Perception Performance 12A - Hearts/Feelings Help or Hinder Goals 

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I. Purify and Guard your (deceitful) heart by aligning your feelings and values with God's word or you lose at life

Mt 22:37 Jesus said to him You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Pr 4:20 give attention to my words; incline your ear. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 are life to those who find them, health to all their flesh. 23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life

Jer 17:5 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. 6 not see good when it comes...barren shrubbery 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. 8 fruitful tree 9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind/emotions/reins/kidneys, to give every man acc to his ways, acc to the fruit of his doings.

Jn 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,

Acts 5:3 why has satan filled/controlled your heart to lie to the HS and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

Lk 8:12 wayside...hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 15 good ground are those having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience/endurance.

II. Uncircumcised and Hardened (insensitive) Hearts resist HS, His Word and Wisdom  so they don't see, feel or think clearly

Pr 28:26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered        cf Phil 2:13 will & do

Pr 14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, but what is in the heart of fools is made known.

Acts 7:23 came into Moses heart to visit his brethren 39  not obey, but rejected. and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,

51 "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit as fathers 54 they were cut to the heart...

Acts 28:27 hearts grown dull. ears are hard of hearing, eyes they have closed, lest see, hear, understand with their hearts and turn....

Mt 15:8 draw near to Me with their mouth, honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 18...mouth come from the heart, defile a man. 19 out heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

Mk 8:17 do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

Mk 16:14 rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, 'cse they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

1Cor 4:5  Lord comes, bring to light hidden...reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. 

Lk 21:34  take heed, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, cares of this life,  Day come on you unexpectedly

III. We Purify our Hearts/Feelings by aligning them with God's commands and values, and then applying the Truth 5,4,3,2,1

1Pt 1:22 you have purified your souls by obeying the truth thru the Spirit for/eis sincere love of the brethren, love..pure heart  2Pt 1 add

Js 4:7 Submit 8 Draw near to God..He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded

Heb 4:12 Word of God...division of soul-spirit, joints-marrow, and is a discerner of the thots and intents of the heart.

Heb 10:16 "I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.    cf Rm 12:1-2

IV. When we align our hearts/values/feelings with God's priorities, He motivates, guides, strengthens us to do His will Phil 2:13

Eph 6:5 obedient with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6  doing the will of God from the heart,     cf  Lk 22:42

Pr 16:9  heart plans way, but YHWH causes hiph his steps to be firm Pr 19:21 may plans in heart, but the LORD's counsel will stand.

Pr 23:19 Hear...be wise...guide your heart in the way. Pr 21:2 Every way of man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts

Pr 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes,  it is a tree of life.

Gal 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

1Tim 1:5 Now the goal of instruction is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from unhypocritical/undisguised faith,

2Tim 2:22 Flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart

Phil 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds thru/in union with Christ Jesus. 

2Thess 3:5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ. (that JC had in doing God's will) 

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. What feelings and perspectives help or hinder your goals? How do you initially feel when you encounter obstacles/pain in making progress?

2.When you encounter “considerations/warnings”, obstacles/dangers, or roadblocks in pursuing what would please God, how respond?

3. Is God more concerned with what you do, or why and how you do it (cf Mt 7, and Jewish rituals). How do you get a noble heart?

4. How can you increase your ability to hear God's voice, understand His ways, and experience His guidance, empowerment and blessing?

5. What did you learn from managing/evaluating your progress last year? How will your pursuit of God and His will be different this year?