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 A Recap from the Sermon

Preaching Text: 1 Sam 16:1-13 

God calls Samuel to go anoint a new king for Israel from among Jesse's sons, and God gives a timeless countercultural truth:

Main Point:
Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.

Because man looks at our outward appearance, we are constantly tempted to fabricate an outward life, whether it is through beauty, brawn, brains, or bucks.  We believe the lie that through fabrication of this outward life, we can be truly seen, valued, and content.  But God tells us we are meant for more.  God looks at our inner life, our heart. But despite what our culture tells us, we can't just turn to our "inner strength" to "heal ourselves."  What made David great was he recognized that his outer and inner healing must come from God, as he prays in Psalm 51, "create in me a clean heart, O God."  Therefore, the true king we most long for is Jesus Christ, who took our sin on the cross.  Jesus became ugly for us (Is 52:14), so that we could be cleansed, forgiven, and made beautiful (Is 53:5).

Application:
As those who have received a new heart from Christ, the messy and unseen aspects of our life (parenting, marriage, friendships, school, work) become training grounds where God stretches us to become more dependent on him.  As God sent his Spirit upon David after he was anointed, ask God to send his Spirit to rush upon you to give you strength to cultivate an inner life.

Question to Ask at Home:
What ways are you most tempted to "fabricate an outward life"?  What has God been using in your everyday life to "cultivate an inner life"?