GOD CARES ABOUT THE CONDITION OF OUR HEARTS. 

SCRIPTURE | 1 Samuel 16:1-13 

CENTRAL TRUTH 

God made us for relationship with Him, and nothing—external or internal—can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:35-39). When we believe this, we are free to let go of the things we once found our worth in. Those things aren’t tied to who we are because our worth is established by our Creator. 

KEY QUESTION 

WHY DO WE OFTEN LOOK TO WHAT’S EXTERNAL (APPEARANCE, POSSESSIONS, POPULARITY, GRADES) FOR OUR VALUE? HOW DOES VERSE 7 CHANGE YOUR THINKING? 

KEEP IN MIND 

Students may wonder why society is so obsessed with outward appearances; they may even feel frustration over this reality. This obsession with appearances isn’t new. Throughout Scripture we find countless examples of men and women fixating on the external: Adam and Eve, Solomon, the Pharisees. Our culture follows suit. Our phones and social media accounts are probably two of the biggest contributing factors. Humans have always tended to look at outward appearances and assign worth based on them. We should explain to our students that it’s not wrong to care about their appearances. God created us for His glory, and He wants us to take care of our bodies and to treat them with respect. Our bodies enable us to serve the Lord in worship. We are His most complex design, but we are just that: His design. So, instead of fixating on appearances, students can seek to give God glory with their bodies and, more importantly, in their character. 

APPLICATION 

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE SO THAT YOU INVEST MORE IN THE CONDITION OF YOUR HEART THAN IN SOCIAL STATUS OR APPEARANCES? 

THE WIN 

FOR THE STUDENT: If students invest themselves in what matters—knowing God and allowing Him to change their hearts—they find that those lesser things don’t matter at all. Maybe they need to disable like counts on social media or put away the scale. Encourage them to invest in knowing the Lord authentically, and they’ll come to realize those other things pale in comparison to Him. 

FOR THE LEADER: Consider where you find your worth. Is it in your job, your success, your family? Seeking worth in anything else—even good things—devalues you.