LFLG - Part 1

As a coming year unfolds, it feels like standing at the edge of a 'Promised Land' full of potential and fast-paced demands. Yet, before the busyness takes over, our new series, Lessons for Loving God, invites us to pause. To love God truly, we must begin exactly where He begins: at the center of our affections—the heart.

In Deuteronomy 6, Moses gave Israel the Shema—a call to "hear and obey." He knew that when life gets comfortable, our hearts tend to drift. We don't usually stop loving God all at once; we simply become distracted by "full tables and secure homes."

The biblical heart (levav) is your life’s control center. It’s where your affections, desires, and decisions are made. If your heart isn't right, your service, your learning, and your neighbor-love will eventually lack power. To love God with all your heart is to move from the "tummy-rub nation" of seeking our own comfort to a life of "obedient hearing."

Let’s not just make resolutions; let’s build rhythms. Whether it’s through gratitude logging, habit tracking, or consistent prayer, let’s train our hearts to notice God’s presence in the small joys and the big milestones alike.

Live in knowledge, not "forgetting." Take each day as a fresh start, guard your heart, and let everything you do flow from a place of love for Him.

The 31-Day Challenge - to help you "guard your heart", choose one of the following tools to implement in a simple notebook or journal:

1. The Gratitude Log: Every evening, write down three specific things from the day you are grateful for. Look for the "Small Joys" like a good cup of coffee or a kind word from a colleague.
   
   
2. The Godliness Tracker: Create a simple grid to track your "New Self" habits. Include rows for Bible reading, restful sleep, and physical movement. Use color codes to see your progress at a glance.
   
   
3. The Prayer Journal: Divide a page into three columns: Personal/Family, Church Needs, and Mission/World. Write down specific requests and check them off as you see God move throughout the month.
   
   

This article comes from our Sermon Series Christmas Wish List. The following resources are meant to help you go deeper in this topic of the Gift of Reconciliation.