Pure in Heart: Lesson 3

Purity of Heart: 100% Satisfaction from God alone

Sexual Purity is 100% satisfaction from our spouse

Genesis 2:22-25 God and Adam were alone for a while with a complete spiritual relationship. Adam is giving a spouse God took a bone from next to his heart. Eve was created to be enough for Adam. Eve and Adam were enough emotionally, physically, and spiritually. He didn't need anyone else. She was enough to complete him sexually.

Ephesians 5:1-4 100% of our sexual gratification should be from our spouse. No place for jokes or improper thoughts because we are God's holy people. Sin doesn't belong with us. We are to be set apart from sin. Ephesians 5:7 Do not partners who do not hold the standard.

Matthew 5:27-29 Jesus takes away the look. Impurity is even looking at a woman. It is serious. How serious do we take the long look or the second look that brings the sexual fantasy?

1 Timothy 5:1-2 No sexual gratification going until it is a husband and wife.

Hebrews 13:4 Rules out sexual fantasy, pornography. Sex should be 100% about your spouse. Rules out masturbation. It is selfish, does not unify with anyone, and does not involve the spouse.

Mark 10:17-27 Living a pure life is possible with God.We become who we are with training with God. It is doable and a joy, not a burden. A beautiful life God gives to his children. The best sex are reserved for disciples who are living this pure life.

2 Timothy 2:22 Will I flee evil and will I pursue righteousness?

Exercises: Get an pencil and write out how I am getting sexual pleasure, sexual hits outside of marriage. Am I willing to hold to God's standards?

Pure in Heart: Lesson 2

Matthew 5:8
No greater promise than to see God.

Pure by definition

Pure honey has the only ingredient honey.

If I have a pure heart the only thing in there is the desire to please God and love God.

The Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:7-9. It is a pure place undefiled by sin. God's first son, Adam, gets to take walks with him, name creatures, and did all sorts of things with God. Adam was 130 years when Seth was born. Adam and God were alone for years attending the Garden for possibly years naming animals and having God to himself. Purity equals God alone.

Would I be fine with God alone, with everything stripped away? Would I be fine with just God and no ESPN, no Texas Rangers, no house, no friends, no family, no car... just me and God. Would I be full of joy? Am I drawing complete satisfaction from God?

Psalm 62:1-7

Sexual sin is the lie that God is not enough. God will not satisfy my desire. Addiction is the refusal to cling to God as the only person who can fill our deepest longings and ease our relational pain.

Blessed at the pure... if we are blessed, we can have our fullness in God alone.

Exercise: Take some time and picture when I was innocent before sexual sin had polluted my world. Try to reconnect with this time. Try to reengage what was going in my life in this time. I may need to create a place.

#2: Make a list of things that may compete with God for where I find my sole satisfaction. What do I look forward to on a daily basis. Fast from these things.

Psalm 63:5

Everywhere I look I will see God.

Pure in Heart: Lesson 1

Ephesians 4:19

Decision: to do whatever it takes to break free from sexual sin.

Restoring purity is a process - it will take time

1 Thessalonians 4:3-7Christians struggling with purity>

Don't Call It Love by Patrick Carnes
10 year process of recovery

Development of character!!! I need to develop character to overcome sin.

Romans 5:4

God is patient... God is not tolerant. God did not call us to be impure. He will not tolerate us with a life of sexual sin.

Am I willing to be honest over and over and over again?

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Matthew 5

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Matthew 5

• Has the 'Beatitudes'
• Rejoice and be glad. I like that attitude.
• I started adding salt to my scrambled eggs due to seeing my wife add salt and pepper to hers. It's good. If salt looses it saltiness, well, it would be useless. Don't waste your saltiness.
• My righteousness has to surpass that of the Pharisee and the teachers of the law. Jesus was rough on the Pharisees. How much harder will he be on those who surpass their righteousness?
• Settle matters quickly and don't let anger fester within yourself.
• Look at people (women) right and not lustfully, otherwise you will be judged. Don't divorce unless your spouse cheated on you. And even then, God hates divorce (per Malachi). Don't break your vows. Just keep a simple yes and no, everything else comes from the evil one.
• Don't resist evil people. If someone slaps me, let them. Be sure to show love to that person, to all people who persecute you. By doing that, you might win some for Christ.
• Be perfect as God is perfect.

