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1. Getting Started: The Fog Within

Sometimes life feels foggy — not because the world is unclear, but because we are.
We can’t see what God is doing, or where we’re going. In the sermon, Curtis said:

“We get a little tiny bit of clarity and we’re off to the races, hoping the rest clears up on the way.”

That’s often how we live spiritually. But Jesus says the way to true clarity isn’t speed — it’s purity.
The pure in heart see God, not because they’ve achieved perfection, but because their hearts have become clear enough to recognize Him.

Reflect or Discuss:

  • Where in your life do you feel the “fog” right now — an area where you can’t quite see what God is doing?

  • When was the last time you caught even a “baseball-sized hole” of clarity, as you said in the sermon? What helped you see more clearly in that moment?

2. Understanding “Pure in Heart”

Jesus isn’t talking about moral perfection, but wholeness — an unmixed heart.
Curtis described it like clear water or pure gold — nothing else mixed in.

“A person who’s pure in heart isn’t divided between God and other loves.”

In Jesus’ world, the “heart” wasn’t separate from the mind or emotions. It was the control center of a person — where you think, feel, and choose.
So, purity of heart means your desires, thoughts, and choices are aligned in one direction: toward God.

Read: Luke 6:45 and Jeremiah 17:9.

Reflect or Discuss:

  • When you think about the phrase “divided heart,” what comes to mind for you personally?

  • What are some of the “other loves” that compete for your devotion or attention?

  • How do you notice that inner division show up in your words, decisions, or emotions?

3. The Heart Surgery Only God Can Do

In the sermon we heard:

“When we’re considering our hearts, we come to this text and find that it’s incurable… and Jesus came so that we might not be left empty, but to fill us with life abundantly.”

That’s the good news — God does what we can’t.
David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
He knew he couldn’t purify himself. He needed God to do heart surgery.

This kind of spiritual renewal is what the Holy Spirit does in us day by day.

Read: Psalm 51:1–12 slowly.

Reflect or Discuss:

  • What part of David’s prayer do you relate to most right now?

  • Why is it so hard for us to admit we can’t “clean our own hearts”?

  • When have you felt God’s mercy soften something hardened in you?

4. The Spirit’s Threefold Work

Curtis said:

“The Spirit exposes where our hearts are divided, encourages us toward the truth of God, and renews us with a willing spirit.”

Let’s take those one at a time.

A. The Spirit Exposes

Exposure hurts — but it’s a gift. Conviction is how God brings us into freedom.

“Let God’s light reveal, not to humiliate you, but to heal.”

Reflect or Discuss:

  • How do you typically respond when the Spirit exposes something wrong in your heart or actions?

  • What would change if you began to see conviction as mercy rather than condemnation?

B. The Spirit Encourages

The same Spirit who convicts also comforts.

“Every exposure comes with this assurance: you belong to God.”

When your heart says, “I’m not enough,” the Spirit whispers back, “You are My child.”

Reflect or Discuss:

  • What truth from Scripture do you most need the Spirit to remind you of right now?

  • How can remembering your identity as God’s child change how you face failure or fear?

C. The Spirit Renews

Renewal is the rhythm of grace.

“Every confession is followed by restoration. And every surrender opens space for fresh strength.”

Read: Titus 3:5.

Reflect or Discuss:

  • Where in your life do you need the Spirit’s renewal right now?

  • What’s one old habit, pattern, or mindset that the Spirit might be inviting you to release?

5. Seeing God Clearly

“When the heart grows clear, you begin to see God — not necessarily through miracles, but all over the place.”

When the Spirit clears the fog, we start noticing God everywhere — in Scripture, in beauty, in people, even in pain.
Seeing God is not about eyesight; it’s about awareness.

Reflect or Discuss:

  • Where have you seen glimpses of God lately — even in small ways?

  • What helps you become more aware of His presence in the everyday?

  • How does purity of heart — honesty, confession, humility — make that kind of vision possible?

6. Living the Message This Week

Here are a few ways to live this out from Monday to Saturday:

  1. Morning Prayer:
    “Father, show me where my heart is divided, and make it whole.”
    Don’t rush the answer; stay attentive through the day.

  2. Midday Pause:
    When frustration rises, pray: “Spirit, is there something You’re showing me right now?”
    Respond with confession, gratitude, or a change of attitude.

  3. Evening Renewal:
    Before bed, recall one place you saw God that day and one place your heart felt divided.
    Offer both back to Him and rest in mercy.

7. Closing Reflection

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

The promise isn’t for the perfect — it’s for the surrendered.
The pure in heart are those who let God do His work in them.
As you yield to His Spirit, you’ll find that clarity comes not from effort, but from grace.
And as your heart grows whole, your vision of God grows clearer — now in glimpses, one day face to face.