Loving God with Your Heart

In our new mini-series, HUMAN, we examine the divided nature of our hearts and invites us into wholehearted devotion to God. Drawing from Mark 12:28-31, we're reminded that Jesus calls us to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength - not just pieces of ourselves, but our whole true self. The sermon explores the tension many of us live in, wanting God in some areas while keeping Him at arm's length in others. Through the story of St. Augustine, we see a powerful example of someone who struggled with fragmented love, knowing what was right but unable to fully surrender. His famous prayer, 'Grant me chastity and self-control, but not yet,' captures our own resistance to complete surrender. The message reveals how we often create a false self to survive and adapt, hiding behind achievements, perfectionism, or people-pleasing rather than living from our true identity in Christ. We're challenged to recognize where our treasure lies, because where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. The sermon powerfully distinguishes between healthy conviction and toxic shame, reminding us that God's conviction is an invitation back to wholeness, not condemnation. Ultimately, we're called to bring that last 10% we've been withholding from God - whether it's our sexuality, our ambition, our relationships, or our pain - and surrender it fully to the One who loves us completely.