A New Heart

As I reflect over the past week I am thankful for the snow we had. We were so blessed with God's beautiful handiwork, but I am also thankful the rain has washed away most of the snow.  We are blessed to live in a part of the country with changing weather.

I want to reflect on the message we missed from last Sunday.  The sermon was titled "A New Heart".  If we had gone to service Pastor Steve would have reminded us of the hope we have in Jesus.  We all do things we are not proud of doing, this is called sin, but we can have hope because Jesus has given us a new heart.  This means He changes us so we want to do His will.  We can be comforted knowing through forgiveness God takes away the wrong doings and gives us a new start and when God forgives He forgets.  How cool is that.  What will you do with your new start?

Scripture of the week:
Ezekiel 36:22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not
for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name,
which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great
name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the
nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes. 24 "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. (NIV)

(Green words are suggested verses to memorize. God word should be in our hearts and one way to keep His word is through scripture memorization.)


Activity of the week:
We all have sin in our lives.  This is what makes us human and not divine (God).  What have you done in the past which has made God sad?  Write or draw these sins.  Now give them to God in a prayer of forgiveness by telling God you are sorry for these things.  Now that you have asked God for forgiveness tell God what things you are going to try to do to make Him happy.  Write these down and hang them in your room as a reminder of what you plan to do different.