Big Ideas:
1. something has gone wrong with the human race and we know it. Better said, something has gone wrong within the human race. Most of the misery we suffer on this planet is the fruit of the human heart gone bad. We all desperately need transformation-- a new heart. 2. something deep and profound happened to us in the death of Christ. Remember--the heart is the problem. God understands this better than anyone, and he goes for the root. God promised in the new covenant/agreement to "take away your heart of stone." Christ removes our hearts of stone.
3. just as we received our sinful nature from Adam, so we now receive a good and holy nature from Christ. We have new hearts. Our hearts are good. Here's the questions to respond to for chapter 4 of our text Waking the Dead.
Post your responses (by class time on Friday) in the 'COMMENTS' below, just click and go.
1. IN YOUR OWN WORDS, why do we need to be transformed, what's the problem with the human race?
2. What's Christ's motive in rescuing/ransoming you?
3. Why are the Resurrection and Ascension such good news?
4. List the qualities you think are characteristic of our hearts of stone.
a.
b.
c.
d.
List the qualities you think are characteristic of our new hearts
a.
b.
c.
d.
32 comments:
1. The entire human race needs to be transformed because we have a heart of stone. Our perfect heart was transformed into a heart of stone by ‘the first Adam’ when he sinned against God by taking the fruit from the forbidden tree. This heart of stone is wicked and full of sin and God cannot dwell within it. However, God sends ‘the second Adam’, Jesus Christ, to arrive on earth and help us be transformed; this loving act changes our heart of stone into a good heart that God can dwell within.
2. Like Adam and the human race, God and Jesus share the same type of loving heart and nature; the human race all inherited the same evil heart of stone while Jesus ‘inherited’ God’s loving nature. As a result, Christ decides to rescue me because he loves me and every other human that ever lived.
3. These two events are good news because they shape Christianity and make it unique. In this chapter it says that a dead man is useless and a dead God is even worse. God’s power would be most astonishing if He were to restore Himself, and later, you.
4.
Heart of Stone
a. hardened – doesn’t listen to God
b. evil – goes against God and disables God from dwelling within it
c. selfish – thinks for itself
d. unworthy – cannot be anywhere near God
Renewed Heart
a. righteous – God can dwell in us
b. restored – into its original form; before sin entered the world
c. alert – in regards to sin and evil
d. circumcised – marked by God and the Holy Spirit
5. The most impacting thing of this chapter is when I read about God giving me a new heart. This new heart is similar to a ticket to heaven. Not only does God help destroy the evil heart that I have inherited but he also replenishes the empty space in me with a new and better heart. In order to complete it, however, Jesus had to go through the most excruciating torture of that time. I would never be able to do that for an individual but Jesus did it to give me a renewed heart.
1.The human race needs to be transformed because we have a heart of stone.With the heart of stone we are not able to have God dwell in our heart, Because our heart of stone is sinful and wicked.
2.Christ’s motive to rescue me is because of his love. Through Adam’s sin made us all sinful, we inherited Adam’s sin. Jesus inherited God’s love for his creations.
3.These two events makes Christianity unique. In chapter4 it says a dead man is useless and a dead God is even worse. With out Jesus Resurrecting and Jesus taken up to heaven in his resurrected body, Jesus would just be a dead rabbi.
4.1
a.hardened – won't accept God
b. evil - sin and go against our creator
c. selfish - always think of ourselves first and not God
d. greedy - always want more, never satisfied.
4.2
a. righteous - able to be the temple of holy spirit
b. circumcised - marked by God
c. alert to sin and evil
d. faithful - trust in God
5.
The most impacting thing that God has spoken to me in this chapter was the symbol of Christianity is
Resurrection and Ascension, not the cross. When i think about Christ I always think about the torture on the cross, but not the resurrection, which is the most important part of Jesus coming to Earth. While reading this God reminded me about the most important thing of Jesus ransoming us is the resurrection and ascension.
lol you copied the 4th question from "A Guidebook to Waking the Dead: Embracing the Life God Has for You"
Actually Alfred, they're all from the Guidebook, it's fantastic. This is funny?
1. We humans need to be transformed because every day horrible events occur and we even start to doubt the stability and humanity within our own race. We have the power to do immense goodness but at the same time the power to do completely heartless deeds. Because of sin and its crushing grip on us we are endlessly tempted to do things that will tear us away from God. With transformation, we are able to be released from this wretched grip that confines us and be able to work in God’s light for the greater good.
2. Christ’s motive in rescuing/ ransoming me is to give us the eternal life that God created for us and for Him and angel’s to dwell. But because of the one angel’s rebellion, God had created a place of punishment fit for those whose heart is filled with evil and fit for our punishment because of Adam and Eve’s fall into temptation. But God sent Jesus and his eternal sacrifice that gives us a change to choose God instead of Satan’s temptation and not make the same mistake our ancestors did.
3. The Resurrection and Ascension are events that show God’s ability to renew life and a life towards God. In the chapter it states that a dead man is useless and a dead God is even worse. These events are what shape the bases of Christianity, to be renewed in the life God wants to give you and to have that life wonderfully serving God and serving humanity.
4. Heart of Stone
A) selfishness- we are only concerned of our own well being
b) evil- we only care about what’s entertaining or what we favour instead of what is right
c) unworthy- our dastardly deeds keep us from accepting God’s love
d) prideful- we think we are the best and are too prideful to care about what God gives us to accept the prize God wants to show us
Renewed Heart
a) Humility-we are able to consider other’s above ourselves
b) Righteous- we are able to accept God and have him control our lives
c) Patient- we will be able to let God slowly shape us in his righteousness
d) Circumcised- to be sealed by the Holy Spirit for salvation and eternal life
5. The thing that really struck me quite hard in this chapter was the sentence where it said “You are entirely pardoned for every wrong thought and desire and deed.” Even though we always hear about how God will always forgive us, no matter how true we believe it is there will always that little dark spot where you can’t seem to forgive yourself. With the word entirely it kind of takes off the luggage of thinking that we’re never good enough for God.
