The Teachable Heart
A Six-Month Devotional
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A teachable heart is the “good soil” Christ described in Mark 4:20. Such a heart hears and understands God’s Word, accepts it as His revealed truth, and applies it in their lives to produce eternal fruit.
My sincere desire is to relay the truths that God has caused this heart to learn on to the willing hearts of others. So, welcome to our classroom of Teachable Hearts – where we all have so much left to learn!
Keep the Heart Teachable, Dave
Day 1 – Tapeinos Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29, emphasis added) To the best of my knowledge, the passage above is the only time Jesus described His inner being using His own words. As a result, we stand to learn much about our Savior by carefully studying the words He chose. While I have so very far to go, it is my heart’s desire to become as much like Christ as possible. Therefore, I want to know the meanings of the words He used to describe Himself. Toward that end, I recently completed a thorough study of “humble” for my Greek class. While the entire paper is FASCINATING reading, I’ll just give you the gist here! The Greek word used (tapeinos) originally meant “low-lying” and described objects that did not rise far from the ground. It was assigned to those who were poor, unimportant, of little social influence, and powerless. Therefore, in the Greek culture, where man was the highest measure of all things, to be considered “humble” was shameful and contemptible. However, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), a dramatic contrast is immediately evident. While the basic notion of being low, oppressed, and afflicted remains, the word describes desirable traits for a child of God. In a theocentric view of mankind, humans are rightly viewed as lower than God, and humble describes a person who has been brought into right relationship with God and with others. In Matthew 11, Christ used the term to describe Himself as He extended a warm, friendly welcome to lost, weary sinners. He could welcome the lowly and the oppressed because He was among them. If we look closely, we see that Jesus did not simply say that He was humble, but that He was humble in heart. Lowly and humble did not describe just His earthly living conditions. No, EVERYTHING about Christ was lowly and humble. He was humble in His will, in His attitude, and in His thoughts. He was humble in His desires, His decisions, and in His actions as He chose to leave His throne in heaven and come to serve and save sinful man. It is no wonder that Paul pointed to Christ and told his readers to develop that same attitude (Philippians 2:6-11). To see others as more significant than ourselves, to put their needs ahead of our own, to empty ourselves as we lay down our lives in service to Him and others – knowing that those who humble themselves now will one day be exalted by God. Humble described all of Jesus – does it describe us?What Others Are Saying …
“I find Dave's messages informative, uplifting, insightful and applicable in my daily walk with the Lord. I like that he doesn't talk "at" me, but rather “with” me. Dave is the real deal, with no fluff or heavy polish.” Danny H.
“You help frame my day; always insightfully inspiring.” Karlon C.
“Dave has a heart uniquely designed by God to humbly write devotions that point others towards Christ. He is also the most dedicated and caring Sunday School teacher a follower of Christ could have.” Brandy P.
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About the Book
The book you are holding is the culmination of twenty years of personal Bible study and hundreds of lesson plans prepared with you, the teachable believer, in mind. Over the years, his students consistently encouraged Dave to make highlights of his lessons available to a wider audience. The outcome is The Teachable Heart Devotional Series.
Like life itself, the devotions come in a random, unexpected order—helping you grow in thoughtful, practical, and Christ-honoring ways. You will be amazed at what one page and five minutes a day can do. You will be encouraged in your faith, challenged in your walk, lifted when you’re down, and comforted in your sorrow. You will be spurred on toward good works yet encouraged to rest in the loving arms of Christ. One page, five minutes—you can do this! Try it and be amazed at what God can do with The Teachable Heart!
About the Author
Author, teacher, pharmacist, dad, husband, and life-long student…each role has helped shape the man who wrote the book you’re holding. While Dave has a Master’s Degree in Christian Counseling, plus additional seminary training, he lives in the real world, having worked as a pharmacist, owning his own business for many years. In addition, Dave has been married for nearly thirty years and has raised two beautiful adult daughters. He brings a very real, and always practical perspective to his teaching. His previous works include James – Living a Life of Faith: A Bible Study for Men, and The Teachable Heart Devotional Volume 1.
Dave has taught adult Bible study classes for almost twenty years and considers it among the greatest joys of life. He lives in suburban Kansas City with his wife and daughters. Wherever a group of Teachable Hearts gathers, he humbly looks forward to teaching.