Description:

Our purpose in this study is to identify the difference between a heart dedicated to God and one dedicated to self. Based on the Word of God, we all start out as sinful. As David said in Psalm 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

Message from Marsh: “May your personal walk with the Lord lead you to be transformed, renewed, and blessed.”

Marsh

Founder/President

Thank you for coming to: mensgroup.org

Men and Matters of the Heart

LESSON 1 – The Heart – The Inner Self

(www.mensgroup.org – “Original Study”)

Lesson Focus: This lesson is an overview of what makes up the heart, why it’s important, and what we can learn about it so that we can have a better heart.

“Blessing on you for deciding to look at your heart and consider changes that will make you more Christ-like. Be prepared to learn abundantly.” – C. Marsh Bull.

Starting Prayer: God, we thank you for our new hearts. You have made us new in Christ and we are grateful for a heart that can hear and respond to you and care for those around us. Help us to be quick to develop a heart that wants to be close to you.

Opening Questions:

1.      If you were to describe your heart, not the physical one but the immaterial one, what words would you use?

2.      The heart experiences many emotions both good and bad, what is one emotion you have felt in your heart?

Scripture Passages:

Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord—how much more do human hearts! (Proverbs 15:11)

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. (Proverbs 27:19)

Phrase Explanation:

We are distinguishing the heart that is at the center of our immaterial being - which is our soul and spirit, and includes the mind, emotion, and will, from the physical heart beating in our chest and the seat of physical life. The word heart means the midst, the innermost or hidden part of anything. It is the birthplace of motives and passions, and from where springs the conscience. This is illustrated by its usage as the heart of the sea, the heart of the fire, the heart of the city, and the heart of the matter.

There are many descriptive words, both positive and negative, attached to the heart in the books of Psalms and Proverbs. There are thirty-one adjectives used in Psalms, sixteen positives and fifteen negatives. In Proverbs there are twenty-eight adjectives used, twelve positives and sixteen negatives, some of which include, trustful, diligent, perverse, wicked, lustful, deceitful, sorrowful, rebellious, proud, raging, and envious.

In the New Testament, Paul uses the word heart fifteen times to denote personality or inner life, thirteen times as the seat of our emotions, eleven times as the seat of our intellectual activities, and thirteen times as the seat of our volition.

Spurgeon said, “[Man devotes] himself to anything sooner than yield his heart’s love to his Maker, submit his intellect to the great Creator’s teaching, and render all his faculties to the service of the Most High.” He believed that man is prone to idolatry rather than godly worship and other godly spiritual activity.

Jesus chronicled the outflow from the heart:

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person. (Matthew 15:18-20a)

This statement parallels the last five of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:13-17, which explained our relationships to others.

We like to think of our heart as the softer and more pliable part of us. It’s loving, compassionate, and cares about others first. But Jesus provided an x-ray of a real heart by explaining it as tainted with sin, a wanderer from God, and full of selfishness. God knows the heart better than we do, its motives and secrets, and that we can even be deceived by our own heart.

Solomon expressed the depths of God’s knowledge of the heart, saying:

 Death and destruction lie open before the Lord—how much more do human hearts! (Proverbs 15:11)

Solomon also said:

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. (Proverbs 27:19)

Two things are evident: one, every man’s heart is under investigation by the Lord, and two, every heart reflects the man who carries it. There is no separation between the man and his heart.

If God knows the human heart and that heart reflects the real man and our state of sin, this is not good. Is there a way for us to be honest about our own heart’s condition? Yes, we can honestly assess it and make changes that will help us in life.

 

Discussion Questions:

1.      What is the difference between the heart in its natural state and the heart renewed by God through salvation?

2.      If every heart is tainted with sin as Jesus said, then what does your heart spend the most time thinking about?

3.      Tell the group about your spiritual heart operation when you accepted Jesus as your Savior.

Application:

1.      How would you know if your heart was healthy and walking in the right direction?

2.      What area of your heart needs attention?

3.      Can you be a person that presents a façade, and can you be real from the bottom of your heart? Which more often represents you?

Closing Prayer: God, you have made us, and you desire our hearts be turned toward you because you love us and desire fellowship with us. Help us not to ignore the Holy Spirit’s promptings to do some spring cleaning in our hearts.

 

Additional Resources:

Similar verses for a more understanding of the heart:
Psalm 28:7; 111: 119:2, 34; Jeremiah 4:14; 24:7; Matthew 15:8-9; Proverbs 26:23-25.

Spurgeon’s statement is from his message on January 27, 1867.

Continue to Lesson 2 – The Peaceful Heart – Healthy Body, Soul, and Spirit

Or use these links to navigate to various parts of this study:

Intro | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5 | Lesson 6

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