Dealing With A Hard Heart

Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church

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Dealing With A Hard Heart

Jonah 4

August 25, 2024 • Brad Strait

Conversation Starters

╬ What is my attitude toward “the wicked” - do I want them ruined or redeemed? Am I withholding blessing or compassion for anyone? Do I need a clearer perspective of my own sin and need for a Savior?

╬ Are there any people or groups who I may have given up on and wait in expectation for the Lord's judgment for their sin? Ask the Lord to increase your love and pray for them today asking the Lord how He might use you to extend His grace, compassion, and love to them.

╬ To whom, in addition to my brothers and sisters, is the Lord calling me to serve? Ask Him to soften your heart, open your eyes, and lead you to where He desires to use you for His glory and your good.

Eyes of a Doctor

September 1, 2024 • Brad Strait

The Wideness of God's Mercy

August 18, 2024 • Brad Strait

Conversation Starters ╬ Jonah worshipped God while he was in the belly of the whale and not after the crisis was passed. Face to face with the consequences of his disobedience, Jonah turned to the God of heaven and earth, the God who created and directs the fishes of the seas and the people who walk the land. As a result, the Ninevites learned that “salvation comes from the Lord.” When have you worshipped the Lord in the midst of crisis even without knowing what the outcome would be? What stories of God’s compassion and mercy can you tell? ╬ One definition of mercy is “not receiving what we deserve.” Often, we demand justice for wrong-doing and we cry “Unfair!” when mercy is extended. It is easy to place misdeeds on a scale of “Oh well,” “Bad,” or “Despicable and unforgivable.” God doesn’t use this scale. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). In Jonah 3, we see the expanse of God’s mercy. The Lord’s mercy is extended to Jonah despite his disobedience and to the Ninevites despite their cruelty. When do you use a scale to weigh the severity of sin within you and the sin around you? Based on the story of Jonah, what is an alternative way to view sin, both your own and others’?

Who's the Real Bad Guy?

August 11, 2024 • Brad Strait

Conversation Starters ╬ Even after we respond to God’s irresistible grace resulting in salvation/regeneration, we are still fallen human beings. Think about a time (is it now?) when you “ran from God” by refusing to use your gifts and/or abilities in service to Him for a particular opportunity that He presented to you.