Everyone is familiar with the heart, the organ that pumps blood throughout the body.  Almost everyone wants to take care of their heart so we visit the doctor, take medications, have stress tests, sometimes have surgery, etc.  With all the concern regarding the physical heart there is a serious lack of concern with the spiritual heart.  The physical heart will someday stop beating but the spiritual nature of man will live eternally, and the way we treat the spiritual heart will determine where we will spend that time that will have no end.

1)  Matthew 5: 8 - Core Verse
     a.  Jesus made it very clear the importance of a clean heart.  He states you simply won't have eternal life
          unless your heart is in good shape.
2)  Matthew 12: 35
     a.  Everyone understands what a treasure chest is.  The heart is likened to one.  It's interesting to note 
          that the "treasure" of an individual can be good or bad, depending upon what one holds dear to
          them.
3)  Matthew 15: 18 - 19
     a.   What we say and what we do is connected directly to the heart, or the intellectual/reasoning/
           emotional/changing part of the individual.
     b.   Some just think of the heart as emotional, but it's so much more.
           1. Intellect - Matthew 9: 4;  Mark 2: 8;  Matthew 13: 15
           2. Emotion - Leviticus 19: 17;  Romans 10:1; 1 Peter 1: 22
           3. Ethics -    1 John 3: 20 - 21;  Romans 2: 12 - 16
           4. Choice -   Hebrews 4: 12;  2 Corinthians 9: 7;  Roman 6: 17
4)  Who Changes The Heart And How?
           1.  God Does!
           2.  How does it happen?
           3.  Contrary to false denominational teaching God does not change the heart by direct operation
                but through the His revealed Will, the Word.  Through Information!!
                a.  The heart is a fertile ground waiting for seed to be planted.  A seedbed...
                      1.  Luke 8: 5;  Luke 8: 11 - 12
                      2. Intellectuallyit must be understood to be changed
                      3.  Matthew 13: 3 - 4, 19
                      4.  Emotionally, it's changed by the intellect, what's understood
                           a.  John 3: 16
                           b.  John 15: 13
                           c.   1 John 3: 16
                           d.  Our response? 1 John 4: 19
                      5.  What about the ethical and volitional?
                           a.  Ethically when we examine the authority of God it helps us to make a change
                                in the decisions we make..
                                1.  Paul - he had a clear conscience when he was persecuting Christians, but changed
                                     when he got the proper information Acts 23: 1;  Acts 22: 16;  Acts 26: 9;
                                     Acts 9: 3 - 9
                                2. Pentecost - Peter preached a powerful sermon and those present made a decision
                                     regarding their past action against Jesus to change their ethics. Acts 2: 22 - 28; 
                                     Acts 2: 37 - 38
                           b.  Volitionally(Choice)
                                1.  Through the Word we can continue to choose to be the people God wants us to be. 
                                     Philippians 3: 12 - 14; Colossians 3: 13 - 14; John 3: 5

Through the Word we understand what we need to do keep our hearts in the right condition.