A Spiritual Heart Examination

Sabbath School
Summary
To cause the congregation to stop and exam the spiritual condition of our heart
Program Aim
To cause the congregation to stop and exam the spiritual condition of our heart
Scripture References
Psalm 139: 1-24
Theme Song(s)
My Maker and my King (15), I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N
Program Audience
Preparations and resources

No preparation

Topic:  A Spiritual Heart Examination

Opening Prayer:

Opening Song:“Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart”

Scripture Reading:  Psalm 139: 1-24

Mission Story:

Superintendents Remarks:A Spiritual Heart Examination

Question #1: What’s the condition of your heart?

Question #2: When was the last time you had a heart exam? 

The heart is the most crucial organ in the body. It is the central pump and powerhouse that circulates the blood and provides oxygen and energy to all the cells. It is truly an amazing organ. Your heart beats about 100,000 times per day and about 35 million times per year. The human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times during an average lifetime! 17 million people around the world die from it each year. Strangely, much of it is preventable. What is it? It’s heart disease. From strokes and high blood pressure to heart attacks, the world is suffering immensely from something that is largely preventable with good habits like eating right and exercise. But most of us are not doing the things that prevent this disease from advancing.

Maybe you should all stand up and do some jumping jacks right now?! Okay, maybe not now.

But, let’s do something together.

  • An Activity: Let’s take our pulse. It’s simple. Just place the tips of your index, second, and third fingers on the palm side of your other wrist, below the base of the thumb. Or, place the tips of your index and second fingers on your lower neck, on either side of your windpipe. Now press lightly with your fingers until you feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers. You might need to move your fingers around slightly up or down until you feel the pulsing. Do you feel it? Good! You’re alive!

How’s the health of your heart today? In the medical world, a doctor uses a stethoscope to listen and see if the beat has any irregularities, and he uses an ECG or a CT scanner or a cardiac MRI machine to look inside determine our heart’s condition. Even though we’ve all just demonstrated that we’re alive physically, that’s not the pulse God takes of our lives. He takes our spiritual pulse. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, But the Lord says 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.”As Pastor Rick Warren says, ‘the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart’. God doesn’t look at the outside, he looks at the inside. God actually has a 24-7 lock ontoour spiritual heart condition. Is that fascinating to you, or is it a bit scary? God’s spiritual stethoscope measures our spiritual condition; he takes our spiritual pulse. What do you think yours sounds like to him?

Let’s clarify what the Bible means when it uses the word, heart. In the Bible the heart is mentioned approximately 987 times and almost all of these refer to our spiritual heart.The heart is considered to be the center of our emotions, desires, passions and appetites. It represents who we are at the center, it’s the place around which our moral, spiritual and intellectual life revolves. The Bible tells us our heart can be hardened (Exodus 4:21), that it is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), yet despite our sin nature the law of God is written there (Romans 2:15), and God’s cleansing grace happens there (Acts 15:9). Emotions like joy, love, courage, anger, sorrow are attributed to our hearts. So the Biblical concept of the heart essentially represents who we are.

Questions: Can you take a long hard look in the mirror? Can you allow God to search your heart and life? When was the last time you did some self-reflecting to see what’s really in your heart? When was the last time you had a spiritual heart exam?  Had it looked at, put to the test, and examined by God?

Some of us are even walking around experiencing a Spiritual Heart Attack and we don’t even know it, we need a Spiritual Cardiology.

In the Physical context a heart attack occurs when there is a blockage. Many of us allow all sorts of things to become blockage e.g. Guilt, pain, unforgiveness, anger etc….

As important as it is to maintain a healthy heart physically, it is even more important for us to develop a healthy heart spiritually. The Bible clearly sets forth the disciplines and characteristics of a healthy spiritual heart. They include gratitude, hope, forgiveness and love. If we discipline ourselves to be grateful every day for what God has done, if we hope when things look hopeless, if we forgive those who injure us, if we love our enemies instead of just loving those who love us, we will have a healthy heart.

But, like our physical heart, having a spiritually healthy heart requires more than knowledge. We may know that we need to be grateful, hopeful, forgiving and loving. But how do you create heartfelt gratitude, hope, forgiveness and love?

In the spiritual realm, this requires a spiritual heart transplant. God has to create a new heart within us, something that He is more than willing to do. We are all born with spiritual heart disease. Jeremiah says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).

But later he writes, “I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God.” (Jer. 24:7). And in Ezekiel He says, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh.” (Ez. 36:26).

God sent His son Jesus so that He might create in us a healthy heart that is full of gratitude, hope, forgiveness and love. He changes the heart that has grown callous, bitter and resentful into one that overflows in gratitude. Someday our physical heart will beat its last beat and our bodies will die. But the spiritually healthy heart that God creates will live forever.  

This morning let’s allow God to remove those blockage in our hearts.

  • Question: So, how’s your spiritual heart? In a real sense, this is a life-altering question. As you prayerfully consider the state of your heart, know that God’s desire is for your heart to be strong and healthy. He has big plans for your life, but a bad heart will hijack and derail those plans. God wants all of your heart so he can guide the course of your life to places you can’t even imagine.
  • So, pray fully ask God “What’s the condition of my heart?” and “How’s my heart?”

