Heart on SermonAudio

If our hearts don't condemn us we will have confidence that we are children of God and that we can pray effectively

Join us for Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting at Esta Memorial Baptist Church as Bro. Bobby Drury preaches on "Set Your Heart"!

The devotional centers on Psalm 50:14–15, 23, emphasizing that genuine prayer is rooted in a heart of gratitude, faithful obedience, and trust in God's sovereignty during trials. It teaches that a 'sacrifice of thanksgiving' is not merely ritual but a deliberate, heartfelt act of the will—offering praise even in hardship, as gratitude is both a divine command and a spiritual discipline. The message underscores the importance of keeping vows to God, recognizing the weight of promises, and calling upon Him in distress, trusting that He will deliver and be glorified through our response. Drawing from personal testimony and biblical truth, it illustrates how suffering, when surrendered to God, becomes a means of spiritual preparation and testimony, enabling believers to minister to others who endure similar pain. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a life marked by continual thankfulness, not because circumstances are easy, but because God is faithful, sovereign, and worthy of praise in all things.

In today's chaotic digital age, our spiritual well-being can easily become compromised by the overwhelming influence of social media. Platforms like TikTok, while providing valuable connections and resources, can also lead us into a cycle of comparison, distraction, and even sin. As we engage with these platforms, we risk losing sight of our spiritual priorities. Scripture reminds us in Hebrews 10:24-25 of the importance of gathering as a community, emphasizing that online interactions can never replace the depth offered by in-person fellowship. The allure of social media can distract us from our devotion to God, leading to spiritual neglect, as outlined in 2 Timothy 3:1-7, which warns of a culture that prioritizes self over God. We must reflect on how our digital consumption shapes our hearts and actions. Are we using these tools to build others up, or are we allowing them to tear us down? Proverbs 14:1 teaches that wisdom builds up, while folly destroys. As we navigate these platforms, let's take a moment to consider what truly matters and how our digital habits align with God's will.

This sermon explores Joshua chapter 8 as a narrative of divine grace and restoration following Israel's defeat at Ai. It emphasizes that God graciously invites believers to begin again after failure, provided they deal with sin and return to obedience. The text highlights the sovereignty of God in battle, contrasting the strategies of Jericho and Ai to show that victory depends on following His specific instructions rather than human logic. The sermon further examines the theological significance of the altar built on Mount Ebal, arguing that atonement through sacrifice must precede fellowship and peace, a principle fulfilled in Christ. Finally, it connects the covenant ceremony at Shechem to the believer's need for the law written on the heart by the Holy Spirit, offering comfort in God's faithfulness and ultimate judgment over evil.

Seven Mountain Mandate teachers argue that Christians must reclaim schools, universities, and educational institutions to advance God's kingdom. Although education profoundly shapes people and cultures, Scripture never defines institutional conquest as the church's mission. Dave Jenkins examines the educational mountain through Deuteronomy 6, Proverbs, Matthew 28, Acts 2, Ephesians 4, and 2 Timothy 3. He explains how God shapes the next generation through faithful parents, biblical wisdom, sound churches, gospel proclamation, and ordinary discipleship. Christians should serve faithfully in education, but influence is not dominion, vocation is not ecclesiology, and institutional control cannot regenerate the human heart. Christ commissioned His church to make disciples, not conquer cultural mountains. For more from Contending for the Word, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

BJU equips students to impact the world as they live for truth, seize opportunities and embrace life experiences. Standing on the authority of the Bible, BJU shapes heads, hearts and backbones for Christ by equipping students to lead lives of integrity and influence others for God's glory. www.bju.edu 143

The sermon examines the inseparable triad of belief, love, and obedience presented in 1 John 5:1-5 as the definitive markers of a genuine Christian life. It argues that true faith is not the cause of salvation but the consequence of being begotten by God, emphasizing that the new birth precedes the capacity to believe. The message insists that authentic agape love for fellow believers is a natural outflow of this new nature, serving as a social test that distinguishes the saved from the unsaved. Furthermore, love is demonstrated through moral obedience to God's commandments, which are described as not grievous but as the evidence of a transformed heart. The sermon concludes by asserting that victory over the world is achieved through this unified testimony of faith, love, and obedience, challenging listeners to examine their own lives against these biblical standards.

Pastor Welder from Bible Believers Baptist Church preached this message at our revival.

Psalms 86:11 "Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name." King James Version