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Transcript

The Heart of Change · Reformed Thinking

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  Welcome to the Deep Dive, part of the Reformed Thinking Podcast
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  Network. We take your sources and, well,
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  we try to unpack what's most important in them.
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  Think of it as a way to get up to speed quickly with some
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  insights you can really chew on later.
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  Today we're diving into a pretty interesting set of notes and
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  lesson transcript. It's all about understanding
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  yourself, particularly what the Bible calls the inner man, or
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  you know, the heart. It looks at how our feelings,
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  our thoughts, words, actions, how they all connect back to who
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  we really are. Dee down.
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  Yeah, the source material gives us this really solid biblical
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  framework for doing this kind of selfanalysis.
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  The goal is to help you become a better student of your own inner
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  life. And importantly, not based on
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  like pop psychology or the latest self help fad.
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  No, definitely not. It's grounded squarely in
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  Scripture. It kicks off with this great
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  analogy actually about examining a 1970 Chevy truck.
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  Oh yeah, I remember that part. Picture this, the speaker.
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  He's talking about him and his brothers, all college kids,
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  looking at this old truck. The seller probably just expects
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  them to, you know, kick the tires, maybe glance under the
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  hood. The usual quick wants over.
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  But these guys, they show up like they're on a forensic
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  investigation, clipboards, the whole deal.
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  Seriously, clipboards. Apparently.
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  And they're looking at everything, not just the obvious
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  rust spots or Dings. They're crawling underneath,
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  checking the frame, the welds, noting, you know, the subjective
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  stuff too, like how cool it feels, but also the objective
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  facts, paint condition, potential engine problems.
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  They're trying to figure out the real condition of this truck.
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  What's significant versus what's just surface noise?
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  Exactly. The seller was apparently just
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  standing there, totally baffled by how thorough they were being.
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  And that image, that really almost obsessive inspection,
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  that's the picture for how we're supposed to analyze ourselves.
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  Our inner lives specifically. Right, we need to look at all
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  the different aspects, go deeper than the surface to understand
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  the true condition of our inner man.
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  And figure out what's actually significant, what really
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  matters, all viewed through the lens of God's Word.
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  You got it. So all right, buckle up.
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  Let's unpack this material on the heart of change.
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  So First off, the source makes it really clear that when the
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  Bible talks about the heart, it's generally not talking about
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  the physical organ. You know the one pumping blood.
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  No, it's a specific biblical concept.
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  It refers to the inner man. Which is seen as distinct from
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  the visible outer man, your physical body.
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  Right. Scripture often presents humans
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  as having these two main parts, the physical outer part and the
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  non physical inner. Part And this inner man.
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  That's your core. It's your character, your inner
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  life. It covers your deepest desires,
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  your reasons for living, your values.
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  Your whole orientation towards life, really.
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  Yeah, the notes call it who you are at your core.
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  And this is just, it's so critical, the source says.
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  It's the reason why you do what you do.
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  The fundamental source. Everything else, your behavior,
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  what you say, even what you're thinking, it all flows out from
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  this inner place, from the heart.
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  And the source also points out that OK, while heart can mean
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  the whole inner person, sometimes scripture uses it to 0
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  in on specific aspects of that inner person.
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  Yeah, like sometimes it refers to the seat of your mind.
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  You know the thinking cognitive part, right?
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  Proverbs 4 Point Trudio 21 comes up there.
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  It says, my son, be attentive to my words.
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  Keep them within your heart. Keeping them within.
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  Yeah, that implies meditating on them, processing them, storing
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  them up. That's the thinking side of the
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  heart. OK.
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  And then there's the seat of your affections.
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  Which the source is careful to distinguish from just emotions.
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  Affections are more like your desires, your drive, some of you
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  actively want. So not just a reaction, but
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  something you place value on. Right.
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  You intentionally value something and that stirs up a
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  drive towards it. Proverbs 14.30 is the example
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  given. A tranquil heart gives life to
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  the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
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  Envy. That's a desire for what someone
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  else has. Exactly.
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  It's presented as this corrosive affection.
