Lysa TerKeurst - Who Holds the Key to Your Heart?

Copyright 2002 by
LYSA TERKEURST

All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior permission of the publisher.

A Focus on the Family Book published by

Moody Publishers, Chicago, Illinois.

Renewing the Heart is a registered trademark of Focus on the Family.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lock-man Foundation. Used by permission (www.Lockman.org).

The case examples presented in this book are fictional composites based on the author's experience with audiences through the years. Any resemblance between these fictional characters and actual persons is coincidental.

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Edited by Kathy Davis and Liz Duckworth

Cover and Interior Design: Ragont Design

ISBN: 0-8024-3310-3

ISBN-13: 978-0-8024-3310-7

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Dedicated to you, my friend.
My prayer is that this book will be the map
that leads you straight to the heart of God.
May you be able to lay down whatever burdens you are carrying
or hurts that still haunt you
and finally rejoice in Gods amazing love.

T he Christian life is a journey littered with obstacles and opportunities. It is a continuing path of discovery. Tiny little hands explore the miracle of their own natural bodies as babies become aware of themselves. Self-absorption gives way to an awakening realization that they are only a part of a human community. The search for identity begins in the early teenage years, as does the struggle for the purpose and meaning of life. Possessing only a natural heritage, we begin to sense that something is missing.

Life begins to change as though some force outside ourselves is orchestrating events. Some are in the midst of a crisis, while others are searching for what they inherently know is missing. Suddenly God becomes more than an abstract thought. He becomes our Father, and we are His children. We have a new family, a new heritage, and a new identity. We are children of God who are spiritually alive in Christ. The miracle of new birth has given us a new heart and a new spirit. Oh, the wonder of it all. The spiritual journey has just really begun as we seek to discover who our heavenly Father is and who we are in Christ.

The journey is intended to lead us to Christ and then take us on a path of growth so that we become more and more like Jesus. But there are obstacles along the way. The world system we were raised in becomes a hindrance to our self-discovery and growth. We are tempted to follow our old natural ways that are still ingrained in our minds. Not only that, the god of this world will continue to tempt, accuse, and deceive all those who have given their hearts to Christ. He cant do anything about our new identity and position in Christ, but if he can get us to believe that it isnt true, we will live as though it isnt. The world, the flesh, and the devil are enemies of our sanctification. If we give in to these obstacles, our journey will come to a standstill.

Before we came to Christ we had neither the presence of God in our lives nor the knowledge of His ways. So we all learned to live our lives independently of God. Mental strongholds were raised up against the knowledge of God, and we learned to defend ourselves. Then the miracle our new birth transferred us out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God. We are no longer in Adam; we are in Christ. Since we are new creations in Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new. But why then do we still struggle with some of the old issues and thoughts? Because nobody pushed the delete button in our memory bank. Everything that was programmed into our minds is still there. That is why we must no longer be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

The continuing good news on this journey is that we have forces far greater working within us to ensure that we will be victorious. We just need to know what the nature of the battle is and how to win it. Lysa TerKeurst knows who she is in Christ, and she has come a long way on this journey of life. She knows well the battle for our minds and why we have to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The fruit of the spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit working through our new hearts. She will show you how to win this battle for your mind, and, by the grace of God, you shall overcome the evil one, because in reality he cant touch us (1 John 5:18). May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts as you let the words of Christ richly dwell within you.

Dr. Neil T. Anderson

President Emeritus of Freedom In Christ Ministries

B efore you begin reading, purchase a journal (if you dont already have one) to answer the questions youll find throughout the text. You dont have to buy an expensive journala spiral notebook will do. Please dont skip over these exercises. Writing out your thoughts helps you work through your feelings and will provide a record of your growth over time. When you finish the book, you may want to go back and read over your journal entries to see where God has been leading you. If you faithfully recorded your thoughts in your journal, youll be amazed at the healing God has done in your life.

This book can be used either individually or with a group. At the end of each chapter are group discussion questions. If you are participating in a group, these will be the focus of your discussion time. If you have time, jot down your thoughts about these questions before your meeting; that way youll have a written reminder of what you learned in the chapter. If youre not participating in a group, please be sure to answer these questions in your journal. They will greatly benefit you.

May God bless you as you move from bondage to freedom and healing!