John Wells - May 05 2019 - a podcast by NBC Podium

Do you have an honest heart ?
Deuteronomy 6:5 “ Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength

Why the HEART ?

Seat of affection….it’s where our desires, our motives and intentions come from
innermost part of you, control center of your being …its what drives the will

What’s God say about our hearts ?
He searches them “ The LORD searches our hearts” Jer 17:10
Our hearts are deceitful ” The heart is deceitful and wicked” Jer 17:9
Our hearts defile us “ out of the heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, envy, arrogance and foolishness Mark 7:21
It’s with heart we believe “ its with the heart you believe ..are justified” Rom 10:10

Mark 4:1-9 The Parable of the Sower

Lessons of the heart from the Sowers Parable

1/ Ability to comprehend spiritual truth is a gift from God
Willful blindness and rebellion of heart will prevent us from even hearing what God is saying

2./ The seed is the WORD of God, The Sower is the LORD, The Soil is our hearts
Every time we hear the WORD we are accountable
There is a response, … even if we ignore what God is saying

3./ There are 4 kinds of HEARERS …with 4 different hearts
Hard Heart …the hard packed foot path the wayside - (Satan takes away the seed)
Shallow Heart…a little soil on the surface …underneath is rocky ground – (no root, …false profession)
Distracted Heart …seed fell among thorns, grew up and choked the word – (cares, pursuits, lust of things)
Honest Heart … good soil ready to listen and receive God’s truth – ( genuine, honest , contrite )

Practical Questions from the Parable
What are the desires of my heart ?
Am I shallow in my convictions?
Am I distracted by the cares of the age, the lust of many things ?
Is my hearing dull ? Or am I spiritually deaf ? … so that I don’t hear what God is saying to me ?
DO I HAVE AN HONEST HEART ?
Have I believed God ? Repented of my sin ? Turned to God with all my heart ?
Isaiah 57:15 / Isaiah 66:2

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