Beyond the Weekend

June 16 | From the Heart

June 16, 2021

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery…. Mark 7:21-22a

Read: Mark 7:21-23
Listen: 
Mark 7

TODAY’S MESSAGE

The religious leaders in Jesus’s day thought they were doing all the right things. They fasted twice a week, observed fixed hours of daily prayer and ceremonially “cleaned” themselves after return from the market or contact with those considered “unclean.” They determined focusing on the outside made them right with God. But that’s not what Jesus is most interested in (Mark 7:6-7). He is much more concerned about what comes from inside—from the heart.

We can think God is concerned about what we look like on the outside. Attending church regularly, participating in a small group, having daily Chair Time and practicing generosity looks great. In fact, it’s what we desire for everyone at Ada Bible Church. But while we do all this good stuff—our hearts can be marked by immorality, murderous rage and adultery. Our cup is clean on the outside but filthy dirty on the inside (Matthew 23:25). While concerned about our actions, Jesus continually calls attention to our heart as the source of everything we do because it’s so important.

“How’s my heart?” is a question we need to ask ourselves continually. Is it filled with those things that Jesus lists in Mark 7? If it is, we have some work to do. It’s the work of repentance and confession as we come to Jesus to help us.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Remember that Jesus died to give you a new heart, a heart that beats with his (Jeremiah 24:7). We can come to him again and again for a clean heart when we’re pulled in a different direction. Listen to our worship team sing “Jesus Paid It All” and focus on these encouraging lyrics, “Lord, now indeed I find, thy power and thine alone. Can change the leper’s spots and melt the heart of stone. Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow.”


NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN

Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.

Today’s reading is Romans 1.


Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.

You Might Also Like