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  You value what they have. Maybe you even likes doing the
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  feeling of wanting it. And that misplaced desire, that
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  affection not set on God, it actually harms you, even
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  physically makes the bones rot. Wow.
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  Yeah, it's a desire intentionally placed somewhere
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  else. OK, so mind affections.
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  What else? The seat of your will.
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  This connects the heart to why you do what you do, or just the
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  fact that you're doing it. The volitional part.
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  The choosing acting part. Roverbs 11/20 is cited.
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  Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but
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  those of blameless ways are His delight.
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  So a direct link there between the heart's condition, crooked
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  or blameless, and the resulting actions or ways.
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  A crooked heart leads to abominable actions.
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  A blameless heart leads to ways that please God.
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  But often, like you said earlier, the Bible uses heart
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  more broadly, covering all these mind affections will together.
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  Right. Without splitting hairs,
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  Proverbs 3.5 is a classic. Trust in the Lord with all your.
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  Heart, all of it, your whole inner being, thoughts, desires,
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  will everything. And then the big one, Proverbs
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  4.23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the
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  springs of life. That phrase springs of life.
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  It's powerful, isn't it? It really is.
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  It's saying that everything making up your actual life.
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  Thoughts, words, actions, reactions, it all flows out from
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  this inner core, the heart. And the verses right after that
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  in Proverbs 4 actually spell it out, don't they?
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  They do, talking about putting away crooked speech, looking
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  straight ahead, which relates to focus, thoughts and pondering
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  the path of your feet, actions, deeds.
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  And these are all presented as outflows from the heart that
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  you're supposed to guard so carefully.
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  Exactly. So understand the heart is well,
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  it's foundational. You can't really understand
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  anything about yourself, your problems, sins, growth.
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  Without understanding the heart, because it is, like the source
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  says, the starting point for all that we do.
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  It's the engine room, the Control Center.
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  The spring, everything bubbles up from, right?
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  OK, but now the sources are also very clear.
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  Analyzing your own heart, that's really, really hard.
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  Yeah, this is a key biblical point that kind of cuts against
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  a lot of modern self help ideas, you know?
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  Well Jeremiah 17.9 is the go to verse here.
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  The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.
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  Who can understand it? Deceitful above all things.
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  And desperately sick because of the fall, because of sin.
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  Our hearts are inherently bent towards self, towards going our
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  own way. Which makes it incredibly
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  difficult for us to see ourselves clearly.
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  We can't accurately assess our own condition.
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  And the source actually takes it a step further.
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  It says because of this deep deceitfulness, this corruption
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  from sin, it's actually impossible for you to fully
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  understand your heart. Impossible.
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  Well. You only know it partially.
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  You're looking through these blurred, often self-serving
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  lenses. OK, but that sounds
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  discouraging. If we can't understand our own
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  hearts, what hope is there? Well, it's not meant to be a
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  dead end, you know, like, oh, I guess I can't know anything.
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  It's meant to be deeply humbling.
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  It forces us to recognize that full, complete, totally accurate
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  understanding of any human heart.
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  That's God's job. He's the only one who truly
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  knows it. Exactly Jeremiah 17 verse 10
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  right after the deceitful part says I the Lord search the heart
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  and test the mind. God is the heart searcher.
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  He sees it perfectly. OK, so if we can't fully know
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  our own hearts, but we need to understand them for change,
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  where do we turn? How do we even start this self
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  analysis? That realization, that humility
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  about our own limitations, should drive you to prayer.
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  Not just a suggestion, but a necessity.
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  Right, it's the necessary response.
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  You should be constantly asking God specifically.
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  Show me Lord. Show me what's really going on
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  in my heart. Help me see the deceit.
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  See. OK, so we ask God, how does he
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  primarily answer that prayer? How does He reveal our hearts to
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  us? His primary instrument for doing
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  that, for searching our hearts alongside us, is the Bible, the
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  Word of God. That's the tool he's given us.
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  Yes, empowered by His spirit, it's the tool that shines a
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  light into those dark, hidden corners of our inner lives.
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  Hebrews 4.12 is the key verse here, right?
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  Absolutely, for the Word of God is living and active, sharper
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  than any 2 edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and
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  spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
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  intentions of the heart. Let's break that down a bit.
