Sermon Central
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Embracing Our Mission
Contributed by David Owens on Sep 14, 2006 (message contributor)
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1. People Matter To God
Contributed on Sep 14, 2006
Because people matter to God, they should matter to us. In Jesus’ three stories from Luke 15, we learn just how much people matter to God.
A. One day, an antique collector was walking through the city when he noticed a mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store and he did a double take. 1. His expertise told him that the saucer was extremely old and very valuable, so he walked casually into the store and ...read more
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2. Counting The Costs And Benefits
Contributed on Sep 18, 2006
Our involvement in reaching lost people will involve numerous costs, but the benefits outweigh the costs.
Introduction: A. Life is full of choices, isn’t it? 1. I read a story about a family who was moving cross-country and decided to drive both of their cars in the move. 2. Their 8 year-old son became very worried about this. 3. He asked his father, “How will we keep from getting separated?” 4. ...read more
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3. A Formula For Impacting Our World
Contributed on Sep 26, 2006
The simple formula Jesus has given us for impacting our world is that we are salt and light.
Introduction: A. I wanted to start today’s sermon with a funny story of a science chemistry experiment gone wrong. 1. So I went on line and searched for quite a while, thinking surely there must be some great stories out there. a. I stumbled on one that didn’t have a lot of details, which would ...read more
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4. The Attractiveness Of Authenticity
Contributed on Oct 2, 2006
Seekers are looking for something that is real. The Christians in our congregations needs to learn to be authentic as we live the Christian life.
Introduction: A. There’s a story told of a woman who pulled up to a red light behind another car. 1. The driver of the car in front of her was talking on his cell phone, and shuffling through some papers on the seat beside him. 2. The light turned green, but the man didn’t notice. 3. The ...read more
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5. The Case For Compassion
Contributed on Oct 12, 2006
Showing compassion to others is a powerful way to draw them to God.
A.Let’s talk about the Case For Compassion. 1.I want us to begin with a probing question. 2.In what ways have you, individually, or have we, collectively, shown compassion recently? 3.Our response might be – What do you mean by compassion? 4.The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines ...read more
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6. The Strength Of Sacrifice
Contributed on Oct 16, 2006
As we try to put ourselves into a position to be able to share the gospel with others, there are few things that will get their attention more than self-sacrifice.
A. Self-sacrifice. A word we are not too familiar with, right? 1. Certainly, we understand its meaning. It is not too hard to define, but it is hard to embrace and embody. Wouldn’t you agree? 2. And yet when we witness self-sacrifice, we are drawn to it. We are amazed by it. 3. Sacrifice ...read more
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7. The Necessity Of Relationships
Contributed on Oct 23, 2006
To reach the lost, we must have relationships with the lost.
Introduction: A. Let me start by asking you a few questions: Where do you go when you have a problem? Whom do you turn to when you need help or advice on some important issue in your life? 1. Are you more likely to turn to someone you know or to a stranger? B. How do you feel when stranger ...read more
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8. Finding An Approach That Fits
Contributed on Oct 31, 2006
There are many ways to do evangelism. The key for success is not only employing the most effective approaches, but employing the ones that best match our own individual personalities and gifts.
Introduction: A. For every task that we face, there are many approaches or methods that we might employ. 1. Some methods are certainly better than others. B. I love the story of the man who was injured on the job and had to provide further explanation of the cause of his injuries for the ...read more
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9. Making The Message Clear
Contributed on Nov 7, 2006
If we don’t clearly understand the gospel message ourselves, how will we be able to share it with others? Here’s a lesson that will help prepare us to share the message clearly.
Introduction: A. In the Scripture reading that was just read for us, the Apostle Paul was concluding his letter to the Colossians and he asked them to pray for two things. 1. First, He asked them to pray that God would open doors for the message. 2. Second, He asked them to pray that he might ...read more
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10. Breaking The Barriers To Belief
Contributed on Dec 6, 2006
In this sermon we explore the barriers to belief that some people have, and then point out that God wants to help all people overcome the obstacles to belief.
A. This morning we return to our series called Embracing Our Mission. To help refresh our memory, here are some of the things we have been emphasizing in this series: 1. First and foremost – People Matter to God. He loves them and He wants to save them! 2. Second – Reaching out to the lost is ...read more
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11. Investing Your Life In People
Contributed on Dec 11, 2006
This final lesson in the series is designed to motivate us to realize that the soul-saving business is the most important business in the world.
A. Today’s sermon brings to a conclusion this series on outreach that we have been addressing this fall. 1. We are going to spend a few moments thinking about Jesus’ famous last words, but before we do, I thought it might be fun to think about some other famous last words. 2. Here are the Top ...read more