A Changed Heart
A Changed Heart
Sunday, April 19th, 2026
Apostle Mike Herzog
The world advertises the idea that most people are decent in their core. However, most are just excellent performers. The truth is, we are all sinners. This is emphasized in Jeremiah 17:9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” The definition of the word “desperate” refers to a hopeless sense that a situation that is incurable.
Everyone could use a change of heart, but we need to be able to reflect on ourselves first. James 1:23-24 states, “For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” The Bible tells us that the Word existed at the beginning. The Word took on human form and lived among us. The word is Jesus. Jesus set a very high standard for living righteously. In your own efforts it is impossible to meet that standard, but in James 1:25 we find hope as it is revealed, “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” Praise God that Jesus made a way for us to have a changed heart!
According to Ezekiel 36:25–27, the only way for us to get a new heart and live like Jesus is through the power of the Holy Spirit. There are many different avenues through which each of us finds Jesus. Some of us have met Him with the help of a friend. One extreme case was when a paralyzed man's friends were so eager to help him get to Jesus because they knew He could heal him that they ripped the roof off a house where Jesus was preaching and lowered their friend down to meet Him. Others have met Him when they’ve hit rock bottom or had a near-death experience. It’s not about how you get to Jesus, just that you do. A more common example of someone who came to know Jesus was a despised tax collector named Zacchaeus.
Jesus was passing through Jericho. Zacchaeus was a man who taxed his people more than what they owed so that he could profit. Although he was wealthy, he recognized he was still unfulfilled and needed Jesus. Luke 19:3 describes how “And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.” In this passage, stature refers to his importance or reputation. He saw himself as insignificant. We have all believed this lie that the enemy has told us about ourselves. When we are focused on our problems, we can’t see Jesus because our focus has shifted off Him. To begin the renewing of your heart, you start with acknowledging it needs to be renewed, then turn to Jesus. Scripture tells us that Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in desperation to see Jesus, and he knew Jesus was going to pass that way. Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree and called to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Sycamore trees represent humility and transformation. The name “Zacchaeus” means “pure and righteous”. Because Zacchaeus humbled himself, recognized he couldn’t rise above his circumstances in his own strength, and sought Jesus, he was made righteous. The only way to achieve righteousness is to keep your focus on Jesus. Zacchaeus suddenly had a change of heart because of Jesus and gave half his possessions to the poor. When you let Jesus into your heart, everything changes.
Humble yourself, take a step up out of your circumstances, and look up to Jesus. The work of sanctification is a daily process. To be transformed, we must continually seek Jesus.
Sunday, April 19th, 2026
Apostle Mike Herzog
The world advertises the idea that most people are decent in their core. However, most are just excellent performers. The truth is, we are all sinners. This is emphasized in Jeremiah 17:9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” The definition of the word “desperate” refers to a hopeless sense that a situation that is incurable.
Everyone could use a change of heart, but we need to be able to reflect on ourselves first. James 1:23-24 states, “For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” The Bible tells us that the Word existed at the beginning. The Word took on human form and lived among us. The word is Jesus. Jesus set a very high standard for living righteously. In your own efforts it is impossible to meet that standard, but in James 1:25 we find hope as it is revealed, “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” Praise God that Jesus made a way for us to have a changed heart!
According to Ezekiel 36:25–27, the only way for us to get a new heart and live like Jesus is through the power of the Holy Spirit. There are many different avenues through which each of us finds Jesus. Some of us have met Him with the help of a friend. One extreme case was when a paralyzed man's friends were so eager to help him get to Jesus because they knew He could heal him that they ripped the roof off a house where Jesus was preaching and lowered their friend down to meet Him. Others have met Him when they’ve hit rock bottom or had a near-death experience. It’s not about how you get to Jesus, just that you do. A more common example of someone who came to know Jesus was a despised tax collector named Zacchaeus.
Jesus was passing through Jericho. Zacchaeus was a man who taxed his people more than what they owed so that he could profit. Although he was wealthy, he recognized he was still unfulfilled and needed Jesus. Luke 19:3 describes how “And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.” In this passage, stature refers to his importance or reputation. He saw himself as insignificant. We have all believed this lie that the enemy has told us about ourselves. When we are focused on our problems, we can’t see Jesus because our focus has shifted off Him. To begin the renewing of your heart, you start with acknowledging it needs to be renewed, then turn to Jesus. Scripture tells us that Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in desperation to see Jesus, and he knew Jesus was going to pass that way. Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree and called to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Sycamore trees represent humility and transformation. The name “Zacchaeus” means “pure and righteous”. Because Zacchaeus humbled himself, recognized he couldn’t rise above his circumstances in his own strength, and sought Jesus, he was made righteous. The only way to achieve righteousness is to keep your focus on Jesus. Zacchaeus suddenly had a change of heart because of Jesus and gave half his possessions to the poor. When you let Jesus into your heart, everything changes.
Humble yourself, take a step up out of your circumstances, and look up to Jesus. The work of sanctification is a daily process. To be transformed, we must continually seek Jesus.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
2025
July
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments