Sermon Central
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Eyewitness To The God-Man
Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 17, 2021 (message contributor)
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1. The Kind Of Person God Protects
Contributed on Feb 17, 2021
Many of the promises of God's protection or provision in the Bible are actually conditional. They absolutely don't apply to anybody and everybody. Jesus shows us in John 6 exactly what kind of people can expect His protection and provision, and what kind of people can't.
Psalm 91 has always, from very early in my Christian life, been one of my favorite Psalms, because it speaks so beautifully and certainly of the Lord’s protection. I mean, just listen to it—it’s makes for beautiful poetry as well as for comforting thoughts—“He who dwells in the shelter of the ...read more
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2. Breaking Point: Faith That Saves Vs. Faith That Doesn't
Contributed on Mar 10, 2021
At the height of popularity, Jesus makes hard statements that thin the crowds. He says many of his disciples didn't really believe. And they fell away. What's the difference between the faith that saves and the kind of faith that doesn't? This story reveals that truth.
I’m sure that there are many of us here who have known or encountered people who were strong Christians from everything we could tell, but who have, for one reason or another, fallen away from the faith. They no longer claim to believe, they do not practice what Christ taught, they no longer ...read more
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3. Dealing Wisely With Unbelief & Opposition
Contributed on Mar 10, 2021
If we stand for Jesus, we will inevitably face the same kind of opposition that He did. How do we respond? His example gives us a clue as he faces both the unbelief of his own family, and the deadly opposition of israel's leaders.
It’s been more than 20 years ago now since I initiated a lawsuit in the name of the church against the Washoe County School District. As a few of you know, and even fewer of you probably remember, it was about the matter of Equal Access—equal access to public school facilities for churches and ...read more
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4. How To Make Right Choices About Spiritual Issues
Contributed on Mar 16, 2021
Jesus obviously provided a wisdom which is from above about how people would know the truth, and how they should seek the truth. Much of that is provided in John 7.
Back when I was in college I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. And I think it was my senior year when CCC invited a staff member by the name of Dick Day to come and speak on Love, Sex and Marriage. And Campus Crusade had a very flashy sort of ministry. They advertised that a special ...read more
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5. How To Reach Out For Jesus
Contributed on Mar 24, 2021
Jesus persistently reached out to unbelievers despite the dangers to Himself. His commitment to this cause and creativity doing so challenges us to do the same, especially around major Christian holidays.
1. When you truly become a born again believer in Christ, several things become immediately apparent to you. a. You have had the great fortune of finding the way to heaven, Jesus Christ, and that it’s by faith in Him, not as works, as most people believe. b. You have been saved from an ...read more
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6. What The World Needs Now
Contributed on Mar 31, 2021
What the World Needs Now "is love, sweet, love." But what does that kind of love look like, especially in the context of the great sin? Jesus provides us with a powerful lesson about the kind of love we need to receive and offer to others.
Most of us here are familiar with that hit song written by Burt Bacharach, “What the World Needs Now.” And of course, as bad as I am with notes, I’m even worse with lyrics, but in this case, I do remember the next few words—“Is love, sweet, love.” And admittedly, the song strikes a chord with ...read more
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7. How To Successfully Navigate Life
Contributed on Apr 19, 2021
Walking in the dark can be a dangerous thing, both physically and spiritually. Jesus explains that He is the light that shines in the darkness. How can we all appropriate that light to show the way in our own lives?
How many of you out there have ever had any experience with sleep-walking? I imagine we could all share some interesting stories about our sleep-walking experiences. But since I’ve got the floor this morning, you get to hear about mine. I have actually walked in my sleep only about three times ...read more
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8. Your Response To The Word Of Christ
Contributed on Apr 19, 2021
How do you respond to the Word of Jesus? Is following Jesus an obedience-optional exercise for you? If it is, you stand to lose a great blessing--the freedom that only being a true follower of Jesus can provide.
Last week I asked you a critical question: What must a person believe, in particular about Christ, to be sure of going to heaven The answer, of course, is that person must believe He is God, very God of very God, the God-Man. This morning I’m going to ask you another compelling question: What ...read more
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9. How To Be Used Of God
Contributed on May 12, 2021
Incredibly, God can use our disabilities, as well as our abilities for His glory. A man born blind discovers this and it changes both his life and his destiny? How can God use you in a similar way?
Last week, in John 8, we saw how Jesus concluded his great and brutal debate with his avowed enemies, the Jewish religious leaders of his generation. He had begun the debate with the statement in the temple that He was the light of the world. He concluded it by making what I believe to be ...read more
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10. How To Find The Good Shepherd
Contributed on Jun 8, 2021
The world is a very dangerous place spiritually, full of wolves that come to us in sheep's clothing, evil shepherds masquerading as good shepherds. How do we find the Good Shepherd? How do we determine the difference between good shepherds and bad? Jesus provides insight in John 10.
If you’re only casually familiar with the Bible, you might be surprised to find out that one of the major themes of the New Testament is false teachers. Under this general category fall false shepherds, false prophets and false apostles. You see, the Bible claims to be the truth about God and ...read more
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11. When God Doesn't Make Sense
Contributed on Jun 16, 2021
Maybe the Lord didn't show up when you needed Him. Maybe there was absolute silence in response to your most desperate prayers. It's happened before, and to people Jesus loved dearly. What could account for Jesus' seeming uncaring response?
Boy, we live in some tumultuous times, don’t we? Earthquake and tsunami in Japan. A nuclear disaster there as a result. Uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt and Libya. Our nation involved in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya. And wasn’t it only a few months ago that a huge earthquake ...read more
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12. When God Doesn't Make Sense
Contributed on Jul 10, 2021
Jesus' beloved friends had requested He come for their urgent need. But He didn't show up when He could have? What are we to think when God doesn't answer our prayers--there's only silence--and midnight passes?
