Sermons on A Advent 1:

Immanuel: He Drives Away Our Fears

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 3, 2010

Advent 1987: Ahaz let fear drive him to sacrifice the best that he had and to mire down in "what if". God through Isaiah offered the ultimate sign of hope, His own presence, who drives away our fears.

The birth of a child has many layers of meaning. When a baby is born into a family, there can be all kinds of different feelings, all sorts of different meanings. For one family, this is indeed a blessed event, filled with joy, running over with excitement, the fulfillment of hopes and dreams and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-17

Denomination: Baptist

Breakthrough For Joy

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 2, 2010

Every now and then something happens, after a long struggle, to give us a breakthrough. So with God in Christ, planning from the foundation of time for the cross and achieving a breakthrough victory at the empty tomb. So count nothing impossible.

Every now and again, in human history, we achieve a breakthrough. Something which we have worked for, hoped for, fought and died for, finally happens. There has been struggle and agony and seemingly endless defeat, but suddenly it all works out. That’s called a breakthrough. You know the feeling. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Shut Out Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 20, 2009

We are not shut out: Jesus includes us by giving us knowledge, by giving us a place in His mission, and by paying the price to see that we are included in the Kingdom.

A number of years ago I saw a very provocative poster. It was a depiction of the doors of Washington. Nothing more than a series of doors, arranged in rows on the poster, probably twenty or twenty-five, all photographs of various doors in this city. Some of them were beautifully simple doorways ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-17

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Hopeful Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 22, 2009

In fearful times, there are also signs of hope. Some turn everything into a sign of fear and conflict. Others can see hope if they allow others to succeed. The child Jesus is a sign of such hope.

"The time of fear is over; now comes the time of hope." These words were spoken in the most unlikely of situations. A French novelist, Tristan Bernard, and his wife, were being put into prison by the Gestapo, after the Nazis had overrun France. They were being sent to a concentration camp; ...read more

Scripture: John 3:25-30

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Full Heart Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 23, 2009

Christmas is a time for full hearts: weary, guilty, anxious, sad -- past, present, and future. Mary felt the same things, but Christ comes to forgive our past, empower our present, and assure our future.

Christmas is an emotional time. All kinds of feelings are involved with the celebration of Christmas. If you don’t feel some tension, some excitement, or some pressure, something at this time of the year, you are either dead or you’ve been watching the Redskins, which is about the same thing. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

The Mystery And Miracle Of Christmas

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Dec 21, 2012

Christmas is the beginning of a classic true story with all the right Ingredients: love, joy, peace, goodwill, reconciliation and relationship.The true meaning of Christmas is about God loving man. It is about God giving the most amazing and spectacular

The Mystery and Miracle of Christmas Bishop Lalachan. M. A Christmas is loaded with expectations. It is a busy time of the year. The traffic is heavy on the streets. The stores are full of people looking and buying gifts. Christmas Trees and stars are being put up and decorated with flashy ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Flame

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Dec 27, 2012

A message used during our candle light service. May be used any time.

Tonight, I want to focus on the flame. All day I kept thinking about the wonderful gift of fire, especially today since God finally sent winter to us. How very blessed we are to have the warmth and sight that is provide from fire. I think back to the old day when there weren’t lighters and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Other

Skyfall Series

Contributed by Charles J. Tomlin on Nov 14, 2012

We should always live our lives with the end in view.

SKYFALL A Sermon Based Upon Luke 21: 25-36 By Rev. Dr. Charles J. Tomlin, DMin Flat Rock-Zion Baptist Partnership First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2012 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory”. (v. 27) Clouds aren’t what they used to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:25-36

Denomination: Baptist

He’s Here; Lives And Communities Are Changing! Series

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Nov 23, 2012

Gorped, To stare wide eyed at something, jaw hanging down in amazement. Please feel free to use this word, you will not likely find it in dictionaries, but is in reasonably common use in New Zealand. The King has been forecast for thousands of years. Man

Forecast King! Advent Last weekend, the long weekend on the Friday along with what must have been most of the population of the South Island, Rochelle and her parents and I went to the A[griculture] & P[astoral] Show. We did all the standard show stuff, the watching balloons drifting heavenward ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Romans 13:11-14

Denomination: Salvation Army

Anticipating Grief

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 18, 2010

A grief anticipating what will happen is difficult, but can be handled if we ask and accept forgiveness. When the grief is fulfilled, then we are ready to do what our hearts tell us. God suffered anticipating grief and so understands.

Only someone who has done some grieving can help those who now grieve. A hundred "I’m sorries" and a thousand "I know how you feels" are worthless when you feel profound grief. You need at your side someone who has been through loss. And if yours is anticipating grief; that is, if yours is the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:13-25

Denomination: Baptist

Becoming

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 17, 2010

The popular notion of "the spirit of Christmas" does not recognize that pain and suffering are involved. But the coming of Christ foreshadows His cross.

Takoma Park Baptist Church, Washington, DC December 2, 1984 Here it is only the second day of December, and already we are bombarded with Christmas carols in the stores. Already the annual countdown of only so many more shopping days until Christmas has taken on an urgent tone, and some of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

On The Journey Of Faith

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Dec 8, 2013

The talk for our 2013 Advent Carol service in which I invite people to think about the journey of the Wise men, and to consider where they are in their own life journey.

Where are you in your life-journey? As we sing about God’s ancient master-plan to save us and to show us the extent of his love where are you in your journey of discovery? As we think about searching for Jesus, where is He? Where is Jesus in your life today? I’ve had some hairy ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Christ As Shepherd Of All

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Nov 25, 2017

Christ the King Sunday, Bad News/Good News. We fail, but God is still God.

Today is Christ the King Sunday. It was established by the church nearly 100 years ago amid persecution in Mexico when their government told them that they owed their allegiance first and only to the government. The people of Mexico took to the streets with the chant, “Christ alone is King.” ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 34:1-24

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Who Are You?

Contributed by The Rev Deniray Mueller on Dec 13, 2022

John the Baptist is not sure that Jesus is the anointed 'Messiah'

Matthew 11:2-11 In the past two weeks, our Advent lessons have taught us to prepare to celebrate both the past and the future - to celebrate both the birth of Jesus 2,020 years ago and to heighten our anticipation of his coming anew at a date and time no one knows for sure. The lessons have ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11

Denomination: Episcopal

Gabriel Announces Jesus' Birth

Contributed by Timm Meyer on Dec 20, 2004

ADVENT 4(B) - The angel Gabriel announces Jesus’ birth: Jesus would be Mary’s Son and Jesus is still God’s true Son.

GABRIEL ANNOUNCES JESUS’ BIRTH (Outline) LUKE 1:26-38 - December 19, 2004 - Advent 4 INTRO: Today’s text presents some memorable verses that you may have already noticed. One reminds us the Lord is with you. What a mystery / miracle that GOD is with US! Another notable verse states: For ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

Denomination: Lutheran