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  Living and active, so it's not just an old book.
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  No. It's dynamic, powerful, sharper
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  than any 2 edged sword. It penetrates like nothing else
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  can. And it pierces and discerns.
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  It gets way down deep. Right down to the thoughts and
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  intentions. That phrase specifically points
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  to the underlying motivations, the why, behind what we think
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  and do. So the word cuts through our
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  self deception. It lays bare the real condition
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  of the heart. That's quite an image.
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  It means scripture isn't just for like head knowledge or
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  winning theological debate. Not at all.
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  It's a tool for spiritual diagnosis, for revealing the
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  actual root of our struggle. So if we want to analyze our
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  problems at that deep heart level, we have to become a man
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  or a woman of the Word of God. And that means more than just
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  casual reading. It means engaging with it
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  prayerfully, dependently. It involves, as the source says,
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  constantly submitting your own hearts and lives to the Word of
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  God. Knowing the Word, not just to
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  impress people, but so that you're walking by the Spirit,
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  keeping in step with God. And this submission, it's not
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  passive, right? It actually starts to change
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  you. Yeah, it's an active thing.
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  It begins to transform you from the inside out.
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  It can even change what you feel strongly about.
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  What makes you angry? What brings you joy Bringing
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  those responses into line with God's perspective?
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  The source uses that analogy of walking a dog on a really short
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  leash. Right, imagine trying to walk a
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  big strong dog through a crowd with like a 20 foot leash is
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  chaos. Total chaos.
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  Dogs everywhere getting into trouble.
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  You've got minimal control, but walk that same dog on a very
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  short leash right beside you. Now you have control.
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  You can't wander off. Exactly.
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  Continually submitting to the Word of God is like walking with
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  God on that short leash. It keeps you close, keeps you in
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  steps so you don't stray very far.
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  Keeps you out of trouble living in a way that honors him.
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  And crucially, this close walk guided by the Word is how you
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  learn to evaluate everything else about yourself, including
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  those tricky feelings, using God's unchanging standard.
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  OK, so building on that foundation, the heart is the
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  core, it's deceitfulness, and the word is the revealer.
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  The sources layout these 3 levels for self analysis.
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  Yeah, like a framework to help you become that better student
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  of your inner man and deal with your problems biblically.
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  Like breaking down the inspection of that Chevy truck.
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  Remember looking at the engine, the Triassi, the inside?
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  Right, different systems, and the goal here is to nuance your
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  problems biblically. To get beyond just I feel bad or
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  I messed up again. To understand the why on a
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  deeper spiritual level. And across all three levels,
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  there's that one big question we keep asking.
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  Right, the fundamental check. Am I living to please self or
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  living to please God? That question cuts to the core
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  orientation behind everything. Who are you really serving in
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  this moment, in this thought, in this action?
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  OK, so level 1, what's first? Level 1 is feelings or emotions.
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  The source kind of uses those terms interchangeably here.
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  Described as strong mental reactions, often with physical
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  effects. Largely involuntary responses to
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  thoughts and desires. Yeah, something happens, you
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  think about it, maybe you want something related to it, and
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  boom, an emotion pops up, often before you even consciously
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  choose it. Now the source makes a really
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  critical point about feelings. They aren't automatically good
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  or bad. Nope, they're neutral in
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  themselves. Like those dashboard warning
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  lights we mentioned. They need to be evaluated.
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  And why do they need evaluation? Because of the fall, Genesis 3,
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  sin didn't just mess up our behavior, it corrupted our
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  entire nature, our minds, our wills, and yes, our emotions
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  too. They're all fully tainted with
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  sin. So because of that taint, our
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  emotions can be deceitful. Exactly.
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  Just because something feels good or right doesn't mean it is
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  good or right in God's eyes. The source is pretty strong
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  here. Because they can be deceitful.
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  You should be suspect of your emotions.
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  They're just trust them blindly. They're not always reliable
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  indicators of whether you're pleasing self or God.
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  Sometimes they might be spot on, like feeling grief over sin.
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  Other times they can lead you completely astray, like feeling
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  happy about something sinful. Like those warning lights again,
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  the engine light might mean disaster is imminent.
