Pastor Lisa-Heart Exchange
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor Lisa’s sermon from November 9, 2025
Let’s Break it Down
God promises to exchange our stony, stubborn hearts for tender, responsive ones through an ongoing sanctification process. Like a metalsmith refining gold, He uses life's circumstances to bring impurities to the surface, giving us opportunities to surrender or resist. A hardened heart justifies disobedience and pushes away truth, while a tender heart welcomes correction and desires to please God.
Key Takeaways
God desires to exchange our stubborn, stony hearts for tender, responsive hearts that are moldable to His will
Sanctification is a lifelong process that requires daily surrender and willingness to let God refine us through trials
Love will be the distinguishing mark of the true church in the last days, and we must choose to be unoffendable
Deception begins when we start pushing away small truths from God's Word, so we must embrace the whole truth
Our spiritual progress is directly tied to the condition of our hearts - we cannot advance until we deal with what God reveals to us
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5 Day Devotional
Day 1:The Heart of the Matter
Devotional: Have you ever wondered why the Bible mentions the heart over 800 times? It's because your heart is the command center of your entire existence. Everything flows from there - your thoughts, emotions, decisions, and ultimately, your actions. When God looks at you, He doesn't see your outward appearance or achievements. He sees straight to your heart. This can feel intimidating, but it's actually incredibly hopeful. Unlike people who judge by external factors, God sees the real you and loves you completely. Your heart reveals who you truly are. When pressure comes, when life gets difficult, what emerges from your heart shows your authentic self. The beautiful truth is that God doesn't leave you stuck with whatever condition your heart is in right now. He has a plan to transform it completely. Think about the last time you were under pressure. Maybe it was a difficult conversation, a stressful deadline, or an unexpected challenge. What came out of your mouth? What thoughts filled your mind? These moments are like windows into our hearts, showing us areas where God wants to work. The condition of your heart determines the condition of your life. A healthy physical heart keeps you alive, but a healthy spiritual heart determines how you truly live. When your heart is aligned with God's heart, everything else begins to fall into place. You experience peace in chaos, joy in difficulty, and purpose in uncertainty. God isn't interested in surface-level changes. He wants to transform you from the inside out, starting with your heart. This transformation is available to you today, not because you've earned it, but because of His incredible love for you.
Bible Verse
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" - 1 Samuel 16:7
Reflection Question
When you're under pressure or stress, what typically comes out of your heart through your words and actions, and what does this reveal about areas where God might want to work in your life?
Quote The heart establishes who we really are. It's what's inside of us that's who we really are. We'll see it come out of our mouth. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for seeing my heart and loving me completely. Help me to be honest about the condition of my heart and open to Your transforming work. Show me areas that need Your touch, and give me the courage to surrender them to You. Amen.
Day 2:The Divine Heart Exchange
Devotional: Imagine walking into a store and being offered the most incredible exchange program ever: you can trade in your old, worn-out heart for a brand-new one, completely free. This isn't fantasy - it's exactly what God offers every person. God promises to remove your stony, stubborn heart and replace it with a tender, responsive one. This isn't just a minor repair job; it's a complete heart transplant performed by the Great Physician Himself. Your old heart, hardened by sin and selfishness, gets replaced with one that's soft, sensitive to God's voice, and capable of genuine love. This transformation begins the moment you say yes to Jesus, but it's important to understand that it's not a one-time event. Salvation happens in a moment, but the process of becoming more like Jesus - sanctification - continues for your entire lifetime. Every day, God is working to make your new heart more and more like His. The beautiful part of this exchange is that God doesn't just take away the bad; He gives you something infinitely better. Your new heart comes equipped with the Holy Spirit, who guides you, comforts you, and empowers you to live in ways you never thought possible. Some people worry they're too far gone or have made too many mistakes for God to work in their hearts. But God specializes in impossible transformations. He can take the hardest heart and make it tender. He can take the most broken life and make it beautiful. This divine exchange is available to you right now. God is ready to give you a new heart - one that beats in rhythm with His, one that finds joy in His presence, and one that naturally wants to please Him.
Bible Verse
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." - Ezekiel 36:25-27
Reflection Question
What would change in your daily life if you fully embraced the truth that God has given you a new heart, and how might this affect the way you see yourself and your potential for growth?
Quote It's salvation in a moment, but it's sanctification for a lifetime.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the incredible gift of a new heart. Help me to live from this new identity You've given me. When I feel discouraged by old patterns, remind me that You've made me new. Fill my heart with Your Spirit and help me walk in the freedom You've provided. Amen.
Day 3:The Refining Process
Devotional: Have you ever watched a goldsmith at work? They heat precious metal in a furnace until all the impurities rise to the surface, then carefully remove the dross to reveal pure, beautiful gold underneath. This is exactly how God works in your life. Life's difficulties aren't random hardships - they're God's refining furnace. When you face trials, challenges, or painful circumstances, something powerful happens: the impurities in your heart rise to the surface. Suddenly, you might find yourself responding with anger, fear, selfishness, or pride. These moments can be discouraging, but they're actually opportunities for breakthrough. The Holy Spirit stands ready to remove these impurities, but here's the key: you have to surrender them. When that dross of sin and selfishness comes to the surface, you have a choice. You can either grip it tightly, justify it, and push it back down, or you can release it to God and let Him take it away forever. This process continues throughout your entire life. Every heated moment, every difficult season, every challenging relationship is another opportunity for God to make you more like Jesus. The goal isn't to avoid the furnace - it's to cooperate with the Refiner. Some people resist this process, stiff-arming God's work in their lives. They wonder why they're not growing spiritually, but growth requires surrender. Others embrace the process, understanding that temporary discomfort leads to lasting transformation and greater freedom. Remember, God isn't trying to harm you through these trials. Like a skilled craftsman, He knows exactly how much heat to apply and for how long. His goal is always to reveal the beautiful, pure gold that He sees in you.
Bible Verse
"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap." - Malachi 3:2
Reflection Question
When you face difficult circumstances and negative emotions or reactions surface, how can you better recognize these as opportunities to surrender impurities to God rather than reasons to become discouraged?
Quote Every time that you get heated up in that suffering or in that pain, that dross comes to the surface. And the Holy Spirit takes and just causes it to. He takes it off. He takes it out of your heart if you'll surrender it.
Prayer
Lord, help me to see trials and difficulties as opportunities for growth rather than just problems to endure. When impurities rise to the surface of my heart, give me the grace to surrender them to You instead of holding onto them. Thank You for Your patient work in refining me. Amen.
Day 4:Love That Changes Everything
Devotional: In a world growing increasingly cold and divided, there's one thing that will distinguish true followers of Jesus: love. Not just any love, but the kind of supernatural love that can only come from a heart transformed by God. Jesus said the world would know His disciples by their love for one another. This isn't just a nice suggestion - it's the primary way people will recognize authentic Christianity. When believers genuinely love each other, especially when it's difficult, it creates a powerful witness that draws others to Christ. But this love goes beyond just being nice to people who are nice to you. It means loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable, and showing kindness to those who don't deserve it. This kind of love is impossible with a hard heart, but it flows naturally from a heart that's been touched by God's love. In these last days, when lawlessness increases and love grows cold, choosing to love becomes even more significant. It's a declaration that you belong to a different kingdom, that you operate by different principles, and that you've been changed by a love greater than anything this world offers. Love isn't just a feeling - it's a choice, a commitment, and often a sacrifice. It means putting others' needs before your own, speaking words that build up rather than tear down, and extending grace when you'd rather hold a grudge. The beautiful truth is that when you choose to love this way, you're not just blessing others - you're experiencing the joy and fulfillment that comes from living the way you were designed to live. Love transforms not only those who receive it but also those who give it. God's love for you is the source and motivation for loving others. The more you understand how deeply He loves you, the more naturally His love flows through you to others.
Bible Verse
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35
Reflection Question
Who in your life is difficult to love right now, and how might God be calling you to demonstrate His supernatural love to them in practical ways?
Quote The world is gonna know Jesus by how we love each other in this room and how we love the unlovable.
Prayer
Father, fill my heart with Your love so completely that it overflows to everyone around me. Help me to love not just those who are easy to love, but especially those who challenge me. Let Your love through me be a witness to Your transforming power. Amen.
Day 5:Staying Tender
Devotional: One of the greatest challenges in the Christian life is maintaining a tender heart. It's easy to start with enthusiasm and openness to God, but over time, disappointments, hurts, and repeated failures can cause our hearts to gradually harden. A tender heart is one that remains sensitive to God's voice, quick to repent when convicted of sin, and eager to please Him above personal comfort. It's a heart that says, "Yes, Lord" before even knowing what He's asking. This kind of heart posture requires daily maintenance and intentional choices. Deception often begins subtly - by pushing away a little truth here, justifying a small compromise there. Before you know it, what once seemed clearly wrong now feels acceptable. This is why daily heart inventory is so crucial. You need the Holy Spirit to reveal areas you might not even recognize need attention. Every situation God allows in your life is a test. That difficult boss, that challenging relationship, that financial pressure - they're all opportunities to choose surrender over self-will, trust over fear, and obedience over convenience. These tests aren't meant to trip you up; they're designed to strengthen your faith and reveal areas where growth is needed. The goal is to become "unoffendable" - not because you don't care, but because you're so secure in God's love and so committed to His purposes that you don't let offenses derail you from His plan for your life. Maintaining a tender heart means starting each day with surrender, asking God to search your heart, and choosing immediate obedience when He speaks. It means being willing to be wrong, quick to apologize, and eager to change when God shows you a better way. Remember: you can never go wrong saying yes to Jesus. His plans for you are always better than your own.
Bible Verse
"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23-24
Reflection Question
What daily practices could you implement to maintain a tender heart toward God, and what areas of your life might currently be hardening due to unaddressed hurt or repeated compromise?
Quote You can never go wrong in saying yes to Jesus. Never.
Prayer
Lord, I want to maintain a tender heart toward You always. Search my heart and reveal any areas that are hardening. Help me to be quick to repent, eager to obey, and willing to change when You show me a better way. Keep my heart soft and responsive to Your voice. Amen.