Proverbs 3:5-6, 28:14
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.”
“How blessed is the man who fears always,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
Q: In this passage, what does it meant to trust the Lord? What are some areas of your life that you find difficult to trust the Lord with?
Trust = giving God my heart, my understanding, and acknowledging Him in every situation.
Example: “My sports. I have a hard time giving God my physical health in the sports I play, and I think I can accomplish it all on my own.”
Psalm 17:10-12
“They have closed their unfeeling heart,
With their mouth they speak proudly.
They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
He is like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.”
Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.”
Q: The individual in Psalm 17 has a heart that is closed to God while the individual in Psalm 139 has a heart that is open to God. How do you know if your heart is closed or open to God?
Closed Heart = prideful and tears down others with words/actions.
Open = humble and seeks God’s guidance; prays for faith and forgiveness.
Picture
Matthew 13:14
“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive…”
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Q: Again, Matthew 13 talks about a person with a closed heart to God, while Matthew 7 talks about a person with an open heart to God. What do these verses say about a closed heart and an open heart? Closed = not interested in truly hearing God or seeking God
Open = willing to ask, seek and pursue God in every aspect of your life
Luke 7:13 – “When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not weep.”
Q: What does this verse say about the heart of Jesus? How does your heart respond to others, especially those on the fringe of society?
Jesus’ heart is filled with love and compassion. Example: “I seem to help those that I like but struggle to love and be compassionate to those I do not know. I know there are people in need but tend to let others be the ones who actually help them.”
Paul
Hebrews 3:12-15 “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said…”
Q: How do we keep our hearts from becoming hardened? Are there any areas of your heart that are currently hardened to God?
I can be a partaker of Christ every day, live a prayer-filled life and encourage those around me. Example: “I am hardened towards God because one of my friends passed away last year, and I don’t understand how God could take him/her away so young.”
Peter
Hebrews 4:5-7 & 18
“…and again in this passage, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,’Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”
Q: Do you need God to soften your heart? Are there any family members or friends that your heart is hardened toward?
Example: “Yes! My heart is hardened towards my father for not being a leader in my family.”
APPLICATION: How do these passages relate to me today? What changes do they bring to my life?
LOCKER ROOM: Is there anything this week that you have been enslaved to, and how we can help you?