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  Or it might just be a faulty sensor.
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  The lights on but the engines fine.
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  You can't ignore it, but you can't just panic either.
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  You have to investigate. OK, but here's maybe the most
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  practical, liberating point about emotions from the source.
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  Emotions are descriptions, not demands.
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  Yes, that's huge. Say that again.
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  Emotions are descriptions, not demands.
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  They describe what's going on inside you, how you're reacting.
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  But they don't have authority over you.
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  They don't get to boss you around.
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  You do not have to act according to your emotions.
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  That puts you under God, back in the driver's seat instead of
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  being driven by your feelings. Exactly.
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  Instead of obeying them, you submit them to the Lord.
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  They work for you, giving you information, not the other way
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  around. The source uses some really
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  clear biblical examples here. Think about the Israelites with
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  the golden calf in Exodus 32. The text says they were
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  celebrating dancing, filled with excitement, joy and delight.
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  It felt good to them. There come my party.
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  But God saw it as rank idolatry, a massive sin.
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  Their emotions were totally misleading them.
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  Feeling happy about that was wrong.
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  They should not have embraced those feelings.
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  OK. Contrast that with David in
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  Psalm 38. He's expressing deep sadness and
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  mourning over his sin. Right, from a purely worldly
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  view, you might say, wow, that's unhealthy.
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  That's clinical depression. But God saw it differently.
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  He saw it but as godly sorrow, which, as Second Corinthians
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  tells us, leads to repentance and salvation.
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  So that feeling, that deep sadness was actually a good
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  thing, a warning light accurately showing the
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  seriousness of his sin. He should have embraced that
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  feeling because it drove him to God.
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  Or think about Cain back in Genesis 4.
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  His offering is rejected and he gets very angry and.
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  His face falls. God even warns him.
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  Right. Cain's anger was real and it did
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  reflect his sinful heart, his hostility towards God and his
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  brother. So the warning light was
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  accurate in reflecting the inner state.
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  Yes, but the feeling itself, that unrighteous anger shouldn't
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  have been embraced or acted upon.
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  It should have driven him to repent, not to murder.
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  So all these examples show you have to take the feeling and
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  examine it in light of Scripture.
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  Yeah. Does this feeling align with
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  God's truth or is it pulling me away?
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  Precisely. And this is where the Source
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  briefly touches on medication for emotional struggles.
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  It acknowledges that meditation has its place.
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  It can help with the physiological side of things,
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  managing symptoms. But it cannot treat the heart.
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  It can't change your core desires, your values, your
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  fundamental orientation towards God or self.
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  You can mask the underlying issue or muddy the waters when
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  you're trying to figure out the root cause.
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  Yeah, the analogy used is like smashing a warning light on the
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  dashboard. Ouch.
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  It makes the annoying light go off.
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  Maybe things feel smoother for a bit, But the engine problem, the
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  light was signaling it's still there.
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  So medication might help with, say, the physical feelings of
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  anxiety, but it won't fix the potential heart issue, like
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  maybe a lack of trust in God that could be causing or fueling
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  that anxiety. Exactly.
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  It addresses symptoms, not the ultimate route in the inner man.
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  OK, that's level 1 feelings. It's level 2.
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  Level 2 is doing this is the active part.
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  Our thoughts, our words and our deeds, our behaviors, these are
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  the things that flow out from the heart.
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  The source starts with thoughts here, and it's pretty direct,
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  citing Romans 8. Yeah, Romans 8.5 to 8 Those who
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  live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the
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  flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set
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  their minds on the things of the Spirit.
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  And it goes on. Setting your mind on the flesh
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  is death and hostility to God, while setting it on the Spirit
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  is life and peace. So that passage makes it pretty
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  clear your thoughts, what you're dwelling on, do indicate whether
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  you're living to please self or living to please God.
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  How your thinking reveals your orientation?
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  Are you constantly replaying hurts, Planning revenge,
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  Focusing on worldly status? That's setting the mind on the
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  flesh. Or are you meditating on God's
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  Word, thinking about how to apply it, seeking his
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  perspective, focusing on gratitude?
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  That's setting the mind on the Spirit.
