Sermon Central
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The Sermon On The Mount
Contributed by Boomer Phillips on Dec 15, 2023 (message contributor)
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1. Finding True Blessedness (Part 1)
Contributed on May 24, 2023
This message covers the first six verses of The Beatitudes. The word "blessed" in the text refers to more than just peace and happiness. It means "a divine and godlike joy." Jesus was saying, "Joyful are those who possess these inward qualities."
I have entitled our message this morning, “Finding True Blessedness (Part 1).” The words of Jesus seen in our passage today are called “The Beatitudes,” and this does not mean “beautiful attitudes,” even though this phrase might have catchy ring. “The Beatitudes are blessed sayings.”(1) “The ...read more
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2. Finding True Blessedness (Part 2)
Contributed on May 30, 2023
This message covers the last six verses of The Beatitudes. The word "blessed" in the text refers to more than just peace and happiness. It means "a divine and godlike joy." Jesus was saying, "Joyful are those who possess these inward qualities."
I have entitled our message this morning, “Finding True Blessedness (Part 2).” As we get started, I should remind us that the words of Jesus seen in our passage are called “The Beatitudes,” and that the word “beatitude” comes from a Latin term meaning “blessedness.”(1) But the term “blessed” used ...read more
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3. Are You Useful To God?
Contributed on Mar 24, 2022
God does not want believers to isolate or insulate themselves from the world and those who are lost. Like salt, Christians are called to make the world tastier; and like light, believers will shine the brightest only in the darkest places.
Are you useful to God, or have you made yourself useless? When we come to know Jesus Christ, we are transformed into a holy instrument to be used by the Lord. We all have a purpose, but some of us choose to make ourselves useless by not allowing the Lord to touch us with His hand. To put it ...read more
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4. Exceeding Expectations
Contributed on Jun 16, 2023
Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. This means that He wants us to exceed the spiritual expectations prescribed by the Law; as we are to strive for excellence in our walk with God.
I have entitled our message, “Exceeding Expectations,” and I want to begin by sharing a true story. A contractor in Mexico was hired to build a Catholic Church, but he used cheap materials in order to make more money. He reasoned that the quality of the materials did not matter, so long as the ...read more
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5. Be Reconciled To Your Brother
Contributed on Mar 4, 2022
Reconciliation begins with confrontation; being brave enough to approach someone to say, “Hey, we need to talk about something.” Rick Warren says that running from a problem and pretending it doesn’t exist is cowardice.
I want to ask a question to start off our message, and that is, “Whatever happened to reconciliation?” It seems as though there’s not a lot of reconciliation happening in our churches today among Christians. Probably the reason why is because reconciliation begins with confrontation; or rather, ...read more
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6. Legal Counsel For Christians
Contributed on Aug 4, 2023
Jesus provides counsel on domestic disputes, sex crimes, adultery and divorce; and He even says something that can be applied to swearing on the Bible in a court of law. Jesus, being part of the court of heaven, knows about legal matters!
I have entitled our message for this morning, “Legal Counsel for Christians.” You may not realize it, but the Bible is full of courtroom imagery. The most noteworthy example is the great white throne of judgement seen in the book of Revelation (20:11-15). Did you know that Jesus will be there ...read more
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7. Forgiving Difficult People
Contributed on Oct 30, 2021
Jesus taught about dealing with difficult people. He stressed how we should not run away from our problems, or fight back against opposition, but that we should persist with people, so we can one day win them to faith in Christ.
There is nothing easy about the world in which we live. This is a world full of people, and if we are going to succeed in life, or be effective at sharing the gospel, we must learn how to deal with people, especially those who are difficult; and we must learn to love them no matter how they treat ...read more
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8. An Audience Of One
Contributed on Sep 1, 2023
This passage of Scripture teaches us that when we pray to the Lord, and even give monetarily, that it is to be done entirely for Him and not as a public display for others. Every act of worship is to be seen only by an audience of One.
I have entitled our message this morning, “An Audience of One,” based on a song by Christian music artist Big Daddy Weave. Allow me to share some of the lyrics of this song: “I come on my knees, to lay down before You; bringing all that I am, longing only to know You. Seeking Your face, and not ...read more
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9. The Lord's Prayer
Contributed on Sep 18, 2023
This sermon is an exposition of "The Lord's Prayer." This prayer is sometimes called “The Model Prayer,” and it is an outline for prayer that all of us, as disciples of Jesus, should seek to follow when coming before the Lord with our petitions.
