Soft Hearts: Cultivating Community and God's Word
Summary
In this sermon, I discussed the importance of having a soft heart to receive God's message and the role of the church in fostering this receptivity. I used the parable of the sower from Mark 4 to illustrate how the quality of our hearts, likened to the soil in the parable, determines how well we receive and retain God's word. I emphasized that cultivating a soft heart is a personal responsibility, not something that can be forced by external influences. I also highlighted the role of the church, not as a mere attraction but as a community that loves God and loves people, helping each other to live according to God's word.
Key Takeaways:
- The quality of our hearts, like the soil in the parable of the sower, determines how well we receive and retain God's word. ( [00:37])
- Cultivating a soft heart is a personal responsibility, not something that can be forced by external influences. ( [24:55])
- The church should not just be an attraction but a community that loves God and loves people, helping each other to live according to God's word. ( [26:23])
- The church should be a place where people are helped up when they fall, over and over again. ( [26:54])
- The goal is for the church to be a corner of God's kingdom that is truly making a difference in the lives of people in the community. ( [27:01])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Mark 4:3 #!!11:37!!#
2. Mark 3:20-22 #!!01:43!!#
Observation Questions:
1. What is the significance of the crowd that is constantly following Jesus in Mark 3:20-22?
2. In Mark 4:3, what does the seed represent and what does the path symbolize?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the crowd's reaction to Jesus in Mark 3:20-22 reflect the state of our hearts towards God's word?
2. In the parable in Mark 4:3, what does the action of the birds eating the seeds on the path signify in our spiritual lives?
Application Questions:
1. Can you identify a time when you were part of a 'crowd' in your spiritual journey, following God's word without truly understanding or applying it?
2. How can you ensure that your heart is not like the 'path' where the seeds fell and were eaten by the birds?
3. What steps can you take this week to move from being part of the 'crowd' to becoming a true disciple of Christ?
4. How can you help others in your life move from being part of the 'crowd' to becoming true disciples of Christ?
Devotional
Day 1: Cultivating a Soft Heart
The quality of our spiritual growth is determined by the condition of our hearts. We are the ones who control the soil quality of our hearts, not our pastors, friends, or even God. Cultivating a soft heart that is receptive to God's message, retains it, and allows it to shape and change us is a simple yet challenging task. It requires us to consistently engage with God's word and allow it to influence our lives ([25:40]).
Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Reflection: Reflect on the condition of your heart. How can you cultivate a softer heart that is more receptive to God's word?
Day 2: The Power of Community
We are called to be a community that loves God and loves people. We are to be a church that helps people up when they fall, regardless of how many times they fall. We are to be a church full of soft hearts that strive to live according to God's word ([26:54]).
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Reflection: How can you contribute to building a loving and supportive community in your church?
Day 3: The Importance of Substance Over Appearance
A good worship band and a charismatic preacher can draw a crowd, but what truly matters is the heart of the church. We should strive to be more than just a spectacle that draws people in; we should aim to be a community that genuinely loves and cares for each other ([10:31]).
1 Samuel 16:7 - "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"
Reflection: How can you ensure that your participation in church is more about substance than appearance?
Day 4: The Role of the Sower
As believers, we are called to sow the seeds of God's word. However, we must remember that we cannot control the condition of the soil where the seeds land. Our role is to spread the word, and it is up to the individual to receive it ([24:19]).
2 Corinthians 9:6 - "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
Reflection: How can you be more intentional about sowing the seeds of God's word in your daily life?
Day 5: The Call to Serve
We are called to serve as God's hands and feet in the world. This requires us to humbly accept our calling and boldly step into it, relying on the Holy Spirit to work in and through us ([27:28]).
1 Peter 4:10 - "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."
Reflection: How can you better serve as God's hands and feet in your community?
Quotes
1. "God, we admit that our hearts aren't always soft. God, we want that to be more true of us today and going forward maybe than it has in the past. God help us to see with your eyes, help us to hear with your ears and help us to serve being your hands and feet." - 27:01
2. "The hard heart is going to say there's nobody worth encouraging in my life. I'm not willing to do that. I'm not going to go there. So it doesn't even before you walk out that door, before you're eating over at kins at the buffet, you've already decided there's nobody to encourage. I don't care about encouraging. Your heart is hard." - 20:03
3. "Jesus is going about just doing all the Jesus things that he does. There's he's healing people, he's teaching in a way that no one has ever heard. People are taking note and all these Crowds Are gathering around him all the time." - 00:37
4. "I hope that we're all here together here because of the heart because we want to be a part of what's going on. I hope we're not just a plume of smoke on the south side of town the families once in a while come down here and check out because they think something's going on and then they get here and they're like oh yeah it was just a plume of smoke and then they get on about their way." - 10:31
5. "A farmer went out to sew his seed as he was scattering the seeds some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. Now there's going to be four different seeds here we're just going to stop at each one and talk about them." - 11:37
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