The soil of our hearts

The other day, I overheard someone describing a person in their life as ‘hard-hearted.’ Have you ever heard that term before? It struck me in a new way that day—what does it truly mean to be hard-hearted?

I recalled a conversation from years ago between two women. One was concerned about her daughter’s new boyfriend. She said, “He’s so warm, kind, and treats her well… but he’s not a Christian.” The other woman replied, “As long as he has a heart that is soft for God…” I have never forgotten those words—a heart soft for God. This stood in stark contrast to the recent conversation I overheard, referring to someone with a hard heart. The difference between these two descriptions made me reflect on my Bible reading that morning—Hosea 10:12:

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.”

It made me think—when we turn away from God, our hearts can easily become hardened, resistant to God’s voice and God’s work in our lives. Just like unplowed ground that has become dry and stubborn, our hearts can grow tough and unyielding if we are not intentional about seeking the Lord.

But God calls us to cultivate the soil of our hearts. When we seek God, it’s like the early rain that softens the earth, preparing it to receive the seeds He wants to plant. Seeking the Lord means making space for God’s Word to take root and grow.

So don’t wait. Seek God eagerly and expectantly today. Reflect on Hosea 10:12, and ask yourself: Am I sowing seeds of righteousness? Am I reaping the fruit of God’s unfailing love?

No matter where you are, it is never too late to turn to God. God is always ready to shower mercy and grace upon you. Let us open our hearts to God and trust that God will make them soft, ready to receive all the Lord has in store for us.

Breaking bad and the source of our power

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Phillipians 4:13

I read a story about a 19 year old girl who lifted a burning vehicle off her dad. It was the craziest story. Her dad was working on his GMC truck when the truck slipped off the jack and pinned the father to the ground.  As the truck fell, gasoline spilled and a fire was ignited.  Along comes 19 year old Charlotte who, by the way is not a body builder, lifted the truck just enough so that her dad to could get out.  She then got into the burning truck and drove it out of the garage away for the house - saving not only her dad but her family inside. Sounds like a scene of a movie but newspaper articles don’t lie ;)

The point is… in the face of crisis we can do some extraordinary things.  In the face of crisis what we thought we could never do, we somehow do, because we have to.

We have been talking over the past several weeks about change and more specifically habits. In our sermon series… The Habit Shift… we asked three questions:

1. Who do I want to become?

2. Based on who I want to become, what habit do I need to start? and,

3. Based on who I want to become, what one habit do I need to break?

Breaking bad habits can be daunting but if we don’t like what we are getting or where we are going, with God’s help, we can change what we are doing.

And God says, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10

If God is our strength…

If God is the source of our power to change…

How do we find that strength and power?

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7 …seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:33

no hunt and peck for me

Back in the day before typing with your thumbs on a handheld device was the norm, I was forced to take a high school typing class. Can you imagine?

I remember sitting in a classroom with something called a typewriter. If memory serves, we didn’t even have letters on the keys on those teaching devices. We were expected to type without looking at the keys.

At the time, it felt ridiculous. But looking back, it’s amazing how little things can make a big difference.

I remember sitting at the typewriter for what seemed like an eternity, doing what felt like the silliest little exercise. First, with our left hand, we would type AQ, AW, AE, AR, AT. Then SQ, SW, SE, SR, ST. Next, DQ, DW, DE, DR, DT. Finally, FQ, FW, FE, FR, FT.

Then we’d switch to the right hand and repeat similar exercises. On and on it went, day after day. Not for a week or two, but for months. It was monotonous and seemingly pointless.

And then one day, the teacher stood at the front of the class and said, “Today, you are going to type sentences.”

I thought she was out of her mind. All I could type with any certainty was FT—at least, that’s what it felt like.

But to my surprise, as I started pecking away at that typewriter, something amazing happened. Words began to form! Then sentences. Then paragraphs. Before I knew it, I was typing—really typing!

Those silly little exercises weren’t silly or little after all. They had been teaching me discipline, and through a system, a habit was created. They taught me the skill of touch typing. No hunt and peck for me.

We’ve been in a sermon series called "The Habit Shift," talking about the importance of starting small, creating a system, and working that system to build habits—habits that help us become all that God has called us to be.

Never underestimate how God might start something big, something special, through something very small.

We can’t possibly imagine all God can do through one small act of obedience. As Zechariah 4:10 says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”