Windows of the Heart

It's sometimes difficult to tell if someone really "repents" from a sin or if they're just sorry they got caught. Sometimes it's even hard to tell if we have really and truly repented, isn't it? In this week's podcast, Dr. Deb looks at David's response to Nathan when confronted with his sin with Bathsheba to see what true repentance looks like and how we can see the evidences of that in our own lives.

How far can a Christian fall into sin? How fast? When is it too far or too fast? In the second part of this message about David and Bathsheba, Dr. Deb talks about both the reality of our sin natures and our undeniable propensity toward sin, but also the bottomless mercy and grace of our Father, whose forgiveness is given freely when we ask.

The story of David and Bathsheba is a sad moment in the life of one of the heroes in biblical history, but there is so much to be learned, both about the fragility of the human condition and about the enormity of God's mercy and love for His children. What can we learn about how we can fight our own fights with sin and temptation form this man after God's own heart?

What promise can we hang our hats on when it comes to God? Dr. Deb takes one of the most beautiful promises in Isaiah 55:1-3 and breaks it down so that it's easy to understand, applying it so that every believer can see how not only are God's promises always true, they are glorious and wonderful for us all!

How can we be assured that God's promises for us are true and amen, even if we are not Jewish? Dr. Deb's lesson on God's covenant promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 and how that was finally and fully fulfilled in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ not only proves His faithfulness as our ultimate Promise Keeper, but it assures His covenant with all of His children, both Jew and Gentile alike.

How does understanding that God is holy affect the way we live, the way we think,and the way we act? How should it affect the way we treat others, ourselves, or even the way we treat God, Himself? In the second part of Dr. Deb's message on "Understanding that God is Holy," she looks at Isaiah 6:1-7, examining practical ways that we should behave and live in light of the fact that our Father is holy. What does this wonderful truth really mean to you?

So many of us have a hard time with the story in the bible where Uzzah is struck dead when he reached out to steady the Ark while they were transporting it to Jerusalem. Why was this punishment so harsh? What had David and his men missed that brought about such tragic circumstances, and what can this incident teach us about God? In Part 1 of Dr. Deb's message, "Understanding that God is Holy," she discusses this occurrence from 2 Samuel 6 and how what we see there must impact how we see our God as a holy God.

Paul knew a thing or two about God being glorified in his weaknesses, so it only seems logical that he is where we should go when we are trying to see how that is true for us, as well. How did the thorn in Paul's side, as well as all of his trials, serve to bring more and better glory to his Father? What does this teach us as Christians about our struggles and trials?

It is often very difficult to understand how God is supremely glorified when we are weakest, but once again, David teaches us much about this lesson. Dr. Deb looks into 1 Samuel 30 in Part One of this lesson on embracing our weaknesses as we seek to magnify the greatness of God.

Is there ever a time when it is okay to get angry? If there is, then when does that anger become sin? Dr. Deb delves into these questions and more in Part 2 of her lesson, "Controlling Our Anger," during her series on Lessons from the Heart of David.