Sermon Central
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Ashes To Fire - From Lent To Pentecost
Contributed by Russell Metcalfe on Jan 28, 2021 (message contributor)
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1. Meeting Jesus At The Place Of Confession - 1 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
Meeting with Jesus during the 14 weeks from Lent through Easter, and to Pentecost, starting with confession.
The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart . . . because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ...read more
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2. Believe And Have Life - 2 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
Lent 2—March 8, 1998 John 20:31 "...and that believing ye may have life through (Jesus') name!" Last year a group of 34 students from two state universities in Washington State took a study trip into the Amazon jungles of South America. They were led on the last part of their ...read more
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3. Repentance - 3 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
Repentance is more than turning away—it is turning to! Isaiah says: "Let them return to the Lord, for He will have mercy—and to our God for He will abundantly pardon!"
Lent 3—March 15, 1998 Turning From—Turning To Isaiah 55:1-9; Luke 13:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 The word for this week is "repentance". Last weekend there was a blizzard over the Midwest and storms in the south. We got four inches of rain here; but it was a near-disaster ...read more
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4. Openness: The Unfinished Story - 4 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
The Prodigal Son has gone away, and has come home again. The Loving Father has permitted him to go, but has watched and waited and welcomed him home again with celebration. Now the Elder Brother wonders why. How could God love like that? Is this really how God loves?
Lent 4—March 22, 1998 "Openness" Luke 15 1,2; 11-32 A Picture, A Story The sun has already set and daylight has mostly faded and gone. The big house is dimly outlined between tall old trees against the fading glow in the sky. But there is light piercing out into the darkness from the ...read more
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5. Humility: The Root Virtue - 5 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
"I want to know Christ..." . . . "I have not yet attained..." This may be the hardest sermon to preach there can be! Humility!
Lent 5—March 29, 1998 The word this week: "HUMILITY" Philippians 3 HUMILITY: THE "ROOT VIRTUE" I want to know Christ . . .I have not yet attained "Humility" is the word this week— Confession—believing— repentance— openness— and now—humility! This may be the hardest ...read more
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6. Veiled Majesty - 6 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
This Passover was different from all others before or since! ALL the prophecies of ALL the scriptures would focus on a CROSS just five days hence.
Palm Sunday—April 5, 1998 Luke 19:29,41,45; Revelation 19 Intro: Passover . . . moments of solemnety and sheer awe . . . hours and days of fun and sheer fellowship. People WALKED great distances to be there . . . TALKED together. SANG the "songs of ascents" [Ps 122 "I was glad ...read more
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7. Living Hope - 7 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
It is a wonderful thing to know the story of Jesus. But it is an infinitely more wonderful thing to believe, to be persuaded deep in one's heart that Christ is alive, and to make Him our own personal Lord and Savior.
Easter Sunday—April 12, 1998 (April 11, 1993) Living Hope John 20:9 He saw and believed. The seeds of life had been sown. Wonderful, living words. Wonderful loving deeds The seeds fell on warm hearts and cold hearts. They fell on good ground and stony ground. And there the seeds of life ...read more
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8. Obedience And The Other Witness - 8 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
We must obey God, not human authority. We need to believe that what we are doing is God's will. We don't ask God's blessing on OUR ideas and plans— instead we submit our will to HIS.
April 19, 1998 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. Acts 5:32 AT THE END OF THE EXODUS God's chosen leader-successor to Moses, Joshua, led the Israelites into Canaan, the Promised Land. By a miracle very much like the ...read more
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9. Reaching Out: The First Breakfast - 9 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
God needs us to be bridge builders, people who will reach out. Jesus will meet with us at the place of reaching out in fellowship to one another within the church. And he certainly will meet with us at the place where we are willing to reach out to those who do not yet know this Savior.
April 26, 1998 Acts 9; John 21 Our God is a bridge builder. In all his thoughts and actions toward us he is reaching out to let us know that in this vast and mysterious universe we are not alone. In the first pages of scripture God is seen as looking for Adam and Eve in the Garden, calling, ...read more
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10. A Shepherd And A Promise - 10 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
Jesus says, "I AM the Good Shepherd." "I lay down my life for my sheep. No one can pluck them out of my hands."
May 3, 1998 John 10:11-33; Psalm 23 Our Faith is about: David says "The LORD is my shepherd . . ." Jesus says, "I AM the Good Shepherd." "I lay down my life for my sheep. No one can pluck them out of my hands." Such a PERSONAL thing! "MY" shepherd! Our ...read more
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11. Love: A New Covenant - 11 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
This day of celebration of family love is the day when we hear His greatest commandment— what some call, "The Eleventh Commandment." "A new commandment I give you," Jesus said, "That you love one another."
May 10, 1998 John 13:31-35 There are many ways to look at Mother's Day. I see it as an opportunity to celebrate family love. It doesn't have to just be birth mothers that we honor. At least we can think again about how important our loved ones are to us. Children often see things a ...read more
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12. Anticipation: Meeting Jesus In The In-Between Times - 12 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
The period between Easter and Pentecost is divided into two distinct periods, punctuated by the Ascension of Jesus at the end of forty days. The final ten days were given a sharp focus by the final command of Jesus to wait. Those ten days were certainly an "in-between time."
May 17, 1998 John 14:23-29; Acts 16:9-15 The period between Easter and Pentecost is divided into two distinct periods, punctuated by the Ascension of Jesus at the end of forty days. The final ten days were given a sharp focus by the final command of Jesus to wait in Jerusalem for the ...read more
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13. Unity: The Countdown To Pentecost - 13 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
We have been pointing toward Pentecost! We want to know what it means to be awakened by God's Spirit!
May 24, 1998 John 17:20-26 THERE WAS A BIG HOLE IN THE SKY. A loud silence! Jesus was gone! They stood there with their faces turned up and their mouths open. Two shining beings brought them confirmation of what somehow they already knew: they knew this was a forever kind of change. Things were ...read more
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14. Fire: Pentecost Is The Norm - 14 Of 14
Contributed on Jan 28, 2021
What is Pentecost? Why should anyone call it one of the "big three" Christian holy days? Do you know?
May 31, 1998 In the last days, God declares, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh ... Acts 2:17 Today we celebrate one of the three great days of the entire church year. Everyone celebrates Christmas, and most people even know that it has to do with the birth of Jesus, whether or not they ...read more