Snowblast 2021 S1
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Guard Your Hearts
Guard Your Hearts
Welcome to Snowblast 2021!
It is just incredible being back here.
It has been two years since we have been back!
That is just crazy to me!
For those who maybe don’t know about snowblast, let me give you a little run down.
For the next several days we are going to cover a wide range of topics but we are going to give special attention to relationships.
Really want we want to look at is healthy relationship.
While our focus is more geared towards dating relationships, may of the things we are going to talk about can be applied to all relationships.
Such as with our siblings, our parents, our friends.
While it is great to talk about relationships and we are going to dive into that, our main focus this week is our relationship with Christ.
What I am about to say, you will probably hear me say it a couple more times.
Nothing is more important than your relationship with Christ.
And your worldly relationship with reflect the current state of your relationship with Christ.
We are going to have lots of fun and share many stories.
The inside jokes will be numerous and those who are back home will wish they had come.
But we also want to learn and grow as well.
So that is my challenge as we get started here is to think about what you are wanting to take away from this weekend.
What are you going to take away from this weekend?
In your booklets, there is a page dedicated for you to write down this.
Maybe jot down a few things and then finish it later.
Or come back to it in a few minutes.
Actually why don’t I give you a few minutes to write down your expectations for this weekend.
I know the temptation is to not write anything or you want to be cool and not seem lame.
Man, check that crap at the door.
Ask yourself the all important question of why are you here?
Why did you get on the bus?
Just answer the question and be real for a moment.
You can goof after afterwards but just think about why you are here and what you want to take away from Snowblast.
MUSIC PLAYS
Alright I hope that you all had a chance to write something down.
I also want you to know that we will be doing this thing called panels where you will get to ask questions to your leaders.
Guys will ask guy leaders questions and girls will ask girl leader questions and then we will flip and girls will ask the guy leaders questions and the guys will ask the girl leaders questions.
So if you have any questions that come to your mind this week, write it down, you can give it to anyone of us leaders and we will make sure that we get that answered.
And you do not have to put your name on it either.
So welcome to SNOWBLAST!
There are a couple of rules here at Expeditions and I am going to turn that over to our guides!
Let welcome them!
Our list of rules are in your booklet as well.
They are:
Who is ready to play a game?
5 Min
Message: Guard Your Hearts
Guard your heart above all else,
for it is the source of life.
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Intro
Have you ever used or heard the phrase game-changer?
What does it mean?
What are somethings you have said it about?
Webster’s Dictionary defines game-changer as: a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way.
Simply put, there are moments [in our lives] that redefines or changes an outcome.
When Brittni and I choose to have kids it was a game-changer.
It no longer was about us but we were now responsible for another human… or three… and a dog.
It meant that some of our wants, needs, and desires changed because of our children.
Children are game-changers.
Getting married is a game-changer.
When you get married it means that you move from individual you to a we.
It means that you need to speak to the other person before making plans.
I still fail in this area, I am thankful for a loving and grace-filled wife.
Or I would be in huge trouble.
So in June, Brittni and I started training at CrossFit.
We were not doing anything physical, lifting or gym oriented anything.
We joined knowing that our life is crazy busy, but also understanding that we needed to take care of our bodies.
I was sitting at about 240lbs and I was not healthy.
I saw my grandpa just pass away.
My dad had 2 surgeries.
And I am looking at myself and i literally I had the thought of when my kids get in high school will I be able to keep up with them?
Then I thought more about can I keep up with them right now?
And the answer to both of those questions was no.
So Brittni and I made a game-changer decision.
We were going to get to the gym at least 3-4 times a week.
And we were going to start eating healthier.
I know crazy— we should have waited until January to get healthy again, but hey we were motivated.
It has changed our lives.
Think about decisions that you made recently that were game-changers for you.
Some of you came on this trip knowing that you were going to miss your sport, which could cost you playing time in the future- that is a game-changer.
What are some decisions that you have made that were game-changers.
My hope for you this week, is that this trip is a game-changer for you.
