The Gospel Truth – Hardness of Heart: Episode 4

Host: Andrew Wommack
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode continues Andrew Wommack’s series on "Hardness of Heart," exploring what it means to have a hardened heart, how it manifests in daily life, the biblical foundations for understanding it, and why recognizing and addressing hardness is essential for spiritual growth. Andrew draws from his own experiences, biblical passages, and practical examples to challenge listeners to evaluate their own sensitivity toward God versus the world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding Hardness of Heart (00:29–03:20)

• Definition: Andrew describes "hardness of heart" using the dictionary terms—cold, insensitive, unfeeling, and unyielding—specifically in relation to one's receptiveness to God.
  • “The word hardened by the dictionary says that it means to be cold, insensitive, unfeeling or unyielding.” (01:15)
• Every believer, he asserts, has some area of insensitivity toward God, often being more receptive to fear, unbelief, or condemnation than to faith.

2. Biblical Examples: The Disciples (03:21–08:12)

• Scripture Reference: Andrew discusses Mark 6 and Mark 8, where Jesus’ disciples were shocked by his miracles and failed to perceive spiritual truths—even after witnessing the supernatural.
  • “Their heart was hardened. And it links a hardened heart to being shocked to see the supernatural power of God in manifestation.” (03:48)
• A hardened heart makes one more attuned to the natural (physical) realm and less to the supernatural.

3. Characteristics of a Hardened Heart (08:13–12:14)

• Spiritual Perception: Not being able to "perceive" or "understand" spiritual truth signifies a hardened heart.
  • “Did you know not being able to perceive spiritual truth is an indication of a hardened heart? Boy, that’s a big statement right there.” (08:45)
• Many believers feel God "has more for them" but feel stuck—Andrew attributes this to hardness of heart.
• He encourages listeners that this condition is reversible and promises later to discuss cures.

4. Desensitization: Vietnam War Story (12:15–17:44)

• Andrew shares a personal story from Vietnam, illustrating how the heart and mind adapt to persistent stimuli:
  • He slept through explosions but would instantly awaken at unusual sounds—drawing a parallel to how we become hardened or sensitized to certain spiritual "noises."
  • “I could sleep through all of these loud noises because those were normal. But something abnormal happened…instantly, I would be awake because something was abnormal.” (17:00)

5. Sensitizing or Hardening Yourself (17:45–20:47)

• People can become desensitized to God’s voice and more sensitive to "the voice of the world" (sin, fear, negativity), just as city dwellers tune out street noise but notice a baby’s cough instantly.
  • “You can sensitize yourself to what God is saying. And in contrast, or by neglect, you will automatically start becoming hardened towards what the devil is saying.” (18:24)
• The biblical norm, Andrew insists, is to hear God’s voice easily and be “hardened” to the enemy's voice (John 10: "My sheep hear my voice").

6. The Condition of the Heart & Response to Truth (20:48–24:50)

• Andrew recounts teaching identical Bible lessons to different groups and seeing dramatically different outcomes—some utterly changed, others unaffected—concluding the receptivity is determined by the condition of the listener's heart, not just the message.
  • “It’s the condition of people’s hearts that determine how the Word affects them.” (23:09)

7. Memory and Spiritual Growth (24:51–27:40)

• Forgetting God’s past work is another symptom of a hardened heart.
• Andrew explains the importance of remembering God’s faithfulness:
  • “Every day of my life I go back and remember March 23, 1968, when God touched my life. I’ve already praised God for that two or three times today already.” (25:15)
• Recalling God’s history in our lives builds hope and gives proper perspective in facing new challenges.

8. Application & Next Steps (27:41–28:16)

• Before seeking a "cure," listeners must recognize everyone has hardened areas in their heart—it doesn't resolve automatically and requires intentional change:
  • “This is something that you have to recognize the problem, discern what it is, recognize the cause of it. And then…you can reverse the process…” (27:52)
• Andrew promises to discuss practical steps to reverse hardness in future episodes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hardness of Heart:
  "When your heart becomes hardened … it’s just like you lose all reason, you lose your ability to think, you become spiritually retarded … you just can’t think right." (04:35)

• On Spiritual Perception:
  “Not being able to perceive spiritual truth is an indication of a hardened heart.” (08:45)

• Vietnam War Analogy:
  “I slept through the whole thing. I didn’t even hear any of it. But did you know that…if you opened that door, you could hear it creak. And I mean instantly, I would be awake…” (17:08)

• On Remembering God’s Faithfulness:
  “One of the strong points in my life…I go back and remember March 23, 1968, when God touched my life. I’ve already praised God for that two or three times today already.” (25:15)

Important Timestamps

• 00:29 – Introduction to "Hardness of Heart" series and resources offered
• 03:21 – Biblical background: Mark 6 and shock at Jesus’ miracles
• 08:45 – Spiritual perception as a sign of the heart’s condition
• 12:15 – Vietnam War anecdote and spiritual application
• 17:00 – Analogy of desensitization and spiritual tuning
• 23:09 – Personal ministry experience with audience response
• 25:15 – Importance of remembering God’s work in your life
• 27:52 – Call to self-examination before seeking a “cure”

Conclusion

Andrew Wommack challenges listeners to recognize that hardness of heart affects every believer and underlies difficulty hearing God, spiritual dullness, and forgetfulness of God’s goodness. Through personal stories, scriptural teaching, and practical analogies, he encourages proactive self-evaluation and promises practical solutions in upcoming messages.

Next Steps:

• Recognize areas of hardness in your own heart.
• Regularly recall and rehearse God’s faithfulness in your life.
• Prepare to learn about reversing hardness of heart in future episodes.

Resources Mentioned:

• Andrew’s book and series on Hardness of Heart
• Free booklet: "An Introduction to Hardness of Heart"
• Audio/Video resources via AWMI
• Andrew’s Living Commentary software

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