In Sermons: showing 1-15 of 28

Dust

Contributed by William Nieporte on Feb 4, 2013

Sermon preached at a community Good Friday service in Richmond, Virginia

DUST “Good Friday Community Meditation” I don’t know what things have been like around your house, but around the Nieporte’s’ household, we’ve been focusing on SPRING CLEANING. Now throughout the year we do clean the house. We mop floors, vacuum the carpet, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Borders

Contributed by William Nieporte on Feb 4, 2013

Thanksgiving sermon preached at a community service in Richmond, Virginia.

Borders Luke 17:11-19 Borders can be places of drama and danger. I’m not just talking about the borders between nations and peoples. Those places are bad enough. Usually, if a nation crosses the border into another country, they are marching either to victory or defeat. Dig through your ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Baptist

Ain't It Awful

Contributed by William Nieporte on Feb 4, 2013

Elijah mistakenly thought he was alone in his service to God.

Have you noticed that more and more people seem to be joining the “Ain't it Awful Club”? In fact, there are new chapters forming every day. Some gather in the neighborhood barber shop or beauty salon. Others meet at the community coffee house, the corner pub, or next to the water ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

The Thanksgiving Packrat

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

Thanksgiving sermon based on Psalm 100

Have you ever seen a young child clap her hands? We have several young children at Patterson Avenue Baptist Church – and they clap their hands for almost anything. Place them in the company of other children and they will clap their hands. Give them some food and their will clap there hands. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 100:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Enjoy God

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

This was preached two Sundays after my resignation, dealing with the approaching time of transition that the church (and pastor) will be experiencing.

Introduction: Hold items dug up in the process of moving. Use them as references to all of the change that we have experienced individually and as a church. File – containing clergy records Church – nearly 75% of you were not actively involved when I arrived New article – 911 and all that has ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Denomination: Baptist

Dealing With Transition

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

This sermon was preached a week after I have followed God’s call to resign as pastor of a loving church to follow a new call from God.

Intro: There have been many kind reactions to my announcement (notes, phone calls, visits, chance gathering, compliments) Some more interesting reactions: To my lovely wife Jeana, one person said: “Can’t he go and the rest of you stay!” From Mary D. suffering with serious memory loss, I ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-29

Denomination: Baptist

Blessed Are The Cheesemakers

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

What does it mean to be blessed? What does it mean to be favored by God? And what does it mean to be among those who are cursed with troubles and woes.

In the Monty Python movie "The Life of Brian" (I am not advocating seeing this movie) Jesus goes up on the mountain side to teach the people. There is a huge crowd gathered around him. In fact, the crowd is so vast that the people who are on the outer edge of the gathering cannot hear what is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:17-26

Denomination: Baptist

A Vision Of God's Greatness

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

When you are moving toward the future, it is good to know where you are going. It is good to have a vision of how things are going to look down the road a bit.

I have a friend named Sam. He is a big fellow – about 6’ 4”, weighing about 275 lbs. of pure muscle. When Sam was younger, living in Israel, he was a professional soccer player. Sam knows the importance of good physical conditioning not so much as an occasional hobby, but as a way of life. It ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

Denomination: Baptist

A Bad Day At Church

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

Have you ever had a bad day at church? Jesus did. In fact, one day Jesus went to church and they tried to kill him.

Have you ever had a bad day at church? Jesus did. In fact, one day Jesus went to church and they tried to kill him. We have all had a bad day at church at least once in our lives. Maybe it was that time when the food you prepared for the fellowship meal did not turn out the way you ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:12-30

Denomination: Baptist

It's All In Your Hands

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 19, 2007

Dare we believe that God is still at work in this world despite all its brokenness and iniquity? Dare we believe that God can still work in the world through the church despite all the change and cultural upheaval we see taking place in our society?

Lake Winona was the location of the YMCA campsite in Ormond Beach, Florida – the hometown of my childhood. For two weeks each summer the First Baptist Church would rent the Lake Winona campsite to provide for it Youth and Children’s Ministry. I began attending Junior Camp when I was nine years ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:32-37

Denomination: Baptist

Revealing A Great God

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 17, 2007

Our purpose is not to build a great church, but to reveal a great God.

His name was Simon, but his friends called him Peter. If we translated his name into our language we would probably call him “Rocky” or “The Rock.” Peter was one of Jesus best students—one of his closest followers. He had heard most of Jesus sermons and parables. He had been present for most of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

Denomination: Baptist

Danger In The Water

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 17, 2007

First sermon at Patterson Avenue Baptist as pastor.

I want to thank you for the warm reception we have received since our arrival in Richmond. Your kindness and generosity has touched my family’s heart and made us feel at home very quickly in this great city. Many of you have commented on the fact that you have been praying for my former parish on ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Denomination: Baptist

The Gift Of Righteousness

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 17, 2007

Righteousness is God’s gift to us, not our gift to God.

Two men go to church to pray First – one of the few, the proud, the chosen – one of the Pharisees Rules—obeyed; Rituals—observed; Regulations—followed. Religion = Performance He performed well. He was self-centered, self-serving, and self-righteous. Sabbath – prayer time. Song of Ascent ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Baptist

Pulling Up Stakes

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 17, 2007

God is always calling us onward.

Have you ever been camping? I do not mean camping in a cabin or camper. I mean camping in the great outdoors, bundled up in a sleeping bag, with nothing but a tent between you and the wild creatures that roam the woods. I have only been once been once and I hated it. Knowing what you know ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-72

Denomination: Baptist

Do Not Be Discouraged

Contributed by William Nieporte on Nov 17, 2007

When God is involved, the future is always better than the past.

Have you ever felt nostalgic for the good old days? Have you ever experienced a longing and yearning for the way things use to be? I remember once visiting in a home of a family with a young child. The parents of this young boy had just converted his room from being that of a toddler to that ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 2:1-9

Denomination: Baptist