So tonight I want to talk about one of the most important responsibilities you have as a believer.
And that is the need to guard your heart.
Our passage is Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart above all else,
for it is the source of life.
What do people say about their hearts? As in the function?
To pump blood.
But people like to give it emotions what are some of those emotions we connect with our heart?
Listen to it?
Protect it?
Love?
The Scripture is referring to our spiritual heart, which is quite different than our physical, blood-pumping heart, but the similarities between the two hearts are too obvious to ignore.
With a physical heart, you can’t see it, but it’s essential to living.
It works behind the scenes to keep your body running.
You’ve seen it pulsating, inside a wide-open chest on the Health Channel.
You can’t live without a heart!
But you CAN live without a limb!
In the movie 127 Hours, actor James Franco played the role of a mountain climber—a true story—where he gets trapped and cuts off his own arm and hikes out to safety.
An arm is a nice perk...
Limbs? Totally negotiable.
A heart? Totally essential!
When it comes to your spiritual life—your heart is the game-changer because it determines the course of your life.
If you don’t have much concern about your spiritual life… or you’re unsure, checking it out, invited by a friend… it’s so great you’re here.
Regardless of your faith intent, this is a statement that might have something of value for you.
For those of us who have put our faith in Jesus—this heart emphasis is HUGE.
Our bodies are very complex, but there are some very predictable happenings within the human body.
For example, those of you who eat sausages like it’s an Olympic event, and chug mountain dew— you can keep eating and drinking that and you’ll soon visit a doctor (or the morgue).
Right?
It’s pretty predictable.
When the heart is bad or diseased or unhealthy, it reveals itself in noticeable ways:
Shortness of breath
Lack of energy
Numbness
Tightness in the chest
Indigestion
Receding hairline
There are specific signs of an unhealthy heart.
I’m just curious (by show of hands) who has had their heart-checked or evaluated or operated or revived or medicated?
Prior to joining crossfit, I was not in great shape and my heart was starting to show signs of unhealthy.
Personally, to care for my heart I need to make some adjustments.
The doctor can only do so much.
At some point I have to get involved.
Regardless of your health, you understand this concept—when our physical heart is showing symptoms—we take action to guard our heart.
With your spiritual life, if you have a weak spiritual heart, it will also show symptoms.
• Not a shortness of breath…. but you’ll have a shortness of love.
• You won’t lack energy…. you’ll lack compassion.
• There won’t be a tightness in your chest… there will be a tightness of your generosity.
• You won’t feel physical numbness…. you’ll be numb to God’s presence.
For me personally, the true condition of my spiritual heart is revealed when I’m under pressure and/or when things don’t go well.
If you really want to evaluate the spiritual condition of your heart watch what happens when things don’t go your way.
When pain appears and when pressure shows up.
What heart symptoms do you reveal?
I could be singing praise and worship songs while I am driving, but if I come up to someone who is driving like an idiot— I lose my mind.
I give them the speed up signal or what what are you thinking?
I also have been know to be ticked off at other drivers who honk at me or are in just too big of a hurry.
So I tend to slow down to the speed limit and take my time causing these people to lose their minds.
They speed past me, give me the finger and speed off.
I then go back to my worship songs.
I mean where does that anger come from?
My heart.
It shows signs of an unhealthy heart.
I have anger built up.
And it slows down my love for people.
It limits my spiritual growth.
And if untreated it will get the best of me.
But here is what I now.
I am not alone in this.
We all have unhealthy hearts that are in need of guarding.
When Jesus spoke of the heart He used a lot of game-changing words. Let’s take a deeper look and turn to Matthew 15.
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”
A Pharisee was someone who was distinguished by strict observance to religious laws.
The context of this text was a common scene for Jesus.
Religious leaders tried to catch him saying something that would be worthy of allegations.
They wanted to get Jesus to admit to breaking the law so they could discredit him.
But Jesus didn’t break God’s law.
Jesus didn’t break God’s law, but he didn’t keep human-made rules that these religious leaders had created to keep people from breaking God’s laws.
