8/4/24 Sermon: "Cognitive Bias that Leads to a Hardened Heart"

Cognitive Bias that Leads to a Hardened Heart
Mark 6:31-52
In my sermon, “Cognitive Bias that Leads to a Hardened Heart”, I will delve deep into the cognitive confirmation bias that impacts us all, regardless of our allegiances. I will emphasize how we often grapple with understanding why others do not perceive the same truths or facts as we do and assign this bias to several sources such as societal pressure, the media, and personal ideologies. Notably, I will mention that this bias also influences our relationship with Jesus. Together, we will explore the human resistance to changing established beliefs, using biblical phrases like “stiff-necked people” and “hardened hearts” to illustrate this stubbornness.
Even the disciples, suffered from this same bias, struggling to see Jesus’ real purpose and mission, and often trying to justify miraculous events to fit their pre-existing beliefs. The main point of the sermon is that our biases often lead us astray, causing us to seek out answers that align with our established beliefs in the face of uncertainty. Jesus’ main challenge was to gain the faith of his disciples, in our day and age, we need to trust in Jesus more fully to confront our biases.
The sermon concludes with a call to action for the church. We will be presented with a choice, where the church can either view itself as a dwindling congregation holding onto the past or as a vibrant community of faith ready for the future. The sermon is a deep exploration into the concept of cognitive biases and their influence on our faith, offering a route towards faith in Jesus as a solution to overcome these biases, embrace transformation, and move towards a future of growth and abundance.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen