Sermons on Hardening Hearts:

A Toughened Heart - Witnessing - Soulwinning Series

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Aug 23, 2005

Acts 16 is the story of 3 hearts: Lydia’s TENDER heart, the Slave Girl’s TORMENTED heart, and the Philippian Jailer’s TOUGHENED heart. Link included to formatted text version and PowerPoint.

A Toughened Heart Acts 16:22-40 ----- Is there someone you know who needs to be saved, and you would label them as “a tough case”? Have you ever been discouraged, thinking, “oh, they’ll never get saved, they’re too hardened”? A good subtitle for this message would be: Jesus CAN save the hard ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:22-40

Denomination: Baptist

A Clean Heart In A Dirty World

Contributed by Wayne Lawson on Aug 11, 2020

I love the 51st Psalm. It’s a very personal prayer of Confession - Self-Examination - A Cry For Forgiveness. I can really identify with the author of this Psalm. Not with what he did, but with his own sense and need for forgiveness.

TITLE: A CLEAN HEART IN A DIRTY WORLD SCRIPTURE: PSALM 51:1-12 Out of all the 150 Psalms, I believe this is one of the most heart wrenching of them all. It is a heart filled and genuine account of David’s guilty heart. There is no real need to enlarge the circumstances, the heading tells the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

A Heart To Honor Authority - A Man After God's Own Heart Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 20, 2005

It’s easy to submit to someone in authority when we agree with them. But what if those in authority over us aren’t "good" men? What if they make immoral decisions? What if they are mean, spiteful, and dangerous?

OPEN: The first words that a child says always seem so cute. Brad’s baby daughter’s first word was “Wow!” Other children learn to say “mommy” or “daddy.” But there is a word that children learn to say that’s not quite so cute. Do you know what it is? That’s right: “No!” As they grow older we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:1-22

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Over-Exposed Heart - A Man After God's Own Heart Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 21, 2005

The temptation to look where we shouldn’t look is hard for most men. What had Bathsheba done wrong? What had David done wrong? And how do we deal with ourselves and others who do those wrong things?

OPEN: The true story is told of a banquet where a famous religious leader found himself seated next to an extremely beautiful woman who was wearing a gown with a perilously low neckline. Instead of becoming angry or embarrassed or pretending to be unaware of her exposure he offered her an apple. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-5

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Let This Be The Year That Your Heart Beats With God’s Heart

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Jan 8, 2019

In the Bible their are “little” words that we oftentimes read past. The word “let” is one of them. This message looks at many of the verses that contain the word “let” to demonstrate how “letting” God will bring us closer to Him.

In the Bible there are “little” words that we oftentimes read past. And. But. If. Or. Much more. Wherefore. Therefore. We. It is often in these seemingly insignificant words, and the context in which they are found, that the nuisances of truth that lead to spiritual maturity are found. We must ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5, Proverbs 3:1, Luke 9:23, John 14:1, John 14:27, Romans 6:12, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 6:9, Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 4:29, Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 5:3, Matthew 5:16  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cultivate A Heart To Hear God Series

Contributed by Ron Murphy on Jul 14, 2007

(Parts of this message were condensed from a sermon by Rick Warren) How do we hear the voice of God, above the din of a noisy world?

Introduction: I. Have you noticed; A. We live in a noisy world. B. By noisy, I mean 1. Lots of competing ideas 2. Lots of competing ideologies 3. Lots of competing standards of living, and ideas of what is right and wrong, C. And all of these different noises seem to be talking at ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

Denomination: Methodist

Extreme Makeover - Heart Transplant Series

Contributed by Scott Kircher on Jun 16, 2008

If God were going to make us over, He would start with a heart transplant

Extreme Makeover Heart Transplant We need a heart transplant because… Without one we will not be able to Love God Deuteronomy 30:6 Without one we will not be able to Love People Matt 5:43-48 Without one, we will not be able to Live Deuteronomy 30:6 Slide 1 If you have seen TV at all ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:6, Luke 12:22-34

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Parable Of The Sower. Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Feb 21, 2024

Today, we reflect on the Parable of the Sower, a powerful story Jesus shared to teach us about the condition of our hearts and how we receive God’s Word.

