Heart Worksheet

We recommend that you use this worksheet every day. Seems like a lot - yes? Give us today our daily bread. The Bread of Life is to be consumed every day therefore, at a minimum, it is critically important that you preach the gospel to yourself (Ex. 20:1-3;Rom. 6; 2Cor. 3:17-18; Eph. 4; 6; Col. 3; Gal. 5; 1Pet. 3:12-18), remembering that the Word of God is meant not only to be learned but also applied as a sword in your life. We need this help every day to do battle with sin that easily entangles us and causes damage in our life with God (loving Him) and our life with others (Loving others). If you don't think you need this, then it is most certain that you do.

1. Description and Inferences regarding the Situation

• Keep in mind that your perceptions and inferences are not necessarily reality, and may be distorted
• Learn to be tentative in your inferences, look at the big picture, and refuse to look at one negative aspect of a situation without looking for the positive aspects together. Failing to do this leads to negative or unhealthy feelings and responses to a part of, rather than the situation as a whole. Being upset can affect your judgments, just as your judgments affect your mood.
• Consider, are you magnifying one aspect that is not really so big without thinking about another part that really is? Or are you taking personally something in the situation that perhaps was not directed to you? Are you only focusing on the negative part without looking at the positive (Pp. 4:8; 1Thes. 5:18)? Are you making judgments about the future that you have no absolute basis for? For example, saying to yourself "this will always happen or be this way"? Distorted inferences, like looking in a carnival mirror, distort reality, and that really becomes your reality, making it more difficult for you than it otherwise would be.
• Refuse to think that you are sure about the motives of others (this is judging Mt 7:1-2) when you are really not (you probably are not always sure about your own). Failing to do this, that is, not giving the benefit of the doubt, as love must (1Cor. 13:7; Mt. 7:1,2), only serves to stir up anger, leading to strife, as the other 'feels judged', leading them to judge you in return, thus causing a spiraling situation.

2. Identify your sinful, unhelpful emotions (Rate on a scale of 1-10)

• Anger Jam. 1:19-20;Pr 29:11; Jon. 4:4; Job 5:2; Ps. 37:8; Pr. 12:16; Pr. 25:28; Eccl. 7:9; Mt. 5:22
• Anxiety Pp. 4:6-7; Mt. 6:25-34;
• Fear/Cowardice Jn. 18:17; 1 Pt. 3:4-6; Pr. 29:25; Rev. 21:8; Is. 44:8; Mt. 10:28; Jn. 14:27; 2 Tim. 1:7;
• Depression Ps. 42:1-5
• Guilt (Worldly Sorrow) 2 Cor. 7:10
• False Peace/Joy Lu. 12:16-21; Jr. 6:14; 8:10-11; Ps. 73:4-10; Lu. 10:20
• Apathy Rev. 3:15-16; Rom. 12:9-13; Jam. 4:17; Zeph. 1:12-13; 2 Tim. 2:22; Pr. 13:4
• Pride/Arrogance Pr. 16:5; Ps. 10:4; Pr. 21:4; Gal. 6:3; Pr. 13:10; Pr. 16:18

3. Identify your sinful, unhelpful, behaviors (Rate on a scale of 1-10)

• Avoidance Is. 30:15-18; Jn. 12:42-43; 1 Pet 3:8-12
• Excessive pleasing Gal 1:10; 1 Cor 4:3-4; Pr 29:25; Pp. 2:3; Jn. 12:42-43
• Dominating, harshness, unkindness Mt. 20:25-28; 2Tim 2:25; Eph 4:29; 5:33; Col 3:18-19
• Manipulation Mt. 7:12; Pp. 2:3-4; 1Thes. 4:6
• Other sinful behavior habits: _______________________ Gal 5:19-21; 1Tim. 1:8-11; Eph 4:25-29

4. Identify the sinful thinking (idolatrous belief-desires) that gives rise to the bad fruit emotionally and behaviorally. Mt 6:22; Lu. 6:43; Pr. 4:23; Pr. 19:11; Pr. 17:27; Rom 8:5-8; Rom. 12:12

