Sermons on A Proper 21:

Seventy Sent Forth

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 5, 2016

We are warned not to delight so much in our gifts and victories as to rejoice in the fact that our names are written in heaven.

SEVENTY SENT FORTH. Luke 10:1-11; Luke 10:16-20. The first thing we might notice about the appointment of the seventy in this passage is that they were appointed by Jesus (Luke 10:1). It is hazardous for anybody to enter into ministry without the commissioning of Jesus (Romans 10:15). However, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-11, Luke 10:16-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Live As Exiles

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 25, 2019

Seek the peace of the place in which you find yourselves, for in its peace you shall have peace.

HOW TO LIVE AS EXILES. Jeremiah 29:1-7. For forty years Jeremiah had been warning Judah and Jerusalem to submit to the LORD by submitting to Babylon. The prophet had been accused of treason, threatened with death, and put in the stocks. Now the inevitable had begun to happen. In ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Take Heart. It Is I

Contributed by Nathan Webb on Aug 16, 2023

A sermon for the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 14.) A look at the gravity of Jesus' appearance on the water in the midst of the storm.

“Take heart, it is I.” Jesus has just fed more than five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples are picking up twelve baskets of leftovers. Each one of them packs a basket with their travelling gear. It’s getting late and Jesus has told them, “It’s time to head ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

Awakening To Worship.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 2, 2022

Blessing the LORD for all His gracious benefits.

AWAKENING TO WORSHIP. Psalm 103:1-8. Psalm 103:1. Sometimes we are sluggish about praising God, so we have to stir ourselves up, searching within ourselves whether there might be anything hindering us from the right worship of the LORD. Having awoken our “soul” to the task, we must delve ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trust In The Lord.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 10, 2022

Faith cures fretting.

TRUST IN THE LORD. Psalm 37:1-9. PSALM 37:1. Somebody is in trouble, fretting because of the unfairness of life: but the pastor’s responsibility is not to burden the poor soul with a ‘snap out of it’ sort of approach, which often only leads to further despair; but rather to present positive ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Leper Healed.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 10, 2022

There is no true God in all the earth apart from the God of Israel.

A LEPER HEALED. 2 Kings 5:1-3, 2 Kings 5:7-15c. Naaman, as commander of the Syrian army, was a “great” man (2 Kings 5:1), expecting “great” things (2 Kings 5:13). The king of Syria held him in high esteem, because “through him the LORD had given deliverance to Syria.” It is good that, so early ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 2 Kings 5:7-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Increasing Faith And A Growing Love.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 10, 2022

Congratulations and compliments to men are here wrapped up in the praise of God.

AN INCREASING FAITH AND A GROWING LOVE. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. INTRODUCTION (2 Thessalonians 1-2). 1. Pauline Authorship (2 Thessalonians 1:1). 2. In/ from/ according to “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Israel Went Out Of Egypt.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Feb 15, 2023

A defiant celebration of God's sovereign power.

WHEN ISRAEL WENT OUT OF EGYPT. Psalm 114:1-8. The exuberance of this Psalm is immediately evident. It is a recollection of Israel’s redemption story, beginning from when the descendants of Jacob made their exodus from Egypt. It is the prelude to the founding of what Stephen, the first Christian ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 114:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Craving The Bread Of Life

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jun 11, 2018

‘Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures unto eternal life’ (John 6:27).

CRAVING THE BREAD OF LIFE. Psalm 78:23-29. This Psalm, the second longest in the Book, demonstrates the cycle of (i) God’s provision for His people/ (ii) their ingratitude and rebellion/ (iii) God’s punishment of them/ (iv) followed by new offers of grace. The passage before us focuses ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 78:23-29

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Shame Of The Cross

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Mar 17, 2019

Jesus… for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12.2.

THE SHAME OF THE CROSS. Psalm 70. I want to speak to you today about the shame of the Cross. This is what we see in Hebrews 12:2, and which Paul elaborates elsewhere by saying that Christ took upon Himself the curse of the Tree that we might be redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 70:1-5, Hebrews 12:2

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Busy Waiting

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jun 5, 2020

Gossip the gospel.

BUSY WAITING. 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - “The church of the Thessalonians” came into being as a result of Paul’s second missionary journey. After Paul’s vision (Acts 16:9) Paul, Silas and Timothy were joined by Luke and crossed the Aegean Sea into Europe (Acts 16:10-12). After ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Praise To God.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 24, 2025

A call to worship the LORD.

PRAISE TO GOD. Psalm 96:1-9. 1. Creation. The Psalmist exhorts the earth to sing a new song to the LORD (PSALM 96:1). What is that new song? It is an acknowledgement that ‘the LORD reigns’ (cf. Psalm 96:10). That acknowledgement is based retrospectively in the realities of the creation ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 96:1-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Following The Master Series

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Aug 30, 2019

1) Loving Christ more than everything else (John 21:15–17), 2) Being willing to sacrifice everything for Christ (John 21:18–19a), 3) Following Christ’s Leading (John 21:19b–25).

John 21:15-25 [15] When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." [16] He said to him a second time, "Simon, ...read more

Scripture: John 21:15-25

Denomination: Other

Hosanna

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Apr 11, 2019

the Triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem, which we recall this Palm Sunday, we see: 1) The End of the Pilgrimage (Matthew 21:1a), the 2) The Exactness of Prophecy (Matthew 21:1b-7), 3) The Epitome of Praise (Matthew 21:8-9) and 4) The Element of Perplexity (Matthew 21:10-11)

Things are not always as they seem on the surface. When Elizabeth II had her coronation on June 02, 1953, to the casual observer, she made it look easy. As with so much in the line of royalty, the reality is a little different. Elizabeth II, who discussed her memories of her coronation in a BBC ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Denomination: Other

Paving The Way Through Stewardship Series

Contributed by Scott Kircher on Apr 3, 2011

Stewardship. What does proper stewardship entail and how does sacrifice play into proper stewardship? Why would God call us to sacrifice and how exactly does the Bible tell us to sacrifice?

Paving the Way through Stewardship Matthew 6:19-24 Why Sacrifice? Sacrifice Draws me Closer to God – Matthew 6:21 Sacrifice Frees me From Materialism – Matthew 6:24 How to sacrifice? Sacrifice the Best, NOT the Worst – Malachi 1:6-8 Sacrifice Willingly, NOT Unwillingly – 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational