In Sermons: showing 226-240 of 432

How To Approach Worship Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

How are you supposed to worship? Perhaps no question sparks more controversy across American than that question. And what we find is that the answer is often based on your previous experience and your culture and generation. Regardless, we find that there

How to Approach Worship? Psalm 95:1-7 There’s the story of a young rabbi who found a serious problem in his new congregation. During the service, half the congregation stood for the prayers and half remained seated. Each side shouted at the other, insisting theirs was the true tradition. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-7

Denomination: Methodist

Barriers To Worship Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

It seems that more than any other time, we are under spiritual attack on Sunday mornings. Barrier after barrier gets in our way trying to prevent us from getting to worship. Barriers are not just that. They are a battle over your worship. And anything tha

Barriers to Worship Matthew 4:10, Matthew 16:23 Did you struggle to get to worship this morning? Raise your hands. It seems that more than any other time, we are under spiritual attack on Sunday mornings. Barrier after barrier gets in our way trying to prevent us from getting to worship. For ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:10

Denomination: Methodist

Challenges Of Worship Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

True worship presents a challenge to everyone who comes in the presence of God. Our Scripture today is one of the most difficult to understand in the entire Bible because the insinuations of the story can be unsettling. It presents a view of God which mak

The Challenge of Worship Genesis 22:1-19 Camp Leach tells the story of some friends who took their 5 year-old grandson to church one Sunday. Bettie took her place with the choir while Christopher, their grandson sat in the congregation with his grandfather. During the service, Bettie motioned to ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-19

Denomination: Methodist

Preparing For Worship Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

So our highest priority as Christians is to give glory to God, to exalt him by giving Him worship. We are created and called to worship. That’s the reason we gather here today and every Sunday. So how do you prepare for worship?

Preparing for Worship Psalm 24, James 4:8a When you read the Old Testament, you cannot help but see the importance of worship in the lives of the people of God. Abraham worshipped. (Gen. 22:5) Jacob worshiped (Herews 11:21), Moses worshiped (Ex. 34:8), Joshua worshiped (Josh 5:14) and David ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 24:1-7, Psalm 24:1

Denomination: Methodist

Worship Matters Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

There are five reasons why we worship and why it matters.

Worship Matters 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 Mary Louise Rowland asks, “Why do we come here to worship, Sunday after Sunday, 52 Sundays a year for 5, 10, 30 years or even a whole lifetime? Getting up early Sunday morning, getting ready, getting the children dressed, driving to chuch in all sorts of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:7-36

Denomination: Methodist

The Big Picture Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

The question is, “What or whom are you worshiping?” But what is worship?” Worship is our response both personal and corporate to God for who He is and for what He has done expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.

The Big Picture Romans 12:1-2 David Yarborough writes, “Back in 1992 when the Dallas Cowboys were preparing to play the San Francisco 49ers And then he writes, “Why did you come to worship today? Our primary reason for attending church should be to worship God, honor Him and to show ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Denomination: Methodist

That Thing You Do Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

Worship: it’s that thing we do. It’s what we were created to do. There are five things we learn about this thing we do called worship.

Worship: That Thing We Do Acts 17:16-28; John 4:19-26 The crowd jumps to its feet. Many clench tissues and wipe tears on from their reddened cheeks. The applause is thunderous, intermingled with cheers and praises to God as Christopher Kline from Madison, AL leads worship. It marked a great ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:16-28

Denomination: Methodist

Great Expectations Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

?” People with a great life purpose reach forward with great expectations. Here’s the good news: God is able to abundantly exceed all that we ask or think. Said another way: your expectations will never be so great that God is not able to more than meet

Great Expectations Numbers 13: 1-3, 17-33; Philippians 2:12 In the United States right now, the average life expectancy is 76 years old. So write down 76, and subtract your age. How many years do you have left? I freaked when I discovered I have only 29 years left! Some of you are in the lagniappe ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 13:17-33

Denomination: Methodist

Discover Your Spiritual Gifts Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

Spiritual gifts are special abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God’s design and grace. They are spiritual endowments used for the ministry and purposes of God so that each of us can make our own unique contribution in

With his life in disarray, Steven Lavaggi sat on his bedroom’s wooden floor, and began searching his Bible for answers. His wife had just left him to marry a writer for The Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten days later, Steven discovered his son was stricken with Juvenile Diabetes. The he lost his ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Denomination: Methodist

Dream On Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

Dreams happen when we let our imagination run wild, when we choose to think outside the box, when we throw off all of the constraints of the way things are and imagine the way things could be. So what is a dream? A dream is God’s picture, vision or bluepr

Dream On... Genesis 37:1-11 In our Scripture today, Joseph, one of 12 sons of Jacob had a dream where he would rise up in authority over his brothers and they would bow down to him. He told his brothers about this dream and from that point on, his life and his family’s life was never the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-11

Denomination: Methodist

Discover It Together Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

In this sermon, we see the third key to discovering God’s purpose for your life: community. It’s in community that we experience the presence of Jesus and God’s purpose for our lives.

Find It Together Acts 9: 1-10 A man was having difficulty communicating with his wife and concluded that she had become hard of hearing. So he decided to conduct a hearing test without her knowing about it. One evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back was to him and she could ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-10

Denomination: Methodist

To Be Like Jesus Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

This sermon talks about the second key to finding God’s purpose and that is to become like Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus is not about just believing in Jesus, it’s about the life of Jesus invading yours and mine and transforming our thoughts, words and

To Be Like Jesus Hebrews 5:12-6:1 The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but people dying without ever knowing or living their life purpose. Last week we learned the first way to discover the purpose you were created for is to follow Jesus into God’s work in the world. You just ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Call To Follow Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

You were made with a life purpose. The prophet Jeremiah put it this way, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” You were born with a purpose and plan in mind

The Call to Follow Mark 8:31-35 USA Today did a survey asking people, “If you could ask God any question, what would it be?” The number one response was “What is my life’s purpose?'” All of us in the church were blown away by Rick Warren’s book, “A Purpose ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:35-38

Denomination: Methodist

Not What I Expected Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

That's what the Christmas event is all about - God showing up in the midst of the unexpected.

Not What I Expected Isaiah 9:1-2 When I was in seventh grade, like so many youth at that age, music became a huge part of my life. I was awakened to the sounds of music of Elton John’s Greatest Hits, SuperTramps’ Breakfast in America and Led Zepellin 2. So my hope and dream was to build ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Denomination: Methodist

Scandalously Amazing Love Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

The meaning of Christmas can be summed up in two verses. The first is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The second is this: “Here I am! I stand a

Scandalously Amazing Love On Christmas Day, Mike Nicholas, a tall and slim young man with dark hair was making his way south on I-85 just below High Point, NC trying to hitch a ride. For two years, he hadn’t been home. His family had heard nothing from him. He and his mother had a ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-2

Denomination: Methodist