The Heart of the Matter: A Matter at Heart

Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.”

I. Keep Your Heart

(Deuteronomy 4:9) Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things        which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known           unto thy children and thy children's children;  (ASV)

      

(Psalms 139:23-24) Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if           there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.  (ASV)

      

(Proverbs 22:5) Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far              from them.  (ASV)

(Proverbs 23:19) Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.  (ASV)

(Proverbs 28:16) The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor; But he that hateth        covetousness shall prolong his days.  (ASV)

(Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?             (ASV)

(Mark 14:38) Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh         is weak.  (ASV)

      (Hebrews 12:15) looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any            root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled;  (ASV)

II. Keep Your Heart Diligently

(Proverbs 4:7) Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get                       understanding.  (ASV)

      (Proverbs 11:16) A gracious woman obtaineth honor; And violent men obtain riches.  (ASV)

(Proverbs 13:3) He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life; But he that openeth wide his lips shall have         destruction.  (ASV)

(Ecclesiastes 5:13) There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the           owner thereof to his hurt:  (ASV)

(Exodus 20:17) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor          his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.  (ASV)

(Joshua 22:5) Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of           Jehovah commanded you, to love Jehovah your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his                    commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.                (ASV)

(Matthew 6:21) for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.  (ASV)

(Mark 7:15) there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things               which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.  (ASV)

(1 John 5:18) We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God         keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not.  (ASV)

III. Eternal Life Hinges on It

(Matthew 12:35) The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out         of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  (ASV)

(Matthew 15:19) For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,           false witness, railings:  (ASV)

(Mark 7:21-23) For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts,        murders, adulteries, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride,                          foolishness: all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.  (ASV)

(James 1:14-15) but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the         lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.  (ASV)