2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
looking into our heart
Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Reaping Life Everlasting
We have all heard, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7), and it usually is spoken with a negative connotation, but there is also a positive side to sowing: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (6:9).
A parable is a story that illustrates a truth and in the parable of the talents, Jesus focuses primarily on the good side of sowing, which is sowing to the Spirit to reap life everlasting.
Hard Times Reveal Our Heart
Consider what “normal” Christianity looks like today in the typical believer. This person is a bit self-seeking, a little materialistic, somewhat consumerist. Most of his daily choices are about improving his life. That includes his spiritual pursuits; from his church groups to the podcasts he downloads to the seminars he attends.
Examine Your Heart
God is behind every glorious work and he will not share his glory. He needs clean vessels to do his work. At the very peak moment when his blessings and power are flowing freely through his people, he tells them, “Pause now and put everything on hold because I want to examine your heart.”
Wordless Words
Words matter. Scripture says “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). But how we say words is just as important as what we say. Our facial expressions, tones, and even our silence speak volumes! How do we control these reactions? We have to look at our heart, as from it come our reactions to situations in our homes, work, and relationships. If we invite God to search our hearts and help us control the words of our mouths and meditations of our hearts, he will help us. We can be God-strengthened to be surrounded by chaos but not let it control our hearts and words.
Alligator Talk
Pastor Tim Dilena shares about "alligator talk"—those times when our conversation can suddenly and flawlessly switch from godly to sexual, course joking, etc. and back again. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. There are no five steps to taming the tongue; God must do a work in our hearts.