CHECK ENGINE: Examine Your Heart
Preached to: Middle & High School Students
Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn
Just like Penny from The Big Bang Theory ignored her car's warning light, we often overlook the spiritual warning signs God places in our lives. This message challenges us to stop ignoring the "check engine lights" of our heart and allow the Holy Spirit to do the internal work we desperately need.
3 Key Points:
Warning Signs Matter – God often gives us internal alerts like conviction, unease, or emotional struggles to signal something deeper.
Ignoring the Signs Leads to Greater Damage – Just like with a car, neglecting heart issues only makes things worse over time.
Let God Be the Mechanic – We must invite the Holy Spirit to search us, reveal hidden issues, and transform us from the inside out.
Bottom Line: Don’t silence the signal—surrender to the Savior.
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Night 1: Identifying the Warning Lights
Topic: Recognizing Spiritual “Dashboard Lights”
Discussion Questions:
What are some emotions or struggles that might be warning signs in our hearts (like fear, bitterness, anger)?
Have you ever ignored a feeling or situation that later caused bigger problems?
Why do you think God allows us to feel conviction or discomfort sometimes?
Family Challenge:
Each person name one “warning light” they’ve felt recently and pray as a family for God to help address it.Night 2: What Happens When We Ignore the Signs?
Topic: Consequences of Neglecting the Heart
Discussion Questions:
What could happen if we keep ignoring what God is trying to show us?
How do hurt feelings, jealousy, or sin affect our relationships?
Have you ever seen someone bottle things up until they exploded emotionally? What could’ve helped them?
Family Challenge:
Read Psalm 139:23-24 together. Then spend a few quiet moments asking God to show each person one thing they need to work on.Night 3: Letting God Do the Work
Topic: Allowing God to Heal and Restore
Discussion Questions:
Why is it sometimes hard to let God (or others) help us with what’s going on inside?
What does it mean to say, “God is the only one who can fix our hearts”?
Who is a trusted adult or friend you can talk to when your “check engine light” is on?
Family Challenge:
Encourage each person to write down one area where they want God to help them grow. Keep the papers somewhere private and check in again in a month. -
INTRO:
Start with a funny and relatable story from The Big Bang Theory where Penny constantly drives with her check engine light on, despite Sheldon’s repeated warnings.
Just like Penny, many of us go through life ignoring the warning lights in our own hearts.
Whether it’s anger, anxiety, insecurity, bitterness, or temptation—those indicators are trying to tell us something: “There’s a deeper issue under the hood.”
POINT 1: Warning Signs Matter
Psalm 139:23 (NLT) “Search me, O God, and know my heart;”
God gives us internal “dashboard lights” like conviction, restlessness, or even emotional stress to get our attention.
Don’t ignore what God is trying to reveal—those feelings are signals, not inconveniences.
Illustration: Use a visual or physical dashboard with labels like “fear,” “bitterness,” “jealousy,” etc. Ask: “Which light is blinking in your life right now?”
POINT 2: Ignoring the Signs Leads to Greater Damage
Psalm 139:24a (NLT) “Point out anything in me that offends you”
Just like driving a car with engine problems leads to a breakdown, ignoring spiritual issues leads to burnout, brokenness, and hurt relationships.
Hidden heart issues grow in silence.
God wants to fix what’s underneath before it gets worse.
POINT 3: Let God Be the Mechanic
Psalm 139:24b (NLT) “and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
You don’t have to figure it out on your own. Bring your heart to the only One who truly knows how to fix it—Jesus.
God doesn’t shame you for having issues. He lovingly helps you work through them.
CHALLENGE STEPS:
Make Psalm 139:23-24 your daily prayer. Start each day by inviting God to examine your heart.
Be honest with God. Ask Him to show you what warning signs you’ve been ignoring.
Talk to a trusted adult or friend. Don’t try to handle heart issues in isolation—healing happens in community.
Closing Thought:
Don't keep driving with your spiritual check engine light on. Let God take the wheel and do the work in you. The sooner you let Him in, the smoother your journey will be. -
Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
