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People seewhat’s on the

outside.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before Him.” … After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Have you ever wished you could change something about how you look?

The Pressure to Look Perfect76,220 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed on people age 13-19 in 2012. Teens expect that plastic surgery will improve their self-confidence. 1

4.9% of high school boys and 2.4 % of girls have used anabolic steroids at least once in their lives, often to promote a more athletic body image. 2

God sees what’s on the inside.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Maleficent Despite her evil appearance, Maleficent wasn’t always bad. As a girl she played with the animals in the forest. She was patient and kind, perhaps even wise. But after suffering great loss and allowing bitterness and anger to take over, the person she once was became hardly recognizable. Nevertheless, there was still a small part of her original loving nature buried deep inside. 3

God looks at…

Nose

Eyes

Lips

Height

Legs

Stomach

Man looks at…

THE POINT People look at the outside; God looks at the heart.

character kindness

purity loveselflessness

car class rank

money clothesweight

THE QUESTION Do the opinions of others define me?

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Memorize: Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. (Matthew 15:17-18)

THE POINT It’s your heart, not your image, that defines you.

THE QUESTION How much attention should I give to my image?

Don’tfocus onoutwardappearances.

Read Matthew 23:25-28. Based on this passage,

how would you definehypocrite?

The scribes and Pharisees had the appearance of being righteous on the outside, but they ignored the sinful attitudes of their hearts.

Whether at school, church, or anywhere else, we often spend our time trying to make a good impression on people, when it is God’s opinion that matters most.

Focuson theconditionof yourheart.

What do we mean when we say that someone has a “big heart”? Do only good things come from a person’s heart? Explain.

Read Matthew 15:17-20.What seven sins did Jesus list as an example of the evil that originates in a person’s heart?What can be done about the sinful nature of our hearts?Only Jesus has the power to transform our hearts. By filling our hearts with Him, we will naturally reflect Him in the way we live and interact with others.

God looks past what is on the outside and sees what is in our hearts. Only He can make a true judgment of who we really are because He is God.

What difference could it make in our youth group (and for the church) if we did not

just look at outward appearances?

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