Week of March 7 Guard Your Heart Ephesians 6:10-18, Matthew 6:33, Third Sunday of Lent Reflections on this week s message: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place... Ephesians 6:14 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 The piece of armor we focus on this week is the breastplate. Looking at the actual armor, the function of this piece is obvious. The breastplate protects the soldier s vital organs. It actually covered the whole abdominal area, front and back. With this piece in place the soldier s intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys and especially his heart were protected. With the breastplate of our spiritual armor we are concerned with guarding our heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. The writer gives the guarding of your heart a very high priority, Above all else... In other words, it is primarily essential that we protect our spiritual heart. All right, look again at Paul s illustration, the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate in our armor is made up of righteousness. To be righteous is to be in right standing with God. This is a condition we must seek after. Jesus saying that we must seek God s righteousness first sounds a lot like the priorities from the proverb above. When we are made righteous by the blood of Christ, our hearts are protected from the attacks of the enemy. It is essential when entering into battle with Satan that we have pure and righteous hearts. Hearts that are stained with sin are vulnerable. So to put on our breastplate, we must ask the Lord to forgive our sins and make us righteous. Righteousness is not something we can gain on our own, even if you are a really good person, you cannot be good enough to stand before God, because He is holy and pure, without sin or stain. To be righteous is to be forgiven. We need to seek His righteousness daily as our number one priority. On your Lenten journey this week, ask the Lord to forgive you and cleanse your heart so that it is covered and protected. Love, Pastor Joe Prayer Starter: Getting Started: Grab your bible & journal & find a quiet, comfortable spot to begin your daily Bible reading. You may want to play your favorite hymn or praise music softly in the background. Light a candle & spend a few minutes relaxing, quieting your mind. Keep a notebook nearby to jot down distractions that interfere with your focus to put them out of your mind to deal with later. To prepare to focus on God & His Word, try one of the prayer exercises found under Spiritual Growth Resources. Then pray the suggested prayer starter personalizing it to your needs & desire for God s guidance. This Week's Prayer Starter: O God, you are my God. You are strong and loving, a mighty rock, my refuge in whom I trust. Well, maybe I should say in whom I want to trust. It s hard to surrender control of my life to you. Forgive me Father. My soul does thirst for you. I do long for you. But then, I stumble and fall, trying to find my way on my own, only to learn that I can t. I need you. Help me to seek you first, above all else. Protect me, Lord. Take my heart and cleanse me. Remove the stains of sin that linger in my heart. Have your way with me so that I might be right with you. Teach me, Lord. Open my heart and my mind to what you have in store for me today. Be with me. Change me and fill me. Give me an undivided heart that seeks to serve only you. Guide me in paths of righteousness for your name s sake, wherever you might lead me. All glory and honor are yours. Meet me at the foot of Jesus cross and save me. Thank you, Lord. AMEN.
day 1 week of March 7 Read Ephesians 6:10-18 Reread verse 14b. Define righteousness. What comes to your mind as you read about the breastplate of righteousness? If the breastplate protected the vital organs of the Roman soldiers, what does that tell you about the importance of seeking righteousness in the life of a Christian? Why is it important that we become right with God? What steps towards righteousness do you need to take today? Spend some time in prayer today asking God to forgive you and cleanse your heart so that it is covered and protected. day 2 week of March 7 Read Matthew 6:25-33 What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up in the morning? What is the last thing you do at night? According to Jesus what are we to seek? What will the result be? How is what Jesus says different from what our society wants us to believe? Are your priorities grounded in Jesus or something else? Why do you think Jesus tells us we need to seek his kingdom? What is one thing you can do this week to seek first his kingdom and righteousness? Pray for those who are seeking.
day 3 week of March 7 Read Proverbs 4:18-27 According to verses 18 & 19, how does the path of the righteous compare to the way of the wicked? What does verse 23 tell you about your heart? What is the author of this passage reinforcing when he says to guard your heart above all else? From what does your heart need to be protected? What suggestions does the writer give for guarding your heart? Which do you need to apply to your life? Thank God today for making you righteous by the blood of Christ. Praise God for protecting your heart from the enemy. day 4 week of March 7 Read Matthew 5:3-11 Describe your spiritual life. Be honest, remembering that God knows your heart & still loves you. What are you hungry for? What does your heart truly long for? What does Jesus promise to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? What about those who are persecuted because of righteousness? Do you know for whom and for what you are living? Spend some time prayerfully examining your spiritual life. As a guide, use the spiritual growth assessment tool found at http://fairhopechurch.wordpress.com/spiritual-growth-resources/. Ask God to guide you on the path to righteousness.
day 5 week of March 7 Read Psalm 86 What is David asking in verses 1-4? When have you asked God to guard your life? Why do you need Him to guard your life? What does verse 5 say about God s forgiving love? Do you have an undivided heart? What divides your heart? What can restore your heart? When has God shown great love towards you? What depths has he delivered you from? What reasons do you have to praise God? Praise God today, asking Him to be Lord of your life and lead you on the path to righteousness. Dig Deeper: Read Ephesians 6: 10-18 The Armor of God During the next 6 weeks spend some time exploring this passage. This passage teaches us that we must be prepared for battle, spiritual battle. Throughout the season of Lent we will be exploring the spiritual armor that God provides so that we will be equipped & prepared as we go into battle. Without God s protection we don t stand a chance! But we must rest assured knowing that God will empower us and help us stand against the enemy. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13 Why do we need spiritual armor? What is it that we fight against? Should we be afraid of this battle? How does God help us in the battle against evil? Why is it important that we that we put on our spiritual armor every day? Which piece of spiritual armor do you need most in your life today? Are you equipped for spiritual battle today? What steps do you need to take in order to be more fully equipped for spiritual battle? Praise God that the truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, & His Word always triumph!
Family Connection: Experiencing the Season of Lent Lent is the forty day period of preparation between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. The forty days do not include Sundays which are considered to be Mini Easters. The season of Lent is a time in which we remember, review, and learn about Jesus life. Lent is a time for learning about our faith. It s a season in which we discover why we pray and fast, and make time to experience spiritual disciplines. Lent is also a time to act & serve, striving to make a positive difference as Christians. Use the following suggestions to guide your family to experience this special season of our Christian year together. Week 3 Participate in the following activities as a family during this third week of Lent: Read Matthew 8:1-17. These stories teach us about how Jesus healed. From these stories we learn that God is the source of all healing. As a family consider what these stories teach about faith. How does learning about how Jesus healed help you to recognize your need for healing? Place a box of bandages near the Bible in the center of your table as a reminder that God is the source of all healing. Remember to pray for those in need of special healing. Talk about the significance of this week s passage as you share meals together. Begin a prayer list or prayer chain of family concerns. Pray for the items on the list each day. Take the next step in preparation of your family service project. Gather needed supplies and make any necessary preparations. Pray for God s leading and guidance. Encourage each member of the family to continue writing about something that is happening in their spiritual lives in their prayer journal. Young children can draw pictures in their journals. This week s topic: Persons and situations in need of healing. As you pray, remember that God is the source of all healing. Ask Him to help you recognize your need for healing love and care. Ask God to help strengthen your faith as you go about your daily lives.