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  The source connects this to that Y diagram idea again.
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  Right. Remember the Y external pressure
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  comes in at the bottom. Squeeze that interacts with the
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  heart sparks a feeling, but then you hit that fork in the road,
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  the decision point. And that decision happens in the
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  mind. Your thoughts engage here OK at
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  that split, influenced by the pressure, the feeling in your
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  heart's desires, your mind chooses a path.
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  Path 1 pleasing self. Choosing what seems easy or
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  feels good now. Right, but the Bible says that
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  path actually leads to hard consequences later.
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  It builds bad habits, produces those deeds of the flesh from
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  Galatians 5 Strife, anger, envy, selfishness.
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  OK, path 2. Pleasing God.
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  This often involves choosing what's hard now, self denial,
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  picking up your cross. But this path leads to life and
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  ease. Later it develops godly habits,
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  produces the fruit of the Spirit, Lovejoy, peace,
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  patience. So your thoughts at that
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  decision point, what you choose to dwell on show which arm of
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  the Y you're heading down. If you're dwelling on bitterness
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  and how you've been wronged. You're on the path of pleasing
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  self, likely leading to sinful words or actions.
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  But if you're dwelling on God's sovereignty and and how to
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  respond with grace. You're choosing the path of
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  pleasing God, likely leading to godly responses.
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  Thoughts are a pretty direct indicator here.
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  OK, but then it gets more nuanced with words and deeds,
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  right? The outward stuff.
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  Yes, the source says words and deeds only sometimes indicate
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  whether you're pleasing self or God.
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  Only sometimes. Why the difference?
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  Because the true motivation, the real why, is hidden in the
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  heart, and our outward words or actions don't always reveal that
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  underlying reason. We.
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  Could put on a good show. We absolutely can.
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  We're masters of it thanks to our deceitful hearts.
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  You can do something that looks good on the outside.
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  While the inside is driven by pure self-interest, the outward
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  form do not necessarily indicate the inner motive.
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  The source gives some examples, like giving a wedding toast.
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  Sounds nice. Praying in public sounds
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  spiritual. But the motivation could be just
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  wanting applause, wanting to look good, wanting to impress
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  people, not genuine care or sincere prayer.
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  Making a meal for someone who's sick could be about wanting
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  praise, wanting to be seen as super helpful.
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  Not just simple love for your neighbor, disciplining your
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  kids. Yeah.
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  Is it truly for their good in God's glory?
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  Or is it mostly about avoiding embarrassment in front of
• 19:06
  others? Singing loudly in church.
• 19:09
  No. Is it heartfelt worship or is it
• 19:12
  hey listen to my great voice? Even trying to stop doing
• 19:15
  something illegal, is it genuine repentance before God or just
• 19:19
  trying to get out of trouble and avoid consequences?
• 19:21
  So these outwardly, OK, even good actions can be fueled by
• 19:25
  totally self-centered desires. Yeah, the source mentions that
• 19:28
  song lyric. You know, about people shouting
• 19:30
  Hosanna one day and crucifying the next.
• 19:33
  The outward action changed drastically.
• 19:36
  But the underlying heart motivation, maybe it was
• 19:38
  consistently self-serving, just reacting to the crowd out or
• 19:41
  perceive self-interest. And because the heart is so
• 19:43
  tricky, the source notes, it's hard to know even our own real
• 19:48
  motivation sometimes. Like alone, someone else's.
• 19:51
  Exactly. So it cautions US against
• 19:53
  assuming we know why someone else is doing something,
• 19:56
  especially if we have a negative history with them.
• 19:59
  Just because someone who hurt you says something nice now?
• 20:02
  Doesn't automatically mean they're manipulating you.
• 20:05
  You just don't know their heart. You can't see inside their head
• 20:08
  at that Y split decision point. So what's the advice then when
• 20:12
  dealing with others? It's both humbling and gracious.
• 20:16
  Assume the best. Give it to the Lord.
• 20:18
  Recognize that the Holy Spirit might actually be at work in
• 20:21
  them, changing their heart, prompting different behavior.
• 20:24
  Don't immediately interpret their actions through the filter
• 20:26
  of past hurts. That requires a lot of grace.
• 20:28
  It does, and it pushes us back to realizing we need to focus on
• 20:32
  the deepest level in ourselves, Level 3.
• 20:34
  Which brings us back full circle to the heart itself.
• 20:37
  Yes, the heart, the inner man with its core desires and
• 20:41
  purposes. This level absolutely indicates
• 20:44
  whether you are living to please self or living to please God.
• 20:47
  While feelings are suspect and actions are ambiguous.
• 20:51
  The hearts fundamental orientation.
• 20:53
  That's the ultimate determinant. It's the source.
• 20:56
  So problems that show up in our feelings level 1 or our doing
• 21:01
  level 2, they primarily originate at the heart level.
• 21:05
  That recurring anger, that persistent anxiety, that
• 21:07
  struggle with laziness, even that good deed tinged with
• 21:11
  pride. The smoke might be visible
• 21:14
  higher up, but the fire is down here in the desires and
• 21:17
  motivations of the part. So this is where we examine
• 21:20
  those deep desires, asking why you do what you do.
• 21:24
  What do you really want? And a key issue discussed here
• 21:26
  is that feeling many Christians have.
• 21:28
  I just don't desire God or His Word right now.
• 21:31
  Yeah, that feels like a huge problem.
• 21:32
  Like foundational? The source suggests it's usually
• 21:35
  not a complete lack of desire, it's more often the presence of
• 21:38
  a competing desire. You desire something else in its
• 21:42
  place, something you currently think is more valuable.
• 21:44
  Exactly. You're desiring something else
• 21:46
  more intensely than you desire. God in his ways.
• 21:48
  And how is that diagnosed? Not just apathy.
• 21:51
  No, it's diagnosed fundamentally as a faith problem, a worship
• 21:55
  problem. A faith problem?
• 21:57
  Yeah. Meaning you're putting your
• 21:58
  trust for satisfaction or security in something other than
• 22:01
  God. And a worship problem, meaning
• 22:03
  you're placing your ultimate value, your devotion, on that
• 22:06
  competing desire instead of on God.
• 22:09
  The source used that analogy about kids and cars.
• 22:12
  Right. A kid might think some basic
• 22:14
  sedan is like the coolest sports car ever.
• 22:17
  They don't really desire the sedan for itself, They desire
• 22:20
  the idea of the cool sports car, which they see as more valuable.
• 22:24
  Their desire for the cooler car shows what they truly value.
• 22:27
  Similarly, when you feel you don't desire God, it's usually
• 22:30
  not a vacuum. You are desiring something else
• 22:33
  more strongly. Maybe comfort, control,
• 22:35
  approval, ease, success, and that reveals where your faith
• 22:40
  and worship are actually directed in that moment.
• 22:42
  And when the heart sets its main affections, it's faith.
• 22:45
  It's worship on these other things instead of God.
• 22:47
  Problems inevitably occur. This is the direct source of
• 22:50
  those deeds of the flesh in Galatians 5.
• 22:52
  Pride comes from desiring self glory more than God's glory.
• 22:55
  Greed from desiring stuff more than God's provision.
• 22:59
  Envy from desiring what others have more than contentment in
• 23:02
  God. Anger, often from desiring
• 23:04
  control or our own sense of justice more than trusting God's
• 23:09
  sovereignty. Selfishness from desiring our
• 23:11
  comfort over loving God and neighbor.
• 23:13
  Bitterness from desiring payback more than extending forgiveness.
• 23:18
  Laziness from desiring ease more than pursuing God's purposes.
• 23:21
  That's the rotten fruit that grows when the heart's roots are
• 23:24
  drawing life from self worship instead of God worship.
• 23:28
  So how do you do when you use the Word, when you pray and you
• 23:31
  start to recognize these competing desires, these sinful
• 23:33
  orientations, these faith and worship problems in your own?
• 23:37
  The instruction is very direct, Yeah, and humbling and
• 23:40
  ultimately freeing. It's get on your knees and
• 23:43
  confess and repent. Acknowledge it to God.
• 23:45
  Confess specifically what's wrong.
• 23:47
  God, My desires are messed up here.
