FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS

•  Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
•  The Lord looks at the heart, not appearances. 1 Samuel 16:7
•  God searches hearts and rewards conduct accordingly. Jeremiah 17:10
•  The heart's secrets are betrayed by the mouth. Matthew 12:33-34
•  The mouth reveals what is in the heart - the ear determines what goes into it. Proverbs 2:2
•  From within, out of the heart, comes evil. Mark 7:21-23
•  Where your treasure is there your heart will be as well. Matthew 6:21
•  The heart is deceitful above all things. Jeremiah 17:9
•  At judgment God will expose the hidden counsels of the heart. 1 Corinthians 4:5
•  The heart needs to be educated. Proverbs 22:17-18
•  The heart functions as the conscience. Psalm 51:10
•  The Spirit of God must give humans a new heart. Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26
•  Faith purifies a new heart. Acts 15:9; Ephesians 3:17
•  First clean the inside, and then the outside will be clean. Matthew 23:26
•  Removal and replacement of corruption is essential for lasting change. 1 John 1:9; John 8:31-32
•  Believers set the heart on things above. Colossians 3:1; Philippians 4:8
•  Love the Lord God with all your heart - a conscious, volitional commitment. Matthew 22:37

KEY ASSUMPTIONS

•  Lasting behavioral change is not accomplished by focusing primarily on behavior.
•  Behavior is fundamentally a byproduct of what is stored in our hearts.
•  Man focuses on appearance, God focuses on the heart.
•  God is looking for believers after His own heart.
•  Central beliefs, core values, worldview, and motives comprise the heart.
•  Our central beliefs establish our values. Our core values inform our worldview. Our worldview conditions our motives. Our Motives energize our behavior. Our behavior reflects what's in our hearts.
•  The objective is to be so controlled and influenced by the Spirit of God as to have the mind of Christ in our beliefs, values, attitudes, and motives so that our character is Christ-like and our behavior brings glory to God.
•  To change behavior, we must have a change of heart.