David

David messed up big time but God told us through the Bible that David was truly after God's heart. Its not about how we "practice" our devotion to draw near to God, but rather how our "hearts" are when are drawing him near to us. Learning from David's experiences, God meets us in our heart rather than our minds therefore we need to focus on the "heart of the matter". "David son of Jesse is a man after my own heart, for he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22 & 1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT). We can fake other people but we can't fake to God. It is important to understand that our hearts are the state of our "flesh". Our flesh search for pleasure, pride, passions and selfish motives. Our hearts are like a garden with beautiful flowers and plants. As with all gardens, the hearts must be kept free from weeds and insects. God is not impressed by our works or how we worship. In 1. Samuel 16:7, The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance (i.e. works), but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)."

Great quotes below:

To be like Christ is to be a Christian. -- Daniel Webster

God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves. Dwight L. Moody

Galatians 6:3 "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

James 1:26 says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

"Moses spent 40 years thinking he was somebody; 40 years learning he was nobody; and 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody." DL Moody

"A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant" Charnock, Stephen

There is head knowledge, head and heart and just heart knowledge. In knowing God (not just about Him) the heart must be involved. A.W. Tozer

"Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ." Tozer, A.W.

If we take our doctrines into our hearts where they belong, they can cause upheavals of emotion and sleepless nights. This is far better than toying with academic ideas that never touch life. John Piper

Doctrinal preaching certainly bores the hypocrites; but it is only doctrinal preaching that will save Christ's sheep. J.I. Packer