1. the human race needs to be transformed because we have a heart of stone. we need to ask Jesus to give us a new heart so that we can fallow him.
2. Christ motive in rescuing me is that he loves me and wants me to be able tobe with him in heaven.
3. because when Jesus was risen from the dead we were forgiven and given a second chance. and when jesus ascended into heaven he gave a promise that he would come back for us one day.
4.a. sin
b.hate
c.foolish
d.selfish
a.love
b.forgiveness
c.righteous
d.peace
5.the thing that impacted me the most in the chapter was when God said that he loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ so that we wouldnt be alone.
1. The reason why we need to be transformed is because our pure hearts have been corrupted and turned into hearts of stone, which is also a large problem of the human race. In this process our hearts become impure, and it becomes harder for God to enter our lives.
2. Christ's motive in rescuing/ransoming us is that we are his sheep, and he is our shepherd. One of the stories in the Bible depicts a shepherd going to find 1 lost sheep out of his whole herd. That's how much Jesus cared about us, as he sees what has happened to our heart, and he wants to fix it.
3. The Resurrection and the Ascension are such good news because it creates a unique experience that Christianity offers. These two events highlight the power, might of God, as well as his loving nature for his children.
4. Qualities of a heart of stone
a. evil: sinful in nature, against God's nature
b. hardened: does not accept God/anything about him
c. selfish: only cares about self
d. unworthy: not worthy of God's glory
Qualities of a heart of righteousness
a. righteous: able to house Holy Spirit
b. alert: aware of sin and evil around oneself
c. circumcised: marked by God and Holy spirit
d. faithful to God
5. One thing that struck me about this chapter is how Christ says that he will remove our heart of stone, and replace it with a new one. The significance of this is that we will finally be born again in mind, and in our hearts, marking the way for a renewed experience. God knows what's best for us, and he knows that we don't need an upgrade, but the human race is in desperate need of a transformation.
1. The human race has fallen into sin ever since Adam and Eve. We are corrupt, evil and full of sin. As written by Eldredge, "we have a heart of stone." Everybody in the world is born into the world with sin already heavy in their hearts thus, because of this sin, many do not accept God to dwell within them. The human mind is so full of evil that transformation is the only way to save us.
2. Christ's motive to rescuing/ ransoming me is simple, He loves me. Just as his Father loved so does he. Because of the fall of man, we are all condemned to an eternity in hell, but Jesus died and resurrected for us in order for everyone to have the chance to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
3. Christianity is not based on the cross, but on the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. If Jesus had never been raised from the dead, the story would have fallen to pieces quickly and forgotten over time. Because Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven, "we receive a new life and a new heart." His resurrection affirms the promise he made to us, the promise to give us life in Him.
4. List the qualities you think are characteristic of our hearts of stone.
a. Greed - Humans naturally think of themselves. It is human nature to take the larger slice of cake.
b. Pride - Pride can make many people different. Who needs God when we got ourselves to rely on?
c. Jealousy - Jealousy leads to evil thoughts or actions.
d. Evil - Sin controls our lives.
List the qualities you think are characteristic of our new hearts
a. Righteousness - remain humble to God.
b. Faithful - Never stray from God or his messages.
c. Alert - Be on high alert for sin, be on alert and ready to help those who are in need.
d. Loving - Love everyone around you, even if they do you bad.
5. The most impacting words that struck me from this chapter, is the fact that I am forgiven, all my sins are forgiven. Everything that I have done wrong as been pardoned because of Jesus. It is still shocking to know that all the sins I have committed are already forgive because of Christ, he loves us so much to forgive someone like me who's human nature is to sin.
1.I think that we as a human race need to be transformed simply because we have been desensitized with the entire trauma occurring in our world. We see daily media updates about celebrity scandals and fashion, but why should Charlie Sheen’s scandal or Kim Kardashian’s dress get more coverage and recognition than the men and women who are in Afghanistan fighting for peace within their government? Why do we care about an item of clothing more than people risking their lives so that others may live a better life? Our race is too determined to making an abundant amount of money and by all means, do they do so- even if it involves lying, cheating and scamming and shifting social values. We’re selfish, desensitized, corrupt and self-centered. This is the problem with the human race.
2.Christ’s motive in rescuing and ransoming us is because he loves us and wants us to have new life. Adam failed and through him, everyone else was made sinners. Through Christ, (the last Adam), everyone will be made righteous. Adam’s original sin was foreshadowing Jesus to come and transform our world. Because of Adam, we all have death, but through Christ, we have life and the gift of righteousness.
3.The Resurrection and Ascension is great news. Often, pastors, Sunday school teachers emphasize the crucifixion and perhaps, too much (not saying that the crucifixion isn’t good news). The Resurrection and Ascension is good news because it symbolizes Jesus’ defeat over death and hell. Yes, Jesus was mocked, flogged, and spat on. Yes, He died. But without the Resurrection and Ascension, it would have meant that Jesus was defeated. It is with the Resurrection and Ascension that Jesus completely won. The Ascension is important, because it shows that even though he was mocked, and tortured, he stayed pure to God. He prayed for those mocking him because they didn’t know anything. The fact that He was able to ascend to heaven symbolized Jesus’ pureness.
4.
A- Greedy: we want too much and we take most things for granted.
B- Judgemental- who are we to judge someone else’s faults when we clearly have our own?
C- Corrupt: we’re mostly heartless and we don’t often act to help others.
D- Unforgiving: we’re quick to anger, and slow to forgive.
A- Restored: God has given us a new heart, a second chance- in other words, we’re perfect without sin.
B- Circumcision: to be physically marked by God
C- Faith: Christ dwells in our heart through faith.
D- Freedom: we are saved by Jesus’ life when we find that we are able to live the way we’ve always known we should live.
