1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Acts 4:13, When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Matthew 11:28-30, 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

2 Samuel 18:5, 33

Ephesians 3:20-21, 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Going Through Struggles into Successes

⦁ God must change our STUBBORN HEART.

Ezekiel 36:26-27, 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. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees . . .

Mark 10:17-22; John 8:9-11

Psalm 81:11-14, 11 “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. 12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. 13 “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways, 14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!”

⦁ We must change our SENSUAL HEARTS.

Ephesians 4:17-19, 17  So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking . . . 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

Galatians 5:16, So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21; Proverbs 18:8, 16:28

⦁ God and others must change our SLOW HEARTS.

Luke 24:13-16, 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

Luke 24:17-19, 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked . . .

Luke 24:25-27, 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

⦁ Foolish – to lack intelligence concerning God’s will

⦁ Slow – to lack eagerness to do God’s will

• A STUBBORN HEART – fights God instead of following God’s will.
• A SENSUAL HEART – tuned into my wants not God’s will.
• A SLOW HEART – unbelieving instead of burning to do God’s will.

Questions: 

• What did you hear from the Holy Spirit?
• What will you do because of it?
• How can we pray for you?