• 23:49
  I have a faith problem. I'm trusting in X instead of
• 23:51
  you. I have a worship problem.
• 23:52
  I'm valuing Y more than you. It's not just a vague oops, I
• 23:56
  sinned again, it's identifying the root sin and the heart's
• 23:59
  orientation. And the source offers that
• 24:01
  really helpful perspective on the Christian life.
• 24:04
  The mark of a Christian is not one who goes without sin, but
• 24:08
  one who goes to God with their sin.
• 24:10
  It's not about achieving perfection now, it's about the
• 24:13
  pattern, the habit of turning towards God when you see the
• 24:16
  sin, not hiding or trying to fix it yourself.
• 24:18
  So admitting that lack of desire for God, admitting those
• 24:21
  competing desires, that's the vital first step.
• 24:24
  Then comes confession of that as sin.
• 24:26
  And then asking God by His grace to change you, to increase your
• 24:31
  faith, to realign your desires with His.
• 24:34
  Because fundamentally, only He can do that deep heart work.
• 24:38
  But we participate by bringing our hearts to Him through His
• 24:42
  Word and prayer. And the whole reason, the whole
• 24:44
  point of doing this kind of sometimes painful biblical self
• 24:47
  analysis, it's intensely practical.
• 24:50
  It's all geared towards helping you respond to trials and
• 24:53
  temptations and pressures those life squeezes in a way that
• 24:57
  actually honors the Lord. Without this kind of analysis,
• 24:59
  without getting down to the heart level, we just react
• 25:01
  superficially, often like kids, right?
• 25:04
  Yeah, something bad happens. We feel bad, We lash out, ask
• 25:06
  why. I don't know because we haven't
• 25:09
  learned to look deeper. So analyzing feelings
• 25:11
  biblically, level 1 means we stop being slaves to them.
• 25:14
  Remember descriptions, not demands.
• 25:17
  Submit them to the Lord, use scripture to figure out if
• 25:20
  they're a valid warning light, and choose an obedient response
• 25:23
  even if the feeling screams otherwise.
• 25:25
  Analyzing doing biblically level 2 means looking past the surface
• 25:31
  actions and words. Thoughts are a clearer window,
• 25:34
  but words and deeds need that deeper check.
• 25:37
  Asking OK, I did that, but why? What desire was driving it?
• 25:41
  Recognizing the ambiguity. And analyzing the heart
• 25:44
  biblically, Level 3 means that constant submission to God's
• 25:47
  Word through prayer, acknowledging we can't fully
• 25:49
  know our own hearts, and relying on Him to reveal the hidden
• 25:52
  desires and motivations. That's the ongoing work,
• 25:55
  aligning our core being with Him, letting Him change what we
• 25:58
  value, what we want, even what makes us angry or happy,
• 26:01
  conforming us to Christ. And to make this more concrete,
• 26:04
  to help you actually do this, become a better student of your
• 26:07
  inner man instead of of just shrugging, the source gives some
• 26:10
  practical questions. OK, let's hear them for Level 1
• 26:13
  feelings. When that emotion hits, what am
• 26:16
  I feeling? Just naming it can be a first
• 26:18
  step. Then, is this feeling a warning
• 26:21
  light that's worth heating? How do you know?
• 26:23
  By taking it to Scripture, praying, asking God?
• 26:27
  Is this feeling leading me towards you or away from you?
• 26:30
  And finally, how should I respond based on the word?
• 26:34
  What's the faithful response regardless of the feeling?
• 26:37
  OK, level 2 doing thoughts, words, deeds.
• 26:40
  Ask what am I thinking or dwelling on?
• 26:43
  What's playing on repeat? Which path on the Y diagram did
• 26:46
  my mind take? Then, crucially, what does the
• 26:49
  Bible say about this? Is that true in this situation?
• 26:51
  Apply scripture directly. Then look at the outward stuff.
• 26:54
  How have I been responding in my speech or deeds?
• 26:56
  And the key analytical question Do my speech or deeds reveal
• 26:59
  that I'm living to please myself or living to please God?
• 27:02
  This is where the the ambiguity pushes you deeper, right?
