March 11th, 2025
by Pastor Josh Hayward
by Pastor Josh Hayward
Beloved Kinney,
I love when God providentially allows the Bible reading plan on our church app to line
up so well with the theme of the sermon on Sunday. On Sunday morning, the Bible
reading plan included Deuteronomy 10:12-16, which I referenced in the sermon that
same morning:
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD
your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD,
which I am commanding you today for your good?” (vv12-13)
That’s a lot that the Lord requires! What was needed? God says, “Circumcise therefore
the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” (v16)
Circumcision of the heart is the work of God whereby he cuts off our entire old, dead
heart and replaces it with a new heart that loves him. This is another way of describing
regeneration or being made a live or being born again or becoming a new creation. It’s
God’s work and it’s required to see the kingdom of God (as Jesus says in John 3).
There are MANY implications of this glorious truth. Let me provide two more that I didn’t
have time to get to in the sermon.
1) Evangelism. Can you see how belief in the circumcision of the heart frees you of
any pressure you might feel in evangelism? It certainly doesn’t free you up NOT
to evangelize; but it frees you up not to feel the pressure to guarantee a result in
evangelism. The latter part is up to God. He circumcises the heart. He
regenerates. He causes the new birth. Your eloquence and articulation don’t.
Your biblical knowledge doesn’t. Your apologetic winsomeness won’t do it.
Therefore, freely cast the message of the gospel to all, and trust God the Holy
Spirit to do heart surgery on those whom God has chosen before the foundation
of the world.
2) Sanctification. Can you see why it’s important for your growth as a Christian to
believe that you are not still dead in your sins? Imagine thinking that you are
incapable of obeying God. Would you even try? I doubt it. But knowing that you
really can obey the Lord because you have been made alive to him will fuel your
obedience.
So Kinney, bask in the beauty that you are born again and give God all the glory! Amen.
Love,
Pastor Josh
I love when God providentially allows the Bible reading plan on our church app to line
up so well with the theme of the sermon on Sunday. On Sunday morning, the Bible
reading plan included Deuteronomy 10:12-16, which I referenced in the sermon that
same morning:
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD
your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD,
which I am commanding you today for your good?” (vv12-13)
That’s a lot that the Lord requires! What was needed? God says, “Circumcise therefore
the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” (v16)
Circumcision of the heart is the work of God whereby he cuts off our entire old, dead
heart and replaces it with a new heart that loves him. This is another way of describing
regeneration or being made a live or being born again or becoming a new creation. It’s
God’s work and it’s required to see the kingdom of God (as Jesus says in John 3).
There are MANY implications of this glorious truth. Let me provide two more that I didn’t
have time to get to in the sermon.
1) Evangelism. Can you see how belief in the circumcision of the heart frees you of
any pressure you might feel in evangelism? It certainly doesn’t free you up NOT
to evangelize; but it frees you up not to feel the pressure to guarantee a result in
evangelism. The latter part is up to God. He circumcises the heart. He
regenerates. He causes the new birth. Your eloquence and articulation don’t.
Your biblical knowledge doesn’t. Your apologetic winsomeness won’t do it.
Therefore, freely cast the message of the gospel to all, and trust God the Holy
Spirit to do heart surgery on those whom God has chosen before the foundation
of the world.
2) Sanctification. Can you see why it’s important for your growth as a Christian to
believe that you are not still dead in your sins? Imagine thinking that you are
incapable of obeying God. Would you even try? I doubt it. But knowing that you
really can obey the Lord because you have been made alive to him will fuel your
obedience.
So Kinney, bask in the beauty that you are born again and give God all the glory! Amen.
Love,
Pastor Josh
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