Restoring Hearts Blog

“When we think too lightly of sin, we think too lightly of the Savior.” Charles Spurgeon Satan incited David in I Chronicles 21 to sin by taking a census of Israel. Instead of David putting his trust and dependence upon God, he placed his confidence in the number of men in his army. God wants our faith and reliance to be in Him and in His provisions. King David eventually came around and wrote Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of

“Confession is the first step to repentance.” Edmund Gayton After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they hid from God’s presence. They were ashamed and feared God’s response so they tried to avoid Him. I have experienced the same effects of shame, hiding who I am from God and others when I’ve sinned. But God has given us the gift of repentance through which we can hide behind Christ and His work on the Cross. We no longer need to fear God’s response when we sin. Inst

Blind Spots “You never really know a man until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Harper Lee If I did two things, I would be a better person and the world would be a better place. First, have more self-awareness. My family knows I don’t score high on situational awareness. Often I’m in “Norma’s world,” lost in my own thoughts, unaware of my surroundings. It’s those blind spots in our lives which require help fro

“Every time you defeat temptation you become more like Jesus.” Rick Warren Temptations come in various shapes and sizes, and what may be a temptation to you, may not be to me. We all have different Achilles heels, weaknesses, and points where we are vulnerable. No one though, is exempt from temptations. While temptations are not sin, when we give in to them, sin is birthed. A temptation is “a desire or craving for something.” Genesis 3:6 describes the first temptation. “When

“The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new affection.” Thomas Chalmers The only way we can stop the vicious cycle of sin, that we can’t seem to say no to, is to say yes to God. Yes, to loving God more. The Law points out our sin and our need for a Savior. But it doesn’t make us want to stop sinning. It’s when I decide to go on a diet, that I want to eat what I’m not supposed to eat. Having something forbidden makes us want it

“What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things.” Oswald Chambers My friend asked me the other day how to hear God’s voice. I responded by saying, “People hear God’s voice more often than they realize.” When God speaks to me it is not in a booming male voice, rather it sounds similar to my voice. We tend to discount God’s voice because we think it’s just our thoughts. There are other obstacles to overcome in order to listen to God’s voice. Life races by with our

“The best news the world ever had came from a graveyard.” Anonymous The greatest day in history took place over 2000 years ago, the day when Jesus Christ conquered sin and death. Easter signifies hope. Though my sins are like scarlet, Jesus’ death and resurrection turns them as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) All of this was made possible because of an unblemished lamb’s sacrifice on our behalf. Easter also represents the great exchange. It was Jesus Christ’s blood for my blood.

“The man who covets is always poor.” Claudian The way of sin is a downhill spiral. Rarely do we stub our toe on a rock and fall over a cliff called sin. More often “harmless,” gradual steps are taken which lead to sin. If you retrace your steps though, you may find the hook is in the look. When a fish looks at bait it wants to eat it. Once it takes a bite the hook is firmly set in its mouth and its end is in sight. Likewise, Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden began in her eye. G