Keeping the Soil Soft

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A few weeks ago I posted my notes from my husband's sermon on the causes of a hard heart. At that time, I said I'd post the flip-side of that thought, keeping your heart soft, in a few days. Then I promptly forgot to do that! So here are my notes from Wes's sermon the last Sunday in January, right after our Winter Revival.

Keeping the Soil of Your Soul Soft

Jeremiah 4:3 - "For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns."

Hosea 10:12 - "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."

Attitude - stay humble - "He must increase, but I must decrease."

John 13:1-17 - if Jesus can humble Himself, being God, then I can humble myself before Him.

Verses for a humble heart - James 4:10, Proverbs 16:19, James 4:6, Matthew 23:12; Matthew 5:3

Appeal - Pray often! Zechariah 4:6 - our success is only through God

Verses on depending on God through prayer - II Corinthians 3:5; Psalm 50:15; Luke 18:1; I Thessalonians 5:17

Attention - keep your attention on God and on His work; look outward to win others to Christ.

Hebrews 12:15 - Looking to Jesus and keeping our focus on Him makes the Christian life easier

Actions - Be doers and not hearers only (James 1:22) Do first . . . then the command will make sense - just obey

Hebrews 3:7,8 - obedience avoids a hard heart - allow the Word to soften your heart.

Conclusion:

II Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people, which are called by my name, shall . . . 

humble themselves = attitude
and pray = appeal
and seek my face = attention
and turn from their wicked ways = action

. . . then shall I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Comments

  1. Barbara2:40 PM

    Oh amen I love it, be blessed, Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  2. Miss Linda8:17 PM

    These are wonderful thoughts, dear Susan. Thank you so much for sharing this!!

    ReplyDelete

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