• 27:05
  Exactly. If the actions look okay but
• 27:07
  something feels off, or if they're clearly wrong, you ask
• 27:10
  that tougher question. Am I willing to endure this
• 27:13
  trial faithfully pleasing God? Or does my response show my
• 27:16
  heart is saying enough God I'm taking over now pleasing self.
• 27:20
  Wow, that really gets to the trust issue.
• 27:22
  It does. Which leads naturally to the
• 27:25
  Level 3 heart questions, the deepest ones, which are what,
• 27:29
  ultimately, do you want? What do you desire, not just
• 27:31
  surface wants? What's the core longing driving
• 27:35
  this whole pattern? What are you valuing most right
• 27:37
  now? Comfort, Control, Approval.
• 27:40
  Vindication. Or are you ultimately desiring
• 27:43
  God and His glory above everything else?
• 27:45
  Right. These aren't like a rigid
• 27:47
  checklist. They're prompts, tools to help
• 27:50
  you slow down and prayerfully unpack what's going on
• 27:52
  underneath. When you feel that struggle,
• 27:54
  that angst, that strong emotion. Well, the source adds that this
• 27:56
  is often best done not in isolation.
• 27:59
  Definitely, because our hearts are so deceitful, involving a
• 28:01
  trusted friend, a mature believer who knows you, knows
• 28:05
  the word can be incredibly helpful.
• 28:07
  They can ask questions you wouldn't think of, point out
• 28:10
  blind spots, remind you of relevant scripture.
• 28:12
  Yeah, that community aspect is important.
• 28:14
  This whole process, this ongoing analysis, it's challenging.
• 28:19
  It takes humility, honesty, dependence on.
• 28:21
  God, but it's essential because real, lasting change, the kind
• 28:26
  that produces the fruit of the Spirit instead of sinful
• 28:29
  reactions under pressure. It starts by understanding and
• 28:33
  addressing the desires of the heart, not just managing the
• 28:36
  surface stuff. And it all hinges on God's
• 28:38
  grace, his promise to help us in temptation.
• 28:41
  So wrapping up this deep dive, this material gives us a really
• 28:45
  robust biblical way to understand ourselves, getting to
• 28:49
  the actual root of our issues. Yeah, we've seen our feelings
• 28:52
  need evaluation. Our actions can be ambiguous
• 28:54
  guides. But our core desires,
• 28:56
  motivations, our fundamental orientation that absolutely
• 28:59
  shows whether we're living to please self or please God.
• 29:02
  And the amazing thing is, God doesn't just leave us guessing
• 29:05
  about our deceitful hearts. He gives us His Word.
• 29:07
  That living, active, sharp sword.
• 29:10
  Empowered by his spirit to Pierce through the fog and show
• 29:13
  us what's really going on inside, revealing those hidden
• 29:16
  intentions. So by constantly submitting
• 29:18
  ourselves to scripture, engaging in prayer, bringing our inner
• 29:22
  lives before Him. We can start to see those
• 29:24
  competing desires, recognize them as faith and worship
• 29:27
  problems, confess them as sin. And ask God, the only one who
• 29:32
  truly searches hearts, to increase our faith and redirect
• 29:35
  our desires towards Him. It's this ongoing call to honest
• 29:39
  self examination, not despairing when we find sin.
• 29:43
  But habitually turning to God with our sin, relying on Him,
• 29:46
  maybe with help from trusted friends to see more clearly.
• 29:49
  And this process, this lifelong work, helps us move beyond just
• 29:52
  reacting to problems superficially.
• 29:55
  And instead learn to respond in ways that produce the fruit of
• 29:57
  the Spirit. Lovejoy Peace, even when life
• 30:01
  squeezes us. Leading to true life and peace.
• 30:04
  So here's a final thought for you to chew on.
• 30:06
  If the struggles you see in your feelings, thoughts, words and
• 30:09
  deeds all trace back to the desires and orientation of your
• 30:12
  heart, what does that tell you about where the real work of
• 30:15
  spiritual change needs to happen in your own life?
• 30:17
  And where will you turn, maybe even starting today, to begin
• 30:22
  that absolutely essential work? Thanks for joining us for this
• 30:25
  deep dive.