Did you hear about the 19 year old who bragged about stealing a car and robbing a bank … by posting a video of herself with the gun and the money on YouTube? Nope, you can’t make this stuff up. Too bad for her that one of the people who saw her video was the Sheriff.
Today we’re not talking about either stealing or stupidity, but about how what’s inside will always come outside sooner or later. Welcome to “Mornings with Bishop Robert” — I’m really glad you’ve popped in this morning. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! If our time together today speaks to your heart, then let me invite you to like, subscribe and share it with a friend!
So, by the time she made the decision to steal a car and rob a bank at the ripe old age of 19, Hannah had already been married, divorced, and had her child taken away by Children’s Protective Services. Not a stunning history of great decision making. In fact, BOTH her ex-husband and her former mother-in-law identified her from the bank robbery suspect photos and called the Sheriff. The York County Nebraska Sheriff’s Office said that Hannah posting her “Chick Bank Robber” video admitting to robbing the bank with a gun and a pillow case was just icing on the cake. Pretty much the definition of an open-and-shut case. Hannah told the bank teller, “I have a gun and you have 2 minutes.” The judge had a prison, and gave Hannah 20 years.
Today’s verse says WHAT YOU SAY FLOWS FROM YOUR HEART.
Our heart represents our character. And who we are – truly – will eventually come up from our heart and out of our mouth. Someone may be able to hide the nastiness inside for a time or from certain people, but sooner or later the truth comes out. You can’t build a solid reputation by being all sweetness and smiles around people you want to impress and then cheating, lying to and abusing others of no importance to you. What you think in your heart will end up showing every time. The bible says that as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. (And that goes for women, too.)
That’s why God tells us to guard our heart with all vigilance, because out of it flow the springs of life. The life that is within us — HIS LIFE — flows out of us. Our words communicate His compassion. Our words deliver His healing from the pain of sin and the lacerations of conflict. When we have His word within us, it is His word that comes out as we speak. The word of Christ — His Gospel, His Kingdom, His love — is powerful and life-generating. You see, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Since WHAT YOU SAY FLOWS FROM YOUR HEART – guard your heart. Let the Lord work on your heart to cleans and purify it. As He does, don’t pollute it again, but work to maintain it’s holy state. The more the love of God gets a hold on your heart the more impact it will have on your tongue. For those who have harsh or vulgar tongues, you’ll find that the love of Christ changes that. When His character is being developed within us, it is seen more and more in our speech and our lives. The more He fills us up, the more it spills out; words of grace and kindness accomplishing His purpose but coming from your lips. The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speaks justice. The law of God and the love of God are in their hearts; their steps do not slip.
Let His word dwell in you richly. And then let it come our richly, too; teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, even singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. You’ll find the thankfulness you feel for God in your hearts will pour out from your lips.
WHAT YOU SAY FLOWS FROM YOUR HEART
The good person out of the good treasure in their heart produces good. The evil person out of the evil treasure in their heart produces evil. Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Let your words produce treasure.