In this parable, Jesus describes a farmer scattering seeds on different soils. The seeds represent God’s Word, and the soils represent our hearts. Some seeds fall on hard soil, representing those who hear the Word but reject it. The seeds that fall on rocky soil represent those who receive the Word ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11, Luke 12:5, Luke 21:34

Deliverance Series

Contributed by Chuck Gohn on Jul 21, 2022

This sermon focuses on the story of God's deliverance of the Hebrew people from the hands of the Pharaoh and how God continues to deliver us from the various Pharaohs that plague us today.

We are continuing our series called The Story which is an overview of the story of the Bible and how all the small stories in the Bible connect up to the larger story of the Bible and more importantly how each of our individual stories connect up to the grander story of the Bible. For the last ...read more

Denomination: Christian Church

Forgiveness Comes From The Heart

Contributed by Timm Meyer on Sep 27, 2004

PENTECOST 17(A) - Forgivness comes from the heart: from the heart of our Lord and from the hearts of believers.

FORGIVENESS COMES FROM THE HEART MATTHEW 18:21-35 - September 26,2004 - Pentecost 17 MATTHEW 18:21-35 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Denomination: Lutheran

A Spirit-Filled Heart (Updated) Series

Contributed by Dennis Lee on Jul 4, 2016

"A Spirit-Filled Heart" is part of the Christian's Heart series looking at the quality of being spirit filled, and what a Spirit-filled heart looks like. A Spirit-Filled heart is a heart that's is set ablaze, filled to overflowing, and empowered.

A Christian’s Heart “A Spirit-Filled Heart” Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0-WNaXKHO4 As we begin our study on the qualities that every Christian’s heart should possess, I realized that this one quality should start it all off. Because, if there is any one quality ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8, Acts 1:5, Luke 11:13

Denomination: Foursquare

The Trial, The Denial, And The Betrayal - When The Heart Is Tested - Matthew 26:57-27:10 Series

Contributed by William Akehurst on Oct 25, 2025

Every heart is tested in the presence of JESUS. The religious leaders rejected Him, Peter denied Him, and Judas betrayed Him, and yet each story reveals the depth of human weakness and the overwhelming grace of GOD’s redemptive love. Question is...How will you respond when your heart is tested?

2025.10.26.Sermon Notes. THE TRIAL, THE DENIAL, AND THE BETRAYAL - WHEN THE HEART IS TESTED MATTHEW 26:57-27:10 Matthew 26:57-75, Matthew 27:1-10 William Akehurst, HSWC KEY WORD: Trial, Denial, Rejection, Betrayal, Sanhedrin, Blasphemy, Remorse, Repentance, Field of Blood, Remorse without ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:57-75, Matthew 27:1-10, Isaiah 53:7, Daniel 7:13-14, John 5:39-40, Luke 22:61-62, John 21:15-17, James 4:8, Acts 2:23, Romans 8:28, John 8:36, Zechariah 11:12-13, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 51:10, 2 Corinthians 7:10  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Sees Our Hearts PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 11, 2025

God calls us to honest, wholehearted integrity—living openly before Him and others—because true freedom and joy are found in sincerity, not in appearances.

Some passages ease into our living rooms like an old friend, and some step onto the front porch and ring the bell with urgency. Acts 5 is one of those moments. It invites us to sit still, to listen closely, and to remember that God cares about what we hold in our hands and what we hide in our ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:1-4

Topics: Lying, Integrity

Closed Doors And Open Hearts Series

Contributed by David Owens on Jul 13, 2016

This sermon is a brief survey of Paul's Second Missionary Journey. I try to draw lessons from Paul's experiences that can apply to our journey with God.

Introduction: A. Many years ago, a certain mountain man, by the name of Shorthorn Bill, had become a noted guide in the Montana Territories, but he decided to move to Colorado. 1. Having settled outside Denver, he again began working his trade as a trail guide, principally with wealthy easterners ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Starting Over When You Don't Feel Like It

Contributed by Brian Atwood on Mar 29, 2001

Powerful biblical principles for starting over in life from the story of Ruth.

Don’t you love a good comeback? Don’t you love it when the underdog wins? It does our hearts good to see someone get back up after they’ve been knocked down by the tragedies of life. That’s the story of the book of Ruth. The story begins with Ruth as a young woman. Her life seems to hold a ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22, Ruth 1:6-22

Denomination: Baptist