1. "Wounds of the Heart"

• "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." (Matthew 15:19)
  • Relationships that destroy (hate):"evil thoughts, murders."
  • Relationships that defile (lust): "adultery, sexual immorality."
  • Relationships that Deceive (ambition): "false witness, slander."

2.REJECTION

• A WOUND comes from REJECTION:
  • The feeling of loss of worth and honor
  • Trace back the roots of most of your relational toxins and they will usually lead to a root of rejection.

3. BITTERNESS

• REJECTION TURNS TO BITTERNESS.
  • "So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be ACCEPTED? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the DOOR. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.'" (Genesis 4:5-7)
  • The wound of rejection in Cain made him ANGRY and DEPRESSED. God tried to reach out to him, change him, and make him feel accepted. Instead, Cain opened a DOOR of HATE.
• An "unhealed" WOUND becomes a DOOR.

4. VOW

• BITTERNESS BECOMES A VOW.
  • The anger of Cain's heart turned into a plan, a thought, a justification for his action: "Let us go out into the field."
• A VOW is a purpose, a sworn intent. "I'm going to teach him a lesson." Now sin has moved from the heart to the mind.

5. CURSE

• A VOW BECOMES A CURSE.
  • "And now you are CURSED from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand." (Genesis 4:11)
  • Cain came under a curse. Saul came under a curse and took his life. Judas came under a curse

6. "Reversing the curse"

• Acceptance instead of rejection.
• Forgiveness at the cross.
• Rejecting vows of revenge
• Blessing instead of cursing.