Purity of Heart #1
February 19th, 20101. Read Prov. 4:23.
a. How would you define the “heart” that the writer is describing?
b. What would it mean to “guard your heart?”
2. Look at 1 Sam. 16:1-7. Note v. 7.
a. In terms of religion, how might our “outward appearance” be different from what is really going on in the heart?
b. What is it that God is concerned about?
3. Have you been tempted to put on the outward appearance without having the heart? If so, how?
4. Read David’s prayer for a pure heart in Psalm 139:23-24 and then spend some special time praying about your own heart.
5. All the great men and women in the Bible had to deal with their hearts, bot no one shares his heart with us and his struggle for purity of heart more than David. Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 were written by David and will be important to this study. Read them both carefully at this time. Make notes on those verses that seem significant.
6. From these Psalms we can learn valuable lessons about how to come to purity of heart and how to keep the heart pure.
a. We must be willing to face our sin honestly and admit to ourselves what it is.
b. We must be broken over that sin (take seriously its effects).
c. We must be willing to confess that sin.
7. Why can no one have and keep a pure heart without dealing with sin in a biblical way?