bit better, 00:40:09.619 --> 00:40:21.650 would you stand with me? So we're going to pray 00:40:21.650 --> 00:40:23.449 and we're going to ask the Holy Spirit to come 00:40:23.449 --> 00:40:29.030 in and be our helper today. He's always our helper, 00:40:29.090 --> 00:40:31.070 but we need Him in this because we can't do it 00:40:31.070 --> 00:40:33.869 alone. And then we're going to have a time of 00:40:33.869 --> 00:40:37.949 baptisms, which is my favorite thing. So Father, 00:40:38.010 --> 00:40:41.670 today as we close out our service, we just thank 00:40:41.670 --> 00:40:43.769 You for the helper that You've sent, the promised 00:40:43.769 --> 00:40:47.590 Holy Spirit, that He leads us into all truth. 00:40:47.869 --> 00:40:53.630 He sets us free. and He convicts us of sin. But 00:40:53.630 --> 00:40:55.949 Lord, as we're talking this morning about safeguarding 00:40:55.949 --> 00:40:59.389 the garden of our hearts, we pray that the Helper, 00:40:59.489 --> 00:41:02.989 the Holy Spirit, would come in and help us in 00:41:02.989 --> 00:41:06.329 this season to better manage and better safeguard 00:41:06.329 --> 00:41:10.590 our gardens so that our hearts can be whole and 00:41:10.590 --> 00:41:13.409 pure, allowing in only that which is good and 00:41:13.409 --> 00:41:15.909 pleasing and perfect to You. and pushing aside 00:41:15.909 --> 00:41:19.329 everything else that is unhealthy, unholy, and 00:41:19.329 --> 00:41:22.710 unnecessary for our lives. So, Father, we know 00:41:22.710 --> 00:41:27.949 that this can only be done by you. So we release 00:41:27.949 --> 00:41:31.710 our lives to you. We submit them to you. And 00:41:31.710 --> 00:41:34.510 we say, come and have your way in each one of 00:41:34.510 --> 00:41:35.929 us. In Jesus' name, amen.