Sermon Central
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Unlocking The Mystery
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jun 7, 2020 (message contributor)
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1. Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
Contributed on Jun 7, 2020
The first chapter of Ephesians is dedicated to telling the Christians there how pretty they are to God. Why would Paul spend all that ink and paper on this topic? And what can that mean to us?
I read once about a nursing home worker who would go from room to room taking care of the needs of the residents. On day she was in the room of one of the residents when the woman looked up at her and said “My but you’re pretty!” The attendant blushed. She was “plump” and “overweight and wasn’t ...read more
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2. Do You Know What Kind Of Power You're Sitting On?
Contributed on Jun 14, 2020
Paul said he prayed for the Ephesians that they would "know... what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us." Why would Paul bother to pray that they'd KNOW such a thing, and why would it matter if we knew this power?
OPEN: The first church I served was in a quaint resort town called Hamilton, IN. It was a nice little town. A peaceful and quiet community. Well, except for that one time when the State police sent several officers as well as (pause) a bomb squad to the home of one of the residents there. It seems ...read more
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3. Saved A Wretch Like Me
Contributed on Jun 21, 2020
People struggle with being called "wretches" (like Amazing Grace has labeled us). The question is - are we "wretches", and if we are - why is that important to know?
I love to sing so I’m going to ask you sing a couple old hymns with me: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see. “At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. ...read more
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4. Remember What You’ve Got
Contributed on Jun 28, 2020
Paul tells us that before we became Christians, we had nothing of value. What did Paul tell us we had that makes a difference in our lives?
OPEN: The year was 1905. There was a baseball game between the Rhyolites and Beattys in Salt Lake City. The batter stepped up to the plate and hit a ground ball toward First Base - but it struck a small rock and shot off at an angle. Fortunately the 1st baseman (William Giffiths) easily fielded ...read more
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5. What God Has Made Clean
Contributed on Jul 4, 2020
God told Peter in Acts 10 - "What God has made clean you must not call common." What would that have meant to the Ephesians, and what can it mean to us?
In Acts 10, we’re told the story of the first Gentiles who became Christians. God sent Peter to do preach to them and baptize them… but because Peter wouldn’t have done that on his own. God gave Him this instruction: “What God has made clean, do not call common." Acts 10:15 About 100 years ...read more
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6. What Makes The Church Run?
Contributed on Jul 12, 2020
What make a church successful? Is it lots of money? A great preacher? Great outreach programs and internal programming? Oddly enough, the early church didn't have that - and yet they turned the world upside down. What did the early church have that made the difference?
Flip Wilson was a popular black comedian several years ago, and among the routines he did were skits about a Preacher at the “What’s Happening Now Church.” One of his skits went like this: He’d shout out: "If this church is going to serve God it’s got to get down on its knees and crawl!!!” ...read more
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7. What Does A "grownup" Church Look Like?
Contributed on Jul 26, 2020
Paul tells the church at Ephesus that one of their goals should be to "growup" and no longer be children. But how would they know when they had accomplished that? What are the marks of a mature congregation?
OPEN: My grandson Benjamin (the apple of my eye) is 2 years old, and I know that one day someone is going to ask him this question: “What are you going to be when you …. (grow up)?” As I was doing research for the sermon this morning I found there was huge number of children’s books with this ...read more
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8. Escaping Your Prison
Contributed on Aug 2, 2020
As Christians we're supposed to live a different life than those around us. But how can we do that when we're surrounded with so many temptations to do things we know we shouldn't do?
Back in the 14th century, in the region we now call Belgium, there was a duke by the name of Raynald III. Raynald had a nickname – Crassus. Crassus means fat, and he was fat because he really liked to eat. He liked to EAT … a lot! In the course of time, he had a violent quarrel with his younger ...read more
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9. How Could I Possibly Imitate God?
Contributed on Aug 9, 2020
Paul writes that we should imitate our Heavenly Father like children. How does a child imitate their parent, how can we "imitate God" and what difference can that make to our witness as Christians?
I have a 2-year-old grandson who lives with me right now - along with is mom and dad - and he loves being with me. We watch cartoons together/ play together, and we work together. We mow grass (we showed a picture of him pushing a toy mower) and we wash the dishes (we showed a picture of him ...read more
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10. The Bucket List
Contributed on Aug 14, 2020
A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket." But God warns us that there is one item we MUST have on that "bucket list." What is that "one item", and how do accomplish it?
Did you realize all the things we do with time? We “MAKE” time, and we TAKE time, for things that are important to us. We “SAVE” time with all kinds of gadgets and doodads. We “MARK” time, we “KILL” time, we “RACE AGAINST” time. AND (someone noted) that the worst thing you can do with time, is ...read more
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11. Who's The Boss?
Contributed on Aug 22, 2020
I need to submit to "that person?" Seriously? Why?
A man once said: “I am not the boss of my house. I don’t know HOW I lost it. I don’t know WHEN I lost it. I don’t even think I ever had it. But I’ve seen the boss’s job, and I don’t want it.” The text we’re looking at today has been debated for centuries. It seems that the only part anybody is ...read more
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12. Suit Up
Contributed on Aug 30, 2020
We're fighting an enemy we can't see... but then we can't see Covid either. World rulers have geared up to fight Covid and will not be satisfied until that enemy is defeated. Are we as committed to defeating our enemy?
OPEN: It was an early morning in Los Angeles, CA several years ago. A motorcycle policeman named Bob Vernon saw a red pickup truck speeding through a stop sign, and he turned on his siren and gave chase. When the pickup pulled over, and Vernon approached the driver’s side door to ask for ID. But ...read more