Student Ministry

A Heart towards God

Sean Vickers

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7

There is a fascinating account in the Bible in 1 Samuel 16. When it was time to replace King Saul, Samuel went to Bethlehem and called together Jesse and his sons. Each of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel and God would select a new King. As seven sons passed by Samuel there was no suitable replacement found. Samuel asked if all of Jesse’s sons were there. Jesse had one more son, David, who was tending the sheep. They called for David and he was the one and was anointed by Samuel to be the future king of Israel.

This compelling story raises the question: What was the difference between David and his brothers? 1 Samuel 16:7 demonstrates that it was a matter of the heart. We tend to look at the exterior and God looks and the interior, the heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9

What does God see when He looks at your heart?

  • Pride – Proverbs 21:4, Jeremiah 17:9
    Our hearts will naturally focus on me, myself and I.
  • Guilt – Matthew 5:19
  • Brokenness – Psalm 51:17
  • Emptiness – King Saul – 1 Samuel 13:14
  • Belief – Romans 10:10
  • Jesus – Ephesians 3:14-19

What should we do?

  • Examine our OWN hearts
  • Eliminate pride and sin by confession and repentance
  • Turn our hearts toward God
  •  Trust Christ to dwell in our hearts as Savior and Lord
A Soft Heart Towards God

A Soft Heart Towards God

Sean Vickers

Mark 4:1-20. In the Parable of the Soils Jesus identifies four different soil types and teaches a lesson on the condition of our hearts and how receptive we are to the Word of God.

The Seed = The Word of God

The Sower = Servant of God who shared the Word with others

The Soil = The human heart

The Hard Heart

  • Resists the Word of God
  • Easy for Satan to snatch away biblical truth before it takes root
  • Must be plowed up before it can receive seed
  • Represents a heart that is completely closed to the Word of God
  • The enemy of the hard heart is Satan

The Shallow Heart

  • Thin Soil with bedrock underneath
  • What ever is planted has no root and will not last
  • Receives the Word with “joy” representing an emotional response
  • The emotional response ends when the pressure of this life crash back in
  • The enemy of the shallow Heart is emotions that don’t lead to a changed life. Being “moved” but not “changed”

The Crowded Heart

  • Seed is sown among the weeds and the weeds choke out the Word’s work
  • “But the worries of this life, deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” v19
  • This is a person that hears about the “narrow way” but remains on the “broad way.” Matthew 7: 13-14
  • The enemy of the crowded heart is the things of the world

The Fruitful Heart

  • The True Believer and the person that has a soft heart before God and His Word
  • The only fruit bearing plant demonstrating true conversion and true change
  • Produces a crop well beyond the plants normal capacity
  • God causes the increase EXPLODING into a rich harvest

God, grant us soft hearts that You may do Your work deep down in our hearts.

See You at the Pole 2011

Sean Vickers

Early in the morning, on the last Wednesday in September, you will find me at a school campus supporting Students as they take a stand for Christ around their flagpole. For fifteen years I have been encouraged and challenged by the courage and boldness of Students to pray around their flagpoles. They are an example to believers everywhere to proclaim the name of Christ regardless of the circumstances. This year I was privileged to be at the 9th Grade Campus of Boiling Springs High School. Way to go Bulldogs!