If this is God’s law [point to location], the Pharisees would insert speed bump traditions and stop sign rituals before you had an opportunity to break God’s law.
These were human traditions which were often deified and made holy.
Unfortunately, this still happening today!
When I was a teenager, I remember an older lady from my church telling me that Christians shouldn’t play cards.
She told me this as I was dealing a hand to some buddies in the church parking lot while we waited for vans to take us to camp.
She believed Christians shouldn’t gamble.
And since cards were the gateway to gambling—you stop playing cards: (1) Go fish… bad. (2) Crazy 8’s… demonic.
(3) Don’t even get me started with UNO.
“Well can I watch World Series of Poker on TV?”
“Okay, as long as you keep your eyes closed during the Powerball commercials.”
Back to the Pharisees’ hand washing question: in the Old Testament, God instructed the priests to stay ceremonially cleansed (see Lev. 22:1-33).
Every time the Priest ate, he was to wash his hands from the tips of his fingers to his elbows to ensure he didn’t put anything impure into his mouth that might defile him.
As time went by, religious leaders decided that EVERYONE should do that… not just the priests.
So, they came up with a “tradition” of ceremonial hand washing for everyone.
But Jesus didn’t go along with these HUMAN traditions.
He said, “People, you’re missing the big picture.
You’re missing the forest from the bar the soap.
You’re focusing on clean hands when need to focus on clean hearts.”
Watch this…
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
The word hypocrite—had its origin in Greek theatre—describing a character who wore a mask.
Jesus essentially said, “You’re spiritual phonies.
You pretend your heart is near… but it’s distant.
Empty ritualism does not bring intimacy with God.”
Then he gets to their hand washing protest:
“Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?
17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.
Jesus addressed basic body function chemistry here: you eat something, and it will eliminate itself.
Obviously, there is tremendous potential for potty humor here… but I would never squat so low.
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
\In your spiritual life, it’s not dirty hands that will defile you, it’s what comes out of your mouth that defiles you.
Why?
The answer brings us to our game changer:
“what comes out of your mouth was birthed and grew in your heart.”
When you say something hurtful, mean, racist, sexist, etc… and then say, “I didn’t really mean to say that.”
What’s closer to the truth is, “You didn’t mean to say that OUT LOUD."
• You’ve seen this before, [acting surprised] “I don’t know where that came from?!”
• God says, “I do… it came from your heart. You’ve just got good at covering it up… but I know what your heart REALLY looks like.”
We can fool others all day long, but God is not fooled.
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
God sees it all.
He sees the heart.
He has access to the heart because He embodies the heart of those who walk with Jesus.
You can fool others 24/7.
But before God, He sees it all.
Your heart is naked and exposed.
This is the only time the word exposed is used in the Bible; the word means to expose the neck for a sacrifice or beheading.
I don’t have anything significant to say about, I just thought it was cool.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
That’s quite the list isn’t it!
From the heart comes evil thoughts.
Murder flows from anger stored in our heart.
Adultery, Sexual immorality flows from lust stored in our heart.
Theft flows from greed in our heart.
Lying flows from deception in our heart.
Slander flows from jealousy in our heart.
It’s very clear that Jesus teaches the game-changer is your heart… it’s Command Central for your actions.
I want to say, “You want behavior change, but what you really want is a heart transplant that only Jesus can perform. It’s not a pot smoking, beer drinking, lying, cussing issue… it’s a heart issue. Those actions are merely symptoms of a heart in need of change.”
God is not a glorified, etiquette instructor… looking for behavior modification.
He’s looking to change your heart from the inside out.
The inner life of a person is a big deal for Jesus.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
That doesn’t sound like the Jesus you heard about in 2nd grade Sunday School class where you saw pictures of him picking flowers and holding children.
Jesus knew how to kick tail and take names when needed.
In biblical times, tombs where regularly washed clean to make them stand out.
They were spectacular!
Almost ornate.
Beautiful in display.
