{"id":4046,"date":"2024-01-20T00:28:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T05:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/?p=4046"},"modified":"2024-01-20T00:42:54","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T05:42:54","slug":"a-heart-that-is-stayed-on-god-january-21st-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/?p=4046","title":{"rendered":"A HEART THAT IS STAYED ON GOD, JANUARY 21ST, 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CENTRAL THOUGHT
A heart that is stayed on God has perfect peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hymn: Peace perfect peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TEXT: 1 SAM. 30:1-8; JOB 14:1, 7-9,14; ISA.26:3-4; MATT.6: 25-34.
INTRODUCTION:
It is common and natural to see people panic and fret when problems of life confront them. However, the believer ought to go beyond the natural state of man. Job knew this when he declared that \u201cman that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble\u2026all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.\u201d (Job 14:1; 14). David also suffered invasion, but he encouraged himself in the Lord. It is refreshing to know that God is not only interested in our spiritual well-being but also in our physical well-being. Our Lord Jesus taught us not to worry or be troubled about life challenges\u2026 but to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all other things will be added to us. For He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him because he trusted Him. Isaiah 41:10 also says, \u201cfear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LESSON OBJECTIVES
The lesson objectives are to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Know what it means to have a heart that is stayed on God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Know some features of a heart that is stayed on God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Highlight the dangers of not having our hearts stayed on God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Enumerate the benefits of a heart that is stayed on God.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Know how to have our hearts stayed on God.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    BIBLE TRUTH:
    QUESTION 1) DISCUSS WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A HEART STAYED ON GOD?
    The heart is a place of communication between God and man. For the heart to stay on God, the person has to know God as a Father and his word to direct his life endeavors. He should have knowledge of God\u2019s wonders and faithfulness of old and trust Him even more. He must have determined to trust and depend on God whether life treats him well or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    QUESTION 2) FROM LUKE 15:14-16, IDENTIFY THE DANGERS OF BACKSLIDING.
    Backsliding means turning away from the truth of the gospel. It begins when a believer starts living presumptuously i.e being insensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The scripture says that he that breaks the hedge, serpent will bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The dangers of backsliding are:
    i. Exposure to the devil\u2019s attack.
    ii. The backslider makes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ of no effect to himself.
    iii. The person loses fellowship with God.
    iv. The person also loses fellowship with brethren.
    v. The backslider ultimately faces eternal destruction if he\/ she refuses to repent.
    God in His infinite mercy is calling all sinners and backsliders to return to Him. The careless ones are also warned to be careful with their lives. God says in Jer. 3:22, \u201creturn ye backsliding children and I will heal your backsliding\u201d. God is not interested when a sinner or backslider dies hence, He calls all to return to Him<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    QUESTION 3A) IDENTIFY THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE PRODIGAL SON IN HIS EFFORTS TO RETURN TO HIS FATHER\u2019S HOUSE
    LUKE 15:17-21
    Having realized his error, the depravity of his lifestyle, his father\u2019s enormous wealth, his suffering and abominable acts (feeding with swine), the prodigal son came to his senses and declared he will arise and go to his father and that he was no longer worthy to be called his father\u2019s son rather chose to be a servant, if only he would be accepted. Thereafter, he took the following steps:
    i. I will arise and go to my father; and say to him, \u201c I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.\u201d And he arose and came to his father. (Vs. 17-20a).
    ii. He had a change of mind (genuine repentance) and acted upon it (went to his father)
    iii. He confessed that he was not worthy to be called his son, but he should be taken as one of the servants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    QUESTION 3B) HOW CAN A SINNER OR A BACKSLIDER BE RESTORED TO GOD TODAY? (PRO.28:13, ROMANS 10:8-10)
    The following steps can help a sinner\/backslider to be restored:
    (a) Admit that you are a sinner or have backslided. God knows this but wants you to acknowledge it.
    (b) Repent. Genuine repentance attracts God\u2019s pardon. Forsake all forms of transgression. The Bible says \u201cHe that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy\u201d (Prov.28:13).
    (c) Accept by faith that God has forgiven him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    QUESTION 4) WHAT DOES THE PRODIGAL SON\u2019S FATHER TELL US OF GOD\u2019S LOVE FOR REPENTANT SINNERS OR BACKSLIDERS? LUKE.15:22-24.
    The action of the prodigal son\u2019s father tells us of God\u2019s love toward \u201call\u201d especially towards repentant sinners and backsliders. The father displayed extreme love for his lost but found son. He was full of compassion and immediately granted his request. As the father was eagerly waiting for his son\u2019s return, so also God waits for all sinners and backsliders who will willingly accept God\u2019s provision of redemption. He has promised that He will \u2018abundantly pardon\u2019. Only those who genuinely repent will experience His pardon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:
    God\u2019s mercy draws a person into fellowship and preserves him\/her in the fold. The song writer says, \u201cThe vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus, a pardon receives.\u201d God is ever waiting for a prodigal son with a bowed head, bended knees, a humble and repentant heart. Through the ages, God\u2019s promises have been to forgive our sins and iniquities, to restore the backslider and cleanse from all unrighteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


    MEMORY VERSE:
    LUKE 15:32B
    \u201c For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE:
    MONDAY: He that covereth his sin shall not prosper. Pro.28:13; Job 33:31.
    TUESDAY: It is dangerous to backslide. Luke 15:14-16.
    WEDNESDAY: Genuine repentance attracts God\u2019s pardon. Luke.15:17-20.
    THURSDAY: Bring forth fruit meet for repentance. Matt.3:8-10.
    FRIDAY: God will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 44:22; 55:6-7.
    SATURDAY: Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven. Psa.32:1-5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    CENTRAL THOUGHTA heart that is stayed on God has perfect peace. Hymn: Peace perfect peace. TEXT: 1 SAM. 30:1-8; JOB 14:1, 7-9,14; ISA.26:3-4; MATT.6: 25-34.INTRODUCTION:It is common and natural to see people panic and fret when problems of life confront them. However, the believer ought to go beyond the natural state of man. Job knew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sundayschool"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/1-the-light-by-his-stripes-william-walts-12-3.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4046"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4062,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4046\/revisions\/4062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mzgtiglobal.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}