5.Personally, the most impacting thing that God spoke to me about in this chapter, is how messed up we are. We always judge, criticize others when we can’t even change things about ourselves. Knowing that through Christ, we have a new heart and a new life is quite reassuring. Also, reading about how God has forgiven all our sins and will continue to do so is extraordinary. This brings me comfort knowing that God will forgive my past choices I have made, and that He forgives my current mistakes, and he will continue to forgive and comfort my future troubles.
1. Our hearts need to be transformed because a human heart is by nature a heart of stone. This is a direct result of the fall of mankind through "The First Adam". Our hearts of stone are naturally sinful, selfish, and evil. This is a big problem because evil can not exist in the presence of God.
2. Christ's motive in rescuing me was his love for me - an infinite love. Because of this love, he doesn't want to see me living with a heart of stone, destined to die eternally, so he has given me the opportunity to have a heart of flesh, one that he can indwell - one that is inherently good
3. the Resurrection and Ascension are important /good news because it proved Jesus is God. Every man dies, but no man is resurrected by his own power. Not to mention that in chapter 4 it says "a dead man is useless and a dead God is even worse". If Christ remained dead, then our God would be dead, therefore he would no longer exist, so Satan would now officially rule the universe. The resurrection also makes Christianity unique as a faith/religion. No other religion has a god that has died and come back to live to transform their hearts.
4.
Heart of Stone
a)cannot be indwelt by God
b)inherently evil
c)sinful
d)selfish
Heart of Flesh
a)can be indwelt by God
b)inherently good
c)faithful to God
d)circumcised/sealed by the Holy Spirit - we are God's, no one else's
5. What impacted me most/what was most thought-provoking was that the transformed heart is inherently good. I don't feel inherently good. I still mess up every day, as does everyone else in the planet. If we as Christians now have a holy nature, why do we still sin? It makes me wonder if I'm really a true follower of Christ. If I really am, and really have a holy heart, then HALLELUJAH, but things still feel uncertain...
1. We need to be transformed because of our hearts. When we look and fully analyze ourselves, we will see that it is not just a matter of behaviour and morals. There is something wrong WITHIN us as the human race. The problem with us humans is that we have brought sin into the picture since day one. God had intended and strived for a perfect creation since day one but we have come along, tearing everything apart and bringing wickedness and corruptness. As the author says it, we have “Hearts of stone”. This means we have hardened hearts that are nearly impossible to mould and welcome God into.
2. Christ’s motive of ransoming and rescuing me is purely out of love despite the corrupt situation. We are lost, ignorant and stubborn people and yet He still chose to make such a large sacrifice. This was not merely an idea but something He had to do out of love so that we may have hope in becoming spiritually alive. The First Adam had originally come into this world and messed things up. Now, Jesus (the second Adam) has come to patch up the mess.
3. As Christians, we often use the cross to symbolize our faith. We have been focusing on the wrong aspect of the story. Resurrection and Ascension are such good news to us since through that act, we have been spiritually awakened and become alive in the resurrection of Jesus and not His death. The fact that Jesus has died does not help us but rather His restoration in us and His breathing of life in us through resurrection is truly the good news.
4. a) stubborn and hard to change/accept and undergo transformation
b) Unwelcoming and indifferent from God as a result of our pride that we can live without Him and that we are independent
c) Lifeless—without the presence of God in our lives, our hearts are lifeless and we have nothing real to live for
d) Selfish—as a result of desires of the heart that we place above God
a) transformed—from stubborn, lifeless and selfish to welcoming, alive and full of love for God
b) softened so that God is able to mould our hearts and work WITHIN to guide us as His lost people
c) returned to its original state before the First Adam barged into God’s intent for a perfect world
d) purposeful—we realize we have something to live for and that is God’s gift and eternal love no matter who we are
5. The most thought-provoking part of this chapter for me was when Eldridge explained why the cross should not be the symbol of Christianity but rather the ascension and resurrection of Jesus. I then realized that I never questioned the symbol of the cross as being the main theme of Christianity and simply accepted it like everybody else, but it is the resurrection that gives us life rather than the death of Jesus. This was something I had never thought of before and found interesting.
1. We need to be transformed by Christ because we have a heart of stone.Jesus gives us a new heart, or treachery is forgiven.Christ gives us new life ~ his life, and we gain his heart. The problem with the human race is that we are all consumed by products, everyday we worship our iPods, TVs, and anything else our culture puts in front of us. We need to stop this.
2. Christ loves us so much. More than we will ever contemplate, and like a father he wants to see us thrive and prosper in a new life.He wants to see us live like him, not with the heart of stone.
3. It is important in many ways. Our faith is based on these events. Without the resurection Jesus was just a man who performed miracles, not the son of God. The ascension signifies how we will ascend with him, if we accept him.
4. a. Self Exalting: we think we are better than God, we need to humble ourselves.
b. Deafness: We dont listen toGod, we need to hear his teachings.
c. Sin: we all sin.
d. Greed: our race is never happy with what we have.
A. Humbled: We accept that we are in no part worthy of his love.
B. Righteous: With turn away from sin.
C. Forgiveness: We pertain everlasting life through repentance.
D. Caring: We show love to our comrades, and the neady.
5. What I learned was that the center of our faith is not Jesus dying on the cross, that part is important, but not teh centerpoint. The part that makes our religion so powerful is the resurection of Jesus later on., Without that, we are nothing as Christians.
1. We need to be transform because we are all sinners, ever since we were born. Our “heart of stone” need to be removed.
2. The first Adam were the one who started sinning, and then everyone sins. Jesus Christ was sent down to earth to fix our “heart if stone”, God’s love was the motive to ransom me, and every other human being on earth.
3. Resurrection is a good news because this prove that Jesus is the Son of God, no one else can rise from the dead, but God can do anything, that is raise Jesus from the grave.
