Sermon Notes:

· Are you actually listening?

· Deuteronomy 6:4-5: 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

· Shema = pay attention, listen closely, focus, respond, take heart, obey

· Hearing Correctly leads to action

· “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

· “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

· Those gods promised a lot, but they were powerless

· Jesus + Nothing = Everything

· Do we love the Lord like this?

· “The idea conveyed is ‘Love the Lord your God with all your decision-making.’” -J. Daniel Hays

· “The phrase simply means ‘all that is within you’, a total devotion to the Lord.” - Warren Wiersbe

· Deuteronomy 6:6-9: 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

· Love leads to obedience.

· The heart is an idol factory. -John Calvin

· Picture of Tefillins and Mezuzah

· Spiritual Disciplines

o Bible Study =

o Prayer =

o Fasting =

o Sabbath/Rest =

o Worship =

o Mentoring/Discipling =

o Evangelism/Missions =

· What’s your average?

· What 3 need the most work?

· “What we’re aiming for is progress not perfection” - Clay

· Mark 12:30-31: “30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.””

· Are you actually listening?

· Don’t just hear it. Live it.

· Jesus + Nothing = Everything

LIFE Group Discussion Questions

Opener: Can you think of a time when you “” instructions but didnt really listen?What happened as a result?

Go Deeper

1. In Deuteronomy 6:4, God calls His people to “Hear, O Israel.” What do you think is the difference between hearing and listening when it comes to God’s Word?

2. The sermon mentioned that we often add things to Jesus to feel secure (Jesus + success, comfort, relationships, etc.). What are some “idols” or substitutes for God that you are tempted to lean on?

3. Verse 5 calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. What might that look like practically in your daily decisions and habits?

4. Deuteronomy 6:6–9 talks about passing God’s Word down in the home. What are some ways you can make God’s Word visible and central in your home (or personal life, if you live alone)?

5. The sermon highlighted spiritual disciplines (Bible study, prayer, fasting, Sabbath, worship, discipling, evangelism). Which one feels most life-giving for you right now? Which one do you most need to grow in?

6. James 1:22 reminds us to be doers of the Word, not hearers only. What is one step of obedience you sense God is asking you to take after hearing this passage/sermon?