Dear Friends,

It was so good to see so many of you last week. Be able to see is so important to living a happy, holy, and healthy life.

Jesus taught that you can have 20/20 vision and be blind to reality.

To live a truly happy life you must be awake and see things as they truly are.

This Sunday I will teach on seeing with the heart as the Bible teaches.

If you want to start the journey to a truly happy life or know others who do be sure to come Sunday.

The happiness that God offers is rooted in the reality of living in your current life with all its problems.

If you find anxiety, anger, resentment, jealousy, and fear dragging you into the dark come and listen.

Make plans to attend a small group as well as a worship service.

I love you and hope to see you.

Blessings,

Joe

Please try to attend a small group. As you get ready for Sunday think about the following scriptures and talk about the questions.

 

What does Paul mean by the eyes of the heart?

Ephesians 1:16-18 Do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

 

What are ways your heart can be blinded?

1 John 2:9-11 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 3:17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 

How can religion both blind or open eyes?

Matthew 13:14–16  “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘you will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15  for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’ 16  “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

 

Why is seeing God clearly so important?

Romans 8:31-32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 

What are ways we can be blind to what God says is real and important?

Matthew 25:41-46 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42  for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44  “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45  “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46  “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

Describe a way you were blind to something or someone God says you should have noticed.

 

Why is seeing yourself honestly and humbly important?

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

 

 Describe how seeing nature as Gods gift, affects you?