Let us Read Psalm 139 together it is on the importance of having a daily spiritual heart exam. To help us surrender to the joy of having our heart and thoughts examined by God.

 

Comments

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Mweemba Mazuba (not verified), May 12 2022 - 5:33am
Thank you for the profound and soul searching sharing, I am greatly honored to be part of the global Sabbath School family and being mentored to become a better christian.
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Billy Katambo (not verified), May 12 2022 - 6:04am
Powerful words indeed
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Ronie F Fiedacan (not verified), May 12 2022 - 5:07pm
Thank you for this very timely topic. I really appreciate this materials.
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Onevia Isaac (not verified), May 13 2022 - 7:43pm
Profound presentation
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CHERRY ANN ACEVEDO (not verified), May 13 2022 - 11:24pm
Thank you for your beautiful programs. - The Holy Spirit has truly inspired your work in doing God’s will. Keep listening to God's call. Many Blessing in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Lucita Augustin (not verified), May 16 2022 - 7:09am
Very potent and inspiring.
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Caroline campbell. (not verified), May 17 2022 - 1:36pm
This is so amazingly interesting! Thank you so much!
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Dazrine Rhynie (not verified), May 26 2022 - 4:45pm
Thank you very much for your programs and sermons
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EJ (not verified), May 28 2022 - 6:49am
timely and interesting message, thank you soo much for this
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Priscilla Malo (not verified), May 29 2022 - 10:32am
I so love this, thank you for this inspiring presentation.
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Anonymous (not verified), Jun 04 2022 - 6:12am
Wow this is so wonderful, thank you for this program it really helps us to stop and reflect.
Wonderful program may God continue to inspire and bless you and your team to continue this wonderful work you are doing. 🙏
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Rita Porazo (not verified), Jun 09 2022 - 8:25pm
What a wonderful program you're sharing to us. We are so blessed by your nice programs. May God bless you & your team as you continue sharing this programs for church. Praying for you & your team. Keep safe...🙏❤️
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Corrine (not verified), Jun 11 2022 - 7:47am
Thanks you for this powerful message..Will use it for my program this morning.
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Chance (not verified), Jun 13 2022 - 9:05am
May God continue to bless this ministry. Your programs both inspirational and enjoyable. God bless you for sharing.
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Richel Pacot (not verified), Jul 15 2022 - 12:02am
Amen! I had learn a lot. Praise the Lord
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Vilma Sumagaysay (not verified), Jul 18 2022 - 2:58am
May the Father Almighty bless this ministry.Thank you so much,bretheren.
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Anonymous (not verified), Aug 17 2022 - 6:19pm
Thanks so much for this spirit filled words written.. sometimes we need this to remind us to take time and check up ourselves too.. may God help us surrender our hearts fully wholly to Him...
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Ruth Thompson (not verified), Aug 30 2022 - 10:14pm
Very interesting and biblical. Thanks for sharing
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Ruthy (not verified), Sep 01 2022 - 2:22am
Amen to this wonderful topic, I’m so blessed and ready to share with our fellow church believers this coming Sabbath!
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Chantell Sweet… (not verified), Sep 23 2022 - 7:16am
This is truly a Word! May God grant each of us a heart like His!
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Francis (not verified), Jan 21 2023 - 6:34am
Spiritually captured, I thank God for this. I will help people to identify the two types of heart
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Mary Quinlan (not verified), Jan 27 2023 - 8:26pm
Thank you so much for such a Spirit filled message. May you continue in God’s love.
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Riza (not verified), Feb 17 2023 - 9:56am
Very nice and inspiring message thank you so much and God bless!
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Daniel (not verified), Feb 20 2023 - 6:08am
This is a thought provoking article, thanks for sending it in. Keep it up, God bless you.
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KC-Hunter (not verified), Mar 18 2023 - 10:59am
I am happy that I was able to view this program. I used it today at church as it is Global Youths Day. Thank you.
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Anonymous (not verified), Apr 14 2023 - 8:52pm
Thank you for this powerful heart impact
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Anonymous (not verified), Jun 27 2023 - 10:38pm
Profoundly interesting and soul stirring program, thank you for sharing. May God continue to bless your ministry.
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Ofelia Sanchez (not verified), Jul 31 2023 - 1:20pm
There is no need to go to broken wells [R. Warren],when we have the Spirit Of Prophesy and the Perfect Word of God: The Holy Bible. HE is the one who made our heart and the only one who can read our minds: Jeremiah 17:10.. It is sad that our own leadership, leads us to empty fountains.
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Kelvin Chewe (not verified), Dec 08 2023 - 7:30am
Heart uplifting and riching program. Be inspired to inspire others.
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Anonymous (not verified), Dec 20 2023 - 10:34am
Thank you so much for this very nice topic. I will use this coming Sabbath. Very much appreciated Pastor for the great ideas you shared. It's very helpful. May God bless you and your family more.
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Norma scholtz (not verified), Jan 04 2024 - 2:27pm
I love this program thanks
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Lloyd (not verified), Mar 22 2024 - 6:32pm
Spiritual Health Check Great!
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Marion (not verified), May 12 2024 - 10:17am
Thank you so much!
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Norma (not verified), May 30 2024 - 8:20pm
Quite interesting!

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