Starting on September 7th, we’ll begin an 8-part sermon series called Battle for the Heart: Rightly Ordering Our Affections.

For many Christians, emotions are a blind spot in discipleship. Should we suppress them or follow them?

Stoicism says, “Emotions are dangerous—suppress them.” Romanticism says, “Emotions are truth—follow them.” Both distort God’s design. Scripture says, “Emotions are God-given—form them.”

The Bible teaches that the heart is the center of who we are — our thoughts, desires, choices, and worship. From it flow our affections, passions, and emotions.

In this series, we’ll see how Christ redirects our affections, disciplines our passions, and steadies our emotions so that the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and more—takes root and grows in us. By guarding the heart in this way, we become whole disciples—head, heart, and hands—fully devoted to Him.

Use the schedule below to read the text in advance. Remember, what you gain from Gathered Worship is related to how much heart preparation you do!

Key Words

• heart: The center of who we are — our thoughts, desires, choices, and worship. The heart is the seat of the will. What rules the heart rules the whole person.
• affections: The settled convictions of the heart — desires that guide us toward what we see as good, true, and beautiful. As disciples, we must actively reorder them, through the Spirit, so that we love what God loves.
• passions: The sudden impulses of the heart — cravings that press in upon us. They are not always sinful, but they easily overwhelm reason and must be disciplined by God’s truth.
• emotions: The language of the heart — felt expressions that communicate our desires to ourselves and others. They reveal the loyalties of our heart and can be holy or harmful depending on whether they are aligned with God.

Major Themes

• Reordering Affections — Discipleship is more than right belief or outward obedience. It includes cultivating the fruit of the Spirit as our desires are redirected to love what God loves.
• Resisting Unruly Passions — Left unchecked, passions overwhelm reason, distort judgment, and enslave the heart, leading us away from God’s will.
• Guarding the Heart — Believers are called to train their hearts, practicing habits that strengthen holy affections and restrain sinful passions in light of God’s Word.
• Being Formed in Christ — Self-examination must always drive us deeper into Christ. Otherwise, we’ll fall into despair or pride.

Series Outline

1. Love vs. Hate — Luke 15:11-32
2. Joy vs. Apathy — 2 Corinthians 6:3-10
3. Peace vs. Anxiety — Philippians 4:4-9
4. Patience vs. Anger — Genesis 4:1-16
5. Goodness vs. Cruelty — Luke 10:25–37
6. Faithfulness vs. Neglect — Hebrews 10:19-25
7. Gentleness vs. Harshness — 2 Timothy 2:24-26
8. Self-Control vs. Impulsiveness — Matthew 4:1-11

Memory Verses

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

Galatians 5:22–24 (ESV)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."