Few Things are as they Appear
About this sermon
In “Few Things Are as They Appear,” Pastor Dean Odle urges believers to distrust prideful first impressions and seek discernment from God. Romans 12:3 and 1 Corinthians 8:2 warn against thinking too highly of oneself or assuming complete knowledge. Through Acts 16 and ministry experiences, Odle argues that apparently religious people, opportunities, and messages may conceal manipulation, false doctrine, predatory intent, or spiritual danger.
Chronological teaching outline
Select a section heading to play the sermon from that moment.
Extended worship and prayer call the congregation to give God the heart and continue toward Christ.
Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 8 establish humility and the limits of personal knowledge.
Acts 16 and ministry examples warn that religious presentation does not guarantee a trustworthy spirit or motive.
Luke 14 condemns self-promotion and teaches that God, not ambition, should elevate a minister.
The speaker critiques branding, fundraising pressure, and the pursuit of celebrity within churches.
Proverbs 6 frames warnings about adultery, seduction, and dangers facing families and ministries.
The speaker connects historical and contemporary examples to his contention that visible narratives can hide deeper realities; disputed allegations remain attributed.
The message closes by calling for humility, sound teaching, discernment, and protection of the congregation.
Open each passage and read it in its complete biblical context.
Read and follow along
Read representative excerpts here, or open the complete indexable transcript to search every timestamped section.
Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
- 0:00:01
[music] Thank you, Lord. [music] [music] Here's my heart, [singing] Lord. Here's my heart, [music] Lord. Here's [singing] my [music] heart, Lord. Speak [singing] what is [music] true. Here's [singing] my heart, Lord. Here's [singing] my heart [music] glow. Here's my [singing] heart. [music] Speak [singing] what is true. I am found. I am [singing] yours. I am love. I'm a pure. I [singing] have life. I can breathe. I am healed. I am free. [singing] Here's my heart, Lord. Here's [singing and music] my heart, Lord. Here's my [singing] heart, Lord. Speak [singing] what is true. You are strong. [music] You are sure. You are life. [singing] You endure. [music] You are good. [singing] You're always true. You are light breaking through. [singing] [music] Here's my heart, Lord. [singing] Here's my heart, Lord. Here's [singing] my heart, Lord. [music] Speak [singing] what is true. Here's my life. [music] Here's my life, Lord. And Jesus, here's [singing] my life, Lord. Here's my [singing] life, Lord. Speak what [singing] is true [music] cuz you are more than enough. [singing] You are here. You are love. [singing] You are hope. You are grace. You're [singing] all I have. You're everything.
- 0:03:10
Here's my [music and singing] heart. Lord, tell him this morning, here's my heart, Lord. [singing] [music] Here's my heart, Lord. [singing] Speak what is true. [singing] Here's my life. [music] Here's my life, Lord. We give you our life. Here's [singing] my life, Lord. Oh, here's [music and singing] my life, Lord. Speak what is true. Cuz you are [singing] more than enough. You are here. You [singing] are love. You are hope. You [singing and music] are grace. You're all I have. You're everything. [singing] Here's my [singing] heart, Lord. We give you our hearts. [music] Here's my heart, Lord. [singing] Everything. Here's my heart, Lord. [singing] [music] Speak what is true. Here's my life. Here's my life, [singing] Jesus. Here's my life, oh, [singing] give it all to you. Here's [music] my life, Lord. [singing] Speak [music] what is true. Speak. Speak what [singing and music] is true. Thank you, Lord. Speak [singing] what is true. Speak your truth. Speak what is true. [singing and music] Jesus. Speak what is true. [singing] Yes, Lord Jesus. Praise you, Jesus. Lord Jesus, give us ears to hear. Lord Jesus, what what you say, Lord, give us ears to hear today. Give us eyes to see. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. [music] [music] And now I get to what I believe is the meat. I get to sing this, I think, today. [music] I love this. You know the [music] Lord, he wants us to love his presence. He wants us to love it when he comes in. He [music] wants us to desire him above all things. Amen. When he comes in, [music and singing] there's nothing like it. Amen. [music] Love this. Where the spirit [singing and music] of the Lord is, there is freedom. [singing and music]
- 0:06:20
Where the spirit [singing] of the Lord is, [music] there is freedom. [singing and music] Lift your [singing] eyes to heaven. There [music and singing] is freedom. There's freedom. Lift [singing and music] your eyes to heaven. Oh, there is freedom. [singing] Freedom [music and singing] rains in this place. Showers [music and singing] of mercy and grace. Savior [singing] are falling on every face. Every face. There is freedom. [singing] [music] [music] Thank you, Jesus. If you're tired [singing and music] of thirsty, there is freedom. [music and singing] Yes, Lord. Oh, [singing] if you're tired [music] and thirsty, who's been tired? Well, [singing] there is freedom. [music] Give your all to Jesus. [music] There is [singing] freom. There's freedom. [music] Give [singing] your all to Jesus. There is freedom. [music] Freedom [singing] rains in this place. [music] Showers [singing] of mercy [music] and grace. They are falling [singing] on every face. Oh, there is freedom. [singing] [music] I [music and singing] just believe somebody needs to hear that today. I don't know who you are, but there is freedom in the spirit of the Lord. There is freedom in the power of the Lord. [singing and music] The Lord can make you free today. He made me free. Praise God. Hallelujah. Thank you, [music] Jesus. [singing] Lord Jesus, I just ask that you'd move on whoever that is. [singing] [music] Let's just pray in tongues a minute. Let's just pray in the Holy Spirit right quick.
- 0:09:24
[music] [singing] [music] Lord Jesus, I just [music and singing] ask that whoever it is, you'd bring them to deliverance. Lord Jesus, whoever it is, Lord Jesus, let them find true freedom in the Lord Jesus. In you, Lord Jesus, I thank you, Lord. [music] [music] give you all. There is freom [singing and music] in the presence of the Lord. There is freedom [singing and music] only in Jesus name. There is freedom [singing] in you Lord. There is [singing] freedom [music] for who the son sets free is free indeed. We give you all [music] Jesus. The Lord's freedom is not like this world's freedom. [music] You think [singing] you're free, but you're not [music] free unless you're in Jesus. Free in Jesus. Amen. Freedom [music] only in [singing] Jesus name. There is [music] freedom. Jesus [music] freedom [singing] only in the Lord. [music] Jesus can set you free. Freedom [singing] [music] Lord. [singing] [music] There [singing] is freedom in the Lord. In this presence, he is everything. [singing and music] Jesus, you are everything. Oh Lord Jesus, there [singing] is freedom. We [music] give it all. Freom [music] freedom [singing] in the presence of the Lord. Freedom. Lord, we [singing and music] surrender all to you today because there is [singing and music] freedom. It's freedom in your presence, Lord. [singing] There's freedom. [music] And you don't think you can you don't think you can make it. You don't think you you can make it, but you can. [music] Oh, [singing] you can.
The complete timestamped transcript is published as a crawlable reading page so every sermon topic remains searchable without making this video page unnecessarily heavy.
Read and search the complete transcriptInterpretations and disputed factual allegations are attributed to the speaker and have not been independently verified for this package.