• Primary: Demandingness belief-desires (Musts and Shoulds we place on God, Others, Self, our World and Life conditions) Ps. 78:18; 2Pet. 1:3-4; 1Pet. 2:11; Jas. 3:13-4:8
  • Comfort idols Mt. 4:1-4; 1Jn. 2:16; Gen. 3:6; 1Cor. 10:6-10; Pr. 6:6-9; Pr. 7:25
  • Approval idols (Fearing Man) Mt. 4:5-7; Eph. 6:6; Jn. 5:41-44; Gal. 1:10; Dt. 10:12-13; Mt. 10:28; Acts 5:29; Dt. 31:6; Heb. 13:6; (Showing Off) Mt. 6:1-2;5;16;23:5
  • Power idols Mt. 4:8-10; Mt. 20:20-28; 1Jn. 2:16; Gen 3:6; 1Cor. 3:1-4; Lu. 9:46-48
• Secondary: Derivative thoughts (distorted, sinful inferences / judgments)
  • Judging Mt. 7:1; 1 Cor. 13:1-13; Num. 20:5; Rom. 12:3; Jn. 7:24
  • Fretting (Awfulizing) Ps. 37:7; Num 21:5; Pp. 4:8; 1Thes. 5:18
  • I-Can't-Itis Dt. 30:11-14; Num. 13:31-32; Rom 6:14
  • Over-generalizing Mt. 6:24; Num 13-14:2

5. Dispute sinful, idolatrous, distorted thinking. Preach the gospel to yourself. Ex. 20:1-3;Rom. 6; 2Cor. 3:17-18; 2Cor. 9; Eph. 4; 6; Col. 3; Gal. 5; 1Pet. 3:12-18 . The following is called "Doing the Math" which is an easy way to remember to: Put off the old self (subtract); Put on the new self created in the likeness of Jesus Christ / recognizing that he is the one that has done the work (add); Consider how your new self overflows to the blessing and love of others (multiply); and Taking the LONG view of our final destination with Christ and how good it is for us, even now, though we suffer loss or persecution (LONG division). This may also be likened to our Justification (subtract/add), Sanctification (multiply), and Glorification (LONG division).

• Subtraction Mt. 4:17; Mk. 1:5; Lk. 5:32; Jn. 16:8; Ex. 20:1-3; Rom. 6:11; Eph. 4:22; Rom. 8:13; 1Pet. 2:12; Col. 3:5-9
• Addition Jn. 1:17; Jn. 1:33; Rom. 6:11; Rom. 13:14; Eph. 4:24; Pp. 4.8;Col. 3:1-3
• Multiplication Jn. 13:17; Acts 20:35,1 Jn. 3:16-18,Phil. 2:3,1 Thess. 5:15,Col. 3:12-14,Jam. 1:19,1 Pt. 4:9,2 Cor. 9:11,Jn. 15:13,Eph. 4:25,1 Thess. 5:11,Jam. 5:16
• Long Division Jn. 3:16; 1Pet. 1:13-14; Acts 1:11; Jn. 16:16; Rev. 19:11-12,15-16; Mt. 24:29-31; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; Col. 3:4; Heb. 10:34-35; Is. 30:18-33; Rev. 21:1-4,22-27

6. Pray for grace and power of the Lord who is the Spirit of Freedom

• Acknowledge that good fruit is the result of abiding in Christ Jn. 15:4-5
• Meditation on Christ 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Jn. 15:4-8; Heb. 12:1,2; Col. 3:1-4
• Recite verses on His grace and power Heb. 4:12; 2Cor. 12:10; Pp. 4:13
• Remind yourself that he promises the victory when you trust in Him Rom. 6:1-14; 1Jn. 5:4

Consider what is the loving action called for and practice seeking your joy in the welfare of the other person in the situation if there is on involved.

Enactment (Describe the loving action God requires; 1Pet. 2;3; Rom. 12; Eph. 4-6; Col. 3;4) . Meet with people with whom you are in relationship / conflict and practice PAUSE

• Prepare your heart
• Affirm the relationship
• Understand interests
• Search for solutions
• Evaluate solutions

The Feedback Loop - Work with others regularly to track your progress. Heb. 5:11-14; 1Tim. 4:8

• Set Goal
• Track Progress
• Encourage
• Persevere