These religious leaders—who looked so good on the outside, were actually dead on the inside.
They needed a Jesus beat-down.
I’ve always thought it would be fun to do a sermon titled: People Who Need to Be Slapped.
Not beat up or injured.
Just a simple “What are you thinking?” slap.
Like:
• People who wear Bluetooth earpieces at dinner with their family.
• People who put clothes on their dogs. Push dogs in stroller (double slap)
• Anyone wearing Crocs
Why was Jesus so heated?
Here’s why I want you to get this so badly.
Because Jesus knew an unclean heart wreaks havoc in our lives and within relationships.
So… let’s get back to you!
Is there any hope for the human heart?
Based on what the Bible says about who God is, you tell me…
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
In this verse, the prophet Ezekiel was writing to the nation of Israel—who was in exile—no longer living in the land promised to them.
He was giving them a hope for the future and describing the character and capabilities of God.
This very theology is all over the New Testament.
A new, transformed, changed heart is what God does.
So, YES! YES! YES… there is hope for the human heart.
When your heart is changed, your desires change, and when your desires change, they determine the course of your life.
Here’s the key: You don’t change your heart spiritually…
God does.
He does the impossible.
Then, in cooperation with His Spirit within, you do the possible.
It’s a teamwork, it’s a partnership, it’s a process.
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
God’s Spirit is at work within confirming that you are adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:15).
There’s a loving, divine, paternal relationship happening.
“Abba” is an Aramaic term of endearment, meaning “Daddy.”
“I got this kid! I got the big stuff—I’ll do the heart surgery… you do your part.”
Let’s get practical on what I mean by our or your part:
A few primary symptoms of the spiritual heart disease are anger, greed, and jealousy.
Can you relate to any of these?
If you didn’t raise hands, you can definitely relate to lying.
In your notes, draw a line from Anger to Forgive, from Greed to Give, from Jealousy to Celebrate.
These are a few exercises to improve the heart: Forgive, Give, Celebrate.
If you’re thinking, “Jealousy is me! I’m so jealous.
I don’t like rich people.
I don’t like pretty people.
I come to Mariners Church and drive through the parking lot and see a fancy car and jealousy bubbles up.
Then I come inside church and see Doug and how pretty he is with long, thick hair and a face free of liver spots. It’s so difficult.
Jesus, remove this jealousy from my heart.”
Jesus would say, “I’m working on your heart.
Now, you do your part.
Jealous over his new car?
Really?
Here’s what you need to do: celebrate that guy’s new car.
Ask him for a ride.
Talk about the smell of leather.
Tell him how wonderful it is.”
You’re thinking: “It wouldn’t be genuine.
I couldn’t do it from my heart.”
Jesus says, “I know!
Because your heart is diseased and we’re working on it.
My Spirit is at work in your life like I promised but you need to start celebrating others.
You’re always comparing because you don’t understand my love for you.
Go celebrate the people who cause you jealousy.”
Every day, do some uncomfortable, courageous stuff like forgive, give, celebrate [repeat].
Make those daily exercises—turn them into routines where you cooperate with God’s work in you.
You do the possible and allow God’s Spirit to change your heart.
He’s promised to take up residency with His Spirit and dwell within.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Ephesians 3:17a
1. He prompts us thru His Spirit to have a heart more in aligned with Jesus.
2. He provides opportunities for us to be with other like-minded people who are caring about their heart’s condition (i.e. Life Groups… you can see heart-change in action/up-close).
3. He gives us his Word to know how to walk and follow Him in heart-shaping ways.
4. He speaks through this collective assembly of people every weekend.
There are so many prompters to help us DO OUR PART.
No doctor can force you to get your heart into shape and your Heavenly Father has chosen not to force you either.
He’s loving you and cheering you on knowing that a healthy, growing, robust spiritual, God-infused heart will determine the course of your life.
During our response time… I want to encourage you to talk to God about this partnership: confess to the areas of your heart that you know you need changed and commit to do your part.
Prayer