The Heart of Mankind
About this sermon
In The Heart of Mankind, Pastor Dean Odle challenges the cultural command to “follow your heart.” From Jeremiah 17:9, he argues that the fallen human heart is deceitful and cannot safely serve as its own moral guide. The sermon traces the biblical meanings of heart, soul, mind, and spirit, stressing that sanctification involves bringing thoughts, desires, memory, and will under the Word and Spirit of God.
Chronological teaching outline
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The service begins by praising Christ’s blood and resurrection. Odle announces Communion and asks participants to prepare through repentance and self-examination.
Odle introduces the cultural slogan and contrasts it with Jeremiah’s warning. He explores biblical language for the inner person: thought, desire, memory, will, soul, and spirit.
First Thessalonians 5 and other passages support a distinction among spirit, soul, and body. Odle teaches that new birth does not eliminate the need to discipline the mind and appetites.
Entertainment, music, romance stories, pornography, alcohol, drugs, and sexual immorality are presented as inputs that form desire and weaken resistance.
James 1 anchors the warning that knowledge without obedience deceives the hearer. Vain repetition and Christianized versions of forbidden practices illustrate compromise.
Psalm 51 models confession, truth in the inward parts, cleansing, and the request for a clean heart. Odle calls for decisive separation from sin rather than a divided life.
Genesis 6 and end-time warnings intensify the call to choose Christ now. An altar appeal invites backsliders and unbelievers to confess sin, turn away, and begin a consistent walk.
First Corinthians 11 is read as the congregation receives bread and cup. Participants are told to judge themselves, discern Christ’s body, and remember his death.
Prayer emphasizes the incarnation, Christ’s sinless life, voluntary sacrifice, shed blood, resurrection, and promised return.
The service concludes with blessing, an invitation to fellowship, and a final reminder to live out the decision made at the altar.
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Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
- 0:00:08
Thank you for the blood. That's the greatest miracle that we'll ever experience is the blood of Jesus. Across the great divine, we left behind heaven's throne to build it here inside. And there, at the cross, hid the dead I owe. Broke my chains, freed my soul, for the first time I had hope. Jesus, for the blood applies, it has washed me white. You have shaped the darkness to your glory. And thank you Jesus, took my place, you laid inside my tomb of sin. You were buried for three days, you walked right out again. And now death has no sting, and life has. I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb. Jesus, for the blood has washed me white. You have saved on me from the darkness into glorious life. There's nothing. Yes Lord, thank you Jesus. There is nothing stronger than the wonder we are as it has walked.
- 0:04:00
You have saved your glory. Let's give glory to you. Thank you Lord, it's the blood, the precious blood of Jesus. That washes away our sin, that makes us whole like we Jesus. Thank you Lord, thank you Jesus. You alone are worthy Lord, you alone are worthy Lord. We praise you for the blood, we praise you Lord, for the blood of Jesus. Thank you Lord, we're here to worship him this morning. We're not here to just get something from him this morning. Amen. We're here to love on him, to worship him because he alone is worthy. Lord, you alone are worthy of our praise. Thank you Jesus. You know the Lord said his thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. When we worship the Lord, sometimes he'll take us in a totally different direction than we expect because he's God. And what he wants will be done. And Father, in the name of Jesus, I just bind every hindering spirit here today. I bind in Jesus' name the Lamb, every spirit of Satan in Jesus' name I bind here today in Jesus' name.
- 0:07:03
I thank you Lord Jesus for a good day. A good day in you Lord, we love you. I ask you to heal the sick here today Lord Jesus. The sick and afflicted, the Lord the ones who are bound. We just pray for today Lord Jesus that you would let your Holy Ghost come in. Holy Spirit move on. In the way you would move Lord, in the way you would Lord. Holy Spirit, Lord I love your way Lord. It's precious to them. Thank you Jesus that you reign Lord.
- 0:12:31
As we worship you this morning Lord, we give you the glory and the praise that you do your name.
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