Sermon Central
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Sermon On The Mount
Contributed by C. Philip Green on Aug 23, 2019 (message contributor)
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1. Hapy Are The Humble
Contributed on Aug 23, 2019
Do you want to be truly happy and blessed? Then be humble in your attitude towards yourself, your sin, others, and God.
Tim Keller, in his book The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, talks about his high school days when his mother kept telling him, “You know, honey, you ought to join the chess club.” He would say, “Mom, I hate chess.” “Yes, I know,” she would say, “but it will look so good on your college ...read more
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2. Happy Are The Humble -- Part 2
Contributed on Aug 29, 2019
If you want to be truly happy, demonstrate humility in mercy, purity, making peace, and accepting persecution.
Orla Shup, of Albion, Pennsylvania, was babysitting her pastor’s 3-year-old daughter, playing their favorite game together, Go Fish. One evening, after winning several rounds, the little girl kept bragging about how good she was. Jokingly, Shup said to her, “I'm going to have to teach you a ...read more
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3. Shake And Shine!
Contributed on Sep 5, 2019
If you want to make a difference in a dark and decaying world, get out of the saltshaker, get out from under the basket, and just be who you are – salt and light.
A couple of years ago (May 2017), Eugene Romanovsky wanted to sell his old car, a 1996 Suzuki Vitara. It had certainly seen better days, but that did not Romanovsky, who is an Israel-based visual effects artist. Using his skills, he developed a full-blown, Hollywood-style action trailer to make the ...read more
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4. Kingdom Life
Contributed on Sep 13, 2019
When you realize that Jesus did not cancel God’s Law, but completes it, that it continues today, and that you have to keep every part of it from the heart, there is only one thing you can do to be "good enough" for God's Kingdom and that’s count on Jesus.
Through his humor, Bill Waterson has a way to make you think about life. He’s the author of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips; and some time ago, he drew Calvin (a little boy) hurtling down a snowy slope on a sled with his friend Hobbes (a tiger). Calvin: I'm getting nervous about ...read more
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5. Kingdom Relationships
Contributed on Sep 20, 2019
In dealing with your anger, don’t commit murderous acts, don’t think murderous thoughts, and don’t speak murderous words. But if your anger has hurt someone, seek reconciliation and seek a resolution as soon as you can.
Several years ago, the Arizona Republic carried a story about Steve Tran of Westminster, California. He activated 25 bug bombs in his apartment to get rid of some unwanted guests, the cockroaches that shared the space with him. He closed the door thinking he had seen the last of them. But when the ...read more
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6. Kingdom Sex
Contributed on Sep 27, 2019
To overcome a porn addiction and lust, Jesus says: Don’t look with the deliberate intention of fantasizing sex. And if you can’t keep from looking, take drastic action to avoid the trap of lust. But above all, depend on Christ to purify your heart.
On a December Sunday afternoon in northeastern Pennsylvania several years ago (2005), Pedro Sainvil sent two of his two children, ages 8 and 9, outside to play in the snow. Several minutes later, they rushed back into the house screaming, “Dad! Dad! There's a bear under the house!” Sure ...read more
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7. Kingdom Marriage
Contributed on Oct 3, 2019
If you want to make your marriage work, don’t look at other women (or men); don’t look for loopholes; instead, look to the Lord! Depend on Him to do what you can’t do on your own.
Terry Kenne from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, talked about her daughter planning a small family wedding at their church. When Terry and her husband arrived early on the day of the wedding to make sure everything was ready, they noticed a banner from the missions conference was still behind the ...read more
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8. Kingdom Integrity
Contributed on Oct 11, 2019
How do you live in a culture that regards truth as relative? Jesus says, “Don’t swear. Just speak the truth.” But in order to do that, you must submit to Him!
On the first day of school in a Peanuts comic strip, the teacher asks her class to write an essay about returning to school after summer vacation. Linus writes, “No one can deny the joys of a summer vacation with its days of warmth and freedom. It must be admitted however that the true joy lies in ...read more
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9. Kingdom Justice
Contributed on Oct 17, 2019
Kingdom Justice says, don’t retaliate. Specifically, accept insults with patience, judgment with generosity, hardship with grace, and demands with willingness. But in order to do that, you must accept God's grace with humility.
A mother ran into the bedroom when she heard her seven-year-old son scream. She found his two-year-old sister pulling his hair. She gently released the little girl's grip and said comfortingly to the boy, “There, there. She didn't mean it. She doesn't know that hurts.” He nodded his ...read more
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10. Kingdom Love
Contributed on Nov 7, 2019
In dependence upon Christ, love your enemies and be like God; love your enemies and be exceptional; love your enemies and be complete!
Erwin Lutzer tells the story about a man and his wife who came to their pastor and told him, “We're going to get a divorce, but we want to come to make sure that you approve of it.” Like many people, they were not looking for advice. They just wanted their pastor to agree with what they had ...read more
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11. Quiet Generosity
Contributed on Nov 15, 2019
If you want a real reward from God, and not just the praise of people, don’t put on a show with your giving, and don’t make a sound. Instead, give in secret, and God will reward you publicly one day.
Genia Obal, from Montrose, British Columbia, talks about the time her 7-year-old daughter had just won $2.00 for her memory work in Sunday school. After the morning service, the pastor's wife congratulated her. The little girl proudly announced, “And I put it all in the morning's ...read more
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12. Powerful Praying
Contributed on Nov 21, 2019
When you pray, pray sincerely, simply, and assuredly, for powerful praying is a sure, simple, sincere sharing of your heart with a Heavenly Father who already knows your need.
A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem bureau took an apartment overlooking the Wailing Wall. Every day when she looked out, she saw an old Jewish man praying vigorously. So, the journalist went down and introduced herself to the old man. She asks, “You come every day to the wall. How long have ...read more
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13. Pattern Of Prayer
Contributed on Dec 28, 2019
When you pray, put God’s interests first: acknowledge who God is; acknowledge what God wants; then acknowledge what you need.
Gladys Brown in Bucyrus, Ohio, talks about being at a midweek prayer service where someone requested prayer for a neighbor woman who was having a difficult time and was feeling “just miserable.” Volunteering to take the request, a man fervently prayed, “O God, bless this miserable woman!” (Gladys ...read more
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14. Effective Fasting
Contributed on Jan 1, 2020
Fast when out of your despair, you feel totally dependent upon God.
One day, Kathy Cash’s husband, of Dallas, Texas, announced to the family that he was going to fast and pray. Ginny, their 5-year-old, had recently learned that fasting meant not eating. “No!” she shouted. “You can't fast! You'll die!” Her dad carefully explained that many men and women ...read more
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15. Sermon On The Amount
Contributed on Jan 24, 2020
Store God’s money in the right place; see God’s money with the right perspective; and serve the right power. Trust Christ with your life and use God’s money to benefit others.
Next Sunday is the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs playing for the first time in over 50 years! I’m looking forward to a great game, but also to some great commercials like this Chevy commercial shown during Super Bowl 46 in 2012 (show Chevy Happy Grad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np0giKknx0U) ...read more
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16. Antidote For Anxiety
Contributed on Jan 31, 2020
Don’t be anxious. Instead, look to the birds and flowers; look to your Heavenly Father; and look only at today. In a word: have FAITH! Trust the Lord to take care of you today and tomorrow.
Antidote to Anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34) Chris Surber, a pastor in Suffolk, Virginia, tells the story is about a woman who for many years couldn’t sleep at night because she worried that her home would be robbed. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to ...read more
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17. The Eyes Of A Doctor
Contributed on Feb 14, 2020
If you want to truly help people recover from failure, lead with compassion, not condemnation; lead by example, not by examination; and lead with wisdom; not words. To put it succinctly, see with the eyes of a doctor, not a judge.
A man went to see his doctor in an acute state of anxiety. “Doctor,” he said, “you have to help me. I'm dying. Everywhere I touch it hurts. I touch my head and it hurts. I touch my leg and it hurts. I touch my stomach and it hurts. I touch my chest and it hurts. You have to help me, Doc, ...read more
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18. Pray A Lot!
Contributed on Feb 21, 2020
Your Heavenly Father wants to give you everything that’s good for you, starting with His only Son, going all the way to your daily bread, so pray with persistence and confidence in Him!
Don Young, of Bern, Kansas, talks about a time when his oldest daughter was old enough to understand what saving money was all about. His wife and he sat down with her and explained the value of money. They explained how you save, and when the piggybank was full, you take the money out and deposit ...read more
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19. The Hard Way
Contributed on Feb 27, 2020
Choose love and so choose life!
The Hard Way (Matthew 7:12-14) Lee Strobel asks us to imagine a daughter and her boyfriend going out for a Coke on a school night. The father says to her, “You must be home before eleven.” It gets to be 10:45 p.m. and the two of them are still having a great time. They don't want the evening ...read more
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20. Uncovering Counterfeits
Contributed on Mar 5, 2020
To discern true or false preachers, look beyond their apparel; look beyond their appeal; and look beyond their approach.
How many of you have heard of the “five-second rule”? It’s the popular notion that food dropped on the floor and picked up within five seconds is “safe,” because bacteria need at least five seconds to transfer from the floor to the food. Parents sometimes apply the rule to pacifiers (after their ...read more
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21. House On The Rock
Contributed on Mar 13, 2020
Hear Christ's Word, do His Word, and so withstand the storm.
Amy Simpson, from Wheaton, Illinois, collected the following warnings she found on various consumer products: On a Duraflame fireplace log: Caution—Risk of Fire. On a Batman costume: Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly. On a bottle of hair coloring: Do not use as an ice cream topping. On a ...read more