Boy, we live in some tumultuous times, don’t we? Earthquake and tsunami in Japan. A nuclear disaster there as a result. Uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt and Libya. Our nation involved in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya. And wasn’t it only a few months ago that a huge earthquake ...read more
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13. Christ Great Love--Demonstrated, Perfected . . . Proven
Contributed on Jul 21, 2021
How are we to love one another? How do we overcome the things that divide and destroy in the body of Christ? Jesus answered these questions powerfully when He washed the feet of His disciples in John 13.
Main Idea: Show Christ’s great love by humbly serving each other This past month our little Wallace family of 5 had one of the most joyful and yet challenging experiences we have ever had. We had son and grandson, a precious little baby boy, about as cute as they come, and we gave him up for ...read more
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14. From The Depths Of Depravity To The Heights Of Humanity
Contributed on Jul 22, 2021
What will determine the ultimate outcome of your life? What will be your legacy? How will you be remembered? Three very different kinds of people reveal how we determine what the outcome of our lives will be when crunch time comes in Jesus' life.
Main Idea: Show Christ’s great love by humbly serving each other This past month our little Wallace family of 5 had one of the most joyful and yet challenging experiences we have ever had. We had son and grandson, a precious little baby boy, about as cute as they come, and we gave him up for ...read more
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15. The Day God Showed Up--In Person!
Contributed on Aug 18, 2021
How did God approach us so that we would desire a relationship with HIm? The events of Palm Sunday demonstrate how God approaches us so that we would be willing to come to Him, and trust Him with our lives.
This morning, we are experiencing a divine coincidence. It just so happens, as you all know by know, that this morning we are celebrating and remembering Palm Sunday—the day when the pilgrims to the Feast of the Passover cut off palm branches to hail and welcome the King of Israel, Jesus of ...read more
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16. Coming To Terms With Reality
Contributed on Oct 6, 2021
In any game, if you don't play by the rules, you lose. We often try to change the rules in our favor. But there is One who set the rules before all time and eternity who doesn't bend the rules for anyone, but gives grace to all who come to terms with reality.
Well, it’s the middle of summer, and the nation is immersed in what has been called its favorite pastime—baseball. And the big news is that Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter became the Yankee’s first player with 3,000 hits yesterday, and he did it with a bang, with a home run, and next Tuesday is the ...read more
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17. To Die For?
Contributed on Nov 17, 2021
What is it that Christians are to be willing to die for? That's always a tough question, but Jesus answers it with no hesitation in John 15.
Early this past week I had a both disturbing and thought-provoking conversation with a young lady. She told me about an experience she had had at a significant social event recently. She had run into to a couple who were old friends at this social event, and they had formerly been her spiritual ...read more
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18. The World, The Test & The Testimony
Contributed on Nov 17, 2021
How are we to relate to the world around us? How will the world relate to us? All of these are critical truths Jesus wants His disciples to understand.
I was listening to radio one afternoon recently when I heard story of a young woman in Albania who had come to faith in Christ and was a joyful, radiant Christian, witnessing to her friends about what she had found in Jesus. Then I listened with great sadness & shock to hear that this vibrant ...read more
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19. Preparation For Separation
Contributed on Dec 10, 2021
How would disciples relate to God and the world once Jesus was gone? How do we relate to them now that the Holy Spirit has come? Jesus provides vital guidance for believers today.
Every once in a while, in world history a powerful personality comes along whose influence and presence in life so impacts life during his time on earth that the people who are associated with him actually wonder how they will get on in life without him—whose departure from life leaves such a huge ...read more
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20. When The Buck Stops With You--Deciding About Jesus
Contributed on Mar 23, 2022
The issue of principles for spiritual decision-making can make or break a life; make or break a destiny. Pontius Pilate faced a critical decision about Jesus. His mistakes provide wisdom when the buck stops with us.
We come to the fateful moment of decision for the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man, in his earthly sojourn—that moment when the judges among men are about to finally decide the fate of the One who will ultimately be their Judge for eternity. And we know, of course, it is going to be a fatal ...read more
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21. Stop, Look, Listen & Live!
Contributed on Apr 12, 2022
Jesus' followers had to very carefully examine the evidence for Jesus' resurrection, even when it was right before their faces, to believe. In the same way, you owe it to yourself to examine the evidence & come to the same conclusion they did!
This world is a dangerous place. If there’s any lesson the congregation of Risen King may have learned over the past three months or so is just how vulnerable we human being are to tragedies that may overtake us very suddenly. That the world is a dangerous place is something that most of being to ...read more
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22. A Fishing Trip For Peter
Contributed on May 19, 2022
Peter and the disciples thought they were going fishing for some fish. But the Master Fisherman used it is an object lesson to catch them for His Grand and Eternal Purposes.
A rather intriguing and controversial news item hit the news stands and the media in the last week. A mega-church pastor in Atlanta got into trouble with the law. That’s not particularly unusual, but the reason for the trouble with this pastor was. Pastor Creflo Dollar of the 30,000-member World ...read more
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23. If You Really Love Jesus . . .
Contributed on May 19, 2022
If you really love Jesus, then what? How will you show it? Do you show it? Jesus had specific answers for us in John 21.
Well, finally, some of you must be thinking, we come to the end of the Gospel of John. And I must say, personally, along with others who have thoroughly studied this book, that it is very likely the most profound book I have ever preached through. And that’s because it’s all about the most ...read more