4. a. Evil
b. Hardened
c. Greedy
d. selfish
4.2
a. Righteous
b. Loving
c. circumcised
d. patient
5. The most impacting part it that where Eldredge said Jesus came down is to restore my heart, giving me a brand new heart. Also the part where he said that Jesus not only die for me on the cross, He also
1. We sins everyday, it is impossible for a human being to live a day without committing any sins. Because we are not God, we are imperfect, we are sinners with hearts of stones. We need to be " transformed by the renewing of your mind" Romans 12:2. In order to be transformed, we need to fulfill our promise through the circumcision of our heart. In Him, we are restored through his mighty glory, without HIm, we are merely one of many creations.
2. God created human-kinds that share similarities with God Himself. We are inherently evil because of Adam and Eve's mishave. God loves us dearly, watching us being corrupted causes him great pain. In order to restore our relationship with him, God sends his one and only Son to earth to finally let us come to Christ with no shame.
3. Our heart is our problem but is also a cure, God knows the importance of our heart and thus, takes away our rotten, stones of hearts from us, and fill our hearts with new, refreshing love. A new heart that can never be replaced, a heart so great that all our debts have been paid.
We will rejoice because we have been raised from the "dead"
4. A. Greed
B. Selfish
C. Pride
D. Ignorance
New Hearts
A. Joy-optimism
B. Humble
C. Listens
D. Loving
5. To know that God sees through my heart, it is quite amazing. I know my live is full of problems and sins, God is the only solution that can set me free. With my ransomed heart, I am born again. God makes us worthy through his love, and it is my job to live as a person that He wants me to be with my new heart
1.I think the human race needs to be transformed. I think the problem with the human race is that we think that we can get away with anything without anyone knowing it but reality is that God knows everything that we do.
2.Christ's motives in rescuing us is that he promises that we will have eternal life if we let him enter our hearts
3. These two events are good news because if Jesus just died and didn't resurrect, like you said it would just be a story about a teacher, but since Jesus resurrected it makes it impossible for anyone to do and that is how we know that Jesus is God's son.
4. a)evil
b)selfish
c)corrupt
d)angry
a)faithful
b)obedient
c)loyal
d)righteous
5. The thing that struck me was that knowing God isn't just an ordinary relationship but it changes how you live, it changes how you feel, for example there was a person that was very depressed but then a friend gave him a bible and he read it and established a relationship and then he was no longer depressed because he knew that there was a purpose for his life. So knowing God changes your whole life.
1. The entire human race needs to be transformed because we have turned away from God; this explains our heart of stone. We were not meant to have this heart of stone but because our first father Adam's fall into the temptation of Satan, we have all became sinners. Because of the first fall of man, we are exposed to the sinful world; we have turned away from God. Since then, the people's hearts have been born to be full of sin; everyone was automatically capable of sinning. We don't need to learn how to sin; the knowledge of sinning was injected into us ever since the beginning. However, the coming of 'the second Adam', Jesus Christ, changed everything. Through Christ, we get eternal life after we repent and turn back to God. Christ is our key to being transformed; it frees us who are enslaved to sin and allows us to house God in our hearts. Because of Christ, sin has lost its grip on us.
2. Christ's motive in rescuing/ransoming me is that He loves me and wants me back. Despite the horrifying place of hell, there is still a chance to be able to go repent and be able to get eternal life. Christ's death on the cross has paid the ransom for our sins; his blood has brought us back from the sinful nature. God gave us a chance and a choice; because of Christ's death, we are given the choice of going to hell or turn back to God and have eternal life. God put Christ into the picture to rescue us because of His ultimate love.
3. Resurrection and Ascension are good news because these events have built Christianity. If Jesus did not die, resurrect, and be raised again on the third day, he wouldn't have been significant and he would not be a 'God'; if He had not resurrect and ascend to heaven, he'd be no different than us. If Christ was just like us, there wouldn't be a point in believing in the religion. Resurrection and Ascension are events that show God's ability to renew our lives and transform our hearts; it shows that he is an almighty life.
4. Qualities that are characteristics of a heart of stone:
a) stubborn and hardened-does not listen to God and focuses too much on the patterns of the world; allows world to control and eat up oneself
b) arrogant and prideful-we think too highly of ourselves sometimes and neglect what God put in place for us; some may even think that they are God and think that they don't need God. We don't take God's words to heart because of pride; it tears us away from God.
c) selfish-we care too much about what benefits us and we seldom consider what is best for others and what is best in the eyes of God; we actually always forget what glorifying God is.
d) unworthy-we cannot be compared to God; we are nowhere near. If we were exposed to God's glory, we would all be blinded because we are all unworthy.
Qualities that are characteristics of a renewed heart:
a) we'd be patient and faithful- we would accept God's work in our lives and patiently wait for what He has in place for us. We would let him work in us until it is shaped into what He wants us to be. We would keep holding on to God even through our hard times because we'd understand that God knows what is best for us and He will help us; adversities are put in place by God to make us stronger. We would be faithful and remain in His arms through all circumstances; faith would overcome doubt and our relationship with God will come out stronger.
b) we' would become more alert- we would be aware of the sinful surroundings. We would understand how to act in a Christ-like way; it is not necessarily about 'what would Jesus do' but it would probably be like 'what would be glorifying to God'.
c) circumcised- we would be marked by the Holy Spirit and God. We would be guaranteed salvation and the gift of eternal life.
d) righteous- we would be able to house God in our hearts; we would let Him take over our lives and work in us. We would be worthy enough to appear before God.
5. The thing that impacted me most from this chapter was that God renewed our hearts and gave us a chance to come before Him even though it's really obvious that we are unworthy to do so. Christ's blood has given us this chance to come before Him; His blood has allowed us to not be blinded by God's glory. Nothing can make God love us less; He loved us so much and so dearly that He was willing to make His only son die to save the many of us who are unworthy; He has made us worthy again. Our sins are pardoned if we believe and repent; as long as we turn back to God, we are saved. God's arms are wide open, ready to accept us into His kingdom because He loves us. Love is a powerful thing. Because of God's great love, Christ's death took place and not only death took place, resurrection and ascension took place as well SUCH THAT we may have the free gift of eternal life. God sent Christ to make us, who are dead in our transgressions, to be alive in Him again.
