Sermon Notes:
1. The heart is the place where we experience emotion. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 65:14)
2. It is also a place of intellectual activity/thought. (Romans 10:9; Hebrews 3:12)
3. It is the place of human will/volition/choice. (Psalm 21:1-2; Matthew 15:17-20)
4. The heart is the place of knowing, willing and feeling in holistic unity.
5. The heart is the mission control center of our life; it directs our life.
6. We have the responsibility to direct our heart which is our director. (Proverbs 4:23; 3:3)
God says that humanity’s fallen heart is:
7. Bent toward evil (Genesis 6:5)
a. Evil is that which is wrong in relation to God and the effects which that wrong has on human life.
8. Swollen with pride (Proverbs 16:5)
9. Prone to deceit (Jeremiah 17:9)
10. Hardened (Mark 6:52)
11. Stubborn (Jeremiah 3:17)
12. Turns away from God (Jeremiah 17:5; Romans 1:21)
Follow-up Questions from Sunday’s Message:
Intro question:
What is one of your favorite songs that has the word “heart” in it?
Digging Deeper:
1. How would you describe how our society understands what the heart is by how we sing about it in our songs and use it in our phrases?
2. When you read Isaiah 65:14; Romans 10:9; Psalm 21:1-2 and Matthew 15:17-20; how does the Bible describe what the heart is? How would you say it agrees and differs with societies understanding of the spiritual heart?
3. When you read Acts 13:22, what do you think it means when it says that David was a man after God’s own heart?
4. If someone was to ask you what the spiritual heart consists of, what would you say?
5. In the message on Sunday, were you surprised at the length to which the Bible describes the essence and importance of the spiritual heart? If so, what was surprising to you the most?
6. When we learn what Scripture says about humanity’s fallen heart, how does that affect the way you think about your spiritual heart?
7. Can you name a time in your life when you were deceived in your heart or rebellious towards God? What resulted from it? Who or what did God use to bring you back?
8. How would you describe your heart now towards God: Soft? Hard? Warm? Cold? Why is that?
9. The Bible says we are to “guard” our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). How do you go about doing this in your life?
10. In Genesis 6:5, God says that the fallen human heart is bent toward evil. Pastor Frank gave a Biblical definition of evil on Sunday, what were your impressions of his definition? How would you add or subtract from his definition?
11. If David is seen as a man after God’s own heart, how do you think studying his life can help us in our journey to be that in our own life?
Something to think about this week . . .
“The heart is the center of our personality; our true identity is revealed in our heart. It is who we are at our deepest most private level. Our whole life stems from our heart. Our thoughts, our motives, the words that we speak, our feelings and attitudes, and all of our actions originate from our heart.”
Dr. Saucy
Taking it home:
In pursuing to be a person after God’s own heart, pray Psalm 139: 23-23 and listen to what God says about your life.