Continuing on the topic:
Whatever captivates your heart controls your destiny.
Our pastor has been teaching through the book of Ephesians found in the New Testament by a writer who was writing from prison. It is a powerful encouraging book and one we can learn many things from.
As Pastor began his teaching he shared that when we begin to walk with Jesus we experience a spiritual change within us from the inside out.
An internal shift takes place as our faith matures.
He said so often in the beginning we are taught to want a comfortable faith and one that makes it easy for ourselves.
Such as a comfortable church with padded cozy pews and music that is what ‘I’ like with teachings that make me feel good and don’t push me to dig deeper.
(I am not saying padded pews are bad it is for example only)
In the beginning we learn to go to church with the ‘serve me’ attitude instead of entering the thought process of how can I serve others.
He said responsible Christians are not necessarily doing it right.
The real goal for us is intentionality.
Our pastor teaches the concept of the church in different settings how people meet us and we meet them within the context of where we all live.
That might be in a coffee shop, a living room or a restaurant or maybe even in a workplace.
He encourages us to become intentional in our belief and walk with God so that it becomes a decision we make on purpose.
To live a life purposely intentionally relating and listening to the spirit of God within us.
It is through that intentionality that others ‘see’ him through us.
He said we determine our confidence and identity in God
through our direct relationship to him and his word.
If there is no relationship we can’t share in a meaningful way.
If our true identity is not ‘identified’ with a loving God we can’t really share that love with others.
Then he leaned in and said to us,
“Your intimacy with God is your greatest intimidation to the enemy.”
The enemy is anything opposing God’s truth within us.
What captivates our hearts will control our destiny especially if 
our destiny is not following after a Holy personal God.
Pastor left us with many thoughts and a question,
“Have you lost the AWE of who He is?”
For me that question brought a deeper meaning.
I thought about the way we displayed our Christmas nativities
and I wondered are we in awe over the story in January
just as we were in December?
What captivates our hearts I think comes from the decisions we choose to make and whether we have lost our feeling of awe towards him.
A question for us is this:
What would it take for us to educe awe in such a way
that what captivates our hearts will control our destiny towards him.
(Educe: to draw forth or bring out, as something potential;
Awe: an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear,
produced by that which is grand or extremely powerful. Inspired with wonder)
Is our passion and longing like the shepherds in the field bowing down in awe of what the angels told them or have we lost the feeling of who He is in our hearts?
Something for us to ask ourselves and think about as we start this new year.
Where is our intimacy and awe today?