Key Verse:
Proverbs 4:23 – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

POINT:
What is in our hearts always comes out—Guard your heart!

Common Enemies of the Heart

The major reason we rarely stop to monitor our hearts is that it was never encouraged. As children, we were taught to monitor behavior rather than our hearts. If we behaved, good things happened, regardless of what was going on inside us.

These enemies create a debt/debtor relationship—an “owe somebody” contract.

1. Guilt: “I Owe You”

Proverbs 22:7 – The borrower is slave to the lender.

2. Anger: “You Owe Me”

3. Greed: “I Owe Me”

Greedy people:

Talk and worry about money excessively
Are reluctant to share
Aren’t cheerful givers
Keep track of what they’ve done for others
Are never content with what they have
Attempt to control others with money

Greed isn’t a financial issue—it’s a heart issue. Fear is the driving force behind greed.

4. Jealousy: “God Owes Me”

At its core, jealousy says, God should have given me what He gave them.

TRANSFORMATION: How to Guard Your Heart

Confronting Guilt → Answer: Confession

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Confession isn’t about guilt relief—it’s about true change.
Confession to God and others leads to healing (James 5:15-16).

Confronting Anger → Answer: Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:31-32 – Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you.

Forgiveness is the decision to cancel a debt.
Matthew 18:21-35 – If we refuse to forgive, we are the ones who suffer.

Steps to Forgiveness:

Identify who you’re angry with.
Determine what they owe you.
Cancel the debt. (“They don’t owe me anymore.”)
Dismiss the case when memories resurface.

Confronting Greed → Answer: Give Generously

Luke 12:18-21 – “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Generous giving breaks the grip of greed on our hearts.
Give to the point that it impacts your lifestyle—if not, greed may be at work.
1 Chronicles 29:11 – Everything in heaven and earth is Yours, Lord.

Confronting Jealousy → Answer: Celebrate

Cain was jealous of Abel.
Esau was jealous of Jacob.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous of his favor.

James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.

Celebrating others’ success frees your heart from jealousy.
It’s hard to love someone you’re jealous of.
Jealousy shapes our attitudes toward people and can drive a wedge between us.

Lust → A Managed Appetite

Lust isn’t a problem you solve; it’s an appetite you manage.
It can’t be eliminated, but self-control is key.
Guilt, anger, greed, and jealousy weaken our spiritual resistance to temptation.

CLOSING: Guard Your Heart with These Actions

✅ Confession allows us to come out from hiding.
✅ Forgiveness allows others to come out from under cover.
✅ Generosity allows us to partner with God as He shows Himself in tangible ways to the world.
✅ Celebration turns our hearts toward gratitude.

Guilt is conquered with confession.
Anger is conquered with forgiveness.
Greed is conquered with generosity.
Jealousy is conquered with celebration.