People say to follow your heart. And I agree with that, BUT only with a giant warning. He's the warning...

That makes sense, right?

Oh, and by the way, if you didn't know it, every heart is toxic. Until you let Jesus do his work on you, your heart is toxic. This is because of a nasty little thing called sin.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

Because God's wisdom for you is that first you DETOXIFY your heart, and that's when finally your heart becomes a reliable guide for your life. That's when it's healthy and awesome to follow your heart.

And that is what I'd like to talk about with you today.

My talk today is part 25 in a series called Giant Steps... Steps to wholeness. Steps to abundance. Steps to joy.

"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

This is the giant steps promise God has for us today. It's a "follow your heart" kind of promise with a condition attached.

I want to think with you about how to live in this golden world, the place where God himself gives you the desires of your heart.

So my message to you today is: Step Into God's Detox Program

There are 6 steps.

There is something stirring in your heart that brought you here. That something is the love of God.

Because you're living your life. You're doing your thing. But deep inside you there's a voice calling to you.

The Bible says that God has planted eternity in your heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
The Bible says that "deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7).
St. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You, O God."

Some of you are looking for that rest. But you're not finding it.

That's because every human heart has an infection. 

 

It's an infection to go your own way (Isaiah 53:6).

It's an infection to redefine God or to replace him.

It's an infection called sin, and it's that sin that separates you from God.

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you..." (Isaiah 59:2).

That sin infection is fatal.

All the sorrow. All the sadness. All the guilt. All the shame. All the frustration. All the craziness in your life, is rooted right here in this dark, defiant force of sin.

Why would somebody rebel against God?

Maybe they think he's a Taker.
Maybe they think he's a Control Freak.
Or a bully, or taskmaster...

No. He's none of those things.

He's a Savior. He's the Savior. And the greatest part of his salvation is detox from sin... which he accomplished in three dark hours, when Jesus was nailed to an Old Rugged Cross 2000 years ago on a hill called Calvary.

Jesus Christ is the remedy for your sin. In his crucifixion, he paid the penalty and erased your condemnation. In his resurrection, he set you free and caused your justification.

He did it all, once for all, all by himself, 100 percent.

When it comes to your detox from sin, there is only one thing left for you to do and that is to receive it.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31)
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

Have you ever received Jesus and his salvation?

You can today, and in a few moments I want to walk you through it.

You need to get saved so you can detox from sin, which opens the gate to every other detox in your life.

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)