MATTERS OF THE HEART
© Sue Found 1005

The dictionary lists two definitions for the word heart:
1 . The hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood received from the veins into the arteries.
2. The center of your being, emotions and senses. (What you are and what you feel)

1 . What words might your doctor use if he wanted to tell you that your heart was in good condition?
      a. H _ _ _ _ _ _ _
      b. S _ _ _ _ _

2. If your heart is in good physical condition,

a. It pumps a lot of b _ _ _ _ so it can deliver oxygenated b _ _ _ _ to the body more

efficiently.
b. Because it pumps a lot per beat, it can beat s ______

c. There is  q ____ recovery from stress.

d. Like your car, it's v _____ must be working smoothly.

e. Blood vessels are c _ _ _ ,  not clogged.

3 . What effect does a healthy heart have on a persons daily life?
a. Lots of e _ _ _ _ _
b. Able to w _ _ _ hard and p _ _ _ hard

4. What can you do to maintain a healthy heart?
a. E _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b.E__ a  b_______  d___

5. If your heart is in bad condition look at questions 1-3 and give opposite answers.

6. What might a doctor advise you to do to improve an unhealthy heart?
            a. Make changes in your lifestyle

 (1). Aerobic e_______

  (2). Low f _ _ diet           
   (3). Reduced s _ _ _ _

b. Get medical treatment which might include:

(1)  M _________                    (4). P ________

                 (2).  R _ _ _                                    (5). A__________

.           (3).  S _ _ _ _ _ _                        (6). T__

What if you were feeling a little more tired then usual so you went to see a doctor to find out if
there was anything seriously wrong. After a series of tests, the doctor told you that your heart
was bad and that you needed a heart transplant.
You had never been aware of any heart problems before and didn't really feel that bad. Maybe the
doctor was wrong, or just trying to scare you. You decided to get a second opinion..

The second doctor listened to your heart for a minute with his stethoscope, smiled, and assured
you that there was no serious problem. If you would just get a little more rest there was no need
to worry about anything, you would be fine.
The second opinion was what you wanted to hear and what you wanted to believe. You slept a
half hour later every morning and otherwise resumed your normal lifestyle until three months later
when you had a heart attack.

7. According to the second definition of heart, the center of ones being, emotions and senses, how do we describe a person who has a good heart?

a. W _ _ _ Hearted                              e. L _ _ _ _ Hearted 
b. B__  "                   f. S ___    "
c. K _ _ _  "                   g. W____  "
d. O _ _ _    "    

8. How do we describe a person who does not have a good heart?
      a. C _ _ _  Hearted                e. H _ _ _ _ Hearted
        b. H___      "                        fE__ _       "

c. E___    "                   g. H _ _ _     "

What if your conscience was bothering you and you went to your friend to explain your problem.
What if your friend told you that you had a sin problem and the only way you could clear your
conscience was to get right with God. He reminded you that he had mentioned this to you before,
warned you about having a hard heart and assured you that God wanted to have a close
relationship with you so that he could give you a new heart and clear conscience.

You thought that your friend was a bit too "religious" and had failed to understand that the thing
that was bothering you was not really that bad. So you decided to talk to another friend.

The second friend had a very positive attitude. After listening to your problem, he smiled, shook
his head and told you that he could see nothing wrong with what you had been doing and that you
should stay away from your religious friend and his God because he was just trying to lay a guilt
trip on you.

That was exactly what you wanted to hear. You did a few things that seemed to soothe your bad
conscience and continued life as usual until Judgment Day, when you were joined by your second
friend and others with hard hearts in an inflamed underground area very, very far from God and
those to whom he had given new hearts.                                                                                

Why do you suppose so many people seem concerned about a heart (in the first definition), which they hope will stay healthy for 90+ years, but fail to be concerned about a heart ( in the second definition) which will be with them for eternity? See Psalm 22:26 and Romans 6:23

The word heart is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible. The following is a comparison of
two kinds of hearts referred to in the Bible. For each verse, try to find the description of the heart, and the results of that kind of heart.

If you agree with what God tells us in his word about the NATURAL HEART, you will agree that it is spiritually unhealthy and weak. God doesn't talk about repairing old hearts, but about giving new hearts. This is not an expensive surgical procedure. In fact there is nothing that we can do that will make us worthy of receiving the new heart. It is a free gift, given to all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

If you agree with what God tells us in his word about the NEW HEART, you will agree that it is spiritually healthy and strong. But that doesn't mean that if I have a new heart I will never sin. It does mean that my sins have been (and will be) forgiven because when Jesus died (shed his blood) on the cross he took the punishment that I deserve.   My heart is clean, not clogged with sin and guilt.

9. What effect does a spiritually healthy heart have on a persons daily life? Galatians 5:22-23
a.L __                        d.P _____                     g.F ___________

b.J _                                    e.K __                             h.G _________

c.P __ _                    fG _ _ __                  i.S __  C ______

10. What can you do to maintain a healthy heart?

      a. Exercise your F _ _ _ _           b. Receive nourishment from God's W_ _ _   Psalm 119:11

        c.  M______ together with fellow Christians. Hebrews 10:24-25

Who can say, "I have cleansed my HEART, I am pure from sin." (Proverbs 20:9)   God knows the secrets of the HEART. (Psalm 44:21) It is impossible to hide our sin from God. He knows that every inclination of mans HEART is evil from childhood. (Genesis 8:21)

Search me, O God, and know my HEART; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any sin that I need to admit and confess to you.   Lead me in the way that leads to everlasting life with you. (Psalm 139:23-24) Teach me to number my days, to realize that my time on earth is short, that I may gain a HEART of wisdom. (Psalm 90: 12)

We praise you Lord, for you have given us everything you have promised in your word. Be with us, never leave us or forsake us. Turn our HEARTS to you, to walk in all your ways and to keep all of the commands you have given us in your word. Out of your bountiful goodness, meet our daily needs, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that you are God and that there is no other. Cause our HEARTS to be fully committed to you, that we might have the desire and the ability to love and to serve you forever, (paraphrase of 1 Kings 8:56-61)

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