Confession Study #2

Acts 19:16-19
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them. Because he was so much stronger than all of them, they ran away from the house naked and hurt. All the people in Ephesus—Jews and Greeks—learned about this and were filled with fear and gave great honor to the Lord Jesus. Many of the believers began to confess openly and tell all the evil things they had done. Some of them who had used magic brought their magic books and burned them before everyone. Those books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins.

• They began by confessing sins and then they burned the books they led them to sin. They took radical steps in their repentance as they did in their sinful ways.

Matthew 5:29

If your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

• Tells us how to be extreme in our repentance as we were in our sinful ways.

Mark 1:4-5

John was baptizing people in the desert and preaching a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins. All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him. They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

• Before they were baptized, they confessed their sins. This was John's baptism, a baptism of forgiveness.

Matthew 3:4-6
John's clothes were made from camel's hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. Many people came from Jerusalem and Judea and all the area around the Jordan River to hear John. They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River.

• This goes along with Mark 1, you need to confess your sins to be saved.

The Light Study #6

Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

• What good is it if there is light in a room and nobody is in the room? It's useless. In the same way, if a person is full of light, but they do nothing with it, wouldn't that be useless too?

Matthew 6:19-24
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

• What is interesting in this passage is that the darkness is talked about like it is a type of light. kind of like you could shine your darkness on someone... and I guess, in a sense, you could. If you body is full of light, your eyes will show it.

Luke 8:16-18
“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

• I find that intriguing that it says 'be careful how you LISTEN.' It's not careful what you think, or be careful what you say, but be careful how you listen. It does make sense. What you hear will have an affect on you, whether positively or negatively. Food for thought.

The Need for Light

1 Peter 2:9-10
Out of darkness into the light.

Did you know that the US is only 4% of the world population?

7 BILLION sinners in this world. The world is a dark place. What can I do to change it?

I live in a dark world. People are hurting. Satan doesn't want me to see the world that way. He 'spins' it to look differently.

Galatians 1:6-9
No one can change the gospel. An angel can not change the gospel.

Matthew 5:14-16
We are called 'a light'. The light of the world. The world needs more light. Jesus changed twelve people to change the world. How do we get more light? Change people.

Matthew 9:35-38
---the solution is more workers.

Do I see the world as Jesus sees the world? Do I see people as harassed and helpless?

Luke 10:29-37
Action and compassion go hand and hand.

Am I indifferent to the needs of others? Do I pay attention to the needs of other people? A 2 year old is hit by a van. Twice. And people just walk by as if nothing has happened. A homeless man finally helps the injured child who later dies due to the injuries sustained.

Love my neighbor as myself. People have no hope. They are hopeless. My neighbor feels hopeless, harassed and helpless. Am I going to do something?

Acts 17:16-17, 22-23
Paul shared with people... who happened to be there.

Acts 19:8-10
Don't let obstinacy get in the way of sharing my faith. Texas needs more light. DFW needs more light.

Humility Study: Part XXI - God's Approval

Matthew 5:1-12
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

These are a lot of blessings. Those who mourn will be comforted. Those who are poor in spirit will have the kingdom of heaven. Those who are hungry for righteousness will be filled. Those who show mercy will be shown mercy. Those who have a pure heart will see God. How about that? Peacemakers will be called sons of God. Those who are persecuted because of doing the right thing will receive the kingdom of heaven. Persecution is a time of rejoicing simply because of the reward. And those who are humble and meek will inherit the Earth. If you make yourself low, you will be made high. Now, I am not sure why the meek get the Earth... personally, I would much better prefer to be in heaven with God. But if God says it is a good thing, then AMEN, it's a good thing. What is important is to have a heart of humility, a heart to love God with everything and a heart to do what God wants me to do. And if I have that heart, God will approve. And that is the real goal. To gain the approval of the Lord.