The core of a person’s conduct is a person’s attitude.

• Coaches know this and key on it.

• Motivational speakers are all about attitude.

• Our attitudes are important to God – and should be important to us.

  • They drive our actions.
    • Our attitude is the engine that drives us.
  • Change attitude to change action.

Attitude is not the only thing – Christianity is not all attitude.

• Does God want our hearts or our obedience?

  • He wants our hearts first and the obedience that follows!

• How about under the Mosaic Law? Circumcision of the heart:

  • Obedience: Leviticus 26:1-2, 14-16; Deuteronomy 27:9-10; 28:58-63

  • Attitude (hearts): Jeremiah 9:24; Leviticus 26:40-43; Numbers 15:38-40; Deuteronomy 4:7-9, 29-31, 39-40

    • God wants hearts that are devoted to Him.

  • Poetry: Proverbs 21:3; Psalms 119:2, 7, 10-11, 32, 34, 36, 58, 69, 80, 111-112, 145

    • It is better to live righteously than to sacrifice!

  • Prophecy: Isaiah 1:13-20; Joel 2:12-13; Deuteronomy 13:1; Jeremiah 3:7-10

  • Law: Deuteronomy 10:14-22; 13:1-4; 30:6-14

  • New Testament: Romans 10:13; Mark 12:28-34

What happened to the heart?

• Levitical jurisprudence – Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 17:8-13

  • God gave the Levites leeway.

  • The Pharisees ran with it!

  • Leviticus 19:18 – Case in point.

    • Matthew 5:43