24/11/2025
Sunday Message Preached by Pastor Michael Kapalu — Matters of the Heart
Date: 23rd November 2024
Opening Scripture: Matthew 15:1–20
In yesterday’s service, Pastor Michael Kapalu taught on the matters of the heart, reminding us that while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
The Pharisees and scribes were people who judged based on outward things such as clothes, makeup, appearance, and traditions. They came to Jesus asking, “Why are your disciples eating without washing their hands? They are breaking the laws.” But Jesus showed them the real issue: they honored God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him.
Many people today act the same. Anyone who speaks like a Christian but whose heart is not aligned with God is simply being religious. Jesus explained that what enters the mouth does not defile a person, but what comes out of the heart is what destroys a person.
Even if someone accidentally drinks something harmful, it may harm the body but not the spirit or soul. But things like hatred, jealousy, lies, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness are the things that destroy a person spiritually.
Your Christian life is rooted in your heart. The condition of your heart determines the direction of your life. The map of your destiny is hidden inside your heart.
We may shout, dance, and celebrate in church, but our heart knows who we truly are. People focus on outward cleanliness, but God looks at the cleansing of the heart.
According to Proverbs 4:20–23, you protect something because it is valuable and because something can damage it. Your heart can be wounded, misled, or crushed, so you must guard it carefully. Your tomorrow depends on how you are protecting your heart today.
If your heart is filled with lies, jealousy, bitterness, or unforgiveness, then you already know where you are heading. The things you store in your heart reveal your spiritual future.
Jeremiah 17:9–10 teaches that the heart is deceitful. If you do not guard it, it can mislead you and make you insensitive to the presence of God.
Psalm 119:9 explains that when you fill your heart with the Word of God, His light exposes the things that are not right.
Job 31:1 shows the importance of making an agreement with your heart not to keep anything that can make you miss heaven. Things like anger, hatred, jealousy, bitterness, and unforgiveness must be removed.
From today, may God take away anything in your heart that is not from Him. Remember, every good thing God has planned for your life is hidden in your heart, so guard it well.