Pastor Troy Murphy started a new sermon series on Sunday, Oct. 4 entitled “Hearts, Handlebars & Telescopes,” which should compel us to seek God's guidance in the midst of key issues in our world today.

Hearts
You need to surrender your heart to God. That means giving your life over to Jesus and receiving his sacrifice. Only Jesus can transform a heart. 

Handlebars
You must let go of outcomes. We hold on for dear life to the handlebars of our life. It’s called control. You must give control of your life to God and let him control the outcome.

Telescopes
We must look heavenward, to God, for direction and guidance. We can’t look left or right. We can’t hope that governments and flags and legislation are ways to ultimately change things.

Key points from the first message in the series: 

*Change comes when you surrender your heart, let go of control and look heavenward for guidance. Are you open to hearing God and how he can teach you?

*Paul was speaking to Christians in Corinth, where there was factionalism, division, sexual immorality and idolatry. Our world today is not much different than Corinth, so Paul's words are very relevant.

*If we as Christ followers don’t show love in the midst of our divided world, we are nothing more than a resounding gong or clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). Are you rising above the noise of the world by the love you offer to others, even those you consider enemies?

*People with transformed hearts are able to love others well, even their enemies.

*Love doesn't involve following a religious to-do list. Instead, the kind of love mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 is a natural outflow of a God-empowered, transformed heart:

Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.

*In facing difficult issues in today’s world, a Christ follower must start with love, which never fails and only comes from a heart transformed by God.