1. We need to be transformed because ever since Adam and Eve ate the apple in the garden of Eden, mankind has been spiralling down further and further into sin. John Eldridge says to take a look at the news to get a glimpse of what has happened to the world. Murders, civil revolutions are so common they don’t even hit home with us anymore; we’ve become so desensitised to our corrupt world. The problem with the human race is a deep problem rooted within our hearts. The human heart has gone bad and just like bad apples, not one heart is completely good anymore. Taking a good look at my own heart, and the things I hold close to my heart, there’s no doubt there is a problem with the human race.
2. Christ had no motive for rescuing us from the deep mess we were in. He did it out of love. For he chose us from the very beginning since even before this earth was created, in the very very beginning, he chose us. We are destined to be with him in heaven. But because we were sinners, corrupt down to every single man, we were heading down into hell. He came down to earth to rescue us, to raise us up, so we may partake in salvation. We were chosen from the very start, and Christ rescued us out of his abounding and infinite love.
3. My question is: Why is it NOT? Jesus, God in every way, 100% man, yet 100% God at the same time came down into this world we call home, dwelled among sinners and died for our sins. Something that astounded me was that WE are the sinners that killed Jesus, we are the ones responsible for His death. It is done, He died for our sins and that is that. The gift is there and it’s free, no cost at all except to fully commit your life to Him. Will you take it? God loves us and had and forever will be. The ascension and resurrection are such good news because us Christians to give us a reason to have faith in God, knowing that we will raise salvation. It’s amazing news, like receiving a brand new expensive car with no cost at all.
4. a) Lying no doubt, at the very least once a day, if not more.
b) Selfishness and greed; who is not?
c) Hate, who doesn’t hate at least something in their lives? (or the very least dislike)
d) Arrogance, thinking one is better than others
5. a) Patience, our new heart is capable of patience. Waiting for Jesus, patience for others, and even patience for traffic jams!
b) Faith, our new heart is capable of solid faith for Christianity. Nothing can move this new heart of faith.
c) Love and compassion for all aspects of our lives. We will make non-believers realize what they are missing out with the depth and intensity of our love and compassion.
d) Finally, our new heart is capable of being alive. For before when we had a heart of stone, we were not fully alive. Now with a new heart, we can truly live.
6. The thing that most impacted me this in this chapter was the fact that our heart is the Holy of Holies, the centerpiece of our body, which is a temple for the Holy Spirit. This really reminded me to keep my heart pure and to keep it clean. One thing I really like about this author is that he uses popular stories to prove his stories, such as using Beauty and the Beast to prove that being set free by the truth is like the Beast turning into the prince because of the beauty’s faith and tender love.
1. A rotten heart is not a hard one, as is with expired candy, rather a rotten heart is a heart eroded and collapsed. Remember that God had made all of us perfect, thus we have not grown hard, but instead crumbled away like an oxidized cookie. Yes we are built with ambition and wisdom, yes we thrive on knowledge and celebrate and mourn the seasons. But without a full heart, without Jesus to hold that all together; they simply become principles of greed and avarice. In this world we only base of money and success, where we base our success and wealth as terms of purpose and completion of our life. And still yet so many men and women of fortune still feel as if they have nothing left. No matter how big our circle is, we're still missing that wedge that is God.
2. Irrational justice! How could a God so just make such a contrary choice? But to this we know, he didn't. Like in the movie Brokedown Palace, every rational person would never choose to let these two smugglers go. Someone would have to pay the price. And in our lives, this someone is Jesus. He who loved us so irrationally, that he made the rational choice of saving us, and in turn, humbling himself to the ideals of the glory of God.
3. No one worships the dead. Even those of tribal religious groups don't worship the dead- they worship spirits. And if worshiping a dead human is utterly idiotic, then worshiping a dead God is unspeakably pathetic. But of course, like a spirit, you need to die to live. And eternal life came through the resurrection of the Christ- which is good news, because he didn't die and ascend for himself, he died, and rose, for us so that we may have eternal life.
4.
Crumbling Heart:
a. broken - we are at a loss and live for nothing but worldly wealth, which never really does ever satisfy us.
b. narcissistic – leeching off others, in a world where it is truly survival of the fittest and even in groups, it is "I am first"
c. nefarious – a continuation of egotism, corruption seeks to ensure the survival of oneself by any means possible. Avoiding ridicule and eliminating the opposition- so far as to death if need be.
d. dead – utterly useless. No one cares for you, and in the end, not even God.
Restored Heart
a. alive – God takes notice of those who accept him. He will not refuse, he will never leave nor forsake you
b. selfless – Love thy neighbor as thyself. No long in it for survival of self, but the true survival of others
c. moral – the knowledge of right and wrong, but moreover, the feeling to do right when the opportunity takes over
d. consecrated – no longer chained to the world and the Devil, but to the one and only God
5. A strong reminder is that we worship a God who is alive. It did not end at the cross, the story continues! He came back from the ranks of the dead to haul us back with him; came back from the tomb to set us free, broke free of the chains that separated us and eternal life in Jesus Christ, who is our Lord, God, and savior. Moreover, the story keeps going with us and our purpose to spread that good news. As he died for us, so for as long as humans keep living, the story never ends.
1. The entire human race needs to be changed. God created us not to be sinful, not to kill people and not to do things that are harmful to other people. Many people in the world are very greedy. They look at money as the most important factor in the world and they think that you need the best of everything to be happy. But the thing is you don’t. the most important thing in life I think is doing what you like and be together with the people you like. The entire human race needs to be totally transformed because if we continue like this in the world, many people will be really hurt and maybe we will have a war. Also people have really wicked thoughts about how to kill and torture people and that’s just wrong.
