MAIN IDEA: Know the heart, know the person. 1. Every heart is something. Matthew 6:20-21 [NLT] 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. James 1:14–15 [NLT] 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Psalms 62:8 [NLT] 2. Every heart is something. Luke 6:45 [NLT] 43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. “The glaring behavior you see on the surface is produced by what’s growing below the surface.” Mark 7:20–23 [NLT] 20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” 3. Every heart is someone. Romans 1:21 [NLT] 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. “In the very depths of our heart, it is not so much what we love but who we love.” How we can move more deeply into someone’s life: After you ask, “How are you?”, follow the strongest emotions. Notice, affirm & enjoy the good “fruit” that’s showing. Use their surface behaviors to help you see what’s happening below the surface. CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION: God has revealed to us that every heart is loving something, producing something and adoring someone. Which of those ideas resonates with you the most? What does God tell us (Rom 1:21) about what kind of help most people actually need? Romans 1:21 [NLT] 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Have any of these methods ever helped you more naturally move deeper into someone’s life? After you ask, “How are you?”, follow the strongest emotions. Notice, affirm & enjoy the good “fruit” that’s showing. Use their surface behaviors to help you compassionately see what’s happening below the surface. CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION: Kid Edition 1) Did you know sin is one of our biggest enemies? a. How do we have victory over sin? b. As a child of God, what helps us choose God’s way instead of sin? 2) what are you afraid of, and what specifically about God’s character can help calm your fear?