David Bowden - Rewire Your Heart: Replace Your Desire for Sin with Desire For God

CONTENTS

PRAISE FOR REWIRE YOUR HEART

David Bowden is a captivating speaker and engaging author who will inspire you to look into your heart, listen to the Scriptures, and pursue the God of Holiness.

ROBERT L. PLUMMER, PH.D., PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT INTERPRETATION, THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

David is a powerful theological rhymer and fountain of energy. To watch his thoughts unfold in this book is an honor and heart check.

CHARLIE HALL, WORSHIP ARTS AND LITURGY PASTOR, FRONTLINE CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

This book takes you on a fantastic journey with David Bowden as he compels us to kill the seeds of sin and daily rewire our hearts. The Bible takes a high view of the human heartand this book powerfully compels us to soak our souls in the living Word. Only when we do this can we reroute our affections and live a life of divinely changed actions. Every believer needs to read this dynamic expository on a regular basis.

ROB HOSKINS, PRESIDENT, ONEHOPE

David Bowden walks the reader down a perilous and exciting path of self-discovery. He challenges us to confront the dark places of our souls and thereby find joy as we yield to Christ in our affections.

BILL HIGH, CEO, THE SIGNATRY; COAUTHOR OF GIVING IT ALL AWAY... AND GETTING IT BACK AGAIN

Rewire Your Heart is thoughtful, caring, hopeful, and inspiring. Im confident that meaningful affections for God will be stirred in the hearts of people who read this book.

JOSH ROSS, LEAD MINISTER AT THE SYCAMORE VIEW CHURCH, MEMPHIS; AUTHOR OF REENTRY AND SCARRED FAITH

Rewire Your Heart will challenge the depth of your commitment to Christ because it takes away the excuses for sin in our lives. I strongly encourage reading this book and allowing its insights to help us be more like Jesus.

MIKE E. ONEAL, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

This is a solid biblical approach with a surprisingly fresh angle to an age-old problem. This book will challenge you and help bring about the change you desperately want and need.

TOMMY WOODARD, SKIT GUYS

This book is for anyone who has found themselves struggling with the same old sin, anyone who has become weary in the fight against temptation, or anyone who has lost hope of victory being possible. This book inspired me and reminded me of the fullness that is found in Jesus, and the grace he has given for us to live the victorious lives he intends for us.

ZANE BLACK, DARE 2 SHARE SPEAKER; YOUTH PASTORGRACE CHURCH; LOVIN LIFE FOUNDER

Not since Dallas Willards Renovation of the Heart has an author made me think in more practical terms of how to pursue a transformation of my heart and, in particular, its desires. Rooted in Scripture and unflinchingly transparent, Rewire Your Heart is a trustworthy resource for reflection, prayer, conversation, and hope when it comes to the transformation of our hearts.

CHRIS SEIDMAN, LEAD PASTOR, THE BRANCH CHURCH

2018 David Bowden

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

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Epub Edition September 2018 9780718077761

ISBN 978-0-7180-7776-1 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bowden, David, 1987-author.

Title: Rewire your heart : replace your desire for sin with desire for God / David Bowden.

Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018007648| ISBN 9780718077747 | ISBN 9780718077761 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Sin--Christianity.

Classification: LCC BT715 .B73 2018 | DDC 241/.3--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018007648

Printed in the United States of America

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We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our

heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but

you are restricted in your own affections. In return

(I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:1113

These have indeed an appearance of wisdom

in promoting self-made religion and asceticism

and severity to the body, but they are of no value

in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

COLOSSIANS 2:23

Good night, Captain, my lord, he said. You took the chance, sir. Did I so? said Faramir. Yes sir, and showed your quality: the very highest. Faramir smiled. A pert servant, Master Samwise. But nay: the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards. Yet there was naught in this to praise. I had no lure or desire to do other than I have done.

J. R. R. TOLKIEN,THE TWO TOWERS

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.

2 CHRONICLES 25:2

I was crying in a Target parking lot. It wasnt sadness or loss, depression or mourning. I was wailing prayers to God in my car out of desperation.

Five minutes earlier, I had been inside the store. My first book was about to be published, something I had always dreamed about. I had also dreamed about a day when I wouldnt live comparing myself to other writers, speakers, and poets. And I felt good about both dreams. I thought I would be able to look with detached enjoyment at my book alongside others on a shelf without pride or envy.

I walked to the book section at Target and wondered, What six Christian books have made it to the top of the heap? As expected, the names of megastar personalities filled the small space with smiling headshot book covers. But then something caught me totally off guard. One of my peers, one against whom I constantly had to fight feeling envy and judgment, had a stack of his latest release prominently displayed. Worse still, the book boasted a glowing foreword by a bestselling author who I had planned to ask to write the foreword for my book.