2. Christ’s motive for rescuing me is because he let his own son die on the cross just for us! He got canned, tortured and spitted on for us! What are we compared to him? He is so much better than the entire human race and he is still willing to die on the cross just for our sins! That’s what motives me.
4. a.cold- they tortured jesus who is the son of god who created us
b.hard-although jesus gave us so much love we just don’t accept him
c. greedy- when we have enough we always want more always the best
d.dispictable- we believe a fake bronze figure instead of jesus
a. faithful- we trust in god
b. greatful- be happy of we have
c. open minded- even if you don’t believe god think about what he said
d. Christian- don’t be afraid to amit that you are a Christian
5. the most impactful thing that I read is that god has given us a new heart. By god who has given us a new heart, he has given me a new opportunity to believe in him and be faithful. God can also cancel out all the bad things that we have planted in our heart before and just think about the right contents. Which means we are easier to get into heaven.
1. Consequently, one must consider that it is essential that the human race is transformed, this is due to the hearts of stone that we as people of the Earth possess. Following the actions of Adam and Eve, it is evident that sin continually dwells within us. As a result this becomes increasingly difficult not only on our (the sinners) part but as well God is ashamed that he has to endure watching such painful sinners step the face of this Earth. One might argue that technology is our biggest downfall, when the human race is concerned, as this may be a valid point, we must take into consideration the people who are distracted from Christ, for they pose the larggest conflict upon God. Christ is our sword of saviour and if we are not willing to accept the sword and slay the barriers that restrict us from knowing Christ, we cannot live the life Christ wants us to live, thus posing a major flaw in the human race.
2. Christ's motive in rescuing me, is the fact that he is loving enough to share a piece of the love that he set out for his son. This is crucial as we have to notice that God will never love you less and once we understand that concept we will truly recognize the paths and future He has planned for us. God wants the best for us, and by ransoming us we are able to grasp the righteousness he has laid down for us and continue to love us no less than He ever did.
3. In order to fully understand the concept of Ressurection and Ascension, we must take into account that both of these shape Christianity for the better and make it unique. These concepts, allow God to present His ability to renew our lives and mold it to the best of our abilities. The Ressurection of Christ is the epiphany of biblical stories and none is more inspiring, holy and true than the ascension of Jesus. This story exemplifies, mercy to its finest and the ability to renew lives and form them into the ideal person Christ wants us to become.
4a) Selfishness - we tend to care for ourselves rather than to put God first in our lives and let Him determine what is best for us
b) Evil - we will usually always oppose our God in one way or another, indirectly or directly, it is just a matter of owning up and asking for forgiveness
c) Unworthy - observably, we are not worthy of his glory, as sinners we do not deserve to have such a God so holy and mighty to save us from our incorrect ways; though He does it out of love
d) Stubborn - we are afraid to admit our mistakes, we always think we are right but refuse to have someone have a right over us, we want to be in control and that is our biggest downfall.
a) Healing - we can only hope for healing from our Lord, so many wrongs would never be forgiven in reality but we are so fortunate to have God not think twice about forgiving us
b) Circumcised - we are marked by God and children of His, we are sealed, signed and delivered for Him and must never forget that we are a descendant of Christ
c) Alert - we are able to distinguish good from bad, and force ourselves to reject sin and be aware of our surroundings, but also let it be known that God will always spiritually be with us
d) Mission-Oriented - it is essential that we have a mission to our lives which consists of atleast one spirtual goal and if we are able to pursue that objective while rasing awareness and leading non-Christians towards Christ then our purpose in life may have been complete
5. The most impacting thing this chapter had on me was the impact of a new beginning. In order to fully understand this, we must acknowledge His righteousness and that He is always willing to start fresh and provide us with a new heart. Even though every day our heart may be full of stone and filled with sins that go back to the days of Adam and Eve, if we recognize our incorrect ways and own up to Christ, He will always be willing to start from scratch and it not only purifies us but it postively affects the people around us. As a result, one must consider that God will never love you less than He ever did.
Gary Chung.
1. We have been struck with sin ever since we were born. That resulted in our stone hearts. We sinned when we were young, and may not have even known what we did. We then grow a sense of sensitivity, thought, and knowledge. We possibly still sin and not know our mistakes. Adolescent ages come by, and we split the difference between “good” and “bad.” We possibly sin even more than we have than our younger years. There is a negatively positive correlation of our sin as we grow older if we are not informed of how believing Jesus Christ died for us and our sins; that if we believe Christ died and resurrected on the third day will save us.
2. Our life is at risk of eternal suffering. Christ wants you to know him and wants you to share your life with him so that we may live in paradise, praising our God the Father and enjoy what God has offered to us.
3.Resurrection is the meaning of rising from the dead. No one can or has done this, except for Jesus Christ. It is the fact that he had the power to breathe in a body again and show this miracle to the non-believers or to those of little faith. When the ascension happened, it showed us that if our faith and belief lives in Christ, we shall too be ascended to paradise, having our named called in the Book of Life.
4.
Stone
A) Self-pride. When we think that our hyperbolic deeds are worth praising for one self.
B) Indulgence. Things may be given to us by people, but does that mean we may ask more of them? “The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.” –Proverbs 15:27
C) Resentment. “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. “ –LORD (Leviticus 19:18)
D) No-no’s. We see what is right and tend to (as human nature goes by) do the wrong.
Renewal.
A) Making the right choice. Even if doing right takes patience, effort and sacrifices.
B) Aware of possible sin. Being able to identify and respond upright and righteously.
C) Humility. Don’t put yourself down, but also not to put yourself above humans. We are all equal in God’s eyes, no matter the judgment we receive. Those who judge will be judged.
D) Circumcised. "Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant." -LORD (Genesis 17:13)
5. That we as Christians still do not know the true meaning of putting our belief and faith in Christ rising from death after 3 days in the tomb. We need to be the role models that Christ has found in our inner soul. We are covered in sin, and that is our immobility to function as a Christian. This sin is a mush of jealousy, lust, selfish pride, and a whole lot o’ others. We must be able (with the power of our Holy God) to crush sin and let purity fill our stone hearts, our soul, and our mind.
