OUTLINE:

Beware Where You Turn
The reason Holy Scripture often tells us to stand firm in the faith is because our hearts can be swayed by many things in this world.

Luke 8:12
"Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

Wisdom and the Heart
If your heart seeks God's wisdom and understanding, in the fear of the Lord, God will protect it. (Pro 2:11 - understanding will "watch over you")

Only God's wisdom from God's Word can protect your heart from deception.

A New Heart
The Spirit is crying out: "There's a new way to live, and love! You don't have to stay in the ways of your youth! Turn to the Lord!"

Beware Where You Turn
Keep your nose in the Word of God, and keep busy with good things from the Lord.

Biblestudytools.com
"Heart" (Hebrew lebab/leb, Gk. kardia) occurs over one thousand times in the Bible, making it the most common anthropological term in the Scripture. It denotes a person's center for both physical and emotional-intellectual-moral activities; sometimes it is used figuratively for any inaccessible thing.

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The heart's reasoning, as well as its feeling, depends on its moral condition. Jesus said that "from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts" (Mark 7:21). Because the human heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9) and folly is found up in the heart of a child (Prov 22:15), the Spirit of God must give humans a new heart (Jer 31:33 ; Ezek 36:26) through faith that purifies it (Acts 15:9 ; cf. Eph 3:17).

Faith Changes Everything
Faith in Christ opens wide the door for us to have a relationship with God and understand the things of God, even experiencing His peace.

Faith Changes Everything
Faith is the vehicle, or the avenue, by which Christ can dwell in our hearts. And the heart is cleansed by faith in Christ. This happens at salvation, by grace through faith, and after salvation we are to guard what we've been given.

Biblestudytools.com
The heart functions as the conscience. After David showed insubordination against the anointed king by cutting off the corner of his robe, his heart smote him (1 Sam 24:5), and after Peter's sermon the audience was "cut to the heart" (Acts 2:37). The heart may condemn us, but God is greater than our hearts (1 John 3:20). David prays that God would create for him a pure heart to replace his defiled conscience (Psalm 51:10).

How The Heart Works
This is all supernatural stuff!!!... how the heart and mind and conscience function together in a spiritual fashion cannot be put on a road map. We’re talking about supernatural spiritual function that the Lord has provided to us and for us.

Our Path To Peace
If we humble ourselves before Him, we know He will give us grace and faith, Jam 4:6, Eph 2:8-9, and faith changes everything! Act 15:8-9, Eph 3:17

Biblestudytools.com
The greatest commandment according to Jesus is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart" (Matt 22:37). Love here is more than emotion; it is a conscious commitment to the Lord.

Lip Service?
Stay humble, and examine your own heart before the Lord. Examine WHY you do what you do, between you and the Lord.

2Pe 3:17
Peter is warning us to “be on guard” against the presence of false doctrines from unprincipled/lawless men who have given in to the lusts of their flesh.

A Spiritual Tug of War

A Spiritual Tug of War
In this world, there is a constant pull in the other direction; sometimes from individuals, or the media, or authorities, etc... there's a pull for you to turn towards them in some way... trying to sway your heart towards the world's ways.

A Spiritual Tug of War
But we choose to be used by the Spirit, and to ignore the temporary, fleeting temptations of the world that tell us to live for self. For we believers look forward to seeing Him very soon, with no regrets!

"Wally Cleaver's Nose"
The very best the flesh can hope for in its dwindling plight is to influence our perspective, to get a believer’s attention diverted to unholy standards set up to ultimately keep us in bondage to the opinions of man.

1Co 4:5
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

Straight Ahead
Keep your eyes on the Cross and the absolute truth of God's Word, and don't be swayed to turn to the right or the left.

Jer 15:19c
They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them.

1 Cor 1:2 NIV
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours