Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 24, 2002
based on 4 ratings
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And just how effective is the church today at halting this social decline? Not very, according to most sources. The sad reality is that on many fronts, the American Church is struggling just to exist. In the face of real life problems, our churches are anemic and turned in on themselves. C.
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Walt Disney is given credit for an important one-liner: change is inevitable; growth is optional. Nancy Adler likens the challenge implied in this truth to a hot-air balloon ready for flight. The only thing preventing the balloonist’s soaring into the air is the load of sand ballast holding it
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Denomination:
Catholic
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006
based on 1 rating
| 1,556 views
Build & Grow: Church researcher, The Rainer Group, reports that 81% of churches experienced growth following a building program.
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 5,190 views
"The fruit of the Spirit is the harvest, marking growth and maturity. It produces ethical character. It is the true measure of holiness of life and practice in
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based on 6 ratings
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The church is not:
* An ark for the saving of a select few.
* A ferryboat to take effortless passengers to the shores of heaven.
* A life insurance company, with no obligation on policy holders except the payment of a small annual premium.
* A social set, welcoming certain people and
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Tim White on Apr 2, 2012
HE KNOWS ABOUT ME
When I was talking with another counselor once, he asked if he could take me through an exercise that he uses to help people struggling with assurance or attaining victory, and/or were stalled in Christian growth.
He had me close my eyes and imagine that Jesus Christ walks into
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Denomination:
Baptist
Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 13, 2003
based on 19 ratings
| 6,286 views
There are no short cuts to maturity.
It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes
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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006
based on 3 ratings
| 3,511 views
Pastor’s Prayer Lives: A recent Ellis Research survey for Facts & Trends finds just 16% of pastors are very satisfied with thier personal prayer lives, 47% are somewhat satisfied, 30% somewhat dissatisfied and 7% very dissatisfied. Their median amount of prayer time per day is 30 minutes. During
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FROM: "LIVING WITH JESUS TODAY" by Juan Carlos Ortiz
We have a phenomenon in the church today which I call the "ETERNAL BABYHOOD OF THE BELIEVER."
We have members of our churches who, after years of hearing messages are just the same. They continually need a minister to keep after them, changing
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
One of the things all the gurus of preaching say is a necessary trait for successful preaching is to be vulnerable, transparent – to show the people you’re preaching to that you share their struggles. Allow me to be transparent for a moment.
There is a good reason why this passage has become
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Denomination:
Presbyterian/Reformed
based on 1 rating
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In the Bible, darkness is a powerful metaphor that carries both physical and spiritual significance. Let’s explore its various meanings:
Physical Darkness:
Genesis 1:4: God separated light from darkness during the creation of the world. Darkness represents the absence of light,
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational