GUARDING OUR THOUGHTS!
Proverbs 4:23-27
INTRODUCTION: Today’s message is going to be down right where we all live. Today we will be
talking about the plague of pornography, and we will learn that the Book of Proverbs is right up to
date with where we are today in the United States of America. Proverbs 4:23 talks about guarding our
hearts. The word “heart” is used eight hundred times in the Old Testament. More than two hundred
of those times it is talking about our thought life:
I. THE MAJESTY OF THE THOUGHT LIFE!
Provers 23:7. The problems of the heart of every human being is the problem of our human
hearts. If we want to change the individual you must change the way that person thinks in his heart
because of the hearts are the issues of life. Today we will find out what the thought life does in us,
through us, to us, and with us. Our thoughts reign supreme to determine the direction of our lives. We
are the sum total of our lives. Our thoughts control our attitudes, and our attitudes control our actions:
Proverbs 4:23. Seeking the Lord can change our hearts or if we do not seek Him, it can harden our
hearts: 2 Chronicles 12:13-14. Our God destroyed a whole civilization one time because of their
hearts: Genesis 6:5. Our God changes our hearts by the renewing of our minds: Romans 12:2;
Proverbs 4:23.
II. THE MASTERY OF THE THOUGHT LIFE!
Our thought life is so important that our Lord tells us we must control it because it controls us. It
truly is out of our hearts that the issues of life come. The fourth chapter of Proverbs speaks of the
problems that come from immorality and the fifth chapter deals with sexual promiscuity. The message
of today is that sex can be divorced from Biblical love. Pornography is a six billion dollar a year
industry. Years ago, King Solomon warned his own son about pornography: Proverbs 6:25-
27. Pornography causes social harm, psychological harm and domestic damage. Pornography eats
away the very fabric of our families. But King Solomon is telling his own son to guard his heart with all
diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Our Lord Jesus said adultery starts in our hearts: Matthew
5:27-30. The best way to not think something impure is to think something that is pure: Proverbs
4:20. God made mankind so that he cannot think two things at the same time and that is a wonderful
blessing. We are told to overcome evil with good: Philippians 4;8. We must hide God’s Word in our
hearts: Psalm 119:11. We must keep the words of God in our hearts: Proverbs 4:23; Hebrews
4:12. God’s Word is powerful!
III. THE MINISTRY OF THE HEART!
When we chose to guard our hearts, who do we guard it for? It is for our Lord Jesus Christ! What
does our Lord Jesus do for us when we choose to obey him and memorize His Word and obey His
Word? 2 Chronicles 16:9! If we choose to obey our Lord, He will guard our speech! Proverbs 4:24-
27. How will our choice to obey and memorize the Word of God protect our speech? Matthew
12:34. Guarding my heart will change what I chose to look at! Proverbs 4:25. We must learn to
determine ahead of time what we will look at: Job 31:1. Have you made a covenant with your
eyes? Our heart will guard our steps: When we chose to think right it will help us achieve in our lives
what our Lord wants us to achieve: Proverbs 4:26-27. God wants to establish you in His ways for your
life. God wants His children to have a clean mind.