Pathways - Week 2, Breaking Up Our Hardened Hearts

Bloom Church Podcast

This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns” Jeremiah 4:3 NLT

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalms 51:17 NLT

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NLT

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24 NLT

When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John15:8 NLT

Fruit-bearing in character is a prerequisite to fruit-bearing in spiritual influence upon others.

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. Hebrews 6:7-8 NLT

Fallow Ground has a hard surface.

Fallow Ground has overgrowth

Fallow Ground invites the Trampling of Traffic

Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12 NKJV

Two things we must do to break up our fallow hearts.

1. Humble ourselves before God and confess our Sins

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 Peter 5:5-6 NLT

let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT

“Holiness is not human life brought up to the highest possible development, but is Divine Life brought down to the lowest possible level of condescension.” Stuart Holden

Pride must be broken or it will break you!

Pride tells you that you can quit doing what you've always done even though it got you to success.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalms 51:1-4;10-11 NLT

2. There must be an abhorrence of the sin in your life.

Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. Genesis 28:20-21 NLT

When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Genesis 32:25 NLT

“ The experiences of men who walked with God in olden times agreed to teach that the Lord cannot fully bless a man until he has first conquered him. the degree of blessing enjoyed by any man will correspond exactly with the completeness of God's victory over him.” A W Tozer