5 Answers
1. To put frankly, the wording “what is wrong with the world” is of extreme arrogance. But, put bluntly, yes, the “problem” with the world is its corruption all of which can be summed up by the seven deadly sins. The problem is this egocentricity and deafness to others, akin to one who has not opened the eyes of his or her heart. Oddly poetic is the fact that once we have opened the metaphorical eyes in our hearts, we renounce visage of ourselves for the benefits of those around us. The eye sees all around, but not itself. This transformation Elderedge so strongly advocates is to commit to the wellbeing of others around us and, having now seen the errors of the world, strive to right these wrongs and obtain a Christ-centered heart, one that strives for others’ wellbeing rather than one’s self.
2. God has predestined us to be given the choice of eternal life. Through his predestination we have been offered the gift of salvation and why? The answer is simple, because God loves us and has plans for us with His best intentions in mind.
3. The Resurrection and Ascension validate Christ as the Son of God, and that not even death can overcome him. It is a statement to us that we too have the abilities, as adopted Sons and Daughters of God to overcome this death around us in favor of eternal life. These two events are a testament of God’s power which he has so generously and lovingly offered to us, not for the price of $99,99, not 5 easy payments of $20,99, but FREE.
4. a) supercilious, gluttonous, prejudiced, manipulative
b) righteous, compassionate, moral, loving
5. The most important thing God spoke to be about in this chapter was the idea that we were given the gift of eternal life, and allowed to undergo this transformation from this hardened, insipid cocoon into a butterfly, free of our sin and worldly values that cling us down and make us dependent on the world.
1. The problem with the human race that explains why we need to be transformed is that our hearts have gone bad, become stone and fallen into sin. We have hearts that God cannot dwell in. The hearts of the human race no longer turn to love, joy, generosity and forgiveness but are filled with greed, hate and revenge. Our hearts need to be transformed so that we can have a new heart that God is able to be in.
2. Christ's motive for rescuing and ransoming us was because He would have lost us to sin if he hadn't come and that was too great a pain to bear for God. Simply, He rescued and ransomed us because He is loving. By rescuing and ransoming us, we are able to have life to the fullest, our sins forgiven and a new heart.
3. Ascenation and Ressurection are such great news because they are the source of our Christianity and our faith. They represent the healing, miracles, hopefullness and the great power that God has. They are the focus and point of our faith because they bring us out of being dead and into life.
4. a. Unforgiving- not acceptant of the forgness God offers.
b. Wicked-Fallen into sinful nature.
c. Selfish- The heart looks to benefit only themselves.
d. Disobidient- God's plan for their lives are erelevent.
a. Fully recieving of forgiveness
b. Patient- Willing to wait and act on God's timing
c. Kind- Thinking of others before themselves
d. Joyful- Living life to the fullest and actively seeking to know more about God and Share the Gospel.
5.The most impacting thing that God spoke to me about in this chapter was about how to transform the heart to being good. That the heart is good and God dwells in it. It was impacting to see the transformation that could be made when you believe with your heart that it is good.
4)A Heart of Stone
Has ignorance- Being ignorant makes us look like a person who cannot be taught. A person who does not change and is hard headed.
Has dirty pride- Being prideful in a bad sense that we step down on others just for the sake of making ourselves feel better. This shows insecurity.
Has a selfish drive- Being selfish shows that we only care for our contentment but not for others, to an extent we don’t care about others suffering. To have a selfish persona drives away potential friends.
Has no Peace- Being peaceful shows that we are complacent and confident in whatever we do. Jesus wants peace in our hearts because with peace, we can grasp the full meaning of living life.
A Heart of Flesh
Is Sacrificial- Being sacrificial is to show love and respect for others. Without sacrifice, people would not be able to prosper. In a sense, we serve with leadership, a servant leader to be concise.
Is forgiving- Being forgiving shows that we accept and love a person for who they are. A forgiving heart is much better than a heart of animosity because it will make people feel uneasy.
Is Humble- Being humble shows that we acknowledge God as our benefactor, since all victories come through the faith of God. Being humble makes us a better person as we can control our desire for flaunting unnecessarily.
Is Thankful- A thankful heart
shows us that we can appreciate and value things like how God has treasured us. To be thankful is to be happy and to be happy is to be contended in life even when obstacles appear.
5)The most significant matter that the Chapter has brought up to me is the fact that the heart CAN be good. I have always thought that the heart is naturally bad and that I must do good things like donating money and doing community services so that I can be deemed as a better person. However, the phenomenal thing that I have encountered personally in life is that our salvation is already given. It is placed in front of us, but it also our decision of whether we want to unwrap it or not. Receiving the present is receiving the warmth of God’s love into our hearts. With the love of God embedded into our hearts, it means that we are transformed. To be transformed is to shed our relic selves and take on a new embodiment which is empowered by the Holy Spirit. I believe that as a person, I shouldn’t do stuff just because I can get merits, but to see whether it could benefit or influence others. To have a heart that is good is to think about others and not for myself. To have a new heart is to have a new attitude towards life. To change our lenses on the definition of life, we must go to the very fundamental aspect which is the heart itself. In application, I have really reawakened my appreciation for having a life. To have a life is not to simply have a physical body, but to have a soul which is created by God himself. To distinguish what is good from bad, to be happy and sad and to love is the gifts that God has imputed into our very souls that differentiate us from mere puppets.
4) A heart of Stone…………..
Has ignorance- Being ignorant makes us look like a person who cannot be taught. A person who does not change and is hard headed.
Has dirty pride- Being prideful in a bad sense that we step down on others just for the sake of making ourselves feel better. This shows insecurity.
Has a selfish drive- Being selfish shows that we only care for our contentment but not for others, to an extent we don’t care about others suffering. To have a selfish persona drives away potential friends.
Has no Peace- Being peaceful shows that we are complacent and confident in whatever we do. Jesus wants peace in our hearts because with peace, we can grasp the full meaning of living life.
A heart of Flesh………..
Is Sacrificial- Being sacrificial is to show love and respect for others. Without sacrifice, people would not be able to prosper. In a sense, we serve with leadership, a servant leader to be concise.
Is forgiving- Being forgiving shows that we accept and love a person for who they are. A forgiving heart is much better than a heart of animosity because it will make people feel uneasy.
Is Humble- Being humble shows that we acknowledge God as our benefactor, since all victories come through the faith of God. Being humble makes us a better person as we can control our desire for flaunting unnecessarily.
Is Thankful- A thankful heart shows us that we can appreciate and value things like how God has treasured us. To be thankful is to be happy and to be happy is to be contended in life even when obstacles appear.
5) The most significant matter that the Chapter has brought up to me is the fact that that the heart can be good. I have always thought that the heart is naturally bad and that I must do good things like donating money and doing community services so that I can be deemed as a better person. However, the phenomenal thing that I have encountered personally in life is that our salvation is already given. It is placed in front of us, but it also our decision of whether we want to unwrap it or not. Receiving the present is receiving the warmth of God’s love into our hearts. With the love of God embedded into our hearts, it means that we are transformed. To be transformed is to shed our relic selves and take on a new embodiment which is empowered by the Holy Spirit. I believe that as a person, I shouldn’t do stuff just because I can get merits, but to see whether it could benefit or influence others. To have a heart that is good is to think about others and not for myself. To have a new heart is to have a new attitude towards life. To change our lenses on the definition of life, we must go to the very fundamental aspect which is the heart itself. In application, I have really reawakened my appreciation for having a life. To have a life is not to simply have a physical body, but to have a soul which is created by God himself. To distinguish what is good from bad, to be happy and sad and to love is the gifts that God has imputed into our very souls that differentiate us from mere puppets.
1) As what many people have mentioned, our hearts has turned into a chamber of coldness and embitterment. Are our hearts are made of stone. As a human, we have strayed from the true destiny that God has installed for us. God has given us opportunities many times. However, we have resisted him and tried to make decisions out of our conscience. In this way, we have become rotten to the core as we follow our natural humanly desires instead of listening to God’s word. To my conclusion, our personalities and our nature have been malformed by the experiences that we face in life. Elderidge even testifies that not necessarily we do need to have a psychologist to analyze the problems of our mentality, but even we have an adamant desire for a greater meaning of life.
2) Christ’s motive for rescuing us by his blood consists of two basic principles. First and foremost, Christ wants to forgive us for the misdeeds we have committed in this world. According to the Bible, our hearts are so blackened by our deeds and thoughts that rationally we cannot face God up front. Don’t many of us have the feeling that we do not deserve to have this person or to have this object because we lack character or charisma? However, God is the opposite. He wants to forgive us even when we have forsaken him countless times. He knows that we are fit to enter the depths of hell but he is willing to go through sweet and tears just to pull us out from the torture of eternal fire. That is love in the form of forgiveness. Second of all, Jesus died on the cross because he wants a renewal in our hearts; the desire for change. He wants us to experience the true meaning of living LIFE. He wants us to breathe every fresh air and think “I am thankful for being alive”. Basically, he wants to radically transform the inside of our hearts and retrofit us from the inside out. What Christ did on the cross boils down to this. He wants us to shed our old selves and be like him. We do not need to be pinned up on the cross, but we need to be sacrificial and giving to others just like what Jesus did.
3) The Resurrection is the most vital and foremost critical aspect of Jesus’ expedition on earth. Resurrection symbolizes that Jesus has been through the flames of hell, paid the ransom for our freedom, plus he managed to come out being unscathed totally. His resurrection signifies that he is the only one able to bear the full weight of our sins and still come out clean after severing the sin from the heart. Most importantly, the resurrection alerts us that Jesus/God is eternal, nothing can stop him from his tracks, there is no one that can parallel to him, and not even death can silence him. To believe in a dead God is the worst in religion, but to believe in a God which is alive is the best. A living God shows that he still works miracles in our lives and he is strong enough to bear our burden.
The Ascension is also a critical point of Christian faith and is greatly tied to the matter of the Resurrection of Christ. The Ascension means that Jesus is brought back to the heavenly gates of his father since he has done everything that he could do on earth. In metaphoric terms, God has recognized that Jesus has fulfilled his task in the earth and is fit for returning back to heaven and retain back his holy form. The Ascension of Christ can also mean the Ascension of us in our personal life. He wants us to experience an improved standard of living life. He wants us to realize that there is a greater joy of living life before we enter the spiritual realm. Another point of the Ascension is that God wants the people of the world to know him. Jesus himself has done enough of spreading the word and he wants followers of the faith to keep diffusing the word throughout the continents of the world. He says “Come and make disciples of all nations”. That is Jesus’ true desire after he returned to his dad. The Ascension meant a new generation of believers. It marked the aftermath of the Old Testament and it also marked a new generation of believers who were woven together by the faith.
1. We need to be transformed because humans today have become so self absorbed with everything happening- the latest technologies and everyday inventions that we need to take a step back and refocus our eyes on God. Without doing so, we are going to simply forget about God because of our earthly possessions.
2. Christ is loving and is merciful and loves those who have faith in them, because Adam sinned, the rest of humanity did too but Christ is willing to forgive because he loves us that much.
3. Christianity and Ascension are good news because it makes the religion of Christianity unique, it shows God's capability to restore life.
4. Stone Hearts:
a) jealousy
b) selfishness
c) greediness
d) evil
New Hearts:
a) righteous
b) loving
c) humble
d) faithful
5. The very thought that every sin i've made - even those i knew was a sin is forgiven by God, i still cannot begin to imagine how much love and patience he can have for me as i am merely one human in this massive earth. How he knows me inside and out even before i knew myself really fascinates me.
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