Mark 4:7, 18-19
Introduction
Well this week we’re going to talk about the ______ heart.
There’s an old saying that says whomever the Devil cannot make _______, he will make ___________.
Parable
The plant of our spiritual walk is _________ out by _______.
Crowded hearts are full of ________ from the path that God has for us.
The explanation
Things enter in
This _______ to our Christian walk is from things that belong ________ our heart, that we let get a __________ on our heart.
Thorns are part of the curse.
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit God cursed the ground in Genesis 3:17-19 and said “Both __________ and thistles it shall grow for you;
Thorns are part of the curse. They are a _________ of Man’s sin.
Thorns grow slowly
The process of these distractions gaining a hold on our heart can be __________, insidious.
Worries of the world
Sheep, not Oxen
Sheep are not __________ ____________ animals.
We’re not supposed to be loaded down with _____________
Recipe for Peace
In Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Children don’t worry because they’re ____________ for.
Lack of Trust
Worry is a great disturber of our Peace, and is at it’s heart, a lack of ___________ in God
Deceitfulness of riches
Riches aren’t necessarily a problem. __________ in riches is.
Riches make a Christian walk __________.
Desires for other things
The world is full of ___________ from our walk with God.
People think that they are too busy for ________.
Good things, not the best things
Even ________ things can be a distraction
What is the result?
Choke the word
Making things of the world the priority takes God off His throne in our lives
It de-emphasizes the importance of what God has to say
It _______________ the influence that the __________ and the _____________ should have.
Becomes unfruitful
The (super) natural result of sanctification is to produce __________.
Impede our walk
These distractions __________ our spiritual walk.
So what is the answer?
Weed the garden
Remove encumbrances
Let us also _________ every encumbrance, everything that hinders us.
Change our perspective
Let GOD have his ________ place in our heart, not these things.
Fix our eyes upon Jesus
Fix our eyes upon Jesus the _______ and ________ of faith
Crown of thorns
Jesus has paid the _______ to be our Lord and Savior on the cross, he has paid the price to __________ these thorns in our lives.