A verse of concern!
Hebrews 3:13 - But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Not TO us, but is it still a true fact for today?
If so, does God harden our hearts because of sin, etc.?

Why do we develop such 'hard hearts?'

• hearts of anger
• hearts of bitterness
• hearts of contention

• Towards...
• the brethren
• our own relatives
• our children
• children towards parents
• Dennis Praeger quote - "To disagree with parents is not always dishonouring them." I looked it up in the Bible as such...  Children 'obey,' but 'honour' can be any age.  (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20 - obey vs honour in 6:2 and Matthew 15:4, etc.

• If so, how?
• Will God to it?

• Romans 9:18 - Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
• Exodus 33:19 - And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
• God did harden Pharoah's heart, but only after 2 attempts from Moses.  It happened after the magicians scene.  Otherwise, it was all based on fore-knowledge.  But Pharoah was given two chances - he struck out for his third!

• Saved!
• Based on our actions today and from Paul's verse, God will give us mercy because we hear, believe and trust - but we must follow His plan for that salvation!
• The Lost
• A lost person will have the hard heart!

Old Testament / Gospel

• Mark 3:5
• Mark 6:52
• Mark 8:17
• Mark 16:14
• John 12:40

• Hebrews 3:8
• Hebrews 3:15
• Hebrews 4:7 

  ---

  So what about you and me - today?

1.  Drawing Closer to the Tribulation

• II Peter 3:16 - unlearned, unstable
• Hebrews 5:11 - dull of hearing
• Jude 15 - ungodly preachers sealing their followers eternal doom
• Hebrews 3:15; Hebrews 4:7 - not hearing His voice!

2.  Anger / Contention

• Does your hardness bring out your anger and contention, etc.?
• PRIDE
• Proverbs 13:10: Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

• Sin / doing wrong / unrighteousness
• is not imputed (Romans 4)
• is not me doing it (Romans 7)
• will grow only as fed (Rom:13:14: But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.)
• YIELD to righteousness
• Romans 6:6-23
• Would rather be servants of sin - and serve unrighteousness
• Please flesh
• felt religious
• enjoy it
• more friends
• accepted you as is
• gain...

• I Corinthians 6:12 - All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
• Addiction
• Need a hammer to break the rock!
• Jeremiah 23:29 - Is not my word like as a fire?  saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
• Hard heart - rock - Luke 8:6; Zachariah 7:12

• Where is our forgiveness for others - especially the brethren?
• Where is 'no judgment' for the brethren? (Romans 14)
• Where is asking the preacher to "Hide nothing from me" that we learned from Jeremiah?
• Why put the preacher to death?
• Why not hearken to Biblical counsel?
• Do you think the KJB 1611 seekeths not your welfare, but your hurt? (Jeremiah)
• Where is heeding the warning and rejecting the self-imposed shame?
• Where is Christain parenting according to the KJB rightly divided with Paul?
• Where is seeking to live what you believe?
• Where is changing your life as you learn more in your following the rightly divided Scriptures?
• Do you even know what you believe yet?
• Where is your growing with Paul's?
• Where is studying to SHEW, not studying to KNOW?

If not yet, do you want to harden them?  Proverbs 29:1
If so, how to soften them!