In our message this morning, we are going to look at what is called “The Lord’s Prayer.” And I want to get started by sharing how the gospel writer Luke prefaces this prayer. We read in Luke 11:1-2, “Now it came to pass, as [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His ...read more
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10. The Right Way To Fast
Contributed on Oct 2, 2023
This message looks at what Jesus has to say about our physical appearance when fasting. The way we present ourselves physically can speak volumes about the inner man. Who are we trying to impress when we fast? Jesus or the people around us?
I have entitled our message this morning, “The Right Way to Fast.” Jesus both practiced fasting and taught about it; and yet, fasting is something that is often feared and misunderstood. In many Christian circles, you rarely even hear about fasting; and yet, the Scripture mentions it more times ...read more
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11. Correcting Our Double Vision
Contributed on Oct 13, 2023
This message addresses the problem of spiritual double vision; being focused on the things of God and the things of the world simultaneously. Jesus talks about treasure in heaven or earth; being full or light or darkness; and pursuing God or money.
I have entitled our message this morning, “Correcting Our Double Vision.” Double vision, according to Yale Medicine, is understood as being when someone sees two of the “same” image instead of one.(1) But today, I want us to think of double vision as seeing two “separate” images at the same time. ...read more
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12. Therefore, Do Not Worry
Contributed on Nov 7, 2023
Worry causes us to feel as though we’re gasping for breath and walking around half-dead. Worry zaps our life and drains our strength. In order to have true life in the Lord, we must place all our cares in the hands of Jesus Christ.
Our primary passage today will be from Matthew chapter 6; but from time to time, I will reference Luke 12:22-32, which is a gospel parallel, or what we might call Luke’s recollection of events. E. Stanley Jones, a missionary to India in the early 1900’s, stated, “I live better by faith and ...read more
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13. Judge Not, But Discern Wisely
Contributed on Dec 15, 2023
Jesus warned about the problems associated with criticizing others, and of the need to do some spiritual self-examination before passing judgement. He then said that we need to use discernment when dealing with some people.
This morning, we are going to look at the problem of judging others. The definition for the word “judge” that applies to our passage means, “to form a judgment or opinion” and to “decide upon critically.”(1) The key word here is “critically,” for when we judge others we are often being “critical” ...read more
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14. Ask And You Shall Receive
Contributed on Jan 5, 2024
Jesus tells us how to pray in a way that leads to receiving an answer. We will learn that when we pray according to God’s will, that He hears and answers; but it might not be what we expect. However, it will be exactly what we need.
This morning, we are going to look at what Jesus has to say about how to pray in a way that leads to receiving an answer. In his song “Good, Good Father,” Chris Tomlin says, “I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide, but I know we’re all searching for answers only You provide. ‘Cause You ...read more
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15. The Narrow And Difficult Way
Contributed on Jan 20, 2024
There are two separate gates that lead to two separate ways, or roads. One way leads to blessing and the other way to difficulty. So, which way, or which road, leads to life and blessing? The correct way is Jesus (John 14:6).
When I was in my twenties, I was an avid cave explorer. Now, I just watch caving videos on YouTube. It is interesting how spelunkers will naturally follow a large wide-open passage first. They will bypass numerous smaller ones, all because the larger one does not involve hunching over or ...read more
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16. Beware Of Ravenous Wolves
Contributed on Feb 23, 2024
Things are not always as they seem; and Jesus shares what to look for in identifying false prophets. These are false teachers, ravenous wolves, who seek to feed and save themselves, rather than feed and protect the flock.
Allow me to begin with an illustration: As Little Red Riding Hood is heading to her grandmother’s house; a wolf comes along and finds out where she lives. He travels ahead, enters the house, and eats the grandmother! When Little Red Riding Hood arrives, she notices her grandmother’s unusual ...read more
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17. Building On The Rock
Contributed on Mar 18, 2024
Those who heed the message of a false prophet are unwise, building their hope on an unstable foundation. Jesus discusses "doing" vs. "doing his will," as many who proclaim to do works in His name will wind up in hell.
Our message today picks up where we left off, where Jesus warned us about false prophets who are ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing (cf. Matthew 7:15-20). When I preached from that passage, I began with the fairy tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” and the wolf as our opening illustration. This ...read more